Infected by the qualities of material nature

Expressions researched:
"infected" |"infection" |"material" |"qualities" |"quality"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "infect* qualit*"@10

SB Canto 1

The Personality of Godhead is the purest entity, and unless one is equally pure from the infection of material qualities, one cannot become a pure devotee of the Lord.

SB 1.5.25, Translation and Purport:

Once only, by their permission, I took the remnants of their food, and by so doing all my sins were at once eradicated. Thus being engaged, I became purified in heart, and at that time the very nature of the transcendentalist became attractive to me.

Pure devotion is as much infectious, in a good sense, as infectious diseases. A pure devotee is cleared from all kinds of sins. The Personality of Godhead is the purest entity, and unless one is equally pure from the infection of material qualities, one cannot become a pure devotee of the Lord. The bhakti-vedāntas as above mentioned were pure devotees, and the boy became infected with their qualities of purity by their association and by eating once the remnants of the foodstuff taken by them.

SB Canto 3

Constant thought of the Lord is the antiseptic method for keeping oneself free from the infectious contamination of the material qualities.

SB 3.1.32, Purport:

When Akrūra came to Vṛndāvana in search of Kṛṣṇa, he saw the footprints of the Lord on the dust of Nanda-grāma and at once fell on them in ecstasy of transcendental love. This ecstasy is possible for a devotee who is fully absorbed in incessant thoughts of Kṛṣṇa. Such a pure devotee of the Lord is naturally faultless because he is always associated with the supremely pure Personality of Godhead. Constant thought of the Lord is the antiseptic method for keeping oneself free from the infectious contamination of the material qualities. The pure devotee of the Lord is always in company with the Lord by thinking of Him. Yet, in the particular context of time and place, the transcendental emotions take a different turn, and this breaks the mental equilibrium of the devotee. Lord Caitanya displayed the typical example of transcendental ecstasy, as we can understand from the life of this incarnation of God.

SB Canto 7

Śukadeva Gosvāmī proves that because the body of the conditioned soul is infected by the three qualities of nature, dualities arise such as enmity and friendship, attachment and detachment.

SB 7.1 Summary:

In this chapter, in response to a question by Mahārāja Parīkṣit, Śukadeva Gosvāmī gives his conclusions concerning how the Supreme Personality of Godhead, although the Supersoul, friend and protector of everyone, killed the Daityas, the demons, for the sake of Indra, the King of heaven. In his statements, he totally refutes the arguments of people in general who accuse the Supreme Lord of partiality. Śukadeva Gosvāmī proves that because the body of the conditioned soul is infected by the three qualities of nature, dualities arise such as enmity and friendship, attachment and detachment. For the Supreme Personality of Godhead, however, there are no such dualities. Even eternal time cannot control the activities of the Lord. Eternal time is created by the Lord, and it acts under His control. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, therefore, is always transcendental to the influence of the modes of nature, māyā, the Lord's external energy, which acts in creation and annihilation.

That which is material is infected by material qualities, but these qualities cannot touch that which is spiritual, or transcendental.

SB 7.1.2, Purport:

We should always remember the distinction between spiritual and material. That which is material is infected by material qualities, but these qualities cannot touch that which is spiritual, or transcendental. Kṛṣṇa is absolute, whether He is in the material world or spiritual world. When we see partiality in Kṛṣṇa, this vision is due to His external energy. Otherwise how could His enemies attain salvation after being killed by Him? Everyone who deals with the Supreme Personality of Godhead gradually acquires the qualities of the Lord. The more one advances in spiritual consciousness, the less he is affected by the duality of material qualities. The Supreme Lord, therefore, must certainly be freed from these qualities. His enmity and friendship are external features presented by the material energy. He is always transcendental. He is absolute, whether He kills or bestows His favor.

CC Adi-lila

The qualities in Vaikuṇṭha are a manifestation of God's internal potency, and therefore they are purely spiritual and transcendental, with no trace of material infection.

