Chapter Seven

What Prahlada Learned in the Womb

In this chapter, to dissipate the doubts of his class friends, the sons of the demons, Prahlada Maharaja states how, within the womb of his mother, he had heard from the mouth of Narada Muni, who had instructed him in bhagavata-dharma.

When Hiranyakasipu left his kingdom and went to the mountain known as Mandaracala to execute severe austerities, all the demons scattered. Hiranyakasipu's wife, Kayadhu, was pregnant at that time, and the demigods, mistakenly thinking that she carried another demon in her womb, arrested her. Their plan was that as soon as the child took birth they would kill him. While they were taking Kayadhu to the heavenly planets, they met Narada Muni, who stopped them from taking her away and took her to his asrama until Hiranyakasipu's return. In Narada Muni's asrama, Kayadhu prayed for the protection of the baby in her womb, and Narada Muni reassured her and gave her instructions on spiritual knowledge. Taking advantage of those instructions, Prahlada Maharaja, although a small baby within the womb, listened very carefully. The spirit soul is always apart from the material body. There is no change in the spiritual form of the living entity. Any person above the bodily conception of life is pure and can receive transcendental knowledge. This transcendental knowledge is devotional service, and Prahlada Maharaja, while living in the womb of his mother, received instructions in devotional service from Narada Muni. Any person engaged in the service of the Lord through the instructions of a bona fide spiritual master is immediately liberated, and being free from the clutches of maya, he is relieved of all ignorance and material desires. The duty of everyone is to take shelter of the Supreme Lord and thus become free from all material desires. Regardless of the material condition in which one is situated, one can achieve this perfection. Devotional service is not dependent on the material activities of austerity, penance, mystic yoga or piety. Even without such assets, one can achieve devotional service through the mercy of a pure devotee.

TEXT 1

TEXT

sri-narada uvaca

evam daitya-sutaih prsto

maha-bhagavato 'surah

uvaca tan smayamanah

smaran mad-anubhasitam

SYNONYMS

sri-naradah uvaca--the great saint Narada Muni said; evam--thus; daitya-sutaih--by the sons of the demons; prstah--being questioned; maha-bhagavatah--the exalted devotee of the Lord; asurah--born in a family of demons; uvaca--spoke; tan--unto them (the sons of the demons); smayamanah--smiling; smaran--remembering; mat-anubhasitam--what was spoken by me.

TRANSLATION

Narada Muni said: Although Prahlada Maharaja was born in a family of asuras, he was the greatest of all devotees. Having thus been questioned by his class friends, the sons of the asuras, he remembered the words spoken to him by me and replied to his friends as follows.

PURPORT

When he was in the womb of his mother, Prahlada Maharaja listened to the words of Narada Muni. One cannot imagine how the baby in embryo could hear Narada, but this is spiritual life; progress in spiritual life cannot be obstructed by any material condition. This is called ahaituky apratihata. Reception of spiritual knowledge is never checked by any material condition. Thus Prahlada Maharaja, from his very childhood, spoke spiritual knowledge to his class friends, and certainly it was effective, although all of them were children.

TEXT 2

TEXT

sri-prahrada uvaca

pitari prasthite 'smakam

tapase mandaracalam

yuddhodyamam param cakrur

vibudha danavan prati

SYNONYMS

sri-prahradah uvaca--Prahlada Maharaja said; pitari--when the demon father, Hiranyakasipu; prasthite--left for; asmakam--our; tapase--to execute austerities; mandara-acalam--the hill known as Mandaracala; yuddha-udyamam--exertion of warfare; param--very great; cakruh--executed; vibudhah--the demigods, headed by King Indra; danavan--the demons; prati--toward.

TRANSLATION

Prahlada Maharaja said: When our father, Hiranyakasipu, went to Mandaracala Mountain to execute severe austerities, in his absence the demigods, headed by King Indra, made a severe attempt to subdue all the demons in warfare.

TEXT 3

TEXT

pipilikair ahir iva

distya lokopatapanah

papena papo 'bhaksiti

vadanto vasavadayah

SYNONYMS

pipilikaih--by small ants; ahih--a serpent; iva--like; distya--thank heaven; loka-upatapanah--always oppressing everyone; papena--by his own sinful activities; papah--the sinful Hiranyakasipu; abhaksi--has now been eaten; iti--thus; vadantah--saying; vasava-adayah--the demigods, headed by King Indra.

TRANSLATION

"Alas, as a serpent is eaten by small ants, so the troublesome Hiranyakasipu, who always inflicted miseries upon all types of people, has now been defeated by the reactions of his own sinful activities." Saying this, the demigods, headed by King Indra, arranged to fight the demons.

TEXTS 4-5

TEXT

tesam atibalodyogam

nisamyasura-yuthapah

vadhyamanah surair bhita

dudruvuh sarvato disam

kalatra-putra-vittaptan

grhan pasu-paricchadan

naveksyamanas tvaritah

sarve prana-paripsavah

SYNONYMS

tesam--of the demigods, headed by King Indra; atibala-udyogam--the great exertion and strength; nisamya--hearing of; asura-yuthapah--the great leaders of the demons; vadhyamanah--being killed one after another; suraih--by the demigods; bhitah--afraid; dudruvuh--ran away; sarvatah--in all; disam--directions; kalatra--wives; putra-vitta--children and wealth; aptan--relatives; grhan--homes; pasu-paricchadan--animals and paraphernalia of household life; na--not; aveksyamanah--seeing to; tvaritah--very hasty; sarve--all of them; prana-paripsavah--very much desiring to live.

TRANSLATION

When the great leaders of the demons, who were being killed one after another, saw the unprecedented exertion of the demigods in fighting, they began to flee, scattering themselves in all directions. Simply to protect their lives, they hastily fled from their homes, wives, children, animals and household paraphernalia. Paying no heed to all these, the demons simply fled.

TEXT 6

TEXT

vyalumpan raja-sibiram

amara jaya-kanksinah

indras tu raja-mahisim

mataram mama cagrahit

SYNONYMS

vyalumpan--plundered; raja-sibiram--the palace of my father. Hiranyakasipu; amarah--the demigods; jaya-kanksinah--eager to be victorious; indrah--the head of the demigods, King Indra; tu--but; raja-mahisim--the Queen; mataram--mother; mama--my; ca--also; agrahit--captured.

TRANSLATION

The victorious demigods plundered the palace of Hiranyakasipu, the King of the demons, and destroyed everything within it. Then Indra, King of heaven, arrested my mother, the Queen.

TEXT 7

TEXT

niyamanam bhayodvignam

rudatim kurarim iva

yadrcchayagatas tatra

devarsir dadrse pathi

SYNONYMS

niyamanam--being taken away; bhaya-udvignam--disturbed and full of fear; rudatim--crying; kurarim iva--like a kurari (osprey); yadrcchaya--by chance; agatah--arrived; tatra--on the spot; deva-rsih--the great saint Narada; dadrse--he saw; pathi--on the road.

TRANSLATION

As she was being led away, crying in fear like a kurari captured by a vulture, the great sage Narada, who at that time had no engagement, appeared on the scene and saw her in that condition.

TEXT 8

TEXT

praha nainam sura-pate

netum arhasy anagasam

munca munca maha-bhaga

satim para-parigraham

SYNONYMS

praha--he said; na--not; enam--this; sura-pate--O King of the demigods; netum--to drag away; arhasi--you deserve; anagasam--not at all sinful; munca munca--release, release; maha-bhaga--O greatly fortunate one; satim--chaste; para-parigraham--the wife of another person.

TRANSLATION

Narada Muni said: O Indra, King of the demigods, this woman is certainly sinless. You should not drag her off in this merciless way. O greatly fortunate one, this chaste woman is the wife of another. You must immediately release her.

TEXT 9

TEXT

sri-indra uvaca

aste 'sya jathare viryam

avisahyam sura-dvisah

asyatam yavat prasavam

moksye 'rtha-padavim gatah

SYNONYMS

sri-indrah uvaca--King Indra said; aste--there is; asyah--of her; jathare--within the abdomen; viryam--the seed; avisahyam--intolerable; sura-dvisah--of the enemy of the demigods; asyatam--let her remain (in our prison); yavat--until; prasavam--the delivery of the child; moksye--I shall release; artha-padavim--the path of my object; gatah--obtained.

TRANSLATION

King Indra said: In the womb of this woman, the wife of the demon Hiranyakasipu, is the seed of that great demon. Therefore, let her remain in our custody until her child is delivered, and then we shall release her.

PURPORT

Indra, the King of heaven, decided to arrest Prahlada Maharaja's mother because he thought that another demon, another Hiranyakasipu, was within her womb. The best course, he thought, was to kill the child when the child was born, and then the woman could be released.

TEXT 10

TEXT

sri-narada uvaca

ayam niskilbisah saksan

maha-bhagavato mahan

tvaya na prapsyate samstham

anantanucaro bali

SYNONYMS

sri-naradah uvaca--the great saint Narada Muni said; ayam--this (child within the womb); niskilbisah--completely sinless; saksat--directly; maha-bhagavatah--a saintly devotee; mahan--very great; tvaya--by you; na--not; prapsyate--will obtain; samstham--his death; ananta--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; anucarah--a servant; bali--extremely powerful.

TRANSLATION

Narada Muni replied: The child within this woman's womb is faultless and sinless. Indeed, he is a great devotee, a powerful servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you will not be able to kill him.

PURPORT

There have been many instances in which demons or nondevotees have attempted to kill a devotee, but they have never been able to destroy a great devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord promises in Bhagavad-gita (9.31), kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati. This is a declaration by the Supreme Personality of Godhead that His devotee cannot be killed by demons. Prahlada Maharaja is the vivid example of the truth of this promise. Narada Muni told the King of heaven, "it would be impossible for you to kill the child, even though you are demigods, and certainly it would be impossible for others."

TEXT 11

TEXT

ity uktas tam vihayendro

devarser manayan vacah

ananta-priya-bhaktyainam

parikramya divam yayau

SYNONYMS

iti--thus; uktah--addressed; tam--her; vihaya--releasing; indrah--the King of heaven; deva-rseh--of the saint Narada Muni; manayan--honoring; vacah--the words; ananta-priya--for one who is very dear to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhaktya--by devotion; enam--this (woman); parikramya--circumambulating; divam--to the heavenly planets; yayau--returned.

TRANSLATION

When the great saint Narada Muni had thus spoken, King Indra, being respectful to Narada's words, immediately released my mother. Because of my being a devotee of the Lord, all the demigods circumambulated her. Then they returned to their celestial kingdom.

PURPORT

Although King Indra and the other demigods are exalted personalities, they were so obedient to Narada Muni that King Indra immediately accepted Narada Muni's words concerning Prahlada Maharaja. This is called understanding by the parampara system. Indra and the demigods did not know that a great devotee was in the womb of Kayadhu, the wife of Hiranyakasipu, but they accepted the authoritative statements of Narada Muni and immediately offered their respects to the devotee by circumambulating the woman in whose womb he was living. To understand God and the devotee by the parampara system is the process of knowledge. There is no need to speculate about God and His devotee. One should accept the statements of a bona fide devotee and thus try to understand.

TEXT 12

TEXT

tato me mataram rsih

samaniya nijasrame

asvasyehosyatam vatse

yavat te bhartur agamah

SYNONYMS

tatah--thereafter; me--my; mataram--mother; rsih--the great saint Narada Rsi; samaniya--bringing; nija-asrame--to his own asrama; asvasya--giving her assurance; iha--here; usyatam--stay; vatse--my dear child; yavat--until; te--your; bhartuh--of the husband; agamah--the coming.

TRANSLATION

Prahlada Maharaja continued: The great saint Narada Muni brought my mother to his asrama and assured her of all protection, saying, "My dear child, please remain at my asrama until the arrival of your husband."

TEXT 13

TEXT

tathety avatsid devarser

antike sakuto-bhaya

yavad daitya-patir ghorat

tapaso na nyavartata

SYNONYMS

tatha--so be it; iti--thus; avatsit--lived; deva-rseh--Devarsi Narada; antike--near; sa--she (my mother); akuto-bhaya--without fear from any direction; yavat--as long as; daitya-patih--my father, Hiranyakasipu, the lord of the demons; ghorat--from very severe; tapasah--austerities; na--not; nyavartata--ceased.

TRANSLATION

After accepting the instructions of Devarsi Narada, my mother stayed in his care, without fear from any direction, as long as my father, the King of the Daityas, had not become free from his severe austerities.

TEXT 14

TEXT

rsim paryacarat tatra

bhaktya paramaya sati

antarvatni sva-garbhasya

ksemayeccha-prasutaye

SYNONYMS

rsim--unto Narada Muni; paryacarat--rendered service; tatra--there (in the asrama of Narada Muni); bhaktya--with devotion and faith; paramaya--great; sati--the faithful woman; antarvatni--pregnant; sva-garbhasya--of her embryo; ksemaya--for the welfare; iccha--according to desire; prasutaye--for deliverance of the child.

