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TEXT 22 purusah prakrti-stho hi
SYNONYMS  purusah--the
living entity; prakrti-sthah--being situated in the material energy;
hi--certainly; bhunkte--enjoys; prakrti-jan--produced
by the material nature; gunan--modes of nature; karanam--cause;
guna-sangah--association with the modes of nature; asya--of
the living entity; sat-asat--good and bad; yoni--species
of life; janmasu--birth.
TRANSLATION The living
entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three
modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature.
Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.
PURPORT This verse is
very important for an understanding of how the living entities transmigrate
from one body to another. It is explained in the Second Chapter that the
living entity is transmigrating from one body to another just as one changes
dress. This change of dress is due to his attachment to material existence.
As long as he is captivated by this false manifestation, he has to continue
transmigrating from one body to another. Due to his desire to lord it over
material nature, he is put into such undesirable circumstances. Under the
influence of material desire, the entity is born sometimes as a demigod,
sometimes as a man, sometimes as a beast, as a bird, as a worm, as an aquatic,
as a saintly man, as a bug. This is going on. And in all cases the living
entity thinks himself to be the master of his circumstances, yet he is
under the influence of material nature.
How he is
put into such different bodies is explained here. It is due to association
with the different modes of nature. One has to rise, therefore, above the
three material modes and become situated in the transcendental position.
That is called Krsna consciousness. Unless one is situated in Krsna consciousness,
his material consciousness will oblige him to transfer from one body to
another because he has material desires since time immemorial. But he has
to change that conception. That change can be effected only by hearing
from authoritative sources. The best example is here: Arjuna is hearing
the science of God from Krsna. The living entity, if he submits to this
hearing process, will lose his long-cherished desire to dominate material
nature, and gradually and proportionately, as he reduces his long desire
to dominate, he comes to enjoy spiritual happiness. In a Vedic mantra
it is said that as he becomes learned in association with the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, he proportionately relishes his eternal blissful life.
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