The Gita: Chapter 3
Chapter three establishes the fact by various points of view that the performance of prescribed duties is obligatory for everyone. Here Lord Krishna categorically and comprehensively explains how it is the duty of each and every member of society to carry out their functions and responsibilities in their respective stage of life according to the rules and regulations of the society in which one lives. Further the Lord explains why such duties must be performed, what benefit is gained by performing them, what harm is caused by not performing them. Plus what actions lead to bondage and what actions lead to salvation. All these points relating to duty have been described in great detail. Thus this chapter is entitled: The Eternal Duties of Human Beings.
TEXT 1
arjuna uvaca
jyayasi cet karmanas te
mata buddhir janardana
tat kim karmani ghore mam
niyojayasi kesava
jyayasi cet karmanas te
mata buddhir janardana
tat kim karmani ghore mam
niyojayasi kesava
SYNONYMS
arjunah--Arjuna; uvaca--said; jyayasi--speaking very highly; cet--although; karmanah--than fruitive action; te--Your; mata--opinion; buddhih--intelligence; janardana--O Krsna; tat--therefore; kim--why; karmani--in action; ghore--ghastly; mam--me; niyojayasi--engaging me; kesava--O Krsna.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna
said: O Janardana, O Kesava, why do You urge me to engage in this
ghastly warfare, if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive
work?
PURPORT
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna has very elaborately described
the constitution of the soul in the previous chapter, with a view to
deliver His intimate friend Arjuna from the ocean of material grief. And
the path of realization has been recommended: buddhi-yoga, or
Krsna consciousness. Sometimes Krsna consciousness is misunderstood to
be inertia, and one with such a misunderstanding often withdraws to a
secluded place to become fully Krsna conscious by chanting the holy name
of Lord Krsna. But without being trained in the philosophy of Krsna
consciousness, it is not advisable to chant the holy name of Krsna in a
secluded place, where one may acquire only cheap adoration from the
innocent public. Arjuna also thought of Krsna consciousness or buddhi-yoga,
or intelligence in spiritual advancement of knowledge, as something
like retirement from active life and the practice of penance and
austerity at a secluded place. In other words, he wanted to skillfully
avoid the fighting by using Krsna consciousness as an excuse. But as a
sincere student, he placed the matter before his master and questioned
Krsna as to his best course of action. In answer, Lord Krsna elaborately
explained karma-yoga, or work in Krsna consciousness, in this Third Chapter.
TEXT 2
vyamisreneva vakyena
buddhim mohayasiva me
tad ekam vada niscitya
yena sreyo 'ham apnuyam
buddhim mohayasiva me
tad ekam vada niscitya
yena sreyo 'ham apnuyam
SYNONYMS
vyamisrena--by equivocal; iva--as; vakyena--words; buddhim--intelligence; mohayasi--bewildering; iva--as; me--my; tat--therefore; ekam--only one; vada--please tell; niscitya--ascertaining; yena--by which; sreyah--real benefit; aham--I; apnuyam--may have it.
TRANSLATION
My
intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal instructions. Therefore,
please tell me decisively what is most beneficial for me.
PURPORT
In the previous chapter, as a prelude to the Bhagavad-gita, many different paths were explained, such as sankhya-yoga, buddhi-yoga,
control of the senses by intelligence, work without fruitive desire,
and the position of the neophyte. This was all presented
unsystematically. A more organized outline of the path would be
necessary for action and understanding. Arjuna, therefore, wanted to
clear up these apparently confusing matters so that any common man could
accept them without misinterpretation. Although Krsna had no intention
of confusing Arjuna by any jugglery of words, Arjuna could not follow
the process of Krsna consciousness--either by inertia or active service.
In other words, by his questions he is clearing the path of Krsna
consciousness for all students who seriously want to understand the
mystery of the Bhagavad-gita.
TEXT 3
sri-bhagavan uvaca
loke 'smin dvi-vidha nistha
pura prokta mayanagha
jnana-yogena sankhyanam
karma-yogena yoginam
loke 'smin dvi-vidha nistha
pura prokta mayanagha
jnana-yogena sankhyanam
karma-yogena yoginam
SYNONYMS
sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; loke--in the world; asmin--this; dvi-vidha--two kinds of; nistha--faith; pura--formerly; prokta--were said; maya--by Me; anagha--O sinless one; jnana-yogena--by the linking process of knowledge; sankhyanam--of the empiric philosophers; karma-yogena--by the linking process of devotion; yoginam--of the devotees.
TRANSLATION
The
Blessed Lord said: O sinless Arjuna, I have already explained that
there are two classes of men who realize the Self. Some are inclined to
understand Him by empirical, philosophical speculation, and others are
inclined to know Him by devotional work.
PURPORT
In the Second Chapter, verse 39, the Lord explained two kinds of procedures--namely sankhya-yoga and karma-yoga, or buddhi-yoga. In this verse, the Lord explains the same more clearly. Sankhya-yoga,
or the analytical study of the nature of spirit and matter, is the
subject matter for persons who are inclined to speculate and understand
things by experimental knowledge and philosophy. The other class of men
work in Krsna consciousness, as it is explained in the 61st verse of the
Second Chapter. The Lord has explained, also in the 39th verse, that by
working by the principles of buddhi-yoga, or Krsna
consciousness, one can be relieved from the bonds of action; and,
furthermore, there is no flaw in the process. The same principle is more
clearly explained in the 61st verse--that this buddhi-yoga is to
depend entirely on the Supreme (or more specifically, on Krsna), and in
this way all the senses can be brought under control very easily.
Therefore, both the yogas are interdependent, as religion and
philosophy. Religion without philosophy is sentiment, or sometimes
fanaticism, while philosophy without religion is mental speculation. The
ultimate goal is Krsna, because the philosophers who are also sincerely
searching after the Absolute Truth come in the end to Krsna
consciousness. This is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. The
whole process is to understand the real position of the self in relation
to the Superself. The indirect process is philosophical speculation, by
which, gradually, one may come to the point of Krsna consciousness; and
the other process is directly connecting with everything in Krsna
consciousness. Of these two, the path of Krsna consciousness is better
because it does not depend on purifying the senses by a philosophical
process. Krsna consciousness is itself the purifying process, and by the
direct method of devotional service it is simultaneously easy and
sublime.
TEXT 4
na karmanam anarambhan
naiskarmyam puruso 'snute
na ca sannyasanad eva
siddhim samadhigacchati
naiskarmyam puruso 'snute
na ca sannyasanad eva
siddhim samadhigacchati
SYNONYMS
na--without; karmanam--of the prescribed duties; anarambhat--nonperformance; naiskarmyam--freedom from reaction; purusah--man; asnute--achieve; na--nor; ca--also; sannyasanat--by renunciation; eva--simply; siddhim--success; samadhigacchati--attain.
TRANSLATION
Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain perfection.
PURPORT
The
renounced order of life can be accepted upon being purified by the
discharge of the prescribed form of duties which are laid down just to
purify the heart of materialistic men. Without purification, one cannot
attain success by abruptly adopting the fourth order of life (sannyasa). According to the empirical philosophers, simply by adopting sannyasa,
or retiring from fruitive activities, one at once becomes as good as
Narayana. But Lord Krsna does not approve this principle. Without
purification of heart, sannyasa is simply a disturbance to the
social order. On the other hand, if someone takes to the transcendental
service of the Lord, even without discharging his prescribed duties,
whatever he may be able to advance in the cause is accepted by the Lord (buddhi-yoga). Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Even a slight performance of such a principle enables one to overcome great difficulties.
TEXT 5
na hi kascit ksanam api
jatu tisthaty akarma-krt
karyate hy avasah karma
sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih
jatu tisthaty akarma-krt
karyate hy avasah karma
sarvah prakrti-jair gunaih
SYNONYMS
na--nor; hi--certainly; kascit--anyone; ksanam--even a moment; api--also; jatu--even; tisthati--stands; akarma-krt--without doing something; karyate--forced to work; hi--certainly; avasah--helplessly; karma--work; sarvah--everything; prakrti-jaih--out of the modes of material nature; gunaih--by the qualities.
TRANSLATION
All
men are forced to act helplessly according to the impulses born of the
modes of material nature; therefore no one can refrain from doing
something, not even for a moment.
PURPORT
It
is not a question of embodied life, but it is the nature of the soul to
be always active. Without the presence of the spirit soul, the material
body cannot move. The body is only a dead vehicle to be worked by the
spirit soul, which is always active and cannot stop even for a moment.
As such, the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of Krsna
consciousness, otherwise it will be engaged in occupations dictated by
illusory energy. In contact with material energy, the spirit soul
acquires material modes, and to purify the soul from such affinities it
is necessary to engage in the prescribed duties enjoined in the sastras. But if the soul is engaged in his natural function of Krsna consciousness, whatever he is able to do is good for him. The Srimad-Bhagavatam affirms this:
tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim
ko vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah
bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim
ko vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah
"If someone takes to Krsna consciousness, even though he may not follow the prescribed duties in the sastras
nor execute the devotional service properly, and even though he may
fall down from the standard, there is no loss or evil for him. But if he
carries out all the injunctions for purification in the sastras, what does it avail him if he is not Krsna conscious?" (Bhag. 1.5.17) So the purificatory process is necessary for reaching this point of Krsna consciousness. Therefore, sannyasa,
or any purificatory process, is to help reach the ultimate goal of
becoming Krsna conscious, without which everything is considered a
failure.
TEXT 6
karmendriyani samyamya
ya aste manasa smaran
indriyarthan vimudhatma
mithyacarah sa ucyate
ya aste manasa smaran
indriyarthan vimudhatma
mithyacarah sa ucyate
SYNONYMS
karma-indriyani--the five working sense organs; samyamya--controlling; yah--anyone who; aste--remains; manasa--by mind; smaran--thinking; indriya-arthan--sense objects; vimudha--foolish; atma--soul; mithya-acarah--pretender; sah--he; ucyate--is called.
TRANSLATION
One
who restrains the senses and organs of action, but whose mind dwells on
sense objects, certainly deludes himself and is called a pretender.
