BHAGAVAD-GITA 13:22

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 13:22

 

purusah prakrti-stho hi

bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan

karanam guna-sango 'sya

sad-asad-yoni-janmasu

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

purusah--the living entity; prakrti-sthah--being situated in the

material energy; hi--certainly; bhunkte--enjoys; prakrti-jan--produced

by the material nature; gunan--the modes of nature; karanam--the

cause; guna-sangah--the association with the modes of nature; asya--of

the living entity; sat-asat--in good and bad; yoni--species of life;

janmasu--in births.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life,

enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association

with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil among

various species.

 

PURPORT

 

This verse is very important for an understanding of how the living

entities transmigrate from one body to another. It is explained in the

Second Chapter that the living entity is transmigrating from one body

to another just as one changes dress. This change of dress is due to

his attachment to material existence. As long as he is captivated by

this false manifestation, he has to continue transmigrating from one

body to another. Due to his desire to lord it over material nature, he

is put into such undesirable circumstances. Under the influence of

material desire, the entity is born sometimes as a demigod, sometimes

as a man, sometimes as a beast, as a bird, as a worm, as an aquatic,

as a saintly man, as a bug. This is going on. And in all cases the

living entity thinks himself to be the master of his circumstances,

yet he is under the influence of material nature.

 

How he is put into such different bodies is explained here. It is due

to association with the different modes of nature. One has to rise,

therefore, above the three material modes and become situated in the

transcendental position. That is called Krsna consciousness. Unless

one is situated in Krsna consciousness, his material consciousness

will oblige him to transfer from one body to another because he has

material desires since time immemorial. But he has to change that

conception. That change can be effected only by hearing from

authoritative sources. The best example is here: Arjuna is hearing the

science of God from Krsna. The living entity, if he submits to this

hearing process, will lose his long-cherished desire to dominate

material nature, and gradually and proportionately, as he reduces his

long desire to dominate, he comes to enjoy spiritual happiness. In a

Vedic mantra it is said that as he becomes learned in association with

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he proportionately relishes his

eternal blissful life.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.