Bhakti Shastri (080) – Bhagavad Gita Chapter 06 Text 01 to 08

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Thank you very much.
Hare Krishna. Welcome back to Bhagavad Gita Bhakti Shastri course. Now we go on to the sixth chapter.
The fifth chapter ended with a description of Ashtanga Yoga in verses 27 and 28. And 29th was Bhakti Yoga. So, Ashtanga Yoga will be described in chapter 6. Let us have an overview of chapter 6. This chapter is called as Dhyana Yoga.
So, yes. So, chapter 6 has 47 verses. And verses 1 to 9 talk about advancement in the stage of yoga, in the process of yoga from Aruruksha, that is the beginning stage to Arudha, that is the advanced stage.
So, Aruruksha is if we envision a ladder, then Aruruksha is one who starts climbing up the ladder. Arudha is one who is situated on the ladder. Like we have Pratharudha, one of the charioteer who is already situated on the chariot, the warrior who is still on the chariot.
It is said that Lord Vishnu, when he travels, he is Garudarudha. He is situated on Garudha. Arudha means to be seated properly.
Aruruksha means one who started climbing. So, if yoga is a ladder, one who started climbing the ladder and one who has moved towards the upper range of ladder. So, first verse, 29th verse talks about the process that one needs to go through by which one can renounce the world.
In Dhyana Yoga, one renounces the world and focusses exclusively on meditation. But there is some preliminary purification that is required for that. That is described in 1 to 9. Then 10 to 30 describes progressively how one will attain perfection when one is practising yoga.
So, from practise to perfection yoga. 10 to 15 describes realisation of Brahman. 16 to 23 describes realisation of Paramatma.
And 24 to 32 describes realisation of Bhagawan. Now, after that, 33 to 37, Arjuna raises a question that what if the mind is very difficult to control. So, Krishna answers that.
So, two verses are questions 33, 34 and 35, 36 are the answer. And then after that, the last section is if the mind deviates the yogi, then what is the destination of the yogi? Where does the yogi, deviated yogi, fallen yogi go? So, that Krishna answers in a very thought-provoking section. And then lastly, Krishna says that the topmost yogi is one who fixes his mind on Krishna.
That means, after going through this elaborate analysis of the process of Bhakti Yoga, Krishna eventually comes to, after going through the elaborate analysis of Ashtanga Yoga, Krishna eventually comes to the conclusion that Bhakti Yoga is the best. Bhakti Yoga is the highest. So, that will set the scene for Krishna to start speaking in the seventh chapter, when he will speak about Bhakti Yoga.
So, it will take, this chapter takes us slowly up the yoga ladder to the perfection of fixing the mind on Krishna. And the next chapter describes an alternative way of attaining that same perfection. So, let us look at the sixth chapter now, beginning with verse one.
So, the first section is moving from the Aruruksha stage to the Arudha stage. So, one who does the work without taking ashray of the phala. In this world, when people want to work, and they need motivation for the work.
So, what is the motivation? The motivation is the fruit. And they take ashray of the fruit. That means, suppose there is a sports champion, and there is a World Cup cricket team, winning cricket, World Cup winning cricket team, and the captain is asked, you know, what is, how did you win this work? What motivated you? He says, you know, since my childhood, I was imagining myself holding up the World Cup in my hands, and that dream motivated me.
So, what is happening over here? This is Ashrita Karmapalam. One is taking shelter of the fruit of work. Now, the Bhagavad Gita is not against doing things in this world.
Now, it’s not against achievements. But if those outer achievements alone are our motivation, then we do not make any inner development, any spiritual development through that outer achievement. We do not necessarily go closer to Krishna.
Therefore, a person, especially here, Krishna is talking about a Karma Yogi. Now, a pure devotee may visualise things to be offered for Krishna’s service. That is different.
But a Karma Yogi is primarily focussing on detaching oneself from worldly things. So, therefore, the Karma Yogi’s motivation, as we discussed in 5.11 is, Yogi works primarily for purification, not for follow. So, Krishna is telling here, what a Yogi has to do in the beginning, Anashritah Karmapalam.
And then, what is Karyam Karmakaroti? Karyam means prescribed duty. Understanding this is my obligatory duty, Karmakaroti, whatever I’m obliged to do, I’ll do that. So, Sanyasi, such a person is a Sanyasi.
So, it’s a Yogi. That person is the renunciate and that person is also the Yogi. So, it’s interesting, Krishna has suddenly used the two words Sanyasa and Yoga together.
Such a person is a Sanyasi and Yogi also. If you remember in the 5.11, Krishna has referred to Sanyasi and Yogi as two opposite, two different paths, not necessarily opposite, but different paths. And in the 3rd chapter, he has referred to them almost as opposite.
So, in the 5th chapter, Krishna has talked about how Sanyasastu Mahabaho Dukham Aptamayogatah Yogayukto Muner Brahma Achiren Adigachyati. So, in 5.6, he has talked about Sanyasa and Yoga as two distinct processes, not necessarily opposite, but distinct processes. So, he has told how both ultimately lead to the same destination.
But he says, one who tries to practise Sanyasa alone, without Yoga, such a person, what happens to such a person? Dukham Aptamayogatah. On the other hand, one who practises Yoga, Yogayukto Muner Brahma Achiren Adigachyati, not after a long time, soon such a person will attain perfection. So, in that sense, Krishna, what he has talked about as two different processes, now he is saying essentially it is the same.
So, who is such a person who is both a Sanyasi and a Yogi? So, normally, Krishna has used the word Yogi till now to refer to Karma Yoga. Although we may use the word Yogi, generally you think of a person with Yoga asanas. And generally, when the word Yoga is used alone, most people think of the Yoga Marga, the process of Ashtanga Yoga.
