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samsayah—doubt; atra—here; tu—but; me—my; vipra—O brahmana; sanchinnah—cleared; tat-krtah—done by that; mahan—very great; rsayah—the great sages; api—even; hi—certainly; muhyanti—are bewildered; yatra—where; na—not; indriya—of the senses; vrttayah—activities.

My dear brahmana, there are contradictions between your instructions and those of my spiritual teachers who engaged me in fruitive activities. I now can understand the distinction between devotional service, knowledge and renunciation. I had some doubts about them, but you have now very kindly dissipated all these doubts. I can now understand how even the great sages are bewildered by the real purpose of life. Of course, there is no question of sense gratification.

King Barhisman was engaged in different types of sacrifice for elevation to the heavenly planets. People generally are attracted by these activities, and very rarely is a person attracted to devotional service, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms. Unless one is very, very fortunate, he does not take to devotional service. Even the so-called learned Vedic scholars are bewildered by devotional service. They are generally attracted to the rituals for sense gratification. In devotional service there is no sense gratification, but only transcendental loving service to the Lord. Consequently, the so-called priests engaged in sense gratification do not very much like devotional service. The brahmanas, the priests, have been against this Krsna consciousness movement since it began with Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu started this movement, the priestly class lodged complaints to the Kazi, the magistrate of the Muhammadan government. Caitanya Mahaprabhu had to lead a civil disobedience movement against the propaganda of the so-called followers of Vedic principles. These people are described as karma jada-smartas, which indicates that they are priests engaged in ritualistic ceremonies. It is here stated that such people become bewildered (rsayo ’pi hi muhyanti). To save oneself from the hands of these karma jada-smartas, one should strictly follow the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.” (Bg. 18.66)

SB4.29.58

TEXT 58

karmany arabhate yena

puman iha vihaya tam

amutranyena dehena

justani sa yad asnute

karmani—fruitive activities; arabhate—begins to perform; yena—by which; puman—a living entity; iha—in this life; vihaya—giving up; tam—that; amutra—in the next life; anyena—another; dehena—by a body; justani—the results; sah—he; yat—that; asnute—enjoys.

The results of whatever a living entity does in this life are enjoyed in the next life.

A person generally does not know how one body is linked with another body. How is it possible that one suffers or enjoys the results of activities in this body in yet another body in the next life. This is a question the King wants Narada Muni to answer. How may one have a human body in this life and not have a human body in the next? Even great philosophers and scientists cannot account for the transferal of karma from one body to another. As we experience, every individual soul has an individual body, and one person’s activities or one body’s activities are not enjoyed or suffered by another body or another person. The question is how the activities of one body are suffered or enjoyed in the next.

SB4.29.59

TEXT 59

iti veda-vidam vadah

sruyate tatra tatra ha

karma yat kriyate proktam

paroksam na prakasate

iti—thus; veda-vidam—of persons who know the Vedic conclusions; vadah—the thesis; sruyate—is heard; tatra tatra—here and there; ha—certainly; karma—the activity; yat—what; kriyate—is performed; proktam—as it was said; paroksam—unknown; na prakasate—is not directly manifested.

The expert knowers of the Vedic conclusions say that one enjoys or suffers the results of his past activities. But practically it is seen that the body that performed the work in the last birth is already lost. So how is it possible to enjoy or suffer the reactions of that work in a different body?

Atheists want evidence for the resultant actions of past activities. Therefore they ask, “Where is the proof that I am suffering and enjoying the resultant actions of past karma?” They have no idea how the subtle body carries the results of the present body’s actions down to the next gross body. The present body may be finished grossly, but the subtle body is not finished; it carries the soul to the next body. Actually the gross body is dependent on the subtle body. Therefore the next gross body must suffer and enjoy according to the subtle body. The soul is carried by the subtle body continuously until liberated from gross material bondage.

tenaivamutra tat puman

bhunkte hy avyavadhanena

lingena manasa svayam

naradah uvaca—Narada said; yena—by which; eva—certainly; arabhate—begins; karma—fruitive activities; tena—by that body; eva—certainly; amutra—in the next life; tat—that; puman—the living entity; bhunkte—enjoys; hi—because; avyavadhanena—without any change; lingena—by the subtle body; manasa—by the mind; svayam—personally.

