Punishment and Reward of Kali

Verse 23 (SB 1.17.23)

SB 1.17.22

SB 1.17.24

SB 1.17.23 • मूल श्लोक

अथवा देवमायाया नूनं गतिरगोचरा । चेतसो वचसश्चापि भूतानामिति निश्चय: ॥ २३ ॥

Transliteration

athavā deva-māyāyā nūnaṁ gatir agocarā cetaso vacasaś cāpi bhūtānām iti niścayaḥ

Synonyms (Word-for-Word)

athavā — alternatively; deva — the Lord; māyāyāḥ — energies; nūnam — very little; gatiḥ — movement; agocarā — inconceivable; cetasaḥ — either by the mind; vacasaḥ — by words; ca — or; api — also; bhūtānām — of all living beings; iti — thus; niścayaḥ — concluded.

Translation

“Thus it is concluded that the Lord’s energies are inconceivable. No one can estimate them by mental speculation or by word jugglery.”

Bhaktivedanta Purport

By Śrīla Prabhupāda

A question may be raised as to why a devotee should refrain from identifying an actor, although he knows definitely that the Lord is the ultimate doer of everything. Knowing the ultimate doer, one should not pose himself as ignorant of the actual performer. To answer this doubt, the reply is that the Lord is also not directly responsible, for everything is done by His deputed māyā-śakti, or material energy. The material energy is always provoking doubts about the supreme authority of the Lord. The personality of religion knew perfectly well that nothing can take place without the sanction of the Supreme Lord, and still he was put into doubts by the deluding energy, and thus he refrained from mentioning the supreme cause. This doubtfulness was due to the contamination of both Kali and the material energy. The whole atmosphere of the Age of Kali is magnified by the deluding energy, and the proportion of measurement is inexplicable.