Gita Overview Mumbai 18.40-53 Rising to the brahman platform through devotionalized karma yoga within varnashrama

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
We have completed more or less the section on the jnana of a karma yogi. So, now we move forward to the next section which is progressing from karma yoga to bhakti yoga. So, that is essentially what is Krishna doing in this chapter? He is summarising the whole Bhagwat Gita while also introducing some additional concepts.
So, when he is introducing additional concepts he is giving us basically a more refined understanding of what he had taught earlier. So, with respect to talking about the jnana of a karma yogi he analyses in three modes. After analysing in the three modes he moves forward and explains the karma karta the jnana karma karta and then dhruti buddhi and sukha.
After completing this, now Krishna will talk about how the three modes bind everyone and the way to come out of this bondage of the three modes is by following scripture and worshipping the supreme lord and that is done through varanasi. So, the next theme is what? First is scriptures bind everyone and the way to come out of this bondage is through scriptures and what do scriptures prescribe for coming out of bondage that is varanasi. So, let’s look at this.
So, that whether it is the adjective of the three. So, neither in the earth, nor the heavens, there is anyone who is free from this bondage of three modes. It means existence.
So, that is born of nobody is free from it. So, muktam is liberated, but that muktam is to be compelled with no. So, nobody is liberated.
These three gunas. So, the purpose of talking this is to emphasise that actually the process that is going to be given later on is inescapable. Nobody can say that I don’t need it.
Because everybody is bound. So, everybody will need to follow the process to become liberated. The implication for Arjuna in the context is that Arjuna, you are bound as a Kshatriya to some extent by the mode of Rajoguna and by suddenly giving up violence and taking up the duty of a Brahmana by going to the forest and becoming a renunciate, you cannot become free from the bondage of the gunas.
You have to follow the prescribed Balarama. So, that is the contextual implication of this verse. Krishna is talking about broad principles and everybody is bound.
Then he will describe how the scriptures prescribe duties for different people according to their modes. Brahmana Kshatriya Visham, Brahmana Kshatriya Visham, Shudranam Chaparantapa, Shudranam Chaparantapa, Karmani Pravibhaktani, Karmani Pravibhaktani, Swabhava Prabhavair Gunai, Swabhava Prabhavair Gunai. So, Visham here is used as adjective for Vaishya.
So, it’s not poison. Just a few verses ago, Visham was referred to as poison. Visham is an adjective for Vaishya.
And these four, Shudranam, Chaparantapa, they are Swabhava, Pravibhaktani, Swabhava, Swabhava, Pravibhaktani, Swabhava, Pravibhaktani, for the four varanahs according to Swabhava. And by that karma, they can gradually become liberated. That will be described now after this.
Swabhava, Prabhavair, Gunai. So, what are their what are their gunas that are born of their sabha that have been described over here. So first the brahmanas.
Shamo dama sthapah saucham, dama sthapah saucham, shanti raarja vamevacham, shanti raarja vamevacham, jnanam vijnanam astikyam, jnanam vijnanam astikyam, brahma karma svabhavajam, brahma karma svabhavajam. So shama is peaceful, is control of the mind. When the mind is controlled one is peaceful.
But there are times when the mind will inevitably become agitated. So when the mind becomes agitated, at least don’t let the senses get agitated. That is dhamma.
So the recommended is shama, as far as possible we keep our mind itself peaceful. Then there is no problem. But sometimes this part of somehow something happens and the mind gets agitated, then at least don’t let, don’t act on a sensual level.
So shama, dhamma. And to actually do shama and dhamma, one needs sthapah. So in a sense there is a progression in all this.
So actually there is a capacity of the determination of the willingness to do austerity is what makes shama and dhamma possible. And austerity is possible that requires saucham. If I live in a asuchi environment, I will become contaminated physically, mentally and I will not be able to practise dhamma, I will not be able to practise shama dhamma.
And I want shuchi, but it is also possible that the world around me will not be shuchi. Now I want to maintain purity, but there are so many impure things around me in the world. So I can’t get agitated, I have to tolerate it, tolerance, shantir.
Shantir is the idea that okay, this is the way it is, I can’t change it right now, let me tolerate. So this tolerance, generally speaking, the way we devotees use the word tolerance is different from the way the word tolerance is used in secular circles. In secular circles, the word tolerance is generally used to refer to religious tolerance.
That means different people have different religions and we should tolerate other people’s religions. That is the general sense in which people will use tolerance. The idea is, or it may be used in the sense that, generally the idea of tolerance is connoted with something which would be disagreeable for us, but we have to tolerate it.
Other people have different opinions, but you have to tolerate their opinions. So actually, the whole idea of religious tolerance is itself not exactly a Vedic idea. Vedic idea is not religious tolerance, it is actually religious acceptance.
