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ŚB 3.15.24

Devanagari

येऽभ्यर्थितामपि च तो नृगतिं प्रपन्ना
ज्ञानं च तत्त्वविषयं सहधर्मं यत्र ।
नाराधनं भगवतो वितरन्त्यमुष्य
सम्मोहिता विततया बत मायया ते ॥ २४ ॥

Text

ye ’bhyarthitām api ca no nṛ-gatiṁ prapannā
jñānaṁ ca tattva-viṣayaṁ saha-dharmaṁ yatra
nārādhanaṁ bhagavato vitaranty amuṣya
sammohitā vitatayā bata māyayā te

Synonyms

ye — those persons; abhyarthitām — desired; api — certainly; ca — and; naḥ — by us (Brahmā and the other demigods); nṛ-gatim — the human form of life; prapannāḥ — have attained; jñānam — knowledge; ca — and; tattva-viṣayam — subject matter about the Absolute Truth; saha-dharmam — along with religious principles; yatra — where; na — not; ārādhanam — worship; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vitaranti — perform; amuṣya — of the Supreme Lord; sammohitāḥ — being bewildered; vitatayā — all-pervading; bata — alas; māyayā — by the influence of the illusory energy; te — they.

Translation

Lord Brahmā said: My dear demigods, the human form of life is of such importance that we also desire to have such life, for in the human form one can attain perfect religious truth and knowledge. If one in this human form of life does not understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His abode, it is to be understood that he is very much affected by the influence of external nature.

Purport

Brahmājī condemns very vehemently the condition of the human being who does not take interest in the Personality of Godhead and His transcendental abode, Vaikuṇṭha. The human form of life is desired even by Brahmājī. Brahmā and other demigods have much better material bodies than human beings, yet the demigods, including Brahmā, nevertheless desire to attain the human form of life because it is specifically meant for the living entity who can attain transcendental knowledge and religious perfection. It is not possible to go back to Godhead in one life, but in the human form one should at least understand the goal of life and begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is said that the human form is a great boon because it is the most suitable boat for crossing over the nescience ocean. The spiritual master is considered to be the most able captain in that boat, and the information from the scriptures is the favorable wind for floating over the ocean of nescience. The human being who does not take advantage of all these facilities in this life is committing suicide. Therefore one who does not begin Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the human form of life loses his life to the influence of the illusory energy. Brahmā regrets the situation of such a human being.