Bhakti Shastri (063) – Bhagavad Gita Chapter 03 Text 21 to 26

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Hare Krishna. So, we are discussing, essentially, the aspect of the setting an example for others. So, let’s look at this chapter overview.
So, we have discussed the section of practise Karma Yoga, because you are not qualified for Jnana Yoga. If you are not qualified for Karma Yoga also, then practise Karma Kant, which also involves doing one’s duty. And now, 17.24, we have discussed till 20.
If you are qualified for Jnana Yoga, still practise Karma Yoga to set an example for others. So, Krishna turns around and gives, first, he tells the principle that act in a detached way. Then he gives the example of Janaka and others.
Now, he gives the general principle of how those who are in leadership positions, they need to act exemplarily. Let’s look at the verse. yad yad aacharati sreshth tat tadeveta rojanah sa yad pramanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate So, yad yad aacharati aacharati means to behave.
aacharati, act. So, sreshtha, sreshtha is the great people, the leaders, the exemplary, those who are influenced in a society, those who have position, those who are sreshtha. tat tadeveta rojanah The other people act accordingly.
sa yad pramanam kurute And pramanah refers to standard. You know, pramanah, we also have shabda pramanah, pratyaksha pramanah. These are standard ways of acquiring knowledge.
So, authoritative way. So, whatever standard they set, sa yad pramanam kurute lokas tad anuvartate So, general people, anuvartate, they will follow that. So, here Krishna talks about the principle of how we cannot act in a isolated, self-obsessed, self-concerned way for our own good, even if it is for our spiritual good.
We have to consider what is the effect on others. And we have to behave in an exemplary way accordingly. The calibre of a society can be judged by many ways, but one important way is by the calibre of its heroes.
The kind of people that are considered ideal, exemplary, heroic, that shapes the character of the society. India, say, even 50 years ago, the social and political leaders who were striving for independence and who were striving for social well-being, they were considered to be the heroes. So, they were in many way models, role models for people.
And even if the most of these political leaders were not spiritually minded in proper devotional sense, but still, they were in many other ways exemplary. So, for example, Gandhi is considered to be the father of the nation. And he was given the title Mahatma.
So, he was considered to be a person who had simplicity. In many ways, he was considered to be a person widely concerned about others. And he was a model for many people.
So, when people have these kind of models, then they shape their behaviour accordingly. And today we see, if we ask people, a general survey, who are their models? Actually, for most people, their models will be film stars or maybe sports stars or maybe some business magnates. And in the more immediate sense, they may say, okay, who is my model? Okay, this person who’s got such a good career, who’s got such a good salary, who’s got such a good position.
So, if we look at the level of models that people have, that itself has declined. That itself has not only declined, in some cases, it has become distorted also. So, for example, if we look at entertainment, even the entertainment, say, 50 years ago, was much more holistic.
Now, in much of the entertainment, the… what people look forward to the most is sensuality, violence, sex and violence. So, the hero is reduced to often a one-dimensional character who goes around beating others and meeting others and enjoying with women. So, if these are the kind of models that people find attractive, then that also indicates that their level of consciousness has declined.
So, similarly, it is not just in India. In the West also, in America, if we take back the clock 100-200 years ago, then at the time of American independence and thereafter and the formative years of that nation, actually, the models were people who were in many ways exemplary. They were concerned for the society in general and they were diligently working for that purpose according to their capacities.
So, when people have as their models those who are, if they are spiritually minded, that is the best, but if they are not spiritually minded, at least those people who are in goodness, who have concerns beyond the concerns of their own immediate gratification, then those models elevate people. Otherwise, the models are such that people become degraded. So, in today’s society, sin is considered fashionable.
So, for example, in Bollywood, the movie stars, the females, they wear scanty clothes and then the women in general, for them, in some ways, these become models and then they also start wearing scanty clothes accordingly. And this modelling happens in certain ways also. For example, in the movies, when there is vulgarity, when there is exposure of the body and there is obscene language and imagery, so, when some movie stars, especially females, do that, then they are called as these are bold scenes.
Actually, it’s not boldness, it’s shamelessness. So, now when it is called bold, everybody wants to be bold. So, by a certain way, by calling this as bold and glamorising this, then people become attracted to this kind of dressing and this kind of living.
Which, in many ways, leads to disaster. So, actually speaking, this kind of, in the third chapter, Krishna will discuss in the later part about lust and how lust is the worst enemy, nitya-vairena, eternal enemy of the soul. But, when this is called as bold, then, it’s only a step, maybe in the future, 10-15 years down the line, people who dress modestly, that kind of dress will be called as cowardly.