The great sage Narada continued: The living entity acts in a gross body in this life. This body is forced to act by the subtle body, composed of mind, intelligence and ego. After the gross body is lost, the subtle body is still there to enjoy or suffer. Thus there is no change.

The living entity has two kinds of body—the subtle body and the gross body. Actually he enjoys through the subtle body, which is composed of mind, intelligence and ego. The gross body is the instrumental outer covering. When the gross body is lost, or when it dies, the root of the gross body—the mind, intelligence and ego—continues and brings about another gross body. Although the gross bodies apparently change, the real root of the gross body—the subtle body of mind, intelligence and ego—is always there. The subtle body’s activities—be they pious or impious—create another situation for the living entity to enjoy or suffer in the next gross body. Thus the subtle body continues whereas the gross bodies change one after another.

Since modern scientists and philosophers are too materialistic, and since their knowledge is taken away by the illusory energy, they cannot explain how the gross body is changing. The materialistic philosopher Darwin has tried to study the changes of the gross body, but because he had no knowledge of either the subtle body or the soul, he could not clearly explain how the evolutionary process is going on. One may change the gross body, but he works in the subtle body. People cannot understand the activities of the subtle body, and consequently they are bewildered as to how the actions of one gross body affect another gross body. The activities of the subtle body are also guided by the Supersoul, as explained in Bhagavad-gita (15.15):

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.”

Because the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Supersoul is always guiding the individual soul, the individual soul always knows how to act according to the reactions of his past karma. In other words, the Supersoul reminds him to act in such a way. Therefore although there is apparently a change in the gross body, there is a continuation between the lives of an individual soul.

SB4.29.61

TEXT 61

sayanam imam utsrjya

svasantam puruso yatha

karmatmany ahitam bhunkte

tadrsenetarena va

sayanam—lying down on a bed; imam—this body; utsrjya—after giving up; svasantam—breathing; purusah—the living entity; yatha—as; karma—activity; atmani—in the mind; ahitam—executed; bhunkte—enjoys; tadrsena—by a similar body; itarena—by a different body; va—or.

The living entity, while dreaming, gives up the actual living body. Through the activities of his mind and intelligence, he acts in another body, either as a god or a dog. After giving up this gross body, the living entity enters either an animal body or a demigod’s body on this planet or on another planet. He thus enjoys the results of the actions of his past life.

Although the root of distress and happiness is the mind, intelligence and ego, a gross body is still required as an instrument for enjoyment. The gross body may change, but the subtle body continues to act. Unless the living entity gets another gross body, he will have to continue in a subtle body, or a ghostly body. One becomes a ghost when the subtle body acts without the help of the instrumental gross body. As stated in this verse, sayanam imam utsrjya svasantam. The gross body may lie on a bed and rest, and even though the machinery of the gross body is working, the living entity may leave, go into a dream, and return to the gross body. When he returns to the body, he forgets his dream. Similarly, when the living entity takes on another gross body, he forgets the present gross body. The conclusion is that the subtle body—mind, intelligence and ego—creates an atmosphere with desires and ambitions that the living entity enjoys in the subtle body. Actually the living entity is in the subtle body, even though the gross body apparently changes and even though he inhabits the gross body on various planets. All the activities performed by the living entity in the subtle body are called illusory because they are not permanent. Liberation means getting out of the clutches of the subtle body. Liberation from the gross body simply involves the transmigration of the soul from one gross body to another. When the mind is educated in Krsna consciousness, or higher consciousness in the mode of goodness, one is transferred either to the upper, heavenly planets or to the spiritual world, the Vaikuntha planets. One therefore has to change his consciousness by cultivating knowledge received from Vedic instructions from the Supreme Personality of Godhead through the disciplic succession. If we train the subtle body in this life by always thinking about Krsna, we will transfer to Krsnaloka after leaving the gross body. This is confirmed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so ’rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and activities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this material world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” (Bg. 4.9)