There are various pasts that are acknowledged, they are all respected, it’s not that all of them are respected equally, there is a hierarchy. But we recognise all other pasts. The very word tolerance implies some kind of nuisance value.
I am a kid, troublesome, just tolerate it. So it’s like that, that is tolerance. But generally when we use it, like Prabhupada used to say, In 5.23 he says, So generally when we use it, often we use it in terms of something which may even be seemingly pleasurable.
It’s pleasurable, but we know that we should not succumb to it. So we use the word tolerance as compared to, when there is indulgence, when there is indulgence and gratification, one should not indulge, that’s tolerance. So here Krishna is talking about Shantir in terms of the tolerance towards the world and its features that may disturb the Shuchi of a person.
So this tolerance, it is not necessarily referring to the idea of religious tolerance that people talk about. Although a Brahmana also is broad-minded and Arjavam, as you know is related to the word, or it is from the same root from which Arjuna comes, it is honesty, straightforwardness. And then Gyanam Vigyanam Astikyam.
So all these qualities have to be based on scripture. So one has knowledge of scripture, one has realisation of scripture and one has faith in scripture. Generally in today’s world, the word astik and nastik are used to refer to belief in God.
But in traditional circles, it was used to refer to belief in scripture. So it is now, one very striking point of these characteristics is, Bhakti is not mentioned in the characteristics of Brahmana. Why? Because here, Swabhava Prakritir Gunai, the previous verse said, they are qualities that are born of material nature.
So Bhakti is not a quality born of material nature. This section is talking, later on, after Krishna completes the description of the qualities of all the four varnas, then he will tell, Svakarmanatam abhyarcha siddhanvindati varnam. Okay, these are the qualities, the karma that you should do, but by these, worship the Supreme Lord.
So, Bhakti is not a quality born of material nature. That is the first point. And second point is, that it is entirely possible that there can be Brahmanas who do not have Bhakti also.
So, the classic example could be Shukracharya. Shukracharya went, he knew that this Vishnu, but still he went against the purpose of the Lord. Even the Rakshasas have their Brahmanas.
Ravana had his Brahmanas, who were called Yatudhanas. And they were doing Yajnas for him, so that he would win against Lord Ram. So, the point here, again there are, for example, many scriptures say that, Vipraat vishyata guna yuta dharvindanabha, padaraginda vimukha, swapacham varishtu.
So, Prahlad Maharaj is praying that, if a Vipra has all the gunas of Vipra, but if that Brahmana does not have Bhakti, then a Swapacha who has Bhakti is better than such a Vipra. Now, this was, in one sense, glorifies Bhakti by saying how it makes even Swapacha higher than a Brahmana. Swapacha is a dog-eater.
But, the important point is, Prahlad Maharaj is also acknowledging the possibility that there can be a Brahmana with Brahminical qualities, but without Bhakti. That means, Bhakti in and of itself is not a Brahminical quality. And the same point is reinforced over here.
Bhakti is a quality that is obtained by the grace of the Supreme Lord coming through His devotees, and it is a spiritual quality. So, Brahmanas are, sometimes they are referred to as spiritual intellectuals. But, not all Brahmanas are necessarily spiritual intellectuals.
They are basically intellectuals. Materialistic intellectuals can also have some Brahminical qualities. Not all Brahminical qualities.
They may not have astikhyam, they may not have faith in scriptures, but they may also have some level of sense control. They may also have some level of tolerance. So, when Krishna talks here about these qualities, he is talking in terms of sabhava-prakrtair guni.
And, among these qualities, as devotees, Krishnadevaraya Prabhupada wanted especially those who are in the renounced order to come towards the Brahminical level. And, these are qualities which we all can try to describe. And, when Krishnadevaraya Prabhupada was asked about implementing Varanashram, turn on the fan.
When he was asked about implementing Varanashram, Krishnadevaraya Prabhupada asked, how do we inspire, for example, we have children in the Gurukul. Then, what is the objective of that education? Prabhupada said, this is the objective. We should be able to develop these qualities.
Then devotees asked, how do we develop these qualities? How can we inspire the children to develop these qualities? You can ensure that they have knowledge in physics and chemistry and maths. And, you can even ensure that they study Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavatam. But, how can we ensure that they develop these qualities? Krishnadevaraya Prabhupada said, that will be the living examples.
So, they have to have teachers. They have to have a culture where they see these qualities in action. And, then they will develop these qualities.
If they don’t see that, then they will not develop the qualities. So, how do all these verses not have purports? Or, here the purports are not coming? Okay, fine. Now, Shama and Dama just… I have discussed this example in my Shobhichit class.
