Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Bg 14.7

rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi
tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam
tan nibadhnāti kaunteya
karma-saṅgena dehinam

Synonyms: 

rajaḥ — the mode of passion; rāga–ātmakam — born of desire or lust; viddhi — know; tṛṣṇā — with hankering; saṅga — association; samudbhavam — produced of; tat — that; nibadhnāti — binds; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; karma–saṅgena — by association with fruitive activity; dehinam — the embodied.

Translation: 

The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kuntī, and because of this the embodied living entity is bound to material fruitive actions.

 

rajo rāgātmakaṁ viddhi, the mode of passion comprises of raga, attachment

tṛṣṇā-saṅga-samudbhavam, so attachment for what one has and tṛṣṇā of what one doesn’t have 

tan nibadhnāti kaunteya, and there by one becomes bound 

karma-saṅgena dehinam, karma leads to bondage because to protect what one have and to gain what one doesn’t have one needs to work. 

I have a big house so I have to work to maintain that and I want a bigger house so I need to work to gain that. 

tan nibadhnāti kaunteya, so one becomes nibadhnāti, how? karma-saṅgena. 

SP explains that generally sex life is mode of passion and in that there is attachment between male and female and by which there is raga and tṛṣṇā, and they wanted to expand and hence so many things are needed, and in that way one’s material existence becomes more and more complicated. 

SP would quote the economist Malthus who say that actually family is the primary impetus for people for work, his idea was when people wanted to improve family life then they see the possibility of improving the family life then they will work hard, and that way they will try to improve their life that is how karma-saṅgena dehinam, actually this is integrated with Dharma, Artha, Kama system also, people want Artha for the sake of kama, but all these arrangements are made within dharmic framework, one does dharma then Artha and kama will also come.

SP Purport: Modern civilization is considered to be advanced in the standard of the mode of passion. Formerly, the advanced condition was considered to be in the mode of goodness.

These modes gives as different definition of success, in mode of goodness definition of success will be how much knowledge, wisdom, freedom from sinful action one have. In mode of passion how much power one does have? Example if president if America is having bad character but economy is going good people may say it is ok, you enjoy and let us enjoy also, if you can give us Artha or Kama whether you have dharma doesn’t matter. When dharma will lead to Artha and Kama that is virtuous.

So as a devotee if we live in material world and have that mode of success then we cannot practice devotional service very seriously, there will be two different concepts which will be colliding in our mind. As per spiritual definition getting more and more attached to Krishna is success but as per society become more wealthy and powerful is definition of success, now a devotee may get material success and use that also within limits of not giving up one spiritual commitments, but the point is a devotee doesn’t consider that alone is a point of success.

End of transcription.