Gita Study Mumbai 2012 08.10-8.13 Understanding yoga-mishra bhakti

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
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So like that, the organs are basically the same. There is a heart in the allopathic model and the Ayurvedic model. But certain features are different.
So what he is saying over here? So prana is not just the oxygen which comes in and the carbon dioxide which goes out. It’s not just that air. Prana is actually a subtle system of airs which are associated with the subtle body.
So prana is one of the mechanisms by which the subtle body interacts with the gross body. So therefore, the subtle body goes with the soul to the next body and the prana also. So when a yogi is practising the Ishtanga yoga, there are the five chakras and as the yogi practises it, prana moves upwards, upwards through the chakras.
Let’s have a look at this. This is elaborate. Prana is what? Prana is basically a mixture of vayu, airs.
So is it subtle? Well, vayu is considered to be one of the gross elements. But prana is not exactly vayu. It’s a combination of airs and vayu.
Vayu means subtle or mysterious. That’s why it’s not considered to be just like gross air. It’s subtle.
If prana goes with the subtle body and soul, then what is the relationship? How it interacts with the body? How does prana interact? Because when we take it with the soul, it’s like mind and soul. So what role does prana play in the process of transmigration? As I mentioned, prana plays a role in the interface of the subtle body with the gross body. The prana continues to play that role in the next body also.
So when the soul along with the subtle body enters into the gross body, the interface in that body will happen through the vayu. So we will say that in the Putana pastime, Krishna was sucking the milk from the breasts of Kunti. What was he doing? He actually sucked out the life air.
And when the life air was sucked out, she died. So that’s how prana is important. Normally speaking, if it had to kill a person by choking, it’s not by sucking the breasts.
It’s not. The strangling is done at the neck. If you want to choke a person and stop the air flow, then strangling is done at the neck.
So how was it that Krishna, by sucking the breasts, was able to kill her? So it’s not like the normal air that we get. Normal air from this body doesn’t have to pass the next body. So that body has its own.
Not all living beings even respire the way we mammals respire. Most aquatics respire not through their nose, they have their gills. Their respiratory system is also different.
So prana is not just the simple air that we talk about. It’s a more subtle system that enables the subtle body to interface with So here, there are some interesting figures. I talked about different models.
So here itself you will see from the allopathic point of view itself, you can look at the body in different ways. So if you want to look at the viscera, the internal bodily parts, you can see the right motion. And if you want to focus on the blood vessels and the air circulation system, the same body will do to the cardiovascular system.
And then if you want to focus on how sensations are being spread in the nervous system. So it’s the same body, but you will see the focus will be different. And lastly, if you want to look at the limbs in the body, then again the focus will be different.
So the same person, but depending on what you want to focus, the model of the body will be slightly different. So in allopathy and So now, actually Sankhya and Yoga, Sankhya Yoga are very related. And Sankhya explains that actually the body also has subtle energy that radiate outwards.
So many times if we associate that with very saintly, advanced devotees, then we may feel a sense of peace or a particular sense of vibrations. Some of us may feel it. So that is not just a subjective feeling.
Actually, at a subtle level, every person has a kind of aura that goes around. That aura, now we may see an aura in a simplistic way sometimes in pictures of saintly people we see a halo around their head. That is there in a very graphic way.
But it is not necessary that actually when those saintly people were there, people around them could see the aura. It was not that a gentleman was going or whatever, there is an aura around the head. It is not like that.
Actually, it is a subtle energy. In some cases, it might be seen at the gross vision also. But often it is not.
But every person, the state of consciousness that person gives out a certain set of vibrations. And those vibrations vary according to person to person. That is why, actually speaking, it is a subtle and complex science.
So what we are focussing on over here is how the prana chakra moves upwards. So this is the figure now. So, actually it is described, depending on where the prana chakra has come, then the soul attains a destination accordingly.
So here, you can look at the bottom. Can you see the lens over there? The prana, if it is near the solar plexus, it is the Muladhara chakra. As you can see over here, it is way below the water.
