Human form is very rare.

Padma Puräëa

jalajä nava-lakñäëi

sthävarä lakña-viàçati

kåmayo rudra-saìkhyakäù

pakñiëäà daça-lakñaëam

triàçal-lakñäëi paçavaù

catur-lakñäëi mänuñäù

jalajäù—aquatics; nava—nine; lakñäni—100,000; sthävaräù—unmoving entities such as trees; lakña—100,000; vimçati—twenty; kåmayaù—insects; rudra—reptiles; saìkhyakäù—numbering eleven lakhs (or 1,100,000); pakñiëäm—of the birds; daça—ten; lakñaëam—100,000; triàçat—thirty; lakçani—lakhs (100,000); paçavaù—beasts; catuù—four; laksani—100,000; mänuñäù—kinds of human beings.

There are 900,000 species living in the water. There are 2,000,000 nonmoving living entities [sthävara] such as trees and plants. There are 1,100,000 species of insects and reptiles, and 1,000,000 species of birds. As far as quadrupeds are concerned, there are 3,000,000 varieties, and there are 400,000 human species.

SB 11.9.29

labdhvä su-durlabham idaà bahu-sambhavänte

mänuñyam artha-dam anityam apéha dhéraù

türëaà yateta na pated anu-måtyu yävan

niùçreyasäya viñayaù khalu sarvataù syät

SYNONYMS

labdhvä—having obtained; su-durlabham—that which is very difficult to obtain; idam—this; bahu—many; sambhava—births; ante—after; mänuñyam—human form of life; artha-dam—which awards great value; anityam—not eternal; api—although; iha—in this material world; dhéraù—one who has sober intelligence; türëam—immediately; yateta—should endeavor; na—not; patet—has fallen; anu-måtyu—always subject to death; yävat—as long as; niùçreyasäya—for ultimate liberation; viñayaù—sense gratification; khalu—always; sarvataù—in all conditions; syät—is possible.

TRANSLATION

After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Kåñëa consciousness is possible only for a human being.

Prahläda Instructs His Demoniac Schoolmates

SB 7.6.3

sukham aindriyakaà daityä

deha-yogena dehinäm

sarvatra labhyate daiväd

yathä duùkham ayatnataù

SYNONYMS

sukham—happiness; aindriyakam—with reference to the material senses; daityäù—O my dear friends born in demoniac families; deha-yogena—because of possessing a particular type of material body; dehinäm—of all embodied living entities; sarvatra—everywhere (in any form of life); labhyate—is obtainable; daivät—by a superior arrangement; yathä—just as; duùkham—unhappiness; ayatnataù—without endeavor.

TRANSLATION

Prahläda Mahäräja continued: My dear friends born of demoniac families, the happiness perceived with reference to the sense objects by contact with the body can be obtained in any form of life, according to one's past fruitive activities. Such happiness is automatically obtained without endeavor, just as we obtain distress.

SB 7.6.4

tat-prayäso na kartavyo

yata äyur-vyayaù param

na tathä vindate kñemaà

mukunda-caraëämbujam

SYNONYMS

tat—for that (sense gratification and economic development); prayäsaù—endeavor; na—not; kartavyaù—to be done; yataù—from which; äyuù-vyayaù—waste of the duration of life; param—only or ultimately; na—nor; tathä—in that way; vindate—enjoys; kñemam—the ultimate goal of life; mukunda—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who can deliver one from the material clutches; caraëa-ambujam—the lotus feet.

TRANSLATION

Endeavors merely for sense gratification or material happiness through economic development are not to be performed, for they result only in a loss of time and energy, with no actual profit. If one's endeavors are directed toward Kåñëa consciousness, one can surely attain the spiritual platform of self-realization. There is no such benefit from engaging oneself in economic development.

SB 5.5.5

paräbhavas tävad abodha-jäto

yävan na jijïäsata ätma-tattvam

yävat kriyäs tävad idaà mano vai

karmätmakaà yena çaréra-bandhaù

SYNONYMS

paräbhavaù—defeat, misery; tävat—so long; abodha-jätaù—produced from ignorance; yävat—as long as; na—not; jijïäsate—inquires about; ätma-tattvam—the truth of the self; yävat—as long as; kriyäù—fruitive activities; tävat—so long; idam—this; manaù—mind; vai—indeed; karma-ätmakam—absorbed in material activities; yena—by which; çaréra-bandhaù—bondage in this material body.

