Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: Canto 3: “The Status Quo”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Chapter Thirty-one
SB3.31.17
TEXT 17
dehy anya-deha-vivare jaṭharāgnināsṛg-
viṇ-mūtra-kūpa-patito bhṛśa-tapta-dehaḥ
icchann ito vivasituṁ gaṇayan sva-māsān
nirvāsyate kṛpaṇa-dhīr bhagavan kadā nu
SYNONYMS
dehī—the embodied soul; anya-deha—of another body; vivare—in the abdomen; jaṭhara—of the stomach; agninā—by the fire; asṛk—of blood; viṭ—stool; mūtra—and urine; kūpa—in a pool; patitaḥ—fallen; bhṛśa—strongly; tapta—scorched; dehaḥ—his body; icchan—desiring; itaḥ—from that place; vivasitum—to get out; gaṇayan—counting; svamāsān—his months; nirvāsyate—will be released; kṛpaṇa-dhīḥ—person of miserly intelligence; bhagavan—O Lord; kadā—when; nu—indeed.
TRANSLATION
Fallen into a pool of blood, stool and urine within the abdomen of his mother, his own body scorched by the mother’s gastric fire, the embodied soul, anxious to get out, counts his months and prays, “O my Lord, when shall I, a wretched soul, be released from this confinement?”
PURPORT
The precarious condition of the living entity within the womb of his mother is described here. On one side of where the child is floating is the heat of gastric fire, and on the other side are urine, stool, blood and discharges. After seven months the child, who has regained his consciousness, feels the horrible condition of his existence and prays to the Lord. Counting the months until his release, he becomes greatly anxious to get out of the confinement. The so-called civilized man does not take account of this horrible condition of life, and sometimes, for the purpose of sense gratification, he tries to kill the child by methods of contraception or abortion. Unserious about the horrible condition in the womb, such persons continue in materialism, grossly misusing the chance of the human form of life.
The word kṛpaṇa-dhīḥ is significant in this verse. Dhī means “intelligence,” and kṛpaṇa means “miserly.” Conditional life is for persons who are of miserly intelligence or who do not properly utilize their intelligence. In the human form of life the intelligence is developed, and one has to utilize that developed intelligence to get out of the cycle of birth and death. One who does not do so is a miser, just like a person who has immense wealth but does not utilize it, keeping it simply to see. A person who does not actually utilize his human intelligence to get out of the clutches of māyā, the cycle of birth and death, is accepted as miserly. The exact opposite of miserly is udāra, “very magnanimous.” A brāhmaṇa is called udāra because he utilizes his human intelligence for spiritual realization. He uses that intelligence to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the benefit of the public, and therefore he is magnanimous.
SB3.31.18 TEXT 18 yenedṛśīṁ gatim asau daśa-māsya īśa saṅgrāhitaḥ puru-dayena bhavādṛśena svenaiva tuṣyatu kṛtena sa dīna-nāthaḥ ko nāma tat-prati vināñjalim asya kuryāt SYNONYMS yena—by whom (the Lord); īdṛśīm—such; gatim—a condition; asau—that person (myself); daśa-māsyaḥ—ten months old; īśa—O Lord; saṅgrāhitaḥ—was made to accept; puru-dayena—very merciful; bhavādṛśena—incomparable; svena—own; eva—alone; tuṣyatu—may He be pleased; kṛtena—with His act; saḥ—that; dīna-nāthaḥ—refuge of the fallen souls; kaḥ—who; nāma—indeed; tat—that mercy; prati—in return; vinā—except with; añjalim—folded hands; asya—of the Lord; kuryāt—can repay.
