Bhakti Shastri (059) – Bhagavad Gita Chapter 02 Text 71 To Chapter 03 Text 03

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Hare Krishna Hare Krishna welcome back to our bhagavad gita bhakti shastri course so we are now coming to the last part of the second chapter in the second chapter Krishna talks about various things, so let’s look at overview of the second chapter quickly before we move forward so chapter 2 overview it has five sections we are in the fifth section so the first section was Arjuna’s further doubts in surrender the second section was based on the knowledge that we are not the body, we are the soul one should fight, so this counters Arjuna’s compassion argument fight and then the third section second section of Krishna’s instructions 31 to 38 is karma kanda so it is the first application of Atma Gyan fight by doing your prescribed duties you will enjoy this counters Arjuna’s enjoyment argument then 39 to 53 that’s the fourth section of the chapter that is Nishkama Karma Yoga so second application of Atma Gyan means that first one understands if I am not going to die if I won’t be finished at death then let me seek something higher so one aspires for heaven but when one truly understands that I am eternal and heaven is not eternal then I want that which is eternal and for that I have to become detached from material things so fight with detachment and no sinful reactions this counters Arjuna’s enjoyment argument and that 54 to 72 is the characteristics of a Siddha Pragya this is based on Arjuna enquiring what kind of person will stay detached so he wants to know whether such a person will fight or not what are the characteristics of such a person so we are in that section right now so let’s look at 71 and 72 now before we look at 71 Darshana Prabhupada makes a very profound point over here that a person in Krishna consciousness is happy in the service of the Lord he has no desires to be fulfilled so basically this is a paraphrase of the famous Chaitanya Charita Amrit verse Bhakti Siddhikami Sakalaya Shanta and that is what is told in the previous sentence of the Purport and Krishna Bhakta Nishkam Ataiva Shanta so now Prabhupada says over here he does not even desire liberation from the so called material bondage so actually for a devotee there is no material bondage only so even material bondage becomes so called bondage so very few if any Acharyas have called material bondage as so called bondage yes Jirupa Goswami does say that one who is situated in Krishna consciousness Jivan Mukti is there there are two kinds of Mukti there is Videha Mukti and Jivan Mukti Videha Mukti means when we give up the body and we become liberated and go back to the spiritual world that is Videha Videha means without body so one has become liberated completely and Jivan Mukti means one is in the body but while being in the body one is not affected by the modes one is not affected, shaken up and down that is Jivan Mukti so Jirupa Goswami quotes from the scripture saying that one who is completely absorbed with body, mind and words in the service of the Lord Jiva means in this word with body, mind and words with actions words and thoughts such a person is situated always in service of the Lord Jivan Mukta such a person is Jivan Mukta so Prabhupada is talking about for such a devotee so called material bondage, material bondage is not actually real it is just just apparition apparition means there is no actual bondage the devotee is already liberated now Prahlad Maharaj also says this when he says that I am not concerned about getting liberated from material existence, I am simply concerned about how others will gain your shelter and others will attain liberation why? because I am relishing I am relishing the nectar of your glories so now let’s move forward in the next verse Vihaya means to give up Kamaan means material desires so Vihaya Vihaya means to give up Kamaan Kamaan means material desires so one who gives up all material desires so Charati the whole question was Kim Rajet this is the answer to that question so Charati, such a person moves around how does a person move around? Nispruha, without any desires Nirmamo Nirahankarah Nirmamo without any possessiveness Nirahankarah without any Kartaham, without any arrogance without any possessiveness Sashantim Adhigachyate such a person will attain peace such a person will attain satisfaction in life Shanti so now what are the requirements of Shanti? one gives up material desires and without material desires one moves around in the world and without possessiveness without false ego so basically one understands that I am a soul and I am working in this world for the sake of yoga, not for gaining anything in this world so Shantim Adhigachyate such a person will attain happiness now this verse how is it related with the previous verse? it is continuing the theme the previous theme was said that actually, just as rivers come into the ocean but the ocean is not disturbed similar desires come into the person but the person is not disturbed, such a person attains peace now this verse contains so now that verse is talking more of of the internal consciousness of a person this verse talks about Charity with that internal consciousness one moves around in the world but one is not motivated by any material desires or any material conceptions such a person is happy actually, as long as we have any desire, especially a material desire that makes us restless that makes us lose our peace when we have spiritual desire the desire to serve Krishna does that take away our peace? we could say it takes away our peace but it increases our remembrance of Krishna and when our remembrance of Krishna is intensified actually, that is the perfection of life that is what enables us to become truly happy so what we need is remembrance of Krishna at all times and desires that increase our remembrance of Krishna, they are auspicious desires, so devotee has spiritual desires and those desires actually take us to a platform of supreme peace