Introduction a Introduction
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TEXT 48 WTaaMaNaaerQaMaYaqhaRNYaSYaaeŔavcaSTaNaU> ) Gau It has already been explained that birth and death are in relation to the material body and do not apply to the spirit soul. Because of being fully engrossed in material activities, the embodied soul foolishly identifies with his bodily condition. The result of one’s karma in this life determines one’s future body because it shapes one’s mentality at the time of death. Only a fortunate soul who receives the Lord’s mercy can give up the false egoistic conceptions of “I am this body and everything in relation to the body is mine.” Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation PURPORT 533 It is only by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that one can be released from the bodily concept of life. The Lord’s mercy is causeless, and so there is always a chance of gaining relief from materal existence.
AaTMaNa>iPaTa*Pau}aa>YaaMaNauMaeYaaE>avaPYaYaaE ) One may question, “Is it a fact that the embodied living entity is the witness of all these changes of the material body?” The answer is that by performing the funeral rites of one’s father, and by performing the rituals related to the birth of one’s son, one can understand the certainty of his own birth and death. The word bhava in this verse refers to birth, growth, and so on. One who is self-realized is not bewildered by the birth and death of the material body, knowing himself to be eternal.
The eternal spirit soul is not by nature subordinate to the external energy of the Lord, nor under the control of time. However, those who are in the conditioned state of existence have artificially put themselves in such a situation. Birth and death, as described in this verse, refers only to the material body, and not the eternal soul. A sober person, knowing the soul to be eternal, therefore gives up false identification with the temporary, unreliable body and takes shelter of the devotional service of the Lord. By this process one can escape the artificial imposition of birth and death. TEXT 50 TaraebsJaivPaak-a>Yaa&YaaeivÜaĹNMaSa&YaMaaE ) TaraeivRl/+a 534 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ One who observes the growth of a tree from a seed and later on, the death of the tree after maturity certainly is a distinct observer who is separate from the tree. In the same way, the witness of the birth and death of the material body is distinct from it. COMMENTARY Here, the word vipäka indicates the final transformation called death. The rice plant dies just at maturity, with no apparent dwindling as we see in the bodies of human beings and animals. One should carefully consider the nature of the material body and that of the observer, who is certainly transcendental to such changes of the body.
As the seer of the seed, tree, and its fruit is different from such transformations, the embodied soul is the silent and neutral spectator of the birth and death of his gross body. The liberated soul very well understands this principle whereas the conditioned soul falsely identifies with his body, even as it undergoes these transformations. The witness’s distinction from all visible objects is the subject matter of the liberated soul’s realization.
Pa[k*-TaerevMaaTMaaNaMaivivCYaabuDa>PauMaaNa( ) TatveNaSPaXaRSaMMaU!>Sa&Saar&Pa[iTaPaŰTae ))51))
It may be questioned, “How does a foolish person fall into material existence?” Because a foolish person identifies himself with matter, he naturally becomes attached to his body and the objects of the senses. PURPORT The conditioned souls, who are fully absorbed in matter, take pleasure in associating with the objects produced by material nature and thus enter deeper into material existence. Forgetfulness of the self makes him think that he is something that he Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation 535 actually is not. In this regard, one should carefully consider this verse from the Çrémad- Bhägavatam (1.7.5): yayä sammohito jéva ätmänaŕ tri-guëätmakam paro ’pi manute ’narthaŕ tat-kĺtaŕ cäbhipadyate Due to this external energy, the living entity, although transcendental to the three modes of material nature, thinks of himself as a material product and thus undergoes the reactions of material miseries. TEXT 52 SatvSa®ad*zqNdevaNrJaSaaSaurMaaNauzaNa( ) TaMaSaa>aUTaiTaYaR¤&->a]aiMaTaaeYaaiTak-MaRi>a> ))52))
By the influence of the three modes of material nature, the forgetful living entities consider themselves as enjoyers and doers and thus receive various types of bodies, such as those of demigods, sages, demons, human beings, beasts, birds, and so on. TEXT 53 Na*TYaTaaeGaaYaTa>PaXYaNYaQaEvaNauk-raeiTaTaaNa( ) Wv&buiÖGau 536 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ COMMENTARY One may be attracted to a professional singer or dancer and then sing the songs heard and imitate the dances seen, entering into the mood of the performer. In the same way, the conditioned soul imitates the dictations of the mind in an attempt to become an enjoyer of the material world. Such an attempt is doomed to frustration, however the conditioned soul is similarly captivated by the concoctions of the material mind and intelligence, which convince him that he can become the enjoyer of the material world. Such an attempt is doomed to frustration, however, because the soul is never the doer of activities, which are simply carried out by material nature, entailing repeated birth and death.
