Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Thirty-one

SB3.31.32

TEXT 32

yady asadbhih pathi punah

sisnodara-krtodyamaih

asthito ramate jantus

tamo visati purvavat

SYNONYMS

yadi—if; asadbhih—with the unrighteous; pathi—on the path; punah—again; sisna—for the genitals; udara—for the stomach; krta—done; udyamaih—whose endeavors; asthitah—associating; ramate—enjoys; jantuh—the living entity; tamah—darkness; visati—enters; purva-vat—as before.

TRANSLATION

If, therefore, the living entity again associates with the path of unrighteousness, influenced by sensually minded people engaged in the pursuit of sexual enjoyment and the gratification of the palate, he again goes to hell as before.

PURPORT

It has been explained that the conditioned soul is put into the Andha-tamisra and Tamisra hellish conditions, and after suffering there he gets a hellish body like the dog’s or hog’s. After several such births, he again comes into the form of a human being. How the human being is born is also described by Kapiladeva. The human being develops in the mother’s abdomen and suffers there and comes out again. After all these sufferings, if he gets another chance in a human body and wastes his valuable time in the association of persons who are concerned with sexual life and palatable dishes, then naturally he again glides down to the same Andha-tamisra and Tamisra hells.

Generally, people are concerned with the satisfaction of the tongue and the satisfaction of the genitals. That is material life. Material life means eat, drink, be merry and enjoy, with no concern for understanding one’s spiritual identity and the process of spiritual advancement. Since materialistic people are concerned with the tongue, belly and genitals, if anyone wants to advance in spiritual life he must be very careful about associating with such people. To associate with such materialistic men is to commit purposeful suicide in the human form of life. It is said, therefore, that an intelligent man should give up such undesirable association and should always mix with saintly persons. When he is in association with saintly persons, all his doubts about the spiritual expansion of life are eradicated, and he makes tangible progress on the path of spiritual understanding. It is also sometimes found that people are very much addicted to a particular type of religious faith. Hindus, Muslims and Christians are faithful in their particular type of religion, and they go to the church, temple or mosque, but unfortunately they cannot give up the association of persons who are too much addicted to sex life and satisfaction of the palate. Here it is clearly said that one may officially be a very religious man, but if he associates with such persons, then he is sure to slide down to the darkest region of hell.

SB3.31.33

TEXT 33

satyam saucam daya maunam

buddhih srir hrir yasah ksama

samo damo bhagas ceti

yat-sangad yati sanksayam

SYNONYMS

satyam—truthfulness; saucam—cleanliness; daya—mercy; maunam—gravity; buddhih—intelligence; srih—prosperity; hrih—shyness; yasah—fame; ksama—forgiveness; samah—control of the mind; damah—control of the senses; bhagah—fortune; ca—and; iti—thus; yat-sangat—from association with whom; yati sanksayam—are destroyed.

TRANSLATION

He becomes devoid of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity, spiritual intelligence, shyness, austerity, fame, forgiveness, control of the mind, control of the senses, fortune and all such opportunities.

PURPORT

Those who are too addicted to sex life cannot understand the purpose of the Absolute Truth, nor can they be clean in their habits, not to mention showing mercy to others. They cannot remain grave, and they have no interest in the ultimate goal of life. The ultimate goal of life is Krsna, or Visnu, but those who are addicted to sex life cannot understand that their ultimate interest is Krsna consciousness. Such people have no sense of decency, and even in public streets or public parks they embrace each other just like cats and dogs and pass it off in the name of love-making. Such unfortunate creatures can never become materially prosperous. Behavior like that of cats and dogs keeps them in the position of cats and dogs. They cannot improve any material condition, not to speak of becoming famous. Such foolish persons may even make a show of so-called yoga, but they are unable to control the senses and mind, which is the real purpose of yoga practice. Such people can have no opulence in their lives. In a word, they are very unfortunate.

