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| Bhagavad-gita
As It Is |
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| Introduction
om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya
caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah
sri-caitanya-mano-'bhistam sthapitam yena bhu-tale
svayam rupah kada mahyam dadati sva-padantikam
I was born in the darkest
ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of
knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.
When will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within
this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya,
give me shelter under his lotus feet?
vande 'ham sri-guroh sri-yuta-pada-kamalam sri-gurun vaisnavams ca
sri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam
sadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam krsna-caitanya-devam
sri-radha-krsna-padan saha-gana-lalita-sri-visakhanvitams ca
I offer
my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master
and unto the feet of all Vaisnavas. I offer my respectful obeisances
unto the lotus feet of Srila Rupa Gosvami along with his elder brother
Sanatana Gosvami, as well as Raghunatha Dasa and Raghunatha Bhatta,
Gopala Bhatta, and Srila Jiva Gosvami. I offer my respectful obeisances
to Lord Krsna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda along with Advaita Acarya,
Gadadhara, Srivasa, and other associates. I offer my respectful obeisances
to Srimati Radharani and Sri Krsna along with Their associates, Sri
Lalita and Visakha.
he krsna karuna-sindho dina-bandho jagat-pate
gopesa gopika-kanta radha-kanta namo 'stu te
O my dear Krsna, You are
the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the
master of the gopis and the lover of Radharani. I offer my respectful
obeisances unto You.
tapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari
vrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye
I offer my respects to Radharani
whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of
Vrndavana. You are the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, and You are very
dear to Lord Krsna.
vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca
patitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah
I offer my respectful
obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord who can fulfill
the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and who are full
of compassion for the fallen souls.
sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda
sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda
I offer my obeisances
to Sri Krsna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhara,
Srivasa and all others in the line of devotion.
hare krsna hare krsna, krsna krsna hare hare
hare rama hare rama, rama rama hare hare.
Bhagavad-gita is also known
as Gitopanisad. It is the essence of Vedic knowledge and one of the
most important Upanisads in Vedic literature. Of course there are
many commentaries in English on the Bhagavad-gita, and one may question
the necessity for another one. This present edition can be explained
in the following way. Recently an American lady asked me to recommend
an English translation of Bhagavad-gita. Of course in America there
are so many editions of Bhagavad-gita available in English, but as
far as I have seen, not only in America but also in India, none of
them can be strictly said to be authoritative because in almost every
one of them the commentator has expressed his own opinions without
touching the spirit of Bhagavad-gita as it is.
The spirit of Bhagavad-gita is mentioned in Bhagavad-gita itself.
It is just like this: If we want to take a particular medicine, then
we have to follow the directions written on the label. We cannot take
the medicine according to our own whim or the direction of a friend.
It must be taken according to the directions on the label or the directions
given by a physician. Similarly, Bhagavad-gita should be taken or
accepted as it is directed by the speaker Himself. The speaker of
Bhagavad-gita is Lord Sri Krsna. He is mentioned on every page of
Bhagavad-gita as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. Of
course the word bhagavan sometimes refers to any powerful person or
any powerful demigod, and certainly here bhagavan designates Lord
Sri Krsna as a great personality, but at the same time we should know
that Lord Sri Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as is confirmed
by all great acaryas (spiritual masters) like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya,
Madhvacarya, Nimbarka Svami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and many other
authorities of Vedic knowledge in India. The Lord Himself also establishes
Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gita,
and He is accepted as such in the Brahma-samhita and all the Puranas,
especially the Srimad-Bhagavatam, known as the Bhagavata Purana (krsnas
tu bhagavan svayam). Therefore we should take Bhagavad-gita as it
is directed by the Personality of Godhead Himself. In the Fourth Chapter
of the Gita the Lord says:(1)
imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham
avyayam
vivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave 'bravit(2) evam parampara-praptam
imam rajarsayo viduh
sa kaleneha mahata yogo nastah parantapa(3) sa evayam maya te 'dya
yogah proktah puratanah
bhakto 'si me sakha ceti rahasyam hy etad uttamam
Here the Lord informs
Arjuna that this system of yoga, the Bhagavad-gita, was first spoken
to the sun-god, and the sun-god explained it to Manu, and Manu explained
it to Iksvaku, and in that way, by disciplic succession, one speaker
after another, this yoga system has been coming down. But in the course
of time it has become lost. Consequently the Lord has to speak it
again, this time to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra.
He tells Arjuna that He is relating this supreme secret to him because
he is His devotee and His friend. The purport of this is that Bhagavad-gita
is a treatise which is especially meant for the devotee of the Lord.
There are three classes of transcendentalists, namely the jnani, the
yogi and the bhakta, or the impersonalist, the meditator and the devotee.
Here the Lord clearly tells Arjuna that He is making him the first
receiver of a new parampara (disciplic succession) because the old
succession was broken. It was the Lord's wish, therefore, to establish
another parampara in the same line of thought that was coming down
from the sun-god to others, and it was His wish that His teaching
be distributed anew by Arjuna. He wanted Arjuna to become the authority
in understanding the Bhagavad-gita. So we see that Bhagavad-gita is
instructed to Arjuna especially because Arjuna was a devotee of the
Lord, a direct student of Krsna, and His intimate friend. Therefore
Bhagavad-gita is best understood by a person who has qualities similar
to Arjuna's. That is to say he must be a devotee in a direct relationship
with the Lord. That is a very elaborate subject matter, but briefly
it can be stated that a devotee is in a relationship with the Supreme
Personality of Godhead in one of five different ways:
1. One may be a devotee in a passive state;
2. One may be a devotee in an active state;
3. One may be a devotee as a friend;
4. One may be a devotee as a parent;
5. One may be a devotee as a conjugal lover. Arjuna was in a relationship
with the Lord as friend. Of course there is a gulf of difference between
this friendship and the friendship found in the material world. This
is transcendental friendship which cannot be had by everyone. Of course
everyone has a particular relationship with the Lord, and that relationship
is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. But in the present
status of our life, we have not only forgotten the Supreme Lord, but
we have forgotten our eternal relationship with the Lord. Every living
being, out of many, many billions and trillions of living beings,
has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally. That is called
svarupa. By the process of devotional service, one can revive that
svarupa, and that stage is called svarupa-siddhi--perfection of one's
constitutional position. So Arjuna was a devotee, and he was in touch
with the Supreme Lord in friendship.
How Arjuna accepted this Bhagavad-gita should be noted. His manner
of acceptance is given in the Tenth Chapter:(12) arjuna uvaca
param brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan
purusam sasvatam divyam adi-devam ajam vibhum(13) ahus tvam rsayah
sarve devarsir naradas tatha
asito devalo vyasah svayam caiva bravisi me(14) sarvam etad rtam manye
yan mam vadasi kesava
na hi te bhagavan vyaktim vidur deva na danavah"Arjuna said:
You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier,
the Absolute Truth and the eternal Divine Person. You are the primal
God, transcendental and original, and you are the unborn and all-pervading
beauty. All the great sages like Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa
proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.
O Krsna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither
the gods nor the demons, O Lord, know Thy personality." (Bg.
