Hindi – Chapter 08 Bhagavad Gita And Decision Making  Bhagavad Gita Overview – Chaitanya Charan

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Lecture Summary

1. कर्म और हमारा ‘भाव’ (Disposition)

• कर्म की परिभाषा: भगवान अर्जुन को बताते हैं कि ‘कर्म’ केवल सामान्य कार्य नहीं है, बल्कि वह विशेष गतिविधि है जो हमारी आत्मा की मनोवृत्तियों और अगले शरीर के निर्माण में सहायक होती है। जैसी हमारी वृत्ति होती है, वैसी ही हमारी स्थिति बनती है।

• सच्चा Manifestation: आजकल ‘Manifestation’ का मतलब केवल अपनी भौतिक इच्छाओं को पूरा करने से जोड़ा जाता है। लेकिन गीता के अनुसार, व्यक्ति जिस भावना (भाव) में जीवन भर डूबा रहता है, मृत्यु के समय वही भाव उसके अगले शरीर और वास्तविकता का कारण बनता है।

2. भगवान का स्मरण (Remembrance)

अंत समय में भगवान का स्मरण बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है, लेकिन यह कोई अचानक या एक बार होने वाली घटना नहीं है। यह जीवन भर के अभ्यास का परिणाम है।

• तथ्यात्मक (Factual) vs व्यक्तिगत (Personal) स्मरण: भगवान यहाँ किसी तथ्यात्मक जानकारी (जैसे कोई ऐतिहासिक तारीख) की नहीं, बल्कि भावना और संबंध पर आधारित स्मरण की बात कर रहे हैं। हम जीवन भर जिसे सबसे अधिक महत्व देते हैं, वही अंत समय में याद आता है।

• सकारात्मक दृष्टिकोण: भक्ति का अर्थ यह है कि हमारा ध्यान इस बात पर हो कि ‘हम किसके लिए लड़ रहे हैं’ (अर्थात भगवान की योजना), न कि ‘हम किसके विरुद्ध लड़ रहे हैं’ (नफरत या द्वेष)

3. भक्ति योग vs ध्यान योग

ध्यान योग के लिए कठोर तपस्या, वनवास और कड़े ब्रह्मचर्य (इंद्रिय संयम) की आवश्यकता होती है, जो आधुनिक समय में अत्यंत कठिन है। इसके विपरीत, भगवान ने भक्ति योग को ‘सुलभ:’ कहा है। यह सहज है और इसे गृहस्थ जीवन में रहते हुए भी किया जा सकता है।

4. संसार को देखने के चार मुख्य दृष्टिकोण (Worldviews)

संसार को देखने के मुख्य रूप से चार नजरिए होते हैं:

1. भौतिकवाद (Materialism): केवल यह जगत सत्य है और दूसरा कुछ नहीं (इससे ‘राग’ या इच्छाएँ उत्पन्न होती हैं)।

2. निर्विशेषवाद (Impersonalism): यह जगत मोह है और केवल परलोक सत्य है (इससे संसार के प्रति ‘भय’ उत्पन्न होता है)।

3. नैहिलिज़्म (Nihilism): दोनों ही जगत असत्य हैं और जीवन का कोई अर्थ नहीं है (इससे ‘क्रोध’ और गहरी निराशा उत्पन्न होती है)।

4. भगवद गीता का दृष्टिकोण: यह जगत भी सत्य है और परलोक भी सत्य है। हमें इस संसार में सकारात्मक और जिम्मेदारी से कर्म करते हुए परम धाम की ओर बढ़ना चाहिए।

5. दुःख और कर्म का सही दृष्टिकोण (आपदाओं के संदर्भ में)

प्रवचन के अंत में एक प्रश्न के उत्तर में बताया गया है कि जब समाज में कोई बड़ी आपदा (जैसे कैलिफोर्निया के जंगलों की आग या कोई दुर्घटना) आती है, तो उसे तुरंत “उनके पिछले जन्म का कर्म” कहकर खारिज कर देना असंवेदनशीलता है।

• करुणा और सहानुभूति: एक भक्त का पहला भाव करुणा (Compassion) और लोगों की सहायता का होना चाहिए, दोष निकालने का नहीं।

• दृश्य कारण को प्राथमिकता: अदृश्य कारण (कर्म) को जिम्मेदार ठहराने से पहले हमें दृश्य कारण (जैसे सरकारी लापरवाही, सुरक्षा में चूक, खराब बुनियादी ढांचा) को देखना और सुधारना चाहिए। भगवान ने हमें बुद्धि दी है ताकि हम जोखिमों का सही प्रबंधन कर सकें और भविष्य की आपदाओं को टाल सकें।

 

Full Transcriptions

तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः।
नमः ओं विष्णुपादाय।
कृष्ण प्रेष्ठाय भूतले।
श्रीमते भक्ति वेदांत स्वामी इति नामिने।
नमस्ते सारस्वते देवे गौरवाणी प्रचारिणे।
निर्विशेष शून्यवाद पाश्चात्य देश तारिणे।
वाञ्छा कल्पतरुभ्यश्च कृपा-सिंधुभ्य एव च।
पतितानां पावनभ्यो वैष्णवेभ्यो नमो नमः।
जय श्रीकृष्ण चैतन्य प्रभु नित्यानंद।
श्री अद्वैत गदाधर श्रीवासादि गौर भक्तवृंद।
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे।
हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे।

हरे कृष्ण।
तो आज हम भगवद गीता का आठवां अध्याय देख रहे हैं।
तो quick recap करें कि गीता के तीन विभाग हैं और हम उसके बीच वाले विभाग में हैं – अध्याय 7 से 12 तक।
इस विभाग में भक्ति-योग पर ज़ोर दिया गया है।

क्यों ज़ोर दिया गया है?
क्योंकि हमारे ब्रेन में भी एक सिस्टम होता है: reward and punishment.
Reward यानी अगर आप कुछ करेंगे तो क्या लाभ होगा।
Punishment यानी अगर नहीं करेंगे तो क्या हानि होगी।

सातवें अध्याय में भगवान rewards बताते हैं,
आठवें अध्याय में punishment नहीं, पर उससे होने वाले loss पर फोकस है।

इस अध्याय में भी स्मरण पर ही ज़ोर है।

गिता में एक अध्याय से दूसरे अध्याय का ट्रांज़िशन दो तरह से होता है:

1. अर्जुन सवाल पूछते हैं।
   
2. कृष्णा अपनी बात को नेचुरल फ्लो में अगले विषय पर ले जाते हैं।
   

कृष्ण कभी खुद से ‘अतः तृतीय अध्याय’ जैसे नहीं बोलते — यह व्यासदेव द्वारा अध्याय विभाजन है।

कभी-कभी भगवान ऐसी स्टेटमेंट देते हैं जो स्वयं ही सवाल आमंत्रित करती हैं।
उन्हें English में “question-begging statement” कहा जाता है।

जैसे कोई कहे: “मैं तीन बातें बताऊँगा” – और केवल दो ही बताए, तो तीसरी के बारे में सुनने वाले के मन में सवाल उठता है।

सातवें अध्याय के अंत में भगवान कुछ terms इस्तेमाल करते हैं — familiar शब्द लेकिन unfamiliar meanings.
उदाहरण: “You are on the money.” – इसका मतलब होता है “आप सही हैं,” न कि “पैसे पर बैठे हैं।”

अर्जुन उन terms को ठीक उसी क्रम में दोहराते हैं जैसे कृष्ण ने कहे थे।
इससे लगता है जैसे भगवान अर्जुन का attention टेस्ट कर रहे हैं।

भगवान इन terms का बहुत संक्षेप में उत्तर देते हैं, लेकिन जिन terms को ज़रूरी समझते हैं, उन्हें विस्तार से समझाते हैं — जैसे ‘प्राणकाल’।

भगवान जवाब देते हैं: अक्षरं ब्रह्म परमं…
यहाँ ब्रह्म का अर्थ है – अक्षर। दिव्य, स्थायी तत्व।

‘कर्म’ की भगवान एक विशेष परिभाषा दे रहे हैं:
भूतभावोdbhव karo visargah कर्मसंज्ञितः।
अर्थात वह क्रिया जो आत्मा की मनोवृत्तियों और अगले शरीर के निर्माण में सहायक होती है।

इसका implication है: जैसी हमारी वृत्ति, वैसी हमारी स्थिति।

तो कर्म न केवल शरीर, बल्कि मानसिकता को भी उत्पन्न करता है।

आगे भगवान आदि भूत, आदि यज्ञ आदि शब्दों की व्याख्या करते हैं — और अंत में सबको अपने में केंद्रित कर देते हैं।

यह अध्याय technical शब्दों से भरा है, लेकिन उसका केंद्रीय भाव है: स्मरण।

भगवान श्लोक 8.5 में कहते हैं:

“अन्तकाले च मामेव स्मरन्मुक्त्वा कलेवरम्।
यः प्रयाति स मद्भावं याति नास्त्यत्र संशयः॥”

इस श्लोक में तीन बातें हैं:

1. अंत समय
2. भगवान का स्मरण
3. कलेवर त्याग

‘भाव’ शब्द का अर्थ भावना से अधिक है — वह प्रकृति या प्राप्त परिस्थिति को दर्शाता है।

भगवान यहाँ सिर्फ सूचना नहीं दे रहे, वह आश्वासन भी दे रहे हैं।

Guidance बुद्धि के लिए है, और Assurance हृदय के लिए।

डॉक्टर सिर्फ दवा न दे, ये भी कहे — “यह ज़रूर काम करेगी” — यही आश्वासन है।

भगवान मार्गदर्शन भी करते हैं और प्रोत्साहन भी देते हैं।

आगे श्लोक 8.6 में भगवान कहते हैं:

“यं यं वापि स्मरन्भावं त्यजत्यन्ते कलेवरम्।
तं तमेवैति कौन्तेय सदा तद्भावभावितः॥”

यहाँ ‘भाव’ तीन बार आता है — इसका ज़ोर स्मरण पर है।

आजकल का popular शब्द है ‘Manifest’।
2024 का Oxford Word of the Year भी यही था — manifest।
लोग सोचते हैं — सोचो, visualise करो, और वह सच हो जाएगा।

पर गीता कहती है: अंत समय में जो भाव होगा, वही वास्तविकता बन जाएगी।

तो, आप अपने सपनों को कैसे मैनिफेस्ट कर सकते हैं?

कई बार मुझसे पूछा गया कि “क्या भगवद्गीता में मैनिफेस्टेशन (manifestation) का कोई सिद्धांत है?”
अक्सर हम मैनिफेस्टेशन को एक छोटे स्तर पर समझते हैं — मैं कुछ चाहूँगा, प्रार्थना करूंगा, और वह चीज़ हो जाएगी।
लेकिन भगवद्गीता उससे बहुत ऊँचे स्तर की बात करती है — जो आप चाहेंगे, उसी के अनुरूप आपका संपूर्ण जीवन, शरीर और दुनिया ढल जाएगी।

“भाव भावित:” — इसका अर्थ है कि आपकी जो प्रवृत्ति है, वही आपकी अगली वास्तविकता बन जाती है।
आपका जो “disposition” है, यानी आपकी मनोवृत्ति, वही “manifestation” के रूप में प्रकट होती है।
यह मानसिक स्तर पर शुरू होता है, पर अंततः यह शरीर और परिस्थिति के रूप में मूर्त होता है।

एक मित्र अमेरिका की एक कंपनी में काम करते हैं।
वहाँ उनके इंटरव्यू में एक अजीब सवाल पूछा गया:
“अगर आपको जानवर के रूप में पुनर्जन्म लेना हो, तो कौन सा जानवर बनना चाहेंगे?”
अधिकतर लोगों ने कहा: कुत्ता या बिल्ली।

क्योंकि लोग सोचते हैं — कुत्तों का जीवन बहुत आरामदायक होता है, उन्हें चिंता नहीं होती।
लेकिन अगर कोई मनुष्य जीवन भर कुत्तों से इतना आकर्षित और आसक्त हो जाए, तो अगला जन्म उसी रूप में हो सकता है।

भगवान कहते हैं — “सदा तत्भाव भावितः” — व्यक्ति जिस भावना में जीवन भर डूबा होता है, अंत समय में वही भाव उसके अगले शरीर का कारण बनता है।

यह स्मरण केवल “एक बार” का नहीं है। यह एक “नियमित साधना” है।

कुछ लोग सोचते हैं: “मैं जीवन भर भोग करूंगा और अंत में भगवान को याद करूंगा और मुक्त हो जाऊंगा।”
और कुछ तो यह सोचते हैं — मृत्यु से पहले भगवान का नाम लेकर आत्महत्या कर लेंगे और मुक्त हो जाएंगे।

लेकिन क्या ऐसा होगा? नहीं।
क्योंकि भगवान जिस स्मरण की बात कर रहे हैं वह केवल बाहरी नहीं, बल्कि हमारी अंतःप्रवृत्ति से जुड़ा होता है।

हम जिसे जीवन भर सबसे ज़्यादा चाहते हैं, सबसे ज़्यादा याद करते हैं — वही अंत में स्मरण में आता है।

स्मरण भी दो तरह का होता है:

1. Factual Remembrance – जानकारी पर आधारित: जैसे पानीपत का युद्ध कब हुआ?
2. Personal Remembrance – भावना और संबंध पर आधारित।

भगवान जिस स्मरण की बात कर रहे हैं, वह व्यक्तिगत स्मरण है।

यह स्मरण रिश्ते पर आधारित होता है।

जैसे अगर किसी व्यक्ति का एक्सिडेंट हो गया और वह ICU में है, तो बाहर खड़े परिवारजन को flashbacks आने लगते हैं —
“वह दिन ऐसा था, वह घटना वैसी थी…” — उसमें भावना होती है, केवल तथ्य नहीं।

भगवान कहते हैं: अंत समय का स्मरण वही होता है जो हमारे लिए जीवन भर सबसे मूल्यवान रहा हो।

हम भक्ति में कृष्ण को स्मरण कर रहे हैं — इसका अर्थ है हम उनके लिए लड़ रहे हैं, किसी के विरुद्ध नहीं।

भक्ति के कुछ विरोधी हो सकते हैं — लेकिन हमारा युद्ध “किसके लिए” है, “किसके विरुद्ध” नहीं, यह मुख्य बात है।

भगवान ने अर्जुन को युद्ध का आदेश दिया, लेकिन एक बार भी कौरवों की क्रूरता को याद करने को नहीं कहा।

उन्होंने कभी नहीं कहा: “द्रौपदी की वस्त्रहरण को याद करो और बदला लो।”
बल्कि उन्होंने कहा: “मेरी योजना का स्मरण करो और उसी के अनुसार कार्य करो।”

कुछ समय पहले मैं एक हिंदू सम्मेलन में गया था। वहां एक व्यक्ति ने कहा — “आप ISKCON वाले हिंदू धर्म के लिए कुछ करते नहीं, आप बस भक्ति करते हैं।”

मैंने उन्हें कई उदाहरण दिए, लेकिन पूछा — “आप किस ‘हिंदू कारण’ की बात कर रहे हैं?”
उन्होंने कहा — “मुसलमानों की गतिविधियों को रोकना।”
मैंने जवाब दिया: “हमें कृष्णभावनामृत में रहना है, न कि ‘anti-Muslim consciousness’ में।”

हिंदू धर्म का अर्थ यह नहीं कि हम किसी अन्य समुदाय के विरोध में जिएं।
अगर कोई केवल उस नफरत में ही डूबा रहेगा, तो वह नफरत ही उसका भाव बन जाएगा।

भगवान कहते हैं — “यम यम वापि स्मरन् भावम्” — अंत समय का भाव ही अगली यात्रा तय करता है।

इसलिए हमें देखना है — हम किस भावना को जीवन भर पोषित कर रहे हैं?
वह भावना ही अंततः हमारा स्मरण बनेगी और स्मरण ही हमारा गंतव्य तय करेगा।

एक तरह से देखा जाए तो भगवान की भक्ति जागृत करना आसान नहीं होता, समय लगता है। लेकिन इस भौतिक जगत में अगर किसी के प्रति शत्रुता जगानी हो या नफरत फैलानी हो, तो वह बहुत जल्दी और आसानी से हो जाती है।
राजनीति में एक कहावत है—“The easiest speech is hate speech,” यानी सबसे आसान भाषण वह होता है जो दूसरों के प्रति घृणा को भड़काए। पर भगवान कभी भी ऐसी कोई घृणा आधारित प्रक्रिया को समर्थन नहीं करते।

हमारे जीवन में खतरे होते हैं और उनका सामना करना पड़ता है, पर हमें उन्हें अपनी चेतना का केंद्र नहीं बनाना है। हमारा फोकस कृष्ण-स्मरण पर होना चाहिए।

इस अध्याय (अध्याय 8) में जो मुख्य विषय है, वह है—कैसे मन को भगवान में लगाया जाए।
भगवान स्वयं कहते हैं कि मृत्यु के समय स्मरण कितना ज़रूरी है (8.27) और इसलिए वह आग्रह करते हैं कि हम जीवनभर स्मरण का अभ्यास करें।

अध्याय 8 के श्लोक 2 से 14 तक में भगवान यह स्पष्ट करते हैं कि भक्ति-योग करना ध्यान-योग से सरल है।
भगवद गीता में केवल एक ही स्थान है जहाँ भगवान विशेष रूप से कहते हैं कि “यह आसान है”—वह है श्लोक 8.14, जहाँ ‘सुलभः’ शब्द आता है।
यहाँ आचार्यगण बताते हैं कि भक्ति-योग बहुत आसानी से सिद्ध किया जा सकता है, जबकि ध्यान-योग के लिए कठोर तपस्या और ब्रह्मचर्य की आवश्यकता होती है।

मैंने एक बार किसी भक्त से पूछा था कि ‘सुलभः’ शब्द कहाँ सुना है?
वह बोले—“सुलभ शौचालय!”
यह एक हँसी की बात थी, लेकिन इसका गहरा अर्थ यह है कि कुछ शब्द परिस्थिति से इतने जुड़ जाते हैं कि उनका अर्थ संकुचित हो जाता है।
पर यहाँ ‘सुलभः’ का अर्थ है—‘ईज़िली अटेनेबल’, यानी सहजता से प्राप्त होने योग्य।

भगवान छठे अध्याय में अर्जुन को जवाब देते हुए कहते हैं कि ध्यान-योग कठिन है, लेकिन अभ्यास और वैराग्य से संभव है।
अर्जुन के दो मुख्य संशय थे—(1) यह साधना बहुत कठिन है (2) इसमें बहुत समय लगेगा।
इन दोनों का उत्तर भगवान क्रमशः श्लोक 8.14 (सुलभः) और अध्याय 12 के श्लोक 6–7 में देते हैं—जहाँ वह कहते हैं कि भक्ति करने वालों को मैं जल्दी मुक्ति देता हूँ। (न चिरात)

भगवान पहले अर्जुन की बात को स्वीकार करते हैं और फिर समाधान देते हैं।
जैसे एक डॉक्टर कोई मुश्किल ट्रीटमेंट बता दे और फिर कहे, “अगर यह कठिन लगता है, तो मैं एक आसान विकल्प भी देता हूँ।”
ठीक वैसे ही भगवान ध्यान-योग की जगह भक्ति-योग का सरल विकल्प देते हैं।

भगवद गीता के सातवें अध्याय में भक्ति-योग का आरंभिक परिचय आता है, और आठवें अध्याय में उसकी ध्यान-योग से तुलना करते हुए भक्ति की महिमा बताई जाती है।

ध्यान-योग के लिए कठिन तप, ब्रह्मचर्य, जंगल वास, वेदों का अध्ययन आवश्यक है।
पर भक्ति के लिए यह सब अनिवार्य नहीं है।
भक्ति सभी के लिए संभव है—गृहस्थों के लिए भी।
सन्यास भक्ति के लिए अनुकूल है, लेकिन आवश्यक नहीं।

आजकल लोग जो योग करते हैं, वह अक्सर स्व-प्रसन्नता या आकर्षण के लिए होता है, न कि आत्म-साक्षात्कार के लिए।
आधुनिक योग का उद्देश्य है self-attraction, न कि self-realization.
यह भले ही स्वास्थ्यवर्धक हो, परंतु यह प्राचीन योग से भिन्न है, जो आत्मिक उन्नति और ब्रह्म-प्राप्ति के लिए किया जाता था।

ऋषिकेश की एक योगशाला में जब मैंने एक योग शिक्षक से पूछा कि ब्रह्मचर्य का क्या अर्थ है, तो उन्होंने उत्तर दिया—“Don’t do non-consensual sex.”
यह उत्तर क्रीएटिव तो था पर शास्त्र-सम्मत नहीं था।
शास्त्रों में ब्रह्मचर्य का अर्थ केवल जबरदस्ती न करना नहीं है, बल्कि इंद्रियों को संयम में रखना है।

