Bhagavad-gita As It Is
CHAPTER 8: Attaining the Supreme
©1989, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
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TEXT 1
arjuna uvaca
kim tad brahma kim adhyatmam
kim karma purusottama
adhibhutam ca kim proktam
adhidaivam kim ucyate
WORD FOR WORD
arjunah uvaca -- Arjuna said; kim -- what; tat --
that; brahma -- Brahman; kim -- what; adhyatmam --
the self; kim -- what; karma -- fruitive activities;
purusa-uttama -- O Supreme Person; adhibhutam -- the
material manifestation; ca -- and; kim -- what;
proktam -- is called; adhidaivam -- the demigods; kim
-- what; ucyate -- is called.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, O Supreme Person, what is Brahman? What is the
self? What are fruitive activities? What is this material manifestation?
And what are the demigods? Please explain this to me.
PURPORT
In this chapter Lord Krishna answers different questions from Arjuna,
beginning with "What is Brahman?" The Lord also explains karma
(fruitive activities), devotional service and yoga principles, and
devotional service in its pure form. The Srimad-Bhagavatam explains
that the Supreme Absolute Truth is known as Brahman, Paramatma and
Bhagavan. In addition, the living entity, the individual soul, is also
called Brahman. Arjuna also inquires about atma, which refers to
body, soul and mind. According to the Vedic dictionary, atma refers
to the mind, soul, body and senses also.
Arjuna has addressed the Supreme Lord as Purusottama, Supreme Person,
which means that he was putting these questions not simply to a friend but
to the Supreme Person, knowing Him to be the supreme authority able to
give definitive answers.
TEXT 2
adhiyajnah katham ko 'tra
dehe 'smin madhusudana
prayana-kale ca katham
jneyo 'si niyatatmabhih
WORD FOR WORD
adhiyajnah -- the Lord of sacrifice; katham -- how;
kah -- who; atra -- here; dehe -- in the body;
asmin -- this; madhusudana -- O Madhusudana;
prayana-kale -- at the time of death; ca -- and;
katham -- how; jneyah asi -- You can be known;
niyata-atmabhih -- by the self-controlled.
TRANSLATION
Who is the Lord of sacrifice, and how does He live in the body, O
Madhusudana? And how can those engaged in devotional service know You at
the time of death?
PURPORT
"Lord of sacrifice" may refer to either Indra or Vishnu. Vishnu is the chief
of the primal demigods, including Brahma and Shiva, and Indra is the chief
of the administrative demigods. Both Indra and Vishnu are worshiped by
yajna performances. But here Arjuna asks who is actually the Lord
of yajna (sacrifice) and how the Lord is residing within the body
of the living entity.
Arjuna addresses the Lord as Madhusudana because Krishna once killed a
demon named Madhu. Actually these questions, which are of the nature of
doubts, should not have arisen in the mind of Arjuna, because Arjuna is a
Krishna conscious devotee. Therefore these doubts are like demons. Since
Krishna is so expert in killing demons, Arjuna here addresses Him as
Madhusudana so that Krishna might kill the demonic doubts that arise in
Arjuna's mind.
Now the word prayana-kale in this verse is very significant because
whatever we do in life will be tested at the time of death. Arjuna is very
anxious to know of those who are constantly engaged in Krishna
consciousness. What should be their position at that final moment? At the
time of death all the bodily functions are disrupted, and the mind is not
in a proper condition. Thus disturbed by the bodily situation, one may not
be able to remember the Supreme Lord. Maharaja Kulasekhara, a great
devotee, prays, "My dear Lord, just now I am quite healthy, and it is
better that I die immediately so that the swan of my mind can seek
entrance at the stem of Your lotus feet." The metaphor is used because the
swan, a bird of the water, takes pleasure in digging into the lotus
flowers; its sporting proclivity is to enter the lotus flower. Maharaja
Kulasekhara says to the Lord, "Now my mind is undisturbed, and I am quite
healthy. If I die immediately, thinking of Your lotus feet, then I am sure
that my performance of Your devotional service will become perfect. But if
I have to wait for my natural death, then I do not know what will happen,
because at that time the bodily functions will be disrupted, my throat
will be choked up, and I do not know whether I shall be able to chant Your
name. Better let me die immediately." Arjuna questions how a person can
fix his mind on Krishna's lotus feet at such a time.
TEXT 3
sri-bhagavan uvaca
aksaram brahma paramam
svabhavo 'dhyatmam ucyate
bhuta-bhavodbhava-karo
visargah karma-samjnitah
WORD FOR WORD
sri-bhagavan uvaca -- the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
aksaram -- indestructible; brahma -- Brahman; paramam
-- transcendental; svabhavah -- eternal nature; adhyatmam --
the self; ucyate -- is called; bhuta-bhava-udbhava-karah --
producing the material bodies of the living entities; visargah --
creation; karma -- fruitive activities; samjnitah -- is
called.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The indestructible,
transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is
called adhyatma, the self. Action pertaining to the development of the
material bodies of the living entities is called karma, or fruitive
activities.
PURPORT
Brahman is indestructible and eternally existing, and its constitution is
not changed at any time. But beyond Brahman there is Parabrahman. Brahman
refers to the living entity, and Parabrahman refers to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The constitutional position of the living entity
is different from the position he takes in the material world. In material
consciousness his nature is to try to be the lord of matter, but in
spiritual consciousness, Krishna consciousness, his position is to serve
the Supreme. When the living entity is in material consciousness, he has
to take on various bodies in the material world. That is called
karma, or varied creation by the force of material consciousness.
In Vedic literature the living entity is called jivatma and
Brahman, but he is never called Parabrahman. The living entity
(jivatma) takes different positions -- sometimes he merges into the
dark material nature and identifies himself with matter, and sometimes he
identifies himself with the superior, spiritual nature. Therefore he is
called the Supreme Lord's marginal energy. According to his identification
with material or spiritual nature, he receives a material or spiritual
body. In material nature he may take a body from any of the 8,400,000
species of life, but in spiritual nature he has only one body. In material
nature he is manifested sometimes as a man, demigod, animal, beast, bird,
etc., according to his karma. To attain material heavenly planets
and enjoy their facilities, he sometimes performs sacrifices
(yajna), but when his merit is exhausted he returns to earth again
in the form of a man. This process is called karma.
The Chandogya Upanisad describes the Vedic sacrificial process. On
the sacrificial altar, five kinds of offerings are made into five kinds of
fire. The five kinds of fire are conceived of as the heavenly planets,
clouds, the earth, man and woman, and the five kinds of sacrificial
offerings are faith, the enjoyer on the moon, rain, grains and semen.