that is the peace of knowing that Krishna is always there with me and I am always connected with Krishna so there is the peace of the mind and there is the peace of the heart peace of the mind is the peace of having no anxieties there is no worry, there is no fear that is peace of the mind but beyond peace of the mind is peace of the heart peace of the heart is based on love when we know that we are in a loving relationship and that relationship is eternal and that relationship is unbreakable and whatever we are doing is actually to strengthen and deepen that relationship and every situation that comes up that only becomes an opportunity to further that relationship and in such a situation nothing can break one’s peace so Bhagavad Gita talks about peace of the heart, not just peace of the mind so we will have desires but because those desires are peripheral are not peripheral to our central being, material desires are peripheral to our central being, they have nothing to do with us as souls but spiritual desires are central to our spiritual being and those desires take us closer to Krishna as I said deepen and strengthen our relationship with Krishna and that’s why they bring supreme happiness so such a person is actually peaceful who? the person who is detached from everything material the Bhagavad Gita is progressing in its own thought and it will bring Krishna in the centre later right now Krishna is focussing on detachment from the negative later on he will start talking about attachment to the positive so it will happen progressively, right now he is talking about detachment from the negative so to extend a person is free from material desires to that extent the person will be happy now Srila Prabhupada in the parport talks about what is actual desirelessness to become desireless means to not desire anything for sense gratification in other words desire for becoming Krishna conscious is actually desirelessness so how is it desirelessness? because that is simply our nature for a water to be liquid it’s not actually a desire it’s nature, similarly for the soul to serve Krishna is not actually a desire it’s nature, it’s within the platform of being a servant of Krishna there can be multiple ways in which the devotee can aspire to serve Krishna but overall that’s not a foreign desire to the nature of the soul that is a part of its intrinsic fabric, its intrinsic nature so Krishna is telling Arjuna fight with such detachment then you will not be bound and then now he describes the concluding verse esha brahmi sthithi partha nahi naam prapyavi muhyati sthitva ashyaam antakaale pidh brahmanirvanam rikshiti so esha is this brahmi sthithi brahmi sthithi is a spiritual situation partha once one has attained this one will not become deluded one will not come under moohy temptation sthitva asyam, when one is situated thus, sthitva antakaleti, even at the moment of death, brahma nirvanam rkshati, so one will attain brahma nirvana, one will attain supreme liberation. So esha, esha means thus. So Krishna, what is this esha referring to? It is referring to what was given in the earlier verses.
So 70 and 71 talked about this stage of shanti and Krishna says if one stays in this stage of shanti, esha brahmisthi partha, there will be two results. First result is one will not be deluded again and second result he says one will become liberated. So A and B are talking about not deluded.
Esha brahmisthi partha, nainam prapya muhyati, if we attain this stage, then we will not fall again to illusion and sthitva asyam, if we can be situated like this at the time of antakaleti, then one will attain liberation. Now this is the first reference in the Gita to the significance of antakal, that we have to have some special consciousness at the moment of death and we have to strive to cultivate that consciousness. That is a theme which will be talked about quite emphatically in the 8th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita.
But this is the prelude, so as the chapter ends, the contents of the Gita is summarised. So the various contents, karma yoga, jnana yoga, bhakti yoga, which are the various yogas, they are talked about in summary. So similarly, the significance of the moment of death, that is also talked about.
So it is hinted at, we have to remember at the time of death. And in the last verse of the 7th chapter, Krishna will refer to this and immediately 8th chapter, Krishna will ask a question, 8th chapter Arjuna will ask a question and then Krishna will elaborate on the moment of death. So brahmi sthiti, these words have a lot of significance.
Normally the word brahman is neuter gender. So in English there are two genders, there is masculine gender and there is feminine gender. So he is masculine, she is feminine.
Now in Sanskrit there is a third gender, neuter gender. So this third gender is used for describing various objects as appropriate in Sanskrit language. So in the Harinama Amrit Vyakarana, Jiva Goswami gives spiritual names for the various concepts and rules of grammar.
As the name itself suggests, Harinama Amrit Vyakarana. So Vyakarana is grammar, Harinama is holy names, Amrit. So then the grammar that is based on the nectar of the holy names.
So in the Harinama Amrit Vyakarana, Jiva Goswami tries to, Jiva Goswami actually devotionalizes all the rules of grammar and he uses the rules accordingly. So now when he does this, he uses the rules accordingly. So he gives spiritual names to the genders also.
So for example, masculine gender he calls as Narayan Linga and the feminine gender he calls as the Lakshmi Linga. So there the neuter gender he calls as Brahma Linga. So Brahma Linga is neuter gender because Brahman itself does not, the conception of Brahman is based on an understanding of the concepts which is preliminary.
It’s not a complete understanding of the absolute truth. So it is understanding of Brahman, of the absolute truth without any potencies. So the point which I am making over here is generally Brahman is considered to be neuter gender.
