Page 47 - Defending Prabhupada Words - By Harivlas Das

where restriction of association of men and women may
be slackened. He writes,

“A living entity, who as a result of attachment to a woman
in his previous life, has been endowed with the form of a
woman, foolishly looks upon maya in the form of a man,
her husband, as the bestower of wealth, progeny, house
and other material assets.” (SB 3.31.41)

Purport: “From this verse it appears that a woman is also
supposed to have been a man in her previous life, and due
to his attachment to his wife, he now has the body of a
woman. Bhagavad-gita confirms this; a man gets his next
life’s birth according to what he thinks of at the time of
death. If someone is too attached to his wife, naturally he
thinks of his wife at the time of death, and in his next life
he takes the body of a woman. Similarly, if a woman thinks
of her husband at the time of death, naturally she gets the
body of a man in the next life. In the Hindu scriptures,
therefore, women’s chastity and devotion to man is greatly
emphasized. A woman’s attachment to her husband may
elevate her to the body of a man in her next life, but a
man’s attachment to a woman will degrade him, and in
his next life he will get the body of a woman. We should
always remember, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita, that
both the gross and subtle material bodies are dresses; they
are the shirt and coat of the living entity. To be either a

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Defending Prabhupada Words insid
Defending Prabhupada Words inside.indd 46 09-02-2023 17:30:17