In the process of sacrifice, the living entity makes specific
sacrifices to attain specific heavenly planets and consequently reaches
them. When the merit of sacrifice is exhausted, the living entity descends
to earth in the form of rain, then takes on the form of grains, and the
grains are eaten by man and transformed into semen, which impregnates a
woman, and thus the living entity once again attains the human form to
perform sacrifice and so repeat the same cycle. In this way, the living
entity perpetually comes and goes on the material path. The Krishna
conscious person, however, avoids such sacrifices. He takes directly to
Krishna consciousness and thereby prepares himself to return to Godhead.
Impersonalist commentators on the Bhagavad-gita unreasonably assume
that Brahman takes the form of jiva in the material world, and to
substantiate this they refer to Chapter Fifteen, verse 7, of the
Gita. But in this verse the Lord also speaks of the living entity
as "an eternal fragment of Myself." The fragment of God, the living
entity, may fall down into the material world, but the Supreme Lord
(Acyuta) never falls down. Therefore this assumption that the Supreme
Brahman assumes the form of jiva is not acceptable. It is important
to remember that in Vedic literature Brahman (the living entity) is
distinguished from Parabrahman (the Supreme Lord).
TEXT 4
adhibhutam ksaro bhavah
purusas cadhidaivatam
adhiyajno 'ham evatra
dehe deha-bhrtam vara
WORD FOR WORD
adhibhutam -- the physical manifestation; ksarah --
constantly changing; bhavah -- nature; purusah -- the
universal form, including all the demigods, like the sun and moon;
ca -- and; adhidaivatam -- called adhidaiva;
adhiyajnah -- the Supersoul; aham -- I (Krishna); eva --
certainly; atra -- in this; dehe -- body; deha-bhrtam
-- of the embodied; vara -- O best.
TRANSLATION
O best of the embodied beings, the physical nature, which is constantly
changing, is called adhibhuta [the material manifestation]. The universal
form of the Lord, which includes all the demigods, like those of the sun
and moon, is called adhidaiva. And I, the Supreme Lord, represented as the
Supersoul in the heart of every embodied being, am called adhiyajna [the
Lord of sacrifice].
PURPORT
The physical nature is constantly changing. Material bodies generally pass
through six stages: they are born, they grow, they remain for some
duration, they produce some by-products, they dwindle, and then they
vanish. This physical nature is called adhibhuta. It is created at
a certain point and will be annihilated at a certain point. The conception
of the universal form of the Supreme Lord, which includes all the demigods
and their different planets, is called adhidaivata. And present in
the body along with the individual soul is the Supersoul, a plenary
representation of Lord Krishna. The Supersoul is called the Paramatma or
adhiyajna and is situated in the heart. The word eva is
particularly important in the context of this verse because by this word
the Lord stresses that the Paramatma is not different from Him. The
Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, seated beside the
individual soul, is the witness of the individual soul's activities and is
the source of the soul's various types of consciousness. The Supersoul
gives the individual soul an opportunity to act freely and witnesses his
activities. The functions of all these different manifestations of the
Supreme Lord automatically become clarified for the pure Krishna conscious
devotee engaged in transcendental service to the Lord. The gigantic
universal form of the Lord called adhidaivata is contemplated by
the neophyte who cannot approach the Supreme Lord in His manifestation as
Supersoul. The neophyte is advised to contemplate the universal form, or
virat-purusa, whose legs are considered the lower planets, whose
eyes are considered the sun and moon, and whose head is considered the
upper planetary system.
TEXT 5
anta-kale ca mam eva
smaran muktva kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam
yati nasty atra samsayah
WORD FOR WORD
anta-kale -- at the end of life; ca -- also; mam --
Me; eva -- certainly; smaran -- remembering; muktva
-- quitting; kalevaram -- the body; yah -- he who;
prayati -- goes; sah -- he; mat-bhavam -- My nature;
yati -- achieves; na -- not; asti -- there is;
atra -- here; samsayah -- doubt.
TRANSLATION
And whoever, at the end of his life, quits his body, remembering Me alone,
at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
PURPORT
In this verse the importance of Krishna consciousness is stressed. Anyone
who quits his body in Krishna consciousness is at once transferred to the
transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord. The Supreme Lord is the purest
of the pure. Therefore anyone who is constantly Krishna conscious is also
the purest of the pure. The word smaran ("remembering") is
important. Remembrance of Krishna is not possible for the impure soul who
has not practiced Krishna consciousness in devotional service. Therefore
one should practice Krishna consciousness from the very beginning of life.
If one wants to achieve success at the end of his life, the process of
remembering Krishna is essential. Therefore one should constantly,
incessantly chant the maha-mantra -- Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Lord Caitanya has advised that one be as tolerant as a tree (taror iva
sahisnuna). There may be so many impediments for a person who is
chanting Hare Krishna. Nonetheless, tolerating all these impediments, one
should continue to chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare
Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, so that at the end of
one's life one can have the full benefit of Krishna consciousness.
TEXT 6
yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah
WORD FOR WORD
yam yam -- whatever; va api -- at all; smaran --
remembering; bhavam -- nature; tyajati -- gives up;
ante -- at the end; kalevaram -- this body; tam tam
-- similar; eva -- certainly; eti -- gets; kaunteya
-- O son of Kunti; sada -- always; tat -- that; bhava
-- state of being; bhavitah -- remembering.
TRANSLATION
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O son of
Kunti, that state he will attain without fail.
PURPORT
The process of changing one's nature at the critical moment of death is
here explained. A person who at the end of his life quits his body
thinking of Krishna attains the transcendental nature of the Supreme Lord,
but it is not true that a person who thinks of something other than
Krishna attains the same transcendental state. This is a point we should
note very carefully. How can one die in the proper state of mind? Maharaja
Bharata, although a great personality, thought of a deer at the end of his
life, and so in his next life he was transferred into the body of a deer.
Although as a deer he remembered his past activities, he had to accept
that animal body. Of course, one's thoughts during the course of one's
life accumulate to influence one's thoughts at the moment of death, so
this life creates one's next life. If in one's present life one lives in
the mode of goodness and always thinks of Krishna, it is possible for one
to remember Krishna at the end of one's life. That will help one be
transferred to the transcendental nature of Krishna. If one is
transcendentally absorbed in Krishna's service, then his next body will be
transcendental (spiritual), not material. Therefore the chanting of Hare
Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the best process for successfully changing one's
state of being at the end of one's life.
TEXT 7
tasmat sarvesu kalesu
mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mam evaishyasy asamsayah
WORD FOR WORD
tasmat -- therefore; sarvesu -- at all; kalesu --
times; mam -- Me; anusmara -- go on remembering;
yudhya -- fight; ca -- also; mayi -- unto Me;
arpita -- surrendering; manah -- mind; buddhih --
intellect; mam -- unto Me; eva -- surely; esyasi --
you will attain; asamsayah -- beyond a doubt.
TRANSLATION
Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me in the form of Krishna
and at the same time carry out your prescribed duty of fighting. With your
activities dedicated to Me and your mind and intelligence fixed on Me, you
will attain Me without doubt.
