Bhagavad Gita 15.7

[Paramananda das]

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Text 7

mamaivamso jiva-loke jiva-bhutah sanatanah manah-sasthanindriyani prakriti-sthani karshati

Translation

The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

In this verse the identity of the living being is clearly given. The living entity is the fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord—eternally. It is not that he assumes individuality in his conditional life and in his liberated state becomes one with the Supreme Lord. He is eternally fragmented. It is clearly said, sanatanah. According to the Vedic version, the Supreme Lord manifests and expands Himself in innumerable expansions, of which the primary expansions are called vishnu-tattva and the secondary expansions are called the living entities. In other words, the vishnu-tattva is the personal expansion, and the living entities are the separated expansions. By His personal expansion, He is manifested in various forms like Lord Rama, Nrisimhadeva, Vishnumurti and all the predominating Deities in the Vaikuntha planets. The separated expansions, the living entities, are eternally servitors. The personal expansions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the individual identities of the Godhead, are always present. Similarly, the separated expansions of living entities have their identities. As fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, the living entities also have fragmental portions of His qualities, of which independence is one. Every living entity, as an individual soul, has his personal individuality and a minute form of independence. By misuse of that independence one becomes a conditioned soul, and by proper use of independence he is always liberated. In either case, he is qualitatively eternal, as the Supreme Lord is. In his liberated state he is freed from this material condition, and he is under the engagement of transcendental service unto the Lord; in his conditioned life he is dominated by the material modes of nature, and he forgets the transcendental loving service of the Lord. As a result, he has to struggle very hard to maintain his existence in the material world.

The living entities, not only human beings and the cats and dogs, but even the greater controllers of the material world—Brahma, Lord Shiva and even Vishnu—are all parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. They are all eternal, not temporary manifestations. The word karshati (“struggling” or “grappling hard”) is very significant. The conditioned soul is bound up, as though shackled by iron chains. He is bound up by the false ego, and the mind is the chief agent which is driving him in this material existence. When the mind is in the mode of goodness, his activities are good; when the mind is in the mode of passion, his activities are troublesome; and when the mind is in the mode of ignorance, he travels in the lower species of life. It is clear, however, in this verse, that the conditioned soul is covered by the material body, with the mind and the senses, and when he is liberated this material covering perishes, but his spiritual body manifests itself in its individual capacity. The following information is there in the Madhyandinayana-shruti: sa va esa brahma-nistha idam sariram martyam atisrjya brahmabhisampadya brahmana pasyati brahmana srnoti brahmanaivedam sarvam anubhavati. It is stated here that when a living entity gives up this material embodiment and enters into the spiritual world, he revives his spiritual body, and in his spiritual body he can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead face to face. He can hear and speak to Him face to face, and he can understand the Supreme Personality as He is. From smriti also it is understood, vasanti yatra purushah sarve vaikuntha-murtayah: in the spiritual planets everyone lives in bodies featured like the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s. As far as bodily construction is concerned, there is no difference between the part-and-parcel living entities and the expansions of vishnu-murti. In other words, at liberation the living entity gets a spiritual body by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The words mamaivamshah (“fragmental parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord”) are also very significant. The fragmental portion of the Supreme Lord is not like some material broken part. We have already understood in the Second Chapter that the spirit cannot be cut into pieces. This fragment is not materially conceived. It is not like matter, which can be cut into pieces and joined together again. That conception is not applicable here, because the Sanskrit word sanatana (“eternal”) is used. The fragmental portion is eternal. It is also stated in the beginning of the Second Chapter that in each and every individual body the fragmental portion of the Supreme Lord is present (dehino ’smin yatha dehe). That fragmental portion, when liberated from the bodily entanglement, revives its original spiritual body in the spiritual sky in a spiritual planet and enjoys association with the Supreme Lord. It is, however, understood here that the living entity, being the fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, is qualitatively one with the Lord, just as the parts and parcels of gold are also gold.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

Who is that jiva who, crossing samsara by devotion to you, attains that place?
In the Varaha Purana it is said:

svamsas catha vibhinnamsa iti dvedhayam isyate vibhinnamsas tu jivah syat

There are two types of amsa of the Lord, the svamsa and vibhinnamsa. The vibhinnamsa is the jiva.

The jiva is eternal (sanatanah), and in the conditioned state, drags the senses, the sixth of which is the mind, situated in prakrti, situated in delusion—like a person who drags chains bolted on his feet, which he proudly accepts, thinking "These are mine."

Sridhara Swami's Commentary The query may arise that if when attaining the Supreme Lord Krishna's eternal  abode the jiva or embodied being does not return to material existence  then at the time of pralaya or dissolution when all jivas are  merged into His manifestation of the brahman or spiritual substratum  pervading all existence they become one essence as confirmed in the Chandogya  Upanisad VI.IX.II beginning te yatha tatra na vivekamlabhante meaning: As  the pollen of different flowers forms the essence of honey and lose their  individual identities in the same manner all jivas lose their individual  existences when they merge into the brahman although they know not in  their varigated forms from whence they have come forth. If this is the case then  who really is a transmigrating jiva. Apprehending such a query Lord  Krishna describes a samsarin or transmigrating jiva in this verse  and the next four. Lord Krishna explains that an eternal portion of Himself is  within the etheric heart of every jiva in existence in the form of paramatma the eternal, omnipresent supreme soul which exists next to the atma or individual immortal soul as a witness. The jiva although  eternal in essence having an eternal portion of the Supreme Lord, through  ignorance and false identification of the physical body becomes a samsarin drawn by the desires and attachments of the previous existence  to suffer or enjoy as precisely dictated by karma or the reactions to  actions performed in past lives. This is accomplished on the subtle plane by a  specifc and unique algorithm for every jiva along with senses, mind and  vital force which involuntarily draws them back down into mundane existence on  the physical plane automatically adjusting the karma and tabulating the  merits or demerits from the exact same position by which they were merged at the  time of pralaya. So although it is true that all jivas attain the  state of the Supreme Lords brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all  existence. At the time of dissolution they are unconscious of it and of the  Supreme Lord due to being covered in ignorance, over burdened with the  impressions of past lives and overwhelmed by the karma of the previous  life. Thus with such consciousness they only qualify to attain His transitory  external nature of prakriti or the material substratum pervading physical  existence and not His eternal transcendental nature as brahman. Therefore  such jivas revolve in samsara the perpetual cycle of birth and  death due to ignorance of their eternal nature and attachment to the desires and  sense objects. But for one situated in atma tattva or realisation of the  immortal soul by bhaktior exclusive loving devotion unto the Supreme  Lord there is never mandatory return to material existence.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary Lord Krishna explains a manifestation of His divine form. Due to the atma or immortal soul although distinctly different is similar in quality  to the Supreme Lord it is sometimes spoken of as a partial manifestation. The  Supreme Lord when enveloping the physical body, energises the five senses and  activates the mind relative to prakriti the material substratum pevading  physical existence. The statement that the mind is drawn toards sound may give  rise to the misnomer that the jivaor embodied being is independent. Lord  Krishna clarifies this in the very next verse..

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja Ramanuja's Commentary The atma or immortal soul within all jivas or embodied beings  constitutes an eternal portion of Lord Krishna and thus is also eternal. Yet  because the jiva is inextricably emeshed in material existence from time  immemorial it is enslaved by the nescience of its own karma or reactions  to actions and revolves incessantly in samsara the perpetrual cycle of  birth and death. Precisely based on this karma a jiva is forced to  accept a suitable body such as a demigod, human, animal etc., attracting with it  five senses and a mind exactly appropriate to maximising the chances of survival  for such a jiva. But when the jiva through association of the  Vaisnava spiritual master becomes enlightened from hearing his unequivocal  instructions and surrenders fully unto the Supreme Lord Krishna as one's only  refuge then Lord Krishna Himself releases the jiva from the bondage of samsara and the jiva becomes situated in atma-tattva or  soul realisation. Other than taking exclusive shelter of Lord Krishna or any of  His authorised incarnations as revealed in Vedic sciptures it is impossible for  the jiva which is very much handicapped in terms of intelligence and  potency to achieve moksa or liberation. This is due to the heavy burden  of unresolved karma attached to the jiva that they must carry with them  life after life. But all actions performed for the satisfaction of the Supreme  Lord have no karmaattached to them. This is the difference.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary It might be asked that since the attributes and potencies manifesting from  the Supreme Lord Krishna are His eternal portions; then why does the atma  or immortal soul which also manifests from Him and is an eternal portion subject  to the forced incarceration of transmigration. Lord Krishna clarifies this point  by stating that finite reflections cannot be proved of having eternality neither  that they are beginningless . This is because they are generated due to  accessories and adjuncts such as water reflecting the sunlight. The sun is  always present but it may be obscured by clouds and then again there is no  reflection at all during night. Because the sun is perceived externally by  reflection it is known to exist but to peceive the atma in its eternal  state it must be perceived internally. In this way due to limitations of the jiva or embodied being, there are some conditions which cannot be seen,  experienced or perceived attached to realising the atmas eternality which  is beyond the purview of the mind and senses. Thus the atma cannot be  proved by reflection. One in nescience and ignorance by the obscuration of  knowledge is unable to ever understand the atma or comprehend its  infinite nature; so how can one imagine its reflection. Contrarily if the finite  nature of the atma is accepted the atma still cannot be proved as  a reflection because of the established doctrine confirmed in the Mundaka  Upanisad III.I.IX beginning: eso anuratma cetasi veditavyo  meaning: The atma or immortal soul is infinitesimal and difficult to  realise but when one achieves spiritual enlightenment by self- realisation the atma shines within the etheric heart. Also the Vedanta Sutras  II.III.XVIII beginning utcranti gat yagatinam states: The atma is  infintesimal, sub-atomic and able to pass in and out from body to body. Also in  II.III.XXII beginning guna dva lokavat meaning: The atma resides  in the heart but by its potency of consciousness pervades all the body like  candle light pervading a room. So although the individual soul is eternal it is  infintesimal; but paramatmathe Supreme soul is eternal, unlimited and  infinite. The conclusion is that if an adjunct is infinite it can not be reflected  because it is beyond perception. Thus any conception of the atma being a  reflecion of the Supreme Lord is illusion and would be like considering the suns  rays to be a reflection of the sun. Such ideas and conceptions are false and  delusory and contradict Vedic scriptures. So whenever Lord Krishna speaks of His  portion or His potency, it always denotes eternality as every part of Him is  eternal and is not a seperate entity or consciousness. Lord Krishna already  declared in chapter 7, verse 5 that he has an internal and external nature.  Although the power and the powerful appear as seperate energies they cannot  exist independent of each other even though eternally exemplifying unity in  diversity as is evidenced by the jiva or embodied being, which is  confined to inhaling air or water as the case may be in various organisms. The jiva has been bewildered by the latent tendncy of enjoying sense objects  since time immemorial and subsequently ensnared by their actions to the law of karma or reactions to actions from such material enjoyment and  exploitation by the five senses which awards every jivathe appropriate  body to inhabit corresponding to what one eats and what reactions one has  acquired in te form of the effect called the indivual flase ego. Those not fully situated in spiritual knowledge have the opinion that the atma is the highest self and that it only appears limited due to the  covering of nescience which is like ether appearing limited in a pitcher. When  the limiting adjuncts are no longer in contact with each other then the ether is  perceived without limitations and in the same way when the adjunct of nescience  is removed the true nature of the atma is revealed. But this supposition  is directly refuted in this verse by the word sanatana meaning eternal  because it is a part of Lord Krishna. The singular usage of the compound words jiva-bhuta refers to the category of jiva and includes all jivasin every dimension throughout all creation.

