ĹrÄŤ-prahrÄda uvÄca
matir na kášášŁáše parataḼ svato vÄ
mitho 'bhipadyeta gášha-vratÄnÄm
adÄnta-gobhir viĹatÄáš tamisraáš
punaḼ punaĹ carvita-carvaášÄnÄm
ĹrÄŤ-prahrÄdaḼ uvÄca - PrahlÄda MahÄrÄja said; matiḼ - inclination; na - never; kášášŁáše - unto Lord KášášŁáša; parataḼ - from the instructions of others; svataḼ - from their own understanding; vÄ - either; mithaḼ - from combined effort; abhipadyeta - is developed; gášha-vratÄnÄm - of persons too addicted to the materialistic, bodily conception of life; adÄnta - uncontrolled; gobhiḼ - by the senses; viĹatÄm - entering; tamisram - hellish life; punaḼ - again; punaḼ - again; carvita - things already chewed; carvaášÄnÄm - who are chewing.
In this verse the words matir na kášášŁáše refer to devotional service rendered to KášášŁáša. So-called politicians, erudite scholars and philosophers who read Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ try to twist some meaning from it to suit their material purposes, but their misunderstandings of KášášŁáša will not yield them any profit. Because such politicians, philosophers and scholars are interested in using Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ as a vehicle for adjusting things materially, for them constant thought of KášášŁáša, or KášášŁáša consciousness, is impossible (matir na kášášŁáše). As stated in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ (18.55), bhaktyÄ mÄm abhijÄnÄti: only through devotional service can one understand KášášŁáša as He is. The so-called politicians and scholars think of KášášŁáša as fictitious. The politician says that his KášášŁáša is different from the KášášŁáša depicted in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ. Even though he accepts KášášŁáša and RÄma as the Supreme he thinks of RÄma and KášášŁáša as impersonal because he has no idea of service to KášášŁáša. Thus his only business is punaḼ punaĹ carvita-carvaášÄnÄm â chewing the chewed again and again. The aim of such politicians and academic scholars is to enjoy this material world with their bodily senses. Therefore it is clearly stated here that those who are gášha-vrata, whose only aim is to live comfortably with the body in the material world, cannot understand KášášŁáša. The two expressions gášha-vrata and carvita-carvaášÄnÄm indicate that a materialistic person tries to enjoy sense gratification in different bodily forms, life after life, but is still unsatisfied. In the name of personalism, this ism or that ism, such persons always remain attached to the materialistic way of life. As stated in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ (2.44):
bhogaiĹvarya-prasaktÄnÄáš
tayÄpahášta-cetasÄm
vyavasÄyÄtmikÄ buddhiḼ
samÄdhau na vidhÄŤyate
âIn the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.â Those who are attached to material enjoyment cannot be fixed in devotional service to the Lord. They cannot understand BhagavÄn, KášášŁáša, or His instruction, Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ. AdÄnta-gobhir viĹatÄáš tamisram: their path actually leads toward hellish life.
As confirmed by ášášŁabhadeva, mahat-sevÄáš dvÄram Ähur vimukteḼ: one must try to understand KášášŁáša by serving a devotee. The word mahat refers to a devotee.
mahÄtmÄnas tu mÄáš pÄrtha
daivÄŤáš prakáštim ÄĹritÄḼ
bhajanty ananya-manaso
jĂąÄtvÄ bhĹŤtÄdim avyayam
âO son of PášthÄ, those who are not deluded, the great souls, are under the protection of the divine nature. They are fully engaged in devotional service because they know Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, original and inexhaustible.â (Bg. 9.13) A mahÄtmÄ is one who is constantly engaged in devotional service, twenty-four hours a day. As explained in the following verses, unless one adheres to such a great personality, one cannot understand KášášŁáša. HiraášyakaĹipu wanted to know where PrahlÄda had gotten this KášášŁáša consciousness. Who had taught him? PrahlÄda sarcastically replied, âMy dear father, persons like you never understand KášášŁáša. One can understand KášášŁáša only by serving a mahat, a great soul. Those who try to adjust material conditions are said to be chewing the chewed. No one has been able to adjust material conditions, but life after life, generation after generation, people try and repeatedly fail. Unless one is properly trained by a mahat â a mahÄtmÄ, or unalloyed devotee of the Lord â there is no possibility of oneâs understanding KášášŁáša and His devotional service.â