10.12-14).
After hearing Bhagavad-gita from the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Arjuna accepted Krsna as param brahma, the Supreme Brahman. Every
living being is Brahman, but the supreme living being, or the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, is the Supreme Brahman. Param dhama means
that He is the supreme rest or abode of everything, pavitram means
that He is pure, untainted by material contamination, purusam means
that He is the supreme enjoyer, divyam, transcendental, adi-devam,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead; ajam, the unborn, and vibhum,
the greatest, the all-pervading.
Now one may think that because Krsna was the friend of Arjuna, Arjuna
was telling Him all this by way of flattery, but Arjuna, just to drive
out this kind of doubt from the minds of the readers of Bhagavad-gita,
substantiates these praises in the next verse when he says that Krsna
is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead not only by himself
but by authorities like the sage Narada, Asita, Devala, Vyasadeva
and so on. These are great personalities who distribute the Vedic
knowledge as it is accepted by all acaryas. Therefore Arjuna tells
Krsna that he accepts whatever He says to be completely perfect. Sarvam
etad rtam manye: "I accept everything You say to be true."
Arjuna also says that the personality of the Lord is very difficult
to understand and that He cannot be known even by the great demigods.
This means that the Lord cannot even be known by personalities greater
than human beings. So how can a human being understand Sri Krsna without
becoming His devotee?
Therefore Bhagavad-gita should be taken up in a spirit of devotion.
One should not think that he is equal to Krsna, nor should he think
that Krsna is an ordinary personality or even a very great personality.
Lord Sri Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at least theoretically,
according to the statements of Bhagavad-gita or the statements of
Arjuna, the person who is trying to understand the Bhagavad-gita.
We should therefore at least theoretically accept Sri Krsna as the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, and with that submissive spirit we
can understand the Bhagavad-gita. Unless one reads the Bhagavad-gita
in a submissive spirit, it is very difficult to understand Bhagavad-gita
because it is a great mystery.
Just what is the Bhagavad-gita? The purpose of Bhagavad-gita is to
deliver mankind from the nescience of material existence. Every man
is in difficulty in so many ways, as Arjuna also was in difficulty
in having to fight the Battle of Kuruksetra. Arjuna surrendered unto
Sri Krsna, and consequently this Bhagavad-gita was spoken. Not only
Arjuna, but every one of us is full of anxieties because of this material
existence. Our very existence is in the atmosphere of nonexistence.
Actually we are not meant to be threatened by nonexistence. Our existence
is eternal. But somehow or other we are put into asat. Asat refers
to that which does not exist.
Out of so many human beings who are suffering, there are a few who
are actually inquiring about their position, as to what they are,
why they are put into this awkward position and so on. Unless one
is awakened to this position of questioning his suffering, unless
he realizes that he doesn't want suffering but rather wants to make
a solution to all sufferings, then one is not to be considered a perfect
human being. Humanity begins when this sort of inquiry is awakened
in one's mind. In the Brahma-sutra this inquiry is called "brahma
jijnasa." Every activity of the human being is to be considered
a failure unless he inquires about the nature of the Absolute. Therefore
those who begin to question why they are suffering or where they came
from and where they shall go after death are proper students for understanding
Bhagavad-gita. The sincere student should also have a firm respect
for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a student was Arjuna.
Lord Krsna descends specifically to reestablish the real purpose of
life when man forgets that purpose. Even then, out of many, many human
beings who awaken, there may be one who actually enters the spirit
of understanding his position, and for him this Bhagavad-gita is spoken.
Actually we are all followed by the tiger of nescience, but the Lord
is very merciful upon living entities, especially human beings. To
this end He spoke the Bhagavad-gita, making His friend Arjuna His
student.
Being an associate of Lord Krsna, Arjuna was above all ignorance,
but Arjuna was put into ignorance on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra
just to question Lord Krsna about the problems of life so that the
Lord could explain them for the benefit of future generations of human
beings and chalk out the plan of life. Then man could act accordingly
and perfect the mission of human life.
The subject of the Bhagavad-gita entails the comprehension of five
basic truths. First of all, the science of God is explained and then
the constitutional position of the living entities, jivas. There is
isvara, which means controller, and there are jivas, the living entities
which are controlled. If a living entity says that he is not controlled
but that he is free, then he is insane. The living being is controlled
in every respect, at least in his conditioned life. So in the Bhagavad-gita
the subject matter deals with the isvara, the supreme controller,
and the jivas, the controlled living entities. Prakrti (material nature)
and time (the duration of existence of the whole universe or the manifestation
of material nature) and karma (activity) are also discussed. The cosmic
manifestation is full of different activities. All living entities
are engaged in different activities. From Bhagavad-gita we must learn
what God is, what the living entities are, what prakrti is, what the
cosmic manifestation is, how it is controlled by time, and what the
activities of the living entities are.
Out of these five basic subject matters in Bhagavad-gita it is established
that the Supreme Godhead, or Krsna, or Brahman, or supreme controller,
or Paramatma--you may use whatever name you like--is the greatest
of all. The living beings are in quality like the supreme controller.
For instance, the Lord has control over the universal affairs, over
material nature, etc., as will be explained in the later chapters
of Bhagavad-gita. Material nature is not independent. She is acting
under the directions of the Supreme Lord. As Lord Krsna says, "Prakrti
is working under My direction." When we see wonderful things
happening in the cosmic nature, we should know that behind this cosmic
manifestation there is a controller. Nothing could be manifested without
being controlled. It is childish not to consider the controller. For
instance, a child may think that an automobile is quite wonderful
to be able to run without a horse or other animal pulling it, but
a sane man knows the nature of the automobile's engineering arrangement.
He always knows that behind the machinery there is a man, a driver.
Similarly, the Supreme Lord is a driver under whose direction everything
is working. Now the jivas, or the living entities, have been accepted
by the Lord, as we will note in the later chapters, as His parts and
parcels. A particle of gold is also gold, a drop of water from the
ocean is also salty, and similarly, we the living entities, being
part and parcel of the supreme controller, isvara, or Bhagavan, Lord
Sri Krsna, have all the qualities of the Supreme Lord in minute quantity
because we are minute isvaras, subordinate isvaras. We are trying
to control nature, as presently we are trying to control space or
planets, and this tendency to control is there because it is in Krsna.
But although we have a tendency to lord it over material nature, we
should know that we are not the supreme controller. This is explained
in Bhagavad-gita.
What is material nature? This is also explained in Gita as inferior
prakrti, inferior nature. The living entity is explained as the superior
prakrti. Prakrti is always under control, whether inferior or superior.
Prakrti is female, and she is controlled by the Lord just as the activities
of a wife are controlled by the husband. Prakrti is always subordinate,
predominated by the Lord, who is the predominator. The living entities
and material nature are both predominated, controlled by the Supreme
Lord. According to the Gita, the living entities, although parts and
parcels of the Supreme Lord, are to be considered prakrti. This is
clearly mentioned in the Seventh Chapter, Fifth Verse of Bhagavad-gita:
"Apareyam itas tv anyam." "This prakrti is My lower
nature," "prakrtim viddhi me param jiva-bhutam maha-baho
yayedam dharyate jagat." And beyond this there is another prakrti:
jiva-bhutam, the living entity.
