272 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 7
by those who sincerely engage in the transcendental loving service of the
Lord.” The demigods admitted that although the Lord is apart from the
material influence or creation, He nevertheless creates, maintains and
annihilates the complete cosmic manifestation by the agency of the
demigods.
TEXT 10
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HAT SIRE: ARCRSTATTE: 112 of
yad arthena vinamusya
pumsa atma-viparyayah
pratiyata upadrastuh
sva-siras chedanadikah

yat—thus; arthena—by purpose or meaning; vind—without; amusya—of
such a one; purhsah—of the living entity; dtma-viparyayah—upset about
self-identification; pratiyate—so appear; upadrastuh—of the superficial on-
looker; sva-sirah—own head; chedana-ddikah—cutting off.

TRANSLATION

The living entity is in distress regarding his self-identity. He has no

factual background, like a man who dreams that he sees his head cut off.
PURPORT

A teacher in school once threatened his pupil that he would cut off his
head and hang it on the wall so that the child could see how his head had
been cut off. The child became frightened and stopped his mischief.
Similarly, the miseries of the pure soul and the disruption of his self-
identification are managed by the external energy of the Lord, which
controls those mischievous living entities who want to go against the will
of the Lord. Actually there is no bondage or misery for the living entity,
nor does he ever lose his pure knowledge. In his pure consciousness, when
he thinks a little seriously about his position he can understand that he is
eternally subordinate to the mercy of the Supreme and that his attempt to
become one with the Supreme Lord is a false illusion. Life after life the
living entity falsely tries to lord it over material nature and to become the
lord of the material world, but there is no tangible result. At last, when
frustrated, he gives up his material activities and tries to become one with
the Lord and speculate with much jugglery of words but without success.
