We are embodied in material elements. Kṛṣṇa is questioned by Arjuna, "What is this body, and who is the owner of this body, and what is knowledge?" Kṛṣṇa has answered that, "The soul is the owner of this body, and I also, I am also the owner of this body."
This owner of this body, one individual soul and the Supersoul. Just like owner of this storefront. The tenant is in one sense an owner; at the same time the landlord is also owner. These points we have discussed. Now, Kṛṣṇa has also discussed that the knowledge by which we can understand the soul, the Supersoul and the material embodiment, that is real knowledge.
People are after knowledge. So many there are, departments of knowledge. But according to Bhagavad-gītā, real knowledge is to understand the soul, the Supersoul and the material world. So He's analyzing these material elements: mahā-bhūtāny ahaṅkāraḥ. Mahā-bhūtāni. There are five gross elements, which are called mahā-bhūtāni, great material elements. And what are those?
(reads commentary) Khadiny ahaṅkāras tad-hetus tamaso bhūtadi-saṁjṣo buddhis tad-hetur . . . pradhāno mahān avyaktaṁ tad-hetus tri-guṇavasthaṁ pradhāna indriyāṇi śrotrādīni, one after another.
This sky and false ego is due to the intelligence. Everything begins from the subtle. The most subtle element is the spirit soul, and little grosser than the spirit soul is the intelligence. And little grosser than the intelligence is the false ego, identification. And little grosser than the false . . . intelligence, is the mind. And from mind, then the senses. And the senses, next the grosser element is the body. So we have to analyze according to the śāstra, because it is not possible . . . suppose the modern scientist is given to find out where is the soul in this body. It is not possible.
So we may be very proud of advancement of knowledge, but actually we are not yet advanced, so far material science is concerned, to understand the basic principle of the moving force which is moving this body, the . . . on account of the presence of the soul, we have got so much intelligence, we have got so much thoughtful, psychological effect. So many things wonderful they are. But as soon as the soul is not there, everything collapse.
So the Buddhist theory that this intelligence or consciousness take place at a certain point of material mixture. But that may be an argument, but actually it is not a fact. Any amount of material mixture, you cannot produce soul. They have produced so many things by material mixture, but nobody has produced . . . in India, of course, we heard so many news that, "In America they have produced life in chemical laboratory." And sometimes they say: "In Russia they are trying." But it is not possible. Nobody has found. And greatest scientists, they have admitted that the problem of life is beyond the scope of material science.
So we have to take it from authoritative scriptures like Bhagavad-gītā, the Vedic literature, that soul is different from this body, and . . . of course, according to the mentality of the soul, we develop different kinds of body. And that is being described by Lord Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna. Pradhānam indriyāṇi śrotrādīni paṣca vagadini ca paṣceti daśa bāhyāni rajasahaṅkārakarya.