Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 11.28.10
Mukti· LiberationWho Experiences Material Existence?
“Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord, it is not possible for this material existence to be the experience of either the soul, who is the seer, or of the body, which is the seen object. On the one hand, the spirit soul is innately endowed with perfect knowledge, and on the other hand, the material body is not a conscious, living entity. To whom, then, does this experience of material existence pertain?”
What the purport teaches
- The living entity is pure spirit soul, innately full of perfect knowledge and bliss. The soul is the seer, whereas the body is the seen object.
- The material body is a biochemical machine without knowledge or personal consciousness. Yet the conscious experience of material ignorance and anxiety cannot be denied.
- Uddhava asks Lord Kṛṣṇa who actually undergoes this experience. His question seeks a more precise understanding of how illusion occurs.
Try this today
Write down Uddhava’s question in your own words, keeping the distinction between the conscious soul and unconscious body clear.
Ask yourself
What remains unclear to me about the difference between the conscious soul and the material body?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
From Canto 10, chapter 14 onward, the translation and purports were completed by Śrīla Prabhupāda's disciples after his departure, and published by the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust.