Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation

Lord Kṛṣṇa thoroughly explained in the previous chapter that Vedic knowledge is not meant for sense gratification but for liberation from material bondage. Now Uddhava presents some intermediate questions that must be answered so the path of liberation will be clear. Different philosophers have historically disagreed over the exact number of material elements, about the existence and nonexistence of particular external objects and about the existence of the soul itself. The jñāna-kāṇḍa section of the Vedas aims at liberation through analytic understanding of the material world and of the spirit soul as a transcendental element beyond matter. Ultimately the Supreme Lord Himself stands above all elements and maintains them by His personal potency. Uddhava mentions in numerical terms different methodologies of various sages, citing first the Lord’s own opinion. The word āyuṣman, or “possessing eternal form,” is significant in this regard. Since Lord Kṛṣṇa is eternal, He possesses all knowledge of past, present and future and is thus the original and supreme philosopher.

According to Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, the different analytic approaches mentioned by Śrī Uddhava are actually not contradictory, since they are different methods of categorizing the same reality. Atheistic speculation on reality does not recognize the existence of God; consequently it is a worthless attempt to explain the truth. The Lord Himself empowers different living entities to speculate and speak on reality in different ways. The actual reality, however, is the Lord Himself, who will now speak to Śrī Uddhava.

The words santi sarvatra in this verse indicate that all material elements are found within each other in gross and subtle forms. In this way there are innumerable ways to categorically describe them. The material world is ultimately illusory, undergoing constant transformation. It may be measured in different ways, just as the mirage of an oasis may be described in different ways, but the Lord’s own analysis of twenty-eight elements is perfect and should be accepted. Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī states that the word māyā in this verse does not refer to mahā-māyā, or the potency of ignorance, but to the Lord’s inconceivable mystic power, which shelters the learned followers of Vedic knowledge. Each of the philosophers mentioned here reveals a particular aspect of truth, and their theories are not contradictory, since they are simply describing the same phenomena with different categorical systems. Such philosophical disagreement is endless within the material world; thus everyone should unite on the platform of the Lord’s own opinion, as stated in this verse. Similarly, in Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa requests all conditioned souls to give up their various forms of worship and surrender unto Him in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, becoming His devotees. Thus the whole universe can be united in love of Godhead by chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. By the Lord’s revealing Himself to a sincere devotee, the controversy of analytic philosophy is ended.

Because of the material potencies of the Supreme Lord, mundane philosophers are perpetually arguing about which came first, the chicken or the egg. By the influence of the modes of goodness, passion and ignorance, different philosophers are attracted to different views; and by the influence of the material atmosphere created by the Lord, these philosophers perpetually disagree with one another. The Supreme Lord Himself, however, has given the clear explanation. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (6.4.31):

“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, who possesses unlimited transcendental qualities. Acting from within the cores of the hearts of all philosophers, who propagate various views, He caused them to forget their own souls while sometimes agreeing and sometimes disagreeing among themselves. Thus He creates within this material world a situation in which they are unable to come to a conclusion. I offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.”

Conflicting varieties of perception are created by the interaction of the Lord’s material energies in the minds of different philosophers, who staunchly defend their opinions, stating, “This may be the case or perhaps that or the other; or this may not be the case, or perhaps that is not the case.” Such logical or rational proposing, doubting, counter-proposing, counteracting, etc., take thousands of different forms and become the basis of argument. Actually, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa, is the basis of all existence, since everything emanates from the Lord, is maintained by the Lord and at the end is merged to rest within the Lord. Lord Kṛṣṇa is para-tattva, the highest truth underlying all other dependent truths. In a society of learned persons who have understood the Personality of Godhead to be everything, there is no further cause of philosophical quarrel. Such unity of opinion is not based on the absence of philosophical inquiry, nor on the stifling of rational discussion, but is the natural result of spiritual enlightenment. So-called philosophers proudly boast that they are searching and researching for the Absolute Truth, yet they somehow consider one who has found the Absolute Truth to be less intelligent than one who has not found it but is searching. Because Lord Kṛṣṇa is the Absolute Truth, one who fully surrenders to the Lord becomes the most learned person.

