Shloka 55
Prāyaścitta, the ‘Elephant Bath’ Problem, and the Opening of Ajāmila-Upākhyāna
एष प्रकृतिसङ्गेन पुरुषस्य विपर्यय: । आसीत्स एव नचिरादीशसङ्गाद्विलीयते ॥ ५५ ॥
eṣa prakṛti-saṅgena puruṣasya viparyayaḥ āsīt sa eva na cirād īśa-saṅgād vilīyate
ప్రకృతిసంగం వల్ల జీవునికి ఈ విపర్యయం కలుగుతుంది; కానీ మానవజన్మలో ఈశ్వరుని లేదా ఆయన భక్తుని సంగం పొందితే అది త్వరగా లయమవుతుంది.
The word prakṛti means material nature, and puruṣa may also refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one wants to continue his association with prakṛti, the female energy of Kṛṣṇa, and be separated from Kṛṣṇa by the illusion that he is able to enjoy prakṛti, he must continue in his conditional life. If he changes his consciousness, however, and associates with the supreme, original person ( puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ), or with His associates, he can get out of the entanglement of material nature. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9) , janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ: one must simply understand the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, in terms of His form, name, activities and pastimes. This will keep one always in the association of Kṛṣṇa. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna: thus after giving up his gross material body, one accepts not another gross body but a spiritual body in which to return home, back to Godhead. Thus one ends the tribulation caused by his association with the material energy. In summary, the living entity is an eternal servant of God, but he comes to the material world and is bound by material conditions because of his desire to lord it over matter. Liberation means giving up this false consciousness and reviving one’s original service to the Lord. This return to one’s original life is called mukti, as confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ( muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ ).
FAQs
This verse says delusion begins by association with material nature (prakṛti-saṅga), which reverses the soul’s true understanding.
It states that the same delusion is dissolved ‘not after long’ by association with the Supreme Lord—practically, through turning toward Him and His devotees.
Reduce prakṛti-saṅga (habits and company that increase forgetfulness of God) and increase īśa-saṅga—hearing Bhagavatam, chanting the holy name, and keeping devotional association.