Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 34
Karma-vāda Critiqued, Varṇāśrama Reframed, and the Soul’s Distinction from the Body
काल आत्मागमो लोक: स्वभावो धर्म एव च । इति मां बहुधा प्राहुर्गुणव्यतिकरे सति ॥ ३४ ॥
kāla ātmāgamo lokaḥ svabhāvo dharma eva ca iti māṁ bahudhā prāhur guṇa-vyatikare sati
ເມື່ອຄຸນທັງຫຼາຍປັ່ນປ່ວນແລະປະຕິສຳພັນກັນ ສັດທັງຫຼາຍຈຶ່ງເອີ້ນພຣະອົງຫຼາຍນາມ: ກາລອັນມີອຳນາດ, ອາຕະມັນ, ຄວາມຮູ້ແຫ່ງເວທ, ຈັກກະວານ, ສະພາບຕົນ, ພິທີທາງທຳມະ ແລະອື່ນໆ।
One can experience the potency of the Personality of Godhead by observing how different species of life — demigods, human beings, animals, fish, birds, insects, plants, etc. — gradually evolve their natures and activities. Each species of life executes a particular process of sense gratification, and this function is called the dharma of the species. Lacking knowledge of the Personality of Godhead, ordinary persons catch a glimpse of the Lord’s potencies in the above-mentioned manifestations. Śrīla Madhvācārya has cited the following information from the Tantra-bhāgavata. The Lord is called kāla, or time, because He is the mover and controller of all material qualities. Because He is complete and perfect, He is called ātmā, or the Self; and He is the personification of all knowledge. The word svabhāva indicates that the Lord fully controls His own destiny; and as the maintainer of everyone He is called dharma. One on the liberated platform can achieve unlimited bliss by worshiping the Personality of Godhead, whereas those who are ignorant of the Lord try to find happiness by concocting other objects of worship. If one stubbornly imagines that anything is independent of the Lord, one will remain in the grip of the illusory network of the Lord’s potency. Seeing the inevitability of the destruction of material things, one is constantly fearful and perpetually laments in the darkness of ignorance. In such darkness there is no question of happiness. Therefore, one should never think that anything is independent of the Personality of Godhead. As soon as one considers anything to be independent of the Lord, one is immediately gripped by the Lord’s illusory network, called māyā. One should always remain humble and obedient to the Personality of Godhead, even when one is liberated, and thus one will achieve the supreme spiritual happiness.
FAQs
This verse states that when the material modes interact, people perceive the Supreme Lord through His functions—one prominent understanding is Kāla (Time), the divine force that governs change and transformation in the world.
Kṛṣṇa teaches Uddhava that the Lord is one, but is described by different names (Time, Self, Veda, Dharma, etc.) according to how the guṇas operate and how conditioned beings experience His energies.
Seeing how moods, habits, and environments (guṇas) shape perception helps one stay steady: align daily choices with dharma (truthfulness, self-control, compassion) and remember the same Supreme Reality behind all changing conditions.