Material creation takes place as a chain reaction in which subtle elements expand and transform into progressively denser elements. Since a cause is in a sense present within its effect, and the effect is subtly present within the cause, all subtle and gross elements have entered within one another. Thus one may categorize basic material elements in many different ways, assigning various numbers and names according to one’s methodology. Although material philosophers proudly assume their individual theories to be supreme, they are all speculating according to their personal proclivities, as described in this and the following verse.

Since material elements are present within each other, there are innumerable ways to construe and categorize the material creation of God. Ultimately, however, the significant element is God Himself, who is the basis of all the transformations and permutations of the material cosmos. The creation of the material world takes place by a progression from subtle to gross elements, as explained in the sāṅkhya-yoga system of Lord Kapila. The example may be given that we find the dormant existence of an earthen pot within mud and also the existence of mud within the earthen pot. Similarly, one element is present within another, and ultimately all elements rest within the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is simultaneously within everything. By such explanations, Kṛṣṇa consciousness constitutes the ultimate scientific methodology for factually understanding this universe.

Although innumerable philosophers may rationally describe the material creation from different points of view, one cannot perfect one’s knowledge without Kṛṣṇa consciousness. An intellectual person should therefore not be falsely proud simply because he has ascertained a particular truth within the material world. The Lord here states that one who follows the Vedic way of analysis will undoubtedly have many insights concerning the material creation. Ultimately, however, one must become a devotee of the Supreme Lord and perfect one’s knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Although the Lord tolerates different methods of calculating material causes within their effects and material effects within their causes, there cannot be any speculation regarding the two spiritual elements found in this universe, namely the individual soul and the Supersoul. Lord Kṛṣṇa clearly states in this verse that the living entity is incapable of effecting his own enlightenment. The Supreme Lord is tattva-jña, omniscient, and jñāna-da, the spiritual master of the entire universe. Śrī Uddhava mentioned that some philosophers describe twenty-five elements and others twenty-six. The difference is that the twenty-six elements include a separate category for the individual soul and the Supreme Soul, Lord Kṛṣṇa, whereas the proponents of twenty-five elements artificially merge the two transcendental categories of jīva-tattva and viṣṇu-tattva, hiding the eternal supremacy of the Personality of Godhead.

Knowledge based on the three modes of material nature cannot rise to the transcendental platform, where the Personality of Godhead exists as the supreme enjoyer of eternal spiritual varieties of form, color, flavor, musical sounds and loving affairs. Mundane philosophers simply bounce back and forth between material enjoyment and material renunciation. Being victims of Māyāvāda (impersonal) perception of the Absolute Truth, they cannot achieve the shelter of the Personality of Godhead and thus cannot understand Him. Because foolish, impersonal philosophers consider themselves supreme, they are unable to appreciate that loving service exists on the spiritual platform. Stubbornly rejecting subservience to the Personality of Godhead, the impersonalists are eventually overwhelmed by the illusory potency of the Lord and undergo the miseries of material existence. The Vaiṣṇavas, on the other hand, are not envious of the Personality of Godhead. They gladly accept His shelter and supremacy, and thus the Lord personally takes charge of His devotees and enlightens them, filling them with His own transcendental bliss. Spiritual service to the Supreme Lord is in this way free from the disappointment and repression of material service.

According to certain philosophers there are twenty-five elements, among which a single category is stipulated for both the individual living entity and the Supreme Lord. Such impersonal knowledge is declared by the Lord to be material: jñānaṁ ca prakṛter guṇaḥ. Such knowledge can, however, be accepted to establish the qualitative identity of the Supreme Lord and the living entities who expand from Him. Materialistic persons sometimes believe that there is a supreme spirit in heaven but also think that human beings are identical with their material bodies and thus qualitatively and perpetually separated from the Supreme Lord. Knowledge of the Lord’s qualitative oneness with the living entity, as described in this verse, refutes the materialistic concept of life and partially establishes the Absolute Truth. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu described the actual situation as acintya-bhedābheda-tattva: the supreme controller and the controlled living entities are simultaneously one and different. In the material mode of goodness the oneness is perceived. As one proceeds further, to the stage of viśuddha-sattva, or purified spiritual goodness, one finds spiritual variety within the qualitative oneness, completing one’s knowledge of the Absolute Truth. The words na vailakṣaṇyam aṇv api boldly affirm that the individual living entity is indisputably part and parcel of the Supreme Lord and qualitatively one with Him. Any philosophical attempt to separate the living entity from the Supreme Lord and deny his eternal servitude to the Lord is thus refuted. Speculation arriving at the conclusion that the living entity has independent existence separate from the Lord is described here as apārthā, useless. Nevertheless, the theory of twenty-five elements is acceptable to the Lord as a preliminary phase in the evolution of spiritual knowledge.

