Secrets of Srimad Bhagavad Gita Revealed
Introduction
The Bhagavad Gita, the greatest devotional book of Hinduism, has long been recognized
as one of the world’s spiritual classics and a guide to all on the path of Truth. Let us read the mantra from Yajur Veda (36-24) and understand the deep meaning and spiritual significance it upholds.
Let us take Vedas as an example of how we need to live our lives. Let us make a firm resolve to lead Young India by example with the inspiration of Swami Vivekananda. Let us make a firm resolve to lead the Future generations of Young India with the inspiration provided by the teachings of Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita. Let us learn to take good care of ourselves.
TACHCHA KSHURDEVHITAM PURASTACHRUKRAMMUCHARAT
PASHYEM SHARADAHA SHATAM JIVEMA SHRADAHA SHATAM SHRUNUYAMA SHARADAHA SHATAM PRA BRAYAMA SHARADAHA SHATMADINAHA SYAM SHARADAHA SHATAM BHUYASHCHA SHARADAHA SHATAM BHUYASHCHA SHARADAHA SHATATA
-------------(36/24, Yajurveda)
He first arose who was the doer of good to the scholars and was blessed with pure eyes of knowledge. May he bless us with a long life of 100 years devoid of misery and pain so that we may live, may hear, give sermons, lead a comfortable life and dwell in happiness for more than a hundred years.
We should firstly acquire knowledge as much as possible. This shall lead to strengthening of the senses upto death. We will be blessed with a long healthy life, knowledge can facilitate in keeping the health and mind strong.
The Greatness of Gita
The Science of Gita is taught to the entire World by Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna revealed the secrets of Gita to not just Arjuna, but all the living beings in the World, Past – Present as well as Future Generations. The fate and destiny of the mankind can be changed by merely reading a few slokas of Gita.
Gita is addressed by Lord Krishna to solve the problems faced by mankind in the World. The holy teachings of Lord Krishna helps people overcome their sorrow and suffering and attain eternal peace.
Bhagavad Gita is a concise guide to Hindu theology and also as a practical, self-contained guide to life. It represents a summary of the Vedantic and Upanishadic teachings, hence it is also called "Veda of the Vedas" and "the Upanishad of the Upanishads". Lord Krishna states that the knowledge of Yoga contained in the Gita was first instructed to mankind at the very beginning of their existence as he is the first Purusha the Universe has ever Known.
Krishna counsels Arjuna on the greater idea of dharma, or universal harmony and duty.
Krishna expounds the various Yoga processes and understanding of the true nature of the universe. Krishna describes the yogic paths of devotional service, action as a selfless service to mankind, meditation and knowledge. Fundamentally, the Bhagavad Gita proposes that true enlightenment comes from growing beyond identification with the temporal ego, the 'False Self', the ephemeral world, so that one identifies with the truth of the immortal self, the absolute soul or Atman. Through detachment from the material sense of ego, the Yogi, or follower of a particular path of Yoga, is able to transcend his/her illusory mortality and attachment to the material world and enter the realm of the Supreme.
Life is very complex in these days. The struggle for existence is very keen. Man finds no time to study Vedas or the Upanishads, or even the whole of the Gita. That man who merely studies daily even a few Slokas is not stained by his Actions (Karma). He obtains perfect wisdom, Supreme Peace and eternal Bliss and Immortality. Then what to speak of him who lives and acts according to the spirit of the teachings of the Gita
He who reads even a quarter of a Sloka is freed from great sins and fear of death. The Srimad Bhagavad Gita is your benefactor and constant companion. The Gita is your Father, Mother, Great Grand Ancestor and Teacher. The Gita is your solace, support and prop. The Gita is an embodiment of nectar. Drink this nectar daily and attain Immortality. May the Gita guide you!
Hari OM Tat Sat
Introduction
The Mahabharata war became inevitable. With the blessings of Vyasa Bhagavan, the Mahabaratha tells of the Pandavas, Prince Arjuna and his four brothers, growing up
in north India at the court of their uncle, the blind King Dhritarashtra, after the death of
their father, the previous ruler. There is always great rivalry between the Pandavas or sons of Pandu and the Kauravas, the one hundred sons of Dhritarashtra. Eventually the old king gives his nephews some land of their own but his eldest son, Duryodhana, defeats Yudhisthira, the eldest Pandava, by cheating at dice, and forces him and his brothers to surrender their land and go into exile for thirteen years.
On their return, the old king is unable to persuade his son Duryodhana to restore their heritage and, in spite of efforts at reconciliation by Sanjaya, Dhritarashtra’s charioteer; by Bheeshma, his wise counsellor; and even by the Lord Krishna himself, war cannot be averted. The rival hosts face each other on the field of Kurukshetra. It is at this point that The Bhagavad Gita begins.
When Prince Arjuna surveys the battlefield, he is overwhelmed with sorrow at the
futility of war. The teachings of The Bhagavad Gita are spoken by the divine Lord Krishna, who is acting as the prince’s charioteer. They are overheard by Sanjaya and reported back to King Dhritarashtra. When Krishna has finished speaking to Arjuna, the two armies engage. The battle lasts eighteen days and by the end of it nearly all of the warriors on both sides are dead save Krishna and the five sons of Pandu.
The Gita addresses the discord between the senses and the intuition of cosmic order. It speaks of the Yoga of equanimity, a detached outlook. The term Yoga covers a wide range of meanings, but in the context of the Bhagavad Gita, describes a unified outlook, serenity of mind, skill in action and the ability to stay attuned to the glory of the Self (Atman) and the Supreme Being (Bhagavan). According to Krishna, the root of all suffering and discord is the agitation of the mind caused by desires. The only way to douse the flame of desire is by simultaneously stilling the mind through self-discipline and engaging oneself in a higher form of activity.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
Secrets of Srimad Bhagavad Gita
Chapter 1
The despondency of Arjuna
(Arjuna Vishada Yoga)
This is the Yoga of the despondency of Arjuna. Arjuna saw all his kinsmen, sons, brothers-in-law, cousins, teachers (Bhishma, Drona and others) standing in the battlefield and said to Lord Krishna: My limbs fail and my mouth is dried, my body shakes and my hairs stand on end; Gandiva slips from my hand. I do not wish to kill them even for the sake of the Kingship of the three worlds. It is a great sin to kill my teachers and relatives.
If I kill them, family traditions will perish. There will be lawlessness. Women will become corrupt. Customs and family traditions will vanish. Arjuna was overwhelmed with grief. He threw away his bow and arrows and sank down on the seat of the chariot.
Lord Krishna taught the secrets of Bhagavad Gita because Arjuna has all the qualities of a Yogi.
“Lord Krishna said: My beloved friend! Why yield, just on the eve of battle, to this weakness which does no credit to those who call themselves Aryans, and only brings them infamy and bars against them the gates of heaven
O Arjuna! Why give way to unmanliness, Arjuna you are the terror of your enemies!
Shake off such shameful confusion and make ready to act!
Lord Shri Krishna said: Why grieve for those for whom no grief is due, and yet profess wisdom The wise grieve neither for the dead nor the living. There was never a time when I was not, nor you, nor these princes were not; there will never be a time when we shall cease to be.
As the soul experiences in this body infancy, youth and old age, so finally it passes into another. The wise have no delusion about this.
Those external relations which bring cold and heat, pain and happiness, they come and go; they are not permanent. Endure them bravely, O Prince! The hero whose soul is unmoved by circumstance, who accepts pleasure and pain with equanimity, only he is fit for immortality.
Chapter 2
Sankhya Yoga
This is Jnana Yoga or Vedanta which bespeaks of the Immortality of the Soul. Lord Krishna said to Arjuna: Wake up from the slumber of ignorance. This body and the world are indwelt by the Imperishable Atman, Brahman or the Soul. None can cause the destruction of the Imperishable.
This Atman is not born nor does It ever die. It is unborn, eternal, changeless, ancient and inexhaustible. It is not killed when the body is killed. It slays not, nor is It slain. Just as a
man casts off worn out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied Self casts off worn out bodies and enters others which are new. Weapons cut It not, fire burns It not, water wets It not, wind dries It not.
This Self is unmanifested, unthinkable and unchangeable. O Arjuna! do your duty. It is the duty of a Kshatriya to fight. There is nothing higher for a Kshatriya than a righteous war. Develop a balanced mind. Having made pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat the same, engage yourself in battle, thus you shall not incur sin; you should
cast off the bonds of action.
Your right is to work only but never with its fruits. Let not the fruit of action be your motive, nor let there be attachment for inaction. Perform action, being steadfast in Yoga abandoning attachment and balanced in success and failure. Evenness of mind is Yoga.
Arjuna says, O Lord Krishna! What is the state of a Sthithaprajna? How does he speak How does he sit, how does he walk?
Lord Krishna replies, A Jivanmukta is free from desires, longings, mine-ness, I-ness, attachment and fear. He is satisfied in his own Self. He is indifferent amidst sensual
pleasures. He is not elated by getting desirable objects. He has a poised mind at all times and under all conditions. He has perfect control over his mind and senses. He lives in Brahman. He is centred in his own Self. He is dead to the sensual world.
Chapter 2, Verse 22
vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya
navani grhnati naro 'parani
tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany
anyani samyati navani dehi
As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, similarly, the soul accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones.
Chapter 2 Verse 27
jatasya hi dhruvo mrtyur
dhruvam janma mrtasya ca
tasmad apariharye 'rthe
na tvam socitum arhasi
For one who has taken his birth, death is certain; and for one who is dead, birth is certain. Therefore, in the unavoidable discharge of your duty, you should not lament.
One has to take birth according to one's activities of life. And, after finishing one term of activities, one has to die to take birth for the next. In this way the cycle of birth and death is revolving, one after the other without liberation. This cycle of birth and death does not, however, support unnecessary murder, slaughter and war. But at the same time, violence and war are inevitable factors in human society for keeping law and order.
The Battle of Kuruksetra, being the will of the Supreme, was an inevitable event, and to fight for the right cause is the duty of a ksatriya. Why should he be afraid of or aggrieved at the death of his relatives since he was discharging his proper duty
He did not deserve to break the law, thereby becoming subjected to the reactions of sinful acts, of which he was so afraid. By avoiding the discharge of his proper duty, he would not be able to stop the death of his relatives, and he would be degraded due to his selection of the wrong path of action.
Life is a battlefield. We are soldiers fighting for our lives existence in this World. We need to have balanced mind in both Success and failure. A Student, Businessman, Lawyer, Employee or an Actor, whatever field he chooses, make sure you put the right action with the right effort to get the results. However don’t have any attachment to the results of your action. Stress management and time management is the key to solving the problems of the modern society.
Chapter 2, Verse 47
karmany evadhikaras te
ma phalesu kadacana
ma karma-phala-hetur bhur
ma te sango 'stv akarmani
You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.
Chapter 2, Verse 48
yoga-sthah kuru karmani
sangam tyaktva dhananjaya
siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva
samatvam yoga ucyate
Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga.
Krishna tells Arjuna that he should act in yoga. And what is that yoga? Yoga means to concentrate the mind upon the Supreme Lord Krishna by controlling the ever-disturbing senses.
Chapter 2, Verse 56
duhkhesv anudvigna-manah
sukhesu vigata-sprhah
vita-raga-bhaya-krodhah
sthita-dhir munir ucyate
One who is not disturbed in spite of the threefold miseries, who is not elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.
Chapter 2, Verse 61
tani sarvani samyamya
yukta asita mat-parah
vase hi yasyendriyani
tasya prajna pratisthita
One who restrains his senses and fixes his consciousness upon the Lord, is known as a man of steady intelligence.
That the highest conception of yoga perfection which is God consciousness clearly explained in this verse. And, unless one is in God conscious, it is not at all possible to control the senses. As cited above, the great sage Durvasa Muni picked a quarrel with Maharaja Ambarisa, and Durvasa Muni unnecessarily became angry out of pride and therefore could not check his senses. On the other hand, the king, although not as powerful a yogi as the sage, but a devotee of the Lord, silently tolerated all the sage's injustices and thereby emerged victorious. The king was able to control his senses because of the following qualifications, as mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam:
"King Ambarisa fixed his mind on the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, engaged his words in describing the abode of the Lord, his hands in cleansing the temple of the Lord, his ears in hearing the pastimes of the Lord, his eyes in seeing the form of the Lord, his body in touching the body of the devotee, his nostrils in smelling the flavor of the flowers offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, his tongue in tasting the tulasi leaves offered to Him, his legs in traveling to the holy place where His temple is situated, his head in offering obeisances unto the Lord, and his desires in fulfilling the desires of the Lord. All these qualifications made him fit to become a mat-parah devotee of the Lord."
Chapter 2, Verse 63
krodhad bhavati sammohah
sammohat smrti-vibhramah
smrti-bhramsad buddhi-naso
buddhi-nasat pranasyati
From anger, delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost, one falls down again into the material pool.
Chapter 2, Verse 71
vihaya kaman yah sarvan
pumams carati nihsprhah
nirmamo nirahankarah
sa santim adhigacchati
A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego--he alone can attain real peace.
To become desireless means not to desire anything for sense gratification. In other words, desire for becoming God conscious is actually desirelessness. One who is situated in this perfect stage knows that because Lord Krishna is the proprietor of everything, therefore everything must be used for the satisfaction of Lord Krishna. Arjuna did not want to fight for his own sense satisfaction, but when he became fully God conscious he fought because Lord Krishna wanted him to fight. For himself there was no desire to fight, but for Lord Krishna the same Arjuna fought to his best ability.
Desire for the satisfaction of Lord Krishna is really desirelessness; it is not an artificial attempt to abolish desires. The living entity cannot be desireless or senseless, but he does have to change the quality of the desires. A materially desireless person certainly knows that everything belongs to Lord Krishna (isavasyam idam sarvam), and therefore he does not falsely claim proprietorship over anything. This transcendental knowledge is based on self-realization--namely, knowing perfectly well that every living entity is the eternal part and parcel of Lord Krishna in spiritual identity, and therefore the eternal position of the living entity is never on the level of Lord Krishna or greater than Him. This understanding of God consciousness is the basic principle of eternal peace.
The Story of King Rantideva - Srimad Bhagavatam
Rantideva is glorified not only in human society but also in the World of Gods (devas), for his exemplary tolerance, compassion, and selflessness.
Rantideva never endeavored to earn anything. He would enjoy whatever he got by the arrangement of providence, but when guests came he would give them everything. Thus he underwent considerable suffering, along with the members of his family. Indeed, he and his family members shivered for want of food and water, yet Rantideva always remained sober. Once, after fasting for forty-eight days, in the morning Rantideva received some water and some foodstuffs made with milk and ghee, but when he and his family were about to eat, a brahmana (priest) guest arrived.
Because Rantideva perceived the presence of the Supreme Godhead everywhere, and in every living entity, he received the guest with faith and respect and gave him a share of the food.
During a period of devastating famine in his kingdom King Rantideva spent the whole of
his wealth in feeding the hungry and the distressed. Deeply pained by the sufferings of
his people and by way of atonement, the King undertook a fast for forty-eight days and
did not take any food or even water during that period.
On the forty-ninth day, when he was satisfied that almost all the hungry and the distressed in his kingdom had been well looked after, he decided to break his fast. Just as he was about to do so by taking a morsel of food and a cup of water he heard the piteous cry of a person of low caste (Pulkasa as he is called in the Purana), asking for water to quench his thirst. The King was then in the midst of his ministers and councillors. He stopped tasting the water placed before him and ordered that the cup be given to the Pulkasa.
The people around him remonstrated strongly at this suicidal act on the part of the King.
It was pointed out by them that it was too much on his part to take the risk of sacrificing
his own life for the sake of a pulkasa after this long fast of nearly forty-eight days.
Immediately afterwards the King began to take the morsel of food. Even for that food
there came a guest at his doors. At this stage, Ranti Deva made the famous
pronouncement recorded in fitting terms by Vyasa:
“I do not seek from the Supreme Lord the highest Bliss attended with the eight powers or
siddhis. Nor do I care for apunarbhavam or cessation of the cycle of births and deaths.
But my only desire is to be present in all beings, undergo suffering with them and serve
them so that they may become free from misery.”
In the next verse he continues to say:
“Hunger, thirst, fatigue, loss of strength in limbs, distress, languor, grief, disappointment,
delusion – all these undesirable features of my distressed soul have all disappeared upon
my giving water to one who was suffering from acute thirst.”
Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the rulers of the three worlds, revealed themselves to him and praised his heroic sacrifice and infinite mercy for his suffering fellow men.
There can be no higher or nobler humanitarian ideal than the one revealed by this episode. Not only did Ranti Deva seek to relieve the misery of his fellow-men, but he also desired to so identify himself with them and become a part of them so as to undergo their suffering and thereby share their miserable predicament.
Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our Nation (India), took hold of this great teaching of the
Srimad Bhagavatam as the inspiring motto of his life. He inscribed this verse in front of
the Sabarmati Ashram founded by him for the inspiration and guidance of his followers.
The fundamental basis of the great national movement started by Mahatma Gandhi was
suffering and sacrifice for the liberation of his countrymen from foreign yoke.
Three Basic Truths
Ranti Deva lays down three basic truths for the guidance of mankind:
• The paramount duty of relieving the suffering of others both for moral purification and for bettering the lot of our brethren.
• The doctrine of sharing the suffering of others both for moral purification and for lessening the burden of the sorrow.
• This duty of relieving the suffering of others is greater than that of working for one’s own salvation or the attainment of moksha or of siddhis or miraculous powers.
The Gods have not ordained that humans die of hunger; even to the well-fed man death comes in many shapes. The wealth of the generous man never wastes away, but the niggard has none to console him.
He who, possessed of food, hardens his heart against the weak man, hungry and suffering, who comes to him for help, though of old he helped him – surely he finds none to console him.
In vain does the mean man acquire food; it is – I speak the truth – verily his death; he who does not cherish a comrade or a friend, who eats all alone, is all sin.
Rig Veda 10.117.1-2,6
Bhagavad Gita urges people to act selflessly for the welfare of others: ‘Strive constantly to serve the welfare of the world; by devotion to selfless work one attains to the supreme goal in life. Do your work with the welfare of others in mind’.
Chapter 3
THE YOGA OF ACTION
(Karma Yoga)
Arjuna said, If it be thought by you that knowledge is superior to action, why then O
Krishna, do you engagest me in this terrible action You confuse my understanding. Tell me that one way for certain by which I may attain eternal bliss?
Lord Krishna replies, In this world there is a twofold path, the path of knowledge of the Sankhyas and the path of action of the Yogins. Man cannot remain even for a moment without performing some kind of action.
Everyone is helplessly driven to action by the qualities born of nature. That fool, who merely controls the organs of action but continually thinks of the objects of senses is called a hypocrite.
Do sacrifice to the Gods. They will in turn give you plenty of food and cattle.
Constantly perform your duty without attachment. You will attain the Supreme. King Janaka attained perfection by action. The great man should set an example to the world. I perform action though there is nothing in the three worlds that should be done by Me.
The egoistic man thinks I am the doer . In reality Nature (also called Prakriti) does everything. A man of Knowledge (Jnani) who remains as a silent witness and who knows the essence of the division of the quality and functions is not bound.
Control Raga-dvesha, obstructors of the spiritual path. Do your own duty well. Control
desire and anger - the enemies of wisdom. Master first the senses. Kill this enemy-desire by restraining the self by the Self and by knowing Him who is superior to intellect.
Chapter 3, Verse 8
niyatam kuru karma tvam
karma jyayo hy akarmanah
sarira-yatrapi ca te
na prasiddhyed akarmanah
Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work.
Chapter 3, Verse 10
saha-yajnah prajah srstva
purovaca prajapatih
anena prasavisyadhvam
esa vo 'stv ista-kama-dhuk
In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Visnu, and blessed them by saying, "Be happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you all desirable things."
Chapter 3, Verse 11
devan bhavayatanena
te deva bhavayantu vah
parasparam bhavayantah
sreyah param avapsyatha
The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you; thus nourishing one another, there will reign general prosperity for all.
Chapter 3, Verse 13
yajna-sistasinah santo
mucyante sarva-kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa
ye pacanty atma-karanat
The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.
Chapter 3, Verse 14
annad bhavanti bhutani
parjanyad anna-sambhavah
yajnad bhavati parjanyo
yajnah karma-samudbhavah
All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajna [sacrifice], and yajna is born of prescribed duties.
The Supreme Lord, who is known as the Adi Yagna, the personal beneficiary of all sacrifices, is the master of all demigods, who serve Him as the different limbs of the body serve the whole. Demigods like Indra, Candra, Varuna, etc., are appointed officers who manage material affairs, and the Vedas direct sacrifices to satisfy these demigods so that they may be pleased to supply air, light and water sufficiently to produce food grains.
When Lord Krishna is worshiped, the demigods, who are different limbs of the Lord, are also automatically worshiped; therefore there is no separate need to worship the demigods. For this reason, the devotees of the Lord, who are in God consciousness, offer food to Lord Krishna and then eat--a process which nourishes the body spiritually.
Therefore, a person in God consciousness, who eats only food offered to Lord Krishna, can counteract all reactions of past material infections, which are impediments to the progress of self-realization. On the other hand, one who does not do so continues to increase the volume of sinful action, and this prepares the next body to resemble hogs and dogs, to suffer the resultant reactions of all sins. The material world is full of contaminations, and one who is immunized by accepting prasadam of the Lord (food offered to Visnu) is saved from the attack, whereas one who does not do so becomes subjected to contamination.
The Lord can be satisfied by sacrifices; therefore, one who cannot perform them will find himself in scarcity--that is the law of nature. Yajna, specifically the devotional service and bhajans singing about the glories of the Lord, must be performed to save us from scarcity of food supply.
Chapter 3, Verse 20
karmanaiva hi samsiddhim
asthita janakadayah
loka-sangraham evapi
sampasyan kartum arhasi
Even kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.
Kings like Janaka and others were all self-realized souls; consequently they had no obligation to perform the prescribed duties in the Vedas. Nonetheless they performed all prescribed activities just to set examples for the people in general. Janaka was the father of Sita, and father-in-law of Lord Sri Rama. Being a great devotee of the Lord, he was transcendentally situated, but because he was the king of Mithila (a subdivision of Bihar province in India), he had to teach his subjects how to fight righteously in battle. He and his subjects fought to teach people in general that violence is also necessary in a situation where good arguments fail.
Story about King Janaka
Once upon a time, king Janaka sent a message to the people in his kingdom: "If there be amongst you a great scholar, a Pundit, a Mahatma, a Yogi, a Maharishi, a Sage, whoever he may be, let him come and teach me the knowledge of Atma (Soul)." In his message he said that he expected to attain Atma Jnana, Self-knowledge, within a matter of a few moments of being properly instructed. Even while climbing onto his horse, before he was completely settled on to it, he should have attained Atma Jnana.
All the Pundits and Rishis were a little frightened by this requirement. They saw that this would be a severe test on their scholarship and learning, and so no one dared to come forth and offer himself to instruct the king and meet the conditions that had been posed.
It was at this point that the boy Astavakra entered the kingdom. He met a number of people coming from there, including scholars and Pundits; all of them had long faces, looking worried and grief-ridden. Astavakra asked the people what was the cause for their worry and grief. They explained to him all the things that had happened. The little boy said: "I will gladly solve this problem for the king."
Astavakra took the King Janaka to the forest. Astavakra told King Janaka: "I am not going to fulfil your wish unless you accept my conditions. I may be only a boy, but I am in the position of a preceptor; and you may be an all-powerful emperor, you are in the position of a disciple. Are you prepared to accept this relationship? If you agree then you will have to offer the traditional gift to the Guru, Teacher. Only after you give your offering to me will I start my instruction to you."
King Janaka told Astavakra: "The attainment of God is the most important thing to me, so I am prepared to give you absolutely anything you want." But Astavakra replied: "I don't want any material things from you, all I want is your mind. You must give me your mind." The king answered: "Alright, I offer my mind to you. Up to now I thought that this was my mind, but from now onwards it will be yours."
Astavakra told Janaka to dismount from his horse and made the horse stand in front of the king and then he told the king to sit down in the middle of the road. Astavakra walked into the forest and sat quietly under a tree. The soldiers waited for a long time. Neither the king nor Astavakra returned from the forest.
The soldiers wanted to find out what had happened to them, so one by one, they proceeded to look for them. When they went along the road leading into the forest, they found the king seated there, in the middle of the road. The horse was standing in front of the king. The king had his eyes closed and sat still almost immobile. Astavakra was not to be seen. The officers were afraid that Astavakra might have exercised some magic spell over the king and had made him lose consciousness. The went to look for the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister came and addressed Janaka: "O King! O King! O King!" But King Janaka did not open his eyes; he did not move at all. The Prime Minister became frightened.
Left with no alternative, the Prime Minister sent the chariot back to the city to bring the queen thinking that if the queen spoke to the king, he would surely respond. The queen came and addressed the king: "Rajah, Rajah, Rajah!" The king did not stir;
The soldiers caught hold of the little boy and brought him towards the place where the king was. Astavakra told them: "Why are you all so worried? The king is safe and everything is alright." The king neither opened his mouth in answer nor opened his eyes in acknowledgment. But now Astavakra came and spoke to the king.
King Janaka immediately opened his eyes and replied, "Swami!" Astavakra questioned the king: "Well, the ministers have come, and the soldiers have come, and also many others have come, why did you not reply to their entreaties?"
Janaka answered: "Thoughts, words and deeds are associated with the mind, and I offered my mind entirely to you. Therefore before I can use the mind for anything, I need your permission. What authority do I have to speak to anyone or use this mind in any way without your permission and command." Then Astavakra said: "You have attained the state of God-realization."
Astavakra told Janaka to put one foot in the stirrup and get up on the horse. By the time he had climbed up and seated himself on the horse and put his other foot in the stirrup, he had attained the experience of Atma. Once a person has offered his mind, and with it all his words, deeds and thoughts, then he will not have the authority or the power to perform any actions without the permission of the one to whom he has surrendered his mind.
Chapter 3, Verse 21
yad yad acarati sresthas
tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
Whatever action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.
Chapter 3, Verse 22
na me parthasti kartavyam
trisu lokesu kincana
nanavaptam avaptavyam
varta eva ca karmani
There is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I need to obtain anything--and yet I am engaged in work.
Chapter 3, Verse 28
tattva-vit tu maha-baho
guna-karma-vibhagayoh
guna gunesu vartanta
iti matva na sajjate
One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results.
say YES to divine pure love
say YES to loving ALL.
say YES to forgive ALL whatever needs to be forgiven
say YES to helping all - whatever help is needed
say YES to action without desires, without expecting results
say YES to action in the name of your favorite God, the Holy Spirit
say YES to YOUR innermost fire of LOVE and accept the HUGE flow of LOVE that IS possible to flow through ALL OF YOU
PRACTICE all above positive affirmations in all possible situations of life and as a positive result you will see progress in your process of LEARNING to LOVE and practice that ever increasing purity of love in all new upcoming and existing situations of YOUR life.
May all the beings in all the worlds be happy;
Peace, peace and peace be everywhere.
Chapter 3, Verse 30
mayi sarvani karmani
sannyasyadhyatma-cetasa
nirasir nirmamo bhutva
yudhyasva vigata-jvarah
Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with mind intent on Me, and without desire for gain and free from egoism and lethargy, fight.
One has to sacrifice everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge prescribed duties without claiming proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. The Supreme Lord is the soul of all souls; therefore, one who depends solely and wholly on the Supreme Soul without personal consideration, or in other words, one who is fully Krishna conscious, is called adhyatma-cetasa.
One has to act on the order of the master. One should never ever expect fruitive results. The cashier may count millions of dollars for his employer, but he does not claim a cent for himself. Similarly, one has to realize that nothing in the world belongs to any individual person, but that everything belongs to the Supreme Lord.
When one acts in such God consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over anything. This consciousness is called nirmama, or nothing is mine. And, if there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off; in this way one may become without laziness. Everyone, according to his quality and position, has a particular type of work to discharge, and all such duties may be discharged in God consciousness, as described above. That will lead one to the path of liberation.
Chapter 3, Verse 35
sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah
para-dharmat svanusthitat
sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah
para-dharmo bhayavahah
It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though they may be faultily, than another's duties. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous.
One should therefore discharge his prescribed duties in full God consciousness rather than those prescribed for others. Prescribed duties complement one's psychophysical condition, under the spell of the modes of material nature. Spiritual duties are as ordered by the spiritual master, for the transcendental service of Lord Krishna.
However, when one transcends the modes of material nature and is fully situated in God consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the direction of the bona fide spiritual master. In that complete stage of Krishna consciousness, the ksatriya may act as a brahmana, or a brahmana may act as a ksatriya. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions of the material world do not apply.
Chapter 3, Verse 42
indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
yo buddheh paratas tu sah
The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.
Chapter 3, Verse 43
evam buddheh param buddhva
samstabhyatmanam atmana
jahi satrum maha-baho
kama-rupam durasadam
Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to material senses, mind and intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self and thus--by spiritual strength--conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.
In the material existence of life, one is certainly influenced by propensities for lust and desire for dominating the resources of material nature. By the strength of God consciousness, one can control the material senses, the mind and the intelligence. One may not give up work and prescribed duties all of a sudden; but by gradually developing Krishna consciousness, one can be situated in a transcendental position without being influenced by the material senses and the mind--by steady intelligence directed toward one's pure identity.
Chapter 4
THE YOGA OF WISDOM
(Jnana-Vibhaga Yoga)
Lord Krishna said, O Bharata! Whenever righteousness declines and unrighteousness
becomes powerful, then I Myself come to birth. For the protection of the good, for the
destruction of evil-doers, for the sake of firmly establishing righteousness I am born from age to age.
In whatever way men approach Me, so do I reward them: men follow in every way My path, Oson of Pritha. He who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, he is wise among men, he is a Yogi, even while performing all actions. Whose undertakings are all destitute of desires and purposes and whose actions have been burnt by the fire of knowledge him the wise have called a Saint.
Without hope, with the mind self-controlled, having abandoned attachment to the fruit of
actions, all greed and envy, always content with whatsoever he obtains without effort, free from the pairs of opposites, balanced in success and failure, with his thoughts established in Brahman, he is not doing anything, although doing actions; he is not bound, though acting.
Brahman is the oblation; Brahman is the clarified butter; by Brahman is the oblation
poured into the fire of Brahman; Brahman verily shall be reached by him who always sees Brahman in action.
Some Yogis perform sacrifice to Devas; while the Jivanmuktas offer the Self in the fire
Brahman. Some again offer hearing and other senses in the fire of restraint. Others again sacrifice all the functions of the senses and the breath in the fire of Yoga of self-restraint kindled by knowledge. Others again offer wealth, austerity, study of scriptures and knowledge as sacrifice.
Others offer as sacrifice the outgoing breath in the incoming and the incoming in the outgoing. Superior is knowledge-sacrifice to the sacrifice of objects. All actions in their entirety, O Partha, culminate in knowledge.
Know that by long prostration, by question and service; the wise who have realised the
Truth will instruct thee in that knowledge. Even if you art the most sinful of all sinners, yet you shalt verily cross all sins by the raft of knowledge. Just as the blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all actions to ashes.
The man who is full of faith, who is devoted to it, and who has subdued the senses and
obtains this knowledge and having obtained knowledge he goes at once to the Supreme Peace.
The ignorant, the faithless, the doubting self goes to destruction; there is neither this world, nor the other, nor happiness for the doubting. Therefore, with the sword of knowledge cut asunder the doubt of the Self born of ignorance, residing in the heart and take refuge in Yoga. Arise, O Bharata.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 5
sri-bhagavan uvaca
bahuni me vyatitani
janmani tava carjuna
tany aham veda sarvani
na tvam vettha parantapa
The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 7
yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 8
paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge
In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 27
sarvanindriya-karmani
prana-karmani capare
atma-samyama-yogagnau
juhvati jnana-dipite
Those who are interested in self-realization, in terms of mind and sense control, offer the functions of all the senses, as well as the vital force [breath], as oblations into the fire of the controlled mind.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 13
catur-varnyam maya srstam
guna-karma-vibhagasah
tasya kartaram api mam
viddhy akartaram avyayam
According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.
A person in Krishna consciousness, is above all the divisions of human society. As Krishna is transcendental to this system of the four divisions of human society, a person in Krishna consciousness is also transcendental to all divisions of human society, whether we consider the divisions of community, nation or species.
Chapter 4, verse 18
karmany akarma yah pasyed
akarmani ca karma yah
sa buddhiman manusyesu
sa yuktah krtsnakarmakrt
One who sees inaction in action and action in inaction, is a wise person. Such a person is a yogi and has accomplished everything.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 24
Brahmarpanam brahma havir
brahmagnau brahmana hutam
brahmaiva tena gantavyam
brahma-karma-samadhina
A person who is fully absorbed in Krishna consciousness is sure to attain the spiritual kingdom because of his full contribution to spiritual activities, in which the consummation is absolute and that which is offered is of the same spiritual nature.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 39
sraddhaval labhate jnanam
tat-parah samyatendriyah
jnanam labdhva param santim
acirenadhigacchati
A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.
Such knowledge in Krishna consciousness can be achieved by a faithful person who believes firmly in Krishna. One is called a faithful man who thinks that, simply by acting in Krishna consciousness, he can attain the highest perfection. This faith is attained by the discharge of devotional service, and by chanting "Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare," which cleanses one's heart of all material dirt. Over and above this, one should control the senses. A person who is faithful to Krishna and who controls the senses can easily attain perfection in the knowledge of Krishna consciousness without delay.
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 41
yoga-sannyasta-karmanam
jnana-sanchinna-samsayam
atmavantam na karmani
nibadhnanti dhananjaya
Therefore, one who has renounced the fruits of his action, whose doubts are destroyed by transcendental knowledge, and who is situated firmly in the self, is not bound by works.
One who follows the instruction of the Gita, as it is imparted by the Lord, the Personality of Godhead Himself, becomes free from all doubts by the grace of transcendental knowledge. He, as a part and parcel of the Lord Krishna, in full God consciousness, is already established in self-knowledge. As such, he is undoubtedly above bondage to action.
Story about King Janasruti Pautrayana and the cart-driver
In the Chandogya Upanishad (4.1-2) we find an interesting account of a king called Janasruti Pautrayana, renowned for his generous giving and philanthropic works, and Raikva, the cart-driver who was indifferent to wealth. The king felt restless on overhearing a conversation between two geese who were flying over his palace.
They commented on the king’s charity being motivated by his desire for name and fame, whereas Raikva, the cart-driver, was at peace with himself as he cared not for wealth or fame.
The king went to Raikva loaded with gifts and asked him which deity he needed to worship in order to attain inner peace and happiness. But Raikva told the king that the gifts were of no use to him. The king again went to Raikva with lavish gifts and begged him to teach him the way to true happiness.
Raikva imparted the sacred teaching: that all things in the universe are supported by the Spirit and all belong to the Spirit. The mere giving of gifts without this spiritual wisdom can bring no true peace. A gift that is given without any expectation of appreciation or reward is beneficial to both giver and recipient. The true enjoyment and peace lie in detachment from wealth. We are not asked to renounce wealth but rather our sense of possession. Whatever we give will have no value if we part with our wealth reluctantly.
Chapter 5
THE YOGA OF RENUNCIATION OF ACTION
(Karma-Sannyasa Yoga)
Arjuna said, Renunciation of actions, O Krishna, you praisest, and then also Yoga. Tell
me conclusively that which is the better of the two.
The Blessed Lord said, Renunciation and Yoga of action both lead to the highest bliss; but out of the two, Yoga of action is superior to the renunciation of action. Children, not the wise, speak of Sankhya (knowledge) and Yoga (Yoga of action) as distinct; he who is truly established in one obtains the fruits of both. That place which is reached by the Sankhyas (Jnanis) is reached by the Yogis (Karma Yogis). He sees, who sees Sankhya and Yoga are one.
I do nothing at all, thus would the knower of Truth thinkseeing, hearing, touching,
smelling, eating, going, sleeping, breathing, speaking, letting go, seizing, opening and closing the eyes convinced that the senses move among the sense-objects. Neither agency nor action does the Lord create for the world, nor union with the fruits of actions. But it is Nature that acts.
Thinking of That, merged in That, established in That, solely devoted to That, they go
whence there is no return, their sins dispelled by knowledge.
Sages look with an equal eye in a Brahmin endowed with learning and humility, in a cow,
in an elephant, and even in a dog and in an outcaste. With the self unattached to external contacts he finds bliss in the Self: with the self engaged in the meditation of Brahman he attains endless bliss.
The enjoyments that are born of contacts are only generators of pain, for they have a beginning and an end, O son of Kunti (O Kaunteya); the wise do not rejoice in them.
He who is able, while still in the world, to withstand before the liberation from the body the impulse born out of desire and anger, he is a Yogi, he is a happy man. Eternal peace lies near to those controlled ascetics who are free from desire and anger, who
have controlled their thoughts and who have realised the Self.
Shutting out all external contacts and fixing the gaze between the eyebrows, equalising the outgoing and incoming breaths moving within the nostrils, with senses, mind and intellect ever controlled, having liberation as his supreme goal, free from desire, fear and anger the sage is verily liberated for ever.
Chapter 5, Verse 7
yoga-yukto visuddhatma
vijitatma jitendriyah
sarva-bhutatma-bhutatma
kurvann api na lipyate
One who works in devotion, who is a pure soul, and who controls his mind and senses, is dear to everyone, and everyone is dear to him. Though always working, such a man is never entangled.
One who is on the path of liberation by Krishna consciousness is very dear to every living being, and every living being is dear to him. This is due to his Krishna consciousness. Such a person cannot think of any living being as separate from Krishna, just as the leaves and branches of a tree are not separate from the tree.
He knows very well that by pouring water on the root of the tree, the water will be distributed to all the leaves and branches, or by supplying food to the stomach, the energy is automatically distributed throughout the body. Because one who works in Krishna consciousness is servant to all, he is very dear to everyone. And, because everyone is satisfied by his work, he is pure in consciousness. Because he is pure in consciousness, his mind is completely controlled.
And, because his mind is controlled, his senses are also controlled. Because his mind is always fixed on Krishna, there is no chance of his being deviated from Krishna. Nor is there a chance that he will engage his senses in matters other than the service of the Lord.
He does not like to hear anything except topics relating to Krishna; he does not like to eat anything which is not offered to Krishna; and he does not wish to go anywhere if Krishna is not involved. Therefore, his senses are controlled. A man of controlled senses cannot be offensive to anyone.
Chapter 5, Verse 8-9
naiva kincit karomiti
yukto manyeta tattva-vit
pasyan srnvan sprsan jighrann
asnan gacchan svapan svasan
pralapan visrjan grhnann
unmisan nimisann api
indriyanindriyarthesu
vartanta iti dharayan
A person in the divine consciousness, although engaged in seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, moving about, sleeping and breathing, always knows within himself that he actually does nothing at all. Because while speaking, evacuating, receiving, opening or closing his eyes, he always knows that only the material senses are engaged with their objects and that he is aloof from them.
A person in God consciousness is pure in his existence, and consequently he has nothing to do with any work which depends upon five immediate and remote causes: the doer, the work, the situation, the endeavor and fortune. This is because he is engaged in the loving transcendental service of Krishna. Although he appears to be acting with his body and senses, he is always conscious of his actual position, which is spiritual engagement.
In material consciousness, the senses are engaged in sense gratification, but in Krishna consciousness the senses are engaged in the satisfaction of Krishna's senses. Therefore, the Krishna conscious person is always free, even though he appears to be engaged in things of the senses. Activities such as seeing, hearing, speaking, evacuating, etc., are actions of the senses meant for work. A God conscious person is never affected by the actions of the senses. He cannot perform any act except in the service of the Lord because he knows that he is the eternal servant of the Lord.
Chapter 5, Verse 13
sarva-karmani manasa
sannyasyaste sukham vasi
nava-dvare pure dehi
naiva kurvan na karayan
When the embodied living being controls his nature and mentally renounces all actions, he resides happily in the city of nine gates [the material body], neither working nor causing work to be done.
In such a controlled life, in which his deliberations are changed, he lives happily within the city of nine gates. The nine gates are described as follows:
nava-dvare pure dehi hamso lelayate bahih
vasi sarvasya lokasya sthavarasya carasya ca
"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is living within the body of a living entity, is the controller of all living entities all over the universe. The body consists of nine gates: two eyes, two nostrils, two ears, one mouth, the anus and the genital. The living entity in his conditioned stage identifies himself with the body, but when he identifies himself with the Lord within himself, he becomes just as free as the Lord, even while in the body."
Therefore, a Krishna conscious person is free from both the outer and inner activities of the material body.
Chapter 5, Verse 17
tad-buddhayas tad-atmanas
tan-nisthas tat-parayanah
gacchanty apunar-avrttim
jnana-nirdhuta-kalmasah
When one's intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation.
The Supreme Transcendental Truth is Lord Krishna. The whole Bhagavad-gita centers around the declaration of Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Chapter 5, Verse 18
vidya-vinaya-sampanne
brahmane gavi hastini
suni caiva sva-pake ca
panditah sama-darsinah
The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].
A Krishna conscious person does not make any distinction between species or castes.
Chapter 5, Verse 21
bahya-sparsesv asaktatma
vindaty atmani yat sukham
sa brahma-yoga-yuktatma
sukham aksayam asnute
Such a liberated person is not attracted to material sense pleasure or external objects but is always in trance, enjoying the pleasure within. In this way the self-realized person enjoys unlimited happiness, for he concentrates on the Supreme.
Chapter 5, Verse 22
ye hi samsparsa-ja bhoga
duhkha-yonaya eva te
ady-antavantah kaunteya
na tesu ramate budhah
An intelligent person does not take part in the sources of misery, which are due to contact with the material senses. Such pleasures have a beginning and an end, and so the wise man does not delight in them.
Chapter 5, Verse 27-28
sparsan krtva bahir bahyams
caksus caivantare bhruvoh
pranapanau samau krtva
nasabhyantara-carinau
yatendriya-mano-buddhir
munir moksa-parayanah
vigateccha-bhaya-krodho
yah sada mukta eva sah
Shutting out all external sense objects, keeping the eyes and vision concentrated between the two eyebrows, suspending the inward and outward breaths within the nostrils--thus controlling the mind, senses and intelligence, the transcendentalist becomes free from desire, fear and anger. One who is always in this state is certainly liberated.
Being engaged in Krishna consciousness, one can immediately understand one's spiritual identity, and then one can understand the Supreme Lord by means of devotional service. When he is well situated in devotional service, one comes to the transcendental position, qualified to feel the presence of the Lord in the sphere of one's activity. This particular position is called liberation in the Supreme.
After explaining the above principles of liberation in the Supreme, the Lord gives instruction to Arjuna as to how one can come to that position by the practice of the mysticism or yoga, known as Kriya-yoga, which is divisible into an eightfold procedure called yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi.
1. Yama (The five "abstentions"): non-violence, non-lying, non-covetousness, non-sensuality, and non-possessiveness.
2. Niyama (The five "observances"): purity, contentment, austerity, study, and surrender to god.
3. Asana: Literally means "seat", and in Patanjali's Sutras refers to the seated position used for meditation.
4. Pranayama ("Suspending Breath"): Prana, breath, "ayama", to restrain or stop. Also interpreted as control of the life force.
5. Pratyahara ("Abstraction"): Withdrawal of the sense organs from external objects.
6. Dharana ("Concentration"): Fixing the attention on a single object.
7. Dhyana ("Meditation"): Intense contemplation of the nature of the object of meditation.
8. Samadhi ("Liberation"): merging consciousness with the object of meditation.
One has to drive out the sense objects such as sound, touch, form, taste and smell by the pratyahara (breathing) process in yoga, and then keep the vision of the eyes between the two eyebrows and concentrate on the tip of the nose with half closed lids. There is no benefit in closing the eyes altogether, because then there is every chance of falling asleep.
Nor is there benefit in opening the eyes completely, because then there is the hazard of being attracted by sense objects. The breathing movement is restrained within the nostrils by neutralizing the up- and down-moving air within the body. By practice of such yoga one is able to gain control over the senses, refrain from outward sense objects, and thus prepare oneself for liberation in the Supreme.
This yoga process helps one become free from all kinds of fear and anger and thus feel the presence of the Supersoul in the transcendental situation. In other words, God consciousness is the easiest process of executing yoga principles. A God conscious person, however, being always engaged in devotional service, does not risk losing his senses to some other engagement.
Chapter 5, Verse 29
bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
sarva-loka-mahesvaram
suhrdam sarva-bhutanam
jnatva mam santim rcchati
The sages, know Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all the Worlds, the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities. They attain eternal peace from material miseries by renunciating the fruits of their actions to the Supreme Lord.
Short Story on how SUKA attained Highest State of Bliss.
Raja Rishi Viswamitra said to Lord Rama: "You know all that should be known. You and Rishi Suka are full of spiritual wisdom. Both of you have attained equally the highest wisdom, but you need to acquire the state of quietness and stillness."
Lord Rama: "O, please inform me how Brahm Rishi Suka achieved wisdom without quiescence of mind, and how he secured that blissful state?"
The Master: "Rishi Suka had absolute spiritual wisdom which is the only sword to cut the rope of re-birth. Once he tried to inquire of the origin of things, as you are doing, and he then became doubtful of his wisdom. The object of his mind became disturbed, but he was free from sensual desires. Rishi Suka went to the Himalaya Mountains to his father, who was one of the Masters there, and asked for instruction that he might not lose his faith.
Thus he said to his father: 'O Father, from whence came all this Maya (illusion), which produces misery and darkness? How did it originate? How may it be destroyed?' What part does it play in the origin of the universe?' His father replied with wisdom, as he did unto all others, but his answer did not dispel his son's doubt. Suka said to his father: 'I know all that'. And alas! his father was unable to remove his doubt. His father then requested him to go to King Janaka, who was the highest being in spiritual wisdom of his time.
"Rishi Suka left the Himalaya Mountains and later approached the golden gates of the King's palace. Although the King was aware of Brahm Rishi's (Suka) arrival, he refused to go forth and meet him. He requested that the Rishi should not be admitted into his palace, as he wanted to test the sincerity of his mind. Rishi Suka waited full seven days at the golden gate.
At last he was conducted into a magnificent hall where beautiful women were indulging in worldly enjoyments. But Suka's mind did not lose its balance. He was not affected by the unjust act of the King in making him wait seven days at his gate, nor was he moved by the disgraceful conduct of worldly association.
The King came and addressed him thus: 'O, Brahm Rishi (there are three kinds of Rishis), you have reached the highest state. The worldly joys and sorrows do not affect thee. I beseech you to tell what has brought you here?' Rishi Suka asked: 'What has caused my illusion? How does it generate? How can it be destroyed? Please instruct me.' The King gave him the same explanation that his father had given him.
Rishi Suka returned: 'I know that, and my father gave me the same information. If Maya (illusion) which is produced by a differentiation of one Atma as breath, etc.) and merged again into the Atma, then no benefit can be derived from this perishable Maya (illusion). O Highest Guru, Please tell me how to dispel this delusion of my mind! Please enlighten me on this matter.'
"The King: ‘You have known what should be known, but still you ask me—although your father has instructed you alright. The enlightenment we have given to you is the real one. Atma alone, is that which is everywhere, just as the ether pervades all space and atmosphere. Wisdom is bound by nothing else but its own thought. Freeing yourself from sensual thoughts, is freeing yourself from bondage. You have clearly realized the Atmic wisdom for you have given up all longing for sensual objects. You have by your own efforts, through the higher mind, reached the highest Brahmic State; You have become a Jivanmukta (the state of emancipated embodiment).
But one thing you have yet to accomplish—that of giving up the delusion of the illusion which has arisen through doubt in your mind. When you have accomplished this, then you will be free.' King Janaka thus initiated Rishi Suka into the Atmic mysteries, where he acquired the highest state of wisdom, and was freed from all misery, doubt, death and rebirth. He lived for 1000 years, then merged into that higher wisdom, which is Brahm. As water returns to the ocean, so the light which departs from the "I", returns to the higher light (Atma), and becomes Brahm. Thus Rishi attained that liberation, which is above all else. O Rama, you should follow the same path.
"To become a slave of desire is bondage; to master it, is liberation. Master your desires and become indifferent to worldly enjoyments; become a Jivanmukta (emancipated embodiment), without the assistance of austerities of religions; follow the path of wisdom and you will realize the reality. O Rama, there is but one person who can remove the doubt from your mind, and that is the Omniscient Vashishta, who knows the past, present, and the future. He is the Guru (spiritual teacher) of all mankind."
Chapter 6
THE YOGA OF MEDITATION
(Adhyatma Yoga)
Lord Krishna said, He who performs his bounden duty without depending on the fruits of
Action he is a Sannyasin and a Yogi; not he who is without fire and without action. For a Muni or a sage who wishes to attain to Yoga, action is said to be the means; for the same sage who has attained to Yoga, inaction or quiescence is said to be the means.
Let a man lift himself by his own Self alone, let him not lower himself; for the Self alone is the friend of oneself and this Self alone is the enemy of oneself. The Self is the friend of the self for him who has conquered himself by the Self, but to the unconquered self, this self stands in the position of an enemy like the external foe .
Having in a clear spot established a firm seat of his own, neither too high nor too low, made of a cloth, a skin and Kusa grass one over the other, let him firmly hold his body, head and neck erect and still, gazing at the tip of his nose, without looking around, serene-minded fearless, firm in the vow of a Brahmachari, having controlled the mind, thinking on Me, and balanced, let him sit, having Me as the Supreme Goal.
Verily Yoga is not possible for him who eats too much, nor for him who does not eat at all, nor for him who sleeps too much nor for him who is always wakeful, O Arjuna.
Yoga becomes the destroyer of pain for him who is moderate in eating and recreation, who is moderate in exertion in actions, who is moderate in sleep and wakefulness.
Little by little let him attain quietude by intellect held in firmness; having made the mind established in the Self, let him not think of anything. From whatever cause the restless and unsteady mind wanders away, from that let him restrain it and bring it under the control of the self alone.
With the mind harmonised by Yoga he sees the Self, abiding in all beings, and all beings in the Self, he sees the same everywhere. He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, he never becomes separated from Me, nor do I become separated from him.
Arjuna said, The mind verily, O Krishna, restless, turbulent, strong and unyielding, I deem it quite as difficult to control it as that of the wind.
Lord Krishna said, Undoubtedly, O mighty-armed, the mind is difficult to control and
restless, but by practice, O Kaunteya and by dispassion, it can be restrained.
Arjuna said, He who is unable to control himself though he is possessed of faith, whose
mind wanders away from Yoga, what end does he, having failed to attain perfection in Yoga meet, O Krishna.
The blessed Lord said, Having attained to the worlds of the righteous and having dwelt
there for everlasting years, he who fell from Yoga is reborn in a house of the pure and wealthy.
Or he is born in a family of wise Yogins only; verily a birth like this is very difficult to obtain in this world. Then he comes in touch with the knowledge acquired in his former body and strives more than before for perfection, O son of the Kurus. By that very former practice he is born on in spite of himself. Even he who merely wishes to know Yoga goes beyond the Brahmic world.
The Yogi is thought to be superior to the ascetics and even superior to men of knowledge
(obtained through study of Sastras); he is also superior to men of action; therefore, be a Yogi,
O Arjuna!. And among all Yogins, he who, full of faith with his inner self merged in Me, worships Me, he is deemed by Me to be the most devout.
Chapter 6, Verse 5
uddhared atmanatmanam
natmanam avasadayet
atmaiva hy atmano bandhur
atmaiva ripur atmanah
A man must elevate himself by his own mind, not degrade himself. The mind is the friend of the conditioned soul, and his enemy as well.
Chapter 6, Verse 6
bandhur atmatmanas tasya
yenatmaivatmana jitah
anatmanas tu satrutve
vartetatmaiva satru-vat
For him who has conquered the mind, the mind is the best of friends; but for one who has failed to do so, his very mind will be the greatest enemy.
As long as one's mind remains an unconquered enemy, one has to serve the dictations of lust, anger, avarice, illusion, etc. But when the mind is conquered, one voluntarily agrees to abide by the dictation of the Personality of Godhead, who is situated within the heart of everyone as Paramatma. Real yoga practice entails meeting the Paramatma within the heart and then following His orders. For one who takes to Krishna consciousness directly, perfect surrender to the Lord follows automatically.
Chapter 6, Verse 7
jitatmanah prasantasya
paramatma samahitah
sitosna-sukha-duhkhesu
tatha manapamanayoh
For one who has conquered the mind, the Supersoul is already reached, for he has attained tranquility. To such a man happiness and distress, heat and cold, honor and dishonor are all the same.
Chapter 6, Verse 8
jnana-vijnana-trptatma
kuta-stho vijitendriyah
yukta ity ucyate yogi
sama-lostrasma-kancanah
A person is said to be established in self-realization and is called a yogi [or mystic] when he is fully satisfied by virtue of acquired knowledge and realization. Such a person is situated in transcendence and is self-controlled. He sees everything--whether it be pebbles, stones or gold--as the same.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 17
yuktahara-viharasya
yukta-cestasya karmasu
yukta-svapnavabodhasya
yogo bhavati duhkha-ha
He who is temperate in his habits of eating, sleeping, working and recreation can mitigate all material pains by practicing the yoga system.
Extravagance in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending and mating--which are demands of the body--can block advancement in the practice of yoga. As far as eating is concerned, it can be regulated only when one is practiced to take and accept prasadam, offered to Lord Krishna first.
Regulation of diet and sleep is recommended for the Yogis. Too much eating means eating more than is required to keep the body and soul together. There is no need for men to eat animals, because there is an ample supply of grains, vegetables, fruits and milk.
Such simple foodstuff is considered to be in the mode of goodness according to the Bhagavad-gita. Animal food is for those in the mode of ignorance. Therefore, those who indulge in animal food, drinking, smoking and eating food which is not first offered to Krishna will suffer sinful reactions because of eating only polluted things.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 26
yato yato niscalati
manas cancalam asthiram
tatas tato niyamyaitad
atmany eva vasam nayet
From whatever and wherever the mind wanders due to its flickering and unsteady nature, one must certainly withdraw it and bring it back under the control of the Self.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 34
cancalam hi manah Krishna
pramathi balavad drdham
tasyaham nigraham manye
vayor iva su-duskaram
For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krishna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 36
asamyatatmana yogo
dusprapa iti me matih
vasyatmana tu yatata
sakyo 'vaptum upayatah
For one whose mind is unbridled, self-realization is difficult work. But he whose mind is controlled and who strives by right means is assured of success. That is My opinion.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 40
sri-bhagavan uvaca
partha naiveha namutra
vinasas tasya vidyate
na hi kalyana-krt kascid
durgatim tata gacchati
The Blessed Lord said: A transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 41
prapya punya-krtam lokan
usitva sasvatih samah
sucinam srimatam gehe
yoga-bhrasto 'bhijayate
The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 42
atha va yoginam eva
kule bhavati dhimatam
etad dhi durlabhataram
loke janma yad idrsam
Or he takes his birth in a family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom. Verily, such a birth is rare in this world.
Birth in a family of yogis or transcendentalists--those with great wisdom--is praised herein because the child born in such a family receives a spiritual impetus from the very beginning of his life.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 46
tapasvibhyo 'dhiko yogi
jnanibhyo 'pi mato 'dhikah
karmibhyas cadhiko yogi
tasmad yogi bhavarjuna
A yogi is greater than the ascetic, greater than the empiricist and greater than the fruitive worker. Therefore, O Arjuna, in all circumstances, be a yogi.
CHAPTER 6, VERSE 47
yoginam api sarvesam
mad-gatenantar-atmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam
sa me yuktatamo matah
And of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga and is the highest of all.
Chapter 7
THE YOGA OF WISDOM
(Jnana Yoga)
The Blessed Lord said, I shall declare to you in full this knowledge combined with
Realization, which being known, nothing here remains to be known. Among thousands of men, one perchance strives for perfection; even among those successful strivers, only one perchance knows Me in essence.
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intellect, egoism My Prakriti is divided eightfold. This is the inferior Prakriti, but different from it, know thou, O mighty-armed, My higher Prakriti, the very life-element, by which this world is upheld .
I am the sapidity in waters, O son of Kunti. I am the light in the moon, and the sun; I am the syllable OM in all the Vedas, sound in ether and virility in men. Verily, this divine illusion of Mine, caused by the qualities is difficult to cross over; those who take refuge in Me alone cross over this illusion.
Four kinds of virtuous men worship Me O Arjuna, and they are the distressed, the seeker of knowledge, the seeker of wealth and the wise, O lord of Bharatas. Of these, the wise, ever steadfast and devoted to the One excels; for I am exceedingly dear to the wise, and he is dear to Me. Noble indeed are all these; but the wise man, I deem as My very Self; for, steadfast in mind he is established in Me alone, as the Supreme Goal.
At the end of many births the wise man comes to Me, realizing that all this is Vasudeva, the innermost Self, such a great soul is very hard to find.
By the delusion of the pairs of opposites, arising from desire and aversion (likes and
dislikes) O Bharata, all beings are subject to illusion, O Parantapa (scorcher of foes). But those men of pure deeds, whose sin has come to an end, who are freed from the delusion of the pairs of opposites, worship Me, steadfast in vows.
Those who know Me in the Adhibhuta (pertaining to the elements) in the Adhidaiva
(pertaining to the gods) and in the Adhiyajna (pertaining to the sacrifice), know Me even at the time of death, steadfast in mind.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 2
jnanam te 'ham sa-vijnanam
idam vaksyamy asesatah
yaj jnatva neha bhuyo 'nyaj
jnatavyam avasisyate
I shall now declare unto you in full this knowledge both phenomenal and noumenal, by knowing which there shall remain nothing further to be known.
Complete knowledge includes knowledge of the phenomenal world and the spirit behind it. The source of both of them is transcendental knowledge. The knower, the knowable and the known – everything is Lord Krishna. Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice as an offering to Lord Krishna.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 3
manusyanam sahasresu
kascid yatati siddhaye
yatatam api siddhanam
kascin mam vetti tattvatah
Out of many thousands among men, one may endeavor for perfection, and of those who have achieved perfection, hardly one knows Me in truth.
There are various grades of men, and out of many thousands one may be sufficiently interested in transcendental realization to try to know what is the self, what is the body, and what is the Absolute Truth. Generally mankind is simply engaged in the animal propensities, namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating, and hardly anyone is interested in transcendental knowledge. The first six chapters of the Gita are meant for those who are interested in transcendental knowledge, in understanding the self, the Superself and the process of realization by jnana-yoga, dhyana-yoga, and discrimination of the self from matter. However, Krishna can only be known by persons who are in Krishna consciousness.
Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes, the primeval Lord Govinda. Isvarah paramah Krishnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 4
bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha
Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego--all together these eight comprise My separated material energies.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 8
raso 'ham apsu kaunteya
prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh
pranavah sarva-vedesu
sabdah khe paurusam nrsu
O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water, the light of the sun and the moon, the syllable om in the Vedic mantras; I am the sound in ether and ability in man.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 9
punyo gandhah prthivyam ca
tejas casmi vibhavasau
jivanam sarva-bhutesu
tapas casmi tapasvisu
I am the original fragrance of the earth, and I am the heat in fire. I am the life of all that lives, and I am the penances of all ascetics.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 10
bijam mam sarva-bhutanam
viddhi partha sanatanam
buddhir buddhimatam asmi
tejas tejasvinam aham
I am the original seed of all existences, the intelligence of the intelligent, and the prowess of all powerful men.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 14
daivi hy esa guna-mayi
mama maya duratyaya
mam eva ye prapadyante
mayam etam taranti te
This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 15
na mam duskrtino mudhah
prapadyante naradhamah
mayayapahrta-jnana
asuram bhavam asritah
Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 19
bahunam janmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevah sarvam iti
sa mahatma su-durlabhah
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 21
yo yo yam yam tanum bhaktah
sraddhayarcitum icchati
tasya tasyacalam sraddham
tam eva vidadhamy aham
I am in everyone's heart as the Supersoul. As soon as one desires to worship the demigods, I make his faith steady so that he can devote himself to some particular deity.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 22
sa taya sraddhaya yuktas
tasyaradhanam ihate
labhate ca tatah kaman
mayaiva vihitan hi tan
Endowed with such a faith, he seeks favors of a particular demigod and obtains his desires. But in actuality these benefits are bestowed by Me alone.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 26
vedaham samatitani
vartamanani carjuna
bhavisyani ca bhutani
mam tu veda na kascana
O Arjuna, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, I know everything that has happened in the past, all that is happening in the present, and all things that are yet to come. I also know all living entities; but Me no one knows.
CHAPTER 7, VERSE 30
sadhibhutadhidaivam mam
sadhiyajnam ca ye viduh
prayana-kale 'pi ca mam
te vidur yukta-cetasah
Those who know Me as the Supreme Lord, as the governing principle of the material manifestation, who know Me as the one underlying all the demigods and as the one sustaining all sacrifices, can, with steadfast mind, understand and know Me even at the time of death.
Chapter 8
THE YOGA OF IMPERISHABLE BRAHMAN
(Akshara Brahma Yoga)
Arjuna asked: What is that Brahman What is Self-knowledge What is action, O
Purushottama What is declared to be the knowledge of the elements And, what is Adhidaiva .
Who and how is Adhiyajna here in this body, O Madhusudana (destroyer of Madhu) And how at the time of death, are you to be known by the self-controlled .
The Blessed Lord said: Brahman is the Imperishable, the Supreme; His essential nature is called self-knowledge; the offering to gods which causes the origin, existence and manifestation of beings and also sustains them is called action . Adhibhuta or knowledge of the elements pertains to My perishable nature and the Purusha or the Soul is Adhidaivata; I alone am the Adhiyajna here in this body, O best of the embodied .
Whosoever, leaving the body, goes forth remembering Me alone at the time of death, he
attains My Being; there is no doubt about this . Whosoever at the end leaves the body, thinking upon any being, to that being alone he goes, O Kaunteya (O son of Kunti), because of his constant thought of that being .
Having closed all the gates, having confined mind in the heart, having fixed the life-breath in the head, engaged in the practice of concentration, uttering the one-syllabled Om, the Brahman, and remembering Me, he who departs, leaving the body, attains the Supreme Soul.
I am easily attainable by that ever-steadfast Yogi who constantly remembers Me, daily, not thinking of another (with a single mind) O Partha! What is called the unmanifested and Imperishable, That, they say is the highest goal (path). They who reach It return not. That is My highest abode (place or state).
That Highest Purusha, O Partha, is attainable by unswerving devotion to Him alone, within Whom all beings dwell, by Whom all this is pervaded.
Fire, light, daytime, the bright fortnight, the six months of the northern path of the sun (the northern solstice) then departing men who know Brahman go to Brahman. This is the path of Devayana or the path of light.
Smoke, night time, the dark fortnight also, the six months of the southern path of the sun
(the southern solstice) attaining by these to the lunar light, the Yogi returns. This is the path of Pitriyana or the path of darkness.
Whatever fruit of merit is declared in the scriptures to accrue from the study of the Vedas, the performance of sacrifices, practice of austerities and gift beyond all this goes the Yogi, having known this, and attains to the Supreme Primeval or first Abode.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 3
sri-bhagavan uvaca
aksaram brahma paramam
svabhavo 'dhyatmam ucyate
bhuta-bhavodbhava-karo
visargah karma-samjnitah
The Supreme Lord said, The indestructible, transcendental living entity is called Brahman, and his eternal nature is called the self. Action pertaining to the development of these material bodies is called karma, or fruitive activities.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 4
adhibhutam ksaro bhavah
purusas cadhidaivatam
adhiyajno 'ham evatra
dehe deha-bhrtam vara
Physical nature is known to be endlessly mutable. The universe is the cosmic form of the Supreme Lord, and I am that Lord represented as the Supersoul, dwelling in the heart of every embodied being.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 5
anta-kale ca mam eva
smaran muktva kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam
yati nasty atra samsayah
And whoever, at the time of death, quits his body, remembering Me alone, at once attains My nature. Of this there is no doubt.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 6
yam yam vapi smaran bhavam
tyajaty ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah
Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.
The process of changing one's nature at the critical moment of death is here explained. How can one die in the proper state of mind Maharaja Bharata thought of a deer at the time of death and so was transferred to that form of life. However, as a deer, Maharaja Bharata could remember his past activities. Of course the cumulative effect of the thoughts and actions of one's life influences one's thoughts at the moment of death; therefore the actions of this life determine one's future state of being. If one is transcendentally absorbed in Krishna's service, then his next body will be transcendental (spiritual), not physical. Therefore the chanting of Hare Krishna is the best process for successfully changing one's state of being to transcendental life.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 7
tasmat sarvesu kalesu
mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
mam evaisyasy asamsayah
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.
In this verse the importance of God consciousness is stressed. Anyone who quits his body remembering Lord Krishna is at once transferred to the transcendental abode of the Supreme Lord. The word smaran ("remembering") is important. Remembrance of Lord Krishna is not possible for the impure soul who has not practiced God consciousness in devotional service.
To remember Lord Krishna one should chant the maha-mantra, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, incessantly. In such a way one will be able to depart from the body successfully remembering Lord Krishna and so attain the supreme goal.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 8
abhyasa-yoga-yuktena
cetasa nanya-gamina
paramam purusam divyam
yati parthanucintayan
He who meditates on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, his mind constantly engaged in remembering Me, undeviated from the path, he, O Partha [Arjuna], is sure to reach Me.
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.
The devotees can constantly think of the object of worship, the Supreme Lord, in any of His features--Narayana, Krishna, Vasudevayah, 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.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 9
kavim puranam anusasitaram
anor aniyamsam anusmared yah
sarvasya dhataram acintya-rupam
aditya-varnam tamasah parastat
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, being transcendental, is beyond this material nature.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 10
prayana-kale manasacalena
bhaktya yukto yoga-balena caiva
bhruvor madhye pranam avesya samyak
sa tam param purusam upaiti divyam
One who, at the time of death, fixes his life air between the eyebrows and in full devotion engages himself in remembering the Supreme Lord, will certainly attain to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In this verse it is clearly stated that at the time of death the mind must be fixed in devotion on the Supreme Godhead Aum Namoh Bhagavateh Vasudevayah. For those practiced in yoga, it is recommended that they raise the life force between the eyebrows, but for a pure devotee who does not practice such yoga, the mind should always be engaged in God consciousness so that at death he can remember the Supreme by His grace. Without practice of yoga one cannot come to this transcendental state of being at the time of death. One cannot suddenly remember the Supreme Lord at death unless he is practiced in some yoga system, especially the bhakti-yoga, chanting/singing and praising the glories of the Lord. Since one's mind at death is very disturbed, one should practice transcendence through yoga during one's life.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 12
sarva-dvarani samyamya
mano hrdi nirudhya ca
murdhny adhayatmanah pranam
asthito yoga-dharanam
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.