TRANSLATION

As long as one does not inquire about the spiritual values of life, one is defeated and subjected to miseries arising from ignorance. Be it sinful or pious, karma has its resultant actions. If a person is engaged in any kind of karma, his mind is called karmätmaka, colored with fruitive activity. As long as the mind is impure, consciousness is unclear, and as long as one is absorbed in fruitive activity, he has to accept a material body.

SB 7.6.1

çré-prahräda uväca

kaumära äcaret präjïo

dharmän bhägavatän iha

durlabhaà mänuñaà janma

tad apy adhruvam arthadam

SYNONYMS

çré-prahrädaù uväca—Prahläda Mahäräja said; kaumäraù—in the tender age of childhood; äcaret—should practice; präjïaù—one who is intelligent; dharmän—occupational duties; bhägavatän—which are devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; iha—in this life; durlabham—very rarely obtained; mänuñam—human; janma—birth; tat—that; api—even; adhruvam—impermanent, temporary; artha-dam—full of meaning.

TRANSLATION

Prahläda Mahäräja said: One who is sufficiently intelligent should use the human form of body from the very beginning of life—in other words, from the tender age of childhood—to practice the activities of devotional service, giving up all other engagements. The human body is most rarely achieved, and although temporary like other bodies, it is meaningful because in human life one can perform devotional service. Even a slight amount of sincere devotional service can give one complete perfection.

Brahma’s prayer to Lord Krsna

SB 10.14.30

tad astu me nätha sa bhüri-bhägo

bhave 'tra vänyatra tu vä tiraçcäm

yenäham eko 'pi bhavaj-janänäà

bhütvä niñeve tava päda-pallavam

SYNONYMS

tat—therefore; astu—may it be; me—my; nätha—O master; saù—that; bhüri-bhägaù—greatest good fortune; bhave—in the birth; atra—this; vä—or; anyatra—in some other birth; tu—indeed; vä—or; tiraçcäm—among the animals; yena—by which; aham—I; ekaù—one; api—even; bhavat—or Your; janänäm—devotees; bhütvä—becoming; niñeve—I may fully engage in serving; tava—Your; päda-pallavam—lotus feet.

TRANSLATION

My dear Lord, I therefore pray to be so fortunate that in this life as Lord Brahmä or in another life, wherever I take my birth, I may be counted as one of Your devotees. I pray that wherever I may be, even among the animal species, I can engage in devotional service to Your lotus feet.

Sri Sivaji told Sri Narada

BB 1.3.54

päïca-bhautika-dehä ye

martya-loka-niväsinaù

bhagavad-bhakti-rasikä

namasyä mädåçäà sadä

SYNONYMS

päïca-bhautika—composed of the five elements; dehäù—having bodies; ye—those who; martya-loka—of the material world; niväsinaù—residents; bhagavat-bhakti—the Supreme Lord’s devotional service; rasikäù—experts in tasting; namasyäù—worshipable; mädåçäm—by persons like me; sadä—always.

TRANSLATION

Though living within the material world, in bodies composed of the five elements, persons expert in relishing devotional service to the Lord are always worshipable for persons like me.

SB 11.20.17

nå-deham ädyaà su-labhaà su-durlabhaà

plavaà su-kalpaà guru-karëadhäram

mayänukülena nabhasvateritaà

pumän bhaväbdhià na taret sa ätma-hä

SYNONYMS

nr—human; deham—body; ädyam—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; karëa-dhäram—as the captain of the boat; mayä—by Me; anukülena—with favorable; nabhasvatä—winds; éritam—impelled; pumän—a person; bhava—of material existence; abdhim—the ocean; na—does not; taret—cross over; saù—he; ätma-hä—the killer of his own soul.

TRANSLATION

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.

Prayer to One's Beloved Lord

By Çréla Narottama Däsa Öhäkura

(1)

hari hari! bifale janama goìäinu

manuñya-janama päiyä, rädhä-kåñëa nä bhajiyä,

jäniyä çuniyä biña khäinu

O Lord Hari, I have spent my life uselessly. Having obtained a human birth and having not worshiped Rädhä and Kåñëa, I have knowingly drunk poison.