In Bhagavad-gītā (3.27) it is stated:

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.”

The three modes of nature, in their original state of equilibrium, as well as the subsequent creation generated from the modes, are vastly more powerful than the tiny living entity who is controlled by them. The living entity thus cannot be accepted as the actual doer or creator within the material world. The mode of goodness is symptomized by the experience of knowledge, the mode of passion by the experience of work, and the mode of ignorance by the experience of darkness. These modes of material knowledge, work and darkness have no real relation with the transcendental spirit soul, who exhibits his own qualities of eternality, bliss and knowledge (the sandhinī, saṁvit and hlādinī potencies of the Supreme Lord). The material modes have no access within the kingdom of God, in the unbounded atmosphere of which the eternal living entity is meant to live.

The impetus for the interaction of the material elements is the forward movement of time. Because time is passing, the embryo grows within the womb, gradually comes out, grows up, produces by-products, dwindles and dies. All of this is due to the pushing of time. In the absence of the time factor, the material elements do not interact but remain inert in the form of pradhāna. Lord Kṛṣṇa is establishing the basic categories of the material world so that human beings can conceive of the Lord’s creation. Were the categories not condensed, analysis and conceptualization would be impossible, since the Lord’s potencies are infinite. Although there are numerous divisions of material elements within the basic divisions, the spirit soul is always to be understood as a distinct transcendental element, meant for residence in the kingdom of God.

Prakṛti, or nature, is originally unmanifest and later becomes manifest as the mahat-tattva. Although the living entity is puruṣa, an enjoyer, the real process by which he can enjoy is by satisfying the transcendental senses of the Lord, just as the hand eats by supplying food to the stomach. Within material nature the living entity becomes a false enjoyer, forgetting his subservience to the Lord. The material elements as well as the living entity and the Supersoul are thus systematically analyzed to demonstrate to the conditioned soul his actual constitutional position beyond material nature.

Eleven elements are mentioned in this verse.

Here the word utsarga refers to evacuation by the genitals and anus, and thus constitutes two elements. In this way ten elements are listed here in two sets of five.

The Personality of Godhead is not subject to transformation like the subtle and gross material elements. Thus the Lord is avyakta, or not materially manifest at any stage of cosmic evolution. Regardless of the specific method of cataloging the material elements, the Lord remains the ultimate creator, maintainer and annihilator of the total cosmic situation.

Having explained His own viewpoint, the Lord now summarizes various other analytic methodologies.

Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī states that according to this philosophy, the ordinary living entity is included within the category of the Supersoul. This theory thus accepts only the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the five physical elements.

According to the theory of thirteen elements, the sense objects — aroma, taste, form, touch and sound — are considered by-products of the interaction of the senses and physical matter.

The material world has been analyzed in innumerable ways by innumerable brilliant philosophers, but the conclusion is always one — the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva. Aspiring philosophers need not waste their precious time showing off their intellectual brilliance, because there is little left to analyze on the material platform. One should simply surrender to the Absolute Truth, the supreme element, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and uncover one’s eternal consciousness of God.

Śrī Uddhava here expresses the doubt that arises in the heart of an ordinary conditioned soul. Although the Vedic scriptures declare that the material body is a temporary fabrication of the material modes of nature, the conscious living entity within the body is actually an eternal spirit soul. In Bhagavad-gītā Lord Kṛṣṇa has declared the material elements constituting the body to be His separated, inferior energy, whereas the living entity is the superior, conscious energy of the Lord. Still, in conditioned life the material body and conditioned soul appear inseparable and thus nondifferent. Because the living entity enters the womb of a mother and gradually comes out in a developed body, the soul appears to have entered deeply within material nature. Similarly, by the soul’s identification with the material body, the body appears to enter deeply within the consciousness of the soul. What is more, the body cannot exist without the presence of the soul. By this apparent mutual dependence, the difference between the body and soul is obscured. Śrī Uddhava therefore questions the Lord in order to clarify this issue.