To practice yoga, as suggested here, one first has to close the door of all sense enjoyment. This practice is called pratyahara, or withdrawing the senses from the sense objects. Sense organs for acquiring knowledge, such as 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. 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.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 13
om ity ekaksaram brahma
vyaharan mam anusmaran
yah prayati tyajan deham
sa yati paramam gatim
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.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 15
mam upetya punar janma
duhkhalayam asasvatam
napnuvanti mahatmanah
samsiddhim paramam gatah
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.
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 Vrndavana, does not wish to return.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 18
avyaktad vyaktayah sarvah
prabhavanty ahar-agame
ratry-agame praliyante
tatraivavyakta-samjnake
When Brahma's day is manifest, this multitude of living entities comes into being, and at the arrival of Brahma's night they are all annihilated.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 20
paras tasmat tu bhavo 'nyo
'vyakto 'vyaktat sanatanah
yah sa sarvesu bhutesu
nasyatsu na vinasyati
Yet there is another 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.
CHAPTER 8, VERSE 24
agnir jyotir ahah suklah
san-masa uttarayanam
tatra prayata gacchanti
brahma brahma-vido janah
Those who know the Supreme Brahman pass away from the world during the influence of the fiery god, in the light, at an auspicious moment, during the fortnight of the moon and the six months when the sun travels in the north.
Chapter 9
THE YOGA OF KINGLY SCIENCE AND KINGLY SECRET
(Raja Vidya Raja Guhya Yoga)
Lord Krishna said, Kingly Science, Kingly Secret, the Supreme Purifier is this realisable
by direct intuitional knowledge, according to righteousness, very easy to perform, imperishable .
All this world is pervaded by Me in My unmanifested form (aspect); all beings exist in Me, but I do not dwell in them . I am the father of this world, the mother, the dispenser of fruits of action, and grandfather; the one thing to be known, the Purifier, the syllable Om, and also the Rik, the Sama and the Yajus also. I am the goal, the supporter, the Lord, the witness, the Abode, the shelter, the friend, the origin, dissolution, the foundation, the treasure-house and the seed imperishable.
To those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no other, to those ever united, I secure
what is not already possessed (Yoga) and preserve what they already possess (Kshema). Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, water, that I accept, offered with devotion by the pure-minded. Whatever you do, whatever you eatest, whatever you offerest in sacrifice, whatsoever you give, whatsoever you practise as austerity, O Kaunteya, do it as an offering unto Me.
Even if the most sinful worship Me, with devotion to none else, he too should indeed be
regarded as righteous, for he has rightly resolved. Soon he becomes righteous and attains eternal peace, O Kaunteya; you need to know for certain that My devotee is never destroyed.
Chapter 9, Verse 2
raja-vidya raja-guhyam
pavitram idam uttamam
pratyaksavagamam dharmyam
su-sukham kartum avyayam
This knowledge is the king of education, the most secret of all secrets. It is the purest knowledge, and because it gives direct perception of the self by realization, it is the perfection of religion. It is everlasting, and it is joyfully performed.
This chapter of Bhagavad-gita is called the king of education because it is the essence of all doctrines and philosophies explained before. There are seven principal philosophers in India: Gautama, Kanada, Kapila, Yajnavalkya, Sandilya, Vaisvanara, and, Vyasadeva, the author of the Vedanta-sutra. So there is no dearth of knowledge in the field of philosophy or transcendental knowledge. Now the Lord says that this Ninth Chapter is the king of all such knowledge, the essence of all knowledge that can be derived from the study of the Vedas and different kinds of philosophy. It is the most confidential because confidential or transcendental knowledge involves understanding the difference between the soul and the body. And the king of all confidential knowledge culminates in devotional service.
Devotional activities are never to be considered material, although sometimes it appears that devotees are engaged just like ordinary men. One who can see and is familiar with devotional service, however, will know that they are not material activities. They are all spiritual and devotional, uncontaminated by the material modes of nature.
Narada tells his disciple Vyasadeva that in a previous life he was engaged as a boy servant of purified devotees during four months of their stay and that he was intimately associating with them. Sometimes those sages left remnants of food on their dishes, and the boy, who would wash their dishes, wanted to taste the remnants. So he asked the great devotees whether he could eat them, and they gave their permission. Narada then ate those remnants and consequently became freed from all sinful reactions. As he went on eating, he gradually became as purehearted as the sages, and he gradually developed the same taste. The great devotees relished the taste of unceasing devotional service of the Lord, hearing, chanting, etc., and by developing the same taste, Narada wanted also to hear and chant the glories of the Lord. Thus by associating with the sages, he developed a great desire for devotional service. Therefore he quotes from the Vedanta-sutra (prakasas ca karmany abhyasat): if one is engaged simply in the acts of devotional service, everything is revealed to him automatically, and he can understand. This is called prakasah, directly perceived.
Narada was actually a son of a maidservant. He had no opportunity to go to school. He was simply assisting his mother, and fortunately his mother rendered some service to the devotees. The child Narada also got the opportunity and simply by association achieved the highest goal of all religions, devotional service. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is said that religious people generally do not know that the highest perfection of religion is the attainment of the stage of devotional service.
Generally Vedic knowledge is required for understanding of the path of self-realization. But here, although he was not educated in the Vedic principle, Narada acquired the highest results of Vedic study. This process is so potent that even without performing the religious process regularly, one can be raised to the highest perfection. One who is in association with great Spiritual Gurus, Teachers and Self Realized Souls, even if he is not educated or has not studied the Vedas, can become familiar with all the knowledge necessary for realization.
In every state devotional service is joyful. One can execute devotional service even in the most poverty-stricken condition. The Lord says, patram puspam phalam: He is ready to accept from the devotee any kind of offering, never mind what. Even a leaf, a flower, a bit of fruit, or a little water, which are all available in every part of the world, can be offered by any person, regardless of social position, and will be accepted if offered with love.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 3
asraddadhanah purusa
dharmasyasya parantapa
aprapya mam nivartante
mrtyu-samsara-vartmani
Those who are not faithful on the path of devotional service cannot attain Me, O conqueror of foes, but return to birth and death in this material world.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 4
maya tatam idam sarvam
jagad avyakta-murtina
mat-sthani sarva-bhutani
na caham tesv avasthitah
By Me, in My unmanifested form, this entire universe is pervaded. All beings are in Me, but I am not in them.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 6
yathakasa-sthito nityam
vayuh sarvatra-go mahan
tatha sarvani bhutani
mat-sthanity upadharaya
As the mighty wind, blowing everywhere, always rests in ethereal space, know that in the same manner all beings rest in Me.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 7
sarva-bhutani kaunteya
prakrtim yanti mamikam
kalpa-ksaye punas tani
kalpadau visrjamy aham
O son of Kunti, at the end of the millennium every material manifestation enters into My nature, and at the beginning of another millennium, by My potency I again create.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 8
prakrtim svam avastabhya
visrjami punah punah
bhuta-gramam imam krtsnam
avasam prakrter vasat
The whole cosmic order is under Me. By My will it is manifested again and again, and by My will it is annihilated at the end.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 9
na ca mam tani karmani
nibadhnanti dhananjaya
udasina-vad asinam
asaktam tesu karmasu
O Dhananjaya, all this work cannot bind Me. I am ever detached, seated as though neutral.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 14
satatam kirtayanto mam
yatantas ca drdha-vratah
namasyantas ca mam bhaktya
nitya-yukta upasate
Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 17
pitaham asya jagato
mata dhata pitamahah
vedyam pavitram omkara
rk sama yajur eva ca
I am the father of this universe, the mother, the support, and the grandsire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier and the syllable om. I am also the Rig, the Sama, and the Yajur [Vedas].
The entire cosmic manifestations, moving and nonmoving, are manifested by different activities of Lord Krishna's energy. In the material existence we create different relationships with different living entities who are nothing but Lord Krishna's marginal energy, but under the creation of prakrti some of them appear as our father, mother, grandfather, creator, etc., but actually they are parts and parcels of Lord Krishna. As such, these living entities who appear to be our father, mother, etc., are nothing but Vasudeva.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 18
gatir bharta prabhuh saksi
nivasah saranam suhrt
prabhavah pralayah sthanam
nidhanam bijam avyayam
I am the goal, the sustainer, the master, the witness, the abode, the refuge and the most dear friend. I am the creation and the annihilation, the basis of everything, the resting place and the eternal seed.
Lord Krishna is the ultimate goal of shelter, and as such one should take shelter of Krishna either for protection or for annihilation of his distressed condition. And whenever we have to take protection, we should know that our protection must be a living force. Thus Krishna is the supreme living entity. Since Krishna is the source of our generation, or the supreme father, no one can be a better friend than Krishna, nor can anyone be a better well-wisher. Krishna is the original source of creation and the ultimate rest after annihilation. Krishna is therefore the eternal cause of all causes.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 19
tapamy aham aham varsam
nigrhnamy utsrjami ca
amrtam caiva mrtyus ca
sad asac caham arjuna
O Arjuna, I control heat, the rain and the drought. I am immortality, and I am also death personified. Both being and nonbeing are in Me.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 21
te tam bhuktva svarga-lokam visalam
ksine punye martya-lokam visanti
evam trayi-dharmam anuprapanna
gatagatam kama-kama labhante
When they have thus enjoyed heavenly sense pleasure, they return to this mortal planet again. Thus, through the Vedic principles, they achieve only flickering happiness.
Through detachment from the material sense of ego, the Yogi, or follower of a particular path of Yoga, is able to transcend his/her illusory mortality and attachment to the material world and enter the realm of the Supreme.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 22
ananyas cintayanto mam
ye janah paryupasate
tesam nityabhiyuktanam
yoga-ksemam vahamy aham
But those who worship Me with devotion, meditating on My transcendental form--to them I carry what they lack and preserve what they have.
One who is unable to live for a moment without Krishna consciousness cannot but think of Krishna twenty-four hours, being engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services, cultivating friendship and surrendering fully to the Lord.
Such activities are all auspicious and full of spiritual potencies; indeed, they make the devotee perfect in self-realization. Then his only desire is to achieve the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called yoga. By the mercy of the Lord, such a devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Ksema refers to the merciful protection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve Krishna consciousness by yoga, and when he becomes fully Krishna conscious the Lord protects him from falling down to a miserable conditioned life.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 25
yanti deva-vrata devan
pitrn yanti pitr-vratah
bhutani yanti bhutejya
yanti mad-yajino 'pi mam
Those who worship the demigods will take birth among the demigods; those who worship ghosts and spirits will take birth among such beings; those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; and those who worship Me will live with Me.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 26
patram puspam phalam toyam
yo me bhaktya prayacchati
tad aham bhakty-upahrtam
asnami prayatatmanah
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, fruit or water, I will accept it.
What do these signify? Your body and the bodily senses is the leaf; your heart is the flower/buds; your mind is the fruit and the tears of transcendental bliss is the water offering to Lord Krishna. By offering yourself to Lord Krishna, the body/mind and soul is purified.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 27
yat karosi yad asnasi
yaj juhosi dadasi yat
yat tapasyasi kaunteya
tat kurusva mad-arpanam
O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me.
Thus, it is the duty of everyone to mold his life in such a way that he will not forget Krishna in any circumstance. Everyone has to work for maintenance of his body and soul together, and Krishna recommends herein that one should work for Him.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 28
subhasubha-phalair evam
moksyase karma-bandhanaih
sannyasa-yoga-yuktatma
vimukto mam upaisyasi
In this way you will be freed from all reactions to good and evil deeds, and by this principle of renunciation of the fruits of your action, you will be liberated and come to Me.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 33
kim punar brahmanah punya
bhakta rajarsayas tatha
anityam asukham lokam
imam prapya bhajasva mam
How much greater then are the brahmanas, the righteous, the devotees and saintly kings who in this temporary miserable world engage in loving service unto Me.
CHAPTER 9, VERSE 34
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi yuktvaivam
atmanam mat-parayanah
Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, offer obeisances and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.
One should therefore engage his mind in the eternal form, the primal form of Krishna; with conviction in his heart that Krishna is the Supreme, he should engage himself in worship. There are hundreds of thousands of temples in India for the worship of Krishna, and devotional service is practiced there. When such practice is made, one has to offer obeisances to Krishna. One should lower his head before the Deity and engage his mind, his body, his activities--everything. One must engage in the nine different processes of devotional service, beginning with hearing and chanting about Krishna. Pure devotional service is the highest achievement of human society.
Therefore, the intelligent person should take directly to this process of Krishna consciousness and happily live in this material world. He will eventually receive the supreme award of Krishna.
Chapter 9, Verse 58
yada samharate cayam
kurmo 'nganiva sarvasah
indriyanindriyarthebhyas
tasya prajna pratisthita
When one can completely withdraw the senses from sense objects, as a tortoise withdraws its limbs into the shell for protection, then the intellect of such a person is
considered steady.
Story about Bhaktha Prahlada
When Prahlaada was in the womb of Leelaavati, his father, Hiranyakashipa did a severe Tapas for Brahmadeva. Hence Leelaavati had the adrushtam of staying in the pivitra aashramam of Naarada maharshi. Due to the tapashshakti of Naarada, snakes-vultures, lions-elephants and other such animal pairs which have natural enemity, left their anger on one another and were co-existing in peace. Because of living in such an environment, Leelaavati used to always think about good and used to listen to the puraanams told by Naarada maharshi.
One day, when Naarada maharshi was describing Shri Hari Leelas and greatness of Hari-bhakti, Leelaavati slept off, but Prahlaada who was in her garbham was listening a telling “ok” “ok” to all the tattvam that Naarada maharshi was telling. Thus even before Prahlaada was born he got Gnyaanopadesham from Naarada maharshi. On one shubha-lagnam, Prahlaada was born. Devatas showered pushpa-varsham.
Brahmadeva, who was impressed by the severe Tapas of Hiranyakashipa, appeared before him and said “Vatsa! Your tapas is advitiiyam. Ask Me your abhiishtam and i will grant it”. Hiranyakashipa had duraasha. He believed this shariiram is shaashvatam and satisfying physical senses itself is aanandam. Hence he asked Brahmadeva “Svaami! I must have no maranam (death)”. Brahmadeva said “Kumaara! This is against Shrushti-niyamam. Ask any other varam”.
Hiranyakashipa asked “Either on land, in water, in fire, in air, in aakaasham, by animals or humans or deva-daanavas or yaksha or kinnera or siddha or vidyaashara adi praanis, by any shastra-astras, during day or night I must never get maranam. Also I must always have vijayam in yuddham, I must get more power than Indra aadi loka-paalakas and be the King of Tribhuvanams”. Brahmadeva replied “Kashyapa-putra! no one ever asked such varams previously. But since you have done tapas and impressed Me, I am granting you this varam. But be a buddhi-sampanna and live”.
Even though Hiranyakashipa was the son of the great Kashyapa maharshi and had great tapashshakti, he got ego because of the boon he got from Brahmadeva. He, with his ego, forgot that Brahmadeva said “be a buddhi-sampanna and live”, and started to torture worlds, saadhu-sajjanas, pativratas. Who can save a fly that gets attracted to fire and gets burnt? He started saying he is only God, everyone should pray to him and do pooja to him. His paapam was increasing day-by-day and finally by torturing his own child, Prahlaada, who was a great Shri Hari bhakta, he himself became the cause for his death:
Hiranyakashipa tried to torture Prahlaada by throwing him down cliffs, getting him stamped by elephants, burning him in fire etc., but nothing happened to the great Hari bhakta. Prahlaada, who had only Shri Hari in his mind, never even thought about anything else. Hence Shri Hari saved him from the tortures of Hiranyakashipa.
One day at Sandhya-samayam, fed up with Prahlaada saying Shri Hari is only Paramaatma, His bhakti is only shaashvatam, Hiranyakashipa said “where is your Hari? I even went to Vaikuntham and searched for him to kill him, but he was not there. There is no Hari. I am only Bhagavaan”. Prahlaada replied “Dont have the doubt that He is here, He is there. He is everyone. Wherever you search for Him with Bhakti, He will be there”. Then with anger Hiranyakashipa said “is it? If so, show Him to Me in this pillar”. Then Mahaavishnu appeared from the pillar in the form of Nara-simham, placed Hiranyakashipa in His lap, and teared him into pieces using His nakhas (nails).
Thus even though Hiranyakashipa asked for a boon so that it was difficult to kill him, he forgot the fact that Paramaatma is more powerful and his selfish desires and ego can only lead to his downfall. Aum Namoh Narayana
Chapter 10
THE YOGA OF DIVINE GLORIES
(Vibhuti Yoga)
The Blessed Lord said, With their minds wholly in Me, with their life absorbed in Me,
enlightening each other and ever speaking of Me, the wise are satisfied and delighted. To them ever steadfast, worshipping Me with love, I give the Yoga of discrimination by which they come to Me. Out of mere compassion for them, I, dwelling within their self, destroy the darkness born of ignorance by the luminous lamp of knowledge.
Arjuna said, O Lord! You should indeed tell, without reserve of Your divine glories by
which you exist pervading all these worlds.
The Blessed Lord said, I am the Self, O Gudakesa, seated in the hearts of all beings; I am
the beginning, the middle, and also the end of all beings. Among the twelve Adityas, I am Vishnu; among luminous objects, the radiant Sun; I am Marichi among the forty-nine Maruts; among the stars the Moon am I. Among the Vedas I am the Sama Veda.
Among the great Rishis I am Bhrigu; among words I amthe one syllable OM; among sacrifices I amthe sacrifice of silent repetition (Japa Yajna); among immovable things, the Himalayas. Among the trees I am the Asvattha; among divine Rishis Narada; among Gandharvas Chitraratha; among the perfected ones the Muni Kapila.
Of purifiers I am the wind; Rama of warriors am I; I amthe dispenser of fruits of actions having faces in all directions. I am the splendour of the splendid; I am victory, I am determination of those who are determined; I am the goodness of the good. There is no end of My Divine Glories, O Parantapa; but this is a brief statement of My divine attributes.
Chapter 10, Verse 2
na me viduh sura-ganah
prabhavam na maharsayah
aham adir hi devanam
maharsinam ca sarvasah
Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and the sages.
Chapter 10, Verse 8
aham sarvasya prabhavo
mattah sarvam pravartate
iti matva bhajante mam
budha bhava-samanvitah
I am the source of all spiritual and material worlds. Everything emanates from Me. The wise who know this perfectly engage in My devotional service and worship Me with all their hearts.
Chapter 10, Verse 9
mac-citta mad-gata-prana
bodhayantah parasparam
kathayantas ca mam nityam
tusyanti ca ramanti ca
The thoughts of My pure devotees dwell in Me, their lives are surrendered to Me, and they derive great satisfaction and bliss enlightening one another and conversing about Me.
Chapter 10, Verse 10
tesam satata-yuktanam
bhajatam priti-purvakam
dadami buddhi-yogam tam
yena mam upayanti te
To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.
Buddhi means intelligence, and yoga means mystic activities or mystic elevation. When one tries to go back home, back to Godhead, and takes fully to Krishna consciousness in devotional service, his action is called buddhi-yogam. In other words, buddhi-yogam is the process by which one gets out of the entanglement of this material world. The ultimate goal of progress is Krishna.
People do not know this; therefore the association of devotees and a bona fide spiritual master are important. One should know that the goal is Krishna, and when the goal is assigned, then the path is slowly but progressively traversed, and the ultimate goal is achieved.
When a person knows the goal of life but is addicted to the fruits of activities, he is acting in karma-yoga. When he knows that the goal is Krishna, but he takes pleasure in mental speculations to understand Krishna, he is acting in jnana-yoga. And when he knows the goal and seeks Krishna completely in Krishna consciousness and devotional service, he is acting in bhakti-yoga, or buddhi-yoga, which is the complete yoga. This complete yoga is the highest perfectional stage of life.
Chapter 10, Verse 11
tesam evanukampartham
aham ajnana-jam tamah
nasayamy atma-bhavastho
jnana-dipena bhasvata
Out of compassion for them, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.
By studying Bhagavad-gita, one can become a completely surrendered soul to the Supreme Lord and engage himself in pure devotional service. As the Lord takes charge, one becomes completely free from all kinds of materialistic endeavors.
Chapter 10, Verse 21
adityanam aham visnur
jyotisam ravir amsuman
maricir marutam asmi
naksatranam aham sasi
Of the Adityas I am Vishnu, of lights I am the radiant Sun, I am Marici of the Maruts, and among the stars I am the Moon.
Chapter 10, Verse 22
vedanam sama-vedo 'smi
devanam asmi vasavah
indriyanam manas casmi
bhutanam asmi cetana
Of the Vedas I am the Sama-veda; of the demigods I am Indra; of the senses I am the mind, and in living beings I am the living force [knowledge].
Chapter 10, Verse 23
rudranam sankaras casmi
vitteso yaksa-raksasam
vasunam pavakas casmi
meruh sikharinam aham
Of all the Rudras I am Lord Siva; of the Yaksas and Raksasas I am the Lord of wealth [Kuvera]; of the Vasus I am fire [Agni], and of mountains I am Meru.
There are eleven Rudras, of whom Sankara, Lord Siva, is predominant. He is the incarnation of the Supreme Lord in charge of the modes of ignorance in the universe. Among the demigods Kuvera is the chief treasurer, and he is a representation of the Supreme Lord. Meru is a mountain famed for its rich natural resources.
Chapter 10, Verse 24
purodhasam ca mukhyam mam
viddhi partha brhaspatim
senaninam aham skandah
sarasam asmi sagarah
Of priests, O Arjuna, know Me to be the chief, Brihaspati, the lord of devotion. Of generals I am Skanda, the lord of war; and of bodies of water I am the ocean.
Chapter 10, Verse 25
maharsinam bhrgur aham
giram asmy ekam aksaram
yajnanam japa-yajno 'smi
sthavaranam himalayah
Of the great sages I am Bhrigu; of vibrations I am the transcendental om. Of sacrifices I am the chanting of the holy names [Japa], and of immovable things I am the Himalayas.