TRANSLATION

My mother, being pregnant, desired the safety of her embryo and desired to give birth after her husband's arrival. Thus she stayed at Narada Muni's asrama, where she rendered service unto Narada Muni with great devotion.

PURPORT

It is stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (9.19.17)

matra svasra duhitra va

naviviktasano bhavet

balavan indriya-gramo

vidvamsam api karsati

One should not remain in a secluded place with a woman, even one's mother, sister, or daughter. Nonetheless, although one is strictly prohibited from staying with a woman in a secluded place, Narada Muni gave shelter to Prahlada Maharaja's young mother, who rendered service to him with great devotion and faith. Does this mean that Narada Muni transgressed the Vedic injunctions? Certainly he did not. Such injunctions are intended for mundane creatures, but Narada Muni is transcendental to mundane categories. Narada Muni is a great saint and is transcendentally situated. Therefore, although he was a young man, he could give shelter to a young woman and accept her service. Haridasa Thakura also spoke with a young woman, a prostitute, in the dead of night, but the woman could not deviate his mind. Instead, she became a Vaisnavi, a pure devotee, by the benediction of Haridasa Thakura. Ordinary persons, however, should not imitate such highly elevated devotees. Ordinary persons must strictly observe the rules and regulations by staying aloof from the association of women. No one should imitate Narada Muni or Haridasa Thakura. It is said, vaisnavera kriya-mudra vijne na bujhaya. Even if a man is very advanced in learning, he cannot understand the behavior of a Vaisnava. Anyone can take shelter of a pure Vaisnava, without fear. Therefore in the previous verse it has been distinctly said, devarser antike sakuto-bhaya: Kayadhu, the mother of Prahlada Maharaja, stayed under the protection of Narada Muni without fear from any direction. Similarly, Narada Muni, in his transcendental position, stayed with the young woman without fear of deviation. Narada Muni, Haridasa Thakura and similar acaryas especially empowered to broadcast the glories of the Lord cannot be brought down to the material platform. Therefore one is strictly forbidden to think that the acarya is an ordinary human being (gurusu nara-matih).

TEXT 15

TEXT

rsih karunikas tasyah

pradad ubhayam isvarah

dharmasya tattvam jnanam ca

mam apy uddisya nirmalam

SYNONYMS

rsih--the great sage Narada Muni; karunikah--naturally very affectionate or merciful to the fallen souls; tasyah--to her; pradat--gave instructions; ubhayam--both; isvarah--a powerful controller who can do whatever he likes (Narada Muni); dharmasya--of religion; tattvam--the truth; jnanam--knowledge; ca--and; mam--me; api--especially; uddisya--indicating; nirmalam--without material contamination.

TRANSLATION

Narada Muni delivered his instructions both to me, who was within the womb, and to my mother, who was engaged in rendering him service. Because he is naturally extremely kind to the fallen souls, being in a transcendental position, he gave instructions on religion and transcendental knowledge. These instructions were free from all material contamination.

PURPORT

Here it is said, dharmasya tattvam jnanam ca. .. nirmalam. The word nirmalam refers to spotless dharma, spotless religion--or, in other words, bhagavata-dharma. Ordinary ritualistic activities constitute contaminated religion, by which one benefits by developing material wealth and prosperity, but uncontaminated, pure religion consists of understanding one's relationship with God and acting accordingly, thus fulfilling the highest mission of life and returning home, back to Godhead. Prahlada Maharaja advised that one elevate oneself to the standard of bhagavata-dharma from the very beginning of life (kaumara acaret prajno dharman bhagavatan iha). The Lord Himself also speaks of pure, uncontaminated religion when He says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me." (Bg. 18.66) One must understand one's relationship with God and then act accordingly. This is bhagavata-dharma. Bhagavata-dharma means bhakti-yoga.

vasudeve bhagavati

bhakti-yogah prayojitah

janayaty asu vairagyam

jnanam ca yad ahaitukam

"By rendering devotional service unto the Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna, one immediately acquires causeless knowledge and detachment from the world." (Bhag. 1.2.7) To be situated on the platform of pure religion, one should perform bhakti-yoga in relationship with Krsna, Vasudeva.

TEXT 16

TEXT

tat tu kalasya dirghatvat

stritvan matus tirodadhe

rsinanugrhitam mam

nadhunapy ajahat smrtih

SYNONYMS

tat--that (instruction on religion and knowledge); tu--indeed; kalasya--of time; dirghatvat--because of the longness; stritvat--because of being a woman; matuh--of my mother; tirodadhe--disappeared; rsina--by the sage; anugrhitam--being blessed; mam--me; na--not; adhuna--today; api--even; ajahat--left; smrtih--the memory (of Narada Muni's instructions).

TRANSLATION

Because of the long duration of time that has passed and because of her being a woman and therefore less intelligent, my mother has forgotten all those instructions; but the great sage Narada blessed me, and therefore I could not forget them.

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita (9.32) the Lord says:

mam hi partha vyapasritya

ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah

striyo vaisyas tatha sudras

te 'pi yanti param gatim

"O son of Prtha, those who take shelter in Me--though they be lowborn, women, vaisyas [merchants] or sudras [workers]--can approach the supreme destination." The word papa-yoni refers to those who are less than sudras, but even though a woman may not be papa-yoni, because of being less intelligent she sometimes forgets devotional instructions. For those who are strong enough, however, there is no question of forgetting. Women are generally attached to material enjoyment, and because of this tendency they sometimes forget devotional instructions. But if even a woman practices devotional service strictly, according to the rules and regulations, the statement by the Lord Himself that she can return to Godhead (te 'pi yanti param gatim) is not at all astonishing. One must take shelter of the Lord and rigidly follow the rules and regulations. Then, regardless of what one is, one will return home, back to Godhead. Prahlada Maharaja's mother was more concerned with protecting the child in the womb and was very anxious to see her husband return. Therefore she could not consider very seriously the sublime instructions of Narada Muni.

TEXT 17

TEXT

bhavatam api bhuyan me

yadi sraddadhate vacah

vaisaradi dhih sraddhatah

stri-balanam ca me yatha

SYNONYMS

bhavatam--of yourselves; api--also; bhuyat--it may be; me--of me; yadi--if; sraddadhate--you believe in; vacah--the words; vaisaradi--of the most expert, or in relation with the Supreme Lord; dhih--intelligence; sraddhatah--because of firm faith; stri--of women; balanam--of small boys; ca--also; me--of me; yatha--just as.

TRANSLATION

Prahlada Maharaja continued: My dear friends, if you can place your faith in my words, simply by that faith you can also understand transcendental knowledge, just like me, although you are small children. Similarly, a woman can also understand transcendental knowledge and know what is spirit and what is matter.

PURPORT

These words of Prahlada Maharaja are very important in regard to knowledge descending by the disciplic succession. Even when Prahlada Maharaja was a baby within the womb of his mother, he became fully convinced of the existence of the supreme power because of hearing the powerful instructions of Narada and understood how to attain perfection in life by bhakti-yoga. These are the most important understandings in spiritual knowledge.

yasya deve para bhaktir

yatha deve tatha gurau

tasyaite kathita hy arthah

prakasante mahatmanah

"Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed." (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23)

atah sri-krsna-namadi

na bhaved grahyam indriyaih

sevonmukhe hi jihvadau

svayam eva sphuraty adah

"No one can understand Krsna as He is by the blunt material senses. But He reveals Himself to the devotees, being pleased with them for their transcendental loving service unto Him." (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234)

bhaktya mam abhijanati

yavan yas casmi tattvatah

tato mam tattvato jnatva

visate tad-anantaram

"One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God." (Bg. 18.55)

These are Vedic instructions. One must have full faith in the words of the spiritual master and similar faith in the Supreme personality of Godhead. Then the real knowledge of atma and Paramatma and the distinction between matter and spirit will be automatically revealed. This atma-tattva, or spiritual knowledge, will be revealed within the core of a devotee's heart because of his having taken shelter of the lotus feet of a mahajana such as Prahlada Maharaja.

In this verse the word bhuyat may be understood to mean "let there be." Prahlada Maharaja offers his blessings to his class friends, saying, "Also become faithful like me. Become bona fide Vaisnavas." A devotee of the Lord desires for everyone to take to Krsna consciousness. Unfortunately, however, people sometimes do not have staunch faith in the words of the spiritual master who comes by the disciplic succession, and therefore they are unable to understand transcendental knowledge. The spiritual master must be in the line of authorized disciplic succession, like Prahlada Maharaja, who received the knowledge from Narada. If the class friends of Prahlada Maharaja, the sons of demons, were to accept the truth through Prahlada, they would certainly also become fully aware of transcendental knowledge.

The words vaisaradi dhih refer to intelligence concerning the Supreme personality of Godhead, who is extremely expert. The Lord has created wonderful universes by His expert knowledge. Unless one is extremely expert, he cannot understand the expert management of the supreme expert. One can understand, however, if one is fortunate enough to meet a bona fide spiritual master coming in the disciplic succession from Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, Mother Laksmi or the Kumaras. These four sampradayas, or disciplic successions of knowledge and transcendence, are called the Brahma-sampradaya, Rudra-sampradaya, Sri-sampradaya, and Kumara-sampradaya. Sampradaya-vihina ye mantras te nisphala matah. The knowledge of the Supreme received from such a sampradaya, or disciplic succession, can give one enlightenment. If one does not take to the path of disciplic succession, it is not possible for one to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one understands the Supreme Lord through devotional service with faith in the disciplic succession and then advances further, he awakens his natural love for God, and then his success in life is assured.

TEXT 18

TEXT

janmadyah sad ime bhava

drsta dehasya natmanah

phalanam iva vrksasya

kalenesvara-murtina

SYNONYMS

janma-adyah--beginning with birth; sat--the six (birth, existence, growth, transformation, dwindling and at last death); ime--all these; bhavah--different conditions of the body; drstah--seen; dehasya--of the body; na--not; atmanah--of the soul; phalanam--of the fruits; iva--like; vrksasya--of a tree; kalena--in due course of time; isvara-murtina--whose form is the ability to transform or control the bodily activities.

TRANSLATION

Just as the fruits and flowers of a tree in due course of time undergo six changes--birth, existence, growth, transformation, dwindling and then death--the material body, which is obtained by the spirit soul under different circumstances, undergoes similar changes. However, there are no such changes for the spirit soul.

PURPORT

This is a very important verse in understanding the difference between the spiritual soul and the material body. The soul is eternal, as stated in Bhagavad-gita (2.20):

na jayate mriyate va kadacin

nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah

ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano

na hanyate hanyamane sarire

"For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain." The spirit soul is eternal, being freed from waste and change, which take place because of the material body. The example of a tree and its fruits and flowers is very simple and clear. A tree stands for many, many years, but with the seasonal changes its fruits and flowers undergo six transformations. The foolish theory of modern chemists that life can be produced by chemical interactions cannot be accepted as truth. The birth of a human being's material body takes place due to a mixture of the ovum and semen, but the history of birth is that although the ovum and semen mix together after sex, there is not always pregnancy. Unless the soul enters the mixture, there is no possibility of pregnancy, but when the soul takes shelter of the mixture the body takes birth, exists, grows, transforms and dwindles, and ultimately it is vanquished. The fruits and flowers of a tree seasonally come and go, but the tree continues to stand. Similarly, the transmigrating soul accepts various bodies, which undergo six transformations, but the soul remains permanently the same (ajo nityah sasvato 'yam purano na hanyate hanyamane sarire). The soul is eternal and ever existing, but the bodies accepted by the soul are changing.

There are two kinds of soul--the Supreme Soul (the Personality of Godhead) and the individual soul (the living entity). As various bodily changes take place in the individual soul, different millenniums of creation take place in the Supreme Soul. In this regard, Madhvacarya says:

sad vikarah sarirasya

na visnos tad-gatasya

ca tad-adhinam sariram ca

jnatva tan mamatam tyajet

Since the body is the external feature of the soul, the soul is not dependent on the body; rather, the body is dependent on the soul. One who understands this truth should not be very much anxious about the maintenance of his body. There is no possibility of maintaining the body permanently or eternally. Antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah saririnah. This is the statement of Bhagavad-gita (2.18). The material body is antavat (perishable), but the soul within the body is eternal (nityasyoktah saririnah). Lord Visnu and the individual souls, who are part and parcel of Him, are both eternal. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. Lord Visnu is the chief living being, whereas the individual living entities are parts of Lord Visnu. All the various grades of bodies--from the gigantic universal body to the small body of an ant--are perishable, but the Supersoul and the soul, being equal in quality, both exist eternally. This is further explained in the next verses.

