Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.30

sri-prahrada uvaca

matir na krishne paratah svato va

mitho 'bhipadyeta griha-vratanam

adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram

punah punas carvita-carvananam

SYNONYMS

sri-prahradah uvaca -- Prahlada Maharaja said; matih -- inclination; na -- never; krishne -- unto Lord Krishna; paratah -- from the instructions of others; svatah -- from their own understanding; va -- either; mithah -- from combined effort; abhipadyeta -- is developed; griha-vratanam -- of persons too addicted to the materialistic, bodily conception of life; adanta -- uncontrolled; gobhih -- by the senses; visatam -- entering; tamisram -- hellish life; punah -- again; punah -- again; carvita -- things already chewed; carvananam -- who are chewing.

TRANSLATION

Prahlada Maharaja replied: Because of their uncontrolled senses, persons too addicted to materialistic life make progress toward hellish conditions and repeatedly chew that which has already been chewed. Their inclinations toward Krishna are never aroused, either by the instructions of others, by their own efforts, or by a combination of both.

PURPORT

In this verse the words matir na krishne refer to devotional service rendered to Krishna. So-called politicians, erudite scholars and philosophers who read Bhagavad-gita try to twist some meaning from it to suit their material purposes, but their misunderstandings of Krishna will not yield them any profit. Because such politicians, philosophers and scholars are interested in using Bhagavad-gita as a vehicle for adjusting things materially, for them constant thought of Krishna, or Krishna consciousness, is impossible (matir na krishne). As stated in Bhagavad-gita (18.55), bhaktya mam abhijanati: only through devotional service can one understand Krishna as He is. The so-called politicians and scholars think of Krishna as fictitious. The politician says that his Krishna is different from the Krishna depicted in Bhagavad-gita. Even though he accepts Krishna and Rama as the Supreme he thinks of Rama and Krishna as impersonal because he has no idea of service to Krishna. Thus his only business is punah punas carvita-carvananam [SB 7.5.30] -- chewing the chewed again and again. The aim of such politicians and academic scholars is to enjoy this material world with their bodily senses. Therefore it is clearly stated here that those who are griha-vrata, whose only aim is to live comfortably with the body in the material world, cannot understand Krishna. The two expressions griha-vrata and carvita-carvananam indicate that a materialistic person tries to enjoy sense gratification in different bodily forms, life after life, but is still unsatisfied. In the name of personalism, this ism or that ism, such persons always remain attached to the materialistic way of life. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (2.44):

bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam

tayapahrita-cetasam

vyavasayatmika buddhih

samadhau na vidhiyate

"In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place." Those who are attached to material enjoyment cannot be fixed in devotional service to the Lord. They cannot understand Bhagavan, Krishna, or His instruction, Bhagavad-gita. Adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram: their path actually leads toward hellish life.

As confirmed by Rishabhadeva, mahat-sevam dvaram ahur vimukteh: [SB 5.5.2] one must try to understand Krishna by serving a devotee. The word mahat refers to a devotee.

mahatmanas tu mam partha

daivim prakritim asritah

bhajanty ananya-manaso

jnatva bhutadim avyayam

"O son of Pritha, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible." (Bg. 9.13) A mahatma is one who is constantly engaged in devotional service, twenty-four hours a day. As explained in the following verses, unless one adheres to such a great personality, one cannot understand Krishna. Hiranyakasipu wanted to know where Prahlada had gotten this Krishna consciousness. Who had taught him? Prahlada sarcastically replied, "My dear father, persons like you never understand Krishna. One can understand Krishna only by serving a mahat, a great soul. Those who try to adjust material conditions are said to be chewing the chewed. No one has been able to adjust material conditions, but life after life, generation after generation, people try and repeatedly fail. Unless one is properly trained by a mahat -- a mahatma, or unalloyed devotee of the Lord -- there is no possibility of one's understanding Krishna and His devotional service."

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