So, now, it’s not cowardly at all. It is intelligent. So, to dress modestly is actually desirable.
So, this modelling happens at various levels. So, what Krishna is telling over here is that there are certain people who act as natural leaders. So, he says that for the child, the parents, the teacher, and then the king, they are natural leaders in society.
The king, of course, is not only for children, because ultimately, all of us were children at one time. All of us have grown up. So, these all create formative influences during our growing years.
So, to the extent, these, the parents, the teachers, and the leaders, the kings, they set a good example, to that extent, people will be moulded accordingly. If they don’t set a good example, then, people will be moulded in a distorted way. So, it is vitally important that those who are in positions of influence, they behave in an exemplary way for others.
Now, this may lead to the question, what exactly is an exemplary behaviour? Somebody may say that actually, for, we want women’s liberation, and therefore, for a woman to dress whichever way she pleases, that is exemplary. When we talk about exemplary, there has to be some standard. We can’t just have changing norms in society, which will decide what is exemplary.
We have to have a universal standard, and that universal standard comes from scripture. So, therefore, from scripture, we come to know what is the proper behaviour, and then those who live according to scripture, they can influence others in an enormous way, in an enormously influential way. So, therefore, it’s important that scriptures be recognised as standard, and the leaders of society live according to scripture.
And we see this power of good examples. In the case of George Harrison, when Shri Prabhupada met George Harrison and the Beatles, especially George Harrison was receptive among all the Beatles, and Prabhupada talked to all of them, Prabhupada quoted this very verse. This section comes in the Leela Amrit, and there, Shri Prabhupada explained that, you are so well known, so you chant Hare Krishna, and you tell about Krishna, and this is purifying, this will benefit people.
So, actually, in the initial days, when drugs were being introduced in the West, many people thought that drugs are the means to higher consciousness. So, even George Harrison encouraged that in his early days. But later on, George Harrison was from Britain, and he was enormously influential all over the world, not just in Britain, in America, in Australia.
So, when he came to America, thousands and thousands of fans came to see him. So, the American media called it like the second conquest of America by Britain. Britain earlier conquered America, then they were driven away.
So, when George Harrison went to the places like New York and San Francisco, New York Lower East Side, San Francisco, Hyderabad, especially New York, San Francisco, Hattiesbury, there he saw what had happened because of drugs. The hippies had not become free, they had become more drug-addicted. They were living dirty, bedraggled, destitute lives.
They felt guilty at that time. They had some sense of moral responsibility. And then, eventually, Prabhupada encouraged them to chant Hare Krishna.
Then he did that. He wrote many songs in which he chanted. And thousands of people, not just thousands, millions of people were introduced to the Hare Krishna Mahamantra through the songs of George Harrison.
So, at one level, it was George Harrison, because practically his music was so popular, especially in the first world, it went everywhere. And to some extent, even in the second world and third world also, it went in many places. So, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said that in every town and village, my holy name will be chanted to some extent.
That happened when George Harrison’s songs went to various parts of the world and they were recited over there. People heard the holy names through that. So, the point which I’m making is thousands of devotees, thousands of people were introduced to Krishna Consciousness and many of them became devotees also after that.
So, that seminal instruction by Shri Prabhupada set a good example for others. So, chant Hare Krishna. So, that had a tremendous influence on so many people’s lives.
So, that is, of course, with respect to one’s profession. But apart from one’s profession, even one’s personal life, how one lives is also important. The power of example is far stronger than the example of power.
The power of example means when people see somebody is living, if somebody is satisfied, truly peaceful and joyful, chanting Hare Krishna and practising devotional service, then people around will see it. How is this person so peaceful, so joyful? I want to know about it. So, the power of example is far greater than the example of power.
Example of power means there are some fanatical religions which say that you have to follow what we are saying. Either you convert to our religion or we are going to kill you. We will send you to hell.
So, this example of power may lead to some forced conversions. But the heart doesn’t get converted by that. And even if people get converted, actually they don’t become purified by that.
But the power of example is such that it transforms thousands and thousands of people. Rishabh Prabhupada is one example. Rishabh Prabhupada, he was an old man, practically at the age of 69, 70, when he went to America.
In the last 10 years, he travelled tirelessly all over the world, sharing Krishna Consciousness with so many people. And he had such a tremendous influence because of the example. Our devotees could see that.
Actually, Prabhupada, although he was old, many of the hippies, when they met him, they found that he seems to be younger and more energetic than us. Because Prabhupada, especially in the first years of his preaching, he had lived a very regulated life and he was healthy. He had health issues occasionally, but he was healthy.
He had so much energy. They could see that, this is such an energetic person. So, that itself, at that old age, to see so much energy, that itself was amazing for most people.
