नृदेहमाद्यं सुलभं सुदुर्लभं प्लवं सुकल्पं गुरुकर्णधारम् । मयानुकूलेन नभस्वतेरितं पुमान् भवाब्धिं न तरेत् स आत्महा ॥ १७ ॥
nṛ-deham ādyaṁ su-labhaṁ su-durlabhaṁ plavaṁ su-kalpaṁ guru-karṇadhāram mayānukūlena nabhasvateritaṁ pumān bhavābdhiṁ na taret sa ātma-hā
- nṛ
- human
- deham
- body
- ādyam
- the source of all favorable results
- su-labham
- effortlessly obtained
- su-durlabham
- although impossible to obtain even with great endeavor
- plavam
- a boat
- su-kalpam
- extremely well suited for its purpose
- guru
- having the spiritual master
- karṇa-dhāram
- as the captain of the boat
- mayā
- by Me
- anukūlena
- with favorable
- nabhasvatā
- winds
- īritam
- impelled
- pumān
- a person
- bhava
- of material existence
- abdhim
- the ocean
- na
- does not
- taret
- cross over
- saḥ
- he
- ātma-hā
- the killer of his own soul
The human body, which can award all benefit in life, is automatically obtained by the laws of nature, although it is a very rare achievement. This human body can be compared to a perfectly constructed boat having the spiritual master as the captain and the instructions of the Personality of Godhead as favorable winds impelling it on its course. Considering all these advantages, a human being who does not utilize his human life to cross the ocean of material existence must be considered the killer of his own soul.