Bhakti Shastri (126) – Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14 Text 19 to 27

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Hare Krishna. Hare Krishna. Welcome back to the Bhagavad Gita Bhakti Shastri course.
We are now in the 14th chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, discussing the last section. Let’s look at the sections of the Gita, 14th chapter. So, how the soul is conditioned by the modes is verses 1 to 13.
Verses 14 to 18 is effect of conditioning by the modes. And verses 19 to 27, talks about transcending the modes. So, we are just looking, we look at verse 19, which said how a person has to understand that there is a doer beyond nature.
And then one can go beyond the modes. So, now Krishna is going to describe in the next verse, a further element in this. So, let’s look at 14.20. देहि देह समुद्भवान जन्मृत्यु जरा दुखहिर मुक्तो अम्रितमश्णते गुणान एतान So, गुणान एतान.
All these modes. अतित्य त्रीन अतित्य means to go beyond. त्रीन is three.
When one goes beyond the three modes, गुणान एतान अतित्य त्रीन देहि देह समुद्भवान देहि The person who is in the body. देह समुद्भवान That which is born with the body. जन्मृत्यु जरा दुखहिर So, Krishna has talked about जन्मृत्यु जरा व्याधि So, Krishna refers back to that by talking about जन्मृत्यु जरा over here.
Basically, it refers to the miseries of material existence. So, these miseries are born with the body. देहि देह समुद्भवान That with the body, these miseries come.
जन्मृत्यु जरा दुखहिर The miseries of birth, old age and death. विमृक्तो अमृतमश्नुते One becomes liberated from them and one attains eternity. विमृक्तो अमृतमश्नुते Now, Krishna is telling basically over here that when one goes beyond the three modes, then one goes beyond the miseries which are of birth, old age and death that are born with the body, that appear with the body and one attains immortality.
One gets liberated, attains immortality. विमृक्तो अमृतमश्नुते So, Krishna has used the word अमृतमश्नुते or similar words several times in the Bhagavad Gita. In the second chapter, in 2.15, Krishna has said, यम्ही नव्यत्यन्तेते पुरुषम् पुरुषर्शभा समधुक्ष सुखम्धीरम् सोम्रुतत्वाय कल्पते So, Krishna said, one who stays equiposed and happens in distress, such a person attains immortality.
So, that is अमृतत्वा. Now, specifically, अमृतमश्नुते Krishna has used this in 13.13 when he talks about यम्यत्तप्रवक्षामियं ज्ञात्वाम्यत्तमश्नुते अनाधिमत्परंब्रह्मानसत् तन्नासदुच्छिते So, ज्ञात्वाम्यत्तप्रवक्षामियं ज्ञात्वाम्यत्तप्रवक्षामियं That I will explain the ज्ञाया to you and by knowing this ज्ञाया what will happen? ज्ञात्वा अमृतमश्नुते you will attain Amrita, you will attain immortality. So, Krishna has used this word Amrita Mashnute several times.
And the same phrase Amrita Mashnute has come also in the Isopanishad. avidyayam rtyum tiratva vidyayam rta-mashnute vidyam cha vidyam cha yas tadveto bhayamsaha The Isopanishad, when Krishna, when the Isopanishad talks about Vidya and Avidya, verses 9, 10 and 11. So, there verse 11 says that both Vidya and Avidya should be cultivated.
By knowledge of Avidya, one goes beyond material things, beyond material existence. And by knowledge of Vidya, one attains immortality. So, in this way, Vidya Amrita Mashnute.
So, Amritam. So, Amrita does not necessarily just refer to used, refer to nectar. The word Amrit specifically, many, many food products may have the word Amrit attached to it.
Amrit butter, Amrit medicine, Amrit this, Amrit that. But actually, none of that is Amrit. None of that can make one immortal.
So, often the word of Amrita is also used not just in terms, in the sense of immortality, it is also used in the sense of something which is delicious. So, it’s like, we often use the word nectar. So, the idea of nectar is something which is delicious and something which also prolongs life.
So, Amrita is nectar. But when Krishna is talking here about Amrita Mashnute, he’s talking not so much in terms of the heavenly nectar, which tastes delicious, that is one part of it, that this is delicious, it’s relishable, but more importantly is that it is transcendental, that it is eternal, it is, that it is basically referring to eternity. The idea is that the relationship between the Amrita, the drink and Amrita and the concept Amrita, concept Amrita is eternality, eternity, immortality, is that this immortality is supposed to lead to that immortality.
That means, by drinking the nectar one attains the supreme immortality. Now, does that happen, may or may not happen, that will vary depending on person to person. But the important point is, that is what is the goal.
So, to attain immortality. Now, how does one attain immortality? By the, by realising one’s eternal nature. So, we know that actually the heavenly nectar, the Swargi Amrita doesn’t actually lead to immortality, it simply prolongs life.
When the churning, the milk ocean is done to get the nectar, that nectar doesn’t actually grant immortality. We discussed about earlier about various levels. So, Amrita is not the same as Nitya.