But, this is the only one to understand it. The idea is that, imagine there is a… There is a room. And, it’s a closed room with one door to the room.
And, we know that there is a thief outside the door. There is a thief outside the door. And, if we open the door, thief is going to come in and I have got inside that room a very precious jewel.
So, I don’t want to lose that jewel. So, what will I do? I will lock it, hold it, latch it and never open it. That’s what I mean.
So, actually this is similar to the situation. We are souls and the room is our consciousness. In the consciousness, we have got Krishna.
And, just outside the door is Maya. All the worldly temptations are there. And, in the soul, the door to the soul is the mind.
Actually, all the consciousness of the soul is rooted in the soul to the mind. So, if we let the mind go towards Maya, then we just open the door. Maya will immediately come.
So, the first quality Shama means control the mind. That means don’t let the mind go in that direction. Close the door and never open it.
But, assume that somehow, by some mistake, I leave the door open. What will happen then? Immediately, bang! Thief is waiting. Bang on the door and try to barge in.
So, as he starts barging in, what will I do? Oh, please come. You want the jewel? Please take it and go. No.
Then what will I do? I will bang on the door from inside and try to shut it. Then I will have to fight. Fight and try to keep the thief out.
So, that fighting is Dhamma. That means, sometimes, the best is that we don’t allow the desires to enter the mind. But, if somehow the desires enter the mind, it doesn’t mean that I have to succumb to those desires.
Even when the desires enter the mind, I can beat them out. I can fight out those desires. So, that is Dhamma.
The best is, actually if I can avoid the desires coming in the mind, I can save myself a lot of agitation. But, it may be possible that somehow the desires come, then we have to beat it out. It’s not that, just because desires have come, that means I have to succumb to those desires.
No. It’s just like, just because a thief has come to the house, doesn’t mean that I have to be robbed. I have strength that I can fight and beat the thief out.
And especially, we have the holy name of Krishna. We have the remembrance of Krishna, which is a very powerful weapon by which we can beat out the thief. It’s like a powerful club.
Beat the thief and drive it out. So, Shama and Dhamma refer to these two aspects of keeping oneself under control. So, Prabhupada explains in the first canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, that a primary characteristic of a Kshatriya, of a Brahmana, is self-control.
It’s a very important characteristic. Without that, one cannot be a true Brahmin. It’s not that just self-control makes a person into a Brahmin, but it’s a very important characteristic.
Now, Brahma-karma-sabhavajam. So, it’s interesting how Krishna uses that. He is saying that these are the karma of a Brahmin.
It’s very interesting. Normally, we would think of karma in terms of yajan, yajan, pathan, pathan, rana, parikrama. That is, study of scriptures, teaching of scriptures, performing of yajna, performing yajna verses and helping others perform yajna.
And then receiving charity and doing charity. So, actually, in a sense, the primary work of a Brahmana is not that. The primary work of a Brahmana is the development of qualities.
The real work of a Brahmana is a very serious hard work. But that hard work is within. A Kshudra does a lot of hard work, but it is external.
A Kshudra may lift, like a coolie lifts big loads. And the lower in the varna scale that a person is, the more is the physical work that they are doing. But the higher is, actually, when the desires come and to curb the desires, to realign the mind according to scriptures, it requires hard work.
So, that is the work that a Brahmana primarily has to do. So, that’s why Brahma-karma-sabhavajam. These are qualities.
So, by the karma of a Brahmana, by the sabhava of a Brahmana, the Brahmana’s primary karma is the development of these qualities. And what we call as karma-yajna-yajna-pathan-pathan-lal-parigraha, they are the means by which the Brahmana will develop these qualities. Now, after describing this, Krishna will describe the Kshatriya’s qualities.
sauryam te chodrte daksham yudhye chaapya palayanam dhanam ishvara bhavasya shatram karma-sabhavajam So, saurya is what? Noise. shurta, yurta, courage. Courageousness especially expressed in heroic activities.
sauryam, tejo, pulgence of power. So, this determination refers to facing obstacles and overcoming them. We see this characterised in Guru Maharaja also.
Daksham. Daksham is resourcefulness. So, Kshatriya, when the Kshatriya has to fight, Kshatriya has to fight.
Just as a devotee, yena kena prakaras he will think of Krishna. Kshatriya will find out what are the means I can fight. How can I defend him? If this doesn’t work, let me use this.
If this doesn’t work, let me use this. So, resourcefulness. He has to mobilise resources and get things done.
And this is such an important characteristic that Krishna emphasises a separate quality. yudhye chaapya palayanam The Kshatriya should not flee from the battlefield. The idea is that when the Kshatriya goes, the Kshatriya either goes to win or he goes to hell.
