76 Srimad-Bhagavatam [Canto 7, Ch. 7

only due to his ignorance or his forgetfulness of Krsna. Therefore in the
human form of life, when one’s intelligence is developed, one should
change his consciousness by trying to understand Krsna. Then one can be
liberated. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gita (4.9), where the Lord
says:
janma karma ca me divyam
evam yo vetti tattvatah
tyaktva deham punar janma
naiti mam eti so ’rjuna

“One who knows the transcendental nature of My appearance and ac-
tivities does not, upon leaving the body, take his birth again in this ma-
terial world, but attains My eternal abode, O Arjuna.” Unless one under-
stands Krsna and comes to Krsna consciousness, one must continue in
material bondage. To end this conditional life, one must surrender to the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indeed, that is demanded by the
Supreme Lord. Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam Saranam vraja.

As advised by Maharaja Rsabhadeva, na sddhu manye yata atmano
*yam asann api klesada asa dehah. One must be intelligent enough to
understand that although one’s body is temporary and will not endure
for long, as long as one has a body he must undergo the pangs of material
existence. Therefore, if by good association, by the instructions of a bona
fide spiritual master, one takes to Krsna consciousness, his conditional
life of material existence is vanquished, and his original consciousness,
known as Krsna consciousness, is revived. When one is Krsna conscious,
he can realize that material existence, whether one is awake or dreaming,
is nothing but a dream and has no factual value. This realization is possi-
ble by the grace of the Supreme Lord. This grace is also present in the
form of the instructions of Bhagavad-gita. Therefore Sri Caitanya
Mahaprabhu’s mission is for everyone to engage in welfare activities to
awaken the foolish living entity, especially in human society, so that he
may come to the platform of Krsna consciousness and benefit by libera-
tion from conditional life.

In this connection, Srila Madhvacarya cites the following verses:

duhkha-riipo ‘pi samsdro
buddhi-piirvam avapyate
