"Why People Are Against Such Auspicious Activities as Chanting and Hearing the Glories and Pastimes of the Lord?" quoted from Srila Prabhupada's purport to ŚB 3.9.7 (Why Sound Arguments Not Work)
कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥ ३९ ॥
jñānino nitya-vairiṇā
kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya
duṣpūreṇānalena ca
āvṛtam — covered; jñānam — pure consciousness; etena — by this; jñāninaḥ — of the knower; nitya-vairiṇā — by the eternal enemy; kāma-rūpeṇa — in the form of lust; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; duṣpūreṇa — never to be satisfied; analena — by the fire; ca — also.
Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.
Purport by MGDAS
1. Lust Covers Reason (The Smoke and Mirror Effect)
In Bg 3.39, Krsna explains that a person's pure consciousness and capacity for discrimination are covered by an eternal enemy: lust (kama), which burns like fire.
Just as fire is covered by smoke, or a mirror by dust, a person's intellectual clarity is blanketed by their desires. (Bg. 3.38)
When someone is deeply attached to an outcome, a habit, or a material opinion, their intelligence loses the capacity to process a sound argument neutrally. They listen to satisfy their desires, not to find the truth.
माययापहृतज्ञाना आसुरं भावमाश्रिता: ॥ १५ ॥
prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā
āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
na — not; mām — unto Me; duṣkṛtinaḥ — miscreants; mūḍhāḥ — foolish; prapadyante — surrender; nara-adhamāḥ — lowest among mankind; māyayā — by the illusory energy; apahṛta — stolen; jñānāḥ — whose knowledge; āsuram — demonic; bhāvam — nature; āśritāḥ — accepting.
Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.
Purport by MGDAS
2. Knowledge is Stolen by Illusion (māyayāpahrta-jñānā)
In Bg. 7.15, Krsna identifies a class of people whose knowledge is stolen by illusion (māyayāpahrta-jñānā).
These individuals might be highly educated, witty, or capable of academic debate.
However, because they adopt an atheistic or deeply materialistic worldview, they reject core spiritual logic. No matter how sound or evidence-based your point is, their foundational paradigm filters out reality.
अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥ २७ ॥
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate
prakṛteḥ — of material nature; kriyamāṇāni — being done; guṇaiḥ — by the modes; karmāṇi — activities; sarvaśaḥ — all kinds of; ahaṅkāra-vimūḍha — bewildered by false ego; ātmā — the spirit soul; kartā — doer; aham — I; iti — thus; manyate — he thinks.
The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.
Purport by MGDAS
3. Emotional Bonds with Opinions (The Ego Barrier)
The Bhagavad-gita emphasizes that the false ego (ahankara) causes individuals to misidentify themselves with their minds and bodies (Bg. 3.27).
As a result, people treat a challenge to their opinion as an existential threat to their identity. According to the Srimad Bhagavatam, pride (mada) makes an individual blind and deaf to the instructions of sadhus (sages) or well-wishers (ŚB 10.10.8). When someone is intoxicated by wealth, beauty, or intellectual superiority, their receptive hearing (sravanam) shuts down completely (ŚB 1.8.26).
ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ॥ ११ ॥
prakāśa upajāyate
jñānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād
vivṛddhaṁ sattvam ity uta
sarva-dvāreṣu — in all the gates; dehe asmin — in this body; prakāśaḥ — the quality of illumination; upajāyate — develops; jñānam — knowledge; yadā — when; tadā — at that time; vidyāt — know; vivṛddham — increased; sattvam — the mode of goodness; iti uta — thus it is said.
The manifestation of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge.
रजस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे भरतर्षभ ॥ १२ ॥
karmaṇām aśamaḥ spṛhā
rajasy etāni jāyante
vivṛddhe bharatarṣabha
lobhaḥ — greed; pravṛttiḥ — activity; ārambhaḥ — endeavor; karmaṇām — in activities; aśamaḥ — uncontrollable; spṛhā — desire; rajasi — of the mode of passion; etāni — all these; jāyante — develop; vivṛddhe — when there is an excess; bharata-ṛṣabha — O chief of the descendants of Bharata.
O chief of the Bhāratas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion the symptoms of great attachment, fruitive activity, intense endeavor, and uncontrollable desire and hankering develop.
तमस्येतानि जायन्ते विवृद्धे कुरुनन्दन ॥ १३ ॥
pramādo moha eva ca
tamasy etāni jāyante
vivṛddhe kuru-nandana
aprakāśaḥ — darkness; apravṛttiḥ — inactivity; ca — and; pramādaḥ — madness; mohaḥ — illusion; eva — certainly; ca — also; tamasi — the mode of ignorance; etāni — these; jāyante — are manifested; vivṛddhe — when developed; kuru-nandana — O son of Kuru.
When there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, O son of Kuru, darkness, inertia, madness and illusion are manifested.
Purport by MGDAS
4. Overpowered by the Modes of Passion and Ignorance
The ability to process logic depends entirely on the material modes of nature (gunas) dominating a person's mind (Bg. 14.11-13).
Mode of Passion (raja-guna): Breeds intense greed, hyperactivity, and an eagerness to argue rather than listen. A passionate person listens only to find a gap to counter-attack.
Mode of Ignorance (tama-guna): Breeds madness, illusion, laziness, and foolishness. In this state, the brain literally cannot comprehend or tolerate elevated logic, dismissing it as irrelevant or boring.
True comprehension and objective listening only happen in the Mode of Goodness (sattva-guna), where the "gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge."gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge." (Bg. 14.11).
Or in Prabhupada's words: "Untill you stop eating meat, you will never understand anything spiritual." From Prabhupada Memories – DVD 108 – Dhrti dasi, Rama Das Abhirama Das, Sabhapati, time stamp: 42:31, as told by Sabhapati Dasa.
The Solution — Cultivating Goodness (sattva) and Fearlessness (abhayam)
Because logic fails in passion and ignorance, a speaker cannot argue someone into the truth. Instead, the speaker must change the listener's internal environment from fear to safety, and from ignorance to goodness. This can be done by following the process of pure devotional service, most particularly, as it is enunciated by Srila Prabhupada.
vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ
śuśrūṣoḥ — one who is engaged in hearing; śraddadhānasya — with care and attention; vāsudeva — in respect to Vāsudeva; kathā — the message; ruciḥ — affinity; syāt — is made possible; mahat-sevayā — by service rendered to pure devotees; viprāḥ — O twice-born; puṇya-tīrtha — those who are cleansed of all vice; niṣevaṇāt — by service.
O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.
Purport by MGDAS
5. Lack of Pious Merits (sukṛti) and Association
"The next question is why people are against such auspicious activities as chanting and hearing the glories and pastimes of the Lord, which can bring total freedom from the cares and anxieties of material existence. The only answer to this question is that they are unfortunate because of supernatural control due to their offensive activities performed simply for the sake of sense gratification." From Srila Prabhupada's purport to ŚB 3.9.7 where these persons who lack pious merits are described by Lord Brahma*:
"O my Lord, persons who are bereft of the all-auspicious performance of chanting and hearing about Your transcendental activities are certainly unfortunate and are also bereft of good sense. They engage in inauspicious activities, enjoying sense gratification for a very little while."
Srila Prabhupada concludes the purport by stating: "The Lord’s pure devotees, however, take compassion upon such unfortunate persons and, in a missionary spirit, try to persuade them into the line of devotional service. Only by the grace of pure devotees can such unfortunate men be elevated to the position of transcendental service."
The Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.16, notes that the taste for hearing ultimate truths (śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya) does not manifest by logic alone. It requires sukrti (past spiritual assets - puṇya karmaṇām) (Bg. 7.28) and the association of saintly people. Without a purified heart, an individual can hear the most flawless, bulletproof argument and completely tune it out because their inner faculties lack the "eligibility" (adhikara) to absorb it.
śuśrūṣoḥ śraddadhānasya
vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ
puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt
highlights that a true attraction for Krsna consciousness arises by serving great souls.