That is the way it is normally used in Sanskrit. But here Krishna is using the word Brahmi Stithi. So Brahman is masculine, Brahman is neuter but Brahmi is feminine.
So Brahmi Stithi refers to the feminine gender. So this can be taken as a hint towards Radharani. Now Radharani is the ultimate mediatrix.
There is medium and mediatrix. So the feminine of medium is mediatrix. So via media we say.
So she is the means by which we attain Krishna. It is by her grace that we attain the grace of Krishna. So that Radharani is the person who gives bhakti to everyone.
So Brahmi because she is the feminine aspect of the absolute truth. So this Brahmi can be taken to refer to that Radharani also. So once we are situated in that Brahman stage then one will not be deluded.
This will be referred to by Krishna again in 9.13 Mahatmanastumam partha daivim prakratim ashrutam. These two are the references to Radharani in the Bhagavad Gita. Of course both are indirect.
In fact in the Bhagavad Gita as it is also, refers to Radharani only once. And that is where, that is in the invocation Taptakanchana Gaurangi Radhe Vindavaneshwari. That is the only place where he refers to Radharani.
So Radharani is a very exalted topic and Shri Prabhupada of course does give us some hints of Gaudiya Vaishnavi satiric truths in the Bhagavad Gita. But his primary focus is on giving us systematic understanding of the fundamental concepts of spirituality. So he wanted Bhagavad Gita to be a book which could be distributed to people in general.
And for that purpose he presented the Bhagavad Gita as it is. So now Prabhupada in the purport mentions about, so there is a state of Krishna consciousness which we attain then we will not fall back into an illusion. So it is a very advanced stage.
But once one attains that stage one cannot fall back. And once one is situated thus one will be liberated. So Prabhupada focusses on the question when will we attain it.
So one can attain Krishna consciousness or divine life at once within a second or one may not attain such a state of life even after millions of births. It is simply a matter of understanding and accepting the fact. So once we understand and accept the fact then we can attain spiritual life, we can attain Krishna consciousness.
And when one is situated thus at the moment of death, this is the Godly way of life, once we are situated thus then we become liberated. So Prabhupada in his purports does something extraordinary. So let us look at what exactly he does.
So Prabhupada’s strategy in the Bhagavad Gita is very deeply thought out. Prabhupada explains, he calls Bhagavad Gita as Bhagavad Gita as it is. And in the Bhagavad Gita as it is, he is giving a systematic understanding of the various concepts.
But his focus is on ensuring that we get the understanding of the conclusions clearly. So he focusses on ensuring that our understanding of the conclusion of Bhakti remains consistently in the forefront of our consciousness. The Bhagavad Gita talks about many concepts and Prabhupada addresses those concepts also in his purports.
But the speciality of Prabhupada’s presentation was that whatever aspect of scripture he is presenting, he presents it in connection with the conclusive message of the scripture. And in this way he makes sure that what is most important is not lost from our vision. That what is most important stays with us and it enables us to move forward in our spiritual life.
So looking at the second chapter, Krishna has concluded by how one can stay Sita Pragya and how one can attain liberation. So now let us move to the third chapter of the Bhagavad Gita. I will come back to Srila Prabhupada’s presentation once again a little later.
So the third chapter has 43 verses. The second chapter is among the longest chapters. The longest chapter in the Bhagavad Gita is the 18th chapter which has 78 verses.
The second longest chapter is this chapter 2 which has 72 verses. And the third chapter is also among the longer chapters. Of course it is not as long.
There is 55 verses are there in the 11th chapter. 47 verses are there in the 6th chapter. So there are longer chapters.
But generally the chapters which are having more than 40 verses, they are among the longer chapters of the Gita. So this is among the longer chapters. And this is called by Srila Prabhupada as Karma Yoga.
And that is a standard name which most commentators have used for the chapter. Let us look at the overview. So the first verse 1 to 10, of course verses 1 and 2 are Arjuna’s question.
And in response to Krishna speaking, Karma Yoga is better than Gyan Yoga. Now this chapter’s flow has to be carefully understood. Then from 10 onwards, 10 to 16, if you are not qualified for Gyan Yoga, then practise Karma Kanda.
If you are qualified for Karma Yoga, then practise Karma Kanda. Then if you are qualified for Gyan Yoga, still practise Karma Yoga to set an example. And then there is a description of the differences between Karma Yoga and Karma Kanda from 25 to 29.
And then from 30 to 35, there is a description of how Karma Yoga elevates. And in 36 to 43, there is overcome lust, the main obstacle on the path of Karma Yoga. So now the flow of the chapter is not linear, it is spiral.
What do we mean by spiral? When a spiral is there, our object moves like this and then it moves like this. So it moves circularly and then it moves forward. So while moving a forward trajectory, it is also taking a circular trajectory.
So like that, this chapter is focussing on the conclusion that Arjuna should practise Karma Yoga. But how does the chapter flow towards that conclusion? There is a progression. That progression is based on a certain principle.
