Text 32] Fundamental Principles of Material Nature 1097
clearly stated here that it is a product of egoism in passion. By practice
one comes to the point of the mode of goodness, and by surrendering
or fixing the mind upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one
becomes a very great personality or mahdtmd. In Bhagavad-gita it is
clearly said, sa mahatma sudurlabhah: ‘Such a great soul is very rare.”

In this verse it is clear that both kinds of senses, the senses for acquiring
knowledge and the senses for action, are products of egoism in the mode
of passion. And because the sense organs for activity and for acquiring
knowledge require energy, therefore vital energy or life energy is also
produced by egoism in the mode of passion. We can actually see, therefore,
that those who are very passionate can improve in material acquisition
very quickly. It is recommended in the Vedic scriptures that if one wants
to encourage a person in acquiring material possessions, one should also
encourage him in sex life. We naturally find that those who are addicted to
sex life are also materially advanced because sex life or passionate life is
the impetus for the material advancement of civilization. For those who
want to make spiritual advancement, there is almost no existence of the
mode of passion. Only the mode of goodness is prominent. We find that
those who engage in Krsna consciousness are materially poor, but one who
has eyes can see who is the greater. Although he appears to be materially
poor, a person in Krsna consciousness is not actually a poor man, but
the person who has no taste for Krsna consciousness and appears to be
very happy with material possessions is actually poor. Persons infatuated
by material consciousness are very intelligent in discovering things for
material comforts, but they have no access to understanding the spirit
soul and spiritual life. If, therefore, anyone wants to advance in spiritual
life, he has to come back to the platform of purified desire, the purified
desire for devotional service. As stated in the Narada-pafcaratra, engage-
ment in the service of the Lord when the senses are purified in Krsna
consciousness is called pure devotion.

TEXT 32
mma fgaimanacttneans |
UETAAVTTEM AA Mt FT TETTZ 12
tamasdac ca vikurvanad
bhagavad-virya-coditat
sabda-matram abhit tasman
nabhah srotram tu sabdagam