So, there is Mrita, there is Amrita, there is Chiranjeeva and there is Nitya, we discussed this earlier. So, amritva is just a very long lifetime like the devatas have as compared to what we human beings have. But anyway, that is not what is talked about over here.
Here it is the understanding of a state of, state beyond death, state beyond destruction. So, how will one attain that? When one goes beyond, transcends the modes. So, Krishna is telling over here that transcend the modes and one will attain immortality.
So, that means the modes are what keep us in, keep us bound to material existence. And going beyond the modes liberates us from material existence. So, guna, netan, ati, tyatri.
By going beyond these modes, one will attain immortality. And Krishna has earlier also used, talked about, now Krishna has talked about the miseries several times. He has talked about the janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi in the 20 items of jnana in 13.8 to 12.
And then after that, he has also talked about it in jara-marana-mokshaya, mama-shritya-tantiye te brahma tadvidu krishnam adhyatmam karma chakhilam. In 7.29, Krishna has talked about jara-marana-mokshaya, those who want freedom, those who want liberation from old age and death. So, you know, Krishna basically is referring to the miseries of material existence.
So, sometimes he may refer to them in two, sometimes he refers to them in three and sometimes in four. So, in 7.29, he refers to two, jara and marana, old age and death. Here is a janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi.
So, janma-mrityu-jara-dukkhair, not vyadhi. Here the word vyadhi doesn’t come. Janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi comes in 13.8 to 12.
And then janma-mrityu-jara-dukkhair. So, basically, this is, sometimes it’s a cycle, janma-mrityu cycle it is, the cycle of birth and death. Yes, within that there is a cycle of old age also, there is a cycle of disease also.
So, it’s a way of referring to it. Sometimes two miseries may be referred to, or three miseries may be referred to, or four miseries may be referred to. Basic point is that there are miseries of material existence.
Abhimukto amritam asnute. Now, after describing this, Krishna has more or less completed his discussion. So, we know, remember that the 14th chapter did not start with any specific question of Krishna, of Arjuna.
Now, Krishna has completed speaking in the 13th chapter about how if one understands the difference between kshetra and kshetra-jna, then, and one understands the process of liberation from it through jnana-cakshu, then one will attain, one will go beyond matter, one will go, one will attain the supreme destination. So, there, what binds the kshetra to the kshetra-jna, what binds the soul to the body, the body and the soul together, is the modes. Krishna has talked about them in 13.22, in purusha-prakriti-stohi-bhunkte-prakriti-jan-gunan-karanam-gunasangasya-sadasadyonijanmasu-gunasangasya.
So, because of contact with the modes, attachment to the modes, association with the modes. So, what are those gunas, how do they bind? So, Krishna speaks of his own impetus to explain the concepts more clearly to Arjuna. So, in the 14th chapter, at the beginning, Arjuna doesn’t ask a question, but here Arjuna will ask a question now.
Krishna has analysed the modes, he has talked about the three modes and then he has talked about the state beyond the three modes. Now, Arjuna will ask specifically, how can one transcend the three modes and attain the destination that is beyond the modes. So, Arjuna, vacham, kairlingais, kairlingais means, what are the characteristics? The linga means characteristic.
So, the word linga also means gender. But basically, gender is also bodily characteristic. I mean, baby is born, then by its bodily characteristics, the gender is known.
So, basically, linga can mean gender, linga can also mean characteristic. So, kairlingais, what are the characteristics? Trin gunan etan, trin gunan etan, etan means that, these three modes are there, atito bhati prabho. Atito means, when somebody, how can, what are the characteristics of one who has transcended the modes? Kimacharah, kimacharah means, what is the behaviour? So, first, more or less refers to, the linga refers to the internal characteristic, achara refers to the external characteristic, that is the behaviour, and katham chaitam trin gunan ati vartate, and how can one go beyond the three modes, katham? So, how can one go beyond the modes? That is by, that Krishna will answer, that is by practise of devotional service.
So, there are three questions over here. The first question is kairlingais. Kairlingais means, what are the characteristics? That refers to more or less internal characteristics, that will be answered in verse 22 and 23.
Then 24, 25 will answer kimacharah, and how, what is the behaviour of such a person? Then 25 will answer, sorry, sorry, 26 will answer katham chaitam, how can one transcend the modes? Arjuna s question is natural, and it indicates that Arjuna is seriously contemplating what Krishna is speaking. When a student hears about, when a small child hears, okay, you know, so and so person, you know, he scored such very good marks in the exam, and he topped in that exam, and he, and became this, this, this, attained all these laurels, then the question naturally comes up, okay, if that has happened, and how did the person do it? How did the person attain so many marks? How did person get so much benefit? So, the answer for that is, by the practise of, by the practise of, by the practise of studying regularly in an intelligent, disciplined, dedicated way, that person attained it. So, similarly, how did one attain this? By the practise of, by certain practises.
