viá¹£ayÄbhiniveÅ›ena
nÄtmÄnaá¹ veda nÄparam
vá¹›ká¹£a jÄ«vikayÄ jÄ«van
vyarthaṠbhastreva yaḥ śvasan
viá¹£aya - in sense gratification; abhiniveÅ›ena - by overabsorption; na - not; ÄtmÄnam - himself; veda - knows; na - nor; aparam - another; vá¹›ká¹£a - of a tree; jÄ«vakayÄ - by the life-style; jÄ«van - living; vyartham - in vain; bhastrÄ iva - just like a bellows; yaḥ - who; Å›vasan - is breathing.
Just as trees, having no means of defending themselves, are always being cut down, similarly, the conditioned souls are constantly being cut down by the cruel laws of nature, which impose innumerable miseries culminating in sudden death. Although foolish people think they are helping themselves and others, they actually do not know their own identity, nor the identities of their so-called friends and relatives. Absorbed in gratifying the senses of the external body, they spend their lives uselessly, without spiritual profit. This useless lifestyle can be transformed into a perfect life simply by chanting the holy names of God in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as recommended by ÅšrÄ« Caitanya MahÄprabhu.