SB3.31.34

TEXT 34

tesv asantesu mudhesu

khanditatmasv asadhusu

sangam na kuryac chocyesu

yosit-krida-mrgesu ca

SYNONYMS

tesu—with those; asantesu—coarse; mudhesu—fools; khandita-atmasu—bereft of self-realization; asadhusu—wicked; sangam—association; na—not; kuryat—one should make; socyesu—pitiable; yosit—of women; krida-mrgesu—dancing dogs; ca—and.

TRANSLATION

One should not associate with a coarse fool who is bereft of the knowledge of self-realization and who is no more than a dancing dog in the hands of a woman.

PURPORT

The restriction of association with such foolish persons is especially meant for those who are in the line of advancement in Krsna consciousness. Advancement in Krsna consciousness involves developing the qualities of truthfulness, cleanliness, mercy, gravity, intelligence in spiritual knowledge, simplicity, material opulence, fame, forgiveness, and control of the mind and the senses. All these qualities are to be manifested with the progress of Krsna consciousness, but if one associates with a sudra, a foolish person who is like a dancing dog in the hands of a woman, then he cannot make any progress. Lord Caitanya has advised that any person who is engaged in Krsna consciousness and who desires to pass beyond material nescience must not associate himself with women or with persons interested in material enjoyment. For a person seeking advancement in Krsna consciousness, such association is more dangerous than suicide.

SB3.31.35

TEXT 35

na tathasya bhaven moho

bandhas canya-prasangatah

yosit-sangad yatha pumso

yatha tat-sangi-sangatah

SYNONYMS

na—not; tatha—in that manner; asya—of this man; bhavet—may arise; mohah—infatuation; bandhah—bondage; ca—and; anya-prasangatah—from attachment to any other object; yosit-sangat—from attachment to women; yatha—as; pumsah—of a man; yatha—as; tat-sangi—of men who are fond of women; sangatah—from the fellowship.

TRANSLATION

The infatuation and bondage which accrue to a man from attachment to any other object is not as complete as that resulting from attachment to a woman or to the fellowship of men who are fond of women.

PURPORT

Attachment to women is so contaminating that one becomes attached to the condition of material life not only by the association of women but by the contaminated association of persons who are too attached to them. There are many reasons for our conditional life in the material world, but the topmost of all such causes is the association of women, as will be confirmed in the following stanzas.

In Kali-yuga, association with women is very strong. In every step of life, there is association with women. If a person goes to purchase something, the advertisements are full of pictures of women. The physiological attraction for women is very great, and therefore people are very slack in spiritual understanding. The Vedic civilization, being based on spiritual understanding, arranges association with women very cautiously. Out of the four social divisions, the members of the first order (namely brahmacarya), the third order (vanaprastha) and the fourth order (sannyasa) are strictly prohibited from female association. Only in one order, the householder, is there license to mix with women under restricted conditions. In other words, attraction for woman’s association is the cause of the material conditional life, and anyone interested in being freed from this conditional life must detach himself from the association of women.

SB3.31.36

TEXT 36

prajapatih svam duhitaram

drstva tad-rupa-dharsitah

rohid-bhutam so ’nvadhavad

rksa-rupi hata-trapah

SYNONYMS

praja-patih—Lord Brahma; svam—his own; duhitaram—daughter; drstva—having seen; tat-rupa—by her charms; dharsitah—bewildered; rohit-bhutam—to her in the form of a deer; sah—he; anvadhavat—ran; rksa-rupi—in the form of a stag; hata—bereft of; trapah—shame.

TRANSLATION

At the sight of his own daughter, Brahma was bewildered by her charms and shamelessly ran up to her in the form of a stag when she took the form of a hind.