6. The Root of All Anxiety: Absorption in Matter (bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ)
The definitive scriptural explanation of how fear blocks truth is found in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.37:
दीशादपेतस्य विपर्ययोऽस्मृति: ।
तन्माययातो बुध आभजेत्तं
भक्त्यैकयेशं गुरुदेवतात्मा ॥ ३७ ॥
īśād apetasya viparyayo ’smṛtiḥ
tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet taṁ
bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā
bhayam — fear; dvitīya — in something seeming to be other than the Lord; abhiniveśataḥ — because of absorption; syāt — it will arise; īśāt — from the Supreme Lord; apetasya — for one who has turned away; viparyayaḥ — misidentification; asmṛtiḥ — forgetfulness; tat — of the Lord; māyayā — by the illusory energy; ataḥ — therefore; budhaḥ — an intelligent person; ābhajet — should worship fully; tam — Him; bhaktyā — with devotion; ekayā — unalloyed; īśam — the Lord; guru-devatā-ātmā — one who sees his own spiritual master as his lord and very soul.
Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency for illusion, called māyā. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.
Partial Alternate Translation
Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself with the material body and mind due to absorption in the superficial duality (dvitīya). This happens because he has turned away from the Supreme Lord (īśād apetasya), forgetting his true spiritual nature (asmṛtiḥ)
Purport by MGDAS
How Fear Weaponizes the Ego and Rejects Logic
The Fear of "Losing" One's Self: As mentioned in my purport to Bg. 3.27, the false ego (ahankāra) makes a person think, "I am this body, I am this reputation, I am this opinion." When a sound argument proves them wrong, they do not see it as an educational moment. They experience existential fear—the fear that their very identity, status, or life framework is being dismantled.
Defensive Logic in Passion (rajas): Under the threat of this fear, the mode of passion (raja-guna) kicks in as a "fight or flight" response. Instead of absorbing the truth, the mind instantly constructs defensive arguments, lies, or deflections to protect its worldly attachments (rag).
Cognitive Shutdown in Ignorance (tamas): If the fear of being wrong is too overwhelming, the mode of ignorance (tama-guna) takes over as a "freeze" response. The person completely shuts down, denies obvious reality, or becomes angry (krodha), choosing the safety of illusion over the terrifying vulnerability of truth.
For more informastion please listen to my class on SB 11.2.37: Madhu Gopal dasa - Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 11.2.37 - Sat 11th Apr 2026
7. Fear vs. Learning (sāstre vādi-bhayam): The Trap of Intellectual Debate
The great sage Bhartṛhari confirms in his Vairāgya-śatakam that fear haunts every aspect of material life. Crucially, he states:
शास्त्रे वादिभयम् - śāstre vādi-bhayam — "In the realm of knowledge, there is always the fear of opponents or being defeated." Because materialistic people view knowledge as a tool for prestige (māna) rather than truth, they live in constant fear of being proven wrong. Therefore, a sound argument feels like a weapon (astra), and their natural response is to put up their shields.
8. Illuminating the Gates of the Body
ज्ञानं यदा तदा विद्याद्विवृद्धं सत्त्वमित्युत ॥ ११ ॥
prakāśa upajāyate
jñānaṁ yadā tadā vidyād
vivṛddhaṁ sattvam ity uta
sarva-dvāreṣu — in all the gates; dehe asmin — in this body; prakāśaḥ — the quality of illumination; upajāyate — develops; jñānam — knowledge; yadā — when; tadā — at that time; vidyāt — know; vivṛddham — increased; sattvam — the mode of goodness; iti uta — thus it is said.
The manifestation of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge.
Purport by MGDAS
Objective listening and true comprehension can only happen in the mode of goodness (sattva-guna). In sattva, the mind is calm, the fear response is deactivated, and the "gates" of the body (the senses) are open and illuminated. A speaker must establish an atmosphere of safety, respect, and non-judgment to help shift the listener into this receptive state.
9. Activating Spiritual Eligibility Through Service
स्यान्महत्सेवया विप्रा: पुण्यतीर्थनिषेवणात् ॥ १६ ॥
vāsudeva-kathā-ruciḥ
syān mahat-sevayā viprāḥ
puṇya-tīrtha-niṣevaṇāt
śuśrūṣoḥ — one who is engaged in hearing; śraddadhānasya — with care and attention; vāsudeva — in respect to Vāsudeva; kathā — the message; ruciḥ — affinity; syāt — is made possible; mahat-sevayā — by service rendered to pure devotees; viprāḥ — O twice-born; puṇya-tīrtha — those who are cleansed of all vice; niṣevaṇāt — by service.
