Bhagavad-gita As It Is
CHAPTER 18b: Conclusion -- The Perfection of Renunciation
©1989, The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust
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TEXT 43
sauryam tejo dhrtir daksyam
yuddhe capy apalayanam
danam isvara-bhavas ca
ksatram karma svabhava-jam
WORD FOR WORD
sauryam -- heroism; tejah -- power; dhrtih --
determination; daksyam -- resourcefulness; yuddhe -- in
battle; ca -- and; api -- also; apalayanam -- not
fleeing; danam -- generosity; isvara -- of leadership;
bhavah -- the nature; ca -- and; ksatram -- of a
ksatriya; karma -- duty; svabhava-jam -- born of his own
nature.
TRANSLATION
Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle,
generosity and leadership are the natural qualities of work for the
ksatriyas.
TEXT 44
krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam
vaishya-karma svabhava-jam
paricaryatmakam karma
sudrasyapi svabhava-jam
WORD FOR WORD
krsi -- plowing; go -- of cows; raksya -- protection;
vanijyam -- trade; vaishya -- of a vaishya; karma --
duty; svabhava jam -- born of his own nature; paricarya --
service; atmakam -- consisting of; karma -- duty;
sudrasya -- of the sudra; api -- also; svabhava-jam
-- born of his own nature.
TRANSLATION
Farming, cow protection and business are the natural work for the vaishyas,
and for the sudras there is labor and service to others.
TEXT 45
sve sve karmany abhiratah
samsiddhim labhate narah
sva-karma-niratah siddhim
yatha vindati tac chrnu
WORD FOR WORD
sve sve -- each his own; karmani -- work; abhiratah
-- following; samsiddhim -- perfection; labhate -- achieves;
narah -- a man; sva-karma -- in his own duty; niratah
-- engaged; siddhim -- perfection; yatha -- as;
vindati -- attains; tat -- that; srnu -- listen.
TRANSLATION
By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. Now
please hear from Me how this can be done.
TEXT 46
yatah pravrttir bhutanam
yena sarvam idam tatam
sva-karmana tam abhyarcya
siddhim vindati manavah
WORD FOR WORD
yatah -- from whom; pravrttih -- the emanation;
bhutanam -- of all living entities; yena -- by whom;
sarvam -- all; idam -- this; tatam -- is pervaded;
sva-karmana -- by his own duties; tam -- Him;
abhyarcya -- by worshiping; siddhim -- perfection;
vindati -- achieves; manavah -- a man.
TRANSLATION
By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is
all-pervading, a man can attain perfection through performing his own
work.
PURPORT
As stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, all living beings are fragmental parts
and parcels of the Supreme Lord. Thus the Supreme Lord is the beginning of
all living entities. This is confirmed in the Vedanta-sutra -- janmady
asya yatah. The Supreme Lord is therefore the beginning of life of
every living entity. And as stated in the Seventh Chapter of
Bhagavad-gita, the Supreme Lord, by His two energies, His external
energy and internal energy, is all-pervading. Therefore one should worship
the Supreme Lord with His energies. Generally the Vaisnava devotees
worship the Supreme Lord with His internal energy. His external energy is
a perverted reflection of the internal energy. The external energy is a
background, but the Supreme Lord by the expansion of His plenary portion
as Paramatma is situated everywhere. He is the Supersoul of all demigods,
all human beings, all animals, everywhere. One should therefore know that
as part and parcel of the Supreme Lord one has his duty to render service
unto the Supreme. Everyone should be engaged in devotional service to the
Lord in full Krishna consciousness. That is recommended in this verse.
Everyone should think that he is engaged in a particular type of
occupation by Hrsikesa, the master of the senses. And by the result of the
work in which one is engaged, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri
Krishna, should be worshiped. If one thinks always in this way, in full
Krishna consciousness, then, by the grace of the Lord, he becomes fully
aware of everything. That is the perfection of life. The Lord says in
Bhagavad-gita (12.7), tesam aham samuddharta. The Supreme
Lord Himself takes charge of delivering such a devotee. That is the
highest perfection of life. In whatever occupation one may be engaged, if
he serves the Supreme Lord he will achieve the highest perfection.
TEXT 47
sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah
para-dharmat sv-anusthitat
svabhava-niyatam karma
kurvan napnoti kilbisam
WORD FOR WORD
sreyan -- better; sva-dharmah -- one's own occupation;
vigunah -- imperfectly performed; para-dharmat -- than
another's occupation; su-anusthitat -- perfectly done;
svabhava-niyatam -- prescribed according to one's nature;
karma -- work; kurvan -- performing; na -- never;
apnoti -- achieves; kilbisam -- sinful reactions.
TRANSLATION
It is better to engage in one's own occupation, even though one may
perform it imperfectly, than to accept another's occupation and perform it
perfectly. Duties prescribed according to one's nature are never affected
by sinful reactions.
PURPORT
One's occupational duty is prescribed in Bhagavad-gita. As already
discussed in previous verses, the duties of a brahmana, ksatriya,
vaishya and sudra are prescribed according to their particular
modes of nature. One should not imitate another's duty. A man who is by
nature attracted to the kind of work done by sudras should not
artificially claim to be a brahmana, although he may have been born
into a brahmana family. In this way one should work according to
his own nature; no work is abominable, if performed in the service of the
Supreme Lord. The occupational duty of a brahmana is certainly in
the mode of goodness, but if a person is not by nature in the mode of
goodness, he should not imitate the occupational duty of a
brahmana. For a ksatriya, or administrator, there are so
many abominable things; a ksatriya has to be violent to kill his
enemies, and sometimes a ksatriya has to tell lies for the sake of
diplomacy. Such violence and duplicity accompany political affairs, but a
ksatriya is not supposed to give up his occupational duty and try
to perform the duties of a brahmana.
One should act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. For example, Arjuna was a
ksatriya. He was hesitating to fight the other party. But if such
fighting is performed for the sake of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, there need be no fear of degradation. In the business field also,
sometimes a merchant has to tell so many lies to make a profit. If he does
not do so, there can be no profit. Sometimes a merchant says, "Oh, my dear
customer, for you I am making no profit," but one should know that without
profit the merchant cannot exist. Therefore it should be taken as a simple
lie if a merchant says that he is not making a profit. But the merchant
should not think that because he is engaged in an occupation in which the
telling of lies is compulsory, he should give up his profession and pursue
the profession of a brahmana. That is not recommended. Whether one
is a ksatriya, a vaishya, or a sudra doesn't matter,
if he serves, by his work, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even
brahmanas, who perform different types of sacrifice, sometimes must
kill animals because sometimes animals are sacrificed in such ceremonies.
Similarly, if a ksatriya engaged in his own occupation kills an
enemy, there is no sin incurred. In the Third Chapter these matters have
been clearly and elaborately explained; every man should work for the
purpose of Yajna, or for Vishnu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Anything done for personal sense gratification is a cause of bondage. The
conclusion is that everyone should be engaged according to the particular
mode of nature he has acquired, and he should decide to work only to serve
the supreme cause of the Supreme Lord.
TEXT 48
saha-jam karma kaunteya
sa-dosam api na tyajet
sarvarambha hi dosena
dhumenagnir ivavrtah
WORD FOR WORD
saha-jam -- born simultaneously; karma -- work;
kaunteya -- O son of Kunti; sa-dosam -- with fault;
api -- although; na -- never; tyajet -- one should
give up; sarva-arambhah -- all ventures; hi -- certainly;
dosena -- with fault; dhumena -- with smoke; agnih --
fire; iva -- as; avrtah -- covered.
TRANSLATION
Every endeavor is covered by some fault, just as fire is covered by smoke.
Therefore one should not give up the work born of his nature, O son of
Kunti, even if such work is full of fault.
