Adi-lila, Chapter 7 111

In this verse from the Visnu Purana the total energy of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead is classified in three divisions—namely, the spiritual or internal potency
of the Lord, the marginal potency or ksetrajna (the living entity), and the material
potency, which is separated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead and appears
to act independently. When Srila Vyasadeva, by meditation and self-realization, saw
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he also saw the separated energy of the Lord
standing behind Him (apasyat purusarn purnarm-mayam ca tad-apasrayam).\ yasadeva
also realized that it is this separated energy of the Lord, the material energy, that
covers the knowledge of the living entities (yaya sammohito jiva Gtmanarn tri-
gunatmakam). The separated, material energy bewilders the living entities (/ivas),
and thus they work very hard under its influence, not knowing that they are not
fulfilling their mission in life. Unfortunately, most of them think that they are the
body and should therefore enjoy the material senses irresponsibly, since when death
comes everything will be finished. This atheistic philosophy also flourished in India,
where it was sometimes propagated by Carvaka Muni, who said:

rnam krtva ghrtam pibet
yavaj jivet sukharh fivet
bhasmi-bhutasya dehasya kutah
punar agamano bhavet

His theory was that as long as one lives one should eat as much ghee as possible. In
India, ghee (clarified butter) is a basic ingredient in preparing many varieties of
foodstuffs. Since everyone wants to enjoy nice food, Carvaka Muni advised that
one eat as much ghee as possible. One may say, “Il have no money. How shall |
purchase ghee?’”’ Carvaka Muni, however, says, “If you have no money, then beg,
borrow or steal, but in some way secure ghee and enjoy life.’’ For one who further
objects that he will be held accountable for such unauthorized activities as begging,
borrowing and stealing, Carvaka Muni replies, ‘‘You will not be held responsible. As
soon as your body is burned to ashes after death, everything is finished.” This is
called ignorance. From Bhagavad-gita it is understood that one does not die with the
annihilation of his body (na hanyate hanyamane Sarire). The annihilation of one
body involves changing to another (tatha dehantara-praptih). Therefore, to perform
irresponsible activities in the material world is very dangerous. Without knowledge
of the spirit soul and its transmigration, people are allured by the material energy to
engage in many such activities, as if one could become happy simply by dint of
material knowledge, without reference to spiritual existence. Therefore the entire
material world and its activities are referred to as avidyd-karma-samjnanya.

In order to dissipate the ignorance of the human beings who work under the
material energy, which is separated from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the
Lord comes down to revive their original nature of spiritual activities (vada yada hi
dharmasya glanir bhavati bharata). As soon as they deviate from their original
nature, the Lord comes to teach them, sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam
vraja: ‘My dear living entities,:give up all material activities and simply surrender
unto Me for protection.” (Bg. 18.66)
