Canto 6: Prescribed Duties for MankindChapter 1: The History of the Life of Ajāmila

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 6.1.52

dehy ajño 'jita-shad-vargo

necchan karmāni kāryate

kośakāra ivātmānam

karmanācchādya muhyati

SYNONYMS

dehī — the embodied soul; ajñah — without perfect knowledge; ajita-shat-vargah — who has not controlled the senses of perception and the mind; na icchan — without desiring; karmāni — activities for material benefit; kāryate — is caused to perform; kośakārah — the silkworm; iva — like; ātmānam — himself; karmanā — by fruitive activities; ācchādya — covering; muhyati — becomes bewildered.

TRANSLATION

The foolish embodied living entity, inept at controlling his senses and mind, is forced to act according to the influence of the modes of material nature, against his desires. He is like a silkworm that uses its own saliva to create a cocoon and then becomes trapped in it, with no possibility of getting out. The living entity traps himself in a network of his own fruitive activities and then can find no way to release himself. Thus he is always bewildered, and repeatedly he dies.

PURPORT

As already explained, the influence of the modes of nature is very strong. The living entity entangled in different types of fruitive activity is like a silkworm trapped in a cocoon. Getting free is very difficult unless he is helped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

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