PURPORT
This instruction to Arjuna is very important for all men engaged in
material activities. The Lord does not say that one should give up his
prescribed duties or engagements. One can continue them and at the same
time think of Krishna by chanting Hare Krishna. This will free one from
material contamination and engage the mind and intelligence in Krishna. By
chanting Krishna's names, one will be transferred to the supreme planet,
Krishnaloka, without a doubt.
TEXT 8
abhyasa-yoga-yuktena
cetasa nanya-gamina
paramam purusam divyam
yati parthanucintayan
WORD FOR WORD
abhyasa-yoga -- by practice; yuktena -- being engaged in
meditation; cetasa -- by the mind and intelligence; na
anya-gamina -- without their being deviated; paramam -- the
Supreme; purusam -- Personality of Godhead; divyam --
transcendental; yati -- one achieves; partha -- O son of
Prtha; anucintayan -- constantly thinking of.
TRANSLATION
He who meditates on Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind
constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O
Partha, is sure to reach Me.
PURPORT
In this verse Lord Krishna stresses the importance of remembering Him.
One's memory of Krishna is revived by chanting the maha-mantra,
Hare Krishna. By this practice of chanting and hearing the sound vibration
of the Supreme Lord, one's ear, tongue and mind are engaged. This mystic
meditation is very easy to practice, and it helps one attain the Supreme
Lord. Purusam means enjoyer. Although living entities belong to the
marginal energy of the Supreme Lord, they are in material contamination.
They think themselves enjoyers, but they are not the supreme enjoyer. Here
it is clearly stated that the supreme enjoyer is the Supreme Personality
of Godhead in His different manifestations and plenary expansions as
Narayana, Vasudeva, etc.
The devotee can constantly think of the object of worship, the Supreme
Lord, in any of His features -- Narayana, Krishna, Rama, etc. -- by
chanting Hare Krishna. This practice will purify him, and at the end of
his life, due to his constant chanting, he will be transferred to the
kingdom of God. Yoga practice is meditation on the Supersoul
within; similarly, by chanting Hare Krishna one fixes his mind always on
the Supreme Lord. The mind is fickle, and therefore it is necessary to
engage the mind by force to think of Krishna. One example often given is
that of the caterpillar that thinks of becoming a butterfly and so is
transformed into a butterfly in the same life. Similarly, if we constantly
think of Krishna, it is certain that at the end of our lives we shall have
the same bodily constitution as Krishna.
TEXT 9
kavim puranam anusasitaram
anor aniyamsam anusmared yah
sarvasya dhataram acintya-rupam
aditya- varnam tamasah parastat
WORD FOR WORD
kavim -- the one who knows everything; puranam -- the
oldest; anusasitaram -- the controller; anoh -- than the
atom; aniyamsam -- smaller; anusmaret -- always thinks of;
yah -- one who; sarvasya -- of everything; dhataram
-- the maintainer; acintya -- inconceivable; rupam -- whose
form; aditya-varnam -- luminous like the sun; tamasah -- to
darkness; parastat -- transcendental.
TRANSLATION
One should meditate upon the Supreme Person as the one who knows
everything, as He who is the oldest, who is the controller, who is smaller
than the smallest, who is the maintainer of everything, who is beyond all
material conception, who is inconceivable, and who is always a person. He
is luminous like the sun, and He is transcendental, beyond this material
nature.
PURPORT
The process of thinking of the Supreme is mentioned in this verse. The
foremost point is that He is not impersonal or void. One cannot meditate
on something impersonal or void. That is very difficult. The process of
thinking of Krishna, however, is very easy and is factually stated herein.
First of all, the Lord is purusa, a person -- we think of the
person Rama and the person Krishna. And whether one thinks of Rama or of
Krishna, what He is like is described in this verse of
Bhagavad-gita. The Lord is kavi; that is, He knows past,
present and future and therefore knows everything. He is the oldest
personality because He is the origin of everything; everything is born out
of Him. He is also the supreme controller of the universe, and He is the
maintainer and instructor of humanity. He is smaller than the smallest.
The living entity is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of a hair, but the
Lord is so inconceivably small that He enters into the heart of this
particle. Therefore He is called smaller than the smallest. As the
Supreme, He can enter into the atom and into the heart of the smallest and
control him as the Supersoul. Although so small, He is still all-pervading
and is maintaining everything. By Him all these planetary systems are
sustained. We often wonder how these big planets are floating in the air.
It is stated here that the Supreme Lord, by His inconceivable energy, is
sustaining all these big planets and systems of galaxies. The word
acintya ("inconceivable") is very significant in this connection.
God's energy is beyond our conception, beyond our thinking jurisdiction,
and is therefore called inconceivable (acintya). Who can argue this
point? He pervades this material world and yet is beyond it. We cannot
comprehend even this material world, which is insignificant compared to
the spiritual world -- so how can we comprehend what is beyond?
Acintya means that which is beyond this material world, that which
our argument, logic and philosophical speculation cannot touch, that which
is inconceivable. Therefore intelligent persons, avoiding useless argument
and speculation, should accept what is stated in scriptures like the
Vedas, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam and follow the
principles they set down. This will lead one to understanding.
TEXT 10
prayana-kale manasacalena
bhaktya yuktoyoga-balena caiva
bhruvor madhye pranam avesya samyak
sa tam param purusam upaiti divyam
WORD FOR WORD
prayana-kale -- at the time of death; manasa -- by the mind;
acalena -- without its being deviated; bhaktya -- in full
devotion; yuktah -- engaged; yoga-balena -- by the power of
mystic yoga; ca -- also; eva -- certainly;
bhruvoh -- the two eyebrows; madhye -- between;
pranam -- the life air; avesya -- establishing;
samyak -- completely; sah -- he; tam -- that;
param -- transcendental; purusam -- Personality of Godhead;
upaiti -- achieves; divyam -- in the spiritual kingdom.
TRANSLATION
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows
and, by the strength of yoga, with an undeviating mind, engages himself in
remembering the Supreme Lord in full devotion, will certainly attain to
the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
In this verse it is clearly stated that at the time of death the mind must
be fixed in devotion to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those
practiced in yoga, it is recommended that they raise the life force
between the eyebrows (to the ajna-cakra). The practice of
sat-cakra-yoga, involving meditation on the six cakras, is
suggested here. A pure devotee does not practice such yoga, but
because he is always engaged in Krishna consciousness, at death he can
remember the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His grace. This is
explained in verse fourteen.
The particular use of the word yoga-balena is significant in this
verse because without practice of yoga -- whether
sat-cakra-yoga or bhakti-yoga -- one cannot come to this
transcendental state of being at the time of death. One cannot suddenly
remember the Supreme Lord at death; one must have practiced some
yoga system, especially the system of bhakti-yoga. Since
one's mind at death is very disturbed, one should practice transcendence
through yoga during one's life.