PURPORT
In conditioned life, all work is contaminated by the material modes of
nature. Even if one is a brahmana, he has to perform sacrifices in
which animal killing is necessary. Similarly, a ksatriya, however
pious he may be, has to fight enemies. He cannot avoid it. Similarly, a
merchant, however pious he may be, must sometimes hide his profit to stay
in business, or he may sometimes have to do business on the black market.
These things are necessary; one cannot avoid them. Similarly, even though
a man is a sudra serving a bad master, he has to carry out the
order of the master, even though it should not be done. Despite these
flaws, one should continue to carry out his prescribed duties, for they
are born out of his own nature.
A very nice example is given herein. Although fire is pure, still there is
smoke. Yet smoke does not make the fire impure. Even though there is smoke
in the fire, fire is still considered to be the purest of all elements. If
one prefers to give up the work of a ksatriya and take up the
occupation of a brahmana, he is not assured that in the occupation
of a brahmana there are no unpleasant duties. One may then conclude
that in the material world no one can be completely free from the
contamination of material nature. This example of fire and smoke is very
appropriate in this connection. When in wintertime one takes a stone from
the fire, sometimes smoke disturbs the eyes and other parts of the body,
but still one must make use of the fire despite disturbing conditions.
Similarly, one should not give up his natural occupation because there are
some disturbing elements. Rather, one should be determined to serve the
Supreme Lord by his occupational duty in Krishna consciousness. That is
the perfectional point. When a particular type of occupation is performed
for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, all the defects in that
particular occupation are purified. When the results of work are purified,
when connected with devotional service, one becomes perfect in seeing the
self within, and that is self-realization.
TEXT 49
asakta-buddhih sarvatra
jitatma vigata-sprhah
naiskarmya-siddhim paramam
sannyasenadhigacchati
WORD FOR WORD
asakta-buddhih -- having unattached intelligence; sarvatra
-- everywhere; jita-atma -- having control of the mind;
vigata-sprhah -- without material desires;
naiskarmya-siddhim -- the perfection of nonreaction; paramam
-- supreme; sannyasena -- by the renounced order of life;
adhigacchati -- one attains.
TRANSLATION
One who is self-controlled and unattached and who disregards all material
enjoyments can obtain, by practice of renunciation, the highest perfect
stage of freedom from reaction.
PURPORT
Real renunciation means that one should always think himself part and
parcel of the Supreme Lord and therefore think that he has no right to
enjoy the results of his work. Since he is part and parcel of the Supreme
Lord, the results of his work must be enjoyed by the Supreme Lord. This is
actually Krishna consciousness. The person acting in Krishna consciousness
is really a sannyasi, one in the renounced order of life. By such a
mentality, one is satisfied because he is actually acting for the Supreme.
Thus he is not attached to anything material; he becomes accustomed to not
taking pleasure in anything beyond the transcendental happiness derived
from the service of the Lord. A sannyasi is supposed to be free
from the reactions of his past activities, but a person who is in Krishna
consciousness automatically attains this perfection without even accepting
the so-called order of renunciation. This state of mind is called
yogarudha, or the perfectional stage of yoga. As confirmed
in the Third Chapter, yas tv atma-ratir eva syat: one who is
satisfied in himself has no fear of any kind of reaction from his
activity.
TEXT 50
siddhim prapto yatha brahma
tathapnoti nibodha me
samasenaiva kaunteya
nistha jnanasya ya para
WORD FOR WORD
siddhim -- perfection; praptah -- achieving; yatha --
as; brahma -- the Supreme; tatha -- so; apnoti -- one
achieves; nibodha -- try to understand; me -- from Me;
samasena -- summarily; eva -- certainly; kaunteya --
O son of Kunti; nistha -- the stage; jnanasya -- of
knowledge; ya -- which; para -- transcendental.
TRANSLATION
O son of Kunti, learn from Me how one who has achieved this perfection can
attain to the supreme perfectional stage, Brahman, the stage of highest
knowledge, by acting in the way I shall now summarize.
PURPORT
The Lord describes for Arjuna how one can achieve the highest perfectional
stage simply by being engaged in his occupational duty, performing that
duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One attains the supreme stage
of Brahman simply by renouncing the result of his work for the
satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. That is the process of self-realization.
The actual perfection of knowledge is in attaining pure Krishna
consciousness; that is described in the following verses.
TEXTS 51-53
buddhya visuddhaya yukto
dhrtyatmanam niyamya ca
sabdadin visayams tyaktva
raga-dvesau vyudasya ca
vivikta-sevi laghv-asi
yata-vak-kaya-manasah
dhyana-yoga-paro nityam
vairagyam samupasritah
ahankaram balam darpam
kamam krodham parigraham
vimucya nirmamah santo
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate
WORD FOR WORD
buddhya -- with the intelligence; visuddhaya -- fully
purified; yuktah -- engaged; dhrtya -- by determination;
atmanam -- the self; niyamya -- regulating; ca --
also; sabda-adin -- such as sound; visayan -- the sense
objects; tyaktva -- giving up; raga -- attachment;
dvesau -- and hatred; vyudasya -- laying aside; ca --
also; vivikta-sevi -- living in a secluded place; laghu-asi
-- eating a small quantity; yata -- having controlled; vak
-- speech; kaya -- body; manasah -- and mind;
dhyana-yoga-parah -- absorbed in trance; nityam --
twenty-four hours a day; vairagyam -- detachment;
samupasritah -- having taken shelter of; ahankaram -- false
ego; balam -- false strength; darpam -- false pride;
kamam -- lust; krodham -- anger; parigraham -- and
acceptance of material things; vimucya -- being delivered from;
nirmamah -- without a sense of proprietorship; santah --
peaceful; brahma-bhuyaya -- for self-realization; kalpate --
is qualified.
TRANSLATION
Being purified by his intelligence and controlling the mind with
determination, giving up the objects of sense gratification, being freed
from attachment and hatred, one who lives in a secluded place, who eats
little, who controls his body, mind and power of speech, who is always in
trance and who is detached, free from false ego, false strength, false
pride, lust, anger, and acceptance of material things, free from false
proprietorship, and peaceful -- such a person is certainly elevated to the
position of self-realization.
PURPORT
When one is purified by intelligence, he keeps himself in the mode of
goodness. Thus one becomes the controller of the mind and is always in
trance. He is not attached to the objects of sense gratification, and he
is free from attachment and hatred in his activities. Such a detached
person naturally prefers to live in a secluded place, he does not eat more
than what he requires, and he controls the activities of his body and
mind. He has no false ego because he does not accept the body as himself.
Nor has he a desire to make the body fat and strong by accepting so many
material things. Because he has no bodily concept of life, he is not
falsely proud. He is satisfied with everything that is offered to him by
the grace of the Lord, and he is never angry in the absence of sense
gratification. Nor does he endeavor to acquire sense objects. Thus when he
is completely free from false ego, he becomes nonattached to all material
things, and that is the stage of self-realization of Brahman. That stage
is called the brahma-bhuta stage. When one is free from the
material conception of life, he becomes peaceful and cannot be agitated.
This is described in Bhagavad-gita (2.70):
apuryamanam acala-pratistham
samudram apah pravisanti yadvat
tadvat kama yam pravisanti sarve
sa santimn apnoti na kama-kami
"A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires -- that
enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always
still -- can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy
such desires."
TEXT 54
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
WORD FOR WORD
brahma-bhutah -- being one with the Absolute; prasanna-atma
-- fully joyful; na -- never; socati -- laments; na
-- never; kanksati -- desires; samah -- equally disposed;
sarvesu -- to all; bhutesu -- living entities;
mat-bhaktim -- My devotional service; labhate -- gains;
param -- transcendental.
TRANSLATION
One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme
Brahman and becomes fully joyful. He never laments or desires to have
anything. He is equally disposed toward every living entity. In that state
he attains pure devotional service unto Me.
PURPORT
To the impersonalist, achieving the brahma-bhuta stage, becoming
one with the Absolute, is the last word. But for the personalist, or pure
devotee, one has to go still further, to become engaged in pure devotional
service. This means that one who is engaged in pure devotional service to
the Supreme Lord is already in a state of liberation, called
brahma-bhuta, oneness with the Absolute. Without being one with the
Supreme, the Absolute, one cannot render service unto Him. In the absolute
conception, there is no difference between the served and the servitor;
yet the distinction is there, in a higher spiritual sense.
In the material concept of life, when one works for sense gratification,
there is misery, but in the absolute world, when one is engaged in pure
devotional service, there is no misery. The devotee in Krishna
consciousness has nothing for which to lament or desire. Since God is
full, a living entity who is engaged in God's service, in Krishna
consciousness, becomes also full in himself. He is just like a river
cleansed of all dirty water. Because a pure devotee has no thought other
than Krishna, he is naturally always joyful. He does not lament for any
material loss or aspire for gain, because he is full in the service of the
Lord. He has no desire for material enjoyment, because he knows that every
living entity is a fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord and
therefore eternally a servant. He does not see, in the material world,
someone as higher and someone as lower; higher and lower positions are
ephemeral, and a devotee has nothing to do with ephemeral appearances or
disappearances. For him stone and gold are of equal value. This is the
brahma-bhuta stage, and this stage is attained very easily by the
pure devotee. In that stage of existence, the idea of becoming one with
the Supreme Brahman and annihilating one's individuality becomes hellish,
the idea of attaining the heavenly kingdom becomes phantasmagoria, and the
senses are like serpents' teeth that are broken. As there is no fear of a
serpent with broken teeth, there is no fear from the senses when they are
automatically controlled. The world is miserable for the materially
infected person, but for a devotee the entire world is as good as
Vaikuntha, or the spiritual sky. The highest personality in this material
universe is no more significant than an ant for a devotee. Such a stage
can be achieved by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, who preached pure
devotional service in this age.
TEXT 55
bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas casmi tattvatah
tato mam tattvato jnatva
visate tad-anantaram
WORD FOR WORD
bhaktya -- by pure devotional service; mam -- Me;
abhijanati -- one can know; yavan -- as much as; yah ca
asmi -- as I am; tattvatah -- in truth; tatah --
thereafter; mam -- Me; tattvatah -- in truth; jnatva
-- knowing; visate -- he enters; tat-anantaram --
thereafter.
TRANSLATION
One can understand Me as I am, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, only
by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of Me by such
devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, and His plenary portions
cannot be understood by mental speculation nor by the nondevotees. If
anyone wants to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he has to
take to pure devotional service under the guidance of a pure devotee.
Otherwise, the truth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead will always be
hidden. As already stated in Bhagavad-gita (7.25), naham
prakasah sarvasya: He is not revealed to everyone. No one can
understand God simply by erudite scholarship or mental speculation. Only
one who is actually engaged in Krishna consciousness and devotional
service can understand what Krishna is. University degrees are not
helpful.
One who is fully conversant with the Krishna science becomes eligible to
enter into the spiritual kingdom, the abode of Krishna. Becoming Brahman
does not mean that one loses his identity. Devotional service is there,
and as long as devotional service exists, there must be God, the devotee,
and the process of devotional service. Such knowledge is never vanquished,
even after liberation. Liberation involves getting free from the concept
of material life; in spiritual life the same distinction is there, the
same individuality is there, but in pure Krishna consciousness. One should
not mistakenly think that the word visate, "enters into Me,"
supports the monist theory that one becomes homogeneous with the
impersonal Brahman. No. Visate means that one can enter into the
abode of the Supreme Lord in one's individuality to engage in His
association and render service unto Him. For instance, a green bird enters
a green tree not to become one with the tree but to enjoy the fruits of
the tree. impersonalists generally give the example of a river flowing
into the ocean and merging. This may be a source of happiness for the
impersonalist, but the personalist keeps his personal individuality like
an aquatic in the ocean. We find so many living entities within the ocean,
if we go deep. Surface acquaintance with the ocean is not sufficient; one
must have complete knowledge of the aquatics living in the ocean depths.
Because of his pure devotional service, a devotee can understand the
transcendental qualities and the opulences of the Supreme Lord in truth.
As it is stated in the Eleventh Chapter, only by devotional service can
one understand. The same is confirmed here; one can understand the Supreme
Personality of Godhead by devotional service and enter into His kingdom.
After attainment of the brahma-bhuta stage of freedom from material
conceptions, devotional service begins by one's hearing about the Lord.
When one hears about the Supreme Lord, automatically the
brahma-bhuta stage develops, and material contamination --
greediness and lust for sense enjoyment -- disappears. As lust and desires
disappear from the heart of a devotee, he becomes more attached to the
service of the Lord, and by such attachment he becomes free from material
contamination. In that state of life he can understand the Supreme Lord.
This is the statement of Srimad-Bhagavatam also. After liberation
the process of bhakti, or transcendental service, continues. The
Vedanta-sutra (4.1.12) confirms this: a-prayanat tatrapi hi
drstam. This means that after liberation the process of devotional
service continues. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, real devotional
liberation is defined as the reinstatement of the living entity in his own
identity, his own constitutional position. The constitutional position is
already explained: every living entity is a part-and-parcel fragmental
portion of the Supreme Lord. Therefore his constitutional position is to
serve. After liberation, this service is never stopped. Actual liberation
is getting free from misconceptions of life.
TEXT 56
sarva-karmany api sada
kurvano mad-vyapasrayah
mat-prasadad avapnoti
sasvatam padam avyayam
WORD FOR WORD
sarva -- all; karmani -- activities; api -- although;
sada -- always; kurvanah -- performing;
mat-vyapasrayah -- under My protection; mat-prasadat -- by
My mercy; avapnoti -- one achieves; sasvatam -- the eternal;
padam -- abode; avyayam -- imperishable.
TRANSLATION
Though engaged in all kinds of activities, My pure devotee, under My
protection, reaches the eternal and imperishable abode by My grace.
PURPORT
The word mad-vyapasrayah means under the protection of the Supreme
Lord. To be free from material contamination, a pure devotee acts under
the direction of the Supreme Lord or His representative, the spiritual
master. There is no time limitation for a pure devotee. He is always,
twenty-four hours a day, one hundred percent engaged in activities under
the direction of the Supreme Lord. To a devotee who is thus engaged in
Krishna consciousness the Lord is very, very kind. In spite of all
difficulties, he is eventually placed in the transcendental abode, or
Krishnaloka. He is guaranteed entrance there; there is no doubt about it.
In that supreme abode, there is no change; everything is eternal,
imperishable and full of knowledge.
TEXT 57
cetasa sarva-karmani
mayi sannyasya mat-parah
buddhi-yogam upasritya
mac-cittah satatam bhava
WORD FOR WORD
cetasa -- by intelligence; sarva-karmani -- all kinds of
activities; mayi -- unto Me; sannyasya -- giving up;
mat-parah -- under My protection; buddhi-yogam -- devotional
activities; upasritya -- taking shelter of; mat-cittah -- in
consciousness of Me; satatam -- twenty-four hours a day;
bhava- just become.
TRANSLATION
In all activities just depend upon Me and work always under My protection.
In such devotional service, be fully conscious of Me.
