Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 10 - Chapter 1 - Verse 16

Sanskrit:

स्वभावतन्त्रो हि जन: स्वभावमनुवर्तते । स्वभावस्थमिदं सर्वं सदेवासुरमानुषम् ॥ १६ ॥

ITRANS:

svabhāva-tantro hi janaḥsvabhāvam anuvartatesvabhāva-stham idaṁ sarvaṁsa-devāsura-mānuṣam

Translation:

Every individual is under the control of his own conditioned nature, and thus he must follow that nature. This entire universe, with all its demigods, demons and human beings, is based on the conditioned nature of the living entities.

Purport:

Lord Kṛṣṇa here elaborates upon the argument given in the previous verse. Since everything depends on svabhāva, or one’s conditioned nature, why bother worshiping God or the demigods? This argument would be sublime if svabhāva, or conditioned nature, were all-powerful. But unfortunately it is not. There is a supreme controller and we must worship Him, as Lord Kṛṣṇa will emphatically reveal in this chapter of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. For now, however, He is content to tease His relatives.