SB 7.2.

41
Bhakti Sanga Japa conference – Nov 28th 2023
 SB 7.2.41

bhūtāni tais tair nija-yoni-karmabhir

bhavanti kāle na bhavanti sarvaśaḥ
na tatra hātmā prakṛtāv api sthitas
tasyā guṇair anyatamo hi badhyate
Every conditioned soul receives a different type of body according to his
work, and when the engagement is finished the body is finished.
Although the spirit soul is situated in subtle and gross material bodies in
different forms of life, he is not bound by them, for he is always
understood to be completely different from the manifested body.
Tuesday, November 28,
2023
2
 SB 7.2.41 Purport

Here it is very plainly explained that God is not responsible for the living entity’s accepting different types of
bodies. One has to accept a body according to the laws of nature and one’s own karma. Therefore the Vedic
injunction is that a person engaged in material activities should be given directions by which he can intelligently
apply his activities to the service of the Lord to become free from the material bondage of repeated birth and
death (sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ). The Lord is always ready to give directions.
Indeed, His directions are elaborately given in Bhagavad-gītā. If we take advantage of these directions, then in spite
of our being conditioned by the laws of material nature, we shall become free to attain our original constitution
(mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te). We should have firm faith that the Lord is supreme and
that if we surrender to Him, He will take charge of us and indicate how we can get out of material life and return
home, back to Godhead. Without such surrender, one is obliged to accept a certain type of body according to
his karma, sometimes as an animal, sometimes a demigod and so on. Although the body is obtained and lost in due
course of time, the spirit soul does not actually mix with the body, but is subjugated by the particular modes of
nature with which he is sinfully associated. Spiritual education changes one’s consciousness so that one simply
carries out the orders of the Supreme Lord and becomes free from the influence of the modes of material nature.
 Context for SB 7.2.41

❖ In SB 6.18.23, Diti was angry when her 2 sons were killed by Lord Visnu being instigated by Indra.
❖ 7.1: Parkisit Maharaj asks about Lord's apparent partiality towards demigods
❖ Sukadev Goswami explains about Lord's impartial nature
❖ Sukadev Goswami to elaborate quotes conversation between Yudhistira Maharaj & Narada Muni.
❖ Yudhistira Maharaj seeing Sisupala merging into body of Krsna, asked Narada Muni how was it possible for such demon to enter body of Krsna
❖ Narada Muni explains glory of absorption in Krsna & informs that Sisupala & Dantavakra were formerly Jaya & Vijaya who came to this world due to a
curse
❖ Yudhistira Maharaj inquires about fall of Jaya & Vijaya
❖ Narada Muni describes cursing of Jaya & Vijaya along with 3 births they took along with their salvation by absorption in Krsna. He indicates Hiranyakasipu
attempts to kill his own son
❖ Yudhistira Maharaj asks about enmity between Hiranyakasipu & Prahlad. Also asks about how Prahlad became great devotee of Krsna
❖ 7.2: Narada Muni starts explaining how Hiranyakasipu became staunch enemy of Lord Vishnu
❖ After Hiranyksa was killed by Lord Visnu, Hiranyakasipu was filled with rage & orders to destroy brahminical culture
 Context for SB 7.2.41

❖ Hiranyakasipu starts to console his relatives with philosophy of soul and narrates story of King Suyajna: King died. Queens lamenting. Yamaraja comes as
boy and instructs queens about the eternal soul
✓ Yamaraja wonders why people older than him (in small boy form) are lamenting even after having full experience of seeing people dying
✓ 38: Yamaraja as boy expresses firm belief of Supreme Lord who gave protection in womb of mother will protect us everywhere
✓ 39: Only by the will of Supreme Lord, creation, maintenance and annihilation happens. Being Supreme Lord, He is completely competent
to destroy & protect. He is Supreme and independent. No one can question His activities
✓ 40: 2 examples of Supremacy of Lord and how everything is dependent on His free will. (Our only duty is to surrender to Him & seek
His protection)
✓ Money left outside may be protected. Money protected inside home may be lost
✓ Someone in jungle may be protected while someone well protected at home may die
✓ 41: VCT: But then there is inequality of the Lord because He favors one and ignores others?
✓ Paramatma, though situated in body, is not bound by its qualities. Paramatma makes the jiva experience results of his good & bad karmas
by his presence alone. That is his favoring or ignoring
 Translation highlights

Soul receives Soul completely

body according different from
to his work manifested body
 Soul receives body according to his work
❖God is not responsible
❖One has to accept body
➢According to the laws of nature &
➢Per one's own karma (without surrender as animal, demigod etc.,)

Intelligently
Directions Free from material bondage
Person in applies
from
material activities in or
Supreme
activities Service of attains our original constitution
Lord (BG)
the Lord
 Soul is completely different from
manifested body
❖Soul subjugated by particular modes of nature
❖Spiritual education changes one’s consciousness so that one simply carries out the orders of the
Supreme Lord and becomes free from the influence of the modes of material nature.