But Krishna till now has not talked about Ashtanga Yoga much. And whenever he has used the word Yoga, he has used it in terms of connection with one’s prescribed duty. And of course, through that connection with one’s prescribed duty, one connects with the Absolute Truth.
But Krishna is here saying that both are similar. That Sanyas means disconnection from the material world and Yoga is connection with the Absolute Truth. That can be by various ways.
One way is by doing one’s work. So, then such a person is a Sanyasi and a Yogi. Krishna clarifies how the person is the same.
How Sanyasi and Yogi are the same person, Krishna clarifies in the next verse. But here he is saying, na niradhanir na cha kriya. So, such a person is a Sanyasi, the person who works, not the person who does not work.
And not working, Krishna talks in two terms here. Na cha kriya, the person who does not do kriya. Such a person is not the actual Yogi or the Sanyasi.
And among the various kriyas, among the various prescribed duties that are done, a prominent prescribed duty for a person who is a Grihastha, who is living in the world is Agni. That actually they are meant to light the sacrificial fire. So, of course, in Kali Yuga we don’t light the sacrificial fire.
We chant the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. But either way, na niradhanir. Actually, one is meant to do a prescribed duty.
That prescribed duty involves lighting the fire so that Yajnas can be performed. Krishna has talked in the third chapter about how Yajna, one who does not do Yajna, agha yurindriyara mamogham parthas chivati. So, Yajna is an important duty.
And Krishna is telling right in the beginning of the sixth chapter that one should not give up Yajna. That one should not give up lighting the fire in the name of renunciation. So, Prabhupada explains in the Purport.
That actually he explains now from a devotional perspective that the parts of the body work for the satisfaction of the whole body. The limbs of the body do not act for self-satisfaction, but for the satisfaction of the complete whole. Similarly, the living entity who acts for satisfaction of the supreme whole and not for personal satisfaction, the perfect sannyasi, the perfect yogi.
So, how the yogi, because how is the person a yogi? Because the yogi is connected with the complete whole. So, the living entity who is acting for the satisfaction of the supreme whole is in that sense a yogi. And how is the living entity a sannyasi? Because it is free from selfish desire.
So, freedom from selfish desire is sannyas and the desire for selfless service to the absolute truth, that is yoga. And that is how the person is a sannyasi as well as a yogi. And then Prabhupada quotes about how the perfect sannyasi, perfect yogi, he used the example of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu quoting Shikshashtakam.
So, Lord Chaitanya Prabhupada refers to as the highest perfectional symbol of renunciation. So, highest perfectional symbol of renunciation. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was so renounced.
He was the example, it is said that Chudamani is the jewel among renunciates. So, he talks about his consciousness. So, these are actually what people in general aspire for.
People want wealth, they want followers, they want the enjoyable association of the opposite sex, enjoyable association, attractive members of the opposite sex, basically sexual pleasure. And then Kavitam. Kavitam refers to the fame, praise, learning, various things get referred to.
There are things which people want. This is what people define as success. So, but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu says, I do not want any of these things.
It is an extraordinary prayer of pure devotion. So, in one sense, the first part of this verse is talking about sannyas. I do not want any of these things.
So, I do not want all these things and what do I want? So, sannyas means rejection and then yoga means connection. So, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is saying I do sannyas of all these things. I do not want all these things, but what is the connection that I want? That I want to be always connected to you in devotion.
Even if I had to go through many lifetimes, I want to be fixed in devotion. What kind of devotion? Unmotivated devotion. That means this connection with the Lord.
I do not want it to be conditional because the Lord does this for me. So, I’ll do, I’ll become devoted to him. Without any cause, it’s selfless, pure.
So, this is the example of one who is disconnected from the world and connected with the absolute truth. Now, Krishna will explain this point of sannyasis, yogichas in the next verse. So, yam sannyasamiti prahur.
That which is known as sannyas, that is also known as yoga. Yogam tam viddhi. Or Pandava or Arjuna.
No, that is also yoga. So, Krishna is saying, actually they are the same. So, what he has talked about in the fifth chapter as similarity in destination.
Now, Krishna is saying there is similarity in content also. How? Nahi asanyasta sankalpo. That actually, if one doesn’t give up sankalpa.
Sankalpa is desire. Desire for worldly enjoyment. And asanyasta means without giving it up.
So, unless one gives up the desire for worldly enjoyment, one cannot be a yogi. Yogi bhavati kashchana. One cannot be a yogi unless one gives up the desire for worldly enjoyment.
So, Krishna is telling over here that how are yoga and sannyasa kind of same? That both, that actually there cannot be yoga, authentic yoga. There cannot be genuine connection with the Lord unless there is disconnection with the enjoyments that connect, that take us away from the Lord. Just like if you want to say that we want to light a fire and we want to remove the darkness.
So, actually we cannot remove darkness unless we light fire. And when we light fire, darkness automatically goes away. So, the two are connected.
So, similarly, when there is, when there is to, when there is sannyasa, there will be yoga. When there is to be yoga, sannyasa has to be there. If there is no sannyasa, there is not much real yoga happening.
So, if people are claiming to practise spiritual life, Prabhupada says this in the, one of the second canto purports, that if a person is chanting Hare Krishna but is still engaged in all kinds of sensory activities, is engaged in all kinds of sensory, especially immoral, sinful sense gratification, then that person is not actually a genuine devotee. That person’s devotion is exterior devotion. Of course, chanting is good.
It will help. But if we chant sincerely, that should lead to detachment. It may take a little time for different people, the amount of time may differ for different people, but still, there will be progression in that direction.
So, now, Prabhupada, now he uses this word, real sannyasa yoga. So, now Prabhupada combines the two words as a compound word sannyasa yoga. So, sannyasa is disconnection from the world, yoga is connection with the world.
And he says, or bhakti. So, he equates sannyasa yoga with bhakti. And he says that this means we simply act according to our constitutional position.
