Madhya6.135

TEXT 135

pramāṇera madhye śruti pramāṇa--pradhāna

śruti ye mukhyārtha kahe, sei se pramāṇa

SYNONYMS

pramāṇera—of the evidences; madhye—in the midst; śruti—the Vedic version; pramāṇa—evidence; pradhāna—chief; śruti—the Vedic version; ye—whatever; mukhya-artha—chief meaning; kahe—says; sei se—that indeed; pramāṇa—evidence.

TRANSLATION

“Although there is other evidence, the evidence given in the Vedic version must be taken as foremost. Vedic versions understood directly are first-class evidence.”

PURPORT

Works that should be consulted are Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī’s Tattva-sandarbha (10-11), Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa’s commentary on that, and the following verses of the Brahma-sūtra: śāstra-yonitvāt (1.1.3), tarkāpratiṣṭhānāt (2.1.11) and śrutes tu śabda-mūlatvāt (2.1.27), as commented upon by Śrī Rāmānujācārya, Śrī Madhvācārya, Śrī Nimbārkācārya and Śrīla Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa. In his book Sarva-saṁvādinī, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has noted that although there are ten kinds of evidence-direct perception, the Vedic version, historical reference, hypothesis, and so on-and although they are all generally accepted as evidence, the person presenting a hypothesis, reading the Vedic version, perceiving or interpreting by his experience is certain to be imperfect in four ways. That is, he is subject to commiting mistakes, to becoming illusioned, to cheating and to having imperfect senses. Although the evidence may be correct, the person himself is in danger of being misled due to his material defects. Apart from the direct presentation, there is a chance that an interpretation may not be perfect. Therefore the conclusion is that only a direct presentation can be considered evidence. An interpretation cannot be accepted as evidence, but may be considered proof of evidence.

In the Bhagavad-gītā, at the very beginning it is stated:

dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca
dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre
samavetā yuyutsavaḥ
māmakāḥ pāṇḍavāś caiva
kim akurvata sañjaya

The statements of the Bhagavad-gītā are themselves proof that there is a place of religious pilgrimage named Kurukṣetra where the Pāṇḍavas and Kurus met to fight. After meeting there, what did they do? This was Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s inquiry to Sañjaya. Although these statements are very clear, atheists try to interpret different meanings of the words dharma-kṣetra and kuru-kṣetra. Therefore Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī has warned us not to depend on any kind of interpretation. It is better to take the verses as they are, without interpretation.

Madhya6.136

TEXT 136

jīvera asthi-viṣṭhā dui--śaṅkha-gomaya

śruti-vākye sei dui mahā-pavitra haya

SYNONYMS

jīvera—of the living entity; asthi—the bone; viṣṭhā—stool; dui—two; śaṅkha—conchshell; go-maya—cow dung; śruti-vākye—in the words of the Vedic version; sei—that; dui—two; mahā—greatly; pavitra—pure; haya—are.

TRANSLATION

Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, "Conchshells and cow dung are nothing but the bones and the stool of some living entities, but according to the Vedic version they are both considered very pure.

PURPORT

According to Vedic principles, bones and dung are generally considered very impure. If one touches a bone or stool, he must take a bath immediately. That is the Vedic injunction. Yet the Vedas also enjoin that a conchshell, although the bone of an animal, and cow dung, although the stool of an animal, are very sanctified. Even though such statements appear contradictory, on the basis of the Vedic version we still accept the fact that conchshells and cow dung are pure and sanctified.

Madhya6.137

TEXT 137

svataḥ-pramāṇa veda satya yei kaya

’lakṣaṇā’ karile svataḥ-prāmāṇya-hāni haya

SYNONYMS

svataḥ-pramāṇa—self-evidence; veda—Vedic literature; satya—truth; yei—whatever; kaya—say; lakṣaṇā—interpretation; karile—by making; svataḥ-prāmāṇya—self-evidential proof; hāni—lost; haya—becomes.

TRANSLATION

“The Vedic statements are self-evident. Whatever is stated there must be accepted. If we interpret according to our own imagination, the authority of the Vedas is immediately lost.”

PURPORT

Out of four main types of evidence-direct perception, hypothesis, historical reference and the Vedas-Vedic evidence is accepted as the foremost. If we want to interpret the Vedic version, we must imagine an interpretation according to what we want to do. First of all, we set forth such an interpretation as a suggestion or hypothesis. As such, it is not actually true, and the self-evident proof is lost.

Śrīla Madhvācārya, commenting on the aphorism dṛśyate tu (Vedānta-sūtra 2.1.6), quotes the Bhaviṣya Purāṇa as follows:

ṛg-yajuḥ-sāmātharvāś ca
bhārataṁ pañcarātrakam
mūla-rāmāyaṇaṁ caiva
veda ity eva śabditāḥ

purāṇāni ca yānīha
vaiṣṇavāni vido viduḥ
svataḥ-prāmāṇyam eteṣāṁ
nātra kiñcid vicāryate

The Ṛg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sāma Veda, Atharva Veda, Mahābhārata, Pañcarātra and original Rāmāyaṇa are all considered Vedic literature. The Purāṇas (such as the Brahma-vaivarta Purāṇa, Nāradīya Purāṇa, Viṣṇu Purāṇa and Bhāgavata Purāṇa) are especially meant for Vaiṣṇavas and are also Vedic literature. As such, whatever is stated within the Purāṇas, Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa is self-evident. There is no need for interpretation. The Bhagavad-gītā is also within the Mahābhārata; therefore all the statements of the Bhagavad-gītā are self-evident. There is no need for interpretation, and if we do interpret, the entire authority of the Vedic literature is lost.

Madhya6.138

TEXT 138

vyāsa-sūtrera artha--yaiche sūryera kiraṇa

sva-kalpita bhāṣya-meghe kare ācchādana

SYNONYMS

vyāsa-sūtrera—of the Vedānta-sūtra, by Vyāsadeva; artha—the meanings; yaiche—just as; sūryera—of the sun; kiraṇa—shining rays; sva-kalpita—imaginative; bhāṣya—of the commentary; meghe—by the cloud; kare—does; ācchādana—covering.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, "The Brahma-sūtra, compiled by Śrīla Vyāsadeva, is as radiant as the sun. One who tries to interpret its meaning simply covers that sunshine with a cloud.

Madhya6.139

TEXT 139

veda-purāṇe kahe brahma-nirūpaṇa

sei brahma--bṛhad-vastu, īśvara-lakṣaṇa

SYNONYMS

veda-purāṇe—in the Vedas and the Purāṇas; kahe—it is stated; brahma-nirūpaṇa—explaining the Supreme; sei brahma—that Supreme; bṛhat-vastu—the greatest; īśvara-lakṣaṇa—feature of the Supreme Personality.

TRANSLATION

"All the Vedas and literature that strictly follows the Vedic principles explain that the Supreme Brahman is the Absolute Truth, the greatest of all, and a feature of the Supreme Lord.

PURPORT

Madhya6.140

TEXT 140

sarvaiśvarya-paripūrṇa svayaṁ bhagavān

tāṅre nirākāra kari’ karaha vyākhyāna

SYNONYMS

sarva-aiśvarya-paripūrṇa—full with all opulences; svayam—personally; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; tāṅre—Him; nirākāra—impersonal; kari’-making; karaha—you make; vyākhyāna—explanation.

TRANSLATION

"Actually, the Supreme Absolute Truth is a person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences. You are trying to explain Him as impersonal and formless.

PURPORT

Brahman means bṛhattva, the greatest of all. The greatest of all is Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He possesses all potencies and opulence in full; therefore the Absolute Truth, the greatest of all, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whether one says “Brahman” or “the Supreme Personality of Godhead,” the fact is the same, for they are identical. In the Bhagavad-gītā, Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma. Although the living entities or material nature are sometimes described as Brahman, Paraṁ Brahma-the Supreme, the greatest of all Brahmans-is still Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is full with all opulences, and as such He possesses all riches, all strength, all reputation, all knowledge, all beauty and all renunciation. He is eternally a person and eternally supreme. If one tries to explain the Supreme impersonally, one distorts the real meaning of Brahman.

