Two birds on the tree

Speaker:  Srila Prabhupada
Source: Oneness Is Variety

dva suparna sayuja sakhaya samanam vrksam parisasvajate tayor anyah pippalam svadv atty anasnann anyo ‘bhicakasiti. Sruti-mantra. So both the living entity, and the Supersoul is sitting on the same tree. This body is supposed to be the tree, and the heart is supposed to be the nest. And in the nest, as there are two birds, similarly, there is one bird, the living entity, individual, and the Supersoul, both. One is eating the fruit; the other is simply observing, witnessing. Anumanta upadrasta. Anumanta means “giving order.” Just like a child wants to take something, but he also depends on the order of the father. The child is insisting: “Father, I want this.” Father says, “No, you don’t take it.” “I shall touch it. I shall touch the fire.” Father says, “No, don’t touch it.” But he’s insisting and crying, so father says, “All right, you touch.” Similarly, we create our own fortune and misfortune. Ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham (BG. 4.11). So the father wants us to do something else, but we want to do something else against the wish of the father. Similarly, Krsna wants that everyone of us should surrender unto Him and work according to His direction, but we want to do against His will. Therefore we create our own fortune and misfortune.