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yah—who; icchaya—by His will (without being forced by anyone); isah—the supreme controller; srjati—creates; idam—this (material world); avyayah—remaining as He is (not having lost His own existence because of having created so many material manifestations); yah—who; eva—indeed; raksati—maintains; avalumpate—annihilates; ca—also; yah—who; tasya—of Him; abalah—O poor women; kridanam—the playing; ahuh—they say; isituh—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; cara-acaram—moving and not moving; nigraha—in destruction; sangrahe—or in protection; prabhuh—fully able.

The boy addressed the women: O weak women! Only by the will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is never diminished, is the entire world created, maintained and again annihilated. This is the verdict of the Vedic knowledge. This material creation, consisting of the moving and nonmoving, is exactly like His plaything. Being the Supreme Lord, He is completely competent to destroy and protect.

In this regard the queens might argue, “If our husband was protected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead when in the womb, why has he not been given protection now?” To this question the answer is, ya icchayesah srjatidam avyayo ya eva raksaty avalumpate ca yah. One cannot argue with the activities of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Lord is always free, and therefore He can protect and can also annihilate. He is not our order carrier; whatever He likes He will do. Therefore He is the Supreme Lord. The Lord does not create this material world at anyone’s request, and therefore He can annihilate everything merely by His will. That is His supremacy. If one argues, “Why does He act in this way?” the answer is that He can do so because He is supreme. No one can question His activities. If one argues, “What is the purpose of this sinful creation and annihilation?” the answer is that to prove His omnipotence He can do anything, and no one can question Him. If He were answerable to us concerning why He does something and why He does not, His supremacy would be curtailed.

SB7.2.40

TEXT 40

pathi cyutam tisthati dista-raksitam

grhe sthitam tad-vihatam vinasyati

jivaty anatho ’pi tad-iksito vane

grhe ’bhigupto ’sya hato na jivati

pathi—on the public road; cyutam—some possession dropped; tisthati—it remains; dista-raksitam—protected by destiny; grhe—at home; sthitam—although situated; tat-vihatam—struck by the will of the Supreme; vinasyati—it is lost; jivati—remains alive; anathah api—although without a protector; tat-iksitah—being protected by the Lord; vane—in the forest; grhe—at home; abhiguptah—well hidden and protected; asya—of this one; hatah—struck; na—not; jivati—lives.

Sometimes one loses his money on a public street, where everyone can see it, and yet his money is protected by destiny and not seen by others. Thus the man who lost it gets it back. On the other hand, if the Lord does not give protection, even money maintained very securely at home is lost. If the Supreme Lord gives one protection, even though one has no protector and is in the jungle, one remains alive, whereas a person well protected at home by relatives and others sometimes dies, no one being able to protect him.

These are examples of the supremacy of the Lord. Our plans to protect or annihilate do not act, but whatever He thinks of doing actually happens. The examples given in this regard are practical. Everyone has had such practical experiences, and there are also many other clear examples. For instance, Prahlada Maharaja said that a child is certainly dependent on his father and mother, but in spite of their presence, the child is harassed in many ways. Sometimes, in spite of a supply of good medicine and an experienced physician, a patient does not survive. Therefore, since everything is dependent on the free will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, our only duty is to surrender unto Him and seek His protection.

SB7.2.41

TEXT 41

bhutani tais tair nija-yoni-karmabhir

bhavanti kale na bhavanti sarvasah

na tatra hatma prakrtav api sthitas

tasya gunair anyatamo hi badhyate

bhutani—all the bodies of the living entities; taih taih—their own respective; nija-yoni—causing their own bodies; karmabhih—by past activities; bhavanti—appear; kale—in due course of time; na bhavanti—disappear; sarvasah—in all respects; na—not; tatra—there; ha—indeed; atma—the soul; prakrtau—within this material world; api—although; sthitah—situated; tasyah—of her (the material energy); gunaih—by different modes; anya-tamah—most different; hi—indeed; badhyate—is bound.