TEXT 11
yad aksaram veda-vido vadanti
visanti yad yatayo vita-ragah
yad icchanto brahmacaryam caranti
tat te padam sangrahena pravaksye
WORD FOR WORD
yat -- that which; aksaram -- syllable om; veda-vidah
-- persons conversant with the Vedas; vadanti -- say;
visanti -- enter; yat -- in which; yatayah -- great
sages; vita-ragah -- in the renounced order of life; yat --
that which; icchantah -- desiring; brahmacaryam -- celibacy;
caranti -- practice; tat -- that; te -- unto you;
padam -- situation; sangrahena -- in summary;
pravaksye -- I shall explain.
TRANSLATION
Persons who are learned in the Vedas, who utter omkara and who are great
sages in the renounced order enter into Brahman. Desiring such perfection,
one practices celibacy. I shall now briefly explain to you this process by
which one may attain salvation.
PURPORT
Lord Sri Krishna has recommended to Arjuna the practice of
sat-cakra-yoga, in which one places the air of life between the
eyebrows. Taking it for granted that Arjuna might not know how to practice
sat-cakra-yoga, the Lord explains the process in the following
verses. The Lord says that Brahman, although one without a second, has
various manifestations and features. Especially for the impersonalists,
the aksara, or omkara -- the syllable om -- is
identical with Brahman. Krishna here explains the impersonal Brahman, in
which the renounced order of sages enter.
In the Vedic system of knowledge, students, from the very beginning, are
taught to vibrate om and learn of the ultimate impersonal Brahman
by living with the spiritual master in complete celibacy. In this way they
realize two of Brahman's features. This practice is very essential for the
student's advancement in spiritual life, but at the moment such
brahmacari (unmarried celibate) life is not at all possible. The
social construction of the world has changed so much that there is no
possibility of one's practicing celibacy from the beginning of student
life. Throughout the world there are many institutions for different
departments of knowledge, but there is no recognized institution where
students can be educated in the brahmacari principles. Unless one
practices celibacy, advancement in spiritual life is very difficult.
Therefore Lord Caitanya has announced, according to the scriptural
injunctions for this Age of Kali, that in this age no process of realizing
the Supreme is possible except the chanting of the holy names of Lord
Krishna: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare
Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
TEXT 12
sarva-dvarani samyamya
mano hrdi nirudhya ca
murdhny adhayatmanah pranam
asthito yoga-dharanam
WORD FOR WORD
sarva-dvarani -- all the doors of the body; samyamya --
controlling; manah -- the mind; hrdi -- in the heart;
nirudhya -- confining; ca -- also; murdhni -- on the
head; adhaya -- fixing; atmanah -- of the soul;
pranam -- the life air; asthitah -- situated in;
yoga-dharanam -- the yogic situation.
TRANSLATION
The yogic situation is that of detachment from all sensual engagements.
Closing all the doors of the senses and fixing the mind on the heart and
the life air at the top of the head, one establishes himself in
yoga.
PURPORT
To practice yoga as suggested here, one first has to close the
doors of all sense enjoyment. This practice is called pratyahara,
or withdrawing the senses from the sense objects. The sense organs for
acquiring knowledge -- the eyes, ears, nose, tongue and touch -- should be
fully controlled and should not be allowed to engage in
self-gratification. In this way the mind focuses on the Supersoul in the
heart, and the life force is raised to the top of the head. In the Sixth
Chapter this process is described in detail. But as mentioned before, this
practice is not practical in this age. The best process is Krishna
consciousness. If one is always able to fix his mind on Krishna in
devotional service, it is very easy for him to remain in an undisturbed
transcendental trance, or in samadhi.
TEXT 13
om ity ekaksaram brahma
vyaharan mam anusmaran
yah prayati tyajan deham
sa yati paramam gatim
WORD FOR WORD
om -- the combination of letters om (omkara);
iti -- thus; eka-aksaram -- the one syllable; brahma
-- absolute; vyaharan -- vibrating; mam -- Me (Krishna);
anusmaran -- remembering; yah -- anyone who; prayati
-- leaves; tyajan -- quitting; deham -- this body;
sah -- he; yati -- achieves; paramam -- the supreme;
gatim -- destination.
TRANSLATION
After being situated in this yoga practice and vibrating the sacred
syllable om, the supreme combination of letters, if one thinks of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead and quits his body, he will certainly reach
the spiritual planets.
PURPORT
It is clearly stated here that om, Brahman and Lord Krishna are not
different. The impersonal sound of Krishna is om, but the sound
Hare Krishna contains om. The chanting of the Hare Krishna
mantra is clearly recommended for this age. So if one quits his
body at the end of life chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna
Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, he
certainly reaches one of the spiritual planets, according to the mode of
his practice. The devotees of Krishna enter the Krishna planet, Goloka
Vrindavan. For the personalists there are also innumerable other planets,
known as Vaikuntha planets, in the spiritual sky, whereas the
impersonalists remain in the brahmajyoti.
TEXT 14
ananya-cetah satatam
yo mam smarati nityasah
tasyaham sulabhah partha
nitya-yuktasya yoginah
WORD FOR WORD
ananya-cetah -- without deviation of the mind; satatam --
always; yah -- anyone who; mam -- Me (Krishna);
smarati -- remembers; nityasah -- regularly; tasya --
to him; aham -- I am; su-labhah -- very easy to achieve;
partha -- O son of Prtha; nitya -- regularly;
yuktasya -- engaged; yoginah -- for the devotee.
TRANSLATION
For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O
son of Prtha, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.
PURPORT
This verse especially describes the final destination attained by the
unalloyed devotees who serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead in
bhakti-yoga. Previous verses have mentioned four different kinds of
devotees -- the distressed, the inquisitive, those who seek material gain,
and the speculative philosophers. Different processes of liberation have
also been described: karma-yoga, jnana-yoga and hatha-yoga.
The principles of these yoga systems have some bhakti added,
but this verse particularly mentions pure bhakti-yoga, without any
mixture of jnana, karma or hatha. As indicated by the word
ananya-cetah, in pure bhakti-yoga the devotee desires
nothing but Krishna. A pure devotee does not desire promotion to heavenly
planets, nor does he seek oneness with the brahmajyoti or salvation
or liberation from material entanglement. A pure devotee does not desire
anything. In the Caitanya-caritamrta the pure devotee is called
niskama, which means he has no desire for self-interest. Perfect
peace belongs to him alone, not to them who strive for personal gain.
Whereas a jnana-yogi, karma-yogi or hatha-yogi has his own
selfish interests, a perfect devotee has no desire other than to please
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore the Lord says that for
anyone who is unflinchingly devoted to Him, He is easy to attain.
A pure devotee always engages in devotional service to Krishna in one of
His various personal features. Krishna has various plenary expansions and
incarnations, such as Rama and Nrsimha, and a devotee can choose to fix
his mind in loving service to any of these transcendental forms of the
Supreme Lord. Such a devotee meets with none of the problems that plague
the practitioners of other yogas. Bhakti-yoga is very simple and
pure and easy to perform. One can begin simply by chanting Hare Krishna.
