Dear reader:
Yudhisthira maharaja is explaining about a darkness which is different from the idea of absence of light in the form of sunlight, moonlight, fire or other forms of illumination which makes things visible. Here he is refering to the darkness which covers the soul and makes it impossible to see things as they are.
Because of darkness which covers the soul, the living being acts in various ways which allow him to search for complete fulfillment in reference to his body and mind which he mistakes for his real identity. Under varying degrees of darkness, the living being experiences both pleasures and pains resulting from the consequenses of his actions. In this way, the living entity, although by nature transcendental to matter, takes birth after birth in the material world pursuing a phantasmagoria of desires until he comes to the point of self-realization, or coming to the point that he is actually an eternal servant of the Lord.
While under the influence of the darkness of the soul described herein, one can experience undescribable sufferings or temporary happiness as afforded by association with matter. The darkness of the soul however is never removed until the living being finally becomes convinced of his precarious and dangerous position. While in this dark position, the soul can neither find lasting relief, even though he may obtain all the material facilities that the world can offer such as wife, children, money, home and powerful status and education, nor will he be happy. This is the position which has all the living beings in the world in its grip, and so Yudhisthira states that this dark condition is actually the position of all the living beings in the world.
It is advised in the Vedic literature that the immediate duty of the living being is to inquire about spiritual topics. Now that we have this human body which is afforded a brain to consider these topics, now is the time to act to question how to get out of this darkness, and with the light of transcendental spiritual knowledge, come out of this darkness of the soul and revive our lost eternal consciousness, which is called Krishna consciousness. The Lord, Sri Krishna, is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is the father of all the living beings. The Supreme Lord is not formless, but He is transcendental to matter. We also, as eternal souls, are transcendental to matter and live eternally even after the death of the body, but until we have made our determination and desire to go back home, back to Godhead, or the devotional service to the Lord, we must remain under the dark imprisonment of the material world.
The Hare Krishna movement is also known as the Sri Krishna Sankirtana movement which was started by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who revived the worship and propagation of the spiritual culture of Lord Krishna's Bhagavad-gita. It is by this movement that members are serving the Lord and gradually becoming free from the darkness of the material world. The process recommended by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is to glorify the Lord by the process of hearing the glories of the Lord and then chanting the glories for the benefit of everyone regardless of race, nationality, religious affiliation or other superficial designations. By the practice of listening to devotees of the Lord who have taken to His service very seriously, one can make progress on the path of transcending the darkness of the world. On the other hand, it is suggested that one avoid listening from those persons who are still very much caught under the grip of darkness, even though such persons may advertise themselves as devotees of the Lord.
One doesn't see darkness with the eyes, but sees darkness in the hearts of the bewildered living beings. The living being by nature is pure consciousness, yet because of various misconceptions about his real identity, he cannot yet understand his real position. This is described in the Bhagavad-gita: the living being tries to understand his real transcendental position by looking into the mirror of the mind, but in the material condition, the mirror of the mind is like a mirror which is dirty. When a mirror is covered with varying degrees of dust, one can barely see himself. Similarly, when one tries to comprehend his real position, he actually cannot do so unless his mind becomes enlightened by again accepting the devotional service of the Lord in his own constitutional position. By this cultivation of spiritual work, gradually the living being comes to realize the nature of spirit and the inferior and unsatisfying nature of one's so-called independence. Giving up such identification with the phantasmagoria of endless material desire, the living being gradually comes to his real connection to the Lord and returns back home, back to Godhead beyond the darkness of this material world.
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