Every conditioned soul receives a different type of body according to his work, and when the engagement is finished the body is finished. Although the spirit soul is situated in subtle and gross material bodies in different forms of life, he is not bound by them, for he is always understood to be completely different from the manifested body.

idam sariram purusasya mohajam

Here it is very plainly explained that God is not responsible for the living entity’s accepting different types of bodies. One has to accept a body according to the laws of nature and one’s own karma. Therefore the Vedic injunction is that a person engaged in material activities should be given directions by which he can intelligently apply his activities to the service of the Lord to become free from the material bondage of repeated birth and death (sva-karmana tam abhyarcya siddhim vindati manavah). The Lord is always ready to give directions. Indeed, His directions are elaborately given in Bhagavad-gita. If we take advantage of these directions, then in spite of our being conditioned by the laws of material nature, we shall become free to attain our original constitution (mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te [Bg. 7.14]). We should have firm faith that the Lord is supreme and that if we surrender to Him, He will take charge of us and indicate how we can get out of material life and return home, back to Godhead. Without such surrender, one is obliged to accept a certain type of body according to his karma, sometimes as an animal, sometimes a demigod and so on. Although the body is obtained and lost in due course of time, the spirit soul does not actually mix with the body, but is subjugated by the particular modes of nature with which he is sinfully associated. Spiritual education changes one’s consciousness so that one simply carries out the orders of the Supreme Lord and becomes free from the influence of the modes of material nature.

SB7.2.42

TEXT 42

yatha prthag bhautikam iyate grham

yathaudakaih parthiva-taijasair janah

kalena jato vikrto vinasyati

idam—this; sariram—body; purusasya—of the conditioned soul; moha-jam—born of ignorance; yatha—just as; prthak—separate; bhautikam—material; iyate—is seen; grham—a house; yatha—just as; udakaih—with water; parthiva—with earth; taijasaih—and with fire; janah—the conditioned soul; kalena—in due course of time; jatah—born; vikrtah—transformed; vinasyati—is vanquished.

Just as a householder, although different from the identity of his house, thinks his house to be identical with him, so the conditioned soul, due to ignorance, accepts the body to be himself, although the body is actually different from the soul. This body is obtained through a combination of portions of earth, water and fire, and when the earth, water and fire are transformed in the course of time, the body is vanquished. The soul has nothing to do with this creation and dissolution of the body.

We transmigrate from one body to another in bodies that are products of our illusion, but as spirit souls we always exist separately from material, conditional life. The example given here is that a house or car is always different from its owner, but because of attachment the conditioned soul thinks it to be identical with him. A car or house is actually made of material elements; as long as the material elements combine together properly, the car or house exists, and when they are disassembled the house or the car is disassembled. The spirit soul, however, always remains as he is.

SB7.2.43

TEXT 43

yathanalo darusu bhinna iyate

yathanilo deha-gatah prthak sthitah

yatha nabhah sarva-gatam na sajjate

tatha puman sarva-gunasrayah parah

yatha—just as; analah—the fire; darusu—in wood; bhinnah—separate; iyate—is perceived; yatha—just as; anilah—the air; deha-gatah—within the body; prthak—separate; sthitah—situated; yatha—just as; nabhah—the sky; sarva-gatam—all-pervading; na—not; sajjate—mix; tatha—similarly; puman—the living entity; sarva-guna-asrayah—although now the shelter of the modes of material nature; parah—transcendental to material contamination.

As fire, although situated in wood, is perceived to be different from the wood, as air, although situated within the mouth and nostrils, is perceived to be separate, and as the sky, although all-pervading, never mixes with anything, so the living entity, although now encaged within the material body, of which it is the source, is separate from it.

In Bhagavad-gita the Supreme Personality of Godhead has explained that the material energy and spiritual energy both emanate from Him. The material energy is described as me bhinna prakrtir astadha, the eight separated energies of the Lord. But although the eight gross and subtle material energies—namely, earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—are stated to be bhinna, separate from the Lord, actually they are not. As fire appears separate from wood and as the air flowing through the nostrils and mouth of the body appear separate from the body, so the Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appears separate from the living being but is actually separate and not separate simultaneously. This is the philosophy of acintya-bhedabheda-tattva propounded by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. According to the reactions of karma, the living being appears separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but actually he is very intimately related with the Lord. Consequently, even though we now seem neglected by the Lord, He is actually always alert to our activities. Under all circumstances, therefore, we should simply depend on the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus revive our intimate relationship with Him. We must depend upon the authority and control of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB7.2.44

TEXT 44

suyajno nanv ayam sete

mudha yam anusocatha

yah srota yo ’nuvakteha

sa na drsyeta karhicit

suyajnah—the king named Suyajna; nanu—indeed; ayam—this; sete—lies; mudhah—O foolish people; yam—whom; anusocatha—you cry for; yah—he who; srota—the hearer; yah—he who; anuvakta—the speaker; iha—in this world; sah—he; na—not; drsyeta—is visible; karhicit—at any time.