TEXTS 19-20

TEXT

atma nityo 'vyayah suddha

ekah ksetra-jna asrayah

avikriyah sva-drg hetur

vyapako 'sangy anavrtah

etair dvadasabhir vidvan

atmano laksanaih paraih

aham mamety asad-bhavam

dehadau mohajam tyajet

SYNONYMS

atma--the spirit soul, the part of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nityah--without birth or death; avyayah--with no possibility of dwindling; suddhah--without the material contamination of attachment and detachment; ekah--individual; ksetra-jnah--who knows and is therefore different from the material body; asrayah--the original foundation; avikriyah--not undergoing changes like the body; sva-drk--self-illuminated; hetuh--the cause of all causes; vyapakah--spreading throughout the body in the form of consciousness; asangi--not depending on the body (free to transmigrate from one body to another); anavrtah--not covered by material contamination; etaih--by all these; dvadasabhih--twelve; vidvan--a person who is not foolish but fully aware of things as they are; atmanah--of the spirit soul; laksanaih--symptoms; paraih--transcendental; aham--I ("I am this body"); mama--mine ("everything in relationship with this body is mine"); iti--thus; asat-bhavam--a false conception of life; deha-adau--identifying oneself with the material body and then with one's wife, children, family, community, nation and so on; moha-jam--produced from illusory knowledge; tyajet--must give up.

TRANSLATION

"Atma" refers to the Supreme Lord or the living entities. Both of them are spiritual, free from birth and death, free from deterioration and free from material contamination. They are individual, they are the knowers of the external body, and they are the foundation or shelter of everything. They are free from material change, they are self-illuminated, they are the cause of all causes, and they are all-pervading. They have nothing to do with the material body, and therefore they are always uncovered. With these transcendental qualities, one who is actually learned must give up the illusory conception of life, in which one thinks, "I am this material body, and everything in relationship with this body is mine."

PURPORT

In Bhagavad-gita (15.7) Lord Krsna clearly says, mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah: "All the living entities are part of Me." Therefore the living entities are qualitatively the same as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the leader, the Supreme among all the living entities. In the Vedas it is said, nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam: the Lord is the chief individual living entity, the leader of the subordinate living entities. Because the living entities are parts or samples of God, their qualities are not different from those of the Supreme Lord. The living entities have the same qualities as the Lord, just as a drop of sea water is composed of the same chemicals as the great sea itself. Thus there is oneness in quality but a difference in quantity. One can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by understanding the sample, the living entity, because all the qualities of God exist in a minute quantity in the living entities. There is oneness, but God is great whereas the living entities are extremely small. Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan (Katha Upanisad 1.2.20). The living entities are smaller than the atom, but God is greater than the greatest. Our conception of greatness may be represented by the sky because we think of the sky as being unlimitedly big, but God is bigger than the sky. Similarly, we have knowledge that the living entities are smaller than atoms, being one ten-thousandth the size of the tip of a hair, yet the quality of being the supreme cause of all causes exists in the living entity as well as in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, it is due to the presence of the living entity that the body exists and bodily changes take place. Similarly, it is because the Supreme Lord is within this universe that the changes dictated by the material laws occur.

The word ekah, meaning "individual," is significant. As explained in Bhagavad-gita (9.4), mat-sthani sarva-bhutani na caham tesv avasthitah. Everything, material and spiritual, including earth, water, air, fire, sky and the living entities, exists on the platform of spirit soul. Although everything is an emanation from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one should not think that the Supreme Lord is dependent upon anything else.

Both God and the living entity are fully conscious. As living entities, we are conscious of our bodily existence. Similarly, the Lord is conscious of the gigantic cosmic manifestation. This is confirmed in the Vedas. Yasmin dyauh prthivi cantariksam. Vijnataram adhikena vijaniyat. Ekam evadvitiyam. Atma-jyotih samrad ihovaca. Sa iman lokan asrjata. Satyam jnanam anantam. Asango hy ayam purusah. purnasya purnam adaya purnam evavasisyate. All these Vedic injunctions prove that both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the minute soul are individual. One is great, and the other is small, but both of them are the cause of all causes--the corporally limited and the universally unlimited.

We should always remember that although we are equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in quality, we are never equal to Him in quantity. Persons with a small fund of intelligence, finding themselves equal in quality with God, foolishly think that they are equal in quantity also. Their intelligence is called avisuddha-buddhayah--unpolished or contaminated intelligence. When such persons, after endeavoring hard for many, many lives to understand the supreme cause, are finally in actual knowledge of Krsna, Vasudeva, they surrender unto Him (vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah). Thus they become great mahatmas, perfect souls. If one is fortunate enough to understand his relationship with God, knowing that God is great (vibhu) whereas the living entity is small (anu), he is perfect in knowledge. The individual exists in darkness when he thinks that he is the material body and that everything in relationship with the material body belongs to him. This is called aham mama (janasya moho 'yam aham mameti). This is illusion. One must give up his illusory conception and thus become fully aware of everything.

TEXT 21

TEXT

svarnam yatha gravasu hema-karah

ksetresu yogais tad-abhijna apnuyat

ksetresu dehesu tathatma-yogair

adhyatma-vid brahma-gatim labheta

SYNONYMS

svarnam--gold; yatha--just as; gravasu--in the stones of gold ore; hema-karah--the expert who knows about gold; ksetresu--in the gold mines; yogaih--by various processes; tat-abhijnah--an expert who can understand where gold is; apnuyat--very easily obtains; ksetresu--within the material fields; dehesu--the human bodies and all the rest of the 8,400,000 different bodily forms; tatha--similarly; atma-yogaih--by spiritual processes; adhyatma-vit--one who is expert in understanding the distinction between spirit and matter; brahma-gatim--perfection in spiritual life; labheta--may obtain.

TRANSLATION

An expert geologist can understand where there is gold and by various processes can extract it from the gold ore. Similarly, a spiritually advanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within the body, and thus by cultivating spiritual knowledge he can attain perfection in spiritual life. However, as one who is not expert cannot understand where there is gold, a foolish person who has not cultivated spiritual knowledge cannot understand how the spirit exists within the body.

PURPORT

Here is a very good example concerning spiritual understanding. Foolish rascals, including so-called jnanis, philosophers and scientists, cannot understand the existence of the soul within the body because they are lacking in spiritual knowledge. The Vedas enjoin, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: to understand spiritual knowledge, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master. Unless one has been trained in geology, one cannot detect gold in stone. Similarly, unless one has been trained by a spiritual master, he cannot understand what is spirit and what is matter. Here it is said, yogais tad-abhijnah. This indicates that one who has connected himself with spiritual knowledge can understand that there is a spiritual soul within the body. However, one who is in an animalistic conception of life and has no spiritual culture cannot understand. As an expert mineralogist or geologist can understand where there is gold and can then invest his money to dig there and chemically separate the gold from the ore, an expert spiritualist can understand where the soul is within matter. One who has not been trained cannot distinguish between gold and stone. Similarly, fools and rascals who have not learned from an expert spiritual master what is soul and what is matter cannot understand the existence of the soul within the body. To understand such knowledge, one must be trained in the mystic yoga system, or, finally, in the bhakti-yoga system. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.55), bhaktya mam abhijanati. Unless one takes shelter of the bhakti-yoga process, one cannot understand the existence of the soul within the body. Therefore Bhagavad-gita begins by teaching:

dehino 'smin yatha dehe

kaumaram yauvanam jara

tatha dehantara-praptir

dhiras tatra na muhyati

"As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change." (Bg. 2.13) Thus the first instruction is that one should understand that the soul is within the body and is transmigrating from one body to another. This is the beginning of spiritual knowledge. Any person who is not expert in understanding this science or is unwilling to understand it remains in the bodily conception of life, or the animalistic conception of life, as confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke. .. sa eva go-kharah). Every member of human society should clearly understand the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, for only in this way can one be spiritually elevated and automatically give up the false, illusory knowledge by which one thinks, "I am this body, and everything belonging to this body is mine [aham mameti]." This doggish conception should be rejected immediately. One should be prepared to understand the spirit soul and the supreme spirit, God, who are eternally related. Thus one may return home, back to Godhead, having solved all the problems of life.

TEXT 22

TEXT

astau prakrtayah proktas

traya eva hi tad-gunah

vikarah sodasacaryaih

puman ekah samanvayat

SYNONYMS

astau--eight; prakrtayah--material energies; proktah--it is said; trayah--three; eva--certainly; hi--indeed; tat-gunah--the modes of material energy; vikarah--transformations; sodasa--sixteen; acaryaih--by the authorities; puman--the living entity; ekah--one; samanvayat--from conjunction.

TRANSLATION

The Lord's eight separated material energies, the three modes of material nature and the sixteen transformations [the eleven senses and the five gross material elements like earth and water]--within all these, the one spiritual soul exists as the observer. Therefore all the great acaryas have concluded that the individual soul is conditioned by these material elements.

PURPORT

As explained in the previous verse, ksetresu dehesu tathatma-yogair adhyatma-vid brahma-gatim labheta: "A spiritually advanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within the body, and thus by cultivating spiritual knowledge he can attain perfection in spiritual life." The intelligent person who is expert in finding the self within the body must understand the eight external energies, which are listed in Bhagavad-gita (7.4):

bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh

kham mano buddhir eva ca

ahankara itiyam me

bhinna prakrtir astadha

"Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego--all together these eight comprise My separated material energies." Bhumi, earth, includes all the objects of sense perception--rupa (form), rasa (taste), gandha (smell), sabda (sound) and sparsa (touch). Within the earth are the fragrance of roses, the taste of sweet fruit, and whatever else we want. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.10.4), sarva-kama-dugha mahi: the earth (mahi) contains all our requirements. Thus the objects of sense perception are all present in bhumi, or the earth. The gross material elements and subtle material elements (mind, intelligence and ahankara, false ego) constitute the total material energy.

Within the total material energy are the three material modes or qualities. These qualities--sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna--belong not to the soul but to the material energy. It is because of the interaction of these three material modes of nature that the five knowledge-gathering senses, the five working senses and their controller, the mind, are manifested. Then, according to these modes, the living entity gets the opportunity to perform different types of karma with different types of knowledge, thinking, feeling and willing. Thus the bodily machine begins to work.

This has all been properly analyzed in sankhya-yoga by the great acaryas, especially by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, in His incarnation as Devahuti-putra Kapila. This is indicated here by the word acaryaih. We need not follow anyone who is not an authorized acarya. Acaryavan puruso veda: one can understand the truth fully when he has taken shelter of an expert acarya.

The living entity is individual, but the body is a composition of many material elements. This is proved by the fact that as soon as the living entity quits this combination of material elements, it becomes a mere conglomeration of matter. The matter is qualitatively one, and the spiritual soul is qualitatively one with the Supreme. The Supreme is one, and the individual soul is one, but the individual soul is understood to be the master of the individual combination of material energy, whereas the Supreme Lord is the controller of the total material energy. The living entity is the master of his particular body, and according to his activities he is subjected to different types of pains and pleasures. However, although the Supreme Person, the Paramatma, is also one, He is present as an individual in all the different bodies.

The material energy is in fact divided into twenty-four elements. The individual soul, the owner of the individual body, is a twenty-fifth subject, and above everything is Lord Visnu as Paramatma, the supreme controller, who is the twenty-sixth subject. When one understands all of these twenty-six subjects, he becomes adhyatma-vit, an expert in understanding the distinction between matter and spirit. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (13.3), ksetra-ksetrajnayor jnanam: understanding of the ksetra (the constitution of the body) and of the individual soul and the Supersoul constitutes real jnana, or knowledge. Unless one ultimately understands that the Supreme Lord is eternally related with the individual soul, one's knowledge is imperfect. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (7.19):

bahunam janmanam ante

jnanavan mam prapadyate

vasudevah sarvam iti

sa mahatma sudurlabhah

"After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare." Everything, material and spiritual, consists of various energies of Vasudeva, to whom the individual soul, the spiritual part of the Supreme Lord, is subordinate. Upon understanding this perfect knowledge, one surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah).

TEXT 23

TEXT

dehas tu sarva-sanghato

jagat tasthur iti dvidha

atraiva mrgyah puruso

neti netity atat tyajan

SYNONYMS

dehah--the body; tu--but; sarva-sanghatah--the combination of all the twenty-four elements; jagat--seen to be moving; tasthuh--and standing in one place; iti--thus; dvidha--two kinds; atra eva--in this matter; mrgyah--to be searched for; purusah--the living entity, the soul; na--not; iti--thus; na--not; iti--thus; iti--in this way; atat--what is not spirit; tyajan--giving up.

TRANSLATION

There are two kinds of bodies for every individual soul--a gross body made of five gross elements and a subtle body made of three subtle elements. Within these bodies, however, is the spirit soul. One must find the soul by analysis, saying, "This is not it. This is not it." Thus one must separate spirit from matter.