PURPORT

Lord Brahma’s being captivated by the charms of his daughter and Lord Siva’s being captivated by the Mohini form of the Lord are specific instances which instruct us that even great demigods like Brahma and Lord Siva, what to speak of the ordinary conditioned soul, are captivated by the beauty of woman. Therefore, everyone is advised that one should not freely mix even with one’s daughter or with one’s mother or with one’s sister, because the senses are so strong that when one becomes infatuated, the senses do not consider the relationship of daughter, mother or sister. It is best, therefore, to practice controlling the senses by performing bhakti-yoga, engaging in the service of Madana-mohana. Lord Krsna’s name is Madana-mohana, for He can subdue the god Cupid, or lust. Only by engaging in the service of Madana-mohana can one curb the dictates of Madana, Cupid. Otherwise, attempts to control the senses will fail.

SB3.31.37

TEXT 37

tat-srsta-srsta-srstesu

ko nv akhandita-dhih puman

rsim narayanam rte

yosin-mayyeha mayaya

SYNONYMS

tat—by Brahma; srsta-srsta-srstesu—amongst all living entities begotten; kah—who; nu—indeed; akhandita—not distracted; dhih—his intelligence; puman—male; rsim—the sage; narayanam—Narayana; rte—except; yosit-mayya—in the form of a woman; iha—here; mayaya—by maya.

TRANSLATION

Amongst all kinds of living entities begotten by Brahma, namely men, demigods and animals, none but the sage Narayana is immune to the attraction of maya in the form of woman.

PURPORT

The first living creature is Brahma himself, and from him were created sages like Marici, who in their turn created Kasyapa Muni and others, and Kasyapa Muni and the Manus created different demigods and human beings, etc. But there is none among them who is not attracted by the spell of maya in the form of woman. Throughout the entire material world, beginning from Brahma down to the small, insignificant creatures like the ant, everyone is attracted by sex life. That is the basic principle of this material world. Lord Brahma’s being attracted by his daughter is the vivid example that no one is exempt from sexual attraction to woman. Woman, therefore, is the wonderful creation of maya to keep the conditioned soul in shackles.

SB3.31.38

TEXT 38

balam me pasya mayayah

stri-mayya jayino disam

ya karoti padakrantan

bhruvi-jrmbhena kevalam

SYNONYMS

balam—the strength; me—My; pasya—behold; mayayah—of maya; stri-mayyah—in the shape of a woman; jayinah—conquerors; disam—of all directions; ya—who; karoti—makes; pada-akrantan—following at her heels; bhruvi—of her eyebrows; jrmbhena—by the movement; kevalam—merely.

TRANSLATION

Just try to understand the mighty strength of My maya in the shape of woman, who by the mere movement of her eyebrows can keep even the greatest conquerors of the world under her grip.

PURPORT

There are many instances in the history of the world of a great conqueror’s being captivated by the charms of a Cleopatra. One has to study the captivating potency of woman, and man’s attraction for that potency. From what source was this generated? According to Vedanta-sutra, we can understand that everything is generated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is enunciated there, janmady asya yatah [Bhag. 1.1.1]. This means that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, or the Supreme Person, Brahman, the Absolute Truth, is the source from whom everything emanates. The captivating power of woman, and man’s susceptibility to such attraction, must also exist in the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the spiritual world and must be represented in the transcendental pastimes of the Lord.

The Lord is the Supreme Person, the supreme male. As a common male wants to be attracted by a female, that propensity similarly exists in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He also wants to be attracted by the beautiful features of a woman. Now the question is, if He wants to be captivated by such womanly attraction, would He be attracted by any material woman? It is not possible. Even persons who are in this material existence can give up womanly attraction if they are attracted by the Supreme Brahman. Such was the case with Haridasa Thakura. A beautiful prostitute tried to attract him in the dead of night, but since he was situated in devotional service, in transcendental love of Godhead, Haridasa Thakura was not captivated. Rather, he turned the prostitute into a great devotee by his transcendental association. This material attraction, therefore, certainly cannot attract the Supreme Lord. When He wants to be attracted by a woman, He has to create such a woman from His own energy. That woman is Radharani. It is explained by the Gosvamis that Radharani is the manifestation of the pleasure potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the Supreme Lord wants to derive transcendental pleasure, He has to create a woman from His internal potency. Thus the tendency to be attracted by womanly beauty is natural because it exists in the spiritual world. In the material world it is reflected pervertedly, and therefore there are so many inebrieties.

