COMPLETE EDITION
with original Sanskrit text,
Roman transliteration, English equivalents,
translation and elaborate purports
His Divine Grace
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda
Collier Books
A Division of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.
NEW YORK
Collier Macmillan Publishers
LONDON
To
ÇRÉLA BALADEVA VIDYÄBHÜÑAËA
who presented so nicely
the “Govinda-bhäñya” commentary
on
Vedänta philosophy
Bg. Foreword
Foreword
The Bhagavad-gétä is the best known
and the most frequently translated of Vedic religious texts. Why it should be
so appealing to the Western mind is an interesting question. It has drama, for
its setting is a scene of two great armies, banners flying, drawn up opposite
one another on the field, poised for battle. It has ambiguity, and the fact
that Arjuna and his charioteer Kåñëa are carrying on their dialogue between the
two armies suggests the indecision of Arjuna about the basic question: should
he enter battle against and kill those who are friends and kinsmen? It has
mystery, as Kåñëa demonstrates to Arjuna His cosmic form. It has a properly
complicated view of the ways of the religious life and treats of the paths of
knowledge, works, discipline and faith and their inter-relationships, problems
that have bothered adherents of other religions in other times and places. The
devotion spoken of is a deliberate means of religious satisfaction, not a mere
outpouring of poetic emotion. Next to the Bhägavata-puräëa,
a long work from South India, the Gétä is
the text most frequently quoted in the philosophical writings of the Gauòéya
Vaiñëava school, the school represented by Swami Bhaktivedanta as the latest in
a long succession of teachers. It can be said that this school of Vaiñëavism
was founded, or revived, by Çré Kåñëa-Caitanya Mahäprabhu (1486-1533) in
Bengal, and that it is currently the strongest single religious force in the
eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Gauòiya Vaiñëava school, for whom
Kåñëa is Himself the Supreme God, and not merely an incarnation of another
deity, sees bhakti as an immediate and powerful
religious force, consisting of love between man and God. Its discipline
consists of devoting all one’s actions to the Deity, and one listens to the
stories of Kåñëa from the sacred texts, one chants Kåñëa’s name, washes,
bathes, and dresses the mürti of Kåñëa, feeds Him
and takes the remains of the food offered to Him, thus absorbing His grace; one
does these things and many more, until one has been changed: the devotee has
become transformed into one close to Kåñëa, and sees the Lord face to face.
Swami Bhaktivedanta comments upon the Gétä from this point of view, and that is legitimate. More than that, in this translation the Western reader has the unique opportunity of seeing how a Kåñëa devotee interprets his own texts. It is the Vedic exegetical tradition, justly famous, in action. This book is then a welcome addition from many points of view. It can serve as a valuable textbook for the college student. It allows us to listen to a skilled interpreter explicating a text which has profound religious meaning. It gives us insights into the original and highly convincing ideas of the Gauòiya Vaiñëava school. In providing the Sanskrit in both Devanagari and transliteration, it offers the Sanskrit specialist the opportunity to re-interpret, or debate particular Sanskrit meanings—although I think there will be little disagreement about the quality of the Swami’s Sanskrit scholarship. And finally, for the nonspecialist, there is readable English and a devotional attitude which cannot help but move the sensitive reader. And there are the paintings, which, incredibly as it may seem to those familiar with contemporary Indian religious art, were done by American devotees.
The scholar, the student of Gauòéya Vaiñëavism, and the increasing number of Western readers interested in classical Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. By bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased our understanding manyfold; and arguments for understanding, in these days of estrangement, need not be made.
Professor Edward C. Dimock, Jr.
Department of South Asian Languages and Civilization
University of Chicago
Bg. Preface
Preface
Originally I wrote Bhagavad-gétä As It Is
>in the form in which it is presented now. When this book was first
published, the original manuscript was, unfortunately, cut short to less than
400 pages, without illustrations and without explanations for most of the
original verses of the Çrémad Bhagavad-gétä. In all of my other books—Çrémad Bhägavatam, Çré Éçopaniñad, etc.—the system is
that I give the original verse, its English transliteration, word-for-word
Sanskrit-English equivalents, translations and purports. This makes the book
very authentic and scholarly and makes the meaning self-evident. I was not very
happy, therefore, when I had to minimize my original manuscript. But later on,
when the demand for Bhagavad-gétä As It Is considerably
increased, I was requested by many scholars and devotees to present the book in
its original form, and Messrs. Macmillan and Co. agreed to publish the complete
edition. Thus the present attempt is to offer the original manuscript of this
great book of knowledge with full paramparä
explanation in order to establish the Kåñëa consciousness movement more soundly
and progressively.
Our Kåñëa consciousness movement is genuine, historically authorized, natural and transcendental due to its being based on Bhagavad-gétä As It Is. It is gradually becoming the most popular movement in the entire world, especially amongst the younger generation. It is becoming more and more interesting to the older generation also. Older gentlemen are becoming interested, so much so that the fathers and grandfathers of my disciples are encouraging us by becoming life members of our great society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In Los Angeles many fathers and mothers used to come to see me to express their feelings of gratitude for my leading the Kåñëa consciousness movement throughout the entire world. Some of them said that it is greatly fortunate for the Americans that I have started the Kåñëa consciousness movement in America. But actually the original father of this movement is Lord Kåñëa Himself, since it was started a very long time ago but is coming down to human society by disciplic succession. If I have any credit in this connection, it does not belong to me personally, but it is due to my eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace Om Viñëupäda Paramahaàsa Parivräjakäcärya 108 Çré Çrémad Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Gosvämé Mahäräja Prabhupäda.
If personally I have any credit in this matter, it is only that I have tried to present Bhagavad-gétä as it is, without adulteration. Before my presentation of Bhagavad-gétä As It Is, almost all the English editions of Bhagavad-gétä were introduced to fulfill someone’s personal ambition. But our attempt, in presenting Bhagavad-gétä As It Is, is to present the mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa. Our business is to present the will of Kåñëa, not that of any mundane speculator like the politician, philosopher or scientist, for they have very little knowledge of Kåñëa, despite all their other knowledge. When Kåñëa says, man-manä bhava mad-bhakto mad-yäjé mäà namaskuru, etc., we, unlike the so-called scholars, do not say that Kåñëa and His inner spirit are different. Kåñëa is absolute, and there is no difference between Kåñëa’s name, Kåñëa’s form, Kåñëa’s quality, Kåñëa’s pastimes, etc. This absolute position of Kåñëa is difflcult to understand for any person who is not a devotee of Kåñëa in the paramparä (disciplic succession) system. Generally the so-called scholars, politicians, philosophers, and svämés, without perfect knowledge of Kåñëa, try to banish or kill Kåñëa when writing commentary on Bhagavad-gétä. Such unauthorized commentary upon Bhagavad-gétä is known as Mäyävädé-Bhäñya, and Lord Caitanya has warned us about these unauthorized men. Lord Caitanya clearly says that anyone who tries to understand Bhagavad-gétä from the Mäyävädé point of view will commit a great blunder. The result of such a blunder will be that the misguided student of Bhagavad-gétä will certainly be bewildered on the path of spiritual guidance and will not be able to go back home, back to Godhead.
Our only purpose is to present this Bhagavad-gétä As It Is in order to guide the conditioned student to the same purpose for which Kåñëa descends to this planet once in a day of Brahmä, or every 8,600,000,000 years. This purpose is stated in Bhagavad-gétä, and we have to accept it as it is; otherwise there is no point in trying to understand the Bhagavad-gétä and its speaker, Lord Kåñëa. Lord Kåñëa first spoke Bhagavad-gétä to the sun-god some hundreds of millions of years ago. We have to accept this fact and thus understand the historical significance of Bhagavad-gétä, without misinterpretation, on the authority of Kåñëa. To interpret Bhagavad-gétä without any reference to the will of Kåñëa is the greatest offense. In order to save oneself from this offense, one has to understand the Lord as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as He was directly understood by Arjuna, Lord Kåñëa’s first disciple. Such understanding of Bhagavad-gétä is really profitable and authorized for the welfare of human society in fulfilling the mission of life.
The Kåñëa consciousness movement is essential in human society, for it offers the highest perfection of life. How this is so is explained fully in the Bhagavad-gétä. Unfortunately, mundane wranglers have taken advantage of Bhagavad-gétä to push forward their demonic propensities and mislead people regarding right understanding of the simple principles of life. Everyone should know how God or Kåñëa is great, and everyone should know the factual position of the living entities. Everyone should know that a living entity is eternally a servant and that unless one serves Kåñëa one has to serve illusion in different varieties of the three modes of material nature, and thus perpetually one has to wander within the cycle of birth and death; even the so-called liberated Mäyävädé speculator has to undergo this process. This knowledge constitutes a great science, and each and every living being has to hear it for his own interest.
People in general, especially in this age of Kali, are enamored by the external energy of Kåñëa, and they wrongly think that by advancement of material comforts every man will be happy. They have no knowledge that the material or external nature is very strong, for everyone is strongly bound by the stringent laws of material nature. A living entity is happily the part and parcel of the Lord, and thus his natural function is to render immediate service to the Lord. By the spell of illusion one tries to be happy by serving his personal sense gratification in different forms which will never make him happy. Instead of satisfying his own personal material senses, he has to satisfy the senses of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of life. The Lord wants this, and He demands it. One has to understand this central point of Bhagavad-gétä. Our Kåñëa consciousness movement is teaching the whole world this central point, and because we are not polluting the theme of Bhagavad-gétä As It Is, anyone seriously interested in deriving benefit by studying the Bhagavad-gétä must take help from the Kåñëa consciousness movement for practical understanding of Bhagavad-gétä under the direct guidance of the Lord. We hope, therefore, that people will derive the greatest benefit by studying Bhagavad-gétä As It Is as we have presented it here, and if even one man becomes a pure devotee of the Lord we shall consider our attempt a success.
[signed]
A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
12 May 1971
Sydney, Australia
Bg. introduction
INTRODUCTION
om ajïäna-timirändhasya
jïänäïjana-çaläkayä
cakñur unmélitaà yena
tasmai çré-gurave namaù
çré-caitanya-mano-’bhéñöaà
sthäpitaà yena bhü-tale
svayaà rüpaù kadä mahyaà
dadäti sva-padäntikam
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 Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé Prabhupäda, who has established
within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya,
give me shelter under his lotus feet?
vande ’haà çré-guroù çré-yuta-pada-kamalaà çré-gurun vaiñëaväàç ca
çré-rüpaà sägrajätaà saha-gaëa-raghunäthänvitaà taà sa-jévam
sädvaitaà sävadhütaà parijana-sahitaà kåñëa-caitanya-devaà
çré-rädhä-kåñëa-pädän saha-gaëa-lalitä-çré-viçäkhänvitäàç ca
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my
spiritual master and unto the feet of all Vaiñëavas. I offer my respectful
obeisances unto the lotus feet of Çréla Rüpa Gosvämé along with his elder
brother Sanätana Gosvämé, as well as Raghunätha Däsa and Raghunätha Bhaööa,
Gopäla Bhaööa, and Çréla Jéva Gosvämé. I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord
Kåñëa Caitanya and Lord Nityänanda along with Advaita Äcärya, Gadädhara,
Çréväsa, and other associates. I offer my respectful obeisances to Çrématé
Rädhäräëé and Çré Kåñëa along with Their associates, Çré Lalitä and Viçäkhä.
he kåñëa karuëä-sindho déna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeça gopikä-känta rädhä-känta namo ’stu te
O my dear Kåñëa, You are the friend of the distressed and the
source of creation. You are the master of the gopés and
the lover of Rädhäräëé. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
tapta-käïcana-gauräìgi rädhe våndävaneçvari
våñabhänu-sute devi praëamämi hari-priye
I offer my respects to Rädhäräëé whose bodily complexion is like
molten gold and who is the Queen of Våndävana. You are the daughter of King
Våñabhänu, and You are very dear to Lord Kåñëa.
väïchä-kalpatarubhyaç ca kåpä-sindhubhya eva ca
patitänäà pävanebhyo vaiñëavebhyo namo namaù
I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiñëava 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.
çré kåñëa caitanya prabhu nityänanda
çré advaita gadädhara çréväsädi-gaura-bhakta-vånda
I offer my obeisances to Çré Kåñëa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityänanda,
Çré Advaita, Gadädhara, Çréväsa and all others in the line of devotion.
hare kåñëa, hare kåñëa, kåñëa kåñëa, hare hare
hare räma, hare räma, räma räma, hare hare.
Bhagavad-gétä is also
known as Gétopaniñad. It is the essence of Vedic
knowledge and one of the most important Upaniñads in
Vedic literature. Of course there are many commentaries in English on the Bhagavad-gétä, 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-gétä. Of course in America there are so many
editions of Bhagavad-gétä 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-gétä as it is.
The spirit of Bhagavad-gétä is mentioned in Bhagavad-gétä 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-gétä should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker himself. The speaker of Bhagavad-gétä is Lord Çré Kåñëa. He is mentioned on every page of Bhagavad-gétä as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavän. Of course the word “bhagavän” sometimes refers to any powerful person or any powerful demigod, and certainly here Bhagavän designates Lord Çré Kåñëa as a great personality, but at the same time we should know that Lord Çré Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as is confirmed by all great äcäryas (spiritual masters) like Çaìkaräcärya, Rämänujäcärya, Madhväcärya, Nimbärka Svämé, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu and many other authorities of Vedic knowledge in India. The Lord Himself also establishes Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gétä, and He is accepted as such in the Brahma-saàhitä and all the Puräëas, especially the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, known as the Bhägavata Puräëa (Kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam). Therefore we should take Bhagavad-gétä as it is directed by the Personality of Godhead Himself.
In the Fourth Chapter of the Gétä the Lord says:
(1) imaà vivasvate yogaà proktavän aham
avyayam
vivasvän manave präha manur ikñväkave ’bravét
(2) evaà paramparä-präptam imaà räjarñayo
viduù
sa käleneha mahatä yogo nañöaù parantapa
(3) sa eväyaà mayä te ’dya yogaù proktaù
purätanaù
bhakto ’si me sakhä ceti rahasyaà hy etad uttamam
Here the Lord informs Arjuna that this system of yoga, the Bhagavad-gétä,
was first spoken to the sun-god, and the sun-god explained it to Manu, and Manu
explained it to Ikñväku, 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 Kurukñetra.
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-gétä is a treatise which is especially meant for the devotee of the Lord. There are three classes of transcendentalists, namely the jïäné, the yogé 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 paramparä (disciplic succession) because the old succession was broken. It was the Lord’s wish, therefore, to establish another paramparä 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-gétä. So we see that Bhagavad-gétä is instructed to Arjuna especially because Arjuna was a devotee of the Lord, a direct student of Kåñëa, and His intimate friend. Therefore Bhagavad-gétä 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. As soon as one becomes a devotee of the Lord, he also has 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 svarüpa.
By the process of devotional service, one can revive that svarüpa, and that stage is called svarüpa-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-gétä should be noted. His manner of acceptance is given in the Tenth Chapter.
(12) arjuna uväca
paraà brahma paraà dhäma pavitraà paramaà bhavän
puruñaà çäçvataà divyam ädi-devam ajaà vibhum
(13) ähus tväm åñayaù sarve devarñir
näradas tathä
asito devalo vyäsaù svayaà caiva bravéñi me
(14) sarvam etad åtaà manye yan mäà vadasi
keçava
na hi te bhagavan vyaktià vidur devä na dänaväù
“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 Närada, Asita, Devala, and Vyäsa
proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me. O Kåñëa, I
totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons,
O Lord, know Thy personality.” (Bg. 10. 12–14).
After hearing Bhagavad-gétä from the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna accepted Kåñëa as Paraà Brahma, the Supreme Brahman. Every living being
is Brahman, but the supreme living being, or the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, is the Supreme Brahman. Paraà dhäma means
that He is the supreme rest or abode of everything, pavitram
means that He is pure, untainted by material contamination, puruñam means that He is the supreme enjoyer, divyam, transcendental, ädi-devam,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, ajam, the
unborn, and vibhum, the greatest, the
all-pervading.
Now one may think that because Kåñëa 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-gétä, substantiates these praises in the next verse when he says that Kåñëa is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead not only by himself but by authorities like the sage Närada, Asita, Devala, Vyäsadeva and so on. These are great personalities who distribute the Vedic knowledge as it is accepted by all äcäryas. Therefore Arjuna tells Kåñëa that he accepts whatever He says to be completely perfect. Sarvam etad åtaà 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 Çré Kåñëa without becoming His devotee?
Therefore Bhagavad-gétä should be taken up in a spirit of devotion. One should not think that he is equal to Kåñëa, nor should he think that Kåñëa is an ordinary personality or even a very great personality. Lord Çré Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at least theoretically, according to the statements of Bhagavad-gétä or the statements of Arjuna, the person who is trying to understand the Bhagavad-gétä. We should therefore at least theoretically accept Çré Kåñëa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and with that submissive spirit we can understand the Bhagavad-gétä. Unless one reads the Bhagavad-gétä in a submissive spirit, it is very difficult to understand Bhagavad-gétä because it is a great mystery.
Just what is the Bhagavad-gétä? The purpose of Bhagavad-gétä 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 Kurukñetra. Arjuna surrendered unto Çré Kåñëa, and consequently this Bhagavad-gétä 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-sütra this inquiry is called “brahma-jijïäsä.” 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-gétä. The sincere student should also have a firm respect for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a student was Arjuna.
Lord Kåñëa 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-gétä 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-gétä, making His friend Arjuna His student.
Being an associate of Lord Kåñëa, Arjuna was above all ignorance, but Arjuna was put into ignorance on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra just to question Lord Kåñëa 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-gétä 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, jévas. There is éçvara, which means controller, and there are jévas, 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-gétä the subject matter deals with the éçvara, the supreme controller, and the jévas, the controlled living entities. Prakåti (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-gétä we must learn what God is, what the living entities are, what prakrti is, what the cosmic manifestation is and how it is controlled by time, and what the activities of the living entities are.
Out of these five basic
subject matters in Bhagavad-gétä it is
established that the Supreme Godhead, or Kåñëa, or Brahman, or supreme
controller, or Paramätmä—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-gétä. Material nature is not independant. She
is acting under the directions of the Supreme Lord. As Lord Kåñëa says, “Prakåti 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 jévas, 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, ésvara, or Bhagavän, Lord Çré Kåñëa, have all the
qualities of the Supreme Lord in minute quantity because we are minute éçvaras, subordinate éçvaras.
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 Kåñëa. 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-gétä.
What is material nature? This is also explained in Gétä as inferior prakåti, inferior nature. The living entity is explained as the superior prakåti. Prakåti is always under control, whether inferior or superior. Prakåti is female, and she is controlled by the Lord just as the activities of a wife are controlled by the husband. Prakåti 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 Gétä, the living entities, although parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are to be considered prakåti. This is clearly mentioned in the Seventh Chapter, fifth verse of Bhagavad-gétä: “Apareyam itas tv anyäm.” “This prakåti is My lower nature.” “Prakåtià viddhi me paräm jéva-bhütäà mahä-bäho yayedaà dhäryate jagat.” And beyond this there is another prakåti: jéva-bhütäm, the living entity.
Prakåti 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.
Éçvara
(the Supreme Lord), jéva (the living entity), prakåti (nature), eternal time and karma (activity) are all explained in the Bhagavad-gétä. Out of these five, the Lord, the living
entities, material nature and time are eternal. The manifestation of prakåti 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-gétä or
according to the philosophy of the Vaiñëavas, 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 prakåti But this cycle is working eternally. Therefore prakrti is eternal; it is not false. The Lord refers to
this as “My prakåti.” 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-gétä.
The position of ésvara is that of supreme consciousness. The jévas, 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 prakåti, the energy of the Supreme Lord, but one of the two, the jéva, is conscious. The other prakåti is not conscious. That is the difference. Therefore the jéva-prakåti is called superior because the jéva has consciousness which is similar to the Lord’s. The Lord’s is supreme consciousness, however, and one should not claim that the jéva, 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 jéva and the éçvara will be explained in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gétä. The Lord is kñetra-jïaù, 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 jévas. We should not forget this. It is also explained that the Paramätmä, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is living in everyone’s heart as éçvara, 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 acts 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 (éçvara, jéva, prakåti time and karma) four are eternal, whereas karma is not eternal.
The supreme conscious éçvara 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-gétä. 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 Kåñëa says, “mayädhyakñeëa prakåtiù.” 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-gétä. 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-gétä teaches that we have to purify this materially contaminated consciousness. In pure consciousness, our actions will be dovetailed to the will of éçvara, 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-gétä 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 Çrémad-Bhägavatam 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-gétä are intended to awaken this pure consciousness, and therefore we find at the last stage of the Gétä’s instructions that Kåñëa 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-gétä 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, Çré Kåñëa. All manifestations are due to His different energies. He is the complete whole.
It is also explained in the Gétä that impersonal Brahman is also subordinate to the complete. Brahman is more explicitly explained in the Brahma-sütra 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 Paramätmä in the Twelfth Chapter. There it shall be seen that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Puruñottama, is above both impersonal Brahman and the partial realization of Paramätmä. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is called sac-cid-änanda-vigraha. The Brahma-saàhitä begins in this way: éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù/anädir ädir govindaù sarva-käraëa-käraëam. “Kåñëa 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. Paramätmä realization is the realization of the cit (eternal knowledge) feature. But realization of the Personality of Godhead, Kåñëa, is realization of all the transcendental features: sat, cit and änanda (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 nityänäm cetanaç cetanänäm. 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 Kåñëa is acting in different potencies is also explained in Bhagavad-gétä. 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 Säìkhya 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-gétä 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 småti 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-gétä 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-gétä, by the paramparä 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 Çré Kåñëa, accepts everything that He says without contradicting Him. One is not allowed to accept one portion of Bhagavad-gétä and not another. No. We must accept Bhagavad-gétä without interpretation, without deletion and without our own whimsical participation in the matter. The Gétä should he 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 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 Brahmä, the first created living being, and Brahmä in his turn disseminated this knowledge to his sons and disciples, as he originally received it from the Lord. The Lord is pürëam, 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 Brahmä. In the Eleventh Chapter the Lord is addressed as prapitämaha because Brahmä is addressed as pitämaha, 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-gétä. In the beginning, Arjuna decided that he should not fight in the Battle of Kurukñetra. 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-gétä 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, “kariñye vacanaà 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-gétä. 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-gétä 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-gétä, 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 sanätana 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 sanätana, eternal. Jéva is also described as sanätana, eternal, and the Lord is also described as sanätana in the Eleventh Chapter. We have an intimate relationship with the Lord, and because we are all qualitatively one—the sanätana-dhäma, or sky, the sanätana Supreme Personality and the sanätana living entities—the whole purpose of Bhagavad-gétä is to revive our sanätana occupation, or sanätana-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 sanätana, as are the living entities, and the combined association of the Supreme Lord and the living entities in the sanätana abode is the perfection of human life. The Lord is very kind to the living entities because they are His sons. Lord Kåñëa declares in Bhagavad-gétä, “sarva-yoniñu…ahaà béja-pradaù pitä.” “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 sanätana eternal sky so that the sanätana living entities may regain their eternal sanätana 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 äcäryas to reclaim the conditioned souls.
Therefore, sanätana-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. Sanätana-dharma refers, as stated previously, to the eternal occupation of the living entity. Rämänujäcärya has explained the word sanätana as “that which has neither beginning nor end,” so when we speak of sanätana-dharma, we must take it for granted on the authority of Çré Rämänujäcärya that it has neither beginning nor end.
The English word “religion” is a little different from sanätana-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 sanätana-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. Sanätana-dharma is eternally integral with the living entity. When we speak of sanätana-dharma, therefore, we must take it for granted on the authority of Çré Rämänujäcärya 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 sanätana-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 sanätana-dharma is the business of all the people of the world—nay, of all the living entities of the universe.
Non-sanätana religious faith may have some beginning in the annals of human history, but there is no beginning to the history of sanätana-dharma because it remains eternally with the living entities. Insofar as the living entities are concerned, the authoritative çästras state that the living entity has neither birth nor death. In the Gétä 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 sanätana-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 the 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 Sanätana Gosvämé asked Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu about the svarüpa of every living being, the Lord replied that the svarüpa 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-sanätana-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 effect 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 sanätana-dharma. The rendering of service is sanätana-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 independantly, 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-gétä, worship of different demigods or rendering service to them is not approved. It is stated in the Seventh Chapter, twentieth verse:
kämais tais tair håta-jïänäù prapadyante ’nya-devatäù
taà taà niyamam ästhäya prakåtyä niyatäù svayä
“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 Kåñëa.
When we mention the name Kåñëa, we do not refer to any sectarian name. Kåñëa
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. Änandamayo ’bhyäsät. (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
Våndävana, which are full of happiness. When Lord Çré Kåñëa was in Våndävana,
His activities with His cowherd boy friends, with His damsel friends, with the
inhabitants of Våndävana and with the cows were all full of happiness. The
total population of Våndävana knew nothing but Kåñëa. But Lord Kåñëa even discouraged
His father Nanda Mahäräja 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 Çré Kåñëa is described in the Bhagavad-gétä, Fifteenth Chapter, sixth verse:
na tad bhäsayate süryo na çaçäìko na pävakaù
yad gatvä na nivartante tad dhäma paramaà 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-saàhitä it is beautifully described: Goloka eva nivasaty akhilätma-bhütaù. 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-änanda-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 Çyämasundara. 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, Kåñëaloka, and the änandamaya-cinmaya planets, which are not material, float in those rays. The Lord says, na tad bhäsayate süryo na çaçäìko na pävakaù yad gatvä na nivartante tad dhäma paramaà 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-gétä, äbrahma-bhuvanäl lokäù punar ävartino ’rjuna. The living entities are traveling from one planet to another, not by mechanical arrangement but by a spiritual process. This is also mentioned: yänti deva-vratä devän pitèn yänti pitå-vratäù. No mechanical arrangement is necessary if we want interplanetary travel. The Gétä instructs: yänti deva-vratä devän. 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-gétä informs us how to travel to the higher planetary systems (devaloka) with a very simple formula: yänti deva-vratä devän. 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-gétä 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, Kåñëaloka, 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 Våndävana, which is the original planet in the abode of the original Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa. All of this information is given in Bhagavad-gétä, 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-gétä, the real picture of the material world is given. It is said there:
ürdhva-mülam adhaù-çäkham açvatthaà prähur avyayam
chandäàsi yasya parëäni yas taà 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:
nirmäna-mohä jita-saìga-doñä
adhyätma-nityä vinivåtta-kämäù
dvandvair vimuktäù sukha-duùkha-saàjïair
gacchanty amüòhäù padam avyayaà tat.
