SB 1.13.46 (1965)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT No. 46
Kala karma guna adhino deha ayam pancha bhoutikah Katham anyans tu gopayet sarpagrasto yatha aparam.
ENGLISH SYNONYMS
Kala—eternal time, Karma—action, Guna-modes of nature, Deha—material body and mind, Ayam—this, Pancha—five, Bhoutikam—made of the five elements, Katham—how, Anyans—others, Tu—but, Gopayet—give protection, Sarpagrasto—one who is bitten by the snake, Yatha—as such as, Aparam—others.
TRANSLATION
This gross material body made of five elements is already under the control of eternal time, actions and the modes of material nature. How then it can protect others already being under the jaws of the serpent.
PURPORT
Freedom movement of the world by political, economical, social, cultural propaganda can do no benefit to the beneficiary on account of being controlled by superior power. A conditioned living being is under the full control of material nature represented by eternal time and activities under the dictation of different modes of nature. There are three material modes of nature namely goodness, passion and ignorance. Unless one is not situated in the modes of goodness one cannot see things as they are. The passionate and the ignorant cannot even see things as they are. Therefore a person who is passionate and ignorant cannot direct his activities on the right path. Only the man in the quality of goodness can help to a certain extent. Most persons are passionate and ignorant and therefore plans and projects can hardly do any good to others. Above the modes of nature there is the eternal time which is called Kala because time changes the shape of everything in the material world. Even if we are able to do something temporarily beneficial still time will see that the good project is frustrated in course of time. The only thing which is possible to be done is to get rid of the eternal time Kala which is compared with Kala Sarpa or the cobra snake whose biting is always insuperable. Nobody can be saved from the biting effect of a cobra. The best remedy for getting out of the clutches of the cobralike Kala or its integrity the modes of nature, is Bhaktiyoga as it is recommemded in the Bhagwat Geeta (B.G. 14/26) The highest perfectional project of philanthropic activities is to engage everyone in the act of preaching Bhaktiyoga all over the world because that alone can save the people from the control of Maya or the material nature represented by Kala, Karma and Guna as described above. The Bhagwat Geeta (B.G. 14/26) confirms this definitely.