154 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 3
yo namabhir vaci janam nijayam
badhnati tantryam iva damabhir gah
yasmai balim ta ime naéma-karma-
nibandha-baddhas cakita vahanti

yah—He who; ndmabhih—by different names; va@ci—to the Vedic
language; janam—all people; niya@yam—which has emanated from Him-
self; badhnati—binds; tantryam—to a rope; iva—like; damabhih—by
cords; gah—bulls; yasmai—unto whom; balim—a small presentation of
taxes; te—all of them; ime—these; néma-karma—of names and dif-
ferent activities; nibandha—by the obligations; baddhah—bound;
cakitah—being fearful; vahanti—carry.

TRANSLATION

Just as the driver of a bullock cart ties ropes through the
nostrils of his bulls to control them, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead binds all men through the ropes of His words in the
Vedas, which set forth the names and activities of the distinct or-
ders of human society [brahmana, ksatriya, vaigya and Sadraj. In
fear, the members of these orders all worship the Supreme Lord
by offering Him presentations according to their respective
activities.

PURPORT

In this material world, everyone is conditioned, regardless of who he
is. One may be a human being, a demigod or an animal, tree or plant, but
everything is controlled by the laws of nature, and behind this natural
control is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed by
Bhagavad-gita (9.10), wherein Krsna says, mayadhyaksena prakrtih
stiyate sa-cardcaram: “The material nature is working under My direc-
tion and producing all moving and nonmoving beings.”’ Thus Krsna is
behind the natural machine, which works under His control.

Apart from other living entities, the living being in the human form
of body is systematically controlled by the Vedic injunctions in terms of
the divisions of varna and asrama. A human being is expected to follow
the rules and regulations of varna and dsrama; otherwise he cannot
