Chapter 27: Understanding Material Nature

 

3.27.1

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

prakṛti-stho 'pi puruṣo

nājyate prākṛtair guṇaiḥ

avikārād akartṛtvān

nirguṇatvāj jalārkavat

 

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Personality of Godhead said; prakṛti-sthaḥ — residing in the material body; api — although; puruṣaḥ — the living entity; na — not; ajyate — is affected; prākṛtaiḥ — of material nature; guṇaiḥ — by the modes; avikārāt — from being without change; akartṛtvāt — by freedom from proprietorship; nirguṇatvāt — from being unaffected by the qualities of material nature; jala — on water; arkavat — like the sun.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Personality of Godhead Kapila continued: When the living entity is thus unaffected by the modes of material nature, because he is unchanging and does not claim proprietorship, he remains apart from the reactions of the modes, although abiding in a material body, just as the sun remains aloof from its reflection on water.

 

3.27.2

sa eṣa yarhi prakṛter

guṇeṣv abhiviṣajjate

ahańkriyā-vimūḍhātmā

kartāsmīty abhimanyate

 

saḥ — that very living entity; eṣaḥ — this; yarhi — when; prakṛteḥ — of material nature; guṇeṣu — in the modes; abhiviṣajjate — is absorbed; ahańkriyā — by false ego; vimūḍha — bewildered; ātmā — the individual soul; kartā — the doer; asmi — I am; iti — thus; abhimanyate — he thinks.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When the soul is under the spell of material nature and false ego, identifying his body as the self, he becomes absorbed in material activities, and by the influence of false ego he thinks that he is the proprietor of everything.

 

3.27.3

tena saḿsāra-padavīm

avaśo 'bhyety anirvṛtaḥ

prāsańgikaiḥ karma-doṣaiḥ

sad-asan-miśra-yoniṣu

 

tena — by this; saḿsāra — of repeated birth and death; padavīm — the path; avaśaḥ — helplessly; abhyeti — he undergoes; anirvṛtaḥ — discontented; prāsańgikaiḥ — resulting from association with material nature; karma-doṣaiḥ — by faulty actions; sat — good; asat — bad; miśra — mixed; yoniṣu — in different species of life.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The conditioned soul therefore transmigrates into different species of life, higher and lower, because of his association with the modes of material nature. Unless he is relieved of material activities, he has to accept this position because of his faulty work.

 

3.27.4

arthe hy avidyamāne 'pi

saḿsṛtir na nivartate

dhyāyato viṣayān asya

svapne 'narthāgamo yathā

 

arthe — real cause; hi — certainly; avidyamāne — not existing; api — although; saḿsṛtiḥ — the material existential condition; na — not; nivartate — does cease; dhyāyataḥ — contemplating; viṣayān — objects of the senses; asya — of the living entity; svapne — in a dream; anartha — of disadvantages; āgamaḥ — arrival; yathā — like.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Actually a living entity is transcendental to material existence, but because of his mentality of lording it over material nature, his material existential condition does not cease, and just as in a dream, he is affected by all sorts of disadvantages.

 

3.27.5

ata eva śanaiś cittaḿ

prasaktam asatāḿ pathi

bhakti-yogena tīvreṇa

viraktyā ca nayed vaśam

 

ataḥ eva — therefore; śanaiḥ — gradually; cittam — mind, consciousness; prasaktam — attached; asatām — of material enjoyments; pathi — on the path; bhakti-yogena — by devotional service; tīvreṇa — very serious; viraktyā — without attachment; ca — and; nayet — he must bring; vaśam — under control.

 

TRANSLATION

 

It is the duty of every conditioned soul to engage his polluted consciousness, which is now attached to material enjoyment, in very serious devotional service with detachment. Thus his mind and consciousness will be under full control.

 

3.27.6

yamādibhir yoga-pathair

abhyasañ śraddhayānvitaḥ

mayi bhāvena satyena

mat-kathā-śravaṇena ca

 

yama-ādibhiḥ — beginning with yama; yoga-pathaiḥ — by the yoga system; abhyasan — practicing; śraddhayā anvitaḥ — with great faith; mayi — unto Me; bhāvena — with devotion; satyena — unalloyed; mat-kathā — stories about Me; śravaṇena — by hearing; ca — and.

