Bhakti Shastri (084) – Bhagavad Gita Chapter 06 Text 24 to 32

Podcast

Welcome back to the Bhagavad Gita Bhagavad Gita Shastri course. We are now in 6.24. We discussed the samadhi verses and now Krishna will talk about how one can attain the state of samadhi. So the chapter as I explained has a flow from sadhana to suddha, then again from sadhana to suddha and then again from sadhana to suddha and as it moves forward in the first progression it talks about Ramana Realisation that is from verses 10 to 15 then from 16 to 23 it talks about Parmatma Realisation and 24 to 32 it talks about Bhagavan Realisation that’s how we are progressing.
So let’s start with the verse 24 now. Starts practising with determination. Nishchaya means determination.
We have discussed earlier in our Upadesha Amrit about how Utsahan Nishchaya Dhairyat. With determination one engages. Yoga Anirvina Chetasa.
Nirvina means dejected and deviated. So Nirvina, one can dejected, deviated. Anirvina Chetasa.
One does not let oneself get deviated. So one engages in devotional service and in the practise of yoga in general. It can also refer to devotional service in the ultimate sense.
So Nishchaya with determination and determination. What does determination means? That means there is no deviation. So actually the nature of the mind and the nature of the world are such that they’ll take us off track.
But we bring ourselves back on track again and again and yet again. That’s the essential process of bhakti yoga and of any yoga in general. So what do we need to be able to do this? Sankalpa Prabhavan Kamaams.
There are many many material desires which come up. Kamaams is material desire and Sankalpa is the resolution to enjoy those material desires. There is Sankalpa and there is Vikalpa.
Sankalpa means I want this. Vikalpa is I don’t want this. Sankalpa manifests itself as the karma section in the Vedic scriptures.
This is why I want to enjoy this and this is what I will do to enjoy it. So in a sense the difference between Sankalpa and Kama is Sankalpa Prabhavan Kamaams. What does it mean is that because there is Kamaam, there is a desire to enjoy and then that leads to the resolution.
Sankalpa means resolution. Resolution to enjoy. So one gives up the resolution to enjoy that is born of lust.
It’s significant. Krishna is not saying over here one gives up lust because giving up lust will take a long time. The lusty desires may come and they may stay in our mind but we decide not to act on them.
So in the Bhagavatam also in the 7th canto when it is talked about how different anathas can be overcome it is Asankalpa Jayet Kamaah. Asankalpa Jayet Kamaah means that by firm resolutions one can break free. One can get rid of the Kama.
So one decides. Acharyas give the example Chakravarthi Pada and Prabhupada also that if one decides on Ekadashi I am not going to eat grains. That resolution once it is there by not making plans to eat grains on Ekadashi one is able to at least save off that desire for eating for that particular day.
So like that there is a difference between desiring and planning. So desiring is something which you may not be able to avoid but planning is something which you can avoid. So Sankalpa Prabhavan Kamaams that means from Kama the Sankalpa that is born one gives up.
Tyaktva Saravan Ashesyataha. So one gives up Tyaktva. So Krishna is very emphatic over there.
If you want to be Anirvina, if you want to be Sanishchena Yuktavya, what do we have to do? Tyaktva Saravan Ashesyataha. We give up all the material desires, Ashesyataha. Don’t keep even one desire.
You know if there is a dam, the dam may be a gigantic structure made of extremely strong stone or concrete or such other material but if there is one crack in it, that one crack is enough. If there is one crack, water will go little and little and little more and then more and then eventually through that crack the water will go through in such a force, such a quantity that eventually because of that the whole dam can collapse if that hole, that crack is not fixed in time. So a tiny crack can lead to a mighty crash.
A tiny crack can lead to a mighty crash. Therefore the tiny crack should also be sealed. That’s why Krishna is telling over here.
Tyaktva Saravan Ashesyataha. So there is a double emphasis over here. Saravan is one emphasis, all.
Ashesyataha is another emphasis, nothing remaining. That means give it up completely. Tyaktva Saravan Ashesyataha.
And in Manasaivendriya Gramam, what does one do? Manasa, Indriya Gramam. That means with the mind and with the senses. Niyamya Samantataha.
With the mind and the senses, one brings oneself under control. So Manasaivendriya Gramam. So Prabhupada says control all the senses on all sides by the mind.
Now sometimes the question arises that does the mind drag the senses? Does the mind take the wrong direction or the senses take the mind in the wrong direction? Actually it can happen both ways. The mind can take the senses in the wrong directions or the senses can take the mind in the wrong directions. How is both ways possible? It depends on where is the trigger of temptation coming from.
Sometimes the trigger for temptation comes from outside. That means we see something externally which agitates us and when it agitates us, then from the senses the trigger comes in and it triggers us internally. Then the imagination, the fascination, all that gets stimulated and then we act on it.
So when the trigger of temptation is coming from outside to inside, that means the senses are agitating the mind. And sometimes the trigger of temptation can come from inside. That means we remember based on our past life.
What do we remember based on that? We remember that oh this is what went wrong. This is what I had done in the past. Now we don’t think of it as wrong at that time.
We just remember oh this is what I had done and we just remember oh it was so enjoyable at that time. So we get into that and when we get into that, the trigger of temptation, the mind gets agitated and then the mind takes the senses towards sense gratification. That means first we don’t necessarily see some provocative object externally but we imagine something internally and then we ourselves go towards the sense object and then we indulge in it.
