Hare Krishna!
In this world of competition, many people have created their own purpose of life. The modern generation often remains unaware of the true purpose of life. Simply copying someone else’s goal does not guarantee the same happiness.
Let us understand this from the vast wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita!
Table of Contents
In Bhagavad Gita (3.9):
yajñārthāt karmaṇo ’nyatra
loko ’yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ
tad-arthaṁ karma kaunteya
mukta-saṅgaḥ samācara
The Supreme Lord says:
“Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṇu has to be performed; otherwise work causes bondage in this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain free from bondage.”
Any action performed without its true essence—pleasing Krishna—leads only to bondage. No satisfaction, no pleasure, no true result. What is the benefit of such action then? None.
But when the same work is done with the intention of pleasing the Lord, it becomes fully beneficial. Everyone gains happiness and peace through such work. Even one who simply serves as a helper in this service relishes its sweet and delightful fruits. Who would not prefer to taste such nectar, rather than toil day and night like beasts of burden?
Unfortunately, most of us want to enjoy the fruits of our labor individually. Even after countless attempts, we often fail to achieve true happiness. This is nothing but our foolishness.
In the Mahabharata, the goals of humans and animals are compared:
āhāra-nidrā-bhaya-maithunaṁ ca
sāmānyam etat paśubhir narānām
dharmo hi teṣām viśeṣo
dharmena hīnāḥ paśubhiḥ samānāḥ
“Eating, sleeping, fearing, and mating are common to both humans and animals. But the special quality of human beings is dharma (spiritual duty). Without dharma, they are no better than animals.”
Thus, to know dharma—our eternal occupation of serving the Lord—is the true goal of human life.
The Purpose of life is not difficult to attain. As stated in Bhagavad Gita (9.2):
rāja-vidyā rāja-guhyaṁ
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyakṣāvagamaṁ dharmyaṁ
su-sukhaṁ kartum avyayam
The Supreme Lord declares:
“This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.”
Our misfortune lies in working like asses, day and night, merely to maintain the body and soul together.
The true and only purpose of life is to live eternally in the loving association of the Lord and His devotees. The happiness we see on others’ faces when they gain name, fame, or followers is short-lived, like a flash in the pan. Our real happiness lies in the eternal family of Krishna. We must seek out that happiness—because that is our true destiny.
Hare Krishna!
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