Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 5: “The Creative Impetus”
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Chapter Two

The Activities of Maharaja Agnidhra

SB5.2Summary

In this chapter, the character of Maharaja Agnidhra is described. When Maharaja Priyavrata went off for spiritual realization, his son Agnidhra became the ruler of Jambudvipa, in accordance with Maharaja Priyavrata’s instructions, and maintained its residents with the same affection a father feels for his sons. Once Maharaja Agnidhra desired to have a son, and therefore he entered a cave of Mandara Mountain to practice austerity. Understanding his desire, Lord Brahma sent a celestial girl named Purvacitti to Agnidhra’s hermitage. After dressing herself very attractively, she presented herself before him with various feminine movements, and Agnidhra was naturally attracted to her. The girl’s actions, expressions, smile, sweet words and moving eyes were fascinating to him. Agnidhra was expert in flattery. Thus he attracted the celestial girl, who was pleased to accept him as her husband because of his mellifluous words. She enjoyed royal happiness with Agnidhra for many years before returning to her abode in the heavenly planets. In her womb Agnidhra begot nine sons—Nabhi, Kimpurusa, Harivarsa, Ilavrta, Ramyaka, Hiranmaya, Kuru, Bhadrasva and Ketumala. He gave them nine islands with names corresponding to theirs. Agnidhra, however, his senses unsatisfied, was always thinking of his celestial wife, and therefore in his next life he was born in her celestial planet. After the death of Agnidhra, his nine sons married nine daughters of Meru named Merudevi, Pratirupa, Ugradamstri, Lata, Ramya, Syama, Nari, Bhadra and Devaviti.

SB5.2.1

TEXT 1

sri-suka uvaca

evam pitari sampravrtte tad-anusasane vartamana agnidhro jambudvipaukasah praja aurasavad dharmaveksamanah paryagopayat.

SYNONYMS

sri-sukah—Sri Sukadeva Gosvami; uvaca—said; evam—thus; pitari—when his father; sampravrtte—took to the path of liberation; tat-anusasane—according to his order; vartamanah—situated; agnidhrah—King Agnidhra; jambu-dvipa-okasah—the inhabitants of Jambudvipa; prajah—citizens; aurasa-vat—as if they were his sons; dharma—religious principles; aveksamanah—strictly observing; paryagopayat—completely protected.

TRANSLATION

Sri Sukadeva Gosvami continued: After his father, Maharaja Priyavrata, departed to follow the path of spiritual life by undergoing austerities, King Agnidhra completely obeyed his order. Strictly observing the principles of religion, he gave full protection to the inhabitants of Jambudvipa as if they were his own begotten sons.

PURPORT

Following the instruction of his father, Maharaja Priyavrata, Maharaja Agnidhra ruled the inhabitants of Jambudvipa according to religious principles. These principles are exactly contrary to the modern principles of faithlessness. As clearly stated here, the King protected the citizens the way a father protects his begotten children. How he ruled the citizens is also described here—dharmaveksamanah, strictly according to religious principles. It is the duty of the executive head of a state to see that the citizens strictly follow religious principles. The Vedic religious principles begin with varnasrama-dharma, the duties of the four varnas and four asramas. Dharma refers to principles given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The first principle of dharma, or religion, is to observe the duties of the four orders as enjoined by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to people’s qualities and activities, society should be divided into brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras and then again into brahmacaris, grhasthas, vanaprasthas and sannyasis. These are religious principles, and it is the duty of the head of state to see that his citizens strictly follow them. He should not merely act officially; he should be like a father who is always a well-wisher of his sons. Such a father strictly observes whether his sons are performing their duties, and sometimes he also punishes them.