TRANSLATION My dear Lord, by Your causeless mercy I am awakened to consciousness, although I am only ten months old. For this causeless mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the friend of all fallen souls, there is no way to express my gratitude but to pray with folded hands. PURPORT As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, intelligence and forgetfulness are both supplied by the Supersoul sitting with the individual soul within the body. When He sees that a conditioned soul is very serious about getting out of the clutches of the material influence, the Supreme Lord gives intelligence internally as Supersoul and externally as the spiritual master, or, as an incarnation of the Personality of Godhead Himself, He helps by speaking instructions such as Bhagavad-gītā. The Lord is always seeking the opportunity to reclaim the fallen souls to His abode, the kingdom of God. We should always feel very much obliged to the Personality of Godhead, for He is always anxious to bring us into the happy condition of eternal life. There is no sufficient means to repay the Personality of Godhead for His act of benediction; therefore, we can simply feel gratitude and pray to the Lord with folded hands. This prayer of the child in the womb may be questioned by some atheistic people. How can a child pray in such a nice way in the womb of his mother? Everything is possible by the grace of the Lord. The child is put into such a precarious condition externally, but internally he is the same, and the Lord is there. By the transcendental energy of the Lord, everything is possible.
SB3.31.19 TEXT 19 paśyaty ayaṁ dhiṣaṇayā nanu sapta-vadhriḥ śārīrake dama-śarīry aparaḥ sva-dehe yat-sṛṣṭayāsaṁ tam ahaṁ puruṣaṁ purāṇaṁ paśye bahir hṛdi ca caityam iva pratītam SYNONYMS paśyati—sees; ayam—this living entity; dhiṣaṇayā—with intelligence; nanu—only; sapta-vadhriḥ—bound by the seven layers of material coverings; śārīrake—agreeable and disagreeable sense perceptions; dama-śarīrī—having a body for self-control; aparaḥ—another; sva-dehe—in his body; yat—by the Supreme Lord; sṛṣṭayā—endowed; āsam—was; tam—Him; aham—I; puruṣam—person; purāṇam—oldest; paśye—see; bahiḥ—outside; hṛdi—in the heart; ca—and; caityam—the source of the ego; iva—indeed; pratītam—recognized.
TRANSLATION The living entity in another type of body sees only by instinct; he knows only the agreeable and disagreeable sense perceptions of that particular body. But I have a body in which I can control my senses and can understand my destination; therefore, I offer my respectful obeisances to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by whom I have been blessed with this body and by whose grace I can see Him within and without. PURPORT The evolutionary process of different types of bodies is something like that of a fructifying flower. Just as there are different stages in the growth of a flower—the bud stage, the blooming stage and the full species of bodies in gradual evolution, and there is systematic progress from the lower species of life to the higher. The human form of life is supposed to be the highest, for it offers consciousness for getting out of the clutches of birth and death. The fortunate child in the womb of his mother realizes his superior position and is thereby distinguished from other bodies. Animals in bodies lower than that of the human being are conscious only as far as their bodily distress and happiness are concerned; they cannot think of more than their bodily necessities of life—eating, sleeping, mating and defending. But in the human form of life, by the grace of God, the consciousness is so developed that a man can evaluate his exceptional position and thus realize the self and the Supreme Lord.
The word dama-śarīrī means that we have a body in which we can control the senses and the mind. The complication of materialistic life is due to an uncontrolled mind and uncontrolled senses. One should feel grateful to the Supreme Personality of Godhead for having obtained such a nice human form of body, and one should properly utilize it. The distinction between an animal and a man is that the animal cannot control himself and has no sense of decency, whereas the human being has the sense of decency and can control himself. If this controlling power is not exhibited by the human being, then he is no better than an animal. By controlling the senses, or by the process of yoga regulation, one can understand the position of his self, the Supersoul, the world and their interrelation; everything is possible by controlling the senses. Otherwise, we are no better than animals.