That is the mood in which the Kshatriya goes to battle. And that determination, that courage, that heroism enables the Kshatriya to fulfil the duties of a Brahmin. In the Vedic culture, the Kshatriyas were allowed to have polygamy.
They were allowed to have many wives. The reason for that is because the Kshatriyas are heavily in the mode of passion, then that passion means expression. The Kshatriyas were allowed to have many wives but they were also made responsible for it.
So, sometimes people just look at one side of Kshatriya activity or they are enjoying it many things. But yudhye chaapya palayanam. How many Kshatriyas are ready to do that today? Today, Kshatriyas, instead of yudhye chaapya palayanam, actually they don’t go on the yudha bhool.
By Kshatriyas, I refer to the Prime Minister and the President. Actually, the only thing that they do is surround themselves with hundreds and hundreds of bodyguards. It’s a huge amount.
Yudhye chaapya palayanam. And dana is Ishwara bhava. So, it’s interesting that dana is charity of course.
When a Kshatriya was almost anti-devotional, Karna also had the quality of charity. But Ishwara bhava is a quality. And Krishna doesn’t refer to this quality in a critical sense.
Generally, we say we should not have the mentality of being a controller. We say it is the controlling mentality, the enjoying mentality that has got us to the material world. But Krishna says that this is the quality of a Kshatriya.
And if we look at the other qualities, all the other qualities are referred to more or less in a positive sense. So, in that same breadth, where all the other qualities are referred to in a laudatory sense, Ishwara bhava is also referred to. So, is Krishna recommending Ishwara bhava? Does Krishna want us to be independent controllers? Actually, it’s not a matter of wanting or not wanting.
It’s just automatic nature. See, it’s not that a Kshatriya wants to be intellectual. Kshatriya will automatically be intellectual.
So, the idea is, in this world, there will be different people who have different natures. Some people will have the controlling mentality. Of course, everybody has a controlling mentality.
But here, Ishwara bhava specifically refers to the idea of managing, controlling and guiding others. So, remember earlier I said, Brahmana deals in ideas. Brahmana takes care of ideas.
Kshatriya takes care of people. Vaishya takes care of animals. And Shudra takes care of things.
So, ultimately, in this world, there has to be some control. Krishna has a transcendental controller. But on behalf of Krishna, somebody has to control.
So, for example, we could say that sex is an activity that is materialistic. Somebody can say it is also sinful. But then, sex is an activity through which the male and the female become co-creators with God.
Ultimately, God is the creator, God is the maintainer, God is the destroyer. But in this world, somebody has to take up that responsibility. So, the male and the female, through copulation, they become creators.
Similarly, when the child is growing up, it is important that the mother and the father take care of the child. Otherwise, the child will not be able to do it. So, at that time, the parents become the maintainers.
So, it’s not wrong to become the controller of the maintenance. What is wrong is to do this disconnecting with God. So, the whole principle is not that you have to give up sex.
No. Dharma aviruddho bhuteshu kamo sundardarshi. So, the idea is, when this is done along with dharma, then that is not bad.
Somebody has to be the controller in this world, somebody has to be the creator in this world, somebody has to be the maintainer. But those who are doing that role, if they are devoted to God or at least devoted to dharma, dharma ultimately culminates in God. Then, whatever they do will be a part of the plan of the world.
Will take them closer to God and take others closer to God. So, Ishwara bhava, the desire to say delegate, coordinate, manage and get people to do things, that is a natural attribute of Kshatriya. And what should the Kshatriya do? Kshatriya should… Krishna doesn’t talk about spiritualising any of these qualities, right? He just describes the qualities and he’ll talk about spiritualising them later.
So, in this way, Ishwara bhava is the natural result of a Kshatriya orientation. Now Krishna will talk about the Vaishyas. Hrishikorakshavanujam Hrishikorakshavanujam Vaishyakarmasvabhavajam Vaishyakarmasvabhavajam Haricharyatmakamkarma Shudrasyaapisvabhavajam Shudrasyaapisvabhavajam So, he combines Vaishyas and Shudras.
Three qualities, Kushi, Goraksha. So, agriculture, protection of cows and Vaani, business. So, in the Gopal Champu, G. Goswami of course explains that actually among these three, the best Kshatriyas are those who do Goraksha.
The second best are those who do Kushi. And third are those who do Vaani. Today actually it’s opposite.
Isn’t it? Those who do business. Somebody says, what are you doing? I am a farmer. What are you doing? I am a businessman.
People, what has happened is the traditional hierarchy has all got reversed. But why are those who do cow protectors and farmers considered highest? Because actually they are producing the necessities of life by interacting with each other. And the businessmen are basically exchanging.
So, they are dependent on those who are producers. Businessmen are basically exchangers. Exchanging through bartering or other means of exchange.