Just contrary to the principles mentioned here, the presidents and chief executives in the age of Kali are simply tax collectors who do not care whether religious principles are observed. Indeed, the chief executives of the present day introduce all kinds of sinful activity, especially illicit sex, intoxication, animal killing and gambling. These sinful activities are now very prominently manifested in India. Although a hundred years ago these four principles of sinful life were strictly prohibited in the families of India, they have now been introduced into every Indian family; therefore they cannot follow religious principles. In contrast to the principles of the kings of old, the modern state is concerned only with propaganda for levying taxes and is no longer responsible for the spiritual welfare of the citizens. The state is now callous to religious principles. Srimad-Bhagavatam predicts that in Kali-yuga the government will be entrusted with dasyu-dharma, which means the occupational duty of rogues and thieves. Modern heads of state are rogues and thieves who plunder the citizens instead of giving them protection. Rogues and thieves plunder without regard for law, but in this age of Kali, as stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam, the lawmakers themselves plunder the citizens. The next prediction to be fulfilled, which is already coming to pass, is that because of the sinful activities of the citizens and the government, rain will become increasingly scarce. Gradually there will be complete drought and no production of food grains. People will be reduced to eating flesh and seeds, and many good, spiritually inclined people will have to forsake their homes because they will be too harassed by drought, taxation and famine. The Krsna consciousness movement is the only hope to save the world from such devastation. It is the most scientific and authorized movement for the actual welfare of the whole human society.

SB5.2.2

TEXT 2

sa ca kadacit pitrloka-kamah sura-vara-vanitakridacala-dronyam bhagavantam visva-srjam patim abhrta-paricaryopakarana atmaikagryena tapasvy aradhayam babhuva.

SYNONYMS

sah—he (King Agnidhra); ca—also; kadacit—once upon a time; pitrloka—the Pitrloka planet; kamah—desiring; sura-vara—of the great demigods; vanita—the women; akrida—the place of pastimes; acala-dronyam—in one valley of the Mandara Hill; bhagavantam—unto the most powerful (Lord Brahma); visva-srjam—of personalities who have created this universe; patim—the master; abhrta—having collected; paricarya-upakaranah—ingredients for worship; atma—of the mind; eka-agryena—with full attention; tapasvi—one who executes austerity; aradhayam babhuva—became engaged in worshiping.

TRANSLATION

Desiring to get a perfect son and become an inhabitant of Pitrloka, Maharaja Agnidhra once worshiped Lord Brahma, the master of those in charge of material creation. He went to a valley of Mandara Hill, where the damsels of the heavenly planets come down to stroll. There he collected garden flowers and other necessary paraphernalia and then engaged in severe austerities and worship.

PURPORT

The King became pitrloka-kama, or desirous of being transferred to the planet named Pitrloka. Pitrloka is mentioned in Bhagavad-gita (yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah [Bg. 9.25]). To go to this planet, one needs very good sons who can make offerings to Lord Visnu and then offer the remnants to their forefathers. The purpose of the sraddha ceremony is to please the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Visnu, so that after pleasing Him one may offer prasada to one’s forefathers and in this way make them happy. The inhabitants of Pitrloka are generally men of the karma-kandiya, or fruitive activities category, who have been transferred there because of their pious activities. They can stay there as long as their descendants offer them visnu-prasada. Everyone in heavenly planets such as Pitrloka, however, must return to earth after exhausting the effects of his pious acts. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (9.21), ksine punye martya-lokam visanti: persons who perform pious acts are transferred to higher planets, but when the effects of their pious acts are over, they are again transferred to earth.

Since Maharaja Priyavrata was a great devotee, how could he have begotten a son who desired to be transferred to Pitrloka? Lord Krsna says, pitrn yanti pitr-vratah: persons who desire to go to Pitrloka are transferred there. Similarly, yanti mad-yajino ’pi mam: persons who desire to be transferred to the spiritual planets, Vaikunthalokas, can also go there. Since Maharaja Agnidhra was the son of a Vaisnava, he should have desired to be transferred to the spiritual world, Vaikunthaloka. Why, then, did he desire to be transferred to Pitrloka? In answer to this, Gosvami Giridhara, one of the Bhagavatam commentators, remarks that Agnidhra was born when Maharaja Priyavrata was infatuated by lusty desires. This may be accepted as a fact because sons are begotten with different mentalities according to the time of their conception. According to the Vedic system, therefore, before a child is conceived, the garbhadhana-samskara is performed. This ceremony molds the mentality of the father in such a way that when he plants his seed in the womb of his wife, he will beget a child whose mind will be completely saturated with a devotional attitude. At the present moment, however, there are no such garbhadhana-samskaras, and therefore people generally have a lusty attitude when they beget children. Especially in this age of Kali, there are no garbhadhana ceremonies; everyone enjoys sex with his wife like a cat or dog. Therefore according to sastric injunctions, almost all the people of this age belong to the sudra category. Of course, although Maharaja Agnidhra had a desire to be transferred to Pitrloka, this does not mean that his mentality was that of a sudra; he was a ksatriya.

