Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 52
Prāyaścitta, the ‘Elephant Bath’ Problem, and the Opening of Ajāmila-Upākhyāna
देह्यज्ञोऽजितषड्वर्गो नेच्छन्कर्माणि कार्यते । कोशकार इवात्मानं कर्मणाच्छाद्य मुह्यति ॥ ५२ ॥
dehy ajño ’jita-ṣaḍ-vargo necchan karmāṇi kāryate kośakāra ivātmānaṁ karmaṇācchādya muhyati
The foolish embodied living entity, inept at controlling his senses and mind, is forced to act according to the influence of the modes of material nature, against his desires. He is like a silkworm that uses its own saliva to create a cocoon and then becomes trapped in it, with no possibility of getting out. The living entity traps himself in a network of his own fruitive activities and then can find no way to release himself. Thus he is always bewildered, and repeatedly he dies.
As already explained, the influence of the modes of nature is very strong. The living entity entangled in different types of fruitive activity is like a silkworm trapped in a cocoon. Getting free is very difficult unless he is helped by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
This verse explains that an ignorant embodied soul, unable to control the senses, is driven to act even unwillingly, and then becomes further bound and confused by the karma created.
Because, like a silkworm that spins its own cocoon and gets trapped, a person weaves bondage through repeated karmic actions and becomes covered by their results.
Regularly restraining impulsive sense-driven habits and redirecting the mind toward devotion and disciplined living helps one avoid creating new karmic entanglement.