tasyaiva hetoḥ prayateta kovido
na labhyate yad bhramatÄm upary adhaḥ
tal labhyate duḥkha-vad anyataḥ sukhaá¹
kÄlena sarvatra gabhÄ«ra-raá¹hasÄ
tasya eva - for that; hetoḥ - reason; prayateta - should endeavor; kovidaḥ - one who is learned and intelligent; na - not; labhyate - is achieved; yat - that which; bhramatÄm - of those wandering; upari adhaḥ - up and down; tat - that; labhyate - is achieved; duḥkha-vat - exactly like unhappiness or distress; anyataḥ - from other reasons (one's past actions); sukham - happiness; kÄlena - by time; sarvatra - everywhere; gabhÄ«ra - insurmountable; raá¹hasÄ - having force.
“ ‘The transcendental position cannot be attained by wandering up and down from Brahmaloka and Satyaloka to PÄtÄlaloka. If one is actually intelligent and learned, he should endeavor for that rare transcendental position. By the force of time one attains whatever material happiness is available within the fourteen worlds, just as one attains distress in due course of time. But since spiritual consciousness is not attained in this way, one should try for it.’
This verse was spoken by NÄrada Muni in ÅšrÄ«mad-BhÄgavatam (1.5.18). NÄrada Muni was speaking to VyÄsadeva, who was morose even after he had compiled all the Vedic literatures. In this connection, NÄrada Muni advised ÅšrÄ«la VyÄsadeva to try to attain devotional service and nothing else.
