Shloka 61
The Fall of Purañjana and the Supersoul as the Eternal Friend
Purañjana-Upākhyāna Culmination
माया ह्येषा मया सृष्टा यत्पुमांसं स्त्रियं सतीम् । मन्यसे नोभयं यद्वै हंसौ पश्यावयोर्गतिम् ॥ ६१ ॥
māyā hy eṣā mayā sṛṣṭā yat pumāṁsaṁ striyaṁ satīm manyase nobhayaṁ yad vai haṁsau paśyāvayor gatim
هذه هي ماياي؛ وبسبب التعلّق بالجسد تظنّ نفسك تارةً رجلاً وتارةً امرأةً عفيفة وتارةً محايدًا. والحقيقة أنّك وأنا هويتان روحيتان طاهرتان. فافهم هذا؛ إنّي أشرح مقامنا الحقيقي.
The factual position of both the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the living entity is qualitatively one. The Supreme Lord is the Supreme Spirit, the Supersoul, and the living entity is the individual spiritual soul. Even though both of them are original spiritual identities, the living entity forgets his identity when he comes in contact with material nature and becomes conditioned. At such a time he identifies himself as a product of the material nature. Because of the material body, he forgets that he is the eternal ( sanātana ) part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is confirmed in this way: mamaivāṁśo jīva-loke jīva-bhūtaḥ sanātanaḥ. The word sanātana is found in several places in Bhagavad-gītā. Both the Lord and the living entity are sanātana (eternal), and there is also a place known as sanātana, beyond this material nature. The real residence of both the living entity and God is the domain of sanātana, not this material world. The material world is the temporary, external energy of the Lord, and the living entity is placed in this material world because he wanted to imitate the position of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this material world he tries to enjoy his senses to his best capacity. All the activities of the conditioned soul within this material world are perpetually taking place in different types of bodies, but when the living entity acquires developed consciousness, he should try to rectify his situation and again become a member of the spiritual world. The process by which one can return home, back to Godhead, is bhakti-yoga, sometimes called sanātana-dharma. Instead of accepting a temporary occupational duty based on the material body, one should take to the process of sanātana-dharma, or bhakti-yoga, so that he can put an end to this perpetual bondage in material bodies and return home, back to Godhead. As long as human society works on the basis of false material identification, all the so-called advancements of science and philosophy are simply useless. They only serve to mislead human society. Andhā yathāndhair upanīyamānāḥ: in the material world, the blind simply lead the blind.
FAQs
This verse states that māyā is created by the Lord and causes the living being to misidentify—seeing the self through bodily labels like male and female—thus failing to perceive the deeper reality.
In the Purañjana allegory, the “two swans” indicate the two conscious principles witnessing life (the individual soul and the Supreme). The Lord invites this higher vision to see the actual outcome beyond bodily confusion.
By remembering that external identities are temporary and cultivating spiritual discrimination—through devotion, reflection, and sādhana—one reduces attachment and sees life’s purpose as returning to the Lord.