Madhya6.141

TEXT 141

’nirviśeṣa’ tāṅre kahe yei śruti-gaṇa

’prākṛta’ niṣedhi kare ’aprākṛta’ sthāpana

SYNONYMS

nirviśeṣa—impersonal; tāṅre—Him; kahe—say; yei—whatever; śruti-gaṇa—the Vedas; prākṛta—mundane; niṣedhi—forbidding; kare—does; aprākṛta—transcendental; sthāpana—confirmation.

TRANSLATION

“Wherever there is an impersonal description in the Vedas, the Vedas mean to establish that everything belonging to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is transcendental and free of mundane characteristics.”

PURPORT

There are many impersonal statements about the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (3.19):

apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā
paśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śṛṇoty akarṇaḥ
sa vetti vedyaṁ na ca tasyāsti vettā
tam āhur agryaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam

Although the Supreme Lord is described as having no hands and legs, He nonetheless accepts all sacrificial offerings. He has no eyes, yet He sees everything. He has no ears, yet He hears everything. When it is stated that the Supreme Lord has no hands and legs, one should not think that He is impersonal. Rather, He has no mundane hands or legs like ours. “He has no eyes, yet He sees.” This means that He does not have mundane, limited eyes like ours. Rather, He has such eyes that He can see past, present and future, everywhere, in every corner of the universe and in every corner of the heart of every living entity. Thus the impersonal descriptions in the Vedas intend to deny mundane characteristics in the Supreme Lord. They do not intend to establish the Supreme Lord as impersonal.

Madhya6.142

TEXT 142

yā yā śrutir jalpati nirviśeṣaṁ

sā sābhidhatte sa-viśeṣam eva

vicāra-yoge sati hanta tāsāṁ

prāyo balīyaḥ sa-viśeṣam eva

SYNONYMS

yā yā—whatever; śrutiḥ—the Vedic hymns; jalpati—describe; nirviśeṣam—impersonal truth; sā—that; sā—that; abhidhatte—directly describes (like a dictionary meaning); sa-viśeṣam—personality; eva—certainly; vicāra-yoge—when accepted by intelligence; sati—being; hanta—alas; tāsām—of all the Vedic mantras; prāyaḥ—mostly; balīyaḥ—more powerful; sa-viśeṣam—personal variety; eva—certainly.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, " ’Whatever Vedic mantras describe the Absolute Truth impersonally only prove in the end that the Absolute Truth is a person. The Supreme Lord is understood in two features-impersonal and personal. If one considers the Supreme Personality of Godhead in both features, he can actually understand the Absolute Truth. He knows that the personal understanding is stronger because we see that everything is full of variety. No one can see anything that is not full of variety.’

PURPORT

This is a quotation from the Śrī Caitanya-candrodaya-nāṭaka (6.67), by Kavi-karṇapura.

Madhya6.143

TEXT 143

brahma haite janme viśva, brahmete jīvaya

sei brahme punarapi haye yāya laya

SYNONYMS

brahma haite—from the Supreme Brahman; janme—emanates; viśva—the whole cosmic manifestation; brahmete—in the Absolute Truth; jīvaya—exists; sei—that; brahme—in the Absolute Truth; punarapi—again; haye—being; yāya—goes; laya—to annihilation.

TRANSLATION

"Everything in the cosmic manifestation emanates from the Absolute Truth. It remains in the Absolute Truth, and after annihilation it again enters the Absolute Truth.

PURPORT

Madhya6.144

TEXT 144

’apādāna,’ ’karaṇa,’ ’adhikaraṇa’-kāraka tina

bhagavānera saviśeṣe ei tina cihna

SYNONYMS

apādāna—ablative; karaṇa—instrumental; adhikaraṇa—locative; kāraka—cases; tina—three; bhagavānera—of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; sa-viśeṣa—in the personality; ei—these; tina—three; cihna—symptoms.

