18.36-55 Bhakti in karma yoga and jnana yoga Gita Study Pune 2013

Disclaimer: This transcript was generated using AI and may contain occasional errors or inaccuracies.

So, by 5.50 we should be able to complete till at least 57, then we can go to last section in our last class. So, we will have question answers, but we will have to keep them focused on the topic. sukham tvayidhanim trividham shrunume bharatarsabha abhyasadramate yatra dukkhantam chanigachyate So, sukham tvayidhanim trividham trividham, just as everything else has been classified with three, sukha will be classified with three.

shrunume, Arjuna, Bharatarsabha, please hear this. abhyasadramate yatra dukkhantam chanigachyate So, Prabhupada translates this as, that sometimes the three kinds of happiness, the living entity delights in this and sometimes he comes to the end of all suffering through this. So, Srila Prabhupada takes this to mean that, that there are these three kinds of happiness and one of these happiness, that is happiness and goodness, will eventually lead to the end of all suffering.

So, Chakravarthi path gives a slightly different translation for this. He says that this section, this second half, 36C and D are referring to 37. So, 37 is talking about happiness in the mood of goodness.

So, what this verse means according to Chakravarthi path is, Arjuna, hear from me three kinds of happiness and then after that he starts describing the happiness and goodness. And what is the characteristics of happiness and goodness? abhyasadramate yatra That means, by practice, one starts delighting in it. One requires abhyas to delight in it.

So, sattvic happiness is not instantaneous. It's like if a person eats a delicious item, the person enjoys immediately. A man looks at a woman, there is immediate pleasure in it.

Whereas, sattvic happiness, it requires some practice, it requires some cultivation. If a person wants to appreciate music, at a basic level I can say that, oh this is very nice music. But if I really want to relish music in a refined way, then I have to absorb myself, I have to hear, ok, this meter is like this, this tune is like this.

Or say the happiness of reading. Initially reading may seem like a burden, but over a period of time, once one starts recognizing how through reading one is associating with the greatest minds throughout history and one starts seeing how I am learning from that. So, or for that matter, art, paintings.

So, one has to have some cultivation, some practice by which one will relish. And the same applies to spiritual pleasure also. So, abhyasa dharmate yatra.

So, by practice one will delight in it, and after one delights in it, once one starts delighting in spiritual happiness, what will happen is, dukkhaantam janegachyate, one will attain the end of all misery. Our misery is there in material existence because we have forgotten Krishna. Once we start relishing sattvic happiness, go beyond that to transcendental happiness, then we go out of material existence.

And then we ultimately become free from all misery. So, abhyasa dharmate yatra, it's a very nice phrase to remember whenever we feel that we are not getting taste in Krishna consciousness. Now, by abhyasa, by practice, dharmate yatra, we will learn to do raman in this.

It takes time. And we can see for ourselves that as compared to whatever taste we might have had first day when we chanted Hare Krishna, or first day we practiced Krishna, now we have developed so much more taste. So, abhyasa, then it will keep increasing.

Now, when we say we have developed taste, that doesn't necessarily mean we are in ecstasy when we are chanting. But the very fact that we are able to continue on, we have experienced something day after day, month after month, year after year, and it's not just chanting, but the taste is all aspect of Krishna consciousness. So, for example, discussing philosophy also, when first time we came there was no interest, but now we have some interest in it.

So, abhyasa dharmate yatra. And although this applies to various sattvic happiness, but it is transcendental happiness, that will ultimately lead to dukkhan tam chani gacchati. The other happiness, like say the happiness of just literature, even if it is good literature, without spiritual or devotional literature, that will not lead to dukkhan tam chani gacchati.

It will lead to eternal existence. So now, I will describe first goodness, then passion, then ignorance. So now, happiness in the mode of goodness is it tastes like poison in the beginning, but it tastes like nectar in the end.

Those of you who have come to know, it is basically referring to, generally to goodness. It is not that, so Chakravarthy was saying this, according to Prabhupada, it refers generally to, sometimes Prabhupada doesn't take so much abhyasa dharmate, that abhyasa Prabhupada doesn't emphasize so much in his translation. Sometimes, basically, these are the three kinds of happiness that soul enjoys, and sometimes while enjoying, sometimes he comes to the end of all sorrow, all diseases, distress.

So, Prabhupada doesn't emphasize the point of abhyasa dharmate yatra, but since Chakravarthy emphasizes this, what he says is, it is referring to the happiness in goodness. So, does happiness in passion or ignorance require cultivation? Well, you might say, when a person drinks first time, he doesn't get any taste, and he keeps drinking, then he gets a little taste. But that is not exactly the kind of cultivation that is required here.

It is more of a refining of consciousness that is there. there is a difference between the two. But, in general, the Bhagavatam says that even a worm feels that he is enjoying.

What is that verse? So, even if a person gets a hellish kind of body, still the person wants to enjoy over there. So, that is the way we get attached to the pleasure. But, the point here Krishna is talking about, one will have to do cultivation.

So, especially for illuminating pleasures, elevating pleasures, goodness and beyond, one needs to cultivate, one needs to practice. So, is it that for people to come from goodness to passion, ignorance also requires cultivation? Well, the word cultivation is not the right word over here. Generally, the word cultivation is used in a positive sense.

So, it is that people need to do it repeatedly. Then they will get attached to it. That is the nature.

If a person doesn't know better, the person will get attached to it. So, that happens. But, here what Krishna is talking about is, the principle he is focusing is, this is the happiness which will lead to liberation from the end of all misery.

But, even if we are not experiencing this happiness right now, even if we are not experiencing, keep practicing. Then we will get it. So, the Abhyasa Dramate Yatra is something which we can say in a rough sense applies to all kinds of pleasures.

The Abhyasa Dramate Yatra applies only to sattvic and transcendental pleasures. So, this is a PPT which I use in this, our Utkarsh camp. So, most of you will have seen this.

Now, this spiritual happiness is, this NP is not our diodes, our electronics. We are nectar and poison. So, it's the opposite over here.

It's poison in the beginning, nectar in the end. So, there is some poison, but always small and temporary. And in material happiness, which we will talk about in the next verse, there is nectar in the beginning, but there is poison in the end.

So, actually why is there this poison in the beginning in sattvic or spiritual happiness? Now, sattvic happiness in and of itself is not spiritual. But, the sattvic happiness that Krishna is referring to over here, which will lead to Karma Bandhana, the spiritual happiness also follows that pattern. So, it also tastes like, seems like sattvic happiness.

It may seem like poison in the beginning, but it will be like nectar in the end. Why is that? It's just a matter of, matter of getting rid of our past conceptions of happiness. See, what we do in spiritual life, it militates against our past conceptions of what is enjoyment.

Generally, throughout our life and throughout our previous lives also, enjoyment means sex, enjoyment means food, eating, sleeping, mating, defending, and the activities that are associated with that. That's what we have learned is enjoyment. So, for the soul, those conceptions dominate the mind.

And, putting aside those conceptions of enjoyment and gaining the right understanding of what is enjoyment, that transition phase is what is poison. Actually, there is no poison in devotional service per se. But, the example is that, So, there is nothing intrinsically bad in, in sugarcane juice.

But because of the disease that I have, so, it appears as if it is bitter. So, gaining the taste for the sugarcane juice simply means curing the disease. So, so, to the extent we break free from our past conceptions of what is enjoyment, to that extent, we will become, we will become open, we will become receptive to release Krishna Consciousness.

It is not that Krishna Consciousness is not joyful, but it is that our consciousness is not receptive. That means, we are, Krishna Consciousness is like nectar, but we are not focusing on Krishna, we are focusing on other things. And that is why we cannot experience the nectar.

So, to the extent we become less distracted from other things, we do not focus so much on them, we will be able, available for Krishna. And to the extent we are available for Krishna, we will be able to relish Krishna Consciousness. So, that is why, Krishna indicates this indirectly in Bhogeshwarya Prasaktanam, Taya Apaharita Chetasam.

So, what is he saying? When we have our past conceptions of what is happiness, then those conceptions drag away, abduct our consciousness. And when our consciousness is abducted in this way, then our consciousness is not available for experiencing and relishing Krishna. So, if we just break free from our past conceptions of enjoyment, then we will be able to delight in Krishna Consciousness.

So, that battle against our past conceptions of enjoyment is essentially the poison. And once we become free from that, then the nectar becomes accessible to us. So, now, Krishna will describe the other form of enjoyment.

So, that which tastes like nectar in the beginning, but is poison in the end. So, here is another graph which I often show about nature of material and spiritual happiness. Material happiness, there is some happiness initially when we are young and healthy, but the graph keeps going down, down, down.

Then as the person becomes old or in middle age, the person becomes impotent, then the person can't enjoy. So, then you come to zero. And then the whole graph of sensual happiness goes into the negative one.