Consciousness
transformed Becomes free
Soul subjugated from influence of
Spiritual to simply
by modes of 3 modes
Education carry out
nature
orders of
Supreme Lord
 We should have firm faith that the Lord is supreme and that if we surrender to Him, He will take
charge of us and indicate how we can get out of material life and return home, back to Godhead

❖ Firm faith that Lord is Supreme & He will help me in returning to Him
➢ He can do anything as everything is in His control
➢ He can help me in Bhakti – with direction, ability to execute and mercy to grow in my relationship to Him
➢ He is my best well wisher
➢ He is grateful for any service offered
➢ He is personal and eagerly looking forward to me engaging in His pure devotional service for my own benefit
➢ I can offer service with whatever I can with what I currently have in a mood of devotion. That is sufficient to
seek His mercy
➢ He helped so many devotees in the past and will help me also
 We should have firm faith that the Lord is supreme and that if we surrender to Him, He will take
charge of us and indicate how we can get out of material life and return home, back to Godhead

❖ Surrender is voluntary & an expression of love/affection (not out of frustration or helplessness)

❖ Surrender in 3 levels from Bhagavad-gita:
➢ BG 2.7 (śiṣyas te ’haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam) Overcoming Ignorance
➢ Willingness to turn towards Lord Krsna (and His representative) in prayer & submission when we do not
know what to do (Arjuna confused about right thing)
➢ BG 7.14 (mām eva ye prapadyante) Overcoming Illusion (not being able to do right thing)
➢ Holding onto Lord Krsna through process of Bhakti to receive spiritual strength for overcoming illusion
➢ BG 18.66 (mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja)
➢ Doing Lord Krsna's will --> Using gifts that Lord has given us to serve Him in a mood of
service/devotion (contentment follows)
 6 limbs of Surrender (CC Madhya 22.100)

ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ
prātikūlyasya varjanam
rakṣiṣyatīti viśvāso
goptṛtve varaṇaṁ tathā
ātma-nikṣepa-kārpaṇye
ṣaḍ-vidhā śaraṇāgatiḥ
❖The six divisions of surrender are:
➢ acceptance of those things favorable to devotional service
➢ rejection of unfavorable things
➢ conviction that Kṛṣṇa will give protection
➢ acceptance of the Lord as one's guardian or master
➢ full self-surrender
➢ humility
 sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ - BG 18.46
yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānāṁ
yena sarvam idaṁ tatam
sva-karmaṇā tam
abhyarcya
siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ
Surrender
Understand who Work with talents
we are by (gifts) we have
introspection & joyfully in mood of
self-observation Service to Krsna
• Soul Mood of service grows
through purification
• Inclinations of body & mind
from practice of Bhakti
• Talents (Krsna's gifts)
with guidance
By worship of the Lord,
who is the source of all
beings and who is all-
pervading, a man can
attain perfection through
performing his own work.
Make lasting
contributions in
this world & get
satisfaction
Ultimately
get
Helps us & others
Supreme
get closer to Krsna
Liberation
 BG 18.46

❖ Krsna asks Arjuna to worship the Lord through his work. For work to be worship, it
needs to be done with values of:
➢ Dutifulness : We see work as our due part in maintaining social order
➢ Detachment: Not that we don't care. We understand results depend on factors
beyond our role and gracefully accept whatever results come by divine arrangement.
(We are open to bigger realities – lessons Lord wants to teach us and ultimately divine
love he wants to share with us.)
➢ Devotion: We see our work as a means to please Lord. In the earnestness of our
endeavors, He sees our eagerness to offer our heart to Him. By such work, our heart
becomes increasingly attracted to Him & we realize He is life's ultimate treasure.
 mām eva ye prapadyante - BG 7.14

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī

mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who
have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.

❖ Maya is Krsna's divine illusory energy (not ordinary) that distracts us from Bhakti & progressive goals. Consists of 3 modes
❖ Difficult to overcome but can overcome by surrender to Krsna
❖ Ultimate purpose of Maya is divine to test our determination in practice of Bhakt-yoga. Maya tests us with temptations (Ex: Like father employs
tutor, Krsna employs Maya)
❖ If our purpose in serving Krsna is strong, we invoke Krsna's protection
❖ As we are prone to maya, we need to cautiously guard ourselves from Maya (not be over-confident)
❖ By tolerating temptations of Maya, we can avoid tribulations
❖ Healthy fear of maya accompanied by hearty dependence on Krsna keeps us steady on spiritual path
 References and Credits

❖ A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada Books:

Bhagavad Gita As It is, Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Caitanya Caritamrita
❖ HH Romapada Swami
❖ HG Chaitanya Charan prabhuji classes & Daily Gita articles
❖ HG Gauranga Darshan prabhuji class & Bhagavata Subodhini &
Bhagavata Pravaha books