Normally, you know, when we hear about certain heroes, certain successes, certain models of excellence, then naturally the thought comes in our mind, maybe I can become like that. So, Krishna has heard, Krishna has spoken to Arjuna about transcending three modes. Actually, Arjuna asks, okay, can, can I transcend the modes? How do I know who has transcended the modes? And implied in the idea is also that, okay, if Arjuna is in the battlefield, can Arjuna on the battlefield transcend the modes? Is that possible? So, that is, all these questions are there.
And they basically indicate that Arjuna is seriously contemplating whatever is being, that is what Prabhupada says. Arjuna’s questions are very appropriate. It is an interesting adjective, appropriate.
Appropriate means relevant, intelligent and important. So, they are appropriate questions. Now, let us see what is Krishna’s answer.
So, Prabhupada combines four verses over here in his, and gives one purport to those four verses. So, as I mentioned, 22 and 23 are roughly answering the question, Kairalinga is, and 24 and 25 answer in Kimacharaha. So, let us look at these verses one by one.
So, now what is Krishna referring to over here? Prakash, as you discussed earlier, is the characteristic of the mode of goodness. Krishna has used this to refer to the mode of goodness in 14.11. So, prakash is the characteristic of goodness. Then, in 14.12, Krishna has said, pravrtti is action, passionate action according to one’s own inclinations.
But passionate action, that is pravrtti. Mohamevaca means, there is illusion also. So, now illusion is the characteristic of the mode of ignorance.
In 14.13, Krishna has said, aprakasho pravrttischa, mohamevaca pandava. So, there also the word was moha, aprakasho pravrttischa. No prakash, no pravrtti, but moha is there.
So, here Krishna is giving all three. So, that means, He is saying that these three are the characteristics of three modes and He is using one, one word to represent each of the modes. That when all these come, prakasho pravrttischa, mohamevaca pandava, when any of these emotions come, when we feel illuminated, when we feel passionate, hyperactive, do this, do this, do this, and then moha, what anyone has to do, just don’t bother about all these things.
When all this happens, nadveshti sampravrttani, that when this happens, one doesn’t resent. And nani vrttani kankshati, that means, when it comes, one doesn’t resent it. When it goes, one doesn’t crave for it.
nadveshti sampravrttani, nani vrttani kankshati. In this way, when one lives, then udasena vadaseno gunairyona vichalyate, udasena vadaseno, how is one situated? udasena. Now it’s interesting, Krishna has used almost the same phrase to refer to his own situation.
He has said that udasena vadaseno. In 9.9, mam tani karmani nibadnanti dhananjaya udasena vadasena asaktam tesu karmasu, this is udasena vadasena. But actually one is situated detached, as if detached, udasena.
gunairyona vichalyate. So Krishna has said, that means, just as the super soul is situated detached, similarly the soul becomes situated detached. udasena vadasena.
So when one is situated like this, udasena vadasena, then what happens? Actually, when one is situated thus, nadveshti sampravrttani, nani vrttani kankshati, nadveshti sampravrttani, that means, when one observes, but one doesn’t get excited by it, one understands, okay, now the mode of passion is coming, now the mode of ignorance is coming, one understands, but one doesn’t get excited by it, one doesn’t get agitated by it, one neither craves for it nor laments about it. That means, basically one just observes. So here Krishna is talking about a very important concept, learning to become guna, become observers of our own thoughts.
Now we, by default, observe the world around us. We may not contemplate on what we observe, what do we observe? If we are sitting in a room, if a door opens and somebody comes, naturally we see who is coming in. If a door opens, we see who went out.
So naturally we observe this. So just as we observe the outer world around us, Bhagavad Gita is telling us over here to observe the inner world. Now what do we mean by the inner world? We’ve discussed earlier, the inner world means that the mental world, you know, we generally people think inside is everything spiritual.
No, in the inner there is mental and then there is spiritual. So what is spiritual is not necessary, whatever is internal is not necessarily spiritual. Whatever is internal may also be material and that’s why for to understand the difference, we have to become observers.
So that means sometimes when our thoughts also come in, lust comes in, when greed comes in, when anger comes in, we have to recognise that these are not our thoughts in the sense that they are within us, so we can say they are mine. But no, not necessarily. It’s not that everybody who is in our house is ours.
There will be strangers there, there will be trespassers there, there will be thieves there. So it’s just because somebody is present in our house doesn’t make that person our family member. That doesn’t make that person belong to our house.
Similarly, it’s not that every thought that is present inside us is our thought. It is present inside us, it is not our thought. So when we understand that I as a soul am different from the body, then that understanding of the soul being different from the body enables us to observe dispassionately.
When we observe dispassionately, then by that dispassionate observation, we can learn, we can see, okay, this person is coming in, this person is going out, okay, we observe. So similarly, this thought came in, this thought went out. See, it’s only when we get excited about thoughts, say when lust comes in, it’s only when we get excited about lust, that lust gains some control over us.