So we will look at the starting question of Arjuna in detail. But basically there is in Krishna’s, Arjuna’s mind, should I fight or should I not fight? Should I renounce the world and go to the forest and practise Gyan Yoga? Should I stay in the world and practise Karma Yoga? So when he is talking, these two are the issues for him. So at that time, his primary concern is that what should I do? Should Karma Yoga or Gyan Yoga? So Krishna tells Arjuna, for you, Karma Yoga is better than Gyan Yoga.
That is the first point which he makes. Now in the progression, if we see, Karma Yoga is intermediate, Gyan Yoga is higher. We will look at the Yoga ladder a little later.
And Karma Kanda is lower. So Krishna is telling Arjuna, for you, Karma Yoga is better than Gyan Yoga. So now the question may come up in Arjuna’s mind, what if I am not qualified even for Karma Yoga? So if you are not qualified for Karma Yoga, do Karma Kanda.
And in Karma Kanda also involves performance of duties. And by duties, you will also gradually become purified. Now what if Arjuna feels that I am qualified for Gyan Yoga? So Arjuna may feel that, oh, actually you are misunderstanding my qualifications.
You are not understanding that I have the qualification for practising Gyan Yoga. Then Krishna says, okay, so first point is be here. The second is, if you cannot be here, then be here and come upwards.
That means practise Karma Kanda and rise towards Karma Yoga gradually. And the next is, okay, if you cannot, if somebody says I am qualified for practising Gyan Yoga, then still, yes, you can be here, but still be here. Why? To set an example for the world.
Then the question may come up, if I am practising Karma Yoga, generally people practise Gyan Yoga for attaining liberation. Will I attain liberation by practising Karma Yoga? Won’t I be bound? Then Krishna talks about, okay, yes, what you should do is understand the difference between Karma Yoga and Karma Kanda. Karma Kanda keeps one in material existence, but Karma Yoga does not keep one in material existence.
So if we practise Karma Yoga, then we do become liberated. So first he talks about philosophically the difference between Karma Yoga and Karma Kanda and then he describes analytically how Karma Yoga elevates. And then last part is, okay, if one may want to do one’s duty, but still one will be dragged away.
So what is it that causes entanglement? Arjuna’s first fundamental question was, okay, we all become entangled. So how can we avoid entanglement? And that avoidance of entanglement is talked about in the last section by asking about the force. I mean, it is lust, karma that causes entanglement and how one can be free from karma.
So in this way the flow is spiral. Okay, so it starts with a point here, yes, practise Karma Yoga, not Gyan Yoga. Then it goes downward.
Okay, if you are not qualified for Karma Yoga, then practise Karma Kanda. If you are overqualified, more than qualified for Gyan Yoga, but still what do you do? You come forward and yes, you are qualified for Gyan Yoga, but to set an example, practise Karma Yoga. So it’s like that.
It’s a spiral moving forwards. So that’s the flow of this chapter. And in this way it leads to the conclusion that Arjuna should fight.
So let’s begin by looking at Arjuna’s question first. So now at the end of the second chapter, Krishna basically talked about various things. Most importantly, what he talked about was Shanti.
So Krishna talked about peace. And that peace, so Krishna talked about peace and that has confused Arjuna. So we’ll look at Arjuna’s confusion.
First, let us read his question. Then we’ll look at his confusion. So Arjuna If you think that better than karma is buddhi, then why are you engaging me in ghora karma? So if you think action is better, knowledge is better than action, then why are you engaging me in this ghastly action? Ghastly action is war.
So is mixed. Very deeply mixed. So actually the words are not mixed, but I am thinking them to be mixed.
Like So those actually, sorry, the vakya are definitely mishra and in the first line there is eva and in the second line there is iva. So my buddhi has become as if deluded. Therefore what should you do? Therefore tell me one thing for certain what I should do.
Tell me one thing which I should do. By which I will attain auspiciousness. Tell me one thing for certain what I should do.
So now mohe-seva is used because Krishna, Arjuna indicates that yes your intention is not to put me into moha, but somehow I have gone into moha. So mohe is iva, iva is like. So what exactly is Arjuna’s question over here? How has he gone into illusion? Let’s look at it here.
So basically Arjuna sees two options here. There is inactivity that involves renouncing. That is what he is referring to as buddhi.
So he is thinking if I have to renounce, then that is the action of buddhi. And if I have to act, then I will have to fight. And he is thinking fighting is weak karma.
So why should I perform weak karma? So that is his question. So if you are thinking that buddhi is better than karma, then why are you asking me to engage in ghora karma? So basically Krishna, Arjuna is seeing only two options. One is action, the other is inaction or renunciation.
So action involves fighting which he feels will cause him karmic bondage. And inaction, renunciation, he thinks that will not cause him bondage. Now if we see, Krishna has referred to multiple things.
