Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 2.10.32

guṇātmakānīndriyāṇi

bhūtādi-prabhavā guṇāḥ

manaḥ sarva-vikārātmā

buddhir vijñāna-rūpiṇī

SYNONYMS

guṇa-ātmakāni — attached to the qualities; indriyāṇi — the senses; bhūta-ādi — material ego; prabhavāḥ — influenced by; guṇāḥ — the modes of material nature; manaḥ — the mind; sarva — all; vikāra — affection (happiness and distress); ātmā — form; buddhiḥ — intelligence; vijñāna — deliberation; rūpiṇī — featuring.

TRANSLATION

The sense organs are attached to the modes of material nature, and the modes of material nature are products of the false ego. The mind is subjected to all kinds of material experiences (happiness and distress), and the intelligence is the feature of the mind's deliberation.

PURPORT

Illusioned by the material nature, the living entity identifies with false ego. More clearly, when the living entity is entrapped by the material body, he at once identifies with the bodily relationships, forgetting his own identity as spirit soul. This false ego associates with different modes of material nature, and thus the senses become attached to the modes of material nature. Mind is the instrument for feeling different material experiences, but intelligence is deliberative and can change everything for the better. The intelligent person, therefore, can attain salvation from the illusion of material existence by proper use of intelligence. An intelligent person can detect the awkward position of material existence and thus begin to inquire as to what he is, why he is subjected to different kinds of miseries, and how to get rid of all miseries, and thus, by good association, an advanced intelligent person can turn towards the better life of self-realization. It is advised, therefore, that an intelligent person associate with the great sages and saints who are on the path of salvation. By such association, one can receive instructions which are able to slacken the conditioned soul's attachment for matter, and thus the intelligent man gradually gets rid of the illusion of matter and false ego and is promoted to the real life of eternity, knowledge and bliss.

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, Founder Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness