Puruṣa, the living entity, is fully under the control of material nature. That's a fact. You cannot deny it. If you deny it, then ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā. Simply by false egotism we declare independence, but that is not possible. This is jñāna. So this puruṣa, this living entity, prakṛti-stha, being under the control of prakṛti, material nature, bhuṅkte, he is obliged, He is forced. Prakṛti-jān guṇān. He is forced, he is obliged to accept the supremacy of the modes of material nature. Prakṛti-jān guṇān.
There are three modes of material nature: goodness, sattva, rajas, tamas. So goodness, passion, and ignorance. So either of them, we have to accept either of them. So on account of accepting the association of a particular type of modes of material nature, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-yoni-janmasu (BG 13.22).
Why there are different varieties of living entities? Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. There are nine hundred thousand species forms of life within the water. Jalajā nava-lakṣāṇi sthāvarā lakṣa-viṁśati. There are two million forms of plants, trees, like that. Creepers. And kṛmayo rudra-saṅkhyakāḥ. And insects, eleven lakhs species. In this way there are eight million four hundred thousand forms of life. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ (BG 14.4). In all the forms of life, as many living entities are there, tāsāṁ mahad yonir brahma ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā. "I am the seed-giving father of all of them." So every living entity is the son of God. But according to karma they have accepted different forms of life. Some of them are in the water, some of them are the plants and trees, some of them are insects, some of them are birds, beasts.
And the human life is a great chance to understand that how we have been put into the clutches of prakṛti. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ. How I have been put in... You cannot... If somebody says "It is all right I am put within this material nature, prakṛti. So what is the wrong? Let me remain." That is called ignorance. Because you are a spirit soul. You are eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). The spirit soul is transmigrating from one body to another beginning from the aquatic life up to this human life and above this human life this transmigration is going on. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ (BG 2.13). You have to change your body within this material world, according to your karma. You have to change your body.
Unfortunately there is no education, there is no knowledge about this throughout the whole world. We are thinking that after annihilation of this body everything is finished. No, that is not the fact. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. If a young man thinks that "I have got now this body for enjoyment. I am young man. I shall not become an old man." That is not the fact. Young man has to become old man. That is prakṛti-jān guṇān. cannot say that "I shall remain young man forever and enjoy life." That is not possible. Similarly you have to change your body. Tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Unfortunately there is no discussion, there is no education, there is no institute for this important factors of life and people are kept in darkness. This is Kali-yuga. They do not care to know neither there is arrangement in the educational institution to know this fact although the fact is there it is explained by Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa personally explaining tathā dehāntara-prāptiḥ. Antavanta ime dehā nityasyoktāḥ śarīriṇaḥ (BG 2.18). This body is perishable, but the śarīriṇaḥ, one who possesses this body, he is nitya, śāśvata. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This knowledge is missing. That is the defect of modern civilization. Atheistic civilization. Eat, drink, be merry and enjoy. This is not very good position.
Today I may be in good position, I may be millionaire, I may be prime minister, but when death will come it will take everything from you, and it will oblige you to go to a species form of life which you cannot you deny. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-stho hi bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān (BG 13.22). If (indistinct) have infected some disease, you must suffer from it. There is no excuse. Even a child, if he touches the fire, the fire will not excuse. "Because it is a child, he does not know, therefore I shall not burn his finger." No. No excuse. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā (BG 7.14). You cannot escape the stringent laws of nature. That is not possible. If you are foolishly thinking that "I shall escape the punishment or reward of the prakṛti."
Actually so long we are within this material world, prakṛti-stha, there is no question of enjoyment. It is false enjoyment. Suppose you are well-situated after hard struggle. How long you will remain in that situation. At any moment he may be kicked out. That is your position. Mṛtyuḥ sarva-haraś cāham (BG 10.34). So real knowledge is must seriously think that "If I am eternal what shall I do with this temporary position?" I may stay here for fifty years or forty years or... Say a hundred years. Not hundred years, it is not possible. At most thirty, forty years. But I am not meant for thirty, forty years. I am eternal. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). This knowledge is not coming. There is no system of education.
It is a very dangerous type of civilization without any spiritual knowledge. Very, very dangerous position. Risky. So this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement on authoritative basis trying to enlighten people to release him from these clutches of māyā and ignorance. This is Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. And it is authorized because we are speaking on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā. On the basis of Vedic knowledge. And Bhagavad-gītā is the essence of Vedic knowledge.
Bhagavān says in the Bhagavad-gītā, vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). What is the purpose of Vedic knowledge? The purpose of Vedic knowledge to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ. Bhagavad-gītā is also the process to know Kṛṣṇa. Therefore it is the essence of Vedic knowledge. Because if it is a fact that by studying Vedas one has to understand Kṛṣṇa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyaḥ (BG 15.15). So Kṛṣṇa is explaining Himself, what He is. So therefore it is essence of Vedic knowledge. This essence of Vedic knowledge is there. It is very simple. Anyone can understand. There is no difficulty.