When we understand what is the goal of life, then life is successful

[slideshow id=15]Prabhupada, Washington, D.C., July 5, 1976: […] We have seen big, big personalities… Just like Caitanya Mahaprabhu; He is Krishna Himself, but He accepted Isvara Puri as His guru. Krishna, He also accepted His guru as Sandipani Muni. Lord Ramacandra, He accepted His guru as Vasistha. So it is necessary, Krishna or Rama.

They are Supreme Personality of Godhead. They are the supreme instructor, full of knowledge, everything. Aisvaryasya samagrasya viryasya. There is nothing short, but still, to show us example, They accepted guru. That is essential. So here Sanatana Gosvami, he is also born in a very well-to-do brahmana family.

He was well-situated as minister in charge of the government of Hussain Shah. So everything was quite all right, and still, he thought himself as nica jati.

nica jati nica-sangi patita adhama kuvisaya-kupe padi’ gonainu janama

If we remain puffed-up, that “I am born in such and such family. I am educated such and such, and I am posted in such and such post, so now my life is successful,” that is false. Life is successful when we understand that…Here it is said, apanara hitahita kichui na jani. When we understand what is the goal of life, then life is successful.

Not the temporary position, “I am getting good salary, I am very nicely posted, I have got good family,” and so on, so on. No. One must know the goal of life.

The goal of life is that… We are fallen in this material world somehow or other. As Bhaktivinoda Thakura sings, anadi karma-phale pori’ bhavarnava-jale. Now when a man is fallen in the ocean or in the water, he’s asking help, you cannot say that “How did you fall? What was the cause?” That we shall discuss later on.

First of all, save him. So that is the immediately necessity. There is no… Sometimes we are questioned that “How a living entity fallen in this material world?” Yes, that is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita: iccha-dvesa-samutthena sarge yanti parantapa. Iccha-dvesa. Actually, we are servants of God.

That is our real position. But we sometimes become envious, that “Why shall I become servant of God? This is slave mentality.” Sometimes we are accused, the Vaishnavas are, of slave mentality because they want to serve God.

And the Mayavadis, they think that “We are so exalted that I am as good as God. I am God.” That is their position. But actually, nobody is God here. Everyone is servant. He’s simply falsely thinking that he’s God, he’s master, he’s this or that. Full Lecture