And beyond that, to see not just energy, but joy. There was wisdom in what Prabhupada spoke, but along with that, Prabhupada needed joy. So, that joy which came from his love for Krishna, that attracted so many people.
So, now we may say, ok, leaders have to set an example, and then we can start talking, you know, our temple leader, he doesn’t come in the morning, he doesn’t do this, he doesn’t do that, he doesn’t do that. So, this verse, we can use it to point fault with our leaders. Oh, you are leaders, I meant to set examples, you are not setting examples.
However, we have to understand that, actually, every person, who has been given the opportunity to practise Krishna Consciousness, is called upon to become a leader. In 7.3, in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says that, now thousands of people, one endeavour is about me. So, somehow by Krishna’s mercy, by devotees’ grace, by Shri Prabhupada’s mercy, we have been given the opportunity for practising Krishna Consciousness.
So, in that sense, we have already been made into leaders. We may not have many followers, we may not have big influence, but we are already leaders. So, setting an example is a responsibility of not just the leaders of the devotee community or leaders of the social world, it is a responsibility of every devotee.
So, yes, if some leaders are having some unexemplary behaviour, then our behaviour should be exemplary. We should be models, not critics. What does it mean? Models means, yes, this is how we should be.
So, we can be proper in our sadhana, we can be enthusiastic in our services, and we can set examples properly. So, the important point is, for us to be exemplary, let us be models, not critics. It is easier to be critics.
Oh, this person is not behaving, this person is not behaving, this person is not behaving. Yes, we don’t know what the reasons are, why somebody is not behaving exemplarily. It is definitely, if somebody is not behaving exemplarily, that is uninspiring.
But rather than being a critic, we can be a model, and we can try to behave in a way that sets a good example for others. So, when this happens, then each of us can become a part of the solution, or a part of the problem. So, this is what Krishna is calling upon.
So, in the context of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna is telling Arjuna, that ācārati śreṣṭha, that Arjuna, act in such a way that you will be able to set an example for others. So, you are going to set a standard. If you leave the battlefield and go away, people, other people, when they have difficulties, their duties present them with difficult situations, they will also say, Oh, great person like Arjuna, he left the battlefield.
He abandoned duty. Why should I not abandon it? So, you will set a bad example for others. So, please don’t do that.
Now, Krishna will tell that, he will give one more example of a person who acts to set a good example. na me pārthasthi kartavyaṁ triṣuṇo keśu kiñcana nā nāvāptanavāptavyaṁ vartaeva ca karmaṇi So, na me pārthasthi O Pārtha, there is no, not there, asti, na asti, it is not there, kartavyaṁ. There is no prescribed duty for me.
triṣuṇo keśu kiñcana In all the three worlds, there is no duty. nā nāvāptanavāptavyaṁ I am not in want of anything. avāptavyaṁ So, nor do I want to gain anything.
So, want means what we require and gain means further what I want. vartaeva ca karmaṇi Still, I am engaged in my duty. So, Krishna has not yet, in the Bhagavad Gita, revealed that He is God.
Although He has revealed in 1.2.61, He says, yukta sīta matpara Fix my mind, fix your mind on Me. So, that indicates that He is not just a teacher, but He is the Supreme Lord. But that has not been explicitly stated.
Now, in the general Indian culture, in the general Vedic culture, people know that Krishna is God. But here, in the flow of the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna has not revealed Himself as God in the first person directly. But here, He points towards that when He says, na me pārtha asti kartan There is no duty for Me.
Now, why is there no duty for Him? Because, He is the Supreme Lord. He is not subordinate to anyone. So, in fact, there is a well-known Upanishadic verse, which Prabhupāda quotes in the first quote here.
So, it’s a long verse. Let’s look at the verse here. This is from the Upanishads.
Śrī Caitanya Upanishad, 678. tam īśvarāṇāṁ paramaṁ maheśvaram tam devatānāṁ paramaṁ ca daivataṁ patim patirāṁ paramaṁ parastād vidāma devaṁ bhuvaneṣa nityaṁ So, tam īśvarāṇāṁ paramaṁ maheśvaram There are many īśvaras, but among them you are the Supreme Maheshwar. tam devatānāṁ paramaṁ ca daivataṁ Among the various devatas, you are the Supreme Devata.
patim patirāṁ paramaṁ parastād So, actually there are many masters, but He is the Supreme Master. pati can mean master, pati can mean husband. vidāma devaṁ bhuvaneṣa nityaṁ So, bhuvaneṣa.
So, He is the Lord of all places. And then, the important point. So, this is talking about the position of the Lord.
