We are eternal parts of Krishna meant to serve His enjoyment, not independent enjoyers trapped in material illusion.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Bhagavad-gītā 13.20 — October 14, 1973, Bombay 731014BG-BOMBAY [29:49 Minutes] Bg-13.20_731014BG-BOMBAY Pradyumna: Translation: "Material nature and the living entities should be understood to be beginningless. Their transformations in the modes of matter are products of material nature." [Bg. 13.20] Prabhupāda: So there were six questions by Arjuna: kṣetra, kṣetra-jña, jñānam, jñeyam, prakṛti, puruṣa. Six questions. So Kṛṣṇa has already replied what is kṣetra, kṣetra-jña, and what is the process of knowledge and what is the object of knowledge.
Now He is beginning to explain what is this material nature and what is these living entities. Material nature, prakṛti, is enjoyable. Prakṛti means enjoyable. And puruṣa, puruṣa means enjoyer. Just like in our present condition we accept the female as the fair sex, enjoyable.
And we, male, we think we are enjoyer. By nature the females, they are by nature apt to dress attractively, and the puruṣa is attracted. So this prakṛti and puruṣa. Actually, none of us are puruṣa.
This conception of puruṣa, enjoyer, that is there in so-called woman and so-called man. The man also wants to enjoy. Not only man; every living entity—cats, dogs, trees, aquatics, everyone. Because this material world means all the living entities, beginning from Lord Brahmā down to the smallest ant, they are seeking after enjoyment.
Puruṣa. That is puruṣa spirit. One who is seeking for enjoyment is called puruṣa. But actual puruṣa is Kṛṣṇa. We are all prakṛtis.
And because, being prakṛti, we are trying to become puruṣa, that is called māyā, or illusion. Just like if a woman dresses like a man and wants to act as man, as that is illusion, similarly, we are differently dressed in the material ingredient, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ [Bg. 7.4]. Everyone's body is made of these five elements, and mind, intelligence, they are also subtle material elements, and with this combination we have got this body, and I am the spirit soul, I am trying to enjoy. This is material world.
We have forgotten that we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Our business is not to enjoy but to help Kṛṣṇa to enjoy. That is our business, part and parcel. We have given several times this example: just like these fingers, they are my part and parcel of the body.