viṣṇu-Å›aktiḥ - the internal potency of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; parÄ - spiritual; proktÄ - said; ká¹£etra-jña - the living entities; ÄkhyÄ - known as; tathÄ - also; parÄ - spiritual; avidyÄ - nescience, or godlessness; karma - and fruitive activities; saá¹jÃ±Ä - known as; anyÄ - another; tá¹›tÄ«yÄ - third; Å›aktiḥ - potency; iá¹£yate - is accepted as.
“ ‘The internal potency of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, is spiritual, as verified by the Å›Ästras. There is another spiritual potency, known as ká¹£etra-jña, or the living entity. The third potency, which is known as nescience, makes the living entity godless and fills him with fruitive activity.
In the Bhagavad-gÄ«tÄ, in ÅšrÄ« Kṛṣṇa’s discourse on the ká¹£etra and the ká¹£etra-jña, it is clearly stated that the ká¹£etra-jña is the living entity, who knows his field of activities. The living entities in the material world are forgetful of their eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This forgetfulness is called avidyÄ, or nescience. The avidyÄ-Å›akti, the avidyÄ potency of the material world, provokes fruitive activity. Although this avidyÄ-Å›akti (material energy, or nescience) is also an energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is especially intended to keep the living entities in a state of forgetfulness. This is due to their rebellious attitude toward the Lord. Thus although the living entities are constitutionally spiritual, they come under the influence of the potency of nescience. How this happens is described in the following verse.