Now, related to our point. na tasya kāryaṁ karanaṁ ca vidyate That person has no prescribed duty. na tatsamas ca bhyādikas ca dusyate There is no higher authority, equal to him or above him, who will tell him, do this, don’t do this.
He is the Supreme Lord. And when he does not have any duty, but when he says that God is the controller and not even a blade of grass moves without God’s sanction. So, God is the ultimate cause of all causes.
Then how does all this thing happen? If God does not have any duty, then how do all these things happen? That is explained in the next part. parāsya-śaktir vividahī-vaśruvyate svabhāva-kī-jñāna-bala-kriyāṁ ca So, parāsya-śaktir. That Absolute Truth has many, many energies.
vividahī-vaśruvyate parāsya There are many energies. And, just like, say, now, if a person is a very wealthy business person, then that person can just press some buttons and whatever he wants. Okay, transfer this money from here to there.
Start this business. Sell this business. Purchase that.
Whatever he wants. Just press some buttons and that will happen. Press buttons like that.
So, parāsya-śaktir vividahī-vaśruvyate So, like that, the Lord, He just desires. He does not even, at least, in this world, we have to press buttons. Krishna does not even have to do that.
Krishna just desires and things happen. He is called a sattva-sankalpa. He desires and things happen.
Things happen. So, vividahī-vaśruvyate. And, svābhāvaki-jñāna-bala-kariyāca.
So, how does He acquire knowledge of everything? So, there are three aspects to talk about. Jñāna, bala and kriyā. So, jñāna is knowledge.
Bala is the capacity for action. And kriyā is the action. So, for Him, all these are svābhāvaki.
Svābhāvaki means it happens naturally. So, for example, now you are looking at me and I am looking at you. When we are looking at each other, then naturally we see each other.
So, now, if while at this time if some fly, if you notice that a fly has come and sat on your thigh, then your hand moves there automatically and then you move away the fly. So, like that, if there is a scratch, we just gently, if there is an itch, we scratch the itch. So, here Krishna is talking about the subconsciously things happen.
At a subconscious level things happen. And when they happen at a subconscious level, for us also, I mean, for example, we may not even be consciously aware, okay, the fly has come and something is happening. We are conscious elsewhere, but we also move the hand away.
So, that way we can move forward and understand that actually Krishna, for him everything happens automatically. He doesn’t have to struggle in any way to do anything. Just things automatically.
So, let’s move forward. The point is Krishna doesn’t have any duty. Still he is doing his duty.
And now Krishna turns around Arjuna’s fourth argument about Paranasankara. Here. So, let’s look at this verse.
Then we look at dharma. yadi aham na varteyam jatukarmanye tandritah mamahartamanu vartante manushya partha sarvasaham yadi aham na varteyam If I was not engaged, aham na varteyam jatukarmanye atandritah Atandritah means with great attention. If I had not been engaged in my karma with great attention then what would have happened? mamahartamanu vartante Others would have Others would have acted similarly mamahartamanu vartante manushya partha sarvasaham That all living beings would have also acted similarly.
Now this verse, the same line 3 and 4 323 C and D will again come in a more famous verse 4.11 There also 4.11 C and D is mamahartamanu vartante manushya partha sarvasaham But the meaning here is different and we will discuss what the meaning is. Here what Krishna is saying is mamahartamanu means my path manushya partha sarvasaham all living beings will follow. That means if I don’t engage in duty attentively yadi aham na varteyam then what will happen? Everybody will act accordingly and when everybody acts accordingly then that will lead to disruption.
So atandritaha means very attentively Krishna engages in his duties. So in the 69th, 70th, 71st chapters in the 10th canto of the Srimad Bhagavatam there is a description of Krishna acting in householder life. Of course it is distributed throughout the Bhagavatam in the 10th canto but especially in these chapters it is talked about and Narada Muni comes to see Krishna’s opulence and then he sees in various palaces Krishna is engaged in various duties.
So he says that for example somewhere Krishna is arranging for the marriage of his daughters. Somewhere he is arranging for the marriage of his sons and his welcoming brides. Other places he is in the palace Krishna is taking his welcoming visitors and attending to their needs.
He is listening and sorting out the grievances of some citizens. In some places he is welcoming brahmanas. Other places he is giving charity.
So in each of the palaces Krishna is doing duty responsibly. Now Jiyu Goswami makes a very interesting observation in this section in the Sandarbhas. So actually Krishna says basically that the Bhagavatam says how Krishna’s opulence is that Krishna was simultaneously present in all these places.
Narada Muni he has the capacity to fly. So he can just quickly go from one palace to another. So it was not that Krishna was in this palace and before Narada Muni could reach there Krishna was running to that palace.