PURPORT
There
are many pretenders who refuse to work in Krsna consciousness but make a
show of meditation, while actually dwelling within the mind upon sense
enjoyment. Such pretenders may also speak on dry philosophy in order to
bluff sophisticated followers, but according to this verse these are the
greatest cheaters. For sense enjoyment one can act in any capacity of
the social order, but if one follows the rules and regulations of his
particular status, he can make gradual progress in purifying his
existence. But he who makes a show of being a yogi, while
actually searching for the objects of sense gratification, must be
called the greatest cheater, even though he sometimes speaks of
philosophy. His knowledge has no value because the effects of such a
sinful man's knowledge are taken away by the illusory energy of the
Lord. Such a pretender's mind is always impure, and therefore his show
of yogic meditation has no value whatsoever.
TEXT 7
yas tv indriyani manasa
niyamyarabhate 'rjuna
karmendriyaih karma-yogam
asaktah sa visisyate
niyamyarabhate 'rjuna
karmendriyaih karma-yogam
asaktah sa visisyate
SYNONYMS
yah--one who; tu--but; indriyani--senses; manasa--by the mind; niyamya--regulating; arabhate--begins; arjuna--O Arjuna; karma-indriyaih--by the active sense organs; karma-yogam--devotion; asaktah--without attachment; sah--he; visisyate--by far the better.
TRANSLATION
On
the other hand, he who controls the senses by the mind and engages his
active organs in works of devotion, without attachment, is by far
superior.
PURPORT
Instead
of becoming a pseudo-transcendentalist for the sake of wanton living
and sense enjoyment, it is far better to remain in one's own business
and execute the purpose of life, which is to get free from material
bondage and enter into the kingdom of God. The prime svartha-gati, or goal of self-interest, is to reach Visnu. The whole institution of varna and asrama
is designed to help us reach this goal of life. A householder can also
reach this destination by regulated service in Krsna consciousness. For
self-realization, one can live a controlled life, as prescribed in the sastras,
and continue carrying out his business without attachment, and in that
way make progress. Such a sincere person who follows this method is far
better situated than the false pretender who adopts show-bottle
spiritualism to cheat the innocent public. A sincere sweeper in the
street is far better than the charlatan meditator who meditates only for
the sake of making a living.
TEXT 8
niyatam kuru karma tvam
karma jyayo hy akarmanah
sarira-yatrapi ca te
na prasiddhyed akarmanah
karma jyayo hy akarmanah
sarira-yatrapi ca te
na prasiddhyed akarmanah
SYNONYMS
niyatam--prescribed; kuru--do; karma--duties; tvam--you; karma--work; jyayah--better; hi--than; akarmanah--without work; sarira--bodily; yatra--maintenance; api--even; ca--also; te--your; na--never; prasiddhyet--effected; akarmanah--without work.
TRANSLATION
Perform your prescribed duty, for action is better than inaction. A man cannot even maintain his physical body without work.
PURPORT
There
are many pseudo-meditators who misrepresent themselves as belonging to
high parentage, and great professional men who falsely pose that they
have sacrificed everything for the sake of advancement in spiritual
life. Lord Krsna did not want Arjuna to become a pretender, but that he
perform his prescribed duties as set forth for ksatriyas. Arjuna
was a householder and a military general, and therefore it was better
for him to remain as such and perform his religious duties as prescribed
for the householder ksatriya. Such activities gradually cleanse
the heart of a mundane man and free him from material contamination.
So-called renunciation for the purpose of maintenance is never approved
by the Lord, nor by any religious scripture. After all, one has to
maintain one's body and soul together by some work. Work should not be
given up capriciously, without purification of materialistic
propensities. Anyone who is in the material world is certainly possessed
of the impure propensity for lording it over material nature, or, in
other words, for sense gratification. Such polluted propensities have to
be cleared. Without doing so, through prescribed duties, one should
never attempt to become a so-called transcendentalist, renouncing work
and living at the cost of others.
TEXT 9
yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra
loko 'yam karma-bandhanah
tad-artham karma kaunteya
mukta-sangah samacara
loko 'yam karma-bandhanah
tad-artham karma kaunteya
mukta-sangah samacara
SYNONYMS
yajna-arthat--only for the sake of Yajna, or Visnu; karmanah--work done; anyatra--otherwise; lokah--this world; ayam--this; karma-bandhanah--bondage by work; tat--Him; artham--for the sake; karma--work; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; mukta-sangah--liberated from association; samacara--do perfectly.
TRANSLATION
Work
done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed, otherwise work binds
one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your
prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always
remain unattached and free from bondage.
PURPORT
Since
one has to work even for the simple maintenance of the body, the
prescribed duties for a particular social position and quality are so
made that that purpose can be fulfilled. Yajna means Lord Visnu,
or sacrificial performances. All sacrificial performances also are meant
for the satisfaction of Lord Visnu. The Vedas enjoin: yajno vai visnuh. In other words, the same purpose is served whether one performs prescribed yajnas or directly serves Lord Visnu. Krsna consciousness is therefore performance of yajna as it is prescribed in this verse. The varnasrama institution also aims at this for satisfying Lord Visnu. "Varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman/visnur aradhyate....." (Visnu Purana
3.8.8). Therefore one has to work for the satisfaction of Visnu. Any
other work done in this material world will be a cause of bondage, for
both good and evil work have their reactions, and any reaction binds the
performer. Therefore, one has to work in Krsna consciousness to satisfy
Krsna (or Visnu); and while performing such activities one is in a
liberated stage. This is the great art of doing work, and in the
beginning this process requires very expert guidance. One should
therefore act very diligently, under the expert guidance of a devotee of
Lord Krsna, or under the direct instruction of Lord Krsna Himself
(under whom Arjuna had the opportunity to work). Nothing should be
performed for sense gratification, but everything should be done for the
satisfaction of Krsna. This practice will not only save one from the
reaction of work, but will also gradually elevate one to transcendental
loving service of the Lord, which alone can raise one to the kingdom of
God
TEXT 10
saha-yajnah prajah srstva
purovaca prajapatih
anena prasavisyadhvam
esa vo 'stv ista-kama-dhuk
purovaca prajapatih
anena prasavisyadhvam
esa vo 'stv ista-kama-dhuk
SYNONYMS
saha--along with; yajnah--sacrifices; prajah--generations; srstva--creating; pura--anciently; uvaca--said; praja-patih--the Lord of creatures; anena--by this; prasavisyadhvam--be more and more prosperous; esah--certainly; vah--your; astu--let it be; ista--all desirable; kama-dhuk--bestower.
TRANSLATION
In
the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth
generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Visnu, and
blessed them by saying, "Be thou happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because
its performance will bestow upon you all desirable things."
PURPORT
The
material creation by the Lord of creatures (Visnu) is a chance offered
to the conditioned souls to come back home--back to Godhead. All living
entities within the material creation are conditioned by material nature
because of their forgetfulness of their relationship to Krsna, the
Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic principles are to help us
understand this eternal relation, as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. The Lord says that the purpose of the Vedas is to understand Him. In the Vedic hymns it is said: patim visvasyatmesvaram. Therefore, the Lord of the living entities is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam also Srila Sukadeva Gosvami describes the Lord as pati in so many ways:
sriyah patir yajna-patih praja-patir
dhiyam patir loka-patir dhara-patih
patir gatis candhaka-vrsni-satvatam
prasidatam me bhagavan satam patih
(Bhag. 2.4.20)
dhiyam patir loka-patir dhara-patih
patir gatis candhaka-vrsni-satvatam
prasidatam me bhagavan satam patih
(Bhag. 2.4.20)
The praja-pati
is Lord Visnu, and He is the Lord of all living creatures, all worlds,
and all beauties, and the protector of everyone. The Lord created this
material world for the conditioned souls to learn how to perform yajnas
(sacrifice) for the satisfaction of Visnu, so that while in the
material world they can live very comfortably without anxiety. Then
after finishing the present material body, they can enter into the
kingdom of God. That is the whole program for the conditioned soul. By
performance of yajna, the conditioned souls gradually become Krsna conscious and become godly in all respects. In the Age of Kali, the sankirtana-yajna
(the chanting of the names of God) is recommended by the Vedic
scriptures, and this transcendental system was introduced by Lord
Caitanya for the deliverance of all men in this age. Sankirtana-yajna and Krsna consciousness go well together. Lord Krsna in His devotional form (as Lord Caitanya) is mentioned in the Srimad-Bhagavatam as follows, with special reference to the sankirtana-yajna:
krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam
yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah
"In
this Age of Kali, people who are endowed with sufficient intelligence
will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by
performance of sankirtana-yajna." (Bhag. 11.5.32) Other yajnas prescribed in the Vedic literatures are not easy to perform in this Age of Kali, but the sankirtana-yajna is easy and sublime for all purposes.
TEXT 11
devan bhavayatanena
te deva bhavayantu vah
parasparam bhavayantah
sreyah param avapsyatha
te deva bhavayantu vah
parasparam bhavayantah
sreyah param avapsyatha
SYNONYMS
devan--demigods; bhavayata--having pleased; anena--by this sacrifice; te--those; devah--the demigods; bhavayantu--will please; vah--you; parasparam--mutual; bhavayantah--pleasing one another; sreyah--benediction; param--the supreme; avapsyatha--do you achieve.
TRANSLATION
The
demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you; thus
nourishing one another, there will reign general prosperity for all.
PURPORT
The
demigods are empowered administrators of material affairs. The supply
of air, light, water and all other benedictions for maintaining the body
and soul of every living entity are entrusted to the demigods, who are
innumerable assistants in different parts of the body of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. Their pleasures and displeasures are dependent
on the performance of yajnas by the human being. Some of the yajnas are meant to satisfy particular demigods; but even in so doing, Lord Visnu is worshiped in all yajnas as the chief beneficiary. It is stated also in the Bhagavad-gita that Krsna Himself is the beneficiary of all kinds of yajnas: bhoktaram yajna-tapasam. Therefore, ultimate satisfaction of the yajna-pati is the chief purpose of all yajnas. When these yajnas
are perfectly performed, naturally the demigods in charge of the
different departments of supply are pleased, and there is no scarcity in
the supply of natural products.