आज के समय में जो योग किया जा रहा है, वह भक्ति के मार्ग से अलग दिशा में जा रहा है।
इसीलिए भगवान कहते हैं कि भक्ति का मार्ग सरल भी है और स्थायी भी।

इसके बाद भगवान कर्मकांड और भक्ति की तुलना करते हैं।
कर्मकांड से स्वर्ग मिलता है, लेकिन फिर पुनर्जन्म भी निश्चित होता है।
भक्ति से जो फल मिलता है, वह शाश्वत होता है।

भगवान ब्रह्मा के जीवन चक्र की बात करते हैं—दिन, रात, प्रलय, आदि—यह सब बताने का उद्देश्य यह है कि इस संसार में कुछ भी स्थायी नहीं है।

जब भगवान कहते हैं कि यह संसार दुखालय है, तो वह निराशावादी नहीं हैं, बल्कि यथार्थवादी हैं।
किसी मित्र को अगर आप कहें—“The world is full of suffering,” तो वह बोलेगा—”कितने निराशावादी हो!”
पर अगर कहें—“Life is tough,” तो वह बोलेगा—”बिलकुल सही बात है।”

तो सन्देश वही है—पर प्रस्तुतिकरण से अर्थ की अनुभूति बदल जाती है।

अधिकांश लोग मानते ही नहीं कि इस जगत के परे भी कोई और जगत है, इसलिए जब कहा जाता है कि “यह जगत दुखमय है,” तो उन्हें कोई आशा नहीं दिखती।
लेकिन भक्ति में यह आशा है—यह जीवन ही नहीं, अगला जीवन भी सुंदर हो सकता है।

अंत में यह चार विश्व-दृष्टिकोण (worldviews) के रूप में समझा जा सकता है:

1. यह जगत ही सत्य है, और दूसरा जगत कुछ नहीं है — भौतिकवाद
   
2. दोनों ही मोह हैं — निर्विशेषवाद (Impersnalism)
   
3. केवल परलोक सत्य है, यह जगत नहीं — कुछ मतों में ऐसा माना गया
   
4. यह जगत भी सत्य है, और परलोक भी सत्य है — भगवद गीता का दृष्टिकोण

तो अभी जब भगवान बोलते हैं कि आपको भक्ति करनी है, तो वह कहते हैं — वीतराग-भय-क्रोध। इसका अर्थ है कि अगर यह जगत ही सत्य है, तो हम उसमें सुख ढूंढने लगते हैं — यह चाहिए, वह चाहिए, यानी worldview of desire जाग उठता है।
लेकिन अगर कोई कहे कि यह जगत भी सत्य नहीं है, दूसरा जगत भी सत्य नहीं है, तो वहाँ से एक प्रकार का क्रोध (निरर्थकता से उपजा आंतरिक विद्रोह) जागता है — जीवन का अर्थ ही क्या है?

यह क्रोध, केवल anger नहीं है, बल्कि एक गहरी निराशा है — despair। जैसे एक तत्वज्ञानी अल्बर्टो कामू ने कहा था, “The only real philosophical question is whether to commit suicide today or tomorrow.” — जीवन व्यर्थ है, और उसमें कोई आशा नहीं है।

अब चार तरह के worldviews माने जा सकते हैं:

1. यह जगत सत्य है, दूसरा नहीं — materialism (भौतिकवाद)
2. यह जगत सत्य नहीं, दूसरा ही सत्य — impersonalism (निर्विशेषवाद)
3. यह दोनों जगत असत्य — nihilism (नैहिलिज़्म)
4. दोनों जगत सत्य हैं — Bhagavad Gita’s worldview
   

नैहिलिज़्म सबसे ख़तरनाक है — वहाँ जीवन का कोई अर्थ नहीं माना जाता। निर्विशेषवाद में इस जगत से भय उत्पन्न होता है — अरे! यह सब मोह है, बंधन है। इसी trade और डर की भावना ने भारत में medieval समय में भक्ति को प्रभावित किया — अद्वैतवाद के प्रभाव से कुछ भक्तिभाव वाले भी इस जगत को नकारने लगे।

पर भगवान इस जगत को इतना महत्वपूर्ण मानते हैं कि वे स्वयं इसमें अवतार लेते हैं।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय संभवामि युगे युगे — “मैं बार-बार आता हूँ।”

तो भक्ति का दृष्टिकोण यह है कि यह जगत भी सत्य है और दूसरा जगत भी सत्य है।
हम इस जगत में सकारात्मक कर्म करते हुए, उस शाश्वत धाम की ओर अग्रसर होते हैं।

जब भगवान अर्जुन से कहते हैं “यह जगत दुखालय है”, तो उसका अर्थ यह नहीं कि “अर्जुन, तुम्हारे साथ अन्याय हुआ है, बस स्वीकार कर लो”।
नहीं! भगवान कहते हैं — दुख हैं, पर कुछ दुख अटल हैं (जैसे मृत्यु), और कुछ दुख बदले जा सकते हैं (जैसे अधर्म का शासन)।

B.O.D.D (Birth, Old Age, Disease, Death) — ये अटल हैं, पर त्रिविध ताप (आध्यात्मिक, आधिभौतिक, आधिदैविक) को हम कर्म करके कुछ हद तक बदल सकते हैं।
इसलिए भगवान अर्जुन को युद्ध करने को कहते हैं — अन्याय को स्वीकार मत करो।
यह जगत दुखालय है, पर इसका अर्थ निराशावाद नहीं है।
भगवान कहते हैं — इस जगत में भी हमें जिम्मेदारी से कार्य करना चाहिए।

फिर अध्याय के अंत में आता है आखिरी सेक्शन — 23 से 30 तक — इसमें आता है:
Less dependence on uncontrollables — यानी अन्य मार्गों (जैसे कर्मकांड या ध्यान योग) में मुक्ति का मार्ग मृत्यु के समय के शुभ-अशुभ काल पर निर्भर होता है।

भगवद गीता 8.27–28 में भगवान कहते हैं —
“न ही अर्जुन, तुम इन सब मार्गों से मोहित हो। अगर तुम मेरा स्मरण करते हो, तो तुम किसी भी समय मर जाओ — तुम्हारा कल्याण निश्चित है।”
“सर्वेषु कालेषु मामनुस्मर युध्य च” — यही भक्ति का मार्ग है।

अंतिम श्लोकों में भगवान कहते हैं —
“यत पुण्यफलम प्राप्य…”
— जितना पुण्य यज्ञ, दान, तप आदि से मिलता है, उससे कहीं अधिक फल भक्ति से मिलेगा।
और भक्ति के साथ-साथ परम स्थान भी मिलेगा।

सारांश में चार प्रमुख बिंदु:

1. अर्जुन के प्रश्न दिखाते हैं कि वे attentive हैं।
   और भगवान के उत्तर focus करते हैं — remembrance at time of death।
2. इस अध्याय का मुख्य विषय है: Remembrance of Krishna
   — पिछले अध्याय में attachment बताया गया, इस अध्याय में remembrance।
   Remembrance को deepen करने के लिए चार सेक्शन हैं:
   • 1–4: Question-answer
   • 5–14: Bhakti vs. Dhyana Yoga
   • 15–22: Lasting result — Permanent benefit
     
   • 23–30: Safety at death — बिना uncontrollables पर निर्भर हुए
3. Remembrance कैसा होना चाहिए?
   
   • Regular
   • Personal
   • Based on what we value most and where we take emotional shelter
     
4. Worldview:
   • अगर केवल यह जगत सत्य — तो desire (राग)
     
   • अगर कोई भी सत्य नहीं — तो despair (क्रोध)
     
   • अगर केवल परलोक सत्य — तो fear (भय)
     
   • लेकिन अगर दोनों सत्य हैं — तो balanced devotion (भक्ति) संभव है।

अंत में, हम भगवान से प्रार्थना कर सकते हैं कि वह हमें ऐसी श्रद्धा दें कि हम उनकी याद में एकाग्र हो जाएँ — यह समझते हुए कि इस जगत की हर वस्तु अस्थाई है, और केवल भगवान ही शाश्वत शरण हैं।

धन्यवाद। हरे कृष्णा।

बोलिए। हरे कृष्णा।
बहुत-बहुत धन्यवाद! आपने बहुत सुंदर तरीके से समझाया।

तो यह जो भक्ति योग है, वह ध्यान योग से श्रेष्ठ है — यह बात भगवद गीता के अध्याय 8, श्लोक 8 से 14 तक में आती है।
पर इसमें ध्यान देना ज़रूरी है कि श्लोक 8 से 13 तक मुख्यतः ध्यान योग की प्रक्रिया बताई गई है, जबकि श्लोक 14 में भक्ति योग का वर्णन होता है।

जब भगवान किसी अन्य साधना-पद्धति का वर्णन करते हैं, तो वे स्वयं के लिए “मैं” की बजाय तीसरे पुरुष (third person) में बात करते हैं — क्योंकि ध्यान योगी जब तक समाधि में न पहुंचे, तब तक उन्हें यह स्पष्ट नहीं होता कि परम सत्य कौन है।
इसलिए भगवान वहाँ कहते हैं:

“कविं पुराणमनुशासितारम…”
— वे स्वयं की बजाय, परम सत्य का लक्षण बताते हैं।

परम सत्य ध्यानयोगी को स्पष्ट नहीं होता — वह ब्रह्म हो सकता है, विष्णु हो सकता है, कोई निराकार सत्ता भी हो सकती है।
केवल जब सिद्धि की अवस्था आती है, तब वह समझते हैं कि परम सत्य वास्तव में भगवान हैं।

इसलिए जब भगवान ध्यान योगियों का मार्ग बता रहे हैं, तो वे “माम्” (मुझे) नहीं कहते, बल्कि “ओमित्येकाक्षरं ब्रह्म” आदि कहकर संकेत करते हैं।
केवल पूर्णता के समय वह भगवान को समझ पाते हैं।

जिव गोस्वामी बताते हैं कि जब किसी अन्य साधना से साधक व्यक्तिगत परमात्मा को समझता है, तब भी दो संभावनाएँ रहती हैं:

1. उसे भगवान का सेवक बनना है — यह भक्तिभाव है।
2. या उसमें एकाकार होना है — यह अद्वैत भाव है।

इसलिए, चाहे वे भगवान का स्मरण करें, पर वह स्मरण किस उद्देश्य से है, यह उनकी साधना और मानसिकता पर निर्भर करता है।
हर कोई जो भगवान का स्मरण करता है, जरूरी नहीं कि भगवान तक ही पहुँचे।