Maharaja Agnidhra desired to be transferred to Pitrloka, and therefore he needed a wife because anyone desiring to be transferred to Pitrloka must leave behind a good son to offer yearly pinda, or prasada from Lord Visnu. To have a good son, Maharaja Agnidhra wanted a wife from a family of demigods. Therefore he went to Mandara Hill. where the women of the demigods generally come, to worship Lord Brahma. In Bhagavad-gita (4.12) it is said, kanksantah karmanam siddhim yajanta iha devatah: materialists who want quick results in the material world worship demigods. This is also confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam. Sri-aisvarya-prajepsavah: those who desire beautiful wives, substantial wealth and many sons worship the demigods, but an intelligent devotee, instead of being entangled by the happiness of this material world in the form of a beautiful wife, material opulence and children, desires to be immediately transferred back home, back to Godhead. Thus he worships the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu.

SB5.2.3

TEXT 3

tad upalabhya bhagavan adi-purusah sadasi gayantim purvacittim namapsarasam abhiyapayam asa.

SYNONYMS

tat—that; upalabhya—understanding; bhagavan—the most powerful; adi-purusah—the first created being within this universe; sadasi—in his assembly; gayantim—dancing girl; purvacittim—Purvacitti; nama—named; apsarasam—the heavenly dancing girl; abhiyapayam asa—sent down.

TRANSLATION

Understanding King Agnidhra’s desire, the first and most powerful created being of this universe, Lord Brahma, selected the best of the dancing girls in his assembly, whose name was Purvacitti, and sent her to the King.

PURPORT

In this verse, the words bhagavan adi-purusah are significant. Bhagavan adi-purusah is Lord Krsna. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami **. Lord Krsna is the original person. In Bhagavad-gita, He is also addressed by Arjuna as purusam adyam, the original person, and He is called Bhagavan. In this verse, however, we see that Lord Brahma is described as bhagavan adi-purusah. The reason he is called bhagavan is that he fully represents the Supreme Personality of Godhead and is the first-born creature in this universe. Lord Brahma could understand Maharaja Agnidhra’s desire because he is as powerful as Lord Visnu. As Lord Visnu, situated as Paramatma, can understand the desire of the living entity, so Lord Brahma can also understand the living entity’s desire, for Visnu, as a via medium, informs him. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.1.1), tene brahma hrda ya adi-kavaye: Lord Visnu informs Lord Brahma of everything from within his heart. Because Maharaja Agnidhra specifically worshiped Lord Brahma, Lord Brahma was pleased, and he sent Purvacitti, the Apsara, to satisfy him.

SB5.2.4

TEXT 4

sa ca tad-asramopavanam ati-ramaniyam vividha-nibida-vitapi-vitapa-nikara-samslista-purata-latarudha-sthala-vihangama-mithunaih procyamana-srutibhih pratibodhyamana-salila-kukkuta-karandava-kalahamsadibhir vicitram upakujitamala-jalasaya-kamalakaram upababhrama.

SYNONYMS

sa—she (Purvacitti); ca—also; tat—of Maharaja Agnidhra; asrama—of the place of meditation; upavanam—the park; ati—very; ramaniyam—beautiful; vividha—varieties of; nibida—dense; vitapi—trees; vitapa—of branches and twigs; nikara—masses; samslista—attached; purata—golden; lata—with creepers; arudha—going high; sthala-vihangama—of land birds; mithunaih—with pairs; procyamana—vibrating; srutibhih—pleasing sounds; pratibodhyamana—responding; salila-kukkuta—water fowl; karandava—ducks; kala-hamsa—with various kinds of swans; adibhih—and so on; vicitram—variegated; upakujita—resounding with the vibration; amala—clear; jala-asaya—in the lake; kamala-akaram—the source of lotus flowers; upababhrama—began to walk in.

TRANSLATION

The Apsara sent by Lord Brahma began strolling in a beautiful park near the place where the King was meditating and worshiping. The park was beautiful because of its dense green foliage and golden creepers. There were pairs of varied birds such as peacocks, and in a lake there were ducks and swans, all vibrating very sweet sounds. Thus the park was magnificently beautiful because of the foliage, the clear water, the lotus flowers and the sweet singing of various kinds of birds.

