Shloka 42
Parīkṣit’s Questions and the Prelude to Kṛṣṇa’s Advent
Earth’s Burden, Viṣṇu’s Order, and Kaṁsa’s Fear
यतो यतो धावति दैवचोदितंमनो विकारात्मकमाप पञ्चसु । गुणेषु मायारचितेषु देह्यसौप्रपद्यमान: सह तेन जायते ॥ ४२ ॥
yato yato dhāvati daiva-coditaṁ mano vikārātmakam āpa pañcasu guṇeṣu māyā-raciteṣu dehy asau prapadyamānaḥ saha tena jāyate
At death, as the mind—impelled by destiny and shaped by its own fluctuations—runs among the five guṇas fashioned by māyā, the soul attains a body corresponding to that state. Thus the change of bodies arises from the mind’s restless movement.
One can very easily understand that the mind is constantly flickering, changing in the quality of its thinking, feeling and willing. This is explained by Arjuna in Bhagavad-gītā (6.34) :
FAQs
This verse explains that the mind, driven by destiny and habit, runs to the five sense-objects; when the jīva identifies with and takes shelter of these māyā-made modes, it becomes bound to repeated birth through that attachment.
While introducing Krishna’s appearance and the background of tyranny and fear, Shukadeva also highlights the deeper bondage of the soul—attachment to sense life under the gunas—showing why divine intervention and bhakti are essential.
Notice the mind’s automatic rush toward sense stimulation and redirect it through sādhana—hearing and chanting about Krishna, disciplined habits, and conscious choices—so attachment weakens and spiritual freedom increases.