There was no race between Narada Muni and Krishna over there. Krishna was simultaneously there. So this is Krishna’s opulence that he pervaded space.
But the significant point that Jiyu Goswami mentions is that actually Krishna was present in different palaces and actually when Narada Muni went the timings were different in different palaces. In some palaces it was morning and Krishna was doing morning ablutions or morning meditation. In some other palaces it was afternoon and Krishna was taking lunch.
In some other palaces it was evening and he was with his family members. In some other palaces it was daytime where Krishna was doing administrative duties. So like that the time also was different in different places.
What this indicates is that Krishna not only controls space but Krishna also controls time. Krishna also controls time. Krishna pervades time and therefore he can manifest at whatever time he wants as per his will.
So anyway, with respect to our discussion is Krishna although he can do anything and everything, he can be anywhere and everywhere, anytime and every time, still what Krishna does is atandritaha. He is attentively doing his duties and that’s how he sets an example for others. Now someone may say but Krishna what duties did he do? Especially when he was in Vrindavan he was stealing butter.
So is stealing butter exemplary? Do we want all the children in the world to start stealing butter? Do we want Krishna to dance with the gopis? So from the external point of view the gopis are other man’s wives. So why was Krishna doing such a thing? Is that what we want Krishna to do? How is that example? There are several points to understand in this. That Vrindavan is the abode of love.
And when Krishna was in Vrindavan he did not take up any public leadership position. He was just a small child and when he became an administrator when he became a part of public officially, publicly of the Yadu dynasty and then he started taking an active role in protecting them and safeguarding their interests. So then from that time Krishna was Atantrita.
So what happens in Vrindavan is at that time Krishna had not taken any leadership position. Another point to understand is in Vrindavan, Vrindavan is a transcendental abode. So there there is no need for setting an example.
There it’s simply the example of pure love. And the example of pure love is whatever will increase, intensify the love in the hearts of his devotees, Krishna does that. So that’s what Krishna will do in Vrindavan.
So there is the role of Dharma and there is the arena, the realm, the arena of Dharma and there is the arena of Prema. So when Krishna is acting in Mathura, in Dwarka, in Hastinapur, he is in the arena of Dharma and there he sets an example. Vrindavan is the arena of Prema.
There is also an example the Vrajvasis in fact are examples for all Gaudiya Vaishnavas in fact for all Vaishnavas about how one should be absorbed in Krishna constantly. That is also an example of a different kind in Vrindavan. But with respect to, here Krishna is talking about social responsibility.
So social responsibility means that Krishna is saying that you have to act in a way that will benefit others and not harm others. Krishna is saying I am also doing that. Now Krishna will say in the next verse what will happen if he did not act in this way.
So all people will follow my path. So what does follow my path mean? What exactly will happen? Upahanyam Ima Praja So Utsideyur Utsideyur means disrupted put to ruin. Me, Loka, all these words all these people.
Nakuryan Karmachetaham. If I did not perform my karma, my duty. Sankarasya Chakartasyaam Sankarasya Chakartasyaam So Varana Sankara was Arjuna’s concern in the first chapter.
I will become the creator of unwanted progeny. Upahanyam Ima Praja And in this way all the living entities will be destroyed. So here Krishna is gravely pointing out that actually if I did not act responsibly other people will get justification for not acting responsibly.
And when they if everybody starts acting irresponsibly society will crumble. For example why is he especially talking about Sankara Sankarasya Chakartasyaam disruption of society. Kshatriyas are just an example of chivalry and protection.
So if Kshatriyas themselves become neglectful, Kshatriyas become irresponsible and Kshatriyas don’t protect the citizens then who will? And if nobody protects the citizens the citizens will become exploited. And if citizens are exploited what will happen? There will be devastation in society. So therefore it is a very important responsibility of the Kshatriyas to act exemplary by protecting Dharma and protecting the Dharmic people.
So he is saying to Arjuna Arjuna you have to set this example. If you don’t do that then unrighteousness will prevail. Then ungodly people demoniac people will take power and they will exploit society, they will exploit women.
That will lead to unwanted progeny and the future generations will be disastrous. So in this way it is our responsibility to act competently. Act in an exemplary way.
Now here the question may come up that Krishna is himself sometimes it seems that he doesn’t act exemplary. So one example is butter steaming. So that and similarly he performed last leelasyaam.
So now one point I said is that at that time Krishna was not in the position of leadership and that is the second point I said is that that is the arena of love. Prabhupada makes another point in the purport that those who are great people we cannot imitate them. You know we have to, we can admire them.
They have powers which we don’t have. And Prabhupada quotes from the Bhagavatam here. Let us look at the verse.
