Bg 13.1-2 — August 10, 1973, Paris

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] 

arjuna uvāca
prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva
kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam eva ca
etad veditum icchāmi
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya
kṣetram ity abhidhīyate
etad yo vetti taṁ prāhuḥ
kṣetra-jñaḥ iti tad-vidaḥ
[Bg. 13.1-2]

[break] [leads chanting of synonyms] 

arjunaḥ uvāca—Arjuna said; prakṛtim—nature; puruṣam—the enjoyer; ca—also; eva—certainly; kṣetram—body; kṣetrajñam—knower of the body; eva—certainly; ca—also; etat—all this; veditum—to understand; icchāmi—I wish; jñānam—knowledge; jñeyam—the object of knowledge; ca—also; keśava—O Kṛṣṇa; śrī bhagavān uvāca—the Personality of Godhead said; idam—this; śarīram—body; kaunteya—O son of Kuntī; kṣetram—the field; iti—thus; abhidhīyate—is called; etat—this; yaḥ—anyone; vetti—knows; tam—him; prāhuḥ—is called; kṣetrajñaḥ—knower of the body; iti—thus; tat-vidaḥ—one who knows. 

[03:57] 

Translation: “Arjuna said: O my dear Kṛṣṇa, I wish to know about prakṛti [nature], puruṣa [the enjoyer], and the field and the knower of the field, and of knowledge and the end of knowledge.” 

“The Blessed Lord then said: This body, O son of Kuntī, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.” 

Prabhupāda: 

prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva
kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñam eva ca
etad veditum icchāmi
jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava
[Bg. 13.1-2]

This is the special prerogative of human being, that he can understand the nature, this cosmic manifestation and the enjoyer of the nature, and he can be fully conversant about what is the object of knowledge, jñeyam. 

There are three things: jñeyam, jñāta and jñāna. The object of knowledge, the knower is called jñāta. The object of knowledge is called jñeyam, and the process by which one can understand, that is called jñāna, knowledge. As soon as we speak of knowledge, there must be three things: the object of knowledge, the person who is trying to know and the process by which the object of knowledge is achieved. 

So some of them… Just like the materialist scientists, they are simply trying to know the prakṛti, but they do not know the puruṣa. Prakṛti means the enjoyed, and puruṣa means the enjoyer. Actually, enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. He’s the original puruṣa. That will be admitted by Arjuna, puruṣaṁ śāśvatam [Bg. 10.12]: “You are the original enjoyer, puruṣam.” Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, and every one of us, the living entities, and the prakṛti, nature, everything is to be enjoyed by Kṛṣṇa. That is Kṛṣṇa’s… Another puruṣa, we living entities. We are not puruṣa; we are also prakṛti. We are to be enjoyed. 

But in this material condition, we are trying to be puruṣa, enjoyer. That means when the prakṛti, or the living entities, wants to become puruṣa, that is material condition. If a woman tries to become a man, as that is unnatural, similarly, when the living entities, who is by nature to be enjoyed… The example, as we have given several times, that this finger captures some nice foodstuff, but actually the fingers are not enjoyer. The fingers can help the real enjoyer, namely the stomach. It can pick up some nice foodstuff and put into the mouth, and when it goes to the stomach, the real enjoyer, then all the prakṛtis, all the parts of the body, all the limbs of the body, they feel satisfaction. So the enjoyer is the stomach, not any part of the body. 

There is a story in Hitopaniṣad…, Hitopadeśa, from which the Aesop’s Fable is translated. There, there is a story: udarendriyānām. Udara. Udara means this belly, and indriya means the senses. There is story of udarendriyānām. The senses, all the senses met together in a meeting. They said that “We are working, senses…” 

[aside:] Why it is open? 

“We are working.” The leg said, “Yes, I am, whole day, I am walking.” The hand says, “Yes, I am working whole day, wherever the body says, ‘You come here and pick up the food’ bringing things, cooking. I cooking also.” Then the eyes, they said that “I am seeing.” So every limb, limbs of the body, they made a strike that “No more we are going to work only for the stomach, who is eating only. We are all working, and this man, or this stomach, is eating only.” Then the, the strike… Just like the capitalist and the worker. The worker undergoes strike, no more working. 

