TEXT 142
deha-smrti nahi yara, samsara-kupa kahan tara,
taha haite na cahe uddhara
viraha-samudra-jale, kama-timingile gile,
gopi-gane neha' tara para
SYNONYMS
deha-smrtibodily concept of life; nahinot; yaraone whose; samsara-kupablind well of material life; kahanwhere is; tarahis; taha haitefrom that; nadoes not; cahewant; uddharaliberation; viraha-samudra-jalein the water of the ocean of separation; kama-timingilethe transcendental Cupid in the form of timingila fish; gileswallow; gopi-ganethe gopis; neha'-please take out; tara parabeyond that.
TRANSLATION
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued: " 'The gopis are fallen in the great ocean of separation, and they are being devoured by the timingila fish, which represent their ambition to serve You. The gopis are to be delivered from the mouths of these timingila fish, for they are pure devotees. Since they have no material conception of life, why should they aspire for liberation? The gopis do not want that liberation desired by yogis and jnanis, for they are already liberated from the ocean of material existence.
PURPORT
The bodily conception is created by the desire for material enjoyment. This is called vipada-smrti, which is the opposite of real life. The living entity is eternally the servant of Krsna, but when he desires to enjoy the material world, he cannot progress in spiritual life. One can never be happy by advancing materially. This is also stated in Srimad-Bhagavatam (7.5.30): adanta-gobhir visatam tamisram punah-punas-carvita-carvananam. Through the uncontrolled senses, one may advance one's hellish condition. He may continue to chew the chewed; that is, repeatedly accept birth and death. The conditioned souls use the duration of life between birth and death only to engage in the same hackneyed activities-eating, sleeping, mating and defending. In the lower animal species, we find the same activities. Since these activities are repeated, engaging in them is like chewing that which has already been chewed. If one can give up his ambition to engage in hackneyed material life and take to Krsna consciousness instead, he will be liberated from the stringent laws of material nature. One does not need to make a separate attempt to become liberated. If one simply engages in the service of the Lord, he will be liberated automatically. As Srila Bilvamangala Thakura therefore says, muktih svayam mukulitanjali sevate 'sman: "Liberation stands before me with folded hands, begging to serve me."

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