So this is from the Bhagavatam 10.33 13.31 These are among the last verses of the Raas Panchadhyaya. Raas Panchadhyaya is from 29th chapter to 33rd chapter. And soon after this comes the famous verse about how here you want Raas Leela will purify.
So before that Parikshit Maharaj asked a question. You know how could Krishna have performed this Raas Leela, danced with other women’s wives at night. So then Krishna Arjuna here, Shukadeva Swami answers and he gives example also.
naitat samācare jātu manasa api jana Ä«Å›varaḥ vinasyati ācaraṁ mauryād yathāroṇa abdhijam abhiá¹£aṁ Ä«Å›varāṇāmbhaja satyam tathaivācaritam kvacit teṣāṁ svavacau yuktam buddhimāṁsthaṁ samācaret So naitat samācare jātu samācare jātu means one should not samācāra one should not act like them jātu means certainly manasa api even in the mind anÄ«Å›varaḥ anÄ«Å›varaḥ means those who are not Ä«Å›varas so those who are not Ä«Å›varas should not act like the Ä«Å›varas even in their mind. Why? vinasyati ācaraṁ mauryād if we act like that vinasyati they will be destroyed ācaraṁ mauryād maurya means foolish they will be destroyed by such action and the example is yatha rudro abdhijam visham rudro is lord shiva abdhijam is born from the milk ocean what was born? visham so we know in the churning of the milk ocean devastating disaster took place when an extremely deadly poison came about and what did lord shiva do? lord shiva at the request of all the devatas under the guidance of lord Vishnu he took the permission of his consort durgadevi and he drank that poison so he drank that poison it went up to his tongue down his tongue it went to his throat and stayed there and that’s why lord shiva is sometimes known as neelakanta or kalakanta his throat became blueish black so neelakanta is one with a blue throat and kalakanta is one with a black throat so now that poison had no power to go down and lord shiva was so powerful now if we drink something we can’t control it it will go down the tongue and it goes down and then we will go down after that so therefore vinashatyacharan maudhyat the mudhas imitated a person like lord shiva vinashati there will be destruction now our acharya has described that lord shiva was not concerned about dying why did the poison stop over there why did he not let the poison go down even if the poison had gone down he would not have been affected but he checked the poison because he is a vaishnava vaishnavana mitha shambhu he is the topmost of all devotees and he was thinking that my beloved lord is in my heart so if the poison goes down the throat through the alimentary canal then actually my lord who is in the heart he will be inconvenienced, it will go too close to him and i don’t want the poison to go too close to him i don’t want to disturb him, i want him to be present happily in my heart and to be happy accepting my devotional service over there that’s why in order to not inconvenience the lord he kept the poison in his throat itself, so this is lord shiva he has that power if we drink poison like that then we will get ourselves in trouble, same applies with bhang also lord shiva drank poison so his followers drink bhang they can’t drink poison but they drink bhang and they say lord shiva also used to drink bhang but then bhang is an intoxicant it’s tamasic and doing what the lord has done doing what great personalities like lord shiva have done without having that authority that will simply lead to degradation so ishwaranam acahasatyam you should understand that the words of the ishwara are true and tathaiva acharitam kochit, so how should we act tathaiva acharitam according to their words, so that means that when the lord or the great personalities they they come to this world, at that time their actions are in two phases one are those which are to set an example and the other are those which are set to those which are done to demonstrate their position that both are important purposes one is to set an example so for example lord ram he dutifully he was a mariadha purushottam so he did whatever as a king as a son, as a husband he acted in exemplary way that is what is he doing by that he is actually practising the principle of setting an example at the same time there are other situations and other incarnations their focus may not be on setting an example their focus is on demonstrating their position so when krishna displays the virat rupa that is not an example whenever anybody is in doubt, i will show my virat rupa but i don’t have any virat rupa, how can i show only krishna has virat rupa so when mother yashoda asked krishna to open his mouth he shows the whole universe within his mouth so we can’t do all these things so there are certain pastimes of krishna which are simply meant to demonstrate his transcendental position his supreme position and those pastimes have to be understood as such that they are meant to demonstrate his supremacy not to be imitated so krishna’s rasa lila is also like that and shukadeva goswami says in the bhagavad in the same section that actually when we practise when the violation of the laws by the great people by the supreme demonstrates his superiority to those laws what is he saying there are laws which are meant for all of us and it’s important for us to follow the laws now the supreme is supreme means that the supreme is superior even to the laws the supreme is superior to the laws and that’s how the superior the supreme is supreme if the supreme had to be subordinate to the laws then the supreme would not be supreme, the laws would be supreme so that is not the correct understanding of the vedic teachings that is a deviant understanding called karma nivamsa it says the laws are supreme but actually the supreme law is supreme so now when we act, why do we need laws because we are not always motivated by law, we are motivated by selfish desires and that’s why there are laws you should do this, you should not do this we cannot just take money from anywhere anytime, we may want to do that but there are regulations, there is law but when it comes to krishna he