The marginal living entity must consciously choose between the secure land of Krishna and the dangerous waters of maya.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrī Īśopaniṣad mantra 11 — May 17, 1970, Los Angeles 700517IP-LOS ANGELES [22:17] Iso-11_700517IP-LOS ANGELES Prabhupāda: Ānanda-mayo 'bhyāsāt. So Gopāla Kṛṣṇa, how you are feeling? How do you see this temple? Gopāla Kṛṣṇa: [indistinct]
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa. [devotees chant japa]
Prabhupāda: Oṁ… Devotees: oṁ pūrṇam adaḥ pūrṇam idaṁ pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate Prabhupāda: Loudly. Pūrṇasya pūrṇam ādāya pūrṇam evāvaśiṣyate [Īśo Invocation] īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat tena tyaktena bhuñjīthā mā gṛdhaḥ kasya svid dhanam [Īśo mantra 1] kurvann eveha karmāṇi jijīviṣec chataṁ samāḥ evaṁ tvayi nānyatheto 'sti na karma lipyate nare [Īśo mantra 2] asuryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasāvṛtāḥ tāṁs te pretyābhigacchanti ye ke cātma-hano janāḥ [Īśo mantra 3] inad devā āpnuvan pūrvam arṣat tad dhāvato 'nyān atyeti tiṣṭhat tasminn apo mātariśvā dadhāti [Īśo mantra 4] tad ejati tan naijati tad dūre tad v antike tad antar asya sarvasya tad u sarvasyāsya bāhyataḥ [Īśo mantra 5] yas tu sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmany evānupaśyati sarva-bhūteṣu cātmānaṁ tato na vijugupsate [Īśo mantra 6] yasmin sarvāṇi bhūtāny ātmaivābhūd vijānataḥ tatra ko mohaḥ kaḥ śoka ekatvam anupaśyataḥ [Īśo mantra 7] sa paryagāc chukram akāyam avraṇam asnāviram śuddham apāpa-viddham kavir manīṣī paribhūḥ svayambhūr yāthātathyato 'rthān vyadadhāc chāśvatībhyaḥ samābhyaḥ [Īśo mantra 8] andhaṁ tamaḥ praviśanti ye 'vidyām upāsate tato bhūya iva te tamo ya u vidyāyām ratāḥ [Īśo mantra 9] anyad evāhur vidyayānyad āhur avidyayāiti śuśruma dhīrāṇāṁye nas tad vicacakṣire [Īśo mantra 10] Prabhupāda: So up to this verse we have done. Next. vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha avidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā vidyayāmṛtam aśnute [Īśo mantra 11] [corrects devotees’ pronunciation] Vidyayāmṛtam aśnute. When they are compounded they are called vidyayāmṛtam aśnute. So you read as the English translation. vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha avidyayā mṛtyuṁ tīrtvā vidyayāmṛtam aśnute [Īśo mantra 11] [06:35] Prabhupāda: “Only one who can learn the process of nescience and that of transcendental knowledge side by side can transcend the influence of repeated birth and death and enjoy the full blessings of immortality.” So we have to learn.
Knowledge means, just like darkness and light, if we know “this is darkness” and “this is light,” that is perfect knowledge. If you simply know darkness, or if you simply know light, that is not perfect. So the living entity is called tatasta śakti, marginal. There are two sides: one is darkness, one is light, and the living entity is marginal potency. As it is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, there are two…, three prakṛtis: parā, aparā… Two prakṛtis practically, but the living entities belong to the superior energy.
But because it is prone to fall down to the inferior energy, it is called marginal. So there are two sides. Just like the seashore: immediately land, immediately water, side by side. On the land you are safe; as soon as you are in the water, unsafe. So you are on the margin.
Just like I was walking on the beach, so I was very careful so that the water may not come and wet my shoes. So we are little bit careful. Side by side there is. So one should have perfect knowledge, that “this is water,” “this is land.” Because water means if you fall into the water, your death; and if you stand on the land, you are secure.
Therefore here it is stated: vidyāṁ cāvidyāṁ ca yas tad vedobhayaṁ saha [Īśo mantra 11] One should know what is my secure place and what is my unsecure place. Because I am prone. I am not God; I am little spark. God has no such fear, either this land or this water.