Devanagari
सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि ।
प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥ ३३ ॥
Verse text
sadṛśaṁ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ
prakṛter jṣānavān api
prakṛtiṁ yānti bhūtāni
nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati
Synonyms
sadṛśam
—
accordingly
;
ceṣṭate
—
tries
;
svasyāḥ
—
by his own
;
prakṛteḥ
—
modes of nature
;
jṣāna-vān
—
learned
;
api
—
although
;
prakṛtim
—
nature
;
yānti
—
undergo
;
bhūtāni
—
all living entities
;
nigrahaḥ
—
repression
;
kim
—
what
;
kariṣyati
—
can do.
Translation
Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
33. Even the man of knowledge acts according to his nature. All living entities act according to their natures. What can instructions of karma and jṣāna do for the most fallen?
Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
33. Even the man in knowledgeof scriptpure acts according to his desires. All men act according to their desires. What can instruction or threat of punishment accomplish?
Purport
Unless one is situated on the transcendental platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he cannot get free from the influence of the modes of material nature, as it is confirmed by the Lord in the Seventh Chapter (7.14). Therefore, even for the most highly educated person on the mundane plane, it is impossible to get out of the entanglement of māyā simply by theoretical knowledge, or by separating the soul from the body. There are many so-called spiritualists who outwardly pose as advanced in the science but inwardly or privately are completely under particular modes of nature which they are unable to surpass. Academically, one may be very learned, but because of his long association with material nature, he is in bondage. Kṛṣṇa consciousness helps one to get out of the material entanglement, even though one may be engaged in his prescribed duties in terms of material existence. Therefore, without being fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one should not give up his occupational duties. No one should suddenly give up his prescribed duties and become a so-called yogī or transcendentalist artificially. It is better to be situated in one’s position and to try to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness under superior training. Thus one may be freed from the clutches of Kṛṣṇa’s māyā.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
“Would they not be afraid of not following Your instructions, the instructions of the Supreme Lord, or the instructions of a king?”
“No, they are not afraid.”
“Those who engage their senses for enjoyment, even if they are intelligent, cannot consider the orders of the king, the Supreme Lord. This is because of their nature.” The Lord explains this in this verse.
If the person of knowledge engages in sin, he will receive hellish punishment, just as a king punishes. And he will also bear infamy. Still, even the person of discrimination performs actions which yield a burden of suffering, following his previous sinful habits.
Therefore all follow after their natures. The instructions of scripture (nigrahaḥ) made by Me or the king, in the form of niṣkāma-karma-yoga, are able to purify and enlighten the impure hearted, and in the form of jṣāna-yoga, are able to purify and enlighten the pure hearted. But neither can purify the extremely impure (nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati).
However, bhakti-yoga arising from My unpredictable mercy can deliver even those most sinful persons. As the Skanda Purāṇa says:
aho dhanyo ’si devarṣe kṛpayā yasya te kṣaṇāt
nīco ’py utpulako lebhe lubdhako ratim ucyate
My dear friend Nārada Muni, you are glorified as the sage among the demigods. By your mercy, even a lowborn person like this hunter immediately became ecstatic. This is called bhāva or rati.
Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)
‘The scriptures say that there is punishment for those who do not follow the insructions of You, the Lord of all beings. Do they not have fear of You?’
Even a person who knows the punishment stated in the scriptures (jṣānavān) acts according to (sadṛśam) his evil nature (svasyāḥ prakṛteḥ)—his sinful impressions which have been present since beginningless time. What then to speak of the person who does not even know about the punishment? All people (bhūtāni) follow (yanti) their sinful vāsanās (prakṛtim), even though those desires cause of destruction of the very goals they pursue—artha, dharma, kāma and mokṣa. For a person devoid of association of saintly persons, even if he has knowledege of scripture, what can punishment accomplish? He will not be able destroy the strong influence of those bad vāsanās. However, by saintly association, he destroys the bad vāsanās even if they are very strong. The smṛtis say:
ato duḥsaṅgam utsṛjya satsu sajjeta buddhimān
santa evāsya chindanti mano-vyasaṅgam uktibhiḥ
An intelligent person should therefore reject all bad association and instead take up the association of saintly devotees, whose words cut off the excessive attachment of one’s mind. SB 11.26.26
Surrender Unto Me
The modes of material nature push one to do the wrong thing even if he knows what is right. Arjuna is going to ask about this in a few moments. Krsna explains what to do about this and He is going to explain the same principle in a moment.