And, and Prabhupada points to this, how these two are combined, the real aim is for the living entity to give up all selfish satisfaction, and to be prepared to satisfy the Supreme. That means we work not for our pleasure, but for Krishna’s pleasures, Krishna’s pleasure. So, in that way, sannyasa and yoga become combined together.
Now, Krishna will elaborate on this theme of sannyasa sankalpa in the next verse, next two verses. So, before he elaborates, he uses some technical terminology over here. So, let us look at this terminology.
So, aruruksho. Aruruksho means, as I said, one who is just beginning to climb. Muner yogam.
So, when one is in the beginning stages in the process of yoga, at that time, karma karanam uchyate. Karma is the cause. It is the cause of what? Cause of one’s progress.
It is the cause of one’s spiritual advancement. And then when one is advanced in yoga, arudha, yoga arudha is at the end. But then what is the cause? Shamaha karanam uchyate.
Shamaha is inactivity, pacification, calmness, cessation of activity, as Prabhupada translates it. Karanam uchyate. That means, now Krishna is telling that, yes, there is a stage when one has to renounce activity, but that is the advanced stage.
And he is giving a structure. He says, first, in the aruruksho stage, work itself will lead to advancement. And then in the yoga arudha stage, the cessation of work will lead to advancement.
So, Prabhupada says that here, the yama, niyama, asana, what are all they meant to do? All such activities lead to achieving perfect mental equilibrium to control senses. When one is in the completion stage of meditation, he sees all disturbing mental activities. And so the point is, that first we regulate our physical activities through yama, niyama, asana, pranayama.
And yama, niyama, asana, pranayama can be practised even while one is in the world and doing activities in the world. But once one goes to the level of pratyahara, pratyahara means setting out of sense objects, then one cannot stay in the world. Then one renounces the world and one focusses on turning inwards.
And then there is dharana, dhyana, samadhi. There are these other progressive stages in which one goes inward and inward and ultimately perceives the super soul in the heart. So, the initial stages, initial four stages, when one can actually practise doing karma also, doing karma yoga, these are called the aruruksho stage.
So, yama, niyama, samadhi and the next four involve a person rising to the arudha stage. So, here, let’s understand what is going on once again now. So, in 6.1, Krishna’s focus is on the person and 6.2 focusses on the path.
So, what is the focus on the person? Same person Krishna is saying, sanyasi and yogi. And the point is, anashrutaha karma phalam. That person, what is the nature of that person? The person is not taking shelter of the work.
So, this is an affirmative assertion. This is what the person is doing. That person is not taking shelter of the fruits of the work and the person is acting.
And 6.2, Krishna is saying, focus on the path. What is that? That sanyas and yoga both require a common denominator. There is something common which is required for authentic sanyas and authentic yoga and that is sanyasta sankalpa, one has given up desire.
So, given up the desire for enjoyment. This is a negative assertion. So, in this way, by giving a specific example and then talking about the generic path, Krishna makes the point clear how sanyas and yoga are identical.
Then, Krishna will now talk about yoga aruruksha and yoga arudha. So, here, we will see that yoga aruruksha is in the first stage, yam, niyam, asana, pranayama. These are the eight stages of the process of ashtanga yoga.
Now, in a sense, we could say that these eight stages apply to all paths. So, yam, niyam refer to the rules for individual discipline and social discipline. Now, yam, niyam, sometimes they are said to refer to do’s and don’ts.
Do this, don’t do this, yam, niyam. Sometimes it refers to how we have to regulate ourselves individually and how we regulate ourselves collectively. So, both ways, the important point is that we regulate ourselves and then these are involved in yam, niyam, asana.
Then, we sit in a particular position. So, yogi sit in a particular asana and that asana is meant to keep the body in a position which helps the consciousness move inwards. Then, pranayama is also for the same purpose.
When we regulate our breath, by the regulation of the breath, the mind becomes calm. When we are agitated, the breath becomes fast. When we try to slow down the breath, the mind also becomes calm.
So, the purpose of regulating the breath is to calm down the mind. And then after that is the next yoga arudha. Arudha means one becomes situated inwards.
One starts going, compels you in the path. So, this is pratyahara. So, pratyahara means, ahara is food.
Praty means opposite. So, opposite to the food, that means what? Actually, all the senses, they want some food for themselves. What is the food that they want? They want, the eyes want to see good looking objects.
The tongue wants to taste delicious foods. The ears want to hear melodious sounds. So, like that, all the senses have their own ahara.
They all have their own hunger for pleasure with their corresponding sense objects. So, we pratyahara. We do not feed the senses.
So, the opposite of feeding is starving. So, we starve the senses. In the pratyahara stage, a person goes into the secluded, seclusion place in a forest where there is no sense gratification available and one turns inwards.
Turns inwards and starts focussing on the inner truths, focussing on the inner world. So, then that is when one cuts off the inner world. So, that is the stage from which one is moving towards yoga arudha.
So, pratyahara, then dhyana, dharana, samadhi. We will look at these stages in our later classes about how one moves inwards more and more and more. So, Krishna is telling, when one is doing yam, niyam, asana, pranayama, at that time one can work in the external world.
But after that, one should stop working in the external world and start working and start focussing on inner development. At that time, outer inactivity. Outer inactivity means, see, even the yogi who is in the jungle will have to do some activity for eating, for bathing, basic activities will have to be done.
But here when say giving up the work, it means not doing the duties within the varna ashram system. So, the person may be a brahmana, but the person doesn’t do yajan, yajur, patan, patan, dhaan, parigraha. The person doesn’t interact with the world so much.
One focusses more on renouncing the world so that one can connect with the absolute truth. So, now let’s look at the next verse. So, here Prabhupada is explaining, here Krishna explains, okay, what is it that situates a person on yoga arudha stage.