PURPORT

As previously stated, svarnam yatha gravasu hema-karah ksetresu yogais tad-abhijna apnuyat. An expert in the study of soil can find out where gold is and then dig there. He can then analyze the stone and test the gold with nitric acid. Similarly, one must analyze the whole body to find within the body the spirit soul. In studying one's own body, one must ask himself whether his head is his soul, his fingers are his soul, his hand is his soul, and so on. In this way, one must gradually reject all the material elements and the combinations of material elements in the body. Then, if one is expert and follows the acarya, he can understand that he is the spiritual soul living within the body. The greatest acarya, Krsna, begins His teachings in Bhagavad-gita by saying:

dehino 'smin yatha dehe

kaumaram yauvanam jara

tatha dehantara-praptir

dhiras tatra na muhyati

"As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change." (Bg. 2.13) The spirit soul possesses the body and is within the body. This is the real analysis. The soul never mixes with the bodily elements. Although the soul is within the body, it is separate and always pure. One must analyze and understand his self. This is self-realization. Neti neti is the analytical process of rejecting matter. By expertly conducting such an analysis, one can understand where the soul is. One who is not expert, however, cannot distinguish gold from earth, nor the soul from the body.

TEXT 24

TEXT

anvaya-vyatirekena

vivekenosatatmana

svarga-sthana-samamnayair

vimrsadbhir asatvaraih

SYNONYMS

anvaya--directly; vyatirekena--and indirectly; vivekena--by mature discrimination; usata--purified; atmana--with the mind; svarga--creation; sthana--maintenance; samamnayaih--and with destruction; vimrsadbhih--by those making a serious analysis; asat-varaih--very sober.

TRANSLATION

Sober and expert persons should search for the spirit soul with minds purified through analytical study in terms of the soul's connection with and distinction from all things that undergo creation, maintenance and destruction.

PURPORT

A sober person can study himself and distinguish the soul from the body by analytical study. For example, when one considers his body--his head, his hands and so on--one can certainly understand the difference between the spirit soul and the body. No one says, "I head." Everyone says, "My head." Thus there are two entities--the head and "I." They are not identical, although they appear to be one conglomeration.

One may argue, "When we analyze the body we find a head, hands, legs, a belly, blood, bones, urine, stool and so on, but after everything is considered, where is the existence of the soul?" A sober man, however, avails himself of this Vedic instruction:

yato va imani bhutani jayante; yena jatani jivanti; yat prayanty abhisamvisanti; tad vijijnasasva; tad brahmeti.

(Taittiriya Upanisad 3.1.1)

Thus he can understand that the head, hands, legs and indeed the entire body have grown on the basis of the soul. If the soul is within, the body, head, hands and legs grow, but otherwise they do not. A dead child does not grow up, for the soul is not present. If by a careful analysis of the body one still cannot find the existence of the soul, this is due to his ignorance. How can a gross man fully engaged in materialistic activities understand the soul, which is a small particle of spirit one ten-thousandth the size of the tip of a hair? Such a person foolishly thinks that the material body has grown from a combination of chemicals, although he cannot find them. The Vedas inform us, however, that chemical combinations do not constitute the living force; the living force is the atma and Paramatma, and the body grows on the basis of that living force. The fruit of a tree grows and undergoes six kinds of change because of the presence of the tree. If there were no tree, there could be no question of the growth and maturity of fruit. Therefore, beyond the existence of the body are the Paramatma and atma within the body. This is the first understanding of spiritual knowledge explained in Bhagavad-gita. Dehino 'smin yatha dehe. The body exists because of the presence of the Supreme Lord and the jiva, which is part of the Lord. This is further explained by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (9.4):

maya tatam idam sarvam

jagad avyakta-murtina

mat-sthani sarva-bhutani

na caham tesv avasthitah

"By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them." The Supreme Soul exists everywhere. The Vedas enjoin, samam khalv idam brahma: everything is Brahman or an expansion of Brahman's energies. Sutre mani-gana iva: everything rests on the Lord, just like pearls strung together on a thread. The thread is the principal Brahman. He is the supreme cause, the Supreme Lord upon whom everything rests (mattah parataram nanyat). Thus we must study the atma and Paramatma--the individual soul and the Supersoul--upon whom the entire material cosmic manifestation rests. This is explained by the Vedic statement yato va imani bhutani jaya nte. yena jatani jivanti.

TEXT 25

TEXT

buddher jagaranam svapnah

susuptir iti vrttayah

ta yenaivanubhuyante

so 'dhyaksah purusah parah

SYNONYMS

buddheh--of the intelligence; jagaranam--the waking or active state of the gross senses; svapnah--dreaming (the activity of the senses without the gross body); susuptih--deep sleep or cessation of all activities (although the living entity is the seer); iti--thus; vrttayah--the various transactions; tah--they; yena--by whom; eva--indeed; anubhuyante--are perceived; sah--that; adhyaksah--overseer (who is different from the activities); purusah--the enjoyer; parah--transcendental.

TRANSLATION

Intelligence can be perceived in three states of activity--wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. The person who perceives these three is to be considered the original master, the ruler, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

Without intelligence one cannot understand the direct activities of the senses, nor can he understand dreaming or the cessation of all gross and subtle activities. The seer and controller is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Soul, by whose direction the individual soul can understand when he is awake, when he is sleeping, and when he is completely in trance. In Bhagavad-gita (15.15) the Lord says, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: "I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness." The living entities are completely absorbed in the three states of wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep through their intelligence. This intelligence is supplied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who accompanies the individual soul as a friend. Srila Madhvacarya says that the living entity is sometimes described as sattva-buddhi when his intelligence acts directly to perceive pains and pleasures above activities. There is a dreaming state in which understanding comes from the Supreme Personality of Godhead (mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca). The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul, is the supreme controller, and under His direction the living entities are subcontrollers. One must understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead with one's intelligence.

TEXT 26

TEXT

ebhis tri-varnaih paryastair

buddhi-bhedaih kriyodbhavaih

svarupam atmano budhyed

gandhair vayum ivanvayat

SYNONYMS

ebhih--by these; tri-varnaih--composed of the three modes of nature; paryastaih--completely rejected (due to not touching the living force); buddhi--of intelligence; bhedaih--the differentiations; kriya-udbhavaih--produced from different activities; svarupam--the constitutional position; atmanah--of the self; budhyet--one should understand; gandhaih--by the aromas; vayum--the air; iva--exactly like; anvayat--from close connection.

TRANSLATION

As one can understand the presence of the air by the aromas it carries, so, under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can understand the living soul by these three divisions of intelligence. These three divisions, however, are not the soul; they are constituted of the three modes and are born of activities.

PURPORT

As already explained, there are three states to our existence, namely wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. In all three states, we have different experiences. Thus the soul is the observer of these three states. Actually, the activities of the body are not the activities of the soul. The soul is different from the body. Just as aromas are distinct from the material vehicle in which they are carried, the soul is unattached to material activities. This analysis can be considered by a person who is fully under the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. This is confirmed by the Vedic injunction yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati. If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can automatically understand everything else. Because of not taking shelter of the Lord's lotus feet, even great scholars, scientists, philosophers and religionists are always bewildered. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32):

ye 'nye 'ravindaksa vimukta-maninas

tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah

Even though one may artificially think himself liberated from material contamination, if he has not taken shelter of the Lord's lotus feet his intelligence is polluted. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (3.42):

indriyani parany ahur

indriyebhyah param manah

manasas tu para buddhir

yo buddheh paratas tu sah

Above the senses is the mind, above the mind is the intelligence, and above the intelligence is the soul. Ultimately, when one's intelligence becomes clear through devotional service, one is situated in buddhi-yoga. This also is explained in Bhagavad-gita (dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te). When devotional service develops and one's intelligence becomes clear, one can use his intelligence to return home, back to Godhead.

TEXT 27

TEXT

etad dvaro hi samsaro

guna-karma-nibandhanah

ajnana-mulo 'partho 'pi

pumsah svapna ivarpyate

SYNONYMS

etat--this; dvarah--whose door; hi--indeed; samsarah--material existence, in which one suffers threefold miseries; guna-karma-nibandhanah--captivation by the three modes of material nature; ajnana-mulah--whose root is ignorance; aparthah--without factual meaning; api--even; pumsah--of the living entity; svapnah--a dream; iva--like; arpyate--is placed.

TRANSLATION

Through polluted intelligence one is subjected to the modes of nature, and thus one is conditioned by material existence. Like a dreaming state in which one falsely suffers, material existence, which is due to ignorance, must be considered unwanted and temporary.

PURPORT

The unwanted condition of temporary life is called ignorance. One can very easily understand that the material body is temporary, for it is generated at a certain date and ends at a certain date, after undergoing the six kinds of change, namely birth, death, growth, maintenance, transformation and dwindling. This condition of the eternal soul is due to his ignorance, and although it is temporary, it is unwanted. Because of ignorance one is put into temporary bodies one after another. The spirit soul, however, does not need to enter such temporary bodies. He does so only due to his ignorance or his forgetfulness of Krsna. Therefore in the human form of life, when one's intelligence is developed, one should change his consciousness by trying to understand Krsna. Then one can be liberated. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (4.9), where the Lord says:

janma karma ca me divyam

evam yo vetti tattvatah

tyaktva deham punar janma

naiti mam eti so 'rjuna

"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna." Unless one understands Krsna and comes to Krsna consciousness, one must continue in material bondage. To end this conditional life, one must surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, that is demanded by the Supreme Lord. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja.

As advised by Maharaja Rsabhadeva, na sadhu manye yata atmano 'yam asann api klesada asa dehah. One must be intelligent enough to understand that although one's body is temporary and will not endure for long, as long as one has a body he must undergo the pangs of material existence. Therefore, if by good association, by the instructions of a bona fide spiritual master, one takes to Krsna consciousness, his conditional life of material existence is vanquished, and his original consciousness, known as Krsna consciousness, is revived. When one is Krsna conscious, he can realize that material existence, whether one is awake or dreaming, is nothing but a dream and has no factual value. This realization is possible by the grace of the Supreme Lord. This grace is also present in the form of the instructions of Bhagavad-gita. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's mission is for everyone to engage in welfare activities to awaken the foolish living entity, especially in human society, so that he may come to the platform of Krsna consciousness and benefit by liberation from conditional life.

In this connection, Srila Madhvacarya cites the following verses:

duhkha-rupo 'pi samsaro

buddhi-purvam avapyate

yatha svapne siras chedam

svayam krtvatmano vasah

tato duhkham avapyeta

tatha jagarito 'pi tu

janann apy atmano duhkham

avasas tu pravartate

One must realize that the material condition of life is full of distresses. One can realize this with purified intelligence. When one's intelligence is purified, he can understand that unwanted, temporary, material life is just like a dream. Just as one suffers pain when his head is cut off in a dream, in ignorance one suffers not only while dreaming but also while awake. Without the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one continues in ignorance and is thus subjected to material distresses in various ways.

TEXT 28

TEXT

tasmad bhavadbhih kartavyam

karmanam tri-gunatmanam

bija-nirharanam yogah

pravahoparamo dhiyah

SYNONYMS

tasmat--therefore; bhavadbhih--by your good selves; kartavyam--to be done; karmanam--of all material activities; tri-guna-atmanam--conditioned by the three modes of material nature; bija-nirharanam--burning of the seed; yogah--the process by which one can be linked with the Supreme; pravaha--of the continuous current in the form of wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep; uparamah--the cessation; dhiyah--of the intelligence.

TRANSLATION

Therefore, my dear friends, O sons of the demons, your duty is to take to Krsna consciousness, which can burn the seed of fruitive activities artificially created by the modes of material nature and stop the flow of the intelligence in wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. In other words, when one takes to Krsna consciousness, his ignorance is immediately dissipated.

PURPORT

This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26):

mam ca yo 'vyabhicarena

bhakti-yogena sevate

sa gunan samatityaitan

brahma-bhuyaya kalpate

"One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman." By the practice of bhakti-yoga, one immediately comes to the spiritual platform, transcendental to the actions and reactions of the three modes of material nature. The root of ignorance is material consciousness, which must be killed by spiritual consciousness, or Krsna consciousness. The word bija-nirharanam refers to burning the root cause of material life to ashes. In the Medini dictionary, yoga is explained by its result: yoge 'purvartha-sampraptau sangati-dhyana-yuktisu. When one is put into an awkward position because of ignorance, the process by which one can be freed from this entanglement is called yoga. This is also called liberation. Muktir hitvanyatha-rupam svarupena vyavasthitih. Mukti means giving up one's position in ignorance or illusion, by which one thinks in a way contrary to his constitutional position. Returning to one's constitutional position is called mukti, and the process by which one does this is called yoga. Thus yoga is above karma, jnana and sankhya. Indeed, yoga is the ultimate goal of life. Krsna therefore advised Arjuna to become a yogi (tasmad yogi bhavarjuna). Lord Krsna further advised in Bhagavad-gita that the first-class yogi is he who has come to the platform of devotional service.

yoginam api sarvesam

mad-gatenantaratmana

sraddhavan bhajate yo mam

sa me yuktatamo matah

"Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all." (Bg. 6.47) Thus one who always thinks of Krsna within the core of his heart is the best yogi. By practicing this best of all yoga systems, one is liberated from the material condition.

