184 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 6, Ch. 17

*The bewildered soul, under the influence of the three modes of material
nature, thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried
out by nature.” Actually a conditioned soul is completely under the con-
trol of material nature. Wandering here and there—always and every-
where—he is subjected to the results of his past deeds. This is carried out
by the laws of nature, but one foolishly thinks himself the doer, which in
fact he is not. To get free from the karma-cakra, the wheel of the results
of one’s karma, one should take to bhakti-marga—devotional service, or
Krsna consciousness. That is the only remedy. Sarva-dharmén paritya-
Jya mam ekam saranam vraja.

TEXT 19

ATT A TAN Het AT FASTA: |
SA AAAS MAA WAI FZ

nawatma na paras capi
karta syat sukha-duhkhayoh
kartadram manyate ’trajna
atmanam param eva ca

na—not; eva—indeed; atmaé—the spirit soul; na—nor; parah—
another (friend or enemy); ca—also; api—indeed; karta—the doer;
syat—can be; sukha-duhkhayoh—of happiness and distress; kar-
tdram—the doer; manyate—considers; atra—in this connection;
ajnah—a person not aware of the real fact; a@tmanam—himeelf;
param—another; eva—indeed; ca—also.

TRANSLATION

In this material world, neither the living entity himself nor
others [friends and enemies] are the cause of material happiness
and distress. But because of gross ignorance, the living entity
thinks that he and others are the cause.

PURPORT

In this verse the word ajna is very significant. In the material world,
all living entities are ajna, ignorant, in different degrees. This ignorance
