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TEXT 14 daivi hy esa guna-mayi
SYNONYMS  daivi--transcendental;
hi--certainly; esa--this; guna-mayi--consisting of
the three modes of material nature; mama--My; maya--energy;
duratyaya--very difficult to overcome; mam--unto Me; eva--certainly;
ye--those; prapadyante--surrender; mayam etam--this
illusory energy; taranti--overcome; te--they.
TRANSLATION This divine
energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult
to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond
it.
PURPORT The Supreme
Personality of Godhead has innumerable energies, and all these energies
are divine. Although the living entities are part of His energies and are
therefore divine, due to contact with material energy, their original superior
power is covered. Being thus covered by material energy, one cannot possibly
overcome its influence. As previously stated, both the material and spiritual
natures, being emanations from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, are
eternal. The living entities belong to the eternal superior nature of the
Lord, but due to contamination by the inferior nature, matter, their illusion
is also eternal. The conditioned soul is therefore called nitya-baddha,
or eternally conditioned. No one can trace out the history of his becoming
conditioned at a certain date in material history. Consequently, his release
from the clutches of material nature is very difficult, even though that
material nature is an inferior energy, because material energy is ultimately
conducted by the supreme will, which the living entity cannot overcome.
Inferior material nature is defined herein as divine nature due to its
divine connection and movement by the divine will. Being conducted by divine
will, material nature, although inferior, acts so wonderfully in the construction
and destruction of the cosmic manifestation. The Vedas confirm this
as follows: mayam tu prakrtim vidyan mayinam tu mahesvaram. "Although
maya [illusion] is false or temporary, the background of maya
is the supreme magician, the Personality of Godhead, who is Mahesvara,
the supreme controller."
Another
meaning of guna is rope; it is to be understood that the conditioned
soul is tightly tied by the ropes of illusion. A man bound by the hands
and feet cannot free himself--he must be helped by a person who is unbound.
Because the bound cannot help the bound, the rescuer must be liberated.
Therefore, only Lord Krsna, or His bona fide representative the spiritual
master, can release the conditioned soul. Without such superior help, one
cannot be freed from the bondage of material nature. Devotional service,
or Krsna consciousness, can help one gain such release. Krsna, being the
Lord of illusory energy, can order this insurmountable energy to release
the conditioned soul. He orders this release out of His causeless mercy
on the surrendered soul and out of His paternal affection for the living
entity who is originally a beloved son of the Lord. Therefore surrender
unto the lotus feet of the Lord is the only means to get free from the
clutches of the stringent material nature.
The words
mam eva are also significant. Mam means unto Krsna (Visnu)
only, and not Brahma or Siva. Although Brahma and Siva are greatly elevated
and are almost on the level of Visnu, it is not possible for such incarnations
of rajo-guna (passion) and tamo-guna (ignorance) to release
the conditioned soul from the clutches of maya. In other words,
both Brahma and Siva are also under the influence of maya. Only
Visnu is the master of maya; therefore He can alone give release
to the conditioned soul. The Vedas confirm this in the phrase tam
eva viditva or "Freedom is possible only by understanding Krsna." Even
Lord Siva affirms that liberation can be achieved only by the mercy of
Visnu. Lord Siva says:
mukti-pradata sarvesam visnur eva na samsayah.
"There is no doubt that Visnu is the deliverer of liberation for everyone."
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