It is below the solar plexus also. Then as it moves upwards, what you will see in the centre, the effulgent figure that is moving upwards, that is the location of the prana. Then, so first we can focus on… So basically, first let’s look at the chakras.
We brought earlier the chakras. At the bottom, we see the Muladhara chakra. Then there is the Swadhishthana chakra.
Then there is Manipura chakra. Is there anything to do with the place called Manipura? Then there is Anahara chakra, then there is Vishuddha chakra, Agnya chakra and Sahasrara chakra. So, now, in this chakra system, actually speaking, gradually the atma moves upwards, upwards, upwards.
So, now according to the level of the chakra, it is indicative of… ok, let me first explain. The chakras themselves, their locations don’t change. The chakras are like power centres in the body.
So one chakra is here, one chakra is here, one chakra is here, like that. Chakras are there. And according to the level of spiritual development of the person, the prana is situated at that chakra.
So in the process of kundalini yoga, the kundalini is basically referring to slowly its energy that rises upwards. And as that energy rises upwards, the location of the prana moves upwards. And as the location of the prana moves upwards, upwards, upwards, now in the case of perfected yogis, it comes and stays in the samsaric chakra.
And the Chandogya Upanishad describes that if the prana is situated, relatively speaking, in the lower part of the body, that means below the chest, then when the soul departs, the soul will depart in the lower bones of the body. And if the soul departs in the lower bones of the body, that is indicating that the soul will go to a lower destination. On the other hand, if the soul is generally in the upper part of the body, in the chest and above, sorry not the soul, the prana is upwards, then actually the soul will depart from one of the upper bones of the body.
And then the soul will go to an upper destination. Now for those yogis who are capable of attaining samadhi, for them, when they depart, actually it is said that they break their skull apart. They have so much concentration that their power is there that they just break the skull apart.
And after breaking the skull apart, they go up. And if they do that, that indicates that they are straight going up to the brahma yogi, to the spiritual level, spiritual sky. Whether it will be a personal level or an impersonal level, that will vary depending on the conception of the person.
So now, we have to understand that the prana and the atma are not exactly the same in terms of their locations. The atma is generally situated in the area of the heart. Now it is not that when a person’s kundalini rises, the atma also rises upwards.
The atma’s location is normally the same. But the prana is like the light air centre of the body. And the light air centre, as the person’s consciousness rises, the light air centre moves upwards, upwards, upwards.
And Krishna is telling over here, he is talking about the perfected yogi. So what should a perfected yogi try to do? bhruvor madhye pranam aveshya sanghya That means one should try to bring the prana to the level of the ajna chakra. The ajna chakra is near the core, bhruvor madhye pranam aveshya sanghya.
And by that, if one can do that, then eventually one will attain liberation. pranam param purusha Upaiti vidyam Yeah? When you see the soul resides, it will be moving around in the heart. Okay.
So now, I had mentioned earlier that the soul resides, the soul bowls around in the region of the heart, and the soul resides in the five auras. Yes, Prabhupada also mentioned the soul resides in the five auras. Yes, that is true.
There is an unresolved dispute about whether the subtle body is localised or is distributed. Different devotees have different opinions, and we don’t have a specific statement. As far as we have discussed, either in Prabhupada’s books or in the Vedic Acharyas, that means that now the earth, water, fire, air, ether, they, are they localised or distributed? Localised means located in one particular place.
Like the super soul is a localised extension. That means localised, Prabhupada doesn’t understand that, is located in one particular place. Whereas the Brahmajyoti is distributed.
So are the gross elements localised or are they distributed? They are distributed. So now, the soul is localised. The soul is situated in the region of the heart, but the soul is intrinsically connected to its energy.
And its energy is consciousness, and consciousness is distributed. So the soul is not only localised. The soul is localised and distributed, both.
So that being the case, what about the subtle elements? The subtle elements, mind, intelligence and ekana, for the sake of depiction, we may show it as the soul is one circle, subtle body is another circle, gross body is another circle. Or we may say there is a, somebody wears a shirt, and there is a person who wears a coat. So the shirt is the subtle body, the coat is the gross body.
