Commentary

Commentary

This verse is crucial for understanding how the living entity transmigrates from one body to another. In the second chapter it was explained that the living entity discards one body and takes another, just as one changes clothes. But how this change of body takes place and under what conditions — that is explained here. The cause is the living entity’s association with the modes of material nature.

Just as one who puts on a garment is influenced by its color and quality, the living entity is affected by the particular mode of nature it associates with. This false identification with matter — thinking “I am this body” — is the root cause. When the living entity is attracted to the mode of goodness, it takes birth among the sages and demigods. When attracted to the mode of passion, it is born among the hardworking humans. And when overwhelmed by the mode of ignorance, it takes birth in the animal kingdom or lower species.

The process is continuous: as long as the living entity remains under the grip of false ego and material attachment, it must keep changing bodies. The Mundaka Upanishad (3.1.1) describes this beautifully: dvaa suparnaa sayujaa sakhaayah — the Lord is so kind that He always accompanies the living entity as the Supersoul in every situation, in every body, as a friend.

The key teaching here is that the kind of body the living entity acquires is determined by its association with the different modes of material nature. Therefore, one should rise above these modes through the practice of Krishna consciousness. This is the meaning of Krishna consciousness — to remain in pure spiritual consciousness, detached from the material modes, and thus transcend the cycle of birth and death.