कई लोग भक्ति को साधना मानते हैं, पर ब्रह्म को साध्य — यानी उद्देश्य मानते हैं।
पर हम लोग, जब पानी का स्वाद देखते हैं और कहते हैं “यह कृष्ण हैं”, तो हम केवल स्मरण नहीं करते, हम भगवान को धन्यवाद भी देते हैं।
यह भाव केवल भक्ति में संभव है, ध्यान योग में नहीं।

हमें हर चीज़ में डरने की ज़रूरत नहीं है — जैसा भी हम भगवान का स्मरण कर सकते हैं, वैसा करें।
हमारा सम्पूर्ण worldview personalist है — हम भगवान को व्यक्ति के रूप में मानते हैं।

एक यूरोपीय भक्त का अनुभव था — वे बोले, “मुझे लगता है मेरे अंदर का पूर्व का मायावादी भाव फिर से जाग रहा है।”
पूछा क्यों?
तो उन्होंने बताया — “भक्तों से झगड़ा हो गया, एक प्रोजेक्ट में बहुत सेवा की, पर छोड़ना पड़ा। अब हिमालय में रहकर प्रकृति की शांति में बहुत सुख मिल रहा है — जो भक्तों के संग में भी नहीं मिला।”

मैंने उनसे कहा:

“The peace of nature is not the monopoly of the impersonalist.”
— प्रकृति से मिलने वाली शांति केवल निर्विशेषवादियों की बपौती नहीं है।

भागवत में शुकदेव गोस्वामी ने भी वृंदावन की निसर्ग की महिमा बताई है — वहां के वृक्ष, लताएं, पशु-पक्षी आदि — भक्ति में भी प्रकृति को सकारात्मक रूप से देखा जाता है।

अगर कोई व्यक्ति रजोगुण या तमोगुण में है, तो सत्त्वगुण की दिशा में बढ़ना भी अच्छा है।
मैंने उनसे पूछा — “क्या तुम्हारे भीतर ब्रह्म में लीन होने की इच्छा जागी है?”
बोले — “नहीं, वैसी कोई भावना नहीं है।”
तो फिर यह प्राकृतिक शांति भी भक्ति के अनुकूल है — उसे स्वीकार किया जा सकता है।

हम कुछ practices स्वीकार कर सकते हैं, पर उनका ultimate purpose नहीं।
जैसे — कोई भक्त स्वास्थ्य के लिए प्राणायाम करता है, तो वह उसकी साधना का हिस्सा नहीं, बल्कि साधक की सहायक क्रिया है।
इसलिए कोई भी प्रक्रिया को अपनाना गलत नहीं, जब तक कि हमारा उद्देश्य भगवान की सेवा है।

Thank you. Yes please.

Thank you प्रभु जी for the class.

अभी जैसे हम दुख की चर्चा कर रहे थे, आपने बताया कि यह विषय नवें अध्याय में और अधिक विस्तार से आएगा। लेकिन उसी संदर्भ में मेरा एक प्रश्न है।

व्यक्तिगत जीवन में जब किसी को दुख होता है या जब कोई व्यापक जनसमूह किसी आपदा से प्रभावित होता है, तो हमारा सामान्य दृष्टिकोण यह होता है कि यह “कार्मिक परिणाम” (karmic consequence) है।
परंतु अभी हाल ही में जैसे Los Angeles में भीषण forest fire हुआ, जिसमें लाखों लोग प्रभावित हुए, या कुछ समय पहले South Korean plane crash हुआ जिसमें सैकड़ों की मृत्यु हुई — ऐसे घटनाओं के संदर्भ में क्या भगवद गीता का केवल एक ही दृष्टिकोण है कि “यह उनका कर्म है”, या फिर गीता में इन परिस्थितियों के लिए कोई holistic (समग्र) दृष्टिकोण भी है?

मैं स्वयं Palesoids नामक उस क्षेत्र में गया हूँ जहाँ यह forest fire हुआ। वहाँ मैंने lectures भी दिए थे। वह क्षेत्र opulent जरूर है, पर एक शांत और relatively सात्विक इलाका लगा।

तो सबसे पहले, किसी के भी जीवन में जब दुख आता है, एक भक्त का पहला भाव होना चाहिए – करुणा (compassion)।
एक भक्त ने मुझे बताया कि उन्हें वहां से evacuate किया गया, लेकिन यह तक नहीं पता कि उनका घर अब भी है या जल गया है। संपूर्ण communication breakdown हो गया है। यह बहुत ही कठिन स्थिति है।

इसलिए सबसे पहले, हमारा दृष्टिकोण “सहानुभूति और सहायता” का होना चाहिए, न कि कारण खोजने का। कारण बाद में देखा जा सकता है। Our focus should be more on solutions than explanations.

यदि कोई विपत्ति हो जाती है, और हम तुरंत कह देते हैं कि “यह उनका कर्म है”, तो हम बहुत heartless और headless लगते हैं — न करुणा दिखती है, न बुद्धि।

श्रीमद्भागवतम के पहले स्कंध में, जब परीक्षित महाराज धर्म से पूछते हैं, “तुम्हारे दुख का कारण क्या है?” — तो धर्म कहता है:

“वाक्यभेद विमोहिता” – अनेक मत हैं, मैं भ्रमित हूँ।

और परीक्षित महाराज उसे मूर्ख नहीं कहते, बल्कि “बधाई” (Congratulations) देते हैं कि तुम किसी को दोष नहीं दे रहे हो।

भगवद गीता भी कहती है: दुख का कारण और समाधान – दोनों देखने योग्य हैं। परंतु जब स्पष्ट दृश्य कारण मौजूद हो, तो तुरंत अदृश्य कारण (कर्म) को ले आना बुद्धिमानी नहीं है।

उदाहरण: California की यह जगह वैसे ही एक सूखा और गर्म क्षेत्र है, जो पहले भी forest fires के लिए संवेदनशील रही है।
इस बार जो हुआ वह केवल प्रकृति की लीला नहीं, बल्कि सरकारी लापरवाही (negligence) भी थी। मेरे एक मित्र के अनुसार, वहाँ fire fighters को बिल्कुल आवश्यक संसाधन नहीं मिले — hydrants काम नहीं कर रहे थे, पानी नहीं था।

शास्त्रों में कहा गया है:

पहले दृश्य कारण देखो, फिर अदृश्य की ओर जाओ।
जैसे – यदि AC की हवा से ठंड लग रही है, तो पहले AC बंद करो, न कि पिछले जन्म के कर्म की चिंता करो।

इसी तरह, सीता हरण के समय अगर कोई केवल “यह उनके कर्म का फल था” कहे, और रावण का प्रतिकार न करे, तो वह मूर्खता होगी।

अतः जब दृश्य कारण स्पष्ट हो, जैसे:

• खराब तैयारी,
• fire safety में negligence,
• साफ-सफाई की कमी (पेड़ के पत्ते नहीं हटाना),
• inadequate infrastructure –
  तो हमें पहले उसे सुधारना चाहिए।

कुछ लोग कह सकते हैं कि वह क्षेत्र godless है, immoral है, पर यह judgmental व्याख्या करना हमें शोभा नहीं देता।
उनका भी जीवन है, परिवार है। अगर ऐसा भारत में हो जाए, और कोई कहे “यह तुम्हारा कर्म था”, तो हमें कैसा लगेगा?

“Karma explanation” is not always the most urgent need.

हाँ, अलग-अलग क्षेत्रों में अलग-अलग प्राकृतिक जोखिम होते हैं — जैसे Japan में earthquake zone, coastal India में cyclones.
लेकिन भगवान ने हमें बुद्धि दी है, जिससे हम उन जोखिमों के अनुसार तैयारी करें। अगर हम तैयार नहीं हैं, तो हम दोषी हैं।

आज अमेरिका में कुछ लोगों का मानना है कि वहां की “diversity quota policies” के कारण ज़िम्मेदार पदों पर सही व्यक्ति नहीं आते — जैसे fire chief का चयन केवल diversity के आधार पर होना चाहिए या दक्षता के आधार पर?
Efficiency matters more than ideological balance in crisis management.

गीता कहती है:

“लोकसंग्रहार्थ कार्यं कर्म समाचर”
“समाज की स्थिरता हेतु, हर व्यक्ति को अपनी ज़िम्मेदारी से कर्म करना चाहिए।”

अगर कोई व्यक्ति जिम्मेदार पद पर होकर गैर-जिम्मेदार बन जाए, तो उसे उत्तरदायी ठहराना ज़रूरी है, ताकि भविष्य में ऐसी आपदाएँ टल सकें।

हमारी प्रार्थना है कि पीड़ितों को जल्द राहत मिले, और समाज, प्रशासन, और व्यक्ति — सभी भविष्य में और जागरूक बनें।

श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता की जय।
श्रील प्रभुपाद की जय।
गौर भक्त वृंद की जय।
हरे कृष्ण।