On the other hand, the graph of spiritual happiness is, initially there is a little happiness, but as we become more and more attached to Krishna, the more we start experiencing happiness. So, it is just a matter of experience. As we increase our attraction to Krishna, the more we relish Krishna, and the more our happiness increases.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, ānandāmbudhi-vardhanam pratipadaṁ pūrṇāmṛta-svādhanam So, there he is saying that eventually it will become pūrṇāmṛta, right now it is agre-viṣaṁ parināmṛta. But, as we become purified, then the agre-viṣaṁ will not be there only. Because once we have got rid of all other conceptions of enjoyment, then we are just focusing on serving Krishna, loving Krishna, remembering Krishna, then there is no agre-viṣaṁ.

It becomes, what is now parināmṛta-svādhanam will eventually become pūrṇāmṛta-svādhanam, pūrṇāmṛta. So, the agre-viṣaṁ will go away and we will have pūrṇāmṛta. So, let's move forward now.

Now, what is this parināme-viṣaṁiva? All too much we will discuss this afterwards. So, we can talk about this parināme-viṣaṁiva in many ways. So, at one level you can call it as karmic consequences.

All sense enjoyment that you do, there will be karmic consequences for that. There will be the repetition of samsara chakra. As long as I desire to enjoy, I will continue on the samsara chakra.

But even more immediately, what happens is, when we practice, when we engage in sense gratification, is that we suffer from tastelessness in our spiritual life. To the extent we enjoy materially, we can't taste spiritual happiness. Why is that? Because, this is ignorance, this is passion, this is goodness and this is transcendence.

So, when we engage in say, passionate pleasures, we are going away from transcendence. And the more we indulge in those pleasures, the more we go away from transcendence. And when we go away from transcendence, we cannot come in contact with transcendence.

And that's why we don't experience happiness. So, it is not just that in the future we will face some consequences when we engage in sense gratification. Along with that, right now also, we take our consciousness away from Krishna.

And that's why our spiritual life will become tasteless. And to the extent we avoid sense gratification, to the extent our consciousness keeps moving towards goodness and transcendence, and to that extent we can experience spiritual happiness. So, it is said that, you know, what the mind does is, the mind trips us spiritually, this is an article in my Gita Daily book, and traps us materially.

Trips us spiritually means, you know, trip means what? If somebody is walking, you put your leg in between, he falls down. So like that, when we get into, okay, rather than mind, I could just put it here, it is the mind, but ultimately it is sense enjoyment. When we get into sense enjoyment, we cannot move forward in the spiritual path because we get caught.

And now, we trip, we are not moving forward. But then, when we get into material pleasures, our forward progress stops, and not only that, those desires become stronger, and because we are not experiencing higher pleasure, so, we become trapped materially. That is why, two things happen, we cannot move forward spiritually towards experiencing spiritual happiness, that is tripping us spiritually.

And secondly, because the material happiness, material pleasure, keeps, we are experiencing it, and it keeps tempting us, so we get trapped over there. That is why, for us as sadhakas, even if we feel that sense enjoyment will not lead to any long-term consequences, but still, this consequence of tastelessness is also a poison. And, to avoid that tastelessness, it is best to stay away from sense enjoyment.

And then, our consciousness will be available for Krishna. The example, Srila Prabhupada would give of, if we light, if we, if we want to light a fire on a wood, then it has to be dry. If we put water on it, then it won't dry.

It won't catch fire so quickly enough. So similarly, our consciousness, when it comes in contact with Krishna, it becomes illumined like a flame. And we start experiencing the warmth and the richness of devotion.

But when our consciousness is wettened by sense enjoyment, then it cannot catch the fire. And then, even when the fire comes in, we say, nothing is happening. I am chanting, I am taking darshan, nothing is happening.

Why? Because we have deadened our consciousness. So, pariname vishamiva. Now, this pariname vishamiva can also lead to something else.

You know, this is something which can happen in even a brahmachari life. You know, this is called a mid-life crisis. You know, this happens in people's life.

Suppose somebody has worked a, worked in a career and now he has come to the age of 40 or something, around 40, 40, 45. So, at that time, if the person has not achieved as much success as he would have expected or hoped, and if he is okay, his equals have become, you know, they have become at a big post in a company and he is at a mediocre post. And then, at that time, the person says, did I choose the right career in my life? Or did I do something wrong? And by that time, the youth is behind, so choosing another career is also very difficult.

So, this mid-life crisis can be quite traumatic and people can, people often have to go to, people get too much caught by it, they become depressed and they have to go to, take often psychologist's help and they come out of it. So, now for a brahmachari, when we start in youth, we are enthusiastic. Now, actually, there are two sort of, two definitions of success or two forms of success for a brahmachari.

One is that, you know, we become renounced internally, we become attached to Krishna and we experience happiness in our relationship with Krishna. And along with that, we are young, we have a youthful passion, so we would like to do something in our life. You know, some tangible service.

If I look back at my life, I say, last one year, what did I do actually in my one year? So just like, in material life, people want to look back and say, okay, this year I went here, I did this, I did that. So, what happens is, that if we are doing some tangible services, then we have that satisfaction. Okay, I am doing this for Krishna, I am doing this, I did this, I did this.

So, these are both ways we can get some satisfaction. The satisfaction or the success for a brahmachari can come in terms of tangible services rendered externally and, and, relishable advancement made internally. I am gaining some taste.

But what happens is, if a person engages in too much sense gratification, it seems to be an easy way out. I am not doing anything directly wrong. Nobody is catching me.

There is no trouble. And, if I am just indulging a little bit privately, actually, the mind doesn't stay so much agitated. I don't have to battle so much.

But what happens over a period of time is we don't get inner taste. And then, after the person starts feeling, okay, I spent 15 years, 20 years in my brahmachari, what did I actually achieve? And I am still battling with the same old anarthas, they have not gone away. And, okay, I did some services, but then, maybe I could have done better when I was, as a materialistic, as a grahastha, as a, I didn't have to be a brahmachari for all this.

So, what happens is, as devotees, this is not something which is necessarily likely to happen to everyone. Now, midlife crisis also happens to the extent a person is ambitious. So, but, in general, if we are committed to our services externally and committed to our standards internally, then we will have no regrets.

Because, if we are committed, you know, we will, Krishna will help us that we will be able to do tangible services. And then we will be satisfied. Yes, I did this for, it's not in the egoistic sense that I did all this for Krishna.

But it's in a human sense that we want to feel that whatever time I have spent, it was used productively. So, similarly, if we have worked, if we have been honest and determined in our standards, then Krishna reciprocates and we get an inner taste also. So, then there are no regrets.

But, if this commitment is not there, then, then we feel, what did I achieve in my life, actually? My life, I was dragging my feet in my Krishna consciousness. I didn't go ahead much. I have not really achieved much in my life.

So, in connection with this one more point, probably you must have heard about this. Jeeva Goswami talks about fall down by chanting. What this means is, basically, it's not fall down by chanting, but this is the way he provocatively puts it up.

The point is that, if one chants inattentively, so, what happens is, now, I am putting it in a slightly more accessible way. It's a technical analysis over there. So, then, what happens is, there is no taste, no inner happiness.

So, then, what happens is, the person starts looking for external happiness in name, fame, glory, same old story. So, he starts looking for this. And then, over a period of time, as a person keeps practicing this, so, one wants happiness from somewhere.

One gets happiness from the prestige, position, power that one gets while rendering service to Krishna. And over a period of time, one starts mistaking this external success to be real spiritual success. That means, when I give classes, so many people come.

When I enter the room, so many people offer obeisances. I have raised so many funds. I have distributed so many books.

So, these are important. But, they in and of themselves, so, here is the slide. So, what is the relationship between external success and internal success? Internal success means happiness in Krishna consciousness.

We are happy in remembering and serving Krishna. External success means we achieve some tangible results, meet some deadlines, complete some projects. So, actually speaking, external success should be a expression of internal success.

Because I am happy in Krishna consciousness, so naturally I want to share Krishna consciousness with others. But, in this case, what happens is external success becomes a substitute for internal success. Means, because I am not getting inner happiness, I have to get happiness somewhere.

So, I get it in external things. So, I get it in how much people praise me, how much people glorify me, how much power I have, how much facilities I have. So, external success should be an expression of internal success, not a substitute for internal success.

So, when this happens, external success, one equates external success to be real spiritual success. Then, after this, the next stage that will happen is that one starts looking down at those who are not externally successful. Now, although they may be, they may be sincere Vaishnavas, they may be humble, they may have the genuine qualities of a devotee.

But, because I am thinking in terms of, in my temple, in my voice, in my class, so many people come. In your class, hardly anyone comes. So, when I go out, I distribute so many books.

So, I start looking down at those who are not successful in external terms. And then, this leads to offences. And that leads to fall down.

So, it is not fall down by chanting, it is fall down by inattentive chanting. And it is not just by inattentive chanting. Actually, inattentive chanting, if it leads to further things, if there is inattentive chanting, we rectify it by trying to be attentive and it won't lead to problems.

It's a whole chain reaction which has to take place for fall down to happen. Krishna doesn't allow his devotees to fall down very easily. That is our hope also.

But still, this is a factor. So, this doesn't mean that as devotees we shouldn't strive for external success. We want external success for Krishna, but we also want to make sure that it is for Krishna, it is not just for ourselves.

So, that's why we also have to be careful that while we are striving for external success, we are also doing what we can for internal success in terms of developing our relationship with Krishna and learning to be happy in that relationship. Any questions about this? Yes. Quickly.

How can we know that we are doing it right? Hare Krishna. Well, we can do a video shooting of ourselves. And generally it's not so difficult.

It's not so difficult. Generally, what devotees say is that every time you look at a watch and you are chanting, that means you are chanting and you are attentive. That's just one way of understanding.

It's not necessary that there has to be sign of attentiveness. You can also be keeping track of time to know how we are chanting. But, basically, it's not so difficult to understand whether I am distracted or not.

It's that sometimes when I say look at the watch, that means basically some classes we find so interesting and we don't even realize that the time of the class is over. Other time, we are wondering when the class will get over. That means there is no taste over there.

So, similarly, the chanting time, whether we look forward to it or whether we feel it is a burden that we want to just get rid of quickly, whether when we are doing it also we are looking for other things to think about, other things to do. So, I would say inattentive chanting is just one aspect of it. It is more of not striving for taste in Krishna consciousness.

Inattentive chanting is one aspect, important aspect of it. The chanting also helps us to get the taste. But the broad principle is not just that inattentive chanting.

It's just that we are not doing the activities by which we are getting taste and devotional service. Yeah, so, if there is sleeping and chanting, I feel that we have to do some adjustment in our lifestyle. That means we may have to sleep a little bit more, sleep a little early, take less prasad at night, or maybe stand and chant, walk and chant.

It's not necessarily that standing and walking are necessarily less inattentive. So, sometimes sleeping is a problem that we need to, we can't just, if it's a habitual problem of sleeping, then it's not just a matter of lacking of willpower. It's, there is some other thing which needs to be adjusted.

Sometimes we can just by willpower fight off things. But if it's a daily happening, then there has to, there are some other factors also which are causing the sleep. Better look at those factors and then deal with them.

One doesn't have to be paranoid about things. As I said, Krishna is not waiting to find faults. So, Krishna is not waiting to cause us, to find reasons to cause us to fall down.

If we are sincerely practicing Krishna, it will surely help us. But we also can try to show Krishna that wherever I am doing wrong, I want to learn that and I want to correct it. And then we can maybe talk with our other devotees who are chanting with us, ask them what they find, do they find us inattentive.

Their opinion will also help us. So now Krishna will describe happiness in the mode of ignorance. Yeah? Loudly? Hare Krishna.

Puroji, we observe sometimes devotees spending many years in the Krishna consciousness but comes to some another kind of zone, like he indulges in different kinds of habits and that are like dragging him or detrimental to his Krishna consciousness, whether it is happened because of his offenses or inattentiveness in his Krishna consciousness. Sometimes we see some senior devotees having some habits which are dragging them down. What caused them? Sometimes we best serve Krishna by not interfering in Krishna's business.

So, that means especially the senior devotees. So if you see some senior devotees having some problems, in fact, if we are in a position where we can do something to help them, then it is good but otherwise it is going into analysis of other devotees, what are their problems, that is not always very good because we don't know. Everybody has their own challenges.

So, it is best that when we are looking at senior devotees, we look at those devotees who inspire us and learn from them. Because bhakti is a complex process in the sense that all of us have complex minds. The process of bhakti is simple but the complex minds, how they will spin trouble on us, we don't know.

So, if we feel really troubled by some senior devotees' behavior or something like that, then it is best to ask our devotee guide, how should I see this? Then we can keep a distance or we can do something. But generally that zone of judging other devotees, judging the bhakti, even if it is to learn some lessons about how I should practice bhakti, what happens is when we try to learn it from living devotees, our focus often doesn't remain so much on the lesson as on the devotee. So, we don't learn the lesson, we just think bad about that devotee.

Why does he do like this? Why does he do like this? Why does he do like this? And even when we learn, okay, this is the condition, why does he have to do that? So, it becomes a little difficult. So, in general, remember, we have come to Krishna consciousness for becoming purified, for going back to Krishna. So, those who are marching ahead in that direction, we focus on that.

And even within the Brahmacharya Ashram, it is not that everybody has come with the same motive, same background, same commitment. So, in any field, if you want to succeed, we have to look at those who are the heroes in that field, those who are the successful models in that field. So, let us just focus on them, learn from them and move forward.

And from others, take inspiration from them and move forward. And from others, if there is a very clear lesson that we can learn, okay, this is what this person did wrong and that is why this happened. That is okay.

But otherwise, going too much into analysis zone, it just creates negative vibrations in our mind, negative thoughts in our mind. And often when that devotee is also having trouble, if other people are also concentrating on that person and looking at that devotee with a suspicious or a condescending eye, looking down at that person, that makes that devotee struggle also difficult. So, when some devotees have some difficulties, we do not have to make that our matinee show.

You know, what is a matinee show? Matinee shows are something which people constantly see and talk and feast on basically. So, it should not happen like that. So, if it is troubling us, ask somebody and learn what could be, how we should see it or what is there.

But we should keep our eyes on those who are inspiring us in our devotional service. So, happiness which from beginning to the end is just illusion. So, actually if it is from beginning to end it is moha, then what is the happiness? The happiness is simply the feeling that I have avoided trouble.

This is an example, you know, if I have to do some work, but I decide I will avoid the work by sleeping. Now, sleeping itself is not really pleasurable. After some time, after the body has got rest and after we have finished the, after we have got enough rest, then just avoiding, say, if I just have lethargic, I am not doing anything, I may get the pleasure that I have not done the, I have escaped the work.

But actually there is no pleasure in that. So, nidra alas se pramad, the only pleasure is the pleasure that I have avoided misery, which is actually another, which is no pleasure at all, in the process I have also created trouble for myself in the long run. So, sukham mohanam is the illusory happiness that I have avoided misery.

Not even, it is not a happiness also, this is an illusory feeling that I have avoided misery. This is happiness in the mode of ignorance. So, like in alcohol, when a person drinks that, what happens is, the person feels that now all my problems are over.

Now, I am just drunk and the person thinks that, okay, I know financial debt, I have no relationship issues, my job is not in danger, I am enjoying. But, all that the person has done is just temporarily avoided misery. But all the misery is going to come back again.

So, by this token, you know, in some cases, TV watching can be a relaxing. In a few cases, very few cases, it can be educating. But in most cases, TV watching is just escaping.

So, very few cases it is educating. On few occasions, it may be relaxing. But most cases, it is just escaping.

All problems are there, you want to forget that. So, that is actually Tamasic. So, one just wants to avoid trouble and a pleasure that seems to help one avoid that trouble, that is happiness in the mode of ignorance.

Now, after describing this, he has shown how the entire process of action, beginning from acquiring knowledge, that is the first stage that we discussed, 20 to 22, and the last stage is 37 to 39, which is gaining happiness. So, this whole process is permeated with the three modes. So, Krishna will give that as a summary over here, that actually, there is nobody free from the three modes.

Nathadasthi Prathivyaam Va Divideveshu Va Punah Satvam Prakriti Jair Muktam Tatvam Prakriti Jair Muktam Yadevi Syatri Bhairgunai Yadevi Syatri Bhairgunai So, Nathadasthi Prathivyaam Va In the whole earth, not only in the whole earth, but Divideveshu Va Punah even in the heavenly planets among the devatas, in all of existence, Prakriti Jair Gunai, Tribhir Gunai, three modes which are coming from Prakriti, nobody is Muktam, nobody is free from that. That means, Krishna is telling that, these principles which I have talked of, they apply to everyone, in all of existence. So now, after describing this, Krishna will now talk about how the system of Varanashram helps a person to act according to the one's modes to gradually attain liberation.

So, here Krishna has first analysed action in terms of the modes, now he will talk about, now even if I know that goodness is good, but I cannot suddenly jump to goodness. So then the scriptures give us a program by which gradually through Varanashram, one can act in a way that will lead to elevation. So that program Krishna will talk about now from the next verses.

So, so just, so basically now, again repeating the point over here, Krishna has analysed how everybody is bound and the bondages may be of different kinds and all the actions within, we do are also within three modes. So now, what do we do, even if I desire, I cannot suddenly act in goodness. So therefore scriptures give us a program by which wherever we are, we can gradually become elevated.