Thus the change of the gross body is not very important, but the change of the subtle body is important. The Krsna consciousness movement is educating people to enlighten the subtle body. The perfect example in this regard is Ambarisa Maharaja, who always engaged his mind on the lotus feet of Lord Krsna. Sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh. Similarly, in this life we should always fix our mind on the lotus feet of Krsna, who is present in His arca-vigraha, the incarnation of the Deity in the temple. We should also always engage in His worship. If we engage our speech in describing the activities of the Lord and our ears in hearing about His pastimes, and if we follow the regulative principles to keep the mind intact for advancing in Krsna consciousness, we shall certainly be elevated to the spiritual platform. Then at the time of death the mind, intelligence and ego will no longer be materially contaminated. The living entity is present, and the mind, intelligence and ego are also present. When the mind, intelligence and ego are purified, all the active senses of the living entity become spiritual. Thus the living entity attains his sac-cid-ananda form. The Supreme Lord is always in His sac-cid-ananda form, but the living entity, although part and parcel of the Lord, becomes materially contaminated when he desires to come to the material world for material enjoyment. The prescription for returning home, back to Godhead, is given by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (9.34):

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat-parayanah

“Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.”

SB4.29.62

TEXT 62

mamaite manasa yad yad

asav aham iti bruvan

grhniyat tat puman raddham

karma yena punar bhavah

mama—mind; ete—all these; manasa—by the mind; yat yat—whatever; asau—that; aham—I (am); iti—thus; bruvan—accepting; grhniyat—takes with him; tat—that; puman—the living entity; raddham—perfected; karma—work; yena—by which; punah—again; bhavah—material existence.

The living entity labors under the bodily conception of “I am this, I am that. My duty is this, and therefore I shall do it.” These are all mental impressions, and all these activities are temporary; nonetheless, by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the living entity gets a chance to execute all his mental concoctions. Thus he gets another body.

As long as one is absorbed in the bodily conception, his activities are performed on that platform. This is not very difficult to understand. In the world, we see that every nation is trying to supersede every other nation and that every man is trying to advance beyond his fellow man. All these activities are going on under the name of advancement of civilization. There are many plans for making the body comfortable, and these plans are carried in the subtle body after the destruction of the gross body. It is not a fact that after the gross body is destroyed the living entity is finished. Although many great philosophers and teachers in this world are under the impression that after the body is finished everything is finished, this is not a fact. Narada Muni says in this verse that at death one takes his plans with him (grhniyat), and to execute these plans he gets another body. This is called punar bhavah. When the gross body is finished, the plans of the living entity are taken by the mind, and by the grace of the Lord, the living entity gets a chance to give these plans shape in the next life. This is known as the law of karma. As long as the mind is absorbed in the laws of karma, a certain type of body must be accepted in the next life.

Karma is the aggregate of fruitive activities conducted to make this body comfortable or uncomfortable. We have actually seen that when one man was about to die he requested his physician to give him a chance to live four more years so that he could finish his plans. This means that while dying he was thinking of his plans. After his body was destroyed, he doubtlessly carried his plans with him by means of the subtle body, composed of mind, intelligence and ego. Thus he would get another chance by the grace of the Supreme Lord, the Supersoul, who is always within the heart.

sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca

[Bg. 15.15]

In the next birth, one acquires remembrance from the Supersoul and begins to execute the plans begun in the previous life. This is also explained in Bhagavad-gita in another verse:

isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese ’rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya

“The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone’s heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy.” (Bg. 18.61) Situated on the vehicle given by material nature and reminded by the Supersoul within the heart, the living entity struggles all over the universe to fulfill his plans, thinking, “I am a brahmana,” “I am a ksatriya,” “I am an American,” “I am an Indian,” and so on. All these designations are of the same essence. There is no point in becoming a brahmana in preference to an American or becoming an American in preference to a Negro. After all, these are all bodily conceptions under the modes of material nature.

SB4.29.63

TEXT 63

yathanumiyate cittam

ubhayair indriyehitaih

evam prag-dehajam karma

laksyate citta-vrttibhih

yatha—as; anumiyate—can be imagined; cittam—one’s consciousness or mental condition; ubhayaih—both; indriya—of the senses; ihitaih—by the activities; evam—similarly; prak—previous; dehajam—performed by the body; karma—activities; laksyate—can be perceived; citta—of consciousness; vrttibhih—by the occupations.

One can understand the mental or conscious position of a living entity by the activities of two kinds of senses—the knowledge-acquiring senses and the executive senses. Similarly, by the mental condition or consciousness of a person, one can understand his position in the previous life.