So manasaivendriya gramam vinyamya sanantatah. Now Krishna is telling you, with the mind control the senses. Now the significance of this is that the yogi who is practising Ashtanga Yoga has already withdrawn away from the world of temptation.
The yogi is no longer situated in the materialistic environment. The yogi has gone to the jungle and in that sense in the environment of the forest there are not many external triggers of temptation. So the triggers of temptation for a yogi who has gone to the forest are primarily internal and with the mind one controls the senses.
That means that one understands that the mind may come up with some memories. And once those desires come up then one starts acting on the senses. So one controls with the level of the mind and then one doesn’t let the senses get active.
So with the mind one controls the senses. That means we don’t go towards the sense objects and don’t let the senses get exposed to sense objects by placing us in that environment where such contact would happen too much. So for us we can’t avoid the contact.
We live in a contaminated environment where there are provocative stimuli all around us. So how do we deal with them? We deal with them by inner restraint. So the point is externally whether there are triggers or not, the real fall actually happens internally first.
That’s why in the 2.62 also Krishna talks about as the beginning of the fall. It is not seeing the sense objects. It is contemplating on sense objects that begins the downward fall.
So now all material desires one gives them up and one fixes oneself on the Supreme Lord. So now here Krishna is not telling exactly what one should fix on. He will tell it later on in the Bhagavad Gita.
But we understand Bhagavad Gita ultimately recommends the pursuit of Bhakti Yoga and in Bhakti Yoga one is recommended to fix the mind on the Supreme Lord. Now here the yogi is trying to learn, go inwards and trying to fix the mind on the Atma, Dhyatma Dattva. It may be Atma, it may be Paramatma depending on how evolved the yogi’s understanding is.
So the Prabhupada in this purport gives the story of the sparrow and the ocean who had taken the eggs of the sparrow and the sparrow was determined to get the eggs back and when the eggs could not, the ocean did not care then the sparrow became determined I will dry up the ocean. The determination was impossible but the impossible determination attracted the unstoppable power of Garuda and Garuda said I would dry up the ocean. The ocean took it very seriously and gave the eggs back.
So what does this illustration demonstrate, exemplify? Actually our conditionings are like an ocean. It’s material existence is self-concealed compared to an ocean sometimes and within that our conditions are also oceanic and deep within those conditionings is the love of God. It’s like the bird had its eggs which were taken away by the ocean.
So deep under this vast ocean of conditionings there is the potential love of God, the love for God which has been misdirected now to other things. So for us to remove all our conditionings is next to impossible but if we just keep practising devotional service. So every Mahamantra that we chant is like removing one drop from the ocean.
In one moment we are trying to live purely. So keep practising, keep practising just by the every moment that we try to remember Krishna, try to serve Krishna it’s like removing one drop from the ocean. We can never dry up the ocean but by our sincere endeavour we can attract the mercy of the Lord and when we attract the mercy of the Lord and the Lord does miracles and the Lord enables us.
Actually it is the Lord who manifests miraculous potency through the spiritual master. Garuda represents the spiritual master over here and then one is able to become free, one is able to become rescued, liberated from the and reinstated in our original pure love for Krishna. So Prabhupada says that it may appear to be a very difficult job but if anyone follows the principles of great determination the Lord will surely help for God helps those who help themselves.
So now this is a common saying among people today God helps those who help themselves. What is the Vedic understanding of this? Prabhupada himself is quoting it. So now many times when people materialistic people or people who are not devotionally minded quote this actually their emphasis is often on don’t just sit and pray, don’t just do this puja, don’t just japa, work.
You know those who help themselves God will help them. The idea is so often for them when they speak their emphasis is not on God helps, their emphasis on help themselves. So the emphasis is what? You help yourself then God will help you.
So for them God’s help is like a side show. The real thing is you help yourself. Unless you endeavour you are not going to get the result.
So often people talk about in such a way don’t waste your time in praying, don’t waste your time in just doing all sort of nonsense. Actually work, help yourself and God will help you. So in principle the statement is true but the emphasis has to be clearly understood.
Actually when Prabhupada is speaking the story the point is it is God’s help which is decisive. So it is God’s help which brings about the result and God’s help cannot be neglected, should not be neglected just for the sake of helping ourselves. In fact the best way we can help ourselves is by taking God’s help.
The best way we can help ourselves is by taking God’s help. So God helps those who help themselves that is true but how do we help ourselves? By taking God’s help. So in fact we don’t even have to take God’s help.
God is already there in our heart and he wants to help us. We simply have to stop obstructing his help. Just like a doctor wants to treat a patient and all the patient has to do is cooperate.
Stop interfering with the treatment and the doctor will cure. So like that we will be cured. We just have to stop interrupting.
We just have to stop letting ourselves be distracted. So God will help us. So there should not be a wrong emphasis on this.
As devotees we have to chant Hare Krishna. It is not our chanting that will purify us. It is Krishna’s mercy that will purify us.
Let’s move forward. Now Krishna will start talking about the process of Tatyahaara. As I said we are going from sadhana to saddha.
So shanae shanae slowly step by step. Uparame means to slow down, to calm down, to silence. Slowly gradually step by step.
The word shanae shanae itself conveys it. Slowly gradually and how does one do that? Budhya dhruti gruhi itaya. Budhya means intelligence and how is this intelligence? Dhruti is determination or conviction.
