1070 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 26

exhibit themselves in different stages of life? The answer is given here:
they are under the spell of the three modes of material nature. Because
they were created by the material energy, their bodies are made of the
material elements. Covered by the material body, the spiritual identity is
lost, and therefore the word mumuhe is used here, indicating that they
have forgotten their own spiritual identity. This forgetfulness of spiritual
identity is present in the jivas, the conditioned souls who are subject to
be covered by the energy of material nature. Jiidna-githayd is another word
used. Giiha means covering. Because the knowledge of the minute condi-
tioned souls is covered, they are exhibited in so many species of life. It is
said in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Seventh Chapter, First Canto, “The
living entities are illusioned by the material energy.” In the Vedas also it
is stated that the eternal living entities are covered by different modes and
that they are called tri-colored—red, white and blue—living entities. Red is
the representation of the mode of passion, white is the representation of
the mode of goodness, and blue is the representation of the mode of
ignorance. These modes of material nature belong to the material energy,
and therefore the living entities under these different modes of material
nature have different kinds of material bodies. Because they are forgetful
of their spiritual identities, they think the material bodies to be themselves.
To the conditioned soul, ‘‘me” means the material body. This is called
moha, or bewilderment.

It is repeatedly said in the Katha Upanisad that the Supreme Personality
of Godhead is never affected by the influence of material nature. It is,
rather, the conditioned souls or the minute infinitesimal parts and parcels
of the Supreme who are affected by the influence of material nature and
who appear in different bodies under the material modes.

TEXT 6

ad canara tied THA GAT |
eag ferang aoafa aaa i & i

evam parabhidhydnena
kartrtvam prakrteh puman
karmasu kriyamanesu
gunair adtmani manyate

evam—in this way; para—other; abhidhyanena—by identification;
kartrtvam—the doing of activities; prakrteh—of the material nature; puman
