60 Sri Caitanya-caritamrta [Madhya-lila, Ch. 20

kabhu svarge uthaya, kabhu narake dubdya
dandya-jane raja yena nadite cubaya

SYNONYMS

kabhu—sometimes; svarge—to higher planetary systems; uthdya—he rises;
kabhu—sometimes; narake—in hellish conditions of life; dubdya—he is
drowned; dandya-jane—a criminal; raja—a king; yena—as; nadite—in the river;
cubaya—dunks.

TRANSLATION

“In the material condition, the living entity is sometimes raised to higher
planetary systems and material prosperity and sometimes drowned in a hellish
situation. His state is exactly like that of a criminal whom a king punishes by
submerging him in water and then raising him again from the water.

PURPORT

In the Vedas it is stated, asango ‘yam purusah: the living entity is always free
from the contamination of the material world. One who is not materially infected
and who does not forget Krsna as his master is called nitya-mukta. In other words,
one who is eternally liberated from material contamination is called nitya-mukta.
From time immemorial the nitya-mukta living entity has always been a devotee of
Krsna, and his only attempt has been to serve Krsna. Thus he never forgets his
eternal servitorship to Krsna. Any living entity who forgets his eternal relationship
with Krsna is under the sway of the material condition. Bereft of the Lord's tran-
scendental loving service, he is subjected to the reactions of fruitive activity.
When he is elevated to the higher planetary systems due to worldly pious ac-
tivities, he considers himself well situated, but when he is subjected to punish-
ment, he thinks himself improperly situated. Thus material nature awards and
punishes the living entity. When the living entity is materially opulent, material
nature is rewarding him. When he is materially embarrassed, material nature is
punishing him.

TEXT 119
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SCSTETIAS SHEOMITIF I 99 I

bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah syad
isad apetasya viparyayo ‘smrtih