So all these limbs, parts of the body, they observed striking, and after two, three days, when again they met, they talked amongst themselves that “Why we are becoming weak? We cannot work now.” You see? The legs also said, “Yes, I am also feeling weak.” Hands also feeling weak. Everyone. “So what is the cause?” The cause… Then the stomach says, “Because I am not eating. So if you want to remain strong, then you must give me to eat. 

Otherwise… So I am the enjoyer. You are not enjoyer. You are to supply things for my enjoyment. That is your position.” So they understood, “Yes, we cannot directly enjoy. It is not possible.” The enjoyment must be through the stomach. You take one rasagullā, you, the fingers, you cannot enjoy. You give it to the mouth, and when it goes to the stomach, there is immediately energy. Not only the fingers enjoy; the eyes, all other parts, they feel satisfaction, and strength also. 

Similarly, the real enjoyer is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa says: 

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
[Bg. 5.29]

They are after śānti, peacefulness, peace of the mind. Then where is śānti? They are working hard, day and night, to get peace of the mind. No. That is not possible. How it is possible? Just try to understand three things only, then you’ll get śānti. What is that? Kṛṣṇa says that “I am the enjoyer. You are not enjoyer.” Nobody’s enjoyer. If you understand this, that Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer… One, out of the three items, one: bhoktā. Everyone in this material world, they are, everyone is trying to become enjoyer, the first-class enjoyer, number one enjoyer. But it is not possible. Nobody can enjoy. Only Kṛṣṇa is the enjoyer, and if we cooperate with Kṛṣṇa, through His enjoyment we can enjoy. This is our position. 

So this is real knowledge. Every rascal is trying to become enjoyer. This is the material world. Everyone is after sense enjoyment. Even the so-called prakṛti, woman, the propensity is to enjoy. Puruṣa. Therefore here in this material world, even though a woman is dressed like a woman, his [her] mind is puruṣa. He wants…, she wants to enjoy. Here the woman wants a man. Although superficially it is supposed the man is the enjoyer, the woman is enjoyed, but actually the woman also wants to enjoy the man. That is māyā. A prakṛti cannot enjoy, become puruṣa. So in the Bhagavad-gītā, the living entities are described as prakṛti. Apareyam itas tu viddhi me prakṛtiṁ parā, jīva-bhūtāṁ mahā-bāho yayedaṁ dhāryate jagat [Bg. 7.5]

So the Māyāvādī philosophers, they do not know the secret; they wants to become God, enjoyer. Our philosophy is different. We do not wish to become enjoyer; we want to be enjoyed. That is our real position. We want to serve Kṛṣṇa. We want to offer everything to Kṛṣṇa. We do not want to enjoy anything ourselves. That is Vaiṣṇavism. So here there are, in the material world, there are so many universities and economic development plans, but all these rascals, they do not know who will enjoy. Who is enjoyer and who is enjoyed, they do not know. They think that “We are enjoyer.” Every nation, every community, every man is struggling[?]: “I am enjoyer.” This is called māyā. 

Therefore Arjuna inquires from Kṛṣṇa that prakṛtiṁ puruṣam: “Who is actually enjoyer, and who is enjoyed? These two things I want to know from You.” Prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva kṣetraṁ kṣetra-jñaṁ cāpi. Another two item: kṣetram, the field of activities… Just like I am working. I am working or you are working. How you are working? Where you are working? I am working, being situated in this body. This is already described in the beginning, that the living entity is within the body. Dehino ‘smin yathā dehe [Bg. 2.13]. So kṣetra and kṣetra-jña. Kṣetra means the platform on which, or the stage on which we are dancing. That is called kṣetra. And kṣetra-jña means the person who is dancing. That is kṣetra-jña. When you…, when you dance, you know that I am dancing on this ground, on this platform. So you are knower; therefore kṣetra-jña. And the platform on which you are dancing, that is kṣetra. 

So we are all dancing. In the material world, we are all dancing. How we are dancing? Getting a particular type of body. That is kṣetra. There must be some platform. For… Just like a kṛṣaka, a agriculturist, he is plowing the land. The land is called kṣetra, and the man who is plowing, he’s called kṣetra-jña. He knows that “I am plowing over this ground.” So this is also another knowledge, kṣetra and kṣetra-jña. Then… 

[audio skipping] 

…etad veditum icchāmi, “I wish to know this subject matter,” jñānaṁ jñeyaṁ ca keśava, “as well as jñānam, knowledge, what is actually knowledge, and what is the object of knowledge.” 