PURPORT
When one acts in Krishna consciousness, he does not act as the master of
the world. Just like a servant, one should act fully under the direction
of the Supreme Lord. A servant has no individual independence. He acts
only on the order of the master. A servant acting on behalf of the supreme
master is unaffected by profit and loss. He simply discharges his duty
faithfully in terms of the order of the Lord. Now, one may argue that
Arjuna was acting under the personal direction of Krishna but when Krishna
is not present how should one act? If one acts according to the direction
of Krishna in this book, as well as under the guidance of the
representative of Krishna, then the result will be the same. The Sanskrit
word mat-parah is very important in this verse. It indicates that
one has no goal in life save and except acting in Krishna consciousness
just to satisfy Krishna. And while working in that way, one should think
of Krishna only: "I have been appointed to discharge this particular duty
by Krishna." While acting in such a way, one naturally has to think of
Krishna. This is perfect Krishna consciousness. One should, however, note
that after doing something whimsically he should not offer the result to
the Supreme Lord. That sort of duty is not in the devotional service of
Krishna consciousness. One should act according to the order of Krishna.
This is a very important point. That order of Krishna comes through
disciplic succession from the bona fide spiritual master. Therefore the
spiritual master's order should be taken as the prime duty of life. If one
gets a bona fide spiritual master and acts according to his direction,
then one's perfection of life in Krishna consciousness is guaranteed.
TEXT 58
mac-cittah sarva-durgani
mat-prasadat tarisyasi
atha cet tvam ahankaran
na srosyasi vinanksyasi
WORD FOR WORD
mat -- of Me; cittah -- being in consciousness; sarva
-- all; durgani -- impediments; mat-prasadat -- by My mercy;
tarisyasi -- you will overcome; atha -- but; cet --
if; tvam -- you; ahankarat -- by false ego; na
srosyasi -- do not hear; vinanksyasi -- you will be lost.
TRANSLATION
If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of
conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such
consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
PURPORT
A person in full Krishna consciousness is not unduly anxious about
executing the duties of his existence. The foolish cannot understand this
great freedom from all anxiety. For one who acts in Krishna consciousness,
Lord Krishna becomes the most intimate friend. He always looks after His
friend's comfort, and He gives Himself to His friend, who is so devotedly
engaged working twenty-four hours a day to please the Lord. Therefore, no
one should be carried away by the false ego of the bodily concept of life.
One should not falsely think himself independent of the laws of material
nature or free to act. He is already under strict material laws. But as
soon as he acts in Krishna consciousness, he is liberated, free from the
material perplexities. One should note very carefully that one who is not
active in Krishna consciousness is losing himself in the material
whirlpool, in the ocean of birth and death. No conditioned soul actually
knows what is to be done and what is not to be done, but a person who acts
in Krishna consciousness is free to act because everything is prompted by
Krishna from within and confirmed by the spiritual master.
TEXT 59
yad ahankaram asritya
na yotsya iti manyase
mithyaisa vyavasayas te
prakrtis tvam niyoksyati
WORD FOR WORD
yat -- if; ahankaram -- of false ego; asritya --
taking shelter; na yotsye -- I shall not fight; iti -- thus;
manyase -- you think; mithya esah -- this is all false;
vyavasayah -- determination; te -- your; prakrtih --
material nature; tvam -- you; niyoksyati -- will engage.
TRANSLATION
If you do not act according to My direction and do not fight, then you
will be falsely directed. By your nature, you will have to be engaged in
warfare.
PURPORT
Arjuna was a military man, and born of the nature of the ksatriya.
Therefore his natural duty was to fight. But due to false ego he was
fearing that by killing his teacher, grandfather and friends he would
incur sinful reactions. Actually he was considering himself master of his
actions, as if he were directing the good and bad results of such work. He
forgot that the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present there,
instructing him to fight. That is the forgetfulness of the conditioned
soul. The Supreme Personality gives directions as to what is good and what
is bad, and one simply has to act in Krishna consciousness to attain the
perfection of life. No one can ascertain his destiny as the Supreme Lord
can; therefore the best course is to take direction from the Supreme Lord
and act. No one should neglect the order of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead or the order of the spiritual master, who is the representative of
God. One should act unhesitatingly to execute the order of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead -- that will keep one safe under all circumstances.
TEXT 60
svabhava-jena kaunteya
nibaddhah svena karmana
kartum necchasi yan mohat
karisyasy avaso 'pi tat
WORD FOR WORD
svabhava-jena -- born of your own nature; kaunteya -- O son
of Kunti; nibaddhah -- conditioned; svena -- by your own;
karmana -- activities; kartum -- to do; na -- not;
icchasi -- you like; yat -- that which; mohat -- by
illusion; karisyasi -- you will do; avasah -- involuntarily;
api -- even; tat -- that.
TRANSLATION
Under illusion you are now declining to act according to My direction.
But, compelled by the work born of your own nature, you will act all the
same, O son of Kunti.
PURPORT
If one refuses to act under the direction of the Supreme Lord, then he is
compelled to act by the modes in which he is situated. Everyone is under
the spell of a particular combination of the modes of nature and is acting
in that way. But anyone who voluntarily engages himself under the
direction of the Supreme Lord becomes glorious.
TEXT 61
isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
WORD FOR WORD
isvarah -- the Supreme Lord; sarva-bhutanam -- of all living
entities; hrt-dese -- in the location of the heart; arjuna
-- O Arjuna; tisthati -- resides; bhramayan -- causing to
travel; sarva-bhutani -- all living entities; yantra -- on a
machine; arudhani -- being placed; mayaya -- under the spell
of material energy.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Lord is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is
directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a
machine, made of the material energy.
PURPORT
Arjuna was not the supreme knower, and his decision to fight or not to
fight was confined to his limited discretion. Lord Krishna instructed that
the individual is not all in all. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, or
He Himself, Krishna, as the localized Supersoul, sits in the heart
directing the living being. After changing bodies, the living entity
forgets his past deeds, but the Supersoul, as the knower of the past,
present and future, remains the witness of all his activities. Therefore
all the activities of living entities are directed by this Supersoul. The
living entity gets what he deserves and is carried by the material body,
which is created in the material energy under the direction of the
Supersoul. As soon as a living entity is placed in a particular type of
body, he has to work under the spell of that bodily situation. A person
seated in a high-speed motorcar goes faster than one seated in a slower
car, though the living entities, the drivers, may be the same. Similarly,
by the order of the Supreme Soul, material nature fashions a particular
type of body to a particular type of living entity so that he may work
according to his past desires. The living entity is not independent. One
should not think himself independent of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. The individual is always under the Lord's control. Therefore
one's duty is to surrender, and that is the injunction of the next verse.
TEXT 62
tam eva saranam gaccha
sarva-bhavena bharata
tat-prasadat param santim
sthanam prapsyasi sasvatam
WORD FOR WORD
tam -- unto Him; eva -- certainly; saranam gaccha --
surrender; sarva-bhavena -- in all respects; bharata -- O
son of Bharata; tat-prasadat -- by His grace; param --
transcendental; santim -- peace; sthanam -- the abode;
prapsyasi -- you will get; sasvatam -- eternal.
TRANSLATION
O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will
attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode.
PURPORT
A living entity should therefore surrender unto the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, who is situated in everyone's heart, and that will relieve him
from all kinds of miseries of this material existence. By such surrender,
not only will one be released from all miseries in this life, but at the
end he will reach the Supreme God. The transcendental world is described
in the Vedic literature (Rg Veda 1.22.20) as tad visnoh paramam
padam. Since all of creation is the kingdom of God, everything
material is actually spiritual, but paramam padam specifically
refers to the eternal abode, which is called the spiritual sky or
Vaikuntha.
In the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita it is stated, sarvasya
caham hrdi sannivistah: the Lord is seated in everyone's heart. So
this recommendation that one should surrender unto the Supersoul sitting
within means that one should surrender unto the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Krishna. Krishna has already been accepted by Arjuna as the
Supreme. He was accepted in the Tenth Chapter as param brahma param
dhama. Arjuna has accepted Krishna as the Supreme Personality of
Godhead and the supreme abode of all living entities, not only because of
his personal experience but also because of the evidence of great
authorities like Narada, Asita, Devala and Vyasa.