O twice-born sages, by serving those devotees who are completely freed from all vice, great service is done. By such service, one gains affinity for hearing the messages of Vāsudeva.
Purport by MGDAS
Ultimately, the taste for truth (ruciḥ) and a receptive heart (śuśrūṣoḥ) cannot be forced by bulletproof logic alone. It requires sukṛti (spiritual credit - puṇya-karmaṇām) (Bg. 7.28) and the association of saintly souls (sādhu-saṅga) (ŚB 1.2.16). Serving great souls (mahat-sevayā) (ŚB 1.2.16) purifies the heart of the fear, lust, and ego that block the intellect.
Conclusion: Shifting from Argument to Elevation
To make a sound argument work, a speaker must stop trying to defeat the opponent's intellect and instead focus on dissolving their fear. By acting in the mode of goodness (sattva), remaining a well-wisher, and connecting through genuine spiritual association, the speaker helps the listener step away from material duality. Only when fear is replaced by spiritual safety (abhayam) do the gates of the intellect open to accept the truth.
If you like more information how to overcome fear please read my article: How to Overcome Anxiety
* This verse; ŚB 3.9.7, was spoken by Lord Brahma to Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu. For an in-depth study in the context of this verse please study: Detailed Study of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Canto 3: The Status Quo, Chapter Eight: Manifestation of Brahmā from Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu
भवत्यकर्तुरीशस्य साक्षिणो निर्वृतात्मन: ॥ ७ ॥
pāra-tantryaṁ ca tat-kṛtam
bhavaty akartur īśasya
sākṣiṇo nirvṛtātmanaḥ
tat — from the misconception; asya — of the conditioned soul; saṁsṛtiḥ — conditioned life; bandhaḥ — bondage; pāra-tantryam — dependence; ca — and; tat-kṛtam — made by that; bhavati — is; akartuḥ — of the nondoer; īśasya — independent; sākṣiṇaḥ — the witness; nirvṛta-ātmanaḥ — joyful by nature.
Material consciousness is the cause of one’s conditional life, in which conditions are enforced upon the living entity by the material energy. Although the spirit soul does not do anything and is transcendental to such activities, he is thus affected by conditional life.
The Māyāvādī philosopher, who does not differentiate between the Supreme Spirit and the individual spirit, says that the conditional existence of the living entity is his līlā, or pastime. But the word “pastime” implies employment in the activities of the Lord. The Māyāvādīs misuse the word and say that even if the living entity has become a stool-eating hog, he is also enjoying his pastimes. This is a most dangerous interpretation. Actually the Supreme Lord is the leader and maintainer of all living entities. His pastimes are transcendental to any material activity. Such pastimes of the Lord cannot be dragged to the level of the conditional activities of the living entities. In conditional life the living entity actually remains as if a captive in the hands of material energy. Whatever the material energy dictates, the conditioned soul does. He has no responsibility; he is simply the witness of the action, but he is forced to act in that way due to his offense in his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Lord Kṛṣṇa therefore says in Bhagavad-gītā that māyā, His material energy, is so forceful that it is insurmountable. But if a living entity simply understands that his constitutional position is to serve Kṛṣṇa and he tries to act on this principle, then however conditioned he may be, the influence of māyā immediately vanishes. This is clearly stated in Bhagavad-gītā, Seventh Chapter: Kṛṣṇa takes charge of anyone who surrenders to Him in helplessness, and thus the influence of māyā, or conditional life, is removed.
The spirit soul is actually sac-cid-ānanda — eternal, full of bliss and full of knowledge. Under the clutches of māyā, however, he suffers from continued birth, death, disease and old age. One has to be serious to cure this condition of material existence and transfer himself to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for thus his long suffering may be mitigated without difficulty. In summary, the suffering of the conditioned soul is due to his attachment to material nature. This attachment should thus be transferred from matter to Kṛṣṇa.
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