Yamaraja continued: O lamenters, you are all fools! The person named Suyajna, for whom you lament, is still lying before you and has not gone anywhere. Then what is the cause for your lamentation? Previously he heard you and replied to you, but now, not finding him, you are lamenting. This is contradictory behavior, for you have never actually seen the person within the body who heard you and replied. There is no need for your lamentation, for the body you have always seen is lying here.

mukhyo ’py atra mahan asuh

This instruction by Yamaraja in the form of a boy is understandable even for a common man. A common man who considers the body the self is certainly comparable to an animal (yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke. .. sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]). But even a common man can understand that after death a person is gone. Although the body is still there, a dead man’s relatives lament that the person has gone away, for a common man sees the body but cannot see the soul. As described in Bhagavad-gita, dehino ’smin yatha dehe: [Bg. 2.13] the soul, the proprietor of the body, is within. After death, when the breath within the nostrils has stopped, one can understand that the person within the body, who was hearing and replying, has now gone. Therefore, in effect, the common man concludes that actually the spirit soul was different from the body and has now gone away. Thus even a common man, coming to his senses, can know that the real person who was within the body and was hearing and replying was never seen. For that which was never seen, what is the need of lamentation?

SB7.2.45

TEXT 45

na srota nanuvaktayam

yas tv ihendriyavan atma

sa canyah prana-dehayoh

na—not; srota—the listener; na—not; anuvakta—the speaker; ayam—this; mukhyah—chief; api—although; atra—in this body; mahan—the great; asuh—life air; yah—he who; tu—but; iha—in this body; indriya-van—possessing all the sense organs; atma—the soul; sah—he; ca—and; anyah—different; prana-dehayoh—from the life air and the material body.

In the body the most important substance is the life air, but that also is neither the listener nor the speaker. Beyond even the life air, the soul also can do nothing, for the Supersoul is actually the director, in cooperation with the individual soul. The Supersoul conducting the activities of the body is different from the body and living force.

bhajaty utsrjati hy anyas

The Supreme Personality of Godhead distinctly says 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.” Although the atma, or soul, is present in every material body (dehino ’smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]), he is not actually the chief person acting through the senses, mind and so on. The soul can merely act in cooperation with the Supersoul because it is the Supersoul who gives him directions to act or not to act (mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15]). One cannot act without His sanction, for the Supersoul is upadrasta and anumanta, the witness and sanctioner. One who studies carefully, under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master, can understand the real knowledge that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually the conductor of all the activities of the individual soul, and the controller of their results as well. Although the individual soul possesses the indriyas, or senses, he is not actually the proprietor, for the proprietor is the Supersoul. Consequently the Supersoul is called Hrsikesa, and the individual soul is advised by the direction of the Supersoul to surrender to Him and thus be happy (sama-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja). Thus he can become immortal and be transferred to the spiritual kingdom, where he will achieve the highest success of an eternal, blissful life of knowledge. In conclusion, the individual soul is different from the body, senses, living force and the airs within the body, and above him is the Supersoul, who gives the individual soul all facilities. The individual soul who renders everything to the Supersoul lives very happily within the body.

SB7.2.46

TEXT 46

bhutendriya-mano-lingan

dehan uccavacan vibhuh

tac capi svena tejasa

bhuta—by the five material elements; indriya—the ten senses; manah—and the mind; lingan—characterized; dehan—gross material bodies; ucca-avacan—high class and low class; vibhuh—the individual soul, which is the lord of the body and senses; bhajati—achieves; utsrjati—gives up; hi—indeed; anyah—being different; tat—that; ca—also; api—indeed; svena—by his own; tejasa—power of advanced knowledge.

The five material elements, the ten senses and the mind all combine to form the various parts of the gross and subtle bodies. The living entity comes in contact with his material bodies, whether high or low, and later gives them up by his personal prowess. This strength can be perceived in a living entity’s personal power to possess different types of bodies.

