538
Śrīmad Bhāgavatam
[Canto 2, Ch. 9]
engaging the senses in service of the Lord. Instead of doing so, i.e. converting the actions of the senses, the impersonalists began to make the conditioned souls sense-less, and the Lord also sense-less. That is improper treatment for the conditioned souls. The diseased condition of the senses may be treated by curing the defect, but not uprooting it altogether. When there is some disease in the eyes, the eyes may be cured to see properly. Plucking out the eyes is no treatment. Similarly, the whole material disease is based on the process of sense gratification, and liberation from the diseased condition is to re-engage the senses to see the beauty of the Lord, hear His glories, and act on His account. Thus Brahmājī recreated the universal activities again.
TEXT 40
प्रजापतिर्धर्मपतिरेकदा नियमान् यमान् । भद्रं प्रजानामन्विच्छन्नातिष्ठत् स्वार्थकाम्यया ॥३९॥
prajāpatir dharmapatir ekadā niyamān yamān bhadram prajānām anvicchann ātiṣṭhat svārtha-kāmyayā
prajā-patiḥ—the forefather of all living entities; dharma-patiḥ—the father of religious life; ekadā—once upon a time; niyamān—rules and regulations; yamān—principles of control; bhadram—welfare; prajānām—of the living beings; anvicchan—desiring; ātiṣṭhat—situated; sva-artha—own interest; kāmyayā—so desiring.
TRANSLATION
Thus once upon a time the forefather of living entities and the father of religiousness, Lord Brahmā, situated himself in the acts of regulative principles, desiring self-interest for the welfare of all living entities.
PURPORT
No one can be situated in an exalted position without having undertaken a regulative life of rules and regulations. An unrestricted life of sense gratification is animal life, and Lord Brahmā, in order to teach all concerned within the jurisdiction of his generations, taught the same principles