TEXT 63
iti te jnanam akhyatam
guhyad guhyataram maya
vimrsyaitad asesena
yathecchasi tatha kuru
WORD FOR WORD
iti -- thus; te -- unto you; jnanam -- knowledge;
akhyatam -- described; guhyat -- than confidential;
guhya-taram -- still more confidential; maya -- by Me;
vimrsya -- deliberating; etat -- on this; asesena --
fully; yatha -- as; icchasi -- you like; tatha --
that; kuru -- perform.
TRANSLATION
Thus I have explained to you knowledge still more confidential. Deliberate
on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.
PURPORT
The Lord has already explained to Arjuna the knowledge of
brahma-bhuta. One who is in the brahma-bhuta condition is
joyful; he never laments, nor does he desire anything. That is due to
confidential knowledge. Krishna also discloses knowledge of the Supersoul.
This is also Brahman knowledge, knowledge of Brahman, but it is superior.
Here the words yathecchasi tatha kuru -- "As you like, you may act"
-- indicate that God does not interfere with the little independence of
the living entity. In Bhagavad-gita, the Lord has explained in all
respects how one can elevate his living condition. The best advice
imparted to Arjuna is to surrender unto the Supersoul seated within his
heart. By right discrimination, one should agree to act according to the
order of the Supersoul. That will help one become situated constantly in
Krishna consciousness, the highest perfectional stage of human life.
Arjuna is being directly ordered by the Personality of Godhead to fight.
Surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is in the best interest of
the living entities. It is not for the interest of the Supreme. Before
surrendering, one is free to deliberate on this subject as far as the
intelligence goes; that is the best way to accept the instruction of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such instruction comes also through the
spiritual master, the bona fide representative of Krishna.
TEXT 64
sarva-guhyatamam bhuyah
srnu me paramam vacah
isto 'si me drdham iti
tato vaksyami te hitam
WORD FOR WORD
sarva-guhya-tamam -- the most confidential of all; bhuyah --
again; srnu -- just hear; me -- from Me; paramam --
the supreme; vacah -- instruction; istah asi -- you are
dear; me -- to Me; drdham -- very; iti -- thus;
tatah -- therefore; vaksyami -- I am speaking; te --
for your; hitam -- benefit.
TRANSLATION
Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you My supreme
instruction, the most confidential knowledge of all. Hear this from Me,
for it is for your benefit.
PURPORT
The Lord has given Arjuna knowledge that is confidential (knowledge of
Brahman) and still more confidential (knowledge of the Supersoul within
everyone's heart), and now He is giving the most confidential part of
knowledge: just surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At the
end of the Ninth Chapter He has said, man-manah: "Just always think
of Me." The same instruction is repeated here to stress the essence of the
teachings of Bhagavad-gita. This essence is not understood by a
common man, but by one who is actually very dear to Krishna, a pure
devotee of Krishna. This is the most important instruction in all Vedic
literature. What Krishna is saying in this connection is the most
essential part of knowledge, and it should be carried out not only by
Arjuna but by all living entities.
TEXT 65
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaishyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo 'si me
WORD FOR WORD
mat-manah -- thinking of Me; bhava -- just become;
mat-bhaktah -- My devotee; mat-yaji -- My worshiper;
mam -- unto Me; namaskuru -- offer your obeisances;
mam -- unto Me; eva -- certainly; esyasi -- you will
come; satyam -- truly; te -- to you; pratijane -- I
promise; priyah -- dear; asi -- you are; me -- to Me.
TRANSLATION
Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage
unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because
you are My very dear friend.
PURPORT
The most confidential part of knowledge is that one should become a pure
devotee of Krishna and always think of Him and act for Him. One should not
become an official meditator. Life should be so molded that one will
always have the chance to think of Krishna. One should always act in such
a way that all his daily activities are in connection with Krishna. He
should arrange his life in such a way that throughout the twenty-four
hours he cannot but think of Krishna. And the Lord's promise is that
anyone who is in such pure Krishna consciousness will certainly return to
the abode of Krishna, where he will be engaged in the association of
Krishna face to face. This most confidential part of knowledge is spoken
to Arjuna because he is the dear friend of Krishna. Everyone who follows
the path of Arjuna can become a dear friend to Krishna and obtain the same
perfection as Arjuna.
These words stress that one should concentrate his mind upon Krishna --
the very form with two hands carrying a flute, the bluish boy with a
beautiful face and peacock feathers in His hair. There are descriptions of
Krishna found in the Brahma-samhita and other literatures. One
should fix his mind on this original form of Godhead, Krishna. One should
not even divert his attention to other forms of the Lord. The Lord has
multiforms as Vishnu, Narayana, Rama, Varaha, etc., but a devotee should
concentrate his mind on the form that was present before Arjuna.
Concentration of the mind on the form of Krishna constitutes the most
confidential part of knowledge, and this is disclosed to Arjuna because
Arjuna is the most dear friend of Krishna's.
TEXT 66
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
WORD FOR WORD
sarva-dharman -- all varieties of religion; parityajya --
abandoning; mam -- unto Me; ekam -- only; saranam --
for surrender; vraja -- go; aham -- I; tvam -- you;
sarva -- all; papebhyah -- from sinful reactions;
moksayisyami -- will deliver; ma -- do not; sucah --
worry.
TRANSLATION
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall
deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not fear.
PURPORT
The Lord has described various kinds of knowledge and processes of
religion -- knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, knowledge of the Supersoul,
knowledge of the different types of orders and statuses of social life,
knowledge of the renounced order of life, knowledge of nonattachment,
sense and mind control, meditation, etc. He has described in so many ways
different types of religion. Now, in summarizing Bhagavad-gita, the
Lord says that Arjuna should give up all the processes that have been
explained to him; he should simply surrender to Krishna. That surrender
will save him from all kinds of sinful reactions, for the Lord personally
promises to protect him.
In the Seventh Chapter it was said that only one who has become free from
all sinful reactions can take to the worship of Lord Krishna. Thus one may
think that unless he is free from all sinful reactions he cannot take to
the surrendering process. To such doubts it is here said that even if one
is not free from all sinful reactions, simply by the process of
surrendering to Sri Krishna he is automatically freed. There is no need of
strenuous effort to free oneself from sinful reactions. One should
unhesitatingly accept Krishna as the supreme savior of all living
entities. With faith and love, one should surrender unto Him.
The process of surrender to Krishna is described in the Hari-bhakti
vilasa (11.676):
anukulyasya sankalpah
pratikulyasya varjanam
raksisyatiti visvaso
goptrtve varanam tatha
atma-niksepa-karpanye
sad-vidha saranagatih
According to the devotional process, one should simply accept such
religious principles that will lead ultimately to the devotional service
of the Lord. One may perform a particular occupational duty according to
his position in the social order, but if by executing his duty one does
not come to the point of Krishna consciousness, all his activities are in
vain. Anything that does not lead to the perfectional stage of Krishna
consciousness should be avoided. One should be confident that in all
circumstances Krishna will protect him from all difficulties. There is no
need of thinking how one should keep the body and soul together. Krishna
will see to that. One should always think himself helpless and should
consider Krishna the only basis for his progress in life. As soon as one
seriously engages himself in devotional service to the Lord in full
Krishna consciousness, at once he becomes freed from all contamination of
material nature. There are different processes of religion and
purificatory processes by cultivation of knowledge, meditation in the
mystic yoga system, etc., but one who surrenders unto Krishna does
not have to execute so many methods. That simple surrender unto Krishna
will save him from unnecessarily wasting time. One can thus make all
progress at once and be freed from all sinful reactions.
