86
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 6, Ch. 16]
The same living entity sometimes takes shelter of an animal father and mother and sometimes a human father and mother. Sometimes he accepts a father and mother among the birds, and sometimes he accepts a demigod father and mother. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says:
brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja
Harassed life after life by the laws of nature, the living entity wanders throughout the entire universe in different planets and different species of life. Somehow or other, if he is fortunate enough, he comes in touch with a devotee who reforms his entire life. Then the living entity goes back home, back to Godhead. Therefore it is said:
janame janame sabe pitā mātā pāya kṛṣṇa guru nahi mile baja hari ei
In the transmigration of the soul through different bodies, everyone, in every form of life—be it human, animal, tree or demigod—gets a father and mother. This is not very difficult. The difficulty is to obtain a bona fide spiritual master and Kṛṣṇa. Therefore the duty of a human being is to capture the opportunity to come in touch with Kṛṣṇa's representative, the bona fide spiritual master. Under the guidance of the spiritual master, the spiritual father, one can return home, back to Godhead.
TEXT 7
नित्यस्यार्थस्य सम्बन्धो ह्यनित्यो दृश्यते नृषु । यावद्यस्य हि सम्बन्धो ममत्वं तावदेव हि ॥ ७ ॥
nityasyārthasya sambandho hy anityo dṛśyate nṛṣu yāvad yasya hi sambandho mamatvaṁ tāvad eva hi
nityasya —of the eternal;  arthasya —thing;  sambandhaḥ —relationship;  hi —indeed;  anityaḥ —temporary;  dṛśyate —is seen;  nṛṣu —in