Page 32 - Metaphysical questions of life

can a ain enlightenment just as Arjuna did 5000 years ago. This is the
plan of God, Krishna. The following verse and purport by Bhak vedan-
ta Swami explains the plan of Krishna for material crea on.

prakṛ ṁ puruṣaṁ caiva / viddhy anādī ubhāv api

vikārāṁś ca guṇāṁś caiva / viddhi prakṛ ‐sambhavān (Bg 13.20)
“Material nature and the living en es should be understood to be be-

ginningless. Their transforma ons and the modes of ma er are prod-
ucts of material nature.”

“By the knowledge given in this chapter, one can understand the body
(the field of ac vi es) and the knowers of the body (both the individual
soul and the Supersoul). The body is the field of ac vity and is com-
posed of material nature. The individual soul that is embodied and en-
joying the ac vi es of the body is the puruṣa, or the living en ty. He is

one knower, and the other is the Supersoul. Of course, it is to be under-
stood that both the Supersoul and the individual en ty are different
manifesta ons of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The living en -
ty is in the category of His energy, and the Supersoul is in the category
of His personal expansion.

Both material nature and the living en ty are eternal. That is to say
that they existed before the crea on. The material manifesta on is

from the energy of the Supreme Lord, and so also are the living en -
es, but the living en es are of the superior energy. Both the living
en es and material nature existed before this cosmos was manifest-
ed. Material nature was absorbed in the Supreme Personality of God-
head, Mahā-viṣṇu, and when it was required, it was manifested by the

agency of the mahat-ta va. Similarly, the living en es are also in
Him, and because they are condi oned, they are averse to serving the
Supreme Lord. Thus they are not allowed to enter into the spiritual sky.
But with the coming forth of material nature these living en es are
again given a chance to act in the material world and prepare them-

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