Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.87.22
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
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kulāyam
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body
Literally 'nest' — the body as a bird's nest the soul temporarily occupies. Gauḍīyas relish this image: the soul is the bird, the body the nest; one is to fly, not to identify with the twigs.
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ātma-suhṛt-priya-vat
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as self, friend, and beloved
Compound: ātma (self) + suhṛt (well-wisher) + priya (beloved) + vat (like). When the body is used for sevā, it serves the soul as its three best things in one. Gauḍīyas: yukta-vairāgya — engaging the body in bhakti, not rejecting it.
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asat-upāsanayā
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by worship of the unreal
Compound: asat (the unreal) + upāsanā (worship). Worship of the impermanent is asat-upāsana. Gauḍīyas: even worship of the demigods is asat-upāsana to the degree it bypasses Bhagavān (BG 9.23-25).
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ātma-hanaḥ
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killing themselves
Compound: ātman + han (killer). One of the strongest words in the chapter. Echoes Īśa Upaniṣad 3: ātma-hano janāḥ — those who reject self-knowledge are self-killers. Gauḍīyas read it as the spiritual equivalent of suicide.
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ku-śarīra-bhṛtaḥ
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carrying degraded bodies
Compound: ku (bad, degraded) + śarīra (body) + bhṛt (bearing). The penalty of asat-upāsana — successive degraded births. Gauḍīyas: the only escape is sat-upāsana — worship of the real, of Bhagavān.
The Vedas have strong words for those who choose to remain in illusion rather than serve the all-merciful Personality of Godhead. The Bṛhad-āraṇyaka Upaniṣad (4.3.15) states, ārāmam asya paśyanti na taṁ paśyati kaścana; na tam vidātha ya imā jajānānyad yuṣmākam antaram babhūva; nīhāreṇa prāvṛtā jalpyā cāsu-tṛpa uktha-śāsaś caranti: “Everyone can see the place where the Lord manifested Himself in this world for His own pleasure, but still no one sees Him. None of you know Him who generated all these living beings, and thus there is a great difference between your vision and His. Covered by the fog of illusion, you performers of Vedic rituals indulge in useless talk and live only to gratify your senses.” The Supreme Lord pervades this universe, as He says in the Bhagavad-gītā (9.4) , mayā tataṁ idaṁ sarvaṁ jagat. Nothing in this world, not even the most insignificant clay pot or shred of cloth, is devoid of the presence of the Personality of Godhead. But because He keeps Himself invisible to envious eyes ( avyakta-mūrtinā ), materialists are misled by His material energy and think that the source of material creation is a combination of atoms and physical forces. Displaying their compassion for such foolish materialists, the personified Vedas advise them in this prayer to remember the real purpose for which they exist: to serve the Lord, their greatest well-wisher, with loving devotion. The human body is the ideal facility for reviving one’s spiritual consciousness; its organs — ears, tongue, eyes and so on — are quite suitable for hearing about the Lord, chanting His glories, worshiping Him and performing all the other essential aspects of devotional service. One’s material body is destined to remain intact for only a short time, and so it is called kulāyam, subject to “dissolving into the earth” ( kau līyate ). Nonetheless, if properly utilized it can be one’s best friend. When one is immersed in material consciousness, however, the body becomes a false friend, distracting the bewildered living entity from his true self-interest. Persons too much infatuated with their own bodies and those of their spouses, children, pets and so on are in fact misdirecting their devotion to the worship of illusion, asad-upāsanā. In this way, as the śrutis state here, such people commit spiritual suicide, insuring future punishment for failing to carry out the higher responsibilities of human existence. As the Īśopaniṣad (3) declares: asuryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ “The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance.” Those who are overly attached to sense gratification, or who worship the impermanent in the form of false, materialistic scriptures and philosophies, maintain desires that carry them into more degraded bodies in each successive life. Since they are entrapped in the perpetually rotating cycle of saṁsāra, their only hope for salvation is getting a chance to hear the merciful instructions spoken by the Supreme Lord’s devotees. Śrīla Śrīdhara Svāmī prays: tvayy ātmani jagan-nāthe man-mano ramatām iha kadā mamedṛśaṁ janma mānuṣaṁ sambhaviṣyati “When will I receive a human birth in which my mind may take pleasure in You, who are the Supreme Soul and Lord of the universe?”
After describing the devotes who renounce the enjoyments of the house, the srutis lament the jivas who are attached to the house and do not perform bhakti yoga. This nest of the bird (kulayam) called jivatma, the body, is suitable for performing bhakti yoga (tvad anupatham), since it has ears, tongue and other organs suitable for hearing and chanting. "kulayam", the body, can also be derived differently: that which merges (laya) into the earth (ku)). This body shines as the self, the friend and dear one. As the body does not appear as the self, friend and dear one when dead, it acts in this manner only by relationship with you. How unfortunate (bata) that they derive not enjoy in you, who are inclined to be merciful to them (unmukhe; a benefactor (hite), since you are their friend; who are dear because of such closeness to the body and soul; the paramatma (atmani), most easy to serve. They do not worship you with service attitude. By bad practices of studying and preaching false scriptures or having too much affection for sons, wife, house and body (asad upasanaya), having desires for those objects of attraction, they take on lower births (ku sarira bhrtah), and wander in the material world (uru bhaye). They are thus killers of themselves. Aramam asya pasyanti na tam pasyanti na kascana They do not see the world of the Lord, not at all. They see the place of the Lord’s enjoyment as the world of pots and cloth. Brhad aranyaka 4.3.15 Satapath Brahmana 14.7.1.15
Na tam vidatha ya ima jajananyat yusmakam antaram babhuva Niharena pravta jalpyas casu trpa uktha sasas caranti O those engaged in argument, you do not know him. You do not know that the Lord created all this. Being different from the beings he created, he has entered you (he is close to you who propound theories of atoms). Being completely covered by ignorance, satisfying your life airs (asu trpah), you wander here and there, engaging in karma. Rg Veda 10.82.7 Asurya nama te loka adhena tamasavrtah Tams te pretyabhigacchanti ye ke cantmahano janah The killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets known as the worlds of the faithless, full of darkness and ignorance Isopanisad 3
Hearing from the śrutis the excellence of pure rati for the Lord, some other śrutis, their followers, praise the Lord by stating the opposite condition to strengthen their statement. The temporary body acts which is dependent on ātmā (anupatham) is something like the soul (kulāyam) by being related to you, Paramātmā. This means that it seems to be the object of rati with that form. When the body dies, it is no longer attractive. It is like the self because by ahaṅkāra one thinks of the body as the self. The body is a friend because it offers enjoyment of objects. It is dear because it is the object of affection. Because of the presence of ātmā, there is a combination of ātmā and body. It becomes the object of pleasure because of appearing like the ātmā by having a relationship with ātmā. Because you are present as Paramātmā within the body, you have forms which are facing the jīvas (unmukhe), and because of being self-revealing, you by your nature give benefit (hite) to those who recognize you and you inspire the jīva to seek out those forms. You are not insentient like the body. It is astonishing that people do not have attraction for you as much as to their body. How unfortunate! It is not so astonishing. The cause presents itself spontaneously. By serving things related to the body (asat) they kill themselves. It is reasonable that they are not attracted to you. In hopes for things related to the body they wander about in great fear, taking degraded bodies. Śruti supports this conclusion. Others also support this such as asūryā nāma te lokāḥ: the killer of the soul, whoever he may be, must enter into the planets of darkness. (Īśopaniṣad)
The final goal is rati for the Lord’s lotus feet. This verse indicates that rati. This human body (idam) is temporary (kulāyam). Made of earth, it merges with the air (when burned). Or whatever is visible (idam) moves like the ātmā. The body, mistaken for the ātmā, becomes dear like a friend or lover. Or the body is friends with the ātmā, having a relationship by birth and benefiting it. The lover is dearer than even sons or dear, because she carries out one’s desires. But actually the body is not dear. It is only an appearance (vat). Though (tathā) you face the jīva or face the jiva in an inconceivable way because of your natural mercy, and give the jīva benefit (hite) as an unconditional friend, and though you show affection or are the object of affection (priye) as Paramātmā (ātmani), since its aṁśas are very dear, or though you inspire the jīva to good action and act as guru (ātmani), people do not take pleasure in you. Rati for the Lord is a means and a goal. This is because they injure the atmā by worshipping temporary things. Or kulāyam means that which is destroyed in a low way, becoming ashes. If that body follows the path of bhakti (tvad anupatham) it becomes dear like a friend. Moreover, you turn towards this devotee, benefit him and show affection for him. Those who injure ātmā do not enjoy with you by hearing and chanting etc.
- What part of my body have I treated as obstacle rather than as potential servant?
- How would today shift if my body were friend rather than burden?
The human body is a vehicle that, if used for Your service, becomes self, friend, and beloved at once — but if pointed away from You, the same vehicle becomes a suicide-knife. The tragedy of the conditioned soul is using the gift to refuse the Giver.
My note
Source: vedabase.io