Devanagari
ज्योतिर्यथैवोदकपार्थिवेष्वद:समीरवेगानुगतं विभाव्यते
एवं स्वमायारचितेष्वसौ पुमान्गुणेषु रागानुगतो विमुह्यति ॥ ४३ ॥
Verse text
jyotir yathaivodaka-pārthiveṣv adaḥ
samīra-vegānugataṁ vibhāvyate
evaṁ sva-māyā-raciteṣv asau pumān
guṇeṣu rāgānugato vimuhyati
Synonyms
jyotiḥ
—
the luminaries in the sky, such as the sun, the moon and the stars
;
yathā
—
as
;
eva
—
indeed
;
udaka
—
in water
;
pārthiveṣu
—
or in other liquids, like oil
;
adaḥ
—
directly
;
samīra
—
vega — anugatam — being forced by the movements of the wind
;
vibhāvyate
—
appear in different shapes
;
evam
—
in this way
;
sva
—
māyā — raciteṣu — in the situation created by one’s mental concoctions
;
asau
—
the living entity
;
pumān
—
person
;
guṇeṣu
—
in the material world, manifested by the modes of nature
;
rāga
—
anugataḥ — according to his attachment
;
vimuhyati
—
becomes bewildered by identification .
Translation
When the luminaries in the sky, such as the moon, the sun and the stars, are reflected in liquids like oil or water, they appear to be of different shapes — sometimes round, sometimes long, and so on — because of the movements of the wind. Similarly, when the living entity, the soul, is absorbed in materialistic thoughts, he accepts various manifestations as his own identity because of ignorance. In other words, one is bewildered by mental concoctions because of agitation from the material modes of nature.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
When the luminaries in the sky, such as the moon, the sun and the stars, are reflected in liquids like oil or water, they appear to be of different shapes—sometimes round, sometimes long, and so on—because of the movements of the wind. Similarly, when the living entity, the soul, is absorbed in materialistic thoughts, he accepts various manifestations as his own identity because of ignorance. In other words, one is bewildered by mental concoctions because of agitation from the material modes of nature.
KB 10.1.43
“The luminous planets like the sun, moon or stars reflect themselves in different types of reservoirs, like water, oil or ghee. The reflection moves according to the movement of the reservoir. The reflection of the moon is on the water, and the moving water makes the moon also appear to be moving, but actually the moon is not moving. Similarly, by mental concoction the living entity attains different kinds of bodies, although actually he has no connection with such bodies. But on account of illusion, being enchanted by the influence of māyā, the living entity thinks that he belongs to a particular type of body. That is the way of conditioned life. Suppose a living entity is now in a human form of body. He thinks that he belongs to the human community, or a particular country or particular place. He identifies himself in that way and unnecessarily prepares for another body, which is not required by him. Such desires and mental concoctions are the cause of different types of bodies. The covering influence of material nature is so strong that the living entity is satisfied in whatever body he gets and he identifies with that body with great pleasure. Therefore, I beg to request you not to be overwhelmed by the dictation of your mind and body.”
Purport
This verse gives a very good example by which to understand the different positions of the eternal spiritual soul in the material world and how the soul takes on different bodies (
dehāntara-prāptiḥ
). The moon is stationary and is one, but when it is reflected in water or oil, it appears to take different shapes because of the movements of the wind. Similarly, the soul is the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but when put into the material modes of nature, it takes different bodies, sometimes as a demigod, sometimes a man, a dog, a tree and so on. By the influence of
māyā,
the illusory potency of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the living entity thinks that he is this person, that person, American, Indian, cat, dog, tree or whatever. This is called
māyā.
When one is freed from this bewilderment and understands that the soul does not belong to any shape of this material world, one is situated on the spiritual platform (
brahma-bhūta
).
This realization is sometimes explained as
nirākāra,
or formlessness. This formlessness, however, does not mean that the soul has no form. The soul has form, but the external, agitating form he has acquired because of material contamination is false. Similarly, God is also described as
nirākāra,
which means that God has no material form but is
sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha.
The living entity is part and parcel of the supreme
sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha,
but his material forms are temporary, or illusory. Both the living entity and the Supreme Lord have original, spiritual forms (
sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha
), but the Lord, the Supreme, does not change His form. The Lord appears as He is, whereas the living entity appears because material nature forces him to accept different forms. When the living entity receives these different forms, he identifies with them, and not with his original, spiritual form. As soon as the living entity returns to his original, spiritual form and understanding, he immediately surrenders to the supreme form, the Personality of Godhead. This is explained in
Bhagavad-gītā
(7.19)
.
Bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jṣānavān māṁ prapadyate.
When the living entity, after many, many births in different forms, returns to his original form of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he immediately surrenders unto the lotus feet of the supreme form, Kṛṣṇa. This is liberation. As the Lord says in
Bhagavad-gītā
(18.54)
:
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” Surrender unto the supreme form is the result of
bhakti.
