Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.29.59

iti veda-vidāḿ vādaḥ

śrūyate tatra tatra ha

karma yat kriyate proktaḿ

parokṣaḿ na prakāśate

SYNONYMS

iti — thus; veda-vidām — of persons who know the Vedic conclusions; vādaḥ — the thesis; śrūyate — is heard; tatra tatra — here and there; ha — certainly; karma — the activity; yat — what; kriyate — is performed; proktam — as it was said; parokṣam — unknown; na prakāśate — is not directly manifested.

TRANSLATION

The expert knowers of the Vedic conclusions say that one enjoys or suffers the results of his past activities. But practically it is seen that the body that performed the work in the last birth is already lost. So how is it possible to enjoy or suffer the reactions of that work in a different body?

PURPORT

Atheists want evidence for the resultant actions of past activities. Therefore they ask, "Where is the proof that I am suffering and enjoying the resultant actions of past karma?" They have no idea how the subtle body carries the results of the present body's actions down to the next gross body. The present body may be finished grossly, but the subtle body is not finished; it carries the soul to the next body. Actually the gross body is dependent on the subtle body. Therefore the next gross body must suffer and enjoy according to the subtle body. The soul is carried by the subtle body continuously until liberated from gross material bondage.

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