So actually our determination comes from our conviction in many ways. If I am convinced about something, I will be determined to do it. So determination is internal, conviction is external.
Both of them are related. So now Krishna is saying budhya dhruti gruhi itaya. We don’t just need intelligence, we need intelligence sustained by conviction.
For example when I am taking a treatment, the treatment involves some pain full procedures. Then I may now understand with my intelligence that this treatment is going to cure me. So I should do it.
But when I actually have started taking the treatment and initially there is discomfort, but it also cured me. Then after that when I take the treatment, then I find it does really cure me. That’s why we need both.
We need intelligence and we need conviction. When there is intelligence sustained by conviction, then there is cure. Otherwise there is no cure.
So that’s why the cure means the curative potency is still there, but we don’t consistently practise. That’s why we don’t get the cure. So budhya dhruti gruhi itaya.
Intelligence sustained by conviction. So what should we do? Just like a child, when he goes to the doctor, the child doesn’t have the intelligence to understand that the doctor’s medicine will cure me. But budhya, the mother understands.
The child, when the child experiences, oh, this was irritating, this injection, but after it made me feel much better. Then I will take it. Budhya dhruti gruhi itaya.
Dhruti means conviction. Budhya dhruti gruhi itaya. What should one do is atma samstham manahakritva.
Fix the mind on the soul. Manaha, manaha is mind. Atma samstham, situated on the soul.
Atma samstham manahakritva. Nakinchit apichintayet. Don’t think about anything else.
Krishna has given a very categorical instruction. Nakinchit apichintayet. Don’t think about anything else.
How is it possible for someone to not think about anything else? It is by steady practise. So once one is convinced that actually the material reality is all deceptive, it is treacherous, it will betray me, it will promise pleasure and will give me misery. Then one will be able to focus and understand that actually I have to turn.
I have to turn away from the material reality towards the spiritual reality. How I turn from material reality to spiritual reality is by conviction and practise. So understand there’s nothing, nothing substantial over here.
So let me move towards that and let me focus on that. And when the focus does on that, we can move forward steadily, onwards, onwards, onwards. So here Krishna is talking about a stage of… In Vatsyahara what happens? One shuts out all the sense objects.
So one turns inwards and one puts out all the stimuli that are outwards. So we shouldn’t become impatient in our spiritual practise. Sometimes we’ll find that we want to fix the mind in one way but still the mind goes on another way.
We want to fix it on one way but still it goes on another way. So how do we deal with it? Shanaan, shanaan, gradually, step by step. Nothing great in this world is achieved overnight.
Everything great requires effort. So fixing the mind in Krishna and learning, training ourselves to be Krishna conscious is not going to happen overnight. It will require steady practise.
Day after day, month after month, shanaan, shanaan, gradually. One of the biggest obstacles in spiritual path can be too much impatience with oneself. We shouldn’t be impatient with ourselves.
We should be impatient as far as our endeavours are concerned. If I’m sleeping, even chanting, I must wake up and chant. But if my mind is wandering, if I’m too impatient with myself, then I will never be able to treat myself because I just get discouraged.
I’ll give it up. We can’t be impatient. We have to understand that the purification will take time.
Just as when we want to cook some food item, we want it fast but it takes its own time. If we want to harvest crops, it takes its own time. So nature has its own course.
So one of the reasons for discouragement in spiritual life is impatience. So even if it takes time, no matter how long it takes, I will keep practising. I started practising, I just knocked down my conditions.
Again I get up. Again I get knocked down. Again I get up.
So if we become impatient with the fight, the only result will be that we will give up the fight. It will patiently go on, no matter how long it takes. Let me say that actually every time I’m committing the same mistake, I’m falling back to the same things.
What is the hope for me to become reformed? No, that is hope because every day that we are practising devotional service, we are becoming stronger. We are becoming purer and as we keep becoming stronger and purer, we will eventually, purity will manifest. So when we are say fighting a boxing match, every time a person is doing exercise and taking nutritious diet, the person becomes stronger.
Still the opponent may knock a person down but the only way the person is going to win the match is keeping on persevering, gradually, step by step. So this is from the stage of Prabhupada saying that by proper conviction and intelligence one should gradually cease sense activity. This is called as pratyahara.
Pratyahara is the fifth stage in yoga. And then the mind being controlled by conviction, meditation, this is in your senses, should be situated in trance or samadhi. So this is the perfection, pratyahara to samadhi.
This is the inner progression, it’s talked about. Now when we wonder that what does it mean to do this slowly, the mind keeps running here and there, so what do we do about it? Let Krishna describe the next verse. yato yato nishchalati, manas chanchalam asthiram, tathastato niyam yaitad, atmanyeva vasham nayet, yato yato nishchalati, wherever and whenever the mind wanders, yato yato.
Remember we discussed earlier, this sort of describers come several times in the Bhagavad Gita. That was yada yada hidharmasya, la nirbhavati bhava. So yada yada means wherever and whenever.
So similarly, yato yato means wherever and whenever the mind wanders. So whenever means sometimes the mind may wander at the most inappropriate times. We are in the temple thinking of Krishna and the mind wanders to sinful thoughts.
We feel ashamed of ourselves, why am I thinking like this? Whenever, it may be early morning hours, which are very conducive for spiritual life, still the mind goes off to sense gratification. It doesn’t matter. Wherever and whenever the mind wanders, bring it back.
