1400 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 4, Ch. 29
kvacit puman kvacic ca strié
kvacin nobhayam andha-dhih
devo manusyas tiryag vd
yathd-karma-gunam bhavah

kvacit—sometimes; pumdn—male; kvacit—sometimes; ca—also; stri—
female; kvacit—sometimes; na—not; ubhayam—both; andha—blind; dhih—
he whose intelligence; devah—demigod; manusyah—human being; tiryak—
animal, bird, beast; va—or; yathd—according to; karma— of activities; gunam
—the qualities; bhavah—birth.

TRANSLATION

Covered by the mode of ignorance in material nature, the living entity
is sometimes a male, sometimes a female, sometimes a eunuch, sometimes
a human being, sometimes a demigod, sometimes a bird, an animal, and so
on. In this way he is wandering within the material world. His acceptance
of different types of bodies is brought about by his activities under the
influence of the modes of nature.

PURPORT

Actually, the living entity is part and parcel of the Lord; therefore he is
spiritual in quality. The living entity is never material, and his material
conception is simply a mistake due to forgetfulness. He is as brilliant as
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Both the sun and the sunshine are
very brilliant. The Lord is like the full shining sun, and the living entities
are like the small particles of that sun which constitute the all-pervasive
sunshine. When these small particles are covered by the cloud of maya,
they lose their shining capacity. When the cloud of mdyd is gone, the
particles again become brilliant and shining. As soon as the living entity is
covered by the ignorance of mdyd or darkness, he cannot understand his
relationship with the Supreme God. Somehow or other, if he comes before
the Lord, he can see himself as shining as the Supreme Lord, although he
is not as extensive as the Lord. Because the living entity desires to imitate
the Supreme Lord, he is covered by maya. We cannot imitate the Lord,
nor can we become the supreme enjoyer. This is not possible, and when
we think it is, we become conditioned by mdyd. Thus the encagement of
the living entity under the clutches of mdyd is brought about by forgetful-
ness of his relationship with the Supreme Lord.

Under the influence of mdyd, the living entity becomes exactly like a
person haunted by a ghost. Such a person speaks all kinds of nonsense.