So six things he’s questioning. First of all, prakṛti, one; puruṣa, two; kṣetra, three; kṣetra-jña, four; knowledge, five; and the knowable object of knowledge, six. These are the subject matter, Kṛṣṇa is asking…, Arjuna is asking from Kṛṣṇa. Because he has accepted Kṛṣṇa guru. So for bona fide inquiries, transcendental inquiries, one must approach a guru. That is the Vedic injunction. That Arjuna has already done. When he was…, he was to fight or not to fight… [break] But he could not make solution. So to make a solution we must approach Kṛṣṇa as guru, or Kṛṣṇa’s representative. Kṛṣṇa and Kṛṣṇa’s representative… In [indistinct] they are the same. Therefore Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura says, yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ: by pleasing guru, you can please Kṛṣṇa. Even Kṛṣṇa is not pleased, [indistinct—audio distorted] if the guru is pleased, Kṛṣṇa has to become pleased. Because he’s representative. 

Suppose you have given somebody power of attorney to do some business. So after finishing the business, if you see the paper, not very favorable, it has not been done very nicely, still you have to accept, because your representative has signed it. Yes. Therefore yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādaḥ. Kṛṣṇa [indistinct] not satisfied, but if your guru is satisfied, then Kṛṣṇa must be satisfied. This is Kṛṣṇa’s obligation. Because He has sent His representative. Kṛṣṇa has… Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān [SB 11.17.27]. Kṛṣṇa says, “Ācārya, that is I am.” Ācāryaṁ māṁ vijānīyān nāvamanyeta karhicit. “Never try to neglect ācārya.Nāvamanyeta. Neither think of ācārya as ordinary person. Na martya-buddhyāsūyeta. Vedic injunction is one must approach… [break] …to understand all this subject matter. [break] 

Jñāna, knowledge and the… [indistinct] Books, volumes of books on any subject matter. As there… [break] …these are different types of magazines [indistinct] for differents of books. Big, big philosophers. Just like written philosophy on the sex impulse. [indistinct] …to understand. This is rascaldom. Nobody is how [indistinct] to laugh, how to cry, how to eat and how to enjoy sex life. No school, college is required to understand these things. These are [indistinct] everyone knows. [indistinct] Volumes of books are required to understand the real knowledge here. Try to understand: kṣetra-kṣetra-jña. This body and the living entity, soul, who is working with this body, or working on this body. We get a certain type of body to fulfill our certain type of desire. 

The… Yesterday evening we were talking with that Cardinal. So when I said that “If you eat meat like animals, like the tigers or the fox, then Kṛṣṇa will give you the facility to become, next life, a tiger and fox and cat and dog, like that…” These are stated. It is not my manufacturing word. These you’ll find. You are human being. You must act like a human being. For human being, this Bhagavad-gītā is there. Kṛṣṇa is instructing to a human being, Arjuna, not a cat, not a dog. So knowledge means it is meant for the human being, not for the cats and dogs. Laws means it is meant for the human being. Laws means, “You should do this; you should not do this.” This is law, as state law, or any law, nature’s law. Everywhere. So human being, for human being, Kṛṣṇa is advising, patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati [Bg. 9.26]. Because every human being must be a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. That is his first business. So for a devotee, Kṛṣṇa says: patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyaṁ yo me bhaktyā prayacchati. This is the order. 

Therefore next śloka is called bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca means Bhagavān, the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Person, the Supreme Opulent, He’s ordering. And we are servants. We are predominated; we are not predominator. Therefore it is our duty to abide by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And that is called religion. Religion does not mean the so-called rituals. That is formalities. They’re also required, but the real purpose of religion is to abide by the orders of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is religion. Religion means to abide by the orders of Kṛṣṇa, or God. That is religion. So you may become… You may be a Christian, you may be a Muhammadan, you may be a Hindu or Buddhist. It doesn’t matter, whatever you may be. Whether you are abiding by the orders of God, then you are religious. 