Prakrti itself is constituted by three qualities: the mode of goodness,
the mode of passion and the mode of ignorance. Above these modes there
is eternal time, and by a combination of these modes of nature and
under the control and purview of eternal time there are activities
which are called karma. These activities are being carried out from
time immemorial, and we are suffering or enjoying the fruits of our
activities. For instance, suppose I am a businessman and have worked
very hard with intelligence and have amassed a great bank balance.
Then I am an enjoyer. But then say I have lost all my money in business;
then I am a sufferer. Similarly, in every field of life we enjoy the
results of our work, or we suffer the results. This is called karma.
Isvara (the Supreme Lord), jiva (the living entity), prakrti (nature),
eternal time and karma (activity) are all explained in the Bhagavad-gita.
Out of these five, the Lord, the living entities, material nature
and time are eternal. The manifestation of prakrti may be temporary,
but it is not false. Some philosophers say that the manifestation
of material nature is false, but according to the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita
or according to the philosophy of the Vaisnavas, this is not so. The
manifestation of the world is not accepted as false; it is accepted
as real, but temporary. It is likened unto a cloud which moves across
the sky, or the coming of the rainy season which nourishes grains.
As soon as the rainy season is over and as soon as the cloud goes
away, all the crops which were nourished by the rain dry up. Similarly,
this material manifestation takes place at a certain interval, stays
for a while and then disappears. Such are the workings of prakrti.
But this cycle is working eternally. Therefore prakrti is eternal;
it is not false. The Lord refers to this as "My prakrti."
This material nature is the separated energy of the Supreme Lord,
and similarly the living entities are also the energy of the Supreme
Lord, but they are not separated. They are eternally related. So the
Lord, the living entity, material nature and time are all interrelated
and are all eternal. However, the other item, karma, is not eternal.
The effects of karma may be very old indeed. We are suffering or enjoying
the results of our activities from time immemorial, but we can change
the results of our karma, or our activity, and this change depends
on the perfection of our knowledge. We are engaged in various activities.
Undoubtedly we do not know what sort of activities we should adopt
to gain relief from the actions and reactions of all these activities,
but this is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita.
The position of isvara is that of supreme consciousness. The jivas,
or the living entities, being parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord,
are also conscious. Both the living entity and material nature are
explained as prakrti, the energy of the Supreme Lord, but one of the
two, the jiva, is conscious. The other prakrti is not conscious. That
is the difference. Therefore the jiva-prakrti is called superior because
the jiva has consciousness which is similar to the Lord's. The Lord's
is supreme consciousness, however, and one should not claim that the
jiva, the living entity, is also supremely conscious. The living being
cannot be supremely conscious at any stage of his perfection, and
the theory that he can be so is a misleading theory. Conscious he
may be, but he is not perfectly or supremely conscious.
The distinction between the jiva and the isvara will be explained
in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. The Lord is ksetra-jna,
conscious, as is the living being, but the living being is conscious
of his particular body, whereas the Lord is conscious of all bodies.
Because He lives in the heart of every living being, He is conscious
of the psychic movements of the particular jivas. We should not forget
this. It is also explained that the Paramatma, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead, is living in everyone's heart as isvara, as the controller,
and that He is giving directions for the living entity to act as he
desires. The living entity forgets what to do. First of all he makes
a determination to act in a certain way, and then he is entangled
in the actions and reactions of his own karma. After giving up one
type of body, he enters another type of body, as we put on and take
off old clothes. As the soul thus migrates, he suffers the actions
and reactions of his past activities. These activities can be changed
when the living being is in the mode of goodness, in sanity, and understands
what sort of activities he should adopt. If he does so, then all the
actions and reactions of his past activities can be changed. Consequently,
karma is not eternal. Therefore we stated that of the five items (isvara,
jiva, prakrti, time and karma) four are eternal, whereas karma is
not eternal.
The supreme conscious isvara is similar to the living entity in this
way: both the consciousness of the Lord and that of the living entity
are transcendental. It is not that consciousness is generated by the
association of matter. That is a mistaken idea. The theory that consciousness
develops under certain circumstances of material combination is not
accepted in the Bhagavad-gita. Consciousness may be pervertedly reflected
by the covering of material circumstances, just as light reflected
through colored glass may appear to be a certain color, but the consciousness
of the Lord is not materially affected. Lord Krsna says, "mayadhyaksena
prakrtih." When He descends into the material universe, His consciousness
is not materially affected. If He were so affected, He would be unfit
to speak on transcendental matters as He does in the Bhagavad-gita.
One cannot say anything about the transcendental world without being
free from materially contaminated consciousness. So the Lord is not
materially contaminated. Our consciousness, at the present moment,
however, is materially contaminated. The Bhagavad-gita teaches that
we have to purify this materially contaminated consciousness. In pure
consciousness, our actions will be dovetailed to the will of isvara,
and that will make us happy. It is not that we have to cease all activities.
Rather, our activities are to be purified, and purified activities
are called bhakti. Activities in bhakti appear to be like ordinary
activities, but they are not contaminated. An ignorant person may
see that a devotee is acting or working like an ordinary man, but
such a person with a poor fund of knowledge does not know that the
activities of the devotee or of the Lord are not contaminated by impure
consciousness or matter. They are transcendental to the three modes
of nature. We should know, however, that at this point our consciousness
is contaminated.
When we are materially contaminated, we are called conditioned. False
consciousness is exhibited under the impression that I am a product
of material nature. This is called false ego. One who is absorbed
in the thought of bodily conceptions cannot understand his situation.
Bhagavad-gita was spoken to liberate one from the bodily conception
of life, and Arjuna put himself in this position in order to receive
this information from the Lord. One must become free from the bodily
conception of life; that is the preliminary activity for the transcendentalist.
One who wants to become free, who wants to become liberated, must
first of all learn that he is not this material body. Mukti or liberation
means freedom from material consciousness. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam
also the definition of liberation is given. Mukti means liberation
from the contaminated consciousness of this material world and situation
in pure consciousness. All the instructions of Bhagavad-gita are intended
to awaken this pure consciousness, and therefore we find at the last
stage of the Gita's instructions that Krsna is asking Arjuna whether
he is now in purified consciousness. Purified consciousness means
acting in accordance with the instructions of the Lord. This is the
whole sum and substance of purified consciousness. Consciousness is
already there because we are part and parcel of the Lord, but for
us there is the affinity of being affected by the inferior modes.
But the Lord, being the Supreme, is never affected. That is the difference
between the Supreme Lord and the conditioned souls.
What is this consciousness? This consciousness is "I am."
Then what am I? In contaminated consciousness "I am" means
"I am the lord of all I survey. I am the enjoyer." The world
revolves because every living being thinks that he is the lord and
creator of the material world. Material consciousness has two psychic
divisions. One is that I am the creator, and the other is that I am
the enjoyer. But actually the Supreme Lord is both the creator and
the enjoyer, and the living entity, being part and parcel of the Supreme
Lord, is neither the creator nor the enjoyer, but a cooperator. He
is the created and the enjoyed. For instance, a part of a machine
cooperates with the whole machine; a part of the body cooperates with
the whole body. The hands, feet, eyes, legs and so on are all parts
of the body, but they are not actually the enjoyers. The stomach is
the enjoyer. The legs move, the hands supply food, the teeth chew
and all parts of the body are engaged in satisfying the stomach because
the stomach is the principal factor that nourishes the body's organization.
