Shloka 27
Nārada’s Protection of Kayādhu and Prahlāda’s Womb-Instructions: Ātma-tattva and the Path of Bhakti
एतद्द्वारो हि संसारो गुणकर्मनिबन्धन: । अज्ञानमूलोऽपार्थोऽपि पुंस: स्वप्न इवार्प्यते ॥ २७ ॥
etad dvāro hi saṁsāro guṇa-karma-nibandhanaḥ ajñāna-mūlo ’pārtho ’pi puṁsaḥ svapna ivārpyate
இதுவே (மாசடைந்த) புத்தி சம்சாரத்தின் வாசல்; அது குண‑கர்ம பந்தத்தால் கட்டப்பட்டுள்ளது. அறியாமை மூலமான இவ்வுலக வாழ்வு கனவு போல மனிதனுக்கு ஏற்றப்பட்டதாகும்—அர்த்தமற்றதும் வேண்டாததும்.
The unwanted condition of temporary life is called ignorance. One can very easily understand that the material body is temporary, for it is generated at a certain date and ends at a certain date, after undergoing the six kinds of change, namely birth, death, growth, maintenance, transformation and dwindling. This condition of the eternal soul is due to his ignorance, and although it is temporary, it is unwanted. Because of ignorance one is put into temporary bodies one after another. The spirit soul, however, does not need to enter such temporary bodies. He does so only due to his ignorance or his forgetfulness of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore in the human form of life, when one’s intelligence is developed, one should change his consciousness by trying to understand Kṛṣṇa. Then one can be liberated. This is confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9) , where the Lord says:
FAQs
This verse explains that samsara is entered through bondage to the modes (guṇas) and actions (karma) arising from ignorance; it is ultimately unreal like a dream, yet it binds the soul by superimposition.
He teaches that worldly identity and suffering are rooted in ignorance and lack lasting reality; like a dream, they appear true while experienced but vanish when awakened to spiritual knowledge and devotion.
Observe how habits and identity are shaped by the modes and reactions; reduce ignorance through sādhana (hearing, chanting, and devotion) and choose actions that elevate consciousness rather than deepen karmic binding.