SB 5.5.1

ṛṣabha uvāca
nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛloke
kaṣṭān kāmān arhate viḍ-bhujāṁ ye
tapo divyaṁ putrakā yena sattvaṁ
śuddhyed yasmād brahma-saukhyaṁ tv anantam

ṛṣabhaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrsabhah

Lord Ṛṣabha; Lord Ṛṣabhadeva; supreme leader; the best; the best of the Kurus; the chief; the crest jewel; the leader; the noblest of all living entities; the presiding Deity of all demigods; Ṛṣabha. uvācaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biguvāca

answered; described; explained; he recited; he said; inquired; prayed; replied; said; she said; she spoke; spoke; talked with them.—Lord Ṛṣabhadeva said; naplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigna

never; not; are not; but not; cannot; certainly not; could not; did not; do not; does it not; does not; is not; it is not; it is not so; may not; neither; never; never does; never to be; no; no one; none; nor; not; not like that; not preceded by oṁ; not suitable; nothing; or not; shall not; should never; there is none; there is not; there should not be; was not; whether; without.—not; ayamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigayam

a person; all these (common men); all these; extraordinary it is; he (Śiva); He; Him; His; I am; in this; Kṛṣṇa; Lord Rāmacandra; of this; one; people in general; such a poor man; that; that is; the Lord; the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; the same; these; this (Caitanya-caritāmṛta); this (as measured by Brahmā's duration of life); this (child within the womb); this (child); this (Kṛṣṇa); this (Lord Śiva); this (rascal); this (what has been described); this brāhmaṇa; this; this action taken by you; this animal; this Bali Mahārāja; this child; this demon; this form; this incarnation of Kapila; this is; this King; this King Pṛthu; this Kṛṣṇa; this living entity; this Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; this man; this one (the Supreme Lord); this one; this period; this person (Ajāmila); this person (known as Ajāmila); this person; this Personality of Godhead; this process of creation and annihilation; this soul; this Vedic knowledge; Vasudeva; Śrī Kṛṣṇa; Śukadeva Gosvāmī.—this; dehaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdehah

another body; body; her body; his body; material body and mind; the body; the material body; the same body; this body; this material body; transcendental body.—body; dehaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdeha

a body; apply; bodies; body; deliver; expansion of the body; give; give Me; in the body; kindly award; kindly give; kindly give it to me; My body; of a material body; of the body; of this body; offer; please award; please give; the body; the gross body and subtle mind; the gross material body; the material body; the spiritual body; this body; with the body; You give; you put.-bhājāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhajam

of those who entertain.—of all living entities who have accepted material bodies; nṛplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignṛ

and of the human species; human being; human beings; human beings in general; like a human being (such as Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Rāmacandra); man; unto human society.-lokeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigloke

all people; all the people; among people; among the general people; among the people; among the residents; duration of life; everyone; for the people; in all people; in all the planets; in human society; in the locations; in the material world; in the self; in the society; in the universe; in the world; in this life; in this material world; in this world; messengers; of the cosmic manifestation; people; people in general; persons; the general populace; the people; the people in general; the planets; the world; this world; throughout the whole world; to social behavior; to the people; to the people in general; to this world; unto the people; unto the people in general; when all the people; within the three worlds; within the world; within this universe; within this world; world.—in this world; kaṣṭānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkaṣṭān

troublesome.—troublesome; kāmānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkāmān

all desirable things; all desirables; all desires; all enjoyment; all material desires; all material desires for sense gratification; anything desirable; desired enjoyable objects; desired necessities; desired objects; desires; desires for sense gratification; in regard to lusty desires; material desires; material enjoyment; objects for sense enjoyment; objects of enjoyment; sense gratification; so desiring; the necessities of life; things for sense gratification.—sense gratification; arhateplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigarhate

deserves.—deserves; viṭplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvit

completely aware of.-bhujāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhujam

and my arm; arms; hand; the arm.—of stool-eaters; yeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigye

all; all of them; all of them who; all of which (duration of life, opulence, etc.); all of which; all of which persons; all of whom; all of you; all of you who; all such; all such devotees who; all that; all these; all they; all those; all those persons who; all those who; all who; also others who; although; anyone; anyone who; as also others; as we are; both of whom; certainly; even those; he who; his; indeed; one; one who; one who is; others; others who; persons who; since; so that; some of the demons who; such persons; such persons who; that; that one who; that which; the devotees who; the one who; the one who is; the person who; they; they who; those brāhmaṇas who; those; those devotees; those devotees of Mine who; those devotees who; those persons; those persons who; those Vaikuṇṭha persons; those which; those who (are); those who; those who are; what; whatever; whatever they are; which; which desires; which others; which personalities; which persons; which two parts; who; who are; who is; who were; whoever.—which; tapaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtapah

and austerities; austerities (such as observing fasts at least twice in a month on the day of Ekādaśī); austerities; austerities and penances; austerities like mental control, mystic yoga and meditation; austerity; austerity and penance; by austerities; by austerity; in austerity; of austerity; penance; penances; practice of austerities and penances; the austerity; the performers of austerities; the planetary system above the Janas; the regulative principles of austerity; the result of austerity; the Tapoloka planet; the Tapoloka planetary system; trueness to one's responsibility; with austerities.—austerities and penances; divyamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdivyam

celestial; divine; easily obtained because of rainfall from the sky; extraordinary; heavenly; in the spiritual kingdom; of the demigods; pertaining to the demigods in the higher planets; spiritual; superhuman; transcendental; uncommon; wonderful.—divine; putrakāḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigputrakāḥ

My dear sons; O demigods; O my dear servants, who are like my sons; O my sons.—My dear sons; yenaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyena

as; as if; as it were; because; by all this; by something; by such activities; by such an incarnation; by such knowledge; by that love; by the agency; by the bestower; by the chanting of which; by the same thunderbolt; by which (as a result of the yajña); by which (religious principle); by which (spiritual consciousness); by which (the glory of the Lord); by which; by which means; by which person; by which process; by which pseudo religious system; by which sound; by which way; by whom (everything is enacted); by whom (Hiraṇyakaśipu); by whom (Janaka); by whom (Kārtavīryārjuna); by whom (Lord Rāmacandra); by whom (Nārāyaṇa); by whom (the Lord); by whom (the Personality of Godhead); by whom (the Supreme Brahman); by whom (through whose mercy); by whom (Śiva); by whom; by whom, Ṛṣabhadeva; exactly like; if possible; is like; just as; just like; like; must; pulled by such time; so; so that; somehow; that; there; which; whom (my husband); whom (the Supersoul); with whom.—by which; sattvamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsattvam

śuddha-sattva, transcendental; any living being; consciousness; entity; existence; goodness; His internal potency; in goodness; living being; mode of goodness; mundane goodness; patience; pure transcendental goodness; regulation; strength; the heart; the mode of goodness; with no tinge of the material modes of nature.—the heart; śuddhyetplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigśuddhyet

becomes purified; may be purified.—becomes purified; yasmātplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyasmāt

because; because of; because of which (because of existing in the material world); by which; from any causal representative; from He who is the cause of everything; from some cause; from which; from whom.—from which; brahmaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbrahma

brahma; brāhmaṇas; mantras beginning with oṁ (such as oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ); Veda; Vedas; absolute; Absolute Truth; all my brahminical qualifications; all the Vedas; all the Vedas with their different branches of knowledge; all the Vedas; all transcendental literatures; and brahma; Being; brahma; Brahmaloka; Brahman; brahminical civilization; brahminical culture; by Lord Brahmā; called by the name Brahman; from the activities of Brahman realization or austerity; Gāyatrī hymns; impersonal Brahman; impersonal Brahman realization; is the brāhmaṇas; knowledge of Brahman; Kṛṣṇa; Lord Brahmā; of a brāhmaṇa; of impersonal Brahman; of impersonal Brahman, or the Absolute Truth; of Lord Brahmā; of the brāhmaṇas; of the impersonal effulgence; spirit; spiritual; spiritual kingdom; spiritual knowledge; spiritual nature; spiritual power; Supreme; the brāhmaṇas; the Vedas; the Absolute; the Absolute Truth; the all-pervading Absolute Truth; the brahminical culture; the greatest; the Gāyatrī mantra; the impersonal Brahman (which is an emanation from Kṛṣṇa); the impersonal Brahman; the impersonal Brahman effulgence; the impersonal feature; the Parabrahman, Kṛṣṇa; the personified Vedas; the Supreme; the Supreme Absolute Truth; the Supreme Brahman; the Supreme Brahman, the Personality of Godhead; the Supreme Lord; the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the supreme spirit; the supreme truth, the Absolute Truth, Brahman; the Vedic knowledge; the Vedic literatures; the Vedic wisdom; Transcendence; transcendental; truth; unlimited; Vedic; Vedic knowledge; Vedic sound; without change; You are known as Brahman.-saukhyamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsaukhyam

the happiness.—spiritual happiness; tuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtu

again; also; and; as to; as well as; but (because of misfortune); but; certainly; due to; expletive; however; in fact; indeed; moreover; must; of course; on the contrary; only; that; then; yet.—certainly; anantamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biganantam

Ananta; by the name ananta; by the name Ananta; the unlimited; unending; unlimited.—unending. ¶

Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one’s heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever. ¶

In this verse Lord Ṛṣabhadeva tells His sons about the importance of human life. The word deha-bhāk refers to anyone who accepts a material body, but the living entity who is awarded the human form must act differently from animals. Animals like dogs and hogs enjoy sense gratification by eating stool. After undergoing severe hardships all day, human beings are trying to enjoy themselves at night by eating, drinking, having sex and sleeping. At the same time, they have to properly defend themselves. However, this is not human civilization. Human life means voluntarily practicing suffering for the advancement of spiritual life. There is, of course, suffering in the lives of animals and plants, which are suffering due to their past misdeeds. However, human beings should voluntarily accept suffering in the form of austerities and penances in order to attain the divine life. After attaining the divine life, one can enjoy happiness eternally. After all, every living entity is trying to enjoy happiness, but as long as one is encaged in the material body, he has to suffer different kinds of misery. A higher sense is present in the human form. We should act according to superior advice in order to attain eternal happiness and go back to Godhead. ¶

It is significant in this verse that the government and the natural guardian, the father, should educate subordinates and raise them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Devoid of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, every living being suffers in this cycle of birth and death perpetually. To relieve them from this bondage and enable them to become blissful and happy, bhakti-yoga should be taught. A foolish civilization neglects to teach people how to rise to the platform of bhakti-yoga. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness a person is no better than a hog or dog. The instructions of Ṛṣabhadeva are very essential at the present moment. People are being educated and trained to work very hard for sense gratification, and there is no sublime aim in life. A man travels to earn his livelihood, leaving home early in the morning, catching a local train and being packed in a compartment. He has to stand for an hour or two in order to reach his place of business. Then again he takes a bus to get to the office. At the office he works hard from nine to five; then he takes two or three hours to return home. After eating, he has sex and goes to sleep. For all this hardship, his only happiness is a little sex. Yan maithunādi-gṛhamedhi-sukhaṁ hi tuccham [SB 7.9.45]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigŚrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.9.45

Sex life is compared to the rubbing of two hands to relieve an itch. Gṛhamedhis, so-called gṛhasthas who have no spiritual knowledge, think that this itching is the greatest platform of happiness, although actually it is a source of distress. The kṛpaṇas, the fools who are just the opposite of brāhmaṇas, are not satisfied by repeated sensuous enjoyment. Those who are dhīra, however, who are sober and who tolerate this itching, are not subjected to the sufferings of fools and rascals.. Ṛṣabhadeva clearly states that human life is not meant for this kind of existence, which is enjoyed even by dogs and hogs. Indeed, dogs and hogs do not have to work so hard for sex. A human being should try to live in a different way and should not try to imitate dogs and hogs. The alternative is mentioned. Human life is meant for tapasya, austerity and penance. By tapasya, one can get out of the material clutches. When one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service, his happiness is guaranteed eternally. By taking to bhakti-yoga, devotional service, one’s existence is purified. The living entity is seeking happiness life after life, but he can make a solution to all his problems simply by practicing bhakti-yoga. Then he immediately becomes eligible to return home, back to Godhead. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (Bg. 4.9)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 4.9

One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.: ¶

janma karma ca me divyam
evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma
naiti mām eti so ‘rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” ¶