As Krishna has used the word earlier in the kamakami. Kamakami means one who is a desirer of desires. So that means desires may come in, saying something which desires may come in means something which can arouse our desires, that sort of thoughts come in, temptations come in.
But then we don’t have to succumb to them. We can say no to them. And when we say no to them, then they have to go.
They can’t stay there for very long. That’s how it is. Understand that these are the modes.
Understand that one doesn’t let oneself get shaken. Why? Because one knows that these are the modes. This is not the real transcendental path.
These are not my actual thoughts. These are simply the intrusions of the modes. The intrusions of the modes and they cannot stay for very long with me.
They will just go off. So therefore, what should I do? I should just observe them and let them go. So when they go away like that over a period of time, they will stop visiting.
So basically, the idea is become detached observers. Now, is it possible when my thoughts come, how can I observe my thoughts? Actually, it’s possible. The way to observe our thoughts is by cultivating some goodness.
In passion, we are so excited that we can’t. We’re just too caught up in the external world. Yeah, I’m here.
I’m there. I’m going here. I’m going there.
So even in the external world, actually, what we observe is what excites and what promises enjoyment. We don’t observe the external world also fully. But when we come to goodness, we start observing the external world more.
We start observing, oh, this is like this, this is like this, this is like this. And then we start learning based on that. We start learning means we start observing, we start realising, oh, this is like this, this is like this.
And that’s how we move forward in our spiritual life. So just as we can observe our external world, we can train ourselves to observe externally. So similarly, we can train ourselves to observe internally.
And by such observation, we identify which thoughts are actually meant to be, which thoughts are actually intruders, which would be just neglected, and which thoughts are actually our own thoughts, which need to be cultivated and nourished. When we understand this difference, then based on that, we move forward in our spiritual life. So now Krishna has said that in this way observe.
In general, it may not be very easy to observe our thoughts. But we can do it in many ways. One of the ways is by, say, writing our own journal.
So when we start writing our journal, when we say did something undesirable, you know, we got angry with someone, or we succumb to any unorthodoxy in a way that we did not want to succumb to, then afterwards, we can say, okay, what was my thought process? It’s one thing to just beat ourselves down saying, I am so fallen, I am this, I am so conditioned, I am this, I am that. That sort of, you know, it’s not meant to, that doesn’t serve any purpose. The purpose of spiritual standards is not to beat us down.
You know, the purpose of the principles of bhakti is to give us wings to fly. It is not to burden us down with guilt. It’s not to weigh us down.
So, you know, what is meant to be the wings are also a weight. You know, you see, if a person doesn’t have wings, and that person suddenly given to extra wings, now I can see all these wings, they are such a big weight to carry my own body, and I have got some additional weight to carry with me. But the purpose of the wings is not to add to the weight.
If we know how to use the wings, and the wings will enable us to fly. So the wings actually, once we start flying, then they are a blessing, they’re not at all a burden. Without the wings, in fact, the whole body becomes a burden.
So there is, you know, in Jatayu’s wings were cut off, in Jatayu fell off, couldn’t fly. So the wing, the wings are not a weight. Wings enable us to fly around whatever with the remaining body of the weight.
Similarly, the scriptural principles are not meant to burden us down by adding weight to our life. But by adding additional weight to and burdening us, they are actually meant to give us wings by which we can fly. We can fly higher and higher to spiritual levels of consciousness.
That is what the wings are meant for. So when we contemplate, by contemplation, we will understand, okay, at this time, I thought like this, I thought like that. So okay, this thought was wrong.
How did I succumb? Okay, first, this thought came, then this temptation came, then this happened, and this happened. And then, you know, you look at the fall down sequence, as in, okay, this was what I did wrong. At this time, when this thought came, I could have chosen this reaction.
Instead of choosing this reaction, I chose this reaction. Okay, this is where I can change. Now we may say, oh, I know, I shouldn’t have done it.
Yes, we all know I shouldn’t have done it, but I did it. But you have to see, just knowing that I shouldn’t have done it and beating ourselves up is not of much use. You know, what were the thoughts that went through our mind because of which we said yes, to that which we should have said no.
So that to analyse is what Krishna is talking about over here, becoming observers. So even if we can’t become observers, while the thoughts are coming, we can at least become observers later. Okay, what was I thinking at that time? Okay, this thought came and then came.
Then we can actually sketch the mind deceiving us. You know, we often know from the scriptures that the mind cheats us. But we don’t know how exactly the mind cheats us.
We don’t know how exactly the mind deludes us. To know how the mind deludes us, we need to be able to recognise that the mind is our, not our enemy. The mind is right there with us.
The mind normally acts as our enemy. The mind can act as our friend when it becomes purified, becomes purified. But friend or enemy, the mind is there.
And the mind, we have to deal with it. We can’t wish the mind away. So by becoming more discerning, by becoming more carefully and critically observational.
Okay, what is happening? What am I actually doing? We can learn and we can move forward in our spiritual life that way. Okay, so one by one by one we take steps forward. So how do we become internal observers? If not in action, then in retrospection.