Śrī Uddhava requests Lord Kṛṣṇa to clearly demonstrate the difference between the material body and the spirit soul.

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā, mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: “From Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” By the Lord’s causeless mercy one is enlightened with knowledge, and by the Lord’s illusory potency that knowledge vanishes and one is merged into ignorance. Those bewildered by māyā cannot understand the difference between the material body and the spirit soul and thus should hear from the Lord Himself to remove this illusory covering.

The word puruṣa indicates the living entity and also the Supreme Lord, who is the supreme living entity. Material nature, subject to transformation, is full of duality, whereas the Lord is one and absolute. Material nature is dependent on its creator, maintainer and annihilator; the Lord, however, is completely self-reliant and independent. In the same way, material nature is unconscious and dull, lacking self-awareness, whereas the Supreme Lord is self-sufficient omniscience. The individual living entity shares the eternality, bliss and knowledge of the Personality of Godhead and is also completely distinct from material nature.

The word sarga here refers to the material amalgamation of the body, which covers the living entity. The material body undergoes constant transformation and is thus clearly different from the living entity, who is eternally the same. In the transcendental kingdom of God there is no conflict or agitation caused by creation, maintenance and destruction as exhibited in the material world. There all variety is resolved in the transcendental loving experience of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the natural constitutional position of the soul.

The word vikalpa-buddhīḥ indicates that consciousness within various material bodies reveals different aspects of the Lord’s creation. Birds such as seagulls glide on the ocean breezes, experiencing the Lord’s creation of wind and altitude. The fish experience life within the water, and other creatures intimately experience life within trees or within the earth. Human society affords its own varieties of awareness, and similarly in heaven and hell different experiences are available. All types of material consciousness are transformations of the three modes of material nature, the expansions of the Lord’s illusory energy.

Form is recognized by the function of the eye, and the eye’s function is understood by the presence of perceivable form. This interaction of sight and form further depends on the presence of light provided by the demigods, whose service of universal management depends on the presence of those who are to be managed, namely the living entities experiencing form with their eyes. Thus the three factors — adhyātma, represented by the senses such as the eye; adhibhūta, the sense objects such as form; and adhidaiva, the influence of the controlling deities — exist in an interdependent relationship.

The sun globe itself is said to be self-manifest, self-luminous and self-experiencing; it does not share the interdependence of the senses and sense objects although facilitating their function. Similarly, the Supreme Personality of Godhead facilitates the interdependent experiences of all living entities. For example, newspapers, radio and television reveal world events to the mass of people. Parents reveal facts about life to their children, teachers to their students, friends to friends, and so on. The government manifests its will to the people and the people to their government. The sun and moon reveal the visual forms of all objects, and the perception of sound reveals audible form. The vibrations of particular types of music or rhetoric reveal the inner feelings of other living beings, and other types of knowledge are revealed by aroma, touch and taste. In this way, through the interaction of the senses and mind with innumerable sense objects, different types of knowledge are acquired. All such informative interactions, however, depend upon the supreme illuminating power of the Personality of Godhead. As stated in Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52), yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇām: “Among all the planets the sun is considered the eye of the Supreme Lord.” The Personality of Godhead is eternally omniscient by His own transcendental potency, and thus no one can reveal anything to the Lord about anything. Still, Lord Kṛṣṇa humbly accepts our prayers offered in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. In conclusion, Lord Kṛṣṇa clearly explains here that His sublime characteristics are completely different from those of the manifest universe. The Lord is therefore the supreme transcendental entity, free from all material influence.