CC Adi 5.22, Purport:

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (Second Canto) states that in Vaikuṇṭhaloka the material modes of nature, represented by the qualities of goodness, passion and ignorance, have no influence. In the material world the highest qualitative manifestation is goodness, which is characterized by truthfulness, mental equilibrium, cleanliness, control of the senses, simplicity, essential knowledge, faith in God, scientific knowledge and so on. Nevertheless, all these qualities are mixed with passion and imperfection. But the qualities in Vaikuṇṭha are a manifestation of God's internal potency, and therefore they are purely spiritual and transcendental, with no trace of material infection. No material planet, even Satyaloka, is comparable in quality to the spiritual planets, where the five inherent qualities of the material world—namely ignorance, misery, egoism, anger and envy—are completely absent.

In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa Lord Viṣṇu is worshiped in the following words: "Let the Supreme Personality of Godhead be merciful toward us. His existence is never infected by material qualities."

CC Adi 5.41, Purport:

In the Viṣṇu Purāṇa Lord Viṣṇu is worshiped in the following words: "Let the Supreme Personality of Godhead be merciful toward us. His existence is never infected by material qualities." In the same Viṣṇu Purāṇa it is also said that all the qualities attributed to the Supreme Lord, such as knowledge, opulence, beauty, strength and influence, are known to be nondifferent from Him. This is also confirmed in the Padma Purāṇa, which explains that whenever the Supreme Lord is described as having no qualities, this should be understood to indicate that He is devoid of material qualities.

CC Madhya-lila

By chanting, one immediately becomes auspicious and transcendental to the infection of material qualities.

CC Madhya 24.331, Purport:

Concerning prātaḥ-smṛti, remembrance of the Lord in the morning, in the early morning hours (known as brāhma-muhūrta) one should get up and immediately chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, or at least "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." In this way, one should remember Kṛṣṇa. Some ślokas or prayers should also be chanted. By chanting, one immediately becomes auspicious and transcendental to the infection of material qualities.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Those devotees who take blessings from the demigods are infected with the material qualities, especially passion and ignorance.

Krsna Book 88:

Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: "The demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva and including Lord Indra, Candra, Varuṇa and others, are apt to be very quickly satisfied or very quickly angered by the good or ill behavior of their devotees. But this is not so with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu." This means that every living entity within this material world, including the demigods, is conducted by the three modes of material nature, and therefore the qualities of ignorance and passion are very prominent within the material world. Those devotees who take blessings from the demigods are also infected with the material qualities, especially passion and ignorance. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa has therefore stated in the Bhagavad-gītā that to take blessings from the demigods is less intelligent because when one takes benedictions from the demigods the results of such benedictions are temporary.

Mukunda-mala-stotra (mantras 1 to 6 only)

To mitigate His devotees' material pangs, the Lord descends as He is, yet He is not infected by material qualities.

Mukunda-mala-stotra mantra 1, Purport:

For His devotees, the Lord personally descends to this world to give them relief and save them from the insane acts of miscreants. It is foolish to try to impose the limits of an ordinary living being upon the unlimited potency of Godhead and obstinately maintain that the Supreme Lord cannot descend. To mitigate His devotees' material pangs, He descends as He is, yet He is not infected by material qualities.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Individuality is both in spiritual world and the material world. But in the material world our individuality is different on account of associating or infecting different qualities of the material nature.

Lecture on BG 3.27 -- Melbourne, June 27, 1974:

Everyone of us sitting in this hall, we have got different mentality to enjoy differently, different dress, different mentality, different opinion, because everyone of us we are individual. So this individuality is both in spiritual world and the material world. But in the material world our individuality is different on account of associating or infecting different qualities of the material nature. Just like there are different types of patients in the hospital. Why? Because each and every one of them is infected by different types of germs of disease.

We have to transcend the guṇas, the infection of these material qualities.

Lecture on BG 4.12 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgaḥ asya. We are associating with different modes of material nature by our karma, activities. Therefore there are divisions of karma. Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). That is also creation of God, cātur-varṇyam, guṇa-karma. It is very subtle subject matter. According to guṇa and karma, we are getting bodies, and we are preparing also next body according to this guṇa and karma. So if we change our guṇa and karma, then we can again regain our spiritual body. This is the process. Guṇa... In the Bhagavad-gītā it is also advised, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. We have to transcend the guṇas, the infection of these material qualities.