TRANSLATION

“The personal features of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are categorized in three cases-namely ablative, instrumental and locative.”

PURPORT

Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura states in his Amṛta-pravāha-bhāṣya that according to the injunction of the Upaniṣads (“the Supreme Absolute Truth is He from whom everything emanates”), it is understood that the whole cosmic manifestation emanated from Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. The creation subsists by the energy of the Supreme Brahman and, after annihilation, merges into the Supreme Brahman. From this we can understand that the Absolute Truth can be categorized in three cases-ablative, instrumental and locative. According to these three cases, the Absolute Truth is positively personified. In this connection, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī quotes the Aitareya Upaniṣad (1.1.1):

ātmā vā idam eka evāgra āsīn nānyat kiñcana mīṣat sa īkṣata lokān nu sṛjā iti.

Similarly, in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (4.9) it is stated:

chandāṁsi yajñāḥ kratavo vratāni
bhūtaṁ bhavyaṁ yac ca vedā vadanti
yasmān māyī sṛjate viśvam etat
tasmiṁś cānyo māyayā sanniruddhaḥ

And in the Taittirīya Upaniṣad (3.1):

yato vā imāni bhūtāni jāyante, yena jātāni jīvanti, yat prayanty abhisaṁviśanti, tad vijijñāsasva, tad brahma.

Madhya6.145-146

TEXTS 145-146

bhagavān bahu haite yabe kaila mana

prākṛta-śaktite tabe kaila vilokana

se kāle nāhi janme ’prākṛta’ mano-nayana

ataeva ’aprākṛta’ brahmera netra-mana

SYNONYMS

bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; bahu—many; haite—to become; yabe—when; kaila—made; mana—His mind; prākṛta—material; śaktite—on the energy; tabe—at that time; kaila—did; vilokana—glancing; se kāle—at that time; nāhi—not; janme—in creation; prākṛta—mundane; manaḥ-nayana—mind and eyes; ataeva—therefore; aprākṛta—transcendental; brahmera—of the Absolute Truth; netra-mana—eyes and mind.

TRANSLATION

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu continued, "When the Supreme Personality of Godhead wished to become many, He glanced over the material energy. Before the creation there were no mundane eyes or mind; therefore the transcendental nature of the Absolute Truth’s mind and eyes is confirmed.

PURPORT

In the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (6.2.3), it is said, tad aikṣata bahu syāṁ prajāyeya. This verse confirms the fact that when the Supreme Personality of Godhead wishes to become many, the cosmic manifestation arises simply by His glancing over material energy. It may be noted that the Supreme Lord glanced over the material nature before the creation of this cosmic manifestation. Before the creation there were no material minds or material eyes; therefore the mind by which the Supreme Personality of Godhead desired to create is transcendental, and the eyes with which He glanced over material nature are also transcendental. Thus the Lord’s mind, eyes and other senses are all transcendental.

Madhya6.147

TEXT 147

brahma-śabde kahe pūrṇa svayaṁ bhagavān

svayaṁ bhagavān kṛṣṇa,--śāstrera pramāṇa

SYNONYMS

brahma-śabde—by the word “Brahman”; kahe—it is said; pūrṇa—complete; svayam—personally; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; svayam—personally; bhagavān—the Supreme Personality of Godhead; kṛṣṇa—Lord Kṛṣṇa; śāstrera pramāṇa—the verdict of all Vedic literature.

TRANSLATION

"The word ’Brahman’ indicates the complete Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is Śrī Kṛṣṇa. That is the verdict of all Vedic literature.

PURPORT

Madhya6.148

TEXT 148

vedera nigūḍha artha bujhana nā haya

purāṇa-vākye sei artha karaya niścaya

SYNONYMS

vedera—of the Vedic literature; nigūḍha—confidential; artha—meaning; bujhana—understanding; nā—not; haya—is; purāṇa-vākye—by the words of the Purāṇas; sei—that; artha—meaning; karaya—makes; niścaya—certain.

TRANSLATION

"The confidential meaning of the Vedas is not easily understood by common men; therefore that meaning is supplemented by the words of the Purāṇas.