One should be attracted by the beautiful vision of Krishna. His name is
Krishna because He is all-attractive. One who becomes attracted by the
beautiful, all-powerful, omnipotent vision of Krishna is fortunate. There
are different kinds of transcendentalists -- some of them are attached to
the impersonal Brahman vision, some of them are attracted by the Supersoul
feature, etc., but one who is attracted to the personal feature of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and, above all, one who is attracted by
the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Krishna Himself, is the most perfect
transcendentalist. In other words, devotional service to Krishna, in full
consciousness, is the most confidential part of knowledge, and this is the
essence of the whole Bhagavad-gita. Karma-yogis, empiric
philosophers, mystics and devotees are all called transcendentalists, but
one who is a pure devotee is the best of all. The particular words used
here, ma sucah, "Don't fear, don't hesitate, don't worry," are very
significant. One may be perplexed as to how one can give up all kinds of
religious forms and simply surrender unto Krishna, but such worry is
useless.
TEXT 67
idam te natapaskaya
nabhaktaya kadacana
na casusrusave vacyam
na ca mam yo 'bhyasuyati
WORD FOR WORD
idam -- this; te -- by you; na -- never;
atapaskaya -- to one who is not austere; na -- never;
abhaktaya -- to one who is not a devotee; kadacana -- at any
time; na -- never; ca -- also; asusrusave -- to one
who is not engaged in devotional service; vacyam -- to be spoken;
na -- never; ca -- also; mam -- toward Me; yah
-- anyone who; abhyasuyati -- is envious.
TRANSLATION
This confidential knowledge may never be explained to those who are not
austere, or devoted, or engaged in devotional service, nor to one who is
envious of Me.
PURPORT
Persons who have not undergone the austerities of the religious process,
who have never attempted devotional service in Krishna consciousness, who
have not tended a pure devotee, and especially those who are conscious of
Krishna only as a historical personality or who are envious of the
greatness of Krishna should not be told this most confidential part of
knowledge. It is, however, sometimes found that even demoniac persons who
are envious of Krishna, worshiping Krishna in a different way, take to the
profession of explaining Bhagavad-gita in a different way to make
business, but anyone who desires actually to understand Krishna must avoid
such commentaries on Bhagavad-gita. Actually the purpose of
Bhagavad-gita is not understandable to those who are sensuous. Even
if one is not sensuous but is strictly following the disciplines enjoined
in the Vedic scripture, if he is not a devotee he also cannot understand
Krishna. And even when one poses himself as a devotee of Krishna but is
not engaged in Krishna conscious activities, he also cannot understand
Krishna. There are many persons who envy Krishna because He has explained
in Bhagavad-gita that He is the Supreme and that nothing is above
Him or equal to Him. There are many persons who are envious of Krishna.
Such persons should not be told of Bhagavad-gita, for they cannot
understand. There is no possibility of faithless persons' understanding
Bhagavad-gita and Krishna. Without understanding Krishna from the
authority of a pure devotee, one should not try to comment upon
Bhagavad-gita.
TEXT 68
ya idam paramam guhyam
mad-bhaktesv abhidhasyati
bhaktim mayi param krtva
mam evaishyaty asamsayah
WORD FOR WORD
yah -- anyone who; idam -- this; paramam -- most;
guhyam -- confidential secret; mat -- of Mine;
bhaktesu -- amongst devotees; abhidhasyati -- explains;
bhaktim -- devotional service; mayi -- unto Me; param
-- transcendental; krtva -- doing; mam -- unto Me;
eva -- certainly; esyati -- comes; asamsayah --
without doubt.
TRANSLATION
For one who explains this supreme secret to the devotees, pure devotional
service is guaranteed, and at the end he will come back to Me.
PURPORT
Generally it is advised that Bhagavad-gita be discussed amongst the
devotees only, for those who are not devotees will understand neither
Krishna nor Bhagavad-gita. Those who do not accept Krishna as He is
and Bhagavad-gita as it is should not try to explain
Bhagavad-gita whimsically and become offenders.
Bhagavad-gita should be explained to persons who are ready to
accept Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is a subject
matter for the devotees only and not for philosophical speculators.
Anyone, however, who tries sincerely to present Bhagavad-gita as it
is will advance in devotional activities and reach the pure devotional
state of life. As a result of such pure devotion, he is sure to go back
home, back to Godhead.
TEXT 69
na ca tasman manusyesu
kascin me priya-krttamah
bhavita na ca me tasmad
anyah priyataro bhuvi
WORD FOR WORD
na -- never; ca -- and; tasmat -- than him;
manusyesu -- among men; kascit -- anyone; me -- to
Me; priya-krt-tamah -- more dear; bhavita -- will become;
na -- nor; ca -- and; me -- to Me; tasmat --
than him; anyah -- another; priya-tarah -- dearer;
bhuvi -- in this world.
TRANSLATION
There is no servant in this world more dear to Me than he, nor will there
ever be one more dear.
TEXT 70
adhyesyate ca ya imam
dharmyam samvadam avayoh
jnana-yajnena tenaham
istah syam iti me matih
WORD FOR WORD
adhyesyate -- will study; ca -- also; yah -- he who;
imam -- this; dharmyam -- sacred; samvadam --
conversation; avayoh -- of ours; jnana -- of knowledge;
yajnena -- by the sacrifice; tena -- by him; aham --
I; istah -- worshiped; syam -- shall be; iti -- thus;
me -- My; matih -- opinion.
TRANSLATION
And I declare that he who studies this sacred conversation of ours
worships Me by his intelligence.
TEXT 71
sraddhavan anasuyas ca
srnuyad api yo narah
so 'pi muktah subhal lokan
prapnuyat punya-karmanam
WORD FOR WORD
sraddha-van -- faithful; anasuyah -- not envious; ca
-- and; srnuyat -- does hear; api -- certainly; yah
-- who; narah -- a man; sah -- he; api -- also;
muktah -- being liberated; subhan -- the auspicious;
lokan -- planets; prapnuyat -- he attains;
punya-karmanam -- of the pious.
TRANSLATION
And one who listens with faith and without envy becomes free from sinful
reactions and attains to the auspicious planets where the pious dwell.
PURPORT
In the sixty-seventh verse of this chapter, the Lord explicitly forbade
the Gita's being spoken to those who are envious of the Lord. In
other words, Bhagavad-gita is for the devotees only. But it so
happens that sometimes a devotee of the Lord will hold open class, and in
that class not all the students are expected to be devotees. Why do such
persons hold open class? It is explained here that although not everyone
is a devotee, still there are many men who are not envious of Krishna.
They have faith in Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If such
persons hear from a bona fide devotee about the Lord, the result is that
they become at once free from all sinful reactions and after that attain
to the planetary system where all righteous persons are situated.
Therefore simply by hearing Bhagavad-gita, even a person who does
not try to be a pure devotee attains the result of righteous activities.
Thus a pure devotee of the Lord gives everyone a chance to become free
from all sinful reactions and to become a devotee of the Lord.
Generally those who are free from sinful reactions, those who are
righteous, very easily take to Krishna consciousness. The word
punya-karmanam is very significant here. This refers to the
performance of great sacrifices, like the asvamedha-yajna,
mentioned in the Vedic literature. Those who are righteous in performing
devotional service but who are not pure can attain the planetary system of
the polestar, or Dhruvaloka, where Dhruva Maharaja is presiding. He is a
great devotee of the Lord, and he has a special planet, which is called
the polestar.
TEXT 72
kaccid etac chrutam partha
tvayaikagrena cetasa
kaccid ajnana-sammohah
pranastas te dhananjaya
WORD FOR WORD
kaccit -- whether; etat -- this; srutam -- heard;
partha -- O son of Prtha; tvaya -- by you; eka-agrena
-- with full attention; cetasa -- by the mind; kaccit --
whether; ajnana -- of ignorance; sammohah -- the illusion;
pranastah -- dispelled; te -- of you; dhananjaya -- O
conqueror of wealth (Arjuna).
TRANSLATION
O son of Prtha, O conqueror of wealth, have you heard this with an
attentive mind? And are your ignorance and illusions now dispelled?