Therefore everything is given to the stomach. One nourishes the tree
by watering its root, and one nourishes the body by feeding the stomach,
for if the body is to be kept in a healthy state, then the parts of
the body must cooperate to feed the stomach. Similarly, the Supreme
Lord is the enjoyer and the creator, and we, as subordinate living
beings, are meant to cooperate to satisfy Him. This cooperation will
actually help us, just as food taken by the stomach will help all
other parts of the body. If the fingers of the hand think that they
should take the food themselves instead of giving it to the stomach,
then they will be frustrated. The central figure of creation and of
enjoyment is the Supreme Lord, and the living entities are cooperators.
By cooperation they enjoy. The relation is also like that of the master
and the servant. If the master is fully satisfied, then the servant
is satisfied. Similarly, the Supreme Lord should be satisfied, although
the tendency to become the creator and the tendency to enjoy the material
world are there also in the living entities because these tendencies
are there in the Supreme Lord who has created the manifested cosmic
world.
We shall find, therefore, in this Bhagavad-gita that the complete
whole is comprised of the supreme controller, the controlled living
entities, the cosmic manifestation, eternal time, and karma, or activities,
and all of these are explained in this text. All of these taken completely
form the complete whole, and the complete whole is called the Supreme
Absolute Truth. The complete whole and the complete Absolute Truth
are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. All manifestations
are due to His different energies. He is the complete whole.
It is also explained in the Gita that impersonal Brahman is also subordinate
to the complete. Brahman is more explicitly explained in the Brahma-sutra
to be like the rays of the sunshine. The impersonal Brahman is the
shining rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Impersonal Brahman
is incomplete realization of the absolute whole, and so also is the
conception of Paramatma in the Twelfth Chapter. There it shall be
seen that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Purusottama, is above
both impersonal Brahman and the partial realization of Paramatma.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is called sac-cid-ananda-vigraha.
The Brahma-samhita begins in this way: isvarah paramah krsnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah/anadir
adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam. "Krsna is the cause of all
causes. He is the primal cause, and He is the very form of eternal
being, knowledge and bliss." Impersonal Brahman realization is
the realization of His sat (being) feature. Paramatma realization
is the realization of the cit (eternal knowledge) feature. But realization
of the Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is realization of all the transcendental
features: sat, cit and ananda (being, knowledge, bliss) in complete
vigraha (form).
People with less intelligence consider the Supreme Truth to be impersonal,
but He is a transcendental person, and this is confirmed in all Vedic
literatures. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. As we are all individual
living beings and have our individuality, the Supreme Absolute Truth
is also, in the ultimate issue, a person, and realization of the Personality
of Godhead is realization of all of the transcendental features. The
complete whole is not formless. If He is formless, or if He is less
than any other thing, then He cannot be the complete whole. The complete
whole must have everything within our experience and beyond our experience,
otherwise it cannot be complete. The complete whole, Personality of
Godhead, has immense potencies.
How Krsna is acting in different potencies is also explained in Bhagavad-gita.
This phenomenal world or material world in which we are placed is
also complete in itself because the twenty-four elements of which
this material universe is a temporary manifestation, according to
Sankhya philosophy, are completely adjusted to produce complete resources
which are necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe.
There is nothing extraneous; nor is there anything needed. This manifestation
has its own time fixed by the energy of the supreme whole, and when
its time is complete, these temporary manifestations will be annihilated
by the complete arrangement of the complete. There is complete facility
for the small complete units, namely the living entities, to realize
the complete, and all sorts of incompleteness are experienced due
to incomplete knowledge of the complete. So Bhagavad-gita contains
the complete knowledge of Vedic wisdom.
All Vedic knowledge is infallible, and Hindus accept Vedic knowledge
to be complete and infallible. For example, cow dung is the stool
of an animal, and according to smrti, or Vedic injunction, if one
touches the stool of an animal he has to take a bath to purify himself.
But in the Vedic scriptures cow dung is considered to be a purifying
agent. One might consider this to be contradictory, but it is accepted
because it is Vedic injunction, and indeed by accepting this, one
will not commit a mistake; subsequently it has been proved by modern
science that cow dung contains all antiseptic properties. So Vedic
knowledge is complete because it is above all doubts and mistakes,
and Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all Vedic knowledge.
Vedic knowledge is not a question of research. Our research work is
imperfect because we are researching things with imperfect senses.
We have to accept perfect knowledge which comes down, as is stated
in Bhagavad-gita, by the parampara (disciplic succession). We have
to receive knowledge from the proper source in disciplic succession
beginning with the supreme spiritual master, the Lord Himself, and
handed down to a succession of spiritual masters. Arjuna, the student
who took lessons from Lord Sri Krsna, accepts everything that He says
without contradicting Him. One is not allowed to accept one portion
of Bhagavad-gita and not another. No. We must accept Bhagavad-gita
without interpretation, without deletion and without our own whimsical
participation in the matter. The Gita should be taken as the most
perfect presentation of Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge is received
from transcendental sources, and the first words were spoken by the
Lord Himself. The words spoken by the Lord are different from the
words spoken by a person of the mundane world who is infected with
four defects. A mundaner 1) is sure to commit mistakes, 2) is invariably
illusioned, 3) has the tendency to cheat others and 4) is limited
by imperfect senses. With these four imperfections, one cannot deliver
perfect information of all-pervading knowledge.
Vedic knowledge is not imparted by such defective living entities.
It was imparted unto the heart of Brahma, the first created living
being, and Brahma in his turn disseminated this knowledge to his sons
and disciples, as he originally received it from the Lord. The Lord
is purnam, all-perfect, and there is no possibility of His becoming
subjected to the laws of material nature. One should therefore be
intelligent enough to know that the Lord is the only proprietor of
everything in the universe and that He is the original creator, the
creator of Brahma. In the Eleventh Chapter the Lord is addressed as
prapitamaha because Brahma is addressed as pitamaha, the grandfather,
and He is the creator of the grandfather. So no one should claim to
be the proprietor of anything; one should accept only things which
are set aside for him by the Lord as his quota for his maintenance.
There are many examples given of how we are to utilize those things
which are set aside for us by the Lord. This is also explained in
Bhagavad-gita. In the beginning, Arjuna decided that he should not
fight in the Battle of Kuruksetra. This was his own decision. Arjuna
told the Lord that it was not possible for him to enjoy the kingdom
after killing his own kinsmen. This decision was based on the body
because he was thinking that the body was himself and that his bodily
relations or expansions were his brothers, nephews, brothers-in-law,
grandfathers and so on. He was thinking in this way to satisfy his
bodily demands. Bhagavad-gita was spoken by the Lord just to change
this view, and at the end Arjuna decides to fight under the directions
of the Lord when he says, "karisye vacanam tava." "I
shall act according to Thy word."