But this depiction does not really accurately convey the nature of the constitutive elements in subtle and the gross body. So, just as the subtle body, whether it is localised or distributed, that is unclear. Now what is clear is that it has to have both elements, both aspects to it.
It has to have both aspects means that it actually has to have the aspect of the capacity to link with various parts of the body. For example, we feel emotions associated with say, my tongue, if I bite my tongue it pains. Now, it is not that we say the tongue is pain.
I am feeling the pain. So emotions are normally rooted through the mind. So the mind needs to have some capacity to connect with even the tongue or the other parts of the body.
So, modern science says that the whole mechanism happens through the nervous system. That is how sensations go through the body to the brain. And then what happens in the brain is a mystery.
In the brain, basically, how the picture is formed, for example now, if I look outside and I see a tree. Now, I know that signals are going inside the brain. And then, scientists know today that when I see a tree outside, it is not that there is an image of a tree formed somewhere in some cells of the brain.
Actually, signals are just going to different parts of the brain. But, I see this tree. So, where is this integrated image that we see and who we see, that is a mystery.
That means, the inner screen and the inner seer. Both are a mystery for modern science. Now, we know that the inner screen is the subtle body.
Mind, to be specific. And the inner seer is the soul. But, essentially, for this inner screen to connect with the full body, it has to have a distributed element also.
It cannot be only localised. So, the broad understanding would be that it is localised as well as distributed. So, prana, like that, coming to the specific question that you are asking, prana also has a localised and distributed aspect.
So, when we say that the soul is situated at a particular place, it is floating in the five areas. Now, actually, when we use English words to describe Vedic concepts, now, floating, the word floating doesn’t really convey an accurate idea. What does it mean? Something is floating in water.
So, we say floating in air means it is weightless and it is floating. But, if it is just floating, then why does it need a balance of all the five areas? That’s also a question that comes up. So, essentially, there is some central position of the five areas that is associated with the heart.
And that is a fixed position. But, along with that, there is a variable centre of the five areas. And that is considered to be the location of prana.
So, now, as I told earlier that the words are often multi-valued. So, now the word prana, we know it is one of the five vows. Prana, paan, jnan, saman, udana.
So, prana can refer to one of the five vows. Prana can also refer to all the five vows together. Isn’t it? All the five vows together is called a prana vowel.
When Krishna touched the circle of life there, he did not touch this prana and leave paan, jnan, saman, udana. Actually, he touched all of them. So, prana can refer to all of them.
So, therefore, the word prana can have these two meanings. Additionally, it can also refer to a specific centre. So, now, if the word prana is referring to the fixed centre, that is in the region of the heart.
But, generally, in the process of yoga, it refers to the variable centre. It refers to the variable centre. And the variable centre is the location.
Is that clear? How do we understand that these five vows are subtle? When we say they are coming in and going out, they seem to be gross. They have gross functions. They have gross modes of functioning.
And they have gross effects on the body. But, they in themselves, now when I am using the word subtle, I am not necessarily using it in a technical sense. Technical sense means that they have a gross body and a subtle body.
So, now, how exactly do we define subtle? We have actually seen things, but we have not given a specific definition of subtle. If we say subtle is invisible, then even ether is invisible. But, we consider ether to be gross.
And, actually speaking, ether, we cannot perceive it practically by any of our senses. The only way we can perceive the existence of ether is that it allows for the transmission of sound. So, in one sense, the fundamental differentiation between subtle and gross elements is not by their capacity of, not by the capacity of their perceptibility, not by whether we can perceive them or not.
It is by what are their components. That means something comprises of earth, water, fire, air, etc. Then we call it gross.
And something comprises of fine means, then we call it subtle. Apart from that, we also use the word subtle in a non-technical sense. Non-technical sense means something which is difficult to understand, a subtle point.
