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svarnam—gold; yatha—just as; gravasu—in the stones of gold ore; hema-karah—the expert who knows about gold; ksetresu—in the gold mines; yogaih—by various processes; tat-abhijnah—an expert who can understand where gold is; apnuyat—very easily obtains; ksetresu—within the material fields; dehesu—the human bodies and all the rest of the 8,400,000 different bodily forms; tatha—similarly; atma-yogaih—by spiritual processes; adhyatma-vit—one who is expert in understanding the distinction between spirit and matter; brahma-gatim—perfection in spiritual life; labheta—may obtain.

An expert geologist can understand where there is gold and by various processes can extract it from the gold ore. Similarly, a spiritually advanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within the body, and thus by cultivating spiritual knowledge he can attain perfection in spiritual life. However, as one who is not expert cannot understand where there is gold, a foolish person who has not cultivated spiritual knowledge cannot understand how the spirit exists within the body.

Here is a very good example concerning spiritual understanding. Foolish rascals, including so-called jnanis, philosophers and scientists, cannot understand the existence of the soul within the body because they are lacking in spiritual knowledge. The Vedas enjoin, tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: [MU 1.2.12] to understand spiritual knowledge, one must approach a bona fide spiritual master. Unless one has been trained in geology, one cannot detect gold in stone. Similarly, unless one has been trained by a spiritual master, he cannot understand what is spirit and what is matter. Here it is said, yogais tad-abhijnah. This indicates that one who has connected himself with spiritual knowledge can understand that there is a spiritual soul within the body. However, one who is in an animalistic conception of life and has no spiritual culture cannot understand. As an expert mineralogist or geologist can understand where there is gold and can then invest his money to dig there and chemically separate the gold from the ore, an expert spiritualist can understand where the soul is within matter. One who has not been trained cannot distinguish between gold and stone. Similarly, fools and rascals who have not learned from an expert spiritual master what is soul and what is matter cannot understand the existence of the soul within the body. To understand such knowledge, one must be trained in the mystic yoga system, or, finally, in the bhakti-yoga system. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.55), bhaktya mam abhijanati. Unless one takes shelter of the bhakti-yoga process, one cannot understand the existence of the soul within the body. Therefore Bhagavad-gita begins by teaching:

dehino ’smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Bg. 2.13) Thus the first instruction is that one should understand that the soul is within the body and is transmigrating from one body to another. This is the beginning of spiritual knowledge. Any person who is not expert in understanding this science or is unwilling to understand it remains in the bodily conception of life, or the animalistic conception of life, as confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke. .. sa eva go-kharah [SB 10.84.13]). Every member of human society should clearly understand the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, for only in this way can one be spiritually elevated and automatically give up the false, illusory knowledge by which one thinks, “I am this body, and everything belonging to this body is mine [aham mameti SB 5.5.8].” This doggish conception should be rejected immediately. One should be prepared to understand the spirit soul and the supreme spirit, God, who are eternally related. Thus one may return home, back to Godhead, having solved all the problems of life.

SB7.7.22

TEXT 22

astau prakrtayah proktas

traya eva hi tad-gunah

vikarah sodasacaryaih

puman ekah samanvayat

astau—eight; prakrtayah—material energies; proktah—it is said; trayah—three; eva—certainly; hi—indeed; tat-gunah—the modes of material energy; vikarah—transformations; sodasa—sixteen; acaryaih—by the authorities; puman—the living entity; ekah—one; samanvayat—from conjunction.

The Lord’s eight separated material energies, the three modes of material nature and the sixteen transformations [the eleven senses and the five gross material elements like earth and water]—within all these, the one spiritual soul exists as the observer. Therefore all the great acaryas have concluded that the individual soul is conditioned by these material elements.