 

TRANSLATION

 

One has to become faithful by practicing the controlling process of the yoga system and must elevate himself to the platform of unalloyed devotional service by chanting and hearing about Me.

 

3.27.7

sarva-bhūta-samatvena

nirvaireṇāprasańgataḥ

brahmacaryeṇa maunena

sva-dharmeṇa balīyasā

 

sarva — all; bhūta — living entities; samatvena — by seeing equally; nirvaireṇa — without enmity; aprasańgataḥ — without intimate connections; brahma-caryeṇa — by celibacy; maunena — by silence; sva-dharmeṇa — by one's occupation; balīyasā — by offering the result.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In executing devotional service, one has to see every living entity equally, without enmity towards anyone yet without intimate connections with anyone. One has to observe celibacy, be grave and execute his eternal activities, offering the results to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

3.27.8

yadṛcchayopalabdhena

santuṣṭo mita-bhuń muniḥ

vivikta-śaraṇaḥ śānto

maitraḥ karuṇa ātmavān

 

yadṛcchayā — without difficulty; upalabdhena — with what is obtained; santuṣṭaḥ — satisfied; mita — little; bhuk — eating; muniḥ — thoughtful; vivikta-śaraṇaḥ — living in a secluded place; śāntaḥ — peaceful; maitraḥ — friendly; karuṇaḥ — compassionate; ātma-vān — self-possessed, self-realized.

 

TRANSLATION

 

For his income a devotee should be satisfied with what he earns without great difficulty. He should not eat more than what is necessary. He should live in a secluded place and always be thoughtful, peaceful, friendly, compassionate and self-realized.

 

3.27.9

sānubandhe ca dehe 'sminn

akurvann asad-āgraham

jñānena dṛṣṭa-tattvena

prakṛteḥ puruṣasya ca

 

sa-anubandhe — with bodily relationships; ca — and; dehe — towards the body; asmin — this; akurvan — not doing; asat-āgraham — bodily concept of life; jñānena — through knowledge; dṛṣṭa — having seen; tattvena — the reality; prakṛteḥ — of matter; puruṣasya — of spirit; ca — and.

 

TRANSLATION

 

One's seeing power should be increased through knowledge of spirit and matter, and one should not unnecessarily identify himself with the body and thus become attracted by bodily relationships.

 

3.27.10

nivṛtta-buddhy-avasthāno

dūrī-bhūtānya-darśanaḥ

upalabhyātmanātmānaḿ

cakṣuṣevārkam ātma-dṛk

 

nivṛtta — transcended; buddhi-avasthānaḥ — the stages of material consciousness; dūrī-bhūta — far off; anya — other; darśanaḥ — conceptions of life; upalabhya — having realized; ātmanā — by his purified intellect; ātmānam — his own self; cakṣuṣā — with his eyes; iva — as; arkam — the sun; ātma-dṛk — the self-realized.

 

TRANSLATION

 

One should be situated in the transcendental position, beyond the stages of material consciousness, and should be aloof from all other conceptions of life. Thus realizing freedom from false ego, one should see his own self just as he sees the sun in the sky.

 

3.27.11

mukta-lińgaḿ sad-ābhāsam

asati pratipadyate

sato bandhum asac-cakṣuḥ

sarvānusyūtam advayam

 

mukta-lińgam — transcendental; sat-ābhāsam — manifest as a reflection; asati — in the false ego; pratipadyate — he realizes; sataḥ bandhum — the support of the material cause; asat-cakṣuḥ — the eye (revealer) of the illusory energy; sarva-anusyūtam — entered into everything; advayam — without a second.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A liberated soul realizes the Absolute Personality of Godhead, who is transcendental and who is manifest as a reflection even in the false ego. He is the support of the material cause and He enters into everything. He is absolute, one without a second, and He is the eyes of the illusory energy.

 

3.27.12

yathā jala-stha ābhāsaḥ

sthala-sthenāvadṛśyate

svābhāsena tathā sūryo

jala-sthena divi sthitaḥ

 

yathā — as; jala-sthaḥ — situated on water; ābhāsaḥ — a reflection; sthala-sthena — situated on the wall; avadṛśyate — is perceived; sva-ābhāsena — by its reflection; tathā — in that way; sūryaḥ — the sun; jala-sthena — situated on the water; divi — in the sky; sthitaḥ — situated.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The presence of the Supreme Lord can be realized just as the sun is realized first as a reflection on water, and again as a second reflection on the wall of a room, although the sun itself is situated in the sky.

