Text 26]
Bali Mahārāja Surrenders His Life
183
puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛtijān guṇān kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
“The living entity in material nature follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.” (Bg. 13.22) After thus rotating through many, many forms of life in the cycle of birth and death, the living being gets a chance for a human form. Therefore every human being, especially one belonging to a civilized nation or culture, must be extremely responsible in his activities. He should not risk degradation in the next life. Because the body will change ( tathā dehāntara-prāptir ), we should be extremely careful. To see to the proper use of life is the purpose of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The foolish living entity declares freedom from all control, but factually he is not free; he is fully under the control of material nature. He must therefore be most careful and responsible in the activities of his life.
TEXT 26
जन्मकर्मवयोरूपविद्यैश्वर्यधनादिभिः । यद्यस्य न भवेत् स्तम्भस्तत्रायं मदनुग्रहः ॥२६॥
janma-karma-vayo-rūpa- vidyaiśvarya-dhanādibhiḥ yady asya na bhavet stambhas tatrāyaṁ mad-anugrahaḥ
janma —by birth in an aristocratic family;  karma —by wonderful activities, pious activities;  vayaḥ —by age, especially youth, when one is capable of doing many things;  rūpa —by personal beauty, which attracts everyone;  vidyā —by education;  aiśvarya —by opulence;  dhana —by wealth;  ādibhiḥ —by other opulences also;  yadi —if;  asya —of the possessor;  na —not;  bhavet —there is;  stambhaḥ —pride;  tatra —in such a condition;  ayam —a person;  mat-anugrahaḥ —should be considered to have received My special mercy.