Shloka 41
Hiraṇyakaśipu’s Wrath, the Assault on Vedic Culture, and the Boy-Yamarāja’s Teaching on the Soul
भूतानि तैस्तैर्निजयोनिकर्मभि- र्भवन्ति काले न भवन्ति सर्वश: । न तत्र हात्मा प्रकृतावपि स्थित- स्तस्या गुणैरन्यतमो हि बध्यते ॥ ४१ ॥
bhūtāni tais tair nija-yoni-karmabhir bhavanti kāle na bhavanti sarvaśaḥ na tatra hātmā prakṛtāv api sthitas tasyā guṇair anyatamo hi badhyate
જીવ પોતાના કર્મ અનુસાર વિવિધ દેહ પ્રાપ્ત કરે છે; કર્મ પૂર્ણ થતાં દેહ પણ પૂર્ણ થાય છે. સૂક્ષ્મ અને સ્થૂલ દેહોમાં સ્થિત હોવા છતાં આત્મા તેમાથી બંધાતી નથી, કારણ કે તે દેહથી સર્વથા ભિન્ન છે।
Here it is very plainly explained that God is not responsible for the living entity’s accepting different types of bodies. One has to accept a body according to the laws of nature and one’s own karma. Therefore the Vedic injunction is that a person engaged in material activities should be given directions by which he can intelligently apply his activities to the service of the Lord to become free from the material bondage of repeated birth and death ( sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarcya siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ ). The Lord is always ready to give directions. Indeed, His directions are elaborately given in Bhagavad-gītā. If we take advantage of these directions, then in spite of our being conditioned by the laws of material nature, we shall become free to attain our original constitution ( mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te ). We should have firm faith that the Lord is supreme and that if we surrender to Him, He will take charge of us and indicate how we can get out of material life and return home, back to Godhead. Without such surrender, one is obliged to accept a certain type of body according to his karma, sometimes as an animal, sometimes a demigod and so on. Although the body is obtained and lost in due course of time, the spirit soul does not actually mix with the body, but is subjugated by the particular modes of nature with which he is sinfully associated. Spiritual education changes one’s consciousness so that one simply carries out the orders of the Supreme Lord and becomes free from the influence of the modes of material nature.
FAQs
This verse explains that beings manifest over time according to their specific karma and species, not all at once, under the governance of time and material nature.
The ātmā is not truly produced by matter; bondage happens when the living being identifies with one of material nature’s modes (guṇas), accepting a material designation.
Recognize that you are the ātmā distinct from the guṇas, and cultivate sāttvika life and bhakti so identity shifts from material modes to service to the Supreme.