doesn’t have any selfish desires he is simply pure he is simply transcendental, he is simply all loving, all merciful so whatever he does is for the supreme good of everyone and when he is acting thus for the supreme good of everyone he doesn’t need any laws to regulate his lower self because he has no lower self we need laws to regulate our lower self krishna does it so krishna acts purely out of love and care and the desire for the supreme well being of everyone so when he seems to violate the laws that is simply out of love and he wants to demonstrate love in past times and when he acts in this way we have to understand that this kind of actions demonstrate his supremacy demonstrate how he is in a position greater than the position of the laws, he is truly supreme so then now we all know that if krishna says i want to meet rasleela, raghupath would say first govardhan leela when krishna was seven he lifted govardhan then at eight he performed rasleela so first lift govardhan, we can’t do that then we should not perform rasleela also now krishna will talk about he has finished the section of setting an example now he will talk about how we need to understand the difference between karma kanda and karma yoga so for example now arjuna will say okay you are saying i should set an example but if i get bound if i get sinful reactions then what is the use of it all, yes i agree to the point that i will if i give up my duty then that will lead to harm, i will be setting a bad example and the people will be disrupted so that doesn’t solve my problem because i will still get bound so how do i avoid bondage that he will describe in the next verse so sakthah karmany vidvamso yatha kurvanti bharata kuryad vidvamsatha sakthas chikhirsur lokasangraham sakthah karmany avidvamso sakthah is attached and avidvamso avidvamso is one who is not vidvamso sakthah karmany avidvamso so those who so there are two characters of these people they are ignorant and they are attached yatha kurvanti bharata so as the ignorant and attached act kuryad vidvamsatha sakthas so even the vidvams, vidvams is opposite to avidvams even those who are learned, those who are wise and they are asakthas even they should act like that why? chikhirsur lokasangraham lokasangraham means for the purpose of setting an example for others so as the ignorant and attached act similarly the wise and the detached should act for the purpose of setting an example for others chikhirsur lokasangraham so now here what does it mean? Krishna, Shri Arjuna, yes there may be people there may be people who are acting who do not know but you should know so what is this referring to? ignorant and attached are referring to the karmakandis and the detached and knowledgeable they are referring to the karmayogis that’s referring to karmayogis so externally the karmakandis and karmayogis both act in the same way the karmakandis are doing their prescribed duties externally the karmayogis are doing their prescribed duties the karmakandis are thinking about heaven and mortal enjoyment, the karmayogis are talking about liberation and return back to the supreme lord so their consciousness is different so one is sakta, the other is asakta although theirs is different but still both of them are acting for the same purpose that purpose is to become liberated it is to become elevated it is to go back to godhead so with that purpose in mind when a person acts then that person never gets bound to material existence that person keeps marching forward and returning back to the absolute truth eventually so Krishna is saying that they live in the world and set an example for others yes there may be others who may be acting detached but how will they ever become detached they need an example which is accessible for them, which is available for them only then they will be able to practise spiritual life if you see if you look at the history of our movement you will see that it has passed through phases in the early days of our movement becoming a devotee meant just joining the temple people would just join the temple, so men, women everybody would join and then even if people would become grahasthas they would still stay in the temple itself and they would be even distributing books and financially also they are getting whatever is required from the temple and they were living like that so at that time, practising devotional life essentially meant, becoming Hare Krishna meant practically dropping out of society and just joining the temple full time and living like that now as the movement has expanded the congregation has developed and now ISKCON is primarily a congregation based movement and that is very important because the renounced order is a very important place also but for most people if they want a a reality example of how one can be spiritual while being in the material world, that example will not come from the sadhus, it will not come from the brahmacharis or sanyasis, that example has to come from the grahasthas so when the grahasthas set a proper example then the general people say yes all that is being talked about is not impractical, it is not hypothetical it is something which is real which can be done so it is important for devotees to recognise the very important role that grahasthas have played sometimes there is a whole conflict when brahmacharis think that oh we are superior and then grahasthas are inferior actually it is not a matter of superior or inferior it is like two brigades in the same army and both of them are ultimately in the army of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Krishna and they are trying to fulfil Krishna’s mission so in the history of our movement also we see at one particular time there was a conflict between brahmacharis and grahasthas and that brahmachari sanyasis and grahasthas and it came to a head in 1976 in Mayapur and then Prabhupada very strongly made the point that yahi krishna tattvavitta sahi guru hai that one who knows about Krishna one who is devoted to Krishna that person is an advanced devotee we