FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.2.10

कामस्य नेन्द्रियप्रीतिर्लाभो जीवेत यावता । जीवस्य तत्त्वजिज्ञासा नार्थो यश्चेह कर्मभि: ॥ १० ॥
kāmasya nendriya-prītir
[kaamasya nendriya-preetir]
lābho jīveta yāvatā
[laabho jeeveta yaavataa]
jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā
[jeevasya tattva-jijnaasaa]
nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ
[naartho yash cheha karmabhih]
kāmasya — of desires na — not indriya — senses prītiḥ — satisfaction lābhaḥ — gain jīveta — self-preservation yāvatā — so much so jīvasya — of the living being tattva — the Absolute Truth jijñāsā — inquiries na — not arthaḥ — end yaḥ ca iha — whatsoever else karmabhiḥ — by occupational activities.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
kāmasya nendriya-prītir
kāmasya
of desires
lābho jīveta yāvatā
jīvasya tattva-jijñāsā
na
not
indriya
senses
prītiḥ
satisfaction
lābhaḥ
gain
jīveta
self-preservation
nārtho yaś ceha karmabhiḥ
yāvatā
so much so
jīvasya
of the living being
tattva
the Absolute Truth
jijñāsā
inquiries
na
not
arthaḥ
end
yaḥ ca iha
whatsoever else
karmabhiḥ
by occupational activities.
Life’s desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one’s works.

The completely bewildered material civilization is wrongly directed towards the fulfillment of desires in sense gratification. In such civilization, in all spheres of life, the ultimate end is sense gratification. In politics, social service, altruism, philanthropy and ultimately in religion or even in salvation, the very same tint of sense gratification is ever-increasingly predominant. In the political field the leaders of men fight with one another to fulfill their personal sense gratification. The voters adore the so-called leaders only when they promise sense gratification. As soon as the voters are dissatisfied in their own sense satisfaction, they dethrone the leaders. The leaders must always disappoint the voters by not satisfying their senses. The same is applicable in all other fields; no one is serious about the problems of life. Even those who are on the path of salvation desire to become one with the Absolute Truth and desire to commit spiritual suicide for sense gratification. But the Bhāgavatam says that one should not live for sense gratification. One should satisfy the senses only insomuch as required for self-preservation, and not for sense gratification. Because the body is made of senses, which also require a certain amount of satisfaction, there are regulative directions for satisfaction of such senses. But the senses are not meant for unrestricted enjoyment. For example, marriage or the combination of a man with a woman is necessary for progeny, but it is not meant for sense enjoyment. In the absence of voluntary restraint, there is propaganda for family planning, but foolish men do not know that family planning is automatically executed as soon as there is search after the Absolute Truth. Seekers of the Absolute Truth are never allured by unnecessary engagements in sense gratification because the serious students seeking the Absolute Truth are always overwhelmed with the work of researching the Truth. In every sphere of life, therefore, the ultimate end must be seeking after the Absolute Truth, and that sort of engagement will make one happy because he will be less engaged in varieties of sense gratification. And what that Absolute Truth is is explained as follows.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
For one who desires apavarga, sense pleasure attained from enjoying sense objects is not the goal as long as one lives. The goal of life is inquiry into the highest truth. What is accomplished by prescribed duties is not the goal.
Commentary

The pleasure of the senses (indriya-pritiḥ) arising from enjoying senses objects is not the goal (lābhaḥ). Rather, as long as one lives (yāvatā jiveta) one should work for the fulfillment of life (apavarga). The pleasure of the senses from enjoyment for the jñānīs or the yogīs consisting of the secondary results that appear along with the desired results is designated as “results of action.” Since jñāna and yoga are transformations of niṣkāma-karma, they perceive whatever happiness and distress they experience as results of karma. For the devotees, the pleasure of the senses from sense objects which accompany bhakti however are not called fruits of action (karma) since bhakti is not a transformation of karma. The devotees, however, perceive happiness to be the result of bhakti only. They regard suffering as the mercy of the Lord:

yasyāham anugṛhṇāmi hariṣye tad-dhanaṁ śanaiḥ | tato ’dhanaṁ tyajanty asya svajanā duḥkha-duḥkhitam ||

If I especially favor someone, I gradually deprive him of his wealth. Then the relatives and friends of such a poverty-stricken man abandon him. In this way he suffers one distress after another. SB 10.88.8

Taking this statement of the Lord into consideration, according to the particular case, the devotee’s suffering should be regarded as direct action of the Lord or a result of devotional offenses. The goal of life (jīvasya) is inquiry into the highest truth (tattva-jijñāsā). What is accomlished (iha) by performance of karmas, such as attaining Svarga, is not the goal.

Related verses
The body is given for inquiry into Truth, not for endless sense pleasure. Health and self-preservation are fine — they keep the inquiry going — but they aren't the point.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I maintaining my body lavishly while neglecting the inquiry it was given for?
  • What single, simple inquiry into truth could I begin or resume this week?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 2