The individual soul has no permanent relationship with the inter- dependent material functions of the senses, sense objects and controlling deities. The living entity is originally pure spirit soul and is meant to depend on the Personality of Godhead in the spiritual world. It is useless to try to analyze matter and spirit within the same categories, since they belong to different potencies of the Supreme Lord. Thus the act of spiritually perceiving the Supreme Lord, His abode and one’s own self is an entirely antimaterial process realized within pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

By giving up one’s false ego of identification with the three modes of nature, one can achieve Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the pure, original state of existence. The word moha-vikalpa-hetuḥ indicates that because of false ego one considers himself to be the enjoyer of nature and thus develops a false sense of material duality in terms of material happiness and distress. False ego is removed by identifying oneself as the Lord’s eternal servitor in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

If one doubts the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one will inevitably doubt the reality of the Lord’s creation. Thus, without understanding Lord Kṛṣṇa, mere argument and debate over the reality and nonreality of the material world are useless. The material world is real specifically because it emanates from the supreme reality, Lord Kṛṣṇa. Without understanding the reality of Lord Kṛṣṇa one can never definitely ascertain the reality of His creation; one will always wonder if he is actually seeing something or merely thinking that he is seeing it. This kind of speculation can never be resolved without taking shelter of the Supreme Lord and is therefore useless. The devotees of the Lord are not inclined to such argument, because they are factually advancing in spiritual enlightenment and are fully satisfied with their progressively more beautiful experience of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

No one can be considered intelligent without understanding the science of God, which includes a description of the negative results of those who have forgotten their eternal relationship with Him. There are many so-called wise men in the world, but although considering themselves to be most intelligent, they generally do not surrender to the supreme intelligence of the Lord. Thus they concoct varieties of philosophies according to their positions within the modes of nature. However, one cannot escape the influence of material nature through philosophy generated from that same illusory nature. Liberation is achieved by perfect knowledge coming from the spiritual platform, the kingdom of God. By faithfully hearing from Lord Kṛṣṇa and His authorized representatives one can easily achieve liberation and go back home, back to Godhead.

One may ask how the subtle body, or mind, gives up its connection with one physical body and enters another. Such entering and leaving of physical bodies is called birth and death by conditioned souls. One utilizes his present senses to meditate on the visible objects of this world — beautiful women, palatial estates, and so on — and similarly one daydreams about the heavenly planets described in the Vedas. As death occurs, the mind is pulled away from the objects of its immediate experience and enters another body to experience a new set of sense objects. As the mind undergoes total reorientation there is the apparent loss of one’s previous mentality and creation of a new mind, though actually the same mind is experiencing, but in a different way.

The conditioned soul is overwhelmed by the constant flow of material experience consisting of direct perception and abstract contemplation of the objects of this world. One thereby loses his transcendental memory of his relationship with God. As soon as one identifies with this world he forgets his eternal identity and surrenders to the false ego created by māyā.

Depending on one’s karma, or fruitive activities, one may achieve a beautiful, wealthy or powerful body or be degraded to an abominable condition of life. Taking birth in heaven or in hell, the living entity learns to completely identify his ego with the new body and thus becomes absorbed in the pleasure, fear, opulence or suffering of the new body, completely forgetting the experiences of the previous body. Death occurs when the specific karma allotted to a physical body is finished. Since that particular body’s karma is used up, it can no longer act upon one’s mind; in that way one forgets the previous body. The new body is created by nature so that one can experience the karma currently in effect. Consequently one’s entire consciousness becomes absorbed in one’s current body in order that one can fully experience the results of his previous activities. Because the living entity falsely identifies himself as the body, bodily death is experienced as death of the soul. Actually, however, the soul is eternal and is never subject to creation or annihilation. This analytic knowledge of self-realization is easily understood in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Identification with one’s material body surpasses the mere affection and attachment one feels for the bodies of relatives or friends. The word sarva-bhāvena here shows that one totally accepts the material body to be oneself, just as one completely accepts the experience of a dream as real. Mere imagination without practical action is called a daydream; the mental concoction that occurs in a sleeping state is called a dream. Our identification with our own body and our blind acceptance of bodily relationships as permanent constitute a prolonged form of dreaming or fantasy in which one imagines oneself to be separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The term birth, therefore, does not refer to the generation of a new entity but to the blind acceptance by the spirit soul of a new material body.

The objection may be raised that sometimes when experiencing a dream one actually remembers a previous dream. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura replies that by the mystic power of jāti-smara one can remember one’s previous body, and as is well known, “The exception establishes the rule.” Normally, conditioned souls do not perceive their past existence; they think, “I am six years old” or “I am thirty years old,” and “previous to this birth I did not exist.” In such material ignorance one cannot understand the actual situation of the soul.