That padam avyayam or eternal
kingdom can be reached by one who is nirmäna-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 sanätana-dhäma. 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 Gétä it is stated:
avyakto ’kñara ity uktas tam ähuù paramäà gatim
yaà präpya na nivartante tad dhäma paramaà mama.
Avyakta 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 Çrémad-Bhägavatam,
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-käle ca mäm eva smaran muktvä kalevaram
yaù prayäti sa mad-bhävam yäti nästy atra saàçayaù
“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 Kåñëa at the time of his death goes to Kåñëa. One must remember
the form of Kåñëa; if he quits his body thinking of this form, he approaches
the spiritual kingdom. Mad-bhävaà refers to the
supreme nature of the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being is sac-cid-änanda-vigraha—eternal, full of knowledge and
bliss. Our present body is not sac-cid-änanda. 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 niränanda; 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-änanda body, as
is promised in this fifth verse of the Eighth Chapter where Lord Kåñëa 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 brahmavädi paramätmävädi 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 Vaikuëöha planets, which are innumerable, and the Supreme Lord by His plenary expansions as Näräyaëa 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 Paramätmä or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa. 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 Vaikuëöha 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 Paramätmä 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 Gétä:
yaà yaà väpi smaran bhävaà tyajaty ante kalevaram
taà tam evaiti kaunteya sadä tad-bhäva-bhävitaù
“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 Viñëu Puräëa the total energies of the Supreme Lord as Viñëu-çaktiù parä proktä, 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 Viñëu-çakti, that is to say they are different potencies
of Lord Viñëu. That energy is parä, 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 Puräëas, etc. The Puräëas are
not imaginative; they are historical records. In the Caitanya-caritämåta
there is the following verse:
mäyä mugdha jéver nähi svataù kåñëa-jïäna
jévera kåpäya kailä kåñëa veda-puräëa
(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, Kåñëa has given a great number of Vedic literatures. First He divided the Vedas into four, then He explained them in the Puräëas, and for less capable people He wrote the Mahäbhärata. In the Mahäbhärata there
is given the Bhagavad-gétä. Then all Vedic
literature is summarized in the Vedänta-sütra, and
for future guidance He gave a natural commentation on the Vedänta-sutra, called Çrémad-Bhägavatam.
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 Vyäsadeva; 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)
tasmät sarveñu käleñu mäm anusmara yudhya ca
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir mäm evaiñyasy asaàçayaù
“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—brähmaëa,
kñatriya, vaiçya, çüdra. The brähmaëa class
or intelligent class is working in one way, the kñatriya
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 Kåñëa. If he doesn’t practice remembering
Kåñëa while he is struggling for existence, then it will not be possible for
him to remember Kåñëa 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
Kåñëa’s instruction to Arjuna to “remember Me” and Lord Caitanya’s injunction
to always “chant the names of Lord Kåñëa” are the same instruction. There is no
difference, because Kåñëa and Kåñëa’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 äcäryas 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, Çré Kåñëa, 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 Kåñëa; he was the constant companion of Kåñëa, and at the same time he was a warrior. Kåñëa did not advise him to give up fighting and go to the forest to meditate. When Lord Kåñëa delineates the yoga system to Arjuna, Arjuna says that the practice of this system is not possible for him.
arjuna uväca
yo ’yaà yogas tvayä proktaù sämyena madhusüdana
etasyähaà na paçyämi caïcalatvät sthitià sthiräm
“Arjuna said, O Madhusüdana, 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:
yoginäm api sarveñäà mad-gatenäntarätmanä
çraddhävän bhajate yo mäà sa me yuktatamo mataù
“Of all yogés, 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 yogé, the supermost jïäné, and the greatest devotee at the same time. The
Lord further tells Arjuna that as a kñatriya he
cannot give up his fighting, but if Arjuna fights remembering Kåñëa, 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-gétä 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 Kåñëa’s service, then the senses are automatically
engaged in His service. This is the art, and this is also the secret of Bhagavad-gétä: total absorption in the thought of Çré
Kåñëa.
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:
çravaëaà kértanaà viñëoù smaraëaà päda-sevanam
arcanaà vandanaà däsyaà sakhyam ätma-nivedanam
These nine processes, of which the easiest is çravaëaà, hearing Bhagavad-gétä from
the realized person, will turn one to the thought of the Supreme Being. This
will lead to niçcala, 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:
abhyäsa-yoga-yuktena cetasä nänya-gäminä
paramaà puruñaà divyaà yäti pärthänucintayan
“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 Kunté.” (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 Çré Kåñëa 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 Kåñëa. One must thus meditate on paramaà
puruñaà, the Supreme Person; and thus attain Him. The ways and the means
for ultimate realization, ultimate attainment, are stated in the Bhagavad-gétä, 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:
mäà hi pärtha vyapäçritya ye ’pi syuù päpa-yonayaù
striyo vaiçyäs tathä çüdräs te ’pi yänti paräà gatim
kià punar brähmaëäù puëyä bhaktä räjarñayas tathä
anityam asukhaà lokam imaà präpya bhajasva mäm
“O son of Påthä, 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 brähmaëas, 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-gétä, 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-gétä.
In conclusion, Bhagavad-géta is a transcendental literature which one should read very carefully. It is capable of saving one from all fear.
nehäbhikrama-näço ’sti pratyaväyo na vidyate
svalpam apy asya dharmasya träyate mahato bhayät
“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-gétä sincerely
and seriously, then all of the reactions of his past misdeeds will not react
upon him. In the last portion of Bhagavad-gétä, Lord
Çré Kåñëa proclaims:
sarva-dharmän parityajya mäm ekaà çaraëaà vraja
ahaà tväà sarva-päpebhyo mokñayiñyämi mä çucaù
“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-gétä cleanses away all the dirt of material
life. Because Bhagavad-gétä 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-gétä.
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-gétä, 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-gétä? Gétä is the
very nectar of the Mahäbhärata spoken by Viñëu
Himself, for Lord Kåñëa is the original Viñëu. 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-gétä is even more
important than the Ganges.
The Bhagavad-gétä is just like a cow, and Lord Kåñëa, 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-gétä.
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-gétä. And let there be one God only for the whole world—Çré Kåñëa. And one mantra only—Hare Kåñëa, Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only—the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION
Evaà paramparä-präptam imaà räjarñayo viduù. (Bhagavad-géta, 4.2) This Bhagavad-gétä As It Is is received through this disciplic succession:
1) Kåñëa, 2) Brahmä, 3) Närada; 4) Vyäsa, 5) Madhva, 6) Padmanäbha, 7) Nåhari, 8) Mädhava, 9) Akñobhya, 10) Jayatértha, 11) Jïänasindhu, 12) Dayänidhi, 13) Vidyänidhi, 14) Räjendra, 15) Jayadharma, 16) Puruñottama, 17) Brahmaëyatértha, 18) Vyäsatértha, 19) Lakñmépati, 20) Mädhavendra Puré, 21) Éçvara Puré, (Nityänanda, Advaita), 22) Lord Caitanya, 23) Rüpa (Svarüpa, Sanätana), 24) Raghunätha, Jéva, 25) Kåñëadäsa, 26) Narottama, 27) Viçvanätha, 28) (Baladeva) Jagannätha, 29) Bhaktivinode, 30) Gaurakiçora, 31) Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté, 32) His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupäda.
Bg 1. Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra
CHAPTER
ONE
Observing the
Armies on the
Battlefield of Kurukñetra
Bg 1.1
TEXT
1
TEXT
Da*Taraí\ ovac
DaMaR+ae}ae ku-å+ae}ae SaMaveTaa YauYauTSav" )
MaaMak-a" Paa<@vaêEv ik-Maku-vRTa SaÅYa )) 1 ))
dhåtaräñöra
uväca
dharma-kñetre kuru-kñetre
samavetä yuyutsavaù
mämakäù päëòaväç caiva
kim akurvata saïjaya
dhåtaräñöraù—King
Dhåtaräñöra; uväca—said; dharma-kñetre—in
the place of pilgrimage; kuru-kñetre—in the place
named Kurukñetra; samavetäù—assembled; yuyatsavaù—desiring to fight; mämakäù—my
party (sons); päëòaväù—the sons of Päëòu; ca—and; eva—certainly; kim—what;
akurvata—did they do; saïjaya—O
Saïjaya.
TRANSLATION
Dhåtaräñöra said: O Saïjaya, after assembling in the place of
pilgrimage at Kurukñetra, what did my sons and the sons of Päëòu do, being
desirous to fight?
PURPORT
Bhagavad-gétä is the
widely read theistic science summarized in the Gétä-mähätmya
(Glorification of the Gétä). There it says that one should read Bhagavad-gétä very scrutinizingly with the help of a
person who is a devotee of Çré Kåñëa and try to understand it without
personally motivated interpretations. The example of clear understanding is
there in the Bhagavad-gétä itself, in the way the
teaching is understood by Arjuna, who heard the Gétä directly
from the Lord. If someone is fortunate enough to understand Bhagavad-gétä in that line of disciplic succession,
without motivated interpretation, then he surpasses all studies of Vedic
wisdom, and all scriptures of the world. One will find in the Bhagavad-gétä all that is contained in other scriptures,
but the reader will also find things which are not to be found elsewhere. That
is the specific standard of the Gétä. It is the
perfect theistic science because it is directly spoken by the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Lord Çré Kåñëa.
The topics discussed by Dhåtaräñöra and Saïjaya, as described in the Mahäbhärata, form the basic principle for this great philosophy. It is understood that this philosophy evolved on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra, which is a sacred place of pilgrimage from the immemorial time of the Vedic age. It was spoken by the Lord when He was present personally on this planet for the guidance of mankind.
The word dharma-kñetra (a place where religious rituals are performed) is significant because, on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present on the side of Arjuna. Dhåtaräñöra, the father of the Kurus, was highly doubtful about the possibility of his sons’ ultimate victory. In his doubt, he inquired from his secretary Saïjaya, “What did my sons and the sons of Päëòu do?” He was confident that both his sons and the sons of his younger brother Päëòu were assembled in that Field of Kurukñetra for a determined engagement of the war. Still, his inquiry is significant. He did not want a compromise between the cousins and brothers, and he wanted to be sure of the fate of his sons on the battlefield. Because the battle was arranged to be fought at Kurukñetra, which is mentioned elsewhere in the Vedas as a place of worship—even for the denizens of heaven—Dhåtaräñöra became very fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle. He knew very well that this would influence Arjuna and the sons of Päëòu favorably, because by nature they were all virtuous. Saïjaya was a student of Vyäsa, and therefore, by the mercy of Vyäsa, Saïjaya was able to envision the Battlefield of Kurukñetra even while he was in the room of Dhåtaräñöra. And so, Dhåtaräñöra asked him about the situation on the battlefield.
Both the Päëòavas and the sons of Dhåtaräñöra belong to the same family, but Dhåtaräñöra’s mind is disclosed herein. He deliberately claimed only his sons as Kurus, and he separated the sons of Päëòu from the family heritage. One can thus understand the specific position of Dhåtaräñöra in his relationship with his nephews, the sons of Päëòu. As in the paddy field the unnecessary plants are taken out, so it is expected from the very beginning of these topics that in the religious field of Kurukñetra where the father of religion, Çré Kåñëa, was present, the unwanted plants like Dhåtaräñöra’s son Duryodhana and others would be wiped out and the thoroughly religious persons, headed by Yudhiñöhira, would be established by the Lord. This is the significance of the words dharma-kñetre and kuru-kñetre, apart from their historical and Vedic importance.
Bg 1.2
TEXT
2
TEXT
SaÅYa ovac
d*îa Tau Paa<@vaNaqk&- VYaU!& duYaaeRDaNaSTada )
AacaYaRMauPaSa®MYa raJaa vcNaMab]vqTa( )) 2 ))
saïjaya
uväca
dåñövä tu päëòavänékaà
vyüòhaà duryodhanas tadä
äcäryam upasaìgamya
räjä vacanam abravét
saïjayaù—Saïjaya; uväca—said; dåñövä—after
seeing; tu—but; päëòava-anékam—the
soldiers of the Päëòavas; vyüòham—arranged in
military phalanx; duryodhanaù—King Duryodhana; tadä—at that time; äcäryam—the
teacher; upasaìgamya—approaching nearby; räjä—the king; vacanam—words;
abravét—spoke.
TRANSLATION
Saïjaya said: O King, after looking over the army gathered by the
sons of Päëòu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and began to speak the
following words:
PURPORT
Dhåtaräñöra was blind from birth. Unfortunately, he was also
bereft of spiritual vision. He knew very well that his sons were equally blind
in the matter of religion, and he was sure that they could never reach an
understanding with the Päëòavas, who were all pious since birth. Still he was
doubtful about the influence of the place of pilgrimage, and Saïjaya could
understand his motive in asking about the situation on the battlefield. He
wanted, therefore, to encourage the despondent King, and thus he warned him
that his sons were not going to make any sort of compromise under the influence
of the holy place. Saïjaya therefore informed the King that his son,
Duryodhana, after seeing the military force of the Päëòavas, at once went to
the commander-in-chief, Droëäcärya, to inform him of the real position.
Although Duryodhana is mentioned as the king, he still had to go to the
commander on account of the seriousness of the situation. He was therefore
quite fit to be a politician. But Duryodhana’s diplomatic veneer could not
disguise the fear he felt when he saw the military arrangement of the Päëòavas.
Bg 1.3
TEXT
3
TEXT
PaXYaETaa&
Paa<@uPau}aa<aaMaacaYaR MahTaq& cMaUMa( )
VYaU!a& d]uPadPau}ae<a Tav iXaZYae<a DaqMaTaa )) 3 ))
paçyaitäà päëòu-puträëäm
äcärya mahatéà camüm
vyüòhäà drupada-putreëa
tava çiñyeëa dhématä
paçya—behold; etäm—this; päëòu-puträëäm—of
the sons of Päëòu; äcärya—O teacher; mahatém—great; camüm—military
force; vyuòham—arranged; drupada-putreëa—by
the son of Drupada; tava—your; çiñyeëa—disciple; dhématä—very
intelligent.
TRANSLATION
O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Päëòu, so
expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple, the son of Drupada.
PURPORT
Duryodhana, a great diplomat, wanted to point out the defects of
Droëäcärya, the great brähmaëa commander-in-chief.
Droëäcärya had some political quarrel with King Drupada, the father of
Draupadé, who was Arjuna’s wife. As a result of this quarrel, Drupada performed
a great sacrifice, by which he received the benediction of having a son who
would be able to kill Droëäcärya. Droëäcärya knew this perfectly well, and yet,
as a liberal brähmaëa, he did not hesitate to
impart all his military secrets when the son of Drupada, Dhåñöadyumna, was
entrusted to him for military education. Now, on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra,
Dhåñöadyumna took the side of the Päëòavas, and it was he who arranged for
their military phalanx, after having learned the art from Droëäcärya.
Duryodhana pointed out this mistake of Droëäcärya’s so that he might be alert
and uncompromising in the fighting. By this he wanted to point out also that he
should not be similarly lenient in battle against the Päëòavas, who were also
Droëäcärya’s affectionate students. Arjuna, especially, was his most
affectionate and brilliant student. Duryodhana also warned that such leniency
in the fight would lead to defeat.
Bg 1.4
TEXT
4
TEXT
A}a éUra
MaheZvaSaa >aqMaaJauRNaSaMaa YauiDa )
YauYauDaaNaae ivra$=ê d]uPadê MaharQa" )) 4 ))
atra çürä maheñv-äsä
bhémärjuna-samä yudhi
yuyudhäno viräöaç ca
drupadaç ca mahä-rathaù
atra—here; çüräù—heroes; maheñväsäù—mighty
bowmen; bhéma-arjuna—Bhéma and Arjuna; samäù—equal; yudhi—in the
fight; yuyudhänaù—Yuyudhäna; viräöaù—Viräöa; ca—also; drupadaù—Drupada; ca—also;
mahärathaù—great fighter.
TRANSLATION
Here in this army there are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting
to Bhéma and Arjuna; there are also great fighters like Yuyudhäna, Viräöa and
Drupada.
PURPORT
Even though Dhåñöadyumna was not a very important obstacle in the
face of Droëäcärya’s very great power in the military art, there were many
others who were the cause of fear. They are mentioned by Duryodhana as great
stumbling blocks on the path of victory because each and every one of them was
as formidable as Bhéma and Arjuna. He knew the strength of Bhéma and Arjuna,
and thus he compared the others with them.
Bg 1.5
TEXT
5
TEXT
Da*íke-Tauêeik-TaaNa"
k-aiXaraJaê vqYaRvaNa( )
PauåiJaTku-iNTa>aaeJaê XaEBYaê NarPau®v" )) 5 ))
dhåñöaketuç cekitänaù
käçiräjaç ca véryavän
purujit kuntibhojaç ca
çaibyaç ca nara-puìgavaù
dhåñöaketuù—Dhåñöaketu; cekitänaù—Cekitäna; käçiräjaù—Kaçiräja;
ca—also; véryavän—very
powerful; purujit—Purujit; kuntibhojaù—Kuntibhoja; ca—and;
çaibyaù—Çaibya; ca—and;
nara-puìgavaù—heroes in human society.
TRANSLATION
There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhåñöaketu,
Cekitäna, Käçiräja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Çaibya.
Bg 1.6
TEXT
6
TEXT
YauDaaMaNYauê
iv§-aNTa otaMaaEJaaê vqYaRvaNa( )
SaaE>ad]ae d]aEPadeYaaê SavR Wv MaharQaa" )) 6 ))
yudhämanyuç ca vikränta
uttamaujäç ca véryavän
saubhadro draupadeyäç ca
sarva eva mahä-rathäù
yudhämanyuù—Yudhämanyu; ca—and; vikräntaù—mighty;
uttamaujäù—Uttamaujä; ca—and;
véryavän—very powerful; saubhadraù—the
son of Subhadrä; draupadeyäù—the sons of
Draupadé; ca—and; sarve—all;
eva—certainly; mahä-rathäù—great
chariot fighters.
TRANSLATION
There are the mighty Yudhämanyu, the very powerful Uttamaujä, the
son of Subhadrä and the sons of Draupadé. All these warriors are great chariot
fighters.
Bg 1.7
TEXT
7
TEXT
ASMaak&- Tau
iviXaía Yae TaaiàbaeDa iÜJaaetaMa )
NaaYak-a MaMa SaENYaSYa Sa&jaQa| TaaNb]vqiMa Tae )) 7 ))
asmäkaà tu viçiñöä ye
tän nibodha dvijottama
näyakä mama sainyasya
saàjïärthaà tän bravémi te
asmäkam—our; tu—but; viçiñöäù—especially
powerful; ye—those; tän—them;
nibodha—just take note, be informed; dvijottama—the best of the brähmaëas;
näyakäù—captains; mama—my; sainyasya—of the soldiers; saàjïä-artham—for
information; tän—them; bravémi—I
am speaking; te—your.
TRANSLATION
O best of the brähmaëas, for your information, let me tell you
about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force.
Bg 1.8
TEXT
8
TEXT
>avaN>aqZMaê
k-<aRê k*-Paê SaiMaiTa&JaYa" )
AìTQaaMaa ivk-<aRê SaaEMaditaSTaQaEv c )) 8 ))
bhavän bhéñmaç ca karëaç ca
kåpaç ca samitià-jayaù
açvatthämä vikarëaç ca
saumadattis tathaiva ca
bhavän—yourself; bhéñmaù—Grandfather Bhéñma; ca—also; karëaù—Karëa; ca—and; kåpaù—Kåpa; ca—and; samitiïjayaù—always victorious in battle; açvatthämä—Açvatthämä;
vikarëaù—Vikarëa; ca—as well as; saumadattiù—the son of Somadatta; tathä—and as; eva—certainly; ca—and.
TRANSLATION
There are personalities like yourself, Bhéñma, Karëa, Kåpa,
Açvatthämä, Vikarëa and the son of Somadatta called Bhuriçravä, who are always
victorious in battle.
PURPORT
Duryodhana mentioned the exceptional heroes in the battle, all of
whom are ever-victorious. Vikarëa is the brother of Duryodhana, Açvatthämä is
the son of Droëäcärya, and Saumadatti, or Bhüriçravä, is the son of the King of
the Bählékas. Karëa is the half brother of Arjuna, as he was born of Kunté
before her marriage with King Päëòu. Kåpäcärya married the twin sister of
Droëäcärya.
Bg 1.9
TEXT
9
TEXT
ANYae c
bhv" éUra MadQaeR TYa¢-JaqivTaa" )
NaaNaaXañPa[hr<aa" SaveR YauÖivXaarda" )) 9 ))
anye ca bahavaù çürä
mad-arthe tyakta-jévitäù
nänä-çastra-praharaëäù
sarve yuddha-viçäradäù
anye—many others;
ca—also; bahavaù—in
great numbers; çüräù—heroes; mad-arthe-for my sake; tyakta-jévitäù—prepared
to risk life; nänä—many; çastra—weapons; praharaëäù—equipped with; sarve—all
of them; yuddha—battle; viçäradäù—experienced
in military science.
TRANSLATION
There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their
lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of
weapons, and all are experienced in military science.
PURPORT
As far as the others are concerned—like Jayadratha, Kåtavarmä,
Çalya, etc.—all are determined to lay down their lives for Duryodhana’s sake.
In other words, it is already concluded that all of them would die in the
Battle of Kurukñetra for joining the party of the sinful Duryodhana. Duryodhana
was, of course, confident of his victory on account of the above-mentioned
combined strength of his friends.
Bg 1.10
TEXT
10
TEXT
APaYaaRá&
TadSMaak&- bl&/ >aqZMaai>ari+aTaMa( )
PaYaaRá& iTvdMaeTaeza& bl&/ >aqMaai>ari+aTaMa( )) 10 ))
aparyäptaà tad asmäkaà
balaà bhéñmäbhirakñitam
paryäptaà tv idam eteñäà
balaà bhémäbhirakñitam
aparyäptam—immeasurable;
tat—that; asmäkam—of
ours; balam—strength; bhéñma—by
Grandfather Bhéñma; abhirakñitam—perfectly
protected; paryäptam—limited; tu—but; idam—all these; eteñäm—of the Päëòavas; balam—strength;
bhéma—by Bhéma; abhirakñitam—carefully
protected.
TRANSLATION
Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by
Grandfather Bhéñma, whereas the strength of the Päëòavas, carefully protected
by Bhéma, is limited.
PURPORT
Herein an estimation of comparative strength is made by
Duryodhana. He thinks that the strength of his armed forces is immeasurable,
being specifically protected by the most experienced general, Grandfather
Bhéñma. On the other hand, the forces of the Päëòavas are limited, being
protected by a less experienced general, Bhéma, who is like a fig in the
presence of Bhéñma. Duryodhana was always envious of Bhéma because he knew
perfectly well that if he should die at all, he would only be killed by Bhéma.
But at the same time, he was confident of his victory on account of the
presence of Bhéñma, who was a far superior general. His conclusion that he
would come out of the battle victorious was well ascertained.
Bg 1.11
TEXT
11
TEXT
AYaNaezu c SaveRzu
YaQaa>aaGaMaviSQaTaa" )
>aqZMaMaevai>ar+aNTau >avNTa" SavR Wv ih )) 11 ))
ayaneñu ca sarveñu
yathä-bhägam avasthitäù
bhéñmam eväbhirakñantu
bhavantaù sarva eva hi
ayaneñu—in the
strategic points; ca—also; sarveñu—everywhere; yathäbhägam—as
they are differently arranged; avasthitäù—situated;
bhéñmam—unto Grandfather Bhéñma; eva—certainly; abhirakñantu—support
may be given; bhavantaù—all of you; sarve—respectively; eva—certainly;
hi—and exactly.
TRANSLATION
Now all of you must give full support to Grandfather Bhéñma,
standing at your respective strategic points in the phalanx of the army.
PURPORT
Duryodhana, after praising the prowess of Bhéñma, further
considered that others might think that they had been considered less
important, so in his usual diplomatic way, he tried to adjust the situation in
the above words. He emphasized that Bhéñmadeva was undoubtedly the greatest
hero, but he was an old man, so everyone must especially think of his
protection from all sides. He might become engaged in the fight, and the enemy
might take advantage of his full engagement on one side. Therefore, it was
important that other heroes would not leave their strategic positions and allow
the enemy to break the phalanx. Duryodhana clearly felt that the victory of the
Kurus depended on the presence of Bhéñmadeva. He was confident of the full
support of Bhéñmadeva and Droëäcärya in the battle because he well knew that
they did not even speak a word when Arjuna’s wife Draupadé, in her helpless
condition, had appealed to them for justice while she was being forced to strip
naked in the presence of all the great generals in the assembly. Although he
knew that the two generals had some sort of affection for the Päëòavas, he
hoped that all such affection would now be completely given up by them, as was
customary during the gambling performances.
Bg 1.12
TEXT
12
TEXT
TaSYa
SaÅNaYaNhz| ku-åv*Ö" iPaTaaMah" )
iSa&hNaad& ivNaÛaeÀE" Xa«& dDMaaE Pa[TaaPavaNa( )) 12 ))
tasya saïjanayan harñaà
kuru-våddhaù pitämahaù
siàha-nädaà vinadyoccaiù
çaìkhaà dadhmau pratäpavän
tasya—his; saïjanayan—increasing; harñam—cheerfulness;
kuru-våddhaù—the grandsire of the Kuru dynasty
(Bhéñma); pitämahaù—the grandfather; siàha-nädam—roaring sound, like a lion; vinadya—vibrating; uccaiù—very
loudly; çaìkham—conchshell; dadhmau—blew; pratäpavän—the
valiant.
