TEXT 58
tato rvak pratilabdhaksah
kah paretavad utthitah
krcchrad unmilya vai drstir
acastedam sahatmana
SYNONYMS
tatahthen; arvakexternally; pratilabdha-aksahhaving revived his consciousness; kahLord Brahma; pareta-vatjust like a dead man; utthitahstood up; krcchratwith great difficulty; unmilyaopening up; vaiindeed; drstihhis eyes; acastahe saw; idamthis universe; saha-atmanaalong with himself.
TRANSLATION
Lord Brahmas external consciousness then revived, and he stood up, just like a dead man coming back to life. Opening his eyes with great difficulty, he saw the universe, along with himself.
PURPORT
We actually do not die. At death, we are merely kept inert for some time, just as during sleep. At night we sleep, and all our activities stop, but as soon as we arise, our memory immediately returns, and we think, Oh, where am I? What do I have to do? This is called suptotthita-nyaya. Suppose we die. Die means that we become inert for some time and then again begin our activities. This takes place life after life, according to our karma, or activities, and svabhava, or nature by association. Now, in the human life, if we prepare ourselves by beginning the activity of our spiritual life, we return to our real life and attain perfection. Otherwise, according to karma, svabhava, prakrti and so on, our varieties of life and activity continue, and so also do our birth and death. As explained by Bhaktivinoda Thakura, mayara vase, yaccha bhese, khaccha habudubu bhai: My dear brothers, why are you being washed away by the waves of maya? One should come to the spiritual platform, and then ones activities will be permanent. Krta-punya-punjah: this stage is attained after one accumulates the results of pious activities for many, many lives. Janma-koti-sukrtair na labhyate (Cc. Madhya 8.70). The Krsna consciousness movement wants to stop koti-janma, repeated birth and death. In one birth, one should rectify everything and come to permanent life. This is Krsna consciousness.

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