 |
 |
|
|
|
|
TEXT 28 avyaktadini bhutani
SYNONYMS  avyakta-adini--in
the beginning unmanifested; bhutani--all that are created; vyakta--manifested;
madhyani--in
the middle; bharata--O descendant of Bharata;
avyakta--nonmanifested;
nidhanani--all that are vanquished;
eva--it is all like that;
tatra--therefore; ka--what;
paridevana--lamentation.
TRANSLATION All created
beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in their interim state,
and unmanifest again when they are annihilated. So what need is there for
lamentation?
PURPORT Accepting that
there are two classes of philosophers, one believing in the existence of
soul and the other not believing in the existence of the soul, there is
no cause for lamentation in either case. Nonbelievers in the existence
of the soul are called atheists by followers of Vedic wisdom. Yet even
if, for argument's sake, we accept the atheistic theory, there is still
no cause for lamentation. Apart from the separate existence of the soul,
the material elements remain unmanifested before creation. From this subtle
state of unmanifestation comes manifestation, just as from ether, air is
generated; from air, fire is generated; from fire, water is generated;
and from water, earth becomes manifested. From the earth, many varieties
of manifestations take place. Take, for example, a big skyscraper manifested
from the earth. When it is dismantled, the manifestation becomes again
unmanifested and remains as atoms in the ultimate stage. The law of conservation
of energy remains, but in course of time things are manifested and unmanifested--that
is the difference. Then what cause is there for lamentation either in the
stage of manifestation or unmanifestation? Somehow or other, even in the
unmanifested stage, things are not lost. Both at the beginning and at the
end, all elements remain unmanifested, and only in the middle are they
manifested, and this does not make any real material difference.
And if we
accept the Vedic conclusion as stated in the Bhagavad-gita (antavanta
ime dehah) that these material bodies are perishable in due course
of time (nityasyoktah saririnah) but that soul is eternal, then
we must remember always that the body is like a dress; therefore why lament
the changing of a dress? The material body has no factual existence in
relation to the eternal soul. It is something like a dream. In a dream
we may think of flying in the sky, or sitting on a chariot as a king, but
when we wake up we can see that we are neither in the sky nor seated on
the chariot. The Vedic wisdom encourages self-realization on the basis
of the nonexistence of the material body. Therefore, in either case, whether
one believes in the existence of the soul, or one does not believe in the
existence of the soul, there is no cause for lamentation for loss of the
body.
|