But especially in the last section, in the siddha prajna section, Krishna does not refer to fighting at all. In fact, Krishna doesn’t refer to fighting again after the 38th verse. 38th verse is fight, involves fight.
But after that, how fight? Fight with equanimity. But from 39 to 72, there is no direct exhortation to fight. So what are the early instructions that has not been cancelled, but that has not been re-emphasised.
But still there have been other concepts which have been talked about, which seem to run contradictory to that instruction to fight. And what are those? For example, Krishna has talked about shanti. Shanti means peace and peace means no fighting.
And Krishna has referred to shanti just in the conclusion of the Bhagavad Gita, second chapter twice, in 70 and 71. In 70 and 71, he says, that was 70D and 71D was So now Krishna is talking about peace of the heart. When the heart is in harmony with our spiritual nature, then we get a deep unflappable peace.
Whereas Arjuna is thinking of peace in terms of what is happening in the battle, which is peace means no fighting. So that is also adds to the confusion of Arjuna. Because Krishna has used words which seem to generally be correlated with not fighting.
So peace is opposite of fighting, opposite of violence, opposite of warfare. And Krishna has also repeatedly used the word buddhi. Now generally speaking, it is understood that those who develop their jnana, those who develop their buddhi, there are certain differences between the word like jnana, buddhi, vivek.
But in general sense, they all refer to higher knowledge, higher intelligence. So Krishna has used the word prajna, sthita prajna, sthita dhirmuhi vichyate and buddhi pariyava tishthate. So Krishna has used these words related with buddhi.
And generally it is understood that those whose jnana awakens, and jnana is normally associated with vairagya in the Vedic culture. So those who acquire jnana, they develop vairagya. Why? Because when one studies scripture and acquires jnana, one understands this world is temporary and entangling.
Let me get out of this world. So that’s what generally people do. When they acquire jnana, they develop vairagya.
So now because Krishna has used so many terms related with jnana, buddhi, prajna, like that, and sthita dhirmuhi, sthita prajna, prajna patishthata, buddhi pariyava tishthate. So Arjuna is thinking that will correlate with renunciation. Therefore, buddhi correlates with not fighting.
So he is thinking, Krishna, you have said it is better to act in buddhi. For example, he said vyavasayatmika buddhi, ekeha kuru nandana. So in 41 he has said that those who have this buddhi, they are one-pointed, one-pointed, and then he has contrasted them with those who are avipashchitaha, those who are attached to material things.
So he is thinking that if buddhi is superior, then why should I fight? So Krishna, Arjuna basically sees two options, either fighting or not fighting, action or inaction. But actually in the previous chapter, Krishna has talked at multiple levels. Krishna has talked at four different levels.
So let’s look at these four levels. And Krishna has spoken at four different levels. So jnana yoga is renounced in activity, no fighting.
Then there is nishkama karma yoga, that is renounced activity, fighting for liberation. Then karma kanda, that is fruitive activity, that is fighting for attaining heaven. And there is vikarma, that is sinful activity, that is giving up fighting.
So he has talked about these four different options. And among these four different options, which is the option that Krishna has recommended? Actually Krishna has recommended second option to Arjuna. So now among these if we see, the first, only the first is involving in activity, jnana yoga.
All involve activity, but all the other three involve activity. But there is a difference in the consciousness and motivation underlying that activity. So one is performing nishkama karma yoga.
At that time one is understanding I am not the body and the soul and I should strive for liberation. That is what Krishna has talked about from 38 to 72. That is the level which Krishna wants Arjuna to act at.
And prior to that, from 31 to 37, 38, he is talking about fruitive activity, work to attain heaven. And vikarma means acting sinfully, acting against one’s dharma. So now here, Krishna has talked about vikarma in a different way.
Krishna has said actually giving up your duty, giving up fighting will lead to bad karma. So in 2.33, he has said that if you do not fight, then you will lose your dharma, you will lose your, you will not attain punya, you will be abandoning your dharma and actually you will get papa. So now the definition, conception of vikarma for Arjuna and Krishna are different.
Arjuna’s conception is if I fight against my relatives, that will incur bad karma. But Krishna is telling no, if you do not do your duty as a Kshatriya, that will incur bad karma. So now after explaining this, another point is, let us look at this.
Why is this misconception about what is vikarma arising? So Arjuna is misunderstanding the word that Krishna uses in 2.49. In 2.49, Krishna says, there he used the word buddhi and he says buddhi is superior to avaram karma. Avaram karma is inauspicious work, inauspicious work. So keep aside inauspicious work and ask him buddhi.
So when Krishna is using avaram karma, if you look at the context, Krishna is calling karmakand as avaram karma. So Krishna is saying karmakand as compared to nishkama karma yoga is avaram karma. Whereas Arjuna is thinking that fighting against his relatives is condemned when compared to jnana.
