When one is alone, brahmachari [unmarried], he has no condition, he lives freely. But as soon as he's married, so many obligations.

Too Embarrassing

What is the use of such endeavor?

PRABHUPADA: [No one considers] that this body which we are taking so much care, will leave automatically when the time is finished. And I'll have to accept another body. Useless. The body, which I am taking so much care, will leave me. I'll not have to say, "Body, you leave me," but the body will leave me. When my period... Just like the house rented under lease, and as soon as the lease is over you have to vacate that house, or forcibly the house owner will oblige you to vacate. So what is the use of becoming so much attached to the body? What is the answer?

NAVA-YAUVANA: There is no use.

PRABHUPADA: Every one of us, we are attached to the body, and on account of being attached to the body the material activities are going on. These motorcars are running, karmis [nondevotees] are going here and there—what is the purpose? To maintain the road? Divasa sharira-saje. Miche nida-bashe gelo re rati divasa sharira-saje ["Lord Chaitanya called out to the townsfolk, "You spend your nights uselessly sleeping and your days decorating your bodies!" ("Udilo Aruna", from Gitavali by Bhaktivinode Thakur)]. The body is given rest at night to revive, and daytime the activities for the matter of maintaining the body. But despite my all endeavor to maintain this body, it will not stay. It will give up my company and I'll have to accept another. Tatha dehantara-praptih [Bhagavad-gita 2.13]. So Bali Maharaja says "What is the use of such endeavor?" Therefore big, big saintly persons, they do not care for the body. Lie down anywhere. But they are very serious about spiritual advancement. And people in general, they are interested in maintaining the body.

It is not that we should be neglectful to the body. That example is also there. Just like we require fruits and flowers. So if we neglect the tree, there will be no fruits and flower. If we cut the tree, it will dry up and there will be no fruits and flowers. The fruits and flowers, this human body, the fruits and flowers mean self-realization.

Bali Maharaja analyzes the family. He says family means rogues and thieves. Whatever you want, they'll take away. The pickpocket takes from your pocket and he becomes a criminal, and when the wife takes thousand dollars from your pocket, you do not consider her to be criminal. You laugh, "Oh, you have taken the money?" "Yes, I've taken." The business is a pickpocket. But in one case we say "criminal," and one case we say "friend." The business is the same. Svajanakhya-dasyu. Actually thieves and rogues, but we have named them "relatives."

JNANAGAMYA: They are just like us, they are related to us. We are also thieves and rogues, and they are related to us.

PRABHUPADA: This is family relation. Riktha-haraih svajanakhya-dasyubhih. Their only business is that you earn money with hard labor, and they'll take away. Their business is to take away. And they have got legal right. The son has got the right, legal right, to take whatever the father has accumulated. Nobody will say "No, you cannot take." No, he has the right, and so far wife is concerned, her business is to extend your condition, material condition. When one is alone, brahmachari [unmarried], he has no condition, he lives freely. But as soon as he's married, so many obligations. Ato griha-kshetra-sutapta-vittaih [Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.8]. Must have a nice house, must have good land, good source of income. And then if you have got house and good source of income, then you call friends to oblige them. Then get children, give them education, put them in nice condition of life, get them married, again grandchildren, and so on, so on. That means these material conditions which have embarrassed me, that business is very nicely done by the wife for increasing my embarrassment.

Nowadays nobody takes responsibility of family. That is another thing. But marriage means to take so many responsibilities. That is another condition of material life. Then home, people are sacrificing so much for home, for country, for nation. That also will be finished with the end of this body. When the body's ended, you are no more Iranian or American or Indian. You do not know what you are. Even if you have got attachment for the country, you can become a tree in that country. If you become animal, you are slaughtered in that country. Dehantara-praptih [Bg. 2.13], even though you have got attachment, on account of changing the body your situation is changing. So in this way Bali Maharaja analyzes the whole thing, that "What is the use of all this?"