In the revealed bonafide scriptures there are two nomenclatures for the householder’s life. One is 'grihastha', and the other is 'g?hamedhi'. The 'g?hasthas' are those who live together with wife and children but live transcendentally for realizing the ultimate truth. The 'g?hamedhis', however, are those who live only for the benefit of the family members, extended or centralized, and thus are envious of others. The word 'medhi' indicates jealousy of others. The 'g?hamedhis', being interested in family affairs only, are certainly envious of others. Therefore, one 'g?hamedhi' is not on good terms with another g?hamedhi, and in the extended form, one community, society or nation is not on good terms with another counterpart of selfish interest.
In the Age of Kali, all the householders are jealous of one another because they are blind to the knowledge of ultimate truth. They have many subject matters for hearing — political, scientific, social, economic and so on — but due to a poor fund of knowledge, they set aside the question of the ultimate miseries of life, namely miseries of birth, death, old age and disease. Factually, the human life is meant for making an ultimate solution to birth, death, old age and disease, but the 'g?hamedhis', being illusioned by the material nature, forget everything about self-realization. The ultimate solution to the problems of life is to go back home, back to Godhead, and thus, as stated in the Bhagavad-gita (8.16), the miseries of material existence — birth, death, old age and disease — are removed.
Those living in the mode of ignorance want to hear something about the name, form, etc., of everything temporary, and they do not know how to utilize this propensity of hearing for the ultimate good. Misguided as they are, they also create some false literatures about the name, form, attributes, etc., of the ultimate truth. One should not, therefore, become a 'g?hamedhi' simply to exist for envying others; one should become a real householder in terms of the scriptural injunctions.
Therefore, the foundation for a happy family life or the process of going back home, back to Godhead, is to engage oneself alongwith all family members, relatives, kith and kin, in hearing about the Supreme Lord and His name, form, attributes, pastimes, paraphernalia and variegatedness. Thus, all temporary and permanent problems cease to manifest or create distress since everything in the family revolves around the Lord, and when Lord is in the centre of our homes, we are assured of transcendental peace and everlasting happiness. This is the Key to a Happy Family Life!
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