Srimad Bhagavatam — Dashama Skandha, Shloka 26
एवमेतन्महाभाग यथा वदसि देहिनाम् । अज्ञानप्रभवाहंधी: स्वपरेति भिदा यत: ॥ २६ ॥
evam etan mahā-bhāga yathā vadasi dehinām ajñāna-prabhavāhaṁ-dhīḥ sva-pareti bhidā yataḥ
O marangal na Kaṁsa, tama ang iyong sinabi. Sa mga may katawan, dahil sa impluwensiya ng kamangmangan ay sumisibol ang pagkapit sa ‘ako’ at sa katawan; mula roon nagmumula ang pagkakaibang “akin ito” at “sa iba iyon.”
Everything is done automatically by the laws of nature, which work under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is no question of doing anything independently, for one who has put himself in this material atmosphere is fully under the control of nature’s laws. Our main business, therefore, should be to get out of this conditioned life and again become situated in spiritual existence. Only due to ignorance does a person think, “I am a demigod,” “I am a human being,” “I am a dog,” “I am a cat,” or, when the ignorance is still further advanced, “I am God.” Unless one is fully self-realized, one’s life of ignorance will continue.
FAQs
This verse states that the ‘I’-conception and the split of ‘self’ versus ‘other’ arise from ignorance in embodied life.
Vasudeva addresses Kaṁsa to calm his aggression, pointing out that enmity and fear are born from ignorance and the mistaken view of ‘mine’ and ‘others.’
By recognizing how ego-based identity creates conflict, one can practice humility, reduce hostility, and cultivate devotion and compassion rooted in spiritual understanding.