Performance of yajnas has many side benefits, ultimately leading to liberation from the material bondage. By performance of yajnas, all activities become purified, as it is stated in the Vedas:
ahara-suddhau sattva-suddhih sattva-suddhau
dhruva smrtih smrti-lambhe sarvagranthinam vipramoksah
As it will be explained in the following verse, by performance of yajna one's eatables become sanctified, and by eating sanctified foodstuffs, one's very existence becomes purified; by the purification of existence, finer tissues in the memory become sanctified, and when memory is sanctified, one can think of the path of liberation, and all these combined together lead to Krsna consciousness, the great necessity of present-day society.
TEXT 12
istan bhogan hi vo deva
dasyante yajna-bhavitah
tair dattan apradayaibhyo
yo bhunkte stena eva sah
dasyante yajna-bhavitah
tair dattan apradayaibhyo
yo bhunkte stena eva sah
SYNONYMS
istan--desired; bhogan--necessities of life; hi--certainly; vah--unto you; devah--the demigods; dasyante--award; yajna-bhavitah--being satisfied by the performance of sacrifices; taih--by them; dattan--things given; apradaya--without offering; ebhyah--to the demigods; yah--he who; bhunkte--enjoys; stenah--thief; eva--certainly; sah--is he.
TRANSLATION
In
charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being
satisfied by the performance of yajna [sacrifice], supply all
necessities to man. But he who enjoys these gifts, without offering them
to the demigods in return, is certainly a thief.
PURPORT
The
demigods are authorized supplying agents on behalf of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Visnu. Therefore, they must be satisfied by the
performance of prescribed yajnas. In the Vedas, there are different kinds of yajnas
prescribed for different kinds of demigods, but all are ultimately
offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For one who cannot
understand what the Personality of Godhead is, sacrifice to the demigods
is recommended. According to the different material qualities of the
persons concerned, different types of yajnas are recommended in the Vedas.
Worship of different demigods is also on the same basis--namely,
according to different qualities. For example, the meat-eaters are
recommended to worship the goddess Kali, the ghastly form of material
nature, and before the goddess the sacrifice of animals is recommended.
But for those who are in the mode of goodness, the transcendental
worship of Visnu is recommended. But ultimately, all yajnas are meant for gradual promotion to the transcendental position. For ordinary men, at least five yajnas, known as panca-maha-yajna, are necessary.
One
should know, however, that all the necessities of life that the human
society requires are supplied by the demigod agents of the Lord. No one
can manufacture anything. Take, for example, all the eatables of human
society. These eatables include grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, sugar,
etc., for the persons in the mode of goodness, and also eatables for
the non-vegetarians, like meats, etc., none of which can be manufactured
by men. Then again, take for example heat, light, water, air, etc.,
which are also necessities of life--none of them can be manufactured by
the human society. Without the Supreme Lord, there can be no profuse
sunlight, moonlight, rainfall, breeze, etc., without which no one can
live. Obviously, our life is dependent on supplies from the Lord. Even
for our manufacturing enterprises, we require so many raw materials like
metal, sulphur, mercury, manganese, and so many essentials--all of
which are supplied by the agents of the Lord, with the purpose that we
should make proper use of them to keep ourselves fit and healthy for the
purpose of self-realization, leading to the ultimate goal of life,
namely, liberation from the material struggle for existence. This aim of
life is attained by performance of yajnas. If we forget the
purpose of human life and simply take supplies from the agents of the
Lord for sense gratification and become more and more entangled in
material existence, which is not the purpose of creation, certainly we
become thieves, and therefore we are punished by the laws of material
nature. A society of thieves can never be happy because they have no aim
in life. The gross materialist thieves have no ultimate goal of life.
They are simply directed to sense gratification; nor do they have
knowledge of how to perform yajnas. Lord Caitanya, however, inaugurated the easiest performance of yajna, namely the sankirtana-yajna, which can be performed by anyone in the world who accepts the principles of Krsna consciousness.
TEXT 13
yajna-sistasinah santo
mucyante sarva-kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa
ye pacanty atma-karanat
mucyante sarva-kilbisaih
bhunjate te tv agham papa
ye pacanty atma-karanat
SYNONYMS
yajna-sista--food taken after performance of yajna; asinah--eaters; santah--the devotees; mucyante--get relief from; sarva--all kinds of; kilbisaih--from sins; bhunjate--enjoy; te--they; tu--but; agham--grievous sins; papah--sinners; ye--those; pacanti--prepare food; atma-karanat--for sense enjoyment.
TRANSLATION
The
devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they
eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food
for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.
PURPORT
The devotees of the Supreme Lord, or the persons who are in Krsna consciousness, are called santas, and they are always in love with the Lord as it is described in the Brahma-samhita: premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. The santas,
being always in a compact of love with the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Govinda (the giver of all pleasures), or Mukunda (the giver of
liberation), or Krsna (the all-attractive person), cannot accept
anything without first offering it to the Supreme Person. Therefore,
such devotees always perform yajnas in different modes of devotional service, such as sravanam, kirtanam, smaranam, arcanam, etc., and these performances of yajnas
keep them always aloof from all kinds of contamination of sinful
association in the material world. Others, who prepare food for self or
sense gratification, are not only thieves, but are also the eaters of
all kinds of sins. How can a person be happy if he is both a thief and
sinful? It is not possible. Therefore, in order for people to become
happy in all respects, they must be taught to perform the easy process
of sankirtana-yajna, in full Krsna consciousness. Otherwise, there can be no peace or happiness in the world.
TEXT 14
annad bhavanti bhutani
parjanyad anna-sambhavah
yajnad bhavati parjanyo
yajnah karma-samudbhavah
parjanyad anna-sambhavah
yajnad bhavati parjanyo
yajnah karma-samudbhavah
SYNONYMS
annat--from grains; bhavanti--grow; bhutani--the material bodies; parjanyat--from rains; anna--of food grains; sambhavah--are made possible; yajnat--from the performance of sacrifice; bhavati--becomes possible; parjanyah--rains; yajnah--performance of yajna; karma--prescribed duties; samudbhavah--born of.
TRANSLATION
All
living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains.
Rains are produced by performance of yajna [sacrifice], and yajna is
born of prescribed duties.
PURPORT
Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, a great commentator on the Bhagavad-gita, writes as follows: ye
indrady-angatayavasthitam yajnam sarvesvaram visnum abhyarcya
tac-chesam asnanti tena tad deha-yatram sampadayanti, te santah
sarvesvarasya yajna-purusasya bhaktah sarva-kilbisair
anadi-kala-vivrddhair atmanubhava-prati bandhakair nikhilaih papair
vimucyante. The Supreme Lord, who is known as the yajna-purusa,
or the personal beneficiary of all sacrifices, is the master of all
demigods, who serve Him as the different limbs of the body serve the
whole. Demigods like Indra, Candra, Varuna, etc., are appointed officers
who manage material affairs, and the Vedas direct sacrifices to
satisfy these demigods so that they may be pleased to supply air, light
and water sufficiently to produce food grains. When Lord Krsna is
worshiped, the demigods, who are different limbs of the Lord, are also
automatically worshiped; therefore there is no separate need to worship
the demigods. For this reason, the devotees of the Lord, who are in
Krsna consciousness, offer food to Krsna and then eat--a process which
nourishes the body spiritually. By such action not only are past sinful
reactions in the body vanquished, but the body becomes immunized to all
contamination of material nature. When there is an epidemic disease, an
antiseptic vaccine protects a person from the attack of such an
epidemic. Similarly, food offered to Lord Visnu and then taken by us
makes us sufficiently resistant to material affection, and one who is
accustomed to this practice is called a devotee of the Lord. Therefore, a
person in Krsna consciousness, who eats only food offered to Krsna, can
counteract all reactions of past material infections, which are
impediments to the progress of self-realization. On the other hand, one
who does not do so continues to increase the volume of sinful action,
and this prepares the next body to resemble hogs and dogs, to suffer the
resultant reactions of all sins. The material world is full of
contaminations, and one who is immunized by accepting prasadam of
the Lord (food offered to Visnu) is saved from the attack, whereas one
who does not do so becomes subjected to contamination.
Food
grains or vegetables are factually eatables. The human being eats
different kinds of food grains, vegetables, fruits, etc., and the
animals eat the refuse of the food grains and vegetables, grass, plants,
etc. Human beings who are accustomed to eating meat and flesh must also
depend on the production of vegetation in order to eat the animals.
Therefore, ultimately, we have to depend on the production of the field
and not on the production of big factories. The field production is due
to sufficient rain from the sky, and such rains are controlled by
demigods like Indra, sun, moon, etc., and they are all servants of the
Lord. The Lord can be satisfied by sacrifices; therefore, one who cannot
perform them will find himself in scarcity--that is the law of nature. Yajna, specifically the sankirtana-yajna prescribed for this age, must therefore be performed to save us at least from scarcity of food supply.
TEXT 15
karma brahmodbhavam viddhi
brahmaksara-samudbhavam
tasmat sarva-gatam brahma
nityam yajne pratisthitam
brahmaksara-samudbhavam
tasmat sarva-gatam brahma
nityam yajne pratisthitam
SYNONYMS
karma--work; brahma--Vedas; udbhavam--produced from; viddhi--one should know; brahma--the Vedas; aksara--the Supreme Brahman (Personality of Godhead); samudbhavam--directly manifested; tasmat--therefore; sarva-gatam--all-pervading; brahma--transcendence; nityam--eternally; yajne--in sacrifice; pratisthitam--situated.
TRANSLATION
Regulated
activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are directly
manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently the
all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.
PURPORT
Yajnartha-karma,
or the necessity of work for the satisfaction of Krsna only, is more
expressly stated in this verse. If we have to work for the satisfaction
of the yajna-purusa, Visnu, then we must find out the direction of work in Brahman, or the transcendental Vedas. The Vedas are therefore codes of working directions. Anything performed without the direction of the Vedas is called vikarma, or unauthorized or sinful work. Therefore, one should always take direction from the Vedas
to be saved from the reaction of work. As one has to work in ordinary
life by the direction of the state, similarly, one has to work under
direction of the supreme state of the Lord. Such directions in the Vedas are directly manifested from the breathing of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said: asya mahato bhutasya nisvasitam etad yad rg-vedo yajur-vedah samavedo 'tharvan girasah. "The four Vedas--namely the Rg-veda, Yajur-veda, Sama-veda and Atharva-veda--are
all emanations from the breathing of the great Personality of Godhead."
