Kṛṣṇa identifies the fundamental problem of human perception. He says the entire world is deluded by the three modes of nature. People are so caught up in the drama of their moods—their happiness, their anger, their laziness—that they fail to see the Lord who stands above it all. The modes act like a colorful veil covering the truth. We become obsessed with the ‘movie’ of material life and forget the ‘Director’. Kṛṣṇa is ‘ebhyaḥ param’, superior to these modes, and ‘avyayam’, inexhaustible and unchanging. While the material world is always shifting, He remains the constant reality. This delusion is universal. We think that our physical experiences are the all-in-all. Kṛṣṇa is telling Arjuna that the first step to wisdom is realizing that we are currently being ‘played’ by the modes of nature. Only by acknowledging this delusion can we begin to look for the one who is beyond the reach of these material forces.