Bhakti Shastri (123) – Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14 Text 01 to 07

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Hare Krishna. Welcome back to our Bhagavad Gita Bhakti Shastri course. We completed 13th chapter in our last class and now we are looking at the 14th chapter.
To understand the link between the 13th and the 14th chapters, let us have a quick review of the 13th chapter’s conclusion. 13th chapter, the last section was gaining Jnana-Jaksha. So there is 27th to 35th, so 27th basically said everything is a combination of matter and spirit.
28th stated that by this we can see, when we see the spiritual, there is equal vision. So, see everything material equally to attain liberation. So at material level there is difference, but we see it equally because we see beyond matter to the spirit.
And then see that spirit is the non-doer, that was 30th verse. See that all material variety originates in spiritual similarity, that is the 31st verse, that is the Bhoot Prathat Bhavan. Then see that the soul always remains transcendental and doesn’t get entangled and doesn’t act.
And then how that is talked about in the next two verses. And then lastly, the benefit is told that if one gets this Jnana-Jaksha, one will attain liberation. So now, in this overview, the important point is to recognise that this whole analysis is implying a good level of understanding of the moods, Anaditvan, Nirgunatvan, that the Gunas do not affect a person, or the soul remains transcendental to the Gunas.
And before that also, it is told that because of contact with the Gunas, that the soul becomes bound. So in 13.22, the Bija Vakya, as it is often being called, Purushya Prakriti Sthohi, Bhunkte Prakriti Jaan Gunaan, Karanam Guna Sangosya, Siddhasadhyoni Janmasu, So Karanam Guna Sangosya. Because of association with the three moods.
What happens because of it? Siddhasadhyoni Janmasu, that one meets with good and bad in various species. So Karanam Guna Sangosya. So that means Guna Sanga is the cause of bondage, and the soul is originally Nirgunatvan, is originally transcendental, and the soul similarly goes beyond the influence of the moods, one becomes free from bondage.
So basically, the moods are considered to be the critical factors which bring about the bondage. We cannot say they are the cause of the bondage, the cause is Bhunkte, the cause of the soul’s desire to enjoy the material world. But the way in which that bondage is executed is through the moods.
So recognising this enables one to develop some seriousness in knowing what are the moods. So now, the mood is the mechanism by which the soul is bound within material existence. So that will be explained, that means the transcendental souls, entanglement in material existence will be explained.
This topic has not yet been explained anywhere in the Gita in detail. The mechanism, earlier it has been talked about how one should stay detached while practising spiritual life, while living in the material world also, while doing one’s professional duties, Varanashram duties, how one should remain detached, and how one can transcend, that is talked about. But here, how the bondage takes place, through the instrument of the moods, that will be described in the 14th chapter.
So let’s have an overview of the 14th chapter. So there are 27 verses in the 14th chapter. So the first 13 verses talk about how the soul is conditioned by the moods.
Then verses 14 to 18 talk about the effect of conditioning by the moods. And then after that, 19 to 27 talk about transcending the moods. So, first section is how the soul is conditioned by the moods.
So like in several other chapters, like the 7th and the 9th chapters, the first section talks about glorification of the knowledge. Glorification of the knowledge means that this knowledge, how it is valuable, why it should be heard, what is the benefit. So, in the 7th and 9th chapters, Krishna had done something similar, in the 9th chapter he says, Raja Vidya, Raja Guhiyam, or in the 7th chapter he says, Inam Vakshami Asheshataha, that I am giving you complete knowledge after knowing which nothing more is to be known.
So in that, there are glorificatory passages, even in the 10th chapter also Krishna has said that, Jnananam Jnanam Uttama, So, we are saying, the more abominating us by their principal characteristics, by their principal characteristics. Let’s look at these one by one now. So, 14.1, Shree Bhagavan uvacha, parambhuyah pravakshami, Jnananam Jnanam Uttama, Yatkyatva punayah sarve, Paramsiddham itogataha, So, param bhÅ«yaḥ pravakṣāmi, param bhÅ«yaḥ pravakṣāmi, bhÅ«yaḥ means again, pravakṣāmi is I am speaking, param bhÅ«yaḥ pravakṣāmi, param is that highest, transcendental, that transcendental jñānānāṁ jñānaṁ uttamaṁ, so that transcendental knowledge is actually the best of all forms of knowledge, jñānānāṁ jñānaṁ uttamaṁ, so again I am speaking this yaj jñātvā, and what happens, by knowing this munayaḥ sarve, the great sages, param siddhiṁ ito gataḥ, they have attained the supreme destination, param siddhi, what does it mean, param siddhiṁ ito gataḥ, so this knowledge, basically Krishna is saying that the glory of this knowledge is that by understanding this the great sages have attained liberation, and he is using a significant word bhÅ«yaḥ, why bhÅ«yaḥ, Krishna has not talked about the three modes of material nature in detail before, but the analysis of the three modes culminates in a call for devotional service, and that devotional service Krishna has mentioned earlier, so in technical details this knowledge has not been spoken before, but in terms of the conclusive action plan, the knowledge has already been spoken, so in the seventh chapter, in the ninth chapter especially, then again in the tenth chapter, the call for devotional service has been consistent and insistent, and also of course in the twelfth chapter, which is about bhakti yoga itself, and talks about multiple levels of bhakti, so we will see that this chapter will end with two verses which establish the glory of bhakti and the glory of Bhagawan, and that has been what has been done in the whole bhakti section, so that’s why bhÅ«yaḥ, bhÅ«yaḥ means again, what I have spoken earlier, I am speaking again now, in jñātvā, by knowing this, the great sages have attained liberation, so this knowledge is that which is used by munnayās, so now it’s interesting, Krishna doesn’t say yaj jñātvā bhaktah sarve parāṁ siddhiṁ togataḥ, he says munnayās sarve, why? because the bhaktas do not necessarily need this kind of analytical understanding of the three modes, they will have some basic philosophical understanding, but this verse, this chapter is going to talk about how the munnis take to devotional service, why the munnis practise devotional service, remember the 16th chapter, remember the 13 to 18 chapters, the jñāna section of the Gita talks about how one can rise from the jñāna level to the bhakti level, so one can rise from the jñāna level to the bhakti level by the practise of devotional service, so by recognising the potency of devotional service intellectually, so this 14th chapter will talk about three modes of material nature, but after talking about the three modes, it will eventually come to the conclusion that one should practise devotional service, so one should practise devotional service, and that is the essential conclusion which comes not because one has a spontaneous attraction to Krishna, but one recognises that devotional service is the best means to gain liberation from the modes of material nature, now there is a significant difference between the two, it’s like we have the levels fear, desire, duty and love at which people can approach God, similarly there can be multiple levels at which people approach the Supreme Being, that means they may approach the Absolute Truth at the level of fear, desire, duty and knowledge, so like that similarly people may approach the specific process of devotional service not out of love, they may approach it because of knowledge, so that means at the level of duty they understand, at the level of duty we understand this is what I’m expected to do, this is what I’m supposed to do, so at the level of knowledge one understands I’m trapped in material existence, I have to get out material existence and the way to get out of it by practising devotional service, and that’s how one approaches the process of bhakti, so that is also fine in the sense that, that’s why in this chapter the focus will be on analysis of the modes, how the bondage because of the modes is so complex, so difficult to break free from, and then one recognises that by taking shelter of Krishna one can break free from this, therefore munaya, it is the munis, those who are used to agitating their minds to try to come towards certain conclusions, those munis will attain the shelter of Krishna by taking the, by taking to the process of devotion, will not attain to the shelter of Krishna, sorry, will take the shelter of Krishna to attain transcendence from the modes, munaya sarve, so Prabhupada writes in the parpot that the knowledge explained in this chapter as proclaimed by Supreme Lord is superior to the knowledge given so far in other chapters, now this is interesting, now it’s interesting because Krishna has said this is bhuyaha and this is also jnanam jnanam uttamam, so how do we understand this, Krishna says among all the knowledge that I have spoken, this is better than all other forms of knowledge, superior to other forms of knowledge or other knowledge, other kinds of knowledge that I have given, and yet Krishna is saying I am speaking this again to you, so if Krishna has spoken this earlier then it is not superior to what has been given earlier, but if it is superior, if it is, if it is superior to what he has given earlier, then how can he be giving it again, so the point is that previously Krishna has given various kinds of knowledge, he is talking about karma yoga, he is talking about dhyana yoga, he is talking about jnana yoga, he is talking about various subject matters, and among those subject, many subject matters, one subject matter which is also talked about is bhakti, of course he has talked about bhakti repeatedly in the bhakti section, so definitely the talking has been much more, but the point is that he has talked about it earlier, but among the various subjects that he has talked about, bhakti is the highest and he has spoken it earlier, so he is repeating it, but he is also telling that this is better than all the other forms of knowledge that I have given, so in that way we can reconcile both these understandings, and param siddhem, by this one can attain the supreme destination, the supreme destination for the jnanis is Brahman, for the bhaktas it is the spiritual world, so depending on one’s understanding of the absolute truth, one can attain either of the three destinations.
Now Krishna goes on and glorifies this knowledge further, idam jnanam upashitya, mam sadharmyam agataha, sarge pinopajayante, pralayenavyathanticha, so idam jnanam upashitya, if one takes shelter of Krishna, upashitya, sorry not of Krishna, of this knowledge, it’s interesting, we’ll see, talk about this difference, mam sadharmyam agataha, one will attain sadharmyam, one will attain the same destination, mam sadharmyam agataha, and sarge pinopajayante, sarge, at the beginning, one will not, because of this, sarge pinopajayante, one will not be able to attain, one will not attain or will not have to undergo, sarge at the time of creation, upajayante, one will not have to take birth again, and pralaye at the time of destruction, one will not have to, navyathanticha, one will not have to undergo destruction again, pralayenavyathanticha, so idam jnanam upashitya, and now here Krishna is talking about idam jnanam upashitya, so he is not saying that take shelter of me, he is saying by taking shelter of this knowledge, you will attain a nature like mine, what is the meaning of this, that actually this, the message of Krishna is also something which we can take shelter of, the philosophy is also to be taken shelter of, the philosophy is not to be approached merely for the sake of analysis from a controlling perspective, normally when we study a subject, now for example now if we have to solve a crossword puzzle, then I crack it, or when we have to give an exam and then there is some difficult question, I crack it, I did it, so the whole idea is that there is a difficult problem to solve and then I solve it, and then I get that Ishwarabha, that sense of victory, that sense of controllership in the arena of spirit, in the arena of ideas, yes, that means it is actually intellectual sovereignty, intellectual supremacy, intellectual conquest, not just of any ordinary subject, we are seeking intellectual conquest now when we study scripture of Krishna, and Krishna cannot be conquered by intellect, that is a wrong approach, and Krishna has so told earlier also, naham vedair, that I cannot be known merely by the study of the Vedas, so actually jnanam upashritya, when we take the, when we study the knowledge also, at that time, one studies it so that one can gain release and relief from the confusion of material existence, from the inevitable doubts, perplexities, and dilemmas that we are presented with in material existence, and to find, okay, what is the way I should act ahead, so we approach this knowledge to take shelter of the knowledge, you know, there is some people wear a crown in the head, now a crown, if I am going out in the rains, a crown doesn’t serve very well as an umbrella, a crown may slightly protect my head, but the crown is primarily meant for ornamental purposes, if I want protection from the rains, what I need is an umbrella, I don’t need a crown at that time, so if we treat the spiritual knowledge like a crown on our head, then it won’t act as an umbrella, and we won’t get relief from the elements by that knowledge, relief from the elements, a crown cannot really offer much protection from the stormy rains or the scorching heat of the sun, it cannot offer that kind of protection, but umbrella can, so similarly, if we try to take the spiritual knowledge and try to make it an ornament for our own egos, I know so much, I know so much, and accordingly we try to practise, then at that time we don’t really get much benefit, because we are missing the whole point, the point is that we want to learn, we want to move forward, and we want to attain the supreme destination, what is that supreme destination, we want to attain love for Krishna, and love is not a matter of conquering, love of giving, we give ourselves to another person in love, and then when we give ourselves, that person reciprocates, and then when two people give themselves to each other, that is the deepest love, so like that, the whole idea of love, there is conquest no doubt, but then we don’t go out to conquer, when we love, we actually say fall in love, we don’t say conquer in love, we fall in love, what does it mean, that means we let ourselves be conquered by love, so similarly with respect to Jnana, when we are trying to develop a relationship with Krishna, our goal is not to conquer Krishna with Jnana, our goal is to be conquered by Krishna’s love, and to be conquered by Krishna’s love, we want to offer ourselves to him entirely, and we offer ourselves to him in various ways, one way is through the intellect, so the intellect is also meant to be used as a surrender to Krishna, to attain his shelter, so as devotees, we take shelter of Krishna’s message, we take shelter of the knowledge that he has given us, all this I have talked from the Bhakta perspective, from the Jnani perspective also, one tries to immerse oneself in knowledge, and Vimarshanam, the word Vimarshanam sounds like the English word immersion, immersion means just put oneself completely within, so like that Vimarshanam, we absorb ourselves in knowledge, when we absorb ourselves in knowledge to Vimarshanam, Jnana Vimarshanam, then by that we are able to go beyond to a large extent of material natures and its complications, so idam jnana upashitya mamasa dharmyam agataha, I will attain, Krishna says mamasa dharmyam, what is sa dharmyam, nature, dharma as we know has many meanings, here is an example where the word dharma means nature, so just like Prabhupada has talked about in the Bhagavad Gita, in his Bhagavad Gita introduction, that mamasa dharmyam agataha, he has talked about how my, how our dharma is eternal, he has talked about sanatana dharma, our goal is to love and serve and that is our dharma, not our goal, that is our very nature itself, so our purpose, our perfection, our nature is to love and serve, and then when we direct that loving and serving nature towards Krishna, then our dharma becomes a sanatana dharma, we act according to our eternal nature and that brings us eternal happiness, so that sense of the word dharma, when Krishna uses the word dharma in many different ways, so he is using the word, so for example, dharma samsthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge, so when he uses that word in 4.8, at that time, he is using it in terms of the social order, the socio-cultural, the socio-cultural spiritual order that is conducive for one’s devotional advancement, so he uses the word dharma in that sense of a dharmic order in society, dharma samsthapanarthaya, and even when Krishna uses the word dharma in 18.66 sarva-dharman parityajyam amekam sharanam vraja, at that time, he uses it in the sense of talking about sarva-dharman parityajyam, that give up the lower dharmas, so that one can take shelter of the highest dharma, the highest dharma is bhakti, so in order to take shelter of the highest dharma, one should give up the lower dharma, and that will happen by the practise of bhakti, so that’s what is being talked about over here, mamasa dharmyam agataha, so there are different levels of, sorry, there are different uses of the word dharma, and Krishna has said that, here he is using the word mamasa dharmyam, that one will attain my dharma, that refers to, they will attain my nature, mamasa dharmyam agataha, and then sarge pinupajayante sarga, at the beginning, there will be, at the time of creation, there will be no upajayante, upajayante means there will be no destruction, there will be no taking birth again, and pralaya navyathan ticha, and when one dies, when there is destruction, there will be no bewilderment, that means, basically, one will go beyond bodily consciousness, when one goes beyond bodily consciousness, one doesn’t have to take birth again, in this material existence, not only that, when we are not in bodily consciousness so much, we won’t have to suffer so much at the time of creation, but at the time of death also, because we will go beyond the body, to a large extent. So, now, here, actually, Prabhupada explains in the purport that, Prabhupada explains what it means, that one who does develop the spiritual qualities is not affected either by the creation or by the destruction of the world, so, because we attain the spiritual nature, we develop the spiritual qualities, therefore, one does not have to go through the cycle of birth and death, one’s consciousness goes so high that one can transcend it. Now, the next section is going, what is the next section, or next sub-section, how the soul contacts matter.
Now, here Krishna is using the word Brahma to refer to material nature. We have discussed earlier how the same word can have different meanings in the Gita. So, here the word Brahma refers to material nature.
So, mama yo nirmah brahma, so, this Brahma is the yoni, the womb in which I give the garbha. From which the womb is formed, the pregnancy takes place, the impregnation happens, and then sambhava sarva-bhutana, then sambhava is to manifest, to become possible, all living beings, sato bhavati bharata. So, here, what is Krishna telling, essentially, what is the connection, Krishna has glorified the knowledge in the previous two verses, he has caught Arjuna’s attention, oh, this knowledge is so important, by which one can become free from the cycle of birth and death.
So, let me hear it. He has caught the reader’s attention through this description. Now, he is telling, he is saying that, actually, right from the beginning of creation, right from the beginning of material existence, he plays a vital role.
So, mama yo nirmah brahma, so, actually, mahat brahma, that great Brahma, tasmin garbham dadhamyaham, garbham dadhamyaham, in that Brahma, one impregnates oneself. So, Krishna impregnates himself, how do you understand, by himself, actually, ultimately, even material nature is his own energy, and the souls are his energy also. So, that absolute truth desired, and then the absolute truth glanced, and then the creation, all of it took place, asrijyatam.
So, basically, asrijyatam means that creation begins, how does it begin? So, these are different small, small sutra-like verses from the Upanishads. So, asrijyata, the absolute truth created, how? The absolute truth glanced. Kamyata, desired.
So, actually, this is talking about the beginning of creation, when the Lord glances up, when Mahavishnu glances up, and then takes all, collects all the souls, who are then, who are then actually injected into material nature. So, it is through the glance, we know that at the start of creation, at the start of creation, the souls are brought into the material nature. The souls are withdrawn in the body of Mahavishnu, at the end of creation, and at the start of creation, once again, the souls are, the souls are injected into material existence, and how are they injected into material existence? Through the, they are injected into material existence through the glance of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, towards the, towards the material nature, which is in a balanced, inactive stage at that time.
So, pradhana to mahatattva, it is a whole process of creation that happens, and then it becomes activated, and so, basically, the Lord injects His energy, and the Lord injects His energy from there, the creation takes place. The creation moves forward. So, that is what is being talked about over here, that the creation moves forward through the injection of the souls, through the sight of, through the vision of the Lord.
So, here, the point of the vision is not being talked about, the simple point is made that Krishna is saying, I am the seed giver, I am the seed giver. So, the material nature is garbha, it is, it is the, sorry, it is the yoni, it is the womb, and that is womb, I impregnate. So, now, Krishna in the next verse will more or less say the same thing, but with a slightly different emphasis.
So, Prabhupada gives the example that, the standard example from traditional logic, the scorpion lays its eggs in piles of rice, and sometimes he says, scorpion is born out of rice. But, actually, the eggs have come from elsewhere. The eggs have not come from the rice.
So, similarly, the souls may appear in material nature, but the souls do not come from material nature. The souls have got seeds from where they have come. And from where they have come means that the souls have come from the Supreme Lord.
So, just like, that means, there is an apparent source and there is an actual source. So, the apparent source of the scorpions is the rice. But the actual source of scorpions is the mother who has given the eggs.
As actually Prabhupada’s statement, life comes from life. What does it mean? It means both things that, firstly, it means that life does not come from matter. So, it appears as if life has come from matter, but no.
Life comes from life. The child has come from the mother. The mother is living.
And the soul has also come into the body of the mother from elsewhere. So, the point of the statement is that the apparent source is not always the actual source. So, matter is the root, R-O-U-T-E, through which this manifests.
And not R-O-O-T, root. It is not the source of consciousness. So, just as material nature does not become active independently on its own.
That is the main point which is being told by this verse. So, Krishna used the word sambhava in the previous verse also. They become possible, they manifest.
Mūrtayaḥ, there are various forms. We use the word mūrti. Mūrti, we refer to the nitty form of the Lord.
So, the form mūrtayaḥ or mūrtayaḥ is non-manifested. So, mūrtayaḥ sambhavantiyaḥ, the various forms of the living beings become manifest. Tāsāṁ brahma mahadiyoṇir.
Tāsāṁ brahma mahadiyoṇir is that the mahadiyoṇi, that is the Brahma, ahaṁ bīja-pradahapitā. So, Krishna makes it very clear that I am the seed-giving father. So, we may say that the previous verse and this verse are saying the same thing.
That actually, what is the difference between the previous verse and this verse? Both are talking about the same thing that how there is a garbha and then that garbha, how there is a yoṇi and that yoṇi is impregnated by the Supreme Lord. If we look at the focus, the focus of the two verses is different. The focus is sarva-yoṇi.
Here it is sarva-yoṇiṣu kaunteya. There it is, in the previous verse, the focus was just on bringing the point that the Lord is a factor in the whole thing. Whereas, we do not see the, so there mamma-yoṇi.
So, mamma-yoṇir mahad-brahma. So, it is I who impregnate and therefore, after all, the living beings become manifest. Now, here it is saying that all living beings are manifest by the grace of the Supreme Lord.
How is that grace? Through the seed that the Lord gives. Bīja-pratah-pita, bīja-pratah-pita. So, now, let us look at the purport.
So, in this, Prabhupāda writes in the purport, everywhere there are living entities, even within water and within fire. So, now, all these appearances are due to the material nature and Krishna’s seed giving process. So, Krishna’s seed giving process.
So, how does all this happen? It happens by a certain method. That method is Krishna’s arrangement. Through Krishna’s arrangement, the whole system is there.
But Krishna’s intervention is there also in that system through the injection of the souls, through His vision. And that is how the whole process takes off. And now, Prabhupāda writes that they come out according to their past misdeeds.
That means that whatever karma the soul had done in the past, accordingly the souls get bodies now. What now? Krishna is not specifically talking about the birth of children during normal times. He is talking about the process of creation throughout, at the start of the creation.
Throughout means where all living beings are created. Sarva-yoniá¹£u kaunteya. What this refers to is all living beings.
All living beings are manifested over here. And at the start of creation, the whole process of creation is described in the Bhāgavatam, in the second canto. So, the emphasis is that this whole process of creation happens step by step by step.
And when it happens step by step, it moves forward and it allows one to take one’s steps forward in spiritual life. One may understand the creation, one understands the glory of the Supreme Lord, one understands the supravesu coordination and controllership, and one feels inspired to surrender to Him. So, the Bhagavad Gita is only giving a skeletal outline of this process.
It’s not going into any technical details. So, what it says over here is that actually the maternal nature is like the mother, the Lord is like the father. And both of them together bring about the creation.
So, this is talking about at the start of the whole creation and at the start of a life of a new Brahma. What happens at that time? That the Lord, the Brahmaji’s body comes out. Sorry, the Brahmaji comes out of the body of Garbhodaká¹£a Viṣṇu and before that, the universes in which Garbhodaká¹£a manifests, they come out from the earth.
Garbhodaká¹£a’s body is the Mahā-Viṣṇu. So, at the stage of that Mahā-Viṣṇu and from that point onwards, the creation begins. There is a contact of the souls with the maternal nature through the vision of the Supreme Lord and that’s how the creation starts going ahead.
Now then, Krishna will now start describing about the modes. So, verses 5 to 9 will talk about how the modes bind the soul. So, how does the soul contact matter? It was through the insemination by the Lord.
Now we will discuss about how the modes bind the living entity. So, sattva, raja and tama. These three are there.
These three modes. They are born from material nature. And when they are born from material nature, what happens? Nibadnanti mahā-bāho.
Nibadnanti mahā-bāho. Mahā-bāho means Arjuna, you are extremely powerful. But no matter how powerful you are, you also, including all living beings, they are all nibadnanti, they are bound.
Dehe dehinam avyayam. Dehe dehinam avyayam refers to the fact that dehe dehinam, that the soul becomes bound to the body, avyaya, it’s imperishable. It doesn’t get old, it doesn’t get deteriorated.
So, Krishna is introducing the concept of three modes over here. And He is telling that these three modes, sattva, raja and tama, gunaha, praká¹›ti, sambhava, they are born from material nature. When they are born from material nature, they bind the soul.
No matter how powerful the soul may be, the soul becomes bound. Now, what exactly are the modes? We use the word modes very frequently within devotional service, within the devotional discussions. But what exactly are the modes? Are they things? Is it that, you know, just like I can see the stool, I can touch a chair.
So, are the modes things like that? Or are they just concepts? So, actually the modes are not just concepts, they are things. But they are not gross things, they are subtle things. Generally, we often do not think of subtle things as things.
But when we talk about something as a concept, the word concept is often used in the sense of a convenient fiction. But okay, I think about things like this. Now, whether they exist or not, who knows about it.
We do not really care about it. But that is how it is seen to be. So, what we do is we focus on the idea that this is not just a concept, this is actual ontological thing.
Ontological means connected with existence, that is something which really exists. It exists and what we have to do is we have to harmonise our intellectual conception with it. Then we will understand how it is.
So, it is like, you know, there is a territory and in that territory, below the surface, if we dig down, there is a gold, the area is a gold mine and there is gold underneath. So, now it is not just a concept, this area is a gold mine area. Now, there is gold over there, but I have to dig deep enough to reach that gold.
So, similarly, there are certain concepts. That means, we have to think about them, we have to get a conceptual understanding of them. But that does not mean that they are only concepts.
They are actual things. They have their own existence in their own right. But their existence is not gross, it is not physical, as is the existence of say a table or a chair or a computer.
Their existence is more subtle. And being subtle, that existence has to be perceived accordingly. And that perception accordingly is through the arena of understanding, through the arena of focussing our intellect to go below the surface, just like I have to take my drill or spade or whatever device I am using for digging to go below the surface.
So, they are all subtle. Now, what do the modes do? Let us look at this once. Modes are subtle forces that shape the interaction between gross matter and consciousness through the root of subtle matter.
So, let us understand this more carefully. They are the subtle forces. The whole concept of modes exists in the level of the subtle reality.
It is not a gross physical reality. They are the subtle forces that shape the interaction between gross matter and consciousness. Now, gross matter is physical matter.
For example, how we act. Somebody may wave the fist angrily. Different people may react differently in different situations.
Somebody may just, when a person gets angry, wave the fist in anger, swipe, trying to hit somebody. Another person, when that person becomes angry, may just shrink in depression and try to forget one’s worry, one’s misery through drinking. So, there are different people or somebody may try to seek wisdom and try to gain some sort of acceptance and understanding.
So, that is how things move forward. And different people respond differently. If there is a movie theatre and suddenly there is a fire inside the movie theatre.
And when there is a fire, now some people, most people just scream and panic and rush off towards the exit. And as they rush off towards the exit like that, there may well be a stampede. Stampede means that people may just crush each other.
If somebody falls down, people are so desperate to themselves go out that they don’t even care whether they are hurting somebody or not. Just stamp on people and go away. That’s how a stampede happens.
So, when a stampede happens like that, then the people are wildly in the mode of passion. Some people may be in the mode of ignorance and then they just may get petrified. Petrified means to become like a stone, completely frozen, can’t even scream, panic struck.
And then some people, they look around and think, oh, there is a fire extinguisher. They rush to the fire extinguisher and then extinguish the fire. So, these are examples of reaction in passion, ignorance and goodness.
So, in passion, one just acts without thinking much. In ignorance, one just becomes frozen, immobilised. And in goodness, one thinks and acts.
So, now, what is that makes a difference? It is the modes the people are in. Of course, what creates them, why certain people are in certain modes, that’s a whole different subject, which we’ll come to later. But, so again, that means that shape the interaction of consciousness and gross matter.
So, gross matter is, okay, I see the fire and then I respond to it. What is my response? I run away from there in desperate frenzy. So, why does that happen? That’s because the modes affect in a particular way.
So, there is a route, there is a staircase and then the modes. So, to understand this concept of modes comprising the routes, say, now, if there is a 10-storey building, okay, there is a 10-storey building. So, now, there may be certain staircases, which are like just straight down.
There may be certain staircases, which are generally, people don’t keep long stairs straight down, because if somebody falls, that can be a disaster if there are 100, 200, 500 steps. Generally, there are long staircases, they are kept 10-15 steps like this, then there is a break, and then there are 10-15 steps like this, then there are 10-15 steps like this, then there are 10-15 steps like this. So, therefore, there are different ways in which this can be created.
And then when it’s created in different way, another way could be that there is artistically, aesthetically round and round stairs, you know, they may be a little more difficult to navigate for people, because it’s round and round, but there’s some aesthetic appeal to it. So, basically, now, there are upper floors, there are lower floors, and the way to go down upper and lower floors is through the staircase. So, the staircase is basically the route.
But not just because the staircase is there, that staircase doesn’t determine whether a person will go up or a person will go down. A person can go both ways. A person can also go laterally at the same level, also move left and right at the same level.
But essentially, the staircase are the route by which a person will go up or down. So, like that, our consciousness, there’s an interaction between gross matter and consciousness. And that interaction happens through the medium of the modes.
Through the medium of the modes means that it’s like there are these three predefined staircase. And depending on whichever staircase one chooses, then afterwards, once one has chosen the particular staircase, one will move along that way. Similarly, once we choose the mode of passion, then we will act passionately, we can’t avoid that afterwards, once we’ve chosen the mode of passion, we will act accordingly.
So same way, once we choose a particular kind of behaviour accordingly, we will act. So, let’s move forward and understand this concept further. I’ll explain this concept of stairs again, as we move forward.
But let’s get introduced to the three modes right now. Nirmala is pure. Mala is impure.
Nirmala is pure. The Srimad Bhagavatam is called as Amalapurana. Amalapurana means the Purana that does not have any spots.
The Purana that is spotlessly pure. So, like that, Tatrasattvam Nirmalatvat. Nirmalatvat means that this is that which is Nirmala, that is very spotlessly beautiful.
Prakashakam Anamayam. Prakasana, how is it Nirmalatvat, that is for the extent, Prakashakam, it’s illuminating. Anamayam, it frees from sin.
What does it mean this mode frees? Actually, once one chooses a particular mode, then one’s behaviour is largely accordingly directed. Of course, we choose it. But once we choose it, then we act accordingly.
So, then, that means when one chooses the mode of goodness, Nirmalatvat, Prakashakam Anamayam happens. Illuminating. Things become clear.
One who is in the mode of goodness, that person is a seeker of knowledge, is a seeker of understanding, a seeker of wisdom. And because one is a seeker of wisdom like this, Prakashakam Anamayam, when one seeks knowledge and one understands it to some extent that actions have consequences. And therefore, I should choose the actions which will bring me good consequences, not actions which will cause me bad consequences.
Therefore, Anamayam. Therefore, one does not act in sinful ways. And that’s how one becomes free from sinful reactions.
Now, because of this mode, on one side, there seems to be a positive description of the mode, quite attractive description. One says, oh, that means mode of goodness is very good. No.
But Krishna has told that all the three modes bind soul to material existence. And that’s what he is describing over here. So, Sukha Sanghena Bhadnati, Jnana Sanghena Chanakha.
One becomes bound by Sukha and one becomes bound by Jnana. Sukha and Jnana, that’s how one becomes bound. So, the Prakashakam part, because the soul is illuminated, so that illumination leads to Jnana.
And that leads to Jnana Sangha. One feels, oh, I am cleverer than others. I know more than others.
And because one feels like that, I am cleverer than others, I know more than others, that’s what causes bondage. So, Sukha Sanghena Bhadnati. And because one is Anamayam, because one is relatively free from sins and sinful reactions, so sufferings is also less.
Sufferings are also less. And then one gets a sense of happiness in being situated peacefully. And that is also a cause of bondage.
So, Srila Prabhupada would give the examples of different kinds of shackles. Somebody might be bound by iron shackles and somebody might be bound by gold shackles. So, basically, the fundamental reality is that both are bound.
What shackles are there doesn’t matter, but still there is bondage. So, like that, in this material world, there is bondage and one has to seek liberation. And so, when one has to seek liberation, at that time, how does one seek liberation? Because, or rather, how does one seek? One seeks liberation by the process of devotional service.
The process of devotional service is the process by which one will get free from all the kinds of shackles, whichever they may be, as has been discussed, as we discussed in the chapters. But here, Prabhupada explains in the Purport that the poet, the scientist, the philosopher, they are often more evolved in their thinking. They try to think of deeper concepts and they try to gain understandings which are not easily available for people.
So, that search for deeper understandings, it is not necessarily always spiritual, but it is not superficial material also. People are looking towards deeper material things. And as they look towards deeper material things, they start getting elevated by that, they start getting attracted towards Krishna by that.
That one gets Sukha and one uses Jnana. And by these two, one becomes bound. So, the mode of goodness is in many ways good.
Prabhupada talks about the Brahmana mode of goodness. So, Prabhupada also makes it very clear. There is no likelihood of liberation or being transferred to the spiritual world.
So, repeatedly one may become a philosopher, a scientist or a poet and repeatedly become entangled in the same disadvantages of birth and death. But due to the illusion of the material energy, one thinks that that sort of life is pleasant. One thinks that life is pleasant.
So, Rajo Ragaatmakam Vidhi. Rajo Ragaatmakam Vidhi. The mode of passion, Rajo Ragaatmakam, Atmakam, its essence, it is born of, it comprises of what? Raga.
So, the word Raga here means attachment. What mode of passion does is, it brings attachment. So, Trishna Sang Samudbhavam.
So, attachment to what one has and Trishna for what one doesn’t have. What does it mean? That means, if I have a car and I am passionately attached to my car, but at the same time, while being passionately attached, I want something better also. Yeah, I want that car, I want that, I want that, I want that.
Trishna Sang Samudbhavam. And Tan Nibadnathi Kaunteya. Thereby, one becomes bound.
Karma Sangena Dehinam. So, why does it say karma bondage? By karma, because to protect what we have and to gain what we don’t have, one has to work. So, work.
If I have a very attractive, majestic house, then if I am attached to that, then I have to work to maintain it. And another nature is that I will want a bigger house, I want better facilities in that and for that also I have to work. So, karma.
Tan Nibadnathi Kaunteya. Nibadnathi, when Kaunteya one becomes bound, how? Karma Sangena. So, attachment.
So, Prabhupada explains that generally sex life is characteristic of the mode of passion and in that there is attachment between male and female. And by that male and female, Prabhupada would often quote the verse, तयोर्मिथो रुदया ग्रंथिमाहुं अतोग् ग्रहक्षेत सुताप्तर्वित्येर् जुनिश्य मोहोयम अहम् में मेती. जुनिश्य मोहोयम अहम्.
That among the living entities, among the people, that अहम्, this I am the body and all this is mine. How does this come about? In the mode of passion, because there is bodily consciousness, so there is naturally male-female attraction. Then there is the राग and तृष्ण.
Yes, I want more. When a man and woman come together, they want a house and then they want to expand. Then you have to have a source of income and you have to have this and that and that and that.
And so many things are needed. And in that way, one’s material existence becomes more and more complicated. So, कर्म, even in Prabhupada would go to when the economist Malthus would say that actually a family is the primary impetus for people for work.
His idea was that when people want to improve their family life and they see the possibility for improving their family life, then they will work hard. Then they will think, yes, let me do this, let me do this, let me do this. And that way they will try to improve their life.
And that’s how कर्मसंगेन वदनाति. So, for the sake of improving the family life, they will work. Now, actually this is integrated even into धर्म, अर्थ, काम, system of the Vedic culture also.
That when people want अर्थ, they want, people, family want अर्थ and काम. They want अर्थ for the sake of काम. They want to fulfil their desires and that’s why they want अर्थ.
But all this is made within a, all these arrangements for fulfilling this are made within a dharmic framework. One does धर्म and then one अर्थ and काम will also come. तुष्णसंग समध्भम.
So, Prabhupada makes a significant point in the purport that modern civilisation is considered to be advanced in the standard of the mode of passion. Formerly, the advanced condition was considered to be in the mode of goodness. So, what does this refer to? Modern civilisation is considered to be advanced in the standard of the mode of passion.
That means, now today, you know, a person who has a perverted standard, a person who can exhibit, you know, I have a girlfriend, I have a boyfriend, I have a big house, I have this, I have that, that is the person who is considered to be the most successful in today’s standard. So, people’s status, people’s value, social value is determined by how much they are successful according to the definition given by the mode of passion. See, these modes will give us different definitions of success.
In the mode of goodness, the definition of success will be different. In the mode of goodness, the definition of success will be how much knowledge does one have, how much wisdom does one have, how much freedom from sinful action does one have. That’s what will be considered as the definition of success.
In the mode of passion, how much power does one have? Now, that is, we see that, say, as the mode of passion is increasing in America, you know, the president of America may have some illicit sexual affairs. But if that president is able to keep the economy going well, people say it doesn’t matter. Why? Because their definition of success is not really in the mode of goodness in that a person should have good character.
Their definition of success is, yes, you know, you enjoy and let us enjoy also. You know, as long as you give us our artha and kama, whether you are having dharma or not, it doesn’t matter at all. When there is relatively mode of goodness, the artha and kama is of course required in this world and that is also valued.
But then there has to be dharma. So, then dharma will lead to artha and kama, that is virtuous. So, Prabhupada says that earlier the standard of, the definition of success was different and now the definition of success is different.
So, as devotees, if we live in a materialistic society and adopt their definition of success, then we can’t really practise devotional service seriously. Because there will be a cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance means we will have two different concepts which are colliding in our mind.
According to spiritual conception, we can become more and more attached to Krishna as the definition of success. But according to the conception which you are getting from society, you know, becoming more wealthy, more powerful, more this, more that, that is the definition of success. Now, a devotee may get that and devotee may pursue that also within limits.
Within the limits of not giving up on spiritual commitments. But the point is, a devotee doesn’t consider that alone as the definition of success. So, as society becomes more and more passionate, its definition of success changes.
And the great danger of modern society is that not only is it materialistic, but it has made materialism as the standard of its definition of success. And that is what is erroneous. And we will discuss this more in our future classes when we talk about the further characteristics of the three modes.
Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.