TRANSLATION
Then Bhéñma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the
grandfather of the fighters, blew his conchshell very loudly like the sound of
a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.
PURPORT
The grandsire of the Kuru dynasty could understand the inner
meaning of the heart of his grandson Duryodhana, and out of his natural
compassion for him he tried to cheer him by blowing his conchshell very loudly,
befitting his position as a lion. Indirectly, by the symbolism of the
conchshell, he informed his depressed grandson Duryodhana that he had no chance
of victory in the battle, because the Supreme Lord Kåñëa was on the other side.
But still, it was his duty to conduct the fight, and no pains would be spared
in that connection.
Bg 1.13
TEXT
13
TEXT
TaTa" Xa«aê
>aeYaRê Pa<avaNak-GaaeMau%a" )
SahSaEva>YahNYaNTa Sa XaBdSTauMaul/ae_>avTa( )) 13 ))
tataù çaìkhäç ca bheryaç ca
paëavänaka-gomukhäù
sahasaiväbhyahanyanta
sa çabdas tumulo ’bhavat
tataù—thereafter; çaìkhäù—conchshells; ca—also;
bheryaù—bugles; ca—and;
paëava-änaka—trumpets and drums; go-mukhäù—horns; sahasä—all
of a sudden; eva—certainly; abhyahanyanta—being simultaneously sounded; saù—that; çabdaù—combined
sound; tumulaù—tumultuous; abhavat—became.
TRANSLATION
After that, the conchshells, bugles, trumpets, drums and horns
were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.
Bg 1.14
TEXT
14
TEXT
TaTa"
ìeTaEhRYaEYauR¢e- MahiTa SYaNdNae iSQaTaaE )
MaaDav" Paa<@vêEv idVYaaE Xa«aE Pa[dDMaTau" )) 14 ))
tataù çvetair hayair yukte
mahati syandane sthitau
mädhavaù päëòavaç caiva
divyau çaìkhau pradadhmatuù
tataù—thereafter; çvetaiù—by white; hayaiù—horses; yukte—being yoked with; mahati—in
the great; syandane—chariot; sthitau—so situated; mädhavaù—Kåñëa
(the husband of the goddess of fortune); päëòavaù—Arjuna
(the son of Päëòu); ca—also; eva—certainly; divyau—transcendental;
çaìkhau—conchshells; pradadhmatuù—sounded.
TRANSLATION
On the other side, both Lord Kåñëa and Arjuna, stationed on a
great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conchshells.
PURPORT
In contrast with the conchshell blown by Bhéñmadeva, the
conchshells in the hands of Kåñëa and Arjuna are described as transcendental.
The sounding of the transcendental conchshells indicated that there was no hope
of victory for the other side because Kåñëa was on the side of the Päëòavas. Jayas tu päëòu-puträëäà yeñäà pakñe janärdanaù. Victory
is always with persons like the sons of Päëòu because Lord Kåñëa is associated
with them. And whenever and wherever the Lord is present, the goddess of
fortune is also there because the goddess of fortune never lives alone without
her husband. Therefore, victory and fortune were awaiting Arjuna, as indicated
by the transcendental sound produced by the conchshell of Viñëu, or Lord Kåñëa.
Besides that, the chariot on which both the friends were seated was donated by
Agni (the fire-god) to Arjuna, and this indicated that this chariot was capable
of conquering all sides, wherever it was drawn over the three worlds.
Bg 1.15
TEXT
15
TEXT
PaaÄJaNYa&
ôzqke-Xaae devdta& DaNaÅYa" )
PaaE<@\& dDMaaE MahaXa«& >aqMak-MaaR v*k-aedr" )) 15 ))
päïcajanyaà håñékeço
devadattaà dhanaïjayaù
pauëòraà dadhmau mahä-çaìkhaà
bhéma-karmä våkodaraù
päïcajanyam—the
conchshell named Päïcajanya; håñékeçaù—Håñékeça
(Kåñëa, the Lord who directs the senses of the devotees); devadattam—the conchshell named Devadatta; dhanaïjayaù—Dhanaïjaya (Arjuna, the winner of wealth); pauëòram—the conch named Pauëòram; dadhmau—blew; mahä-çaìkham—the
terrific conchshell; bhéma-karmä—one who performs
Herculean tasks; våkodaraù—the voracious eater
(Bhéma).
TRANSLATION
Then, Lord Kåñëa blew His conchshell, called Päïcajanya; Arjuna
blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhéma, the voracious eater and performer of Herculean
tasks, blew his terrific conchshell called Pauëòram.
PURPORT
Lord Kåñëa is referred to as Håñékeça in this verse because He is
the owner of all senses The living entities are part and parcel of Him, and,
therefore, the senses of the living entities are also part and parcel of His
senses. The impersonalists cannot account for the senses of the living
entities, and therefore they are always anxious to describe all living entities
as sense-less, or impersonal. The Lord, situated in the hearts of all living
entities, directs their senses. But, He directs in terms of the surrender of
the living entity, and in the case of a pure devotee He directly controls the
senses. Here on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra the Lord directly controls the
transcendental senses of Arjuna, and thus His particular name of Håñékeça. The
Lord has different names according to His different activities. For example,
His name is Madhusüdana because He killed the demon of the name Madhu; His name
is Govinda because He gives pleasure to the cows and to the senses; His name is
Väsudeva because He appeared as the son of Vasudeva; His name is Devaké-nandana
because He accepted Devaké as His mother; His name is Yaçodä-nandana because He
awarded His childhood pastimes to Yaçodä at Våndävana; His name is
Pärtha-särathi because He worked as charioteer of His friend Arjuna. Similarly,
His name is Håñékeça because He gave direction to Arjuna on the Battlefield of
Kurukñetra.
Arjuna is referred to as Dhanaïjaya in this verse because he helped his elder brother in fetching wealth when it was required by the King to make expenditures for different sacrifices. Similarly, Bhéma is known as Våkodara because he could eat as voraciously as he could perform Herculean tasks, such as killing the demon Hiòimba. So, the particular types of conchshell blown by the different personalities on the side of the Päëòavas, beginning with the Lord’s, were all very encouraging to the fighting soldiers. On the other side there were no such credits, nor the presence of Lord Kåñëa, the supreme director, nor that of the goddess of fortune. So, they were predestined to lose the battle—and that was the message announced by the sounds of the conchshells.
Bg
1.16, Bg 1.17, Bg 1.18, Bg 1.16-18
TEXTS
16–18
TEXT
ANaNTaivJaYa&
raJaa ku-NTaqPau}aae YauiDaiïr" )
Naku-l/" Sahdevê SaugaaezMai<aPauZPak-aE )) 16 ))
k-aXYaê ParMaeZvaSa" iXa%<@q c MaharQa" )
Da*íÛuManae ivra$=ê SaaTYaik-êaParaiJaTa" )) 17 ))
d]uPadae d]aEPadeYaaê SavRXa" Pa*iQavqPaTae )
SaaE>ad]ê Mahabahu" Xa«aNdDMau" Pa*QaKPa*Qak(- )) 18 ))
anantavijayaà räjä
kunté-putro yudhiñöhiraù
nakulaù sahadevaç ca
sughoña-maëipuñpakau
käçyaç ca parameñv-äsaù
çikhaëòé ca mahä-rathaù
dhåñöadyumno viräöaç ca
sätyakiç cäparäjitaù
drupado draupadeyäç ca
sarvaçaù påthivé-pate
saubhadraç ca mahä-bähuù
çaìkhän dadhmuù påthak påthak
TRANSLATION
King Yudhiñöhira, the son of Kunté, blew his conchshell, the
Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughoña and Maëipuñpaka. That
great archer the King of Käçé, the great fighter Çikhaëòé, Dhåñöadyumna, Viräöa
and the unconquerable Sätyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadé, and the others, O
King, such as the son of Subhadrä, greatly armed, all blew their respective
conchshells.
PURPORT
Saïjaya informed King Dhåtaräñöra very tactfully that his unwise policy
of deceiving the sons of Päëòu and endeavoring to enthrone his own sons on the
seat of the kingdom was not very laudable. The signs already clearly indicated
that the whole Kuru dynasty would be killed in that great battle. Beginning
with the grandsire, Bhéñma, down to the grandsons like Abhimanyu and
others—including kings from many states of the world—all were present there,
and all were doomed. The whole catastrophe was due to King Dhåtaräñöra, because
he encouraged the policy followed by his sons.
Bg 1.19
TEXT
19
TEXT
Sa gaaezae
DaaTaRraí\a<aa& ôdYaaiNa VYadarYaTa( )
Na>aê Pa*iQavq& cEv TauMaul/ae_>YaNauNaadYaNa( )) 19 ))
sa ghoño dhärtaräñöräëäà
hådayäni vyadärayat
nabhaç ca påthivéà caiva
tumulo ’bhyanunädayan
saù—that; ghoñaù—vibration; dhärtaräñöräëäm—of
the sons of Dhåtaräñöra; hådayäni—hearts; vyadärayat—shattered; nabhaù—the
sky; ca—also; påthivém—the
surface of the earth; ca—also; eva—certainly; tumulaù—uproarious;
abhyanunädayan—by resounding.
TRANSLATION
The blowing of these different conchshells became uproarious, and
thus, vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of
the sons of Dhåtaräñöra.
PURPORT
When Bhéñma and the others on the side of Duryodhana blew their respective conchshells, there was no heart-breaking on the part of the Päëòavas. Such occurrences are not mentioned, but in this particular verse it is mentioned that the hearts of the sons of Dhåtaräñöra were shattered by the sounds vibrated by the Päëòavas’ party. This is due to the Päëòavas and their confidence in Lord Kåñëa. One who takes shelter of the Supreme Lord has nothing to fear, even in the midst of the greatest calamity.
Bg 1.20
TEXT
20
TEXT
AQa
VYaviSQaTaaNd*îa DaaTaRraí\aNk-iPaßJa" )
Pa[v*tae XañSaMPaaTae DaNauåÛMYa Paa<@v" )
ôzqke-Xa& Tada vaKYaiMadMaah MahqPaTae )) 20 ))
atha vyavasthitän dåñövä
dhärtaräñörän kapi-dhvajaù
pravåtte çastra-sampäte
dhanur udyamya päëòavaù
håñékeçaà tadä väkyam
idam äha mahé-pate
atha—thereupon; vyavasthitän—situated; dåñövä—looking
on; dhärtaräñörän—the sons of Dhåtaräñöra; kapi-dhvajaù—one whose flag is marked with Hanumän; pravåtte—while about to be engaged; çastra-sampäte—the arrows released; dhanuù—bow; udyamya—after
taking up; päëòavaù—the son of Päëòu (Arjuna); håñékeçam—unto Lord Kåñëa; tadä—at
that time; väkyam—words; idam—these;
äha—said; mahé-pate—O
King.
TRANSLATION
O King, at that time Arjuna, the son of Päëòu, who was seated in
his chariot, his flag marked with Hanumän, took up his bow and prepared to
shoot his arrows, looking at the sons of Dhåtaräñöra. O King, Arjuna then spoke
to Håñékeça [Kåñëa] these words:
PURPORT
The battle was just about to begin. It is understood from the
above statement that the sons of Dhåtaräñöra were more or less disheartened by
the unexpected arrangement of military force by the Päëòavas, who were guided
by the direct instructions of Lord Kåñëa on the battlefield. The emblem of
Hanumän on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanumän
cooperated with Lord Räma in the battle between Räma and Rävaëa, and Lord Räma
emerged victorious. Now both Räma and Hanumän were present on the chariot of
Arjuna to help him. Lord Kåñëa is Räma Himself, and wherever Lord Räma is, His
eternal servitor Hanumän and His eternal consort Sétä, the goddess of fortune,
are present. Therefore, Arjuna had no cause to fear any enemies whatsoever. And
above all, the Lord of the senses, Lord Kåñëa, was personally present to give
him direction. Thus, all good counsel was available to Arjuna in the matter of
executing the battle. In such auspicious conditions, arranged by the Lord for
His eternal devotee, lay the signs of assured victory.
Bg
1.21, Bg 1.22, Bg 1.21-22
TEXTS
21–22
TEXT
AJauRNa ovac
SaeNaYaaeå>aYaaeMaRDYae rQa& SQaaPaYa Mae_CYauTa )
YaavdeTaaiàrq+ae_h& Yaaed(Dauk-aMaaNaviSQaTaaNa( )) 21 ))
kE-MaRYaa Sah YaaeÖVYaMaiSMaNr<aSaMauÛMae )) 22 ))
arjuna
uväca
senayor ubhayor madhye
rathaà sthäpaya me ’cyuta
yävad etän nirékñe ’haà
yoddhu-kämän avasthitän
kair mayä saha yoddhavyam
asmin raëa-samudyame
arjunaù—Arjuna; uväca—said; senayoù—of
the armies; ubhayoù—of both the parties; madhye—in between them; ratham—the
chariot; sthäpaya—please keep; me—my; acyuta—O
infallible one; yävat—as long as; etän—all these; nirékñe—may
look; aham—I; yoddhu-kämän—desiring
to fight; avasthitän—arrayed on the battlefield; kaiù—with whom; mayä—by
me; saha—with; yoddhavyam—to
fight with; asmin—in this; raëa—strife; samudyame—in
the attempt.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the
two armies so that I may see who is present here, who is desirous of fighting,
and with whom I must contend in this great battle attempt.
PURPORT
Although Lord Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of
His causeless mercy He was engaged in the service of His friend. He never fails
in His affection for His devotees, and thus He is addressed herein as
infallible. As charioteer, He had to carry out the orders of Arjuna, and since
He did not hesitate to do so, He is addressed as infallible. Although He had
accepted the position of a charioteer for His devotee, His supreme position was
not challenged. In all circumstances, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
Håñékeça, the Lord of the total senses. The relationship between the Lord and
His servitor is very sweet and transcendental. The servitor is always ready to
render a service to the Lord, and, similarly, the Lord is always seeking an
opportunity to render some service to the devotee. He takes greater pleasure in
His pure devotee’s assuming the advantageous postion of ordering Him than He
does in being the giver of orders. As master, everyone is under His orders, and
no one is above Him to order Him. But when he finds that a pure devotee is
ordering Him, He obtains transcendental pleasure, although He is the infallible
master of all circumstances.
As a pure devotee of the Lord, Arjuna had no desire to fight with his cousins and brothers, but he was forced to come onto the battlefield by the obstinacy of Duryodhana, who was never agreeable to any peaceful negotiation. Therefore, he was very anxious to see who the leading persons present on the battlefield were. Although there was no question of a peacemaking endeavor on the battlefield, he wanted to see them again, and to see how much they were bent upon demanding an unwanted war.
Bg 1.23
TEXT
23
TEXT
YaaeTSYaMaaNaaNave+ae_h&
Ya WTae_}a SaMaaGaTaa" )
DaaTaRraí\SYa dubuRÖeYauRÖe iPa[Yaick-IzRv" )) 23 ))
yotsyamänän avekñe ’haà
ya ete ’tra samägatäù
dhärtaräñörasya durbuddher
yuddhe priya-cikérñavaù
yotsyamänän—those who
will be fighting; avekñe—let me see; aham—I; ye—who; ete—those; atra—here; samägatäù—assembled; dhärtaräñörasya—the
son of Dhåtaräñöra; durbuddheù—evil-minded; yuddhe—in the fight; priya—well;
cikérñavaù—wishing.
TRANSLATION
Let me see those who have come here to fight, wishing to please
the evil-minded son of Dhåtaräñöra.
PURPORT
It was an open secret that Duryodhana wanted to usurp the kingdom
of the Päëòavas by evil plans, in collaboration with his father, Dhåtaräñöra.
Therefore, all persons who had joined the side of Duryodhana must have been
birds of the same feather. Arjuna wanted to see them in the battlefield before
the fight was begun, just to learn who they were, but he had no intention of
proposing peace negotiations with them. It was also a fact that he wanted to
see them to make an estimate of the strength which he had to face, although he
was quite confident of victory because Kåñëa was sitting by his side.
Bg 1.24
TEXT
24
TEXT
SaÅYa ovac
WvMau¢-ae ôzqke-Xaae Gau@ake-XaeNa >aarTa )
SaeNaYaaeå>aYaaeMaRDYae SQaaPaiYaTva rQaaetaMaMa( )) 24 ))
saïjaya
uväca
evam ukto håñékeço
guòäkeçena bhärata
senayor ubhayor madhye
sthäpayitvä rathottamam
saïjayaù—Saïjaya; uväca—said; evam—thus; uktaù—addressed; håñékeçaù—Lord
Kåñëa; guòäkeçena—by Arjuna; bhärata—O descendant of Bharata; senayoù—of armies; ubhayoù—of
both; madhye—in the midst of; sthäpayitvä—by placing; rathottamam—the
finest chariot.
TRANSLATION
Saïjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, being thus addressed by
Arjuna, Lord Kåñëa drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both
parties.
PURPORT
In this verse Arjuna is referred to as Guòäkeça. Guòäka means sleep, and one who conquers sleep is
called guòäkeça. Sleep also means ignorance. So
Arjuna conquered both sleep and ignorance because of his friendship with Kåñëa.
As a great devotee of Kåñëa, he could not forget Kåñëa even for a moment,
because that is the nature of a devotee. Either in waking or in sleep, a
devotee of the Lord can never be free from thinking of Kåñëa’s name, form,
quality and pastimes. Thus a devotee of Kåñëa can conquer both sleep and
ignorance simply by thinking of Kåñëa constantly. This is called Kåñëa
consciousness, or samädhi. As Håñékeça, or the
director of the senses and mind of every living entity, Kåñëa could understand
Arjuna’s purpose in placing the chariot in the midst of the armies. Thus He did
so, and spoke as follows.
Bg 1.25
TEXT
25
TEXT
>aqZMad]ae<aPa[Mau%Ta"
SaveRza& c Mahqi+aTaaMa( )
ovac PaaQaR PaXYaETaaNSaMaveTaaNku-æiNaiTa )) 25 ))
bhéñma-droëa-pramukhataù
sarveñäà ca mahé-kñitäm
uväca pärtha paçyaitän
samavetän kurün iti
bhéñma—Grandfather
Bhéñma; droëa—the teacher Droëa; pramukhataù—in the front of; sarveñäm—all;
ca—also; mahékñitäm—chiefs
of the world; uväca—said; pärtha—O
Pärtha (son of Påthä); paçya—just behold; etän—all of them; samavetän—assembled;
kurün—all the members of the Kuru dynasty; iti—thus.
TRANSLATION
In the presence of Bhéñma, Droëa and all other chieftains of the
world, Håñékeça, the Lord, said, Just behold, Pärtha, all the Kurus who are
assembled here.
PURPORT
As the Supersoul of all living entities, Lord Kåñëa could
understand what was going on in the mind of Arjuna. The use of the word
Håñékeça in this connection indicates that He knew everything. And the word
Pärtha, or the son of Kunté or Påthä, is also similarly significant in
reference to Arjuna. As a friend, He wanted to inform Arjuna that because
Arjuna was the son of Påthä, the sister of His own father Vasudeva, He had
agreed to be the charioteer of Arjuna. Now what did Kåñëa mean when He told
Arjuna to “behold the Kurus”? Did Arjuna want to stop there and not fight?
Kåñëa never expected such things from the son of His aunt Påthä. The mind of
Arjuna was thus predicated by the Lord in friendly joking.
Bg 1.26
TEXT
26
TEXT
Ta}aaPaXYaiTSQaTaaNPaaQaR"
iPaTa›NaQa iPaTaaMahaNa( )
AacaYaaRNMaaTaul/aN>a]aTa›NPau}aaNPaaE}aaNSa%q„&STaQaa )
ìéuraNSauôdêEv SaeNaYaaeå>aYaaeriPa )) 26 ))
taträpaçyat sthitän pärthaù
pitèn atha pitämahän
äcäryän mätulän bhrätèn
puträn pauträn sakhéàs tathä
çvaçurän suhådaç caiva
senayor ubhayor api
tatra—there; apaçyat—he could see; sthitän—standing;
pärthaù—Arjuna; pitèn—fathers;
atha—also; pitämahän—grandfathers;
äcäryän—teachers; mätulän—maternal
uncles; bhrätèn—brothers; puträn—sons
; pauträn—grandsons; sakhén—friends;
tathä—too, çvaçurän—fathers-in-law;
suhådaù—wellwishers; ca—also;
eva—certainly; senayoù—of
the armies; ubhayoù—of both parties; api—including.
TRANSLATION
There Arjuna could see, within the midst of the armies of both
parties, his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons,
grandsons, friends, and also his father-in-law and well-wishers—all present
there.
PURPORT
On the battlefield Arjuna could see all kinds of relatives. He
could see persons like Bhüriçravä, who were his father’s contemporaries, grandfathers
Bhéñma and Somadatta, teachers like Droëäcärya and Kåpäcärya, maternal uncles
like Çalya and Çakuni, brothers like Duryodhana, sons like Lakñmaëa, friends
like Açvatthämä, well-wishers like Kåtavarmä, etc. He could see also the armies
which contained many of his friends.
Bg 1.27
TEXT
27
TEXT
TaaNSaMaq+Ya Sa
k-aENTaeYa" SavaRNbNDaUNaviSQaTaaNa( )
k*-PaYaa ParYaaivíae ivzqdiàdMab]vqTa( )) 27 ))
tän samékñya sa kaunteyaù
sarvän bandhün avasthitän
kåpayä parayäviñöo
viñédann idam abravét
tän—all of them;
samékñya—after seeing; saù—he;
kaunteyaù—the son of Kunté; sarvän—all kinds of; bandhün—relatives;
avasthitän—situated; kåpayä—by
compassion; parayä—of a high grade; äviñöaù—overwhelmed by; viñédan—while
lamenting; idam—thus; abravét—spoke.
TRANSLATION
When the son of Kunté, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of
friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus:
Bg 1.28
TEXT
28
TEXT
AJauRNa ovac
d*îeMa& SvJaNa& k*-Z<a YauYauTSau& SaMauPaiSQaTaMa( )
SaqdiNTa MaMa Gaa}aai<a Mau%& c PairéuZYaiTa )) 28 ))
arjuna
uväca
dåñövemaà sva-janaà kåñëa
yuyutsuà samupasthitam
sédanti mama gäträëi
mukhaà ca pariçuñyati
arjunaù—Arjuna; uväca—said; dåñövä—after
seeing; imam—all these; svajanam—kinsmen;
kåñëa—O Kåñëa; yuyutsum—all
in fighting spirit; samupasthitam—all present; sédanti—quivering; mama—my;
gäträëi—limbs of the body; mukham—mouth; ca—also; pariçuñyati—drying up.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: My dear Kåñëa, seeing my friends and relatives
present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body
quivering and my mouth drying up.
PURPORT
Any man who has genuine devotion to the Lord has all the good
qualities which are found in godly persons or in the demigods, whereas the
nondevotee, however advanced he may be in material qualifications by education
and culture, lacks in godly qualities. As such, Arjuna, just after seeing his
kinsmen, friends and relatives on the battlefield, was at once overwhelmed by
compassion for them who had so decided to fight amongst themselves. As far as
his soldiers were concerned, he was sympathetic from the beginning, but he felt
compassion even for the soldiers of the opposite party, foreseeing their
imminent death. And so thinking, the limbs of his body began to quiver, and his
mouth became dry. He was more or less astonished to see their fighting spirit.
Practically the whole community, all blood relatives of Arjuna, had come to
fight with him. This overwhelmed a kind devotee like Arjuna. Although it is not
mentioned here, still one can easily imagine that not only were Arjuna’s bodily
limbs quivering and his mouth drying up, but that he was also crying out of
compassion. Such symptoms in Arjuna were not due to weakness but to his
softheartedness, a characteristic of a pure devotee of the Lord. It is said
therefore:
yasyästi bhaktir bhagavaty akiïcanä
sarvair guëais tatra samäsate suräù
haräv abhaktasya kuto mahad-guëä
mano-rathenäsati dhävato bahiù
“One who has unflinching devotion for the Personality of Godhead
has all the good qualities of the demigods. But one who is not a devotee of the
Lord has only material qualifications that are of little value. This is because
he is hovering on the mental plane and is certain to be attracted by the
glaring material energy.” (Bhäg. 5.18.12)
Bg 1.29
TEXT
29
TEXT
vePaQauê Xarqre
Mae raeMahzRê JaaYaTae )
Gaa<@qv& ó&SaTae hSTaatvKcEv PairdùTae )) 29 ))
vepathuç ca çarére me
roma-harñaç ca jäyate
gäëòévaà sraàsate hastät
tvak caiva paridahyate
vepathuù—trembling of
the body; ca—also; çarére—on
the body; me—my;
roma-harñaù—standing of hair on end; ca—also;
jäyate—is taking place; gäëòévam—the
bow of Arjuna; sraàsate—is slipping; hastät—from the hands; tvak—skin;
ca—also; eva—certainly;
paridahyate—burning.
TRANSLATION
My whole body is trembling, and my hair is standing on end. My bow
Gäëòéva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning.
PURPORT
There are two kinds of trembling of the body, and two kinds of
standings of the hair on end. Such phenomena occur either in great spiritual
ecstasy or out of great fear under material conditions. There is no fear in
transcendental realization. Arjuna’s symptoms in this situation are out of
material fear—namely, loss of life. This is evident from other symptoms also;
he became so impatient that his famous bow Gäëòéva was slipping from his hands,
and, because his heart was burning within him, he was feeling a burning
sensation of the skin. All these are due to a material conception of life.
Bg 1.30
TEXT
30
TEXT
Na c
Xa¥-aeMYavSQaaTau& >a]MaTaqv c Mae MaNa" )
iNaiMataaiNa c PaXYaaiMa ivParqTaaiNa ke-Xav )) 30 ))
na ca çaknomy avasthätuà
bhramatéva ca me manaù
nimittäni ca paçyämi
viparétäni keçava
na—nor; ca—also; çaknomi—am I
able; avasthätum—to stay; bhramati—forgetting;
iva—as; ca—and; me—my; manaù—mind; nimittäni—causes; ca—also;
paçyämi—I foresee; viparétäni—just
the opposite; keçava—O killer of the demon Keçé
(Kåñëa).