But exchange is possible only when there is something to exchange. And that thing to exchange is produced by cow production and farmer. So, significantly many Bhagavad Gita translators translate Goraksha as cattle rearing.
Prabhupada said no, it is cow rearing. Often the cattle rearing is done so that the cattle can eventually be slaughtered. They can be used for meat.
So, Krishna has a very specific word. He is using Goraksha. So, generally a businessman has the propensity to become greedy.
Because Kshatriya, Vaishya wants money. And whatever the Kshatriya, Vaishya does, Vaishya wants to exploit more and more and more and get more and more and more money. So, as long as it is in the presence of Dharma, that money making mentality is not condemned.
Although this is reminded again and again that ultimately don’t be like a honey bee accumulating a lot of honey which will be taken away from you. That sort of mandate is there in the scriptures. But within the occupation of businessmen, the idea is that protecting a cow throughout its life may not always be financially productive.
Of course, it was analysed carefully. Even the waste products of the cow are also, they have a financial use. And according to many of the people who are involved in cow protection, they say that if the economy is in such a way that the products of a cow are utilised, then even if a cow gives zero milk, still maintaining the cow is not just viable, it is also profitable.
But if the economy is not arranged in that way, if people don’t want cow dung for making fuel, people are not ready to take medicines made of cow urine, then the cow may not seem productive. But even in such a case, normally a businessman, if a venture is not productive, he wants to shelter the business, restart some other business. But Go-Raksha indicates that whether the cow is productive or not productive, the duty is to protect it.
So here, by this an ethos of selflessness is created. That yes, there are certain things which will give me results, but the idea is that I am not doing them just to get the money. Go-Raksha is, whether I get the results or not, still it is my duty to protect the cows.
Shri Prabhupada would give an example that a cow is like a mother. A mother may or may not be able to help in the house, as she becomes old and her body ages. But then the child will protect the mother.
Similarly, the cow, mother cow has to be protected. And then Krishna does not define the Shudra’s activities specifically. This is Paricharya Atmakam.
So Paricharya, where does the word Paricharya come from? Famous words. Anyway, it basically means service. So Paricharya Atmakam, Krishna does not define their activities.
Service means assisting the other ones in whatever they are doing. That is the Karma of Shudra. Shudrasyaapi Svabhavajam.
All these qualities are Svabhavajam. They are naturally born of their orientations. This is not a discriminatory system because it is natural that certain people will have certain qualities.
Now after describing the qualities of all these, then Krishna will talk about the spiritualization. Now you see a subtle progression. For the Brahmana and Kshatriya, what was described was their qualities.
Whereas for Shamo, Dhamma, Kirti, Aksha, they are like qualities. But for the Vaishyas and Shudras, what are described are activities. Because at their level, if they just do the activities, they will leave whatever qualities are there, that’s all.
So just do service. For example, earlier in the 16th chapter, it was said, na adroho na timanita. Don’t expect too much respect.
So Acharya explained that is the quality of the divine nature in the 16th chapter. And this is a characteristic which especially applies to the Shudras. They may feel that we are not respected as much as the other Varanas, but no, he said, na timanita.
There the qualities are described. But here the primary is, they should just keep serving others. So this is not discriminatory because that is the way we can best orient our lives.
There are many cases where parents work very hard and make a big fortune and they give inheritance to their children. But then the children when they get the money, they are so immature that they may get a million dollars and they just splurge it in a year and they become poppers in the street in a year. And they just don’t know how to manage money.
So Shudras, because they have uncontrolled sins, they cannot manage. So now actually, in many cases, when the parents give inheritance, they put a clause in the inheritance that I am putting this money in a fixed deposit and even my children for whom the money is meant, they can’t take it. They can get only this much money per year, this much money per year.
And many times the children, after the parents pass away, they go into a court and they try to say that my father made this will. He was imbecile, he was insane. And this will is not valid.
So the parents have to do that because so many people just don’t know how to manage finances. So for such people, to give them money is just to make life worse for them. Because when they get money, you misuse it for all kinds of sinful activities.
And not only that, they will not protect it from their future users. That’s why Paricharya Aatmakam. They do service and they are provided for the necessities.
So now Krishna will describe, these are material activities, but how they will, the whole theme was, they are bound by vows and they will become free. So how will this lead to freedom from the vows, that Krishna will describe. तः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छुनू। So, तच्छुनू, please hear.
This was the word that had come in, 7.1 also. मन्यासत्मनः पात्वा योगम्युन्दाश्रया असम्शें समज्द्रम्मा यथा ज्यास्तिसी तच्छुनू। There it is, यथा ज्यास्तिसी, here it is यथा विन्दति. So, please hear this.