So that program now Krishna will talk about, that is the program of Varanashram. So, adherence to Varanashram requires a basic level of Sattva Guna, because one is following scripture and scriptural culture. So, but over a period of time, one will become elevated, but the background that has been talked about, how the modes pervade everything, that is used to emphasize the point that one needs help to elevate oneself.

One cannot just artificially think that I'll renounce and I'll become independent. That's what Krishna will talk about later on in the Shriyan Swadharma Gunawars. So, all this analysis is to show how the modes are pervasive.

See, it's like, if a patient is sick, then just by sudden willpower a person cannot break free from sickness. One has to, there is a program that has to be followed. So, all that has been talked about now is, previously is, the three modes describing how everything is infected by the modes.

And the 40th verse is saying, yes, no living being is free. So, now to become free from the sickness, you can't just jump out of the bed. get the trajectory of raising from the lower modes to goodness and going beyond goodness.

So, are the rules and regulations that we have followed, are they meant to raise us from the lower modes to goodness? And the second question, comparing between goodness and bhakti, especially, is, what I understand is, the goodness is like a necessary condition in initial stages. Definitely, in the advanced stage also, goodness is a platform where bhakti is performed. But at a, like a, examples of Babaji, they may not follow the rules and regulations, and based on goodness.

So, I just want to understand a little more deep into the goodness and bhakti, the difference between. What are the, the rules and regulations? Yes, they are all meant to help us raise our modes. So, did we discuss the three meanings of the word dharma? Anyway, we will come to that later, in 18.66, but this is relevant right now.

See, generally, what is the meaning that Prabhupada used for the word dharma? Essential nature, isn't it? Essential, inalienable nature. So, my nature is that I am a servant of Krishna, or my nature is to love and serve. So, that is what Prabhupada calls as dharma.

Now, if this were the only meaning of the word dharma, if our essential, inalienable nature is what dharma refers to, then the whole word becomes meaningless. Because, how can I give up dharma? Dharma is my very nature. So, how can I give up dharma? So, dharma has multiple meanings.

So, now, this is a, this is one absolute meaning that is there, that in the condition stage, activities that help us return to our nature are also called dharma. That means, the activities that we do, for example, varnashram activities, or the devotional activities, these are the activities that we do, by which we will return to our constitutional position as servants of Krishna. So, they are also dharma.

So, that's why when we say we should be dharmic, so, when we practice, say, chanting Hare Krishna, or other rituals, or practices of bhakti, then by that we will return to our nature. Now, within these activities, there are, there is material dharma, and there is spiritual dharma. Correct, material dharma.

So, material dharma is actually varnashram, and spiritual dharma is vaishnavism, pure devotional service. So, now, both of them, it's not that material dharma has to be given up to practice spiritual dharma, but, both of them can go in parallel also. So, now, here, what we are talking about is, what is material dharma? Material dharma is, so, the rules and regulations that are given in scriptures, they are either material dharma or spiritual dharma.

Material dharma keeps our material nature in check, while enabling us to live in the material world. The rules of varnashram, they, in and of themselves are not necessarily spiritual. What a brahmana should do, what a kshatriya should do, there is no spirituality directly in them.

But, these activities keep us materially somewhat satisfied and also they keep our material propensities from going out of track, and a spiritual dharma gradually elevates us. So, in this way, that's how our dharma works. So, all the rules and regulations are meant to elevate us.

Now, regarding varnashram, regarding bhakti and goodness, goodness is conducive for bhakti, no doubt about it. And, in general, we should think that it is, we should try as much as possible to cultivate goodness. But, the important principle is that we should be focused on bhakti, not on goodness.

So, the Babaji's and the Avadhutas, for them, goodness doesn't matter because they have gone far beyond, they have transcended the modes. So, for us, we will become submerged by the modes, we will become conquered by the modes. That's why it is good to stay in goodness.

And, if we see some other devotees who are not so much in goodness, we should see that, that is, that is some way they are also serving Krishna. But, that is not necessarily the standard way to serve Krishna. Standard way to is to actually live in goodness as much as possible.

And, it's not that we have to make a fetish about being in goodness. We don't have to be obsessed about being in goodness. We should be focused on serving Krishna.

And, goodness is generally a steady platform for serving Krishna. Because, in goodness, whatever goodness characterizes, characterizes the steadiness. So, we can, if we are in goodness, then we can practice bhakti also steadily.

So, as much as possible, it is good to be in goodness in the practice of devotional service. Sir, with Krishna, he gives the identification with the body and he identifies with Krishna. So, is it like directly transcending the modes without coming to goodness? So, without bothering about goodness, one doesn't identify with the body, one identifies with Krishna.

So, Prabhupada talks about it in the Purport. Is it directly transcending the modes? Generally, it is not easy to do that. See, the general understanding of the modes is ignorance, passion, goodness, then transcendence.

Now, in some exceptional cases, the process of bhakti may be so powerful, it can act like this. The bhakti is here and from ignorance also I can go to transcendence, from passion also I can go to transcendence, from goodness also I can go to transcendence. That means, Bhrutaraj sir, he was acting according to his nature of fighting and killing the Rakshasas, and suddenly killing the Devatas, but suddenly at one moment, he starts manifesting extraordinary devotion.

So, extraordinary, where does it come from? So, is it that suddenly from ignorance he has gone to transcendence? Not exactly, he had practiced a lot of bhakti in his previous life, and somehow because of the curse he had got a body that was in ignorance, and then by the arrangement of the Lord, at a particular moment, at the right moment, the effect of ignorance went off, and transcendence manifested. So, that can happen in some people. So, is it that bhakti has suddenly taken them from ignorance to transcendence? Not exactly, the covering that had temporarily come has gone off, and now they were in ignorance but they have risen to transcendence.

So, in some cases, it may seem like bhakti directly elevating a person, but those are exceptional cases. No, the point is, whenever Prabhupada writes anything, there he is talking about the behaviour of a person who has already transcended, that is not the, he is not talking so much about how to transcend, that, maam chaya abhicharan is the next verse, the previous verse is talking about just, prakasham cha pravattam cha mohamyam vacha paandavanadveshti sampravutthani nivruttani kankshati udhaseena vadhaseenam gunairyona vichalate. So, Krishna is not giving that as a prescription of what one should do.

Krishna is giving the characteristics of one who has transcended. So one who has transcended, one can directly identify with the soul or with soul as relationship with Krishna and one doesn't identify with the body. But it is not just a conceptual exercise, I just think that I am not the body, that doesn't mean my bodily desires will automatically go away.

So it is a progression normally speaking. When we see that we are not purified, how can we preach to others, we do not get conviction and confidence, so how do we carry on, should we wait for some time like Bhakti Sanskrit Thakur chanted for 10 years, Srila Prabhupada started preaching after 50 years. So generally speaking, purification is a gradual process and the way Srila Prabhupada has given us in his Kaun, he has said that preaching is not the fruit of purification preaching is the process to purification.