Instead of being attracted by material beauty, if one is accustomed to be attracted by the beauty of Radharani and Krsna, then the statement of Bhagavad-gita, param drstva nivartate, holds true. When one is attracted by the transcendental beauty of Radha and Krsna, he is no longer attracted by material feminine beauty. That is the special significance of Radha-Krsna worship. That is testified to by Yamunacarya. He says, “Since I have become attracted by the beauty of Radha and Krsna, when there is attraction for a woman or a memory of sex life with a woman, I at once spit on it, and my face turns in disgust.” When we are attracted by Madana-mohana and the beauty of Krsna and His consorts, then the shackles of conditioned life, namely the beauty of a material woman, cannot attract us.

SB3.31.39

TEXT 39

sangam na kuryat pramadasu jatu

yogasya param param aruruksuh

mat-sevaya pratilabdhatma-labho

vadanti ya niraya-dvaram asya

SYNONYMS

sangam—association; na—not; kuryat—one should make; pramadasu—with women; jatu—ever; yogasya—of yoga; param—culmination; param—topmost; aruruksuh—one who aspires to reach; mat-sevaya—by rendering service unto Me; pratilabdha—obtained; atma-labhah—self-realization; vadanti—they say; yah—which women; niraya—to hell; dvaram—the gateway; asya—of the advancing devotee.

TRANSLATION

One who aspires to reach the culmination of yoga and has realized his self by rendering service unto Me should never associate with an attractive woman, for such a woman is declared in the scripture to be the gateway to hell for the advancing devotee.

PURPORT

The culmination of yoga is full Krsna consciousness. This is affirmed in Bhagavad-gita: a person who is always thinking of Krsna in devotion is the topmost of all yogis. And in the Second Chapter of the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, it is also stated that when one becomes freed from material contamination by rendering devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he can at that time understand the science of God.

Here the word pratilabdhatma-labhah occurs. Atma means “self,” and labha means “gain.” Generally, conditioned souls have lost their atma, or self, but those who are transcendentalists have realized the self. It is directed that such a self-realized soul who aspires to the topmost platform of yogic perfection should not associate with young women. In the modern age, however, there are so many rascals who recommend that while one has genitals he should enjoy women as much as he likes, and at the same time he can become a yogi. In no standard yoga system is the association of women accepted. It is clearly stated here that the association of women is the gateway to hellish life. The association of woman is very much restricted in the Vedic civilization. Out of the four social divisions, the brahmacari, vanaprastha and the sannyasi—three orders—are strictly prohibited from the association of women; only the grhasthas, or householders, are given license to have an intimate relationship with a woman, and that relationship is also restricted for begetting nice children. If, however, one wants to stick to continued existence in the material world, he may indulge in female association unrestrictedly.

SB3.31.40

TEXT 40

yopayati sanair maya

yosid deva-vinirmita

tam iksetatmano mrtyum

trnaih kupam ivavrtam

SYNONYMS

ya—she who; upayati—approaches; sanaih—slowly; maya—representation of maya; yosit—woman; deva—by the Lord; vinirmita—created; tam—her; ikseta—one must regard; atmanah—of the soul; mrtyum—death; trnaih—with grass; kupam—a well; iva—like; avrtam—covered.

TRANSLATION

The woman, created by the Lord, is the representation of maya, and one who associates with such maya by accepting services must certainly know that this is the way of death, just like a blind well covered with grass.

