1072 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 3, Ch. 26

TRANSLATION

Material consciousness is the cause of one’s conditional life. Conditions
are enforced upon the living entity by the material energy. Although he
does not do anything and is transcendental to such activities, the spirit
soul is thus affected by conditional life.

PURPORT

The Mayavadi philosopher, who does not differentiate between the
Supreme Spirit and the individual spirit, says that the conditional existence
of the living entity is his lila, or pastime. But the word “pastime” implies
employment in the activities of the Lord. The Mayavadis misuse the word
and say that even if the living entity has become a stool-eating hog, he is
also enjoying his pastimes. This is a most dangerous interpretation. Actually
the Supreme Lord is the leader and maintainer of all living entities. His
pastimes are transcendental to any material activity. Such pastimes of the
Lord cannot be dragged to the level of the conditional activities of the
living entities. In conditional life the living entity actually remains as if a
captive in the hands of material energy. Whatever the material energy
dictates, the conditioned soul does. He has no responsibility; he is simply
the witness of the action, but he is forced to act in that way due to his
offense in his eternal relationship with Krsna. Lord Krsna therefore says
in Bhagavad-gita that maya, His material energy, is so forceful that it is
insurmountable. But if a living entity simply understands that his
constitutional position is to serve Krsna and he tries to act on this principle,
then however conditioned he may be, the influence of maya immediately
vanishes. This is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gita, Seventh Chapter: Krsna
takes charge of anyone who surrenders to Him in helplessness, and thus
the influence of maya, or conditional life, is removed.

The spirit soul is actually sac-cid-ananda—eternal, full of bliss and full
of knowledge. Under the clutches of maya, however, he suffers from con-
tinued birth, death, disease and old age. One has to be serious to cure this
condition of material existence and transfer himself to Krsna conscious-
ness, for thus his long suffering may be mitigated without difficulty. In
summary, the suffering of the conditioned soul is due to his attachment to
material nature. This attachment should thus be transferred from matter
to Krsna.

TEXT 8

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