Yes, that means actually speaking to a large extent, it is only when we start preaching, that time we start studying seriously, that time we start practicing seriously, because then we know that when we start preaching, first of all, the very first thing that happens we have to study the philosophy, and studying the philosophy itself makes us serious to some extent, for philosophy itself is quite powerful and second is when we preach, then we come under public scrutiny and that is also good for us, that also forces us to practice, so we don't have to, now if you see, it is not that Prabhupada waited because he felt he was not pure, the circumstances were such that he was in the grahastha ashram and even then he was preaching as much as possible, so it is not that Prabhupada waited for purification so that he would preach, not like that, Prabhupada was preaching for a long time, as much as possible, the Bhaktivedanta did wait for 10 years before he started vigorous preaching, he did chanting of rounds, but it was not that before that he was not preaching, even before that he was preaching in a small way, but at that time, it is a whole huge analysis over there, but my point here is that it is too simplistic of analysis to say that Bhaktivinoda Thakur just felt he was not pure enough so he did not preach, if you look at his life, he was in a situation where Bhaktivinoda Thakur had laid the foundations to some extent, but still there were huge amount of elements that contaminated Bhaktivinoda Thakur and how he should preach, that was not very clear, now he had a sort of confrontationalist approach, Bhaktivinoda Thakur's approach was more of reformatory, not revolutionary, see reformation means somebody comes into the house and says this paint is not good over here, you should put a paint over, paint this properly, that window glass is broken, you should repair the window glass, so reformation means small small changes, that was Bhaktivinoda Thakur's approach, revolution means just blow up this room and construct a new room, so Bhaktivinoda Thakur's approach was like that, so it's not just that he felt that he is not pure enough, that's one aspect, he started using an entirely different strategy for preaching and that revolutionary approach required some time for him, now Bhaktivinoda Thakur, many of the books that he wrote on Bhakti, actually he wrote even before he was initiated, in 1870 he was initiated and several of the books that he has written, he has written them before he was initiated, so that means he started writing books and preaching even before he was initiated, actually he had heard from Vaishnavas quite a bit, but he did not for a long time meet a Vaishnava who felt would inspire him so much, that's why he did not take initiation, so we can't just take an example of an Acharya, we have to follow the example of, look at the example of various Acharyas and also we should look at what Prabhupada has told us, so with respect to feeling that we are not pure, then just the passage of time alone will not guarantee purity, we have to do some serious practice of bhakti, what does lack of purity basically mean, lack of purity basically means that we have not found a way to absorb ourselves in Krishna and because we have not found a way to absorb ourselves in Krishna, the mind needs pleasure and then it is going to impure things for pleasure, so what we need to do primarily is find a way to absorb ourselves in Krishna, so for some it may be preaching, for some it may be some other service, but it is not necessary that by giving up preaching one will attain purity, we have to find out what will absorb us in Krishna, that will lead to purification, now it is also true that sometimes some devotees have some difficulties, then they will be told don't take a leadership position, don't preach for some time, because you have to practice first then you should preach, that is fine, but the point is that just causing a devotee to withdraw from preaching because of lack of purity or voluntarily also stepping down from preaching because of lack of purity, that in and of itself is not a solution to the problem of lack of purity, the real solution is to find out a service, find out a means by which we can absorb ourselves in Krishna, that will solve the problem, otherwise just in a sense we are spiritually weak, that is the meaning, we are not pure, and if we are not doing preaching then that may in a sense further dishearten us also, because we are not getting any reciprocation from those to whom we are preaching we are not getting any higher taste from that, any taste from that, so that is why it is not a solution, lack of purity means stop preaching, ok, lack of purity means stop preaching, but stopping preaching is not going to lead to purity, we have to find out something which will absorb us in Krishna, that will lead to purity, so that is why we have to think seriously and then look at how we can absorb ourselves in Krishna and then orient our services around that, so if preaching is a service that helps us to absorb ourselves in Krishna then that is good, and if there is some other service that helps us to absorb in Krishna that is also good, the focus is on absorbing ourselves in Krishna, not on preaching or not preaching, where does the contamination mode resides, it is primarily in subtle body, the mind, it affects the mind and through that it affects the remaining, all of us, our actions also, when you are transiting the modes, does it have to do with consciousness or with activities, primarily it has to do with consciousness, what is Daivi Varanashram, Daivi Varanashram basically means that we accept the, we accept the social organization of Varanashram, but not the philosophy of Varanashram, we accept the social organization, that means different people have different modes and engaging them accordingly is the best way for social organization, now the philosophy of Varanashram or other of Vedic Varanashram is that a person by doing his duty as a Shudra will gradually write to Brahma, Kshud, Vaishya, then Kshatriya, then Brahmana and then he will become liberated, in Daivi Varanashram the idea is that if one is practicing devotional service, devotional service can liberate a person from whatever mode he is in, whatever, whatever Varnic activity he is doing, that is Mami, Partha, Vyapashruta, Epi, Sivapapa, Yonaya, Krishna also assures that in the Bhagavad Gita, so we accept the social organization but not the philosophy of Varanashram, clear. Ram, Manak, Kshatriya, Visham, Shudranam, Chaparantapa, Karmani, Pravibhaktani, Swabhava, Prabhava, Irgunai, Swabhava, Prabhava, Irgunai, So, Karmani, Pravibhaktani, these are divided according to, these karma of the four Varanas are divided according to Swabhava, Prabhava, Irgunai, so according to Swabhava, according to one's own nature, these activities are ordained and the whole idea is that whatever the Swabhava, we will act according to it but we act according to in a way that elevates us in Dharma and not drags us down, that is the whole principle of Varanashram. Now we will describe the four Varanas briefly.

Shamo Damas Damas Damas refers to mind control, Damas refers to sense control. So it is best to control the mind if we cannot control the mind at least control the senses. Best to control the mind means fix the mind on Krishna, there is no problem of agitation only.

But if you can't fix the mind on Krishna, then it gets agitated, then at least don't let there be sensual fall down. Then we force the senses to stay calm, stay controlled. So the idea is say, the consciousness is like a door, a room and the mind is like the door.

So if I know outside the room there is a thief, then the best thing to do is that I don't allow the thief only to come inside. So I lock the door, bolt the door and never open it. So like that outside our consciousness there is maya.

And the mind is the door to the consciousness. So when we control the mind, we engage ourselves in Krishna, then there is no possibility for the thief to come in. So inside our consciousness there is the jewel, in the room of consciousness there is the jewel of Krishna, remembrance of Krishna.

The thief wants to come and steal that jewel. So now sometimes by mistake we might just leave the door open. So as soon as we leave the door open, bang! The thief will bang on the door to burst it.

And what do we do at that time? Oh please come in, you want the jewel, take it. Now what do we do? We bang on the door from inside and push it closed. So that means, this is referring to dhamma phases.

Shama phases, just close the door, there is no chance for maya to come in only. But dhamma phases, if somehow the mind gets agitated, maya starts coming in, then at least don't let there be a sensory fall. Your mind is agitated but I won't act at a sensual level.

That means we fight and close the door again so that we don't let the thief steal the jewel. So sometimes agitation will happen at the mental level. It is best if we can avoid agitation at the mental level also by keeping the mind fixed on Krishna.

So shama is the best but if shama is not possible then at least dhamma. Then okay, I will not indulge at a physical level. And then shantirarjyam mevacha, so Krishna has various qualities and then interestingly, earlier he has talked about three modes and he has talked about how varanashram is the mean to go beyond the three modes.

So that's why he doesn't include bhakti as one of the qualities of a brahmana. Because bhakti is the process for transcendence. There can be brahmanas also who are not bhaktas.

So the quality of a brahmana is astikyam. He has faith in scripture. So faith in scripture, that means he has faith that by doing the rituals that I mentioned in scripture, the functions, the ceremonies that are told, the yagyas that are told, one will get elevated, one will get the results.

So astikyam has to be a quality but bhakti doesn't have to be necessarily a quality of a brahmana. Now after that he will describe the qualities of a brahmana. So generally speaking, so we say Krishna is namo brahmane devaye, he loves brahmanas very much.

Then are there brahmanas also who do not seem to care for Krishna, they are not Vaishnavas. So yes, Krishna loves brahmanas because they are representing and living the Vedic culture. Now he is the ultimate goal of the Vedic culture but we will see that generally Krishna never chastises the brahmanas.

You know, he never chastises Shukracharya, he never chastises the Brahmanas also. They condemn themselves. But it is extremely rare and even when brahmanas are sometimes shown in a poor light, that is primarily when it is in contrast to Vaishnavas, for example Durvasa Muni and Ambarish Maharaj.

But even in the case of Durvasa Muni, the Lord doesn't personally chastise the Sudarshan Chakra which follows him but ultimately the Lord tells him, this is the way you can get yourself free and the whole pastime is not so much to show the brahmanas to be lower as to show the glory of a Vaishnava. So in general, brahmanas are considered the best among the Varanas but compared to Vaishnavas, they are not as great. So in most cases, for example in Purthu Maharaj's section, he is referring to brahmanas who are largely Vaishnavas, most of the time and then after that the Kumaras come to meet him and the Kumaras are Vaishnavas.

That's why when he is calling them brahmanas, he is glorifying them as Vaishnavas also. So, in general, the brahmanas are loved by Krishna because they are representing a linguistic culture and many of them are also practicing Bhakti. But it is not necessary that all of them have to practice Bhakti.

But just living a brahmanical life is also pleasing to Krishna. When Parshuram, his spiritual master was sleeping on his lap, that time that insect comes and bites. So that time when he tolerates, so that time Parshuram says that you cannot be a brahmana, you have to be a Kshatriya.

So brahmana, one of the qualities is tolerance. Even Dadaji Muni, we see that he gave his bones very happily. So how is that, we see that here quality of brahmana is tolerance.

So they are… Yes, so it is said a brahmana is tolerant and Dadaji Muni also sacrifices his life but then Parshuram curses Karna because he is able to tolerate the pain of being bitten by an insect and Parshuram says that this kind of tolerance is not possible for a brahmana. So in general, the brahmanas, see there is physical austerity and there is physical wound and pain. A Kshatriya, he can tolerate physical wounds in terms of, he is wounded in a battle but then as far as physical austerity in terms of fasting is concerned, that is difficult for a Kshatriya.

So at a physical level, but a brahmana can fast and similarly tolerance also refers to, generally if he is a Prabhupada, one's greatness has to be estimated in the capacity to tolerate provoking situations. So that tolerance is generally used to refer to tolerance with respect to provocative situations. In terms of tolerance with respect to being insulted, with respect to being abused or so temptation is also there, that is also one aspect to it.