comment: Here is some verses to Srila Rupa Goswamis Padyavali that may inspire :

yadi madhu-mathana tvad-anghri-sevam

hridi vidadhati jahati va viveki

tad-akhilam api dushkritam tri-loke

kritam akritam na kritam kritam ca sarvam

yadi—if; madhu—of the Madhu demon; mathana—O killer; tvat—Your; anghri—feet; sevam—service; hridi—in the heart; vidadhati—perform; jahati—abandon; va—or; viveki—discriminating person; tat—of him; akhilam—all; api—even; duskritam—sinful deeds; tri-loke—in the three worlds; kritam—performed; akritam—not performed; na—not; kritam—performed; kritam—performed; ca—and; sarvam—all.

O Madhusudana, if a wise person in his heart serves Your lotus feet, then any sins he may have done are all nullified. If he rejects Your service he gets all sinful reactions, even though he may not have done any sinful deed.

—author unknown

alam alam iyam eva praninam patakanam

nirasana-vishaye ya krishna krishneti vani

yadi bhavati mukunde bhaktir ananda-sandra

viluthati caranabje moksha-samrajya-lakshmih

alam—enough; alam—enough; iyam—this; eva—certainly; praninam—of the living entities; patakanam—of the sins; nirasana-vishaye—in the matter of becoming free; ya—which; krishna—O Krishna; krishna—O Krishna; iti—thus; vani—words; yadi—if; bhavati—there is; mukunde—for Lord Mukunda; bhaktih—devotional service; ananda—bliss; sandra—abundance; viluthati—rolls; carana—feet; abje—lotus; moksha—of liberation; samrajya-lakshmih—kingly opulence.

The words “Krishna!” “Krishna!” are sufficient to purify the people’s sins. If they have blissful service to Lord Mukunda, then the goddess of liberation bows before their lotus feet.

—Shri Sarvajna

amhah samharad akhilam

sakrid udayad eva sakala-lokasya

taranir iva timira-jaladhim

jayati jagan-mangalam harer nama

amhah—the resultant action of sinful life, which causes material bondage; samharat—completely eradicating; akhilam—all; sakrit—once only; udayat—by rising; eva—certainly; sakala—all; lokasya—of the people of the world; taranih—the sun; iva—like; timira—of darkness; jala-dhim—the ocean; jayati—all glories to; jagat-mangalam—auspicious for the whole world; hareh nama—the holy name of the Lord.

As the rising sun immediately dissipates all the world’s darkness, which is deep like an ocean, so the holy name of the Lord, if chanted once without offenses, can dissipate all the reactions of a living being’s sinful life. All glories to that holy name of the Lord, which is auspicious for the entire world!*

—Shri Lakshmidhara