Not that God or God’s representative says, “Thou shall not kill,” and I go on killing in the slaughterhouse. And when I am asked why I am killing, I give some interpretation of my own. This rascaldom is going on. Nobody’s religious, because nobody’s following the orders of God. Neither anybody… Māṁ ca vetti na kaścana. Kṛṣṇa says that “I know past, present, future—everything.” That is confirmed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. Janmādy asya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Abhijñaḥ means one who knows. And Kṛṣṇa confirms it: “Yes, I know, past, present, future—everything.” That is Kṛṣṇa. That is God. Therefore His order is supreme. 

So we have to follow His order. That is real religion. Puruṣa. Puruṣa is giving order. Just like in, in ordinary dealings, in our family affairs, the husband gives order, wife: “You should manage like this. You should do like this.” Similarly prakṛti. We are all prakṛtis, we are abide by the orders of the Supreme. Therefore Arjuna is asking the… 

[aside:] What is that sound? 

Arjuna is asking the Supreme Personality of Godhead that “You teach me.” That is perfect teaching. If you learn something from Kṛṣṇa or from His representative, that is perfect. That is perfect knowledge. All other knowledge that you gather, that cannot be perfect. Because unless you are perfect, how you can give perfect knowledge? So every one of us is imperfect, because we have got imperfect senses. 

So with imperfect knowledge… Just like the so-called scientists, philosophers, they propose their theories: “I think,” “It may be like this,” “Perhaps…” These are not knowledge. This is all nonsense. You must speak definitely if you know. Just like the śāstra says, jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi [Padma Purāṇa]. Definitely. Nine hundred thousand species of life within the water. Why? You could say, “About nine lakhs.” No. Nine lakhs. Not “about,” “more or less.” No. Not like that. That is knowledge. That is perfect… Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. And the trees, plants, they are two millions. Never says “approximately,” “maybe,” “perhaps.” No. This is all nonsense. We don’t accept such knowledge. So… But the, in the material world, these things are going on. Any rascal will give some theory, that will be accepted and he’ll be given, offered Nobel Prize. 

So that is condemned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam: śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ [SB 2.3.19]. So according to Bhāgavata direction, these Nobel Prize winners are exactly like dogs, camels, hogs—śva-viḍ-varāha-uṣṭra—and asses. And they are praised by similar animals. That’s all. The Nobel Prize winner and the Nobel Prize giver, both of them are like dogs, hogs, animal and asses. [laughter] That’s all. This is a fact. They… If, if a person has written some theory, evolution of chemicals, and all rubbish things, it is very nice thing for the so-called dogs and camels. But those who have got eyes to see, one who has heard from Kṛṣṇa, he’ll understand this is nonsense. How, from chemical, you can produce life? And when he’s asked, “Well, sir, if I give you these chemicals, can you produce life?” immediately he says, “That I cannot say.” 

Why? It is actually happened in California University. One big professor came, lecture, and he said that “By combination of these four chemicals, life has begun.” So one of our students, he’s also doctor in chemistry, he asked immediately, “Sir, if I give you all these chemicals, whether you can produce life?” His answer was, “That I cannot say.” Why? “That I cannot say.” Then why you are proposing all this nonsense? If you do not know definitely… “No, we are trying.” “In future,” he said. This is going on: “In future.” But in the common saying: “Trust no future, however pleasant.” Why future? Now, what you have learned, speak that. 

Therefore Arjuna is asking not to a third-class so-called philosopher and chemist and economist, but to Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa. Because whatever answer Kṛṣṇa will give, that is fact. And śāstra means the things which have been spoken by Kṛṣṇa. That is śāstra. And guru means who speaks… Guru means who speaks on behalf of Kṛṣṇa. Sādhu-śāstra-guru, this is called. So Kṛṣṇa is asked. And the answers for Kṛṣṇa, which He gives, that is final. No experiment. No “future.” Whatever answer He gives, that is final. Otherwise, why people read Bhagavad-gītā so carefully? Not now; thousands of years. Thousands of years. Not only in India, in other countries also. So answers, real answers are there. So this chapter, Thirteenth Chapter, is very important chapter. So many rascals are there. They’re talking so many things. But if you want real answer, that is described by Kṛṣṇa to the six questions, Kṛṣṇa immediately answers in nutshell. 