PURPORT

Sometimes it happens that a rejected well is covered by grass, and an unwary traveler who does not know of the existence of the well falls down, and his death is assured. Similarly, association with a woman begins when one accepts service from her, because woman is especially created by the Lord to give service to man. By accepting her service, a man is entrapped. If he is not intelligent enough to know that she is the gateway to hellish life, he may indulge in her association very liberally. This is restricted for those who aspire to ascend to the transcendental platform. Even fifty years ago in Hindu society, such association was restricted. A wife could not see her husband during the daytime. Householders even had different residential quarters. The internal quarters of a residential house were for the woman, and the external quarters were for the man. Acceptance of service rendered by a woman may appear very pleasing, but one should be very cautious in accepting such service because it is clearly said that woman is the gateway to death, or forgetfulness of one’s self. She blocks the path of spiritual realization.

SB3.31.41

TEXT 41

yam manyate patim mohan

man-mayam rsabhayatim

stritvam stri-sangatah prapto

vittapatya-grha-pradam

SYNONYMS

yam—which; manyate—she thinks; patim—her husband; mohat—due to illusion; mat-mayam—My maya; rsabha—in the form of a man; ayatim—coming; stritvam—the state of being a woman; stri-sangatah—from attachment to a woman; praptah—obtained; vitta—wealth; apatya—progeny; grha—house; pradam—bestowing.

TRANSLATION

A living entity who, as a result of attachment to a woman in his previous life, has been endowed with the form of a woman, foolishly looks upon maya in the form of a man, her husband, as the bestower of wealth, progeny, house and other material assets.

PURPORT

From this verse it appears that a woman is also supposed to have been a man in his (her) previous life, and due to his attachment to his wife, he now has the body of a woman. Bhagavad-gita confirms this; a man gets his next life’s birth according to what he thinks of at the time of death. If someone is too attached to his wife, naturally he thinks of his wife at the time of death, and in his next life he takes the body of a woman. Similarly, if a woman thinks of her husband at the time of death, naturally she gets the body of a man in the next life. In the Hindu scriptures, therefore, woman’s chastity and devotion to man is greatly emphasized. A woman’s attachment to her husband may elevate her to the body of a man in her next life, but a man’s attachment to a woman will degrade him, and in his next life he will get the body of a woman. We should always remember, as it is stated in Bhagavad-gita, that both the gross and subtle material bodies are dresses; they are the shirt and coat of the living entity. To be either a woman or a man only involves one’s bodily dress. The soul in nature is actually the marginal energy of the Supreme Lord. Every living entity, being classified as energy, is supposed to be originally a woman, or one who is enjoyed. In the body of a man there is a greater opportunity to get out of the material clutches; there is less opportunity in the body of a woman. In this verse it is indicated that the body of a man should not be misused through forming an attachment to women and thus becoming too entangled in material enjoyment, which will result in getting the body of a woman in the next life. A woman is generally fond of household prosperity, ornaments, furniture and dresses. She is satisfied when the husband supplies all these things sufficiently. The relationship between man and woman is very complicated, but the substance is that one who aspires to ascend to the transcendental stage of spiritual realization should be very careful in accepting the association of a woman. In the stage of Krsna consciousness, however, such restriction of association may be slackened because if a man’s and woman’s attachment is not to each other but to Krsna, then both of them are equally eligible to get out of the material entanglement and reach the abode of Krsna. As it is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, anyone who seriously takes to Krsna consciousness—whether in the lowest species of life or a woman or of the less intelligent classes, such as the mercantile or laborer class—will go back home, back to Godhead, and reach the abode of Krsna. A man should not be attached to a woman, nor should a woman be attached to a man. Both man and woman should be attached to the service of the Lord. Then there is the possibility of liberation from material entanglement for both of them.

SB3.31.42

TEXT 42

tam atmano vijaniyat

paty-apatya-grhatmakam

daivopasaditam mrtyum

mrgayor gayanam yatha

SYNONYMS

tam—the Lord’s maya; atmanah—of herself; vijaniyat—she should know; pati—husband; apatya—children; grha—house; atmakam—consisting of; daiva—by the authority of the Lord; upasaditam—brought about; mrtyum—death; mrgayoh—of the hunter; gayanam—the singing; yatha—as.