In this world man is not meant to toil like hogs. He must be intelligent
to realize the importance of human life and refuse to act like an
ordinary animal. A human being should realize the aim of his life,
and this direction is given in all Vedic literatures, and the essence
is given in Bhagavad-gita. Vedic literature is meant for human beings,
not for animals. Animals can kill other living animals, and there
is no question of sin on their part, but if a man kills an animal
for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste, he must be responsible
for breaking the laws of nature. In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly
explained that there are three kinds of activities according to the
different modes of nature: the activities of goodness, of passion
and of ignorance. Similarly, there are three kinds of eatables also:
eatables in goodness, passion and ignorance. All of this is clearly
described, and if we properly utilize the instructions of Bhagavad-gita,
then our whole life will become purified, and ultimately we will be
able to reach the destination which is beyond this material sky.
That destination is called the sanatana sky, the eternal spiritual
sky. In this material world we find that everything is temporary.
It comes into being, stays for some time, produces some by-products,
dwindles and then vanishes. That is the law of the material world,
whether we use as an example this body, or a piece of fruit or anything.
But beyond this temporary world there is another world of which we
have information. This world consists of another nature, which is
sanatana, eternal. Jiva is also described as sanatana, eternal, and
the Lord is also described as sanatana in the Eleventh Chapter. We
have an intimate relationship with the Lord, and because we are all
qualitatively one--the sanatana-dhama, or sky, the sanatana Supreme
Personality and the sanatana living entities--the whole purpose of
Bhagavad-gita is to revive our sanatana occupation, or sanatana-dharma,
which is the eternal occupation of the living entity. We are temporarily
engaged in different activities, but all of these activities can be
purified when we give up all these temporary activities and take up
the activities which are prescribed by the Supreme Lord. That is called
our pure life.
The Supreme Lord and His transcendental abode are both sanatana, as
are the living entities, and the combined association of the Supreme
Lord and the living entities in the sanatana abode is the perfection
of human life. The Lord is very kind to the living entities because
they are His sons. Lord Krsna declares in Bhagavad-gita, "sarva-yonisu...aham
bija-pradah pita." "I am the father of all." Of course
there are all types of living entities according to their various
karmas, but here the Lord claims that He is the father of all of them.
Therefore the Lord descends to reclaim all of these fallen, conditioned
souls to call them back to the sanatana eternal sky so that the sanatana
living entities may regain their eternal sanatana positions in eternal
association with the Lord. The Lord comes Himself in different incarnations,
or He sends His confidential servants as sons or His associates or
acaryas to reclaim the conditioned souls.
Therefore, sanatana-dharma does not refer to any sectarian process
of religion. It is the eternal function of the eternal living entities
in relationship with the eternal Supreme Lord. Sanatana-dharma refers,
as stated previously, to the eternal occupation of the living entity.
Ramanujacarya has explained the word sanatana as "that which
has neither beginning nor end," so when we speak of sanatana-dharma,
we must take it for granted on the authority of Sri Ramanujacarya
that it has neither beginning nor end.
The English world "religion" is a little different from
sanatana-dharma. Religion conveys the idea of faith, and faith may
change. One may have faith in a particular process, and he may change
this faith and adopt another, but sanatana-dharma refers to that activity
which cannot be changed. For instance, liquidity cannot be taken from
water, nor can heat be taken from fire. Similarly, the eternal function
of the eternal living entity cannot be taken from the living entity.
Sanatana-dharma is eternally integral with the living entity. When
we speak of sanatana-dharma, therefore, we must take it for granted
on the authority of Sri Ramanujacarya that it has neither beginning
nor end. That which has neither end nor beginning must not be sectarian,
for it cannot be limited by any boundaries. Yet those belonging to
some sectarian faith will wrongly consider that sanatana-dharma is
also sectarian, but if we go deeply into the matter and consider it
in the light of modern science, it is possible for us to see that
sanatana-dharma is the business of all the people of the world--nay,
of all the living entities of the universe.
Non-sanatana religious faith may have some beginning in the annals
of human history, but there is no beginning to the history of sanatana-dharma
because it remains eternally with the living entities. Insofar as
the living entities are concerned, the authoritative sastras state
that the living entity has neither birth nor death. In the Gita it
is stated that the living entity is never born, and he never dies.
He is eternal and indestructible, and he continues to live after the
destruction of his temporary material body. In reference to the concept
of sanatana-dharma, we must try to understand the concept of religion
from the Sanskrit root meaning of the word. Dharma refers to that
which is constantly existing with a particular object. We conclude
that there is heat and light along with the fire; without heat and
light, there is no meaning to the word fire. Similarly, we must discover
the essential part of the living being, that part which is his constant
companion. That constant companion is his eternal quality, and that
eternal quality is his eternal religion.
When Sanatana Gosvami asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the svarupa
of every living being, the Lord replied that the svarupa or constitutional
position of the living being is the rendering of service to the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. If we analyze this statement of Lord Caitanya,
we can easily see that every living being is constantly engaged in
rendering service to another living being. A living being serves other
living beings in two capacities. By doing so, the living entity enjoys
life. The lower animals serve human beings as servants serve their
master. A serves B master, B serves C master and C serves D master
and so on. Under these circumstances, we can see that one friend serves
another friend, the mother serves the son, the wife serves the husband,
the husband serves the wife and so on. If we go on searching in this
spirit, it will be seen that there is no exception in the society
of living beings to the activity of service. The politician presents
his manifesto for the public to convince them of his capacity for
service. The voters therefore give the politician their valuable votes,
thinking that he will render valuable service to society. The shopkeeper
serves the customer, and the artisan serves the capitalist. The capitalist
serves the family, and the family serves the state in the terms of
the eternal capacity of the eternal living being. In this way we can
see that no living being is exempt from rendering service to other
living beings, and therefore we can safely conclude that service is
the constant companion of the living being and that the rendering
of service is the eternal religion of the living being.
Yet man professes to belong to a particular type of faith with reference
to particular time and circumstance and thus claims to be a Hindu,
Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or any other sect. Such designations are
non-sanatana-dharma. A Hindu may change his faith to become a Muslim,
or a Muslim may change his faith to become a Hindu, or a Christian
may change his faith and so on. But in all circumstances the change
of religious faith does not affect the eternal occupation of rendering
service to others. The Hindu, Muslim or Christian in all circumstances
is servant of someone. Thus, to profess a particular type of sect
is not to profess one's sanatana-dharma. The rendering of service
is sanatana-dharma.
Factually we are related to the Supreme Lord in service. The Supreme
Lord is the supreme enjoyer, and we living entities are His servitors.
We are created for His enjoyment, and if we participate in that eternal
enjoyment with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we become happy.
We cannot become happy otherwise. It is not possible to be happy independently,
just as no one part of the body can be happy without cooperating with
the stomach. It is not possible for the living entity to be happy
without rendering transcendental loving service unto the Supreme Lord.