Yato yato nishchalati, manas chanchalam asthiram, cognise something to be the nature, chanchalam asthiram. This is the nature of the mind. So we can’t change the nature of nature.
We can’t change the nature of nature. So material nature means it drags our consciousness down by default. Only when we are internally very spiritually attracted towards Krishna, then when we see material nature, we start thinking about using in Krishna’s service.
But till then, it’s like gravity. If I leave an object, it’s going to fall. But similarly, the mind is going to wander.
It’s a default nature. Know that it is going to happen like this. And what should you do? Tathastato.
So wherever and whenever it happens, tathastato niyam yaitad, niyam yaitad, regulated. Atmanyeva vashamnayet. Bring it under the vasha, bring it under the control of the atma.
In that way, when one acts, one will become purified, one will become steady, one will become advanced. Atmanyeva vashamnayet. So Prabhupada talks about the godas and the goswami.
What is the difference between the two? The godas, so one who controls the mind and therefore the senses is called as goswami or swami and one who controls the mind is called godas or servant of the senses. So now Prabhupada is using an interesting terminology over here. He is using that actually both of them face the battle.
But one who wins the battle and one who loses the battle. The person who wins the battle is the goswami. The person who loses the battle is godas.
Now it is not that this is a permanent and unchangeable designation. Now we ourselves may be godas now, but as we keep practising Krishna Consciousness, we will become goswami. And the whole idea is changing our responses.
We cannot change our stimuli too much. The world will keep giving us provocative stimuli, but we change our responses. So the difference between the goswami and godas is not in the stimuli.
Both will be exposed to more sensual stimuli, but there is no sensual response from the goswami. So generally when temptations come, the godas says yes. The goswami says no.
The godas says welcome, I was waiting for you. The goswami says get out, there is no place for you here. So the godas says you are not welcome, wait, later.
The goswami says nothing doing. So now this is the difference. Now in some cases we see that even the goswami may say later.
See when the godas says later, the intention is yes, now is not a proper time, but in private later on we will enjoy. The godas intention is to enjoy. Now we see Haridas Thakur also, when the prostitute came to him at night, what did he tell her? Later.
So he told her later. But the difference was between him and a godas at our stage when we say later is that we have an intention to enjoy, but we are just waiting for the right time. Haridas Thakur had no intention to enjoy.
He is saying later was simply to purify her. So that when she was purified, she will also become a devotee. Now Krishna describes further.
When one lives like this, then what happens? So prashanta, this word has come third time in the Bhagavad Gita in this chapter now. Prashanta is peaceful. Prashanta is deeply peaceful.
So actually we all feel that our mind is very restless and we want peace of the mind. But how will we get peace of the mind? We cannot have peace without the battle. When there is an enemy, the enemy has to be subdued and only we can have peace.
So the mind is filled with agitating emotions and that is what is making us restless. The way we get peace is by crushing those agitating emotions. So when we say, keep saying no to lust, keep saying no to greed, keep saying no to anger and gradually they go away.
And then prashanta manasam, then the mind becomes peaceful. And when the mind becomes peaceful, the yogi turns in words. And in the words, in the contemplation of the Supreme Lord, in the Paramatma Manifestation or whichever manifestation it is, yogiyam sukham attamam, sukham attamam, one experiences the ultimate happiness.
And what is the nature of that ultimate happiness? What does one contemplate now? One becomes very peaceful, very calm. Shantarajasam, becomes peaceful and then brahmabhutam akalmasham, the one comes to the brahmabhuta platform and that brahmabhuta platform is akalmasham, akalmasham is contaminations, no contaminations. So contaminations constrain and constrict our consciousness to the realm of matter.
Contaminations constrain, is limited. They constrain and constrict. Our consciousness cannot expand to spirit.
So when a person is filled with lust and a person sees a potentially sexually attractive person, a potential partner, then the person cannot see that person as anything more than the body. It is nearly impossible. Why? Because the contaminations constrain and constrict the flow of our consciousness to the realm of matter and they don’t allow us to perceive a higher reality.
Constraint means to limit and constrict means to choke, practically speaking. So when the contaminations are no longer there, then the flow of consciousness becomes expanded in terms of the area of which it can cover. If there is a pipeline and the pipeline is choked at a particular place, then the water can have a forceful flow, but what comes out is just a trickle.
So like that, the consciousness of the soul can expand over spiritual reality, all of spiritual reality. But when the anarthas are there, the contaminations are there, the contaminations drag the consciousness down and keep it at the material level. So when one is akalmasham, when one is freed from contamination, then one can be brahmabhutam, one situates oneself on the spiritual platform.
And this is one of the beautiful verses, every word is so filled with prapani, upaiti shantarajasam. So Krishna correlates, brings together in the same verse prashantamanasam and shantarajasam. So when does the mind become peaceful? When the passion is pacified, rajasa, rajasa is passion, shanta is peaceful, shantarajasam.
When the passion is pacified, then the person becomes steady. Upaiti shantarajasam, brahmabhutam akalmasham. Akalmasham means there is no more contamination, there is no more suffering, there is no more misdirection of consciousness.
So now let’s move forward and discuss how this happens. Krishna describes this stage further. This will happen, Krishna says, by regular practise.