Real self-realization by means of controlling the senses is explained herein. One should try to see the Supreme Personality of Godhead and one’s own self also. To think oneself the same as the Supreme is not self-realization. Here it is clearly explained that the Supreme Lord is anādi, or purāṇa, and He has no other cause. The living entity is born of the Supreme Godhead as part and parcel. It is confirmed in the Brahma-saṁhitā, anādir ādir govindaḥ: [Bs. 5.1] Govinda, the Supreme person, has no cause. He is unborn. But the living entity is born of Him. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā, mamaivāṁśaḥ: both the living entity and the Supreme Lord are unborn, but it has to be understood that the supreme cause of the part and parcel is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahma-saṁhitā therefore says that everything has come from the Supreme Personality of Godhead (sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs. 5.1]). The Vedānta-sūtra confirms this also. Janmādy asya yataḥ: [Bhāg. 1.1.1] the Absolute Truth is the original source of everyone’s birth. Kṛṣṇa also says in Bhagavad-gītā, ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: “I am the source of birth of everything, including Brahmā and Lord Śiva and the living entities.” This is self-realization. One should know that he is under the control of the Supreme Lord and not think that he is fully independent. Otherwise, why should he be put into conditional life?
SB3.31.20 TEXT 20 so ’haṁ vasann api vibho bahu-duḥkha-vāsaṁ garbhān na nirjigamiṣe bahir andha-kūpe yatropayātam upasarpati deva-māyā mithyā matir yad-anu saṁsṛti-cakram etat SYNONYMS saḥ aham—I myself; vasan—living; api—although; vibho—O Lord; bahu-duḥkha—with many miseries; vāsam—in a condition; garbhāt—from the abdomen; na—not; nirjigamiṣe—I wish to depart; bahiḥ—outside; andha-kūpe—in the blind well; yatra—where; upayātam—one who goes there; upasarpati—she captures; deva-māyā—the external energy of the Lord; mithyā—false; matiḥ—identification; yat—which māyā; anu—according to; saṁsṛti—of continual birth and death; cakram—cycle; etat—this.
TRANSLATION Therefore, my Lord, although I am living in a terrible condition, I do not wish to depart from my mother’s abdomen to fall again into the blind well of materialistic life. Your external energy, called deva-māyā, at once captures the newly born child, and immediately false identification, which is the beginning of the cycle of continual birth and death, begins. PURPORT As long as the child is within the womb of his mother, he is in a very precarious and horrible condition of life, but the benefit is that he revives pure consciousness of his relationship with the Supreme Lord and prays for deliverance. But once he is outside the abdomen, when a child is born, māyā, or the illusory energy, is so strong that he is immediately overpowered into considering his body to be his self. Māyā means “illusion,” or that which is actually not. In the material world, everyone is identifying with his body. This false egoistic consciousness of “I am this body” at once develops after the child comes out of the womb. The mother and other relatives are awaiting the child, and as soon as he is born, the mother feeds him, and everyone takes care of him. The living entity soon forgets his position and becomes entangled in bodily relationships. The entire material existence is entanglement in this bodily conception of life. Real knowledge means to develop the consciousness of “I am not this body. I am spirit soul, an eternal part and parcel of the Supreme Lord.” Real knowledge entails renunciation, or nonacceptance of this body as the self.
By the influence of māyā, the external energy, one forgets everything just after birth. Therefore the child is praying that he prefers to remain within the womb rather than come out. It is said that Śukadeva Gosvāmī, on this consideration, remained for sixteen years within the womb of his mother; he did not want to be entangled in false bodily identification. After cultivating such knowledge within the womb of his mother, he came out at the end of sixteen years and immediately left home so that he might not be captured by the influence of māyā. The influence of māyā is also explained in Bhagavad-gītā as insurmountable. But insurmountable māyā can be overcome simply by Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (7.14): mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te. Whoever surrenders unto the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa can get out of this false conception of life. By the influence of māyā only, one forgets his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa and identifies himself with his body and the by-products of the body—namely wife, children, society, friendship and love. Thus he becomes a victim of the influence of māyā, and his materialistic life of continued birth and death becomes still more stringent.
SB3.31.21 TEXT 21 tasmād ahaṁ vigata-viklava uddhariṣya ātmānam āśu tamasaḥ suhṛdātmanaiva bhūyo yathā vyasanam etad aneka-randhraṁ mā me bhaviṣyad upasādita-viṣṇu-pādaḥ SYNONYMS tasmāt—therefore; aham—I; vigata—ceased; viklavaḥ—agitation; uddhariṣye—shall deliver; ātmānam—myself; āśu—quickly; tamasaḥ—from the darkness; suhṛdā ātmanā—with friendly intelligence; eva—indeed; bhūyaḥ—again; yathā—so that; vyasanam—plight; etat—this; aneka-randhram—entering many wombs; mā—not; me—my; bhaviṣyat—may occur; upasādita—placed (in my mind); viṣṇu-pādaḥ—the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu.