Okay, what, at that time what happened? How did I think? And gradually as we train ourselves, not only in retrospection, in action also we’ll be able to think. So for example, I’m speaking right now. So when I’m speaking, I’m conscious of what I’m speaking.
At the same time, at a subconscious level, I’m also thinking about what are the next things that I’m going to speak. So I know there’s a general pattern that I’m going to speak based on the flow of the Gita’s chapters. So we can have this also.
That means we can be, we can be doing multitasking internally. Not necessarily in terms of doing multiple things at one moment. At one moment we do one thing.
But while we are doing one action, we can also be aware of other things, which we are all the time. Now, for example, right now, if the fan is on overhead, we are aware of that even when we are hearing things. So we are also aware that okay, the chair I am sitting on, is it comfortable or is it not comfortable? Do I have any pain in my back? So we have the capacity of being conscious of many things.
So same way, while doing our actions also, we can be conscious of our thoughts. And actually becoming conscious of our thoughts is very, very helpful. We could call this as to become conscious of our consciousness.
To become conscious of our consciousness. Okay, now I’m feeling lazy. Now I’m feeling sleepy.
What does this mean? This means there’s a mode of ignorance. Mode of ignorance is trying to catch me. I will not let myself get caught by the mode of ignorance.
So like that we can think and we can learn. And by that we can move forward. So now this is how we can observe our own mind.
Now, after describing how we can observe our own minds, Krishna moves forward and describes further, how we can observe the behaviour of those who have transcended the modes. That means how by behaviour we can infer who has transcended the modes. समदुखः सुखः स्वस्थ्ः That in happiness and in distress, स्वस्थ्ः, well situated, same situated.
So अस्थ means स्व is one’s own, अस्थ is situated. So स्वस्थ is situated in one’s own nature. समलोष्टाश्मकाञ्चन, that means equipoised in, I mean it’s stones and pebbles and gold and everything.
तुल्यप्रियाप्रियोधीरस्, whenever one, whatever one gets is favourable or unfavourable. तुल्यप्रियाप्रियोधीरस्, तुल्य निन्दा आत्मसं स्थृतिहि, that निन्दा is criticism, स्थृतिहि is praise. मानापमानयो तुल्यस्.
So now what is the difference between निन्दा स्थृति and मान अपमान? So निन्दा and स्थृति is in terms of what others are doing. And मान अपमान is in terms of what we are perceiving. Generally speaking, when somebody does स्थृति, we feel मान.
And when somebody does निन्दा, we feel अपमान. But the two are not the same. Sometimes somebody may do स्थृति, but if we are expecting more स्थृति, we are expecting more praise, then we may fail.
That is actually an insult. You know, if somebody is, say, a PhD and he says, you know, this person is running HSC. What? No, the other person may want to praise, this person is running HSC.
If it’s a place where people are not even educated in HSC, that might be a good thing. But the point is that निन्दा, स्थृति and मान अपमान are not the same thing. निन्दा, स्थृति is in terms of the actions of others, how are they speaking.
And मान अपमान is in terms of our perceptions. So Krishna is saying, in both, equal. Equal in both.
That means निन्दा and स्थृति also equal and मान अपमान also equal. When someone works in this way, मान अपमान So then, what happens by that? All these are characteristics of one who is transgender. तुल्य मित्रारी पक्षयो.
Krishna has talked about being equipoised towards friends and enemies earlier also, especially in, just at the start of the 6th chapter in 6.9, when He said that, सुरुण् मित्रारी उदासीन। अध्यस्तद्वेश बन्धुषु साधुषु अपिजपापेशु समभुद्धिर्विशिष्यते. Be equipoised towards all kinds of people. The same point here.
तुल्य मित्रारी पक्षयो. So, मित्रारी, अरी is enemy, मित्रा is friend, पक्षयो. पक्षयो is to all kinds of parties.
And सर्वारंभपरित्याग्य. As we discovered the सर्वारंभपरित्याग्य, this is also a phrase which comes several times in the Gita. So, गुणाती तह स उच्छते.
Such a person is गुणाती तह. So, essentially the common denominator in all these characteristics is what? To be equipoised, to be calm, to be equal towards things. That means to not get too excited by material things.
To not get excited by material things. To know that beyond matter is spirit and to recognise that the spiritual reality is the ultimate reality. The material reality is the temporary reality.
So, now when Krishna talks about all this, what is the essential point that is being talked about? The essential point is that he is saying that these are the characteristics, internal and external, by which one can transcend the moods. So, why equipoise? Because we understand that all the varieties that are seen in the material nature are basically the products of the material dualities. This is good, this is bad.
This is attractive, this is unattractive. All these dualities are created by material nature. And because they are created by material nature, so, because they are created by material nature, they can no longer attract a person who is transcendental and at the same time a person who wants to become transcendental should try to minimise the attraction towards them.
So, that way we can go beyond the artificial dualities of material existence towards the transcendental realities and with their own transcendental variety ultimately. Here Krishna is now going to talk about transcendental variety because the topic is not that. The topic is the three modes of material nature.