The Lord, being omnipotent, can speak by breathing air, as it is
confirmed in the Brahma-samhita, for the Lord has the omnipotence
to perform through each of His senses the actions of all other senses.
In other words, the Lord can speak through His breathing, and He can
impregnate by His eyes. In fact, it is said that He glanced over
material nature and thus fathered all living entities. After creating or
impregnating the conditioned souls into the womb of material nature, He
gave His directions in the Vedic wisdom as to how such conditioned
souls can return home, back to Godhead. We should always remember that
the conditioned souls in material nature are all eager for material
enjoyment. But the Vedic directions are so made that one can satisfy
one's perverted desires, then return to Godhead, having finished his
so-called enjoyment. It is a chance for the conditioned souls to attain
liberation; therefore the conditioned souls must try to follow the
process of yajna by becoming Krsna conscious. Even those who
cannot follow the Vedic injunctions may adopt the principles of Krsna
consciousness, and that will take the place of performance of Vedic yajnas, or karmas.
TEXT 16
evam pravartitam cakram
nanuvartayatiha yah
aghayur indriyaramo
mogham partha sa jivati
nanuvartayatiha yah
aghayur indriyaramo
mogham partha sa jivati
SYNONYMS
evam--thus prescribed; pravartitam--established by the Vedas; cakram--cycle; na--does not; anuvartayati--adopt; iha--in this life; yah--one who; agha-ayuh--life full of sins; indriya-aramah--satisfied in sense gratification; mogham--useless; partha--O son of Prtha (Arjuna); sah--one who does so; jivati--lives.
TRANSLATION
My
dear Arjuna, a man who does not follow this prescribed Vedic system of
sacrifice certainly leads a life of sin, for a person delighting only in
the senses lives in vain.
PURPORT
The
mammonist philosophy of work very hard and enjoy sense gratification is
condemned herein by the Lord. Therefore, for those who want to enjoy
this material world, the above-mentioned cycle of performing yajnas
is absolutely necessary. One who does not follow such regulations is
living a very risky life, being condemned more and more. By nature's
law, this human form of life is specifically meant for self-realization,
in either of the three ways--namely karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. There is no necessity of rigidly following the performances of the prescribed yajnas
for the transcendentalists who are above vice and virtue; but those who
are engaged in sense gratification require purification by the
above-mentioned cycle of yajna performances. There are different
kinds of activities. Those who are not Krsna conscious are certainly
engaged in sensory consciousness; therefore they need to execute pious
work. The yajna system is planned in such a way that sensory
conscious persons may satisfy their desires without becoming entangled
in the reaction of sense-gratificatory work. The prosperity of the world
depends not on our own efforts but on the background arrangement of the
Supreme Lord, directly carried out by the demigods. Therefore, the yajnas are directly aimed at the particular demigod mentioned in the Vedas. Indirectly, it is the practice of Krsna consciousness, because when one masters the performance of yajnas, one is sure to become Krsna conscious. But if by performing yajnas
one does not become Krsna conscious, such principles are counted as
only moral codes. One should not, therefore, limit his progress only to
the point of moral codes, but should transcend them, to attain Krsna
consciousness
TEXT 17
yas tv atma-ratir eva syad
atma-trptas ca manavah
atmany eva ca santustas
tasya karyam na vidyate
atma-trptas ca manavah
atmany eva ca santustas
tasya karyam na vidyate
SYNONYMS
yah--one who; tu--but; atma-ratih--takes pleasure; eva--certainly; syat--remains; atma-trptah--self-illuminated; ca--and; manavah--a man; atmani--in himself; eva--only; ca--and; santustah--perfectly satiated; tasya--his; karyam--duty; na--does not; vidyate--exist.
TRANSLATION
One
who is, however, taking pleasure in the self, who is illuminated in the
self, who rejoices in and is satisfied with the self only, fully
satiated--for him there is no duty.
PURPORT
A person who is fully
Krsna conscious, and is fully satisfied by his acts in Krsna
consciousness, no longer has any duty to perform. Due to his being Krsna
conscious, all impiety within is instantly cleansed, an effect of many,
many thousands of yajna performances. By such clearing of
consciousness, one becomes fully confident of his eternal position in
relationship with the Supreme. His duty thus becomes self-illuminated by
the grace of the Lord, and therefore he no longer has any obligations
to the Vedic injunctions. Such a Krsna conscious person is no longer
interested in material activities and no longer takes pleasure in
material arrangements like wine, women and similar infatuations.
TEXT 18
naiva tasya krtenartho
nakrteneha kascana
na casya sarva-bhutesu
kascid artha-vyapasrayah
nakrteneha kascana
na casya sarva-bhutesu
kascid artha-vyapasrayah
SYNONYMS
na--never; eva--certainly; tasya--his; krtena--by discharge of duty; arthah--purpose; na--nor; akrtena--without discharge of duty; iha--in this world; kascana--whatever; na--never; ca--and; asya--of him; sarva-bhutesu--in all living beings; kascit--any; artha--purpose; vyapasrayah--taking shelter of.
TRANSLATION
A
self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his
prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor
has he any need to depend on any other living being.
PURPORT
A
self-realized man is no longer obliged to perform any prescribed duty,
save and except activities in Krsna consciousness. Krsna consciousness
is not inactivity either, as will be explained in the following verses. A
Krsna conscious man does not take shelter of any person--man or
demigod. Whatever he does in Krsna consciousness is sufficient in the
discharge of his obligation.
TEXT 19
tasmad asaktah satatam
karyam karma samacara
asakto hy acaran karma
param apnoti purusah
karyam karma samacara
asakto hy acaran karma
param apnoti purusah
SYNONYMS
tasmat--therefore; asaktah--without attachment; satatam--constantly; karyam--as duty; karma--work; samacara--perform; asaktah--nonattached; hi--certainly; acaran--performing; karma--work; param--the Supreme; apnoti--achieves; purusah--a man.
TRANSLATION
Therefore,
without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a
matter of duty; for by working without attachment, one attains the
Supreme.
PURPORT
The
Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees, and liberation
for the impersonalist. A person, therefore, acting for Krsna, or in
Krsna consciousness, under proper guidance and without attachment to the
result of the work, is certainly making progress toward the supreme
goal of life. Arjuna is told that he should fight in the Battle of
Kuruksetra for the interest of Krsna because Krsna wanted him to fight.
To be a good man or a nonviolent man is a personal attachment, but to
act on behalf of the Supreme is to act without attachment for the
result. That is perfect action of the highest degree, recommended by the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna.
Vedic
rituals, like prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of
impious activities that were performed in the field of sense
gratification. But action in Krsna consciousness is transcendental to
the reactions of good or evil work. A Krsna conscious person has no
attachment for the result but acts on behalf of Krsna alone. He engages
in all kinds of activities, but is completely nonattached.
TEXT 20
karmanaiva hi samsiddhim
asthita janakadayah
loka-sangraham evapi
sampasyan kartum arhasi
asthita janakadayah
loka-sangraham evapi
sampasyan kartum arhasi
SYNONYMS
karmana--by work; eva--even; hi--certainly; samsiddhim--perfection; asthitah--situated; janaka-adayah--Janaka and other kings; loka-sangraham--educating the people in general; eva--also; api--for the sake of; sampasyan--by considering; kartum--to act; arhasi--deserve.
TRANSLATION
Even
kings like Janaka and others attained the perfectional stage by
performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of
educating the people in general, you should perform your work.
PURPORT
Kings
like Janaka and others were all self-realized souls; consequently they
had no obligation to perform the prescribed duties in the Vedas.
Nonetheless they performed all prescribed activities just to set
examples for the people in general. Janaka was the father of Sita, and
father-in-law of Lord Sri Rama. Being a great devotee of the Lord, he
was transcendentally situated, but because he was the king of Mithila (a
subdivision of Bihar province in India), he had to teach his subjects
how to fight righteously in battle. He and his subjects fought to teach
people in general that violence is also necessary in a situation where
good arguments fail. Before the Battle of Kuruksetra, every effort was
made to avoid the war, even by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but
the other party was determined to fight. So for such a right cause,
there is a necessity for fighting. Although one who is situated in Krsna
consciousness may not have any interest in the world, he still works to
teach the public how to live and how to act. Experienced persons in
Krsna consciousness can act in such a way that others will follow, and
this is explained in the following verse.
TEXT 21
yad yad acarati sresthas
tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
tat tad evetaro janah
sa yat pramanam kurute
lokas tad anuvartate
SYNONYMS
yat--whatever; yat--and whichever; acarati--does he act; sresthah--a respectable leader; tat--that; tat--and that alone; eva--certainly; itarah--common; janah--person; sah--he; yat--whichever; pramanam--evidence; kurute--does perform; lokah--all the world; tat--that; anuvartate--follow in the footsteps.
TRANSLATION
Whatever
action is performed by a great man, common men follow in his footsteps.
And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world
pursues.
PURPORT
People
in general always require a leader who can teach the public by
practical behavior. A leader cannot teach the public to stop smoking if
he himself smokes. Lord Caitanya said that a teacher should behave
properly even before he begins teaching. One who teaches in that way is
called acarya, or the ideal teacher. Therefore, a teacher must follow the principles of sastra
(scripture) to reach the common man. The teacher cannot manufacture
rules against the principles of revealed scriptures. The revealed
scriptures, like Manu-samhita and similar others, are considered
the standard books to be followed by human society. Thus the leader's
teaching should be based on the principles of the standard rules as they
are practiced by the great teachers. The Srimad-Bhagavatam also
affirms that one should follow in the footsteps of great devotees, and
that is the way of progress on the path of spiritual realization. The
king or the executive head of a state, the father and the school teacher
are all considered to be natural leaders of the innocent people in
general. All such natural leaders have a great responsibility to their
dependents; therefore they must be conversant with standard books of
moral and spiritual codes.