So, what is he going to hear? स्वे स्वे कर्मन्य भिरतः Okay, do your own duty, but by that, नरह, can attain संसुद्धि, can attain perfection. How is this possible? I am going to say, oh, Kshatriya is killing. Killing? How can somebody get liberated? I will explain.
स्वकर्म निरतः सिद्धिं So, that’s the same point. By being engaged in your duties, I will explain that to you. So, it may seem that this verse is repetitious, but the first is stating the fact, and second is the assurance that I want to explain the fact.
First is the statement of fact. Why you are prescribed duties? By their own prescribed duties, people can attain perfection. Now, how by their prescribed duties, they can attain perfection? That I will describe.
So, Krishna is emphasising that they will attain perfection. So, that’s why the word सिद्धि comes twice. संसुद्धिं and सिद्धिं The idea is Arjuna should not be hesitant that whether by fighting and killing, I will get into conflict.
No. स्वेस्वे कर्मन्यविद्धः सिद्धिं You will attain perfection. Now, Arjuna gets a doubt over here.
But, isn’t it that Okay, that doubt will come later. We will elaborate this thing. How will one attain perfection? I think it’s spelled in this verse.
यतः प्रवृत्तेरिभूंतानां येन सर्वमिदंततं येन सर्वमिदंततं स्वकर्मणातमः स्वकर्मणातमः सिद्धिं बिन्दति मानवः सिद्धिं बिन्दति मानवः So, यतः प्रवृत्तेरिभूंतानां यतः That, यतः यतः means from where from whom or from where यतः प्रवृत्तेरिभूंतानां All the living entities have come and by whom everything is provided येन सर्वमिदंततं So, svakarmana tam abhyarcha. This is the nearest that the Bhagavad Gita comes to the common slogan, work is worship. There is no such statement, work is worship in the Bhagavad Gita.
The karmanyavadhika raste doesn’t talk about work is worship. All that is off. And if you see, is this verse saying work is worship? No, it is saying svakarmana tam abhyarcha.
The translation is, by your work, worship. It is not that work automatically is worship. By your work, worship.
So, the Bhagavad Gita is very clear. Yes, these are the words of Ramana Chakriya Vashishudra, if you look at the previous verses. And it says, by doing this one can attain perfection.
But how this is looking? It is only when this work is done to worship the Supreme Lord, then it will lead to liberation. So, if you look at the whole context, this line is very, very critical. Svakarmana tam abhyarcha.
By your work, worship. Then you will attain perfection. Vindatimana.
Now, who is that Tama? That is the Supreme Lord. Krishna is not talking about here in the bhakti sense. When Krishna talks about bhakti, then he refers to himself in the first person.
But when he is talking about karma, when he is talking about jnana, when he is talking about yoga, when he is talking about philosophy, often he doesn’t refer to himself in the first person. Arjuna knows that the Tama Supreme Lord is me only. But because he is not talking directly in terms of relationships with the people who are there, because they don’t have a relationship with him in the bhakti.
So, he refers to himself in the third person. So, our Acharya describes that sometimes, it is Krishna’s reference to himself in the third person refers to the fact that in this case, it is a super soul that is in there. It’s a super soul is slightly different from Krishna.
So, that Tama is from whom everything comes and by whom everything is done. So, what is the significance of these two? Actually, if a son has come from the father, then the son naturally is obliged to the father. And the son has not only come from the father, but the son is also being maintained by the father.
Then the obligation My father has given birth to me and my father is maintaining and it’s natural for me to serve. So, the first part, this 46a reminds us that all of us come from that absence. So, we are just as the children have a duty to serve the parents, we have a duty to serve the Supreme Lord.
And that service is through worship. So, not only is he creating us, but he’s not only has he created, but he’s also maintaining us. So, everything that is there in the world is pervaded by him, is sustained by him.
So, it is in this world that we get our necessities, that we fulfil our desires. So, ultimately, the arrangement by which we fulfil our desires is made by him. And that’s why it’s important for us to worship.
It’s our duty. So, Yena Sarvamitam Tattam was elaborated in the 15th chapter from 15.12 to 14. And Krishna says how I am the earth, I am sustaining the earth, I am giving the light right through the sun, moon and the fire, I am the digestive fire, I make the vegetables juicy through the moon.
So, Krishna is actually Yena Sarvamitam Tattam, he is maintaining everything. So, this verse basically talks about, it’s slightly indirect, but it’s referring to the absolute truth as the source and the maintainer. So, it’s like a parent-child relationship, and we have to worship it.
And Siddhim Manvil, same verse, same word, Siddhim, one will attain perfection by this. Now, at this point, Arjuna gets the question, but okay, I attain perfection by worshipping the Supreme Lord, but we know, yes, I may go home and I may do some yajna, that will be worship. Or I can go to the forest and if I meditate, that may be a form of worship.
But here on the battlefield, if I fight, I am not worshipping Him. So, how will it lead to perfection? He says no. If there is a prescribed duty, it is a prescribed duty.
And even if in the prescribed duty there is some fault, that fault doesn’t matter. That fault needs to be overcome. That’s what Krishna describes in the Bhagavad Gita.
So, here he repeats the same what we talked about in 3.35. The line is almost the same. There it was Shreyasadharmovana, Paradharmasanushitaad, Swadharme Nidhanam Shreya, Paradharmo Bhayaava. That was the verse over there.
But the whole point there and here is, it is better to do your duty and be destroyed. Because while doing your duty, you are getting purified. You are making spiritual advancement.
Even if there is some difficulty in it. The emphasis on doing one’s duty is so important. Swabhava Niyatam Karam.
If you are doing your duty, Purvan Na Aapnavati Kailash. One doesn’t get contaminated. I will illustrate this, how one doesn’t get contaminated.
Krishna says how? Contaminations don’t matter when there is the performance of the activities for the sake of Dharma. He used the example of a fire over. Dhume Na.
So, Sahajam Karma Kaunteya. Sadosham Apinatya Jet. Sarvarambhahi Doshina.
Dhume Na Agniriva Aavritaha. Dhume Na Agniriva Aavritaha. So, Iva Aavritaha.
As is covered. Dhume Na Agni. So, this says fire is covered by smoke.
Similarly, all endeavours are covered by faults. Along with the karma, the faults are born. So, you can’t avoid it.
So, in this verse, the Bhagavad Gita reveals itself that it is not utopian. It is not artificially idealistic. It recognises that there are flaws in this world and those flaws will aspire, will affect even those who are practising.
But because they are adhering to Dharma, they will not be affected by those faults. So, Prabhupada is the example of, we have discussed the examples earlier also. Brahman having to kill animals and Kshatriya having to kill people.
These are Sadosham Karmakondi. Sadosham Apinatya Jeti. Even if the fault is there, don’t give it up.
Continue it on. Then after describing this, reassuring Arjuna, please keep quiet. After that, he will now start talking about going on to Jnana Yoga.
So, here Krishna has talked about do your activity and by doing your activity, do it in such a way it becomes worship of the Supreme Lord. After that, he said, then the Karma Yogi should renounce the world and practise guilt. Later on, he will say, actually this is not required.
You can directly start practising Bhakti wherever you want. But here Krishna gives a progression. Normally, there is Karma Yoga.
After that, there is Jnana Yoga. And after that, there is either Bhoksha or one comes to Bhakti. So, this is the only place in the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna would use some aspect of Jnana Sadhana.
When a person has to practise Jnana Yoga, what is that person supposed to do? That we shall describe in this section in the next few verses. So, again, one who takes Sanyasa, what should be the qualities of the person? One should be detached from everything. One should have come to the platform more or less one way.
One has controlled the mind, controlled the desires. And one is giving up the state of. So, here Krishna is basically describing the Jnana Sadhana.
And it is by this state of consciousness, one will attain Siddhim Paramahamsa. The perfect goal one will attain. And we will describe further these characteristics.
Any questions about this till now? So, Yatha, Yatha means as that. So, how that Siddhi is obtained, I will describe, I will describe. Samasa means in summary.
When one has attained to the stage of knowledge. We will describe some qualities. As I said, description of Jnana Sadhana.
When a person has taken Sanyasa, how should a person be? Yatha Vakkaya Manasa Shanta So, where is the verse Brahma Bhuyaya Kalpate come? Well-known verse 14.26 Same point. And there it was described that by practising Bhakti unflinchingly one can come to the board of Brahman. Here Krishna has not, in the 18th chapter, Krishna has not yet directly introduced.
See, when he was talking about Swakarmanatham Abhyartha, that is more like Karma Yoga offered to Krishna. That is not pure devotional service. That is just the beginnings of devotion.
Here Krishna is describing an alternative way by which one can Brahma Bhuyaya Kalpate. You can come to the Brahma Bhuyaya Kalpate. And here when he is describing these qualities, Ahamkaram Palambaram, Kamam Krodham Tisamshita.
This was the characteristic of the demoniac nature. That was 1916.17. And then 1819 describes how they are cast into hell. So, he said that those are those qualities Vimukta.
One has to come to it. One interesting point over here is to Vivittasevi Laghvashi. Vivittasevi is one who lives in seclusion.
So, this was again a quality that was described in the 13th chapter. It was talked about. Aratya Vijnana Samsadhi Vivittadesa Sevi.
So, Aratya Vijnana Samsadhi likes to stay in a secluded place and avoid the social and materialistic people. So, Laghvashi. Ashi means to eat.
Laghu means laghu. So, eat little. So, today morning we were discussing about eating Krishna consciousness.
So, Prabhupada said that, you know, if I had, I would make every day a feast to eat Krishna consciousness. Every day a feast, every day a festival. But then he also said that, that feast is not for devotees, that feast was for visitors.
So, that one time early days of the Saturn Sunday feast. So, the devotees were so enthusiastic to cook. And then after cooking, in the first few days, nobody came only for the Sunday feast.
Very few people came. Devotees don’t mind, we don’t eat. And then afterward, people started coming.
And the devotees started feeling a little, we are not getting so much to eat. So, one time when the Sunday feast prasadam was cooked and it was offered, the devotees started taking prasad before the Sunday feast started. And they were not only taking, they were finishing everything.
And then Kirtanand, he was a cook, he said, don’t be so selfish. The Sunday feast is not for us, it’s for others. And then Prabhupada came and said, no, devotees don’t want to eat so much.
Prabhupada said, you only earlier said you can eat as much as you want. Prabhupada said, yes, the same I who told that, I am telling this now. You said that at that time you followed that instruction or you followed that instruction? Of course, because according to level, they may give different levels of instructions.
So, the idea is that one should not eat too much. Now, what is too much will vary according to the person. That’s what we’ll have to learn.
But in principle, especially when one was renounced, so if you see Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, that’s one of the things he says. You see, in CC, there is this constant tension between the principles of sannyas and the principles of bhakti. Because sannyas essentially means disconnection, disconnection from the world, rejection of the world.
So, we see this tension with respect to eating twice in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s life. Many times, but twice primarily. First is when he takes sannyas and Chanakya guides him to come to Shant Adityacharya’s house.
And then he says, I will take some laffrayam engine, some vegetables which are just barely cooked in water or something like that. He says, I will give you some laffrayam engine. And then he comes and there is a huge feast kept over.
Huge feast. He says, oh, very good that you have cooked this for Jagannath. And now, please give me a little bit.
He says, no, no. Oh, that same person for whom I have cooked, he has to eat it. And then he says, no, sannyasis cannot eat this.
And then he says, actually, Jagannath will eat chappan bhoga every day. He will take this at least once at my house. Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu subordinated the principle of sannyasa over there to the principle of bhakti.
Bhumte bhojayate chaiva. Principle of bhakti is offer food and accept food. So, later on, when Ramachandra Puri comes along and Ramachandra Puri says, oh, sannyasi is eating so much.
I had heard, Ramachandra Puri says, I had heard that the devotees of Lord Chaitanya ate a lot. No, I had not believed it because I thought that they are all disciples of my spiritual, they are all disciples of my God brother. But now when I have seen it with my own eyes, I have to believe it.
So regrettable. And when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu heard this, what did he do? He cut his eating terribly. And he said that I will take very little.
And all the devotees for them, it was like a vajra falling on their head. And then after that, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, I will take, he said, I will not take anything, very little. Devotees begged and pleaded.
And then finally, he said, okay, I will take half of it. And that was also very intolerable. And finally, Ramachandra Puri, when he left, the devotees felt as if there was a stone around their neck that was drowning, that stone has been gone now.
They were still relieved and then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also started eating some juicy. So what is the moral from this? It is, so when senior devotees are around, we should eat less and when they are around, we should eat a lot. Not like that.
The idea is that actually, ultimately, it is anukulyasankalvapratikulya sivajya. That means, if we can, if when we are taking prasadam, we see that as a reciprocation of affection with devotees and that nourishes ours and theirs bhakti, their bhakti, then we can surely take it. But often, when we see delicious prasadam, somebody gives us prasadam, we forget that person and just remember the prasadam.
So what happens is, so if that is happening, then there is no reciprocation of affection or devotion that is there. At least at the level of our consciousness. At that time, it is better that we regulate and take it at fixed times and take in moderate quantities.
But there may be devotees who may be able to reciprocate at that level also and we should not minimise or offend those devotees. They are eating too much. No, their motive is to reciprocate affection with us and it is a important part of Vaishnava culture.
So, we cannot integrate all the aspects of Vaishnava culture immediately. We will have to see what we can integrate by which our bhakti consciousness stays unopened. And so in this, vairagyam samupashyatah, one takes shelter of vairagyam.
And now, just as in the previous time, after talking about Brahma, Bhuvahaya, Kalpata, immediately Krishna clarified and says, brahma brahmanohi pratishtham, brahman is supported by me. Similarly, immediately after describing how one can attain the Brahman platform, Krishna in the next verses will describe how actually higher than this is the bhakti platform. And higher than that is the platform of knowing Bhuvah.
So, we will discuss that tomorrow. Thank you very much.