When one engages oneself, sadaatmanam, when one engages oneself constantly in this way. So Krishna uses, in the previous verse Krishna used the word akalmasham. So here he uses the word yogi vigatakalmashaha.
So when one engages oneself in this way, one becomes akalmashah. Yogi vigatakalmashaha and then sukhena brahmasamsparsham. Then one gets, one has contact with Brahma.
Sukhena, sukha that comes from sparshya. Some sparshya is contact. The word is often used for physical contact, but sparshya essentially means contact of any form, some sparshya.
So brahmasamsparsham. What does contact with Brahma mean? Actually the soul is able to perceive spiritual reality and relish spiritual reality. This brahmasamsparshya is not exactly that, say if we go in the temple hall and touch the deities, that is not brahmasamsparshya.
It’s not just a physical contact. Yeah, if we get the opportunity to touch the feet of the deities and take their blessings, we’re very fortunate. We’ll get the opportunity to dress the deities, that is also fortunate.
But that is not primarily what is being talked about. Sukhena brahmasamsparsham means that we contact with Krishna through the purification of our consciousness and redirection of our consciousness to the spiritual level of reality. Sukhena brahmasamsparsham.
And what happens by that? Atyantam sukham, one gets the ultimate happiness, supreme happiness. Atyantam sukham ashnute, one gets the highest happiness. So Krishna has used the word sukham atyantikam yat tad buddhik rahim atindyam.
Krishna has used this word of ultimate happiness earlier once in the Bhagavad Gita, in this section itself, in the verse section of 6.22-23. He had said that when the yogi turns inwards, atyanta is super the highest happiness. So actually these three verses 28, 29 and 30, they in one sense we can say they talk about progressive levels of spiritual realisation. They talk about Brahman realisation, then Paramatma realisation and then Bhagavan realisation.
So this verse can be said to refer to Brahman realisation. One comes to the Brahman platform. Sukham atyantikam yat tad buddhik rahim.
So atyantakam sukham ashnute, atyantam sukham. So by Brahman samsparsham. Now when the yogi is moving forward, when the yogi turns inward, the yogi first perceives the all-pervading spiritual reality, the spiritual substance that underlies the material appearance.
Then as the yogi moves forward, the yogi sees something higher. That is when the next verse will talk about the Paramatma realisation. This verse talks about the Brahman realisation.
Then the next verse talks about the Paramatma realisation. So let us look at the next verse. Prabhupada says, this transcendental contact with the supreme is called as Brahma samsparsha.
Now the word samsparsha has come earlier in the Bhagavad Gita in 5.22. Yehi samsparsha ja bhoga. That the bhoga that comes by contact of the senses with the sense objects. Krishna is talking about an entirely different kind of enjoyment.
Brahma samsparsha. So now he will talk about the next level of realisation. sarva-bhutastham atmanam sarva-bhutani ca atmani ikshate yoga-yuktatma sarvatrasam darshanah So sarva-bhutastham atmanam.
One who is situated in all bodies. Sarva-bhutastham. One who is situated in all living beings.
Sarva-bhutani ca atmani. And one in whom all living beings are situated. Ikshate yoga-yuktatma.
Ikshate means to see. And iksh is related to the aksha. Aksha is eyes.
So Krishna is using the word. One will actually see with one’s pure purified vision, one’s spiritual vision. Yoga-yuktatma.
Yoga-yuktatma. One who is engaged in the pursuit of yoga. Sarvatrasam darshanah.
One is samdarshanah. One is equipoised in looking at all things. Sarvatrasam darshanah.
So sarva-bhutastham atmanam. Now what is this referring? This is all-pervading super-soul aspect of the Lord. Super-soul is situated in the heart of all living beings.
So we see that at one level, the super-soul is inside everything. At another level, everything is inside the super-soul. How is that? The super-soul is as Shri Daksha Vishnu inside of everything.
Andantarastha paramanuchayantarastham. Paramanuchayantarastham, inside every atom. So Ishwara sarva-bhutana-vruddheshe arjunashruti.
In 18.61 Krishna will say, situated in the hearts of all living beings. And after that he also says that this is referring to sarva-bhutastham atmanam. The Lord, that particular absolute truth, whatever is being perceived is in all living beings.
And also we know as Mahavishnu, all the universes are inside him. They are inside him. So in that sense, sarva-bhutani chaatmani.
One inside whom all living beings, who is inside all living beings and one inside whom all living beings are. This is a paradox. But it is a paradox.
If something is inside everything, then everything cannot be inside it. How is that possible? That is the inconceivable potency of the Lord. We understand the inconceivable potency by looking at multiple manifestations of the Lord.
One manifestation refers to the Shri Garbhodaksha Vishnu, who is inside everything. And then the Mahavishnu is the manifestation inside whom everything is. So we know that there are three levels of Mahavishnu.
Prabhupada mentioned these in the purport of 7.4. They are the four purusha-avataras. So first is Mahavishnu, from whom all the universes emanate. And then Garbhodaksha Vishnu, who expands into the nature universe and from whom, from whose navel the lotus comes on which Brahmaji is born and then all the universes are created.
And then that Garbhodaksha Vishnu expands further into each of the living beings’ hearts from there. So in this way, the Lord is present inside everything and he is inside everything. And everything is inside him.
Sarvatra Samadarshanah. So the important point is Samadarshanah. The yogi sees everything equally.
