280 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 5

Supreme Person, who is behind everything. One must try to understand
that the material elements are the separated, inferior energy of the Lord
and that the living entity is the Lord’s spiritual energy. Whatever we
experience, including matter and the spirit soul, the living force, is but a
combination of two energies of Lord Visnu—the inferior energy and the
superior energy. One should seriously study the facts concerning crea-
tion, maintenance and devastation, as well as the permanent place from
which one never need return (yad gatvd na nivartante). Human society
should study this, but instead of culturing such knowledge, people are
attracted to temporary happiness and sense gratification, culminating in
bottomless, topless passion. There is no profit in such activities; one must
engage himself in the Krsna consciousness movement.

TEXT 18

Gat WewraTy TaTaTTAy |
fafrnrenar «= ferreting 11211

aisvaram Sdstram utsrjya
bandha-moksadnudarsanam
vivikta-padam ajridya
kim asat-karmabhir bhavet

aisvaram—bringing understanding of God, or Krsna consciousness;
Sdstram—the Vedic literature; uésryya—giving up; bandha—of
bondage; moksa—and of liberation; anudarsanam—informing about
the ways; vivikta-padam—distinguishing spirit from matter; ajidya—
not knowing; kim asat-karmabhih bhavet—what can be the use of
temporary fruitive activities.

TRANSLATION

[Narada Muni had spoken of a swan. That swan is explained in
this verse.] The Vedic literatures [Sastras] vividly describe how to
understand the Supreme Lord, the source of all material and
spiritual energy. Indeed, they elaborately explain these two
energies. The swan [harinsa] is one who discriminates between
matter and spirit, who accepts the essence of everything, and who