The conditioned soul has knowledge, and if he wants to fully utilize the gross and subtle bodies for his real advancement in life, he can do so. It is therefore said here that by his high intelligence (svena tejasa), by the superior power of superior knowledge achieved from the right source—the spiritual master, or acarya—he can give up his conditional life in a material body and return home, back to Godhead. However, if he wants to keep himself in the darkness of this material world, he can do so. The Lord confirms this as follows in Bhagavad-gita (9.25):

yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino ’pi mam

“Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.”

The human form of body is valuable. One can use this body to go to the higher planetary systems, to Pitrloka, or he can remain in this lower planetary system, but if one tries he can also return home, back to Godhead. This prowess is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead as the Supersoul. Therefore the Lord says, mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: [Bg. 15.15] “From Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” If one wants to receive real knowledge from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can become free from bondage to repeated acceptance of material bodies. If one takes to the devotional service of the Lord and surrenders unto Him, the Lord is prepared to give one directions by which to return home, back to Godhead, but if one foolishly wants to keep himself in darkness, he can continue in a life of material existence.

SB7.2.47

TEXT 47

yaval linganvito hy atma

tavat karma-nibandhanam

tato viparyayah kleso

maya-yogo ’nuvartate

yavat—as long as; linga-anvitah—covered by the subtle body; hi—indeed; atma—the soul; tavat—that long; karma—of fruitive activities; nibandhanam—bondage; tatah—from that; viparyayah—reversal (wrongly thinking the body to be the self); klesah—misery; maya-yogah—a strong relationship with the external, illusory energy; anuvartate—follows.

As long as the spirit soul is covered by the subtle body, consisting of the mind, intelligence and false ego, he is bound to the results of his fruitive activities. Because of this covering, the spirit soul is connected with the material energy and must accordingly suffer material conditions and reversals, continually, life after life.

yad gunesv artha-drg-vacah

The living entity is bound by the subtle body, consisting of the mind, intelligence and false ego. At the time of death, therefore, the position of the mind becomes the cause for the next body. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (8.6), yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram: at the time of death the mind sets the criteria for the spirit soul’s being carried to another type of body. If a living being resists the dictation of the mind and engages the mind in the loving service of the Lord, the mind cannot degrade him. The duty of all human beings, therefore, is to keep the mind always engaged at the lotus feet of the Lord (sa vai manah krsna-padaravindayoh). When the mind is engaged at the lotus feet of Krsna, the intelligence is purified, and then the intelligence gets inspiration from the Supersoul (dadami buddhi-yogam tam). Thus the living entity makes progress toward liberation from material bondage. The individual living soul is subject to the laws of fruitive activity, but the Supersoul, Paramatma, is not affected by the fruitive activities of the individual soul. As confirmed in the Vedic Upanisad, the Paramatma and the jivatma, who are likened to two birds, are sitting in the body. The jivatma is enjoying or suffering by eating the fruits of the bodily activities, but the Paramatma, who is free from such bondage, witnesses and sanctions the activities of the individual soul as the individual soul desires.

SB7.2.48

TEXT 48

vitathabhiniveso ’yam

yatha manorathah svapnah

sarvam aindriyakam mrsa

vitatha—fruitless; abhinivesah—the conception; ayam—this; yat—which; gunesu—in the modes of material nature; artha—as a fact; drk-vacah—the seeing and talking of; yatha—just as; manorathah—a mental concoction (daydream); svapnah—a dream; sarvam—everything; aindriyakam—produced by the senses; mrsa—false.

It is fruitless to see and talk of the material modes of nature and their resultant so-called happiness and distress as if they were factual. When the mind wanders during the day and a man begins to think himself extremely important, or when he dreams at night and sees a beautiful woman enjoying with him, these are merely false dreams. Similarly, the happiness and distress caused by the material senses should be understood to be meaningless.

The happiness and distress derived from the activities of the material senses are not actual happiness and distress. Therefore Bhagavad-gita speaks of happiness that is transcendental to the material conception of life (sukham atyantikam yat tad buddhi-grahyam atindriyam). When our senses are purified of material contamination, they become atindriya, transcendental senses, and when the transcendental senses are engaged in the service of the master of the senses, Hrsikesa, one can derive real transcendental pleasure. Whatever distress or happiness we manufacture by mental concoction through the subtle mind has no reality, but is simply a mental concoction. One should therefore not imagine so-called happiness through mental concoction. Rather, the best course is to engage the mind in the service of the Lord, Hrsikesa, and thus feel real blissful life.