यदाहिनेंद्रियार्थेषु नकर्मस्वानुशज्जते सर्वसंकल्पसन्यासी योगारूर्थस्तदोच्चते So, आरूर्थस्तदोच्चते, such a person is situated, उच्छते means he is called, such a person is called यदाहिनेंद्रियार्थेषु, a person, three characteristics are described. यदाहिनेंद्रियार्थेषु, इन्द्रियार्थेषु means one engages in sense objects, one engages in sense gratification, नकर्मस्वानुशज्जते. One does not engage, अनुशज्जते, engage in fruitive activities which will eventually lead to sense gratification.
gratification. So one is direct sense gratification, where we enjoy a sense of obvious. Second is we engage in fruitive activities that will later provide a sense gratification.
And third is not only does one give up these two external forms of material activities, direct sense gratification and the pursuit of sense gratification, but also one gives up internally the desire for sense gratification. This is quite a serious stage of renunciation. Sarva Sankalpa Sanyasi.
So one is given up all desires. So at that time the person is yoga arodha sthado chyate. So, here what is Krishna telling? Three characteristics of yoga arodha.
So in A, that is, person is not engaging in sense gratification, na indriya artheshu. The person is not pursuing sense gratification, that is, na karmasvanushyajyate. And one is not even desiring sense gratification, that is, sarva sankalpa sanyasi.
So one doesn’t engage, one doesn’t pursue, one doesn’t desire. Then at that stage one is situated in the yoga arodha. Yoga arodha sthado chyate.
So I’m describing this. Now Krishna moves forward and describes what is the main obstacle in coming to the yoga arodha stage. So he talks about the mind now.
In fact, the whole process of yoga is largely centred on controlling the mind. So let us look at this verse. This and the next three verses, next verse in the section talk about how one can come to the yoga arodha stage by bringing the mind under control.
uddhare dātmanātmānaṁ ātmānaṁ avasādahet ātmaimahi ātmano vannātmai nāri purātmanahā So uddhare ātmanātmānaṁ. So here the word ātmā is used several times. One ātmā refers to the soul, one ātmā refers to the mind.
So ātmana, by the mind, the soul, ātmānaṁ. So one should elevate, uddhare means to elevate, to deliver, to liberate. So uddhare ātmanātmānaṁ.
One delivers the soul by the mind. That means we direct the mind in such a way that the soul becomes elevated. We discussed what that means.
Na ātmānaṁ avasādahet. Avasādahet means to put to degradation. There are two opposites, rise up, raise up or push down.
So don’t engage the mind in such a way that the soul becomes degraded. And what we have to recognise ātmaiva hi ātmano bandhur. That the ātmā, the first ātmā refers to the mind.
The mind is the bandhu, the friend of the ātmā, that is the soul. So the mind is the friend of the soul. ātmaiva harapurātmanahā.
The mind is also the enemy of the soul. So in this way Krishna is giving us the broad framework of what is involved in purification. He is telling that in the inner landscape the mind has to be directed in such a way that the soul becomes liberated, not entangled.
And actually both can happen because the mind can act as the enemy of the soul and the mind can act as the friend of the soul also. So let’s try to understand what is being talked about over here. We have talked quite frequently about the mind in our earlier classes also.
In the context of this verse the focus is on the yogi is trying to now renounce the world and focus in words. So now generally speaking we will see that if we are physically engaged the mind also stays engaged. It is not necessary but it is conducive.
If we have to sit at one place and we are not doing anything physically then what happens? The mind becomes idle also. In the conditioned stage the mind is very connected to the body. That means where we are physically largely determines where we will be mentally.
So if we are physically exposed to sense objects then our mind also gets excited about sense objects. And if we are physically removed from sense objects then the mind’s excitement also decreases. It will not go away because if the mind is very captivated by sense objects then still the mind may stay excited.
But in general in the initial stages the mind is very connected with the body. And wherever we are physically affects us where we are mentally. So therefore and this connection is there between the body and the mind.
So we understand that. Now there are two different connections. There is the connection of the mind with the soul and there is the connection of the mind with the body.
This verse is talking of the connection of the mind with the soul. The mind can act as a friend of the soul. The mind can act as the enemy of the soul also.
So how do we understand this relationship? Suppose I am sitting here and now there is a door. I am in a room and there is a door in front of me. And this room is otherwise dark.
If the door is opened then I can see outside. So light streams in and I can see outside. If the door is closed I can’t see anything.
Now just expand the scenario and suppose that there are three doors and each of these doors it opens it shows a pathway. And at one time one door alone can be opened. And I cannot determine absolutely but I have some control over determining which door will be opened.
I cannot say that all three doors have to be opened. So like that the door to the consciousness is the mind. So we perceive the outer world through the mind.
So the door to the outer world is the mind. So wherever the mind is opened that is the reality that we perceive. And the other reality we become blind to that.
What does this mean? Sometimes some materialistic people come to the temple and when they come to the temple the door of their mind is open only to materialistic things. So even when they come to the temple all that they say Oh there is such expensive marble here. Oh these chandeliers how expensive these must be.
And then they look around how good looking are the members of the opposite sex in the temple. They practically don’t even notice the neaties. And then somebody says Bhagwan is here.
Please take darshan. God also take darshan. Hold their hands and pray something.
So what happens is the door of their consciousness is not opened towards Krishna at all. The door of their consciousness is the mind because the mind is materially conscious. So all that they see is material things.
They do not see spiritual things at all practically speaking. So like that our mind it is the door to our consciousness. So whatever level the mind is at that is what we are conscious of.
So now what Krishna is telling in this verse is that actually the soul can become conscious of spiritual things or the soul can become conscious of material things. When the soul becomes conscious of material things then the bond between the soul and those material things increases because the desires are aroused and those desires bind the soul to the body and the soul by extension to the world. That’s how it causes bondage.
