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How can such envious persons be happy in their godless civilization?

1979-09-02 (1)
Srimad-bhagavatam 10.5 Text 26
kaccit paśavyaṁ nirujaṁ
bhūry-ambu-tṛṇa-vīrudham
bṛhad vanaṁ tad adhunā
yatrāsse tvaṁ suhṛd-vṛtaḥ
SYNONYMS
kaccit—whether; paśavyam—protection of the cows; nirujam—without difficulties or disease; bhūri—sufficient; ambu—water; tṛṇa—grass; vīrudham—plants; bṛhat vanam—the great forest; tat—all these arrangements are there; adhunā—now; yatra—where; āsse—are living; tvam—you; suhṛt-vṛtaḥ—surrounded by friends.
TRANSLATION
My dear friend Nanda Mahārāja, in the place where you are living with your friends, is the forest favorable for the animals, the cows? I hope there is no disease or inconvenience. The place must be full of water, grass and other plants.
PURPORT
For human happiness, one must care for the animals, especially the cows. Vasudeva therefore inquired whether there was a good arrangement for the animals where Nanda Mahārāja lived. For the proper pursuit of human happiness, there must be arrangements for the protection of cows. This means that there must be forests and adequate pasturing grounds full of grass and water. If the animals are happy, there will be an ample supply of milk, from which human beings will benefit by deriving many milk products with which to live happily. As enjoined in Bhagavad-gītā (18.44), kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma-svabhāvajam. Without giving proper facilities to the animals, how can human society be happy? That people are raising cattle to send to the slaughterhouse is a great sin. By this demoniac enterprise, people are ruining their chance for a truly human life. Because they are not giving any importance to the instructions of Kṛṣṇa, the advancement of their so-called civilization resembles the crazy efforts of men in a lunatic asylum.

Cc  Madhya 24 Text 249
nārada kahe,--"ardha mārile jīva pāya vyathā
jīve duḥkha ditecha, tomāra ha-ibe aiche avasthā
SYNONYMS
nārada kahe—Nārada Muni replied; ardha mārile—by half-killing the animals; jīva pāya vyathā—the living beings suffer too much pain; jīve duḥkha ditecha—you are giving troubles to the living beings; tomāra—your; ha-ibe—there will be; aiche avasthā—the same suffering in retaliation.
TRANSLATION
"Nārada Muni replied, 'If you leave the animals half-dead, you are purposefully giving them pain. Therefore you will have to suffer in retaliation.'
PURPORT
This is an authoritative statement given by the greatest authority, Nārada Muni. If one gives another living entity unnecessary pain, one will certainly be punished by the laws of nature by a similar pain. Although the hunter Mṛgāri was uncivilized, he still had to suffer the results of his sinful activities. However, if a civilized man kills animals regularly in a slaughterhouse to maintain his so-called civilization, using scientific methods and machines to kill animals, one cannot even estimate the suffering awaiting him. So-called civilized people consider themselves very advanced in education, but they do not know about the stringent laws of nature. According to nature's law, it is a life for a life. We can hardly imagine the sufferings of one who maintains a slaughterhouse. He endures suffering not only in this life, but in his next life also. It is said that a hunter, murderer or killer is advised not to live and not to die. If he lives, he accumulates even more sins, which bring about more suffering in a future life. He is advised not to die because his dying means that he immediately begins to endure more suffering. Therefore he is advised not to live and not to die.
As followers of the Vedic principles, we accept the statements of Nārada Muni in this regard. It is our duty to see that no one suffers due to sinful activities. Foolish rascals are described in Bhagavad-gītā as māyayāpahṛta-jñānāḥ, which indicates that although they are superficially educated, māyā has taken their real knowledge away. Such people are presently leading human society. In Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam they are also described as andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ. These rascals are themselves blind, and yet they are leading others who are blind. When people follow such leaders, they suffer unlimited pains in the future. Despite so-called advancement, all this is happening. Who is safe? Who is happy? Who is without anxiety?

Srimad-bhagavatam 5.16 Text 25
yān upajuṣāṇānāṁ na kadācid api prajānāṁ valī-palita-klama-sveda-daurgandhya-jarāmaya-mṛtyu-śītoṣṇa-vaivarṇyopasargādayas tāpa-viśeṣā bhavanti yāvaj jīvaṁ sukhaṁ niratiśayam eva.
SYNONYMS
yān—which (all the products produced because of the flowing rivers mentioned above); upajuṣāṇānām—of persons who are fully utilizing; na—not; kadācit—at any time; api—certainly; prajānām—of the citizens; valī—wrinkles; palita—grey hair; klama—fatigue; sveda—perspiration; daurgandhya—bad odors because of unclean perspiration; jarā—old age; āmaya—disease; mṛtyu—untimely death; śīta—severe cold; uṣṇa—scorching heat; vaivarṇya—fading of the luster of the body; upasarga—troubles; ādayaḥ—and so on; tāpa—of sufferings; viśeṣāḥ—varieties; bhavanti—are; yāvat—as long as; jīvam—life; sukham—happiness; niratiśayam—unlimited; eva—only.
TRANSLATION
The residents of the material world who enjoy the products of these flowing rivers have no wrinkles on their bodies and no grey hair. They never feel fatigue, and perspiration does not give their bodies a bad odor. They are not afflicted by old age, disease or untimely death, they do not suffer from chilly cold or scorching heat, nor do their bodies lose their luster. They all live very happily, without anxieties, until death.
PURPORT
This verse hints at the perfection of human society even within this material world. The miserable conditions of this material world can be corrected by a sufficient supply of milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, molasses, food grains, ornaments, bedding, sitting places and so on. This is human civilization. Ample food grains can be produced through agricultural enterprises, and profuse supplies of milk, yogurt and ghee can be arranged through cow protection. Abundant honey can be obtained if the forests are protected. Unfortunately, in modern civilization, men are busy killing the cows that are the source of yogurt, milk and ghee, they are cutting down all the trees that supply honey, and they are opening factories to manufacture nuts, bolts, automobiles and wine instead of engaging in agriculture. How can the people be happy? They must suffer from all the misery of materialism. Their bodies become wrinkled and gradually deteriorate until they become almost like dwarves, and a bad odor emanates from their bodies because of unclean perspiration resulting from eating all kinds of nasty things. This is not human civilization. If people actually want happiness in this life and want to prepare for the best in the next life, they must adopt a Vedic civilization. In a Vedic civilization, there is a full supply of all the necessities mentioned above.

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