TEXT 31
adhyatmikadibhir duhkhair
avimuktasya karhicit
martyasya krcchropanatair
arthaih kamaih kriyeta kim
SYNONYMS
adhyatmika-adibhihadhyatmika, adhidaivika and adhibhautika; duhkhaihby the threefold miseries of material life; avimuktasyaof one who is not freed from such miserable conditions (or one who is subjected to birth, death, old age and disease); karhicitsometimes; martyasyaof the living entity subjected to death; krcchra-upanataihthings obtained because of severe miseries; arthaiheven if some benefit is derived; kamaihwhich can fulfill ones material desires; kriyetawhat do they do; kimand what is the value of such happiness.
TRANSLATION
Materialistic activities are always mixed with three kinds of miserable conditionsadhyatmika, adhidaivika and adhibautika. Therefore, even if one achieves some success by performing such activities, what is the benefit of this success? One is still subjected to birth, death, old age, disease and the reactions of his fruitive activities.
PURPORT
According to the materialistic way of life, if a poor man, after laboring very, very hard, gets some material profit at the end of his life, he is considered a success, even though he again dies while suffering the threefold miseriesadhyatmika, adhidaivika and adhibhautika. No one can escape the threefold miseries of materialistic life, namely miseries pertaining to the body and mind, miseries pertaining to the difficulties imposed by society, community, nation and other living entities, and miseries inflicted upon us by natural disturbances from earthquakes, famines, droughts, floods, epidemics, and so on. If one works very hard, suffering the threefold miseries, and then is successful in getting some small benefit, what is the value of this benefit? Besides that, even if a karmi is successful in accumulating some material wealth, he still cannot enjoy it, for he must die in bereavement. I have even seen a dying man begging a medical attendant to increase his life by four years so that he could complete his material plans. Of course, the medical man was unsuccessful in expanding the life of the man, who therefore died in great bereavement. Everyone must die in this way, and after ones mental condition is taken into account by the laws of material nature, he is given another chance to fulfill his desires in a different body. Material plans for material happiness have no value, but under the spell of the illusory energy we consider them extremely valuable. There were many politicians, social reformers and philosophers who died very miserably, without deriving any practical value from their material plans. Therefore, a sane and sensible man never desires to work hard under the conditions of threefold miseries, only to die in disappointment.

Link to this page: https://prabhupadabooks.com/sb/7/13/31

Previous: SB 7.13.30     Next: SB 7.13.32

If you Love Me Distribute My Books -- Srila Prabhupada