Shloka 31
The Forest of Material Existence (Saṁsāra-vana) and the Delivering Path of Bharata’s Teachings
तत्रापि निरवरोध: स्वैरेण विहरन्नतिकृपणबुद्धिरन्योन्यमुखनिरीक्षणादिना ग्राम्यकर्मणैव विस्मृतकालावधि: ॥ ३१ ॥
tatrāpi niravarodhaḥ svaireṇa viharann ati-kṛpaṇa-buddhir anyonya-mukha-nirīkṣaṇādinā grāmya-karmaṇaiva vismṛta-kālāvadhiḥ.
แม้ที่นั่นพวกเขาก็อยู่โดยไร้อุปสรรค เที่ยวไปตามใจด้วยปัญญาอันคับแคบ ไม่รู้เป้าหมายชีวิต เพียงเห็นหน้ากันและกันก็ปลุกความทรงจำแห่งความเพลิดเพลินทางประสาทสัมผัส แล้วหมกมุ่นอยู่แต่ในกรามยะ-กรรม คือกิจทางโลก จนลืมสิ้นว่าช่วงชีวิตอันสั้นย่อมมีวันสิ้นสุด
Materialistic people are sometimes called śūdras, or descendants of monkeys, due to their monkeylike intelligence. They do not care to know how the evolutionary process is taking place, nor are they eager to know what will happen after they finish their small human life span. This is the attitude of śūdras. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mission, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, is trying to elevate śūdras to the brāhmaṇa platform so that they will know the real goal of life. Unfortunately, being overly attached to sense gratification, materialists are not serious in helping this movement. Instead, some of them try to suppress it. Thus it is the business of monkeys to disturb the activities of the brāhmaṇas. The descendants of monkeys completely forget that they have to die, and they are very proud of scientific knowledge and the progress of material civilization. The word grāmya-karmaṇā indicates activities meant only for the improvement of bodily comforts. Presently all human society is engaged in improving economic conditions and bodily comforts. People are not interested in knowing what is going to happen after death, nor do they believe in the transmigration of the soul. When one scientifically studies the evolutionary theory, one can understand that human life is a junction where one may take the path of promotion or degradation. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (9.25) :
FAQs
This verse warns that mundane, sense-centered social habits keep one absorbed in trivialities and make one forget the urgency of time and the certainty of death.
In the allegory of the material world as a forest, he highlights that unchecked enjoyment and social absorption dull spiritual urgency, causing the soul to ignore life’s impermanence and miss the chance for bhakti.
Reduce time-wasting social distraction and sense-driven routines, and deliberately schedule sādhana—hearing, chanting, and remembrance of Bhagavān—so awareness of life’s purpose stays strong.