Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 7
Nimi Questions the Yogendras: Māyā, Cosmic Dissolution, Guru-Śaraṇāgati, Bhakti, and Deity Worship
इत्थं कर्मगतीर्गच्छन्बह्वभद्रवहा: पुमान् । आभूतसम्प्लवात्सर्गप्रलयावश्नुतेऽवश: ॥ ७ ॥
itthaṁ karma-gatīr gacchan bahv-abhadra-vahāḥ pumān ābhūta-samplavāt sarga- pralayāv aśnute ’vaśaḥ
Ainsi, l’homme qui suit les voies du karma porte bien des infortunes ; contraint par les réactions de ses propres actes, il subit, impuissant, des naissances et des morts répétées, depuis l’aube de la création jusqu’à l’anéantissement cosmique (pralaya).
According to Śrīla Madhvācārya, after hearing that the living entity is repeatedly subjected to birth and death within the material world, if one still considers such a helpless entity equal to God in all respects one will surely fall into the darkest regions of the universe, from which it is difficult to rise.
FAQs
This verse explains that by following the various paths of karma, a person is carried into repeated misfortune and, being helpless, continues through cycles of creation and dissolution.
Because one who is driven by karma does not act from spiritual freedom; he is pushed by the reactions of previous deeds and thus remains bound to repeated births and cosmic cycles.
Recognize that chasing results-centric actions can deepen anxiety and bondage; shift your focus toward devotion, detachment from outcomes, and spiritually guided living to reduce karmic entanglement.