Madhya6.149

TEXT 149

aho bhāgyam aho bhāgyaṁ

nanda-gopa-vrajaukasām

yan-mitraṁ paramānandaṁ

pūrṇaṁ brahma sanātanam

SYNONYMS

aho—what great; bhāgyam—fortune; aho—what great; bhāgyam—fortune; nanda—of Mahārāja Nanda; gopa—of other cowherd men; vraja-okasām—of the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi; yat—of whom; mitram—friend; parama-ānandam—the supreme bliss; pūrṇam—complete; brahma—the Absolute Truth; sanātanam—eternal.

TRANSLATION

" ’How greatly fortunate are Nanda Mahārāja, the cowherd men and all the inhabitants of Vrajabhūmi! There is no limit to their fortune, because the Absolute Truth, the source of transcendental bliss, the eternal Supreme Brahman, has become their friend.’

PURPORT

This quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.14.32) is spoken by Lord Brahmā.

Madhya6.150

TEXT 150

’apāṇi-pāda’-śruti varje ’prākṛta’ pāṇi-caraṇa

punaḥ kahe, śīghra cale, kare sarva grahaṇa

SYNONYMS

apāṇi-pāda-śruti—the śruti-mantra beginning apāni-pādaḥ; varje—rejects; prākṛta—material; pāṇi-caraṇa—hands and legs; punaḥ—again; kahe—says; śīghra cale—walks very fast; kare—does; sarva—of everything; grahaṇa—accepting.

TRANSLATION

"The Vedic ’apāṇi-pāda’ mantra rejects material hands and legs, yet it states that the Lord goes very fast and accepts everything offered to Him.

Madhya6.151

TEXT 151

ataeva śruti kahe, brahma--saviśeṣa

’mukhya’ chāḍi’ ’lakṣaṇā’te māne nirviśeṣa

SYNONYMS

ataeva—therefore; śruti—Vedic mantras; kahe—say; brahma—the Absolute Truth; sa-viśeṣa—personal; mukhya—direct meaning; chāḍi’-giving up; lakṣaṇā’te—by interpretation; māne—accept; nirviśeṣa—impersonal.

TRANSLATION

"All these mantras confirm that the Absolute Truth is personal, but the Māyāvādīs, throwing away the direct meaning, interpret the Absolute Truth as impersonal.

PURPORT

As mentioned above, the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (3.19) states:

apāṇi-pādo javano grahītā
paśyaty acakṣuḥ sa śṛṇoty akarṇaḥ
sa vetti vedyaṁ na ca tasyāsti vettā
tam āhur agryaṁ puruṣaṁ mahāntam

Madhya6.152

TEXT 152

ṣaḍ-aiśvarya-pūrṇānanda-vigraha yāṅhāra

hena-bhagavāne tumi kaha nirākāra ?

SYNONYMS

ṣaṭ-aiśvarya-pūrṇa—with six opulences in full; ānanda—blissful; vigraha—form; yāṅhāra—whose; hena-bhagavāne—unto that Supreme Personality of Godhead; tumi—you; kaha—said; nirākāra—without any form.

TRANSLATION

"Are you describing as formless that Supreme Personality of Godhead whose transcendental form is complete with six transcendental opulences?

PURPORT

If the Supreme Personality of Godhead is formless, how can He be said to walk very fast and accept everything offered to Him? Rejecting the direct meaning of the Vedic mantras, the Māyāvādī philosophers interpret them and try to establish the Absolute Truth as formless. Actually, the Supreme Lord has an eternal personal form full of all opulence. The Māyāvādī philosophers try to interpret the Absolute Truth as being without potency. However, in the Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (6.8) it is clearly said, parāsya śaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: “The Absolute Truth has multipotencies.”

Madhya6.153

TEXT 153

svābhāvika tina śakti yei brahme haya

’niḥśaktika’ kari’ tāṅre karaha niścaya?

SYNONYMS

svābhāvika—by nature; tina—three; śakti—potencies; yei—which; brahme—in the Absolute Truth; haya—there are; niḥśaktika—without potency; kari’-making; tāṅre—Him; karaha—you do; niścaya—proof.