So generally brahmanas, so brahmanas can do physical austerities but tolerating physical pain in and of itself is not necessarily characteristic of a brahmana. See brahmana's body itself is not rough and tough. Kshatriya's body is rough and tough.

Kshatriya does, they do huge amount of physical exercises, they are trained, they can endure wounds, so they are in that sense physically tolerant. But a brahmana is not in that sense physically tolerant. You are able to fast and do that kind of austerity.

But they are different. There are different kinds of troubles at the body level that one can tolerate according to one's situation. And also it is said the brahmanas should not care too much for honour and dishonour.

There are Kshatriyas, they cannot tolerate dishonour. Maranatirichyati Krishna says. So here the brahmanas being tolerant is in the sense that they can tolerate the sort of dishonour and the trouble that comes from dishonour and they can go on.

See tolerance essentially means what? Tolerance essentially means that we should go ahead in our path without letting small small things come in the way. That is the whole idea of tolerance. So they are able to stay fixed in their astikyam even when there are distractions.

They can tolerate the troubles, they can tolerate the temptations and stay fixed in their astikyam. That is the tolerance that is being talked about over here. So here we will discuss one quality, most of the other qualities we have discussed earlier.

Ishwarabhava is the mentality to be God. So now it is interesting, Krishna is saying this is a quality of a Kshatriya. And he is not saying this in a negative sense.

So Prabhupada translates Ishwarabhava as the nature of leadership. Now the whole idea of a leader is that in this world somebody has to be the leader, somebody has to be the controller, somebody has to be the number one person. So if one has the inclination, the nature to do that, then one should do that.

And in general how the Brahmana Kshatriyas they work is, I mentioned this earlier I think, Brahmanas they deal with ideas, they control ideas. The Kshatriyas, remember this, have you discussed this? Brahmanas deal with ideas, Kshatriyas deal with people, people, people, Kshatriyas control people. Vaishyas, money, Vaishyas actually they control money and animals.

And Tudras, no I don't think we have discussed this, things, things, they are artisans, they can deal with things. Brahmanas are ideas. What happened? Software, okay, good example.

So they are good at dealing with people. Vaishyas, money and animals. And Shudras deal with things.

So direct interaction with matter on a regular basis for controlling, shaping, refining, it is all activity of Shudras. So in this way there is a different Varanatha there. So Ishwarabhava, so when there are people, somebody has to lead the people.

That's why the king is called as Naradeva. Naradeva means the representative of God among the humans. Now it is not that all those who come on the battlefield are Kshatriyas.

Actually even on the battlefield there are paid soldiers, so they are considered to be Shudras. But they have some skills in fighting, so they are enrolled for fighting. Kshatriyas are those who, as Prabhupada said, those who don't take salary, they take taxes.

So there is a king who is a main Kshatriya in a kingdom and along with that generally there would be the system where the land allocated to various Kshatriyas and they collect taxes from there. So the number of Kshatriyas is, you know that, this is 1, 999, 999 in a cross section of the population. Now it is not that parents bigot children in this number.

It is not so mathematical. This is indicative. 1, 990 and 990, 900, correct.

So it is not a mathematically precise thing. It is indicative of the general pattern in human society. And these Brahmana Kshatriyas, they are basically what, when we use the word Varna, the word Varna, it comes in Krishna Varnam, Tusha, Akrishnam, Sango, Pangastra, Parshadam.

So the Varna word has many meanings. It means class, it also means color. So the Varna indicates that the subtle body is colored in a particular way.

Subtle body represents things in a particular way. And these are basically four distinct human types. They are not castes in the modern sense.

They are human types which are there everywhere in the world. And basically they need to be trained to function according to their particular nature. So if you look at the analysis, descriptions, the Brahmanas are described in terms of their qualities, the Kshatriyas are described in terms of their qualities, but the Vaishyas or Shudras are described in terms of their activities.

Isn't it? Krishigo, Raksha, Vanijyam, these are activities. Now of course these activities also require some qualities. But the idea is that there is this guna, karma, vibhag, asha, ha.

So the emphasis on guna is more for those who are in the higher gunas, who are in the higher modes. And the emphasis on karma is more for those who are in the lower modes. So Shudras qualities, of course the scriptures do elsewhere give Shudras qualities.

The 7th canto, chapter 12, 13, 14, 15, they talk about Varanashram quite a bit. And there the qualities of the various Varanas are also mentioned. Now after this, Krishna just gives a summary of these four Varanas.

His whole point is how Varanashram is a system by which one can transcend. So that's what will be his focus over. So by engaging in one's own karma, one can attain some siddhi.

Now how, by doing one's own karma one can attain siddhi, Krishna says, how that will happen, I will explain that to you. So that Lord who is the source of all living beings and who pervades all of existence, by worshipping him one can attain siddhi, by worshipping him through one's work. So this 18.46 is often mistranslated as work is worship, 18.46 C, that is Swakarmanatam Abhyarcha.

But actually if you look at the Sanskrit, what it is saying, by your work worship him. It is not saying work in and of itself is worship, by your work worship him, that's the actual translation. So and why should we be worshipping by our work, that is mentioned in A and B. A is saying, he is the source of everyone, all living beings, so he is our source also.

So he is like our father, just as the son has a duty to serve his father, similarly we have to serve him. And then, that means he has pervaded all of existence, that means whatever we get in nature, whatever is available for us, it is he who has ultimately provided it. So he is our source and he is our sustainer and therefore we should worship him with our work.

So there is an internal flow of thought in this verse. Why worship him? So that is answered in, this is talked about in 18.46 C. So we should worship him because he is the, he is our source, the C part of the verse, worship him with our work. Why? That is mentioned in, there are two reasons.

First is mentioned in A, he is our source, like our parent, like our father. And the B part is, he is our sustainer. So whatever is there in this world, he is sustaining us.

We get our sustenance from the various things in this world. So all those things that we are using for our sustenance, they are coming from him and that is why we need to serve him. So worship him with your work.

So actually all the activities that we do, whatever it may be, we try to worship Krishna with our work. That way our whole life becomes spiritualized. So some devotees have the idea that, okay, whatever, if I am doing studies, if I am doing a job, then the whole idea is, this is not devotional service.

A real devotional service is the preaching that I do, I go to the temple and attend some programs, I read Prabhupada books, that is real devotional service. This is something which I have to do for my maintenance. Well, yes, we have to do it for our maintenance, but while we are doing it for our maintenance, we also need to do it in devotional consciousness.

Devotional consciousness means, by Krishna's arrangement I am put here, so let me do it as well as I can for Krishna's sake. Because actually speaking, the most effective preaching that happens in this world is when people see devotees in action in the real world. If people see that devotees are good human beings, then that inspires them the most.

And that's why we need to see our work also as a very integral part of our devotional service. So karmana tam abhyarcha. Swamiji, now these qualities are connected to the modes, so that means when we come to goodness, we should develop more Brahmanical qualities and lesser or Kshatriya qualities like that, that should be seen? Sorry, when we come to? When our mode is becoming higher, that means more Brahmanical qualities will develop in the person and Kshatriya qualities or Vaishya Shudra will reduce.

Okay. Does it happen that when we advance in spiritual life that will happen? Not necessarily when we come to Brahmanical culture. We don't see necessarily that Bhima or Arjuna were acting like Brahmanas.

They were acting like Kshatriyas throughout their life. But still they are considered exalted devotees. So it's not necessary that it has to happen for everyone.

But in general, at least those who are Brahmacharis, they are expected to be Brahmanas. But whether every single devotee as he or she advances will develop Brahmanical qualities, it's not necessary. Some devotees may have a huge passion to earn money.

But then they are told, oh, you should not be so much interested in earning money. And then they think, okay, then I'll just chant Hare Krishna, I'll do some service. But that passion is there.

So one can't do that. Then what happens is, then one comes in the movement, one doesn't get higher taste, one has to get some lower taste. Then one starts sort of playing with Krishna's money or one doesn't have the Adhikar for directly engage in devotional service in a full time way.

Then one starts doing gossiping. So we shouldn't, if somebody naturally develops Brahmanical qualities, it's well and good. But it's not necessary that we force everyone to develop Brahmanical qualities and consider lack of Brahmanical qualities as a disqualification.

It is possible that even from the lower qualities one can, while doing the activities of the lower Varanas, one can still be very advanced devotee. But such a devotee may not be able to take a leadership position. A person who is doing Vaishya activities, that person may not necessarily do the Brahmanical activity of preaching on a regular basis or like a mainstream service.

So for many devotees it will happen naturally that they will become more Brahmanical, become more calm, more tolerant, more interested in Shastra and more sensitive, more deeper in their faith. All this will naturally happen. But these are qualities.

But whether everybody will take up the activities of a Brahmana, whether all those who become the advanced, will they do Yajan, Yajan, Pathan, Pathan, Daan, Parigraha? Not necessarily. There can be very advanced devotees who may lifelong do Ugo Seva. There can be advanced devotees who feel that they want to do management throughout their life.

