PURPORT

Materialistic life means attachment to the body and everything in relationship to the body. This attachment is based on lusty desires for sense gratification, specifically sexual enjoyment. Kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah: when one is too attached to material enjoyment, he is bereft of all knowledge (hrta-jnanah). As stated in Bhagavad-gita, those who are attached to material enjoyment are mostly inclined to worship the demigods to procure various material opulences. They are especially attached to worship of the goddess Durga and Lord Siva because this transcendental couple can offer their devotees all material opulence. Prahlada Maharaja, however, was detached from all material enjoyment. He therefore took shelter of the lotus feet of Lord Nrsimhadeva, and not the feet of any demigod. It is to be understood that if one really wants release from this material world, from the threefold miseries and from janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi (birth, death, old age and disease), one must take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for without the Supreme Personality of Godhead one cannot get release from materialistic life. Atheistic men are very much attached to material enjoyment. Therefore if they get some opportunity to achieve more and more material enjoyment, they take it. Prahlada Maharaja, however, was very careful in this regard. Although born of a materialistic father, because he was a devotee he had no material desires (anyabhilasita-sunyam).