 

3.27.13

evaḿ trivṛd-ahańkāro

bhūtendriya-manomayaiḥ

svābhāsair lakṣito 'nena

sad-ābhāsena satya-dṛk

 

evam — thus; tri-vṛt — the threefold; ahańkāraḥ — false ego; bhūta-indriya-manaḥ-mayaiḥ — consisting of body, senses and mind; sva-ābhāsaiḥ — by its own reflections; lakṣitaḥ — is revealed; anena — by this; sat-ābhāsena — by a reflection of Brahman; satya-dṛk — the self-realized soul.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The self-realized soul is thus reflected first in the threefold ego and then in the body, senses and mind.

 

3.27.14

bhūta-sūkṣmendriya-mano-

buddhy-ādiṣv iha nidrayā

līneṣv asati yas tatra

vinidro nirahańkriyaḥ

 

bhūta — the material elements; sūkṣma — the objects of enjoyment; indriya — the material senses; manaḥ — mind; buddhi — intelligence; ādiṣu — and so on; iha — here; nidrayā — by sleep; līneṣu — merged; asati — in the unmanifest; yaḥ — who; tatra — there; vinidraḥ — awake; nirahańkriyaḥ — freed from false ego.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Although a devotee appears to be merged in the five material elements, the objects of material enjoyment, the material senses and material mind and intelligence, he is understood to be awake and to be freed from the false ego.

 

3.27.15

manyamānas tadātmānam

anaṣṭo naṣṭavan mṛṣā

naṣṭe 'hańkaraṇe draṣṭā

naṣṭa-vitta ivāturaḥ

 

manyamānaḥ — thinking; tadā — then; ātmānam — himself; anaṣṭaḥ — although not lost; naṣṭa-vat — as lost; mṛṣā — falsely; naṣṭe ahańkaraṇe — because of the disappearance of the ego; draṣṭā — the seer; naṣṭa-vittaḥ — one who has lost his fortune; iva — like; āturaḥ — distressed.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The living entity can vividly feel his existence as the seer, but because of the disappearance of the ego during the state of deep sleep, he falsely takes himself to be lost, like a man who has lost his fortune and feels distressed, thinking himself to be lost.

 

3.27.16

evaḿ pratyavamṛśyāsāv

ātmānaḿ pratipadyate

sāhańkārasya dravyasya

yo 'vasthānam anugrahaḥ

 

evam — thus; pratyavamṛśya — after understanding; asau — that person; ātmānam — his self; pratipadyate — realizes; sa-ahańkārasya — accepted under false ego; dravyasya — of the situation; yaḥ — who; avasthānam — resting place; anugrahaḥ — the manifester.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When, by mature understanding, one can realize his individuality, then the situation he accepts under false ego becomes manifest to him.

 

3.27.17

devahūtir uvāca

puruṣaḿ prakṛtir brahman

na vimuñcati karhicit

anyonyāpāśrayatvāc ca

nityatvād anayoḥ prabho

 

devahūtiḥ uvāca — Devahūti said; puruṣam — the spirit soul; prakṛtiḥ — material nature; brahman — O brāhmaṇa; na — not; vimuñcati — does release; karhicit — at any time; anyonya — to one another; apāśrayatvāt — from attraction; ca — and; nityatvāt — from eternality; anayoḥ — of them both; prabho — O my Lord.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Śrī Devahūti inquired: My dear brāhmaṇa, does material nature ever give release to the spirit soul? Since one is attracted to the other eternally, how is their separation possible?

 

3.27.18

yathā gandhasya bhūmeś ca

na bhāvo vyatirekataḥ

apāḿ rasasya ca yathā

tathā buddheḥ parasya ca

 

yathā — as; gandhasya — of aroma; bhūmeḥ — of earth; ca — and; na — no; bhāvaḥ — existence; vyatirekataḥ — separate; apām — of water; rasasya — of taste; ca — and; yathā — as; tathā — so; buddheḥ — of intelligence; parasya — of consciousness, spirit; ca — and.

 

TRANSLATION

 

As there is no separate existence of the earth and its aroma or of water and its taste, there cannot be any separate existence of intelligence and consciousness.