TRANSLATION Therefore, without being agitated any more, I shall deliver myself from the darkness of nescience with the help of my friend, clear consciousness. Simply by keeping the lotus feet of Lord Viṣṇu in my mind, I shall be saved from entering into the wombs of many mothers for repeated birth and death. PURPORT The miseries of material existence begin from the very day when the spirit soul takes shelter in the ovum and sperm of the mother and father, they continue after he is born from the womb, and then they are further prolonged. We do not know where the suffering ends. It does not end, however, by one’s changing his body. The change of body is taking place at every moment, but that does not mean that we are improving from the fetal condition of life to a more comfortable condition. The best thing is, therefore, to develop Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Here it is stated, upasādita-viṣṇu-pādaḥ. This means realization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One who is intelligent, by the grace of the Lord, and develops Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is successful in his life because simply by keeping himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will be saved from the repetition of birth and death.
The child prays that it is better to remain within the womb of darkness and be constantly absorbed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness than to get out and again fall a victim to the illusory energy. The illusory energy acts within the abdomen as well as outside the abdomen, but the trick is that one should remain Kṛṣṇa conscious, and then the effect of such a horrible condition cannot act unfavorably upon him. In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one’s intelligence is his friend, and the same intelligence can also be his enemy. Here also the same idea is repeated: suhṛdātmanaiva, friendly intelligence. Absorption of intelligence in the personal service of Kṛṣṇa and full consciousness of Kṛṣṇa always are the path of self-realization and liberation. Without being unnecessarily agitated, if we take to the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness by constantly chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, the cycle of birth and death can be stopped for good.
It may be questioned herein how the child can be fully Kṛṣṇa conscious within the womb of the mother without any paraphernalia with which to execute Kṛṣṇa consciousness. It is not necessary to arrange for paraphernalia to worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu. The child wants to remain within the abdomen of its mother and at the same time wants to become free from the clutches of māyā. One does not need any material arrangement to cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One can cultivate Kṛṣṇa consciousness anywhere and everywhere, provided he can always think of Kṛṣṇa. The mahā-mantra, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare, can be chanted even within the abdomen of one’s mother. One can chant while sleeping, while working, while imprisoned in the womb or while outside. This Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be checked in any circumstance. The conclusion of the child’s prayer is: “Let me remain in this condition; although it is very miserable, it is better not to fall a victim to māyā again by going outside.”
SB3.31.22 TEXT 22 kapila uvāca evaṁ kṛta-matir garbhe daśa-māsyaḥ stuvann ṛṣiḥ sadyaḥ kṣipaty avācīnaṁ prasūtyai sūti-mārutaḥ SYNONYMS kapilaḥ uvāca—Lord Kapila said; evam—thus; kṛta-matiḥ—desiring; garbhe—in the womb; daśa-māsyaḥ—ten-month-old; stuvan—extolling; ṛṣiḥ—the living entity; sadyaḥ—at that very time; kṣipati—propels; avācīnam—turned downward; prasūtyai—for birth; sūti-mārutaḥ—the wind for childbirth.
TRANSLATION Lord Kapila continued: The ten-month-old living entity has these desires even while in the womb. But while he thus extols the Lord, the wind that helps parturition propels him forth with his face turned downward so that he may be born. SB3.31.23 TEXT 23 tenāvasṛṣṭaḥ sahasā kṛtvāvāk śira āturaḥ viniṣkrāmati kṛcchreṇa nirucchvāso hata-smṛtiḥ SYNONYMS tena—by that wind; avasṛṣṭaḥ—pushed downward; sahasā—suddenly; kṛtvā—turned; avāk—downward; śiraḥ—his head; āturaḥ—suffering; viniṣkrāmati—he comes out; kṛcchreṇa—with great trouble; nirucchvāsaḥ—breathless; hata—deprived of; smṛtiḥ—memory.
