SB 10.24.16 · Srimad-Bhagavatam

Devanagari

स्वभावतन्त्रो हि जन: स्वभावमनुवर्तते स्वभावस्थमिदं सर्वं सदेवासुरमानुषम् ॥ १६ ॥

Verse text

svabhāva-tantro hi janaḥ svabhāvam anuvartate svabhāva-stham idaṁ sarvaṁ sa-devāsura-mānuṣam

Synonyms

svabhāva — of his conditioned nature ; tantraḥ — under the control ; hi — indeed ; janaḥ — a person ; svabhāvam — his nature ; anuvartate — he follows ; svabhāva — stham — based on conditioned propensities ; idam — this world ; sarvam — entire ; sa — together with ; deva — the demigods ; asura — the demons ; mānuṣam — and humankind .

Translation

Every individual is under the control of his own conditioned nature, and thus he must follow that nature. This entire universe, with all its demigods, demons and human beings, is based on the conditioned nature of the living entities.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Every individual is under the control of his own conditioned nature, and thus he must follow that nature. This entire universe, with all its demigods, demons and human beings, is based on the conditioned nature of the living entities. KB 10.24.16 “And according to that natural tendency, all living entities—whether human beings or demigods—achieve their respective results.

Purport

Lord Kṛṣṇa here elaborates upon the argument given in the previous verse. Since everything depends on svabhāva, or one’s conditioned nature, why bother worshiping God or the demigods? This argument would be sublime if svabhāva, or conditioned nature, were all-powerful. But unfortunately it is not. There is a supreme controller and we must worship Him, as Lord Kṛṣṇa will emphatically reveal in this chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. For now, however, He is content to tease His relatives.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

This verse elaborates the idea presented in verse 15. The living entities are dependent on their previous impressions. Actions of this life are undertaken according to those impressions (svabhava). There is no necessity of supersoul giving results.

Purport (Jiva Goswami)

The devatās are mentioned specifically to show that, in spite of having the ability to discriminate, even they are subject to their natures and cannot surpass them.