In the Bhagavad-gita, worship of different demigods or rendering service
to them is not approved. It is stated in the Seventh Chapter, twentieth
verse:kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah prapadyante 'nya-devatah
tam tam niyamam asthaya prakrtya niyatah svaya"Those whose minds
are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow
the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their
own natures." (Bg. 7.20) Here it is plainly said that those who
are directed by lust worship the demigods and not the Supreme Lord
Krsna. When we mention the name Krsna, we do not refer to any sectarian
name. Krsna means the highest pleasure, and it is confirmed that the
Supreme Lord is the reservoir or storehouse of all pleasure. We are
all hankering after pleasure. Ananda-mayo 'bhyasat (Vs. 1.1.12). The
living entities, like the Lord, are full of consciousness, and they
are after happiness. The Lord is perpetually happy, and if the living
entities associate with the Lord, cooperate with Him and take part
in His association, then they also become happy.
The Lord descends to this mortal world to show His pastimes in Vrndavana,
which are full of happiness. When Lord Sri Krsna was in Vrndavana,
His activities with His cowherd boyfriends, with His damsel friends,
with the inhabitants of Vrndavana and with the cows were all full
of happiness. The total population of Vrndavana knew nothing but Krsna.
But Lord Krsna even discouraged His father Nanda Maharaja from worshiping
the demigod Indra because He wanted to establish the fact that people
need not worship any demigod. They need only worship the Supreme Lord
because their ultimate goal is to return to His abode.
The abode of Lord Sri Krsna is described in the Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth
Chapter, sixth verse: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 and anyone
who reaches it never comes back to this material world." (Bg.
15.6)
This verse gives a description of that eternal sky. Of course we have
a material conception of the sky, and we think of it in relationship
to the sun, moon, stars and so on, but in this verse the Lord states
that in the eternal sky there is no need for the sun nor for the moon
nor fire of any kind because the spiritual sky is already illuminated
by the brahmajyoti, the rays emanating from the Supreme Lord. We are
trying with difficulty to reach other planets, but it is not difficult
to understand the abode of the Supreme Lord. This abode is referred
to as Goloka. In the Brahma-samhita it is beautifully described: goloka
eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah. The Lord resides eternally in His abode
Goloka, yet He can be approached from this world, and to this end
the Lord comes to manifest His real form, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha.
When He manifests this form, there is no need for our imagining what
He looks like. To discourage such imaginative speculation, He descends
and exhibits Himself as He is, as Syamasundara. Unfortunately, the
less intelligent deride Him because He comes as one of us and plays
with us as a human being. But because of this we should not consider
that the Lord is one of us. It is by His potency that He presents
Himself in His real form before us and displays His pastimes, which
are prototypes of those pastimes found in His abode.
In the effulgent rays of the spiritual sky there are innumerable planets
floating. The brahmajyoti emanates from the supreme abode, Krsnaloka,
and the anandamaya-cinmaya planets, which are not material, float
in those rays. The Lord says, na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na
pavakah. yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama. One who can
approach that spiritual sky is not required to descend again to the
material sky. In the material sky, even if we approach the highest
planet (Brahmaloka), what to speak of the moon, we will find the same
conditions of life, namely birth, death, disease and old age. No planet
in the material universe is free from these four principles of material
existence. Therefore the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita, abrahma-bhuvanal
lokah punar avartino 'rjuna. The living entities are traveling from
one planet to another, not by a mechanical arrangement but by a spiritual
process. This is also mentioned: yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti
pitr-vratah. No mechanical arrangement is necessary if we want interplanetary
travel. The Gita instructs: yanti deva-vrata devan. The moon, the
sun and higher planets are called Svargaloka. There are three different
statuses of planets: higher, middle and lower planetary systems. The
earth belongs to the middle planetary system. Bhagavad-gita informs
us how to travel to the higher planetary systems (Devaloka) with a
very simple formula: yanti deva-vrata devan. One need only worship
the particular demigod of that particular planet and in that way go
to the moon, the sun or any of the higher planetary systems.
Yet Bhagavad-gita does not advise us to go to any of the planets in
this material world because even if we go to Brahmaloka, the highest
planet, through some sort of mechanical contrivance by maybe traveling
for forty thousand years (and who would live that long?), we will
still find the material inconveniences of birth, death, disease and
old age. But one who wants to approach the supreme planet, Krsnaloka,
or any of the other planets within the spiritual sky, will not meet
with these material inconveniences. Amongst all of the planets in
the spiritual sky there is one supreme planet called Goloka Vrndavana,
which is the original planet in the abode of the original Personality
of Godhead Sri Krsna. All of this information is given in Bhagavad-gita,
and we are given through its instruction information how to leave
the material world and begin a truly blissful life in the spiritual
sky.
In the Fifteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, the real picture of
the material world is given. It is said there:urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham
asvattham prahur avyayam
chandamsi yasya parnani yas tam veda sa veda-vit"The Supreme
Lord said: There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its
branches down, and the Vedic hymns are its leaves. One who knows this
tree is the knower of the Vedas." (Bg 15.1) Here the material
world is described as a tree whose roots are upwards and branches
are below. We have experience of a tree whose roots are upward: if
one stands on the bank of a river or any reservoir of water, he can
see that the trees reflected in the water are upside down. The branches
go downward and the roots upward. Similarly, this material world is
a reflection of the spiritual world. The material world is but a shadow
of reality. In the shadow there is no reality or substantiality, but
from the shadow we can understand that there is substance and reality.
In the desert there is no water, but the mirage suggests that there
is such a thing as water. In the material world there is no water,
there is no happiness, but the real water of actual happiness is there
in the spiritual world.
The Lord suggests that we attain the spiritual world in the following
manner:
nirmana-moha jita-sanga-dosa
adhyatma-nitya vinivrtta-kamah
dvandvair vimuktah sukha-duhkha-samjnair
gacchanty amudhah padam avyayam tat
That padam avyayam or eternal kingdom can be reached by one who is
nirmana-moha. What does this mean? We are after designations. Someone
wants to become a son, someone wants to become "lord," someone
wants to become the president or a rich man or a king or something
else. As long as we are attached to these designations, we are attached
to the body because designations belong to the body. But we are not
these bodies, and realizing this is the first stage in spiritual realization.
We are associated with the three modes of material nature, but we
must become detached through devotional service to the Lord. If we
are not attached to devotional service to the Lord, then we cannot
become detached from the modes of material nature. Designations and
attachments are due to our lust and desire, our wanting to lord it
over the material nature. As long as we do not give up this propensity
of lording it over material nature, there is no possibility of returning
to the kingdom of the Supreme, the sanatana-dhama. That eternal kingdom,
which is never destroyed, can be approached by one who is not bewildered
by the attractions of false material enjoyments, who is situated in
the service of the Supreme Lord. One so situated can easily approach
that supreme abode.
Elsewhere in the Gita it is stated:avyakto 'ksara ity uktas tam ahuh
paramam gatim
yam prapya na nivartante tad dhama paramam mamaAvyakta means unmanifested.
Not even all of the material world is manifested before us. Our senses
are so imperfect that we cannot even see all of the stars within this
material universe. In Vedic literature we can receive much information
about all the planets, and we can believe it or not believe it. All
of the important planets are described in Vedic literatures, especially
Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the spiritual world, which is beyond this material
sky, is described as avyakta, unmanifested. One should desire and
hanker after that supreme kingdom, for when one attains that kingdom,
he does not have to return to this material world.
