170 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 5
TEXT 9
a MATT | aera
eufiaat 3 fiat sree |
am = feaanreratfa-
ta at ota fed et
yena prajanam uta atma-karma
rupabhidhanam ca bhidam vyadhatta
narayano visvasrg atma-yonir
etac ca no varnaya vipra-varya
yena—by which; prajandm—of those who are born; uta—as also; atma-
karma—destined engagement; riipa—form and feature; abhidhanam—
endeavors; ca—also; bhidam—differentiation; vyadhatta—dispersed; naraya-
nah—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; visvasrk—the creator of the
universe; dtma-yonih—self-sufficient; etat—all these; ca—also; nah—unto
us; varnaya—describe; vipra-varya—O chief amongst the brahmanas.
TRANSLATION
O chief amongst the brahmanas, please also describe how Narayana, the
creator of the universe and the self-sufficient Lord, has differently created
the natures, activities, forms, features and names of the different living
creatures.
PURPORT
Every living being is under the plan of his natural inclinations in terms
of the modes of material nature. His work is manifested in terms of the
nature of the three modes, his form and bodily features are designed
according to his work, and his name is designated according to his bodily
features. For example, the higher classes of men are white (sukla), and the
lower classes of men are black. This division of white and black is in
terms of one’s white and black duties of life. Pious acts lead one to take
birth in a good and highly placed family, to become rich, to become
learned, and to acquire beautiful bodily features. Impious acts lead one to
become poor by parentage, to be always in want, to become a fool or
illiterate and to acquire ugly bodily features. Vidura requested Maitreya
to explain these differences between all the living creatures made by
Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