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Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
It is not wrong.
There are three parts of the Gita. We are in the middle part now. So, from the 7th to the 12th chapter, the emphasis is being given on Bhakti Yoga.
And why is this emphasis being given? Here… So, what happens is, there is a system. We have the same system in our brain. It is called reward and punishment.
Now, what does reward mean? If you do this, what benefits will you get? And if you do not do this, what will be the loss? Why is it good to do this, and why is it bad not to do this? So, to some extent, in chapter 7, rewards are being told. Now, in chapter 8, it cannot be called punishment, because God himself is not punishing. But, its loss is being emphasised in that way.
In this too, the emphasis is on remembering God. In this chapter too. So, now, when there is a transition from one chapter to another, in Gita, chapter transition is primarily done in two ways.
One is, Arjun has some questions. That, Arjun asks a question, and then the next chapter begins. We see this in chapter 3. We see this in chapter 5. Then we see this in chapter 12, chapter 13, we will see this in chapter 11 too.
That, in the beginning, Arjun is asking some questions. And then the second is, Krishna’s natural flow. That, Krishna is speaking his answer.
In that, he is going to a new subject. Then, Vyasadev ji divides it into new chapters. Now, when Krishna is speaking, Krishna does not say, No, Krishna is naturally having a conversation.
So, Now, in some places, it happens that, it seems that, God himself is inviting questions. Sometimes, there is a statement, it is called in English, that this is a question-begging statement. Question-begging means, it is such a method, that one should ask a question to someone.
If someone does not ask a question, then, the speaker, will have a question in his mind. Whether someone is listening or not. Suppose, a speaker says, I will say three points in this discourse.
And, he says only two points. And, if someone asks, what is the third point? Then, the speaker will say, what was the point of my speech? So, now, what happens is that, at the end of this seventh chapter, God uses some terms, some words. And, the words that he uses, now, those words, to some extent, the terms that Krishna uses, are in two categories.
Familiar terms, are familiar, but, they have an unfamiliar meaning. Sometimes, it can be just one word, but, it can have many meanings. So, I know one word, but, I do not know the meaning of that word.
This happens sometimes. Suppose, you are on the money. You are on the money.
What does it mean? I am sitting on the money. What does it mean? On the money means, you are speaking the truth. If I had to put an argument on you, then, I would put an argument on you.
So, we do not know the meaning of money. There are some phrases, which we do not know. Are you out of your mind? Then, you will say, when was I inside my mind? It means, you must have gone mad.
But, what does out of your mind mean? Is my mind here? Why did I go there? So, there are such words, which have an unfamiliar meaning. And, secondly, some terms are unfamiliar. And, similarly, the word used by God, and the sequence in which it is used, in the same sequence, keeping Arjun in mind, we ask questions about them.
Let us see, what terms God is speaking. If we see here, at the end of chapter 7, what happens here? jara maran mokshaya maam ashitya tantiye te brahmatadviduh krishnam adhyatmam karmachakhilam So, here, the word, jara maran mokshaya, is familiar. te brahmatadviduh krishnam So, here, Arjun asks a question, kim tad brahma? Then, what is next? kim adhyatmam? Then, kim karma purushottama? So, the exact three terms, in which sequence, Arjun has asked, Krishna has spoken, in the same sequence, Arjun asks.
So, in a way, the terms used by God, the special words used by God, in a way, they are testing Arjun’s attention. Because, these words, God gives an explanation in a very concise way. He does not elaborate His explanation much.
And then, the next word that comes, adhibhuta adhidaiva So, Arjun also says, kim tad brahma kim adhyatmam kim karma purushottama adhibhutam cha kim proktam adhidaivam kim uchyate And then, adhiyagyam katham kovatra dehismin madhusudana prayanakale cha katham genyosi nyatatmabhi So, adhibhuta, adhidaiva, adhiyagya and prayanakala So, these different words, the different words, have been used. And Arjun uses the same words. And, what does God do? The word or the subject, which he feels is important, he elaborates that.
Because, he emphasises on that. So, in the next chapter, God will emphasise on prayanakala. So, how does God answer? And what happens? We will see later.
When God asks a question, then, Sri Bhagavan uvacha aaksharam brahmaparamam svabhavo adhyatmam uchyate bhutabhavo dbhavakaro bhutabhavo dbhavakaro visargah karmasangitah So, here aaksharam brahmaparamam So, the word brahma has a lot of meanings. So, here, Bhagavan is telling that brahma is a letter. So, it is divine.
It is beyond this world. And, the nature of that brahma, svabhavo, is called adhyatma. And, what is important for us, because, if we go into all these technical terms, it will take a lot of time.
But, what Bhagavan has emphasised in the Gita, we emphasise that. But, here, Bhagavan is giving an interesting definition Normally, we say that karma means action, or activity. But, Bhagavan says that it is a special type of action.
bhūta-bhāva-udbhava-karo visargaḥ karma-saṅgitaḥ So, bhūta-bhāva-udbhava So, karo means the action that is done, bhūta-bhāva bhūta means jīva bhāva means their mind and body, their nature. udbhava So, the action that leads to the creation of the bodily machine of the soul. bhūta-bhāva-udbhava-karo So, the karma every word, karma every thing that we do, we can call it karma.
So, the general meaning of karma is that we can say activity. Whatever work we are doing, that is karma. So, when Bhagwan says that akarma is not possible, he says that at every moment we do some work.
That is why the meaning of karma is action. Action is not possible. But here the technical meaning of karma he is telling.
The technical meaning here is activity that leads to the creation. Activity that leads to what happens to it? Creation. visarga.
But whose creation? bhūta-bhāva. So, in this word, in this chapter, the word bhūta-bhāva is used many times. Creation of what? Of in a way, we can say bodies.
But more precisely bhūta-bhāva. It is the soul. The soul is the soul is his disposition.
His disposition. And then with the disposition what happens? Bhagwan will say that as there is disposition, so will be his situation. What does it mean? The way the thought process will be, that kind of body will be found.
So, bhūta-bhāva udbhava karo. Karma means that which produces our body. But not only the body, along with that it also produces our mentality.
So, that is karma. After this, Bhagwan answers the next questions. And says that in a way, there are many meanings But Bhagwan here, because this is the section of bhakti, so all the explanations are focussing on Bhagwan.
So, the ādhibhūta, ādhidaiva, ādhiyajya all of them in the end, they focus on themselves. In the last shloka, in the last chapter, it was said that all these things which they think are me, in reality in a way, in a good way, their mind Bhagwan. So, they say ādhibhūtaṁ kṣarobhāvaḥ.
So, here, in this material world, in that, what is there? There is a kṣara. This kṣara is opposite to the word akṣaram brahma paramam. Here, it is said that the ātmā and the body are in a very opposite situation.
ādhidaiva is a man, a great man and Bhagwan is saying ādhiyagyau ahaṁ evātra. And here, ādhiyagyau Bhagwan is saying that he is Paramātmā who is in the Then, Bhagwan says how we have to remember So, now, these are two shlokas. In this, Bhagwan is specifically telling us So, we will recite If everyone knows, we will recite it āntakāle chamāmeva smaran muktvā kalevaram yah prayāti samadbhāvam yāti nāsthyatra samśayaḥ So, here, Bhagwan is telling us that he is telling us three things in this shloka that whoever remembers me in the end what will happen to him? That remembrance kalevaram when that body is leaving then then this prayāti Now, bhāva has a new meaning.
Bhāva we usually say bhāva means bhāvanā But bhāva especially when it is used in Bhagavad Gita it is very less in the form Whenever Bhagwan uses bhāva what is it? It is in a way nature. He will get that situation. So, here madbhāvam So, first he is telling us that if you do this then you will get this.
And one is information but the other is confirmation. That you giving information but you are giving assurance. This will definitely happen.
So, in a way there is one thing that he is telling something to the intellect. But the person does not work on the level of The person works on the level of A doctor is very ill and he is in a lot of pain. Take this medicine and you fine.
There is to worry. This will definitely work. So, the second thing that he is telling kind of assurance.
So, sometimes when someone is in a difficult situation then they do not need only one guidance. They also need assurance that this will work. So, what is doing in this verse 8.5 in a way they are not They are not afraid to the for they are for And then, after telling you this, in the next shloka he will tell you that there is a general principle.
And this is a special application of that principle. How does it happen that the one who remembers God will go to God? The general principle of God is said here. This shloka is familiar.
Let’s recite it together. yam yam vāpi smaran bhāvam tyajaty ante kalevaram tam tam evaiti kaunteya sadā tadbhāva bhāvitah How many times is bhāv given here? How many times does bhāv come? It comes three times. smaran bhāvam and bhāva bhāvitah Nowadays, the word manifest has become very popular in the society.
Every year the Oxford Dictionary says the word of the year. This word has become very popular this year. So, the word of 2024 was manifest.
Everybody says that we have to manifest something. What does it mean? It means that we will think, contemplate, dream and then it will happen. So, how can you manifest your dreams? Many times people ask me, what does bhagavad-gita say about manifestation? So, in reality, we think of manifestation in a small way.
If I want this, this is going to happen or not. Bhagavad-gita says that whatever you wish for, your whole body, your whole world will become like that. So, bhāva bhāvitah Bhāva means, here there is a compound word.
Bhāva bhāvitah It means that as is your disposition. Bhāva is first, which is disposition. Similarly, manifestation will happen.
Whatever you are thinking, your situation will be like that. What is disposition? It is at the level of the mind. It is at the mental level.
But this is at the physical level. What does it mean to say here? It means that if someone is very attached to a dog. I have a friend.
He works in a company in America. So, he got inducted in a new company. So, they ask him different questions.
Sometimes they ask weird questions. You go to a podcast or talk show. So, they ask weird questions.
So, he was asked a question. If you were to reincarnate as an animal, which animal would you like to come as? If you were to reincarnate as an animal, which animal would you like to come as? So, most of the people said, dogs or cats. They said, a dog’s life is so peaceful.
It lives comfortably at home. It drives in a car. And then the owner comes and feeds it.
So, they said, a dog’s life is free of worries. And a human’s life is full of worries. So, if someone is very attached to a dog, then what will happen? He is taking the dog on his leash.
So, what will happen in the next life? Their positions will change. The dog will become a human and the human will become a dog. So, bhāva-bhāvitah.
Whatever is in our mind, will become true on a physical level. God says, it always happens this way. And yamyam vāpi smaran bhāvam.
So, here also, God is saying, remember. He is not just saying, remember. Smaran bhāvam.
What does it mean? There should be a disposition to remember that way. The remembrance that God is saying, that you have to remember at the time of death. This remembrance is not like a one-off remembrance.
One-off. It happened once. Some people say, I will enjoy all my life.
And when I have enjoyed sufficiently, then what will I do? I will keep a gun on my head. Hare Krishna. And I will shoot.
I will remember God and go to Him. Will it be like that? No. Because the remembrance that is being talked about, it does not come only from external stimulus.
What does smaran bhāvam mean here? Whatever we have become most attached to all our life, we will remember that only at the end. It is not a one-off thing. It is a regular thing that we are doing.
It is not a one-off occasion. That we did it once. It is a regular cultivation.