So when in our mind we focus on sense objects, we dwell on the sense objects then desire awakens in them and that’s how the soul becomes bound. So it’s like there’s a door, that door can be opened towards spiritual things, it can be opened towards Krishna, it can be opened towards devotees, towards Bhagavad Gita, towards the holy name or it can be opened towards the sense objects of this world. So whichever way the door opens that is where our consciousness will go.
So Krishna is telling over here we have a choice. We can open the door of our consciousness, that means we can focus our mind on the sense, worldly objects or we can focus it on Krishna and depending on what we focus on accordingly we will get the results. Therefore Krishna is alerting us, use the mind in a way that will bring about liberation.
So Prabhupada quotes here from the Upanishads, he quotes here from the Amrita Bindu Upanishad. He quotes that So that for the people that the mind is for the people, for the human being, for the living being, is the cause of both Karana is the cause of both bondage and liberation. So the same truth that is talked about in Gita Upanishad is talked about in another Upanishad, the Amrita Bindu Upanishad.
That when does the mind cause bondage? When there is when there is focus on an attachment to the sense objects, when the mind focusses on the sense objects, the mind causes bondage. And Mukti, the mind will lead to liberation when when the mind becomes free from obsession with the sense objects. So now of course, how will the mind become free from captivation in the sense objects? That also will require some effort.
And ultimately for that we need to fix the mind on Krishna and that’s why Krishna will talk repeatedly in the later chapters of the Gita And even in 6.47 also he will say that fix the mind on me, that person who does that The topmost yogi is the one who fixes the mind on me. So that is the… So as of now, in the Gita’s progression, the spiritual reality, what it is, has not been revealed. All that has been talked about primarily is that material reality is the source of bondage.
Therefore one has to stay away from it. So what is the way to stay away? Some people say just withdraw away from the material reality. That is the path of inaction.
Krishna is saying no. Engage in the material reality but for the sake of purification. That’s what Krishna has talked about in the Bhagavad Gita till now.
So now Krishna is telling over here, that’s why the Amrita Bindu Upanishad is saying over here that fix the mind on… Don’t let the mind be a fictional sense object. So what it should be fixed on? Because the positive spiritual reality is not known over here. So that may not be said.
But once the positive spiritual reality is known to be Krishna, then the mind will be fixed on Krishna. So muktyai nirvishayam manah. Nirvishayam means when the mind is free from sense objects, at that time one becomes mukta.
So we have the choice. So actually speaking, we may wonder do I really have control over what I fix the mind on? The mind goes here, the mind goes there. See, we do not have absolute control.
But we do have significant control. Just like if we are driving a car, then the car will by default move off track. And that’s why the person has to be on the steering wheel and the person has to keep again moving the car.
So that if it is going off this track, bring it on this track. If it is going this way, bring it this way again. So whichever way it is moving, by its own motion, the steering wheel will go in the opposite direction and bring the car back on its track.
So that’s what is the purpose of the driver. The driver is trained and paid so that the driver keeps the car on track. So what is required is conscious, consistent cultivation.
Conscious, consistent cultivation. The mind by its nature goes off track. So we don’t have absolute control over the mind.
We may not be able to stop the mind from going off track. But when the mind goes off track, we can bring it back on track through cultivation. Conscious, consistent cultivation.
Conscious, we have to be conscious. Where is the mind going right now? If we are unconscious, just lost in our own thoughts, then what happens? The car will just go off track. It may fall into a ditch and then we will break our head and then we will really become unconscious.
And when we come back to consciousness, what happens? My God. So like that, we may fall into some terrible sort of sensibility and then we come back to consciousness. What did I do? Why did I do that? It’s insane.
What happened to me? So that’s why we have to be conscious. Actually, many people talk about freedom. We want freedom.
We want freedom. And they oppose. They are fearful.
They dread totalitarian governments. The dictatorships, the tyrants who exercise absolute control over them. They violate their liberties.
So yes, that is one threat to individual freedom. But the greatest threat to individual freedom is the individual. The greatest threat to individual freedom is the individual.
That means we are the greatest threat to our freedom. We actually act in ways by which we hurt ourselves. And when we hurt ourselves, we lose our freedom because of that.
So we are the greatest threat to ourselves. And therefore, what is being said over here is conscious, consistent cultivation. Conscious.
So that we don’t go off track. When there is a threat, if we are on alert, then we can counter the threat before it destroys us. But if we are not alert, then the threat may destroy us and after that we may be too late.
So conscious and consistent. It’s not that, OK, today I was very alert in my journal. Next day I go to sleep.
I don’t want to be consistent. Because the mind can attack any time. In fact, whenever a war is going on, at that time, the enemy, in fact, will launch its most ferocious attack when it sees that the other party has lowered the guard.
Because when the other party lowers the guard, then before the guard comes up, the enemy can be destroyed. Part of the party can be destroyed also. That’s why in a war, inattention can spell destruction.
If two people are, two soldiers are facing each other with a gun, if one of them just looks here, in that moment the other party will shoot the bullet and… Destruction. So inattention can spell destruction. And that’s why what is required is conscious, consistent cultivation.
Cultivation of what? Cultivation of Krishna Consciousness. Cultivation of fixing the mind on Krishna. So that’s how we will use the mind for uddhreda atmanatmadam.
We will use the mind for elevation, for liberation. Now, Krishna elaborated on this point, which is talked about in this verse, the mind can be the friend as well as the enemy. So you may wonder, how can the same friend, same entity, the mind, can act as friend and can act as enemy also? Krishna describes that, that determines, Krishna describes that, that determines, that depends on who is in control.
If the mind is in control, the mind will become our enemy. If we are in control, then the mind can act as our friend. That is the next verse.
So bandhur, atma, atmanas. So atma and atmana. So the atma is the friend, atmana is the soul.