Chapter 10, Verse 30
prahladas casmi daityanam
kalah kalayatam aham
mrganam ca mrgendro 'ham
vainateyas ca paksinam
Among the Daitya demons I am the devoted Prahlada; among subduers I am time; among the beasts I am the lion, and among birds I am Garuda, the feathered carrier of Visnu.
Chapter 10, Verse 39
yac capi sarva-bhutanam
bijam tad aham arjuna
na tad asti vina yat syan
maya bhutam caracaram
Furthermore, O Arjuna, I am the generating seed of all existences. There is no being--moving or unmoving--that can exist without Me.
Chapter 10, Verse 40
nanto 'sti mama divyanam
vibhutinam parantapa
esa tuddesatah prokto
vibhuter vistaro maya
O mighty conqueror of enemies, there is no end to My divine manifestations. What I have spoken to you is but a mere indication of My infinite opulences.
The power of Narayana Mantra
Ajamila was a Brahmana, who lived in the city of Kanya Kubja many, many years ago. Due to his birth, parentage and social upbringing, he was a young man who maintained all the practices and observances of a righteous life. He was virtuous and pure hearted, lived in an austere way, was learned in the Vedas and other scriptures and followed the ways of conduct written there. He accorded due respect to his parents and elders, was friendly and helpful to all, moderate in his speech and had his senses well under control.
One day, however, he was lead off in a most unruly fashion by the senses and the mind, leaving behind the scriptures, the study and the observances. He took up a lifestyle the very opposite of austere. He fell in love with a prostitute and without any real way to support her and the ten sons they eventually had, he took to gambling, highway robbery, stealing and corruption. So he spent the remainder of his years until he was eighty-eight years old, when our story begins.
Narayana, the youngest son, was most dear to his parents. His father, Ajamila, was completely besotted by him. Absorbed in his life, Ajamila was completely unaware of greater forces at work. He did not feel his lifetime ebbing away and he did not even consider that his own death was approaching. One day there appeared three of the fiercest creatures imaginable, carrying huge ropes, grinning and beckoning horribly. Ajamila did not even recognize the attendants of Yama (the Lord of Death).
Struck with fright, he screamed aloud to his child playing nearby, "Narayana, Narayana." At this cry from the dying man (who hadn't even realized he was dying), the attendants of Lord Vishnu came rushing to Ajamila's side, blocking the attendants of Yama, who roared angrily, "Who are you to obstruct the order of Dharmaraja, the Lord of Justice?" The attendants of Lord Vishnu, however, were equally adamant, and replied challengingly, "If you are indeed the attendants of Lord Dharmaraja, then you would be able to tell us the essence of dharma and its signs."
A heated debate began on dharma and adharma, and the effects of acts of merit and demerit. The attendants of Yama recounted Ajamila's previous history, which even by the simplest calculations of accumulated merit and demerit didn't look very promising. They argued that his unrighteous conduct far outweighed and negated his observances of the Vedas and other scriptures.
Also, they argued, the lords of Vishnu had no right to interfere in the first place, as Ajamila had just been calling his son. Yet Vishnu's attendants stood firm, and proclaimed, "Whosoever utters the Lord's name, even by accident, calls for protection." Furthermore, they countered, "As a fire consumes fuel, so the Lord's name, whether chanted with or without knowledge of the greatness of the name, destroys the unrighteous elements in a person. A powerful medicine, though taken by someone unaware of its properties, is still effective."
Defeated, the attendants of Yama returned empty-handed. Ajamila immediately left for Haridwar, where he sat on the banks of the river practising the yoga of devotion.
For those who aspire for liberation, there is nothing more powerful than the chanting of the Lord's name. If this can rescue Ajamila, the Srimad Bhagavata tells us, what to say of the results that can be obtained by chanting the name of Hari with faith and devotion.
Aum Namoh Narayanaya
Aum Namoh Sri Satya Narayanaya
Aum Namoh Narayanaya
Chapter 11
THE YOGA OF THE VISION OF THE COSMIC FORM
(Visva Rupa Darsana Yoga)
Arjuna said, Now O Supreme Lord, as you have thus described Yourself in that way O
Purushottama (Purusha Supreme), I wish to see actually Your divine form .
The Blessed Lord said, Behold O Partha forms of Me by hundreds and thousands of
different sorts, divine, of various colours and shapes . Behold the Adityas, the Vasus, the Rudras, the two Asvins and also the forty-nine Maruts: behold many wonders never seen before, O Bharata . Now behold O Gudakesa in this My body the whole universe centred in one including the moving and the unmoving and whatever else you desirest to see . But you art not able to behold Me with these thine eyes alone; I give thee divine eye; behold My lordly Yoga .
Lord Krishna showed to Partha His Supreme Form with numerous mouths and eyes with
numerous wonderful sights, with numerous divine ornaments, with numerous divine weapons uplifted.
Arjuna said, I see all the gods, O God, in Your body and also hosts of various classes of
beings, Brahma the Lord seated on the lotus, all the Rishis and celestial serpents. I see Thee Without beginning, middle or end, infinite in power of endless arms, the sun and the moon being Your eyes, the burning fire Your mouth heating the whole universe with the radiance.
The Blessed Lord said, Therefore, stand up and obtain fame. Conquer the enemies and
enjoy the unrivalled kingdom. Verily by Myself they, have been already slain; be you a mere instrument, O Savyasachi (Arjuna) .
Arjuna said, you art the Primeval God, the Ancient Purusha; you art the supreme refuge of this universe. you art the knower, the knowable and the supreme abode. By Thee is this universe pervaded, O Being of infinite form. I am delighted, having seen what was never seen before and yet my mind is distressed with fear. Show me that form only with four hands, O God; have mercy, O God of gods, O Abode of the Universe.
The Blessed Lord assumed His gentle form with four hands and showed this form to Arjuna and consoled him who was terrified.
The Blessed Lord said, Neither by the Vedas nor by austerity, nor by gifts, nor by sacrifice can I be seen in this form, as you have seen Me so easily. But by the single-minded devotion, can I of this form be known and seen in reality and also entered into, O Parantapa. He who does actions for Me, who looks on Me as, the Supreme, who is devoted to Me, who is free from attachment, who bears enmity towards no creature, he comes to Me, Pandava.
Chapter 11, Verse 6
pasyadityan vasun rudran
asvinau marutas tatha
bahuny adrsta-purvani
pasyascaryani bharata
O best of the Bharatas, see here the different manifestations of Adityas, Rudras, and all the demigods. Behold the many things which no one has ever seen or heard before.
Chapter 11, Verse 7
ihaika-stham jagat krtsnam
pasyadya sa-caracaram
mama dehe gudakesa
yac canyad drastum icchasi
Whatever you wish to see can be seen all at once in this body. This universal form can show you all that you now desire, as well as whatever you may desire in the future. Everything is here completely.
No one can see the entire universe sitting in one place. Even the most advanced scientist cannot see what is going on in other parts of the universe. Krishna gives him the power to see anything he wants to see, past, present and future. Thus by the mercy of Krishna, Arjuna is able to see everything.
Chapter 11, Verse 8
na tu mam sakyase drastum
anenaiva sva-caksusa
divyam dadami te caksuh
pasya me yogam aisvaram
But you cannot see Me with your present eyes. Therefore I give to you divine eyes by which you can behold My mystic opulence.
Chapter 11, Verse 10-11
aneka-vaktra-nayanam
anekadbhuta-darsanam
aneka-divyabharanam
divyanekodyatayudham
divya-malyambara-dharam
divya-gandhanulepanam
sarvascarya-mayam devam
anantam visvato-mukham
Arjuna saw in that universal form unlimited mouths and unlimited eyes. It was all wondrous. The form was decorated with divine, dazzling ornaments and arrayed in many garbs. He was garlanded gloriously, and there were many scents smeared over His body. All was magnificent, all-expanding, unlimited. This was seen by Arjuna.
These two verses indicate that there is no limit to the hands, mouths, legs, etc., of the Lord. These manifestations are distributed throughout the universe and are unlimited. By the grace of the Lord, Arjuna could see them while sitting in one place. That is due to the inconceivable potency of Krishna.
Chapter 11, Verse 12
divi surya-sahasrasya
bhaved yugapad utthita
yadi bhah sadrsi sa syad
bhasas tasya mahatmanah
If hundreds of thousands of suns rose up at once into the sky, they might resemble the effulgence of the Supreme Person in that universal form.
What Arjuna saw was indescribable, yet Sanjaya is trying to give a mental picture of that great revelation to Dhrtarastra. Neither Sanjaya nor Dhrtarastra was present, but Sanjaya, by the grace of Vyasa, could see whatever happened. Thus he now compares the situation, as far as it can be understood, to an imaginable phenomenon (i.e. thousands of suns).
Chapter 11, Verse 13
tatraika-stham jagat krtsnam
pravibhaktam anekadha
apasyad deva-devasya
sarire pandavas tada
At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many thousands.
arjuna uvaca
pasyami devams tava deva dehe
sarvams tatha bhuta-visesa-sanghan
brahmanam isam kamalasana-stham
rsims ca sarvan uragams ca divyan
Arjuna said: My dear Lord Krishna, I see assembled together in Your body all the demigods and various other living entities. I see Brahma sitting on the lotus flower as well as Lord Siva and many sages and divine serpents.
CHAPTER 11, VERSE 19
anadi-madhyantam ananta-viryam
ananta-bahum sasi-surya-netram
pasyami tvam dipta-hutasa-vaktram
sva-tejasa visvam idam tapantam
You are the origin without beginning, middle or end. You have numberless arms, and the sun and moon are among Your great unlimited eyes. By Your own radiance You are heating this entire universe.
CHAPTER 11, VERSE 20
dyav a-prthivyor idam antaram hi
vyaptam tvayaikena disas ca sarvah
drstvadbhutam rupam ugram tavedam
loka-trayam pravyathitam mahatman
Although You are one, You are spread throughout the sky and the planets and all space between. O great one, as I behold this terrible form, I see that all the planetary systems are perplexed.
CHAPTER 11, VERSE 40
namah purastad atha prsthatas te
namo 'stu te sarvata eva sarva
ananta-viryamita-vikramas tvam
sarvam samapnosi tato 'si sarvah
Obeisances from the front, from behind and from all sides! O unbounded power, You are the master of limitless might! You are all-pervading, and thus You are everything!
Out of loving ecstasy for Krishna, his friend, Arjuna is offering his respects from all sides. He is accepting that He is the master of all potencies and all prowess and far superior to all the great warriors assembled on the battlefield. It is said in the Visnu Purana: yo 'yam tavagato deva-samipam devata-ganah sa tvam eva jagat-srasta yatah sarva-gato bhavan. "Whoever comes before You, be he a demigod, is created by You, O Supreme Personality of Godhead."
CHAPTER 11, VERSE 43
pitasi lokasya caracarasya
tvam asya pujyas ca gurur gariyan
na tvat-samo 'sty abhyadhikah kuto 'nyo
loka-traye 'py apratima-prabhava
You are the father of this complete cosmic manifestation, the worshipable chief, the spiritual master. No one is equal to You, nor can anyone be one with You. Within the three worlds, You are immeasurable.
Lord Krishna is the Adi Deva/Adi Bhuta/Adi Yagna, Purushottama, the one Lord manifested in the Universe as Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva and everyone is His servant. Everyone is complying with His order. There is no one who can deny His order. Everyone is acting according to His direction, being under His superintendence. As stated in the Brahma-samhita, He is the cause of all causes.
CHAPTER 11, VERSE 46
kiritinam gadinam cakra-hastam
icchami tvam drastum aham tathaiva
tenaiva rupena catur-bhujena
sahasra-baho bhava visva-murte
O universal Lord, I wish to see You in Your four-armed form, with helmeted head and with club, wheel, conch and lotus flower in Your hands. I long to see You in that form.
In the Brahma-samhita it is stated that the Lord is eternally situated in hundreds and thousands of forms, and the main forms are those like Rama, Nrsimha, Narayana, etc. There are innumerable forms. But Arjuna knew that Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead assuming His temporary universal form. He is now asking to see the form of Narayana, a spiritual form.
CHAPTER 11, VERSE 47
sri-bhagavan uvaca
maya prasannena tavarjunedam
rupam param darsitam atma-yogat
tejo-mayam visvam anantam adyam
yan me tvad anyena na drsta-purvam
The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, happily do I show you this universal form within the material world by My internal potency. No one before you has ever seen this unlimited and glaringly effulgent form.
CHAPTER 11, VERSE 55
mat-karma-krn mat-paramo
mad-bhaktah sanga-varjitah
nirvairah sarva-bhutesu
yah sa mam eti pandava
My dear Arjuna, one who is engaged in My pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of previous activities and from mental speculation, who is friendly to every living entity, certainly comes to Me.
This verse is considered to be the essence of Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita is meant to show how one can understand his spiritual existence and his eternal relationship with the Supreme Spiritual Personality and to teach one how to go back home, back to Godhead. Now here is the verse which clearly explains the process by which one can attain success in his spiritual activity: Devotional service.
Story about Mira Bai
Mira is regarded as an incarnation of Radha. She was born in Samvat 1557 or 1499 A.D. in the village Kurkhi, near Merta, a small state in Marwar, Rajasthan. Child Mira began to love the idol of Krishna very much. She spent much of her time in bathing and dressing the image. She worshipped the image. She slept with the image. She danced about the image in ecstasy. She sang beautiful songs in front of the image. She used to talk to the idol.
Mira’s father arranged for her marriage with Rana Kumbha of Chitore, in Mewar. Mira was a very dutiful wife. She obeyed her husband’s commands implicitly. After her household duties were over, she would go to the temple of Lord Krishna, worship, sing and dance before the image dailyRana’s mother and other ladies of the house did not like the ways of Mira, as they were worldly-minded and jealous.
They were all annoyed with her. Mira’s mother-in-law forced her to worship Durga and admonished her often. But Mira stood adamant. She said, "I have already given up my life to my beloved Lord Krishna". Mira’s sister-in-law Udabai formed a conspiracy and began to defame the innocent Mira. She informed Rana Kumbha that Mira was in secret love with others, that she with her own eyes had witnessed Mira in the temple with her lovers, and that she would show him the persons if he would accompany her one night.
She further added that Mira, by her conduct, had brought a great slur on the reputation of the Rana family of Chitore. Rana Kumbha was very much enraged. He straightaway ran with sword in hand towards the inner apartments of Mira. Fortunately, Mira was not in her room. A kind relative of the Rana checked him and said, "Look here Rana! Do not be in haste. You will repent later on. Consider well. Enquire into the matter very carefully. Find out the truth. Mira is a great devotional lady. What you have heard now may be a wild rumour only.
The Rana said to Mira, "Mira, with whom are you talking now? Show me this lover of yours". Mira replied, "There sits He—my Lord—the Nanichora who has stolen my heart". She fainted. There was a wild rumour that Mira was mixing very freely with Sadhus. She, no doubt, had great regard for Sadhus and mixed freely with them. Mira never cared a bit for the meaningless scandals. She stood unruffled.
Mira was persecuted in various ways by the Rana and his relatives. She got the same treatment which Prahlad got from his father Hiranyakasipu. Hari shielded Prahlad. Here, Sri Krishna always stood by the side of Mira. Once the Rana sent a cobra in a basket to Mira with the message that it contained a garland of flowers. Mira took her bath and sat for worship. After finishing her meditation, she opened the basket and found inside a lovely idol of Sri Krishna and a garland of flowers. Then the Rana sent her a cup of poison with the message that it was nectar. Mira offered it to Lord Krishna and took it as His Prasad. It was real nectar to her. Then the Rana sent a bed of nails for Mira to sleep on. Mira finished her worship and slept on the bed of nails. Lo! The bed of nails was transformed into a bed of roses.
When Mira was thus tortured by her husband’s relatives, she sent a letter to Tulsidasji and asked the advice of the saint. She wrote thus: "All my relatives trouble me, because I move amongst Sadhus. I cannot carry on my devotional practices in the house. I have made Giridhar Gopal my friend from my very childhood. I am strongly attached to Him. I cannot break that attachment now".
Tulsidasji sent a reply: "Abandon those who do not worship Rama and Sita as if they are your enemies, even though they are your dearest relatives. Prahlad abandoned his father; Vibhishana left his brother Ravana; Bharata deserted his mother; Bali forsook even his Guru; the Gopis, the women of Vraja, disowned their husbands in order to attain the Lord. Their lives were all the happier for having done so. The opinion of holy saints is that the relation with God and love of God alone is true and eternal; all other relationships are unreal and temporary".
Once Akbar and his court musician Tansen came in disguise to Chitore to hear Mira’s devotional and inspiring songs. Both entered the temple and listened to Mira’s soul-stirring songs to their heart’s content. Akbar was really moved. Before he departed, he touched the holy feet of Mira and placed a necklace of emeralds in front of the idol as a present. Somehow the news reached the Rana that Akbar had entered the temple in disguise, touched the feet of Mira and even presented her a necklace. The Rana became furious. He told Mira, "Drown yourself in the river and never show your face to the world in future. You have brought great disgrace on my family".
Mira obeyed the words of her husband. She proceeded to the river to drown herself. The names of the Lord "Govind, Giridhari, Gopal" were always on her lips. She sang and danced in ecstasy on her way to the river. When she raised her feet from the ground, a hand from behind grasped her. She turned behind and saw her beloved Krishna. She fainted. After a few minutes she opened her eyes. Lord Krishna smiled and spoke to her these words: "My dear Mira, your life with this mortal husband is over now. You are absolutely free. Be cheerful. You are Mine. Immediately proceed to the bowers of Vraja and the avenues of Brindavan. Seek Me there, my child. Be quick". He then disappeared.
Mira obeyed the divine call immediately. She walked barefoot on the hot sandy beds of Rajasthan. Mira’s fame spread far and wide. So many princesses and queens have come and gone. It is on account of her renunciation, one-pointed devotion to Lord Krishna and God-realisation. She came face to face with Krishna. She conversed with Krishna. She ate with Krishna—her Beloved. She drank the Krishna-prema-rasa. She has sung from the core of her heart the music of her soul, the music of her Beloved, her unique spiritual experiences. And she has sung songs of surrender and Prem.
Mira had the beautiful cosmic vision. She saw Krishna in the tree, in the stone, in the creeper, in the flower, in the bird, in all beings—in everything. As long as there is the name of Krishna, there will be the name of Mira also.
It is extremely difficult to find a parallel to this wonderful personality—Mira—a saint, a philosopher, a poet and a sage. She was a versatile genius and a magnanimous soul. Her life has a singular charm, with extraordinary beauty and marvel. She was a princess, but she abandoned the pleasures and luxuries incident to her high station, and chose instead, a life of poverty, austerity, Tyaga, Titiksha and Vairagya.
Mira’s earthly life was full of troubles and difficulties. She was persecuted. She was tormented and yet she kept up an undaunted spirit and a balanced mind all through, by the strength of her devotion and the grace of her beloved Krishna. Though she was a princess, she begged alms and lived sometimes on water alone. She led a life of perfect renunciation and self-surrender.
Mira had Raganuga or Ragatmika Bhakti. She never cared for public criticism and the injunctions of the Shastras. She danced in the streets. She did no ritualistic worship. She had spontaneous love for Lord Krishna. She did not practise Sadhana-bhakti. From her very childhood she poured forth her love on Lord Krishna.
Mira was fearless in her nature, simple in her habits, joyous in her disposition, amiable in her deportment, graceful in her behaviour and elegant in her demeanour. She immersed herself in the love of Giridhar Gopal. The name of Giridhar Gopal was always on her lips. Even in her dreams, she lived and had her being in Sri Krishna.
Mira acted her part well on the stage of the world. She taught the world the way to love God. She rowed her boat dexterously in a stormy sea of family troubles and difficulties and reached the other shore of supreme peace and absolute fearlessness—the kingdom of supreme love. Though she was young, she bore the persecutions silently. She endured the piercing taunts and sarcastic criticisms of the world bravely. She has left an indelible impression on the world and her name will be handed down to posterity.
Chapter 12
THE YOGA OF DEVOTION
(Bhakti Yoga)
Arjuna said, Those devotees, who ever steadfast, thus worship Thee, and those also who
worship the Imperishable, the Unmanifested which of these are better-versed in Yoga
The Blessed Lord said, Those who, fixing their mind on Me, worship Me, ever-steadfast
and endowed with supreme faith, in My opinion are the best in Yoga . Greater is their trouble whose minds are set on the unmanifested; for the goal, the unmanifested, is very hard for the embodied to reach . Fix your mind on Me only, place Your intellect in Me; then you shalt no doubt live in Me alone hereafter. If you art not able to fix your mind steadily on Me, then by Yoga of constant practice (Abhyasa Yoga) do you seek to reach Me, O Dhananjaya. If you art unable to practise even this Abhyasa Yoga, be you intent on doing actions for My sake; even by doing actions for My sake, you shalt attain perfection. If you art unable to do even this then taking refuge in union with Me, renounce the fruits of all actions, with the self controlled. Better indeed is knowledge than practice; than knowledge meditation is better; than meditation renunciation of the fruits of actions; peace immediately follows renunciation.
He who hates no creature, who is friendly and compassionate to all, who is free from
attachment and egoism, balanced in pleasure and pain, and forgiving; ever content, steady in meditation, self-controlled, possessed of firm conviction, with mind and intellect dedicated to Me, he, My devotee, is dear to Me. He who is free from envy, fear and anxiety, who is free from wants, pure, expert, unconcerned, untroubled, who has renounced all undertakings or commencements, who neither rejoices nor hates, neither grieves nor desires, who has renounced good and evil, who is full of devotion, he is dear to Me.
He who is the same to a foe and friend, and also in honour and dishonour, who is the same in cold and heat, and in pleasure and pain, who is free from attachment, who is balanced in censure and praise, pain and pleasure, who is silent, content with anything, homeless, steady-minded, full of devotion that man is dear to Me.
They verily, who follow this Immortal Dharma (law or doctrine) as described above
endowed with faith, regarding Me as their supreme goal, devotees, they are exceedingly dear to Me.
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 2
sri-bhagavan uvaca
mayy avesya mano ye mam
nitya-yukta upasate
sraddhaya parayopetas
te me yuktatama matah
The Blessed Lord said: He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect.