The Lord is merciful to all, but as we have already explained, He is
especially inclined toward those who always serve Him without deviation.
The Lord helps such devotees in various ways. As stated in the
Vedas (Katha Upanisad 1.2.23), yam evaisa vrnute tena
labhyas/ tasyaisa atma vivrnute tanum svam: one who is fully
surrendered and engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord can
understand the Supreme Lord as He is. And as stated in
Bhagavad-gita (10.10), dadami buddhi-yogam tam: the Lord
gives such a devotee sufficient intelligence so that ultimately the
devotee can attain Him in His spiritual kingdom.
The special qualification of the pure devotee is that he is always
thinking of Krishna without deviation and without considering the time or
place. There should be no impediments. He should be able to carry out his
service anywhere and at any time. Some say that the devotee should remain
in holy places like Vrindavan or some holy town where the Lord lived, but
a pure devotee can live anywhere and create the atmosphere of Vrindavan by
his devotional service. It was Sri Advaita who told Lord Caitanya,
"Wherever You are, O Lord -- there is Vrindavan."
As indicated by the words satatam and nityasah, which mean
"always," "regularly," or "every day," a pure devotee constantly remembers
Krishna and meditates upon Him. These are qualifications of the pure
devotee for whom the Lord is most easily attainable. Bhakti-yoga is
the system that the Gita recommends above all others. Generally,
the bhakti-yogis are engaged in five different ways: (1)
santa-bhakta, engaged in devotional service in neutrality; (2)
dasya-bhakta, engaged in devotional service as servant; (3)
sakhya-bhakta, engaged as friend; (4) vatsalya-bhakta,
engaged as parent; and (5) madhurya-bhakta, engaged as conjugal
lover of the Supreme Lord. In any of these ways, the pure devotee is
always constantly engaged in the transcendental loving service of the
Supreme Lord and cannot forget the Supreme Lord, and so for him the Lord
is easily attained. A pure devotee cannot forget the Supreme Lord for a
moment, and similarly the Supreme Lord cannot forget His pure devotee for
a moment. This is the great blessing of the Krishna conscious process of
chanting the maha-mantra -- Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna
Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
TEXT 15
mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
WORD FOR WORD
mam -- Me; upetya -- achieving; punah -- again;
janma -- birth; duhkha-alayam -- place of miseries;
asasvatam -- temporary; na -- never; apnuvanti --
attain; maha-atmanah -- the great souls; samsiddhim --
perfection; paramam -- ultimate; gatah -- having achieved.
TRANSLATION
After attaining Me, the great souls, who are yogis in devotion, never
return to this temporary world, which is full of miseries, because they
have attained the highest perfection.
PURPORT
Since this temporary material world is full of the miseries of birth, old
age, disease and death, naturally he who achieves the highest perfection
and attains the supreme planet, Krishnaloka, Goloka Vrindavan, does not
wish to return. The supreme planet is described in Vedic literature as
avyakta and aksara and parama gati; in other words,
that planet is beyond our material vision, and it is inexplicable, but it
is the highest goal, the destination for the mahatmas (great
souls). The mahatmas receive transcendental messages from the
realized devotees and thus gradually develop devotional service in Krishna
consciousness and become so absorbed in transcendental service that they
no longer desire elevation to any of the material planets, nor do they
even want to be transferred to any spiritual planet. They only want
Krishna and Krishna's association, and nothing else. That is the highest
perfection of life. This verse specifically mentions the personalist
devotees of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. These devotees in Krishna
consciousness achieve the highest perfection of life. In other words, they
are the supreme souls.
TEXT 16
a-brahma-bhuvanal lokah
punar avartino 'rjuna
mam upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate
WORD FOR WORD
a-brahma-bhuvanat -- up to the Brahmaloka planet; lokah --
the planetary systems; punah -- again; avartinah --
returning; arjuna -- O Arjuna; mam -- unto Me; upetya
-- arriving; tu -- but; kaunteya -- O son of Kunti; punah
janma -- rebirth; na -- never; vidyate -- takes place.
TRANSLATION
From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are
places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who
attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.
PURPORT
All kinds of yogis -- karma, jnana, hatha, etc. -- eventually have
to attain devotional perfection in bhakti-yoga, or Krishna
consciousness, before they can go to Krishna's transcendental abode and
never return. Those who attain the highest material planets, the planets
of the demigods, are again subjected to repeated birth and death. As
persons on earth are elevated to higher planets, people on higher planets
such as Brahmaloka, Candraloka and Indraloka fall down to earth. The
practice of sacrifice called pancagni-vidya, recommended in the
Chandogya Upanisad, enables one to achieve Brahmaloka, but if, on
Brahmaloka, one does not cultivate Krishna consciousness, then he must
return to earth. Those who progress in Krishna consciousness on the higher
planets are gradually elevated to higher and higher planets and at the
time of universal devastation are transferred to the eternal spiritual
kingdom. Sridhara Svami, in his commentary on Bhagavad-gita, quotes
this verse:
brahmana saha te sarve
samprapte pratisancare
parasyante krtatmanah
pravisanti param padam
"When there is devastation of this material universe, Brahma and his
devotees, who are constantly engaged in Krishna consciousness, are all
transferred to the spiritual universe and to specific spiritual planets
according to their desires."
TEXT 17
sahasra-yuga-paryantam
ahar yad brahmano viduh
ratrim yuga-sahasrantam
te 'ho-ratra-vido janah
WORD FOR WORD
sahasra -- one thousand; yuga -- millenniums;
paryantam -- including; ahah -- day; yat -- that
which; brahmanah -- of Brahma; viduh -- they know;
ratrim -- night; yuga -- millenniums; sahasra-antam
-- similarly, ending after one thousand; te -- they;
ahah-ratra -- day and night; vidah -- who understand;
janah -- people.
TRANSLATION
By human calculation, a thousand ages taken together form the duration of
Brahma's one day. And such also is the duration of his night.
PURPORT
The duration of the material universe is limited. It is manifested in
cycles of kalpas. A kalpa is a day of Brahma, and one day of
Brahma consists of a thousand cycles of four yugas, or ages: Satya,
Treta, Dvapara and Kali. The cycle of Satya is characterized by virtue,
wisdom and religion, there being practically no ignorance and vice, and
the yuga lasts 1,728,000 years. In the Treta-yuga vice is
introduced, and this yuga lasts 1,296,000 years. In the
Dvapara-yuga there is an even greater decline in virtue and religion, vice
increasing, and this yuga lasts 864,000 years. And finally in
Kali-yuga (the yuga we have now been experiencing over the past
5,000 years) there is an abundance of strife, ignorance, irreligion and
vice, true virtue being practically nonexistent, and this yuga
lasts 432,000 years. In Kali-yuga vice increases to such a point that at
the termination of the yuga the Supreme Lord Himself appears as the
Kalki avatar, vanquishes the demons, saves His devotees, and
commences another Satya-yuga. Then the process is set rolling again. These
four yugas, rotating a thousand times, comprise one day of Brahma,
and the same number comprise one night. Brahma lives one hundred of such
"years" and then dies. These "hundred years" by earth calculations total
to 311 trillion and 40 billion earth years. By these calculations the life
of Brahma seems fantastic and interminable, but from the viewpoint of
eternity it is as brief as a lightning flash. In the Causal Ocean there
are innumerable Brahmas rising and disappearing like bubbles in the
Atlantic. Brahma and his creation are all part of the material universe,
and therefore they are in constant flux.