So the mind is the friend of the soul. When by the mind, when the mind has been conquered by the soul, that means when the mind is controlled, the mind is the friend. Anatmana means when the mind is not under control, shatrutve.
Vartet will remain atmaiva shatruvat. The same very mind will remain, will act as the enemy, shatruvat, as an enemy. So here Krishna in both these verses 6.5 and 6.6 actually uses the word atma to refer to both the mind and the self and the soul.
So we have discussed various times that the word atma can have many meanings. So here the verse makes best sense when the word atma is used to refer to the mind. Now if the atma is used to refer to the soul also, then we have to think of it as an actual soul and a conceived soul.
That means the meaning would be what? That the self is the friend of the self and the self is the enemy of the self. So one should elevate the self by the self and not degrade the self by the self. So when the self is in control of the self, the self is the friend of the self.
When the self is not in control of the self, then the self will remain the enemy of the self. What is this self? Just leave me to myself. Don’t trouble me.
It’s too much of an intellectual headache for me to think of such things. So now that will be difficult for us to understand. Samacharyas have referred to atma as the self also.
If it is used in that sense, what it means essentially is that actually there are some commentators who talk about it in terms of the lower self and the higher self. The lower self is what we currently identify ourselves to be. And higher self is what we actually are and what we potentially can become.
What we essentially are. So what we essentially are is the soul. The soul is pure.
The soul is a part of Krishna and the soul is meant to act in selfless love. That is our higher self. And the lower self is who we presently misidentify with.
That is our body, our attachments and our misconceptions, our prejudices. And we think this is what I am. So actually there is a difference between the two.
So the lower self drags us down and the higher self, if we act on the level of the higher self, we become liberated. So the lower self and higher self are conceptions that can be used, if we want to, for the sake of clearer understanding. So bandhurātmātmanastasya yenātmāyivātmanājītā.
That means that, so the self is the enemy of the self and the self is the friend of the self. What do we refer this to? It is referred to the lower self and the higher self. And there is a conflict going on between the two.
So if the higher self wins, then we become elevated. The lower self means we become degraded. So that’s why these are words which can be used, but ÅšrÄ«la Prabhupāda keeps things simple for us.
And that’s also true. The mind is the enemy, the mind is the friend. And what it means? The mind is in control and the mind can become the enemy.
The mind is controlled, the mind is the friend, just like a horse. When a person is riding on a horse or a person is riding on a chariot, that is driven by horses. So at that time, if the horse is in control, the horse may go here, the horse may go there, and then the chariot will meet with an accident.
But if the chariot here is in control and the horses are controlled, then the horses are the means by which the chariot can go fast. That same person has to run by foot, that person cannot go as fast. So when we are living in the material world, we need matter to interact and act in the material world.
So we need the mind and the senses, we cannot just wish away or reject the mind and the senses. We need them, but we have to regulate them. That’s what Krishna is talking about over here.
Now ÅšrÄ«la Prabhupāda’s whole purport here focusses on the point of following the superior dictation. So the constitutional position of the living entity is to carry out the order of the superior. So Prabhupāda is saying that as long as one’s mind remains an unconquered enemy, one has to serve the dictation of lust, anger, avarice, illusion.
Avarice refers to greed. So this is anarthas. But when the mind is conquered, when voluntarily agrees to abide by the dictation of the personality of God, who is situated in the heart of everyone as Paramātmā, that means we are all servants always.
Now either we can serve Krishna or we can serve māyā. Either we can serve the almighty or we will find that our senses will become almighty. The tongue will drag us, come on, eat this.
The genitals, come on, enjoy this. The mind, go and do this. Think about this, enjoy this.
So actually the soul is a servant. The soul can either be a servant of Krishna or the soul will have to become a servant of māyā. We don’t have any third choice.
We may feel that, oh, I now want to follow sense gratification, but I will not surrender to Krishna also. We might be able to stay in that situation for a little time, but that is a metastable stage. We will fall off.
Fall off. Generally we will be dragged down to sense gratification. Unless we are consciously trying to pull ourselves up, by default there is gravity which will drag us down.
So just as there is gravity there in this world which drags objects down, similarly there is gravity with respect to consciousness also. By default in the material world our consciousness goes down. It goes down towards sense objects, towards sense gratification.
So we need to consciously push upwards. And we have to hold on to Krishna through the process of bhakti yoga, or the process of any yoga in general, but bhakti yoga is the easiest, by which we will move upwards. So here Krishna is telling that, Prabhupada is telling that, we have to follow somebody’s order.
So we cannot just stay suspended. Either we are being pulled up or we are being pulled down. So that way, that’s our situation.
We have to follow either Krishna or Maya. If we want to disobey the mind, we need to obey Krishna. And if we disobey Krishna, we will be bound up, becoming obedient servants of the mind.
Mind says, come on, go to sleep, so we go to sleep. Mind says, come on, watch this TV, so we watch that TV. So actually, most of the time, we act as very surrendered servants of the mind.
Surrendered servants, you know. When the mind says, come on, do this. So, sarva-dharman parityajya, maya mekam sharanam vraja.
What happens is, we give up everything else and surrender to Maya. Whatever the mind tells, actually, if we look back at our life, there are so many times when we could have been doing such much more responsible, fruitful, joyful activities. But the mind says, come on, don’t do this, go there.
Come on, talk that. Do this. And then we just leave that and go in that direction.
Whatever the mind is telling us. That’s what, actually, we trust the mind too much. Instead, we should learn to trust Krishna.
Krishna is our well-wisher. And what Krishna is telling us to do, that is in our best interest. What the mind is telling us is not in our best interest.
So, Nagaropada explains how if we follow Krishna, then we can become free from the obedience to the mind. In the next verse, Krishna will describe the symptoms of one who has conquered the mind. So when will the mind become the friend? That is when we have gone beyond equality.