There is an English proverb that says, “The face is the index of the mind.” If one is angry, his anger is immediately expressed in his face. Similarly, other mental states are reflected by the actions of the gross body. In other words, the activities of the gross body are reactions of the mental condition. The mind’s activities are thinking, feeling and willing. The willing portion of the mind is manifest by the activities of the body. The conclusion is that by the activities of the body and senses, we can understand the condition of the mind. The condition of the mind is affected by past activities in the past body. When the mind is joined with a particular sense, it immediately becomes manifest in a certain way. For instance, when there is anger in the mind, the tongue vibrates so many maledictions. Similarly, when the mind’s anger is expressed through the hand, there is fighting. When it is expressed through the leg, there is kicking. There are so many ways in which the subtle activities of the mind are expressed through the various senses. The mind of a person in Krsna consciousness also acts in a similar way. The tongue chants Hare Krsna, the maha-mantra, the hands are raised in ecstasy, and the legs dance in Krsna consciousness. These symptoms are technically called asta-sattvika-vikara. Sattvika-vikara is transformation of the mental condition in goodness or sometimes transcendental ecstasy.

SB4.29.64

TEXT 64

nanubhutam kva canena

dehenadrstam asrutam

kadacid upalabhyeta

yad rupam yadrg atmani

na—never; anubhutam—experienced; kva—at any time; ca—also; anena dehena—by this body; adrstam—never seen; asrutam—never heard; kadacit—sometimes; upalabhyeta—may be experienced; yat—which; rupam—form; yadrk—whatever kind; atmani—in the mind.

Sometimes we suddenly experience something that was never experienced in the present body by sight or hearing. Sometimes we see such things suddenly in dreams.

In dreams we sometimes see things that we have never experienced in the present body. Sometimes in dreams we think that we are flying in the sky, although we have no experience of flying. This means that once in a previous life, either as a demigod or astronaut, we flew in the sky. The impression is there in the stockpile of the mind, and it suddenly expresses itself. It is like fermentation taking place in the depths of water, which sometimes manifests itself in bubbles on the water’s surface. Sometimes we dream of coming to a place we have never known or experienced in this lifetime, but this is proof that in a past life we experienced this. The impression is kept within the mind and sometimes becomes manifest either in dream or in thought. The conclusion is that the mind is the storehouse of various thoughts and experiences undergone during our past lives. Thus there is a chain of continuation from one life to another, from previous lives to this life, and from this life to future lives. This is also sometimes proved by saying that a man is a born poet, a born scientist or a born devotee. If, like Maharaja Ambarisa, we think of Krsna constantly in this life (sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh), we will certainly be transferred to the kingdom of God at the time of death. Even if our attempt to be Krsna conscious is not complete, our Krsna consciousness will continue in the next life. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (6.41):

prapya punya-krtam lokan
usitva sasvatih samah
sucinam srimatam gehe
yoga-bhrasto ’bhijayate

“The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.”

If we rigidly follow the principles of meditation on Krsna, there is no doubt that in our next life we will be transferred to Krsnaloka, Goloka Vrndavana.

SB4.29.65

TEXT 65

tenasya tadrsam rajal

lingino deha-sambhavam

sraddhatsvananubhuto ’rtho

na manah sprastum arhati

tena—therefore; asya—of the living entity; tadrsam—like that; rajan—O King; linginah—who has a subtle mental covering; deha-sambhavam—produced in the previous body; sraddhatsva—accept it as fact; ananubhutah—not perceived; arthah—a thing; na—never; manah—in the mind; sprastum—to manifest; arhati—is able.

Therefore, my dear King, the living entity, who has a subtle mental covering, develops all kinds of thoughts and images because of his previous body. Take this from me as certain. There is no possibility of concocting anything mentally without having perceived it in the previous body.

krsna-bahirmukha hana bhoga-vancha kare
nikata-stha maya tare japatiya dhare

(Prema-vivarta)

Actually the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the supreme enjoyer. When a living entity wants to imitate Him, he is given a chance to satisfy his false desire to lord it over material nature. That is the beginning of his downfall. As long as he is within this material atmosphere, he has a subtle vehicle in the form of the mind, which is the stockpile of all kinds of material desires. Such desires become manifest in different bodily forms. Srila Narada Muni requests the King to accept this fact from him because Narada is an authority. The conclusion is that the mind is the storehouse of our past desires, and we have this present body due to our past desires. Similarly, whatever we desire in this present body will be expressed in a future body. Thus the mind is the source of different kinds of bodies.