There is a Vedic statement apama-somam amrta abhuma apsarobhir viharama. With reference to such a conception, one wants to go to the heavenly planets to enjoy with the young girls there and drink soma-rasa. Such imaginary pleasure, however, has no value. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (7.23), antavat tu phalam tesam tad bhavaty alpa-medhasam: “Men of small intelligence worship the demigods, and their fruits are limited and temporary.” Even if by fruitive activity or worship of the demigods one is elevated to the higher planetary systems for sense enjoyment, his situation is condemned in Bhagavad-gita as antavat, perishable. The happiness one enjoys in this way is like the pleasure of embracing a young woman in a dream; for some time it may be pleasing, but actually the basic principle is false. The mental concoctions of happiness and distress in this material world are compared to dreams because of their falseness. All thoughts of obtaining happiness by using the material senses have a false background and therefore have no meaning.

SB7.2.49

TEXT 49

atha nityam anityam va

neha socanti tad-vidah

nanyatha sakyate kartum

sva-bhavah socatam iti

atha—therefore; nityam—the eternal spirit soul; anityam—the temporary material body; va—or; na—not; iha—in this world; socanti—they lament for; tat-vidah—those who are advanced in knowledge of the body and soul; na—not; anyatha—otherwise; sakyate—is able; kartum—to do; sva-bhavah—the nature; socatam—of those prone to lamentation; iti—thus.

Those who have full knowledge of self-realization, who know very well that the spirit soul is eternal whereas the body is perishable, are not overwhelmed by lamentation. But persons who lack knowledge of self-realization certainly lament. Therefore it is difficult to educate a person in illusion.

According to the mimamsa philosophers, everything is eternal, nitya, and according to the Sankhya philosophers everything is mithya, or anitya—impermanent. Nonetheless, without real knowledge of atma-, the soul, such philosophers must be bewildered and must continue to lament as sudras. Srila Sukadeva Gosvami therefore said to Pariksit Maharaja:

srotavyadini rajendra
nrnam santi sahasrasah
apasyatam atma-tattvam
grhesu grha-medhinam

“Those who are materially engrossed, being blind to knowledge of the ultimate truth, have many subjects for hearing in human society, O Emperor.” (Bhag. 2.1.2) For ordinary persons engaged in material activities there are many, many subject matters to understand because such persons do not understand self-realization. One must therefore be educated in self-realization so that under any circumstances in life he will remain steady in his vows.

SB7.2.50

TEXT 50

lubdhako vipine kascit

paksinam nirmito ’ntakah

vitatya jalam vidadhe

tatra tatra pralobhayan

lubdhakah—hunter; vipine—in the forest; kascit—some; paksinam—of birds; nirmitah—appointed; antakah—killer; vitatya—spreading; jalam—a net; vidadhe—captured; tatra tatra—here and there; pralobhayan—luring with food.

There was once a hunter who lured birds with food and captured them after spreading a net. He lived as if appointed by death personified as the killer of the birds.

This is another incident from the histories.

SB7.2.51

TEXT 51

kulinga-mithunam tatra

vicarat samadrsyata

tayoh kulingi sahasa

lubdhakena pralobhita

kulinga-mithunam—a pair of (male and female) birds known as kulinga; tatra—there (where the hunter was hunting); vicarat—wandering; samadrsyata—he saw; tayoh—of the pair; kulingi—the female bird; sahasa—suddenly; lubdhakena—by the hunter; pralobhita—allured.

While wandering in the forest, the hunter saw a pair of kulinga birds. Of the two, the female was captivated by the hunter’s lure.

SB7.2.52

TEXT 52

sasajjata sicas tantryam

mahisyah kala-yantrita

kulingas tam tathapannam

niriksya bhrsa-duhkhitah

snehad akalpah krpanah

krpanam paryadevayat

SYNONYMS

sa—the female bird; asajjata—trapped; sicah—of the net; tantryam—in the rope; mahisyah—O queens; kala-yantrita—being forced by time; kulingah—the male kulinga bird; tam—her; tatha—in that condition; apannam—captured; niriksya—seeing; bhrsa-duhkhitah—very unhappy; snehat—out of affection; akalpah—unable to do anything; krpanah—the poor bird; krpanam—the poor wife; paryadevayat—began to lament for.