Not necessarily that's likely to happen. But it can happen. So it's not necessary that everybody has to do Brahmanical activities alone to be spiritually advanced.

But in general the Brahmanical qualities will develop in everyone. So you can differentiate between qualities and activities. And qualities we should try to develop.

And in general serious devotees will develop those qualities. But even if those qualities are not present, we shouldn't necessarily equate that with the absence of advanced devotion. Because some people may have certain natures which may go on for a long time.

But still they may have a heart that loves Krishna. For self-evaluation it's good to try to develop Brahmanical qualities. So this 18.47a is the same as 3.35a. 3.35a was So a and b are same.

c and d are different over there. So that 3.35a. Many people use Bhagavad Gita Shloka in their own interesting ways. LIC has used that verse.

So many people use this Work is worship. I think that is the slogan of VIT college. VIT college is there.

And translation is work is worship. That is their slogan. So this 3.35a, The last part of it.

This is the slogan of VHP. VHP has a homecoming program. Where they work very vigorously.

All the people who have converted from Hinduism to Christianity, they get them back. And their slogan is So you are Hindus? Christianity is Bhayava. Come back to Hinduism.

So Krishna is not at all talking about Hinduism or Christianity over here. Krishna is talking about Varanashram. And the activities within Varanashram.

But people misappropriate slogans like that. But what is Krishna telling over here essentially? See there are 4 Varanas. And there are Accordingly, so each Varana has its own set of Contaminations.

And you know you could say 4 Varanas are 4 propensities. What is the meaning of this verse? Paradharma, Bhayava or Krishna is telling That Earlier it was more definitive. It's better to die while doing one's own duty Than to do somebody else's duty.

So why is it so fearful that one should Never give up one's duty or take up another duty? Actually the whole point here is That each Varana is like a disease. And you cannot treat one disease By the treatment for another disease. So the whole mood of this verse is what? Each Varana is a disease That needs to be treated By its own specific treatment.

So we cannot arbitrarily change the treatment. Let's say a Brahmana feels that A Kshatriya feels, oh in my Varanaic duties I have to kill. I can't do that.

But let me be a Brahmana and start doing yajnas. It's like saying somebody has A disease which requires a surgery. And another person has got a disease Which requires some intravenous injection.

So he feels, I don't like the surgery. I'll just take the intravenous injection. That's not going to work.

There is a particular set of conditioning That requires a particular set of purification. And then Krishna will tell in the next verse That actually don't think that your duty has faults. All duties have faults.

Therefore stick to your duty In spite of the faults. Yes. Shri Raghupat, he is telling that My 50% job is done.

50% is remaining about this Establishing Varanashram. So we can see the ashramas, Four ashramas somewhat existing. But the things are like Varanashram, How we are in ISKCON, We are practically right now.

So how Varanashram is to be implemented in ISKCON, It is something which Shri Raghupat desired, But he did not give any clear instructions. In fact if you look at Shri Raghupat's lecture 66, 67, 68, 69, Throughout the messages, there is no need for Varanashram. Varanashram has got, Varanashram has become corrupted as a caste system.

It is not practical. Just chant Hare Krishna and transcend. That was Prabhupada's instruction.

But, you know actually Prabhupada from the, I think it was in 1969 or 1970, That Prabhupada started giving sannyas on a regular basis. In 68 I think he gave sannyas to Kirtanand Swami. But he was the exception.

Prabhupada started giving in 70. And from 70, 71, 72, 73, Actually Prabhupada basically started experiencing problems both ways. You know sannyasis had problems in their standards, And grahasthas also had their problems.

Prabhupada would arrange marriages, And Prabhupada expected that, You know the spiritual master decided, Then the husband and wife would be able to live together, As a sacrifice in service to the spiritual master. But it didn't work out. And then Prabhupada felt that, Transcending by Varanashram is, Transcending by Vaishnavism is not happening.

And that's why later a part of his life, 73 onwards, And especially in 76, 77, Prabhupada makes a lot of statements that, Varanashram is half of my work, Which needs to be completed. So if you look at the context, In which Prabhupada makes the statements is, The point is Prabhupada wanted a, Prabhupada wanted to give the world Krishna Consciousness. But, For practicing Krishna Consciousness in this world, We need a, Stable social arrangement.

So Prabhupada's, Recognition of the need for Varanashram was, As a stable social arrangement, For the practice of Bhakti. So now, Does that necessarily mean, That we will have to divide society into, Divide ISKCON members into, You are a Kshatriya, you are a Vaishya, you are a Shudra. Actually Prabhupada did not do that throughout his life.

So, The principle we have to understand, The principle is, Principle of Varanashram is that, People can make spiritual advancement, While, Living in a material setting, That is conducive to their spiritual advancement. Conducive. So in Varanashram, People's Varanas are identified, And then, okay you do this activity, You are good at that, you will like that also, And that is also contributing to the overall social culture.

That's how it happens. So now whether we have to necessarily, Do something like division of society into Varanas, And whether devotees have to go back from, Cities to villages, To farm communities, That's an important part of Prabhupada's mission. And those who feel inspired can surely do that.

But the more important principle is that, We should have a materially, A material environment, Which is conducive to the practice of Bhakti. So when Devamrith Maharaj, First time came to Bhaktivanta Hospital, He said this is the only living model of Varanashram, In all of ISKCON right now. Bhaktivanta Hospital, Is the only living model of Varanashram, In all of ISKCON.

So now how do we think, What has the hospital got to do with Varanashram? But what is the principle? The principle is, There are devotees, They were doctors, They had their worldly profession, And now, They are practicing their worldly profession, And fulfilling their worldly needs, In a devotionally conducive environment. So that is the essence of Varanashram. So, Generally, There are various ways in which this will work out.

It is unlikely that everybody will go back to, The literals of the Vedic culture, Of dividing society into Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra, Or that everybody will go back to the villages. Some devotees, Have that mission very vigorously, And Krishna is inspiring them in that way, That is wonderful. But overall, We need to have a materially, Even as Brahmacharis, We need a materially conducive environment, For the practice of Bhakti.

So that materially conducive environment, Would mean a good atmosphere for sadhana, We don't have too much association, We are protected from the association of the opposite sex, And then, We have adequate facility for, For studying Shastra, And sharing the scriptural message. So all these, Is a materially conducive environment. So, that may work out in various ways, In various situations.

But over a period of time, It's like, Practicing Bhakti is like walking on a tightrope. But an ashram is like a safety net below. So, Many times, What happened in the western world is, That, Devotees practice Krishna Consciousness very enthusiastically, 16 rounds, 4 aggregate principles, And many devotees were, They thought that we have, They would actually, Follow Yamunacharya literally, When women would come, They would spit on the ground.

It's very, very terrible. And what happened eventually, Those people, When they fell back, There was no vanashram, They didn't go back to, Dharmic life, They went back to sinful life afterwards. So, That is not something which is desirable.

So, that's why, Basically, Some arrangements, Different devotees may do it in different ways. So for example now, In Pune, Many devotees are encouraged to take up teaching professions. So why? Because that is a, That is the most conducive of the professions that are there, For the practice of bhakti.

It gives time, The activity is relatively sattvic, The security of the job is reasonable, Not too much competition. So, That is also one way, In which something towards vanashram we are going. So it is something which will require, Taking into consideration, The various situations, And how best it can be implemented.

Okay? So, regarding this, Shreyan Swadharmo, As a practicing brahmachari, How can I understand that, The practices we are doing, In the regards with the Shreyan, I am doing the duty, What it is meant for, In the sense. See, That this, Shreyan Swadharmo, We are going to offer brahmacharis, How will it apply? The first question I asked, In a public class, Was to Chandramouli Maharaj, Should I become a brahmachari or a grahastha? The first question I asked, In a public class, And everybody was shocked. The first program also.

So, He quoted, Shreyan Swadharmo Viguna. He said, Stay where you are. So, The point which I am making by this is, That, It's, The mind normally thinks of a, That the present situation is not compatible, Some other situation might be compatible.

But the whole idea is, We just focus on practicing bhakti, Stably where we are. For a regular period of time. And when we find that, On a regular basis, We feel there is some incompatibility, Some dissatisfaction, Then we can search for something else.

And we can also observe, What might make me feel more satisfied, Make me feel more harmonious. That will vary according to the circumstances. But rather than, See, Ultimately, Discovering our nature, Is also, What Krishna wants us to do.

Because that's how we will be able to serve in a sustained way. So, Rather than worrying too much about what is our nature, If we do our sadhana sincerely, And we try to seriously make our connection with Krishna, Then Krishna will guide us. And, We can also observe, No doubt, What are the services that I like, What are the services that I can do well.