So Arjuna equates buddhi with jnana and he considers that what is avaram karma? Fighting against my relatives and killing my relatives. That is inauspicious. So basically Arjuna feels that fighting will be inauspicious, therefore I should not fight.
So when he thinks that, he asks this question and then Krishna will answer. So loke smin, in this world, loka asmin, asmin is in this world, dvividha. Dvividha means two kinds of nishtha.
There are two kinds of faith. Pura, praukta. In the past, pura is earlier.
Praukta, I have spoken this. Maya, anagha. Oh Arjuna, you are sinless and I have spoken this to you.
What are these two? Jnana yogena sankhyana, karma yogena yoginam. So jnana yogena sankhyana. So what are these two levels? I talked about jnana yoga and I have talked about karma yoga.
So where is Krishna talking about these two levels? He is talking about them throughout the Bhagavad Gita, but there is one transitional verse where he mentions that. And now I’m talking about this. In 2.39, karmabandhan prasisi.
So in 2.39, this is aesha, this is brahmasthiti. This is the, sorry, aesha te abhita sankhya. Actually, both these lines start with aesha, 2.39 and 2.72. But aesha te abhita sankhya.
So till now, I explained this in terms of sankhya. Buddhir yogi tvayimam shrino. Now I’ll explain in terms of buddhi yoga.
Please hear it. Buddhya yukto tyabartha. When one acts in this with buddhi, then karmabandhan prasisi.
One will become free from karmabandhan. That’s what Krishna is talking about here. Become free from karmabandhan.
How will one become free from karmabandhan? That he has described in the process of karma yoga. So what are these two levels? There is karma yoga level and there is jnana yoga level. So I have talked about these two levels and actually, what determines which level one will be at? That depends on one’s consciousness.
That is one’s adhikar. So if a person has the adequate level of realisation and detachment, then the person can practise jnana yoga. And the person who has the level of detachment and realisation appropriate for karma yoga can practise karma yoga.
Now here I would like to explain one point. This will be a very important point for understanding Prabhupada’s approach to the Gita. Some people ask that Prabhupada is everywhere translating in terms of bhakti only.
Everywhere Prabhupada is translating everything as bhakti. So for example, this is one of the most graphic ways in which we can say that Prabhupada seems to translate everything as bhakti. So Krishna is clearly using karmayogena yoginam and Prabhupada translates it as others by devotional service.
So now karma yoga is not devotional service, is it? Then how can Prabhupada translate karma yoga as devotional service? Actually, as I said, Prabhupada was asked once by a Mayavadi, Swamiji, there are many verses in the Bhagavad Gita where there is no Krishna and you are putting Krishna over there. So why do you do that? So Prabhupada said that you know, you Mayavadis, actually when Krishna is there in the Bhagavad Gita also, you remove Krishna from there. So you see this in 9.34. So Krishna uses maam six times and there is a well-known Mayavadi translator who says that actually we don’t have to surrender to Krishna, we have to surrender to the unborn within Krishna.
So Prabhupada says that even where there is Krishna explicitly in the Bhagavad Gita, you remove him from there. So to counter the pernicious effects of that, the misleading effects of that, Prabhupada says I put Krishna where he is not there also in the Bhagavad Gita. So now that Prabhupada is presenting his Bhagavad Gita according to the, its conclusive understanding and according to the contextual requirement.
So I will explain these two points, conclusive understanding and contextual requirement. See the conclusive understanding of the Bhagavad Gita is that ultimately one should practise bhakti-yuga. We will discuss in more detail how that is a conclusive understanding, but here there are two simple points to understand.
The Bhagavad Gita has its own flow, but it concludes in 18.66. What is that? Sarva-dharman parityajya maam ekam sharanam vraja. So there is a very categorical statement that Krishna is Shri Arjuna. All that you have heard of, heard from anywhere else about dharma is, you forget all that.
In fact all that you have heard from me earlier till now also you forget it. Just maam ekam sharanam vraja, just surrender unto me. You just do this one thing Krishna is telling you, surrender unto me.
Maam ekam sharanam vraja. So Krishna is giving this as the emphatic, unambiguous, insistent conclusion of the Gita, that surrender unto me. Surrender essentially is an act of bhakti.
Sharanagati is a part of bhakti. Actually this verse is preceded by manmana bhumad bhakto. That is also clearly bhakti verse.
So the conclusion of the Bhagavad Gita is bhakti. And not only the conclusion of Bhagavad Gita bhakti from its own flow, but we see what Arjuna do. You know Arjuna lived as a devotee of Krishna.
If we look at Arjuna’s life as we know it from the Mahabharata or from the Bhagavatam, we see Arjuna lived as a devotee. So Arjuna is a devotee. So in that sense Arjuna did not go and practise gyan yoga.
Arjuna did not go and think of some impersonal unborn within Krishna to meditate on. Arjuna followed the instructions of Krishna. So now when we talk about the Bhagavad Gita’s conclusion, that is bhakti yoga.
