TRANSLATION
Leaders who have fallen into ignorance and who mislead people by directing them to the path of destruction [as described in the previous verse] are, in effect, boarding a stone boat, and so too are those who blindly follow them. A stone boat would be unable to float and would sink in the water with its passengers. Similarly, those who mislead people go to hell, and their followers go with them.
PURPORT
As stated in the Vedic literature (Bhāg. 11.20.17):
nṛ-deham ādyaḿ sulabhaḿ sudurlabhaḿ
plavaḿ sukalpaḿ guru-karṇa-dhāram
We, the conditioned souls, have fallen in the ocean of nescience, but the human body fortunately provides us a good opportunity to cross the ocean because the human body is like a very good boat. When directed by a spiritual master acting as the captain, the boat can very easily cross the ocean. Furthermore, the boat is helped across by favorable winds, which are the instructions of Vedic knowledge. If one does not take advantage of all these facilities to cross the ocean of nescience, he is certainly committing suicide.
One who boards a boat made of stone is doomed. To be elevated to the stage of perfection, humanity must first give up false leaders who present boats of stone. All of human society is in such a dangerous position that to be rescued it must abide by the standard instructions of the Vedas. The cream of these instructions appears in the form of Bhagavad-gītā. One should not take shelter of any other instructions, for Bhagavad-gītā gives direct instructions on how to fulfill the aim of human life. Lord ŚrīKṛṣṇa therefore says, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaḿ śaraṇaḿ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "Give up all other processes of religion and simply surrender to Me." Even if one does not accept Lord Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, His instructions are so exalted and beneficial for humanity that if one follows His instructions one will be saved. Otherwise one will be cheated by unauthorized meditation and gymnastic methods of yoga. Thus one will board a boat of stone. which will sink and drown all its passengers. Unfortunately. although the American people are extremely eager to get out of materialistic chaos, they are sometimes found to patronize the makers of stone boats. That will not help them. They must take the proper boat offered by Kṛṣṇa in the form of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. Then they will be easily saved. In this regard Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura comments: aśmamayaḥ plavo yeṣāḿ te yathā majjantaḿ plavam anumajjanti tatheti rāja-nīty-upadeṣṭṛṣu sva-sabhyeṣu kopo vyañjitaḥ. If society is guided by political diplomacy, with one nation maneuvering against another, it will certainly sink like a stone boat. political maneuvering and diplomacy will not save human society. People must take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness to understand the aim of life, to understand God. and to fulfill the human mission.
Comments
Hare Krishna Prebhuji
Leaders who have fallen into ignorance and who mislead people by directing them to the path of destruction?
Isn't is the case in every corner of the the planet? Yes we could just see this and the system have been set up for centuries. This set up now is part of human being for centuries too. You educate yourelves, studying and get the degree? Isn't it everyone in best interest? Yes to all of us and by the time you have finished your first stage, next stage is to pay the debt we have borrowed if we are studying in EU Countires and if out side of the EU then our parents have borowed for us. Well if we are not part of set up and if we are then we have the fund for everything because our parents are part of the set up.
The final chapter of our lives is, is to settle down and then wish our new born through us, a very good future and just like us and before us, our parents who had same wish, which had be fulfilled it just like we filling it for our new born.
Yes most human society would just do that and very few might get into Sri Srilaprebhupada theory of life so most are sailing on stone boats to live just normal life so leaders are to just human race they had to follow just set up routing left by theirs friends before them and now, who have time to follow different routing and why change centuries old tradition where no one have time to look into.
Have you heard EU regulation on working hours and it applies to all EU members and the set up just does not allow you to see or think further then the set up have set it up for us all.
Who broke Lord set up? Satan did and he knows about Adam and Eve then the forbidden fruit. Yes now is the time to break away Satan set up where our Guruji Sri Srilaprebhupada have shown us the true path of Bhakti Marg so we are not sailing onto dangerious boat and it would not sink so people like me would see Sri Srilaprebhupada boat on way to Bhakti Marg and realise true journey of this life cycle birth and death.
The Satan set up? He have created materialistic lifestyle where you just gather and gather valuable to you but as time goes by it becomes less valuable to your new born who says let's get rid off it by selling it to the jumbo sale market because it taking up lot of space we do not have? We did same our new born doing the same but why? They show us doing it so they are respecting our set up so they setting up for their present time set up so Satan set up is just life cycle and it never ends and some people even says i have to born again to enjoy it all over again mean live in same routing work and gather and die. What possibly any leaders could so to change this set up? Satan is always seeking one step ahead of the game, he playing since time began and we human race too busy following the set up and few do break up but it is like a one drop of water from the ocean. One need path of faith and jump away from the set up to achieve route to Bhakti Marg and keep well away never to fall. Lord Krishna says do your karama and live rest to me.
Hare Krishna