Next, one may raise the question of how one goes about approaching
that abode of the Supreme Lord. Information of this is given in the
Eighth Chapter. It is said there:anta-kale ca mam eva smaran muktva
kalevaram
yah prayati sa mad-bhavam yati nasty atra samsayah"Anyone who
quits his body, at the end of life, remembering Me, attains immediately
to My nature; and there is no doubt of this." (Bg. 8.5) One who
thinks of Krsna at the time of his death goes to Krsna. One must remember
the form of Krsna; if he quits his body thinking of this form, he
approaches the spiritual kingdom. Mad-bhavam refers to the supreme
nature of the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha--eternal,
full of knowledge and bliss. Our present body is not sac-cid-ananda.
It is asat, not sat. It is not eternal; it is perishable. It is not
cit, full of knowledge, but it is full of ignorance. We have no knowledge
of the spiritual kingdom, nor do we even have perfect knowledge of
this material world where there are so many things unknown to us.
The body is also nirananda; instead of being full of bliss it is full
of misery. All of the miseries we experience in the material world
arise from the body, but one who leaves this body thinking of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead at once attains a sac-cid-ananda body,
as is promised in the fifth verse of the Eight Chapter where Lord
Krsna says, "He attains My nature."
The process of quitting this body and getting another body in the
material world is also organized. A man dies after it has been decided
what form of body he will have in the next life. Higher authorities,
not the living entity himself, make this decision. According to our
activities in this life, we either rise or sink. This life is a preparation
for the next life. If we can prepare, therefore, in this life to get
promotion to the kingdom of God, then surely, after quitting this
material body, we will attain a spiritual body just like the Lord.
As explained before, there are different kinds of transcendentalists,
the brahmavadi, paramatmavadi, and the devotee, and, as mentioned,
in the brahmajyoti (spiritual sky) there are innumerable spiritual
planets. The number of these planets is far, far greater than all
of the planets of this material world. This material world has been
approximated as only one quarter of the creation. In this material
segment there are millions and billions of universes with trillions
of planets and suns, stars and moons. But this whole material creation
is only a fragment of the total creation. Most of the creation is
in the spiritual sky. One who desires to merge into the existence
of the Supreme Brahman is at once transferred to the brahmajyoti of
the Supreme Lord and thus attains the spiritual sky. The devotee,
who wants to enjoy the association of the Lord, enters into the Vaikuntha
planets, which are innumerable, and the Supreme Lord by His plenary
expansions as Narayana with four hands and with different names like
Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Govinda, etc., associates with him there. Therefore
at the end of life the transcendentalists either think of the brahmajyoti,
the Paramatma or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna. In
all cases they enter into the spiritual sky, but only the devotee,
or he who is in personal touch with the Supreme Lord, enters into
the Vaikuntha planets. The Lord further adds that of this "there
is no doubt." This must be believed firmly. We should not reject
that which does not tally with our imagination; our attitude should
be that of Arjuna: "I believe everything that You have said."
Therefore when the Lord says that at the time of death whoever thinks
of Him as Brahman or Paramatma or as the Personality of Godhead certainly
enters into the spiritual sky, there is no doubt about it. There is
no question of disbelieving it.
The information on how to think of the Supreme Being at the time of
death is also given in the Gita:yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty
ante kalevaram
tam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah"In whatever condition
one quits his present body, in his next life he will attain to that
state of being without fail." (Bg. 8.6) Material nature is a
display of one of the energies of the Supreme Lord. In the Visnu Purana
the total energies of the Supreme Lord as Visnu-saktih para prokta,
etc., are delineated. The Supreme Lord has diverse and innumerable
energies which are beyond our conception; however, great learned sages
or liberated souls have studied these energies and have analyzed them
into three parts. All of the energies are of visnu-sakti, that is
to say they are different potencies of Lord Visnu. That energy is
para, transcendental. Living entities also belong to the superior
energy, as has already been explained. The other energies, or material
energies, are in the mode of ignorance. At the time of death we can
either remain in the inferior energy of this material world, or we
can transfer to the energy of the spiritual world.
In life we are accustomed to thinking either of the material or the
spiritual energy. There are so many literatures which fill our thoughts
with the material energy--newspapers, novels, etc. Our thinking, which
is now absorbed in these literatures, must be transferred to the Vedic
literatures. The great sages, therefore, have written so many Vedic
literatures such as the Puranas, etc. The Puranas are not imaginative;
they are historical records. In the Caitanya-caritamrta there is the
following verse:maya-mugdha jivera nahi svatah krsna-jnana
jivere krpaya kaila krsna veda-purana
(Cc. Madhya 20.122)The forgetful living entities or conditioned souls
have forgotten their relationship with the Supreme Lord, and they
are engrossed in thinking of material activities. Just to transfer
their thinking power to the spiritual sky, Krsna has given a great
number of Vedic literatures. First he divided the Vedas into four,
then he explained them in the Puranas, and for less capable people
he wrote the Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata there is given the Bhagavad-gita.
Then all Vedic literature is summarized in the Vedanta-sutra, and
for future guidance he gave a natural commentation on the Vedanta-sutra,
called Srimad-Bhagavatam. We must always engage our minds in reading
these Vedic literatures. Just as materialists engage their minds in
reading newspapers, magazines and so many materialistic literatures,
we must transfer our reading to these literatures which are given
to us by Vyasadeva; in that way it will be possible for us to remember
the Supreme Lord at the time of death. That is the only way suggested
by the Lord, and He guarantees the result: "There is no doubt."
(Bg. 8.7)tasmat sarvesu kalesu mam anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mam evaisyasy asamsayah"Therefore, Arjuna,
you should always think of Me, and at the same time you should continue
your prescribed duty and fight. With your mind and activities always
fixed on Me, and everything engaged in Me, you will attain to Me without
any doubt."
He does not advise Arjuna to simply remember Him and give up his occupation.
No, the Lord never suggests anything impractical. In this material
world, in order to maintain the body one has to work. Human society
is divided, according to work, into four divisions of social order--brahmana,
ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. The brahmana class or intelligent class is
working in one way, the ksatriya or administrative class is working
in another way, and the mercantile class and the laborers are all
tending to their specific duties. In the human society, whether one
is a laborer, merchant, warrior, administrator, or farmer, or even
if one belongs to the highest class and is a literary man, a scientist
or a theologian, he has to work in order to maintain his existence.
The Lord therefore tells Arjuna that he need not give up his occupation,
but while he is engaged in his occupation he should remember Krsna.
If he doesn't practice remembering Krsna while he is struggling for
existence, then it will not be possible for him to remember Krsna
at the time of death. Lord Caitanya also advises this. He says that
one should practice remembering the Lord by chanting the names of
the Lord always. The names of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent.
So Lord Krsna's instructions to Arjuna to "remember Me"
and Lord Caitanya's injunction to always "chant the names of
Lord Krsna" are the same instruction. There is no difference,
because Krsna and Krsna's name are nondifferent. In the absolute status
there is no difference between reference and referent. Therefore we
have to practice remembering the Lord always, twenty-four hours a
day, by chanting His names and molding our life's activities in such
a way that we can remember Him always.