The first question was: prakṛtiṁ puruṣaṁ caiva. Prakṛtiṁ puruṣa will be answered later on. The first answer He gives: idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram…, kṣetram ity abhidhīyate [Bg. 13.2]. You want to learn what is the field of activities. Field of activities is not the football ground. This body is field of activities. When I desire to play in the football ground, then I go to the football ground. But real desire is manufactured within. So idaṁ śarīram. We, we are having different types of body because we want to work differently. That is the plan. I ask so many people. They say, “God has created this world.” That’s fact. But as soon as we ask, “Why He has created this earth? Why He has created this universe? What is the purpose?” they cannot answer. They cannot give any reply. Because they do not know. Imperfect knowledge. 

But anything you do, anything… Especially… Suppose if you construct a very nice house. So I can ask you, “What is the purpose of constructing this nice house?” You will say, “It is for residential purpose. Either we shall reside, or I shall rent it. It is meant for residential purpose.” Similarly, why this cosmic manifestation, this universe… Not only one universe, millions of universes. Material world is also not very small. Material world is only one-fourth manifestation of the whole creation. And that one-fourth… Ekāṁśena sthito jagat [Bg. 10.42]. Kṛṣṇa says, “The whole material world is only one-fourth creation.” What is that one-fourth creation? That is replied in the Brahma-saṁhitā: yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. When Kṛṣṇa…, you have seen Kṛṣṇa’s, what is called? Aureum? 

Devotee: Auram [aura?]? 

Prabhupāda: Auram, yes. So that is prabhā, Kṛṣṇa’s prabhā. So just like the sun has got a shining, similarly Kṛṣṇa has got. So it is borrowed from Kṛṣṇa’s shine. So yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi [Bs. 5.40]. Jagad-aṇḍa means these universes. There are millions, koṭi. And each universe… Jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi. Yasya prabhā prabhavato jagad-aṇḍa-koṭi-koṭiṣv aśeṣa-vasudhādi-vibhūti-bhinnam [Bs. 5.40]. And each universe there are innumerable planets. This is material creation. 

So how we can know about this material creation? But we can know from Kṛṣṇa, because He knows everything. Because everything is manufactured from Him. Mattaḥ sarvaṁ pravartate. So we have to know like that. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1]. So He can speak perfectly what is the plan, the…, of this creator…, creation of the universal, universe. The plan is that we living entities, kṣetra-kṣetra-jña… Kṣetra means this body. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kṣetram ity abhidhīyate. It is said, idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram ity abhidhīyate [Bg. 13.2]: “You have asked the question, ‘What is kṣetra, field of activities, and who is the knower of this field.’ So I answer,” idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram, “this body is the field of activities.” 

So this material world is created by God to give us facility to work as I desire. But I must have the jurisdiction of my work. That is the… Jurisdiction of my work. Just like the agriculturist, they have got their own land, demarcated: “This much your land, this much my land, this much his land, this much…” And he works, tills the field, produces food grain, according to his capacity. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa has given us different fields of activities. That is this body. Idaṁ śarīraṁ kaunteya kṣetram [Bg. 13.2]. Idaṁ śarīram. So from the śarīra, we expand many other things. That also becomes kṣetram. 

So this is the purpose of creation. Kṛṣṇa gives us full facility. I want to work in this way, “All right, you work.” Kṛṣṇa says that “You don’t work. This will not make you happy. You are asking Me facilities to fulfill your desire under certain condition. That you may have from Me. I can give you. But you’ll never be happy.” That is Kṛṣṇa’s order. You’ll never be happy. How I shall be happy? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]. You’ll be happy only by this process. Simply by this process. “If you manufacture, by your fertile brain, that ‘I shall be happy in this way and that way,’ you’ll never be happy. If you want to be happy at all, then this is My instruction: sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śa… [Bg. 18.66].” Kṛṣṇa is repeatedly saying this to everyone. 

