Text 53]
The History of the Life of Ajāmila
73
TRANSLATION
The foolish embodied living entity, inept at controlling his senses and mind, is forced to act according to the influence of the modes of material nature, against his desires. He is like a silkworm that uses its own saliva to create a cocoon and then becomes trapped in it, with no possibility of getting out. The living entity traps himself in a network of his own fruitive activities and then can find no way to release himself. Thus he is always bewildered, and repeatedly he dies.
PURPORT
As already explained, the influence of the modes of nature is very strong. The living entity entangled in different types of fruitive activity is like a silkworm trapped in a cocoon. Getting free is very difficult unless he is helped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 53
न हि कश्चित्क्षणमपि जातु तिष्ठत्यकर्मकृत् । कार्यते ह्यवशः कर्म गुणैः स्वामाविकैर्बलात् ॥५३॥
na hi kaścit kṣaṇam api jātu tiṣṭhaty akarmakṛt kāryate hy avaśaḥ karma guṇaiḥ svābhāvikair balāt
na —not;  hi —indeed;  kaścit —anyone;  kṣaṇam api —even for a moment;  jātu —at any time;  tiṣṭhati —remains;  akarma-kṛt —without doing anything;  kāryate —he is caused to perform;  hi —indeed;  avaśaḥ —automatically;  karma —fruitive activities;  guṇaiḥ —by the three modes of nature;  svābhāvikaiḥ —which are produced by his own tendencies in previous lives;  balāt —by force.
TRANSLATION
Not a single living entity can remain unengaged even for a moment. One must act by his natural tendency according to the