Text 6] Lord Vignu’s Appearance in the Sacrificial Arena 769
TRANSLATION

Those who are in full knowledge of the bodily conception of life, who
know that this body is composed of nescience, desires and activities result-
ing from illusion, do not become addicted to the body.

PURPORT

As stated in a previous verse, those with good intellect (sudhiyah) do
not accept themselves to be the body. Being a creation of nescience, the
body has two types of activities. In the bodily conception, when we think
that sense gratification will help us, we are in illusion. Another kind of
illusion is to think that one will become happy by trying to satisfy the
desires that arise from the illusory body, or by attaining elevation to the
higher planetary systems, or by performing various types of Vedic rituals.
This is all illusion. Similarly, material activities performed for political
emancipation and social and humanitarian activities performed with an
idea that people of the world will be happy are also illusory because the
basic principle is the bodily conception, which is illusory. Whatever we
desire or perform under the bodily conception is all illusion. In other
words, Lord Visnu informed Prthu Maharaja that although the sacrificial
performances set an example for ordinary people, there was no need for
such sacrificial performances as far as his personal self was concerned. As
confirmed in Bhagavad-gita:

traigunya-visayd veda
nistraigunyo bhavarjuna
nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
niryoga-ksema atmavan
“The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material
nature. Rise above these modes, 0 Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of
them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety,
and be established in the self.” (Bg. 2.45)

The ritualistic performances recommended in the Vedas mainly depend
on the three modes of material nature. Consequently Arjuna was advised
to transcend the Vedic activities. The activities Arjuna was advised to per-
form were the transcendental activities of devotional service.

TEXT 6
ate: atisfragaeniga Te |
mre aera aft a Fata TA 1 8