TRANSLATION
I am now unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself,
and my mind is reeling. I foresee only evil, O killer of the Keçé demon.
PURPORT
Due to his impatience, Arjuna was unable to stay on the
battlefield, and he was forgetting himself on account of the weakness of his
mind. Excessive attachment for material things puts a man in a bewildering
condition of existence. Bhayaà dvitéyäbhiniveçataù:
such fearfulness and loss of mental equilibrium take place in persons who are
too affected by material conditions. Arjuna envisioned only unhappiness in the
battlefield—he would not be happy even by gaining victory over the foe. The
word nimitta is significant. When a man sees only
frustration in his expectations, he thinks, “Why am I here?” Everyone is
interested in himself and his own welfare. No one is interested in the Supreme
Self. Arjuna is supposed to show disregard for self-interest by submission to
the will of Kåñëa, who is everyone’s real self-interest. The conditioned soul
forgets this, and therefore suffers material pains. Arjuna thought that his
victory in the battle would only be a cause of lamentation for him.
Bg 1.31
TEXT
31
TEXT
Na c
é[eYaae_NauPaXYaaiMa hTva SvJaNaMaahve )
Na k-a¿e ivJaYa& k*-Z<a Na c raJYa& Sau%aiNa c )) 31 ))
na ca çreyo ’nupaçyämi
hatvä sva-janam ähave
na käìkñe vijayaà kåñëa
na ca räjyaà sukhäni ca
na—nor; ca—also; çreyaù—good; anupaçyämi—do I foresee; hatvä—by
killing; svajanam—own kinsmen; ähave—in the fight; na—nor;
känkñe—do I desire; vijayam—victory;
kåñëa—O Kåñëa; na—nor;
ca—also; räjyam—kingdom;
sukhäni—happiness thereof; ca—also.
TRANSLATION
I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in
this battle, nor can I, my dear Kåñëa, desire any subsequent victory, kingdom,
or happiness.
PURPORT
Without knowing that one’s self-interest is in Viñëu (or Kåñëa),
conditioned souls are attracted by bodily relationships, hoping to be happy in
such situations. Under delusion, they forget that Kåñëa is also the cause of
material happiness. Arjuna appears to have even forgotten the moral codes for a
kñatriya. It is said that two kinds of men,
namely the kñatriya who dies directly in front of
the battlefield under Kåñëa’s personal orders and the person in the renounced
order of life who is absolutely devoted to spiritual culture, are eligible to
enter into the sun-globe, which is so powerful and dazzling. Arjuna is
reluctant even to kill his enemies, let alone his relatives. He thought that by
killing his kinsmen there would be no happiness in his life, and therefore he
was not willing to fight, just as a person who does not feel hunger is not
inclined to cook. He has now decided to go into the forest and live a secluded
life in frustration. But as a kñatriya, he
requires a kingdom for his subsistence, because the kñatriyas
cannot engage themselves in any other occupation. But Arjuna has had no
kingdom. Arjuna’s sole opportunity for gaining a kingdom lay in fighting with
his cousins and brothers and reclaiming the kingdom inherited from his father,
which he does not like to do. Therefore he considers himself fit to go to the
forest to live a secluded life of frustration.
Bg
1.32, Bg 1.33, Bg 1.34, Bg 1.35, Bg 1.32-35
TEXTS
32–35
TEXT
ik&- Naae
raJYaeNa GaaeivNd ik&- >aaeGaEJas„ivTaeNa va )
YaezaMaQaeR k-ax(i+aTa& Naae raJYa& >aaeGaa" Sau%aiNa c )) 32
))
Ta wMae_viSQaTaa YauÖe Pa[a<aa&STYa¤-a DaNaaiNa c )
AacaYaaR" iPaTar" Pau}aaSTaQaEv c iPaTaaMaha" )) 33 ))
MaaTaul/a" ìéura" PaaE}aa" XYaal/a" SaMbiNDaNaSTaQaa )
WTaaà hNTauiMaC^aiMa ganTaae_iPa MaDauSaUdNa )) 34 ))
AiPa }aEl/aeKYaraJYaSYa heTaae" ik&- Nau Mahqk*-Tae )
iNahTYa DaaTaRraí\aà" k-a Pa[qiTa" SYaaÂNaadRNa )) 35 ))
kià no räjyena govinda
kià bhogair jévitena vä
yeñäm arthe käìkñitaà no
räjyaà bhogäù sukhäni ca
ta ime ’vasthitä yuddhe
präëäàs tyaktvä dhanäni ca
äcäryäù pitaraù puträs
tathaiva ca pitämahäù
mätuläù çvaçuräù pauträù
çyäläù sambandhinas tathä
etän na hantum icchämi
ghnato ’pi madhusüdana
api trailokya-räjyasya
hetoù kià nu mahé-kåte
nihatya dhärtaräñörän naù
kä prétiù syäj janärdana
kim—what use; naù—to us; räjyena—is the
kingdom; govinda—O Kåñëa; kim—what;
bhogaiù—enjoyment; jévitena—by
living; vä—either; yeñäm—for
whom; arthe—for the matter of; käìkñitam—desired; naù—our;
räjyam—kingdom; bhogäù—material
enjoyment; sukhäni—all happiness; ca—also; te—all of them; ime—these; avasthitäù—situated;
yuddhe—in this battlefield; präëän—lives; tyaktvä—giving
up; dhanäni—riches; ca—also;
äcäryäù—teachers; pitaraù—fathers;
puträù—sons; tathä—as
well as; eva—certainly; ca—also;
pitämahäù—grandfathers; mätuläù—maternal
uncles; çvaçuräù—fathers-in-law; pauträù—grandsons; çyäläù—brothers-in-law;
sambandhinaù—relatives; tathä—as
well as; etän—all these; na—never;
hantum—for killing; icchämi—do
I wish; ghnataù—being killed; api—even; madhusüdana—O
killer of the demon Madhu (Kåñëa); api—even if; trailokya—of the three worlds; räjyasya—of
the kingdoms; hetoù—in exchange; kim—what to speak of; nu—only;
mahé-kåte—for the sake of earth; nihatya—by killing; dhärtaräñörän—the
sons of Dhåtaräñöra; naù—our; kä—what; prétiù—pleasure;
syät—will there be; janärdana—O
maintainer of all living entities.
TRANSLATION
O Govinda, of what avail to us are kingdoms, happiness or even
life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed in this
battlefield? O Madhusüdana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers,
maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and all relatives
are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me,
then why should I wish to kill them, though I may survive? O maintainer of all
creatures, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three
worlds, let alone this earth.
PURPORT
Arjuna has addressed Lord Kåñëa as Govinda because Kåñëa is the
object of all pleasures for cows and the senses. By using this significant
word, Arjuna indicates what will satisfy his senses. Although Govinda is not
meant for satisfying our senses, if we try to satisfy the senses of Govinda
then automatically our own senses are satisfied. Materially, everyone wants to
satisfy his senses, and he wants God to be the order supplier for such
satisfaction. The Lord will satisfy the senses of the living entities as much as
they deserve, but not to the extent that they may covet. But when one takes the
opposite way—namely, when one tries to satisfy the senses of Govinda without
desiring to satisfy one’s own senses—then by the grace of Govinda all desires
of the living entity are satisfied. Arjuna’s deep affection for community and
family members is exhibited here partly due to his natural compassion for them.
He is therefore not prepared to fight. Everyone wants to show his opulence to
friends and relatives, but Arjuna fears that all his relatives and friends will
be killed in the battlefield, and he will be unable to share his opulence after
victory. This is a typical calculation of material life. The transcendental
life is, however, different. Since a devotee wants to satisfy the desires of
the Lord, he can, Lord willing, accept all kinds of opulence for the service of
the Lord, and if the Lord is not willing, he should not accept a farthing.
Arjuna did not want to kill his relatives, and if there were any need to kill
them, he desired that Kåñëa kill them personally. At this point he did not know
that Kåñëa had already killed them before their coming into the battlefield and
that he was only to become an instrument for Kåñëa. This fact is disclosed in
following chapters. As a natural devotee of the Lord, Arjuna did not like to
retaliate against his miscreant cousins and brothers, but it was the Lord’s
plan that they should all be killed. The devotee of the Lord does not retaliate
against the wrongdoer, but the Lord does not tolerate any mischief done to the
devotee by the miscreants. The Lord can excuse a person on His own account, but
He excuses no one who has done harm to His devotees. Therefore the Lord was
determined to kill the miscreants, although Arjuna wanted to excuse them.
Bg 1.36
TEXT
36
TEXT
PaaPaMaevaé[YaedSMaaNhTvETaaNaaTaTaaiYaNa"
)
TaSMaaàahaR vYa& hNTau& DaaTaRraí\aNSabaNDavaNa( )
SvJaNa& ih k-Qa& hTva Saui%Na" SYaaMa MaaDav )) 36 ))
päpam eväçrayed asmän
hatvaitän ätatäyinaù
tasmän närhä vayaà hantuà
dhärtaräñörän sa-bändhavän
sva-janaà hi kathaà hatvä
sukhinaù syäma mädhava
päpam—vices; eva—certainly; äçrayet—must
take upon; asmän—us; hatvä—by
killing; etän—all these; ätatäyinaù—aggressors;
tasmät—therefore; na—never;
arhäù—deserving; vayam—us; hantum—to kill; dhärtaräñörän—the
sons of Dhåtaräñöra; svabändhavän—along with
friends; svajanam—kinsmen; hi—certainly; katham—how;
hatvä—by killing; sukhinaù—happy;
syäma—become; mädhava—O
Kåñëa, husband of the goddess of fortune.
TRANSLATION
Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is
not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhåtaräñöra and our friends. What should
we gain, O Kåñëa, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy
by killing our own kinsmen?
PURPORT
According to Vedic injunctions there are six kinds of aggressors:
1) a poison giver, 2) one who sets fire to the house, 3) one who attacks with
deadly weapons, 4) one who plunders riches, 5) one who occupies another’s land,
and 6) one who kidnaps a wife. Such aggressors are at once to be killed, and no
sin is incurred by killing such aggressors. Such killing of aggressors is quite
befitting for any ordinary man, but Arjuna was not an ordinary person. He was
saintly by character, and therefore he wanted to deal with them in saintliness.
This kind of saintliness, however, is not for a kñatriya.
Although a responsible man in the administration of a state is required
to be saintly, he should not be cowardly. For example, Lord Räma was so saintly
that people were anxious to live in His kingdom, (Räma-räjya),
but Lord Räma never showed any cowardice. Rävaëa was an aggressor
against Räma because he kidnapped Räma’s wife, Sétä, but Lord Räma gave him
sufficient lessons, unparalleled in the history of the world. In Arjuna’s case,
however, one should consider the special type of aggressors, namely his own
grandfather, own teacher, friends, sons, grandsons, etc. Because of them,
Arjuna thought that he should not take the severe steps necessary against
ordinary aggressors. Besides that, saintly persons are advised to forgive. Such
injunctions for saintly persons are more important than any political
emergency. Arjuna considered that rather than kill his own kinsmen for
political reasons, it would be better to forgive them on grounds of religion and
saintly behavior. He did not, therefore, consider such killing profitable
simply for the matter of temporary bodily happiness. After all, kingdoms and
pleasures derived therefrom are not permanent, so why should he risk his life
and eternal salvation by killing his own kinsmen? Arjuna’s addressing of Kåñëa
as “Mädhava,” or the husband of the goddess of fortune, is also significant in
this connection. He wanted to point out to Kåñëa that, as husband of the
goddess of fortune, He should not have to induce Arjuna to take up a matter
which would ultimately bring about misfortune. Kåñëa, however, never brings
misfortune to anyone, to say nothing of His devotees.
Bg
1.37, Bg 1.38, Bg 1.37-38
TEXTS
37–38
TEXT
YaÛPYaeTae Na
PaXYaiNTa l/ae>aaePahTaceTaSa" )
ku-l/+aYak*-Ta& daez& iMa}ad]aehe c PaaTak-Ma( )) 37 ))
k-Qa& Na jeYaMaSMaai>a" PaaPaadSMaaiàviTaRTauMa( )
ku-l/+aYak*-Ta& daez& Pa[PaXYaiÙJaRNaadRNa )) 38 ))
yady apy ete na paçyanti
lobhopahata-cetasaù
kula-kñaya-kåtaà doñaà
mitra-drohe ca pätakam
kathaà na jïeyam asmäbhiù
päpäd asmän nivartitum
kula-kñaya-kåtaà doñaà
prapaçyadbhir janärdana
yadi—if; api—certainly; ete—they; na—do not; paçyanti—see; lobha—greed; upahata—overpowered;
cetasaù—the hearts; kula-kñaya—in
killing the family; kåtam—done; doñam—fault; mitra-drohe—quarreling
with friends; ca—also; pätakam—sinful
reactions; katham—why; na—shall
not; jïeyam—know this; asmäbhiù—by
us; päpät—from sins; asmät—ourselves;
nivartitum—to cease; kula-kñaya—the
destruction of a dynasty; kåtam—by so doing; doñam—crime; prapaçyadbhiù—by
those who can see; janärdana—O Kåñëa.
TRANSLATION
O Janärdana, although these men, overtaken by greed, see no fault
in killing one’s family or quarreling with friends, why should we, with
knowledge of the sin, engage in these acts?
PURPORT
A kñatriya is not supposed to refuse
to battle or gamble when he is so invited by some rival party. Under such
obligation, Arjuna could not refuse to fight because he was challenged by the
party of Duryodhana. In this connection, Arjuna considered that the other party
might be blind to the effects of such a challenge. Arjuna, however, could see
the evil consequences and could not accept the challenge. Obligation is
actually binding when the effect is good, but when the effect is otherwise,
then no one can be bound. Considering all these pros and cons, Arjuna decided
not to fight.
Bg 1.39
TEXT
39
TEXT
ku-l/+aYae
Pa[<aXYaiNTa ku-l/DaMaaR" SaNaaTaNaa" )
DaMaeR Naíe ku-l&/ k*-TòMaDaMaaeR_i>a>avTYauTa )) 39 ))
kula-kñaye praëaçyanti
kula-dharmäù sanätanäù
dharme nañöe kulaà kåtsnam
adharmo ’bhibhavaty uta
kula-kñaye—in
destroying the family; praëaçyanti—becomes
vanquished; kula-dharmäù—the family traditions; sanätanäù—eternal; dharme—in
religion; nañöe—being destroyed; kulam—family; kåtsnam—wholesale;
adharmaù—irreligious; abhibhavati—transforms;
uta—it is said.
TRANSLATION
With the destruction of dynasty, the eternal family tradition is
vanquished, and thus the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligious
practice.
PURPORT
In the system of the varëäçrama
institution there are many principles of religious traditions to help members
of the family grow properly and attain spiritual values. The elder members are
responsible for such purifying processes in the family, beginning from birth to
death. But on the death of the elder members, such family traditions of
purification may stop, and the remaining younger family members may develop
irreligious habits and thereby lose their chance for spiritual salvation.
Therefore, for no purpose should the elder members of the family be slain.
Bg 1.40
TEXT
40
TEXT
ADaMaaRi>a>avaTk*-Z<a
Pa[duZYaiNTa ku-l/iñYa" )
ñqzu duíaSau vaZ<aeRYa JaaYaTae v<aRSaªr" )) 40 ))
adharmäbhibhavät kåñëa
praduñyanti kula-striyaù
stréñu duñöäsu värñëeya
jäyate varëa-saìkaraù
adharma—irreligion; abhibhavät—having been predominant; kåñëa—O Kåñëa; praduñyanti—become
polluted; kula-striyaù—family ladies; stréñu —of the womanhood; duñöäsu—being
so polluted; värñëeya—O descendant of Våñëi; jäyate—it so becomes; varëa-saìkaraù—unwanted
progeny.
TRANSLATION
When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Kåñëa, the women of
the family become corrupt, and from the degradation of womanhood, O descendant
of Våñëi, comes unwanted progeny.
PURPORT
Good population in human society is the basic principle for peace,
prosperity and spiritual progress in life. The varëäçrama
religion’s principles were so designed that the good population would
prevail in society for the general spiritual progress of state and community.
Such population depends on the chastity and faithfulness of its womanhood. As
children are very prone to be misled, women are similarly very prone to
degradation. Therefore, both children and women require protection by the elder
members of the family. By being engaged in various religious practices, women
will not be misled into adultery. According to Cäëakya Paëòit, women are
generally not very intelligent and therefore not trustworthy. So, the different
family traditions of religious activities should always engage them, and thus
their chastity and devotion will give birth to a good population eligible for
participating in the varëäçrama system. On the
failure of such varëäçrama-dharma, naturally the
women become free to act and mix with men, and thus adultery is indulged in at
the risk of unwanted population. Irresponsible men also provoke adultery in
society, and thus unwanted children flood the human race at the risk of war and
pestilence.
Bg 1.41
TEXT
41
TEXT
Saªrae
Nark-aYaEv ku-l/ganaNaa& ku-l/SYa c )
PaTaiNTa iPaTarae ùeza& lu/áiPa<@aedk-i§-Yaa" )) 41 ))
saìkaro narakäyaiva
kula-ghnänäà kulasya ca
patanti pitaro hy eñäà
lupta-piëòodaka-kriyäù
saìkaraù—such
unwanted children; narakäya—for hellish life; eva—certainly; kula-ghnänäm—of
those who are killers of the family; kulasya—of
the family; ca—also; patanti—fall
down; pitaraù—forefathers; hi—certainly; eñäm—of
them; lupta—stopped; piëòa—offerings;
udaka—water; kriyäù—performance.
TRANSLATION
When there is increase of unwanted population, a hellish situation
is created both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition.
In such corrupt families, there is no offering of oblations of food and water
to the ancestors.
PURPORT
According to the rules and regulations of fruitive activities,
there is a need to offer periodical food and water to the forefathers of the
family. This offering is performed by worship of Viñëu, because eating the
remnants of food offered to Viñëu can deliver one from all kinds of sinful
actions. Sometimes the forefathers may be suffering from various types of sinful
reactions, and sometimes some of them cannot even acquire a gross material body
and are forced to remain in subtle bodies as ghosts. Thus, when remnants of prasädam food are offered to forefathers by
descendants, the forefathers are released from ghostly or other kinds of
miserable life. Such help rendered to forefathers is a family tradition, and
those who are not in devotional life are required to perform such rituals. One
who is engaged in the devotional life is not required to perform such actions. Simply
by performing devotional service, one can deliver hundreds and thousands of
forefathers from all kinds of misery. It is stated in the Bhägavatam:
devarñi-bhütäpta-nånäà pitèëäà
na kiìkaro näyamåëé ca räjan
sarvätmanä yaù çaraëaà çaraëyaà
gato mukundaà parihåtya kartam
“Anyone who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, the
giver of liberation, giving up all kinds of obligation, and has taken to the
path in all seriousness, owes neither duties nor obligations to the demigods,
sages, general living entities, family members, humankind or forefathers.” (Bhäg. 11.5.41) Such obligations are automatically
fulfilled by performance of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of
Godhead.
Bg 1.42
TEXT
42
TEXT
daezEreTaE"
ku-l/ganaNaa& v<aRSaªrk-arkE-" )
oTSaaÛNTae JaaiTaDaMaaR" ku-l/DaMaaRê XaaìTaa" )) 42 ))
doñair etaiù kula-ghnänäà
varëa-saìkara-kärakaiù
utsädyante jäti-dharmäù
kula-dharmäç ca çäçvatäù
doñaiù—by such
faults; etaiù—all these; kula-ghnänäm—of
the destroyer of a family; varëa-saìkara—unwanted
children; kärakaiù—by the doers; utsädyante—causes devastation; jäti-dharmäù—community
project; kula-dharmäù—family tradition; ca—also; çäçvatäù—eternal.
TRANSLATION
Due to the evil deeds of the destroyers of family tradition, all
kinds of community projects and family welfare activities are devastated.
PURPORT
The four orders of human society, combined with family welfare
activities as they are set forth by the institution of the sanätana-dharma or varëäçrama-dharma,
are designed to enable the human being to attain his ultimate salvation.
Therefore, the breaking of the sanätana-dharma tradition
by irresponsible leaders of society brings about chaos in that society, and
consequently people forget the aim of life—Viñëu. Such leaders are called
blind, and persons who follow such leaders are sure to be led into chaos.
Bg 1.43
TEXT
43
TEXT
oTSaàku-l/DaMaaR<aa&
MaNauZYaa<aa& JaNaadRNa )
Narke- iNaYaTa& vaSaae >avTaqTYaNauéué[uMa )) 43 ))
utsanna-kula-dharmäëäà
manuñyäëäà janärdana
narake niyataà väso
bhavatéty anuçuçruma
utsanna—spoiled; kula-dharmäëäm—of those who have the family traditions;
manuñyäëäm—of such men; janärdana—O
Kåñëa; narake—in hell; niyatam—always;
väsaù—residence; bhavati—it
so becomes; iti—thus; anuçuçruma—I
have heard by disciplic succession.
TRANSLATION
O Kåñëa, maintainer of the people, I have heard by disciplic
succession that those who destroy family traditions dwell always in hell.
PURPORT
Arjuna bases his argument not on his own personal experience, but
on what he has heard from the authorities. That is the way of receiving real
knowledge. One cannot reach the real point of factual knowledge without being
helped by the right person who is already established in that knowledge. There
is a system in the varëäçrama institution by
which one has to undergo the process of ablution before death for his sinful
activities. One who is always engaged in sinful activities must utilize the
process of ablution called the präyaçcitta. Without
doing so, one surely will be transferred to hellish planets to undergo
miserable lives as the result of sinful activities.
Bg 1.44
TEXT
44
TEXT
Ahae bTa
MahTPaaPa& k-Tau| VYaviSaTaa vYaMa( )
Yad]aJYaSau%l/ae>aeNa hNTau& SvJaNaMauÛTaa" )) 44 ))
aho bata mahat päpaà
kartuà vyavasitä vayam
yad räjya-sukha-lobhena
hantuà sva-janam udyatäù
ahaù—alas; bata—how strange it is; mahat—great;
päpam—sins; kartum—to
perform; vyavasitäù—decided; vayam—we; yat—so that; räjya—kingdom; sukha-lobhena—driven
by greed for royal happiness; hantum—to kill; svajanam—kinsmen; udyatäù—trying
for.
TRANSLATION
Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly
sinful acts, driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness.
PURPORT
Driven by selfish motives, one may be inclined to such sinful acts
as the killing of one’s own brother, father, or mother. There are many such
instances in the history of the world. But Arjuna, being a saintly devotee of
the Lord, is always conscious of moral principles and therefore takes care to
avoid such activities.
Bg 1.45
TEXT
45
TEXT
Yaid MaaMaPa[Taqk-arMaXañ&
XañPaa<aYa" )
DaaTaRraí\a r<ae hNYauSTaNMae +aeMaTar& >aveTa( )) 45 ))
yadi mäm apratékäram
açastraà çastra-päëayaù
dhärtaräñörä raëe hanyus
tan me kñemataraà bhavet
yadi—even if; mäm—unto me; apratékäram—without
being resistant; açastram—without being fully
equipped; çastra-päëayaù—those with weapons in
hand; dhärtaräñöräù—the sons of Dhåtaräñöra; raëe—in the battlefield; hanyuù—may
kill; tat—that; me—mine;
kñemataram—better; bhavet—become.
TRANSLATION
I would consider it better for the sons of Dhåtaräñöra to kill me
unarmed and unresisting, rather than fight with them.
PURPORT
It is the custom—according to kñatriya fighting
principles—that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked. Arjuna,
however, in such an enigmatic position, decided he would not fight if he were
attacked by the enemy. He did not consider how much the other party was bent
upon fighting. All these symptoms are due to softheartedness resulting from his
being a great devotee of the Lord.
Bg 1.46
TEXT
46
TEXT
SaÅYa ovac
WvMau¤-aJauRNa" Sa&:Yae rQaaePaSQa oPaaivXaTa( )
ivSa*JYa SaXar& caPa& Xaaek-Sa&ivGanMaaNaSa" )) 46 ))
saïjaya
uväca
evam uktvärjunaù saìkhye
rathopastha upäviçat
visåjya sa-çaraà cäpaà
çoka-saàvigna-mänasaù
saïjayaù—Saïjaya; uväca—said; evam—thus; uktvä—saying; arjunaù—Arjuna;
saìkhye—in the battlefield; ratha—chariot; upasthaù—situated
on; upäviçat—sat down again; visåjya—keeping aside; sa-çaram—along
with arrows; cäpam—the bow; çoka—lamentation; saàvigna—distressed;
mänasaù—within the mind.
TRANSLATION
Saïjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast
aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with
grief.
PURPORT
While observing the situation of his enemy, Arjuna stood up on the
chariot, but he was so afflicted with lamentation that he sat down again,
setting aside his bow and arrows. Such a kind and softhearted person, in the
devotional service of the Lord, is fit to receive self-knowledge.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports
to the First Chapter of the Çrémad-Bhagavad-gétä in the matter of Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of
Kurukñetra.
Bg 2. Contents of the Gétä Summarized
CHAPTER
TWO
Contents of
the Gétä Summarized
Bg 2.1
TEXT
1
TEXT
SaÅYa ovac
Ta& TaQaa k*-PaYaaivíMaé[uPaU<aaRku-le/+a<aMa( )
ivzqdNTaiMad& vaKYaMauvac MaDauSaUdNa" )) 1 ))
saïjaya
uväca
taà tathä kåpayäviñöam
açru-pürëäkulekñaëam
viñédantam idaà väkyam
uväca madhusüdanaù
saïjayaù uväca—Saïjaya
said; tam—unto Arjuna; tathä—thus;
kåpayä—by compassion; äviñöam—overwhelmed;
açru-pürëa—full of tears; äkula—depressed;
ékñaëam—eyes; viñédantam—lamenting;
idam—this; väkyam—words;
uväca—said; madhusüdanaù—the
killer of Madhu.
