Text 1551
The Liberation of Sārvabhauma Bhattācārya
281
TEXT 154
বিষ্ণুশক্তি: পরা প্রোক্তা ক্ষেত্রজ্ঞাখ্যা তথাপরা । অবিছাকর্মসংজ্ঞান্য তৃতীয়া শক্তিরিষ্যতে
vişṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā 
    kṣetra-jnākhyā tathā parā 
    avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā 
    trtīyā śaktir iṣyate
SYNONYMS
viṣṇu-śaktiḥ —the internal potency of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead;  parā —spiritual;  proktā —said;  kṣetra-jña —the living entities;  ākhyā —known as;  tathā —also;  parā —spiritual;  avidyā —nescience, or godlessness;  karma —and fruitive activities;  saṁjñā —known as;  anyā —another;  tṛtīyā —third;  śaktiḥ —potency;  iṣyate —is accepted as.
TRANSLATION
“ ‘The internal potency of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, is spiritual, as verified by the śāstras. There is another spiritual potency, known as kṣetra-jña, or the living entity. The third potency, which is known as nescience, makes the living entity godless and fills him with fruitive activity.
PURPORT
In  Bhagavad-gītā , in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s discourse on the  kṣetra  and the  kṣetra-jña , it is clearly stated that the  kṣetra-jña  is the living entity who knows his field of activities. The living entities in the material world are forgetful of their eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This forgetfulness is called  avidyā , or nescience. The  avidyā-śakti , the  avidyā  potency of the material world, provokes fruitive activity. Although this  avidyā-śakti  (material energy, or nescience) is also an energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is especially intended to keep the living entities in a state of forgetfulness. This is due to their rebellious attitude toward the Lord. Thus although the living entities are constitutionally spiritual, they come under the influence of the potency of nescience. How this happens is described in the following verse.
TEXT 1555
যয়া ক্ষেত্রজ্ঞশক্তিঃ সা বেষ্টিতা নৃপ সর্বগা । সংসারতাপানথিলানবাপ্লোত্যত্র সন্ততান্ ॥ ১৫৫ ॥