The wealth, beauty, strength, intelligence, fame and detachment of different bodies are considered to be excellent, normal or inferior according to the material situation. The spirit soul acquires a particular body and thus judges himself and others to be high, middle or low class according to their material situation. Actually, the eternal soul exists beyond material duality but falsely mistakes the material situation to be his own. The words asaj-jana-kṛd yathā are significant. A father may by nature be peaceful, but because his bad son gets into trouble the father is forced to defend his son and consider his son’s enemies to be enemies of the entire family. Thus the bad son implicates the father in troublesome conflicts. Similarly, the spirit soul has no intrinsic problems, but by creating a false identification with the material body the soul becomes involved in the happiness and distress of the body. With this verse the Lord summarizes His discussion of the difference between the body and the soul.

The wavering flame of a candle sometimes waxes brightly and again becomes weak. Finally it vanishes altogether. The waves of a flowing river rise and fall, creating innumerable shapes and patterns. The fruits of a tree gradually take birth, grow, ripen, sweeten and eventually rot and die. Similarly, one can easily understand that one’s own body is undergoing constant transformation, and that the body is certainly subject to old age, disease and death. At different times of life the body exhibits degrees of sexual potency, physical strength, desire, wisdom and so on. As the body grows old, physical strength diminishes, but one’s knowledge may increase even as the body undergoes such transformation.

Material birth and death occur within the realm of segmented time. The birth, creation or production of a material object immediately connects it with a segmented sequence of subtle time within the material world. Thus its destruction or death is inevitable. The irresistible force of time moves so subtly that only the most intelligent can perceive it. Just as the candle flame gradually diminishes, as the flowing currents move within the river or as fruits gradually ripen on a tree, the material body is steadily moving toward inevitable death. The temporary body should therefore never be confused with the eternal, unchanging spirit soul.

Although one may say, “This is the light of the lamp,” there are innumerable rays of light being created, transformed and destroyed at every moment; and although one may speak of the water of the river, there is an ever-new supply of different water molecules passing by. Similarly, when one meets a young child, one accepts that particular transitory phase of the body as the actual identity of the person, considering him to be a child. One also considers an old body to be an old person. In fact, however, the material body of a human being, just like the waves of a river or the radiation of a lamp, is merely a transformation of the three modes of material nature, the potency of the Supreme Lord. The real identity of a person is spirit soul, part and parcel of Lord Kṛṣṇa, but as Lord Kṛṣṇa proves in this verse, a conditioned soul is incapable of observing or understanding the subtle movements of time. With the gross vision of material consciousness one cannot ascertain the subtle segments of material manifestation, which are impelled by the Lord Himself as time. The word mṛṣāyuṣām in this verse indicates those who are uselessly wasting their time in ignorance without understanding the instructions of the Lord. Such persons gullibly accept any particular phase of the body to be the actual identity of the spirit soul within the body. Because the spirit soul is not subject to material transformation, when he engages himself in the eternal variegated pleasure of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, loving service to the Supreme Lord, he will experience no further ignorance and suffering.

The element fire exists perpetually within the material creation, but in connection with a particular piece of wood fire apparently comes into existence and ceases to exist. Similarly, the living entity is eternal, but in connection with a particular body apparently takes birth and dies. The reactions of karma thus impose an illusory suffering or enjoyment upon the living entity, but they do not cause the entity himself to change his eternal nature. In other words, karma represents a cycle of illusion in which each illusory activity produces another. Kṛṣṇa consciousness stops this cycle of karma by engaging the living being in spiritual activities in the loving service of the Lord. By such Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can escape the illusory chain of fruitive reactions.

One who has received the special mercy of the Supreme Lord is able to give up the mental concoction of bodily identification. Thus there is always a chance of escaping the cycle of birth and death.

