What does ‘contamination of the material qualities’ mean?

From Sudheer P

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
Question from Sudhir Bhoot.
What do you mean by contamination of the material qualities? This question is based on a Prabhupada quote. Constant thought of the Lord is the anticipated method for keeping oneself free from the infection, contamination of the material qualities. Answer, here the material qualities refers to the gunas.
The word guna can refer to qualities in the sense that black, blue or hot, cold, beautiful, luckily these are qualities, but it can also refer to gunas in a more fundamental sense because whatever qualities we see at a visible level through our senses, those qualities come from the three modes of material nature. And the soul is pure, but the subtle body that is surrounding the soul gets influenced by the three modes of material nature. And just as water that is originally pure can become contaminated, the soul’s desires which are originally pure become contaminated by contact with the three modes.
So instead of the desire to love and serve Krishna, the soul develops various other kinds of desires depending on which mode is contaminating the soul. And that’s why the effect of the material modes, subtle qualities is called the contamination because whereas the original pure desires are selfless and meant for the well-being of all, the desires that result from the influence of the modes are selfish and meant for one’s own enjoyment. And by connection with Krishna, by remembrance of Krishna, that contamination gets removed because Krishna is the purest of all pure persons.
Pavitranam pavitramyoham, among all purifiers is the greatest purifier. Thank you.