If the mind is purified by Krsna consciousness, one will naturally in the future get a body that is spiritual and full of Krsna consciousness. Such a body is our original form, as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms, jivera ‘svarupa’ haya—krsnera ‘nitya-dasa’: [Cc. Madhya 20.108] “Every living entity is constitutionally an eternal servant of Krsna.” If a person is engaged in the devotional service of the Lord, he is to be considered a liberated soul even in this life. This is confirmed by Srila Rupa Gosvami:

iha yasya harer dasye
karmana manasa gira
nikhilasv apy avasthasu
jivan-muktah sa ucyate

“One who engages in the transcendental service of the Lord in body, mind and words is to be considered liberated in all conditions of material existence.” (Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.187) The Krsna consciousness movement is based on this principle. We must teach people to absorb themselves always in the service of the Lord because that position is their natural position. One who is always serving the Lord is to be considered already liberated. This is also confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (14.26):

mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate

“One who always engages in the spiritual activities of unalloyed devotional service at once transcends the modes of material nature and is elevated to the spiritual platform.” The devotee is therefore above the three modes of material nature and is even transcendental to the brahmana platform. A brahmana may be infected by the two baser modes—namely rajo-guna and tamo-guna. A pure devotee, who is free from all material desires experienced on the mental platform and who is also free from empiric philosophical speculation or fruitive activity, is always above material conditioning and is always liberated.

bhavisyatas ca bhadram te

tathaiva na bhavisyatah

manah—the mind; eva—certainly; manusyasya—of a man; purva—past; rupani—forms; samsati—indicates; bhavisyatah—of one who will take birth; ca—also; bhadram—good fortune; te—unto you; tatha—thus; eva—certainly; na—not; bhavisyatah—of one who will take birth.

O King, all good fortune unto you! The mind is the cause of the living entity’s attaining a certain type of body in accordance with his association with material nature. According to one’s mental composition, one can understand what the living entity was in his past life as well as what kind of body he will have in the future. Thus the mind indicates the past and future bodies.

The mind is the index of information about one’s past and future lives. If a man is a devotee of the Lord, he cultivated devotional service in his previous life. Similarly, if one’s mind is criminal, he was criminal in his last life. In the same way, according to the mind, we can understand what will happen in a future life. In Bhagavad-gita (14.18) it is said:

urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah

“Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.”

If a person is in the mode of goodness, his mental activities will promote him to a higher planetary system. Similarly, if he has a low mentality, his future life will be most abominable. The lives of the living entity, in both the past and the future, are indicated by the mental condition. Narada Muni is herein offering the King blessings of all good fortune so that the King will not desire anything or make plans for sense gratification. The King was engaged in fruitive ritualistic ceremonies because he hoped to get a better life in the future. Narada Muni desired him to give up all mental concoctions. As explained before, all bodies in heavenly planets and hellish planets arise from mental concoctions, and the sufferings and enjoyments of material life are simply on the mental platform. They take place on the chariot of the mind (mano-ratha). It is therefore said:

yasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana
sarvair gunais tatra samasate surah
harav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna
mano-rathenasati dhavato bahih

“One who has unflinching devotion for the Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods. But one who is not a devotee of the Lord has only material qualifications, that are of little value. This is because he is hovering on the mental plane and is certain to be attracted by the glaring material energy.” (Bhag. 5.18.12)

Unless one becomes a devotee of the Lord, or becomes fully Krsna conscious, he will certainly hover on the mental platform and be promoted and degraded in different types of bodies. All qualities that are considered good according to the material estimation actually have no value because these so-called good qualities will not save a person from the cycle of birth and death. The conclusion is that one should be without mental desire. Anyabhilasita-sunyam jnana-karmady-anavrtam: [Madhya 19.167] one should be fully free from material desires, philosophical speculation and fruitive activity. The best course for a human being is to favorably accept the transcendental devotional service of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of human life.

SB4.29.67

TEXT 67

adrstam asrutam catra

kvacin manasi drsyate

yatha tathanumantavyam

desa-kala-kriyasrayam

adrstam—never experienced; asrutam—never heard; ca—and; atra—in this life; kvacit—at some time; manasi—in the mind; drsyate—is visible; yatha—as; tatha—accordingly; anumantavyam—to be understood; desa—place; kala—time; kriya—activity; asrayam—depending on.

Sometimes in a dream we see something never experienced or heard of in this life, but all these incidents have been experienced at different times, in different places and in different conditions.