TEXT 22
na me parthasti kartavyam
trisu lokesu kincana
nanavaptam avaptavyam
varta eva ca karmani
trisu lokesu kincana
nanavaptam avaptavyam
varta eva ca karmani
SYNONYMS
na--not; me--Mine; partha--O son of Prtha; asti--there is; kartavyam--any prescribed duty; trisu--in the three; lokesu--planetary systems; kincana--anything; na--no; anavaptam--in want; avaptavyam--to be gained; varte--engaged; eva--certainly; ca--also; karmani--in one's prescribed duty.
TRANSLATION
O
son of Prtha, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three
planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I need to
obtain anything--and yet I am engaged in work.
PURPORT
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in the Vedic literatures as follows:
tam isvaranam paramam mahesvaram
tam devatanam paramam ca daivatam
patim patinam paramam parastad
vidama devam bhuvanesam idyam
tam devatanam paramam ca daivatam
patim patinam paramam parastad
vidama devam bhuvanesam idyam
na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate
na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate
parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate
svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca
na tat-samas cabhyadhikas ca drsyate
parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate
svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca
"The
Supreme Lord is the controller of all other controllers, and He is the
greatest of all the diverse planetary leaders. Everyone is under His
control. All entities are delegated with particular power only by the
Supreme Lord; they are not supreme themselves. He is also worshipable by
all demigods and is the supreme director of all directors. Therefore,
He is transcendental to all kinds of material leaders and controllers
and is worshipable by all. There is no one greater than Him, and He is
the supreme cause of all causes.
"He
does not possess bodily form like that of an ordinary living entity.
There is no difference between His body and His soul. He is absolute.
All His senses are transcendental. Any one of His senses can perform the
action of any other sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or
equal to Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are
automatically performed as a natural sequence." (Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.7-8)
Since
everything is in full opulence in the Personality of Godhead and is
existing in full truth, there is no duty for the Supreme Personality of
Godhead to perform. One who must receive the results of work has some
designated duty, but one who has nothing to achieve within the three
planetary systems certainly has no duty. And yet Lord Krsna is engaged
on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra as the leader of the ksatriyas because the ksatriyas
are duty-bound to give protection to the distressed. Although He is
above all the regulations of the revealed scriptures, He does not do
anything that violates the revealed scriptures.
TEXT 23
yadi hy aham na varteyam
jatu karmany atandritah
mama vartmanuvartante
manusyah partha sarvasah
jatu karmany atandritah
mama vartmanuvartante
manusyah partha sarvasah
SYNONYMS
yadi--if; hi--certainly; aham--I; na--do not; varteyam--thus engage; jatu--ever; karmani--in the performance of prescribed duties; atandritah--with great care; mama--My; vartma--path; anuvartante--would follow; manusyah--all men; partha--O son of Prtha; sarvasah--in all respects.
TRANSLATION
For, if I did not engage in work, O Partha, certainly all men would follow My path.
PURPORT
In
order to keep the balance of social tranquility for progress in
spiritual life, there are traditional family usages meant for every
civilized man. Although such rules and regulations are for the
conditioned souls and not Lord Krsna, because He descended to establish
the principles of religion, He followed the prescribed rules. Otherwise,
common men would follow in His footsteps, because He is the greatest
authority. From the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is understood that Lord Krsna was performing all the religious duties at home and out of home, as required of a householder.
TEXT 24
utsideyur ime loka
na kuryam karma ced aham
sankarasya ca karta syam
upahanyam imah prajah
na kuryam karma ced aham
sankarasya ca karta syam
upahanyam imah prajah
SYNONYMS
utsideyuh--put into ruin; ime--all these; lokah--worlds; na--do not; kuryam--perform; karma--prescribed duties; cet--if; aham--I; sankarasya--of unwanted population; ca--and; karta--creator; syam--shall be; upahanyam--destroy; imah--all these; prajah--living entities.
TRANSLATION
If
I should cease to work, then all these worlds would be put to
ruination. I would also be the cause of creating unwanted population,
and I would thereby destroy the peace of all sentient beings.
PURPORT
Varna-sankara
is unwanted population which disturbs the peace of the general society.
In order to check this social disturbance, there are prescribed rules
and regulations by which the population can automatically become
peaceful and organized for spiritual progress in life. When Lord Krsna
descends, naturally He deals with such rules and regulations in order to
maintain the prestige and necessity of such important performances. The
Lord is the father of all living entities, and if the living entities
are misguided, indirectly the responsibility goes to the Lord.
Therefore, whenever there is general disregard of regulative principles,
the Lord Himself descends and corrects the society. We should, however,
note carefully that although we have to follow in the footsteps of the
Lord, we still have to remember that we cannot imitate Him. Following
and imitating are not on the same level. We cannot imitate the Lord by
lifting Govardhana Hill, as the Lord did in His childhood. It is
impossible for any human being. We have to follow His instructions, but
we may not imitate Him at any time. The Srimad-Bhagavatam affirms:
naitat samacarej jatu
manasapi hy anisvarah
vinasyaty acaran maudhyad
yatha 'rudro 'bdhi-jam visam
manasapi hy anisvarah
vinasyaty acaran maudhyad
yatha 'rudro 'bdhi-jam visam
isvaranam vacah satyam
tathaivacaritam kvacit
tesam yat sva-vaco-yuktam
buddhimams tat samacaret
tathaivacaritam kvacit
tesam yat sva-vaco-yuktam
buddhimams tat samacaret
"One
should simply follow the instructions of the Lord and His empowered
servants. Their instructions are all good for us, and any intelligent
person will perform them as instructed. However, one should guard
against trying to imitate their actions. One should not try to drink the
ocean of poison in imitation of Lord Siva." (Bhag. 10.33.30)
We should always consider the position of the isvaras, or those who can actually control the movements of the sun and moon, as superior. Without such power, one cannot imitate the isvaras,
who are superpowerful. Lord Siva drank poison to the extent of
swallowing an ocean, but if any common man tries to drink even a
fragment of such poison, he will be killed. There are many
pseudo-devotees of Lord Siva who want to indulge in smoking ganja
(marijuana) and similar intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so
imitating the acts of Lord Siva they are calling death very near.
Similarly, there are some pseudo-devotees of Lord Krsna who prefer to
imitate the Lord in His rasa-lila, or dance of love, forgetting
their inability to lift Govardhana Hill. It is best, therefore, that one
not try to imitate the powerful, but simply follow their instructions;
nor should one try to occupy their posts without qualification. There
are so many "incarnations" of God without the power of the Supreme
Godhead.
TEXT 25
saktah karmany avidvamso
yatha kurvanti bharata
kuryad vidvams tathasaktas
cikirsur loka-sangraham
yatha kurvanti bharata
kuryad vidvams tathasaktas
cikirsur loka-sangraham
SYNONYMS
saktah--being attached; karmani--prescribed duties; avidvamsah--the ignorant; yatha--as much as; kurvanti--do it; bharata--O descendant of Bharata; kuryat--must do; vidvan--the learned; tatha--thus; asaktah--without attachment; cikirsuh--desiring to; loka-sangraham--leading the people in general.
TRANSLATION
As
the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, similarly
the learned may also act, but without attachment, for the sake of
leading people on the right path.
PURPORT
A
person in Krsna consciousness and a person not in Krsna consciousness
are differentiated by different desires. A Krsna conscious person does
not do anything which is not conducive to development of Krsna
consciousness. He may even act exactly like the ignorant person, who is
too much attached to material activities, but one is engaged in such
activities for the satisfaction of his sense gratification, whereas the
other is engaged for the satisfaction of Krsna. Therefore, the Krsna
conscious person is required to show the people how to act and how to
engage the results of action for the purpose of Krsna consciousness.
TEXT 26
na buddhi-bhedam janayed
ajnanam karma-sanginam
josayet sarva-karmani
vidvan yuktah samacaran
ajnanam karma-sanginam
josayet sarva-karmani
vidvan yuktah samacaran
SYNONYMS
na--do not; buddhi-bhedam--disrupt the intelligence; janayet--do; ajnanam--of the foolish; karma-sanginam--attached to fruitive work; josayet--dovetailed; sarva--all; karmani--work; vidvan--learned; yuktah--all engaged; samacaran--practicing.
TRANSLATION
Let
not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are attached to
fruitive action, they should not be encouraged to refrain from work, but
to engage in work in the spirit of devotion.
PURPORT
Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: That is the end of all Vedic rituals. All rituals, all performances of sacrifices, and everything that is put into the Vedas,
including all direction for material activities, are meant for
understanding Krsna, who is the ultimate goal of life. But because the
conditioned souls do not know anything beyond sense gratification, they
study the Vedas to that end. Through sense regulations, however,
one is gradually elevated to Krsna consciousness. Therefore a realized
soul in Krsna consciousness should not disturb others in their
activities or understanding, but he should act by showing how the
results of all work can be dedicated to the service of Krsna. The
learned Krsna conscious person may act in such a way that the ignorant
person working for sense gratification may learn how to act and how to
behave. Although the ignorant man is not to be disturbed in his
activities, still, a slightly developed Krsna conscious person may
directly be engaged in the service of the Lord without waiting for other
Vedic formulas. For this fortunate man there is no need to follow the
Vedic rituals, because in direct Krsna consciousness one can have all
the results simply by following the prescribed duties of a particular
person.
TEXT 27
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate
SYNONYMS
prakrteh--of material nature; kriyamanani--all being done; gunaih--by the modes; karmani--activities; sarvasah--all kinds of; ahankara-vimudha--bewildered by false ego; atma--the spirit soul; karta--doer; aham--I; iti--thus; manyate--thinks.
TRANSLATION
The
bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of
material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are
in actuality carried out by nature.