This
bhakti,
or understanding of one’s own position, is the complete liberation. As long as one is under an impersonal understanding of the Absolute Truth, he is not in pure knowledge, but must still struggle for pure knowledge.
Kleśo ’dhikataras teṣām avyaktāsakta-cetasām
(
Bg. 12.5
). Although one may be spiritually advanced, if one is attached to the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth one must still work very hard, as indicated by the words
kleśo ’dhikataraḥ,
which mean “greater suffering.” A devotee, however, easily attains his original position as a spiritual form and understands the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His original form.
Kṛṣṇa Himself explains the forms of the living entities in the Second Chapter of
Bhagavad-gītā,
where He clearly says to Arjuna that He, Arjuna and all other living entities, who were previously in their original forms, are separate individual identities. They were individuals in the past, they are now situated in individuality, and in the future they will all continue to maintain their individual forms. The only difference is that the conditioned living entity appears in various material forms, whereas Kṛṣṇa appears in His original, spiritual form. Unfortunately, those who are not advanced in spiritual knowledge think that Kṛṣṇa is like one of them and that His form is like their material forms.
Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam
(
Bg. 9.11
). Kṛṣṇa is never puffed up by material knowledge and is therefore called
acyuta,
whereas the living entities fall down and are agitated by material nature. This is the difference between the Supreme Lord and the living entities.
In this connection it is to be noted that Vasudeva, who was situated in a transcendental position, advised Kaṁsa not to commit further sinful activities. Kaṁsa, a representative of the demons, was always ready to kill Kṛṣṇa, or God, whereas Vasudeva represents a transcendentally situated person to whom Kṛṣṇa is born (Vāsudeva is the son of Vasudeva). Vasudeva wanted his brother-in-law Kaṁsa to refrain from the sinful act of killing his sister, since the result of being agitated by material nature would be that Kaṁsa would have to accept a body in which to suffer again and again. Elsewhere in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(5.5.4)
, Ṛṣabhadeva also says:
na sādhu manye yata ātmano ’yam
asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ
As long as the living entity is entangled in the fruitive activities of so-called happiness and distress, he will receive a particular type of body in which to endure the three kinds of suffering due to material nature (
tri-tāpa-yantraṇā
). An intelligent person, therefore, must free himself from the influence of the three modes of material nature and revive his original, spiritual body by engaging in the service of the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa. As long as one is materially attached, one must accept the process of birth, death, old age and disease. One is therefore advised that an intelligent person, instead of being entangled in so-called good and bad fruitive activities, should engage his life in advancing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that instead of accepting another material body (
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti
), he will return home, back to Godhead.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Now he gives an example to show how the soul, due to association with mind, attains the same destination. Jyotih refers to the light of the sun or moon. Udakesu refers to water, oil or ghee. On the surface of the water the image of the sun is reflected but it changes shape as the wind blows the surface and produces ripples. In the bodies (gunesu) created by the Lord’s maya (svamaya racitesu), or by ones own ignorance, the jiva (puman), following the mind which is filled with desires for enjoyment (raganugata), becomes bewildered and takes up the same desire for enjoyment. By killing Devaki you will obstruct the souls desire for getting enjoyment. Even if you die, you will enjoy in the next body, because you will attain a good body since your good karmas must bear result. And killing her will make you endure suffering. Your death announced in the sky by the future son of Devaki is unavoidable, as it is under the force of karma. Therefore it is better to accept that death. All you can do is have Markandeya perform some ceremonies as preventative measures.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
This absorption in bodies is filled with ignorance. Adaḥ means “situated in the sky without trembling.” Sva-māyā means the Lord’s māyā. The jīva is bewildered by bodies made of the Lord’s māyā.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
“Let us not speak of ordinary human bodies. Is not the body of a king very rare?” Though the luminaries are situated in the sky without trembling, they appear to move in their reflections in the water. The jīva similarly becomes bewildered in bodies made by his ignorance (svamāyā) or the Lord’s māyā present in him. The actions of these bodies is illusory.
Or the previous verse described the jīva going from body to body. By that, one attains a king’s body. At the time of death by absorption of the mind impelled by karmas about to fructify, with a desire to be a king, one attains a king’s body. Maraṇe yā matiḥ sā gatiḥ: one attains what one thinks of at death. “Let us accept that in another birth one becomes a king. But one must make effort to protect the body in the womb and when the child is small in order that the person may enjoy.” Just as the reflection of the planets in the water follow the movements of the wind on the water and seems to tremble, the jīva, being attached to objects of enjoyment (guṇeṣu), becomes completely bewildered and thinks one object is enjoyable and another is not. If one does not have attachment in childhood or any age, one will not suffer from enjoyment of objects, just as one will be happy by enjoying the objects, by having attachment. How can killing the child solve the problem?