So and that is a devotion to Krishna as a supreme absolute truth. So the Bhagavad Gita gives us, so this is the conclusive understanding. What Srila Prabhupada is doing is, he is giving us the conclusive understanding throughout.
Now why is he giving the conclusive understanding throughout? Because of the contextual requirement. What is the contextual requirement? Now Prabhupada says that one contextual requirement I build is Mayavada is a remote Krishna where Krishna is present also. Other contextual requirement is that actually people do not read so much.
Prabhupada says that now in Kali Yuga people have no interest in anything, very little interest in anything spiritual. So when they have very little interest in anything spiritual, they will just take some book and read it for a few minutes. Then when they get some book, they look at this.
Okay, I paid some money for this book. What does this rascal say? Let me see. Prabhupada mimics the mentality, the psychology of a materialist when he says, okay, I have given some donation.
Let me see what this book says. Prabhupada says, my intention is if any purport they open, any page of my book they open, they should get our essential message. So what Srila Prabhupada does is that what Krishna gives in the end of the Gita, Prabhupada gives throughout the Gita.
So actually Prabhupada is not countering or contradicting Krishna’s words. Prabhupada is fulfilling Krishna’s mission. Krishna’s mission is ultimately to get people to practise bhakti.
So that is the ultimate mission of Krishna as we can see from Sarvadharmanaprajna. As we study the Bhagavad Gita, we will see that there is a very systematic flow by which Krishna has established the supremacy of bhakti. But before Krishna comes to that conclusion, Krishna goes through various intricate flows of thought and in Kali Yuga people do not have the patience to go through all these intricate flows of thought.
So Prabhupada makes sure that they crystal clear conclusive understanding throughout the Gita. Now if we will see in this chapter itself as well as elsewhere, Karma Yoga ultimately culminates in bhakti. So in this chapter itself in 3.30 where Krishna says, I offer all the fruits of your work to me and Krishna will also say in the 18th chapter, by all your work worship me.
So he does say that Karma Yoga ultimately culminates in bhakti. So if you look at the flow of the Gita, translating Karma Yoga as Bhakti Yoga is not a contradiction. It is a fulfilment of Krishna’s eventual conclusion.
And so why is Prabhupada doing this? Because he wants to make sure that people get the message clearly. Some people say that, there are some academic scholars who say Bhaktivedanta Swami is a bhakti fanatic. Everywhere he just puts Bhakti, Bhakti, Bhakti, Krishna, Krishna, Krishna.
But it is not like that. Prabhupada is aware of what is happening in the Bhagavad Gita. To understand how Prabhupada is aware, let’s move backward and let’s look at the second chapter of the Gita.
If you just look at the last verse in the second chapter of the Gita, we’ll see something very interesting. The last verse, here Prabhupada is saying that, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura summarises the second chapter of the Gita as being the contents of the whole text. So in the Bhagavad Gita, the subject matters are Karma Yoga, Gyana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga.
And especially in the second chapter, this is important for our context, Karma Yoga and Gyana Yoga have been clearly discussed and a glimpse of Bhakti Yoga has also been given as the contents of the complete text. So now, if you look at what Srila Prabhupada has done, Srila Prabhupada has not just given us a glimpse. In the second chapter itself, Prabhupada has quoted Ambarish Maharaj’s engagement in devotional service, so that is not just a glimpse of devotional service.
Prabhupada has given us quite a detailed explanation of devotional service. But Prabhupada is aware that in this chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, actually Krishna has given a glimpse. Where is that glimpse? That is in 2.61. So 2.61b, Krishna gives a glimpse of Bhakti.
So Prabhupada is aware that Krishna has given a glimpse, but it is giving us a much more detailed picture. Why? Because he wants us to not miss the conclusion of the Gita, to ensure that we get the conclusion and we stay with the conclusion. So Prabhupada wants us to stay focused in that way and that’s why it’s not that Prabhupada is simplistically translating anything and everything as just Bhakti.
No, there is a deeper level of thought involved in it and Prabhupada is aware of what is happening in the flow of the Gita and if we read Prabhupada’s purports carefully, we will also see him talking about the flow, providing hints. But along with that, Prabhupada focusses on giving us a conclusion. See there are a lot of technicalities in the Bhagavad Gita and actually Prabhupada wanted to, when he was asked, which book would you like to comment on in future? So Prabhupada said Bhagavad Gita.
Everybody said, Prabhupada, you already have done a commentary on the Bhagavad Gita. Prabhupada said, no, there are so many Acharyas who commented on the Bhagavad Gita and we can present Bhagavad Gita from the other Acharyas’ commentary, based on their commentary understanding also. So the point is that actually Prabhupada wanted the Bhagavad Gita to be commented on further.