SB5.2.5

TEXT 5

tasyah sulalita-gamana-pada-vinyasa-gati-vilasayas canupadam khana-khanayamana-rucira-caranabharana-svanam upakarnya naradeva-kumarah samadhi-yogenamilita-nayana-nalina-mukula-yugalam isad vikacayya vyacasta.

SYNONYMS

tasyah—of her (Purvacitti); sulalita—in a very beautiful; gamana—movements; pada-vinyasa—with styles of walking; gati—in the progression; vilasayah—whose pastime; ca—also; anupadam—with every step; khana-khanayamana—making a tinkling sound; rucira—very pleasing; carana-abharana—of the ornaments on the feet; svanam—the sound; upakarnya—hearing; naradeva-kumarah—the Prince; samadhi—in ecstasy; yogena—by controlling the senses; amilita—half-open; nayana—eyes; nalina—of lotus; mukula—buds; yugalam—like a pair; isat—slightly; vikacayya—opening; vyacasta—saw.

TRANSLATION

As Purvacitti passed by on the road in a very beautiful style and mood of her own, the pleasing ornaments on her ankles tinkled with her every step. Although Prince Agnidhra was controlling his senses, practicing yoga with half-open eyes, he could see her with his lotuslike eyes, and when he heard the sweet tinkling of her bangles, he opened his eyes slightly more and could see that she was just nearby.

PURPORT

It is said that yogis always think of the Supreme Personality of Godhead within their hearts. Dhyanavasthita-tad-gatena manasa pasyanti yam yoginah (Bhag. 12.13.1). The Supreme Personality of Godhead is always observed by yogis who practice controlling the venomous senses. As recommended in Bhagavad-gita, yogis should practice sampreksya nasikagram, keeping their eyes half-open. If the eyes are closed completely, there will be a tendency to sleep. So-called yogis sometimes practice a fashionable form of yoga by closing their eyes and meditating, but we have actually seen such so-called yogis sleeping and snoring while meditating. This is not the practice of yoga. To actually practice yoga, one should keep his eyes half-open and gaze at the tip of his nose.

Although Agnidhra, the son of Priyavrata, was practicing mystic yoga and trying to control his senses, the tinkling sound of Purvacitti’s ankle bells disturbed his practice. Yoga indriya-samyamah: actual yoga practice means controlling the senses. One must practice mystic yoga, to control the senses, but the sense control of a devotee who fully engages in the service of the Lord with his purified senses (hrsikena hrsikesa-sevanam [Cc. Madhya 19.170]) can never be disturbed. Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati therefore stated, durdantendriya-kala-sarpa-patali protkhata-damstra-yate (Caitanya-candramrta 5). The practice of yoga is undoubtedly good because it controls the senses, which are like venomous serpents. When one engages in devotional service, however, completely employing all the activities of the senses in the service of the Lord, the venomous quality of the senses is completely nullified. It is explained that a serpent is to be feared because of its poison fangs, but if those fangs are broken. the serpent, although it seems fearsome, is not at all dangerous. Devotees, therefore, may see hundreds and thousands of beautiful women with fascinating bodily movements and gestures but not be allured, whereas such women would make ordinary yogis fall. Even the advanced yogi Visvamitra broke his mystic practice to unite with Menaka and beget a child known as Sakuntala. The practice of mystic yoga, therefore, is not sufficiently strong to control the senses. Another example is Prince Agnidhra, whose attention was drawn to the movements of Purvacitti, the Apsara, simply because he heard the tinkling of her ankle bells. In the same way that Visvamitra Muni was attracted by the tinkling bangles of Menaka, Prince Agnidhra, upon hearing the tinkling bangles of Purvacitti, immediately opened his eyes to see her beautiful movements as she walked. The prince was also very handsome. As described herein, his eyes were just like the buds of lotus flowers. As he opened his lotuslike eyes, he could immediately see that the Apsara was present by his side.

SB5.2.6

TEXT 6

tam evavidure madhukarim iva sumanasa upajighrantim divija-manuja-mano-nayanahlada-dughair gati-vihara-vrida-vinayavaloka-susvaraksaravayavair manasi nrnam kusumayudhasya vidadhatim vivaram nija-mukha-vigalitamrtasava-sahasa-bhasanamoda-madandha-madhukara-nikaroparodhena druta-pada-vinyasena valgu-spandana-stana-kalasa-kabara-bhara-rasanam devim tad-avalokanena vivrtavasarasya bhagavato makara-dhvajasya vasam upanito jadavad iti hovaca.

