160
Śrimad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 5, Ch. 18]
insists upon acting sinfully, the Supreme Lord gives him the sanction to act at his own risk ( mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanam ca ). No one can do anything without the sanction of the Lord, but He is so kind that when the conditioned soul persists in doing something, the Lord permits the individual soul to act at his own risk.
According to Srila Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākura, sons always outlive their fathers in other planetary systems and other lands in this universe, especially on Svargaloka. However, on this planet earth a son often dies before his father, and the materialistic father is pleased to enjoy the possessions of his son. Neither the father nor the son can see the reality—that both of them are awaiting death. When death comes, however, all their plans for material enjoyment are finished.
TEXT 4
वदन्ति विश्वं कवयः स नश्वरं
पश्यन्ति चाध्यात्मविदो विपश्चितः ।
बथापि मुह्यन्ति तवाज मायया
सुविसितं कृत्यमजं नतोऽसि तम् ॥ ४ ॥
vadanti viśvam kavayaḥ sma naśvaram paśyanti cādhyātmavido vipaścitaḥ tathāpi muhyanti tavāja māyayā suvismitam kṛtyam ajam nato 'smi tam
vadanti —they say authoritatively;  viśvam —the entire material creation;  kavayaḥ —great learned sages;  sma —certainly;  naśvaram —perishable;  paśyanti —they see in trance;  ca —also;  adhyātma-vidaḥ —who have realized spiritual knowledge;  vipaścitaḥ —very learned scholars;  tathā api —still;  muhyanti —become illusioned;  tava —your;  aja —O unborn one;  māyayā —by the illusory energy;  su-vismitam —most wonderful;  kṛtyam —activity;  ajam —unto the supreme unborn one;  nataḥ asmi —I offer my obeisances;  tam —unto Him.
TRANSLATION
O unborn one, learned Vedic scholars who are advanced in spiritual knowledge certainly know that this material world is