TRANSLATION

O queens of Suyajna, the male kulinga bird, seeing his wife put into the greatest danger in the grip of Providence, became very unhappy. Because of affection, the poor bird, being unable to release her, began to lament for his wife.

SB7.2.53

TEXT 53

aho akaruno devah

striyakarunaya vibhuh

krpanam mam anusocantya

dinaya kim karisyati

SYNONYMS

aho—alas; akarunah—most unkind; devah—providence; striya—with my wife; akarunaya—who is fully compassionate; vibhuh—the Supreme Lord; krpanam—poor; mam—me; anusocantya—lamenting for; dinaya—poor; kim—what; karisyati—shall do.

TRANSLATION

Alas, how merciless is Providence! My wife, unable to be helped by anyone, is in such an awkward position and lamenting for me. What will Providence gain by taking away this poor bird? What will be the profit?

SB7.2.54

TEXT 54

kamam nayatu mam devah

kim ardhenatmano hi me

dinena jivata duhkham

anena vidhurayusa

SYNONYMS

kamam—as He likes; nayatu—let Him take away; mam—me; devah—the Supreme Lord; kim—what use; ardhena—with half; atmanah—of the body; hi—indeed; me—my; dinena—poor; jivata—living; duhkham—in suffering; anena—this; vidhura-ayusa—having a lifetime full of affliction.

TRANSLATION

If unkind Providence takes away my wife, who is half my body, why should He not take me also? What is the use of my living with half of my body, bereaved by loss of my wife? What shall I gain in this way?

SB7.2.55

TEXT 55

katham tv ajata-paksams tan

matr-hinan bibharmy aham

manda-bhagyah pratiksante

nide me mataram prajah

SYNONYMS

katham—how; tu—but; ajata-paksan—who have not grown wings to fly; tan—them; matr-hinan—bereft of their mother; bibharmi—shall maintain; aham—I; manda-bhagyah—very unfortunate; pratiksante—they await; nide—in the nest; me—my; mataram—their mother; prajah—baby birds.

TRANSLATION

The unfortunate baby birds, bereft of their mother, are waiting in the nest for her to feed them. They are still very small and have not yet grown their wings. How shall I be able to maintain them?

PURPORT

The bird is lamenting for the mother of his children because the mother naturally maintains and cares for the children. Yamaraja, however, in the guise of a small boy, has already explained that although his mother left him uncared for and wandering in the forest, the tigers and other ferocious animals had not eaten him. The real fact is that if the Supreme Personality of Godhead protects one, even though one be motherless and fatherless, one can be maintained by the good will of the Lord. Otherwise, if the Supreme Lord does not give one protection, one must suffer in spite of the presence of his father and mother. Another example is that sometimes a patient dies in spite of a good physician and good medicine. Thus without the protection of the Lord one cannot live, with or without parents.

Another point in this verse is that fathers and mothers have protective feelings for their children even in bird and beast society, not to speak of human society. Kali-yuga, however, is so degraded that a father and mother even kill their children in the womb on the plea of their scientific knowledge that within the womb the child has no life. Prestigious medical practitioners give this opinion, and therefore the father and mother of this day kill their children within the womb. How degraded human society has become! Their scientific knowledge is so advanced that they think that within the egg and the embryo there is no life. Now these so-called scientists are receiving Nobel Prizes for advancing the theory of chemical evolution. But if chemical combinations are the source of life, why don’t the scientists manufacture something like an egg through chemistry and put it in an incubator so that a chicken will come out? What is their answer? With their scientific knowledge they are unable to create even an egg. Such scientists are described in Bhagavad-gita as mayayapahrta jnanah, fools whose real knowledge has been taken away. They are not men of knowledge, but they pose as scientists and philosophers, although their so-called theoretical knowledge cannot produce practical results.

SB7.2.56

TEXT 56

evam kulingam vilapantam arat

priya-viyogaturam asru-kantham

sa eva tam sakunikah sarena

vivyadha kala-prahito vilinah

evam—thus; kulingam—the bird; vilapantam—while lamenting; arat—from a distance; priya-viyoga—because of the loss of his wife; aturam—very aggrieved; asru-kantham—with tears in the eyes; sah—he (that hunter); eva—indeed; tam—him (the male bird); sakunikah—who could kill even a vulture; sarena—by an arrow; vivyadha—pierced; kala-prahitah—being moved by time; vilinah—hidden.