As explained in the previous verse, ksetresu dehesu tathatma-yogair adhyatma-vid brahma-gatim labheta: “A spiritually advanced person can understand how the spiritual particle exists within the body, and thus by cultivating spiritual knowledge he can attain perfection in spiritual life.” The intelligent person who is expert in finding the self within the body must understand the eight external energies, which are listed in Bhagavad-gita (7.4):

bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—all together these eight comprise My separated material energies.” Bhumi, earth, includes all the objects of sense perception—rupa (form), rasa (taste), gandha (smell), sabda (sound) and sparsa (touch). Within the earth are the fragrance of roses, the taste of sweet fruit, and whatever else we want. As stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.10.4), sarva-kama-dugha mahi: the earth (mahi) contains all our requirements. Thus the objects of sense perception are all present in bhumi, or the earth. The gross material elements and subtle material elements (mind, intelligence and ahankara, false ego) constitute the total material energy.

Within the total material energy are the three material modes or qualities. These qualities—sattva-guna, rajo-guna and tamo-guna—belong not to the soul but to the material energy. It is because of the interaction of these three material modes of nature that the five knowledge-gathering senses, the five working senses and their controller, the mind, are manifested. Then, according to these modes, the living entity gets the opportunity to perform different types of karma with different types of knowledge, thinking, feeling and willing. Thus the bodily machine begins to work.

This has all been properly analyzed in sankhya-yoga by the great acaryas, especially by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, in His incarnation as Devahuti-putra Kapila. This is indicated here by the word acaryaih. We need not follow anyone who is not an authorized acarya. Acaryavan puruso veda: one can understand the truth fully when he has taken shelter of an expert acarya.

The living entity is individual, but the body is a composition of many material elements. This is proved by the fact that as soon as the living entity quits this combination of material elements, it becomes a mere conglomeration of matter. The matter is qualitatively one, and the spiritual soul is qualitatively one with the Supreme. The Supreme is one, and the individual soul is one, but the individual soul is understood to be the master of the individual combination of material energy, whereas the Supreme Lord is the controller of the total material energy. The living entity is the master of his particular body, and according to his activities he is subjected to different types of pains and pleasures. However, although the Supreme Person, the Paramatma, is also one, He is present as an individual in all the different bodies.

The material energy is in fact divided into twenty-four elements. The individual soul, the owner of the individual body, is a twenty-fifth subject, and above everything is Lord Visnu as Paramatma, the supreme controller, who is the twenty-sixth subject. When one understands all of these twenty-six subjects, he becomes adhyatma-vit, an expert in understanding the distinction between matter and spirit. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (13.3), ksetra-ksetrajnayor jnanam: understanding of the ksetra (the constitution of the body) and of the individual soul and the Supersoul constitutes real jnana, or knowledge. Unless one ultimately understands that the Supreme Lord is eternally related with the individual soul, one’s knowledge is imperfect. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (7.19):

bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma sudurlabhah

“After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.” Everything, material and spiritual, consists of various energies of Vasudeva, to whom the individual soul, the spiritual part of the Supreme Lord, is subordinate. Upon understanding this perfect knowledge, one surrenders to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah [Bg. 7.19]).

SB7.7.23

TEXT 23

dehas tu sarva-sanghato

jagat tasthur iti dvidha

atraiva mrgyah puruso

neti netity atat tyajan

dehah—the body; tu—but; sarva-sanghatah—the combination of all the twenty-four elements; jagat—seen to be moving; tasthuh—and standing in one place; iti—thus; dvidha—two kinds; atra eva—in this matter; mrgyah—to be searched for; purusah—the living entity, the soul; na—not; iti—thus; na—not; iti—thus; iti—in this way; atat—what is not spirit; tyajan—giving up.

There are two kinds of bodies for every individual soul—a gross body made of five gross elements and a subtle body made of three subtle elements. Within these bodies, however, is the spirit soul. One must find the soul by analysis, saying, “This is not it. This is not it.” Thus one must separate spirit from matter.