TRANSLATION Pushed downward all of a sudden by the wind, the child comes out with great trouble, head downward, breathless and deprived of memory due to severe agony. PURPORT The word kṛcchreṇa means “with great difficulty.” When the child comes out of the abdomen through the narrow passage, due to pressure there the breathing system completely stops, and due to agony the child loses his memory. Sometimes the trouble is so severe that the child comes Out dead or almost dead. One can imagine what the pangs of birth are like. The child remains for ten months in that horrible condition within the abdomen, and at the end of ten months he is forcibly pushed out. In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord points out that a person who is serious about advancement in spiritual consciousness should always consider the four pangs of birth, death, disease and old age. The materialist advances in many ways, but he is unable to stop these four principles of suffering inherent in material existence.
SB3.31.24 TEXT 24 patito bhuvy asṛṅ-miśraḥ viṣṭhā-bhūr iva ceṣṭate rorūyati gate jñāne viparītāṁ gatiṁ gataḥ SYNONYMS patitaḥ—fallen; bhuvi—on the earth; asṛk—with blood; miśraḥ—smeared; viṣṭhā-bhūḥ—a worm; iva—like; ceṣṭate—he moves his limbs; rorūyati—cries loudly; gate—being lost; jñāne—his wisdom; viparītām—the opposite; gatim—state; gataḥ—gone to.
TRANSLATION The child thus falls on the ground, smeared with stool and blood, and plays just like a worm germinated from the stool. He loses his superior knowledge and cries under the spell of māyā. SB3.31.25 TEXT 25 para-cchandaṁ na viduṣā puṣyamāṇo janena saḥ anabhipretam āpannaḥ pratyākhyātum anīśvaraḥ SYNONYMS para-chandam—the desire of another; na—not; viduṣā—understanding; puṣyamāṇaḥ—being maintained; janena—by persons; saḥ—he; anabhipretam—into undesirable circumstances; āpannaḥ—fallen; pratyākhyātum—to refuse; anīśvaraḥ—unable.
TRANSLATION After coming out of the abdomen, the child is given to the care of persons who are unable to understand what he wants, and thus he is nursed by such persons. Unable to refuse whatever is given to him, he falls into undesirable circumstances. PURPORT Within the abdomen of the mother, the nourishment of the child was being carried on by nature’s own arrangement. The atmosphere within the abdomen was not at all pleasing, but as far as the child’s feeding was concerned, it was being properly done by the laws of nature. But upon coming out of the abdomen the child falls into a different atmosphere. He wants to eat one thing, but something else is given to him because no one knows his actual demand, and he cannot refuse the undesirables given to him. Sometimes the child cries for the mother’s breast, but because the nurse thinks that it is due to pain within his stomach that he is crying, she supplies him some bitter medicine. The child does not want it, but he cannot refuse it. He is put in very awkward circumstances, and the suffering continues.
SB3.31.26 TEXT 26 śāyito ’śuci-paryaṅke jantuḥ svedaja-dūṣite neśaḥ kaṇḍūyane ’ṅgānām āsanotthāna-ceṣṭane SYNONYMS śāyitaḥ—laid down; aśuci-paryaṅke—on a foul bed; jantuḥ—the child; sveda-ja—with creatures born from sweat; dūṣite—infested; na īśaḥ—incapable of; kaṇḍūyane—scratching; aṅgānām—his limbs; āsana—sitting; utthāna—standing; ceṣṭane—or moving.
TRANSLATION Laid down on a foul bed infested with sweat and germs, the poor child is incapable of scratching his body to get relief from his itching sensation to say nothing of sitting up, standing or even moving. PURPORT It should be noted that the child is born crying and suffering. After birth the same suffering continues, and he cries. Because he is disturbed by the germs in his foul bed, which is contaminated by his urine and stool, the poor child continues to cry. He is unable to take any remedial measure for his relief.