Chapter 12, Verse 5
kleso 'dhikataras tesam
avyaktasakta-cetasam
avyakta hi gatir duhkham
dehavadbhir avapyate
For those whose minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 6-7
ye tu sarvani karmani
mayi sannyasya mat-parah
ananyenaiva yogena
mam dhyayanta upasate
tesam aham samuddharta
mrtyu-samsara-sagarat
bhavami na cirat partha
mayy avesita-cetasam
For one who worships Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Prtha, for him I am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
Simply by chanting the holy name of Krishna--Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--a devotee of the Lord can approach the supreme destination easily and happily, but this destination cannot be approached by any other process of religion.
The conclusion of Bhagavad-gita is stated here:
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah
One should give up all other processes of self-realization and simply execute devotional service in Krishna consciousness. That will enable one to reach the highest perfection of life. There is no need for one to consider the sinful actions of his past life because the Supreme Lord fully takes charge of him. Therefore one should not futilely try to deliver himself in spiritual realization. Let everyone take shelter of the supreme omnipotent Godhead, Krishna. That is the highest perfection of life.
Aum Namoh Bhagavateh Vasudevayah
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 8
mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah
Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.
One who is engaged in Lord Krishna's devotional service lives in a direct relationship with the Supreme Lord, so there is no doubt that his position is transcendental from the very beginning. A devotee does not live on the material plane--he lives in Lord Krishna.
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 9
atha cittam samadhatum
na saknosi mayi sthiram
abhyasa-yogena tato
mam icchaptum dhananjaya
My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulated principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way you will develop a desire to attain to Me.
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 10
abhyase 'py asamartho 'si
mat-karma-paramo bhava
mad-artham api karmani
kurvan siddhim avapsyasi
If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 12
sreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj
jnanad dhyanam visisyate
dhyanat karma-phala-tyagas
tyagac chantir anantaram
If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.
In summary, to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the highest goal, there are two processes: one process is by gradual development, and the other process is direct. Devotional service in Krishna consciousness is the direct method, and the other method involves renouncing the fruits of one's activities. As far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, it is the direct method that is stressed. Everyone is advised to take to the direct method and surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Aum Namoh Bhagavateh Vasudevayah
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 13-14
advesta sarva-bhutanam
maitrah karuna eva ca
nirmamo nirahankarah
sama-duhkha-sukhah ksami
santustah satatam yogi
yatatma drdha-niscayah
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah
One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me--he is very dear to Me.
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 15
yasman nodvijate loko
lokan nodvijate ca yah
harsamarsa-bhayodvegair
mukto yah sa ca me priyah
He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me.
A few of a devotee's qualifications are further being described. No one is put into difficulty, anxiety, fearfulness, or dissatisfaction by such a devotee. Since a devotee is kind to everyone, he does not act in such a way to put others into anxiety. At the same time, if others try to put a devotee into anxiety, he is not disturbed. It is by the grace of the Lord that he is so practiced that he is not disturbed by any outward disturbance.
Actually because a devotee is always engrossed in Krishna consciousness and engaged in devotional service, all such material circumstances cannot woo him. Generally a materialistic person becomes very happy when there is something for his sense gratification and his body, but when he sees that others have something for their sense gratification and he hasn't, he is sorry and envious.
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 16
anapeksah sucir daksa
udasino gata-vyathah
sarvarambha-parityagi
yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah
A devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and who does not strive for some result, is very dear to Me.
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 18-19
samah satrau ca mitre ca
tatha manapamanayoh
sitosna-sukha-duhkhesu
samah sanga-vivarjitah
tulya-ninda-stutir mauni
santusto yena kenacit
aniketah sthira-matir
bhaktiman me priyo narah
One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contamination, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and engaged in devotional service, is very dear to Me.
A devotee is always free from all bad association. Sometimes one is praised and sometimes one is defamed; that is the nature of human society. But a devotee is always transcendental to artificial fame and infamy, distress or happiness. He is very patient. He does not speak of anything but the topics about Krishna; therefore he is called silent.
CHAPTER 12, VERSE 20
ye tu dharmamrtam idam
yathoktam paryupasate
sraddadhana mat-parama
bhaktas te 'tiva me priyah
He who follows this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal, is very, very dear to Me.
Story of Hanuman
Hanuman is born from the eternal seed of Lord Shiva. At the time of Hanuman's birth, the undisputed leader of the monkey-world was Vali, a strong and powerful ape. When Vali came to know that Anjana was pregnant with a child who was bound to develop into a powerful rival, he decided to end matters in Anjana's womb itself. He created a missile using five metals: gold, silver, copper, iron and tin.
When the unsuspecting mother was asleep, he directed the missile into her womb. A normal child may have succumbed to this dastardly attack, but not one born of Shiva's fiery seed. The missile as soon as it touched Hanuman's body melted, and transformed into a pair of earrings. Thus wearing the trophies of his first battle, fought while still in his mother's womb, Hanuman gloriously entered this world.
As soon as Hanuman was born he felt hungry and his mother could not satisfy him. Then he caught sight of the Sun and thinking it was a fruit he leapt after it. The Sun took flight but Hanuman chased him as far as Indra's heaven. Here however, Indra intervened and injured Hanuman's jaw with his thunderbolt.
When Sita was abducted by Ravana, Hanuman was sent by Lord Rama as an advance spy to Lanka. To reach the island he had to fly over the sea but there was blocked by Sursa, who wanted to test him. She had a boon that everybody who comes before her must pass through her mouth. However, when she wanted to swallow Hanuman, he became bigger
and bigger so she also had to become bigger and bigger. Then Hanuman suddenly the boon.
In the Ashokvatika or forest of Ashoka trees on Lanka, Hanuman spies on Ravana, who is trying in vain to press Sita into becoming his wife. Later he contacted Sita in the gardens of Ravana's palace, told her of the plans being made for her deliverance and gave her Rama's signet ring as a token.
Brought before the demon king, Ravana ordered that while as a messenger of Rama he
could not be killed, his tail could be set afire with cloth and oil. But Hanuman used his powers to enlarge his tail indefinitely, untill the demons had no cloth left to cover it. While they still tried to put fire to his tail, Hanuman became suddenly very small and
escaped from his ropes.
Trailing his burning tail behind him, Hanuman then set fire to all of Lanka and flew
back to the mainland. He rejoined Rama and gave him valuable information on Ravana's forces. The army crossed a bridge to Lanka that was made by another monkey leader and master architect called Nala.
Hanuman's greatest feat during the battle of Lanka however was to bring back the herb
that cured Lakshman from a fatal wound. He flew al the way to the Himalayas to find it, harassed by many demons, such as Kalanemi. Because Indra was confusing him, Hanuman could not find the herb and finally brought the entire mountain to Lanka.
Ravana was defeated by Lord Rama and Rama and Sita were crowned King and Queen of Ayodhya. Hanuman remained Rama's favorite general and continued his life in service to the Lord. When Rama offered him any boon that he cared to name, he asked to live for as long as men spoke of the deeds of Rama.
Once Lord Rama gave a necklace of pearl to Hanuman. Hanuman immediately broke the necklace and started to gaze every pearl. When Laxman asked Hanuman the reason for him glaring at each and every pearl, Hanuman replied that he is looking at Lord Rama. Hanuman was so convinced that his Lord Rama was present in his heart and is also present everywhere including the pearls (omnipresence). When they asked Hanuman to show Lord Rama within himself, Hanuman tore-open his chest. Everyone saw the Lord Rama and Sita were present in his heart.
Another incident was when Hanuman saw Sita was wearing sindur (vermilion). Hanuman asked Sita, why was she wearing sindur and Sita answered that `Sindur' provides good happening and long life to Lord Rama. Immediately Hanuman besmeared sindur in his whole body. When asked why Hanuman should smear sindur on himself, Hanuman answered earnestly that since Mother Sita was wearing sindur for Lord Rama's well being he was also wearing sindur for the same reason. Lord Rama was immensely moved and gave him blessings that the devotee who will offer Hanuman, sindur will cross all the hurdles.
If yoga is the ability to control one's mind, Hanuman is the quintessential yogi having a perfect mastery over his senses, achieved through a disciplined lifestyle tempered by the twin streams of celibacy and selfless devotion (bhakti). In fact, Hanuman is the ideal Brahmachari (one who follows the path of Brahma).
He is also a transcendental karma yogi since he performs his actions with detachment, acting as an instrument of destiny rather than being impelled by any selfish motive.
Chapter 13
THE YOGA OF DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE FIELD AND KNOWER
OF THE FIELD
(Kshetra-Kshetrajna-Vibhaga Yoga)
Arjuna said: Prakriti (matter) and Purusha (spirit), also the field (Kshetra) and the knower
of the field (Kshetrajna), knowledge and which ought to be known these I desire to learn, O Kesava.
The Blessed Lord said: This body, O son of Kunti, is called the field (Kshetra), he who
knows it (body) is called (Kshetrajna) (the knower of the field) by the sages . Do you also know Me as the knower of the field in all fields, O Arjuna. Knowledge of both the field and the knower of the field is considered by Me to be the knowledge .
The great elements, egoism, intellect, and also the unmanifested (Mula-Prakriti or
Avyaktam), the ten senses and the one (mind) and the five objects of the senses, desire, hatred, pleasure and pain, the aggregate, intelligence, courage the Kshetra has been thus described briefly with its modifications (5-6).
Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forbearance, uprightness, service of the teacher,
purity, steadfastness, self-control; indifference to the objects of the senses and also absence of egoism; perception of evil in birth, death, old age, in sickness and pain; non-attachment, non-identification of self with son, wife, home and the like and constant balance of mind in the occurrence of the desirable and the undesirable, unswerving devotion to Me by Yoga, without other object, resort to solitary places, distaste for the society of men, constant application to spiritual knowledge of Truth this is declared to be knowledge, and what is opposed to it is ignorance.
With hands and feet everywhere, with eyes, heads and mouths everywhere, with ears
everywhere He exists in the world, enveloping all. Without and within all beings, the
immovable and also the moveable; because of His subtlety incomprehensible; and near and far away is That. That the Light of all lights, is said to be beyond darkness, knowledge, the knowable, the goal of knowledge, seated in the hearts of all.
He sees, who sees, that all actions are performed by Prakriti alone and that the Self is
actionless. They who by the eye of wisdom perceive the difference between Kshetra (the field) and the Kshetrajna (the knower of the field) and the liberation of beings from Matter (Prakriti) they go to the Supreme.
CHAPTER 13, VERSE 3
ksetra-jnam capi mam viddhi
sarva-ksetresu bharata
ksetra-ksetrajnayor jnanam
yat taj jnanam matam mama
O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its owner is called knowledge. That is My opinion.
The Lord says: "I am the knower of the field of activities in every individual body." The individual may be the knower of his own body, but he is not in knowledge of other bodies. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is present as the Supersoul in all bodies, knows everything about all bodies. He knows all the different bodies of all the various species of life.
Chapter 13, Verse 4
tat ksetram yac ca yadrk ca
yad-vikari yatas ca yat
sa ca yo yat-prabhavas ca
tat samasena me srnu
Now please hear My brief description of this field of activity and how it is constituted, what its changes are, whence it is produced, who that knower of the field of activities is, and what his influences are.
Chapter 13, Verse 6-7
maha-bhutany ahankaro
buddhir avyaktam eva ca
indriyani dasaikam ca
panca cendriya-gocarah
iccha dvesah sukham duhkham
sanghatas cetana dhrtih
etat ksetram samasena
sa-vikaram udahrtam
The five great elements, false ego, intelligence, the unmanifested, the ten senses, the mind, the five sense objects, desire, hatred, happiness, distress, the aggregate, the life symptoms, and convictions--all these are considered, in summary, to be the field of activities and its interactions.
Chapter 13, Verse 8-12
amanitvam adambhitvam
ahimsa ksantir arjavam
acaryopasanam saucam
sthairyam atma-vinigrahah
indriyarthesu vairagyam
anahankara eva ca
janma-mrtyu-jara-vyadhi-
duhkha-dosanudarsanam
asaktir anabhisvangah
putra-dara-grhadisu
nityam ca sama-cittatvam
istanistopapattisu
mayi cananya-yogena
bhaktir avyabhicarini
vivikta-desa-sevitvam
aratir jana-samsadi
adhyatma-jnana-nityatvam
tattva-jnanartha-darsanam
etaj jnanam iti proktam
ajnanam yad ato 'nyatha
Humility, pridelessness, nonviolence, tolerance, simplicity, approaching a bona fide spiritual master, cleanliness, steadiness and self-control; renunciation of the objects of sense gratification, absence of false ego, the perception of the evil of birth, death, old age and disease; nonattachment to children, wife, home and the rest, and even-mindedness amid pleasant and unpleasant events; constant and unalloyed devotion to Me, resorting to solitary places, detachment from the general mass of people; accepting the importance of self-realization, and philosophical search for the Absolute Truth--all these I thus declare to be knowledge, and what is contrary to these is ignorance.
Chapter 13, Verse 14
sarvatah pani-padam tat
sarvato 'ksi-siro-mukham
sarvatah srutimal loke
sarvam avrtya tisthati
As the sun exists diffusing its unlimited rays, so does the Supersoul, or Supreme Personality of Godhead. He exists in His all-pervading form, and in Him exist all the individual living entities, beginning from the first great teacher, Brahma, down to the small ants. There are unlimited heads, legs, hands and eyes, and unlimited living entities. All are existing in and on the Supersoul. Therefore the Supersoul is all-pervading. The individual soul, however, cannot say that he has his hands, legs and eyes everywhere. That is not possible.
Chapter 13, Verse 15
sarvendriya-gunabhasam
sarvendriya-vivarjitam
asaktam sarva-bhrc caiva
nirgunam guna-bhoktr ca
The Supersoul is the original source of all senses, yet He is without senses. He is unattached, although He is the maintainer of all living beings. He transcends the modes of nature, and at the same time He is the master of all modes of material nature.
Chapter 13, Verse 21
karya-karana-kartrtve
hetuh prakrtir ucyate
purusah sukha-duhkhanam
bhoktrtve hetur ucyate
Nature is said to be the cause of all material activities and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world.
Chapter 13, Verse 22
purusah prakrti-stho hi
bhunkte prakrti-jan gunan
karanam guna-sango 'sya
sad-asad-yoni-janmasu
The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.
Chapter 13, Verse 28
samam sarvesu bhutesu
tisthantam paramesvaram
vinasyatsv avinasyantam
yah pasyati sa pasyati
One who sees the Supersoul accompanying the individual soul in all bodies, and who understands that neither the soul nor the Supersoul is ever destroyed, actually sees.
Chapter 13, Verse 34
yatha prakasayaty ekah
krtsnam lokam imam ravih
ksetram ksetri tatha krtsnam
prakasayati bharata
O son of Bharata, as the sun alone illuminates all this universe, so does the living entity, one within the body, illuminate the entire body by consciousness.
Chapter 13, Verse 35
ksetra-ksetrajnayor evam
antaram jnana-caksusa
bhuta-prakrti-moksam ca
ye vidur yanti te param
One who knowingly sees this difference between the body and the owner of the body and can understand the process of liberation from this bondage, also attains to the supreme goal.
Chapter 14
THE YOGA OF THE DIVISION OF THE THREE GUNAS
(Guna-Traya-Vibhaga-Yoga)
The Blessed Lord said: Sattva, Rajas and Tamas (purity, passion and inertia) these
Gunas, O mighty-armed, born of Prakriti, bind fast in the body the indestructible embodied one .
Of these Sattva (purity) which from its stainlessness is luminous and healthy, binds by attachment to happiness and by attachment to knowledge, O sinless one! . Know you Rajas to be of the nature of passion, the source of thirst for life and objects and attachment, it binds fast, O son of Kunti, the embodied one by attachment to action . But know you Tamas (inertia) born of ignorance is the deluder of all embodied beings; it binds fast, O Bharata, by heedlessness, indolence and sloth.
Now Sattva (purity) prevails, having overpowered Rajas and Tamas, O Bharata; now
Rajas, having overpowered Sattva and Tamas; now Tamas, having overpowered Sattva and Rajas.
When the wisdom-light shines at every gate (sense) in this body, then it should be known
that Sattva is increasing. Greed, activity, the undertaking of actions, restlessness,
desire these are born of increase of Rajas, O best of the Bharatas. Darkness, inertness, heedlessness, and also delusion these are born of the increase Of Tamas, O descendant of the Kuru.
If the embodied one dies when Sattva is predominant, then he goes to the spotless worlds of the Highest. If he dies when Rajas is predominant, he is born among those attached to action; if he dies when Tamas is predominant he is born in the wombs of the senseless. The fruit of good action, they say, is Sattvic and pure; verily the fruit of Rajas is pain and the fruit of Tamas is ignorance. Those who are seated in Sattva rise upwards; the Rajasic remain in the middle; and the Tamasic who follow in the course of the lowest Guna, go downwards.
When the seer beholds not an agent other than the Gunas and knows that which is higher
than the Gunas, he attains to My being. The embodied one, having crossed beyond these three Gunas out of which the body is evolved is freed from birth, death, old age and pain and attains the immortal.
Arjuna said: What are the marks of him who has crossed over the three qualities, O Lord
What is his conduct and how does he pass beyond the three Gunas (21)
The Blessed Lord said: He, O Pandava, who hates not radiance nor activity, nor even
delusion when present, nor longs for them when absent (22), he who, seated as a neutral, is not moved by Gunas; who knowing that the Gunas act, is firm and moves not (23). He to whom pain and pleasure are alike, who dwells in the Self, to whom a lump of earth, stone and gold are alike, to whom the dear and the undear are alike, who is firm, to whom censure and praise are same; the same in honour and disgrace, the same to friend and foe, abandoning all undertakingshe is said to have crossed over the qualities (24-25).
Chapter 14, Verse 5
sattvam rajas tama iti
gunah prakrti-sambhavah
nibadhnanti maha-baho
dehe dehinam avyayam
Material nature consists of the three modes--goodness, passion and ignorance. When the living entity comes in contact with nature, he becomes conditioned by these modes.
Chapter 14, Verse 6
tatra sattvam nirmalatvat
prakasakam anamayam
sukha-sangena badhnati
jnana-sangena canagha
O sinless one, the mode of goodness being purer than the others, is illuminating, and it frees one from all sinful reactions. Those situated in that mode develop knowledge, but they become conditioned by the concept of happiness.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 7
rajo ragatmakam viddhi
trsna-sanga-samudbhavam
tan nibadhnati kaunteya
karma-sangena dehinam
The mode of passion is born of unlimited desires and longings, O son of Kunti, and because of this one is bound to material fruitive activities.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 8
tamas tv ajnana-jam viddhi
mohanam sarva-dehinam
pramadalasya-nidrabhis
tan nibadhnati bharata
O son of Bharata, the mode of ignorance causes the delusion of all living entities. The result of this mode is madness, indolence and sleep, which bind the conditioned soul.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 9
sattvam sukhe sanjayati
rajah karmani bharata
jnanam avrtya tu tamah
pramade sanjayaty uta
The mode of goodness conditions one to happiness, passion conditions him to the fruits of action, and ignorance to madness.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 10
rajas tamas cabhibhuya
sattvam bhavati bharata
rajah sattvam tamas caiva
tamah sattvam rajas tatha
Sometimes the mode of passion becomes prominent, defeating the mode of goodness, O son of Bharata. And sometimes the mode of goodness defeats passion, and at other times the mode of ignorance defeats goodness and passion. In this way there is always competition for supremacy.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 11
sarva-dvaresu dehe 'smin
prakasa upajayate
jnanam yada tada vidyad
vivrddham sattvam ity uta
The manifestations of the mode of goodness can be experienced when all the gates of the body are illuminated by knowledge.
There are nine gates in the body: two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, the mouth, the genital and the anus. In every gate, when the symptom of goodness is illuminated, it should be understood that one has developed the mode of goodness. In the mode of goodness, one can see things in the right position, one can hear things in the right position, and one can taste things in the right position. One becomes cleansed inside and outside. In every gate there is development of the symptoms of happiness, and that is the position of goodness.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 12
lobhah pravrttir arambhah
karmanam asamah sprha
rajasy etani jayante
vivrddhe bharatarsabha
O chief of the Bharatas, when there is an increase in the mode of passion, the symptoms of great attachment, uncontrollable desire, hankering, and intense endeavor develop.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 13
aprakaso 'pravrttis ca
pramado moha eva ca
tamasy etani jayante
vivrddhe kuru-nandana
O son of Kuru, when there is an increase in the mode of ignorance, madness, illusion, inertia and darkness are manifested.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 14
yada sattve pravrddhe tu
pralayam yati deha-bhrt
tadottama-vidam lokan
amalan pratipadyate
When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 15
rajasi pralayam gatva
karma-sangisu jayate
tatha pralinas tamasi
mudha-yonisu jayate
When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when he dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 16
karmanah sukrtasyahuh
sattvikam nirmalam phalam
rajasas tu phalam duhkham
ajnanam tamasah phalam
By acting in the mode of goodness, one becomes purified. Works done in the mode of passion result in distress, and actions performed in the mode of ignorance result in foolishness.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 17
sattvat sanjayate jnanam
rajaso lobha eva ca
pramada-mohau tamaso
bhavato 'jnanam eva ca
From the mode of goodness, real knowledge develops; from the mode of passion, greed develops; and from the mode of ignorance, foolishness, madness and illusion develop.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 18
urdhvam gacchanti sattva-stha
madhye tisthanti rajasah
jaghanya-guna-vrtti-stha
adho gacchanti tamasah
Those situated in the mode of goodness gradually go upward to the higher planets; those in the mode of passion live on the earthly planets; and those in the mode of ignorance go down to the hellish worlds.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 19
nanyam gunebhyah kartaram
yada drastanupasyati
gunebhyas ca param vetti
mad-bhavam so 'dhigacchati
When you see that there is nothing beyond these modes of nature in all activities and that the Supreme Lord is transcendental to all these modes, then you can know My spiritual nature.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 20
gunan etan atitya trin
dehi deha-samudbhavan
janma-mrtyu-jara-duhkhair
vimukto 'mrtam asnute
When the embodied being is able to transcend these three modes, he can become free from birth, death, old age and their distresses and can enjoy nectar even in this life.