PURPORT
Two
persons, one in Krsna consciousness and the other in material
consciousness, working on the same level, may appear to be working on
the same platform, but there is a wide gulf of difference in their
respective positions. The person in material consciousness is convinced
by false ego that he is the doer of everything. He does not know that
the mechanism of the body is produced by material nature, which works
under the supervision of the Supreme Lord. The materialistic person has
no knowledge that ultimately he is under the control of Krsna. The
person in false ego takes all credit for doing everything independently,
and that is the symptom of his nescience. He does not know that this
gross and subtle body is the creation of material nature, under the
order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such his bodily and
mental activities should be engaged in the service of Krsna, in Krsna
consciousness. The ignorant man forgets that the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is known as Hrsikesa, or the master of the senses of the
material body, for due to his long misuse of the senses in sense
gratification, he is factually bewildered by the false ego, which makes
him forget his eternal relationship with Krsna.
TEXT 28
tattva-vit tu maha-baho
guna-karma-vibhagayoh
guna gunesu vartanta
iti matva na sajjate
guna-karma-vibhagayoh
guna gunesu vartanta
iti matva na sajjate
SYNONYMS
tattva-vit--the knower of the Absolute Truth; tu--but; maha-baho--O mighty-armed one; guna-karma--works under material influence; vibhagayoh--differences; gunah--senses; gunesu--in sense gratification; vartante--being engaged; iti--thus; matva--thinking; na--never; sajjate--becomes attached.
TRANSLATION
One
who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not
engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the
differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results.
PURPORT
The
knower of the Absolute Truth is convinced of his awkward position in
material association. He knows that he is part and parcel of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, Krsna, and that his position should not be in
the material creation. He knows his real identity as part and parcel of
the Supreme, who is eternal bliss and knowledge, and he realizes that
somehow or other he is entrapped in the material conception of life. In
his pure state of existence he is meant to dovetail his activities in
devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. He
therefore engages himself in the activities of Krsna consciousness and
becomes naturally unattached to the activities of the material senses,
which are all circumstantial and temporary. He knows that his material
condition of life is under the supreme control of the Lord; consequently
he is not disturbed by all kinds of material reactions, which he
considers to be the mercy of the Lord. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam,
one who knows the Absolute Truth in three different features--namely
Brahman, Paramatma, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead--is called tattva-vit, for he knows also his own factual position in relationship with the Supreme.
TEXT 29
prakrter guna-sammudhah
sajjante guna-karmasu
tan akrtsna-vido mandan
krtsna-vin na vicalayet
sajjante guna-karmasu
tan akrtsna-vido mandan
krtsna-vin na vicalayet
SYNONYMS
prakrteh--impelled by the material modes; guna-sammudhah--befooled by material identification; sajjante--become engaged; guna-karmasu--in material activities; tan--all those; akrtsna-vidah--persons with a poor fund of knowledge; mandan--lazy to understand self-realization; krtsna-vit--one who is in factual knowledge; na--may not; vicalayet--try to agitate.
TRANSLATION
Bewildered
by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves
in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not
unsettle them, although these duties are inferior due to the performers'
lack of knowledge.
PURPORT
Persons
who are unknowledgeable falsely identify with gross material
consciousness and are full of material designations. This body is a gift
of the material nature, and one who is too much attached to the bodily
consciousness is called mandan, or a lazy person without
understanding of spirit soul. Ignorant men think of the body as the
self; bodily connections with others are accepted as kinsmanship; the
land in which the body is obtained is the object of worship; and the
formalities of religious rituals are considered ends in themselves.
Social work, nationalism, and altruism are some of the activities for
such materially designated persons. Under the spell of such
designations, they are always busy in the material field; for them
spiritual realization is a myth, and so they are not interested. Such
bewildered persons may even be engaged in such primary moral principles
of life as nonviolence and similar materially benevolent work. Those who
are, however, enlightened in spiritual life, should not try to agitate
such materially engrossed persons. Better to prosecute one's own
spiritual activities silently.
Men
who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Krsna consciousness,
and therefore Lord Krsna advises us not to disturb them and simply waste
valuable time. But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord
because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they
undertake all kinds of risks, even to the point of approaching ignorant
men to try to engage them in the acts of Krsna consciousness, which are
absolutely necessary for the human being.
TEXT 30
mayi sarvani karmani
sannyasyadhyatma-cetasa
nirasir nirmamo bhutva
yudhyasva vigata-jvarah
sannyasyadhyatma-cetasa
nirasir nirmamo bhutva
yudhyasva vigata-jvarah
SYNONYMS
mayi--unto Me; sarvani--all sorts of; karmani--activities; sannyasya--giving up completely; adhyatma--with full knowledge of the self; cetasa--consciousness; nirasih--without desire for profit; nirmamah--without ownership; bhutva--so being; yudhyasva--fight; vigata-jvarah--without being lethargic.
TRANSLATION
Therefore,
O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with mind intent on Me,
and without desire for gain and free from egoism and lethargy, fight.
PURPORT
This verse clearly indicates the purpose of the Bhagavad-gita.
The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Krsna conscious to
discharge duties, as if in military discipline. Such an injunction may
make things a little difficult; nevertheless duties must be carried out,
with dependence on Krsna, because that is the constitutional position
of the living entity. The living entity cannot be happy independent of
the cooperation of the Supreme Lord because the eternal constitutional
position of the living entity is to become subordinate to the desires of
the Lord. Arjuna was, therefore, ordered by Sri Krsna to fight as if
the Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice everything
for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at the same time discharge
prescribed duties without claiming proprietorship. Arjuna did not have
to consider the order of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. The
Supreme Lord is the soul of all souls; therefore, one who depends
solely and wholly on the Supreme Soul without personal consideration, or
in other words, one who is fully Krsna conscious, is called adhyatma-cetasa. Nirasih
means that one has to act on the order of the master. Nor should one
ever expect fruitive results. The cashier may count millions of dollars
for his employer, but he does not claim a cent for himself. Similarly,
one has to realize that nothing in the world belongs to any individual
person, but that everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. That is the
real purport of mayi, or unto Me. And when one acts in such Krsna
consciousness, certainly he does not claim proprietorship over
anything. This consciousness is called nirmama, or nothing is
mine. And, if there is any reluctance to execute such a stern order
which is without consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily
relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off; in this way one may
become vigata-jvara or without feverish mentality or lethargy.
Everyone, according to his quality and position, has a particular type
of work to discharge, and all such duties may be discharged in Krsna
consciousness, as described above. That will lead one to the path of
liberation.
TEXT 31
ye me matam idam nityam
anutisthanti manavah
sraddhavanto 'nasuyanto
mucyante te 'pi karmabhih
anutisthanti manavah
sraddhavanto 'nasuyanto
mucyante te 'pi karmabhih
SYNONYMS
ye--those; me--My; matam--injunctions; idam--this; nityam--eternal function; anutisthanti--execute regularly; manavah--humankind; sraddha-vantah--with faith and devotion; anasuyantah--without envy; mucyante--become free; te--all of them; api--even; karmabhih--from the bondage of the law of fruitive action.
TRANSLATION
One
who executes his duties according to My injunctions and who follows
this teaching faithfully, without envy, becomes free from the bondage of
fruitive actions.
PURPORT
The
injunction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the essence
of all Vedic wisdom, and therefore is eternally true without exception.
As the Vedas are eternal, so this truth of Krsna consciousness
is also eternal. One should have firm faith in this injunction, without
envying the Lord. There are many philosophers who write comments on the Bhagavad-gita
but have no faith in Krsna. They will never be liberated from the
bondage of fruitive action. But an ordinary man with firm faith in the
eternal injunctions of the Lord, even though unable to execute such
orders, becomes liberated from the bondage of the law of karma.
In the beginning of Krsna consciousness, one may not fully discharge the
injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this
principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and
hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Krsna
consciousness.
TEXT 32
ye tv etad abhyasuyanto
nanutisthanti me matam
sarva-jnana-vimudhams tan
viddhi nastan acetasah
nanutisthanti me matam
sarva-jnana-vimudhams tan
viddhi nastan acetasah
SYNONYMS
ye--those; tu--however; etat--this; abhyasuyantah--out of envy; na--do not; anutisthanti--regularly perform; me--My; matam--injunction; sarva-jnana--all sorts of knowledge; vimudhan--perfectly befooled; tan--they are; viddhi--know it well; nastan--all ruined; acetasah--without Krsna consciousness.
TRANSLATION
But
those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not practice
them regularly, are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled,
and doomed to ignorance and bondage.
PURPORT
The
flaw of not being Krsna conscious is clearly stated herein. As there is
punishment for disobedience to the order of the supreme executive head,
so there is certainly punishment for the disobedience of the order of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A disobedient person, however great
he may be, is ignorant of his own self, of the Supreme Brahman, and
Paramatma and the Personality of Godhead, due to a vacant heart.
Therefore there is no hope of perfection of life for him.
TEXT 33
sadrsam cestate svasyah
prakrter jnanavan api
prakrtim yanti bhutani
nigrahah kim karisyati
prakrter jnanavan api
prakrtim yanti bhutani
nigrahah kim karisyati
SYNONYMS
sadrsam--accordingly; cestate--tries; svasyah--in one's own nature; prakrteh--modes; jnana-van--learned; api--although; prakrtim--nature; yanti--undergo; bhutani--all living entities; nigrahah--suppression; kim--what; karisyati--can do.
TRANSLATION
Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows his nature. What can repression accomplish?
PURPORT
Unless
one is situated on the transcendental platform of Krsna consciousness,
he cannot get free from the influence of the modes of material nature,
as it is confirmed by the Lord in the Seventh Chapter (7.14).
Therefore, even for the most highly educated person on the mundane
plane, it is impossible to get out of the entanglement of maya
simply by theoretical knowledge, or by separating the soul from the
body. There are many so-called spiritualists who outwardly pose to be
advanced in the science, but inwardly or privately are completely under
the particular modes of nature which they are unable to surpass.
Academically, one may be very learned, but because of his long
association with material nature, he is in bondage. Krsna consciousness
helps one to get out of the material entanglement, even though one may
be engaged in his prescribed duties. Therefore, without being fully in
Krsna consciousness, no one should suddenly give up his prescribed
duties and become a so-called yogi or transcendentalist
artificially. It is better to be situated in one's position and try to
attain Krsna consciousness under superior training. Thus one may be
freed from the clutches of maya.