TEXT 29

TEXT

tatropaya-sahasranam

ayam bhagavatoditah

yad isvare bhagavati

yatha yair anjasa ratih

SYNONYMS

tatra--in that connection (getting out of the entanglement of material conditioning); upaya--of processes; sahasranam--of many thousands; ayam--this; bhagavata uditah--given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yat--which; isvare--to the Lord; bhagavati--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yatha--as much as; yaih--by which; anjasa--quickly; ratih--attachment with love and affection.

TRANSLATION

Of the different processes recommended for disentanglement from material life, the one personally explained and accepted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be considered all-perfect. That process is the performance of duties by which love for the Supreme Lord develops.

PURPORT

Among the linking processes that elevate one from bondage to material contamination, the one recommended by the Supreme Personality of Godhead should be accepted as the best. That process is clearly explained in Bhagavad-gita, where the Lord says, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja: "Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me." This process is the best because the Lord assures, aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah: "I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear." There is no need to be worried, for the Lord Himself assures that He will care for His devotee and save him from the reactions of sinful activities. Material bondage is a result of sinful activity. Therefore, since the Lord assures that He will dissipate the results of fruitive material activities, there is no need to be worried. This process of understanding one's position as a spirit soul and then engaging oneself in devotional service is therefore the best. The entire Vedic program is based on this principle, and one can understand it as recommended in the Vedas:

yasya deve para bhaktir

yatha deve tatha gurau

tasyaite kathita hy arthah

prakasante mahatmanah

"Unto those great souls who have implicit faith in both the Lord and the spiritual master, all the imports of Vedic knowledge are automatically revealed." (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.23) One must accept the pure devotee, the representative of God, as one's guru and then offer him all the respects one would offer the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is the secret of success. For one who adopts this method, the perfect process is revealed. In this verse, the words yair anjasa ratih indicate that by offering service and surrendering to the spiritual master, one is elevated to devotional service, and by performing devotional service one gradually becomes attached to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because of this attachment to the Lord, one can understand the Lord. In other words, one can understand what the Lord's position is, what our position is and what our relationship is. All this can be understood very easily by the simple method of bhakti-yoga. As soon as one is situated on the platform of bhakti-yoga, the root cause of one's suffering and material bondage is destroyed. This is clearly explained in the next verse, which gives the secret of success.

TEXTS 30-31

TEXT

guru-susrusaya bhaktya

sarva-labdharpanena ca

sangena sadhu-bhaktanam

isvararadhanena ca

sraddhaya tat-kathayam ca

kirtanair guna-karmanam

tat-padamburuha-dhyanat

tal-lingeksarhanadibhih

SYNONYMS

guru-susrusaya--by rendering service to the bona fide spiritual master; bhaktya--with faith and devotion; sarva--all; labdha--of material gains; arpanena--by offering (to the guru, or to Krsna through the spiritual master); ca--and; sangena--by the association; sadhu-bhaktanam--of devotees and saintly persons; isvara--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; aradhanena--by the worship; ca--and; sraddhaya--with great faith; tat-kathayam--in discourses about the Lord; ca--and; kirtanaih--by glorifications; guna-karmanam--of the transcendental qualities and activities of the Lord; tat--His; pada-amburuha--on the lotus feet; dhyanat--by meditation; tat--His; linga--forms (Deities); iksa--observing; arhana-adibhih--and by worshiping.

TRANSLATION

One must accept the bona fide spiritual master and render service unto him with great devotion and faith. Whatever one has in one's possession should be offered to the spiritual master, and in the association of saintly persons and devotees one should worship the Lord, hear the glories of the Lord with faith, glorify the transcendental qualities and activities of the Lord, always meditate on the Lord's lotus feet, and worship the Deity of the Lord strictly according to the injunctions of the sastra and guru.

PURPORT

In the previous verse it has been said that the process which immediately increases one's love and affection for the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the best of the many thousands of ways to become free from the entanglement of material existence. It is also said, dharmasya tattvam nihitam guhayam: actually the truth of religious principles is extremely confidential. Nonetheless, it can be understood very easily if one actually adopts the principles of religion. As it is said, dharmam tu saksad bhagavat-pranitam: the process of religion is enunciated by the Supreme Lord because He is the supreme authority. This is also indicated in the previous verse by the word bhagavatoditah. The injunctions or directions of the Lord are infallible, and their benefits are fully assured. According to His directions, which are explained in this verse, the perfect form of religion is bhakti-yoga.

To practice bhakti-yoga, one must first accept a bona fide spiritual master. Srila Rupa Gosvami, in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.2.74-75), advises:

guru-padasrayas tasmat

krsna-diksadi-siksanam

visrambhena guroh seva

sadhu-vartmanuvartanam

sad-dharma-prccha bhogadi-

tyagah krsnasya hetave

One's first duty is to accept a bona fide spiritual master. The student or disciple should be very inquisitive; he should be eager to know the complete truth about eternal religion (sanatana-dharma). The words guru-susrusaya mean that one should personally serve the spiritual master by giving him bodily comforts, helping him in bathing, dressing, sleeping, eating and so on. This is called guru-susrusanam. A disciple should serve the spiritual master as a menial servant, and whatever he has in his possession should be dedicated to the spiritual master. pranair arthair dhiya vaca. Everyone has his life, his wealth, his intelligence and his words, and all of them should be offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the via medium of the spiritual master. Everything should be offered to the spiritual master as a matter of duty, but the offering should be made to the spiritual master with heart and soul, not artificially to gain material prestige. This offering is called arpana. Moreover, one should live among devotees, saintly persons, to learn the etiquette and proper behavior of devotional service. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura remarks in this connection that whatever is offered to the spiritual master should be offered with love and affection, not for material adoration. Similarly, it is recommended that one associate with devotees, but there must be some discrimination. Actually, a sadhu, a saintly person, must be saintly in his behavior (sadhavah sad-acarah). Unless one adheres to the standard behavior, one's position as a sadhu, a saintly person, is not complete. Therefore a Vaisnava, a sadhu, must completely adhere to the standard of behavior. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura says that a Vaisnava, a person initiated into the Vaisnava cult, should be offered the respect befitting a Vaisnava, which means that he should be offered service and prayers. However, one should not associate with him if he is not a fit person with whom to associate.

TEXT 32

TEXT

harih sarvesu bhutesu

bhagavan asta isvarah

iti bhutani manasa

kamais taih sadhu manayet

SYNONYMS

harih--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sarvesu--in all; bhutesu--living entities; bhagavan--the supreme personality; aste--is situated; isvarah--the supreme controller; iti--thus; bhutani--all living entities; manasa--by such understanding; kamaih--by desires; taih--those; sadhu manayet--one should highly esteem.

TRANSLATION

One should always remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His localized representation as the Paramatma, who is situated in the core of every living entity's heart. Thus one should offer respect to every living entity according to that living entity's position or manifestation.

PURPORT

Harih sarvesu bhutesu. This statement is sometimes misunderstood by unscrupulous persons who wrongly conclude that because Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is situated in every living entity, every living entity is therefore Hari. Such foolish persons do not distinguish between the atma and the Paramatma, who are situated in every body. The atma is the living entity, and the Paramatma is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The individual living entity, however, is different from the Paramatma, the Supreme Lord. Therefore harih sarvesu bhutesu means that Hari is situated as Paramatma, not as atma, although atma is a part of Paramatma. Offering respect to every living entity means offering respect to the Paramatma situated in every living entity. One should not misunderstand every living entity to be the Paramatma. Sometimes unscrupulous persons designate a living entity as daridra-narayana, svami-narayana, this Narayana or that Narayana. One should clearly understand that although Narayana is situated in the core of the heart of every living entity, the living entity never becomes Narayana.

TEXT 33

TEXT

evam nirjita-sad-vargaih

kriyate bhaktir isvare

vasudeve bhagavati

yaya samlabhyate ratih

SYNONYMS

evam--thus; nirjita--subdued; sat-vargaih--by the six symptoms of the senses (lusty desires, anger, greed, illusion, madness and jealousy); kriyate--is rendered; bhaktih--devotional service; isvare--unto the supreme controller; vasudeve--to Lord Vasudeva; bhagavati--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; yaya--by which; samlabhyate--is obtained; ratih--attachment.

TRANSLATION

By these activities [as mentioned above] one is able to cut down the influence of the enemies, namely lust, anger, greed, illusion, madness and jealousy, and when thus situated, one can render service to the Lord. In this way one surely attains the platform of loving service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

PURPORT

As mentioned in verses thirty and thirty-one, one's first duty is to approach the spiritual master, the representative of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, to begin rendering service to him. Prahlada Maharaja proposed that from the very beginning of life (kaumara acaret prajnah) a small child should be trained to serve the spiritual master while living at the guru-kula. Brahmacari guru-kule vasan danto guror hitam (Bhag. 7.12.1). This is the beginning of spiritual life. Guru-padasrayah, sadhu-vartmanuvartanam, sad-dharma-prccha. By following the instructions of the guru and the sastras, the disciple attains the stage of devotional service and becomes unattached to possessions. Whatever he possesses he offers to the spiritual master, the guru, who engages him in sravanam kirtanam visnoh. The disciple follows strictly and in this way learns how to control his senses. Then, by using his pure intelligence, he gradually becomes a lover of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as confirmed by Srila Rupa Gosvami (adau sraddha tatah sadhu-sangah). In this way one's life becomes perfect, and his attachment for Krsna becomes positively manifested. In that stage, he is situated in ecstasy, experiencing bhava and anubhava, as explained in the following verse.

TEXT 34

TEXT

nisamya karmani gunan atulyan

viryani lila-tanubhih krtani

yadatiharsotpulakasru-gadgadam

protkantha udgayati rauti nrtyati

SYNONYMS

nisamya--hearing; karmani--transcendental activities; gunan--spiritual qualities; atulyan--uncommon (not generally visible in an ordinary person); viryani--very powerful; lila-tanubhih--by different pastime forms; krtani--performed; yada--when; atiharsa--because of great jubilation; utpulaka--horripilation; asru--tears in the eyes; gadgadam--faltering voice; protkanthah--with an open voice; udgayati--chants very loudly; rauti--cries; nrtyati--dances.

TRANSLATION

One who is situated in devotional service is certainly the controller of his senses, and thus he is a liberated person. When such a liberated person, the pure devotee, hears of the transcendental qualities and activities of the Lord's incarnations for the performance of various pastimes, his hair stands on end on his body, tears fall from his eyes, and in his spiritual realization his voice falters. Sometimes he very openly dances, sometimes he sings loudly, and sometimes he cries. Thus he expresses his transcendental jubilation.

PURPORT

The Lord's activities are uncommon. For example, when He appeared as Lord Ramacandra, He performed uncommon activities like bridging the ocean. Similarly, when Lord Krsna appeared He raised the Govardhana Hill when He was only seven years of age. These are uncommon activities. Fools and rascals, who are not in the transcendental position, consider these uncommon activities of the Lord to be mythological, but when the pure devotee, the liberated person, hears about these uncommon activities of the Lord, he immediately becomes ecstatic and exhibits the symptoms of chanting, dancing, and crying very loudly and jubilantly. This is the difference between a devotee and a nondevotee.

TEXT 35

TEXT

yada graha-grasta iva kvacid dhasaty

akrandate dhyayati vandate janam

muhuh svasan vakti hare jagat-pate

narayanety atma-matir gata-trapah

SYNONYMS

yada--when; graha-grastah--haunted by a ghost; iva--like; kvacit--sometimes; hasati--laughs; akrandate--cries loudly (remembering the transcendental qualities of the Lord); dhyayati--meditates; vandate--offers respects; janam--to all living entities (thinking all of them to be engaged in the service of the Lord); muhuh--constantly; svasan--breathing heavily; vakti--he speaks; hare--O my Lord; jagat-pate--O master of the whole world; narayana--O Lord Narayana; iti--thus; atma-matih--fully absorbed in thoughts of the Supreme Lord; gata-trapah--without shame.

TRANSLATION

When a devotee becomes like a person haunted by a ghost, he laughs and very loudly chants about the qualities of the Lord. Sometimes he sits to perform meditation, and he offers respects to every living entity, considering him a devotee of the Lord. Constantly breathing very heavily, he becomes careless of social etiquette and loudly chants like a madman, "Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna! O my Lord, O master of the universe!"

PURPORT

When one chants the holy name of the Lord in ecstasy, not caring for outward social conventions, it is to be understood that he is atma-mati. In other words, his consciousness is turned toward the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

TEXT 36

TEXT

tada puman mukta-samasta-bandhanas

tad-bhava-bhavanukrtasayakrtih

nirdagdha-bijanusayo mahiyasa

bhakti-prayogena samety adhoksajam

SYNONYMS

tada--at that time; puman--the living entity; mukta--liberated; samasta-bandhanah--from all material obstacles on the path of devotional service; tat-bhava--of the situation of the Supreme Lord's activities; bhava--by thinking; anukrta--made similar; asaya-akrtih--whose mind and body; nirdagdha--completely burned up; bija--the seed or original cause of material existence; anusayah--desire; mahiyasa--very powerful; bhakti--of devotional service; prayogena--by the application; sameti--achieves; adhoksajam--the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the reach of the material mind and knowledge.

