Text 12] Vrtrasura’s Glorious Death 227

isvara, or god, that is his foolishness. Such foolishness is described in the
following verse.

TEXT 12

SRaRaaArd = aaTesdlaataTy |
qa: sata yet Baa TA Gs TTI

avidvan evam atmanam
manyate ’nisam isvaram

bhiitaih srjati bhiitani
grasate tani taih svayam

avidvan—one who is foolish, without knowledge; evam—thus: at-
manam—himself; manyate—considers; anisam—although _ totally
dependent on others; isvaram—as the supreme controller, independent:
bhitaih—by the living entities; srjatiHe (the Lord) creates; bhitani—
other living entities; grasate—He devours; tani—them; taih—by other
living beings: suayam—Himseelf.

TRANSLATION

A foolish, senseless person cannot understand the Supreme Per-
sonality of Godhead. Although always dependent, he falsely thinks
himself the Supreme. If one thinks, ‘‘According to one’s previous
fruitive actions, one’s material body is created by the father and
mother, and the same body is annihilated by another agent, as
another animal is devoured by a tiger,” this is not proper under-
standing. The Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself creates
and devours the living beings through other living beings.

PURPORT

According to the conclusion of the philosophy known as karma-
mimamsa, one’s karma, or previous fruitive activity, is the cause of
everything, and therefore there is no need to work. Those who arrive at
this conclusion are foolish. When a father creates a child, he does not do
so independently; he is induced to do so by the Supreme Lord. As the
