"The karmis, fruitive workers, have been described in the Bhagavad-gita as mudhas, asses."
Interviewer (August 1976): Still, isn’t it usually considered honorable to work hard, to struggle, and eventually “get ahead” in life?
Srila Prabhupada: The karmis, fruitive workers, have been described in the Bhagavad-gita as mudhas, asses. Why are they compared to the asses? Because the ass works very hard with loads on his back, and in return his master gives him only a little morsel of grass.
He stands at the door of the washerman and eats grass while again the washerman loads his back. He doesn’t have the sense to think, “If I go out of the cottage of the washerman, I can get grass anywhere. Why am I carrying so much?”
Interviewer: That brings to mind some people I know.
Srila Prabhupada: The fruitive worker is like that. He is very busy in the office, and if you want to see him he will say, “I am very busy.” So what is the result of your being so busy? He takes two pieces of toast and one cup of tea. And for this purpose you are so busy?
He does not know why he is busy. In the account books he will find that the balance was one million dollars and now it has become two million. He is satisfied with that, but he will take only two pieces of toast and one cup of tea, and still he will work very hard. That is what is meant by karmi. Asses–they work like asses, without any aim in life.
But Vedic civilization is different. The accusation is not correct–people in Vedic civilization are not at all lazy. They are busy for a higher subject matter. Prahlada Maharaja stresses that this busy-ness is so important that it should begin from one’s very childhood. Kaumara acaret prajnah: one should not lose a second’s time. That is Vedic civilization.
The asses see, “These men are not working like I am”–like dogs and asses–and they consider that we are escaping. Yes, escaping your fruitless endeavor. The Vedic civilization is meant for self-realization.”
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