 

3.27.19

akartuḥ karma-bandho 'yaḿ

puruṣasya yad-āśrayaḥ

guṇeṣu satsu prakṛteḥ

kaivalyaḿ teṣv ataḥ katham

 

akartuḥ — of the passive performer, the nondoer; karma-bandhaḥ — bondage to fruitive activities; ayam — this; puruṣasya — of the soul; yat-āśrayaḥ — caused by attachment to the modes; guṇeṣu — while the modes; satsu — are existing; prakṛteḥ — of material nature; kaivalyam — freedom; teṣu — those; ataḥ — hence; katham — how.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Hence even though he is the passive performer of all activities, how can there be freedom for the soul as long as material nature acts on him and binds him?

 

3.27.20

kvacit tattvāvamarśena

nivṛttaḿ bhayam ulbaṇam

anivṛtta-nimittatvāt

punaḥ pratyavatiṣṭhate

 

kvacit — in a certain case; tattva — the fundamental principles; avamarśena — by reflecting upon; nivṛttam — avoided; bhayam — fear; ulbaṇam — great; anivṛtta — not ceased; nimittatvāt — since the cause; punaḥ — again; pratyavatiṣṭhate — it appears.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Even if the great fear of bondage is avoided by mental speculation and inquiry into the fundamental principles, it may still appear again, since its cause has not ceased.

 

3.27.21

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

animitta-nimittena

sva-dharmeṇāmalātmanā

tīvrayā mayi bhaktyā ca

śruta-sambhṛtayā ciram

 

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; animitta-nimittena — without desiring the fruits of activities; sva-dharmeṇa — by executing one's prescribed duties; amala-ātmanā — with a pure mind; tīvrayā — serious; mayi — unto Me; bhaktyā — by devotional service; ca — and; śruta — hearing; sambhṛtayā — endowed with; ciram — for a long time.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One can get liberation by seriously discharging devotional service unto Me and thereby hearing for a long time about Me or from Me. By thus executing one's prescribed duties, there will be no reaction, and one will be freed from the contamination of matter.

 

3.27.22

jñānena dṛṣṭa-tattvena

vairāgyeṇa balīyasā

tapo-yuktena yogena

tīvreṇātma-samādhinā

 

jñānena — in knowledge; dṛṣṭa-tattvena — with vision of the Absolute Truth; vairāgyeṇa — with renunciation; balīyasā — very strong; tapaḥ-yuktena — by engagement in austerity; yogena — by mystic yoga; tīvreṇa — firmly fixed; ātma-samādhinā — by self-absorption.

 

TRANSLATION

 

This devotional service has to be performed strongly in perfect knowledge and with transcendental vision. One must be strongly renounced and must engage in austerity and perform mystic yoga in order to be firmly fixed in self-absorption.

 

3.27.23

prakṛtiḥ puruṣasyeha

dahyamānā tv ahar-niśam

tiro-bhavitrī śanakair

agner yonir ivāraṇiḥ

 

prakṛtiḥ — the influence of material nature; puruṣasya — of the living entity; iha — here; dahyamānā — being consumed; tu — but; ahaḥ-niśam — day and night; tiraḥ-bhavitrī — disappearing; śanakaiḥ — gradually; agneḥ — of fire; yoniḥ — the cause of appearance; iva — as; araṇiḥ — wooden sticks.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The influence of material nature has covered the living entity, and thus it is as if the living entity were always in a blazing fire. But by the process of seriously discharging devotional service, this influence can be removed, just as wooden sticks which cause a fire are themselves consumed by it.

 

3.27.24

bhukta-bhogā parityaktā

dṛṣṭa-doṣā ca nityaśaḥ

neśvarasyāśubhaḿ dhatte

sve mahimni sthitasya ca

 

bhukta — enjoyed; bhogā — enjoyment; parityaktā — given up; dṛṣṭa — discovered; doṣā — faultiness; ca — and; nityaśaḥ — always; na — not; īśvarasya — of the independent; aśubham — harm; dhatte — she inflicts; sve mahimni — in his own glory; sthitasya — situated; ca — and.

 

TRANSLATION

 

By discovering the faultiness of his desiring to lord it over material nature and by therefore giving it up, the living entity becomes independent and stands in his own glory.

