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TEXT 35
pradhana-kalasaya-dharma-sangrahe
sarira esa pratipadya cetanam
kriya-phalatvena vibhur vibhavyate
yathanalo darusu tad-gunatmakah
SYNONYMS
pradhanamaterial nature; kalatime; asayadesire; dharmaoccupational duties; sangraheaggregate; sarirebody; esahthis; pratipadyaaccepting; cetanamconsciousness; kriyaactivities; phalatvenaby the result of; vibhuhthe Supreme Personality of Godhead; vibhavyatemanifested; yathaas much as; analahfire; darusuin the wood; tat-guna-atmakahaccording to shape and quality.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is all-pervading, but He is also manifested in different types of bodies which arise from a combination of material nature, time, desires and occupational duties. Thus different types of consciousness develop, just as fire, which is always basically the same, blazes in different ways according to the shape and dimension of firewood.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead constantly lives with the individual soul as Paramatma. The individual soul has awareness in accord with his material body, which he attains by virtue of prakrti, or material nature. The material ingredients are activated by the force of time, and thus the three material modes of nature are manifested. According to his association with the three modes of nature, the living entity develops a particular type of body. In animal life, the material mode of ignorance is so prominent that there is very little chance of realizing the Paramatma, who is also present within the heart of the animal; but in the human form of life, because of developed consciousness (cetanam), one can be transferred from ignorance and passion to goodness by the results of his activities (kriya-phalatvena). A human being is therefore advised to associate with spiritually advanced personalities. The Vedas give the direction tad-vijnanartham sa gurum evabhigacchet: [MU
To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.
[Mundaka Upanisad 1.2.12] According to the development of consciousness, God realization is present. In the human form of life it is recommended, therefore, that one undergo the different types of penances and austerities described in Bhagavad-gita (karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, dhyana-yoga and bhakti-yoga). Like a staircase, yoga has different steps for reaching the topmost floor, and according to ones position upon the staircase, he is understood to be situated in karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, dhyana-yoga or bhakti-yoga. Of course, bhakti-yoga is the topmost step on the staircase of realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In other words, according to ones development in consciousness, one realizes his spiritual identity, and thus when ones existential position is purified fully, he becomes situated in brahmananda, which is ultimately unlimited. Therefore the sankirtana movement contributed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Lord Caitanya is the direct and easiest process for coming to the purest form of consciousnessKrsna consciousness, the platform on which the Supreme Personality is fully realized. Directions for performing different types of yajnas are specifically arranged for the highest realization of the Supreme Lord, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gita by the Lord Himself. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham (Bg. 4.11). The Supreme Personality of Godhead is realized according to the proportion of ones surrender. Full surrender, however, occurs when a man is perfectly in knowledge. Bahunam janmanam ante jnanavan mam prapadyate (Bg. 7.19).
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