As a foolish boy may imitate a singer or dancer but fail to do a good job, the witnessing spirit soul engages his body and mind in imitating the activities of enjoyment within the material world, but fails to achieve satisfaction. TEXT 54-55 YaQaaM>aSaaPa[cl/TaaTarvae_iPacl/a wv ) c+auSaa>a]aMYaMaa YaQaaMaNaaerQaiDaYaaeivzYzaNau>avaeMa*za ) SvPand*íaędaXaahRTaQaaSa&Saar AaTMaNa> ))55))
When one rides in a boat on a river, the trees on the bank of the river that are reflected in the water also appear to be moving. In the same way, the bewildered
Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation 537 conditioned souls consider themselves to be the doers of activities which are in fact merely interactions of the external body with the modes of nature.
Trees appear to be swaying when reflected in agitated water, and when one is sitting on a moving boat, the trees on the shore appear to be moving. Similarly, when the living entities become attracted to the external energy of the Lord, thus deviating from their constitutional position, they become bewildered and think themselves to be the doers and enjoyers. TEXT 56 AQaeRůivŰMaaNae_iPaSa&Sa*iTaNaiNavTaRTae ) DYaaYaTaaeivzYaaNaSYaSvPane_NaQaaRGaMaaeYaQaa ))56))
Although material bondage is false, the distress caused by material existence cannot easily be overcome. The Lord therefore explains here that although not factual, material life stubbornly continues for one addicted to sense gratification, just as a frightening dream continues for one who is sleeping. One who remains fully engrossed in thought of material enjoyment certainly becomes subjected to material miseries due to his contact with matter.
The experience of a dream has no value to the seer when he wakes up. In the same way, a liberated soul can understand that illusory material enjoyment and temporary material designation are not eternal. As a dreamer sees things that actually have no existence, the conditioned soul sees material objects as being separate from the Supreme Lord. All the transformable objects created by the external energy of the Lord are destroyed in due course of time. The spirit soul, being deprived of engagement in the devotional service of the Lord, who is the object of knowledge, as well as the opportunity to experience uninterrupted happiness, remains situated in an incompatible position
538 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ while experiencing fragmented time, imperfect knowledge, and obstructed happiness. After one awakens from a dream, the remembrance of the dream may linger. Similarly, one engaging in the devotional service of the Lord may be sometimes troubled by the dim reflection of his previous sinful life. One should therefore become strong in Kĺńëa consciousness by hearing the Lord’s instructions to Çré Uddhava. TEXT 57 TaSMaaduÖvMaa>au&+vivzYaaNaSaidiNd]YaE> ) AaTMaaGa]h Meditation on the objects of the senses with a spirit of enjoyment is the cause of all anarthas. Therefore, one should give up such meditation, realizing that it is only due to ignorance that one accepts the body as the self. Attachment to the material body, which is not the self, is the cause of illusion. This is the purport of this verse.
The Supreme Lord instructs Uddhava that an intelligent person should realize the uselessness of trying to gratify the senses unnecessarily, seeing things as being without a relation to Lord Kĺńëa. If, by seeing the pathetic condition of the conditioned souls, one becomes determined to realize his constitutional position, he should be considered a genuine philosopher. TEXT 58-59 i+aáae_vMaaiNaTaae_SaiŮ>Pa[l/BDaae_SaUiYaTaae_Qava ) Taai@Ta>SaiŕĺÖaevav*tYaavaPairhaiPaTa> ))58)) iNaďuTaaeMaUi}aTaaevajEbRhuDaEv&Pa[k-iMPaTa” ) é[eYaSk-aMa>k*-C^\GaTa AaTMaNaaTMaaNaMauÖreTa( ))59))
Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation nińöhyuto mütrito väjďair bahudhaivaŕ prakampitaů çreyas-kämaů kĺcchra-gata ätmanätmänam uddharet 539 A devotee who actually desires to attain perfection in this very life should tolerate all kinds of difficulties. Even when insulted, ridiculed, or even beaten or confined by miscreants, or when spat upon or urinated upon by ignorant fools, with intelligence fixed in devotional service, he should remain undisturbed. COMMENTARY How can one live without indulging in sense gratification? These two verses provide the answer. If one is driven out, taunted, insulted, deprived of his livelihood, or spat upon, he should simply tolerate these inconveniences and protect himself with his good intelligence by remaining fixed in self-realization.