TRANSLATION

A woman, therefore, should consider her husband, her house and her children to be the arrangement of the external energy of the Lord for her death, just as the sweet singing of the hunter is death for the deer.

PURPORT

In these instructions of Lord Kapiladeva it is explained that not only is woman the gateway to hell for man, but man is also the gateway to hell for woman. It is a question of attachment. A man becomes attached to a woman because of her service, her beauty and many other assets, and similarly a woman becomes attached to a man for his giving her a nice place to live, ornaments, dress and children. It is a question of attachment for one another. As long as either is attached to the other for such material enjoyment, the woman is dangerous for the man, and the man is also dangerous for the woman. But if the attachment is transferred to Krsna, both of them become Krsna conscious, and then marriage is very nice. Srila Rupa Gosvami therefore recommends:

anasaktasya visayan
yatharham upayunjatah
nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe
yuktam vairagyam ucyate

(Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.255)

Man and woman should live together as householders in relationship with Krsna, only for the purpose of discharging duties in the service of Krsna. Engage the children, engage the wife and engage the husband, all in Krsna conscious duties, and then all these bodily or material attachments will disappear. Since the via medium is Krsna, the consciousness is pure, and there is no possibility of degradation at any time.

SB3.31.43

TEXT 43

dehena jiva-bhutena

lokal lokam anuvrajan

bhunjana eva karmani

karoty aviratam puman

SYNONYMS

dehena—on account of the body; jiva-bhutena—possessed by the living entity; lokat—from one planet; lokam—to another planet; anuvrajan—wandering; bhunjanah—enjoying; eva—so; karmani—fruitive activities; karoti—he does; aviratam—incessantly; puman—the living entity.

TRANSLATION

Due to his particular type of body, the materialistic living entity wanders from one planet to another, following fruitive activities. In this way, he involves himself in fruitive activities and enjoys the result incessantly.

PURPORT

When the living entity is encaged in the material body, he is called jiva-bhuta, and when he is free from the material body he is called brahma-bhuta. By changing his material body birth after birth, he travels not only in the different species of life, but also from one planet to another. Lord Caitanya says that the living entities, bound up by fruitive activities, are wandering in this way throughout the whole universe, and if by some chance or by pious activities they get in touch with a bona fide spiritual master, by the grace of Krsna, then they get the seed of devotional service. After getting this seed, if one sows it within his heart and pours water on it by hearing and chanting, the seed grows into a big plant, and there are fruits and flowers which the living entity can enjoy, even in this material world. That is called the brahma-bhuta stage. In his designated condition, a living entity is called materialistic, and upon being freed from all designations, when he is fully Krsna conscious, engaged in devotional service, he is called liberated. Unless one gets the opportunity to associate with a bona fide spiritual master by the grace of the Lord, there is no possibility of one’s liberation from the cycle of birth and death in the different species of life and through the different grades of planets.

SB3.31.44

TEXT 44

jivo hy asyanugo deho

bhutendriya-mano-mayah

tan-nirodho ’sya maranam

avirbhavas tu sambhavah

SYNONYMS

jivah—the living entity; hi—indeed; asya—of him; anugah—suitable; dehah—body; bhuta—gross material elements; indriya—senses; manah—mind; mayah—made of; tat—of the body; nirodhah—destruction; asya—of the living entity; maranam—death; avirbhavah—manifestation; tu—but; sambhavah—birth.

TRANSLATION

In this way the living entity gets a suitable body with a material mind and senses, according to his fruitive activities. When the reaction of his particular activity comes to an end, that end is called death, and when a particular type of reaction begins, that beginning is called birth.

PURPORT

From time immemorial, the living entity travels in the different species of life and the different planets, almost perpetually. This process is explained in Bhagavad-gita. Bhramayan sarva-bhutani yantrarudhani mayaya: [Bg. 18.61] under the spell of maya, everyone is wandering throughout the universe on the carriage of the body offered by the material energy. Materialistic life involves a series of actions and reactions. It is a long film spool of actions and reactions, and one life-span is just a flash in such a reactionary show. When a child is born, it is to be understood that his particular type of body is the beginning of another set of activities, and when an old man dies, it is to be understood that one set of reactionary activities is finished.

