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BG 18.21 (1972)



His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada


TEXT 21

पृथक्त्वेन तु यज्ज्ञानं नानाभावान्पृथग्विधान् ।
वेत्ति सर्वेषु भूतेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि राजसम् ॥२१॥
pṛthaktvena tu yaj jñānaṁ
nānā-bhāvān pṛthag-vidhān
vetti sarveṣu bhūteṣu
taj jñānaṁ viddhi rājasam

SYNONYMS

pṛthaktvena—because of division; tu—but; yat jñānam—which knowledge; nānā-bhāvān—multifarious situations; pṛthak-vidhān—differently; vetti—one who knows; sarveṣu—in all; bhūteṣu—living entities; tat jñānam—that knowledge; viddhi—must be known; rājasam—in terms of passion.

TRANSLATION

That knowledge by which a different type of living entity is seen to be dwelling in different bodies is knowledge in the mode of passion.

PURPORT

The concept that the material body is the living entity and that with the destruction of the body the consciousness is also destroyed is called knowledge in the mode of passion. According to that knowledge, bodies differ from one another because of the development of different types of consciousness, otherwise there is no separate soul which manifests consciousness. The body is itself the soul, and there is no separate soul beyond this body. According to such knowledge, consciousness is temporary. Or else there are no individual souls, but there is an all-pervading soul, which is full of knowledge, and this body is a manifestation of temporary ignorance. Or beyond this body there is no special individual or Supreme Soul. All such conceptions are considered products of the mode of passion.