Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.21.22

viṣayābhiniveśena

nātmānaḿ veda nāparam

vṛkṣa jīvikayā jīvan

vyarthaḿ bhastreva yaḥ śvasan

SYNONYMS

viṣaya — in sense gratification; abhiniveśena — by overabsorption; na — not; ātmānam — himself; veda — knows; na — nor; aparam — another; vṛkṣa — of a tree; jīvakayā — by the life-style; jīvan — living; vyartham — in vain; bhastrā iva — just like a bellows; yaḥ — who; śvasan — is breathing.

TRANSLATION

Because of absorption in sense gratification, one cannot recognize himself or others. Living uselessly in ignorance like a tree, one is merely breathing just like a bellows.

PURPORT

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 life-style can be transformed into a perfect life simply by chanting the holy names of God in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, as recommended by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
His Holiness Hrdayananda dasa Goswami
Gopiparanadhana dasa Adhikari
Dravida dasa Brahmacari