In the material universe not even Brahma is free from the process of
birth, old age, disease and death. Brahma, however, is directly engaged in
the service of the Supreme Lord in the management of this universe --
therefore he at once attains liberation. Elevated sannyasis are
promoted to Brahma's particular planet, Brahmaloka, which is the highest
planet in the material universe and which survives all the heavenly
planets in the upper strata of the planetary system, but in due course
Brahma and all the inhabitants of Brahmaloka are subject to death,
according to the law of material nature.
TEXT 18
avyaktad vyaktayah sarvah
prabhavanty ahar-agame
ratry-agame praliyante
tatraivavyakta-samjnake
WORD FOR WORD
avyaktat -- from the unmanifest; vyaktayah -- living
entities; sarvah -- all; prabhavanti -- become manifest;
ahah-agame -- at the beginning of the day; ratri-agame -- at
the fall of night; praliyante -- are annihilated; tatra --
into that; eva -- certainly; avyakta -- the unmanifest;
samjnake -- which is called.
TRANSLATION
At the beginning of Brahma's day, all living entities become manifest from
the unmanifest state, and thereafter, when the night falls, they are
merged into the unmanifest again.
TEXT 19
bhuta-gramah sa evayam
bhutva bhutva praliyate
ratry-agame 'vasah partha
prabhavaty ahar-agame
WORD FOR WORD
bhuta-gramah -- the aggregate of all living entities; sah --
these; eva -- certainly; ayam -- this; bhutva bhutva
-- repeatedly taking birth; praliyate -- is annihilated;
ratri -- of night; agame -- on the arrival; avasah --
automatically; partha -- O son of Prtha; prabhavati -- is
manifest; ahah -- of daytime; agame -- on the arrival.
TRANSLATION
Again and again, when Brahma's day arrives, all living entities come into
being, and with the arrival of Brahma's night they are helplessly
annihilated.
PURPORT
The less intelligent, who try to remain within this material world, may be
elevated to higher planets and then again must come down to this planet
earth. During the daytime of Brahma they can exhibit their activities on
higher and lower planets within this material world, but at the coming of
Brahma's night they are all annihilated. In the day they receive various
bodies for material activities, and at night they no longer have bodies
but remain compact in the body of Vishnu. Then again they are manifest at
the arrival of Brahma's day. Bhutva bhutva praliyate: during the
day they become manifest, and at night they are annihilated again.
Ultimately, when Brahma's life is finished, they are all annihilated and
remain unmanifest for millions and millions of years. And when Brahma is
born again in another millennium they are again manifest. In this way they
are captivated by the spell of the material world. But those intelligent
persons who take to Krishna consciousness use the human life fully in the
devotional service of the Lord, chanting Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Thus they transfer themselves, even in this life, to the spiritual planet
of Krishna and become eternally blissful there, not being subject to such
rebirths.
TEXT 20
paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo
'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah
yah sa sarvesu bhutesu
nasyatsu na vinasyati
WORD FOR WORD
parah -- transcendental; tasmat -- to that; tu --
but; bhavah -- nature; anyah -- another; avyaktah --
unmanifest; avyaktat -- to the unmanifest; sanatanah --
eternal; yah sah -- that which; sarvesu -- all;
bhutesu -- manifestation; nasyatsu -- being annihilated;
na -- never; vinasyati -- is annihilated.
TRANSLATION
Yet there is another unmanifest nature, which is eternal and is
transcendental to this manifested and unmanifested matter. It is supreme
and is never annihilated. When all in this world is annihilated, that part
remains as it is.
PURPORT
Krishna's superior, spiritual energy is transcendental and eternal. It is
beyond all the changes of material nature, which is manifest and
annihilated during the days and nights of Brahma. Krishna's superior
energy is completely opposite in quality to material nature. Superior and
inferior nature are explained in the Seventh Chapter.
TEXT 21
avyakto 'ksara ity uktas
tam ahuh paramam gatim
yam prapya na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama
WORD FOR WORD
ayvaktah -- unmanifested; aksarah -- infallible; iti
-- thus; uktah -- is said; tam -- that; ahuh -- is
known; paramam -- the ultimate; gatim -- destination;
yam -- which; prapya -- gaining; na -- never;
nivartante -- come back; tat -- that; dhama -- abode;
paramam -- supreme; mama -- My.
TRANSLATION
That which the Vedantists describe as unmanifest and infallible, that
which is known as the supreme destination, that place from which, having
attained it, one never returns -- that is My supreme abode.
PURPORT
The supreme abode of the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is described in
the Brahma-samhita as cintamani-dhama, a place where all
desires are fulfilled. The supreme abode of Lord Krishna, known as Goloka
Vrindavan, is full of palaces made of touchstone. There are also trees,
called "desire trees," that supply any type of eatable upon demand, and
there are cows, known as surabhi cows, which supply a limitless
supply of milk. In this abode, the Lord is served by hundreds of thousands
of goddesses of fortune (Laksmis), and He is called Govinda, the primal
Lord and the cause of all causes. The Lord is accustomed to blow His flute
(venum kvanantam). His transcendental form is the most attractive
in all the worlds -- His eyes are like lotus petals, and the color of His
body is like the color of clouds. He is so attractive that His beauty
excels that of thousands of Cupids. He wears saffron cloth, a garland
around His neck and a peacock feather in His hair. In the
Bhagavad-gita Lord Krishna gives only a small hint of His personal
abode, Goloka Vrindavan, which is the supermost planet in the spiritual
kingdom. A vivid description is given in the Brahma-samhita. Vedic
literatures (Katha Upanisad 1.3.11) state that there is nothing
superior to the abode of the Supreme Godhead, and that that abode is the
ultimate destination (purusan na param kincit sa kastha parama
gatih). When one attains to it, he never returns to the material
world. Krishna's supreme abode and Krishna Himself are nondifferent, being
of the same quality. On this earth, Vrindavan, ninety miles southeast of
Delhi, is a replica of that supreme Goloka Vrindavan located in the
spiritual sky. When Krishna descended on this earth, He sported on that
particular tract of land known as Vrindavan, comprising about eighty-four
square miles in the district of Mathura, India.