What is the basis of this equal vision? The basis of that equal vision is the understanding that everything is connected with the Lord. Everything is ultimately different levels of manifestation of the Supreme Lord’s control and energy. This is referring to the Supersoul manifestation.
Samadarshanah. So Krishna is telling Arjuna that actually, now Krishna has earlier talked about Samadarshanah in several places also. Panditaha Samadarshanah is talked about in 5.18 when he talks about how the wise person sees all living beings equally.
So that was talking about all living beings. Now that is, that could well have been Atma Tattva, that could have been Paramatma Tattva. Vidhya Vinaya Sampanne, Brahmari Gavi Hastinishmi, Jaya Vatshapakhe, Panditaha Samadarshanah.
That could have referred to both. But here, Krishna is referring to that living being within whom everybody is present. So that is clearly referring to the Supreme Lord, the Supersoul manifestation.
Now here, Shila Prabhupada translates it as me. Now we will not see any maam in this verse. But maam comes immediately in the next verse.
So often to avoid ambiguity and to enhance clarity gives things which are given later or earlier. So he is not necessarily importing something which is not there in the Gita. It is there in the Gita, but it is coming a little later section.
We know that when Prabhupada asked about this in verses like this. Swami, some Mayavadi should come and ask Swami, there is no Krishna, there is no maam in this verse. How are you putting Krishna over here? Prabhupada said, where there is Krishna in your mistranslations, you remove Krishna from there.
Therefore, where Krishna is not there, I am putting Krishna there also. So of course, that is Prabhupada’s determination to glorify Krishna. And Prabhupada also gives us the flow carefully when his purport so that we understand both ways.
Now Prabhupada quotes from Smriti over here. So the Lord being the source of all beings is like the mother and the maintainer. The Lord is present in all living beings, Prabhupada is making this point over here.
And Prabhupada throughout his purport explains, Krishna is talking about the perfection of yoga, but Prabhupada keeps talking about the perfection of Krishna consciousness, which automatically includes these levels of perfection. So now we will talk in the next verse about the direct perception of himself. Till now, he is talking about that being who contains everyone.
Now we will make it clear who is that being. So 20th was talking about Brahman realisation, 29th is Paramatma realisation, 30th will be clearly Bhagavan realisation. यो मां पश्चति सर्वत्र सर्वं जमय पश्चति तस्याहं नप्रणश्यामि सच्यमे नप्रणश्यति यो मां पश्चति सर्वत्र One who sees me everywhere and sees everything in me.
सर्वं जमय पश्चति तस्याहं नप्रणश्यामि I am never lost for such a person nor is that person ever lost for me. तस्याहं नप्रणश्यामि सच्यमे नप्रणश्यति So Krishna will use the word प्रणश्यति once again in the famous verse कौन्ते पति जानि नमे भक्ता प्रणश्यति in 9.31 and Krishna has also used the word प्रणश्यति earlier in 2.63 D when he says बुद्धि नाशात प्रणश्यति प्रणश्यति can be referred to fall, बुद्धि नाशात can lead to loss, bereavement, destruction so Krishna is there the word used, बुद्धि नाशात प्रणश्यति refers to fall down when the intelligence is lost then one falls back then here also it refers to fall the person will never lost to me and I am not lost to him that means there is no fall from the spiritual relationship so if we can perceive Krishna everywhere then we are connected with Krishna even if we are in this world so actually this can be understood at various levels you see Chaitanya Mahaprabhu you see Krishna everywhere so where the Gopis Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ordinary mountain see this is Gopal so whatever he saw it reminded him of Krishna Prabhupada was asked how can we see Krishna everywhere Prabhupada says that when everything reminds us of Krishna just like when a mother loves a child then whatever the mother sees connected these are my child’s shoes, these are my child’s stockings these are my child’s toys and whatever she sees because there is love that all reminds her of the child similarly whatever the devotee sees in this world everything is the energy of Krishna so based on that devotee becomes attracted to Krishna so we see this yomam pashyati sarvatra sarvam jamey pashyati in a most exalted stage, there can be multiple levels we can in an abstract theoretical sense think okay when I see the when I see the sky when I see the mountains, when I see the rivers I can think all this is Bhoomi Ravapurna and all this is Krishna’s energy when you see the trees okay all this is Krishna’s energy that is one level of perception the Gopis demonstrate a far deeper level of Krishna consciousness where whatever they see when Krishna left them then what happened? what happened when Krishna they are searching everywhere and whatever they would see, they would see in connection with Krishna they see a deer, a she-deer oh they would ask some other living beings, some animals that are there have you seen Krishna? have you seen Krishna? whoever they would see, they would ask and then they would say oh this animal is a male and Krishna is a male and males are hard hearted and one male will help another male only one male will not help another female so that male will not help then they see there is a she-deer then they see Tulsi, Tulsi is a female she will help us she will understand the plight of us she will tell us where is Krishna and they see the she-deer sitting alone then they start thinking is it that you are also believer? is it that a he-deer has left you? just as we have been left by Krishna so whoever they see over there they actually try to ask them, where is Krishna? please tell us where is Krishna? the Gopis demonstrate that level of Yoma, Vaishya, Sarvatra they are seeing Krishna everywhere whatever they would see they would think, oh is this Krishna’s sound? so when Krishna would go out in the forest all day they would be waiting when will Krishna come back? when will Krishna come back? and they would just be longing so even when Krishna was not there they were thinking of Krishna all the time Yoma, Vaishya, Sarvatra that’s why Krishna told them eventually when he sent the