Gita 10.18 – Bhakti is joyful and fruitful

Is neither pantheistic nor deistic, it is panentheistic. Thank you. Opulences, manifestations of your glory in this world.

Actually, when you describe Kathaya, when you describe your glories, the satisfaction is when I hear, actually there is no, I do not get satiated, I want to hear more and more. This is nectar for me. So, Arjuna has asked Krishna a question, how can I remember you in this material existence? And while answering that question, Krishna states that, or rather Arjuna states while asking or elaborating on this question, Arjuna states that actually, O Krishna, please cognize that.

Please, I am not in a hurry. Please explain in detail, because when you explain in detail, then my desire for understanding will be satisfied. So, please speak in detail.

And that's what Krishna has requested, that's what Arjuna is requesting, that's what Krishna is going to do eventually. But as of now, the point being made here is that it is Krishna who is being requested by Arjuna to speak the glories in detail. So, that actually, I am never satiated by hearing this.

In the material world, when we hear some things, slowly but surely, after hearing for some time, we get bored, we get tired, we do not feel like hearing anymore, because there is only this much we can hear. Material things actually are quite tiresome. After some time, they lose their charm.

Now, when there is love, and when there is love for one who is attractive, supremely attractive, there is sublime satisfaction in the reciprocation of that love. And that sublime satisfaction, which is being sought, which is being described, which is being reciprocated, Krishna is speaking his glories, Arjuna is hearing those glories, and in the reciprocation, there is sublime satisfaction. And that is what is being described over here.

So, as Krishna and Arjuna speak, the key thing is that both of them are focusing essentially on the same purpose. It is the reciprocation of love between the Lord and the beloved that is happening. And this reciprocation happens through a very intimate exchange.

At an our condition stage, quite often, when Krishna's glories are spoken, we may find it difficult to relish those glories, may feel, oh, why are the same things being spoken again and again and again. But we should know that, actually, the important thing is that we, as spiritual beings, need a higher happiness in life. And the way to get this higher happiness is through purification.

So, even if we don't, at present, relish the sweetness of Krishna bhakti, even if we at present don't find great joy in the process of devotion, still, if we just keep practicing bhakti, by that practice, by that sustained contact with Krishna, we will gradually go below the surface and start relishing bhakti more and more. And it is that relish which Krishna is offering us in this particular process. In this particular section of the Gita, Krishna is going to offer us sublime joy.

It is stated in the Bhagavatam that, that actually, in this world, there are different people who see things differently, and not everyone is able to appreciate things in the same way, which is understandable. Although it's understandable, that's not necessarily mean that it is desirable, because there is an objective reality, and we all need to recognize that objective reality and strive to harmonize our own vision of things with that objective reality. To the extent we can harmonize our vision with that objective reality, to that extent, we will be able to gain real happiness.

So now, what as sadhakas, we need to recognize is that we cannot simply wish away whatever is happening in this world. What we need to do is strive to take care of things to the best of our capacity using our intelligence. And as we keep doing so, as we take care of things to the best of our intelligence, we keep moving closer to Krishna through that, because we do this in a mood of service.

And just as we take care of our material possessions, similarly, we also take care of our supreme possession of devotion. It is ultimately Krishna who has given us devotion. It is Krishna who has given us everything that we have.

And even the taste that we get in bhakti is also a gift coming from Krishna. And here, Arjuna, after he has become enlightened about Krishna's glories, Arjuna is actually demonstrating what Krishna has talked about in the chatushloki a few minutes, a few verses earlier. Krishna stated in 10.9 that actually, those who are his devotees, that they constantly relish his glories.

And Krishna is talking about those glories in a way that people can appreciate. And he is, as the Bhagavatam verse quoted that, that actually, those who are already purified, for them, they can easily and readily relish relish the joy of bhakti. And for those who are not yet purified, they can move onwards progressively towards relishing the bhakti.

What they may not relish right now, they will relish over time as they keep getting purified, as they keep moving onwards. So for them, the process of bhakti may not be tasteful right now, but even if it is not tasteful, it is still fruitful in terms of being purifying. It is like a medicine for them.

So, if we consider the fruit of bhakti only in terms of taste, then sometimes we may feel that bhakti is not fruitful, but we understand the fruit in terms of purification. Then we understand that irrespective of how we feel, bhakti is always purifying. And as we keep practicing bhakti more and more, the purification becomes more and more.

As the increasing taste, and with that increasing taste, our life becomes eternally joyful,.