172 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 5, Ch. 5

activities. Speculative knowledge and pious activity do not solve the
problems of material life. One should be inquisitive to understand his
spiritual position. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (4.37):

yathaidhamsi samiddho ’gnir
bhasmasat kurute ’rjuna

jndnagnih sarva-karmani
bhasmasat kurute tatha

“As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes. O Arjuna, so does the fire of
knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.”

Unless one understands the self and its activities, one has to be con-
sidered in material bondage. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.2.32) it is also
said: ye ‘nye ‘ravindaksa vimukta-maninas tvayy asta-bhdvad avisud-
dha-buddhayah. A person who doesn’t have knowledge of devotional
service may think himself liberated, but actually he is not. Aruhya kre-
chrena param padam tatah patanty adho ‘nddrta-yusmad-anghrayah:
such people may approach the impersonal Brahman effulgence, but they
fall down again into material enjoyment because they have no knowledge
of devotional service. As long as one is interested in karma and jana, he
continues enduring the miseries of material life—birth, old age, disease
and death. Karmis certainly take on one body after another. As far as
jfidnis are concerned, unless they are promoted to the topmost under-
standing, they must return to the material world. As explained in
Bhagavad-gita (7.19): bahiinam janmaném ante jhdnavén mam pra-
padyate. The point is to know Krsna, Vasudeva, as everything and sur-
render unto Him. Karmis do not know this, but a devotee who is one
hundred percent engaged in the devotional service of the Lord knows
fully what is karma and jrdna; therefore a pure devotee is no longer in-
terested in karma or jridna. Anydbhildasita-sinyam jnana-karmédy-
anavurtam. The real bhakta is untouched by any tinge of karma and
jnana. His only purpose in life is to serve the Lord.

TEXT 6

at Wa: Bnad TIEw
ATA GTA