TRANSLATION

The devotee is then freed from all material contamination because he constantly thinks of the Lord's pastimes and because his mind and body have been converted to spiritual qualities. Because of his intense devotional service, his ignorance, material consciousness and all kinds of material desires are completely burnt to ashes. This is the stage at which one can achieve the shelter of the Lord's lotus feet.

PURPORT

When a devotee is completely purified, he becomes anyabhilasita-sunya. In other words, all of his material desires become zero, being burnt to ashes, and he exists either as the Lord's servant, friend, father, mother or conjugal lover. Because one thinks constantly in this way, one's present material body and mind are fully spiritualized, and the needs of one's material body completely vanish from one's existence. An iron rod put into a fire becomes warmer and warmer, and when it is red hot it is no longer an iron rod but fire. Similarly, when a devotee constantly engages in devotional service and thinks of the Lord in his original Krsna consciousness, he no longer has any material activities, for his body is spiritualized. Advancement in Krsna consciousness is very powerful, and therefore even during this life such a devotee has achieved the shelter of the lotus feet of the Lord. This transcendental ecstatic existence of a devotee was completely exhibited by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. In this regard, Srila Madhvacarya writes as follows:

tad-bhava-bhavah tad yatha svarupam bhaktih

kecid bhakta vinrtyanti gayanti ca yathepsitam

kecit tusnim japanty eva kecit sobhaya-karinah

The ecstatic condition of devotional service was completely exhibited by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who sometimes danced, sometimes cried, sometimes sang, sometimes remained silent, and sometimes chanted the holy name of the Lord. That is perfect spiritual existence.

TEXT 37

TEXT

adhoksajalambham ihasubhatmanah

saririnah samsrti-cakra-satanam

tad brahma-nirvana-sukham vidur budhas

tato bhajadhvam hrdaye hrd-isvaram

SYNONYMS

adhoksaja--with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is beyond the reach of the materialistic mind or experimental knowledge; alambham--being constantly in contact; iha--in this material world; asubha-atmanah--whose mind is materially contaminated; saririnah--of a living entity who has accepted a material body; samsrti--of material existence; cakra--the cycle; satanam--completely stopping; tat--that; brahma-nirvana--connected with the Supreme Brahman, the Absolute Truth; sukham--transcendental happiness; viduh--understand; budhah--those who are spiritually advanced; tatah--therefore; bhajadhvam--engage in devotional service; hrdaye--within the core of the heart; hrt-isvaram--to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul within the heart.

TRANSLATION

The real problem of life is the repetition of birth and death, which is like a wheel rolling repeatedly up and down. This wheel, however, completely stops when one is in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, by the transcendental bliss realized from constant engagement in devotional service, one is completely liberated from material existence. All learned men know this. Therefore, my dear friends, O sons of the asuras, immediately begin meditating upon and worshiping the Supersoul within everyone's heart.

PURPORT

Generally it is understood that by merging into the existence of Brahman, the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth, one becomes completely happy. The words brahma-nirvana refer to connecting with the Absolute Truth, who is realized in three features: brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti sabdyate. One feels brahma-sukha, spiritual happiness, by merging into the impersonal Brahman because the brahmajyoti is the effulgence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Yasya prabha prabhavato jagad-anda-koti. Yasya prabha, the impersonal Brahman, consists of the rays of Krsna's transcendental body. Therefore whatever transcendental bliss one feels from merging in Brahman is due to contact with Krsna. Contact with Krsna is perfect brahma-sukha. When the mind is in touch with the impersonal Brahman one becomes satisfied, but one must advance further to render service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, for one's remaining merged in the Brahman effulgence is not always assured. As it is said, aruhya krcchrena param padam tatah patanty adho 'nadrta-yusmad-anghrayah: one may merge in the Brahman feature of the Absolute Truth, but there is a chance that one may fall because of not being acquainted with Adhoksaja, or Vasudeva. Of course, such brahma-sukha undoubtedly eliminates material happiness, but when one advances through impersonal Brahman and localized Paramatma to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead in relationship with Him as a servant, friend, parent or conjugal lover, one's happiness becomes all-pervading. Then one automatically feels transcendental bliss, just as one becomes happy seeing the shining of the moon. One acquires natural happiness upon seeing the moon, but when one can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one's transcendental happiness increases hundreds and thousands of times. As soon as one is very intimately connected with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one surely becomes free from all material contamination. Ya nirvrtis tanu-bhrtam. This cessation of all material happiness is called nirvrti or nirvana. Srila Rupa Gosvami says in Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu (1.1.38):

brahmanando bhaved esa

cet parardha-guni-krtah

naiti bhakti-sukhambhodheh

paramanu-tulam api

"If brahmananda, the bliss of merging in the Brahman effulgence, were multiplied one hundred trillion times, it would still not equal even an atomic fragment of the ocean of transcendental bliss felt in devotional service."

brahma-bhutah prasannatma

na socati na kanksati

samah sarvesu bhutesu

mad-bhaktim labhate param

"One who is transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed toward all living entities. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto the Lord." (Bg. 18.54) If one advances further from the brahma-nirvana platform, one enters the stage of devotional service (mad-bhaktim labhate param). The word adhoksajalambham refers to keeping the mind always engaged in the Absolute Truth, who is beyond the mind and material speculation. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh. This is the result of Deity worship. By constantly engaging in the service of the Lord and thinking of His lotus feet, one is automatically freed from all material contamination. Thus the word brahma-nirvana-sukham indicates that when one is in touch with the Absolute Truth, material sense gratification is completely nullified.

TEXT 38

TEXT

ko 'ti-prayaso 'sura-balaka harer

upasane sve hrdi chidravat satah

svasyatmanah sakhyur asesa-dehinam

samanyatah kim visayopapadanaih

SYNONYMS

kah--what; ati-prayasah--difficult endeavor; asura-balakah--O sons of demons; hareh--of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; upasane--in discharging the devotional service; sve--in one's own; hrdi--core of the heart; chidra-vat--just like the space; satah--who always exists; svasya--of one's self or of the living entity; atmanah--of the Supersoul; sakhyuh--of the well-wishing friend; asesa--unlimited; dehinam--of the embodied souls; samanyatah--generally; kim--what is the need; visaya-upapadanaih--with activities delivering the objects of the senses for sense enjoyment.

TRANSLATION

O my friends, sons of the asuras, the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His Supersoul feature always exists within the cores of the hearts of all living entities. Indeed, He is the well-wisher and friend of all living entities, and there is no difficulty in worshiping the Lord. Why, then, should people not engage in His devotional service? Why are they so addicted to unnecessarily producing artificial paraphernalia for sense gratification?

PURPORT

Because the Personality of Godhead is supreme, no one is equal to Him, and no one is greater than Him. Nonetheless, if one is a devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord is easily obtainable. The Lord is compared to the sky because the sky is vast yet within the reach of all, not only of human beings but even of the animals. The Supreme Lord, in His Paramatma feature, exists as the best well-wisher and friend. As confirmed in the Vedas, sayujau sakhayau. The Lord, in His Supersoul feature, always stays in the heart along with the living entity. The Lord is so friendly to the living entity that He remains within the heart so that one can always contact Him without difficulty. One can do this simply by devotional service (sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam. pada-sevanam). As soon as one hears of the Supreme Personality of Godhead (krsna-kirtana), one immediately comes in touch with the Lord. A devotee immediately comes in touch with the Lord by any or all of the items of devotional service:

sravanam kirtanam visnoh

smaranam pada-sevanam

arcanam vandanam dasyam

sakhyam atma-nivedanam

Therefore there is no difficulty in coming in contact with the Supreme Lord (ko 'ti-prayasah). On the other hand, going to hell requires great endeavor. If one wants to go to hell by illicit sex, meat-eating, gambling and intoxication, he must acquire so many things. For illicit sex he must arrange for money for brothels, for meat-eating he must arrange for many slaughterhouses, for gambling he must arrange for casinos and hotels, and for intoxication he must open many breweries. Clearly, therefore, if one wants to go to hell he must endeavor very much, but if he wants to return home, back to Godhead, there is no difficult endeavor. To go back to Godhead, one may live alone anywhere, in any condition, and simply sit down, meditate upon the Supersoul and chant and hear about the Lord. Thus there is no difficulty in approaching the Lord. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram. Because of inability to control the senses, one must go through great endeavor to go to hell, but if one is sensible he can very easily obtain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because the Lord is always with him. By the simple method of sravanam kirtanam visnoh, the Lord is satisfied. Indeed, the Lord says:

patram puspam phalam toyam

yo me bhaktya prayacchati

tad aham bhakty-upahrtam

asnami prayatatmanah

"If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." (Bg. 9.26) One can meditate upon the Lord anywhere and everywhere. Thus Prahlada Maharaja advised his friends, the sons of the demons, to take this path back home, back to Godhead, without difficulty.

TEXT 39

TEXT

rayah kalatram pasavah sutadayo

grha mahi kunjara-kosa-bhutayah

sarve 'rtha-kamah ksana-bhangurayusah

kurvanti martyasya kiyat priyam calah

SYNONYMS

rayah--wealth; kalatram--one's wife and feminine friends; pasavah--domestic animals like cows, horses, asses, cats and dogs; suta-adayah--children and so on; grhah--big buildings and residences; mahi--land; kunjara--elephants; kosa--treasury house; bhutayah--and other luxuries for sense gratification and material enjoyment; sarve--all; artha--economic development; kamah--and sense gratification; ksana-bhangura--perishable in a moment; ayusah--of one whose duration of life; kurvanti--effect or bring; martyasya--of one who is destined to die; kiyat--how much; priyam--pleasure; calah--flickering and temporary.

TRANSLATION

One's riches, beautiful wife and female friends, one's sons and daughters, one's residence, one's domestic animals like cows, elephants and horses, one's treasury, economic development and sense gratification--indeed, even the lifetime in which one can enjoy all these material opulences--are certainly temporary and flickering. Since the opportunity of human life is temporary, what benefit can these material opulences give to a sensible man who has understood himself to be eternal?

PURPORT

This verse describes how the advocates of economic development are frustrated by the laws of nature. As the previous verse asks, kim visayopapadanaih: what is the actual benefit of so-called economic development? The history of the world has factually proved that attempts to increase economic development for bodily comfort through the advancement of material civilization have done nothing to remedy the inevitability of birth, death, old age and disease. Everyone has knowledge of huge empires throughout the history of the world--the Roman Empire, the Moghul Empire, the British Empire and so on--but all the societies engaged in such economic development (sarve 'rtha-kamah) have been frustrated by the laws of nature through periodic wars, pestilence, famine and so on. Thus all their attempts have been flickering and temporary. In this verse, therefore, it is said, kurvanti martyasya kiyat priyam calah: one may be very proud of possessing a vast empire, but such empires are impermanent; after one hundred or two hundred years, everything is finished. All such positions of economic development, although created with great endeavor and hardship, are vanquished very soon. Therefore they have been described as calah. An intelligent man should conclude that material economic development is not at all pleasing. The entire world is described in Bhagavad-gita as duhkhalayam asasvatam--miserable and temporary. Economic development may be pleasing for some time, but it cannot endure. Thus many big businessmen are now very morose because they are being harassed by various plundering governments. In conclusion, why should one waste his time for so-called economic development, which is neither permanent nor pleasing to the soul?

On the other hand, our relationship with Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is eternal. Nitya-siddha krsna-prema. The pure souls are eternally in love with Krsna, and this permanent love, either as a servant, a friend, a parent or a conjugal lover, is not at all difficult to revive. Especially in this age, the concession is that simply by chanting the Hare Krsna mantra (harer nama harer nama harer namaiva kevalam) one revives his original relationship with God and thus becomes so happy that he does not want anything material. As enunciated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, na dhanam na janam na sundarim kavitam va jagad-isa kamaye. A very advanced devotee in Krsna consciousness does not want riches, followers or possessions. Rayah kalatram pasavah sutadayo grha mahi kunjara-kosa-bhutayah. The satisfaction of possessing material opulences, although perhaps of a different standard, is available even in the lives of dogs and hogs, who cannot revive their eternal relationship with Krsna. In human life, however, our eternal, dormant relationship with Krsna is possible to revive. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja has described this life as arthadam. Consequently, instead of wasting our time for economic development, which cannot give us any happiness, if we simply try to revive our eternal relationship with Krsna, we will properly utilize our lives.