PURPORT
The Lord was acting as the spiritual master of Arjuna. Therefore it was
His duty to inquire from Arjuna whether he understood the whole
Bhagavad-gita in its proper perspective. If not, the Lord was ready
to re-explain any point, or the whole Bhagavad-gita if so required.
Actually, anyone who hears Bhagavad-gita from a bona fide spiritual
master like Krishna or His representative will find that all his ignorance
is dispelled. Bhagavad-gita is not an ordinary book written by a
poet or fiction writer; it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Any person fortunate enough to hear these teachings from Krishna
or from His bona fide spiritual representative is sure to become a
liberated person and get out of the darkness of ignorance.
TEXT 73
arjuna uvaca
nasto mohah smrtir labdha
tvat-prasadan mayacyuta
sthito 'mi gata-sandehah
karisye vacanam tava
WORD FOR WORD
arjunah uvaca -- Arjuna said; nastah -- dispelled;
mohah -- illusion; smrtih -- memory; labdha --
regained; tvat-prasadat -- by Your mercy; maya -- by me;
acyuta -- O infallible Krishna; sthitah -- situated;
asmi -- I am; gata -- removed; sandehah -- all
doubts; karisye -- I shall execute; vacanam -- order;
tava -- Your.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: My dear Krishna, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I
have regained my memory by Your mercy. I am now firm and free from doubt
and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.
PURPORT
The constitutional position of a living entity, represented by Arjuna, is
that he has to act according to the order of the Supreme Lord. He is meant
for self-discipline. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu says that the actual position
of the living entity is that of eternal servant of the Supreme Lord.
Forgetting this principle, the living entity becomes conditioned by
material nature, but in serving the Supreme Lord he becomes the liberated
servant of God. The living entity's constitutional position is to be a
servitor; he has to serve either the illusory maya or the Supreme
Lord. If he serves the Supreme Lord he is in his normal condition, but if
he prefers to serve the illusory, external energy, then certainly he will
be in bondage. In illusion the living entity is serving in this material
world. He is bound by his lust and desires, yet he thinks of himself as
the master of the world. This is called illusion. When a person is
liberated, his illusion is over, and he voluntarily surrenders unto the
Supreme to act according to His desires. The last illusion, the last snare
of maya to trap the living entity, is the proposition that he is
God. The living entity thinks that he is no longer a conditioned soul, but
God. He is so unintelligent that he does not think that if he were God,
then how could he be in doubt? That he does not consider. So that is the
last snare of illusion. Actually to become free from the illusory energy
is to understand Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and agree to
act according to His order.
The word moha is very important in this verse. Moha refers
to that which is opposed to knowledge. Actually real knowledge is the
understanding that every living being is eternally a servitor of the Lord,
but instead of thinking oneself in that position, the living entity thinks
that he is not a servant, that he is the master of this material world,
for he wants to lord it over the material nature. That is his illusion.
This illusion can be overcome by the mercy of the Lord or by the mercy of
a pure devotee. When that illusion is over, one agrees to act in Krishna
consciousness.
Krishna consciousness is acting according to Krishna's order. A
conditioned soul, illusioned by the external energy of matter, does not
know that the Supreme Lord is the master who is full of knowledge and who
is the proprietor of everything. Whatever He desires He can bestow upon
His devotees; He is the friend of everyone, and He is especially inclined
to His devotee. He is the controller of this material nature and of all
living entities. He is also the controller of inexhaustible time, and He
is full of all opulences and all potencies. The Supreme Personality of
Godhead can even give Himself to the devotee. One who does not know Him is
under the spell of illusion; he does not become a devotee, but a servitor
of maya. Arjuna, however, after hearing Bhagavad-gita from
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, became free from all illusion. He
could understand that Krishna was not only his friend but the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. And he understood Krishna factually. So to study
Bhagavad-gita is to understand Krishna factually. When a person is
in full knowledge, he naturally surrenders to Krishna. When Arjuna
understood that it was Krishna's plan to reduce the unnecessary increase
of population, he agreed to fight according to Krishna's desire. He again
took up his weapons -- his arrows and bow -- to fight under the order of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
TEXT 74
sanjaya uvaca
ity aham vasudevasya
parthasya ca mahatmanah
samvadam imam asrausam
adbhutam roma-harsanam
WORD FOR WORD
sanjayah uvaca -- Sanjaya said; iti -- thus; aham --
I; vasudevasya -- of Krishna; parthasya -- and Arjuna;
ca -- also; maha-atmanah -- of the great soul;
samvadam -- discussion; imam -- this; asrausam --
have heard; adbhutam -- wonderful; roma-harsanam -- making
the hair stand on end.
TRANSLATION
Sanjaya said: Thus have I heard the conversation of two great souls,
Krishna and Arjuna. And so wonderful is that message that my hair is
standing on end.
PURPORT
In the beginning of Bhagavad-gita, Dhrtarastra inquired from his
secretary Sanjaya, "What happened on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra?" The
entire study was related to the heart of Sanjaya by the grace of his
spiritual master, Vyasa. He thus explained the theme of the battlefield.
The conversation was wonderful because such an important conversation
between two great souls had never taken place before and would not take
place again. It was wonderful because the Supreme Personality of Godhead
was speaking about Himself and His energies to the living entity, Arjuna,
a great devotee of the Lord. If we follow in the footsteps of Arjuna to
understand Krishna, then our life will be happy and successful. Sanjaya
realized this, and as he began to understand it, he related the
conversation to Dhrtarastra. Now it is concluded that wherever there is
Krishna and Arjuna, there is victory.
TEXT 75
vyasa-prasadac chrutavan
etad guhyam aham param
yogam yogesvarat krsnat
saksat kathayatah svayam
WORD FOR WORD
vyasa-prasadat -- by the mercy of Vyasadeva; srutavan --
have heard; etat -- this; guhyam -- confidential;
aham -- I; param -- the supreme; yogam -- mysticism;
yoga-isvarat -- from the master of all mysticism; krsnat --
from Krishna; saksat -- directly; kathayatah -- speaking;
svayam -- personally.
TRANSLATION
By the mercy of Vyasa, I have heard these most confidential talks directly
from the master of all mysticism, Krishna, who was speaking personally to
Arjuna.
PURPORT
Vyasa was the spiritual master of Sanjaya, and Sanjaya admits that it was
by Vyasa's mercy that he could understand the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. This means that one has to understand Krishna not directly but
through the medium of the spiritual master. The spiritual master is the
transparent medium, although it is true that the experience is still
direct. This is the mystery of the disciplic succession. When the
spiritual master is bona fide, then one can hear Bhagavad-gita
directly, as Arjuna heard it. There are many mystics and yogis all
over the world, but Krishna is the master of all yoga systems.
Krishna's instruction is explicitly stated in Bhagavad-gita --
surrender unto Krishna. One who does so is the topmost yogi. This
is confirmed in the last verse of the Sixth Chapter. Yoginam api
sarvesam.
Narada is the direct disciple of Krishna and the spiritual master of
Vyasa. Therefore Vyasa is as bona fide as Arjuna because he comes in the
disciplic succession, and Sanjaya is the direct disciple of Vyasa.
Therefore by the grace of Vyasa, Sanjaya's senses were purified, and he
could see and hear Krishna directly. One who directly hears Krishna can
understand this confidential knowledge. If one does not come to the
disciplic succession, he cannot hear Krishna; therefore his knowledge is
always imperfect, at least as far as understanding Bhagavad-gita is
concerned.