 

3.27.25

yathā hy apratibuddhasya

prasvāpo bahv-anartha-bhṛt

sa eva pratibuddhasya

na vai mohāya kalpate

 

yathā — as; hi — indeed; apratibuddhasya — of one who is sleeping; prasvāpaḥ — the dream; bahu-anartha-bhṛt — bearing many inauspicious things; saḥ eva — that very dream; pratibuddhasya — of one who is awake; na — not; vai — certainly; mohāya — for bewildering; kalpate — is capable.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In the dreaming state one's consciousness is almost covered, and one sees many inauspicious things, but when he is awakened and fully conscious, such inauspicious things cannot bewilder him.

 

3.27.26

evaḿ vidita-tattvasya

prakṛtir mayi mānasam

yuñjato nāpakuruta

ātmārāmasya karhicit

 

evam — thus; vidita-tattvasya — to one who knows the Absolute Truth; prakṛtiḥ — material nature; mayi — on Me; mānasam — the mind; yuñjataḥ — fixing; na — not; apakurute — can do harm; ātma-ārāmasya — to one who rejoices in the self; karhicit — at any time.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The influence of material nature cannot harm an enlightened soul, even though he engages in material activities, because he knows the truth of the Absolute, and his mind is fixed on the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

3.27.27

yadaivam adhyātma-rataḥ

kālena bahu-janmanā

sarvatra jāta-vairāgya

ābrahma-bhuvanān muniḥ

 

yadā — when; evam — thus; adhyātma-rataḥ — engaged in self-realization; kālena — for many years; bahu-janmanā — for many births; sarvatra — everywhere; jāta-vairāgyaḥ — detachment is born; ā-brahma-bhuvanāt — up to Brahmaloka; muniḥ — a thoughtful person.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When a person thus engages in devotional service and self-realization for many, many years and births, he becomes completely reluctant to enjoy any one of the material planets, even up to the highest planet, which is known as Brahmaloka; he becomes fully developed in consciousness.

 

3.27.28-29

mad-bhaktaḥ pratibuddhārtho

mat-prasādena bhūyasā

niḥśreyasaḿ sva-saḿsthānaḿ

kaivalyākhyaḿ mad-āśrayam

 

prāpnotīhāñjasā dhīraḥ

sva-dṛśā cchinna-saḿśayaḥ

yad gatvā na nivarteta

yogī lińgād vinirgame

 

mat-bhaktaḥ — My devotee; pratibuddha-arthaḥ — self-realized; mat-prasādena — by My causeless mercy; bhūyasā — unlimited; niḥśreyasam — the ultimate perfectional goal; sva-saḿsthānam — his abode; kaivalya-ākhyam — called kaivalya; mat-āśrayam — under My protection; prāpnoti — attains; iha — in this life; añjasā — truly; dhīraḥ — steady; sva-dṛśā — by knowledge of the self; chinna-saḿśayaḥ — freed from doubts; yat — to that abode; gatvā — having gone; na — never; nivarteta — comes back; yogī — the mystic devotee; lińgāt — from the subtle and gross material bodies; vinirgame — after departing.

 

TRANSLATION

 

My devotee actually becomes self-realized by My unlimited causeless mercy, and thus, when freed from all doubts, he steadily progresses towards his destined abode, which is directly under the protection of My spiritual energy of unadulterated bliss. That is the ultimate perfectional goal of the living entity. After giving up the present material body, the mystic devotee goes to that transcendental abode and never comes back.

 

3.27.30

yadā na yogopacitāsu ceto

māyāsu siddhasya viṣajjate 'ńga

ananya-hetuṣv atha me gatiḥ syād

ātyantikī yatra na mṛtyu-hāsaḥ

 

yadā — when; na — not; yoga-upacitāsu — to powers developed by yoga; cetaḥ — the attention; māyāsu — manifestations of māyā; siddhasya — of a perfect yogī; viṣajjate — is attracted; ańga — My dear mother; ananya-hetuṣu — having no other cause; atha — then; me — to Me; gatiḥ — his progress; syāt — becomes; ātyantikī — unlimited; yatra — where; na — not; mṛtyu-hāsaḥ — power of death.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When a perfect yogī's attention is no longer attracted to the by-products of mystic powers, which are manifestations of the external energy, his progress towards Me becomes unlimited, and thus the power of death cannot overcome him.