Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 5.11.7

tāvān ayam vyavahārah sadāvih

kshetrajña-sākshyo bhavati sthūla-sūkshmah

tasmān mano lińgam ado vadanti

gunāgunatvasya parāvarasya

SYNONYMS

tāvān — until that time; ayam — this; vyavahārah — the artificial designations (being fat or skinny, or belonging to the demigods or human beings); sadā — always; āvih — manifesting; kshetra-jña — of the Living entity; sākshyah — testimony; bhavati — is; sthūla-sūkshmah — fat and skinny; tasmāt — therefore; manah — the mind; lińgam — the cause; adah — this; vadanti — they say; guna-agunatvasya — of being absorbed in material qualities or devoid of material qualities; para-avarasya — and of lower and higher conditions of life.

TRANSLATION

The mind makes the living entity within this material world wander through different species of life, and thus the living entity experiences mundane affairs in different forms as a human being, demigod, fat person, skinny person and so forth. Learned scholars say that bodily appearance, bondage and liberation are caused by the mind.

PURPORT

Just as the mind is the cause of bondage, it can also be the cause of liberation. The mind is described here as para-avara, para means transcendental, and avara means material. When the mind is engaged in the Lord's service (sa vai manah krishna-padāravindayoh), it is called para, transcendental. When the mind is engaged in material sense gratification, it is called avara, or material. At the present moment, in our conditioned state, our mind is fully absorbed in material sense gratification, but it can be purified and brought to its original Krishna consciousness by the process of devotional service. We have often given the example of Ambarīsha Mahārāja. Sa vai manah krishna-padāravindayor vacāmsi vaikuntha-gunānuvarnane. The mind must be controlled in Krishna consciousness. The tongue can be utilized to spread the message of Krishna and glorify the Lord or take prasāda, the remnants of food offered to Krishna. Sevonmukhe hi jihvādau: when one utilizes the tongue in the service of the Lord, the other senses can become purified. As stated in the Nārada-pañcarātra, sarvopādhi-vinirmuktam tat-paratvena nirmalam: [Cc. Madhya 19.170] when the mind and senses are purified, one's total existence is purified, and one's designations are also purified. One no longer considers himself a human being, a demigod, cat, dog, Hindu, Muslim and so forth. When the senses and mind are purified and one is fully engaged in Krishna's service, one can be liberated and return home, back to Godhead.

<<< >>>

Copyright ©r The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness