Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 11.14.8

evaḿ prakṛti-vaicitryād

bhidyante matayo nṛṇām

pāramparyeṇa keṣāñcit

pāṣaṇḍa-matayo 'pare

SYNONYMS

evam — thus; prakṛti — of nature or desires; vaicitryāt — due to the great variety; bhidyante — are divided; matayaḥ — philosophies of life; nṛṇām — among human beings; pāramparyeṇa — by tradition or disciplic succession; keṣāñcit — among some people; pāṣaṇḍa — atheistic; matayaḥ — philosophies; apare — others.

TRANSLATION

Thus, due to the great variety of desires and natures among human beings, there are many different theistic philosophies of life, which are handed down through tradition, custom and disciplic succession. There are other teachers who directly support atheistic viewpoints.

PURPORT

The word keṣāñcit refers to those persons in various parts of the world who are ignorant of the Vedic conclusion and thus concoct many unauthorized and ultimately fruitless philosophies of life. Pāṣaṇḍa-matayaḥ refers to those who directly oppose the Vedic conclusion. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura has given a most interesting example, as follows. The water of the Ganges is always pure and very sweet. On the banks of that great river, however, there are several types of poisonous trees whose roots drink up the Ganges water from the soil and use it to produce poisonous fruits. Similarly, those who are atheistic or demoniac utilize their association with Vedic knowledge to produce the poisonous fruits of atheistic or materialistic philosophy.

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