That is beyond duality. जितात्मनः प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा समाहितः शीतोष्ण सुखदुखेशो तथामानापमानयो जितात्मनः The person who has conquered the mind. What happens to that person? प्रशान्तस्य That person becomes शान्त, deeply peaceful.
Not just peaceful, but deeply peaceful. प्रशान्तस्य परमात्मा The transcendental soul. समाहितः समाहितः means one is approached, come close to.
This is the first verse in the Bhagavad Gita where the word परमात्मा is used. Before that there have been references to the Absolute Truth. But that Absolute Truth has not been named specifically as the word परमात्मा.
Later on in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna will refer to who is this परमात्मा. For example, He will talk about in 13.23 उपत्रिष्टान्विन्ताचे भर्ताभौक्तामहेश्वरः परमात्मेतिचाप्योग्तो देहेस्मिन्पुरुषापरा So He is saying that in this body there is a transcendental Purusha, a transcendental person. And that person is the overseer and the permit.
He is the enjoyer and He is the maintainer and He is known as परमात्मेतिचाप्योग्तो. So exactly who the परमात्मा is, that will be explained earlier. But it is the first reference to the word परमात्मा in the Bhagavad Gita.
So Krishna is telling that the soul is here, the Supersoul is right next to us. But the soul has turned away. The soul is looking outwards to the material world.
And is wanting to enjoy the material world. And what is causing the soul to enjoy is the mind. The mind is filled with fantasies for material enjoyment.
And as the mind drags the soul away. So when we bring the mind under control, then what happens is, the force that is dragging us away, that is directing us away, distracting us away from the Supersoul, that force becomes subsided. And when that force subsides, then we can turn towards Krishna.
So Krishna is telling over here that जितात्मन्हा, one who has conquered the mind, प्रशान्तस् The mind is always causing us agitation. This is wrong, that is wrong, get that. This is not proper.
Because of the mind, so many agitations come up. So when the mind becomes in control, प्रशान्तस् you will become peaceful. And then when you are peaceful, you are not excited falsely by hopes of pleasure in this world.
And we will turn from the outer world to the inner world. And then परमात्मासमाहितः We will approach the Supersoul. And then the character such a person is, that person is not too affected or excited by dualities.
And Krishna is talking about dualities at three levels over here. शीत उश्ण, सुख दुख, शीत उश्ण दुख, था मान अपमानयो So शीत उश्ण is at the level of the body. So pleasure, heat and cold, that is the physical level.
सुख दुख is at the mental level. And मान अपमान is at the level of the ego. Honour and dishonour.
So all these three dualities one transcends. Then Krishna describes in the next verse about how such a person is situated. What is the vision of such a person.
So ज्ञान विज्ञान त्रुप्तात्मा So by ज्ञान and विज्ञान one becomes त्रुप्तात्मा ज्ञान विज्ञान त्रुप्तात्मा कूतस्तो विजिते इंद्रिय युक्त इत्ति उच्छते योगी समलोष्ट्राश्म कान्चनः So Krishna is telling over here, one who has got knowledge and realisation. ज्ञान विज्ञान त्रुप्तात्मा Such a person becomes satisfied. The person is कूतस्तो कूतस्तो means spiritually situated.
Not mentally disturbed. विजिते इंद्रिय That person has conquered the senses. And युक्त इत्ति उच्छते योगी युक्त इत्ति उच्छते योगी means well situated, connected.
रोपात्राश्म कान्चनः Competent for self-realisation. युक्त इत्ति उच्छते योगी And that person is having equal vision towards material things. समलोष्ट्राश्म कान्चनः That person is having equal vision towards what all things? लोष्ट्र is pebbles, अश्म is stones, and कान्चन is gold.
So from the material point of view, gold is precious. Gold is invaluable and stone is practically not of much value, it’s valueless. Now how can somebody see gold and stone equally? What it means is that one doesn’t imagine that worldly things will make me happy.
One understands that for me as soul, neither gold nor stone matters. Neither of them can make me happy. They are both material whereas I am spiritual.
And the person who is spiritual cannot be satisfied by anything material. So that’s why the person becomes detached. समलोष्ट्राश्म कान्चनः Now, Prabhupada gives a very beautiful meaning of समलोष्ट्राश्म कान्चनः and he connects that first with ज्यान विज्ञानतुत्तात्मा So only by knowledge and self-realisation, by theoretical knowledge and realised knowledge, only then a person can become satisfied.
Otherwise one will stay dissatisfied. Prabhupada writes, Book knowledge without realisation of the absolute truth is useless. Useless in terms of, it will not bring any satisfaction.
It will not bring about any transformation. It will not bring about any purification. It’s useless.
And Prabhupada quotes that, the famous verse which is from Bhakti Samaj Sindhu, अतः स्री कृष्ण नामाधि नभवेद ग्रहयें इन्द्रिये सेवोन मुख्ये हिचिवभादो स्वयमेवस्पुरत्यद्धा So the name and other paraphernalia of Krishna, नभवेद ग्रहयें ग्रहयें means to be accepted, to be understood, इन्द्रिये So gross senses cannot understand, materially contaminated senses cannot understand this. नभवेद But, सेवोन मुख्ये हिचिवभादो आदो is in the beginning, जिवभा So service, सेवा will begin with the जिवभा Then what happens by this जिवभा? We become उन्मुक We are all currently विमुक from Krishna. Krishna is here, we are here.
But we are not उन्मुक. Our face is not turned towards Krishna. Our face is turned away from Krishna.
We are विमुक. So, by rendering service to Krishna, we show Krishna, Krishna I want to come closer to you. So, service is the way we change our orientation 180 degrees.
From विमुक to उन्मुक. सेवोन मुख्ये हिचिवभादो And when we do this, when we turn towards Krishna, then Krishna by His own free will, स्वयं एवस्पुरत्यदा by His own free will, spontaneously अस्पुरत्य अस्पुरत्य means पूर्ति, there is remembrance which Krishna gives us. That kind of remembrance which Krishna gives us, that is very absorbing.