As previously stated, svarnam yatha gravasu hema-karah ksetresu yogais tad-abhijna apnuyat. An expert in the study of soil can find out where gold is and then dig there. He can then analyze the stone and test the gold with nitric acid. Similarly, one must analyze the whole body to find within the body the spirit soul. In studying one’s own body, one must ask himself whether his head is his soul, his fingers are his soul, his hand is his soul, and so on. In this way, one must gradually reject all the material elements and the combinations of material elements in the body. Then, if one is expert and follows the acarya, he can understand that he is the spiritual soul living within the body. The greatest acarya, Krsna, begins His teachings in Bhagavad-gita by saying:

dehino ’smin yatha dehe
kaumaram yauvanam jara
tatha dehantara-praptir
dhiras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Bg. 2.13) The spirit soul possesses the body and is within the body. This is the real analysis. The soul never mixes with the bodily elements. Although the soul is within the body, it is separate and always pure. One must analyze and understand his self. This is self-realization. Neti neti is the analytical process of rejecting matter. By expertly conducting such an analysis, one can understand where the soul is. One who is not expert, however, cannot distinguish gold from earth, nor the soul from the body.

svarga-sthana-samamnayair

vimrsadbhir asatvaraih

anvaya—directly; vyatirekena—and indirectly; vivekena—by mature discrimination; usata—purified; atmana—with the mind; svarga—creation; sthana—maintenance; samamnayaih—and with destruction; vimrsadbhih—by those making a serious analysis; asat-varaih—very sober.

Sober and expert persons should search for the spirit soul with minds purified through analytical study in terms of the soul’s connection with and distinction from all things that undergo creation, maintenance and destruction.

A sober person can study himself and distinguish the soul from the body by analytical study. For example, when one considers his body—his head, his hands and so on—one can certainly understand the difference between the spirit soul and the body. No one says, “I head.” Everyone says, “My head.” Thus there are two entities—the head and “I.” They are not identical, although they appear to be one conglomeration.

One may argue, “When we analyze the body we find a head, hands, legs, a belly, blood, bones, urine, stool and so on, but after everything is considered, where is the existence of the soul?” A sober man, however, avails himself of this Vedic instruction:

yato va imani bhutani jayante; yena jatani jivanti; yat prayanty abhisamvisanti; tad vijijnasasva; tad brahmeti.

(Taittiriya Upanisad 3.1.1)

Thus he can understand that the head, hands, legs and indeed the entire body have grown on the basis of the soul. If the soul is within, the body, head, hands and legs grow, but otherwise they do not. A dead child does not grow up, for the soul is not present. If by a careful analysis of the body one still cannot find the existence of the soul, this is due to his ignorance. How can a gross man fully engaged in materialistic activities understand the soul, which is a small particle of spirit one ten-thousandth the size of the tip of a hair? Such a person foolishly thinks that the material body has grown from a combination of chemicals, although he cannot find them. The Vedas inform us, however, that chemical combinations do not constitute the living force; the living force is the atma and Paramatma, and the body grows on the basis of that living force. The fruit of a tree grows and undergoes six kinds of change because of the presence of the tree. If there were no tree, there could be no question of the growth and maturity of fruit. Therefore, beyond the existence of the body are the Paramatma and atma within the body. This is the first understanding of spiritual knowledge explained in Bhagavad-gita. Dehino ’smin yatha dehe [Bg. 2.13]. The body exists because of the presence of the Supreme Lord and the jiva, which is part of the Lord. This is further explained by the Lord Himself in Bhagavad-gita (9.4):

maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na caham tesv avasthitah

“By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.” The Supreme Soul exists everywhere. The Vedas enjoin, samam khalv idam brahma: everything is Brahman or an expansion of Brahman’s energies. Sutre mani-gana iva: everything rests on the Lord, just like pearls strung together on a thread. The thread is the principal Brahman. He is the supreme cause, the Supreme Lord upon whom everything rests (mattah parataram nanyat [Bg. 7.7]). Thus we must study the atma and Paramatma—the individual soul and the Supersoul—upon whom the entire material cosmic manifestation rests. This is explained by the Vedic statement yato va imani bhutani jaya nte. yena jatani jivanti.