TEXT 22
purusah sa parah partha
bhaktya labhyas tv ananyaya
yasyantah-sthani bhutani
yena sarvam idam tatam
WORD FOR WORD
purusah -- the Supreme Personality; sah -- He; parah
-- the Supreme, than whom no one is greater; partha -- O son of
Prtha; bhaktya -- by devotional service; labhyah -- can be
achieved; tu -- but; ananyaya -- unalloyed, undeviating;
yasya -- whom; antah-sthani -- within; bhutani -- all
of this material manifestation; yena -- by whom; sarvam --
all; idam -- whatever we can see; tatam -- is pervaded.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is greater than all, is attainable
by unalloyed devotion. Although He is present in His abode, He is
all-pervading, and everything is situated within Him.
PURPORT
It is here clearly stated that the supreme destination, from which there
is no return, is the abode of Krishna, the Supreme Person. The
Brahma-samhita describes this supreme abode as
ananda-cinmaya-rasa, a place where everything is full of spiritual
bliss. All the variegatedness manifest there is of the quality of
spiritual bliss -- nothing there is material. That variegatedness is
expanded as the spiritual expansion of the Supreme Godhead Himself, for
the manifestation there is totally of the spiritual energy, as explained
in Chapter Seven. As far as this material world is concerned, although the
Lord is always in His supreme abode, He is nonetheless all-pervading by
His material energy. So by His spiritual and material energies He is
present everywhere -- both in the material and in the spiritual universes.
Yasyantah-sthani means that everything is sustained within Him,
within either His spiritual or material energy. The Lord is all-pervading
by these two energies.
To enter Krishna's supreme abode or the innumerable Vaikuntha planets is
possible only by bhakti, devotional service, as clearly indicated
here by the word bhaktya. No other process can help one attain that
supreme abode. The Vedas (Gopala-tapani Upanisad 3.2) also
describe the supreme abode and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Eko
vasi sarva-gah krsnah. In that abode there is only one Supreme
Personality of Godhead, whose name is Krishna. He is the supreme merciful
Deity, and although situated there as one He has expanded Himself into
millions and millions of plenary expansions. The Vedas compare the
Lord to a tree standing still yet bearing many varieties of fruits,
flowers and changing leaves. The plenary expansions of the Lord who
preside over the Vaikuntha planets are four-armed, and they are known by a
variety of names -- Purusottama, Trivikrama, Kesava, Madhava, Aniruddha,
Hrsikesa, Sankarsana, Pradyumna, Sridhara, Vasudeva, Damodara, Janardana,
Narayana, Vamana, Padmanabha, etc.
The Brahma-samhita (5.37) also confirms that although the Lord is
always in the supreme abode, Goloka Vrindavan, He is all-pervading, so
that everything is going on nicely (goloka eva nivasaty
akhilatma-bhutah). As stated in the Vedas (Svetasvatara
Upanisad 6.8), parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate/ svabhaviki
jnana-bala-kriya ca: His energies are so expansive that they
systematically conduct everything in the cosmic manifestation without a
flaw, although the Supreme Lord is far, far away.
TEXT 23
yatra kale tv anavrttim
avrttim caiva yoginah
prayata yanti tam kalam
vaksyami bharatarsabha
WORD FOR WORD
yatra -- at which; kale -- time; tu -- and;
anavrttim -- no return; avrttim -- return; ca --
also; eva -- certainly; yoginah -- different kinds of
mystics; prayatah -- having departed; yanti -- attain;
tam -- that; kalam -- time; vaksyami -- I shall
describe; bharata-rsabha -- O best of the Bharatas.
TRANSLATION
O best of the Bharatas, I shall now explain to you the different times at
which, passing away from this world, the yogi does or does not come back.
PURPORT
The unalloyed devotees of the Supreme Lord, who are totally surrendered
souls, do not care when they leave their bodies or by what method. They
leave everything in Krishna's hands and so easily and happily return to
Godhead. But those who are not unalloyed devotees and who depend instead
on such methods of spiritual realization as karma-yoga, jnana-yoga
and hatha-yoga must leave the body at a suitable time and thereby
be assured whether or not they will return to the world of birth and
death.
If the yogi is perfect he can select the time and situation for
leaving this material world. But if he is not so expert his success
depends on his accidentally passing away at a certain suitable time. The
suitable times at which one passes away and does not come back are
explained by the Lord in the next verse. According to Acarya Baladeva
Vidyabhusana, the Sanskrit word kala used herein refers to the
presiding deity of time.
TEXT 24
agnir jyotir ahah suklah
san masa uttarayanam
tatra prayata gacchanti
brahma brahma-vido janah
WORD FOR WORD
agnih -- fire; jyotih -- light; ahah -- day;
suklah -- the white fortnight; sat-masah -- the six months;
uttara-ayanam -- when the sun passes on the northern side;
tatra -- there; prayatah -- those who pass away;
gacchanti -- go; brahma -- to the Absolute;
brahma-vidah -- who know the Absolute; janah -- persons.
TRANSLATION
Those who know the Supreme Brahman attain that Supreme by passing away
from the world during the influence of the fiery god, in the light, at an
auspicious moment of the day, during the fortnight of the waxing moon, or
during the six months when the sun travels in the north.
PURPORT
When fire, light, day and the fortnight of the moon are mentioned, it is
to be understood that over all of them there are various presiding deities
who make arrangements for the passage of the soul. At the time of death,
the mind carries one on the path to a new life. If one leaves the body at
the time designated above, either accidentally or by arrangement, it is
possible for him to attain the impersonal brahmajyoti. Mystics who
are advanced in yoga practice can arrange the time and place to
leave the body. Others have no control -- if by accident they leave at an
auspicious moment, then they will not return to the cycle of birth and
death, but otherwise there is every possibility that they will have to
return. However, for the pure devotee in Krishna consciousness, there is
no fear of returning, whether he leaves the body at an auspicious or
inauspicious moment, by accident or arrangement.
TEXT 25
dhumo ratris tatha krsnah
san-masa daksinayanam
tatra candramasam jyotir
yogi prapya nivartate
WORD FOR WORD
dhumah -- smoke; ratrih -- night; tatha -- also;
krsnah -- the fortnight of the dark moon; sat-masah -- the
six months; daksina-ayanam -- when the sun passes on the southern
side; tatra -- there; candramasam -- the moon planet;
jyotih -- the light; yogi -- the mystic; prapya --
achieving; nivartate -- comes back.
TRANSLATION
The mystic who passes away from this world during the smoke, the night,
the fortnight of the waning moon, or the six months when the sun passes to
the south reaches the moon planet but again comes back.
PURPORT
In the Third Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam Kapila Muni mentions that
those who are expert in fruitive activities and sacrificial methods on
earth attain to the moon at death. These elevated souls live on the moon
for about 10,000 years (by demigod calculations) and enjoy life by
drinking soma-rasa. They eventually return to earth. This means
that on the moon there are higher classes of living beings, though they
may not be perceived by the gross senses.