SYNONYMS

tam—to her; eva—indeed; avidure—nearby; madhukarim iva—like a honeybee; sumanasah—beautiful flowers; upajighrantim—smelling; divi-ja—of those born in the heavenly planets; manu-ja—of those born in human society; manah—mind; nayana—for the eyes; ahlada—pleasure; dughaih—producing; gati—by her movement; vihara—by pastimes; vrida—by shyness; vinaya—by humility; avaloka—by glancing; su-svara-aksara—by her sweet voice; avayavaih—and by the limbs of the body; manasi—in the mind; nrnam—of men; kusuma-ayudhasya—of Cupid, who has a flower arrow in his hand; vidadhatim—making; vivaram—aural reception; nija-mukha—from her own mouth; vigalita—pouring out; amrta-asava—nectar like honey; sa-hasa—in her smiling; bhasana—and talking; amoda—by the pleasure; mada-andha—blinded by intoxication; madhukara—of bees; nikara—by groups; uparodhena—because of being surrounded; druta—hasty; pada—of feet; vinyasena—by stylish stepping; valgu—a little; spandana—moving; stana—breasts; kalasa—like waterpots; kabara—of her braids of hair; bhara—weight; rasanam—the belt upon the hips; devim—the goddess; tat-avalokanena—simply by seeing her; vivrta-avasarasya—taking the opportunity of; bhagavatah—of the greatly powerful; makara-dhvajasya—of Cupid; vasam—under the control; upanitah—being brought in; jada-vat—as if stunned; iti—thus; ha—certainly; uvaca—he said.

TRANSLATION

Like a honeybee, the Apsara smelled the beautiful and attractive flowers. She could attract the minds and vision of both humans and demigods by her playful movements, her shyness and humility, her glances, the very pleasing sounds that poured from her mouth as she spoke, and the motion of her limbs. By all these qualities, she opened for Cupid, who bears an arrow of flowers, a path of aural reception into the minds of men. When she spoke, nectar seemed to flow from her mouth. As she breathed, the bees, mad for the taste of her breath, tried to hover about her beautiful lotuslike eyes. Disturbed by the bees, she tried to move hastily, but as she raised her feet to walk quickly, her hair, the belt on her hips, and her breasts, which were like water jugs, also moved in a way that made her extremely beautiful and attractive. Indeed, she seemed to be making a path for the entrance of Cupid, who is most powerful. Therefore the prince, completely subdued by seeing her, spoke to her as follows.

PURPORT

How a beautiful woman’s movements and gestures, her hair and the structure of her breasts, hips and other bodily features attract the minds not only of men but of demigods also is very finely described in this statement. The words divija and manuja specifically emphasize that the attraction of feminine gestures is powerful everywhere within this material world, both on this planet and in the higher planetary systems. It is said that the standard of living in the higher planetary systems is thousands and thousands of times higher than the standard of living on this planet. Therefore the beautiful bodily features of the women there are also thousands and thousands of times more attractive than the features of the women on earth. The creator has constructed women in such a way that their beautiful voices and movements and the beautiful features of their hips, their breasts, and the other parts of their bodies attract the members of the opposite sex, both on earth and on other planets, and awaken their lusty desires. When one is controlled by Cupid or the beauty of women, he becomes stunned like matter such as stone. Captivated by the material movements of women, he wants to remain in this material world. Thus one’s promotion to the spiritual world is checked simply by seeing the beautiful bodily structure and movements of women. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has therefore warned all devotees to beware of the attraction of beautiful women and materialistic civilization. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu even refused to see Prataparudra Maharaja because he was a very opulent person in the material world. Lord Caitanya said in this connection, niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya: those who are engaged in the devotional service of the Lord because they are very serious about going back home, back to Godhead, should be very careful to avoid seeing the beautiful gestures of women and should also avoid seeing persons who are very rich.

niskincanasya bhagavad-bhajanonmukhasya
param param jigamisor bhava-sagarasya
sandarsanam visayinam atha yositam ca
ha hanta hanta visa-bhaksanato ’py asadhu

“Alas, for a person who is seriously desiring to cross the material ocean and engage in the transcendental loving service of the Lord without material motives, seeing a materialist engaged in sense gratification or seeing a woman who is similarly interested is more abominable than drinking poison willingly.” (Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya 11.8) One who is serious about going back home, back to Godhead, should not contemplate the attractive features of women and the opulence of rich men. Such contemplation will check one’s advancement in spiritual life. Once a devotee is fixed in Krsna consciousness, however, these attractions will not agitate his mind.

