(We receive a material body according to our activities—click to enlarge, description below)
Prabhupāda: Now we are struggling hard within this material world, under the influence of māyā, changing different types of body. Sometimes I am going to the heavenly planets. Sometimes I am going to the hellish planets. Sometimes I am rich man. Sometimes I am poor man. Sometimes brāhmaṇa, sometimes śūdra. Sometimes tiger, sometimes tree. In this way, sarva-gata. Everywhere within this universe, the living entities are struggling for existence.
Manaḥ ṣaṣṭhāni indriyāṇi prakṛti-sthāni karṣati. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūta (BG 15.7). Kṛṣṇa says, "All these living entities, they are My part and parcel, but foolishly, by... carried by the mental concoction, prakṛti-sthāni, within this material world, karṣati, struggling to become master." This is the disease. Prakṛti-sthāni karṣati.
prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
(BG 3.27)
These rascals, they are pulled by the ear by prakṛti (nature). Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni. "You do this"—I have to do this. One who has associated with the tamo-guṇa of prakṛti, prakṛti has given a body just like hog, and the prakṛti is obliging, "You come here. Eat the stool," and he's eating, "Oh, so nice." This is māyā.
Stool is very nice thing? But prakṛti has given this hog a certain type of body and he is relishing, "Oh, stool is so nice." This is going on. Similarly, human form of body also. They're eating so many nonsense things in the restaurant, in the hotel, and they're relishing: "Oh, it is so nice." This is māyā. This is going on.
So our business is to serve, but because we have taken this attitude that, "I don't like to serve Kṛṣṇa" or "I am Kṛṣṇa," then we are under the clutches of māyā. Immediately. And under the illusion of māyā... prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi... (BG 3.27). Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu. Because we are associating with the different modes of material nature, therefore we have to take birth, sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu.
One is becoming hog, one is becoming dog, one is becoming human being, one is becoming demigod, one is becoming tree, one is becoming plant. So many, 8,400,000 of species and form of life. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4). Kṛṣṇa says: "All these forms, whatever they may be, I am the bīja-pradaḥ pitā. I am the father." So if Kṛṣṇa is the original father of every living entity, how one has become brāhmin, one has become śūdra, one has become tree, one has become tiger, one has become hog, one has become Indra, one has become Brahmā? How is that?
Now, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). So we are getting our birth in different types of body. The reason is I am associating with different types of the modes of nature. My mind is carrying me. It is not death. It is foolish to say that, "This man is now dead. Everything is finished." That is rascaldom. Not finished. It is going on. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The foolish rascals, they say: "Now this man is dead, finished." Big, big professor, they are saying: "Swāmījī, after death everything is finished." And he's professor. Just see.
Rascal fools, they are becoming leaders, professors, politicians. How the people will be happy? They are put into the ignorance of life. Always put. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṇuṁ durāśayā ye bahir-artha-māninaḥ (SB 7.5.31). They have been enamored by the external feature of Kṛṣṇa's energy. This is also Kṛṣṇa's energies, this material world. But we are attracted by this material energy. We should be attracted by the spiritual energy. That is perfection of life.
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture, Hyderabad, November 29, 1972)
Pictured above: On the left, a boy is dancing before the Deities of Radha-Krishna. The result of such devotional consciousness is shown on the right, where he is dancing with Krishna in the Lord's spiritual abode. Second section: On the left a man is offering charity to a brahmana; on the right he has taken the body of a demigod and is enjoying heavenly delights. Third section: A man is eating meat and other abominable foods; in his next life he is seen in the body of a hog who eats anything and everything. Bottom section: On the left a man is too consumed with lust; in his next life he takes the body of a dog.
.