Because of the loss of his wife, the kulinga bird lamented with tears in his eyes. Meanwhile, following the dictations of mature time, the hunter, who was very carefully hidden in the distance, released his arrow, which pierced the body of the kulinga bird and killed him.

SB7.2.57

TEXT 57

evam yuyam apasyantya

atmapayam abuddhayah

nainam prapsyatha socantyah

patim varsa-satair api

SYNONYMS

evam—thus; yuyam—you; apasyantyah—not seeing; atma-apayam—own death; abuddhayah—O ignorant ones; na—not; enam—him; prapsyatha—you will obtain; socantyah—lamenting for; patim—your husband; varsa-sataih—for a hundred years; api—even.

TRANSLATION

Thus Yamaraja, in the guise of a small boy, told all the queens: You are all so foolish that you lament but do not see your own death. Afflicted by a poor fund of knowledge, you do not know that even if you lament for your dead husband for hundreds of years, you will never get him back alive, and in the meantime your lives will be finished.

PURPORT

Yamaraja once asked Maharaja Yudhisthira, “What is the most wonderful thing within this world?” Maharaja Yudhisthira replied (Mahabharata, Vana-parva 313.116):

ahany ahani bhutani
gacchantiha yamalayam
sesah sthavaram icchanti
kim ascaryam atah param

Hundreds and thousands of living entities meet death at every moment, but a foolish living being nonetheless thinks himself deathless and does not prepare for death. This is the most wonderful thing in this world. Everyone has to die because everyone is fully under the control of material nature, yet everyone thinks that he is independent, that whatever he likes he can do, that he will never meet death but live forever, and so on. So-called scientists are making various plans by which living entities in the future can live forever, but while they are thus pursuing such scientific knowledge, Yamaraja, in due course of time, will take them away from their business of so-called research.

SB7.2.58

TEXT 58

sri-hiranyakasipur uvaca

bala evam pravadati

sarve vismita-cetasah

jnatayo menire sarvam

anityam ayathotthitam

sri-hiranyakasipuh uvaca—Sri Hiranyakasipu said; bale—while Yamaraja in the form of a boy; evam—thus; pravadati—was speaking very philosophically; sarve—all; vismita—struck with wonder; cetasah—their hearts; jnatayah—the relatives; menire—they thought; sarvam—everything material; anityam—temporary; ayatha-utthitam—arisen from temporary phenomena.

Hiranyakasipu said: While Yamaraja, in the form of a small boy, was instructing all the relatives surrounding the dead body of Suyajna, everyone was struck with wonder by his philosophical words. They could understand that everything material is temporary, not continuing to exist.

This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (2.18). Antavanta ime deha nityasyoktah saririnah: the body is perishable, but the soul within the body is imperishable. Therefore the duty of those advanced in knowledge in human society is to study the constitutional position of the imperishable soul and not waste the valuable time of human life in merely maintaining the body and not considering life’s real responsibility. Every human being should try to understand how the spirit soul can be happy and where he can attain an eternal, blissful life of knowledge. Human beings are meant to study these subject matters, not to be absorbed in caring for the temporary body, which is sure to change. No one knows whether he will receive a human body again; there is no guarantee, for according to one’s work one may get any body, from that of a demigod to that of a dog. In this regard, Srila Madhvacarya comments:

aham mamabhimanadi-
tva-yathottham anityakam
mahadadi yathottham ca
nitya capi yathotthita

asvatantraiva prakrtih
sva-tantro nitya eva ca
yathartha-bhutas ca para
eka eva janardanah

Only Janardana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead is ever existing, but His creation, the material world, is temporary. Therefore everyone who is captivated by the material energy and absorbed in thinking “I am this body, and everything belonging to this body is mine” is in illusion. One should think only of being eternally a part of Janardana, and one’s endeavor in this material world, especially in this human form of life, should be to attain the association of Janardana by going back home, back to Godhead.

jnatayo hi suyajnasya

cakrur yat samparayikam

yamah—Yamaraja in the form of a boy; etat—this; upakhyaya—instructing; tatra—there; eva—indeed; antaradhiyata—disappeared; jnatayah—the relatives; hi—indeed; suyajnasya—of King Suyajna; cakruh—performed; yat—which is; samparayikam—the funeral ceremony.