Excerpt from lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.16, Vrindaban, Nov 4, 1976

PRABHUPADA:

lokah svayam shreyasi nashta-drishtir
yo 'rthan samiheta nikama-kamah
anyonya-vairah sukha-lesha-hetor
ananta-duhkham cha na veda mudhah

Due to ignorance, the materialistic person does not know anything about his real self-interest, the auspicious path in life. He is simply bound to material enjoyment by lusty desires, and all his plans are made for this purpose. For temporary sense gratification, such a person creates a society of envy, and due to this mentality, he plunges into the ocean of suffering. Such a foolish person does not even know about this. [Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.16]

This is the description of the material world. Anyonya-vairah: simply envious of one another. This is material world: I am envious of you; you are envious of me. You can extend this familywise, societywise, communitywise, nationalwise, but the basic principle is enviousness, nothing else. Therefore in the beginning of the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is explained who are fit for accepting this Bhagavata principle. Dharmah projjhita-kaitava atra paramo nirmatsaranam: "Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhagavata Purana propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart." [SB 1.1.2]. This is meant for the persons who are no more envious, for them. Those who are envious, they have no entrance in the principles of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

The whole world is based on the principle of enviousness. And what is the meaning of this enviousness? Sukha-lesha-hetu, temporary happiness. Temporary happiness. Now, especially in the modern world... Not only modern world, always. That is the nature of this material world. How much fighting is going on between nation to nation, person to person, community to community. There are so many codes, legal codes. The people go there, fight with one another. Then the United Nations... What is that United Nations? I have already explained many times, assembly of barking dogs. That's all. United Nations. They will never unite. They will go there and barking. Many times we have seen their enviousness. Krishna says sarva-loka-maheshvaram: [Bg. 5.29: "I am the proprietor of all planets."] But we are claiming, "This is my country," "This is India, my country," "This is Pakistan," "This is America," "This is Russia," and fighting. And the proprietor is there; he is claiming that "This is not yours. It is mine." Still they are. Because why? Ananta-duhkham cha na veda mudhah. Rascals. He has no right. Unnecessarily he or they are claiming right and fighting.

We have to suffer it, placed in this condition by material nature. Daivi hy esha gunamayi mama maya duratyaya [Bhagavad-gita 7.14]. I have given this example many times. Just like in the school the teacher engages two naughty boys to catch the ears of one another. And he is pulling the ear; he is also pulling the ear. There is competition of pulling the ear. So nature engages them. Jagat ahita ugra-karma. They have manufactured this ugra-karma [destructive activities] world for the annihilation of this world. Russia has built up its nuclear weapons, and the Americans, they are finding out the opportunity so, to drop the bomb here and there, and everything will be destroyed. They do not know what is the aim of life. Simply they are engaged in ugra-karma and creating enmity.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2: "Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Bhagavata Purana propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all. Such truth uproots the threefold miseries. This beautiful Bhagavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyasadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization. What is the need of any other scripture? As soon as one attentively and submissively hears the message of Bhagavatam, by this culture of knowledge the Supreme Lord is established within his heart." [His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedantas Swami, Srimad-Bhagavatam, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust]