FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.1.13

भवाय नाशाय च कर्म कर्तुं शोकाय मोहाय सदा भयाय । सुखाय दु:खाय च देहयोग- मव्यक्तदिष्टं जनताङ्ग धत्ते ॥ १३ ॥
bhavāya nāśāya ca karma kartuṁ
[bhavaaya naashaaya cha karma kartum]
śokāya mohāya sadā bhayāya
[shokaaya mohaaya sadaa bhayaaya]
sukhāya duḥkhāya ca deha-yogam
[sukhaaya duhkhaaya cha deha-yogam]
avyakta-diṣṭaṁ janatāṅga dhatte
[avyakta-dishtam janataanga dhatte]
bhavāya — for birth nāśāya — for death ca — also karma — activity kartum — to do śokāya — for bereavement mohāya — for illusion sadā — always bhayāya — for fear sukhāya — for happiness duḥkhāya — for distress ca — also deha-yogam — connection with a material body avyakta — by the Supreme Personality of Godhead diṣṭam — directed janatā — the living entities aṅga — O Priyavrata dhatte — accept.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
bhavāya nāśāya ca karma kartuṁ
bhavāya
for birth
nāśāya
for death
ca
also
karma
activity
kartum
to do
śokāya mohāya sadā bhayāya
śokāya
for bereavement
mohāya
for illusion
sadā
always
bhayāya
for fear
sukhāya duḥkhāya ca deha-yogam
sukhāya
for happiness
duḥkhāya
for distress
ca
also
deha-yogam
connection with a material body
avyakta-diṣṭaṁ janatāṅga dhatte
avyakta
by the Supreme Personality of Godhead
diṣṭam
directed
janatā
the living entities
aṅga
O Priyavrata
dhatte
accept.
My dear Priyavrata, by the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all living entities accept different types of bodies for birth and death, activity, lamentation, illusion, fear of future dangers, and happiness and distress.

Every living entity who has come to this material world has come here for material enjoyment, but according to his own karma, activities, he must accept a certain type of body given to him by material nature under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27) , prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ: everything is being done by prakṛti, material nature, under the direction of the Supreme Lord. Modern scientists do not know why there are varieties of bodies in 8,400,000 forms. The fact is that all these bodies are ordained for the living entities by the Supreme Personality of Godhead according to the living entities’ desires. He gives the living entities freedom to act as they like, but on the other hand they must accept a body according to the reactions of their activities. Thus there are different types of bodies. Some living entities have short durations of life, whereas others live for fantastic durations. Every one of them, however, from Brahmā down to the ant, acts according to the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is sitting in everyone’s heart. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (15.15) :

sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭo mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca

“I am seated in everyone’s heart, and from Me come remembrance. knowledge and forgetfulness.” It is not a fact, however, that the Supreme Personality of Godhead gives direction to certain living entities in one way and other living entities in another way. The truth is that every living entity has a certain desire, and the Supreme Lord gives him a chance to fulfill it. The best course, therefore, is to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead and act according to His desire. One who does so is liberated.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
All jīvas always attain bodies as directed by the Lord to perform actions for repeated birth and death, and for lamentation, illusion, happiness, and distress. One should not lament about this, because all embodied souls, dependent on the Lord, tolerate all auspicious and inauspicious conditions by their own desire or others’ desire. All jīvas (janatā) always accept a combination with bodies given by the Lord (avyakta) for performing actions for repeated birth and death. They accept bodies earned by their actions only by the order of the Lord, just as the citizens accept certain results such as agricultural land or prison according to their actions only by the order of the king. The king alone can do otherwise. Therefore because of him you should obey.
Every body, every joy, every fear is allotted by the Lord according to past choices. This is not fatalism but accountability: the soul wrote this script through desires, and the Lord faithfully delivers each scene.
Reflection Questions
  • Which of your current circumstances are you blaming on others that you might more honestly trace to your own past wanting?
  • If you understood today's life as the answer to yesterday's desire, what new desire would you cultivate today?
📝 My note

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