This material energy, is covering me exactly like the cloud covering. Now, this cloud covering also in different stages—one . . . some of you must have traveled in the air. The cloud is covered . . . (break) . . . little hazy, and when you go above the cloud, it is a sunshine. So different stage of covering.
Similarly, this avidyā, or māyā, is covering us in different stages, in different features. Māyā has got three qualities. Guṇamayī, māyā, Bhagavad-gītā says. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī (BG 7.14). Guṇamayī means having three modes of material nature: sattva, tamaḥ, rajaḥ. So here also the same thing is. Yayā kṣetra-jña-śaktiḥ sā veṣṭitā nṛpa sarva-gā. That veṣṭitā . . . either you are covered by the quality of goodness or you are covered by the quality of passion or you are covered by the quality of ignorance.
So the goodness, good man within this material . . . he is also covered. He thinks himself that, "I am very learned. I have nothing to do," or "I am now realized God. I have become God, Nārāyaṇa. I've become Nārāyaṇa." That is also covering, māyā's covering. He's speaking like that, that he has become God, but that is also another covering.
Of course, he is performing very rigidly the Vedic principles. Āruhya kṛcchreṇa. Kṛcchreṇa means very severe austerity. Those sannyāsīs following the principles of Śaṅkarācārya, they strictly follow austerities, lie down on the ground, and taking three times bath even in very severe cold, and simply have a kamaṇḍalu, nothing more, and lying down on the earth without any bedding—so many austerities.