FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.17.18

संसारचक्र एतस्मिञ्जन्तुरज्ञानमोहित: । भ्राम्यन् सुखं च दु:खं च भुङ्क्ते सर्वत्र सर्वदा ॥ १८ ॥
saṁsāra-cakra etasmiṣ
[samsaara-chakra etasmish]
jantur ajñāna-mohitaḥ
[jantur ajnaana-mohitah]
bhrāmyan sukhaṁ ca duḥkhaṁ ca
[bhraamyan sukham cha duhkham cha]
bhuṅkte sarvatra sarvadā
[bhunkte sarvatra sarvadaa]
Word-for-word
saṁsāra-cakre — in the wheel of material existence etasmin — this jantuḥ — the living entity ajñāna-mohitaḥ — being bewildered by ignorance bhrāmyan — wandering sukham — happiness ca — and duḥkham — distress ca — also bhuṅkte — he undergoes sarvatra — everywhere sarvadā — always.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
saṁsāra-cakra etasmiṣ
saṁsāra-cakre
in the wheel of material existence
etasmin
this
jantur ajñāna-mohitaḥ
jantuḥ
the living entity
ajñāna-mohitaḥ
being bewildered by ignorance
bhrāmyan sukhaṁ ca duḥkhaṁ ca
bhrāmyan
wandering
sukham
happiness
ca
and
duḥkham
distress
ca
also
bhuṅkte sarvatra sarvadā
bhuṅkte
he undergoes
sarvatra
everywhere
sarvadā
always.
Deluded by ignorance, the living entity wanders in the forest of this material world, enjoying the happiness and distress resulting from his past deeds, everywhere and at all times. [Therefore, my dear mother, neither you nor I am to be blamed for this incident.]
Purport

As confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (3.27) :

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā kartāham iti manyate

“The bewildered soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by nature.” Actually a conditioned soul is completely under the control of material nature. Wandering here and there — always and everywhere — he is subjected to the results of his past deeds. This is carried out by the laws of nature, but one foolishly thinks himself the doer, which in fact he is not. To get free from the karma-cakra, the wheel of the results of one’s karma, one should take to bhakti-mārga — devotional service, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the only remedy. Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Deluded by ignorance, the living entity wanders in the wheel of saṁsāra, enjoying happiness and distress everywhere and at all times. This is the nature of the wheel of saṁsāra. It is not surprising.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Deluded by ignorance, the entity wanders enjoying happiness and distress by past deeds — neither you nor I is to be blamed. Citraketu names the structural cause behind the immediate exchange.
Reflection Questions
  • Whom am I still blaming for a structural outcome?
  • What freedom comes from un-blaming?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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