The remembrance that is being talked about, what kind of remembrance is that? There are different kinds of remembrance. The remembrance that is there, some of it is factual remembrance. Factual means, which year did the first battle of Panipat take place? What is the capital of Somalia? All this is factual remembrance.
So Krishna has three basuras. What is their name? This is factual remembrance. This is good.
But the remembrance that is being talked about, this is a personal remembrance. What does factual mean? It is based on information. What does personal mean? It is based on our feelings.
This is good. But the important thing is personal remembrance. That the thing or the person whom we have given the most importance in our life, whom we have given the most importance in our life, if we remember that person, then what? If we have remembered that person again and again in our life, then that person, we will automatically remember that person again.
So the remembrance that is there, in that, personal memories, its features, this is not a matter of information. This is a God, especially when we are talking about devotional remembrance, it is based on a relationship. If we see in movies, someone gets into an accident, he is in the hospital.
So in the hospital, he is in a very serious condition, there is an operation going on. So there are his relatives outside, some family members. What are they doing? They get a flashback.
Oh, this happened at this time, that happened at that time, that happened. So what is that? There are emotions in that. So the remembrance that God is talking about, he is talking about a personal remembrance.
This remembrance is based on what? That, what is our greatest value? What is this thing, that holds the most importance for us? We remember that thing. Or what is that thing, in which we have got the most relief? Relief means, we have a lot of sorrows in life, but in times of sorrow, in which do we get relief? So the thing in which we get relief, the thing which we consider to be the most important, that person will remember that thing. So that is why, what are we remembering? We are doing bhakti also.
So in bhakti, we are fighting for Krishna. We are not fighting against someone. There are many enemies of bhakti.
But we don’t have to fight against them. In a personal way, we can fight against them. But God, God does not say anywhere, that, Kauravas did so much atrocities, remember them and fight now.
He is not saying even once. What is he saying? remember me, remember my plan, and do your work. So sometimes, what happens is, I went to a Hindu conference, So there, they were saying, that, you do not do anything for this Hindu.
You only do a transcendental bhakti, and do not invest in any Hindu causes. So I gave many examples, how we are actually doing our work. It is true, that we can do more.
But, I asked them later, which Hindu causes are we talking about? So they said, that, Muslims are doing Jihad, they are doing this, they are doing that. So I told them, that, yes, these are matters of concern for us too. And, the organisation which Prabhupadaji created, was primarily a Brahminical organisation.
But now, as Varna Ashram is growing, we are trying to bring in Kshatriya beings too. Till now, we have not done anything like this. But this does not mean, that we are never going to do this.
But, if we look at it historically, ISKCON has spread very widely, but also very thinly. Like, there are organisations all over the world, but not like, very, very, in numbers, there are our members everywhere. There are.
But, it is large in size, but not in numbers. So now, our organisation, has less political influence. ISKCON said, we will vote for this.
I said, okay, there are not many, it will not make a difference. But my point was, that, there are certainly such causes, in which we are worried, we are concerned, we have to do something. But, if someone says, what is the Hindu cause? Opposing Muslims.
So, you know, we need to be in Krishna consciousness, not in anti-Muslim consciousness. the one who thinks, what is the meaning of Hindu religion? That, opposing Muslims. So, yam yam vapi smaran bhavam.
He is a Hindu, and a Muslim, how bad he is, while remembering him, he will die, and he will become a Muslim. So, we are, our focus, is always, what is the focus? What we are fighting for. Not, what we are fighting against.
The thing, for which we are fighting, that is important. The thing, against which we are fighting, that is not so important. Right now, God is telling Arjun to fight.
It is not like, the danger of Kauravas, God says, don’t even look at them. You keep quiet, whatever is happening, let it happen. It is not like that.
But, when we are fighting, then, God, God, does not mention about Draupadi’s clothing, anywhere. So, God is not telling anyone, to fight against Kauravas, No. So, in me, with devotion, that, my plan is here, and, according to that plan, you do the work.
The thing is, in a way, to awaken the devotion of God, to awaken more in God, is difficult. It takes time, for that. But, in this world, to call someone an enemy, and, to incite hatred against him, is very easy.
The politicians, who have to give speeches, they say, the easiest speech, is hate speech. What is the easiest speech? That, speak ill of others, and, incite hatred against them. But, God, is not doing that at all.
So, there are dangers, and, we have to face those dangers. But, we do not have to keep those dangers, in our complete consciousness. That, we want to be, focused on Krishna.
after this, now, in this chapter, the focus is, remembrance. In the last chapter, what was there? It was, to incite hatred against God. to incite hatred against God.
Why incite hatred against God? Because, God is close to us. The one, who incites hatred against God, is very rare. We have seen the reason for that.
So, what is there from that? That, the one, who incites hatred against God, how will that happen? That, when we cultivate, remembrance. So, now, in this chapter, in chapter 8, the main theme is, how to, attach the mind, for that, the method is, remembrance. So, how is that remembrance done? That, God says, in 5 to 7, necessary at death.
Necessity at death. That, at the time of death, how much is the remembrance of God required? He is emphasising this first. And then he says, that is why, you do this cultivation all your life.
Tasmāt sarveṣu kāleṣu mā manuṣmar yudhyacchā. So, after this, God says, in the next section, which is, 8 to 14. It is easier, from where is it easier? Bhakti Yoga, or, Dhyan Yoga.
Now, what has happened is, that, there is only one place, in this whole Gita, where God, uses this word, that, this is easy. That is the 14th verse. ananyacetaha satatam yo māṁ smarati nityaśah tasyāham sulabha pārtha nitya-yuktasya yoginah So, now, Acharyagan tells, that, this word is Sulabha.
Sulabha. Now, what is it? That, it is found very easily. Some words, due to the situation, what happens is, in people’s mind, they sit at many places.
I was giving a lecture, Bhakts were there. I said, what is this Sulabha word, you know? One Bhakt said, Sulabh Shauchale. So, that word is associated with it.
But, Sulabha, here, what does it mean? That, it is easily attained. So, this is, God, in the 6th chapter, Arjun had asked a question, that, this is very difficult. The mind is very fickle, and, it is very difficult So, now, in a way, God, is not giving a clear answer there.
What does God say there? abhyāsena tu kaunteya vairāgyena chagruhyate abhyāsena tu kaunteya There also, they see, assurance and guidance. First, assurance is given. Assumption is there.
It is definitely difficult there. But, it is possible with practise and detachment. So, practise and detachment are found in every path.
Now, if you take any medicine, allopathic, ayurvedic, homoeopathic, in that, there is some practise. You do this, take this medicine, exercise like this. And then, there is some detachment.
You don’t do this, don’t eat this diet. So, what happens is, practise and detachment are both there. So, practise and detachment can be found in any path.
In any path. So, Arjuna’s worry Arjuna’s this is very difficult. There are two questions.
This is very difficult and it can take a lot of time. So, his answer is given by God in this section. So, how is it here? Arjuna had two questions.
One was in 6.33, 6.34 6 point. His was too difficult, too tough. This is very difficult.
So, his answer is given by God here. This is too difficult. His answer is given in 8.14. And the second question was in 6.37-39 that it is it will take too long.
a lot of time. His answer is given by God in the shlokas of the 12th chapter. Not much time will be required.
It will not take much time. What is it? It is Arjuna’s reservation, the doubt he had that he won’t be able to do this. His doubt was about meditation yoga.
His hesitation was there. So, God is addressing So, what does He do first? He says that at the end of the 6th chapter, the treatment that God is telling, suppose some medicine is being told, that this is the cure for the treatment. And what is the cure state? When you will be completely cured, then your mind will be in me.
But does God remember that Arjun has said that this is very difficult? Then God says, now I will tell you the second method with which you can do it more easily. So that method is the method of bhakti yoga. And first he describes bhakti yoga.
For example, if someone says that I have to take chemotherapy for cancer from allopathy. This is very difficult. Then he will say, there is some other treatment.
So first he will say, when you will be cured, you will be cured like this. Your health will be like this. So what can you do now? So now God introduces bhakti yoga in the 7th chapter.
And then in the 8th chapter, the meditation yoga and bhakti yoga, he is contrasting them in a way. And he is contrasting them and he is saying that if you want to do meditation yoga, then you have to follow Brahmacharya today itself. You have to reflect on the knowledge of Vedas.
And then he tells many such methods. That is difficult. And in that also God says that in that also, in the end, in that also, that in that also, in the end, you will have to do bhakti.
That yoga will have its strength, yoga will have its practise, but in that, in the end, you have to remember the Vedas with bhakti. But God says, in that also, from karma yoga, from meditation yoga, to bhakti yoga, to many places, wherever you are, from there you can start bhakti yoga. And he says that it is easy.
So now, what is the main benefit of bhakti yoga? What are the benefits of bhakti yoga? Why is bhakti yoga so good? Some people say that you follow bhakti, that is why you do bhakti. You are partial to bhakti. It is not like that.
God is also giving objective reasons. But here, if we compare bhakti yoga with meditation yoga, then what does God say? It is easy. And it is difficult.
One is easy, one is difficult. And why is it difficult? Now, there are many reasons for this. But, what is there in this? First, renunciation.
Renunciation means, especially, renounced order. If someone has to do meditation yoga with pramanita, then what does he have to do? After doing yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, he has to go to pratyahara. Pratyahara means, shutting off the whole world.
For that, he has to go to the jungle. So, this is essential. Without this, a person cannot attain siddhi So, what is there in bhakti? Not necessary.
If someone, if someone becomes a brahmachari or sanyasi, then it is suitable for bhakti. But, it is not necessary for bhakti. It is favourable, but not essential.
So, that is why, everyone can do bhakti. And, nowadays, people do yoga sadhana. So, what is there in reality? They are not doing it to attain supreme siddhi.
What is there? In reality, they are doing yoga for enjoyment. Are they doing yoga, so that, my health improves, I become more attractive? And, if I become attractive, will I get an attractive partner? So, the yoga they are doing, is completely different. Nowadays, yoga is popular, and it is good in a way.
Because, people are getting a little excited about Vedic knowledge, and they are getting a little attracted. But, nowadays, the yoga, the yoga that is there, the ancient yoga that was there, the one that was there earlier, it was largely practised by men. The men, who were doing sannyas for self-realisation.
The majority of people, when they did yoga sadhana, but, the modern yoga, the majority of people, the majority of people are women. The majority of people follow women. And, why do they do it? Not for self-realisation, but, self-attraction.
To make themselves more attractive. Now, it is good, to take botox, to add some chemicals to the body, it is better than doing yoga sadhana. So, they are not destroying it.
But, this is the difference. So, that is why, the yoga teachers of today, do not talk about sannyas. I, I went to a yoga school, in Rishikesh.
So, there were all kinds of people there. Nowadays, they call it LGBTQ. Some are heterosexual, some are homosexual, some are bisexual.
They do everything. So, I asked them, the teachers there, I asked them, that, in yoga, there are some rules, one of them is brahmacharya. So, what does brahmacharya mean? So, the answer they gave, they said, for creativity, they will give 100 marks.