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 21
arjuna uvaca
kair lingais trin gunan etan
atito bhavati prabho
kim acarah katham caitams
trin gunan ativartate
Arjuna inquired: O my Lord, by what symptoms is one known who is transcendental to those modes What is his behavior And how does he transcend the modes of nature
CHAPTER 14, VERSE 22-25
sri-bhagavan uvaca
prakasam ca pravrttim ca
moham eva ca pandava
na dvesti sampravrttani
na nivrttani kanksati
udasina-vad asino
gunair yo na vicalyate
guna vartanta ity evam
yo 'vatisthati nengate
sama-duhkha-sukhah sva-sthah
sama-lostasma-kancanah
tulya-priyapriyo dhiras
tulya-nindatma-samstutih
manapamanayos tulyas
tulyo mitrari-paksayoh
sarvarambha-parityagi
gunatitah sa ucyate
The Blessed Lord said: He who does not hate illumination, attachment and delusion when they are present, nor longs for them when they disappear; who is seated like one unconcerned, being situated beyond these material reactions of the modes of nature, who remains firm, knowing that the modes alone are active; who regards alike pleasure and pain, and looks on a clod, a stone and a piece of gold with an equal eye; who is wise and holds praise and blame to be the same; who is unchanged in honor and dishonor, who treats friend and foe alike, who has abandoned all fruitive undertakings--such a man is said to have transcended the modes of nature.
Chapter 15
THE YOGA OF SUPREME PURUSHA
(Purushottama Yoga)
The Blessed Lord said: With roots above, branches below, the Asvattha is said to be
indestructible; its leaves are the hymns; he who knows this knows the Vedas . Below and above spread its branches, nourished by the Gunas; sense-objects are its buds, and its roots grow downwards in the world of men ending in action . Its form is not perceived here, neither its end nor its origin nor its existence; having cut asunder this firm-rooted Asvattha with the strong axe of non-attachment, that goal should be sought for, going whither none returns again. I seek refuge in that Primeval Purusha whence streamed forth the ancient energy.
Free from pride and delusion, with the evil of attachment conquered, constantly abiding in the Self, their desires having completely turned away, liberated from the pairs of opposites known as pleasure and pain, the undeluded reach that goal Eternal .
There the sun does not shine, nor the moon, nor fire; having gone thither they return not;
that is My Supreme Abode . An eternal portion of My own self having become a living soul in the world of life, draws to itself the five senses with mind for the sixth abiding in Prakriti.
Abiding in the body of living beings as the fire Vaisvanara, united with Prana and Apana, I digest the four kinds of food.
I am seated in the hearts of all; from Me are memory, knowledge and their absence; I am
verily that which has to be known by all the Vedas; I indeed am the author of the Vedanta and the knower of the Vedas am I.
There are two Purushas in the world - the perishable and the Imperishable; all beings are
perishable and the Kutastha (immutable, unchanging) is called the Imperishable. But there is another, the supreme Purusha, called the Highest Self, the indestructible Lord, who pervading all, sustains the three worlds. As I transcend the perishable and am even higher than the Imperishable, I am known in the world and in the Veda as Purushottama (the Highest Purusha).
He who, undeluded thus knows Me, the Highest Purusha, he knowing all worships Me
with his whole being O Bharata, this most profound teaching has been taught by Me, O sinless one. On knowing thus one becomes illumined,OBharata and all his duties are accomplished.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 1-2
sri-bhagavan uvaca
urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham
asvattham prahur avyayam
chandamsi yasya parnani
yas tam veda sa veda-vit
adhas cordhvam prasrtas tasya sakha
guna-pravrddha visaya-pravalah
adhas ca mulany anusantatani
karmanubandhini manusya-loke
The Blessed Lord said: There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down and whose leaves are the Vedic hymns. One who knows this tree is the knower of the Vedas.
The branches of this tree extend downward and upward, nourished by the three modes of material nature. The twigs are the objects of the senses. This tree also has roots going down, and these are bound to the fruitive actions of human society.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 3-4
na rupam asyeha tathopalabhyate
nanto na cadir na ca sampratistha
asvattham enam su-virudha-mulam
asanga-sastrena drdhena chittva
tatah padam tat parimargitavyam
yasmin gata na nivartanti bhuyah
tam eva cadyam purusam prapadye
yatah pravrttih prasrta purani
The real form of this tree cannot be perceived in this world. No one can understand where it ends, where it begins, or where its foundation is. But with determination one must cut down this tree with the weapon of detachment. So doing, one must seek that place from which, having once gone, one never returns, and there surrender to that Supreme Personality of Godhead from whom everything has began and in whom everything is abiding since time immemorial.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 5
nirmana-moha jita-sanga-dosa
adhyatma-nitya vinivrtta-kamah
dvandvair vimuktah sukha-duhkha-samjnair
gacchanty amudhah padam avyayam tat
One who is free from illusion, false prestige, and false association, who understands the eternal, who is done with material lust and is freed from the duality of happiness and distress, and who knows how to surrender unto the Supreme Person, attains to that eternal kingdom.
The surrendering process is described here very nicely. The first qualification is that one should not be deluded by pride. Because the conditioned soul is puffed up, thinking himself the lord of material nature, it is very difficult for him to surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One should know by the cultivation of real knowledge that he is not lord of material nature; the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the Lord.
When one is free from delusion caused by pride, he can begin the process of surrender. For one who is always expecting some honor in this material world, it is not possible to surrender to the Supreme Person. Pride is due to illusion, for although one comes here, stays for a brief time and then goes away, he has the foolish notion that he is the lord of the world. He thus makes all things complicated, and he is always in trouble. The whole world moves under this impression.
People are considering that the land, this earth, belongs to human society, and they have divided the land under the false impression that they are the proprietors. One has to get out of this false notion that human society is the proprietor of this world. When one is freed from such a false notion, he becomes free from all the false associations caused by familial, social and national affections. These fake associations bind one to this material world.
After this stage, one has to develop spiritual knowledge. One has to cultivate knowledge of what is actually his own and what is actually not his own. And, when one has an understanding of things as they are, he becomes free from all dual conceptions such as happiness and distress, pleasure and pain. He becomes full in knowledge; then it is possible for him to surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 6
na tad bhasayate suryo
na sasanko na pavakah
yad gatva na nivartante
tad dhama paramam mama
That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. One who reaches it never returns to this material world.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 7
mamaivamso jiva-loke
jiva-bhutah sanatanah
manah-sasthanindriyani
prakrti-sthani karsati
The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 8
sariram yad avapnoti
yac capy utkramatisvarah
grhitvaitani samyati
vayur gandhan ivasayat
The living entity in the material world carries his different conceptions of life from one body to another as the air carries aromas.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 14
aham vaisvanaro bhutva
praninam deham asritah
pranapana-samayuktah
pacamy annam catur-vidham
I am the fire of digestion in every living body, and I am the air of life, outgoing and incoming, by which I digest the four kinds of foodstuff.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 15
sarvasya caham hrdi sannivisto
mattah smrtir jnanam apohanam ca
vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyo
vedanta-krd veda-vid eva caham
I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas I am to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedanta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 16
dvav imau purusau loke
ksaras caksara eva ca
ksarah sarvani bhutani
kuta-stho 'ksara ucyate
There are two classes of beings, the fallible and the infallible. In the material world every entity is fallible, and in the spiritual world every entity is called infallible.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 17
uttamah purusas tv anyah
paramatmety udahrtah
yo loka-trayam avisya
bibharty avyaya isvarah
Besides these two, there is the greatest living personality, the Lord Himself, who has entered into these worlds and is maintaining them.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 18
yasmat ksaram atito 'ham
aksarad api cottamah
ato 'smi loke vede ca
prathitah purusottamah
Because I am transcendental, beyond both the fallible and the infallible, and because I am the greatest, I am celebrated both in the world and in the Vedas as that Supreme Person.
No one can surpass the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna--neither the conditioned soul nor the liberated soul. He is, therefore, the greatest of personalities. Now it is clear here that the living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are individuals. The difference is that the living entities, either in the conditioned state or in the liberated state, cannot surpass in quantity the inconceivable potencies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 19
yo mam evam asammudho
janati purusottamam
sa sarva-vid bhajati mam
sarva-bhavena bharata
Whoever knows Me as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without doubting, is to be understood as the knower of everything, and He therefore engages himself in full devotional service, O son of Bharata.
CHAPTER 15, VERSE 20
iti guhyatamam sastram
idam uktam mayanagha
etad buddhva buddhiman syat
krta-krtyas ca bharata
This is the most confidential part of the Vedic scriptures, O sinless one, and it is disclosed now by Me. Whoever understands this will become wise, and his endeavors will know perfection.
The Lord clearly explains here that this is the substance of all revealed scriptures. And one should understand this as it is given by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus one will become intelligent and perfect in transcendental knowledge. In other words, by understanding this philosophy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and engaging in His transcendental service, everyone can become freed from all contaminations of the modes of material nature. Devotional service is a process of spiritual understanding. Wherever devotional service exists, the material contamination cannot coexist.
Devotional service to the Lord and the Lord Himself are one and the same because they are spiritual--the internal energy of the Supreme Lord. The Lord is said to be the sun, and ignorance is called darkness. Where the sun is present, there is no question of darkness. Therefore, whenever devotional service is present under the proper guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, there is no question of ignorance.
Everyone must take to this consciousness of Krishna and engage in devotional service to become intelligent and purified.
Aum Namoh Bhagavateh Vasudevayah
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Aum Namoh Narayanaya
Chapter 16
THE YOGA OF DIVISION BETWEEN THE DIVINE AND THE
DEMONIACAL
(Daivasura-Sampad-Vibhaga Yoga)
The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in the Yoga of wisdom, alms-giving, control of the senses (self-restraint) sacrifice, study of one s own scriptures, austerity, straightforwardness, non-injury, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion to living beings, uncovetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness, vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride these belong to one who is born with the divine properties, O Bharata.
Hypocrisy, arrogance, self-conceit, anger, harshness and ignorance, belong to one who is
born, O Partha, with demoniacal properties . The divine properties are deemed to make for liberation, the demoniacal for bondage. Grieve not, you art born with divine properties, O Pandava .
Demoniacal men know not what to do and what to refrain from; neither purity nor good
conduct, nor truth is found in them . They say, The universe is without truth, without a moral basis, without a God, brought about by mutual union, brought about by lust and nothing else .
Filled with insatiable desires, full of hypocrisy, pride and arrogance, holding evil ideas through delusion, they work with impure resolves. Bound by a hundred ties of hope, given over to lust and anger, they strive to secure by unlawful means hoards of wealth for sensual enjoyments.
This today has been gained by me, this desire I shall obtain; this wealth is mine already, and also this shall be mine in future . I have slain this enemy, and others also I shall slay. I am lord, I enjoy, I am perfect, powerful and happy . I am rich, well-born, who else is equal to me I will sacrifice. I will give charity. I will rejoice . These malicious; and cruel-doers, worst of men in the world, I hurl them for ever into the wombs of demons only.
Triple is the gate of this hell, destructive of the Self, lust, anger and greed; therefore, these three one should abandon. A man who is released from these three gates to darkness, O son of Kunti, does good to the self and thus reaches the Supreme Goal.
He who setting aside the ordinances of the scriptures, acts under the impulse of desire,
attains not to perfection, nor happiness, nor the Supreme Goal. Therefore let the scriptures be your authority in deciding as what ought to be done and what ought not to be done. Having known what is said in the ordinances of the scriptures, you shouldst work in this world.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 1-3
sri-bhagavan uvaca
abhayam sattva-samsuddhir
jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih
danam damas ca yajnas ca
svadhyayas tapa arjavam
ahimsa satyam akrodhas
tyagah santir apaisunam
daya bhutesv aloluptvam
mardavam hrir acapalam
tejah ksama dhrtih saucam
adroho nati-manita
bhavanti sampadam daivim
abhijatasya bharata
The Blessed Lord said: Fearlessness, purification of one's existence, cultivation of spiritual knowledge, charity, self-control, performance of sacrifice, study of the Vedas, austerity and simplicity; nonviolence, truthfulness, freedom from anger; renunciation, tranquility, aversion to faultfinding, compassion and freedom from covetousness; gentleness, modesty and steady determination; vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, cleanliness, freedom from envy and the passion for honor--these transcendental qualities, O son of Bharata, belong to godly men endowed with divine nature.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 4
dambho darpo 'bhimanas ca
krodhah parusyam eva ca
ajnanam cabhijatasya
partha sampadam asurim
Arrogance, pride, anger, conceit, harshness and ignorance--these qualities belong to those of demoniac nature, O son of Prtha.
Chapter 16, Verse 5
daivi sampad vimoksaya
nibandhayasuri mata
ma sucah sampadam daivim
abhijato 'si pandava
The transcendental qualities are conducive to liberation, whereas the demoniac qualities make for bondage. Do not worry, O son of Pandu, for you are born with the divine qualities.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 7
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
jana na vidur asurah
na saucam napi cacaro
na satyam tesu vidyate
Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 8
asatyam apratistham te
jagad ahur anisvaram
aparaspara-sambhutam
kim anyat kama-haitukam
They say that this world is unreal, that there is no foundation and that there is no God in control. It is produced of sex desire, and has no cause other than lust.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 9
etam drstim avastabhya
nastatmano 'lpa-buddhayah
prabhavanty ugra-karmanah
ksayaya jagato 'hitah
Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 10
kamam asritya duspuram
dambha-mana-madanvitah
mohad grhitvasad-grahan
pravartante 'suci-vratah
The demoniac, taking shelter of insatiable lust, pride and false prestige, and being thus illusioned, are always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the impermanent.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 11-12
cintam aparimeyam ca
pralayantam upasritah
kamopabhoga-parama
etavad iti niscitah
asa-pasa-satair baddhah
kama-krodha-parayanah
ihante kama-bhogartham
anyayenartha-sancayan
They believe that to gratify the senses unto the end of life is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus there is no end to their anxiety. Being bound by hundreds and thousands of desires, by lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 13-15
idam adya maya labdham
imam prapsye manoratham
idam astidam api me
bhavisyati punar dhanam
asau maya hatah satrur
hanisye caparan api
isvaro 'ham aham bhogi
siddho 'ham balavan sukhi
adhyo 'bhijanavan asmi
ko 'nyo 'sti sadrso maya
yaksye dasyami modisya
ity ajnana-vimohitah
The demoniac person thinks: "So much wealth do I have today, and I will gain more according to my schemes. So much is mine now, and it will increase in the future, more and more. He is my enemy, and I have killed him; and my other enemy will also be killed. I am the lord of everything. I am the enjoyer. I am perfect, powerful and happy. I am the richest man, surrounded by aristocratic relatives. There is none so powerful and happy as I am. I shall perform sacrifices, I shall give some charity, and thus I shall rejoice." In this way, such persons are deluded by ignorance.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 19
tan aham dvisatah kruran
samsaresu naradhaman
ksipamy ajasram asubhan
asurisv eva yonisu
Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 20
asurim yonim apanna
mudha janmani janmani
mam aprapyaiva kaunteya
tato yanty adhamam gatim
Attaining repeated birth amongst the species of demoniac life, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the most abominable type of existence.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 21
tri-vidham narakasyedam
dvaram nasanam atmanah
kamah krodhas tatha lobhas
tasmad etat trayam tyajet
There are three gates leading to this hell--lust, anger and greed. Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 22
etair vimuktah kaunteya
tamo-dvarais tribhir narah
acaraty atmanah sreyas
tato yati param gatim
The man who has escaped these three gates of hell, O son of Kunti, performs acts conducive to self-realization and thus gradually attains the supreme destination.
One should be very careful of these enemies to human life: desires (lust), anger, and greed. The more a person is freed from lust, anger and greed, the more his existence becomes pure.
Then he can follow the rules and regulations enjoined in the Vedic literature. By following the regulative principles of human life, one gradually raises himself to the platform of spiritual realization. If one is so fortunate, by such practice, to rise to the platform of Krishna consciousness, then success is guaranteed for him.
In the Vedic literature, the ways of action and reaction are prescribed to enable one to come to the stage of purification. The whole method is based on giving up lust, greed and anger. By cultivating knowledge of this process, one can be elevated to the highest position of self-realization; this self-realization is perfected in devotional service. In that devotional service, the liberation of the conditioned soul is guaranteed.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 23
yah sastra-vidhim utsrjya
vartate kama-karatah
na sa siddhim avapnoti
na sukham na param gatim
But he who discards scriptural injunctions and acts according to his own whims attains neither perfection, nor happiness, nor the supreme destination.
CHAPTER 16, VERSE 24
tasmac chastram pramanam te
karyakarya-vyavasthitau
jnatva sastra-vidhanoktam
karma kartum iharhasi
One should understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should act so that he may gradually be elevated.
Chapter XVII
THE YOGA OF THE THREEFOLD FAITH
(Sraddha-Traya-Vibhaga Yoga)
Arjuna said: Those who setting aside the ordinances of the scriptures, perform sacrifice
with faith what faith is theirs Is it Sattva or Rajas or Tamas (Is it purity or passion or darkness) .
The Blessed Lord said: Threefold is the faith of the embodied, which is inherent in their
nature Sattvic (pure), Rajasic (passionate) and Tamasic (darkness). Do you hear of these . The faith of each is in accordance with his nature, O Bharata. The man consists of his faith, as a mans faith is, so is he .
Those men who perform terrible austerities not enjoined by the scriptures, given to
hypocrisy and egoism, impelled by the force of their desires and passions, torture, senseless as they are, the aggregated elements forming the body, and Me also, who dwells in the body within, know you these to be of demoniac resolves (5-6).
The foods which increase vitality, energy, strength, health, joy and cheerfulness, which are savoury, oleaginous, substantial and agreeable, are dear to the Sattvic. The foods like foods that are bitter, sour, saline, excessively hot, pungent, dry and burning, and which cause pain, grief and diseases, are dear to the Rajasic. That which is stale, tasteless, putrid, rotten, refused and impure, is dear to the Tamasic.
The sacrifice that is offered by men without desire for fruit as enjoined by ordinance, with a fixed resolve in the mind that they should do the sacrifice as duty, is pure. That which is offered with a view to obtain fruit and for ostentation, O best of the Bharatas, know it to be a Rajasic Yajna. The sacrifice performed contrary to the ordinances in which no food is distributed, which is destitute of Mantras, gifts and faith, is said to be Tamasic.
Worship of the gods, the twice-born, the Gurus and the wise, purity, straightforwardness,
continence, and non-injury are called the austerity of the body. Speech which causes no annoyance and is true, as also pleasant and beneficial and also study of the scriptures, are called the austerity of the speech. Serenity of the mind, equanimity, silence, self-control, purity of nature this is called the mental austerity.
This threefold austerity, practised by steadfast men with the utmost faith, without desire
for fruit is said to be Sattvic (pure). That austerity which is practised with the object of gaining good reception, honour and worship and with ostentation is here (in this world) said to be Rajasic, unstable and transitory. That austerity which is practised out of a foolish notion with self-torture, or for the purpose of ruining another is declared to be Tamasic.
That alms (gift) which is given knowing it to be a duty to give to one who does no
service in return, in a fit place and time, to a worthy person, that alms is said to be Sattvic). That gift which is given with a view to receiving in return or looking for the fruit or again reluctantly that gift is held to be Rajasic. That gift given at a wrong place or time, to unworthy persons, without respect and with insult, that is declared to be Tamasic.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 1
arjuna uvaca
ye sastra-vidhim utsrjya
yajante sraddhayanvitah
tesam nistha tu ka Krishna
sattvam aho rajas tamah
Arjuna said, O Krishna, what is the situation of one who does not follow the principles of scripture but who worships according to his own imagination Is he in goodness, in passion or in ignorance
Chapter 17, Verse 2
sri-bhagavan uvaca
tri-vidha bhavati sraddha
dehinam sa svabhava-ja
sattviki rajasi caiva
tamasi ceti tam srnu
The Supreme Lord said, according to the modes of nature acquired by the embodied soul, one's faith can be of three kinds--goodness, passion or ignorance. Now hear about these.
Chapter 17, Verse 3
sattvanurupa sarvasya
sraddha bhavati bharata
sraddha-mayo 'yam puruso
yo yac-chraddhah sa eva sah
According to one's existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 4
yajante sattvika devan
yaksa-raksamsi rajasah
pretan bhuta-ganams canye
yajante tamasa janah
Men in the mode of goodness worship the demigods; those in the mode of passion worship the demons; and those in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 5-6
asastra-vihitam ghoram
tapyante ye tapo janah
dambhahankara-samyuktah
kama-raga-balanvitah
karsayantah sarira-stham
bhuta-gramam acetasah
mam caivantah sarira-stham
tan viddhy asura-niscayan
Those who undergo severe austerities and penances not recommended in the scriptures, performing them out of pride, egoism, lust and attachment, who are impelled by passion and who torture their bodily organs as well as the Supersoul dwelling within are to be known as demons.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 7
aharas tv api sarvasya
tri-vidho bhavati priyah
yajnas tapas tatha danam
tesam bhedam imam srnu
Even food of which all partake is of three kinds, according to the three modes of material nature. The same is true of sacrifices, austerities and charity. Listen, and I shall tell you of the distinctions of these.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 8-10
ayuh-sattva-balarogya-
sukha-priti-vivardhanah
rasyah snigdhah sthira hrdya
aharah sattvika-priyah
katv-amla-lavanaty-usna-
tiksna-ruksa-vidahinah
ahara rajasasyesta
duhkha-sokamaya-pradah
yata-yamam gata-rasam
puti paryusitam ca yat
ucchistam api camedhyam
bhojanam tamasa-priyam
Foods in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such nourishing foods are sweet, juicy, fatty and palatable. Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, pungent, dry and hot, are liked by people in the modes of passion. Such foods cause pain, distress, and disease. Food cooked more than three hours before being eaten, which is tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed and unclean, is food liked by people in the mode of ignorance.
The purpose of food is to increase the duration of life, purify the mind and aid bodily strength. This is its only purpose. In the past, great authorities selected those foods that best aid health and increase life's duration, such as milk products, sugar, rice, wheat, fruits and vegetables. These foods are very dear to those in the mode of goodness. Some other foods, such as baked corn and molasses, while not very palatable in themselves, can be made pleasant when mixed with milk or other foods. They are then in the mode of goodness. All these foods are pure by nature. Protein is amply available through split peas, dal, whole wheat, etc.