If one realizes the misery suffered in the field of material activities and thus become busy in trying to find a solution, either by increasing his material enjoyment or by renunciation of sense gratification, he will not be able to attain the ultimate goal of life. In this regard, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu instructs us: “One can chant the holy name of the Lord in a humble state of mind, thinking himself lower than the straw in the street. One should be more tolerant than the tree, devoid of all sense of false prestige, and ready to offer all respects to others. ln such a state of mind, one can chant the holy name of the Lord constantly.” If one seriously follows this advice, then the temptation for increasing material enjoyment and the simple renunciation of the fruits of karma will not capture one. The best means for achieving auspiciousness is to become sober, tolerant, and free from false ego. TEXT 60 é[qoÖv ovac YaQaEvMaNaubuDYaeYa& vd Naae vdTaa& vr ))60))
540 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ COMMENTARY Uddhava said: Please tell me how I can tolerate the above-mentioned disturbances and thus become advanced in spiritual life. TEXT 61 Saudu>zhiMaMa&MaNYa AaTMaNYaSadiTa§-MaMa( ) ivduzaMaiPaivěaTMaNa(Pa[k*-iTaihRbl/IYaSaq ) ‰TaeTvÖMaRiNarTaaNXaaNTaa&STaecr Even learned people who know that they should tolerate abuse are unable to do so because theoretical learning alone cannot make one saintly. On the other hand, the
devotees, because they possess a similar nature to that of the Supreme Lord, remain peaceful in all conditions of life because they always reside under the shade of the Lord’s
lotus feet. As long as one has a propensity for material enjoyment and thus is absorbed in matter, he cannot attain peace. By taking shelter of a so-called spiritual master who
desires material enjoyment, liberation, or mystic perfections, one’s restlessness in the form of material desires will not decrease. Only by the good influence of the devotees’
association, and following their instructions, can one make tangible advancement in spiritual life.
“Enumeration of the Elements of Material Creation” with the commentaries of CHAPTER 17 THE SONG OF THE AVANTÉ BRÄHMAËA CHAPTER SUMMARY This chapter tells the story of a wandering mendicant sannyäsé from the country of Avanté as an example of how one should tolerate the disturbances created by foolish people. The harsh words of uncultured persons pierce the heart even more painfully than arrows. Still, the mendicant brähmaëa from the city of Avanté, even while being attacked by wicked men, considered this misery to be the result of his own past misdeeds and so he tolerated it without being disturbed. Previously, the brähmaëa had been a farmer and merchant. He had been extremely greedy, miserly, and prone to anger, and so his wife, sons, daughters, relatives, and servants were deprived of a life of enjoyment and gradually came to neglect him. In due course of time, thieves, family members, and providence took away all of his wealth. Finding himself without any money and abandoned by everyone, the brähmaëa developed a deep sense of detachment. He considered how the earning and preservation of wealth involve great effort, fear, anxiety, and confusion. Because of wealth, there arise fifteen unwanted things-thievery, violence, lying, deception, lust, anger, pride, feverishness, disagreement, hatred, distrust, conflict, attachment to women, gambling, and intoxication. When this meditation arose within his heart, the brähmaëa could understand that the Supreme Lord Çré Hari had somehow become satisfied with him. He felt that it was because the Lord had become pleased with him that the apparently unfavorable turn of events in his life had occurred. He was grateful that a sense of detachment had arisen in his heart and he considered 541 542 UDDHAVA-GÉTÄ It to be the factual means for his deliverance. In this condition, he became determined to engage in the worship of Lord Hari for the rest of his life and for this purpose, he accepted the order of tridaëňi-sannyäsa. Thereafter, he entered different villages to beg alms, but the people disturbed him in various ways. Still, he simply tolerated this, remaining firm like a mountain. He remained fixed in his spiritual practice and sang a song that has become famous as the Bhikńu-géta. Neither human beings, demigods, the soul, planets, the reactions of work, nor time are the causes of one’s happiness and distress. Rather, the mind alone is their cause, because it is the mind that causes the spirit soul to wander in the cycle of material life. The real purpose of all kinds of pious activities, such as charity, and the performance of religious rituals, is to bring the mind under control. One who has already conquered his mind by meditation has no need for any other process, and for one who is incapable of fixing his mind, all processes are of no practical use. The false conception of the material ego binds the eternal spirit soul to material sense objects. The Avanté brähmaëa became determined to cross over the insurmountable ocean of material existence by rendering service to the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, Mukunda, with the same faith in the Lord that was exhibited by great devotees in the past. Only when one can focus his intelligence on the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead can the mind be completely controlled. This is the essence of all practices meant for spiritual advancement.
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