But he’ll not do that. He’ll say, “Kṛṣṇa, give me this facility. Give me this facility. I shall cut throat of this man and enjoy.” “All right, you cut throat.” That also Kṛṣṇa gives. Kṛṣṇa is very, what is called, thankless task. Somebody wants to cut my throat, but I want nobody may cut my throat. Kṛṣṇa has to adjust. He will give the facility for cutting throat, and he’ll save also the man who is praying, “Sir, please save me from this cutting.” Kṛṣṇa… Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe ‘rjuna tiṣṭhati [Bg. 18.61]

So this is going on. The purpose of creation is to give the conditioned soul, the rebellious soul, who, being prakṛti, whose nature being constitutional nature is that he should be enjoyed by Kṛṣṇa, but he has taken the wrong direction, that “I’ll not be enjoyed by Kṛṣṇa. I shall become Kṛṣṇa.” This is… All these people, all these living entities who are in this material world, their determination is that “Why I shall serve Kṛṣṇa? I shall become Kṛṣṇa.” This is the disease. And to give us… Because he wants to become Kṛṣṇa—he cannot become Kṛṣṇa, but he is persisting—that Kṛṣṇa is giving this facility. And that platform of facility, material facility, is this material world. This material world. 

This is the purpose. But nobody knows. Ask anybody. They’ll say, “God created this universe” or “this cosmic manifestation.” That’s a fact. But why He created? That “why” question is answered in the Bhagavad-gītā. Everyone wants to enjoy this material world according to his whims and purpose. Kṛṣṇa gives facility to everyone. So that facility is given according to his desire, a particular type of body. One who wants to eat anything nonsense, no discrimination, so he’s allowed to get a body of a hog. Because a hog can eat even stool. He has no distinction. Here is halavā, here is stool, but he’ll like to eat stool. That is hog life. 

Similarly, those who are very much fond of eating meat and blood, they’re given the body of tiger, hogs, dogs. This is nature’s law. But they do not know. They do not know. They think that “Now I am enjoying, according to my…” That is not enjoyment. Is that very nice food? But he’s thinking, a flesh-eater, a meat-eater is thinking he cannot eat meat alone. He mixes with some vegetable. Then he can eat. Is it not? If you say all these meat-eaters, “Don’t eat vegetables or grains. Simply eat meat,” that they cannot do. They cannot do. Ninety percent, ninety percent he’ll eat other things, grains and vegetables. And maybe ten percent or twenty percent, meat. Although we are not meat-eater, I have seen. A little piece of meat… [break] 

Why there are so many varieties of life? Because according to… Just like your… In a, in a city, there are many varieties of apartment. As you are able to pay for it, or in a shop, in a store, there are many varieties of articles, but you have to purchase according to the price you can pay. Similarly, all these varieties of bodies are there according to my desire. Kṛṣṇa… That is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, you know: yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. Īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ hṛd-deśe arjuna tiṣṭhati. The Lord is situated in everyone’s heart. Arjuna tiṣṭhati. Bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni yantrārūḍhāni māyayā [Bg. 18.61]. Bhrāmayan. He is causing to wander all over the universe all living entities, riding on a car, or machine. 

This machine is this body. Now I am walking; I am going here, preaching. What is the machine? The machine, first machine is my body. So who has given me this body? Māyayā. Māyā, the illusory energy, has given me this body. My real body’s spiritual body. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa jantur deha upapattaye [SB 3.31.1]. These are ver…, Vedic versions. We are not speaking unauthorizedly. Karmaṇā. As you are working, or as you desire to work, then similar type of body will be given to you, by nature. 

You are, you have got this body by nature. Māyayā, yantrārūḍhāni māyayā. Kṛṣṇa doesn’t make your body. You desire. Kṛṣṇa orders māyā, the prakṛti, material nature: “You give him such kind of body.” Mayādhyakṣeṇa prakṛtiḥ sūyate sa-carācaram [Bg. 9.10]. Prakṛti’s not working. Prakṛti has given me this body not out of her own accord. Kṛṣṇa has ordered: “Give this person, this living entity, such a body.” Maybe it is Brahmā’s body. Maybe it is ant’s body. Maybe it is demigod’s body. Maybe it is the body of the worm in the stool. Different kinds. Eight million, four hundred thousand species of body. 

These bodies, we are getting according to our desire. Because except Kṛṣṇa consciousness desire, all desires are subjected to the material condition. And as soon as we get Kṛṣṇa consciousness desire, we get immediately free from this transmigration of the soul from one body to another. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti [Bg. 4.9]. If you become simply Kṛṣṇa conscious, then no more botheration of changing this body. You get your spiritual body, go back to home, back to Godhead. 

Thank you very much. 

Devotees: Glories to Prabhupāda. [end] 

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