SB7.7.25

TEXT 25

buddher jagaranam svapnah

susuptir iti vrttayah

ta yenaivanubhuyante

so ’dhyaksah purusah parah

buddheh—of the intelligence; jagaranam—the waking or active state of the gross senses; svapnah—dreaming (the activity of the senses without the gross body); susuptih—deep sleep or cessation of all activities (although the living entity is the seer); iti—thus; vrttayah—the various transactions; tah—they; yena—by whom; eva—indeed; anubhuyante—are perceived; sah—that; adhyaksah—overseer (who is different from the activities); purusah—the enjoyer; parah—transcendental.

Intelligence can be perceived in three states of activity—wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. The person who perceives these three is to be considered the original master, the ruler, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

ebhis tri-varnaih paryastair

Without intelligence one cannot understand the direct activities of the senses, nor can he understand dreaming or the cessation of all gross and subtle activities. The seer and controller is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supreme Soul, by whose direction the individual soul can understand when he is awake, when he is sleeping, and when he is completely in trance. In Bhagavad-gita (15.15) the Lord says, sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca: “I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.” The living entities are completely absorbed in the three states of wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep through their intelligence. This intelligence is supplied by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who accompanies the individual soul as a friend. Srila Madhvacarya says that the living entity is sometimes described as sattva-buddhi when his intelligence acts directly to perceive pains and pleasures above activities. There is a dreaming state in which understanding comes from the Supreme Personality of Godhead (mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca [Bg. 15.15]). The Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Supersoul, is the supreme controller, and under His direction the living entities are subcontrollers. One must understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead with one’s intelligence.

SB7.7.26

TEXT 26

buddhi-bhedaih kriyodbhavaih

svarupam atmano budhyed

gandhair vayum ivanvayat

ebhih—by these; tri-varnaih—composed of the three modes of nature; paryastaih—completely rejected (due to not touching the living force); buddhi—of intelligence; bhedaih—the differentiations; kriya-udbhavaih—produced from different activities; svarupam—the constitutional position; atmanah—of the self; budhyet—one should understand; gandhaih—by the aromas; vayum—the air; iva—exactly like; anvayat—from close connection.

As one can understand the presence of the air by the aromas it carries, so, under the guidance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can understand the living soul by these three divisions of intelligence. These three divisions, however, are not the soul; they are constituted of the three modes and are born of activities.

As already explained, there are three states to our existence, namely wakefulness, dreaming and deep sleep. In all three states, we have different experiences. Thus the soul is the observer of these three states. Actually, the activities of the body are not the activities of the soul. The soul is different from the body. Just as aromas are distinct from the material vehicle in which they are carried, the soul is unattached to material activities. This analysis can be considered by a person who is fully under the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord. This is confirmed by the Vedic injunction yasmin vijnate sarvam evam vijnatam bhavati. If one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one can automatically understand everything else. Because of not taking shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet, even great scholars, scientists, philosophers and religionists are always bewildered. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32):

ye ’nye ’ravindaksa vimukta-maninas
tvayy asta-bhavad avisuddha-buddhayah

Even though one may artificially think himself liberated from material contamination, if he has not taken shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet his intelligence is polluted. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (3.42):

indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
yo buddheh paratas tu sah

Above the senses is the mind, above the mind is the intelligence, and above the intelligence is the soul. Ultimately, when one’s intelligence becomes clear through devotional service, one is situated in buddhi-yoga. This also is explained in Bhagavad-gita (dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanti te). When devotional service develops and one’s intelligence becomes clear, one can use his intelligence to return home, back to Godhead.

SB7.7.27

TEXT 27

etad dvaro hi samsaro

guna-karma-nibandhanah

ajnana-mulo ’partho ’pi

pumsah svapna ivarpyate

etat—this; dvarah—whose door; hi—indeed; samsarah—material existence, in which one suffers threefold miseries; guna-karma-nibandhanah—captivation by the three modes of material nature; ajnana-mulah—whose root is ignorance; aparthah—without factual meaning; api—even; pumsah—of the living entity; svapnah—a dream; iva—like; arpyate—is placed.

Through polluted intelligence one is subjected to the modes of nature, and thus one is conditioned by material existence. Like a dreaming state in which one falsely suffers, material existence, which is due to ignorance, must be considered unwanted and temporary.