But, There is no need to get too much into that zone. Focus on, Trying to stabilize in our relationship with Krishna, And that will be revealed over a period of time. Okay? Yes, sir.

So, we don't have time for questions now. Let's complete. We'll complete, Then we'll have question and answers.

So, Krishna is telling, Along with one's birth, One is born with certain activities. That even if there are doshas, Don't give them up. Why? All activities are covered by faults.

As, Fire is covered by smoke. Now, fire is required for Vedic sacrifices. But smoke will come up over there.

So, this faults, Can refer to fire sacrifices, Animals are killed for Brahmanas. It can refer to, Some violence and killing for Kshatriyas. It can refer to, Some kind of, Duplicitousness for Vaishyas.

Whatever it is, You know, There is nothing that is, An undiluted blessing in the material world. So, What we should focus on is, Whatever blessing is there within it, If it's in prescribed, You can keep doing that. Don't give up the activity, Just because there are faults in them.

sarvārambhāhi dauṣīnād dhume nāgne revāvratah Now, here Krishna has completed, So, here Krishna has completed, Basically by telling Arjuna, Stick to your duty. And, Worship, The Supreme Lord, Through your duty. So, this is how a person should practice sadhana, For, The stage when a person does karma yoga.

Now, from here onwards, Krishna will talk about, Gyana Yoga. So, Let's discuss this, Then we will stop. asakta-buddhi sarvatra jitātmā vigatas pruha naiṣhkarṇe siddhim paramāṁ sannyāsena adhigacchati So, asakta, Krishna is describing, With detachment, With sense control, With freedom from desires, One can, naiṣhkarṇe siddhim paramāṁ The perfection of freedom from all bondage, One will attain, By adopting sannyās.

sannyāsena adhigacchati So, here he is referring to the karma yogi, Making the transition towards, Gyana Yoga. Giving up action, And taking up renunciation. So, how will this happen? Krishna says, I will describe it now.

siddhim prāpto yatha brahma tathāpnoti nibodhame tathāpnoti nibodhame samāsenaiva kaunteya nishthā jñānasya yāpara So, siddhim prāpto yatha brahma So, the perfection of, The siddhi of achieving the Brahma, The absolute truth. tathāpnoti nibodhame Hear from me, I will explain it to you. samāsenaiva kaunteya samāsa means in summary.

I will explain it to you. nishthā jñānasya yāpara This is the stage of transcendental knowledge. So, I will describe this in the next three verses, Which are practically the only verses in the Bhagavad Gita, Which talk about jñāna sadhna, jñāna yoga sadhna.

So, we will discuss each of these verses one by one. buddhya viśuddhaya yukto dhrityātmānaṁ niyamya ca śabdādhīn viśayāṁ sthyaktvā rāgadveṣa vidasya ca So, buddhya viśuddhaya yukto So, the buddhi has to be purified, If a person is able to renounce the world in an honest way. dhrityātmānaṁ niyamya ca So, one controls the mind, regulates it.

śabdādhīn viśayāṁ sthyaktvā So, if you look at the yoga stage, This is talking about pratyahara. Not necessarily it has to be pratyahara, But it's an analogous stage, Where one shuts out the sense objects, And one puts aside attachments. rāgadveṣa vidasya Now, Krishna has talked about putting aside rāgadveṣa Earlier at the stage of Karma Yoga also.

But there, rāgadveṣa is put aside, So that one can do the duties of Karma Yoga. Whereas here, rāgadveṣa is put aside completely, So that one can just focus on jñāna sādhana, That is, inner contemplation. vivikta sevi laghvāṣi yatvā kāya mānasah jñāna yoga paro nityam vairāgyam samupāśritah So, vivikta sevi, This is a secluded place.

The jñānis, generally, They don't appreciate association very much, Because they are all speculators, And among speculators, There is no one authority who is conclusive, Because everybody is speculative. So that's why, when they are together, They will have conflict of opinion. So, vivikta sevi, stay alone.

Laghvāṣi, and eat less. So, in the jungles, They are expected to eat very simple foods, And roots and shoots, something like that. Laghvāṣi, yatvā kāya mānasah, They control themselves.

jñāna yoga paro nityam So here, jñāna yoga para, Doesn't refer to the practice of jñāna yoga, That is referred in the sixth chapter. It is basically referring to being in jñāna, Being in meditation. So the word jñāna, Is not necessarily only related to jñāna yoga.

So although jñāna yoga comes together As a compound over here, It is not referring to the practice of jñāna yoga sādhana. It is referring to jñāna as a stage Within the practice of jñāna yoga. So even by jñāna, as one turns inwards, One will start perceiving the higher spiritual reality And start meditating on it.

nityam, jñāna yoga paro nityam So like that, one starts focusing oneself On inward meditation, steady way. vairāgyam samapāśrutah So one wholeheartedly takes shelter of vairāgya. samapāśrutah, complete shelter of that.

ahaṅkāraṁ balam darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodhaṁ parigrahaṁ vimucca nirma mahaśyānto brahma bhūyāya kalpate So this verse, several parts of it have come earlier. Brahma bhūyāya kalpate has come where? 14.26 mām ca yo becāreṇa There also, Brahma bhūyāya, one who attained the Brahman platform. And the first part of it, ahaṅkāraṁ balam darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodham All qualities have come in the demoniac nature.

16.18 There it is, ahaṅkāraṁ balam darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodham ca samśrutah mām ātma-dvara-deheśu pradviśanto abhyasūyakaḥ So, Krishna is saying that those ungodly qualities, one gives a vimucca, one gives them up completely and in this way, one comes to the Brahman platform. So, Krishna describes this in three verses, but this can take long, long years, decades and lifetimes also. The jñāna-yoga-sādhanā is quite a gradual and demanding process.

To turn inwards and to actually come to the process of, come to the level of, jñāna-yoga-paro-nityam That will take a long time, nityam, sorry, jñāna-yoga-paro-nityam, that will take a long time. But when this person comes to that, then what happens? Then is that, when he has come to Brahma bhūyāya kalpate, now from the jñāna, the Māyāvādī point of view, person attained perfection. Yes, Brahma bhūyāya kalpate, the goal of, sarvam khalmam idam brahma, ahaṁ brahma asmi, prajñānāṁ brahma, the whole idea is, you attain brahma, you attain perfection now.

But Krishna, he says, no, no, there is a lot more to attain after this. So that he describes in the next verse. Brahma bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kaṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu mad-bhaktim labhate parām So, this verse says that, after one comes to the Brahman platform, and in case, ambiguity of what the Brahman platform means, Krishna makes it very clear, equanimity towards things and equanimity towards beings.

You know, things is na śocati na kaṅkṣati, one doesn't lament, one doesn't hanker, and samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu, equanimity towards beings, towards people. So it's very clear that the Brahman platform is, what is being referred to over here. But at that time, mad-bhaktim labhate parām So actually, that time, parā bhakti begins.

One attain parā bhakti. And then, in this way, Krishna, if you see, in the 18th chapter, full 18th chapter till now, this is the, first reference to mām, by Krishna. There is no reference to mām, till now.

Even when he's talking about, work is worship, it was, svakarmana tam abhyarcha, worship him. Krishna is referring to that, absolute truth in the third person. But first time, in the 16th, 15th, 18th chapter, he talks about, that means, going through the whole analysis of, the five factors of action, the various modes, and this whole analysis of, jñānaṁ jñāyam parijñātā, and all that.

Now, through all that, Krishna says, gradually, one will come to, Brahman platform, and then one will attain, mām bhakti. That means, through this all, Krishna is saying that, he's at the summit of it all. And then, what happens? Attaining mām bhakti, the stage is not the same as, attaining me.

The stage after that is, you will attain me. bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvānyāś ca smita-tvataḥ yāvānyāś ca smita-tvataḥ tato mām tattvato jñātvā viśate tad-anantaram So, by bhakti, you will know me, as I truly am. ca smita-tvataḥ And then, when you know me, viśate tad-anantaram, you will attain that eternal, you will attain that infinite.

So, Krishna is here with Arjuna, in the material world. So, Krishna is telling, when you know me, you will return back, you will go to the eternal sky, to the eternal spiritual world, you will attain that. So, in this way, Krishna has shown, the whole process, the whole yoga ladder, is, in a sense, summarized, from verse 1 to verse 55, in the Bhagavad Gita.

And he says, how, brah-bhakti and Bhagavan, are the ultimate attainments, in this yoga ladder. Now, from 56th verse onwards, Krishna will tell, and Arjuna may get the question that, well then, do I have to go through all this ladder, ultimately, practice Varanashram, then go to practice Gyan Yoga, and then come to bhakti? He says, no. Krishna says, that is the highest, but you can practice it, right now.

And that will be the next verse, that will be the last section, we will discuss after 15 minutes. Thank you very much. Śrīmad Bhagavad Gītā Ki Jaya!