Why one gets low grade life and why one gets high grade life? The reason is as he is being infected by the different qualities of material nature.

Lecture on BG 4.16 -- Bombay, April 5, 1974:

If you infect some disease and the after result, you must suffer from that disease. This is nature's law. Similarly, kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu (BG 13.22). That is explained in Bhagavad-gītā. Why one gets low grade life and why one gets high grade life? What is the reason? That is explained by Kṛṣṇa, that kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. The reason is as he is being infected by the different qualities of material nature. Therefore we have to be very careful. There are three qualities and mixed qualities. Originally three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Then three multiplied by three, mixture, then it becomes nine. Then nine multiplied by nine it becomes eighty-one. Different, just like color mixture. So therefore there are 8,400,000 species of life, this mixture of qualities. Karmaṇā daiva-netreṇa (SB 3.31.1). We are infecting different types of qualities of material nature, and we are becoming fit for the next life.

As you have infected the eighty-one qualities, colorful qualities of this material nature, the nature will give you a suitable body through the particular mother.

Lecture on BG 13.22-24 -- Melbourne, June 25, 1974:

So here also see, sad-asad-yoni-janmasu. Why one is being born through the mother of a cat or through the mother of dog or a human being or a king or a demigod? The mother, through mother you have to come out. That is called yoni. But why these different mothers? Kāraṇaṁ guṇa-saṅgo 'sya. As he has infected the eighty-one qualities, colorful qualities of this material nature, the nature will give you a suitable body through the particular mother.

Our different types of bodies, desires, activities, are due to our being infected by the particular quality of material nature.

Lecture on BG 16.5 -- Hawaii, January 31, 1975:

So long we remain servant and obliged to perform according to the dictation of the senses, then I am go-dāsa, on the material field, go-dāsa, or under the spell of the material energy, servant of the material energy. Daivī hy eṣā guṇamayī mama māyā... (BG 7.14). The māyā, the prakṛti, is dictating. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ (BG 3.27). Dictating means you voluntarily become subjected to the dictation of this material nature. She cannot dictate if you are strong. But if you agree that "I shall be dictated by you," then you become dictated. Just like a disease. If you infect the disease, then you must suffer. But if you remain very fit, competent, not to be infected by the germs of the disease, you are not diseased. This is the way. And that is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, that our different types of bodies, desires, activities, are due to our being infected by the particular quality of material nature.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Here in this material world goodness is supposed to be very nice quality, but here the goodness also, nice temporary. There is chance of being affected, infected with the other qualities, sattva-rajas-tamo guṇa.

Lecture on SB 1.1.9 -- Auckland, February 20, 1973:

Kṛṣṇa advised Arjuna, traiguṇya-viṣayā vedā nistraiguṇyo bhavārjuna. "My dear Arjuna, just become transcendental to the three guṇas." Sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate (BG 14.26). Who can transcend these three guṇas, you have to go above goodness. Here in this material world goodness is supposed to be very nice quality, but here the goodness also, nice temporary. There is chance of being affected, infected with the other qualities, sattva-rajas-tamo guṇa. So we can, at least we have to transcend the rajas-tamo guṇa. Tadā rajas-tamo-bhāvāḥ kāma-lobhādayaś ca ye (SB 1.2.19). Rajas-tamo, the quality of passion and ignorance, mean the symptoms of these qualities is kāma and lobha, lust and greediness.

As we forget daily night body in the daytime and day body at nighttime, so similarly, we are changing our body according to the infection of the quality or material nature, and we are entangled in this material world.

Lecture on SB 1.2.9-10 -- Delhi, November 14, 1973:

Death means forgetting everything of my past life. That's all. Just like we forget. At night, when we dream, we accept another body, and we forget this body. And in the daytime we forget the night dream body and accept this body. We have got daily experience. So death means forgetting the past life. Otherwise, there was past life. That's a fact. But as we forget daily night body in the daytime and day body at nighttime, so similarly, we are changing our body according to the infection of the quality or material nature, and we are entangled in this material world. Although we are part an parcel of Kṛṣṇa, God, or we ar sons of God, but unfortunately, we have come in contact of this material modes of nature. This is going on.