The Lord has described the nine stages of the material body, beginning with impregnation, gestation and birth. One may argue that a living entity cannot remember his presence in the mother’s womb nor his birth and early infancy. The Lord therefore states here that one can experience these phases of bodily existence by studying one’s own child. Similarly, although one may hope to live forever, by experiencing the death of one’s father, grandfather or great-grandfather, one has definite proof that the material body will die. A sober person, knowing the soul to be eternal, therefore gives up false identification with the temporary, unreliable body and takes shelter of the devotional service of the Lord. By this process one can escape the artificial imposition of birth and death.

As a reference to trees, vipāka indicates the final transformation called death. In reference to other types of plants such as rice, vipāka indicates the stage of maturity, in which death also occurs. Thus by common observation one can understand the actual position of one’s material body and one’s own position as the transcendental observer.

A similar verse is found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.7.5):

“Due to this external energy, the living entity, although transcendental to the three modes of material nature, thinks of himself as a material product and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries.”

The word tiryaktvam means “the status of an animal,” which includes all lower forms of life, such as beasts, birds, insects, fish and plants.

Sometimes people are captivated by professional singers and dancers and imitate within their minds the musical rhythms and melodies of the performers along with their romantic, humorous or heroic emotions. People sing songs heard on the radio and imitate dances and dramatic performances seen on television or in movies and theaters, entering into the emotions and art of the performer. The conditioned soul is similarly captivated by the concoctions of the material mind and intelligence, which convince him that he can become the enjoyer of the material world. Although different from the material body and never the actual performer of its activities, the conditioned soul is induced to engage his body in material activities, which entangle him in the cycle of birth and death. One should not accept the illicit propositions of material intelligence, but rather should engage himself fully in the service of the Lord in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Trees appear to be swaying when reflected in agitated water, and similarly, when one is sitting on a moving boat the trees on the shore appear to be moving. When the wind whips up the water, creating waves, the water appears to have movement of its own, although it is actually being moved by the wind. The conditioned soul in material life does not perform any activities, but rather the material body, with the consent of the illusioned living entity, is being moved by the modes of nature. One imposes this external movement upon oneself, considering oneself to be dancing, singing, running, dying, conquering and so on, although these are merely interactions of the external body with the modes of nature.

One may object that if Lord Kṛṣṇa insists that material life is false, then why should one endeavor to stop it? The Lord therefore explains here that although not factual, material life stubbornly continues for one addicted to sense gratification, just as a frightening dream continues for one merged in sleep. The word avidyamāna, “not existing,” means that material life is based on mental concoction, in which one thinks, “I am a man,” “I am a woman,” “I am a doctor,” “I am a senator,” “I am a street sweeper” and so on. A conditioned soul enthusiastically performs his activities based on the imaginary identification with the body. Thus although the spirit soul exists and the body exists, the false identification with the body does not exist. Material life, based on a false idea, has no factual existence.

After one awakens from a dream, the dim reflection of the dream may linger in one’s memory. Similarly, one engaging in the devotional service of the Lord may be troubled sometimes by the dim reflection of sinful life. One should therefore become strong in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by hearing the Lord’s instructions to Śrī Uddhava.

Everything that exists is the potency and property of the Supreme Lord, meant to be used in His loving service. Seeing material objects as separate from the Lord and thus meant to be possessed and enjoyed by oneself is called vaikalpikaṁ bhramam, the illusion of material duality. When selecting one’s personal object of enjoyment, such as food, clothing, residence or vehicle, one considers the relative quality of the object to be acquired. Consequently, in material life one is in constant anxiety, trying to acquire the most excellent sense gratification for one’s personal pleasure. If one realizes everything as the property of the Lord, however, he will see everything as meant for the Lord’s pleasure. He will feel no personal anxiety, because he is satisfied simply to be engaged in the Lord’s loving service. It is not possible to exploit the property of the Lord and at the same time advance in self-realization.

Throughout history many of the above-mentioned inconveniences have been experienced by devotees of the Lord. One who is advanced in God consciousness does not allow himself to become obsessed with the material body even in such conditions, but rather keeps the mind fixed on the spiritual platform through proper intelligence.

Unless one becomes advanced in the process of hearing and chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord, theoretical learning cannot make one actually saintly. One’s conditioned personality, the result of long material association, is very difficult to overcome. Therefore we should humbly take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, who has so wonderfully explained to Śrī Uddhava the real meaning of knowledge.