How is this possible? The acaryas give the following example. If a
married woman is attached to another man, or if a man has an attachment
for a woman other than his wife, then the attachment is to be considered
very strong. One with such an attachment is always thinking of the
loved one. The wife who is thinking of her lover is always thinking
of meeting him, even while she is carrying out her household chores.
In fact, she carries out her household work even more carefully so
her husband will not suspect her attachment. Similarly, we should
always remember the supreme lover, Sri Krsna, and at the same time
perform our material duties very nicely. A strong sense of love is
required here. If we have a strong sense of love for the Supreme Lord,
then we can discharge our duty and at the same time remember Him.
But we have to develop that sense of love. Arjuna, for instance, was
always thinking of Krsna; he was the constant companion of Krsna,
and at the same time he was a warrior. Krsna did not advise him to
give up fighting and go to the forest to meditate. When Lord Krsna
delineates the yoga system to Arjuna, Arjuna says that the practice
of this system is not possible for him.
arjuna uvaca
yo 'yam yogas tvaya proktah samyena madhusudana
etasyaham na pasyami cancalatvat sthitim sthiram
"Arjuna said,
O Madhusudana, the system of yoga which You have summarized appears
impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady."
(Bg. 6.33)
But the Lord says: yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana
sraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah
"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." (Bg. 6.47) So one who thinks of the Supreme
Lord always is the greatest yogi, the supermost jnani, and the greatest
devotee at the same time. The Lord further tells Arjuna that as a
ksatriya he cannot give up his fighting, but if Arjuna fights remembering
Krsna, then he will be able to remember Him at the time of death.
But one must be completely surrendered in the transcendental loving
service of the Lord.
We work not with our body, actually, but with our mind and intelligence.
So if the intelligence and the mind are always engaged in the thought
of the Supreme Lord, then naturally the senses are also engaged in
His service. Superficially, at least, the activities of the senses
remain the same, but the consciousness is changed. The Bhagavad-gita
teaches one how to absorb the mind and intelligence in the thought
of the Lord. Such absorption will enable one to transfer himself to
the kingdom of the Lord. If the mind is engaged in Krsna's service,
then the senses are automatically engaged in His service. This is
the art, and this is also the secret of Bhagavad-gita: total absorption
in the thought of Sri Krsna.
Modern man has struggled very hard to reach the moon, but he has not
tried very hard to elevate himself spiritually. If one has fifty years
of life ahead of him, he should engage that brief time in cultivating
this practice of remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This
practice is the devotional process of:
sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam
arcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam
These nine processes,
of which the easiest is sravanam, hearing Bhagavad-gita from the realized
person, will turn one to the thought of the Supreme Being. This will
lead to nisala, remembering the Supreme Lord, and will enable one,
upon leaving the body, to attain a spiritual body which is just fit
for association with the Supreme Lord.
The Lord further says:
abhyasa-yoga-yuktena cetasa nanya-gamina
paramam purusam divyam yati parthanucintayan
"By practicing this
remembering, without being deviated, thinking ever of the Supreme
Godhead, one is sure to achieve the planet of the Divine, the Supreme
Personality, O son of Kunti." (Bg. 8.8)
This is not a very difficult process. However, one must learn it from
an experienced person, from one who is already in the practice. The
mind is always flying to this and that, but one must always practice
concentrating the mind on the form of the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna or
on the sound of His name. The mind is naturally restless, going hither
and thither, but it can rest in the sound vibration of Krsna. One
must thus meditate on paramam purusam, the Supreme Person, and thus
attain Him. The ways and the means for ultimate realization, ultimate
attainment, are stated in the Bhagavad-gita, and the doors of this
knowledge are open for everyone. No one is barred out. All classes
of men can approach the Lord by thinking of Him, for hearing and thinking
of Him is possible for everyone.
The Lord further says:
mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah
striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te 'pi yanti param gatimkim punar brahmanah
punya bhakta rajarsayas tatha anityam asukham lokam imam prapya bhajasva mam
"O son of Prtha,
anyone who will take shelter in Me, whether a woman, or a merchant,
or one born in a low family, can yet approach the supreme destination.
How much greater then are the brahmanas, the righteous, the devotees,
and saintly Kings! In this miserable world, these are fixed in devotional
service to the Lord." (Bg. 9.32-33)
Human beings even in the lower statuses of life (a merchant, a woman
or a laborer) can attain the Supreme. One does not need highly developed
intelligence. The point is that anyone who accepts the principle of
bhakti-yoga and accepts the Supreme Lord as the summum bonum of life,
as the highest target, the ultimate goal, can approach the Lord in
the spiritual sky. If one adopts the principles enunciated in Bhagavad-gita,
he can make his life perfect and make a perfect solution to all the
problems of life which arise out of the transient nature of material
existence. This is the sum and substance of the entire Bhagavad-gita.
In conclusion, Bhagavad-gita is a transcendental literature which
one should read very carefully. It is capable of saving one from all
fear.nehabhikrama-naso 'sti pratyavayo na vidyate
svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat"In this endeavor
there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path
can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear." (Bg. 2.40)
If one reads Bhagavad-gita sincerely and seriously, then all of the
reactions of his past misdeeds will not react upon him. In the last
portion of Bhagavad-gita, Lord Sri Krsna proclaims: sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah
"Give up all varieties
of religiousness, and just surrender unto Me; and in return I shall
protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore, you have nothing
to fear." (Bg. 18.66) Thus the Lord takes all responsibility
for one who surrenders unto Him, and He indemnifies all the reactions
of sin.
One cleanses himself daily by taking a bath in water, but one who
takes his bath only once in the sacred Ganges water of the Bhagavad-gita
cleanses away all the dirt of material life. Because Bhagavad-gita
is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read
any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly
hear and read Bhagavad-gita. In the present age, mankind is so absorbed
with mundane activities that it is not possible to read all of the
Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. This one book, Bhagavad-gita,
will suffice because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and
because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is
said that one who drinks the water of the Ganges certainly gets salvation,
but what to speak of one who drinks the waters of Bhagavad-gita? Gita
is the very nectar of the Mahabharata spoken by Visnu Himself, for
Lord Krsna is the original Visnu. It is nectar emanating from the
mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Ganges is said
to be emanating from the lotus feet of the Lord. Of course there is
no difference between the mouth and the feet of the Supreme Lord,
but in our position we can appreciate that the Bhagavad-gita is even
more important than the Ganges.
The Bhagavad-gita is just like a cow, and Lord Krsna, who is a cowherd
boy, is milking this cow. The milk is the essence of the Vedas, and
Arjuna is just like a calf. The wise men, the great sages and pure
devotees, are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad-gita.
In this present day, man is very eager to have one scripture, one
God, one religion, and one occupation. So let there be one common
scripture for the whole world--Bhagavad-gita. And let there be one
God only for the whole world--Sri Krsna. And one mantra only--Hare
Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama
Rama, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only--the service of the
Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Copyright © 1998–2004 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust Int'l. All Rights Reserved.
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