message through Uddhava that separation from me is impossible the Gopis were separate from Krishna weren’t they? they were separated in terms of they were not having the association of Krishna directly in terms of his personal form still Krishna was present very rich in their heart and everything and everyone they were seeing in connection with Krishna so very exalted level of consciousness and then Prabhupada quotes the famous verse from the Brahma Samhita 438 Govindamadi Purusham Tamaham Bhajami Supreme Anjana it’s like we can have Amrita Anjana there is an old ointment which people apply on the head when the head is burning they apply something so the idea is Anjana is like ointment so the claim of this particular ointment is that it will act like Amrita it will make you peaceful it will be like nectar for you nothing in this world is actually Amrita but the idea of Anjana so when a person is having some eye disease then the eyes are say burning and we are not able to see clearly because of that then something cools the eyes something cleanses the eyes, something heals the eyes we apply that and the person starts seeing clearly so like that currently our eyes are diseased they are diseased by material desires and because of that we can see only material things right now Prema Anjana Churita Bhakti Vilochanena so when we apply the ointment of love so it’s interesting, ointment of Prema actually we quote this verse but this verse is profound first the verse says Bhakti Vilochanena and then it says Prema Anjana so the eyes of devotion and the ointment of love so we all may say that I also have eyes of devotion I am trying to practise devotional service and I look at Krishna and I think this is my lord I want to offer my whole life to this lord so we have Bhakti Vilochanena but Bhakti is a stage Bhakti is a stage wise progression, we know there are 9 stages in Bhakti and the final stage in this progression is Prema so we have to have devotional eyes and not only devotional eyes we also have to have a loving disposition so when we have both that means we go through the process of devotional advancement and come to the level of Prema then this is the vision that we get Santah Sadaiva the saintly people always say Sadaiva what? Hridayeshu Vilokayanti they see within the heart Vilokayanti what do they see? Yamashama Sundaramachintyagunaswaroopam they see Yamashama Sundaramachintyagunaswaroopam and what is Achintyagunaswaroopam they see this Yamashanta in the heart of all living beings in everyone’s heart that person has Achintyagunaswaroopam inconceivable qualities and nature is also inconceivable the form is inconceivable and that lord who is revealed through love O Vindamadi Purusham Tamaham Bhajami I offer my obeisances to that person who is describing so now Now, there might be some confusion. In 29th verse, Krishna has said that, okay, that living being is in everyone, that absolute reality.
He has not mentioned what that absolute reality is. Everything is situated in that absolute truth and that absolute truth is situated in everyone, that whatever it is. And now, in 30th, Krishna has said, one who sees me everywhere and sees everything in me.
So now, is there a difference between the two? Is Krishna talking about two different seekers having two different visions? In the previous verse, he said, there is something which one sees everywhere, samadarshana. And then he has said over here, it is one who sees me. So if there is any confusion, Krishna will make it very clear in the next verse that the two are the same.
That means the reality that is perceived in 29, which is unnamed, and the reality that is perceived in 30th, and it is named as maam, as Krishna. 31st makes it clear that both are referring to the same reality. So one who sees the two equally, that’s the next verse.
So let’s look at this verse. Sarvabhutasthitam yo maam, bhajati kaktum astitaha, sarvathavartamanopi, sayogimaivartate. So sarvabhutasthitam yo maam, when one is situated, that living being who is situated in all, sarvabhutasthitam, so this was referring to sarvabhutastham atmanam.
It was talked about in 29th verse. And maam was referred to in 30th verse. So sarvabhutasthitam is 29th verse, maam is 30th verse, and bhajati ekatum astitaha.
So one who worships, understanding ekatum, that I and that absolute truth is situated in all living beings is the same. Sarvathavartamanopi, in all situations, sayogi, mayivartate, sayogi will be situated in me. That means, Krishna is very clearly stating over here, that there is an absolute truth which is all-pervading, and then I am there, one who sees both of them equally.
Now what happens is, such a person becomes situated in me. The impersonalists say that actually there is Bhagwan, but higher than Bhagwan is Brahman. The Vaishnavas understand that Brahman is there, and higher than Brahman is Bhagwan.
Now Krishna is very clearly stating over here, one who sees that all-pervading reality, and me, one who sees both of them to be same. What does Krishna say? He doesn’t say that such a person becomes situated in Brahman. He says such a person becomes situated in me.
So mayivadis have the idea that once we go beyond Bhagwan, then we will become to Brahman realisation. So first you meditate on some form, and then you go beyond that formless reality. Then you will become situated in formless reality.
So once we understand actually form and formless are same only, but formless is lower level, formless is higher level. That is the mayivadi idea. And once you understand the two are one, then you will go beyond the form to the formless.
But Krishna says nothing doing, not like that. Of course Krishna is not necessarily talking about anything formless over here. He is simply talking about all-pervading.
And the impersonalists assume that all-pervading has to be formless. But it is not necessary. Something can be all-pervading, and still it can have form, because it can be manifested in multiple forms, so that it becomes all-pervading in multiple forms, like a super-soul.
Super-soul is all-pervading because it is in unlimited forms, and it is present in each atom, in each soul, like that, in each living being. So the point which Krishna is making over here is, first of all, what he said is 29th and 30th is the same. The all-pervading reality and I are the same.
And one who understands this, sarvatah vartamanopi, in all times the yogi becomes situated in me. That means Krishna says that one who sees the all-pervading and the transcendental person, and me to be the same, such a person becomes situated in me. He is not saying such a person becomes situated in Brahman, or in that all-pervades you reality.
He becomes situated in me. That means me is referring to the higher reality, the highest reality among all. Sarvatah vartamanopi, in all situations.
Sarvatah vartamanopi will come once again in the 18th chapter also, I think 18.56. So Krishna sees over there also something like sarvatah vartamanopi, in all situations. The point is Krishna is saying in all situations a person can be fixed in me. And Prabhupada quotes in the Parpot the Jeevanmukta verse from Bhakti Samasthitam, which is quoted already twice in the Bhagavad Gita.
And then Prabhupada quotes several other verses over here, Narada Pancharatra. Dikkaladhyanavachinne, krishne ceto vidhayacha, tanmayo bhavati kshitram, jivo brahmanyo yojayet. So, Dikkaladhyanavachinne.
Anavachinne means that is not limited, that Lord who is all-pervading, who is not restricted by time and space, is beyond time and space. Krishne ceto vidhayacha. So, when one makes, fixes one’s consciousness on that absolute truth, tanmayo bhavati kshitram tanmaya, one becomes absorbed and achieves a nature similar to jivo brahmanyo yojayet.
So, jiva becomes situated in the brahmajya platform. So, that means what this verse is essentially telling is that when the jiva wants to fix the mind in the absolute truth, how is the best way to do that? Fix it on Krishna. Krishna is Dikkaladhyanavachinne, he is beyond time and space.
And one will attain that nature, one will attain that transcendental tanmayo, one will attain that nature by fixing the mind on the absolute truth in the form of Krishna. And then, Prabhupada quotes again from the Smriti Shastra. There is one absolute truth.
Sarvavyapi na samshaya. He is one, but he is sarvavyapi, all-pervading. So, Prabhupada is quoting these verses to point out how the all-pervading reality and the personal reality are one and the same.
Both the verses are talking about the same point. So, by his inconceivable potency, the all-pervasive manifestation and the form of the Lord, they are one and the same, just as the sun and the sunlight are one and the same. And now, Krishna will conclude this section, this particular description in the next verse, where he talks about whom he says is the highest yogi.
Previous verse, he said that such a person will always stay in all situations. Now, Krishna will tell whom he considers to be the highest yogi. So, atma-upamena, by comparing with the atma, upama, sarvatra, all-living beings, samampasyati, one who sees all living beings are similar.
Yo, Arjuna, Arjuna, I want to see you like this. So, khamva idiva dukkham, in their happiness and their distress, yogi paramo mataha. So, who is the topmost yogi? One who sees the true equality of all living beings, in their happiness and their distress, by comparison with oneself.
It means what Prabhupada explains very beautifully, that this verse is a call for compassion. Therefore, one understands, when I was not spiritually conscious, one compares all living beings with oneself. When I was not doing this, I was miserable.
When I was not Krishna conscious, I was miserable. Now, when I become Krishna conscious, I become happy. Therefore, actually, Krishna consciousness is the way to happiness, not just for me, for all living beings, because essentially all living beings are similar to me.
So, what has made me happy will make others happy also. So, when the yogi goes to the highest stage of perfection, Krishna, even in the heart of the chapter on Ashtanga Yoga, doesn’t consider the topmost yogi to be just one who is lost in inner meditation. It is that inner meditation and the inner realisation, the inner fulfilment leads to a comparison with others.
Others are also, they are like me only. So, what has made me happy will make them also happy. Therefore, let me share this with others.
So, in the Ashtanga Yoga Krishna is making a call for compassion, a call for, we could say, outreach, reaching. Yogi understand that. Actually, I have tasted such nectar.
So, I should let others also taste this nectar. And therefore, let me share Krishna consciousness. When Prabhupada was preaching all over the world, there were many yogis.
Yoga had become quite popular. So, but there were many yoga teachers who would not actually come out of the Himalayas. Many advanced yogis would just stay in the Himalayas.
They would say, one famous, one yoga teacher had become quite famous, but he was living in the Himalayas only. So, some reporter from some magazine went there and interviewed that person in the Himalayas. He says, he was impressed by this yogi.
He says, you have so much wisdom. Why don’t you come to me? Why don’t you come to the West and share this wisdom with the world? He said, when a person is thirsty and the person comes to the river, the river doesn’t go to the person. That is the attitude of some yogis.
But what is Prabhupada’s attitude? Yes, actually people are thirsty, but there is so much illusion that they don’t even realise that they are thirsty. People need spirituality, people need Krishna, but they don’t think that they need Krishna. Therefore, we go out to the people.
So, just like normally when people are sick, people go to the hospital, but when there is an emergency, the hospital staff comes out to the people. So, Kaliyuga is like a spiritual emergency. And that’s why we go out in the holy name.
We have Jagannatha Dhyatra going everywhere. And beyond that, the yogi also sees that yes, everybody is suffering. So, let me share Krishna Consciousness with everyone and then they will become happy.
So, in this way, in the perfection of yoga stage, it is not just inner meditation that is perfection, it is inner contemplation, where it is outer compassion and a desire for benefiting others. That is the perfection of yoga. Thank you very much.