TEXT 26
sukla-krsne gati hy ete
jagatah sasvate mate
ekaya yaty anavrttim
anyayavartate punah
WORD FOR WORD
sukla -- light; krsne -- and darkness; gati -- ways
of passing; hi -- certainly; ete -- these two;
jagatah -- of the material world; sasvate -- of the
Vedas; mate -- in the opinion; ekaya -- by one; yati
-- goes; anavrttim -- to no return; anyaya -- by the other;
avartate -- comes back; punah -- again.
TRANSLATION
According to Vedic opinion, there are two ways of passing from this world
-- one in light and one in darkness. When one passes in light, he does not
come back; but when one passes in darkness, he returns.
PURPORT
The same description of departure and return is quoted by Acarya Baladeva
Vidyabhusana from the Chandogya Upanisad (5.10.3-5). Those who are
fruitive laborers and philosophical speculators from time immemorial are
constantly going and coming. Actually they do not attain ultimate
salvation, for they do not surrender to Krishna.
TEXT 27
naite srti partha janan
yogi muhyati kascana
tasmat sarvesu kalesu
yoga-yukto bhavarjuna
WORD FOR WORD
na -- never; ete -- these two; srti -- different
paths; partha -- O son of Prtha; janan -- even if he knows;
yogi -- the devotee of the Lord; muhyati -- is bewildered;
kascana -- any; tasmat -- therefore; sarvesu kalesu
-- always; yoga-yuktah -- engaged in Krishna consciousness;
bhava- just become; arjuna -- O Arjuna.
TRANSLATION
Although the devotees know these two paths, O Arjuna, they are never
bewildered. Therefore be always fixed in devotion.
PURPORT
Krishna is here advising Arjuna that he should not be disturbed by the
different paths the soul can take when leaving the material world. A
devotee of the Supreme Lord should not worry whether he will depart by
arrangement or by accident. The devotee should be firmly established in
Krishna consciousness and chant Hare Krishna. He should know that concern
over either of these two paths is troublesome. The best way to be absorbed
in Krishna consciousness is to be always dovetailed in His service, and
this will make one's path to the spiritual kingdom safe, certain and
direct. The word yoga-yukta is especially significant in this
verse. One who is firm in yoga is constantly engaged in Krishna
consciousness in all his activities. Sri Rupa Gosvami advises,
anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah: one should be unattached
in material affairs and do everything in Krishna consciousness. By this
system, which is called yukta-vairagya, one attains perfection.
Therefore the devotee is not disturbed by these descriptions, because he
knows that his passage to the supreme abode is guaranteed by devotional
service.
TEXT 28
vedesu yajnesu tapahsu caiva
danesu yat punya-phalam pradistam
atyeti tat sarvam idam viditva
yogi param sthanam upaiti cadyam
WORD FOR WORD
vedesu -- in the study of the Vedas; yajnesu -- in
the performances of yajna, sacrifice; tapahsu -- in
undergoing different types of austerities; ca -- also; eva
-- certainly; danesu -- in giving charities; yat -- that
which; punya-phalam -- result of pious work; pradistam --
indicated; atyeti -- surpasses; tat sarvam -- all those;
idam -- this; viditva -- knowing; yogi -- the
devotee; param -- supreme; sthanam -- abode; upaiti
-- achieves; ca -- also; adyam -- original.
TRANSLATION
A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the
results derived from studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices,
giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. Simply
by performing devotional service, he attains all these, and at the end he
reaches the supreme eternal abode.
PURPORT
This verse is the summation of the Seventh and Eighth chapters, which
particularly deal with Krishna consciousness and devotional service. One
has to study the Vedas under the guidance of the spiritual master
and undergo many austerities and penances while living under his care. A
brahmacari has to live in the home of the spiritual master just
like a servant, and he must beg alms from door to door and bring them to
the spiritual master. He takes food only under the master's order, and if
the master neglects to call the student for food that day, the student
fasts. These are some of the Vedic principles for observing
brahmacarya.
After the student studies the Vedas under the master for a period
from five to twenty years, he may become a man of perfect character. Study
of the Vedas is not meant for the recreation of armchair
speculators, but for the formation of character. After this training, the
brahmacari is allowed to enter into household life and marry. When
he is a householder, he has to perform many sacrifices so that he may
achieve further enlightenment. He must also give charity according to the
country, time and candidate, discriminating among charity in goodness, in
passion and in ignorance, as described in Bhagavad-gita. Then after
retiring from household life, upon accepting the order of
vanaprastha, he undergoes severe penances -- living in forests,
dressing with tree bark, not shaving, etc. By carrying out the orders of
brahmacarya, householder life, vanaprastha and finally
sannyasa, one becomes elevated to the perfectional stage of life.
Some are then elevated to the heavenly kingdoms, and when they become even
more advanced they are liberated in the spiritual sky, either in the
impersonal brahmajyoti or in the Vaikuntha planets or Krishnaloka.
This is the path outlined by Vedic literatures.
The beauty of Krishna consciousness, however, is that by one stroke, by
engaging in devotional service, one can surpass all the rituals of the
different orders of life.
The words idam viditva indicate that one should understand the
instructions given by Sri Krishna in this chapter and the Seventh Chapter
of Bhagavad-gita. One should try to understand these chapters not
by scholarship or mental speculation but by hearing them in association
with devotees. Chapters Seven through Twelve are the essence of
Bhagavad-gita. The first six and the last six chapters are like
coverings for the middle six chapters, which are especially protected by
the Lord. If one is fortunate enough to understand Bhagavad-gita --
especially these middle six chapters -- in the association of devotees,
then his life at once becomes glorified beyond all penances, sacrifices,
charities, speculations, etc., for one can achieve all the results of
these activities simply by Krishna consciousness.
One who has a little faith in Bhagavad-gita should learn
Bhagavad-gita from a devotee, because in the beginning of the
Fourth Chapter it is stated clearly that Bhagavad-gita can be
understood only by devotees; no one else can perfectly understand the
purpose of Bhagavad-gita. One should therefore learn
Bhagavad-gita from a devotee of Krishna, not from mental
speculators. This is a sign of faith. When one searches for a devotee and
finally gets a devotee's association one actually begins to study and
understand Bhagavad-gita. By advancement in the association of the
devotee one is placed in devotional service, and this service dispels all
one's misgivings about Krishna, or God, and Krishna's activities, form,
pastimes, name and other features. After these misgivings have been
perfectly cleared away, one becomes fixed in one's study. Then one
relishes the study of Bhagavad-gita and attains the state of
feeling always Krishna conscious. In the advanced stage, one falls
completely in love with Krishna. This highest perfectional stage of life
enables the devotee to be transferred to Krishna's abode in the spiritual
sky, Goloka Vrindavan, where the devotee becomes eternally happy.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Eighth Chapter of the Srimad
Bhagavad-gita in the matter of Attaining the Supreme.
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