See, there is स्मर्ण and there is पूर्ति. स्मर्ण means we are consciously trying to cultivate the remembrance of Krishna. And that is a part of our साधना भक्ति.
स्मर्णम् is one of the limbs of devotional service. So, we consciously strive to remember Krishna. Okay, this is what I should do, this is what I should do, this is what I should do.
स्मर्णम् And on the other hand, स्पुर्ति means, so स्मर्णम् is we are trying to cultivate remembrance of Krishna. स्पुर्ति means Krishna Himself gives us remembrance. And when that happens, just it’s like a wave of spiritual devotional thought that takes us rapidly close towards Krishna.
So, in an ocean, say, स्मर्ण is like we are trying to move towards a particular destination by swimming. And स्पुर्ति means suddenly a wave comes and takes us in that very direction only. So, we do service, we chant the holy names and by all this, we are trying to remember Krishna and turn towards Krishna.
That’s our साधना भक्ति. But when Krishna becomes pleased by our endeavours, then He gives a wave. So, that’s the स्पुर्ति.
When that wave comes, we just propel towards Krishna. So, far more rapidly than what we would be by our own conscious effort. So, this is how Krishna reveals Himself.
So, what is the connection of this with the verse? Krishna is telling that the real understanding of Himself comes by विज्ञान. And then when we realise the sweetness of Krishna, then we become त्रुप्त. Otherwise, just by ज्ञान, when things are theoretical, I am not the body, I am the soul.
Actually, spiritual happiness is far greater than material happiness. But I feel as if material happiness is only far greater. Spiritual happiness is not there only.
So, that way we will not be satisfied. We will not be त्रुप्त. We will always be restless.
So, actually, what we have to do is, we have to turn inwards. We have to turn inwards. When we turn inwards, then we move forwards towards Krishna by that.
So, how we turn inwards is by the practise of devotional service. So, when we turn inwards towards Krishna, we relish and then we become त्रुप्त. ज्ञान विज्ञान त्रुप्त आत्मा.
So, when there is only ज्ञान, no विज्ञान, there is no त्रुप्ति. And that is why we get dragged towards sense gratification. And when there is no विज्ञान, there is no realisation, then not only desires come up, but doubts also come up.
So, Prabhupada explains that, by transcendental knowledge, one can remain steady in his convictions. But by mere academic knowledge, one can be easily deluded and confused by apparent contradictions. So, by transcendental knowledge, Prabhupada means that realised knowledge.
One can remain steady in convictions. Because, we understand that there is a higher reality that is perceived when our consciousness becomes elevated. But by mere academic knowledge, we just, I know, this thing, this thing, some simple dry facts we know.
We have not got any रसा. Then what happens, one can be easily deluded and confused by apparent contradictions. So now, ज्ञान विज्ञान त्रुप्त आत्मा.
And such a person, समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्जण. So, Prabhupada explains, for him, mundane scholarship and mental speculation, which may be as good as gold to others, are of no greater value than pebbles or stones. So, mundane scholarship and mental speculation.
So now, that means somebody who has a very lofty degree, a PhD, one PhD, two PhDs, three PhDs. These are like gold. People spend years and years of their life to get these degrees.
So now, at one level, the person certainly requires diligence and hard work to get those degrees. So to that extent, that can be valued. But you have to understand that just academic scholarship doesn’t equate with spiritual advancement.
So therefore, when one has this academic scholarship, if one doesn’t, if one mistakes it, that this itself, just a person has so much knowledge, that means the person must be very advanced. Then, in that situation, we become misled. But a devotee is not misled like that.
A realised devotee understands, oh, this person may have a lot of knowledge, but that person doesn’t have attraction towards Krishna, doesn’t love Krishna. And the purpose of this knowledge is to learn to love Krishna. So that’s why that has not become very attractive.
So some people may see academic scholarship as gold. But a devotee understands, from the point of spiritual perspective, this has no capacity to provide happiness. This is just like stone.
This is not going to bring any real happiness. So now, we can look at this from a, so from the purely materialistic perspective, gold is precious and stone is not so valuable at all. From the detached Jnani perspective, if one sees, neither stone nor gold can give me happiness.
So I don’t care for either of these. Now, from the devotee’s perspective, whatever can be used in Krishna’s service, the devotee values that. When Srila Prabhupada had asked his devotee’s disciples to construct a temple in Vrindavan, so Gurudas Prabhu and other devotees were in charge.
And a big problem for all of them was getting cement. Cement was not available anywhere. And Prabhupada finally, Prabhupada contacted life members whom he had met in different parts and he did various things and finally they got cement.
And when finally cement came by the trucks, Prabhupada himself was there. And he had counted all the sacks of cement. And then he supervised all the sacks being transported to the godown.
And then Prabhupada said, is it sealed carefully now? Have you counted all of it? Have you locked it carefully? So the devotees who were there, they felt as if Prabhupada was treating the cement bags as if they were gold bags. So, Bhai, Prabhupada is a sannyasi. But Prabhupada saw that cement is essential for the service of Krishna, for building a temple for Krishna.
Therefore, he valued it enormously. So in this way, actually speaking, what Srila Prabhupada focused on was the devotional utility, the devotional potential. So for a devotee, for one’s own sake, neither gold nor stone matters.
But for Krishna’s sake, even stone can be valued as much as gold. So that is the transcendental perspective, the devotional perspective. And in this Bhagavad Gita verse, Krishna, I think, the one who has understood the spiritual reality, has become situated in the spiritual reality by knowledge and realisation.
Nothing material can make me happy. And therefore that person stays equipoised, unaffected by anything material and sees everything material equally. We’ll continue in our next class.
Thank you very much.