SB5.2.7

TEXT 7

ka tvam cikirsasi ca kim muni-varya saile

mayasi kapi bhagavat-para-devatayah

vijye bibharsi dhanusi suhrd-atmano ’rthe

kim va mrgan mrgayase vipine pramattan

SYNONYMS

ka—who; tvam—are you; cikirsasi—are you trying to do; ca—also; kim—what; muni-varya—O best of munis; saile—on this hill; maya—illusory potency; asi—are you; kapi—some; bhagavat—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; para-devatayah—of the transcendental Lord; vijye—without strings; bibharsi—you are carrying; dhanusi—two bows; suhrt—of a friend; atmanah—of yourself; arthe—for the sake; kim va—or; mrgan—forest animals; mrgayase—are you trying to hunt; vipine—in this forest; pramattan—who are materially maddened.

TRANSLATION

The Prince mistakenly addressed the Apsara: O best of saintly persons, who are you? Why are you on this hill, and what do you want to do? Are you one of the illusory potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead? You seem to be carrying two bows without strings, What is the reason you carry these bows? Is it for some purpose of your own or for the sake of a friend? Perhaps you carry them to kill the mad animals in this forest.

PURPORT

While undergoing severe penances in the forest, Agnidhra was captivated by the movements of Purvacitti, the girl sent by Lord Brahma. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, kamais tais tair hrta jnanah: [Bg. 7.20] when one becomes lusty, he loses his intelligence. Therefore Agnidhra, having lost his intelligence, could not distinguish whether Purvacitti was male or female. He mistook her for a muni-putra, the son of a saintly person in the forest, and addressed her as muni-varya. Because of her personal beauty, however, he could not believe her to be a boy. He therefore began studying her features. First he saw her two eyebrows, which were so expressive that he wondered whether he or she might be the maya of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The words used in this connection are bhagavat-para-devatayah. Devatah, the demigods, all belong to this material world, whereas Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is always beyond this material world and is therefore known as para-devata. The material world is certainly created by maya, but it is created under the direction of para-devata, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (mayadhyaksena prakrtih suyate sa-caracaram [Bg. 9.10]), maya is not the ultimate authority for the creation of this material world. Maya acts on behalf of Krsna.

Purvacitti’s eyebrows were so beautiful that Agnidhra compared them to bows without strings. He therefore asked her whether they were to be used for her own purposes or for the sake of someone else. Her eyebrows were like bows meant to kill animals in the forest. This material world is like a great forest, and its inhabitants are like forest animals such as deer and tigers meant to be killed. The killers are the eyebrows of beautiful women. Captivated by the beauty of the fair sex, all the men of the world are killed by bows without strings, but cannot see how they are killed by maya. It is a fact, however, that they are being killed (bhutva bhutva praliyate). By dint of his tapasya, Agnidhra could understand how maya acts under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The word pramattan is also significant. pramatta refers to one who cannot control his senses. The entire material world is being exploited by people who are pramatta, or vimudha. Prahlada Maharaja therefore said:

soce tato vimukha-cetasa indriyartha-
maya-sukhaya bharam udvahato vimudhan

“They are rotting in material activities for transient material pleasure and spoiling their lives toiling all day and night simply for sense gratification, with no attachment for love of Godhead. I am simply lamenting for them and devising various plans to deliver them from the clutches of maya.” (Bhag. 7.9.43) Karmis who act very seriously for sense gratification are always referred to in the sastras by such terms as pramatta, vimukha and vimudha. They are killed by maya. However, one who is apramatta, a sane, sober person, a dhira, knows very well that a human being’s primary duty is to render service to the Supreme Person. Maya is always ready to kill those who are pramatta with her invisible bows and arrows. Agnidhra questioned Purvacitti about this.

Next verse (SB5.2.8)