FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.55

एष प्रकृतिसङ्गेन पुरुषस्य विपर्यय: । आसीत्स एव नचिरादीशसङ्गाद्विलीयते ॥ ५५ ॥
eṣa prakṛti-saṅgena
[esha prakriti-sangena]
puruṣasya viparyayaḥ
[purushasya viparyayah]
āsīt sa eva na cirād
[aaseet sa eva na chiraad]
īśa-saṅgād vilīyate
[eesha-sangaad vileeyate]
eṣaḥ — this prakṛti-saṅgena — because of association with the material nature puruṣasya — of the living entity viparyayaḥ — a situation of forgetfulness or an awkward position āsīt — came to be saḥ — that position eva — indeed na — not cirāt — taking a long time īśa-saṅgāt — from the association of the Supreme Lord vilīyate — is vanquished.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
eṣa prakṛti-saṅgena
eṣaḥ
this
prakṛti-saṅgena
because of association with the material nature
puruṣasya viparyayaḥ
puruṣasya
of the living entity
viparyayaḥ
a situation of forgetfulness or an awkward position
āsīt sa eva na cirād
āsīt
came to be
saḥ
that position
eva
indeed
na
not
cirāt
taking a long time
īśa-saṅgād vilīyate
īśa-saṅgāt
from the association of the Supreme Lord
vilīyate
is vanquished.
Since the living entity is associated with material nature, he is in an awkward position, but if in the human form of life he is taught how to associate with the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee, this position can be overcome.

The word prakṛti means material nature, and puruṣa may also refer to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If one wants to continue his association with prakṛti, the female energy of Kṛṣṇa, and be separated from Kṛṣṇa by the illusion that he is able to enjoy prakṛti, he must continue in his conditional life. If he changes his consciousness, however, and associates with the supreme, original person ( puruṣaṁ śāśvatam ), or with His associates, he can get out of the entanglement of material nature. As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9) , janma karma ca me divyam evaṁ yo vetti tattvataḥ: one must simply understand the Supreme Person, Kṛṣṇa, in terms of His form, name, activities and pastimes. This will keep one always in the association of Kṛṣṇa. Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti mām eti so ’rjuna: thus after giving up his gross material body, one accepts not another gross body but a spiritual body in which to return home, back to Godhead. Thus one ends the tribulation caused by his association with the material energy. In summary, the living entity is an eternal servant of God, but he comes to the material world and is bound by material conditions because of his desire to lord it over matter. Liberation means giving up this false consciousness and reviving one’s original service to the Lord. This return to one’s original life is called mukti, as confirmed in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam ( muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ ).

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
This contrary position of the jīvas has existed by association with prakṛti. That condition is quickly destroyed by association with the Lord. By association with prakṛti one is in bondage, and by association with the Lord one becomes liberated.
Bound to material nature, the soul is in an awkward position — but human life is precisely the chance to learn how to associate with the Lord and His devotee, and so escape. The human form is not for enjoying but for re-association.
Reflection Questions
  • Am I using my human form for what it is designed to do, or just for what an animal could do?
  • Whose association — devotee or non-devotee — most shapes the hours of my week?
📝 My note

← Read full Chapter 1