SB3.31.27 TEXT 27 tudanty āma-tvacaṁ daṁśā maśakā matkuṇādayaḥ rudantaṁ vigata-jñānaṁ kṛmayaḥ kṛmikaṁ yathā SYNONYMS tudanti—they bite; āma-tvacam—the baby, whose skin is soft; daṁśāḥ—gnats; maśakāḥ—mosquitoes; matkuṇa—bugs; ādayaḥ—and other creatures; rudantam—crying; vigata—deprived of; jñānam—wisdom; kṛmayaḥ—worms; kṛmikam—a worm; yathā—just as.
TRANSLATION In his helpless condition, gnats, mosquitoes, bugs and other germs bite the baby, whose skin is tender, just as smaller worms bite a big worm. The child, deprived of his wisdom, cries bitterly. PURPORT The word vigata jñānam means that the spiritual knowledge which the child developed in the abdomen is already lost to the spell of māyā. Owing to various kinds of disturbances and to being out of the abdomen, the child cannot remember what he was thinking of for his salvation. It is assumed that even if a person acquires some spiritually uplifting knowledge, circumstantially he is prone to forget it. Not only children but also elderly persons should be very careful to protect their sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and avoid unfavorable circumstances so that they may not forget their prime duty.
SB3.31.28 TEXT 28 ity evaṁ śaiśavaṁ bhuktvā duḥkhaṁ paugaṇḍam eva ca alabdhābhīpsito ’jñānād iddha-manyuḥ śucārpitaḥ SYNONYMS iti evam—in this way; śaiśavam—childhood; bhuktvā—having undergone; duḥkham—distress; paugaṇḍam—boyhood; eva—even; ca—and; alabdha—not achieved; abhīpsitaḥ—he whose desires; ajñānāt—due to ignorance; iddha—kindled; manyuḥ—his anger; śucā—by sorrow; arpitaḥ—overcome.
TRANSLATION In this way, the child passes through his childhood, suffering different kinds of distress, and attains boyhood. In boyhood also he suffers pain over desires to get things he can never achieve. And thus, due to ignorance, he becomes angry and sorry. PURPORT From birth to the end of five years of age is called childhood. After five years up to the end of the fifteenth year is called paugaṇḍa. At sixteen years of age, youth begins. The distresses of childhood are already explained, but when the child attains boyhood he is enrolled in a school which he does not like. He wants to play, but he is forced to go to school and study and take responsibility for passing examinations. Another kind of distress is that he wants to get some things with which to play, but circumstances may be such that he is not able to attain them, and he thus becomes aggrieved and feels pain. In one word, he is unhappy, even in his boyhood, just as he was unhappy in his childhood, what to speak of youth. Boys are apt to create so many artificial demands for playing, and when they do not attain satisfaction they become furious with anger, and the result is suffering.
SB3.31.29 TEXT 29 saha dehena mānena vardhamānena manyunā karoti vigrahaṁ kāmī kāmiṣv antāya cātmanaḥ SYNONYMS saha—with; dehena—the body; mānena—with false prestige; vardhamānena—increasing; manyunā—on account of anger; karoti—he creates; vigraham—enmity; kāmī—the lusty person; kāmiṣu—towards other lusty people; antāya—for destruction; ca—and; ātmanaḥ—of his soul.
TRANSLATION With the growth of the body, the living entity, in order to vanquish his soul, increases his false prestige and anger and thereby creates enmity towards similarly lusty people. PURPORT In Bhagavad-gītā, Third Chapter, verse 36, Arjuna inquired from Kṛṣṇa about the cause of a living being’s lust. It is said that a living entity is eternal and, as such, qualitatively one with the Supreme Lord. Then what is the reason he falls prey to the material and commits so many sinful activities by the influence of the material energy? In reply to this question, Lord Kṛṣṇa said that it is lust which causes a living entity to glide down from his exalted position to the abominable condition of material existence. This lust circumstantially changes into anger. Both lust and anger stand on the platform of the mode of passion. Lust is actually the product of the mode of passion, and in the absence of satisfaction of lust, the same desire transforms into anger on the platform of ignorance. When ignorance covers the soul, it is the source of his degradation to the most abominable condition of hellish life.