TEXT 40

TEXT

evam hi lokah kratubhih krta ami

ksayisnavah satisaya na nirmalah

tasmad adrsta-sruta-dusanam param

bhaktyoktayesam bhajatatma-labdhaye

SYNONYMS

evam--similarly (as earthly wealth and possessions are impermanent); hi--indeed; lokah--higher planetary systems like heaven, the moon, the sun and Brahmaloka; kratubhih--by performing great sacrifices; krtah--achieved; ami--all those; ksayisnavah--perishable, impermanent; satisayah--although more comfortable and pleasing; na--not; nirmalah--pure (free from disturbances); tasmat--therefore; adrsta-sruta--never seen or heard; dusanam--whose fault; param--the Supreme; bhaktya--with great devotional love; uktaya--as described in the Vedic literature (not mixed with jnana or karma); isam--the Supreme Lord; bhajata--worship; atma-labdhaye--for self-realization.

TRANSLATION

It is learned from Vedic literature that by performing great sacrifices one may elevate himself to the heavenly planets. However, although life on the heavenly planets is hundreds and thousands of times more comfortable than life on earth, the heavenly planets are not pure [nirmalam], or free from the taint of material existence. The heavenly planets are also temporary, and therefore they are not the goal of life. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, has never been seen or heard to possess inebriety. Consequently, for your own benefit and self-realization, you must worship the Lord with great devotion, as described in the revealed scriptures.

PURPORT

As stated in Bhagavad-gita, ksine punye martya-lokam visanti. Even if one is promoted to the higher planetary systems by performing great sacrifices, which are accompanied by the sinful act of sacrificing animals, the standard of happiness in Svargaloka is also not free of disturbances. There is a similar struggle for existence even for the King of heaven, Indra. Thus there is no practical benefit in promoting oneself to the heavenly planets. Indeed, from the heavenly planets one must return to this earth after one has exhausted the results of his pious activities. In the Vedas it is said, tad yatheha karma jito lokah ksiyate evam evamutra punya jito lokah ksiyata. As the material positions we acquire here by hard work are vanquished in due course of time, one's residence in the heavenly planets is also eventually vanquished. According to one's activities of piety in different degrees, one obtains different standards of life, but none of them are permanent, and therefore they are all impure. Consequently, one should not endeavor to be promoted to the higher planetary systems, only to return to this earth or descend still lower to the hellish planets. To stop this cycle of going up and coming down, one must take to Krsna consciousness. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu therefore said:

brahmanda bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva

guru-krsna-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija

(Cc. Madhya 19.151)

The living entity is rotating in the cycle of birth and death, going sometimes to the higher planets and sometimes to the lower planets, but that is not the solution to the problems of life. But if by the grace of Krsna one is fortunate enough to meet a guru, a representative of Krsna, one gets the clue to returning home, back to Godhead, having achieved self-realization. This is what is actually desirable. Bhajatatma-labdhaye: one must take to Krsna consciousness for self-realization.

TEXT 41

TEXT

yad-artha iha karmani

vidvan-many asakrn narah

karoty ato viparyasam

amogham vindate phalam

SYNONYMS

yat--of which; arthe--for the purpose; iha--in this material world; karmani--many activities (in factories, industries, speculation and so on); vidvat--advanced in knowledge; mani--thinking himself to be; asakrt--again and again; narah--a person; karoti--performs; atah--from this; viparyasam--the opposite; amogham--unfailingly; vindate--achieves; phalam--result.

TRANSLATION

A materialistic person, thinking himself very advanced in intelligence, continually acts for economic development. But again and again, as enunciated in the Vedas, he is frustrated by material activities, either in this life or in the next. Indeed, the results one obtains are inevitably the opposite of those one desires.

PURPORT

No one has ever achieved the results he desired from material activities. On the contrary, everyone has been frustrated again and again. Therefore one must not waste his time in such material activities for sensual pleasure, either in this life or in the next. So many nationalists, economists and other ambitious persons have tried for happiness, individually or collectively, but history proves that they have all been frustrated. In recent history we have seen many political leaders work hard for individual and collective economic development, but they have all failed. This is the law of nature, as clearly explained in the next verse.

TEXT 42

TEXT

sukhaya duhkha-moksaya

sankalpa iha karminah

sadapnotihaya duhkham

anihayah sukhavrtah

SYNONYMS

sukhaya--for achieving happiness by a so-called higher standard of life; duhkha-moksaya--for becoming free from misery; sankalpah--the determination; iha--in this world; karminah--of the living entity trying for economic development; sada--always; apnoti--achieves; ihaya--by activity or ambition; duhkham--only unhappiness; anihayah--and from not desiring economic development; sukha--by happiness; avrtah--covered.

TRANSLATION

In this material world, every materialist desires to achieve happiness and diminish his distress, and therefore he acts accordingly. Actually, however, one is happy as long as one does not endeavor for happiness; as soon as one begins his activities for happiness, his conditions of distress begin.

PURPORT

Every conditioned soul is bound by the laws of material nature, as described in Bhagavad-gita (prakrteh kriyamanani gunaih karmani sarvasah). Everyone has achieved a certain type of body given by material nature according to the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

isvarah sarva-bhutanam

hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati

bhramayan sarva-bhutani

yantrarudhani mayaya

"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy." (Bg. 18.61) The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul, is present in everyone's heart, and as the living entity desires, the Lord gives him facilities with which to work according to his ambitions in different grades of bodies. The body is just like an instrument by which the living entity moves according to false desires for happiness and thus suffers the pangs of birth, death, old age and disease in different standards of life. Everyone begins his activities with some plan and ambition, but actually, from the beginning of one's plan to the end, one does not derive any happiness. On the contrary, as soon as one begins acting according to his plan, his life of distress immediately begins. Therefore, one should not be ambitious to dissipate the unhappy conditions of life, for one cannot do anything about them. Ahankara-vimudhatma kartaham iti manyate. Although one is acting according to false ambitions, he thinks he can improve his material conditions by his activities. The Vedas enjoin that one should not try to increase happiness or decrease distress, for this is futile. Tasyaiva hetoh prayateta kovidah. One should work for self-realization, not for economic development, which is impossible to improve. Without endeavor, one can get the amount of happiness and distress for which he is destined, and one cannot change this. Therefore, it is better to use one's time for advancement in the spiritual life of Krsna consciousness. One should not waste his valuable life as a human being. It is better to utilize this life for developing Krsna consciousness, without ambitions for so-called happiness.

TEXT 43

TEXT

kaman kamayate kamyair

yad-artham iha purusah

sa vai dehas tu parakyo

bhanguro yaty upaiti ca

SYNONYMS

kaman--things for sense gratification; kamayate--one desires; kamyaih--by different desirable actions; yat--of which; artham--for the purpose; iha--in this material world; purusah--the living entity; sah--that; vai--indeed; dehah--body; tu--but; parakyah--belongs to others (the dogs, vultures, etc.); bhangurah--perishable; yati--goes away; upaiti--embraces the spirit soul; ca--and.

TRANSLATION

A living entity desires comfort for his body and makes many plans for this purpose, but actually the body is the property of others. Indeed, the perishable body embraces the living entity and then leaves him aside.

PURPORT

Everyone desires comfort for his body and tries to make a suitable situation for this purpose, forgetting that the body is meant to be eaten by dogs, jackals or moths and thus turned into useless stool, ashes or earth. The living entity wastes his time in a futile attempt to gain material possessions for the comfort of one body after another.

TEXT 44

TEXT

kim u vyavahitapatya-

daragara-dhanadayah

rajya-kosa-gajamatya-

bhrtyapta mamataspadah

SYNONYMS

kim u--what to speak of; vyavahita--separated; apatya--children; dara--wives; agara--residences; dhana--wealth; adayah--and so on; rajya--kingdoms; kosa--treasuries; gaja--big elephants and horses; amatya--ministers; bhrtya--servants; aptah--relatives; mamata-aspadah--false seats or abodes of intimate relationship ("mineness").

TRANSLATION

Since the body itself is ultimately meant to become stool or earth, what is the meaning of the paraphernalia related to the body, such as wives, residences, wealth, children, relatives, servants, friends, kingdoms, treasuries, animals and ministers? They are also temporary. What more can be said about this?

TEXT 45

TEXT

kim etair atmanas tucchaih

saha dehena nasvaraih

anarthair artha-sankasair

nityananda-rasodadheh

SYNONYMS

kim--what is the use; etaih--with all these; atmanah--for the real self; tucchaih--which are most insignificant; saha--with; dehena--the body; nasvaraih--perishable; anarthaih--unwanted; artha-sankasaih--appearing as if needed; nitya-ananda--of eternal happiness; rasa--of the nectar; udadheh--for the ocean.

TRANSLATION

All this paraphernalia is very near and dear as long as the body exists, but as soon as the body is destroyed, all things related to the body are also finished. Therefore, actually one has nothing to do with them, but because of ignorance one accepts them as valuable. Compared to the ocean of eternal happiness, they are most insignificant. What is the use of such insignificant relationships for the eternal living being?

PURPORT

Krsna consciousness, devotional service to Krsna, is the ocean of eternal bliss. In comparison to this eternal bliss, the so-called happiness of society, friendship and love is simply useless and insignificant. One should therefore not be attached to temporary things. One should take to Krsna consciousness and become eternally happy.

TEXT 46

TEXT

nirupyatam iha svarthah

kiyan deha-bhrto 'surah

nisekadisv avasthasu

klisyamanasya karmabhih

SYNONYMS

nirupyatam--let it be ascertained; iha--in this world; sva-arthah--personal benefit; kiyan--how much; deha-bhrtah--of a living entity who has a material body; asurah--O sons of demons; niseka-adisu--beginning from the happiness derived from sex life; avasthasu--in temporary conditions; klisyamanasya--of one who is suffering in severe hardships; karmabhih--by his previous material activities.

TRANSLATION

My dear friends, O sons of the asuras, the living entity receives different types of bodies according to his previous fruitive activities. Thus he is seen to suffer with reference to his particular body in all conditions of life, beginning with his infusion into the womb. Please tell me, therefore, after full consideration, what is the living entity's actual interest in fruitive activities, which result in hardship and misery?

PURPORT

Karmana daiva-netrena jantur dehopapattaye. The living entity receives a particular type of body according to his karma, or fruitive activities. The material pleasure derived in the material world from one's particular body is based on sexual pleasure: yan maithunadi-grhamedhi-sukham hi tuccham. The entire world is working so hard only for sexual pleasure. To enjoy sexual pleasure and maintain the status quo of material life, one must work very hard, and because of such activities, one prepares himself another material body. Prahlada Maharaja places this matter to his friends, the asuras, for their consideration. Asuras generally cannot understand that the objects of sexual pleasure, the so-called pleasure of materialistic life, depend on extremely hard labor.

TEXT 47

TEXT

karmany arabhate dehi

dehenatmanuvartina

karmabhis tanute deham

ubhayam tv avivekatah

SYNONYMS

karmani--material fruitive activities; arabhate--begins; dehi--a living entity who has accepted a particular type of body; dehena--with that body; atma-anuvartina--which is received according to his desire and past activities; karmabhih--by such material activities; tanute--he expands; deham--another body; ubhayam--both of them; tu--indeed; avivekatah--due to ignorance.

TRANSLATION

The living entity, who has received his present body because of his past fruitive activity, may end the results of his actions in this life, but this does not mean that he is liberated from bondage to material bodies. The living entity receives one type of body, and by performing actions with that body he creates another. Thus he transmigrates from one body to another, through repeated birth and death, because of his gross ignorance.

PURPORT

The living entity's evolution through different types of bodies is conducted automatically by the laws of nature in bodies other than those of human beings. In other words, by the laws of nature (prakrteh kriyamanani) the living entity evolves from lower grades of life to the human form. Because of his developed consciousness, however, the human being must understand the constitutional position of the living entity and understand why he must accept a material body. This chance is given to him by nature, but if he nonetheless acts like an animal, what is the benefit of his human life? In this life one must select the goal of life and act accordingly. Having received instructions from the spiritual master and the sastra, one must be sufficiently intelligent. In the human form of life, one should not remain foolish and ignorant, but must inquire about his constitutional position. This is called athato brahma-jijnasa. The human psychology gives rise to many questions, which various philosophers have considered and answered with various types of philosophy based upon mental concoction. This is not the way of liberation. The Vedic instructions say, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: to solve the problems of life, one must accept a spiritual master. Tasmad gurum prapadyeta jijnasuh sreya uttamam: if one is actually serious in inquiring about the solution to material existence, one must approach a bona fide guru.

tad viddhi pranipatena

pariprasnena sevaya

upadeksyanti te jnanam

jnaninas tattva-darsinah

"Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth." (Bg. 4.34) One must approach a bona fide spiritual master by surrendering himself (pranipatena) and rendering service. An intelligent person must inquire from the spiritual master about the goal of life. A bona fide spiritual master can answer all such questions because he has seen the real truth. Even in ordinary activities, we first consider gain and loss, and then we act. Similarly, an intelligent person must consider the entire process of material existence and then act intelligently, following the directions of the bona fide spiritual master.