TEXT 34
indriyasyendriyasyarthe
raga-dvesau vyavasthitau
tayor na vasam agacchet
tau hy asya paripanthinau
raga-dvesau vyavasthitau
tayor na vasam agacchet
tau hy asya paripanthinau
SYNONYMS
indriyasya--of the senses; indriyasya arthe--in the sense objects; raga--attachment; dvesau--also detachment; vyavasthitau--put under regulations; tayoh--of them; na--never; vasam--control; agacchet--one should come; tau--those; hi--certainly; asya--his; paripanthinau--stumbling blocks.
TRANSLATION
Attraction
and repulsion for sense objects are felt by embodied beings, but one
should not fall under the control of senses and sense objects because
they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.
PURPORT
Those
who are in Krsna consciousness are naturally reluctant to engage in
material sense gratification. But those who are not in such
consciousness should follow the rules and regulations of the revealed
scriptures. Unrestricted sense enjoyment is the cause of material
encagement, but one who follows the rules and regulations of the
revealed scriptures does not become entangled by the sense objects. For
example, sex enjoyment is a necessity for the conditioned soul, and sex
enjoyment is allowed under the license of marriage ties. For example,
according to scriptural injunctions, one is forbidden to engage in sex
relationships with any women other than one's wife. All other women are
to be considered as one's mother. But, in spite of such injunctions, a
man is still inclined to have sex relationships with other women. These
propensities are to be curbed; otherwise they will be stumbling blocks
on the path of self-realization. As long as the material body is there,
the necessities of the material body are allowed, but under rules and
regulations. And yet, we should not rely upon the control of such
allowances. One has to follow those rules and regulations, unattached to
them, because practice of sense gratification under regulations may
also lead one to go astray--as much as there is always the chance of an
accident, even on the royal roads. Although they may be very carefully
maintained, no one can guarantee that there will be no danger even on
the safest road. The sense enjoyment spirit has been current a very
long, long time, owing to material association. Therefore, in spite of
regulated sense enjoyment, there is every chance of falling down;
therefore any attachment for regulated sense enjoyment must also be
avoided by all means. But action in the loving service of Krsna detaches
one from all kinds of sensory activities. Therefore, no one should try
to be detached from Krsna consciousness at any stage of life. The whole
purpose of detachment from all kinds of sense attachment is ultimately
to become situated on the platform of Krsna consciousness.
TEXT 35
sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah
para-dharmat svanusthitat
sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah
para-dharmo bhayavahah
para-dharmat svanusthitat
sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah
para-dharmo bhayavahah
SYNONYMS
sreyan--far better; sva-dharmah--one's prescribed duties; vigunah--even faulty; para-dharmat--from duties mentioned for others; svanusthitat--than perfectly done; sva-dharme--in one's prescribed duties; nidhanam--destruction; sreyah--better; para-dharmah--duties prescribed for others; bhaya-avahah--dangerous.
TRANSLATION
It
is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though they
may be faulty, than another's duties. Destruction in the course of
performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties,
for to follow another's path is dangerous.
PURPORT
One
should therefore discharge his prescribed duties in full Krsna
consciousness rather than those prescribed for others. Prescribed duties
complement one's psychophysical condition, under the spell of the modes
of material nature. Spiritual duties are as ordered by the spiritual
master, for the transcendental service of Krsna. But both materially or
spiritually, one should stick to his prescribed duties even up to death,
rather than imitate another's prescribed duties. Duties on the
spiritual platform and duties on the material platform may be different,
but the principle of following the authorized direction is always good
for the performer. When one is under the spell of the modes of material
nature, one should follow the prescribed rules for particular situations
and should not imitate others. For example, a brahmana, who is in the mode of goodness, is nonviolent, whereas a ksatriya, who is in the mode of passion, is allowed to be violent. As such, for a ksatriya it is better to be vanquished following the rules of violence than to imitate a brahmana
who follows the principles of nonviolence. Everyone has to cleanse his
heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. However, when one transcends
the modes of material nature and is fully situated in Krsna
consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the
direction of the bona fide spiritual master. In that complete stage of
Krsna consciousness, the ksatriya may act as a brahmana, or a brahmana may act as a ksatriya. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions of the material world do not apply. For example, Visvamitra was originally a ksatriya, but later on he acted as a brahmana, whereas Parasurama was a brahmana, but later on he acted as a ksatriya.
Being transcendentally situated, they could do so; but as long as one
is on the material platform, he must perform his duties according to the
modes of material nature. At the same time, he must have a full sense
of Krsna consciousness.
TEXT 36
arjuna uvaca
atha kena prayukto 'yam
papam carati purusah
anicchann api varsneya
balad iva niyojitah
atha kena prayukto 'yam
papam carati purusah
anicchann api varsneya
balad iva niyojitah
SYNONYMS
arjunah uvaca--Arjuna said; atha--hereafter; kena--by what; prayuktah--impelled; ayam--one; papam--sins; carati--acts; purusah--a man; anicchan--without desiring; api--although; varsneya--O descendant of Vrsni; balat--by force; iva--as if; niyojitah--engaged.
TRANSLATION
Arjuna said: O descendant of Vrsni, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?
PURPORT
A
living entity, as part and parcel of the Supreme, is originally
spiritual, pure, and free from all material contaminations. Therefore,
by nature he is not subjected to the sins of the material world. But
when he is in contact with the material nature, he acts in many sinful
ways without hesitation, and sometimes even against his will. As such,
Arjuna's question to Krsna is very sanguine, as to the perverted nature
of the living entities. Although the living entity sometimes does not
want to act in sin, he is still forced to act. Sinful actions are not,
however, impelled by the Supersoul within, but are due to another cause,
as the Lord explains in the next verse.
TEXT 37
sri-bhagavan uvaca
kama esa krodha esa
rajo-guna-samudbhavah
mahasano maha-papma
viddhy enam iha vairinam
kama esa krodha esa
rajo-guna-samudbhavah
mahasano maha-papma
viddhy enam iha vairinam
SYNONYMS
sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Personality of Godhead said; kamah--lust; esah--all these; krodhah--wrath; esah--all these; rajah-guna--the mode of passion; samudbhavah--born of; maha-asanah--all-devouring; maha-papma--greatly sinful; viddhi--know; enam--this; iha--in the material world; vairinam--greatest enemy.
TRANSLATION
The
Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact
with the material modes of passion and later transformed into wrath, and
which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.
PURPORT
When
a living entity comes in contact with the material creation, his
eternal love for Krsna is transformed into lust, in association with the
mode of passion. Or, in other words, the sense of love of God becomes
transformed into lust, as milk in contact with sour tamarind is
transformed into yogurt. Then again, when lust is unsatisfied, it turns
into wrath; wrath is transformed into illusion, and illusion continues
the material existence. Therefore, lust is the greatest enemy of the
living entity, and it is lust only which induces the pure living entity
to remain entangled in the material world. Wrath is the manifestation of
the mode of ignorance; these modes exhibit themselves as wrath and
other corollaries. If, therefore, the modes of passion, instead of being
degraded into the modes of ignorance, are elevated to the modes of
goodness by the prescribed method of living and acting, then one can be
saved from the degradation of wrath by spiritual attachment.
The
Supreme Personality of Godhead expanded Himself into many for His
ever-increasing spiritual bliss, and the living entities are parts and
parcels of this spiritual bliss. They also have partial independence,
but by misuse of their independence, when the service attitude is
transformed into the propensity for sense enjoyment, they come under the
sway of lust. This material creation is created by the Lord to give a
facility to the conditioned souls to fulfill these lustful propensities,
and when they are completely baffled by prolonged lustful activities,
the living entities begin to inquire about their real position.
This inquiry is the beginning of the Vedanta-sutras, wherein it is said, athato brahma-jijnasa: one should inquire into the Supreme. And the Supreme is defined in Srimad-Bhagavatam as janmady asya yato 'nvayad itaratas ca,
or, "The origin of everything is the Supreme Brahman." Therefore, the
origin of lust is also in the Supreme. If, therefore, lust is
transformed into love for the Supreme, or transformed into Krsna
consciousness--or, in other words, desiring everything for Krsna--then
both lust and wrath can be spiritualized. Hanuman, the great servitor of
Lord Rama, engaged his wrath upon his enemies for the satisfaction of
the Lord. Therefore, lust and wrath, when they are employed in Krsna
consciousness, become our friends instead of our enemies.
TEXT 38
dhumenavriyate vahnir
yathadarso malena ca
yatholbenavrto garbhas
tatha tenedam avrtam
yathadarso malena ca
yatholbenavrto garbhas
tatha tenedam avrtam
SYNONYMS
dhumena--by smoke; avriyate--covered; vahnih--fire; yatha--just as; adarsah--mirror; malena--by dust; ca--also; yatha--just as; ulbena--by the womb; avrtah--is covered; garbhah--embryo; tatha--so; tena--by that lust; idam--this; avrtam--is covered.
TRANSLATION
As
fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the
embryo is covered by the womb, similarly, the living entity is covered
by different degrees of this lust.
PURPORT
There
are three degrees of covering of the living entity by which his pure
consciousness is obscured. This covering is but lust under different
manifestations like smoke in the fire, dust on the mirror, and the womb
about the embryo. When lust is compared to smoke, it is understood that
the fire of the living spark can be a little perceived. In other words,
when the living entity exhibits his Krsna consciousness slightly, he may
be likened to the fire covered by smoke. Although fire is necessary
where there is smoke, there is no overt manifestation of fire in the
early stage. This stage is like the beginning of Krsna consciousness.
The dust on the mirror refers to a cleansing process of the mirror of
the mind by so many spiritual methods. The best process is to chant the
holy names of the Lord. The embryo covered by the womb is an analogy
illustrating a helpless position, for the child in the womb is so
helpless that he cannot even move. This stage of living condition can be
compared to that of the trees. The trees are also living entities, but
they have been put in such a condition of life by such a great
exhibition of lust that they are almost void of all consciousness. The
covered mirror is compared to the birds and beasts, and the smoke
covered fire is compared to the human being. In the form of a human
being, the living entity may revive a little Krsna consciousness, and,
if he makes further development, the fire of spiritual life can be
kindled in the human form of life. By careful handling of the smoke in
the fire, the fire can be made to blaze. Therefore the human form of
life is a chance for the living entity to escape the entanglement of
material existence. In the human form of life, one can conquer the
enemy, lust, by cultivation of Krsna consciousness under able guidance.