Foods in the mode of passion, which are bitter, too salty, or too hot or overly mixed with red pepper, cause misery by producing mucus in the stomach, leading to disease. Foods in the mode of ignorance or darkness are essentially those that are not fresh. Any food cooked more than three hours before it is eaten (except prasadam, food offered to the Lord) is considered to be in the mode of darkness. Because they are decomposing, such foods give a bad odor, which often attracts people in this mode but repulses those in the mode of goodness.
Remnants of food may be eaten only when they are part of a meal that was first offered to the Supreme Lord or first eaten by saintly persons, especially the spiritual master. Otherwise the remnants of food are considered to be in the mode of darkness, and they increase infection or disease. Such foodstuffs, although very palatable to persons in the mode of darkness, are neither liked nor even touched by those in the mode of goodness. The best food is the remnants of what is offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
In Bhagavad-gita the Supreme Lord says that He accepts preparations of vegetables, flour and milk when offered with devotion. Patram puspam phalam toyam. Of course, devotion and love are the chief things which the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts. But it is also mentioned that the prasadam should be prepared in a particular way. Any food prepared by the injunctions of the scripture and offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be taken even if prepared long, long ago, because such food is transcendental. Therefore to make food eatable and palatable for all persons, one should offer food to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 11
aphalakanksibhir yajno
vidhi-disto ya ijyate
yastavyam eveti manah
samadhaya sa sattvikah
Of sacrifices, that sacrifice performed according to duty and to scriptural rules, and with no expectation of reward, is of the nature of goodness.
The general tendency is to offer sacrifice with some purpose in mind, but here it is stated that sacrifice should be performed without any such desire. It should be done as a matter of duty. Take, for example, the performance of rituals in temples or in churches. Generally they are performed with the purpose of material benefit, but that is not in the mode of goodness. One should go to a temple or church as a matter of duty, offer respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offer flowers and eatables.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 12
abhisandhaya tu phalam
dambhartham api caiva yat
ijyate bharata-srestha
tam yajnam viddhi rajasam
But that sacrifice performed for some material end or benefit or preformed ostentatiously, out of pride, is of the nature of passion, O chief of the Bharatas.
Sometimes sacrifices and rituals are performed for elevation to the heavenly kingdom or for some material benefits in this world. Such sacrifices or ritualistic performances are considered to be in the mode of passion.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 13
vidhi-hinam asrstannam
mantra-hinam adaksinam
sraddha-virahitam yajnam
tamasam paricaksate
And that sacrifice performed in defiance of scriptural injunctions, in which no spiritual food is distributed, no hymns are chanted and no remunerations are made to the priests, and which is faithless--that sacrifice is of the nature of ignorance.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 14
deva-dvija-guru-prajna-
pujanam saucam arjavam
brahmacaryam ahimsa ca
sariram tapa ucyate
The austerity of the body consists in this: worship of the Supreme Lord, the brahmanas, the spiritual master, and superiors like the father and mother. Cleanliness, simplicity, celibacy and nonviolence are also austerities of the body.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 15
anudvega-karam vakyam
satyam priya-hitam ca yat
svadhyayabhyasanam caiva
van-mayam tapa ucyate
Austerity of speech consists in speaking truthfully and beneficially and in avoiding speech that offends. One should also recite the Vedas regularly.
One should not speak in such a way as to agitate the minds of others. Of course, when a teacher speaks, he can speak the truth for the instruction of his students, but such a teacher should not speak to others who are not his students if he will agitate their minds.
This is penance as far as talking is concerned. Besides that, one should not talk nonsense. When speaking in spiritual circles, one's statements must be upheld by the scriptures. One should at once quote from scriptural authority to back up what he is saying. At the same time, such talk should be very pleasurable to the ear. By such discussions, one may derive the highest benefit and elevate human society. There is a limitless stock of Vedic literature, and one should study this. This is called penance of speech.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 16
manah-prasadah saumyatvam
maunam atma-vinigrahah
bhava-samsuddhir ity etat
tapo manasam ucyate
And serenity, simplicity, gravity, self-control and purity of thought are the austerities of the mind.
To make the mind austere is to detach it from sense gratification. It should be so trained that it can be always thinking of doing good for others. The best training for the mind is gravity in thought. One should not deviate from Krishna consciousness and must always avoid sense gratification. To purify one's nature is to become Krishna conscious. Satisfaction of the mind can be obtained only by taking the mind away from thoughts of sense enjoyment. The more we think of sense enjoyment, the more the mind becomes dissatisfied. In the present age we unnecessarily engage the mind in so many different ways for sense gratification, and so there is no possibility of the mind's becoming satisfied.
The best course is to divert the mind to the Vedic literature, which is full of satisfying stories, such as reading Ramayana, Vedas, Upanishads, the Puranas and the Mahabharata. One can take advantage of this knowledge and thus become purified. The mind should be devoid of duplicity, and one should think of the welfare of all. Silence means that one is always thinking of self-realization. The person in Krishna consciousness observes perfect silence in this sense.
Control of the mind means detaching the mind from sense enjoyment. One should be straightforward in his dealings and thereby purify his existence. All these qualities together constitute austerity in mental activities.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 17
sraddhaya paraya taptam
tapas tat tri-vidham naraih
aphalakanksibhir yuktaih
sattvikam paricaksate
This threefold austerity, practiced by men whose aim is not to benefit themselves materially but to please the Supreme, is of the nature of goodness.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 18
satkara-mana-pujartham
tapo dambhena caiva yat
kriyate tad iha proktam
rajasam calam adhruvam
Those ostentatious penances and austerities which are performed in order to gain respect, honor and reverence are said to be in the mode of passion. They are neither stable nor permanent.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 19
mudha-grahenatmano yat
pidaya kriyate tapah
parasyotsadanartham va
tat tamasam udahrtam
And those penances and austerities which are performed foolishly by means of obstinate self-torture, or to destroy or injure others, are said to be in the mode of ignorance.
There are instances of foolish penance undertaken by demons like Hiranyakasipu, who performed austere penances to become immortal and kill the demigods. He prayed to Brahma for such things, but ultimately he was killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To undergo penances for something which is impossible is certainly in the mode of ignorance.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 20
datavyam iti yad danam
diyate 'nupakarine
dese kale ca patre ca
tad danam sattvikam smrtam
That gift which is given out of duty, at the proper time and place, to a worthy person, and without expectation of return, is considered to be charity in the mode of goodness.
In the Vedic literature, charity given to a person engaged in spiritual activities is recommended. Charity is recommended to be given at a place of pilgrimage and at lunar or solar eclipses or at the end of the month or to a qualified brahmana or a Vaisnava (devotee) or in temples.
Such charities should be given without any consideration of return. Charity to the poor is sometimes given out of compassion, but if a poor man is not worth giving charity to, then there is no spiritual advancement. In other words, indiscriminate charity is not recommended in the Vedic literature.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 21
yat tu pratyupakarartham
phalam uddisya va punah
diyate ca pariklistam
tad danam rajasam smrtam
But charity performed with the expectation of some return, or with a desire for fruitive results, or in a grudging mood, is said to be charity in the mode of passion.
Charity is sometimes performed for elevation to the heavenly kingdom and sometimes with great trouble and with repentance afterwards. "Why have I spent so much in this way " Charity is also sometimes made under some obligation, at the request of a superior. These kinds of charity are said to be made in the mode of passion.
There are many charitable foundations which offer their gifts to institutions where sense gratification goes on. Such charities are not recommended in the Vedic scripture. Only charity in the mode of goodness is recommended.
CHAPTER 17, VERSE 22
adesa-kale yad danam
apatrebhyas ca diyate
asat-krtam avajnatam
tat tamasam udahrtam
And charity performed at an improper place and time and given to unworthy persons without respect and with contempt is charity in the mode of ignorance.
Contributions for indulgence in intoxication and gambling are not encouraged here. That sort of contribution is in the mode of ignorance. Such charity is not beneficial; rather, sinful persons are encouraged. Similarly, if a person gives charity to a suitable person without respect and without attention, that sort of charity is also said to be in the mode of darkness.
Chapter 18
THE YOGA OF LIBERATION BY RENUNCIATION
(Moksha Sannyasa Yoga)
Arjuna said: I desire to know severally, O mighty-armed, the essence of Sannyasa, O
Hrishikesa, as also Tyaga, O Kesinisudana (slayer of Kesi) .
The Blessed Lord said: Sages understand Sannyasa to be the renouncing of works with desires; the wise declare the abandonment of the fruits of all works as Tyaga . Acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity should not be relinquished, but should be performed; sacrifice, gift, and also austerity are the purifiers of the wise .
These five causes, O mighty-armed, know you from Me as declared in the Sankhya
system for the accomplishment of all actions. The body, the actor, the various organs, the several functions of various sorts and the presiding deities also, the fifth.
He who is free from the notion of egoism, whose intellect is not affected (by good or evil), though he acts, he is not bound by his actions.
An action which is ordained, done without love or hatred by one not desirous of the fruit
and free from attachment, is declared to be Sattvic. But that action which is done by one longing for desires or again with egoism or with much effort, is declared to be Rajasic.
The action which is undertaken from delusion, without regarding the consequence, loss of
wealth, injury (to others) and one s own ability, that is declared to be Tamasic (25).
That which knows the paths of action and renunciation, what ought to be done and what
ought not to be done, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation, that intellect, O Partha, is Sattvic. That by which one wrongly understands right (Dharma) and wrong (Adharma), and also what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, that intellect, O partha, is Rajasic.
That which enveloped in darkness regards wrong (Adharma) as right (Dharma) and sees all things in a perverted light, that intellect, O Partha, is Tamasic.
That which is like poison at first but like nectar in the end; that happiness is said to be
Sattvic, born of the blissful knowledge of the Self. That pleasure which arises from the contact of the senses with their objects, at first like nectar but in the end like poison, that is declared to be Rajasic. That pleasure which both at first and afterwards is delusion of the Self, arising from sleep; indolence and heedlessness, that is declared to be Tamasic.
Dwelling in solitude, eating but little, speech, body and mind controlled, ever engaged in
meditation and concentration, taking refuge in dispassion, having abandoned egoism, violence, arrogance, desire, anger, covetousness, freed from the notion of mine and peaceful, he is fit for becoming Brahman.
Becoming Brahman, tranquil-minded, he neither grieves nor desires the same to all beings, he attains supreme devotion to Me. By devotion he knows Me in reality, what and who I am; then having known Me in reality, he forthwith enters into the Supreme.
The Lord dwells in the hearts of all beings, O Arjuna, causing all beings, by His Maya, to
revolve as if mounted on a machine. Take refuge in Him with all your heart, O Bharata; by His grace you shalt attain supreme peace and the eternal abode.
Fix your mind in Me, be My devotee, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me, you shalt reach
Myself; truly do I promise unto thee, for you art dear to Me. Abandoning all duties take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate thee from all sins; grieve not.
Has this been heard by thee, O Partha, with an attentive mind Has your delusion caused by ignorance been destroyed, O Dhananjaya.
Arjuna said: My delusion is destroyed, and I have gained knowledge through your grace, O Achyuta (O Immutable One), I am firm my doubts have vanished. Iwill do according to your word.
Wherever is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga, wherever is Partha, the archer, there are prosperity, victory, happiness and sound policy, so I think.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 1
arjuna uvaca
sannyasasya maha-baho
tattvam icchami veditum
tyagasya ca hrsikesa
prthak kesi-nisudana
Arjuna said, O mighty-armed one, I wish to understand the purpose of renunciation [tyaga] and of the renounced order of life [sannyasa], O killer of the Kesi demon, Hrsikesa.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 2
sri-bhagavan uvaca
kamyanam karmanam nyasam
sannyasam kavayo viduh
sarva-karma-phala-tyagam
prahus tyagam vicaksanah
The Supreme Lord said, To give up the results of all activities is called renunciation [tyaga] by the wise. And that state is called the renounced order of life [sannyasa] by great learned men.
The performance of activities for results has to be given up. This is the instruction of Bhagavad-gita.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 5
yajna-dana-tapah-karma
na tyajyam karyam eva tat
yajno danam tapas caiva
pavanani manisinam
Acts of sacrifice, charity and penance are not to be given up but should be performed. Indeed, sacrifice, charity and penance purify even the great souls.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 6
etany api tu karmani
sangam tyaktva phalani ca
kartavyaniti me partha
niscitam matam uttamam
All these activities should be performed without any expectation of result. They should be performed as a matter of duty, O son of Prtha. That is My final opinion.
Although all sacrifices are purifying, one should not expect any result by such performances.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 7
niyatasya tu sannyasah
karmano nopapadyate
mohat tasya parityagas
tamasah parikirtitah
Prescribed duties should never be renounced. If, by illusion, one gives up his prescribed duties, such renunciation is said to be in the mode of ignorance.
Work for material satisfaction must be given up, but activities which promote one to spiritual activity, like cooking for the Supreme Lord and offering the food to the Lord and then accepting the food, are recommended.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 8
duhkham ity eva yat karma
kaya-klesa-bhayat tyajet
sa krtva rajasam tyagam
naiva tyaga-phalam labhet
Anyone who gives up prescribed duties as troublesome, or out of fear, is said to be in the mode of passion. Such action never leads to the elevation of renunciation.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 9
karyam ity eva yat karma
niyatam kriyate 'rjuna
sangam tyaktva phalam caiva
sa tyagah sattviko matah
But he who performs his prescribed duty only because it ought to be done, and renounces all attachment to the fruit--his renunciation is of the nature of goodness, O Arjuna.
Prescribed duties must be performed with this mentality. One should act without attachment for the result; he should be disassociated from the modes of work. A man working in Krishna consciousness in a factory does not associate himself with the work of the factory, nor with the workers of the factory. He simply works for Krishna. And when he gives up the result for Krishna, he is acting transcendentally.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 10
na dvesty akusalam karma
kusale nanusajjate
tyagi sattva-samavisto
medhavi chinna-samsayah
Those who are situated in the mode of goodness, who neither hate inauspicious work nor are attached to auspicious work, have no doubts about work.
It is said in Bhagavad-gita that one can never give up work at any time. Therefore he who works for Krishna and does not enjoy the fruitive results, who offers everything to Krishna, is actually a renouncer.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 11
na hi deha-bhrta sakyam
tyaktum karmany asesatah
yas tu karma-phala-tyagi
sa tyagity abhidhiyate
It is indeed impossible for an embodied being to give up all activities. Therefore it is said that he who renounces the fruits of action is one who has truly renounced.
A person in Krishna consciousness acting in knowledge of his relationship with Krishna is always liberated. Therefore he does not have to enjoy or suffer the results of his acts after death.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 12
anistam istam misram ca
tri-vidham karmanah phalam
bhavaty atyaginam pretya
na tu sannyasinam kvacit
For one who is not renounced, the threefold fruits of action--desirable, undesirable and mixed--accrue after death. But those who are in the renounced order of life have no such results to suffer or enjoy.
A person in Krishna consciousness or in the mode of goodness does not hate anyone or anything which troubles his body. He does work in the proper place and at the proper time without fearing the troublesome effects of his duty. Such a person situated in transcendence should be understood to be most intelligent and beyond all doubts in his activities.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 13-14
pancaitani maha-baho
karanani nibodha me
sankhye krtante proktani
siddhaye sarva-karmanam
adhisthanam tatha karta
karanam ca prthag-vidham
vividhas ca prthak cesta
daivam caivatra pancamam
O mighty-armed Arjuna, learn from Me of the five factors which bring about the accomplishment of all action. These are declared in sankhya philosophy to be the place of action, the performer, the senses, the endeavor, and ultimately the Supersoul.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 17
yasya nahankrto bhavo
buddhir yasya na lipyate
hatvapi sa imal lokan
na hanti na nibadhyate
One who is not motivated by false ego, whose intelligence is not entangled, though he kills men in this world, is not the slayer. Nor is he bound by his actions.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 20
sarva-bhutesu yenaikam
bhavam avyayam iksate
avibhaktam vibhaktesu
taj jnanam viddhi sattvikam
That knowledge by which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all existences, undivided in the divided, is knowledge in the mode of goodness.
A person who sees one spirit soul in every living being, whether a demigod, human being, animal, bird, beast, aquatic or plant, possesses knowledge in the mode of goodness. In all living entities, one spirit soul is there, although they have different bodies in terms of their previous work. As described in the Seventh Chapter, the manifestation of the living force in every body is due to the superior nature of the Supreme Lord.
Thus to see that one superior nature, that living force, in every body is to see in the mode of goodness. That living energy is imperishable, although the bodies are perishable. The difference is perceived in terms of the body because there are many forms of material existence in conditional life; therefore they appear to be divided. Such impersonal knowledge finally leads to self-realization.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 21
prthaktvena tu yaj jnanam
nana-bhavan prthag-vidhan
vetti sarvesu bhutesu
taj jnanam viddhi rajasam
That knowledge by which a different type of living entity is seen to be dwelling in different bodies is knowledge in the mode of passion.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 22
yat tu krtsna-vad ekasmin
karye saktam ahaitukam
atattvartha-vad alpam ca
tat tamasam udahrtam
And that knowledge by which one is attached to one kind of work as the all in all, without knowledge of the truth, and which is very meager, is said to be in the mode of darkness.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 23
niyatam sanga-rahitam
araga-dvesatah krtam
aphala-prepsuna karma
yat tat sattvikam ucyate
As for actions, that action in accordance with duty, which is performed without attachment, without love or hate, by one who has renounced fruitive results, is called action in the mode of goodness.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 24
yat tu kamepsuna karma
sahankarena va punah
kriyate bahulayasam
tad rajasam udahrtam
But action performed with great effort by one seeking to gratify his desires, and which is enacted from a sense of false ego, is called action in the mode of passion.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 30
pravrttim ca nivrttim ca
karyakarye bhayabhaye
bandham moksam ca ya vetti
buddhih sa partha sattviki
O son of Prtha, that understanding by which one knows what ought to be done and what ought not to be done, what is to be feared and what is not to be feared, what is binding and what is liberating, that understanding is established in the mode of goodness.
Actions which are performed in terms of the directions of the scriptures are called pravrtti, or actions that deserve to be performed, and actions which are not so directed are not to be performed. One who does not know the scriptural directions becomes entangled in the actions and reactions of work. Understanding which discriminates by intelligence is situated in the mode of goodness.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 31
yaya dharmam adharmam ca
karyam cakaryam eva ca
ayathavat prajanati
buddhih sa partha rajasi
And that understanding which cannot distinguish between the religious way of life and the irreligious, between action that should be done and action that should not be done, that imperfect understanding, O son of Prtha, is in the mode of passion.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 32
adharmam dharmam iti ya
manyate tamasavrta
sarvarthan viparitams ca
buddhih sa partha tamasi
That understanding which considers irreligion to be religion and religion to be irreligion, under the spell of illusion and darkness, and strives always in the wrong direction, O Partha, is in the mode of ignorance.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 36-37
sukham tv idanim tri-vidham
srnu me bharatarsabha
abhyasad ramate yatra
duhkhantam ca nigacchati
yat tad agre visam iva
pariname 'mrtopamam
tat sukham sattvikam proktam
atma-buddhi-prasada-jam
O best of the Bharatas, now please hear from Me about the three kinds of happiness which the conditioned soul enjoys, and by which he sometimes comes to the end of all distress. That which in the beginning may be just like poison but at the end is just like nectar and which awakens one to self-realization is said to be happiness in the mode of goodness.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 38
visayendriya-samyogad
yat tad agre 'mrtopamam
pariname visam iva
tat sukham rajasam smrtam
That happiness which is derived from contact of the senses with their objects and which appears like nectar at first but poison at the end is said to be of the nature of passion.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 39
yad agre canubandhe ca
sukham mohanam atmanah
nidralasya-pramadottham
tat tamasam udahrtam
And that happiness which is blind to self-realization, which is delusion from beginning to end and which arises from sleep, laziness and illusion is said to be of the nature of ignorance.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 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
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 and who controls the body and the tongue, and is always in trance and is detached, who is without false ego, false strength, false pride, lust, anger, and who does not accept material things, such a person is certainly elevated to the position of self-realization.
When one is purified by knowledge, he keeps himself in the mode of goodness. Thus one becomes the controller of the mind and is always in trance. Because he is not attached to the objects of sense gratification, 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 attains eternal peace by renunciation of fruits of his actions.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 54
brahma-bhutah prasannatma
na socati na kanksati
samah sarvesu bhutesu
mad-bhaktim labhate param
One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 55
bhaktya mam abhijanati
yavan yas casmi tattvatah
tato mam tattvato jnatva
visate tad-anantaram
One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 61
isvarah sarva-bhutanam
hrd-dese 'rjuna tisthati
bhramayan sarva-bhutani
yantrarudhani mayaya
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.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 62
tam eva saranam gaccha
sarva-bhavena bharata
tat-prasadat param santim
sthanam prapsyasi sasvatam
O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 63
iti te jnanam akhyatam
guhyad guhyataram maya
vimrsyaitad asesena
yathecchasi tatha kuru
Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 65
man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
mad-yaji mam namaskuru
mam evaisyasi satyam te
pratijane priyo 'si me
Always think of Me and 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.
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. 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.
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 66
sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.
The Lord has described various kinds of knowledge, 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.
With faith and love, one should surrender unto Him. According to the devotional process, one should simply accept such religious principles that will lead ultimately to the devotional service of the Lord. Serve, Love, Sacrifice, Pray, Meditate, Give and Purify youself by offering your Self to Lord Krishna.
Aum Namoh Bhagavateh Vasudevayah
CHAPTER 18, VERSE 78
yatra yogesvarah krsno
yatra partho dhanur-dharah
tatra srir vijayo bhutir
dhruva nitir matir mama
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.
Surrender unto Krishna in devotional service in full Krishna consciousness is the most confidential instruction and is the essence of the Eighteenth Chapter.
Man-mana bhava mad-bhakto
Mad-yaji mam namaskuru
Mam evaisyasi satyam te
Pratijane priyo 'si me
Absorb your mind and heart in Me, become My devotee, offer propitiation to Me, just give humble obeisance unto Me, and surely you will come to Me. I promise this in truth to you, being very dear to Me. Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 18, verse 65.
Om. Asato Maa Sadgamaya.
Tamaso Maa Jyotirgamaya.
Mrityormaa’mritam Gamaya.
Oh lord, lead me from untruth to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.
Aum Loka Samastha Sukinou Bhavanthu
Aum Namoh Bhagavateh Vasudevayah
Aum Sri Krishnayah Namaha
Hari Om Tat Sat.
Om Santi! Santi! Santi!
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