160 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 5, Ch. 18

insists upon acting sinfully, the Supreme Lord gives him the sanction to
act at his own risk (mattah smrtir jidnam apohanam ca). No one can do
anything without the sanction of the Lord, but He is so kind that when
the conditioned soul persists in doing something, the Lord permits the
individual soul to act at his own risk.

According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, sons always out-
live their fathers in other planetary systems and other lands in this
universe, especially on Svargaloka. However, on this planet earth a son
often dies before his father, and the materialistic father is pleased to en-
joy the possessions of his son. Neither the father nor the son can see the
reality—that both of them are awaiting death. When death comes,
however, all their plans for material enjoyment are finished.

TEXT 4

acta fad mam: a aati
Teaed BeAAAat Fae: I
amy gated aa alaat
Gatad Saas TASHA TZ UY UI

vadanti visvarn kavayah sma nasvararm
pasyanti cadhyatmavido vipascitah

tathdpi muhyanti tavaja mayaya
suvismitam krtyam ajar nato ’smi tam

vadanti—they say authoritatively: visvam—the entire material cre-
ation; kavayah—great learned sages; sma—certainly: nasvaram—
perishable; pasyanti—they see in trance; ca—also; adhyatma-vidah—
who have realized spiritual knowledge; vipascitah—very learned
scholars; tatha api—still; muhyanti—become illusioned; tava —your;
aja—O unborn one; mayaya—by the illusory energy; su-vismitam—
most wonderful; krtyam—activity; ajam—unto the supreme unborn
one; natah asmi—I offer my obeisances; tam—unto Him.

TRANSLATION

O unborn one, learned Vedic scholars who are advanced in
spiritual knowledge certainly know that this material world is