We can see that because of different reactionary activities, one man is born in a rich family, and another is born in a poor family, although both of them are born in the same place, at the same moment and in the same atmosphere. One who is carrying pious activity with him is given a chance to take his birth in a rich or pious family, and one who is carrying impious activity is given a chance to take birth in a lower, poor family. The change of body means a change to a different field of activities. Similarly, when the body of the boy changes into that of a youth, the boyish activities change into youthful activities.

It is clear that a particular body is given to the living entity for a particular type of activity. This process is going on perpetually, from a time which is impossible to trace out. Vaisnava poets say, therefore, anadi karama-phale, which means that these actions and reactions of one’s activity cannot be traced, for they may even continue from the last millennium of Brahma’s birth to the next millennium. We have seen the example in the life of Narada Muni. In one millennium he was the son of a maidservant, and in the next millennium he became a great sage.

SB3.31.45-46

TEXTS 45–46

dravyopalabdhi-sthanasya

dravyeksayogyata yada

tat pancatvam aham-manad

utpattir dravya-darsanam

yathaksnor dravyavayava-

darsanayogyata yada

tadaiva caksuso drastur

drastrtvayogyatanayoh

SYNONYMS

dravya—of objects; upalabdhi—of perception; sthanasya—of the place; dravya—of objects; iksa—of perception; ayogyata—incapability; yada—when; tat—that; pancatvam—death; aham-manat—from the misconception of “I”; utpattih—birth; dravya—the physical body; darsanam—viewing; yatha—just as; aksnoh—of the eyes; dravya—of objects; avayava—parts; darsana—of seeing; ayogyata—incapability; yada—when; tada—then; eva—indeed; caksusah—of the sense of sight; drastuh—of the seer; drastrtva—of the faculty of seeing; ayogyata—incapability; anayoh—of both of these.

TRANSLATION

When the eyes lose their power to see color or form due to morbid affliction of the optic nerve, the sense of sight becomes deadened. The living entity, who is the seer of both the eyes and the sight, loses his power of vision. In the same way, when the physical body, the place where perception of objects occurs, is rendered incapable of perceiving, that is known as death. When one begins to view the physical body as one’s very self, that is called birth.

PURPORT

When one says, “I see,” this means that he sees with his eyes or with his spectacles; he sees with the instrument of sight. If the instrument of sight is broken or becomes diseased or incapable of acting, then he, as the seer, also ceases to act. Similarly, in this material body, at the present moment the living soul is acting, and when the material body, due to its incapability to function, ceases, he also ceases to perform his reactionary activities. When one’s instrument of action is broken and cannot function, that is called death. Again, when one gets a new instrument for action, that is called birth. This process of birth and death is going on at every moment, by constant bodily change. The final change is called death, and acceptance of a new body is called birth. That is the solution to the question of birth and death. Actually, the living entity has neither birth nor death, but is eternal. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita, na hanyate hanyamane sarire: [Bg. 2.20] the living entity never dies, even after the death or annihilation of this material body.

SB3.31.47

TEXT 47

tasman na karyah santraso

na karpanyam na sambhramah

buddhva jiva-gatim dhiro

mukta-sangas cared iha

SYNONYMS

tasmat—on account of death; na—not; karyah—should be done; santrasah—horror; na—not; karpanyam—miserliness; na—not; sambhramah—eagerness for material gain; buddhva—realizing; jiva-gatim—the true nature of the living entity; dhirah—steadfast; mukta-sangah—free from attachment; caret—one should move about; iha—in this world.

TRANSLATION

Therefore, one should not view death with horror, nor have recourse to defining the body as soul, nor give way to exaggeration in enjoying the bodily necessities of life. Realizing the true nature of the living entity, one should move about in the world free from attachment and steadfast in purpose.