TRANSLATION
Saïjaya said: Seeing Arjuna full of compassion and very sorrowful,
his eyes brimming with tears, Madhusüdana, Kåñëa, spoke the following words.
PURPORT
Material compassion, lamentation and tears are all signs of
ignorance of the real self. Compassion for the eternal soul is
self-realization. The word “Madhusüdana” is significant in this verse. Lord
Kåñëa killed the demon Madhu, and now Arjuna wanted Kåñëa to kill the demon of
misunderstanding that had overtaken him in the discharge of his duty. No one
knows where compassion should be applied. Compassion for the dress of a
drowning man is senseless. A man fallen in the ocean of nescience cannot be
saved simply by rescuing his outward dress—the gross material body. One who
does not know this and laments for the outward dress is called a çüdra, or one who laments unnecessarily. Arjuna was a kñatriya, and this conduct was not expected from him.
Lord Kåñëa, however, can dissipate the lamentation of the ignorant man, and for
this purpose the Bhagavad-gétä was sung by Him.
This chapter instructs us in self-realization by an analytical study of the
material body and the spirit soul, as explained by the supreme authority, Lord
Çré Kåñëa. This realization is made possible by working with the fruitive being
situated in the fixed conception of the real self.
Bg 2.2
TEXT
2
TEXT
é[q>aGavaNauvac
ku-TaSTva k-XMal/iMad& ivzMae SaMauPaiSQaTaMa( )
ANaaYaRJauíMaSvGYaRMak-IiTaRk-rMaJauRNa )) 2 ))
çré-bhagavän
uväca
kutas tvä kaçmalam idaà
viñame samupasthitam
anärya-juñöam asvargyam
akérti-karam arjuna
çré bhagavän uväca—the Supreme
Personality of Godhead said; kutaù—wherefrom; tvä—unto you; kaçmalam—dirtiness;
idam—this lamentation; viñame—this
hour of crisis; samupasthitam—arrived; anärya—persons who do not know the value of life; juñöam—practiced by; asvargyam—that
which does not lead to higher planets; akérti—infamy;
karam—the cause of; arjuna—O
Arjuna.
TRANSLATION
The Supreme Person [Bhagavän] said: My dear Arjuna, how have these
impurities come upon you? They are not at all befitting a man who knows the
progressive values of life. They do not lead to higher planets, but to infamy.
PURPORT
Kåñëa and the Supreme Personality of Godhead are identical.
Therefore Lord Kåñëa is referred to as “Bhagavän” throughout the Gétä. Bhagavän is the ultimate in the Absolute Truth.
Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding, namely Brahman or
the impersonal all-pervasive spirit; Paramätmä, or the localized aspect of the
Supreme within the heart of all living entities; and Bhagavän, or the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Lord Kåñëa. In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam
this conception of the Absolute Truth is explained thus:
vadanti tat tattva-vidas tattvaà yaj jïänam advayam
brahmeti paramätmeti bhagavän iti çabdyate.
“The Absolute Truth is realized in three phases of understanding
by the knower of the Absolute Truth, and all of them are identical. Such phases
of the Absolute Truth are expressed as Brahman, Paramätmä, and Bhagavän.” (Bhäg. 1.2.11) These three divine aspects can be
explained by the example of the sun, which also has three different aspects,
namely the sunshine, the sun’s surface and the sun planet itself. One who
studies the sunshine only is the preliminary student. One who understands the
sun’s surface is further advanced. And one who can enter into the sun planet is
the highest. Ordinary students who are satisfied by simply understanding the
sunshine—its universal pervasiveness and the glaring effulgence of its
impersonal nature—may be compared to those who can realize only the Brahman
feature of the Absolute Truth. The student who has advanced still further can
know the sun disc, which is compared to knowledge of the Paramätmä feature of
the Absolute Truth. And the student who can enter into the heart of the sun
planet is compared to those who realize the personal features of the Supreme
Absolute Truth. Therefore, the bhaktas, or the
transcendentalists who have realized the Bhagavän feature of the Absolute
Truth, are the topmost transcendentalists, although all students who are
engaged in the study of the Absolute Truth are engaged in the same subject
matter. The sunshine, the sun disc and the inner affairs of the sun planet
cannot be separated from one another, and yet the students of the three
different phases are not in the same category.
The Sanskrit word Bhagavän is
explained by the great authority, Paräçara Muni, the father of Vyäsadeva. The
Supreme Personality who possesses all riches, all strength, all fame, all
beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation is called Bhagavän. There are many
persons who are very rich, very powerful, very beautiful, very famous, very
learned, and very much detached, but no one can claim that he possesses all
riches, all strength, etc., entirely. Only Kåñëa can claim this because He is
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No living entity, including Brahmä, Lord
Çiva, or Näräyaëa, can possess opulences as fully as Kåñëa. Therefore it is
concluded in the Brahma-saàhitä by Lord Brahmä
himself that Lord Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. No one is equal
to or above Him. He is the primeval Lord, or Bhagavän, known as Govinda, and He
is the supreme cause of all causes.
éçvaraù paramaù kåñëaù sac-cid-änanda-vigrahaù
anädir ädir govindaù sarua-käraëa-käraëam
“There are many personalities possessing the qualities of
Bhagavän, but Kåñëa is the supreme because none can excel Him. He is the
Supreme Person, and His body is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. He is the
primeval Lord Govinda and the cause of all causes.” (Brahma-saàhitä
5.1)
In the Bhägavatam also there is a
list of many incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but Kåñëa is
described as the original Personality of Godhead, from whom many, many
incarnations and Personalities of Godhead expand:
ete cäàça-kaläù puàsaù kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam
indräri-vyäkulaà lokaà måòayanti yuge yuge
“All the lists of the incarnations of Godhead submitted herewith
are either plenary expansions or parts of the plenary expansions of the Supreme
Godhead, but Kåñëa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.” (Bhag.
1.3.28)
Therefore, Kåñëa is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead,
the Absolute Truth, the source of both the Supersoul and the impersonal
Brahman.
In the presence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna’s lamentation for his kinsmen is certainly unbecoming, and therefore Kåñëa expressed His surprise with the word kutas, “wherefrom.” Such unmanly sentiments were never expected from a person belonging to the civilized class of men known as Äryans. The word äryan is applicable to persons who know the value of life and have a civilization based on spiritual realization. Persons who are led by the material conception of life do not know that the aim of life is realization of the Absolute Truth, Viñëu, or Bhagavän, and they are captivated by the external features of the material world, and therefore they do not know what liberation is. Persons who have no knowledge of liberation from material bondage are called non-Äryans. Although Arjuna was a kñatriya, he was deviating from his prescribed duties by declining to fight. This act of cowardice is described as befitting the non-Äryans. Such deviation from duty does not help one in the progress of spiritual life, nor does it even give one the opportunity to become famous in this world. Lord Kåñëa did not approve of the so-called compassion of Arjuna for his kinsmen.
Bg 2.3
TEXT
3
TEXT
©E-BYa& Maa
SMa GaMa" PaaQaR NaETatvYYauPaPaÛTae )
+aud]& ôdYadaEbRLYa& TYa¤-aeitaï ParNTaPa )) 3 ))
klaibyaà mä sma gamaù pärtha
naitat tvayy upapadyate
kñudraà hådaya-daurbalyaà
tyaktvottiñöha parantapa
klaibyam—impotence; mä—do not; sma—take it; gamaù—go in; pärtha—O son
of Påthä; na—never; etat—like
this; tvayi—unto you; upapadyate—is
befitting; kñudram—very little; hådaya—heart; daurbalyam—weakness;
tyaktvä—giving up; uttiñöha—get
up; parantapa—O chastiser of the enemies.
TRANSLATION
O son of Påthä, do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does
not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O chastiser of
the enemy.
PURPORT
Arjuna was addressed as the “son of Påthä,” who happened to be the
sister of Kåñëa’s father Vasudeva. Therefore Arjuna had a blood relationship
with Kåñëa. If the son of a ksatriya declines to
fight, he is a kñatriya in name only, and if the
son of a brähmaëa acts impiously, he is a brähmaëa in name only. Such kñatriyas
and brähmaëas are unworthy sons of their
fathers; therefore, Kåñëa did not want Arjuna to become an unworthy son of a kñatriya. Arjuna was the most intimate friend of Kåñëa,
and Kåñëa was directly guiding him on the chariot; but in spite of all these
credits, if Arjuna abandoned the battle, he would be committing an infamous
act; therefore Kåñëa said that such an attitude in Arjuna did not fit his
personality. Arjuna might argue that he would give up the battle on the grounds
of his magnanimous attitude for the most respectable Bhéñma and his relatives,
but Kåñëa considered that sort of magnanimity not approved by authority.
Therefore, such magnanimity or so-called nonviolence should be given up by
persons like Arjuna under the direct guidance of Kåñëa.
Bg 2.4
TEXT
4
TEXT
AJauRNa ovac
k-Qa& >aqZMaMah& Sa&:Yae d]ae<a& c MaDauSaUdNa )
wzui>a" Pa[iTaYaaeTSYaaiMa PaUJaahaRvirSaUdNa )) 4 ))
arjuna
uväca
kathaà bhéñmam ahaà saìkhye
droëaà ca madhusüdana
iñubhiù pratiyotsyämi
püjärhäv ari-südana
arjunaù uväca—Arjuna said;
katham—how; bhéñmam—unto
Bhéñma; aham—I; saìkhye—in
the fight; droëam—unto Droëa; ca—also, madhusüdana—O
killer of Madhu; iñubhiù—with arrows; pratiyotsyämi—shall counterattack; püjä-arhau—those who are worshipable; arisüdana—O killer of the enemies.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: O killer of Madhu [Kåñëa], how can I counterattack
with arrows in battle men like Bhéñma and Droëa, who are worthy of my worship?
PURPORT
Respectable superiors like Bhéñma the grandfather and Droëäcärya
the teacher are always worshipable. Even if they attack, they should not be
counterattacked. It is general etiquette that superiors are not to be offered
even a verbal fight. Even if they are sometimes harsh in behavior, they should
not be harshly treated. Then, how is it possible for Arjuna to counterattack
them? Would Kåñëa ever attack His own grandfather, Ugrasena, or His teacher,
Sändépani Muni? These were some of the arguments by Arjuna to Kåñëa.
Bg 2.5
TEXT
5
TEXT
GauæNahTva ih
MahaNau>aavaNa(
é[eYaae >aae¢u-& >aE+YaMaPaqh
l/aeke- )
hTvaQaRk-aMaa&STau GauæiNahEv
>auÅqYa >aaeGaaNåiDarPa[idGDaaNa(
)) 5 ))
gurün ahatvä hi mahänubhävän
çreyo bhoktuà bhaikñyam apéha loke
hatvärtha-kämäàs tu gurün ihaiva
bhuïjéya bhogän rudhira-pradigdhän
gurün—the
superiors; ahatvä—by killing; hi—certainly; mahä-anubhävän—great
souls; çreyaù—it is better; bhoktum—to enjoy life; bhaikñyam—begging;
api—even; iha—in
this life; loke—in this world; hatvä—killing; artha—gain;
kämän—so desiring; tu—but;
gurün—superiors; iha—in
this world; eva—certainly; bhuïjéya—has to enjoy; bhogän—enjoyable
things; rudhira—blood; pradigdhän—tainted
with.
TRANSLATION
It is better to live in this world by begging than to live at the
cost of the lives of great souls who are my teachers. Even though they are
avaricious, they are nonetheless superiors. If they are killed, our spoils will
be tainted with blood.
PURPORT
According to scriptural codes, a teacher who engages in an
abominable action and has lost his sense of discrimination is fit to be
abandoned. Bhéñma and Droëa were obliged to take the side of Duryodhana because
of his financial assistance, although they should not have accepted such a
position simply on financial considerations. Under the circumstances, they have
lost the respectability of teachers. But Arjuna thinks that nevertheless they
remain his superiors, and therefore to enjoy material profits after killing
them would mean to enjoy spoils tainted with blood.
Bg 2.6
TEXT
6
TEXT
Na cETaiÜÚ"
k-Taràae GarqYaae
YaÜa JaYaeMa Yaid va Naae JaYaeYau"
)
YaaNaev hTva Na iJaJaqivzaMa‚
STae_viSQaTaa" Pa[Mau%e DaaTaRraí\a"
)) 6 ))
na caitad vidmaù kataran no garéyo
yad vä jayema yadi vä no jayeyuù
yän eva hatvä na jijéviñämas
te ’vasthitäù pramukhe dhärtaräñöräù
na—nor; ca—also; etat—this; vidmaù—do know; katarat—which;
naù—us; garéyaù—better;
yat—what; vä—either;
jayema—conquer us; yadi—if;
vä—or; naù—us; jayeyuù—conquer; yän—those;
eva—certainly; hatvä—by
killing; na—never; jijéviñämaù—want
to live; te—all of them; avasthitäù—are
situated; pramukhe—in the front; dhärtaräñöräù—the sons of Dhåtaräñöra.
TRANSLATION
Nor do we know which is better—conquering them or being conquered
by them. The sons of Dhåtaräñöra, whom if we killed we should not care to live,
are now standing before us on this battlefield.
PURPORT
Arjuna did not know whether he should fight and risk unnecessary
violence, although fighting is the duty of the kñatriyas,
or whether he should refrain and live by begging. If he did not conquer
the enemy, begging would be his only means of subsistence. Nor was there
certainty of victory, because either side might emerge victorious. Even if
victory awaited them (and their cause was justified), still, if the sons of
Dhåtaräñöra died in battle, it would be very difficult to live in their
absence. Under the circumstances, that would be another kind of defeat for them.
All these considerations by Arjuna definitely prove that he was not only a
great devotee of the Lord but that he was also highly enlightened and had
complete control over his mind and senses. His desire to live by begging,
although he was born in the royal household, is another sign of detachment. He
was truly virtuous, as these qualities, combined with his faith in the words of
instruction of Çré Kåñëa (his spiritual master), indicate. It is concluded that
Arjuna was quite fit for liberation. Unless the senses are controlled, there is
no chance of elevation to the platform of knowledge, and without knowledge and
devotion there is no chance of liberation. Arjuna was competent in all these
attributes, over and above his enormous attributes in his material relationships.
Bg 2.7
TEXT
7
TEXT
k-aPaR<YadaezaePahTaSv>aav"
Pa*C^aiMa Tva&
DaMaRSaMMaU!ceTaa" )
YaC^\eYa" SYaaiàiêTa& b]Uih TaNMae
iXaZYaSTae_h& XaaiDa Maa&
Tva& Pa[PaàMa( )) 7 ))
kärpaëya-doñopahata-svabhävaù
påcchämi tväà dharma-sammüòha-cetäù
yac chreyaù syän niçcitaà brühi tan me
çiñyas te ’haà çädhi mäà tväà prapannam
kärpaëya—miserly; doña—weakness; upahata—being
inflicted by; svabhävaù—characteristics; påcchämi—I am asking; tväm—unto
You; dharma—religion; saàmüòha—bewildered;
cetäù—in heart; yat—what;
çreyaù—all-good; syät—may
be; niçcitam—confidently; brühi—tell;
tat—that; me—unto
me; çiñyaù—disciple; te—Your;
aham—I am; çädhi—just
instruct; mäm—me; tväm—unto
You; prapannam—surrendered.
TRANSLATION
Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure
because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what
is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please
instruct me.
PURPORT
By nature’s own way the complete system of material activities is a
source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity, and
therefore it behooves one to approach a bona fide spiritual master who can give
one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life. All Vedic literatures
advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual master to get free from the
perplexities of life which happen without our desire. They are like a forest
fire that somehow blazes without being set by anyone. Similarly, the world
situation is such that perplexities of life automatically appear, without our
wanting such confusion. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place, and we
become perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve the
perplexities of life and to understand the science of the solution, one must approach
a spiritual master who is in the disciplic succession. A person with a bona
fide spiritual master is supposed to know everything. One should not,
therefore, remain in material perplexities but should approach a spiritual
master. This is the purport of this verse.
Who is the man in material perplexities? It is he who does not understand the problems of life. In the Garga Upaniñad the perplexed man is described as follows:
yo vä etad akñaraà gärgy aviditväsmäl lokät praiti sa kåpaëaù
“He is a miserly man who does not solve the problems of life as a
human and who thus quits this world like the cats and dogs, without
understanding the science of self-realization.” This human form of life is a
most valuable asset for the living entity who can ultilize it for solving the
problems of life; therefore, one who does not utilize this opportunity properly
is a miser. On the other hand, there is the brähmaëa, or
he who is intelligent enough to utilize this body to solve all the problems of
life.
The kåpaëas, or miserly persons,
waste their time in being overly affectionate for family, society, country,
etc., in the material conception of life. One is often attached to family life,
namely to wife, children and other members, on the basis of “skin disease.” The
kåpaëa thinks that he is able to protect his
family members from death; or the kåpaëa thinks
that his family or society can save him from the verge of death. Such family
attachment can be found even in the lower animals who take care of children
also. Being intelligent, Arjuna could understand that his affection for family
members and his wish to protect them from death were the causes ot his
perplexities. Although he could understand that his duty to fight was awaiting
him, still, on account of miserly weakness, he could not discharge the duties.
He is therefore asking Lord Kåñëa, the supreme spiritual master, to make a
definite solution. He offers himself to Kåñëa as a disciple. He wants to stop
friendly talks. Talks between the master and the disciple are serious, and now
Arjuna wants to talk very seriously before the recognized spiritual master.
Kåñëa is therefore the original spiritual master of the science of Bhagavad-gétä, and Arjuna is the first disciple for
understanding the Gétä. How Arjuna understands the
Bhagavad-gétä is stated in the Gétä itself. And yet foolish mundane scholars explain
that one need not submit to Kåñëa as a person, but to “the unborn within
Kåñëa.” There is no difference between Kåñëa’s within and without. And one who
has no sense of this understanding is the greatest fool in trying to understand
Bhagavad-gétä.
Bg 2.8
TEXT
8
TEXT
Na ih
Pa[PaXYaaiMa MaMaaPaNauÛa‚
ÛC^aek-MauC^aez<aiMaiNd]Yaa<aaMa(
)
AvaPYa >aUMaavSaPaÒMa*Ö&
raJYa& Saura<aaMaiPa
caiDaPaTYaMa( )) 8 ))
na hi prapaçyämi mamäpanudyäd
yac chokam ucchoñaëam indriyäëäm
aväpya bhümäv asapatnam åddhaà
räjyaà suräëäm api cädhipatyam
na—do not; hi—certainly; prapaçyämi—I
see; mama—my; apanudyät—they
can drive away; yat—that; çokam—lamentation;
ucchoñaëam—drying up;
indriyäëäm—of the senses; aväpya—achieving;
bhümau—on the earth; asapatnam—without
rival; åddham—prosperous; räjyam—kingdom;
suräëäm—of the demigods; api—even;
ca—also; ädhipatyam—supremacy.
TRANSLATION
I can find no means to drive away this grief which is drying up my
senses. I will not be able to destroy it even if I win an unrivalled kingdom on
the earth with sovereignty like the demigods in heaven.
PURPORT
Although Arjuna was putting forward so many arguments based on
knowledge of the principles of religion and moral codes, it appears that he was
unable to solve his real problem without the help of the spiritual master, Lord
Çré Kåñëa. He could understand that his so-called knowledge was useless in
driving away his problems, which were drying up his whole existence; and it was
impossible for him to solve such perplexities without the help of a spiritual
master like Lord Kåñëa. Academic knowledge, scholarship, high position, etc.,
are all useless in solving the problems of life; help can only be given by a
spiritual master like Kåñëa. Therefore, the conclusion is that a spiritual
master who is one hundred percent Kåñëa conscious is the bona fide spiritual
master, for he can solve the problems of life. Lord Caitanya said that one who
is master in the science of Kåñëa consciousness, regardless of his social
position, is the real spiritual master.
kibävipra, kibä nyäsé, çüdra kene naya
yei kåñëa-tattva-vettä, sei ‘guru’ haya.
(Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya 8.127)
“It does not matter whether a person is a vipra
[learned scholar in Vedic wisdom] or is born in a lower family, or is in
the renounced order of life—if he is master in the science of Kåñëa, he is the
perfect and bona fide spiritual master.” So without being a master in the
science of Kåñëa consciousness, no one is a bona fide spiritual master. It is
also said in Vedic literatures:
ñaö-karma-nipuëo vipro mantra-tantra-viçäradaù
avaiñëavo gurur na syäd vaiñëavaù çvapaco guruù
“A scholarly brähmaëa, expert in all
subjects of Vedic knowledge, is unfit to become a spiritual master without
being a Vaiñëava, or expert in the science of Kåñëa consciousness. But a person
born in a family of a lower caste can become a spiritual master if he is a
Vaiñëava, or Kåñëa conscious.”
The problems of material existence—birth, old age, disease and
death—cannot be counteracted by accumulation of wealth and economic
development. In many parts of the world there are states which are replete with
all facilities of life, which are full of wealth, and economically developed,
yet the problems of material existence are still present. They are seeking
peace in different ways, but they ean achieve real happiness only if they
consult Kåñëa, or the Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam—which constitute the science of
Kåñëa—or the bona fide representative of Kåñëa, the man in Kåñëa consciousness.
If economic development and material comforts could drive away one’s lamentations for family, social, national or international inebrieties, then Arjuna would not have said that even an unrivalled kingdom on earth or supremacy like that of the demigods in the heavenly planets would not be able to drive away his lamentations. He sought, therefore, refuge in Kåñëa consciousness, and that is the right path for peace and harmony. Economic development or supremacy over the world can be finished at any moment by the cataclysms of material nature. Even elevation into a higher planetary situation, as men are now seeking a place on the moon planet, can also be finished at one stroke. The Bhagavad-gétä confirms this: kñéëe puëye martyalokaà viçanti “When the results of pious activities are finished, one falls down again from the peak of happiness to the lowest status of life.” Many politicians of the world have fallen down in that way. Such downfalls only constitute more causes for lamentation.
Therefore, if we want to curb lamentation for good, then we have to take shelter of Kåñëa, as Arjuna is seeking to do. So Arjuna asked Kåñëa to solve his problem definitely, and that is the way of Kåñëa consciousness.
Bg 2.9
TEXT
9
TEXT
SaÅYa ovac
WvMau¤-a ôzqke-Xa& Gau@ake-Xa" ParNTaPa" )
Na YaaeTSYa wiTa GaaeivNdMau¤-a TaUZ<aq& b>aUv h )) 9 ))
saïjaya
uväca
evam uktvä håñékeçaà
guòäkeçaù parantapaù
na yotsya iti govindam
uktvä tüñëéà babhüva ha
saïjayaù uväca—Saïjaya
said; evam—thus; uktvä—speaking;
håñékeçam—unto Kåñëa, the master of the senses; guòäkeçaù—Arjuna, the master at curbing ignorance; parantapaù—the chastiser of the enemies; na yotsye—I shall not fight; iti—thus;
govindam—unto Kåñëa, the giver of pleasure; uktvä—saying; tüñëém—silent;
babhüva—became; ha—certainly.
TRANSLATION
Saïjaya said: Having spoken thus, Arjuna, chastiser of enemies,
told Kåñëa, “Govinda, I shall not fight,” and fell silent.
PURPORT
Dhåtaräñöra must have been very glad to understand that Arjuna was
not going to fight and was instead leaving the battlefield for the begging
profession. But Saïjaya disappointed him again in relating that Arjuna was
competent to kill his enemies (parantapaù). Although
Arjuna was for the time being overwhelmed with false grief due to family
affection, he surrendered unto Kåñëa, the supreme spiritual master, as a
disciple. This indicated that he would soon be free from the false lamentation
resulting from family affection and would be enlightened with perfect knowledge
of self-realization, or Kåñëa consciousness, and would then surely fight. Thus
Dhåtaräñöra’s joy would be frustrated, since Arjuna would be enlightened. by
Kåñëa and would fight to the end.
Bg 2.10
TEXT
10
TEXT
TaMauvac
ôzqke-Xa" Pa[hSaiàv >aarTa
SaeNaYaaeå>aYaaeMaRDYae ivzqdNTaiMad& vc" )) 10 ))
tam
uväca håñékeçaù
prahasann iva bhärata
senayor ubhayor madhye
viñédantam idaà vacaù
tam—unto him; uväca—said; håñékeçaù—the
master of the senses, Kåñëa; prahasan—smiling; iva—like that; bhärata—O
Dhåtaräñöra, descendant of Bharata; senayoù—of
the armies; ubhayoù—of both parties; madhye—between; viñédantam—unto
the lamenting one; idam—the following; vacaù—words.
TRANSLATION
O descendant of Bharata, at that time Kåñëa, smiling, in the midst
of both the armies, spoke the following words to the grief-stricken Arjuna.
PURPORT
The talk was going on between intimate friends, namely the
Håñékeça and the Guòäkeça. As friends, both of them were on the same level, but
one of them voluntarily became a student of the other. Kåñëa was smiling
because a friend had chosen to become a disciple. As Lord of all, He is always
in the superior position as the master of everyone, and yet the Lord accepts
one who wishes to be a friend, a son, a lover or a devotee, or who wants Him in
such a role. But when He was accepted as the master, He at once assumed the
role and talked with the disciple like the master—with gravity, as it is
required. It appears that the talk between the master and the disciple was
openly exchanged in the presence of both armies so that all were benefitted. So
the talks of Bhagavad-gétä are not for any
particular person, society, or community, but they are for all, and friends or
enemies are equally entitled to hear them.
Bg 2.11
TEXT
11
TEXT
é[q>aGavaNauvac
AXaaeCYaaNaNvXaaecSTv& Pa[javada&ê >aazSae )
GaTaaSaUNaGaTaaSaU&ê NaaNauXaaeciNTa Pai<@Taa" )) 11 ))
çré-bhagavän
uväca
açocyän anvaçocas tvaà
prajïä-vädäàç ca bhäñase
gatäsün agatäsüàç ca
nänuçocanti paëòitäù
çré bhagavän uväca—the Supreme
Personality of Godhead said; açocyän—that which
is not worthy of lamentation; anvaçocaù—you are
lamenting; tvam—you;
prajïä-vädäù—learned talks; ca—also; bhäñase—speaking; gata—lost;
asün—life; agata—not
past; asün—life; ca—also;
na—never; anuçocanti—lament;
paëòitäù—the learned.
TRANSLATION
The Blessed Lord said: While speaking learned words, you are
mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for
the living nor the dead.
PURPORT
The Lord at once took the position of the teacher and chastised
the student, calling him, indirectly, a fool. The Lord said, you are talking
like a learned man, but you do not know that one who is learned—one who knows
what is body and what is soul—does not lament for any stage of the body,
neither in the living nor in the dead condition. As it will be explained in
later chapters, it will be clear that knowledge means to know matter and spirit
and the controller of both. Arjuna argued that religious principles should be
given more importance than politics or sociology, but he did not know that
knowledge of matter, soul and the Supreme is even more important than religious
formularies. And, because he was lacking in that knowledge, he should not have
posed himself as a very learned man. As he did not happen to be a very learned
man, he was consequently lamenting for something which was unworthy of
lamentation. The body is born and is destined to be vanquished today or
tomorrow; therefore the body is not as important as the soul. One who knows
this is actually learned, and for him there is no cause for lamentation,
regardless of the condition of the material body.
Bg 2.12
TEXT
12
TEXT
NaTvevah&
JaaTau NaaSa& Na Tv& NaeMae JaNaaiDaPaa" )
Na cEv Na>aivZYaaMa" SaveR vYaMaTa" ParMa( )) 12 ))
na tv evähaà jätu näsaà
na tvaà neme janädhipäù
na caiva na bhaviñyämaù
sarve vayam ataù param
na—never; tu—but; eva—certainly; aham—I; jätu—become; na—never; äsam—existed; na—it is not so; tvam—yourself;
na—not; ime—all
these; janädhipäù—kings; na—never;
ca—also; eva—certainly;
na—not like that; bhaviñyämaù—shall
exist; sarve—all of us; vayam—we;
ataù param—hereafter.
TRANSLATION
Never was there a time when I did not exist, nor you, nor all
these kings; nor in the future shall any of us cease to be.
PURPORT
In the Vedas, in the Kaöha Upaniñad as well as in the Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad, it is said that the Supreme
Personality of Godhead is the maintainer of innumerable living entities, in
terms of their different situations according to individual work and reaction
of work. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is also, by His plenary portions,
alive in the heart of every living entity. Only saintly persons who can see,
within and without, the same Supreme Lord, can actually attain to perfect and
eternal peace.
nityo nityänäà cetanaç cetanänäm
eko bahünäà yo vidadhäti kämän
tam ätmasthaà ye ’nupaçyanti dhéräs
teñäà çäntiù çäçvaté netareñäm.
(Kaöha 2.2.13)
The same Vedic truth given to Arjuna is given to all persons in
the world who pose themselves as very learned but factually have but a poor
fund of knowledge. The Lord says clearly that He Himself, Arjuna, and all the
kings who are assembled on the battlefield, are eternally individual beings and
that the Lord is eternally the maintainer of the individual living entities
both in their conditioned as well as in their liberated situations. The Supreme
Personality of Godhead is the supreme individual person, and Arjuna, the Lord’s
eternal associate, and all the kings assembled there are individual, eternal
persons. It is not that they did not exist as individuals in the past, and it
is not that they will not remain eternal persons. Their individuality existed
in the past, and their individuality will continue in the future without
interruption. Therefore, there is no cause for lamentation for anyone.
The Mäyävädé theory that after liberation the individual soul,
separated by the covering of mäyä or illusion, will merge into the impersonal
Brahman and lose its individual existence is not supported herein by Lord
Kåñëa, the supreme authority. Nor is the theory that we only think of
individuality in the conditioned state supported herein. Kåñëa clearly says
herein that in the future also the individuality of the Lord and others, as it
is confirmed in the Upaniñads, will continue
eternally. This statement of Kåñëa is authoritative because Kåñëa cannot be
subject to illusion. If individuality is not a fact, then Kåñëa would not have
stressed it so much—even for the future. The Mäyävädé may argue that the
individuality spoken of by Kåñëa is not spiritual, but material. Even accepting
the argument that the individuality is material, then how can one distinguish
Kåñëa’s individuality? Kåñëa affirms His individuality in the past and confirms
His individuality in the future also. He has confirmed His individuality in
many ways, and impersonal Brahman has been declared to be subordinate to Him.
Kåñëa has maintained spiritual individuality all along; if He is accepted as an
ordinary conditioned soul in individual consciousness, then His Bhagavad-gétä has no value as authoritative scripture.
A common man with all the four defects of human frailty is unable to teach that
which is worth hearing. The Gétä is above such
literature. No mundane book compares with the Bhagavad-gétä.
When one accepts Kåñëa as an ordinary man, the Gétä
loses all importance. The Mäyävädé argues that the plurality mentioned
in this verse is conventional and that it refers to the body. But previous to
this verse such a bodily conception is already condemned. After condemning the
bodily conception of the living entities, how was it possible for Kåñëa to
place a conventional proposition on the body again? Therefore, individuality is
maintained on spiritual grounds and is thus confirmed by great äcäryas like Çré Rämänuja and others. It is clearly
mentioned in many places in the Gétä that this
spiritual individuality is understood by those who are devotees of the Lord.
Those who are envious of Kåñëa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead have no
bona fide access to the great literature. The nondevotee’s approach to the
teachings of the Géta is something like bees
licking on a bottle of honey. One cannot have a taste of honey unless one opens
the bottle. Similarly, the mysticism of the Bhagavad-gétä
can be understood only by devotees, and no one else can taste it, as it
is stated in the Fourth Chapter of the book. Nor can the Gétä be touched by persons who envy the very existence
of the Lord. Therefore, the Mäyävädé explanation of the Gétä
is a most misleading presentation of the whole truth. Lord Caitanya has
forbidden us to read commentations made by the Mäyävädés and warns that one who
takes to such an understanding of the Mäyävädé philosophy loses all power to
understand the real mystery of the Gétä. If
individuality refers to the empirical universe, then there is no need of teaching
by the Lord. The plurality of the individual soul and of the Lord is an eternal
fact, and it is confirmed by the Vedas as above
mentioned.
Bg 2.13
TEXT
13
TEXT
deihNaae_iSMaNYaQaa
dehe k-aEMaar& YaaEvNa& Jara )
TaQaa dehaNTarPa[aiáDasrSTa}a Na MauùiTa )) 13 ))
dehino ’smin yathä dehe
kaumäraà yauvanaà jarä
tathä dehäntara-präptir
dhéras tatra na muhyati
dehinaù—of the
embodied; asmin—in this; yathä—as; dehe—in the body; kaumäram—boyhood;
yauvanam—youth; jarä—old
age; tathä—similarly; dehäntara—transference
of the body; präptiù—achievement; dhéraù—the sober; tatra—thereupon;
na—never; muhyati—deluded.
TRANSLATION
As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from
boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at
death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.
PURPORT
Since every living entity is an individual soul, each is changing
his body every moment, manifesting sometimes as a child, sometimes as a youth,
and sometimes as an old man. Yet the same spirit soul is there and does not
undergo any change. This individual soul finally changes the body at death and
transmigrates to another body; and since it is sure to have another body in the
next birth—either material or spiritual—there was no cause for lamentation by
Arjuna on account of death, neither for Bhéñma nor for Droëa, for whom he was
so much concerned. Rather, he should rejoice for their changing bodies from old
to new ones, thereby rejuvenating their energy. Such changes of body account
for varieties of enjoyment or suffering, according to one’s work in life. So
Bhéñma and Droëa, being noble souls, were surely going to have either spiritual
bodies in the next life, or at least life in heavenly bodies for superior
enjoyment of material existence. So, in either case, there was no cause of
lamentation.
Any man who has perfect knowledge of the constitution of the individual soul, the Supersoul, and nature—both material and spiritual—is called a dhéra or a most sober man. Such a man is never deluded by the change of bodies. The Mäyävädé theory of oneness of the spirit soul cannot be entertained on the ground that spirit soul cannot be cut into pieces as a fragmental portion. Such cutting into different individual souls would make the Supreme cleavable or changeable, against the principle of the Supreme Soul being unchangeable.
As confirmed in the Gétä, the fragmental portions of the Supreme exist
eternally (sanätana) and are called kñara; that is, they have a tendency to fall down into
material nature. These fragmental portions are eternally so, and even after
liberation, the individual soul remains the same—fragmental. But once
liberated, he lives an eternal life in bliss and knowledge with the Personality
of Godhead. The theory of reflection can be applied to the Supersoul who is
present in each and every individual body and is known as the Paramätmä, who is
different from the individual living entity. When the sky is reflected in
water, the reflections represent both the sun and the moon and the stars also.
The stars can be compared to the living entities and the sun or the moon to the
Supreme Lord. The individual fragmental spirit soul is represented by Arjuna,
and the Supreme Soul is the Personality of Godhead Çré Kåñëa. They are not on
the same level, as it will be apparent in the beginning of the Fourth Chapter.
If Arjuna is on the same level with Kåñëa, and Kåñëa is not superior to Arjuna,
then their relationship of instructor and instructed becomes meaningless. If
both of them are deluded by the illusory energy (mäyä), then
there is no need of one being the instructor and the other the instructed. Such
instruction would be useless because, in the clutches of mäyä, no one can be an authoritative instructor. Under
the circumstances, it is admitted that Lord Kåñëa is the Supreme Lord, superior
in position to the living entity, Arjuna, who is a forgotten soul deluded by mäyä.
Bg 2.14
TEXT
14
TEXT
Maa}aaSPaXaaRSTau
k-aENTaeYa XaqTaaeZ<aSau%du"%da" )
AaGaMaaPaaiYaNaae_iNaTYaaSTaa&iSTaiTa+aSv >aarTa )) 14 ))
mäträ-sparçäs tu kaunteya
çétoñëa-sukha-duùkha-däù
ägamäpäyino ’nityäs
täàs titikñasva bhärata
mäträ—sensuous; sparçäù—perception; tu—only;
kaunteya—O son of Kunté; çéta—winter;
uñëa—summer; sukha—happiness;
duùkha-daù—giving pain; ägama—appearing;
apäyinaù—disappearing; anityäù—nonpermanent;
tän—all of them; titikñasva—just
try to tolerate; bhärata—O descendant of the
Bhärata dynasty.
TRANSLATION
O son of Kunté, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and
distress, and their disappearance in due course, are like the appearance and
disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, O
scion of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
PURPORT
In the proper discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate nonpermanent
appearances and disappearances of happiness and distress. According to Vedic
injunction, one has to take his bath early in the morning even during the month
of Mägha (January-February). It is very cold at
that time, but in spite of that a man who abides by the religious principles
does not hesitate to take his bath. Similarly, a woman does not hesitate to
cook in the kitchen in the months of May and June, the hottest part of the
summer season. One has to execute his duty in spite of climatic inconveniences.
Similarly, to fight is the religious principle of the kñatriyas,
and although one has to fight with some friend or relative, one should
not deviate from his prescribed duty. One has to follow the prescribed rules
and regulations of religious principles in order to rise up to the platform of
knowledge because by knowledge and devotion only can one liberate himself from
the clutches of mäyä (illusion).
The two different names of address given to Arjuna are also significant. To address him as Kaunteya signifies his great blood relations from his mother’s side; and to address him as Bhärata signifies his greatness from his father’s side. From both sides he is supposed to have a great heritage. A great heritage brings responsibility in the matter of proper discharge of duties; therefore, he cannot avoid fighting.
Bg 2.15
TEXT
15
TEXT
Ya& ih Na
VYaQaYaNTYaeTae Pauåz& PauåzzR>a )
SaMadu"%Sau%& Daqr& Saae_Ma*TaTvaYa k-LPaTae )) 15 ))
yaà hi na vyathayanty ete
puruñaà puruñarñabha
sama-duùkha-sukhaà dhéraà
so ’måtatväya kalpate
yam—one who; hi—certainly; na—never; vyathayanti—are distressing; ete—all
these; puruñam—to a person; puruñarñabha—is best among men; sama—unaltered;
duùkha—distress; sukham—happiness;
dhéram—patient; saù—he;
amåtatväya—for liberation; kalpate—is considered eligible.
TRANSLATION
O best among men [Arjuna], the person who is not disturbed by
happiness and distress and is steady in both is certainly eligible for
liberation.
PURPORT
Anyone who is steady in his determination for the advanced stage
of spiritual realization and can equally tolerate the onslaughts of distress
and happiness is certainly a person eligible for liberation. In the varëäçrama institution, the fourth stage of life,
namely the renounced order (sannyäsa) is a
painstaking situation. But one who is serious about making his life perfect
surely adopts the sannyäsa order of life in spite
of all difficulties. The difficulties usually arise from having to sever family
relationships, to give up the connection of wife and children. But if anyone is
able to tolerate such difficulties, surely his path to spiritual realization is
complete. Similarly, in Arjuna’s discharge of duties as a kñatriya, he is advised to persevere, even if it is
difficult to fight with his family members or similarly beloved persons. Lord
Caitanya took sannyäsa at the age of twenty-four,
and His dependants, young wife as well as old mother, had no one else to look
after them. Yet for a higher cause He took sannyäsa
and was steady in the discharge of higher duties. That is the way of achieving
liberation from material bondage.
Bg 2.16
TEXT
16
TEXT
NaaSaTaae ivÛTae
>aavae Naa>aavae ivÛTae SaTa" )
o>aYaaeriPa d*íae_NTaSTvNaYaaeSTatvdiXaRi>a" )) 16 ))
näsato vidyate bhävo
näbhävo vidyate sataù
ubhayor api dåñöo ’ntas
tv anayos tattva-darçibhiù
na—never; asataù—of the nonexistent; vidyate—there
is; bhävaù—endurance; na—never;
abhävaù—changing quality; vidyate—there
is; sataù—of the eternal; ubhayoù—of
the two; api—verily; dåñöaù—observed;
antaù—conclusion; tu—but;
anayoù—of them; tattva—truth;
darçibhiù—by the seers.
TRANSLATION
Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the
nonexistent there is no endurance, and of the existent there is no cessation.
This seers have concluded by studying the nature of both.
PURPORT
There is no endurance of the changing body. That the body is
changing every moment by the actions and reactions of the different cells is
admitted by modern medical science; and thus growth and old age are taking
place in the body. But the spirit soul exists permanently, remaining the same
despite all changes of the body and the mind. That is the difference between
matter and spirit. By nature, the body is ever changing, and the soul is
eternal. This conclusion is established by all classes of seers of the truth,
both impersonalist and personalist. In the Viñëu Puräëa it
is stated that Viñëu and His abodes all have self-illuminated spiritual
existence. “Jyotéàñi viñëur bhavanäni viñëuù.” The words existent and nonexistent refer only to
spirit and matter. That is the version of all seers of truth.
This is the beginning of the instruction by the Lord to the living entities who are bewildered by the influence of ignorance. Removal of ignorance involves the reestablishment of the eternal relationship between the worshiper and the worshipable and the consequent understanding of the difference between the part and parcel living entities and the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One can understand the nature of the Supreme by thorough study of oneself, the difference between oneself and the Supreme being understood as the relationship between the part and the whole. In the Vedänta-sütras, as well as in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, the Supreme has been accepted as the origin of all emanations. Such emanations are experienced by superior and inferior natural sequences. The living entities belong to the superior nature, as it will be revealed in the Seventh Chapter. Although there is no difference between the energy and the energetic, the energetic is accepted as the Supreme, and energy or nature is accepted as the subordinate. The living entities, therefore, are always subordinate to the Supreme Lord, as in the case of the master and the servant, or the teacher and the taught. Such clear knowledge is impossible to understand under the spell of ignorance, and to drive away such ignorance the Lord teaches the Bhagavad-gétä for the enlightenment of all living entities for all time.
Bg 2.17
TEXT
17
TEXT
AivNaaiXa Tau
TaiÜiÖ YaeNa SavRiMad& TaTaMa( )
ivNaaXaMaVYaYaSYaaSYa Na k-iêTk-TauRMahRiTa )) 17 ))
avinäçi tu tad viddhi
yena sarvam idaà tatam
vinäçam avyayasyäsya
na kaçcit kartum arhati
avinäçi—imperishable;
tu—but; tat—that; viddhi—know it; yena—by
whom; sarvam—all of the body; idam—this; tatam—widespread;
vinäçam—destruction; avyayasya—of
the imperishable; asya—of it; na kaçcit—no one; kartum—to
do; arhati—able.
TRANSLATION
Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one
is able to destroy the imperishable soul.
PURPORT
This verse more clearly explains the real nature of the soul,
which is spread all over the body. Anyone can understand what is spread all
over the body: it is consciousness. Everyone is conscious of the pains and
pleasures of the body in part or as a whole. This spreading of consciousness is
limited within one’s own body. The pains and pleasures of one body are unknown
to another. Therefore, each and every body is the embodiment of an individual
soul, and the symptom of the soul’s presence is perceived as individual
consciousness. This soul is described as one ten-thousandth part of the upper
portion of the hair point in size. The Çvetäçvatara
Upaniñad confirms this:
bälägra-çata-bhägasya çatadhä kalpitasya ca
bhägo jévaù sa vijïeyaù sa cänantyäya kalpate.
“When the upper point of a
hair is divided into one hundred parts and again each of such parts is further
divided into one hundred parts, each such part is the measurement of the
dimension of the spirit soul.” (Svet. 5.9)
Similarly, in the Bhägavatam the same version is
stated:
keçägra-çata-bhägasya çatäàçaù sädåçätmakaù
jévaù sükñma-svarupo ’yaà saìkhyätéto hi cit-kaëaù
“There are innumerable particles of spiritual atoms, which are
measured as one ten-thousandth of the upper portion of the hair.”
Therefore, the individual particle of spirit soul is a spiritual
atom smaller than the material atoms, and such atoms are innumerable. This very
small spiritual spark is the basic principle of the material body, and the
influence of such a spiritual spark is spread all over the body as the influence
of the active principle of some medicine spreads throughout the body. This
current of the spirit soul is felt all over the body as consciousness, and that
is the proof of the presence of the soul. Any layman can understand that the
material body minus consciousness is a dead body, and this consciousness cannot
be revived in the body by any means of material administration. Therefore,
consciousness is not due to any amount of material combination, but to the
spirit soul. In the Muëòaka Upaniñad the measurement
of the atomic spirit soul is further explained:
eño ’ëurätmä cetasä veditavyo
yasmin präëaù païcadhä saàviveça
präëaiç cittaà sarvam otam prajänäà
yasmin viçuddhe vibhavaty eña ätmä.
“The soul is atomic in size and can be perceived by perfect intelligence.
This atomic soul is floating in the five kinds of air [präëa,
apäna, vyäna, samäna and udäna], is
situated within the heart, and spreads its influence all over the body of the
embodied living entities. When the soul is purified from the contamination of
the five kinds of material air, its spiritual influence is exhibited.” (Muëò.
3.1.9)
The haöha-yoga system is meant for
controlling the five kinds of air encircling the pure soul by different kinds
of sitting postures—not for any material profit, but for liberation of the
minute soul from the entanglement of the material atmosphere.
So the constitution of
the atomic soul is admitted in all Vedic literatures, and it is also actually
felt in the practical experience of any sane man. Only the insane man can think
of this atomic soul as all-pervading Viñëu-tattva.
The influence of the atomic soul can be spread all over a particular body. According to the Muëòaka Upaniñad, this atomic soul is situated in the heart of every living entity, and because the measurement of the atomic soul is beyond the power of appreciation of the material scientists, some of them assert foolishly that there is no soul. The individual atomic soul is definitely there in the heart along with the Supersoul, and thus all the energies of bodily movement are emanating from this part of the body. The corpuscles which carry the oxygen from the lungs gather energy from the soul. When the soul passes away from this position, activity of the blood, generating fusion, ceases. Medical science accepts the importance of the red corpuscles, but it cannot ascertain that the source of the energy is the soul. Medical science, however, does admit that the heart is the seat of all energies of the body.
Such atomic particles of the spirit whole are compared to the sunshine molecules. In the sunshine there are innumerable radiant molecules. Similarly, the fragmental parts of the Supreme Lord are atomic sparks of the rays of the Supreme Lord, called by the name prabhä or superior energy. Neither Vedic knowledge nor modern science denies the existence of the spirit soul in the body, and the science of the soul is explicitly described in the Bhagavad-gétä by the Personality of Godhead Himself.
Bg 2.18
TEXT
18
TEXT
ANTavNTa wMae
deha iNaTYaSYaae¢-a" Xarqir<a" )
ANaaiXaNaae_Pa[MaeYaSYa TaSMaaÛuDYaSv >aarTa )) 18 ))
antavanta ime dehä
nityasyoktäù çarériëaù
anäçino ’prameyasya
tasmäd yudhyasva bhärata
antavantaù—perishable; ime—all these; dehäù—material
bodies; nityasya—eternal in existence; uktäù—it is so said; sarériëaù—the
embodied souls; anäçinaù—never to be destroyed; aprameyasya—immeasurable; tasmät—therefore;
yudhyasva—fight; bhärata—O
descendant of Bharata.
TRANSLATION
Only the material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and
eternal living entity is subject to destruction; therefore, fight, O descendant
of Bharata.
PURPORT
The material body is perishable by nature. It may perish
immediately, or it may do so after a hundred years. It is a question of time
only. There is no chance of maintaining it indefinitely. But the spirit soul is
so minute that it cannot even be seen by an enemy, to say nothing of being
killed. As mentioned in the previous verse, it is so small that no one can have
any idea how to measure its dimension. So from both viewpoints there is no
cause of lamentation because the living entity can neither be killed as he is,
nor can the material body, which cannot be saved for any length of time, be
permanently protected. The minute particle of the whole spirit acquires this
material body according to his work, and therefore observance of religious
principles should be utilized. In the Vedänta-sütras
the living entity is qualified as light because he is part and parcel of the
supreme light. As sunlight maintains the entire universe, so the light of the
soul maintains this material body. As soon as the spirit soul is out of this
material body, the body begins to decompose; therefore it is the spirit soul
which maintains this body. The body itself is unimportant. Arjuna was advised
to fight and sacrifice the material body for the cause of religion.
Bg 2.19
TEXT
19
TEXT
Ya WNa&
veita hNTaar& YaêENa& MaNYaTae hTaMa( )
o>aaE TaaE Na ivJaaNaqTaae NaaYa& hiNTa Na hNYaTae )) 19 ))
ya enaà vetti hantäraà
yaç cainaà manyate hatam
ubhau tau na vijänéto
näyaà hanti na hanyate
yaù—anyone; enam—this; vetti—knows; hantäram—the killer; yaù—anyone;
ca—also; enam—this;
manyate—thinks; hatam—killed;
ubhau—both of them; tau—they;
na—never; vijänétaù—in
knowledge; na—never; ayam—this;
hanti—kills; na—nor;
hanyate—be killed.
TRANSLATION
He who thinks that the living entity is the slayer or that he is
slain, does not understand. One who is in knowledge knows that the self slays
not nor is slain.
PURPORT
When an embodied living entity is hurt by fatal weapons, it is to
be known that the living entity within the body is not killed. The spirit soul
is so small that it is impossible to kill him by any material weapon, as is
evident from the previous verses. Nor is the living entity killable because of
his spiritual constitution. What is killed, or is supposed to be killed, is the
body only. This, however, does not at all encourage killing of the body. The
Vedic injunction is, “mähiàsyät sarva-bhütäni”
never commit violence to anyone. Nor does understanding that the living entity
is not killed encourage animal slaughter. Killing the body of anyone without
authority is abominable and is punishable by the law of the state as well as by
the law of the Lord. Arjuna, however, is being engaged in killing for the
principle of religion, and not whimsically.
Bg 2.20
TEXT
20
TEXT
Na JaaYaTae
iMa]YaTae va k-daic‚
àaYa& >aUTva >aivTaa va Na
>aUYa" )
AJaae iNaTYa" XaaìTaae_Ya& Paura<aae
Na hNYaTae hNYaMaaNae Xarqre )) 20 ))
na jäyate mriyate vä kadäcin
näyaà bhütvä bhavitä vä na bhüyaù
ajo nityaù çäçvato ’yaà puräëo
na hanyate hanyamäne çarére
na—never; jäyate—takes birth; mriyate—never
dies; vä—either; kadäcit—at
any time (past, present or future); na—never; ayam—this; bhütvä—came
into being; bhavitä—will come to be; vä—or; na—not; bhüyaù—or has come to be; ajaù—unborn;
nityaù—eternal; çäçvataù—permanent;
ayam—this; puräëaù—the
oldest; na—never; hanyate—is
killed; hanyamäne—being killed; çarére—by the body.
TRANSLATION
For the soul there is never birth nor death. Nor, having once
been, does he ever cease to be. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, undying
and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain.
PURPORT
Qualitatively, the small atomic fragmental part of the Supreme
Spirit is one with the Supreme. He undergoes no changes like the body.
Sometimes the soul is called the steady, or küöastha. The
body is subject to six kinds of transformations. It takes its birth in the womb
of the mother’s body, remains for some time, grows, produces some effects,
gradually dwindles, and at last vanishes into oblivion. The soul, however, does
not go through such changes. The soul is not born, but, because he takes on a
material body, the body takes its birth. The soul does not take birth there,
and the soul does not die. Anything which has birth also has death. And because
the soul has no birth, he therefore has no past, present or future. He is
eternal, ever-existing, and primeval—that is, there is no trace in history of
his coming into being. Under the impression of the body, we seek the history of
birth, etc., of the soul. The soul does not at any time become old, as the body
does. The so-called old man, therefore, feels himself to be in the same spirit
as in his childhood or youth. The changes of the body do not affect the soul.