And, for fidelity, they will give 0 marks. Fidelity, means, what is told in the scriptures. They said, what is it? Brahmacharya means, no non-consensual sex.
That, you should not rape anyone. This is brahmacharya. Now, you should not force anyone.
Now, this does not mean brahmacharya. What is it? They said, whatever you want to do, you do, but do not force. In this way, you follow brahmacharya in the modern age.
So, what people are doing nowadays, that is not yoga in reality. What is told in the scriptures, what is told in the scriptures, is not for that purpose. So, earlier, God said, if you go there, it is easier.
In this way, the doubt of Arjuna. Then, after this, the famous shloka comes. I have told this to everyone, so I will repeat it.
Maa Mupetya Punar Janma I will repeat it together. Maa Mupetya Punar Janma Dukkhalayam Ashashvatam Naapnuvanti Mahatmanaha Sam Siddhim Paramaam Gataha So, now, what is being done here, God is only comparing. Now, he is telling the glory of bhakti yoga.
He is not comparing bhakti yoga only with dhyan yoga. After this, he compares bhakti yoga with Karmakand. From Karmakand, a person goes to heaven.
But, in the next shloka, God will say, Aabhram Bhuvana Loka Punaravartino Arjuna If you will go anywhere, what is it? You will have to be born again. So, here, in the next section, God is telling, why you should remember me? Because, from 15th shloka to 22nd shloka, more lasting result. The result you get will be more lasting.
The result you get from bhakti yoga is more than the result you get from Karmakand. It is greater than that. So, here, when God is telling, that this world is eternal, the purpose of saying this, after this, God compares, how Brahma ji also has a day, he also has a night, and when he has a night, everything is lost.
What is the purpose of telling all this? That whatever you will get in this world, all that is eternal. It is not permanent. That is why, the one who is saying eternal, he is saying from that perspective, that in a way, everything is eternal.
However much you will get, it is not going to be with us forever. But, this shloka, in a way, this is not a sad shloka. Now, the thing is, it is a matter of speaking, how we emphasise.
If you say to a friend, if you say to a friend, that, the world is a place of misery. This world is full of sorrows. Then, people will say, you are so pessimistic.
Why do you have so much pessimism? But, if the same thing, if you say, life is tough, life is very difficult, no matter how rich a person is, everyone will say, no one’s life is easy. So, in reality, there is only one meaning. But, what happens is, when you say, this world is a sea of sorrows, a place of sorrows, then, what do people think? This seems pessimistic.
This seems very hopeless. This seems realistic. Yes, you are speaking the truth, that life is very difficult.
But, what is the difference in this? Why does the same word seem like this? Because, most people do not know that there is another world beyond this world. And, even if they know, they do not believe in it. So, that is why, if you say, this world is a sea of sorrows, then, what does it mean? I feel like living in sorrow forever.
And, there is no relief from it. Then, it seems very hopeless. But, they say, life is tough.
Yes, life is difficult. There are many difficulties in life. But, how do we face them? So, in devotion, God says, that not only will our next life be good through devotion, but, the life in this world will also be good.
So, this is an important point. But, I am not going to elaborate on it. There are four types of worldviews.
This world, this world, real. This world is true. And, there is another world.
Other world, real. So, there are four possibilities. This world is real.
But, the other world is not real. What is this? This is materialism. This is materialism.
Now, what is the other one? This world is also delusion. The other world is also delusion. What is this? Prabhupada calls this voidism.
Especially, it is called nihilism in English. Nihilism or voidism. This is voidism.
And then, this world is not real. But, the other world is real. What is this? This is nihilism.
This is impersonalism. And, this world is real. And, the other world is real.
This is the teaching of Bhagavad Gita. Prabhupada used this word in his first B.T.G. articles. Later, he did not use it much.
Devotionalism. This is the worldview of Gita. So, now, when Bhagavan says, that you have to do devotional work, then, वीत राग भय क्रोध.
He is saying this in 4th, 5th and 10th verse. So, if there is materialism, then what happens? Raag arises from it. This is the worldview of desire.
If this world is real, then, I have to enjoy this, I have to enjoy that, I have to enjoy that. Desires arise a lot. If, we say, that no world is real, this world is not real, and the other world is not real, then, what happens? Anger arises from it.
What is the meaning of life? Anger does not mean anger. After anger, despair arises. The whole world is full of despair.
There was an intellectual, he had such a thought. Alberto Camo used to say, that life is full of sorrows. And, the more you try to get rid of sorrows, the more sorrow increases.
That is why, only one question of intellectual knowledge is important. Should I commit suicide today or tomorrow? Life has no meaning at all. Because, this world is full of sorrows, and there is no belief in the other world.
So, in all worldviews, all the intellectual knowledge in the world, you can put all of them in these four categories, ultimately. What is it? in these four sub-worldviews, nihilism is the most dangerous. And, impersonalism, that this world is not right, the other world is right.
It is not true, the other world is true. What happens because of that? There is a lot of fear of this world. This attractive person, he will tie me up.
I like him, he will tie me up. This is the worldview of dread. Not only fear, but a deep dread.
So, unfortunately, in India, this worldview, in mediaeval times, which was from 1000 to 1800, it became very prominent. Because of that, many invaders used to come to invade. And ordinary people, they were warriors, it was their kingdom, they tried to protect it.
But ordinary people, okay, this is the king, he is the king, what difference does it make? This king is a murderer, so let him be a murderer. What can we do? So, this is such a worldview. Sometimes, in bhakti, the path of bhakti, because advaitavad became so influential, that to some extent, the path of bhakti also got influenced by advaitavad.
And because of that, this world used to be seen as completely negative. But Bhagwan considers this world to be so important, that when there is a rise in this world, then Bhagwan says, I myself come in the form of avatar. dharma samsthāpanārthāya sambhavāmi yuge yuge I come again and again.
So, what is the essence of bhakti? This world is also right, it is true, and the other world is also true. Now, of course, the other world, that is the ultimate, that is the eternal truth. But we have to work positively in this world and go to that world.
When Bhagwan is telling Arjuna, this world is sad, then doesn’t that mean he is not saying to Arjuna, that, this world is sad, Kaur has tortured your husband so much, accept it, this world is sad. No. The sorrows in this world, we will discuss this a little more in the sixth, in the ninth chapter.
The sorrows, some of them are unchangeable. Some sorrows are such, which we cannot change. But there are some sorrows, which we can change.
Now, no one can change death. Dukhkhalayam Ashashvatam No one can change death. But, suppose now, how is it? Birth, old age, disease and death.
This is called BODD in English. Birth, old age, disease and death. No one can change this.
But the Trividh Taap, Adhyatmik, Adhibhautik, Adhidaivik, the Trividh Taap, we can change them, to some extent. What is it? Someone’s health is very bad. Why? Because, they are not eating the right food.
So, by adjusting the diet, they can improve their health. So, death is coming to everyone, it is necessary. We cannot avoid it.
God is saying, Bheeshma is going to die. You will say, I will not fight, so he is going to die. But, the Adharma in this world, will he rule, or Dharma will rule? We can change this.
You should change. So, this Dukhkhalayam does not mean despair. Because, the world is called Dukhkhalayam, then why is God in this Dukhkhalayam world? Why is he not telling us to accept injustice? Because, this world is also true.
And, we have to work responsibly in this world also. And, the last section in this chapter, the last section, goes from 23 to 30. That, in this, it is told that, less dependence, that, in Bhakti, what happens? Less dependence on uncontrollables.
That, the other path, especially the path of Yoga, or the path of Karmakant, in that, at what time you will die, that is very important. That, at this time, if you die, then you will go here. At that time, if you die, then you will go there.
At one time, if you die, then you will get salvation. At another time, if you die, then what will happen? You will go to Chandralok, but you will come back from there. But, here, God is telling that, Bhakti Yoga, whether it is Karmakant or Dhyan Yoga, in both, someone can do Karmakant, later, he will do Karmayoga, Dhyan Yoga.
But, at the time of death, in that, the precise timing, at this time, you should die, that is very important. This time, this time, is auspicious time, this time, is auspicious time. But, God says that, in Bhakti, you don’t need to worry about this.
Now, the first shloka, that shloka comes again. Tasmad Sarveshu Kaaleshu Yogayukto Bhavarjuna Sarveshu Kaaleshu Tasmad This came before also, in 8th, 7th shloka. Here, it comes in 27th shloka.
But, here, what is God saying? Naite Shruti Partha Janan Hey Arjun! You understand that, there are two types of paths. But, Yogi Muhiyati Kashchana That, by knowing this path, you don’t get disturbed. What is this? That, you only, in my Bhakti, do Bhakti, and by doing Bhakti, your ultimate welfare will happen.
So, here, the use of the word Yoga, that Yoga, is telling about Bhakti Yoga. According to the context, the word Yoga, has different meanings. Somewhere, it is Karma Yoga, somewhere, it is Dhyana Yoga, somewhere, it is Bhakti Yoga.
Here, Bhakti Yoga is telling. So, Arjun is saying that, at what time you will die, you don’t have to worry about that. If you are remembering me, the resolution of remembering me, that you have taken, then, surely, your ultimate welfare will happen.
And, this is the last shloka. Here, one, here, the assurance that Bhagwan is giving, that, in the second half of the ninth chapter, He will elaborate it. He will tell it in a bigger way.
So, here, Bhagwan is telling, Bhideshu Yagyeshu Tapah Suchaiva Dhaneshu Yat Punya Phalam Pradeeshtham So, Bhagwan is saying that, by following the Vedas, Yagya Dhaan Yagya Dhaan Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Yagya Attachment. We were told that we have to attract the mind. Here, we have emphasised on remembrance.
So, how to do remembrance? There are different reasons for this. First, 1 to 4 are question-answers. Sorry.
1 to 4 are question-answers. Then, 5 to 7 is importance at death. 1 to 7 is importance at death.
Then, 8 to 40 is ease here. Ease is more than bhakti-yoga and dhyana-yoga. Then, 15 to 22 is lasting, permanent.
How do you get permanent results? We get them from bhakti-yoga, not from karma-kanda. And safer. What does safe mean? It means there is no dependence on uncontrollable factors.
Whether it is bhakti-yoga, karma-kanda or dhyana-yoga. Any other method is safer at death. How is it safer at death? It is being described here, in the last section.
And this is 23 to 28. After this, we saw a few points. What does remembrance mean? It should be a regular remembrance.
It should not be a one-time remembrance. It should be a personal remembrance. And this remembrance is based on what we are giving value to, or what we are taking refuge in.
We will have a remembrance of the same thing. And how did we see it in the last section? There are four worldviews. What is the truth of this world? And what is the truth of the other world? What is the truth of this world? So what Bhagwan is saying here, that the world is sad, does not mean that this world is meaningless or untruthful.
What happens due to materialism? Raag comes. This is the worldview of desire. If both the worlds are not true, then despair comes.
Anger comes. There is no meaning to such anger. Fear comes due to the fact that only this world is true.
But if we understand that the same Bhagwan is present in both worlds, then I will serve that same Bhagwan in this world, and then I will do the same in the next world. This awakens devotion. So this worldview is the worldview of Bhagavad Gita.
And according to this, Bhagwan is telling Arjuna to live. So we can pray to Bhagwan that we also become focused in His remembrance, and whatever temptations are there in this world, we should understand that they are all temporary, and only the refuge of Bhagwan is temporary. According to this, we can become focused in His remembrance.
