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TEXT 144
tara madhye 'sthavara', jangama'--dui bheda
jangame tiryak-jala-sthalacara-vibheda
SYNONYMS
tara madhyeamong the living entities who are conditioned within the material world; sthavaraimmovable; jangamamovable; dui bhedatwo divisions; jangameamong the living entities who can move; tiryakthe living entities who can move in the air (the birds); jalaor living entities who can move within the water; sthala-caraliving entities who can move on land; vibhedathree divisions.
TRANSLATION
"The unlimited living entities can be divided into two divisions-those that can move and those that cannot move. Among living entities that can move, there are birds, aquatics and animals.
PURPORT
Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is giving clear instructions on how the living entities live under different conditions. There are trees, plants and stones that cannot move, but still they must be considered living entities, or spiritual sparks. The soul is present in bodies like those of trees, plants and stones. They are all living entities. Among moving living entities such as birds, aquatics and animals, the same spiritual spark is there. As stated herein, there are living entities that can fly, swim and walk. We must also conclude that there are living entities that can move within fire and ether. Living entities have different material bodies composed of earth, water, air, fire and ether. The words tara madhye mean "within this universe." The entire material universe is composed of five material elements. It is not true that living entities reside only within this planet and not within others. Such a conclusion is completely contradictory to the Vedas. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (2.24):
acchedyo 'yam adahyo 'yam
akledyo 'sosya eva ca nityah sarva-gatah sthanur acalo 'yam sanatanah "This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."
The soul has nothing to do with the material elements. Any material element can be cut to pieces, especially earth. As far as the living entity is concerned, however, it can neither be burned nor cut to pieces. It can therefore live within fire. We can conclude that there are also living entities within the sun. Why should living entities be denied this planet or that planet? According to the Vedas, the living entities can live anywhere and everywhere-on land, in water, in air and in fire. Whatever the condition, the living entity is unchangeable (sthanu). From the statements of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Bhagavad-gita, we are to conclude that living entities are everywhere throughout the universes. They are distributed as trees, plants, aquatics, birds, human beings and so on.
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