The soul does not deteriorate like a tree, nor anything material. The soul has
no by-product either. The by-products of the body, namely children, are also
different individual souls; and, owing to the body, they appear as children of
a particular man. The body develops because of the soul’s presence, but the
soul has neither offshoots nor change. Therefore, the soul is free from the six
changes of the body.
In the Kaöha Upaniñad also we find a similar passage which reads:
na jäyate mriyate vä vipaçcin
näyaà kutaçcin na vibhüva kaçcit
ajo nityaù çäçvato ’yaà puräëo
na hanyate hanyamäne çarére.
(Kaöha 1.2.18)
The meaning and purport of this verse is the same as in the Bhagavad-gétä, but here in this verse there is one
special word, vipaçcit, which means learned or
with knowledge.
The soul is full of knowledge, or full always with consciousness.
Therefore, consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Even if one does not find
the soul within the heart, where he is situated, one can still understand the
presence of the soul simply by the presence of consciousness. Sometimes we do
not find the sun in the sky owing to clouds, or for some other reason, but the
light of the sun is always there, and we are convinced that it is therefore
daytime. As soon as there is a little light in the sky early in the morning, we
can understand that the sun is in the sky. Similarly, since there is some
consciousness in all bodies—whether man or animal—we can understand the
presence of the soul. This consciousness of the soul is, however, different from
the consciousness of the Supreme because the supreme consciousness is
all-knowledge—past, present and future. The consciousness of the individual
soul is prone to be forgetful. When he is forgetful of his real nature, he
obtains education and enlightenment from the superior lessons of Kåñëa. But
Kåñëa is not like the forgetful soul. If so, Kåñëa’s teachings of Bhagavad-gétä would be useless.
There are two kinds of souls—namely the minute particle soul (aëu-ätmä) and the Supersoul (the vibhu-ätmä). This is also confirmed in the Kaöha Upaniñad in this way:
aëor aëéyän mahato mahéyän
ätmäsya jantor nihito guhäyäm
tam akratuù paçyati véta-çoko
dhätuù prasädän mahimänam ätmanaù
(Kaöha 1.2.20)
“Both the Supersoul [Paramätmä] and
the atomic soul [jévätmä] are situated on the
same tree of the body within the same heart of the living being, and only one
who has become free from all material desires as well as lamentations can, by
the grace of the Supreme, understand the glories of the soul.” Kåñëa is the
fountainhead of the Supersoul also, as it will be disclosed in the following
chapters, and Arjuna is the atomic soul, forgetful of his real nature;
therefore he requires to be enlightened by Kåñëa, or by His bona fide
representative (the spiritual master).
Bg 2.21
TEXT
21
TEXT
vedaivNaaiXaNa&
iNaTYa& Ya WNaMaJaMaVYaYaMa( )
k-Qa& Sa Pauåz" PaaQaR k&- gaaTaYaiTa hiNTa k-Ma( )) 21 ))
vedävinäçinaà nityaà
ya enam ajam avyayam
kathaà sa puruñaù pärtha
kaà ghätayati hanti kam
veda—in
knowledge; avinäçinam—indestructible; nityam—always; yaù—one
who; enam—this (soul); ajam—unborn;
avyayam—immutable; katham—how;
saù—he; puruñaù—person;
pärtha—O Pärtha (Arjuna); kam—whom;
ghätayati—hurts; hanti—kills;
kam—whom.
TRANSLATION
O Pärtha, how can a person who knows that the soul is indestructible,
unborn, eternal and immutable, kill anyone or cause anyone to kill?
PURPORT
Everything has its proper utility, and a man who is situated in
complete knowledge knows how and where to apply a thing for its proper utility.
Similarly, violence also has its utility, and how to apply violence rests with
the person in knowledge. Although the justice of the peace awards capital
punishment to a person condemned for murder, the justice of the peace cannot be
blamed because he orders violence to another person according to the codes of
justice. In Manu-saàhitä, the lawbook for
mankind, it is supported that a murderer should be condemned to death so that
in his next life he will not have to suffer for the great sin he has committed.
Therefore, the king’s punishment of hanging a murderer is actually beneficial.
Similarly, when Kåñëa orders fighting, it must be concluded that violence is
for supreme justice, and, as such, Arjuna should follow the instruction,
knowing well that such violence, committed in the act of fighting for Kåñëa, is
not violence at all because, at any rate, the man, or rather the soul, cannot
be killed; so for the administration of justice, so-called violence is
permitted. A surgical operation is not meant to kill the patient, but to cure
him. Therefore the fighting to be executed by Arjuna at the instruction of
Kåñëa is with full knowledge, so there is no possibility of sinful reaction.
Bg 2.22
TEXT
22
TEXT
vaSaa&iSa
Jaq<aaRiNa YaQaa ivhaYa
NavaiNa Ga*õaiTa Narae_Parai<a )
TaQaa Xarqrai<a ivhaYa Jaq<aaR‚
NYaNYaaiNa Sa&YaaiTa NavaiNa dehq ))
22 ))
väsäàsi jérëäni yathä vihäya
naväni gåhëäti naro ’paräëi
tathä çaréräëi vihäya jérëäny
anyäni saàyäti naväni dehé
väsäàsi—garments; jérëäni—old and worn out; yathä—as
it is; vihäya—giving up; naväni—new
garments; gåhëäti—does accept; naraù—a man; aparäëi—other;
tathä—in the same way; çaréräëi—bodies;
vihäya—giving up; jérëäni—old
and useless; anyäni—different; saàyäti—verily accepts; naväni—new
sets; dehé—the embodied.
TRANSLATION
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.
PURPORT
Change of body by the atomic individual soul is an accepted fact.
Even some of the modern scientists who do not believe in the existence of the
soul, but at the same time cannot explain the source of energy from the heart,
have to accept continuous changes of body which appear from childhood to
boyhood and from boyhood to youth and again from youth to old age. From old
age, the change is transferred to another body. This has already been explained
in the previous verse.
Transference of the atomic individual soul to another body is made possible by the grace of the Supersoul.The Supersoul fulfills the desire of the atomic soul as one friend fulfills the desire of another. The Vedas, like the Muëòaka Upaniñad, as well as the Çvetäçvatara Upanisad, compare the soul and the Supersoul to two friendly birds sitting on the same tree. One of the birds (the individual atomic soul) is eating the fruit of the tree, and the other bird (Kåñëa) is simply watching His friend. Of these two birds—although they are the same in quality—one is captivated by the fruits of the material tree, while the other is simply witnessing the activities of His friend. Kåñëa is the witnessing bird, and Arjuna is the eating bird. Although they are friends, one is still the master and the other is the servant. Forgetfulness of this relationship by the atomic soul is the cause of one’s changing his position from one tree to another or from one body to another. The jéva soul is struggling very hard on the tree of the material body, but as soon as he agrees to accept the other bird as the supreme spiritual master—as Arjuna agreed to do by voluntary surrender unto Kåñëa for instruction—the subordinate bird immediately becomes free from all lamentations. Both the Kaöha Upaniñad and Çvetäçvatara Upaniñad confirm this:
samäne våkñe puruño nimagno
’néçayä çocati muhyamänaù
juñöaà yadä paçyaty anyam éçam asya
mahimänam iti véta-çokaù
“Although the two birds are in the same tree, the eating bird is
fully engrossed with anxiety and moroseness as the enjoyer of the fruits of the
tree. But if in some way or other he turns his face to his friend who is the
Lord and knows His glories—at once the suffering bird becomes free from all
anxieties.” Arjuna has now turned his face towards his eternal friend, Kåñëa,
and is understanding the Bhagavad-gétä from Him.
And thus, hearing from Kåñëa, he can understand the supreme glories of the Lord
and be free from lamentation.
Arjuna is advised herewith by the Lord not to lament for the
bodily change of his old grandfather and his teacher. He should rather be happy
to kill their bodies in the righteous fight so that they may be cleansed at
once of all reactions from various bodily activities. One who lays down his
life on the sacrificial altar, or in the proper battlefield, is at once
cleansed of bodily reactions and promoted to a higher status of life. So there
was no cause for Arjuna’s lamentation.
Bg 2.23
TEXT
23
TEXT
NaENa&
i^NdiNTa Xañai<a NaENa& dhiTa Paavk-" )
Na cENa& ©e-dYaNTYaaPaae Na XaaezYaiTa MaaåTa" )) 23 ))
nainaà chindanti çasträëi
nainaà dahati pävakaù
na cainaà kledayanty äpo
na çoñayati märutaù
na—never; enam—unto this soul; chindanti—can
cut into pieces; çasträëi —all weapons; na—never; enam—unto this
soul; dahati—burns; pävakaù—fire;
na—never; ca—also; enam—unto this soul; kledayanti—moistens;
äpaù —water; na—never;
çoñayati—dries; märutaù—wind.
TRANSLATION
The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be
burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.
PURPORT
All kinds of weapons, swords, flames, rains, tornadoes, etc., are
unable to kill the spirit soul. It appears that there were many kinds of weapons
made of earth, water, air, ether, etc., in addition to the modern weapons of
fire. Even the nuclear weapons of the modern age are classified as fire
weapons, but formerly there were other weapons made of all different types of
material elements. Firearms were counteracted by water weapons, which are now
unknown to modern science. Nor do modern scientists have knowledge of tornado
weapons. Nonetheless, the soul can never be cut into pieces, nor annihilated by
any number of weapons, regardless of scientific devices.
Nor was it ever possible to cut the individual souls from the original Soul. The Mäyävädé, however, cannot describe how the individual soul evolved from ignorance and consequently became covered by illusory energy. Because they are atomic individual souls (sanätana) eternally, they are prone to be covered by the illusory energy, and thus they become separated from the association of the Supreme Lord, just as the sparks of the fire, although one in quality with the fire, are prone to be extinguished when out of the fire. In the Varäha Puräëa, the living entities are described as separated parts and parcels of the Supreme. They are eternally so, according to the Bhagavad-gétä also. So, even after being liberated from illusion, the living entity remains a separate identity, as is evident from the teachings of the Lord to Arjuna. Arjuna became liberated by the knowledge received from Kåñëa, but he never became one with Kåñëa.
Bg 2.24
TEXT
24
TEXT
AC^eÛae_YaMadaùae_YaMa©e-Ûae_XaaeZYa
Wv c )
iNaTYa" SavRGaTa" SQaa<aurcl/ae_Ya& SaNaaTaNa" )) 24 ))
acchedyo ’yam adähyo ’yam
akledyo ’çoñya eva ca
nityaù sarva-gataù sthäëur
acalo ’yaà sanätanaù
acchedyaù—unbreakable;
ayam—this soul; adähyaù—cannot
be burned; ayam—this soul; akledyaù—insoluble; açoñyaù—cannot
be dried; eva—certainly; ca—and;
nityaù—everlasting; sarva-gataù—all-pervading;
sthäëuù—unchangeable; acalaù—immovable;
ayam—this soul; sanätanaù—eternally
the same.
TRANSLATION
This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be
neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, all-pervading, unchangeable,
immovable and eternally the same.
PURPORT
All these qualifications of the atomic soul definitely prove that
the individual soul is eternally the atomic particle of the spirit whole, and
he remains the same atom eternally, without change. The theory of monism is
very difficult to apply in this case, because the individual soul is never
expected to become one homogeneously. After liberation from material
contamination, the atomic soul may prefer to remain as a spiritual spark in the
effulgent rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the intelligent souls
enter into the spiritual planets to associate with the Personality of Godhead.
The word sarva-gataù (all-pervading) is significant because there is no doubt that living entities are all over God’s creation. They live on the land, in the water, in the air, within the earth and even within fire. The belief that they are sterilized in fire is not acceptable, because it is clearly stated here that the soul cannot be burned by fire. Therefore, there is no doubt that there are living entities also in the sun planet with suitable bodies to live there. If the sun globe is uninhabited, then the word sarva-gataù—living everywhere—becomes meaningless.
Bg 2.25
TEXT
25
TEXT
AVYa¢-ae_YaMaicNTYaae_YaMaivk-aYaaeR_YaMauCYaTae
)
TaSMaadev& ividTvENa& NaaNauXaaeicTauMahRiSa )) 25 ))
avyakto ’yam acintyo ’yam
avikäryo ’yam ucyate
tasmäd evaà viditvainaà
nänuçocitum arhasi
avyaktaù—invisible; ayam—this soul; acintyaù—inconceivable;
ayam—this soul; avikäryaù—unchangeable;
ayam—this soul; ucyate—is
said; tasmät—therefore; evam—like
this; viditvä—knowing it well; enam—this soul; na—do
not; anuçocitum—may lament over; arhasi—you deserve.
TRANSLATION
It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable, immutable,
and unchangeable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body.
PURPORT
As described previously, the magnitude of the soul is so small for
our material calculation that he cannot be seen even by the most powerful
microscope; therefore, he is invisible. As far as the soul’s existence is
concerned, no one can establish his existence experimentally beyond the proof
of çruti or Vedic wisdom. We have to accept this
truth, because there is no other source of understanding the existence of the
soul, although it is a fact by perception. There are many things we have to
accept solely on grounds of superior authority. No one can deny the existence
of his father, based upon the authority of his mother. There is no other source
of understanding the identity of the father except by the authority of the
mother. Similarly, there is no other source of understanding the soul except by
studying the Vedas. In other words, the soul is
inconceivable by human experimental knowledge. The soul is consciousness and
conscious—that also is the statement of the Vedas, and
we have to accept that. Unlike the bodily changes, there is no change in the
soul. As eternally unchangeable, the soul remains atomic in comparison to the
infinite Supreme Soul. The Supreme Soul is infinite, and the atomic soul is
infinitesimal. Therefore, the infinitesimal soul, being unchangeable, can never
become equal to the infinite soul, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This
concept is repeated in the Vedas in different
ways just to confirm the stability of the conception of the soul. Repetition of
something is necessary in order that we understand the matter thoroughly
without error.
Bg 2.26
TEXT
26
TEXT
AQa cENa&
iNaTYaJaaTa& iNaTYa& va MaNYaSae Ma*TaMa( )
TaQaaiPa Tv& Mahabahae NaENa& XaaeicTauMahRiSa )) 26 ))
atha cainaà nitya-jätaà
nityaà vä manyase måtam
tathäpi tvaà mahä-bäho
nainaà çocitum arhasi
atha—if, however;
ca—also; enam—this
soul; nitya-jätam—always born; nityam—forever; vä—either;
manyase—so think; måtam—dead;
tathäpi—still; tvam—you; mahä-bäho—O mighty-armed one; na—never;
enam—about the soul; çocitum—to
lament; arhasi—deserve.
TRANSLATION
If, however, you think that the soul is perpetually born and
always dies, still you have no reason to lament, O mighty-armed.
PURPORT
There is always a class of philosophers, almost akin to the
Buddhists, who do not believe in the separate existence of the soul beyond the
body. When Lord Kåñëa spoke the Bhagavad-gétä, it
appears that such philosophers existed, and they were known as the Lokäyatikas and Vaibhäñikas. These
philosophers maintained that life symptoms, or soul, takes place at a certain
mature condition of material combination. The modern material scientist and
materialist philosophers also think similarly. According to them, the body is a
combination of physical elements, and at a certain stage the life symptoms
develop by interaction of the physical and chemical elements. The science of
anthropology is based on this philosophy. Currently, many pseudo-religions—now
becoming fashionable in America—are also adhering to this philosophy, as well
as to the nihilistic nondevotional Buddhist sects.
Even if Arjuna did not believe in the existence of the soul—as in the Vaibhäñika philosophy—there would still have been no cause for lamentation. No one laments the loss of a certain bulk of chemicals and stops discharging his prescribed duty. On the other hand, in modern science and scientific warfare, so many tons of chemicals are wasted for achieving victory over the enemy. According to the Vaibhäñika philosophy, the so-called soul or ätmä vanishes along with the deterioration of the body. So, in any case, whether Arjuna accepted the Vedic conclusion that there is an atomic soul, or whether he did not believe in the existence of the soul, he had no reason to lament. According to this theory, since there are so many living entities generating out of matter every moment, and so many of them are being vanquished every moment, there is no need to grieve for such an incidence. However, since he was not risking rebirth of the soul, Arjuna had no reason to be afraid of being affected with sinful reactions due to his killing his grandfather and teacher. But at the same time, Kåñëa sarcastically addressed Arjuna as mahä-bähu, mighty-armed, because He, at least, did not accept the theory of the Vaibhäñikas, which leaves aside the Vedic wisdom. As a kñatriya, Arjuna belonged to the Vedic culture, and it behooved him to continue to follow its principles.
Bg 2.27
TEXT
27
TEXT
JaaTaSYa ih
Da]uvae Ma*TYauDa]uRv& JaNMa Ma*TaSYa c )
TaSMaadPairhaYaeR_QaeR Na Tv& XaaeicTauMahRiSa )) 27 ))
jätasya hi dhruvo måtyur
dhruvaà janma måtasya ca
tasmäd aparihärye ’rthe
na tvaà çocitum arhasi
jätasya—one who has
taken his birth; hi—certainly; dhruvaù—a fact; måtyuù—death;
dhruvam—it is also a fact; janma—birth; måtasya—of
the dead; ca—also; tasmät—therefore;
aparihärye—for that which is unavoidable; arthe—in the matter of; na—do
not; tvam—you; çocitum—to
lament; arhasi—deserve.
TRANSLATION
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.
PURPORT
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 Kurukñetra, being the will of the Supreme, was an inevitable event, and to fight for the right cause is the duty of a kñatriya. 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.
Bg 2.28
TEXT
28
TEXT
AVYa¢-adqiNa
>aUTaaiNa VYa¢-MaDYaaiNa >aarTa )
AVYa¢-iNaDaNaaNYaev Ta}a k-a PairdevNaa )) 28 ))
avyaktädéni bhütäni
vyakta-madhyäni bhärata
avyakta-nidhanäny eva
tatra kä paridevanä
avyaktädéni—in the
beginning unmanifested; bhütäni—all that are
created; vyakta—manifested; madhyäni—in the middle; bhärata—O
descendant of Bharata; avyakta—nonmanifested; nidhanäni—all that are vanquished; eva—it is all like that; tatra—therefore;
kä—what; paridevanä—lamentation.
TRANSLATION
All created beings are unmanifest in their beginning, manifest in
their interim state, and unmanifest again when they are annihilated. So what
need is there for lamentation?
PURPORT
Accepting that there are two classes of philosophers, one
believing in the existence of soul and the other not believing in the existence
of the soul, there is no cause for lamentation in either case. Nonbelievers in
the existence of the soul are called atheists by followers of Vedic wisdom. Yet
even if, for argument’s sake, we accept the atheistic theory, there is still no
cause for lamentation. Apart from the separate existence of the soul, the
material elements remain unmanifested before creation. From this subtle state
of unmanifestation comes manifestation, just as from ether, air is generated;
from air, fire is generated; from fire, water is generated; and from water,
earth becomes manifested. From the earth, many varieties of manifestations take
place. Take, for example, a big skyscraper manifested from the earth. When it
is dismantled, the manifestation becomes again unmanifested and remains as
atoms in the ultimate stage. The law of conservation of energy remains, but in
course of time things are manifested and unmanifested—that is the difference.
Then what cause is there for lamentation either in the stage of manifestation
or unmanifestation? Somehow or other, even in the unmanifested stage, things
are not lost. Both at the beginning and at the end, all elements remain
unmanifested, and only in the middle are they manifested, and this does not
make any real material difference.
And if we accept the Vedic conclusion as stated in the Bhagavad-gétä (antavanta ime dehäù) that these material bodies are perishable in due course of time (nityasyoktäù çarériëaù) but that soul is eternal, then we must remember always that the body is like a dress; therefore why lament the changing of a dress? The material body has no factual existence in relation to the eternal soul. It is something like a dream. In a dream we may think of flying in the sky, or sitting on a chariot as a king, but when we wake up we can see that we are neither in the sky nor seated on the chariot. The Vedic wisdom encourages self-realization on the basis of the nonexistence of the material body. Therefore, in either case, whether one believes in the existence of the soul, or one does not believe in the existence of the soul, there is no cause for lamentation for loss of the body.
Bg 2.29
TEXT
29
TEXT
AaêYaRvTPaXYaiTa
k-iêdeNa‚
MaaêYaRvÜdiTa TaQaEv caNYa" )
AaêYaRvÀENaMaNYa" é*<aaeiTa
é[uTvaPYaeNa& ved Na cEv k-iêTa( ))
29 ))
äçcarya-vat paçyati kaçcid enam
äçcarya-vad vadati tathaiva cänyaù
äçcarya-vac cainam anyaù çåëoti
çrutväpy enaà veda na caiva kaçcit
äçcaryavat—amazing; paçyati—see; kaçcit—some;
enam—this soul; äçcaryavat—amazing;
vadati—speak; tathä—there;
eva—certainly; ca—also;
anyaù—others; äçcaryavat—similarly
amazing; ca—also; enam—this
soul; anyaù—others; çåëoti—hear;
çrutvä—having heard; api—even;
enam—this soul; veda—do
know; na—never; ca—and;
eva—certainly; kaçcit—anyone.
TRANSLATION
Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing,
and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him,
cannot understand him at all.
PURPORT
Since Gétopaniñad is largely based
on the principles of the Upaniñads, it is not
surprising to also find this passage in the Kaöha
Upaniñad.
çravaëäyäpi bahubhir yo na labhyaù
çåëvanto ’pi bahavo yaù na vidyuù
äçcaryo vaktä kuçalo ’sya labdhä
äçcaryo jïätä kuçalänuçiñöaù.
The fact that the atomic soul is within the body of a gigantic
animal, in the body of a gigantic banyan tree, and also in the microbic germs,
millions and billions of which occupy only an inch of space, is certainly very
amazing. Men with a poor fund of knowledge and men who are not austere cannot
understand the wonders of the individual atomic spark of spirit, even though it
is explained by the greatest authority of knowledge, who imparted lessons even
to Brahmä, the first living being in the universe. Owing to a gross material
conception of things, most men in this age cannot imagine how such a small
particle can become both so great and so small. So men look at the soul proper
as wonderful either by constitution or by description. Illusioned by the
material energy, people are so engrossed in subject matter for sense
gratification that they have very little time to understand the question of
self-understanding, even though it is a fact that without this
self-understanding all activities result in ultimate defeat in the struggle for
existence. Perhaps one has no idea that one must think of the soul, and also
make a solution of the material miseries.
Some people who are inclined to hear about the soul may be
attending lectures, in good association, but sometimes, owing to ignorance,
they are misguided by acceptance of the Supersoul and the atomic soul as one
without distinction of magnitude. It is very difficult to find a man who
perfectly understands the position of the soul, the Supersoul, the atomic soul,
their respective functions, relationships and all other major and minor
details. And it is still more difficult to find a man who has actually derived full
benefit from knowledge of the soul, and who is able to describe the position of
the soul in different aspects. But if, somehow or other, one is able to
understand the subject matter of the soul, then one’s life is successful. The
easiest process for understanding the subject matter of self, however, is to
accept the statements of the Bhagavad-gétä spoken
by the greatest authority, Lord Kåñëa, without being deviated by other
theories. But it also requires a great deal of penance and sacrifice, either in
this life or in the previous ones, before one is able to accept Kåñëa as the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. Kåñëa can, however, be known as such by the
causeless mercy of the pure devotee and by no other way.
Bg 2.30
TEXT
30
TEXT
dehq
iNaTYaMavDYaae_Ya& dehe SavRSYa >aarTa )
TaSMaaTSavaRi<a >aUTaaiNa Na Tv& XaaeicTauMahRiSa )) 30 ))
dehé nityam avadhyo ’yaà
dehe sarvasya bhärata
tasmät sarväëi bhütäni
na tvaà çocitum arhasi
dehé—the owner of
the material body; nityam—eternally; avadhyaù—cannot be killed; ayam—this
soul; dehe—in the body; sarvasya—of
everyone; bhärata—O descendant of Bharata; tasmät—therefore; sarväëi—all;
bhütäni—living entities (that are born); na—never; tvam—yourself; çocitum —to lament; arhasi— deserve.
TRANSLATION
O descendant of Bharata, he who dwells in the body is eternal and
can never be slain. Therefore you need not grieve for any creature.
PURPORT
The Lord now concludes the chapter of instruction on the immutable
spirit soul. In describing the immortal soul in various ways, Lord Kåñëa
establishes that the soul is immortal and the body is temporary. Therefore
Arjuna as a kñatriya should not abandon his duty
out of fear that his grandfather and teacher—Bhéñma and Droëa—will die in the
battle. On the authority of Çré Kåñëa, one has to believe that there is a soul
different from the material body, not that there is no such thing as soul, or
that living symptoms develop at a certain stage of material maturity resulting
from the interaction of chemicals. Though the soul is immortal, violence is not
encouraged, but at the time of war it is not discouraged when there is actual
need for it. That need must be justified in terms of the sanction of the Lord,
and not capriciously.
Bg 2.31
TEXT
31
TEXT
SvDaMaRMaiPa
cave+Ya Na ivk-iMPaTauMahRiSa )
DaMYaaRiÖ YauÖaC^\eYaae_NYaT+ai}aYaSYa Na ivÛTae )) 31 ))
sva-dharmam api cävekñya
na vikampitum arhasi
dharmyäd dhi yuddhäc chreyo ’nyat
kñatriyasya na vidyate
svadharmam—one’s own
religious principles; api—also; ca—indeed; avekñya—considering;
na—never; vikampitum—to
hesitate; arhasi—you deserve; dharmyät—from religious principles; hi—indeed; yuddhät—of
fighting; çreyaù—better engagements; anyat—anything else; kñatriyasya—of
the kñatriya; na—does
not; vidyate—exist.
TRANSLATION
Considering your specific duty as a kñatriya, you should know that
there is no better engagement for you than fighting on religious principles;
and so there is no need for hesitation.
PURPORT
Out of the four orders of social administration, the second order,
for the matter of good administration, is called kñatriya.