To raise oneself from hellish life to the highest position of spiritual understanding is to transform this lust into love of Kṛṣṇa. Śrī Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura, a great ācārya of the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, said, kāma kṛṣṇa-karmārpaṇe: due to our lust, we want many things for our sense gratification, but the same lust can be transformed in a purified way so that we want everything for the satisfaction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anger also can be utilized towards a person who is atheistic or who is envious of the Personality of Godhead. As we have fallen into this material existence because of our lust and anger, the same two qualities can be utilized for the purpose of advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and one can elevate himself again to his former pure, spiritual position. Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī has therefore recommended that because in material existence we have so many objects of sense gratification, which we need for the maintenance of the body, we should use all of them without attachment, for the purpose of satisfying the senses of Kṛṣṇa; that is actual renunciation.
SB3.31.30 TEXT 30 bhūtaiḥ pañcabhir ārabdhe dehe dehy abudho ’sakṛt ahaṁ mamety asad-grāhaḥ karoti kumatir matim SYNONYMS bhūtaiḥ—by material elements; pañcabhiḥ—five; ārabdhe—made; dehe—in the body; dehī—the living entity; abudhaḥ—ignorant; asakṛt—constantly; aham—I; mama—mine; iti—thus; asat—nonpermanent things; grāhaḥ—accepting; karoti—he does; ku-matiḥ—being foolish; matim—thought.
TRANSLATION By such ignorance the living entity accepts the material body, which is made of five elements, as himself. With this misunderstanding, he accepts nonpermanent things as his own and increases his ignorance in the darkest region. PURPORT The expansion of ignorance is explained in this verse. The first ignorance is to identify one’s material body, which is made of five elements, as the self, and the second is to accept something as one’s own due to a bodily connection. In this way, ignorance expands. The living entity is eternal, but because of his accepting nonpermanent things, misidentifying his interest, he is put into ignorance, and therefore he suffers material pangs.
SB3.31.31 TEXT 31 tad-arthaṁ kurute karma yad-baddho yāti saṁsṛtim yo ’nuyāti dadat kleśam avidyā-karma-bandhanaḥ SYNONYMS tat-artham—for the sake of the body; kurute—he performs; karma—actions; yat-baddhaḥ—bound by which; yāti—he goes; saṁsṛtim—to repeated birth and death; yaḥ—which body; anuyāti—follows; dadat—giving; kleśam—misery; avidyā—by ignorance; karma—by fruitive activities; bandhanaḥ—the cause of bondage.
TRANSLATION For the sake of the body, which is a source of constant trouble to him and which follows him because he is bound by ties of ignorance and fruitive activities, he performs various actions which cause him to be subjected to repeated birth and death. PURPORT In Bhagavad-gītā it is said that one has to work to satisfy Yajña, or Viṣṇu, for any work done without the purpose of satisfying the Supreme Personality of Godhead is a cause of bondage. In the conditioned state a living entity, accepting his body as himself, forgets his eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and acts on the interest of his body. He takes the body as himself, his bodily expansions as his kinsmen, and the land from which his body is born as worshipable. In this way he performs all sorts of misconceived activities, which lead to his perpetual bondage in repetition of birth and death in various species.
In modern civilization, the so-called social, national and government leaders mislead people more and more, under the bodily conception of life, with the result that all the leaders, with their followers, are gliding down to hellish conditions birth after birth. An example is given in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ: when a blind man leads several other blind men, the result is that all of them fall down in a ditch. This is actually happening. There are many leaders to lead the ignorant public, but because every one of them is bewildered by the bodily conception of life, there is no peace and prosperity in human society. So-called yogīs who perform various bodily feats are also in the same category as such ignorant people because the haṭha-yoga system is especially recommended for persons who are grossly implicated in the bodily conception. The conclusion is that as long as one is fixed in the bodily conception, he has to suffer birth and death.
THIS WEB PAGE URL: http://causelessmercy.com/SB3.31.1.htm