In Bhagavad-gita, all the yoga systems -- karma-yoga,
jnana-yoga and bhakti-yoga -- are explained. Krishna is the
master of all such mysticism. It is to be understood, however, that as
Arjuna was fortunate enough to understand Krishna directly, so, by the
grace of Vyasa, Sanjaya was also able to hear Krishna directly. Actually
there is no difference between hearing directly from Krishna and hearing
directly from Krishna via a bona fide spiritual master like Vyasa. The
spiritual master is the representative of Vyasadeva also. Therefore,
according to the Vedic system, on the birthday of the spiritual master the
disciples conduct the ceremony called Vyasa-puja.
TEXT 76
rajan samsmrtya samsmrtya
samvadam imam adbhutam
kesavarjunayoh punyam
hrsyami ca muhur muhuh
WORD FOR WORD
rajan -- O King; samsmrtya -- remembering; samsmrtya
-- remembering; samvadam -- message; imam -- this;
adbhutam -- wonderful; kesava -- of Lord Krishna;
arjunayoh -- and Arjuna; punyam -- pious; hrsyami --
I am taking pleasure; ca -- also; muhuh muhuh -- repeatedly.
TRANSLATION
O King, as I repeatedly recall this wondrous and holy dialogue between
Krishna and Arjuna, I take pleasure, being thrilled at every moment.
PURPORT
The understanding of Bhagavad-gita is so transcendental that anyone
who becomes conversant with the topics of Arjuna and Krishna becomes
righteous and he cannot forget such talks. This is the transcendental
position of spiritual life. In other words, one who hears the Gita
from the right source, directly from Krishna, attains full Krishna
consciousness. The result of Krishna consciousness is that one becomes
increasingly enlightened, and he enjoys life with a thrill, not only for
some time, but at every moment.
TEXT 77
tac ca samsmrtya samsmrtya
rupam aty-adbhutam hareh
vismayo me mahan rajan
hrsyami ca punah punah
WORD FOR WORD
tat -- that; ca -- also; samsmrtya -- remembering;
samsmrtya -- remembering; rupam -- form; ati --
greatly; adbhutam -- wonderful; hareh -- of Lord Krishna;
vismayah -- wonder; me -- my; mahan -- great;
rajan -- O King; hrsyami -- I am enjoying; ca --
also; punah punah -- repeatedly.
TRANSLATION
O King, as I remember the wonderful form of Lord Krishna, I am struck with
wonder more and more, and I rejoice again and again.
PURPORT
It appears that Sanjaya also, by the grace of Vyasa, could see the
universal form Krishna exhibited to Arjuna. It is, of course, said that
Lord Krishna had never exhibited such a form before. It was exhibited to
Arjuna only, yet some great devotees could also see the universal form of
Krishna when it was shown to Arjuna, and Vyasa was one of them. He is one
of the great devotees of the Lord, and he is considered to be a powerful
incarnation of Krishna. Vyasa disclosed this to his disciple Sanjaya, who
remembered that wonderful form of Krishna exhibited to Arjuna and enjoyed
it repeatedly.
TEXT 78
yatra yogesvarah krsno
yatra partho dhanur-dharah
tatra srir vijayo bhutir
dhruva nitir matir mama
WORD FOR WORD
yatra -- where; yoga-isvarah -- the master of mysticism;
krsnah -- Lord Krishna; yatra -- where; parthah --
the son of Prtha; dhanuh-dharah -- the carrier of the bow and
arrow; tatra -- there; srih -- opulence; vijayah --
victory; bhutih -- exceptional power; dhruva -- certain;
nitih -- morality; matih mama -- my opinion.
TRANSLATION
Wherever there is Krishna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there
is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence,
victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.
PURPORT
The Bhagavad-gita began with an inquiry of Dhrtarastra's. He was
hopeful of the victory of his sons, assisted by great warriors like
Bhisma, Drona and Karna. He was hopeful that the victory would be on his
side. But after describing the scene on the battlefield, Sanjaya told the
King, "You are thinking of victory, but my opinion is that where Krishna
and Arjuna are present, there will be all good fortune." He directly
confirmed that Dhrtarastra could not expect victory for his side. Victory
was certain for the side of Arjuna because Krishna was there. Krishna's
acceptance of the post of charioteer for Arjuna was an exhibition of
another opulence. Krishna is full of all opulences, and renunciation is
one of them. There are many instances of such renunciation, for Krishna is
also the master of renunciation.
The fight was actually between Duryodhana and Yudhisthira. Arjuna was
fighting on behalf of his elder brother, Yudhisthira. Because Krishna and
Arjuna were on the side of Yudhisthira, Yudhisthira's victory was certain.
The battle was to decide who would rule the world, and Sanjaya predicted
that the power would be transferred to Yudhisthira. It is also predicted
here that Yudhisthira, after gaining victory in this battle, would
flourish more and more because not only was he righteous and pious but he
was also a strict moralist. He never spoke a lie during his life.
There are many less intelligent persons who take Bhagavad-gita to
be a discussion of topics between two friends on a battlefield. But such a
book cannot be scripture. Some may protest that Krishna incited Arjuna to
fight, which is immoral, but the reality of the situation is clearly
stated: Bhagavad-gita is the supreme instruction in morality. The
supreme instruction of morality is stated in the Ninth Chapter, in the
thirty-fourth verse: man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. One must become a
devotee of Krishna, and the essence of all religion is to surrender unto
Krishna (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja). The
instructions of Bhagavad-gita constitute the supreme process of
religion and of morality. All other processes may be purifying and may
lead to this process, but the last instruction of the Gita is the
last word in all morality and religion: surrender unto Krishna. This is
the verdict of the Eighteenth Chapter.
From Bhagavad-gita we can understand that to realize oneself by
philosophical speculation and by meditation is one process, but to fully
surrender unto Krishna is the highest perfection. This is the essence of
the teachings of Bhagavad-gita. The path of regulative principles
according to the orders of social life and according to the different
courses of religion may be a confidential path of knowledge. But although
the rituals of religion are confidential, meditation and cultivation of
knowledge are still more confidential. And surrender unto Krishna in
devotional service in full Krishna consciousness is the most confidential
instruction. That is the essence of the Eighteenth Chapter.
Another feature of Bhagavad-gita is that the actual truth is the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. The Absolute Truth is realized in
three features -- impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma, and ultimately
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. Perfect knowledge of the
Absolute Truth means perfect knowledge of Krishna. If one understands
Krishna, then all the departments of knowledge are part and parcel of that
understanding. Krishna is transcendental, for He is always situated in His
eternal internal potency. The living entities are manifested of His energy
and are divided into two classes, eternally conditioned and eternally
liberated. Such living entities are innumerable, and they are considered
fundamental parts of Krishna. Material energy is manifested into
twenty-four divisions. The creation is effected by eternal time, and it is
created and dissolved by external energy. This manifestation of the cosmic
world repeatedly becomes visible and invisible.
In Bhagavad-gita five principal subject matters have been
discussed: the Supreme Personality of Godhead, material nature, the living
entities, eternal time and all kinds of activities. All is dependent on
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna. All conceptions of the
Absolute Truth -- impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma and any other
transcendental conception -- exist within the category of understanding
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although superficially the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the living entity, material nature and time appear
to be different, nothing is different from the Supreme. But the Supreme is
always different from everything. Lord Caitanya's philosophy is that of
"inconceivable oneness and difference." This system of philosophy
constitutes perfect knowledge of the Absolute Truth.
The living entity in his original position is pure spirit. He is just like
an atomic particle of the Supreme Spirit. Thus Lord Krishna may be
compared to the sun, and the living entities to sunshine. Because the
living entities are the marginal energy of Krishna, they have a tendency
to be in contact either with the material energy or with the spiritual
energy. In other words, the living entity is situated between the two
energies of the Lord, and because he belongs to the superior energy of the
Lord, he has a particle of independence. By proper use of that
independence he comes under the direct order of Krishna. Thus he attains
his normal condition in the pleasure-giving potency.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Eighteenth Chapter of the
Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of its Conclusion -- the
Perfection of Renunciation.
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