Prabhupāda: These Gosvāmīs, they went to Vṛndāvana, severest type of austerity. They used to live underneath a tree. Now if in this age I advise you that you also live underneath a tree, then it will be difficult to preach. You see? Nobody is accustomed in that way, such severe type of austerity. They must be given, as far as possible, comfortable accommodation; otherwise they will not come. They will not take. Now this . . . this is the adjustment. The ācārya knows how to adjust things. The real purpose is how one will take to spiritual consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Keeping one's aim to that point, some concession may be given. As far as possible, keeping pace with the time, circumstances.
Then? "The sages, therefore, inquired . . ." Huh?
Pradyumna: ". . . inquired of the absolute good, which is the ultimate good for the people. The condemned state of affairs of the people of this age is described as follows."
Prabhupāda: The condemned state at the present moment, how the whole world, whole atmosphere, is condemned is described in the next verse:
- prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ sabhya
- kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ
- mandāḥ sumanda-matayo
- manda-bhāgyā hy upadrutāḥ
- (SB 1.1.10)
This is the condition. Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ. The first qualification is short span of life. Short span of life. As I have repeatedly said, now our . . . in India the average age, span of life, is thirty years. The vitality is so reduced. In this country also the vitality is being reduced, strength is being reduced. The more the Kali-yuga will advance, the vitality will be reduced, the strength of the . . . therefore the span of life will be reduced, so much so that at the end, almost end, people will live not more than thirty years.
Now we are seeing they are living up to seventy years, eighty years, or even sometimes ninety years, but gradually it will reduce . . . to such an extent that if a man lives for twenty to thirty years, he will be considered as a very old man. You see? Prāyeṇālpāyuṣaḥ kalāv asmin yuge janāḥ. Asmin kalau. Their first qualification is that their life is very short, short span of life. Then again, mandāḥ, lazy. They do not know; ill-educated. They do not know what is the aim of life. Mandāḥ, or slow. Sumanda-matayo: and if there . . . one is really . . . not really, but superficially so-called spiritually, they will capture some bābā, some god, some yogī, some bluffer, and they will follow them. Sumanda-matayo.