So the point is that the Bhagavad Gita’s flow is so deep and its technicalities are quite intricate and fascinating. So Prabhupada would have gone into that also in a future commentary. Now that doesn’t mean that what Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita has it is inadequate or incomplete.
Now as far as taking us to the perfection of Krishna Consciousness is concerned, Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita as it is is perfect and complete. But as far as going to the depths of the wisdom of the Gita, there is no limit. You know, every day we can relish newer and newer meanings and if we speak on those meanings, the meanings kept expanding and we can relish it more and more.
So the conclusive understanding of the Gita, Prabhupada has given as it is. At the same time, the depth in which we can keep going in the Gita, there is no end to that depth. We can always keep going deeper and deeper.
So this is how we understand. When we see the Bhagavad Gita, we will look at the Prabhupada’s performance and we will see how Prabhupada uses the devotional understanding that we can apply. Along with that, we will also look at the inner flow of the Bhagavad Gita.
So the chapter overviews that I am giving, they are focussing on the inner flow of the Gita and we will discuss the inner flow also and we are discussing along with that the purports in which the Prabhupada gives as a practical and devotional understanding of how the essential meaning of those verses can be applied in our life. Let’s move on now to our Krishna’s answer. So here Krishna says, I have given you two levels of knowledge and now Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga.
So Prabhupada writes in the purport, it is a very well-known quote of Sri Prabhupada, religion without philosophy, sentiment or sometimes fanaticism, while philosophy without religion is mental speculation. So religion without philosophy is sentiment. We will discuss about this in more detail in our next class.
But here I would like to emphasise one more point with respect to Prabhupada’s presentation of the Gita. Prabhupada wanted this Bhagavad Gita out as a book for distribution in Chandran and he wanted that to be like the fundamental book which the devotees would use in their distribution. So if they are going to use that as a fundamental book, then it has to be of a building size.
Now as it is Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gita is big, it’s 700-800 pages, very big depending on the kind of printing that one does and if one goes in technicalities, it will become much bigger. So Prabhupada keeps us hammering the fundamentals, hammering the basics again and again and by rooting us in the basics, he makes sure that we don’t get caught up in technicalities. So make sure the conclusion is clear.
We see this same point in the Yajik Brahmanas in the 10th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam in the past time of the Yajik Brahmanas. So 23rd, 24th chapters, they talk about, 23rd chapter basically talks about this in the 10th canto. So the Brahmanas got caught in the technicalities, oh we have to do this Yajna, we have to offer this, we have to chant this mantra and the Yajyeshwara, Lord Krishna sent his own representatives and the Yajyeshwara asked for the Yajnavati, that is he asked for some food, but they neglected him.
Whereas the Yajik Brahmana Parthinis, what happened to them? They immediately came. Yes, Krishna has asked for food, immediately they left everything and came to Krishna. So that is the example of not getting caught in technicalities, but keeping one’s consciousness, keeping one’s sight, vision clearly fixed on the ultimate goal.
And along with that, Krishna also talks about in the next verse, so actually there is the conclusion which Krishna himself gives in the Bhagavad Gita, not in the next verse, but in the 18th chapter he gives the conclusion. And we see this again demonstrated in the past times of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu when he was in South India, outside Srirangam temple, he saw the Brahmana who was apparently illiterate and he couldn’t even read, pronounce the Bhagavad Gita verses properly and because he was not able to pronounce the Gita verses properly, people were teasing him.
There are other Brahmins who are more learned, they were teasing him and yet when he was studying the Bhagavad Gita, he was not only not aware of their jeers, but actually he had his own tears. So what was happening? How did he have tears like that? So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked him. So he said, what happened? He says, I am just, what part of the Bhagavad Gita is giving you so much nectar? So he said, actually I can’t read so well.
My spiritual master has told me to study the Bhagavad Gita, so I am studying the Bhagavad Gita and I have studied the Bhagavad Gita, actually as I read various verses, I am following the instructions of my spiritual master, I am meditating on the instructions, I am trying to meditate on Krishna, the speaker of the Gita and I think of how that Supreme Lord who is the object of worship for all living beings, that Lord has become a servant of His devotees, has become the charioteer and is obeying the order of His devotees. See in the year of Bhagavad Gita like that, take my charity in between the two armies. So such is the love of the Lord for His devotees.
So I am amazed by the extent, by the magnitude of the love of the Lord for His devotees and thinking about that love is bringing tears in my eyes. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu heard this, he embraced the Lord and he said, you have attained perfection in your life. You have attained perfection.
Why? Because you have understood the essence. The essence is devotion. Essence is to appreciate Krishna’s love for us and to have similar love for Krishna invoked in our hearts by that.
So you have understood how Krishna loves His devotees and is inviting all of us to become devotees and we also feel inspired to get devotion. So it is this devotional attitude that is the conclusion of the Gita and that is what Shrila Prabhupada gives us.