Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 7 Chapter 15 Verses 43-44

Canto 7: The Science of God | Chapter 15: Instructions for Civilized Human Beings

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.15.43-44

rāgo dveṣaś ca lobhaś ca

śoka-mohau bhayaḿ madaḥ

māno 'vamāno 'sūyā ca

māyā hiḿsā ca matsaraḥ

rajaḥ pramādaḥ kṣun-nidrā

śatravas tv evam ādayaḥ

rajas-tamaḥ-prakṛtayaḥ

sattva-prakṛtayaḥ kvacit

SYNONYMS

rāgaḥ — attachment; dveṣaḥ — hostility; ca — also; lobhaḥ — greed; ca — also; śoka — lamentation; mohau — illusion; bhayam — fear; madaḥ — madness; mānaḥ — false prestige; avamānaḥ — insult; asūyā — finding fault with others; ca — also; māyā — deception; hiḿsā — envy; ca — also; matsaraḥ — intolerance; rajaḥ — passion; pramādaḥ — bewilderment; kṣut — hunger; nidrā — sleep; śatravaḥ — enemies; tu — indeed; evam ādayaḥ — even other such conceptions of life; rajaḥ-tamaḥ — because of the conception of passion and ignorance; prakṛtayaḥ — causes; sattva — because of the conception of goodness; prakṛtayaḥ — causes; kvacit — sometimes.

TRANSLATION

In the conditioned stage, one's conceptions of life are sometimes polluted by passion and ignorance, which are exhibited by attachment, hostility, greed, lamentation, illusion, fear, madness, false prestige, insults, fault-finding, deception, envy, intolerance, passion, bewilderment, hunger and sleep. All of these are enemies. Sometimes one's conceptions are also polluted by goodness.

PURPORT

The actual aim of life is to go back home, back to Godhead, but there are many hindrances created by the three modes of material nature — sometimes by a combination of rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, the modes of passion and ignorance, and sometimes by the mode of goodness. In the material world, even if one is a philanthropist, a nationalist and a good man according to materialistic estimations, these conceptions of life form a hindrance to spiritual advancement. How much more of a hindrance, then, are hostility, greed, illusion, lamentation and too much attachment to material enjoyment? To progress toward the target of Viṣṇu, which is our real self-interest, one must become very powerful in conquering these various hindrances or enemies. In other words, one should not be attached to being a good man or a bad man in this material world.

In this material world, so-called goodness and badness are the same because they consist of the three modes of material nature. One must transcend this material nature. Even the Vedic ritualistic ceremonies consist of the three modes of material nature. Therefore Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna:

traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā

nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna

nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho

niryoga-kṣema ātmavān

"The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self." (Bg. 2.45) Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā the Lord says, ūrdhvaḿ gacchanti sattva-sthāḥ: if one becomes a very good person — in other words, if one is in the mode of goodness — he may be elevated to the higher planetary systems. Similarly, if one is infected by rajo-guṇa and tamo-guṇa, he may remain in this world or go down to the animal kingdom. But all of these situations are hindrances on the path of spiritual salvation. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu therefore says:

brahmāṇḍa bhramite kona bhāgyavān jīva

guru-kṛṣṇa-prasāde pāya bhakti-latā-bīja

If one is fortunate enough to transcend all this so-called goodness and badness and come to the platform of devotional service by the mercy of Kṛṣṇa and the guru, his life becomes successful. In this regard, one must be very bold so that he can conquer these enemies of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Not caring for the good and bad of this material world, one must boldly propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness