Gita 18.78 – Spiritual success is sure for the determined chanter

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
18.78 in the Bhagavad Gita. This is the last verse of the Gita and it also, in a literal as well as a non-literal way, conveys its message powerfully. In a literal way, it is an answer to Mr. Ashtar’s question in 1.1, the first verse of the Gita.
What happened? Kima kuruvata sanjayah? So although his specific question was, what happened in the Kurukshetra Vyasa field? His implicit question was, what is going to happen? Who is going to win? So that is answered over here in 18.78 by Sanjay when he is saying that, wherever there is the lord of all mysticism, Krishna, Yatrayogeshwara Krishna, wherever there is Partha, who is now Dhanudhara, wherever there is, there will be victory, there will be eminence, there will be auspiciousness, there will be great strength, there will be morality. And this is my opinion, Sanjay is saying. Now Sanjay’s opinion is not exactly the opinion of a conditioned soul.
He has also become almost like an enlightened soul because he has heard the Gita and not just heard the Gita passively, but heard the Gita actively with an involved and devotional heart. And thereby the fruit of Gita which is devotion to Krishna, attraction to Krishna, ecstasy in relationship with Krishna, that manifested in Sanjay as indicated in 18.76 and 77 when Sanjay is saying, rishyam icha mahrum ho, rishyam icha punah padham. So, Bhagavad Gita essentially demonstrates that the union of the unfailing lord and the unfailing chief devotee is undefeatable.
Because unfailing lord is Yogeshwara, even when materially there are things which would cause anyone to fail, Krishna can work in mysterious ways beyond our all mental conceptions of logic and even conception or imagination, and he can find a way out. That’s why he is Yogeshwara, he is the lord of mysticism and that name is significant. Because Krishna did manifest his yogic powers, for example, when he covered the sun on the 14th day when Arjuna had to reach Jayadratha before sunset, and it seemed almost impossible because all the Kaurava maharathas, all the major maharathas blocked his way.
So, Krishna, for him, nothing is impossible. And he is unfailing in his affection to his devotees, and his devotee Arjuna is unflinching in his determination. The devotees may occasionally flinch, as happened to Arjuna when he put down his bow and decided not to fight, as mentioned in 1.46 in the Gita.
But, once he realized that Krishna has a master plan, and his part, his role in the master plan is to do what Krishna wants him to do, when he started seeing reality from a spiritual perspective, then he understood that it wouldn’t matter whether his relatives died or not, because they would still continue to influence their souls. What is most important is that dharma be established, and more than that, that he remains established in dharma. And also, he, Duryodhana, has a duty to establish dharma in the world.
That’s why the war was waged here. So, when we are trying to practice devotional service, chant Hare Krishna, we also face many adverse circumstances. And to overcome those circumstances, at some level, war is essential.
We don’t want to use fists or weapons or even abusive words for materialistic people. But, at the same time, we have to recognize that there is a war. And that war is not so much with materialistic people as it is with materialistic mentality.
And that is present in us also, as it is present probably in a much more express degree in materialistic people. So, by helping others understand the glory of Krishna, the sweetness of Krishna, the rarity of Krishna, the sublimity of Krishna, the supremacy of Krishna, the reciprocity of Krishna, by understanding all this, we can, if somebody has started going on an impersonal track, and not able to listen to philosophy, that person can also be brought back. And more importantly, not only can a deviant person be brought back, but even a new person can be stabilized.
And a strengthened devotee can be strengthened. And this way, chanting brings about auspiciousness for everyone. Thank you.