cannot just label certain ashrams as lower or label certain ashrams as higher so actually now both the brahmacharis and the grahasthas have important roles to play the brahmacharis and sanyasis they play the role of showing an example of being totally devoted to God and of being disconnected from the world so that means by that they say this vertical relationship is actually real we get real happiness that brings real meaning real fulfilment in life and what happens by that is the tangibility and this gravity of spiritual life becomes very evident when we see people who are totally devoted to God so that is if you consider a pyramid there are multiple levels so the brahmacharis and sanyasis they demonstrate the focus on the vertical connection then the grahasthas they have the horizontal as well as the vertical and then they set an example for the broader society who have only horizontal connections and they have no vertical connections so it’s like a progression and everybody plays an important role so if there are only grahasthas and there are no brahmacharis and sanyasis then also the problem comes up that people always keep feeling that spiritual life is just meant to be a part time life it’s something which should be a part of our life one of the things that Prabhupada’s presentation of Krishna consciousness has characterised by the point that actually bhakti is not a part of our life bhakti is our life in fact we discussed earlier how life is a part of bhakti bhakti is something which goes on over many lifetimes so bhakti is our life and bhakti is our life for brahmacharis, for grahasthas for everyone different members of the varanashram contribute different important and irreplaceable roles irreplaceable roles every single varanashram is important every single ashram is important so here Krishna is telling be in the world and set an example for others so now Krishna will tell about after talking about this he will say that you should not disturb the mind of others na buddhi vedam janaye agyanam karmasanghinam joshayet sarvakarman vidmanukta samacharan so na buddhi vedam janaye don’t disturb the mind of others buddhi means intelligence don’t disturb the intelligence of others na buddhi vedam janaye janaye means to give birth, to cause agyanam karmasanghinam the same point, the previous one was sakthaha avidvams, so here it is karmasanghi, that is sakthaha and avidvams is agyanam agyanam, so those who are ignorant and those who are attached, don’t disturb their minds, what should you do? joshayet sarvakarman joshayet is when Prabhupada translates this as dovetail and this is a word which Prabhupada would often use in his presentation, you can dovetail things in Krishna’s service joshayet sarvakarmani all work vidvan yukta samacharan a learned person can do that while being engaged in devotional service the whole principle of bhakti is centred on this point this point of vidvan yukta samacharan act in a way joshayet sarvakarmani a wise person should be acting and should be setting an example for others how to dovetail various activities in devotional service so actually Srila Prabhupada was very resourceful he engaged different devotees with different talents according to their talents in the service of Krishna so he had artists and they were asked to paint they were asked to make pictures for his books and pictures for the temples he had devotees who were good at cooking and they were asked to cook he had devotees who were intellectually enlightened, they were asked to write so all of us have been given some talents and the perfection of those talents is to use them in Krishna’s service we don’t have to tell the world that all these talents are useless, everything is material, just reject it no, we have to focus on utilising things in Krishna’s service and in fact this is a theme which will come again and again joshayet sarvakarmani dovetail things in devotional service so by dovetailing people will gradually become elevated so the ultimate purpose of all the vedic rituals is to bring people to Krishna now those who cannot come directly to Krishna, they should be gradually brought to Krishna so here Krishna is acknowledging to Arjuna, yes, even if you say that the renounced order is higher than the householder order, that means giving up action is higher than acting in the world but still for the people in the world, if we just see responsible people giving that up, giving up their actions then that will disrupt their minds see that means now Krishna is talking about another point over here earlier he was saying that you should set a good example for others and if you don’t set a good example, if you set a bad example that will lead to problems because people will act inappropriately but somebody may argue that actually I am not setting a bad example, I am setting an example of a higher principle I am not renouncing out of irresponsibility I am renouncing out of an understanding of higher responsibility so when somebody makes this point I am renouncing out of compassion I am not renouncing out of frustration so I am responsible with a sense of higher responsibility, renouncing I say people will not understand this so therefore even if you have a higher sense of higher responsibility you have to do it in such a way that people will be able to take it people will be able to understand it if people misunderstand then their mind will get disturbed and then they will have no scope left for further elevation in their spiritual life therefore set a good example for others and engage them, encourage them according to their level to practise devotional service so whatever is their level, according to their level encourage them to practise devotional service by setting a good example so here Krishna is talking about difference between karma yoga and karma kanda and Krishna mentions several times the jnani and the ajnani the vidwams and avidwams so in the next verse Krishna will tell what is the vision of the avidwam and what is the vision of the vidwam that we will discuss in the next class.