SB 7.12.10

Srimad-Bhagavatam - Seventh Canto - Chapter 12: The Perfect Society: Four Spiritual Classes

SB 7.12.9 - SB 7.12.11

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT 10

kalpayitvātmanā yāvad

ābhāsam idam īśvaraḥ

dvaitaṁ tāvan na viramet

tato hy asya viparyayaḥ

SYNONYMS

kalpayitvā—ascertaining positively; ātmanā—by self-realization; yāvat—as long as; ābhāsam—reflection (of the original body and senses); idam—this (the body and senses); īśvaraḥ—completely independent of illusion; dvaitam—duality; tāvat—for that long; na—does not; viramet—see; tataḥ—by such duality; hi—indeed; asya—of the person; viparyayaḥ—counteraction.

TRANSLATION

As long as a living entity is not completely self-realized—as long as he is not independent of the misconception of identifying with his body, which is nothing but a reflection of the original body and senses—he cannot be relieved of the conception of duality, which is epitomized by the duality between man and woman. Thus there is every chance that he will fall down because his intelligence is bewildered.

PURPORT

Here is another important warning that a man must save himself from attraction to woman. Until one is self-realized, fully independent of the illusory conception of the material body, the duality of man and woman must undoubtedly continue, but when one is actually self-realized this distinction ceases.

vidyā-vinaya-sampanne

brāhmaṇe gavi hastini

śuni caiva śvapāke ca

paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ

"The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]." (BG 5.18) On the spiritual platform, the learned person not only gives up the duality of man and woman, but also gives up the duality of man and animal. This is the test of self-realization. One must realize perfectly that the living being is spirit soul but is tasting various types of material bodies. One may theoretically understand this, but when one has practical realization, then he actually becomes a paṇḍita, one who knows. Until that time, the duality continues, and the conception of man and woman also continues. In this stage, one should be extremely careful about mixing with women. No one should think himself perfect and forget the śāstric instruction that one should be very careful about associating even with his daughter, mother or sister, not to speak of other women. Śrīla Madhvācārya cites the following ślokas in this regard:

bahutvenaiva vastūnāṁ

yathārtha-jñānam ucyate

advaita-jñānam ity etad

dvaita-jñānaṁ tad-anyathā

yathā jñānaṁ tathā vastu

yathā vastus tathā matiḥ

naiva jñānārthayor bhedas

tata ekatva-vedanam

Unity in variety is real knowledge, and therefore giving up variety artificially does not reflect perfect knowledge of monism. According to the acintya-bhedābheda philosophy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, there are varieties, but all of them constitute one unit. Such knowledge is knowledge of perfect oneness.

SB 7.12.9 - SB 7.12.11