TRANSLATION

’’The Supreme Personality of Godhead has three primary potencies. Are you trying to prove that He has no potencies?

PURPORT

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu now quotes four verses from the Viṣṇu Purāṇa (6.7.61-63 and 1.12.69) to explain the different potencies of the Lord.

Madhya6.154

TEXT 154

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ parā proktā

kṣetra-jñākhyā tathā parā

avidyā-karma-saṁjñānyā

tṛtīyā śaktir iṣyate

SYNONYMS

viṣṇu-śaktiḥ—the internal potency of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parā—spiritual; proktā—said; kṣetra-jña—the living entities; ākhyā—known as; tathā—also; parā—spiritual; avidyā—nescience, or godlessness; karma—and fruitive activities; saṁjñā—known as; anyā—another; tṛtīyā—third; śaktiḥ—potency; iṣyate—is accepted as.

TRANSLATION

" ’The internal potency of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, is spiritual, as verified by the śāstras. There is another spiritual potency, known as kṣetra-jña, or the living entity. The third potency, which is known as nescience, makes the living entity godless and fills him with fruitive activity.

PURPORT

In the Bhagavad-gītā, in Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s discourse on the kṣetra and the kṣetra-jña, it is clearly stated that the kṣetra-jña is the living entity who knows his field of activities. The living entities in the material world are forgetful of their eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This forgetfulness is called avidyā, or nescience. The avidyā-śakti, the avidyā potency of the material world, provokes fruitive activity. Although this avidyā-śakti (material energy, or nescience) is also an energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is especially intended to keep the living entities in a state of forgetfulness. This is due to their rebellious attitude toward the Lord. Thus although the living entities are constitutionally spiritual, they come under the influence of the potency of nescience. How this happens is described in the following verse.

Madhya6.155

TEXT 155

yayā kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ sā

veṣṭitā nṛpa sarva-gā

saṁsāra-tāpān akhilān

avāpnoty atra santatān

SYNONYMS

yayā—by which; kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ—the living entities, known as the kṣetra-jña potency; sā—that potency; veṣṭitā—covered; nṛpa—O King; sarva-gā—capable of going anywhere in the spiritual or material worlds; saṁsāra-tāpān—miseries due to the cycle of repeated birth and death; akhilān—all kinds of; avāpnoti—obtains; atra—in this material world; santatān—arising from suffering or enjoying various kinds of reactions to fruitive activities.

TRANSLATION

" ’O King, the kṣetra-jña-śakti is the living entity. Although he has the facility to live in either the material or the spiritual world, he suffers the threefold miseries of material existence because he is influenced by the avidyā [nescience] potency, which covers his constitutional position.

Madhya6.156

TEXT 156

tayā tirohitatvāc ca

śaktiḥ kṣetra-jña-saṁjñitā

sarva-bhūteṣu bhū-pāla

tāratamyena vartate

SYNONYMS

tayā—by her; tirohitatvātḥa—from being freed from the influence; ca—also; śaktiḥ—the potency; kṣetra-jña—kṣetra-jña; saṁjñitā—known by the name; sarva-bhūteṣu—in different types of bodies; bhū-pāla—O King; tāratamyena—in different degrees; vartate—exists.

TRANSLATION

" ’This living entity, covered by the influence of nescience, exists in different forms in the material condition. O King, he is thus proportionately freed from the influence of material energy, to a greater or lesser degree.’

PURPORT

The material energy acts on the living entity in different degrees, according to how he acquires the association of the three modes of material nature. There are 8,400,000 species of life, some inferior, some superior and some mediocre. The gradations of the bodies are calculated according to the covering of material energy. In the lower categories-including aquatics, trees, plants, insects, birds and so forth-spiritual consciousness is almost nonexistent. In the mediocre category-the human form of life-spiritual consciousness is comparatively awakened. In the superior life forms, spiritual consciousness is fully awakened. Then the living entity understands his real position and tries to escape the influence of material energy by developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

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