The modes of material nature create material varieties. So, in this way Krishna is saying go beyond these. So, when he talks about going beyond this, let’s look at the Prabhupada’s purport.
So, Prabhupada says, how does he become aloof? He does not desire to enjoy the body nor does he desire to get out of it. Not desiring to enjoy, not desiring to get out. And then that becomes automatically free.
So, similarly social and political issues do not affect him because he knows the situation of temporary upheavals and disturbances. He knows the situation of temporary upheavals and disturbances. In this way a person stays transcendental.
So, now after describing the linga and the achara, now Krishna answers the question, how does one transcend the modes? So, this is a well-known verse. Prabhupada would often quote this. So, vyabhicara, we often use the word in terms of the regularity principles.
No vyabhicara, that means no relationships outside marriage, no illicit relationships. So, now here Krishna is using the word vyabhicara in terms of distraction. That means there is something which is the right path and there are temptations which take us towards the wrong path.
So, vyabhicarena means one doesn’t go towards the wrong paths. So, without getting distracted. So, this is the only verse in the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna uses the word bhakti yoga directly.
The concept of bhakti is used, the word bhakti is used many times. The word yoga is also used many times. But bhakti yoga as a combined word coming together is the only verse in the Bhagavad Gita.
So, bhakti yoge na sevate sa gunan samatit yaitan. Sa gunan samatit yaitan. A person goes beyond the modes and then brahma bhuyaya kalpate, attains the Brahman, the Brahman platform.
So, by practising avyabhicari, unfailing devotional service, one transcends the modes. Now, you have to understand that avyabhicari is not necessarily ahaituki. Ahaituki is unmotivated.
Avyabhicari is unfailing. We can be unfailing in our devotion, but that does not necessarily mean that we will be unmotivated. What is the difference between the two? The difference is in terms of the intention and the execution.
Unmotivated is talking about intention. Avyabhicari is more talking about execution. Even a jnani who wants to transcend the modes of material nature, the jnani recognises that I have to take shelter of the supreme being who is beyond the modes.
And only by shelter of that supreme being can I go beyond the modes. So, then the jnani starts practising bhakti yoga. So, we discussed earlier about pradhani buddha bhakti and guni buddha bhakti.
So, that means when the other process is having a greater percentage or the other process is having a lesser percentage in the functioning. That means if the kevala bhakti means 100% bhakti. So, guni buddha bhakti means the other processes are more than 50%.
Pradhani buddha bhakti means the other processes are less than 50%. Bhakti is more than 50%. So, even when the jnani is practising bhakti.
So, we remember that this chapter is in the jnana section of the Gita. And if you look at most of the verses, Krishna is not talking primarily about a bhakta practising bhakti over here. Krishna is talking about a jnani practising jnana yoga.
That means he is talking about a jnani who is practising seriously the process of jnana yoga. And when a jnani practises the process of jnana yoga, what is the jnani trying to do by that? By that the jnani is trying to seriously practise the process of philosophical discrimination. And while practising philosophical discrimination, the jnani understands that, okay, if I want to go beyond the modes, bhakti is required.
So, I will take shelter of Bhagavan also. So, they say, bhaktiramayichananyogena Now, what is it? yityam ca samachittatvam ishtanishtopathishud bhaktiramayichananyogena bhaktiram vipichareni So, Krishna has talked about this in the items of knowledge in verses 13.8 to 12, where he says that one becomes equipoised towards things and one practises devotional service without any distraction, without failing. There also the same word is used and the essential point of that is the jnani has to practise devotional service seriously.
And to the extent the jnani practises devotional service seriously, to that extent the jnani makes spiritual advancement. So, for the jnani, the goal is not Krishna. The goal may be impersonal Brahman.
So, we remember, for the devotee, Krishna is not just the object of meditation, Krishna is also the objective of meditation. Object means what we are meditating on. Objective is what is the goal of that meditation.
So, Krishna is the object as well as the objector. But for the jnani, Krishna is the object. Bhakti may be a tool, but bhakti may not be the goal.
But even for such a person, bhakti has to be practised. And that person is a serious practitioner, that person may also practise bhakti uninterrupted. So, while practising bhakti uninterrupted, So, the point of this practise is that a person seriously practises.
Now, this may beg a question that what causes interruption in our bhakti is the modes. And what is said that if you want to go beyond the modes, we have to practise uninterrupted bhakti. So, isn’t this a self-defeating, impossible thing? That means, say, if somebody says that you are having this disease because you are having these germs.
And then because you have these germs, you have this disease. What is the solution? Solution is to take a medicine. So, what is that medicine? Similarly, why is one not able to practise bhakti? Because one is affected by the modes.
And how does one go beyond the effect of the modes? By practising bhakti. So, you wonder where does this begin? So, it begins by practising bhakti to whatever capacity we can. By practising bhakti at whatever capacity we can, we move upward, upward, upward till eventually we come to the level where we practise bhakti purely, where we practise bhakti seriously.
And by that, we return back to Krishna. Gradually, subtly, but surely, we return back to Krishna. So, that means we may not be able to transcend the mode all the times.
Say, in the morning, when we wake up, we may feel very sleepy. We may not feel like waking up. So, if we have got adequate rest as per whatever our body needs, then we push ourselves to get up.
Now, we can’t control whether we will feel fresh or not when we wake up in the morning. But we can surely control how we feel after what we do. You know, when the alarm rings, we may not feel fresh, but still we can wake up and we can sprinkle some water and afterwards we start feeling fresher.
That means the modes don’t shackle us completely. The modes give us a little bit of freedom within that whatever leeway is there. We use that freedom and then we expand that freedom more and more and more.
When, say, a person has fractured the hand. So, at that time, the doctor may say, now that person may have been a champion weightlifter or a champion athlete, you know, capable of rapid, forceful, graceful movement, motions. But now, that person had fractured hands, so can’t even move now.
So, initially, when the recovery started, the doctor may say, okay, just raise your hand. Raise your hand this much. Now, raise your hand this much.
The doctor may say, you know, I could earlier when I talk, one move here on my hand, the person will be knocked out. Now, I can’t even move my hand. What is the use of it? He says, no, whatever capacity you have, use this.
And then gradually, okay, now move it full. And then gradually, put it. Don’t, just move it for a punch.
Don’t hit it with much force, but move it. So, eventually, the force will come back. So, basically, the point is that the freedom, the capacity to move the hand will increase gradually.
And whatever capacity one has, one has to start with that. If a champion boxer starts thinking, oh, my hand got fractured. Earlier, I should knock down a person.
Now, I can’t even lift my hand. What is the use? It’s all lost. If a person thinks like that, it will stay lost.
But whatever capacity one has, one uses that capacity and it will increase. So, like that, we can’t practise unbreakable devotional service right now. But still, we can practise devotional service with as less breaks as possible.
We can try to practise devotional service with as much consistency as possible. And when we practise devotional service with consistency in this way, gradually, we move forward. And eventually, we come to the level of pure devotion, where we become unmotivated practitioners of devotional service, uninterrupted and unmotivated.
The Jnanis, if they practise devotional service, then they will get a destination accordingly. If they are not offensive to Krishna, they are Brahmavadis, they will attain Brahman, as Krishna will talk about in the next verse. But important for our discussion, let’s look at this.
So, Prabhupada emphasises the point that one should also know that all the forms of Krishna are fully transcendental, blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. So, all the forms of Krishna, that means, any of them we can meditate on. We can practise devotional service to any of them.
The living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme, as gold particles are part of a gold mine. So, gold particles are a part of a gold mine. That means, both of them are same in quality, although quantitatively they are different.
So, Prabhupada writes that if one is not situated in transcendental position, one cannot serve the Supreme Lord. To be personal attendant of the king, one must acquire the qualifications. So, the qualification for serving the transcendental Lord is to become transcendental.
Now, let’s go to the last verse now. The last verse is a very important verse from the Gita. This last verse talks about how we are ultimately meant to attain the platform of not just Brahman, but the understanding of Bhagwan.
So, we will look at it. So, Brahmano hi pratishtham. Krishna is saying, I am the support of the Brahman.
That is, that Brahman is indestructible and imperishable. It is immortal and imperishable. That it is the platform of ultimate happiness.
So, now the most important part of this verse is the first line. So, the word pratishtha has different meanings. Now, often the word pratishtha, puja ala pratishtha, we say pratishtha means honour or prestige.
But that is not the meaning over here. The word pratishtha also means foundation. Brahmano hi pratishtham.
That means, I am the foundation of Brahman. So, Brahman is supported by me. That means, Brahman emanates from me.
This point is talked about in the Brahma Samhita, it says, yasya prabha prabhavato jagadandakoti kotishva sesha vasudhadi vibhuti vinnam tad brahma nishkalamanantama sesha bhutam govindamadi purusham tam aham bhajami yasya prabha prabhavato jagadandakoti yasya prabha prabhavato. From whose prabha comes out? What? Jagadandakoti. So many universes.
And then that is brahma nishkalamanantama sesha. Nishkalam. That Brahman which doesn’t have any parts.
That Brahman which is transcendental. Yasya prabha prabhavato. That’s how the Brahman comes out.
Now, that means what the Brahman is? The Brahman is the effulgence coming from the Supreme Lord and the Brahman is non-differentiated. Brahman is non-differentiated. So, now after describing this, sukhasya aikanti kasya cha.
Let’s look at this one by one. So, the Brahman is supported by Bhagawan. That means the Brahman is the emanation from Bhagawan.
The Brahman is not the source. The Bhagawan is the source. When Krishna is talking.
Now, this is an important verse for many purposes. Krishna is putting Brahman and aham together in one verse. Arjuna has earlier told param brahma.
You are the supreme brahma. Krishna is using the word brahma and aham and he is giving a relationship between the two. The idea of the Mayavadis is that Brahman is higher than aham.
Brahman is the higher reality and aham, the personal one, is the lower reality. But no, that is not the case. Krishna is saying, I am the higher reality.
Brahmano hi pratishtha aham. And then sukhasya aikanti. So, then he discusses various characteristics, how all this is eternal.
And he says this is the platform of ultimate happiness. Now, in the Paitiri Upanishad, there is, there are hierarchy, there is a hierarchy of happiness that is described. And therein it is said that there are various levels of happiness in which the ultimate happiness is the happiness of spiritual world.
So, there is earthly happiness and there is a heavenly happiness. Then there is the happiness in further higher lokas and ultimately there is transcendental happiness. This same hierarchy is taken forward and expanded further in Bhaktasamrta Sindhu, based on Vedic scriptures.
And it says that actually there is Brahmananda, but far greater than Brahmananda is Bhaktyananda. Bhaktyananda is the happiness of devotional service. So, Bhaktyananda is far, far greater than Brahmananda.
And why is it greater? Because it is transcendental. Because it is, it is, it fulfils the heart’s longing for love within the transcendental realm. It gives an arena for our emotions.
Otherwise, there is no arena for our emotions. The Brahman happiness is basically the happiness of negation, happiness of disentanglement from agitating material emotions. And that is really not the greatest happiness.
It is a platform. Just like when a person is wealthy, if a person has a million dollar, that person is a millionaire. If a person has a billion dollar, that person is a billionaire.
But then one has to act at the level of the platform of billionaire. If I want to enjoy being a billionaire, then I have to act. You know, I have to have that kind of car, I have to have that kind of power, that kind of power.
I have to have that money to use. If I’m a billionaire, but I get amnesia, and I forget that I’m a billionaire, then what happens? It’s as if I’m not a billionaire at all. Because I can’t do anything with my billion dollars.
I can’t do anything. Because that’s just not what I have with me. So, therefore, the important thing is to recognise that I have to go beyond.
And I have to act at the transcendental level. So, understanding I am Brahman, I am Brahmasmi, I am Brahmasmi, I am Brahmasmi, that’s good. That is the platform of ultimate happiness.
But on that platform, I have to do something. But I have to act on that platform. And what is the action on the spiritual platform? Jeevera swaroop hoye krishnaera nitya das.
The action of the spiritual platform is to dance, is to serve Krishna. So, if somebody gives us a stage, suppose a very famous stage, a stage where maybe the top performers in the world, say in America, there’s Broadway, India, and then some Kalakshetra or whatever. So, the place where the top performers, top dancers, top actors, they have performed over there.
Now, if I get that stage, that is good. But then after I get the stage, I don’t want to stand on that stage. I want to perform on that stage.
So, like that Sukhasya Ikanthika Sacha means that once we come to the spiritual platform, coming to the spiritual platform is good. But once I am at the spiritual platform, I have to act on the spiritual platform. And that action on the spiritual platform is actually devotional service.
So, when I practise devotional service, then I rejoice the ultimate happiness. So, this is the platform of devotional service. This is the arena on which I perform devotional service.
Let’s look at the purport quickly. So, Prabhupada writes, this attainment of the Brahman conception of life is the first stage in self-realisation. It is the first stage.
And Prabhupada quotes from Taittiriya Upanishad, Raso vaisaha, rasamya evayam labdha anandi bhavati. So, raso vaisaha. The absolute truth is the relisher of rasas.
Rasamya evayam labdha, when one gets that rasa, one becomes anandi bhavati, one becomes supremely happy. Prabhupada writes, realisation of Brahman or eternity or imperishability is included in devotional service. It’s already possessed by a person who is engaged in devotional service.
And then Prabhupada summarises the nine processes of devotional service. And then he says, by following this process of devotional service, one becomes detached and one becomes situated in Brahmajyoti or the different varieties of the Brahman conception is equal to the Supreme Personality of Godhead in quality. Thus, we attain qualitative oneness.
We already have qualitative oneness, but that qualitative oneness does not stay with us. Awareness of that qualitative oneness doesn’t stay with us. Although we are spirit right now also, but we don’t think of ourselves as spirit.
We think of ourselves as matter. So, therefore, when we become purified, we come to the platform of spiritual realisation. Then we realise that I’m actually spirit.
So, in this way, in this 14th chapter, Krishna, in response to Arjuna’s question, describes the process of devotional service. And then he says that the process of devotional service should not be practised just as a tool by indicating that beyond the Brahman platform is the aham, I am eternal. And I am the support of the Brahman.
So, in this way, by talking about, by analytically understanding the process of the entanglement of the living entity in the three modes and the necessity for disentangling from it, one can take shelter of devotional service, knowing that this is the best way to disentangle oneself from the modes. And one can also understand that one shouldn’t just go beyond the modes of the Brahman platform, but should go to the support of the Brahman, that is Bhagavan, that is Shri Krishna.