TEXT 39
avrtam jnanam etena
jnanino nitya-vairina
kama-rupena kaunteya
duspurenanalena ca
jnanino nitya-vairina
kama-rupena kaunteya
duspurenanalena ca
SYNONYMS
avrtam--covered; jnanam--pure consciousness; etena--by this; jnaninah--of the knower; nitya-vairina--eternal enemy; kama-rupena--in the form of lust; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; duspurena--never to be satisfied; analena--by the fire; ca--also.
TRANSLATION
Thus,
a man's pure consciousness is covered by his eternal enemy in the form
of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.
PURPORT
It is said in the Manu-smrti
that lust cannot be satisfied by any amount of sense enjoyment, just as
fire is never extinguished by a constant supply of fuel. In the
material world, the center of all activities is sex, and thus this
material world is called maithunya-agara, or the shackles of sex
life. In the ordinary prison house, criminals are kept within bars;
similarly, the criminals who are disobedient to the laws of the Lord are
shackled by sex life. Advancement of material civilization on the basis
of sense gratification means increasing the duration of the material
existence of a living entity. Therefore, this lust is the symbol of
ignorance by which the living entity is kept within the material world.
While one enjoys sense gratification, it may be that there is some
feeling of happiness, but actually that so-called feeling of happiness
is the ultimate enemy of the sense enjoyer.
TEXT 40
indriyani mano buddhir
asyadhisthanam ucyate
etair vimohayaty esa
jnanam avrtya dehinam
asyadhisthanam ucyate
etair vimohayaty esa
jnanam avrtya dehinam
SYNONYMS
indriyani--the senses; manah--the mind; buddhih--the intelligence; asya--of the lust; adhisthanam--sitting place; ucyate--called; etaih--by all these; vimohayati--bewilders; esah--of this; jnanam--knowledge; avrtya--covering; dehinam--the embodied.
TRANSLATION
The
senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this
lust, which veils the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders
him.
PURPORT
The
enemy has captured different strategic positions in the body of the
conditioned soul, and therefore Lord Krsna is giving hints of those
places, so that one who wants to conquer the enemy may know where he can
be found. Mind is the center of all the activities of the senses, and
thus the mind is the reservoir of all ideas of sense gratification; and,
as a result, the mind and the senses become the repositories of lust.
Next, the intelligence department becomes the capital of such lustful
propensities. Intelligence is the immediate next-door neighbor of the
spirit soul. Lusty intelligence influences the spirit soul to acquire
the false ego and identify itself with matter, and thus with the mind
and senses. The spirit soul becomes addicted to enjoying the material
senses and mistakes this as true happiness. This false identification of
the spirit soul is very nicely explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.84.13):
yasyatma-buddhih kunape tri-dhatuke
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah
sva-dhih kalatradisu bhauma ijya-dhih
yat-tirtha-buddhih salile na karhicij
janesv abhijnesu sa eva go-kharah
"A
human being who identifies this body made of three elements with his
self, who considers the by-products of the body to be his kinsmen, who
considers the land of birth as worshipable, and who goes to the place of
pilgrimage simply to take a bath rather than meet men of transcendental
knowledge there, is to be considered as an ass or a cow."
TEXT 41
tasmat tvam indriyany adau
niyamya bharatarsabha
papmanam prajahi hy enam
jnana-vijnana-nasanam
niyamya bharatarsabha
papmanam prajahi hy enam
jnana-vijnana-nasanam
SYNONYMS
tasmat--therefore; tvam--you; indriyani--senses; adau--in the beginning; niyamya--by regulating; bharata-rsabha--O chief amongst the descendants of Bharata; papmanam--the great symbol of sin; prajahi--curb; hi--certainly; enam--this; jnana--knowledge; vijnana--scientific knowledge of the pure soul; nasanam--the destroyer.
TRANSLATION
Therefore,
O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb this great
symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer
of knowledge and self-realization.
PURPORT
The
Lord advised Arjuna to regulate the senses from the very beginning so
that he could curb the greatest sinful enemy, lust, which destroys the
urge for self-realization, and specifically, knowledge of the self. Jnanam
refers to knowledge of self as distinguished from non-self, or, in
other words, knowledge that the spirit soul is not the body. Vijnanam
refers to specific knowledge of the spirit soul and knowledge of one's
constitutional position and his relationship to the Supreme Soul. It is
explained thus in the Srimad-Bhagavatam: jnanam parama-guhyam me yad vijnana-samanvitam/sa-rahasyam tad-angam ca grhana gaditam maya: "The knowledge of the self and the Supreme Self is very confidential and mysterious, being veiled by maya, but such knowledge and specific realization can be understood if it is explained by the Lord Himself." Bhagavad-gita
gives us that knowledge, specifically knowledge of the self. The living
entities are parts and parcels of the Lord, and therefore they are
simply meant to serve the Lord. This consciousness is called Krsna
consciousness. So, from the very beginning of life one has to learn this
Krsna consciousness, and thereby one may become fully Krsna conscious
and act accordingly.
Lust
is only the perverted reflection of the love of God which is natural
for every living entity. But if one is educated in Krsna consciousness
from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot deteriorate
into lust. When love of God deteriorates into lust, it is very difficult
to return to the normal condition. Nonetheless, Krsna consciousness is
so powerful that even a late beginner can become a lover of God by
following the regulative principles of devotional service. So, from any
stage of life, or from the time of understanding its urgency, one can
begin regulating the senses in Krsna consciousness, devotional service
of the Lord, and turn the lust into love of Godhead--the highest
perfectional stage of human life.
TEXT 42
indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
yo buddheh paratas tu sah
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
yo buddheh paratas tu sah
SYNONYMS
indriyani--senses; parani--superior; ahuh--is said; indriyebhyah--more than the senses; param--superior; manah--the mind; manasah--more than the mind; tu--also; para--superior; buddhih--intelligence; yah--one who; buddheh--more than the intelligence; paratah--superior; tu--but; sah--he.
TRANSLATION
The
working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the
senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is
even higher than the intelligence.
PURPORT
The
senses are different outlets for the activities of lust. Lust is
reserved within the body, but it is given vent through the senses.
Therefore, the senses are superior to the body as a whole. These outlets
are not in use when there is superior consciousness, or Krsna
consciousness. In Krsna consciousness the soul makes direct connection
with the Supreme Personality of Godhead; therefore the bodily functions,
as described here, ultimately end in the Supreme Soul. Bodily action
means the functions of the senses, and stopping the senses means
stopping all bodily actions. But since the mind is active, then, even
though the body may be silent and at rest, the mind will act--as it does
during dreaming. But, above the mind there is the determination of the
intelligence, and above the intelligence is the soul proper. If,
therefore, the soul is directly engaged with the Supreme, naturally all
other subordinates, namely, the intelligence, mind and the senses, will
be automatically engaged. In the Katha Upanisad there is a
passage in which it is said that the objects of sense gratification are
superior to the senses, and mind is superior to the sense objects. If,
therefore, the mind is directly engaged in the service of the Lord
constantly, then there is no chance of the senses becoming engaged in
other ways. This mental attitude has already been explained. If the mind
is engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord, there is no
chance of its being engaged in the lower propensities. In the Katha Upanisad the soul has been described as mahan,
the great. Therefore the soul is above all--namely, the sense objects,
the senses, the mind and the intelligence. Therefore, directly
understanding the constitutional position of the soul is the solution of
the whole problem.
With
intelligence one has to seek out the constitutional position of the
soul and then engage the mind always in Krsna consciousness. That solves
the whole problem. A neophyte spiritualist is generally advised to keep
aloof from the objects of senses. One has to strengthen the mind by use
of intelligence. If by intelligence one engages one's mind in Krsna
consciousness, by complete surrender unto the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, then, automatically, the mind becomes stronger, and even though
the senses are very strong, like serpents, they will be no more
effective than serpents with broken fangs. But even though the soul is
the master of intelligence and mind, and the senses also, still, unless
it is strengthened by association with Krsna in Krsna consciousness,
there is every chance of falling down due to the agitated mind.
TEXT 43
evam buddheh param buddhva
samstabhyatmanam atmana
jahi satrum maha-baho
kama-rupam durasadam
samstabhyatmanam atmana
jahi satrum maha-baho
kama-rupam durasadam
SYNONYMS
evam--thus; buddheh--of intelligence; param--superior; buddhva--so knowing; samstabhya--by steadying; atmanam--of the mind; atmana--by deliberate intelligence; jahi--conquer; satrum--the enemy; maha-baho--O mighty-armed one; kama-rupam--the form of lust; durasadam--formidable.
TRANSLATION
Thus
knowing oneself to be transcendental to material senses, mind and
intelligence, one should control the lower self by the higher self and
thus--by spiritual strength--conquer this insatiable enemy known as
lust.
PURPORT
This Third Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita
is conclusively directive to Krsna consciousness by knowing oneself as
the eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without
considering impersonal voidness as the ultimate end. In the material
existence of life, one is certainly influenced by propensities for lust
and desire for dominating the resources of material nature. Desire for
overlording and sense gratification are the greatest enemies of the
conditioned soul; but by the strength of Krsna consciousness, one can
control the material senses, the mind and the intelligence. One may not
give up work and prescribed duties all of a sudden; but by gradually
developing Krsna consciousness, one can be situated in a transcendental
position without being influenced by the material senses and the
mind--by steady intelligence directed toward one's pure identity. This
is the sum total of this chapter. In the immature stage of material
existence, philosophical speculations and artificial attempts to control
the senses by the so-called practice of yogic postures can never help a
man toward spiritual life. He must be trained in Krsna consciousness by
higher intelligence.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Third Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of Karma-yoga, or the Discharge of One's Prescribed Duty in Krsna Consciousness.
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