PURPORT

A sane person who has understood the philosophy of life and death is very upset upon hearing of the horrible, hellish condition of life in the womb of the mother or outside of the mother. But one has to make a solution to the problems of life. A sane man should understand the miserable condition of this material body. Without being unnecessarily upset, he should try to find out if there is a remedy. The remedial measures can be understood when one associates with persons who are liberated. It must be understood who is actually liberated. The liberated person is described in Bhagavad-gita: one who engages in uninterrupted devotional service to the Lord, having surpassed the stringent laws of material nature, is understood to be situated in Brahman.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead is beyond the material creation. It is admitted even by impersonalists like Sankaracarya that Narayana is transcendental to this material creation. As such, when one actually engages in the service of the Lord in various forms, either Narayana or Radha-Krsna or Sita-Rama, he is understood to be on the platform of liberation. The Bhagavatam also confirms that liberation means to be situated in one’s constitutional position. Since a living entity is eternally the servitor of the Supreme Lord, when one seriously and sincerely engages in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, he is situated in the position of liberation. One should try to associate with a liberated person, and then the problems of life, namely birth and death, can be solved.

While discharging devotional service in full Krsna consciousness, one should not be miserly. He should not unnecessarily show that he has renounced this world. Actually, renunciation is not possible. If one renounces his palatial building and goes to a forest, there is actually no renunciation, for the palatial building is the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the forest is also the property of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If he changes from one property to another, that does not mean that he renounces; he was never the proprietor of either the palace or the forest. Renunciation necessitates renouncing the false understanding that one can lord it over material nature. When one renounces this false attitude and renounces the puffed-up position that he is also God, that is real renunciation. Otherwise, there is no meaning of renunciation. Rupa Gosvami advises that if one renounces anything which could be applied in the service of the Lord and does not use it for that purpose, that is called phalgu-vairagya, insufficient or false renunciation. Everything belongs to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore everything can be engaged in the service of the Lord; nothing should be used for one’s sense gratification. That is real renunciation. Nor should one unnecessarily increase the necessities of the body. We should be satisfied with whatever is offered and supplied by Krsna without much personal endeavor. We should spend our time executing devotional service in Krsna consciousness. That is the solution to the problem of life and death.

SB3.31.48

TEXT 48

samyag-darsanaya buddhya

yoga-vairagya-yuktaya

maya-viracite loke

caren nyasya kalevaram

SYNONYMS

samyak-darsanaya—endowed with right vision; buddhya—through reason; yoga—by devotional service; vairagya—by detachment; yuktaya—strengthened; maya-viracite—arranged by maya; loke—to this world; caret—one should move about; nyasya—relegating; kalevaram—the body.

TRANSLATION

Endowed with right vision and strengthened by devotional service and a pessimistic attitude towards material identity, one should relegate his body to this illusory world through his reason. Thus one can be unconcerned with this material world.

PURPORT

It is sometimes misunderstood that if one has to associate with persons engaged in devotional service, he will not be able to solve the economic problem. To answer this argument, it is described here that one has to associate with liberated persons not directly, physically, but by understanding, through philosophy and logic, the problems of life. It is stated here, samyag-darsanaya buddhya: one has to see perfectly, and by intelligence and yogic practice one has to renounce this world. That renunciation can be achieved by the process recommended in the Second Chapter of the First Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam.

The devotee’s intelligence is always in touch with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His attitude towards the material existence is one of detachment, for he knows perfectly well that this material world is a creation of illusory energy. Realizing himself to be part and parcel of the Supreme Soul, the devotee discharges his devotional service and is completely aloof from material action and reaction. Thus at the end he gives up his material body, or the material energy, and as pure soul he enters the kingdom of God.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Third Canto, Thirty-first Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled “Lord Kapila’s Instructions on the Movements of the Living Entities.”

Next chapter (SB 3.32)