318 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 19
eita brahmanda bhari’ ananta jiva-gana
caurasi-laksa yonite karaye bhramana
SYNONYMS

ei-ta—in this way; brahmanda—the whole universe; bhari’—filling; ananta—
unlimited; jiva-gana—living entities; caurasi-laksa—8,400,000; + yonite—in
species of life; karaye—do; bhramana—wandering.

TRANSLATION

“In this universe there are limitless living entities in 8,400,000 species, and

all are wandering within this universe.
PURPORT

This is a challenge to so-called scientists and philosophers who presume that
there are living entities on this planet only. So-called scientists are going to the
moon, and they say that there is no life there. This does not tally with Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu’s version. He says that everywhere within the universe there are un-
limited numbers of living entities in 8,400,000 different forms. In Bhagavad-gita
(2.24) we find that the living entities are sarva-gatah, which means that they can
go anywhere. This indicates that there are living entities everywhere. They exist
on land, in water, in air, in fire and in ether. Thus there are living entities in all types
of material elements. Since the entire material universe is composed of five ele-
ments—earth, water, fire, air and ether—why should there be living entities on
one planet and not others? Such a foolish version can never be accepted by Vedic
students. From the Vedic literatures we understand that there are living entities on
each and every planet, regardless of whether the planet is composed of earth,
water, fire or ether. These living entities may not have the same forms that are
found on this planet earth, but they have different forms composed of different
elements. Even on this earth we can see that the forms of land animals are dif-
ferent from the forms of aquatics. According to the circumstance, living condi-
tions differ, but undoubtedly there are living entities everywhere. Why should we
deny the existence of living entities on this or that planet? Those who have
claimed to have gone to the moon have not gone there, or else their imperfect
vision cannot actually perceive the particular type of living entities there.

Living entities are described as ananta, or unlimited; nonetheless, they are said
to belong to 8,400,000 species. As stated in the Visnu Purana:

jalaja nava-laksani
sthavara laksa-vimsati
krmayo rudra-sankhyakah
paksinarm dasa-laksanam
