Srimad Bhagavatam — Saptama Skandha, Shloka 22
Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Wrath, the Assault on Vedic Culture, and the Boy-Yamarāja’s Teaching on the Soul
नित्य आत्माव्यय: शुद्ध: सर्वग: सर्ववित्पर: । धत्तेऽसावात्मनो लिङ्गं मायया विसृजन्गुणान् ॥ २२ ॥
nitya ātmāvyayaḥ śuddhaḥ sarvagaḥ sarva-vit paraḥ dhatte ’sāv ātmano liṅgaṁ māyayā visṛjan guṇān
L’ātman est éternel, inépuisable et pur; il peut aller partout et demeure au-delà du corps matériel. Mais, trompé par māyā et les guṇa, il revêt un corps subtil et un corps grossier et subit ce qu’on appelle plaisir et peine; ainsi, nul ne doit se lamenter du départ de l’âme hors du corps.
Hiraṇyakaśipu very intelligently described the position of the soul. The soul is never the body, but is always completely different from the body. Being eternal and inexhaustible, the soul has no death, but when the same pure soul desires to enjoy the material world independently, he is placed under the conditions of material nature and must therefore accept a certain type of body and suffer the pains and pleasures thereof. This is also described by Kṛṣṇa in Bhagavad-gītā (13.22) . Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo ’sya sad-asad-yoni janmasu: the living entity is born in different families or species of life because of being infected by the modes of material nature. When conditioned by material nature, the living entity must accept a certain type of body, which is offered by nature under the direction of the Supreme Lord.
FAQs
This verse explains that the Supreme Self is eternally pure and all-knowing, yet He can accept a bodily designation by His own māyā, while remaining transcendental to the material modes.
Prahlāda teaches his classmates that the Lord’s embodiment is not like conditioned souls; He assumes forms through His own potency and controls the guṇas rather than being controlled by them.
It encourages devotion and detachment: recognize that God is not limited by matter, and strive to live beyond the push of the guṇas through bhakti, purity, and steady remembrance.