TEXT 48

TEXT

tasmad arthas ca kamas ca

dharmas ca yad-apasrayah

bhajatanihayatmanam

aniham harim isvaram

SYNONYMS

tasmat--therefore; arthah--ambitions for economic development; ca--and; kamah--ambitions for satisfaction of the senses; ca--also; dharmah--duties of religion; ca--and; yat--upon whom; apasrayah--dependent; bhajata--worship; anihaya--without desire for them; atmanam--the Supersoul; aniham--indifferent; harim--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; isvaram--the Lord.

TRANSLATION

The four principles of advancement in spiritual life--dharma, artha, kama and moksa--all depend on the disposition of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore, my dear friends, follow in the footsteps of devotees. Without desire, fully depend upon the disposition of the Supreme Lord, worship Him, the Supersoul, in devotional service.

PURPORT

These are words of intelligence. Everyone should know that in every stage of life we are dependent upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the dharma, religion, which we accept should be that which is recommended by Prahlada Maharaja--bhagavata-dharma. This is the instruction of Krsna: sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja. To take shelter of the lotus feet of Krsna means to act according to the rules and regulations of bhagavata-dharma, devotional service. As far as economic development is concerned, we should discharge our occupational duties but fully depend on the lotus feet of the Lord for the results. Karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana: "You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action." According to one's position, one should perform his duties, but for the results one should fully depend upon Krsna. Narottama dasa Thakura sings that our only desire should be to perform the duties of Krsna consciousness. We should not be misled by the karma-mimamsa philosophy, which concludes that if we work seriously the results will come automatically. This is not a fact. The ultimate result depends upon the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In devotional service, therefore, the devotee completely depends upon the Lord and honestly performs his occupational duties. Therefore Prahlada Maharaja advised his friends to depend completely on Krsna and worship Him in devotional service.

TEXT 49

TEXT

sarvesam api bhutanam

harir atmesvarah priyah

bhutair mahadbhih sva-krtaih

krtanam jiva-samjnitah

SYNONYMS

sarvesam--of all; api--certainly; bhutanam--living entities; harih--the Lord, who mitigates all the miseries of the living entity; atma--the original source of life; isvarah--the complete controller; priyah--the dear; bhutaih--by the separated energies, the five material elements; mahadbhih--emanating from the total material energy, the mahat-tattva; sva-krtaih--which are manifested by Himself; krtanam--created; jiva-samjnitah--who is also known as the living entity, since the living entities are expansions of His marginal energy.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, is the soul and the Supersoul of all living entities. Every living entity is a manifestation of His energy in terms of the living soul and the material body. Therefore the Lord is the most dear, and He is the supreme controller.

PURPORT

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is manifested by His different energies--the material energy, the spiritual energy and the marginal energy. He is the original source of all living entities in the material world, and He is situated in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. Although the living entity is the cause of his various types of bodies, the body is given by material nature according to the order of the Lord.

isvarah sarva-bhutanam

hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati

bhramayan sarva-bhutani

yantrarudhani mayaya

"The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy." (Bg. 18.61) The body is just like a machine, a car, in which the living entity is given a chance to sit and move according to his desire. The Lord is the original cause of the material body and the soul, which is expanded by His marginal energy. The Supreme Lord is the dearmost object of all living entities. Prahlada Maharaja therefore advised his class friends, the sons of the demons, to take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead again.

TEXT 50

TEXT

devo 'suro manusyo va

yakso gandharva eva va

bhajan mukunda-caranam

svastiman syad yatha vayam

SYNONYMS

devah--a demigod; asurah--a demon; manusyah--a human being; va--or; yaksah--a Yaksa (a member of a demoniac species); gandharvah--a Gandharva; eva--indeed; va--or; bhajan--rendering service; mukunda-caranam--to the lotus feet of Mukunda, Lord Krsna, who can give liberation; svasti-man--full of all auspiciousness; syat--becomes; yatha--just as; vayam--we (Prahlada Maharaja).

TRANSLATION

If a demigod, demon, human being, Yaksa, Gandharva or anyone within this universe renders service to the lotus feet of Mukunda, who can deliver liberation, he is actually situated in the most auspicious condition of life, exactly like us [the mahajanas, headed by Prahlada Maharaja].

PURPORT

Prahlada Maharaja, by his living example, requested his friends to engage in devotional service. Whether in demigod society, asura society, human society or Gandharva society, every living entity should take shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda and thus become perfect in good fortune.

TEXTS 51-52

TEXT

nalam dvijatvam devatvam

rsitvam vasuratmajah

prinanaya mukundasya

na vrttam na bahu-jnata

na danam na tapo nejya

na saucam na vratani ca

priyate 'malaya bhaktya

harir anyad vidambanam

SYNONYMS

na--not; alam--sufficient; dvijatvam--being a perfect, highly qualified brahmana; devatvam--being a demigod; rsitvam--being a saintly person; va--or; asura-atma-jah--O descendants of asuras; prinanaya--for pleasing; mukundasya--of Mukunda, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; na vrttam--not good conduct; na--not; bahu-jnata--vast learning; na--neither; danam--charity; na tapah--no austerity; na--nor; ijya--worship; na--nor; saucam--cleanliness; na vratani--nor execution of great vows; ca--also; priyate--is satisfied; amalaya--by spotless; bhaktya--devotional service; harih--the Supreme Lord; anyat--other things; vidambanam--only show.

TRANSLATION

My dear friends, O sons of the demons, you cannot please the Supreme Personality of Godhead by becoming perfect brahmanas, demigods or great saints or by becoming perfectly good in etiquette or vast learning. None of these qualifications can awaken the pleasure of the Lord. Nor by charity, austerity, sacrifice, cleanliness or vows can one satisfy the Lord. The Lord is pleased only if one has unflinching, unalloyed devotion to Him. Without sincere devotional service, everything is simply a show.

PURPORT

Prahlada Maharaja concludes that one can become perfect by serving the Supreme Lord sincerely by all means. Material elevation to life as a brahmana, demigod, rsi and so on are not causes for developing love of Godhead, but if one sincerely engages in the service of the Lord, his Krsna consciousness is complete. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (9.30):

api cet su-duracaro

bhajate mam ananya-bhak

sadhur eva sa mantavyah

samyag vyavasito hi sah

"Even if one commits the most abominable actions, if he is engaged in devotional service he is to be considered saintly because he is properly situated." To develop unalloyed love for Krsna is the perfection of life. Other processes may be helpful, but if one does not develop his love for Krsna, these other processes are simply a waste of time.

dharmah svanusthitah pumsam

visvaksena-kathasu yah

notpadayed yadi ratim

srama eva hi kevalam

"Duties [dharma] executed by men, regardless of occupation, are only so much useless labor if they do not provoke attraction for the message of the Supreme Lord." (Bhag. 1.2.8) The test of perfection is one's unalloyed devotion to the Lord.

TEXT 53

TEXT

tato harau bhagavati

bhaktim kuruta danavah

atmaupamyena sarvatra

sarva-bhutatmanisvare

SYNONYMS

tatah--therefore; harau--unto Lord Hari; bhagavati--the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bhaktim--devotional service; kuruta--execute; danavah--O my dear friends, O sons of demons; atma-aupamyena--just as one's own self; sarvatra--everywhere; sarva-bhuta-atmani--who is situated as the soul and Supersoul of all living entities; isvare--unto the Supreme Lord, the controller.

TRANSLATION

My dear friends, O sons of the demons, in the same favorable way that one sees himself and takes care of himself, take to devotional service to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present everywhere as the Supersoul of all living entities.

PURPORT

The word atmaupamyena refers to thinking others to be like oneself. One can very intelligently conclude that without devotional service, without becoming Krsna conscious, one cannot be happy. Therefore the duty of all devotees is to preach Krsna consciousness everywhere all over the world, because all living entities without Krsna consciousness are suffering the pangs of material existence. To preach Krsna consciousness is the best welfare activity. Indeed, it is described by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as para-upakara, work for the true benefit of others. The activities of para-upakara have been especially entrusted to those who have taken birth in India as human beings.

bharata-bhumite haila manusya-janma yara

janma sarthaka kari' kara para-upakara

(Cc. Adi 9.41)

The entire world is suffering for want of Krsna consciousness. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu advised all human beings born in India to make their lives perfect by Krsna consciousness and then preach the gospel of Krsna consciousness all over the world so that others may become happy by executing the principles of Krsna consciousness.

TEXT 54

TEXT

daiteya yaksa-raksamsi

striyah sudra vrajaukasah

khaga mrgah papa-jivah

santi hy acyutatam gatah

SYNONYMS

daiteyah--O demons; yaksa-raksamsi--the living entities known as the Yaksas and Raksasas; striyah--women; sudrah--the laborer class; vraja-okasah--village cowherd men; khagah--birds; mrgah--animals; papa-jivah--sinful living entities; santi--can become; hi--certainly; acyutatam--the qualities of Acyuta, the Supreme Lord; gatah--obtained.

TRANSLATION

O my friends, O sons of demons, everyone, including you (the Yaksas and Raksasas), the unintelligent women, sudras and cowherd men, the birds, the lower animals and the sinful living entities, can revive his original, eternal spiritual life and exist forever simply by accepting the principles of bhakti-yoga.

PURPORT

The devotees are referred to as acyuta-gotra, or the dynasty of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is called Acyuta, as indicated in Bhagavad-gita (senayor ubhayor madhye ratham sthapaya me 'cyuta). The Lord is infallible in the material world because He is the supreme spiritual person. Similarly, the jivas, who are part and parcel of the Lord, can also become infallible. Although Prahlada's mother was in the conditional state and was the wife of a demon, even Yaksas, Raksasas, women, sudras and even birds and other lower living entities can be elevated to the acyuta-gotra, the family of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the highest perfection. As Krsna never falls, when we revive our spiritual consciousness, Krsna consciousness, we never fall again to material existence. One should understand the position of the supreme Acyuta, Krsna, who says in Bhagavad-gita (4.9):

janma karma ca me divyam

evam yo vetti tattvatah

tyaktva deham punar janma

naiti mam eti so 'rjuna

"One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna." One should understand Acyuta, the supreme infallible, and how we are related with Him, and one should take to the service of the Lord. This is the perfection of life. Srila Madhvacarya says, acyutatam cyuti-varjanam. The word acyutatam refers to one who never falls to this material world but always remains in the Vaikuntha world, fully engaged in the service of the Lord.

TEXT 55

TEXT

etavan eva loke 'smin

pumsah svarthah parah smrtah

ekanta-bhaktir govinde

yat sarvatra tad-iksanam

SYNONYMS

etavan--this much; eva--certainly; loke asmin--in this material world; pumsah--of the living entity; sva-arthah--the real self-interest; parah--transcendental; smrtah--regarded; ekanta-bhaktih--unalloyed devotional service; govinde--to Govinda; yat--which; sarvatra--everywhere; tat-iksanam--seeing the relationship with Govinda, Krsna.

TRANSLATION

In this material world, to render service to the lotus feet of Govinda, the cause of all causes, and to see Him everywhere, is the only goal of life. This much alone is the ultimate goal of human life, as explained by all the revealed scriptures.

PURPORT

In this verse the words sarvatra tad-iksanam describe the highest perfection of devotional service, in which one sees everything with reference to Govinda's activities. The highly elevated devotee never sees anything unrelated to Govinda.

sthavara-jangama dekhe, na dekhe tara murti

sarvatra haya nija ista-deva-sphurti

"The maha-bhagavata, the advanced devotee, certainly sees everything mobile and immobile, but he does not exactly see their forms. Rather, everywhere he immediately sees manifest the form of the Supreme Lord." (Cc. Madhya 8.274) Even in this material world, a devotee does not see materially manifested things; instead he sees Govinda in everything. When he sees a tree or a human being, a devotee sees them in relation to Govinda. Govindam adi-purusam: Govinda is the original source of everything.

isvarah paramah krsnah

sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah

anadir adir govindah

sarva-karana-karanam

"Krsna, who is known as Govinda, is the supreme controller. He has an eternal, blissful, spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin, for He is the prime cause of all causes." (Brahma-samhita 5.1) The test of a perfect devotee is that he sees Govinda everywhere in this universe, even in every atomic particle (anda-ntara-stha-paramanu-cayantara-stham). This is the perfect vision of a devotee. It is therefore said:

narayanam ayam dhirah

pasyanti paramarthinah

jagad dhananmayam lubdhah

kamukah kaminimayam

A devotee sees everyone and everything in relationship with Narayana (narayanam ayam). Everything is an expansion of Narayana's energy. Just as those who are greedy see everything as a source of money-making and those who are lusty see everything as being conducive to sex, the most perfect devotee, Prahlada Maharaja, saw Narayana even within a stone column. This does not mean, however, that we must accept the words daridra-narayana, which have been manufactured by some unscrupulous person. One who actually envisions Narayana everywhere makes no distinction between the poor and the rich. To single out the daridra-narayanas, or poor Narayana, and reject the dhani-narayana, or rich Narayana, is not the vision of a devotee. Rather, that is the imperfect vision of materialistic persons.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Seventh Canto, Seventh Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "What Prahlada Learned in the Womb."