Kñat means hurt. One who gives protection from harm is called kñatriya (trayate—to give protection). The kñatriyas are trained for killing in the forest. A kñatriya would go into the forest and challenge a tiger
face to face and fight with the tiger with his sword. When the tiger was
killed, it would be offered the royal order of cremation. This system is being
followed even up to the present day by the kñatriya kings
of Jaipur state. The kñatriyas are specially
trained for challenging and killing because religious violence is sometimes a
necessary factor. Therefore, kñatriyas are never
meant for accepting directly the order of sannyäsa or
renunciation. Nonviolence in politics may be a diplomacy, but it is never a
factor or principle. In the religious law books it is stated:
ähaveñu mitho ’nyonyaà jighäàsanto mahékñitaù
yuddhamänäù paraà çaktyä svargaà yänty aparäìmukhäù
yajïeñu paçavo brahman hanyante satataà dvijaiù
saàskåtäù kila mantraiç ca te ’pi svargam aväpnuvan.
“In the battlefield, a king or kñatriya, while
fighting another king envious of him, is eligible for achieving heavenly
planets after death, as the brähmaëas also attain
the heavenly planets by sacrificing animals in the sacrificial fire.”
Therefore, killing on the battle on the religious principle and the killing of
animals in the sacrificial fire are not at all considered to be acts of
violence, because everyone is benefitted by the religious principles involved.
The animal sacrificed gets a human life immediately without undergoing the
gradual evolutionary process from one form to another, and the kñatriyas killed in the battlefield also attain the
heavenly planets as do the brähmaëas who attain
them by offering sacrifice.
There are two kinds of svadharmas, specific
duties. As long as one is not liberated, one has to perform the duties of that
particular body in accordance with religious principles in order to achieve
liberation. When one is liberated, one’s svadharma—specific
duty—becomes spiritual and is not in the material bodily concept. In the bodily
conception of life there are specific duties for the brähmaëas and kñatriyas respectively,
and such duties are unavoidable. Svadharma is
ordained by the Lord, and this will be clarified in the Fourth Chapter. On the
bodily plane svadharma is called varëäçrama-dharma, or man’s steppingstone for spiritual
understanding. Human civilization begins from the stage of varëäçrama-dharma, or specific duties in terms of the
specific modes of nature of the body obtained. Discharging one’s specific duty
in any field of action in accordance with varëäçrama-dharma
serves to elevate one to a higher status of life.
Bg 2.32
TEXT
32
TEXT
Yad*C^Yaa
caePaPaà& SvGaRÜarMaPaav*TaMa( )
Saui%Na" +ai}aYaa" PaaQaR l/>aNTae YauÖMaqd*XaMa( )) 32 ))
yadåcchayä copapannaà
svarga-dväram apävåtam
sukhinaù kñatriyäù pärtha
labhante yuddham édåçam
yadåcchayä—by its own
accord; ca—also; upapannam—arrived
at; svarga—heavenly planet; dväram—door; apävåtam—wide
open; sukhinaù—very happy; kñatriyäù—the members of the royal order; pärtha—O son of Påthä; labhante—do
achieve; yuddham—war; édåçam—like
this.
TRANSLATION
O Pärtha, happy are the kñatriyas to whom such fighting
opportunities come unsought, opening for them the doors of the heavenly
planets.
PURPORT
As supreme teacher of the world, Lord Kåñëa condemns the attitude
of Arjuna who said, “I do not find any good in this fighting. It will cause
perpetual habitation in hell.” Such statements by Arjuna were due to ignorance
only. He wanted to become nonviolent in the discharge of his specific duty. For
a kñatriya to be in the battlefield and to become
nonviolent is the philosophy of fools. In the Paräçara-småti
or religious codes made by Paräçara, the great sage and father of
Vyäsadeva, it is stated:
kñatriyo hi prajä rakñan çastra-päëiù pradaëòayan
nirjitya parasainyädi kñitià dharmeëa pälayet.
“The kñatriya’s duty is to protect
the citizens from all kinds of difficulties, and for that reason he has to
apply violence in suitable cases for law and order. Therefore he has to conquer
the soldiers of inimical kings, and thus, with religious
principles, he should rule over the world.”
Considering all aspects, Arjuna had no reason to refrain from
fighting. If he should conquer his enemies, he would enjoy the kingdom; and if
he should die in the battle, he would be elevated to the heavenly planets whose
doors were wide open to him. Fighting would be for his benefit in either case.
Bg 2.33
TEXT
33
TEXT
AQa
cetviMaMa& DaMYa| Sa°aMa& Na k-irZYaiSa )
TaTa" SvDaMa| k-IiTa| c ihTva PaaPaMavaPSYaiSa )) 33 ))
atha cet tvam imaà dharmyaà
saìgrämaà na kariñyasi
tataù sva-dharmaà kértià ca
hitvä päpam aväpsyasi
atha—therefore; cet—if; tvam—you; imam—this; dharmyam—religious
duty; saìgrämam—fighting; na—do
not; kariñyasi—perform; tataù—then;
svadharmam—your religious duty; kértim—-reputation; ca—also;
hitvä—losing; päpam—sinful
reaction; aväpsyasi—do gain.
TRANSLATION
If, however, you do not fight this religious war, then you will
certainly incur sins for neglecting your duties and thus lose your reputation
as a fighter.
PURPORT
Arjuna was a famous fighter, and he attained fame by fighting many
great demigods, including even Lord Çiva. After fighting and defeating Lord
Çiva in the dress of a hunter, Arjuna pleased the Lord and received as a reward
a weapon called päçupata-astra. Everyone knew
that he was a great warrior. Even Droëäcärya gave him benediction and awarded
him the special weapon by which he could kill even his teacher. So he was
credited with so many military certificates from many authorities, including
his adopted father Indra, the heavenly king. But if he abandoned the battle, he
would not only neglect his specific duty as a kñatriya, but
he would lose all his fame and good name and thus prepare his royal road to hell.
In other words, he would go to hell, not by fighting, but by withdrawing from
battle.
Bg 2.34
TEXT
34
TEXT
Ak-IiTa| caiPa
>aUTaaiNa k-QaiYaZYaiNTa Tae_VYaYaaMa( )
SaM>aaivTaSYa cak-IiTaRMaRr<aadiTairCYaTae )) 34 ))
akértià cäpi bhütäni
kathayiñyanti te ’vyayäm
sambhävitasya cäkértir
maraëäd atiricyate
akértim—infamy; ca—also; api—over and
above; bhütäni—all people; kathayiñyanti—will speak; te—of you; avyayäm—forever; sambhävitasya—for
a respectable man; ca—also; akértiù—ill fame; maraëät—than
death; atiricyate—becomes more than.
TRANSLATION
People will always speak of your infamy, and for one who has been
honored, dishonor is worse than death.
PURPORT
Both as friend and philosopher to Arjuna, Lord Kåñëa now gives His
final judgement regarding Arjuna’s refusal to fight. The Lord says, “Arjuna, if
you leave the battlefield, people will call you a coward even before your
actual flight. And if you think that people may call you bad names but that you
will save your life by fleeing the battlefield, then My advice is that you’d do
better to die in the battle. For a respectable man like you, ill fame is worse
than death. So, you should not flee for fear of your life; better to die in the
battle. That will save you from the ill fame of misusing My friendship and from
losing your prestige in society.”
So, the final judgement of the Lord was for Arjuna to die in the battle and not withdraw.
Bg 2.35
TEXT
35
TEXT
>aYaad]<aaduParTa&
Ma&SYaNTae Tva& MaharQaa" )
Yaeza& c Tv& bhuMaTaae >aUTva YaaSYaiSa l/agavMa( )) 35 ))
bhayäd raëäd uparataà
maàsyante tväà mahä-rathäù
yeñäà ca tvaà bahu-mato
bhütvä yäsyasi läghavam
bhayät—out of fear;
raëät—from the battlefield; uparatam—ceased; maàsyante—will
consider; tväm—unto you; mahä-rathäù—the
great generals; yeñäm—of those who; ca—also; tvam—you; bahu-mataù—in great estimation; bhütvä—will become; yäsyasi—will
go; läghavam—decreased in value.
TRANSLATION
The great generals who have highly esteemed your name and fame
will think that you have left the battlefield out of fear only, and thus they
will consider you a coward.
PURPORT
Lord Kåñëa continued to give His verdict to Arjuna: “Do not think
that the great generals like Duryodhana, Karëa, and other contemporaries will
think that you have left the battlefield out of compassion for your brothers
and grandfather. They will think that you have left out of fear for your life.
And thus their high estimation of your personality will go to hell.”
Bg 2.36
TEXT
36
TEXT
AvaCYavada&ê
bhUNvidZYaiNTa TavaihTaa" )
iNaNdNTaSTav SaaMaQYa| TaTaae du"%Tar& Nau ik-Ma( )) 36 ))
aväcya-vädäàç ca bahün
vadiñyanti tavähitäù
nindantas tava sämarthyaà
tato duùkhataraà nu kim
aväcya—unkind; vädän—fabricated words; ca—also;
bahün—many; vadiñyanti—will
say; tava—your; ahitäù—enemies;
nindantaù—while vilifying; tava—your; sämarthyam—ability;
tataù—thereafter; duùkhataram—more
painful; nu—of course; kim—what
is there.
TRANSLATION
Your enemies will describe you in many unkind words and scorn your
ability. What could be more painful for you?
PURPORT
Lord Kåñëa was astonished in the beginning at Arjuna’s
uncalled-for plea for compassion, and He described his compassion as befitting
the non-Aryans. Now in so many words, He has proved His statements against
Arjuna’s so-called compassion.
Bg 2.37
TEXT
37
TEXT
hTaae va Pa[aPSYaiSa
SvGa| iJaTva va >aae+YaSae MahqMa( )
TaSMaaduitaï k-aENTaeYa YauÖaYa k*-TaiNaêYa" )) 37 ))
hato vä präpsyasi svargaà
jitvä vä bhokñyase mahém
tasmäd uttiñöha kaunteya
yuddhäya kåta-niçcayaù
hataù—being
killed; vä—either; präpsyasi—you
gain; svargam—the heavenly kingdom; jitvä—by conquering; vä—or;
bhokñyase—you enjoy; mahém—the
world; tasmät—therefore; uttiñöha—get
up; kaunteya—O son of Kunté; yuddhäya—to fight; kåta—determination;
niçcayaù—uncertainty.
TRANSLATION
O son of Kunté, either you will be killed on the battlefield and
attain the heavenly planets, or you will conquer and enjoy the earthly kingdom.
Therefore get up and fight with determination.
PURPORT
Even though there was no certainty of victory for Arjuna’s side,
he still had to fight; for, even being killed there, he could be elevated into
the heavenly planets.
Bg 2.38
TEXT
38
TEXT
Sau%du"%e
SaMae k*-Tva l/a>aal/a>aaE JaYaaJaYaaE )
TaTaae YauÖaYa YauJYaSv NaEv& PaaPaMavaPSYaiSa )) 38 ))
sukha-duùkhe same kåtvä
läbhäläbhau jayäjayau
tato yuddhäya yujyasva
naivaà päpam aväpsyasi
sukha—happiness; duùkhe—in distress; same—in
equanimity; kåtvä—doing so; läbhäläbhau—both in loss and profit; jayäjayau—both in defeat and victory; tataù—thereafter; yuddhäya—for
the sake of fighting; yujyasva—do fight; na—never; evam—in this
way; päpam—sinful reaction; aväpsyasi—you will gain.
TRANSLATION
Do thou fight for the sake of fighting, without considering
happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat—and, by so doing, you
shall never incur sin.
PURPORT
Lord Kåñëa now directly says that Arjuna should fight for the sake
of fighting because He desires the battle. There is no consideration of
happiness or distress, profit or gain, victory or defeat in the activities of
Kåñëa consciousness. That everything should be performed for the sake of Kåñëa
is transcendental consciousness; so there is no reaction to material
activities. He who acts for his own sense gratification, either in goodness or
in passion, is subject to the reaction, good or bad. But he who has completely
surrendered himself in the activities of Kåñëa consciousness is no longer
obliged to anyone, nor is he a debtor to anyone, as one is in the ordinary
course of activities. It is said:
devarñi-bhutäpta-nåëäà pitèëäà
na kiìkaro näyamåëé ca räjan
sarvätmanä yaù çaraëaà çaraëyaà
gato mukundaà parihåtya kartam
(Bhag. 11.5.41)
“Anyone who has completely surrendered unto Kåñëa, Mukunda, giving
up all other duties, is no longer a debtor, nor is he obliged to anyone—not the
demigods, nor the sages, nor the people in general, nor kinsmen, nor humanity,
nor forefathers.” That is the indirect hint given by Kåñëa to Arjuna in this
verse, and the matter will be more clearly explained in the following verses.
Bg 2.39
TEXT
39
TEXT
Wza
Tae_i>aihTaa Saa&:Yae buiÖYaaeRGae iTvMaa& é*<au )
buÖya Yau¢-ae YaYaa PaaQaR k-MaRbNDa& Pa[haSYaiSa )) 39 ))
eñä te ’bhihitä säìkhye
buddhir yoge tv imäà çåëu
buddhyä yukto yayä pärtha
karma-bandhaà prahäsyasi
eñä—all these; te—unto you; abhihitä—described;
çäìkhye—by analytical study; buddhiù—intelligence; yoge—work
without fruitive result; tu—but; imäm—this; çåëu—just hear; buddhyä—by
intelligence; yuktaù—dovetailed; yayä—by which; pärtha—O
son of Påthä; karma-bandham—bondage of reaction; prahäsyasi—you can be released from.
TRANSLATION
Thus far I have declared to you the analytical knowledge of
säìkhya philosophy. Now listen to the knowledge of yoga whereby one works
without fruitive result. O son of Påthä, when you act by such intelligence, you
can free yourself from the bondage of works.
PURPORT
According to the Nirukti, or the
Vedic dictionary, saìkhya means that which
describes phenomena in detail, and saìkhya refers
to that philosophy which describes the real nature of the soul. And yoga involves controlling the senses. Arjuna’s proposal
not to fight was based on sense gratification. Forgetting his prime duty, he
wanted to cease fighting because he thought that by not killing his relatives
and kinsmen he would be happier than by enjoying the kingdom by conquering his
cousins and brothers, the sons of Dhåtaräñöra. In both ways, the basic
principles were for sense gratification. Happiness derived from conquering them
and happiness derived by seeing kinsmen alive are both on the basis of persona1
sense gratification, for there is a sacrifice of wisdom and duty. Kåñëa,
therefore, wanted to explain to Arjuna that by killing the body of his
grandfather he would not be killing the soul proper, and He explained that all
individual persons, including the Lord Himself, are eternal individuals; they
were individuals in the past, they are individuals in the present, and they
will continue to remain individuals in the future, because all of us are
individual souls eternally, and we simply change our bodily dress in different
manners. But, actually, we keep our individuality even after liberation from
the bondage of material dress. An analytical study of the soul and the body has
been very graphically explained by Lord Kåñëa. And this descriptive knowledge
of the soul and the body from different angles of vision has been described
here as säìkhya, in terms of the Nirukti dictionary. This säìkhya
has nothing to do with the säìkhya philosophy
of the atheist Kapila. Long before the imposter Kapila’s säìkhya, the säìkhya philosophy
was expounded in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam by the
true Lord Kapila, the incarnation of Lord Kåñëa, who explained it to His
mother, Devahüti. It is clearly explained by Him that the Puruña, or the Supreme Lord, is active and that He
creates by looking over the prakåti. This is
accepted in the Vedas and in the Gétä. The description in the Vedas
indicates that the Lord glanced over the prakåti,
or nature, and impregnated it with atomic individuals souls. All these
individuals are working in the material world for sense gratification, and
under the spell of material energy they are thinking of being enjoyers. This
mentality is dragged to the last point of liberation when the living entity
wants to become one with the Lord. This is the last snare of mäyä or sense gratificatory illusion, and it is only
after many, many births of such sense gratificatory activities that a great
soul surrenders unto Väsudeva, Lord Kåñëa, thereby fulfilling the search after
the ultimate truth.
Arjuna has already accepted Kåñëa as his spiritual master by surrendering himself unto Him: çiñyas te ’haà çädhi mäà tväà prapannam. Consequently, Kåñëa will now tell him about the working process in buddhi-yoga, or karma-yoga, or in other words, the practice of devotional service only for the sense gratification of the Lord. This buddhi-yoga is clearly explained in Chapter Ten, verse ten, as being direct communion with the Lord, who is sitting as Paramätmä in everyone’s heart. But such communion does not take place without devotional service. One who is therefore situated in devotional or transcendental loving service to the Lord, or, in other words, in Kåñëa consciousness, attains to this stage of buddhi-yoga by the special grace of the Lord. The Lord says, therefore, that only to those who are always engaged in devotional service out of transcendental love does He award the pure knowledge of devotion in love. In that way the devotee can reach Him easily in the ever-blissful kingdom of God.
Thus the buddhi-yoga mentioned in this verse is the devotional
service of the Lord, and the word säìkhya mentioned
herein has nothing to do with the atheistic säìkhya-yoga
enunciated by the impostor Kapila. One should not, therefore,
misunderstand that the säìkhya-yoga mentioned
herein has any connection with the atheistic säìkhya. Nor
did that philosophy have any influence during that time; nor would Lord Kåñëa
care to mention such godless philosophical speculations. Real säìkhya philosophy is described by Lord Kapila in the Çrémad-Bhägavatam, but even that säìkhya has nothing to do with the current topics.
Here, säìkhya means analytical description of the
body and the soul. Lord Kåñëa made an analytical description of the soul just
to bring Arjuna to the point of buddhi-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. Therefore, Lord Kåñëa’s säìkhya and Lord Kapila’s säìkhya,
as described in the Bhägavatam; are one
and the same. They are all bhakti-yoga. He said,
therefore, that only the less intelligent class of men make a distinction
between säìkhya-yoga and bhakti-yoga.
Of course, atheistic säìkhya-yoga has nothing to do with bhakti-yoga, yet the unintelligent claim that the
atheistic säìkhya-yoga is referred to in the Bhagavad-gétä.
One should therefore understand that buddhi-yoga means to work in Kåñëa consciousness, in the full bliss and knowledge of devotional service. One who works for the satisfaction of the Lord only, however difficult such work may be, is working under the principles of buddhi-yoga and finds himself always in transcendental bliss. By such transcendental engagement, one achieves all transcendental qualities automatically, by the grace of the Lord, and thus his liberation is complete in itself, without his making extraneous endeavors to acquire knowledge. There is much difference between work in Kåñëa consciousness and work for fruitive results, especially in the matter of sense gratification for achieving results in terms of family or material happiness. Buddhi-yoga is therefore the transcendental quality of the work that we perform.
Bg 2.40
TEXT
40
TEXT
Naehai>a§-MaNaaXaae_iSTa
Pa[TYavaYaae Na ivÛTae )
SvLPaMaPYaSYa DaMaRSYa }aaYaTae MahTaae >aYaaTa( )) 40 ))
nehäbhikrama-näço ’sti
pratyaväyo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
träyate mahato bhayät
na—there is
not; iha—in this world; abhikrama—endeavoring;
näçaù—loss; asti—there
is; pratyaväyaù—diminution; na—never; vidyate—there
is; svalpam—little; api—although;
asya—of this; dharmasya—of
this occupation; träyate—releases; mahataù—of very great; bhayät—from
danger.
TRANSLATION
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.
PURPORT
Activity in Kåñëa consciousness, or acting for the benefit of
Kåñëa without expectation of sense gratification, is the highest transcendental
quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment,
nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage. Any work begun on the
material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a
failure. But any work begun in Kåñëa consciousness has a permanent effect, even
though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even
if his work in Kåñëa consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Kåñëa
consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the
point of two percent; whereas, in material activity, without a hundred percent
success, there is no profit. Ajämila performed his duty in some percentage of
Kåñëa consciousness, but the result he enjoyed at the end was a hundred
percent, by the grace of the Lord. There is a nice verse in this connection in Çrémad-Bhägavatam:
tyaktvä sva-dharmaà caraëämbujaà harer
bhajan na pakko ’tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva väbhadram abhüd amuñya kià
ko värtha äpto ’bhajatäà sva-dharmataù
“If someone gives up self-gratificatory pursuits and works in
Kåñëa consciousness and then falls down on account of not completing his work,
what loss is there on his part? And, what can one gain if one performs his
material activities perfectly?” (Bhäg. 1.5.17)
Or, as the Christians say, “What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world yet
suffers the loss of his eternal soul?”
Material activities and their results end with the body. But work
in Kåñëa consciousness carries the person again to Kåñëa consciousness, even
after the loss of the body. At least one is sure to have a chance in the next
life of being born again as a human being, either in the family of a great
cultured brähmaëa or in a rich aristocratic
family that will give one a further chance for elevation. That is the unique
quality of work done in Kåñëa consciousness.
Bg 2.41
TEXT
41
TEXT
VYavSaaYaaiTMak-a
buiÖreke-h ku-åNaNdNa )
bhuXaa%a ùNaNTaaê buÖYaae_VYavSaaiYaNaaMa( )) 41 ))
vyavasäyätmikä buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-çäkhä hy anantäç ca
buddhayo ’vyavasäyinäm
vyavasäyätmikä—resolute
Kåñëa consciousness; buddhiù—intelligence; ekä—only one; iha—in this
world; kuru-nandana—O beloved child of the Kurus;
bahu-çäkhäù—various branches; hi—indeed; anantäù—unlimited;
ca—also; buddhayaù—intelligence;
avyavasäyinäm—of those who are not in Kåñëa
consciousness.
TRANSLATION
Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim
is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are
irresolute is many-branched.
PURPORT
A strong faith in Kåñëa consciousness that one should be elevated
to the highest perfection of life is called vyavasäyätmikä
intelligence. The Caitanya-caritämåta states:
‘çraddhä’-çabde viçväsa kahe sudåòha niçcaya
kåñëe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kåta haya
Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is
engaged in the duties of Kåñëa consciousness, he need not act in relationship
to the material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity, or
nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one’s reactions from
past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Kåñëa consciousness, he need no
longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in
Kåñëa consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no
longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of Kåñëa
consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is
automatically achieved by progressive Kåñëa consciousness. The resolute purpose
of a person in Kåñëa consciousness is based on knowledge (“Väsudevaù sarvam iti sa mahätmä sudurlabhaù”) by
which one comes to know perfectly that Väsudeva, or Kåñëa, is the root of all
manifested causes. As water on the root of a tree is automatically distributed
to the leaves and branches, in Kåñëa consciousness, one can render the highest
service to everyone—namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If
Kåñëa is satisfied by one’s actions, then everyone will be satisfied.
Service in Kåñëa consciousness is, however, best practiced under
the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of
Kåñëa, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in
Kåñëa consciousness. As such, to be well-versed in Kåñëa consciousness one has
to act firmly and obey the representative of Kåñëa, and one should accept the
instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as one’s mission in life. Çréla
Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkur instructs us, in his famous prayers for the
spiritual master, as follows:
yasya prasädäd bhagavat-prasädo
yasyäprasädänna gatiù kuto ’pi
dhyäyaà stuvaàs tasya yaças tri-sandhyaà
vande guroù çré-caraëäravindam.
“By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there
is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kåñëa consciousness. I should,
therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my
respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master.”
The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the
soul beyond the conception of the body—not theoretically but practically, when
there is no longer chance for sense gratification manifested in fruitive
activities. One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various types of
fruitive acts.
Bg
2.42, Bg 2.43, Bg 2.42-43
TEXTS
42–43
TEXT
YaaiMaMaa&
PauiZPaTaa& vac& Pa[vdNTYaivPaiêTa" )
vedvadrTaa" PaaQaR NaaNYadSTaqiTa vaidNa" )) 42 ))
k-aMaaTMaaNa" SvGaRPara JaNMak-MaRf-l/Pa[daMa( )
i§-YaaivXaezbhul/a& >aaeGaEìYaRGaiTa& Pa[iTa )) 43 ))
yäm imäà puñpitäà väcaà
pravadanty avipaçcitaù
veda-väda-ratäù pärtha
nänyad astéti vädinaù
kämätmänaù svarga-parä
janma-karma-phala-pradäm
kriyä-viçeña-bahuläà
bhogaiçvarya-gatià prati
yäm imäm—all these; puñpitäm—flowery; väcam—words;
pravadanti—say; avipaçcitaù—men
with a poor fund of knowledge; veda-väda-ratäù—supposed
followers of the Vedas; pärtha—O son of Påthä; na—never; anyat—anything
else; asti—there is; iti—this;
vädinaù—advocates; käma-ätmänaù—desirous
of sense gratification; svarga-paräù—aiming to
achieve heavenly planets; janma-karma-phala-pradäm—resulting
in fruitive action, good birth, etc.; kriyä-viçeña—pompous
ceremonies; bahuläm—various; bhoga—sense enjoyment; aiçvarya—opulence;
gatim—progress; prati—towards.
TRANSLATION
Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words
of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to
heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. Being desirous of
sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than
this.
PURPORT
People in general are not very intelligent, and due to their
ignorance they are most attached to the fruitive activities recommended in the karma-käëòa portions of the Vedas.
They do not want anything more than sense gratificatory proposals for
enjoying life in heaven, where wine and women are available and material
opulence is very common. In the Vedas many
sacrifices are recommended for elevation to the heavenly planets, especially
the jyotiñöoma sacrifices. In fact, it is stated
that anyone desiring elevation to heavenly planets must perform these
sacrifices, and men with a poor fund of knowledge think that this is the whole
purpose of Vedic wisdom. It is very difficult for such inexperienced persons to
be situated in the determined action of Kåñëa consciousness. As fools are
attached to the flowers of poisonous trees without knowing the results of such
attractions, similarly unenlightened men are attracted by such heavenly
opulence and the sense enjoyment thereof.
In the karma-käëòa section of the Vedas it is said that those who perform the four monthly penances become eligible to drink the somarasa beverages to become immortal and happy forever. Even on this earth some are very eager to have somarasa to become strong and fit to enjoy sense gratifications. Such persons have no faith in liberation from material bondage, and they are very much attached to the pompous ceremonies of Vedic sacrifices. They are generally sensual, and they do not want anything other than the heaven