sukham asyÄtmano rÅ«paá¹
sarvehoparatis tanuḥ
manaḥ-saá¹sparÅ›ajÄn dṛṣá¹vÄ
bhogÄn svapsyÄmi saá¹viÅ›an
sukham - happiness; asya - of him; Ätmanaḥ - of the living entity; rÅ«pam - the natural position; sarva - all; Ä«ha - material activities; uparatiḥ - completely stopping; tanuḥ - the medium of its manifestation; manaḥ-saá¹sparÅ›a-jÄn - produced from demands for sense gratification; dṛṣá¹vÄ - after seeing; bhogÄn - sense enjoyment; svapsyÄmi - I am sitting silently, thinking deeply about these material activities; saá¹viÅ›an - entering into such activities.
The difference between the philosophy of the MÄyÄvÄdÄ«s and that of the Vaiṣṇavas is explained herein. Both the MÄyÄvÄdÄ«s and Vaiṣṇavas know that in materialistic activities there is no happiness. The MÄyÄvÄdÄ« philosophers, therefore, adhering to the slogan brahma satyaá¹ jagan mithyÄ, want to refrain from false, materialistic activities. They want to stop all activities and merge in the Supreme Brahman. According to the Vaiṣṇava philosophy, however, if one simply ceases from materialistic activity one cannot remain inactive for very long, and therefore everyone should engage himself in spiritual activities, which will solve the problem of suffering in this material world. It is said, therefore, that although the MÄyÄvÄdÄ« philosophers strive to refrain from materialistic activities and merge in Brahman, and although they may actually merge in the Brahman existence, for want of activity they fall down again into materialistic activity (Äruhya ká¹›cchreṇa paraá¹ padaá¹ tataḥ patanty adhaḥ). Thus the so-called renouncer, unable to remain in meditation upon Brahman, returns to materialistic activities by opening hospitals and schools and so on. Therefore, simply cultivating knowledge that materialistic activities cannot give one happiness, and that one should consequently cease from such activities, is insufficient. One should cease from materialistic activities and take up spiritual activities. Then the solution to the problem will be achieved. Spiritual activities are activities performed according to the order of Kṛṣṇa (ÄnukÅ«lyena kṛṣṇÄnuśīlanam). If one does whatever Kṛṣṇa says, his activities are not material. For example, when Arjuna fought in response to the order of Kṛṣṇa, his activities were not material. Fighting for sense gratification is a materialistic activity, but fighting by the order of Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. By spiritual activities one becomes eligible to go back home, back to Godhead, and then enjoy blissful life eternally. Here, in the material world, everything is but a mental concoction that will never give us real happiness. The practical solution, therefore, is to cease from materialistic activities and engage in spiritual activities. YajñÄrthÄt karmaṇo ’nyatra loko ’yaá¹ karma-bandhanaḥ). If one works for the sake of pleasing the Supreme Lord — Yajña, or Viṣṇu — one is in liberated life. If one fails to do so, however, he remains in a life of bondage.