Thank you. Hare Krishna. Yes, bro.
Hare Krishna, Pujit. Thank you very much. You explained it beautifully.
Bhakti Yoga is better than Dhyana Yoga, in 8 to 14. There is a shloka in it, that Bhagwan wants to remember, from the aspect of God. So is it the aspect of Dhyana Yoga, or Bhakti Yoga? No, so up to 13, the 8 to 13, are all from Dhyana Yoga.
The 14th is from Bhakti Yoga. Because in that, when Bhagwan is explaining some other method, then he calls himself a third person. Because the Dhyana Yogi does not know what the ultimate truth is.
That is why Bhagwan says, कविं पुराणमनुशासितारमनोवरणियामसननुस्मरेद्यः सर्वस्यधातारमचिन्त्यरूपम् In that, he is saying the ultimate truth, not me. Because, when the Dhyana Yogi goes into meditation, then he knows that the ultimate truth is God. He does not know what the ultimate truth can be.
It can be Brahman, it can be Vishnu, whatever it is. So generally, when Bhagwan is telling about some other method, about which Bhagwan is telling, then in that context, when Bhagwan is mentioning the ultimate truth, he does not say maam. He says, अभि उसके अन्तमे ओमित्यकाक्षरं ब्रह्मः व्याहरन्मामनुस्मरेद्यः When it comes to perfection, then only he understands that in reality, the ultimate truth is God.
So, the Dhyana Yogi tells that when someone understands from other paths that the ultimate truth is a person, then only he can have two methods. One is, because he understands that God is a person, he thinks that he has to become a servant of God or he has to be a part of God. So, how it is here, that even though he is remembering God, but what is his purpose for remembering God, that will be according to his path and his mentality.
So, it is not necessary that he will remember God and come to God. What happens is, many people consider Bhakti to be Sadhana, but consider Brahman to be Asadhya. They consider God to be Sadhya, but it is not necessary.
We remember that the taste of water is Krishna, so we thank God, but in Bhakti, we remember God, we thank God at many places, through the metal nature. So, will it come in Bhakti or Dhyana? Look, we should not be afraid of everything. What is there, we should not say that, this is not the way, nor Krishna should not be sold.
At our level, whenever we can remember God, we have to remember God. Our whole worldview is personalist. So, a devotee was telling me, a European devotee was telling me, I think, my inner, my old illusionary thing has come back.
I said, what happened? He was working on a project and had a big fight with some of his devotees. He was doing a lot of service but had a fight and had to leave the project. Then he said, I have gone to the Himalayas and I am living in the peace of nature.
I have found such peace that I have not even found in the company of my devotees. So I said to him, I think my illusionist has come out. I said, the peace of nature is not the monopoly of the impersonalists.
He said, you can learn from him, you can learn from him, you can learn from him. I said, what is there to think about the nature, it is good. So if someone is in Rajoguna or Tamoguna, then sometimes it becomes very difficult to go from there to the pure essence.
So it is good that he can also come to the essence. So as long as our purpose is clear. I asked him, have you also awakened the desire to merge in Brahma? He said, no, no, that desire is not at all.
So we can accept certain practises. When the devotees do yoga sadhana for their health, do pranayama, so are we accepting that practise but not accepting that purpose? So there is no problem in accepting the practise. Thank you.
Yes, please. So we have a perspective that this is a karmic consequence. But as we are seeing the latest, there was a wildfire in Los Angeles, in which lakhs of people were affected.
A while ago, a South Korean plane crashed, in which hundreds of people died. So is this a karmic consequence, or is there a holistic take of Bhagavad Gita in these situations? The wild forest fire that took place in Los Angeles, the place called Palisades, I have been there. I have given lectures there.
And it is a very, what we call Hollywood, it is full of opulence. But this is relatively, it is prosperous, but peaceful old school locality, like 1920s, 1930s architecture was there. So it is relatively, in California, I have found it to be a very Satvik place.
So, first of all, if someone has to suffer in life, then the first emotion of a devotee should be, a compassion. Advishta sarva-bhutana maitra karunaiva jiva. So whoever is going through these situations, a devotee was telling me that he was asked to evacuate from there, and he does not know whether his house has been burnt down or not.
The entire communication has been broken down there. So, this is a very difficult situation. So, our first emotion should be, compassion and assistance.
When we are in pain, we call it paradukha-dukhi. So we should be in pain even in their pain, and we have to help them. And the reason we have to look for, right now, that reason is secondary.
You know, our focus should be more on solution than explanation. What is the solution in this? What can we do for this right now? If we have to give an explanation in the solution, then that is fine. But why don’t we go to the first explanation? And, especially, especially, when we face any problem, and we call it karma, then, there is only one result from this, that we become very stone-hearted.
Because, if someone is doing bad karma, then, were there people in that area, did they do bad karma? Did anyone else do bad karma? If so, then, why did they face this problem? So, So, we need to have humility in understanding and explaining the spiritual knowledge. In the first verse of Bhagwatam, when the enlightened Maharaj, asks the religious bull, that what is the reason for your pain? So, he says, it is religion itself, he says, Vakyabhedavimohita, that, many, many spiritual scholars say, that there are different reasons for pain. And, I have become deluded in their thoughts.
I don’t know the reason for the pain. And, the enlightened Maharaj does not say, you are such a big fool, you don’t know. He says, it is a very good thing, that you are not blaming anyone.
He is congratulated. So, in Bhagwatam, Bhagwan says, Gahana Karmanogati. So, when there is pain in someone’s life, then, what is the reason for it? What is the solution for it? These two questions are very important.
But, sometimes, we go to Karan, it is all karma. So, in a way, we feel heartless, not only heartless, we don’t care about them at all. We just have to tell them, that this is the truth of our spiritual knowledge.
And, we also feel headless. What is the logic? That, in the same area, I don’t know, were people doing very bad things there? Why did such a problem arise there? So, that is why, in such a situation, we have to see, that, what can we do to help them? So, Bhagavad Gita tells us, that, the pain, which is unchangeable, we have to accept it. Something is changeable, we have to oppose it.
So, now, in California, that place, there, the temperature increases a lot. And, even though it is very prosperous, but, in a way, it was a desert before. So, there, the forest fires, are very likely to occur.
So, in a way, that risk, of living there, is unavoidable. And, those who go there, California, is on the belt of earthquakes. It is on the place of earthquakes.
There, sometimes, there can be an earthquake. So, some of the pains in this world, are unavoidable. And, we have to accept it.
Some places are very cold, some places are very hot. But, now, after that, what is changeable, it is very important to change that. So, now, why did this happen? As far as, we look at its situation, it is not like, that, this is a situation, which never came before.
The government there, it was caught unprepared. They were not ready. I have a friend, he is a firefighter.
He was telling, that, they went there. And, what is happening there, they went there, took the clothes of the firefighters, and there is no water there. They are water hydrants, they are not working.
So, this was a serious, negligence of the government, there. So, in the scriptures, especially in the Sankhya, it is told, that, whenever we see, the reason for any pain, then, first, we have to go from, the visible reason, to the invisible reason. First, the reason, which is visible.
Then, after that, we have to see, the reason, which is not visible. Suppose, I am sitting here, a fan is coming on me, and, I start having cough and cold. Then, I have to think, that, this cough and cold, has happened due to my past karma.
Now, turn off the fan, or turn off the AC. So, when, Sita is kidnapped, then, it is not said, that, this has happened due to Sita’s past karma. Now, the visible reason, that someone has kidnapped, then, you have to oppose that.
So, generally, when, the visible reason, is not able to understand, then, to go to the invisible reason? There is no need, to go to the invisible reason, beforehand. So, here, this is, clear, as far as, it is visible, the response, or the responsibility, or the negligence, was it, or, was it, unknowingly? We don’t know. But, definitely, now, this, by calling it karma, we, someone, who has, made a mistake, whose responsibility was, that, there should be a water supply, whose responsibility was, that, there should be fire hydrants, whose responsibility was, someone says, that, this is due to climate change.
It can be due to climate change, it can be a reason. But, there, when, the leaves fall down, then, they stay on the ground. And, if they are cleaned, then, the fire, which is spreading, does not spread.
But, if they are not cleaned, then, the fire, from the jungle, comes from someone’s house, close by. So, when, human factors, are clearly responsible, So we should look at the human factors and correct them. So if we look at it from a philosophical point of view, someone can say that there are different types of misdeeds happening there, people are godless there.
But what is important is to go towards such explanations. Most important is how we can help someone at that time. People who live only in India, India has a love-hate relationship with America.
Indians say that America is so good, we want to go to America. Second is hate. That Pasha culture is coming and destroying our culture.
But humans are living there too. People like us are living there. If our house is burnt, if our thousands of acres of land is burnt, I think we don’t need to go towards the explanation of karma.
When we see a visible cause, we have to look at it on the basis of that visible cause. We can say that because of some mass karma, the people of that place are in such a place where there is more forest fire. If someone lives in New Zealand, there is a higher probability of an earthquake.
If someone lives in Japan, there is a higher probability of an earthquake. There are different dangers at different places. So there can be some karma because of which they are living in that dangerous place.
But if they live in that place, then God has given the intellect to humans that how we can face the situation, how we can prepare for it. So if you have not prepared, then this is a serious wake-up call. In India, when cyclones come, or when there is a disaster, then if that cyclone has come, the cyclone alert mechanism, the person who was on it, has gone to sleep there.
And because of that, people have been killed. He said that this is a wake-up call. There is no need to go towards that cause.
This is a mass karma. In this world, life is difficult. And the responsible people, it is very important for them to work responsibly.
So now some conservatives are saying that the fire chiefs there, they wanted to increase the diversity quota. So they appointed a woman, a girl. And they elected her there that we should have all kinds of people in the fire fighting unit.
But the thing is that fire fighting is a very serious business. For that, it is not necessary to have 50% men and 50% women there. 100% efficiency is necessary there.
Who can work? So maybe America, especially California, there is a lot of woke in it. What does woke mean? It is a very extreme left ideology. Some people say that this is the result of it.
I don’t know how much the result is. But it is clear that there is human negligence. The irresponsibility that has happened, we pray that as soon as possible, people get some relief there.
And prepare for such incidents in the future. लोक संग्रहं एवापि संपश्चन कर्तुमर हरसी Bhagavad Gita says that every person has to work responsibly so that there can be Lok Sangraha. Lok Sangraha means maintenance of the worlds.
In this world, to run the world, every human has to work responsibly. So the one who has a responsible role, if he has become irresponsible in that role, it is important to keep him responsible so that such terrible incidents do not happen again. Thank you very much.
श्रीमद भगवद घीता की श्रील प्रभुपाद की गऊर भक्त वृदिन्द की ताई गोर प्रेमानन्दे