So, this is a subtle point, it is not that the point is made of mind, intelligence, or possible. Isn’t it? When you are saying that, what we mean at that time is, this is a point which requires deep thought for understanding. So, the word subtle can be used in a technical sense or a non-technical sense.
So, now, when I am using the word subtle, subtle I am not using it in a technical sense to say that the prana is made of mind, intelligence, or possible. No, I am not saying that. The prana, when I am using the word subtle, I am just saying that we cannot equate the prana with air as we know it.
Its functions are more specific and sophisticated. So, that’s why the idea, certainly it will have gross effects. It talks about lateral movement, upward movement, upward-downward movement, that is fine.
And there are gross effects of these areas. Now, air as a technical component belongs to the gross elements. But, from the point of view of general understanding, this is not the air that we normally talk about.
Its mode of functioning and its effects and its connections with the subtle mode in the soul are of an order that we cannot easily comprehend. So, here, subtle refers to a non-technical sense of being more complex and sophisticated. Is it clear? So, let us move forward.
So, now basically, So, bring the prana in the area of the eyebrows and then one can attain the supreme destination. So, here, on this side, it describes the chakras and on that side, correspondingly, are the lokas. Lokas is the personality.
Yes, a lot happens when a devotee leaves the body. Krishna tells in the Bhagavad Gita at the end of this chapter itself, नईते सुति पार्थ जानन लोगी मुहियति कश्चन तस्मात सर्वेशु कालेशु लोग युपतो भाव आर्जुन He says, नाईते सुति पार्थ जानन He says, Arjuna, you don’t have to be complimented by these things. Whether you leave at the time of day or you leave at the time of night.
Just be engaged in yoga and you will come back to it. So, for devotees, you don’t have to bother about these things. But, because Vishuddhita Amma led a life which seemed to be like a Karmakandya life.
In Mahabharata, it is called as a Karmakandya life. Vishuddhita Amma’s pure devotion is hinted at and expressed on a few occasions in the Mahabharata. But the way it is emphasised in the Bhagavatam, it is not like that in the Mahabharata.
So, Vishuddhita Amma also made it for a favourable time to depart from the world. But that was just to illustrate how a devotee is not deprived of the results that one gets from yoga. So, some devotees may be given a particular inspiration by the Bhagavatam.
So, this chapter will conclude by the declaration that Vishwadeva’s life demonstrates that if one practises bhakti, one will get all the results of Adalpath and one will get the eternal abode also. Vedic, Vedic, the path has to change a lot. So, that’s how it is.
On the other hand, we see that who was Ramacharya’s teacher who said that I don’t want to depart in a holy abode. So, Kureshwana, Mahapurna, both of them had been. Today, Shukla was talking about it.
So, Mahapurna, he had also been severely injured. And then he was going to the forest. And then Kureshwana, he said I cannot walk any farther.
I just want to leave my body here. He said no. Please walk on.
You will soon reach Shri Ramana Mahasambhava’s holy place. And then you can leave your body here. He said no.
He said I want to demonstrate that a devotee, wherever he leaves his body, he will get an auspicious destination. So, in the case of Mahapurna, he wanted to demonstrate how bhakti is not dependent on a particular auspicious or inauspicious condition. And that’s why the Lord inspired him to act and speak in that way.
For Bhishma, the Lord wanted to demonstrate how a devotee is not deprived of what is considered to be material auspicious. He gets that and more. So, the examples will be different according to how the Lord inspired him.
But essentially, no, he didn’t. I think that was the main thing I want to mention. So, the emphasis is that a devotee should just practise Jyotish.
Shri Ramana Mahasambhava did not emphasise specific things like this too much. Can we understand from where the prana is going? Can we understand from where the prana is going? In general, it requires a more uniquely trained vision. So, for most of us, it is difficult to perceive.
And in general, as Shri Prabhupada said, we don’t have to bother about these things. So, those who are advanced in Jyotish, they will be able to perceive it. Not that they have to have a metaphysical family, a very profound vision.
But a certain kind of training is required to perceive it. Now, doctors don’t even believe in the idea of Jyotish. So, they can’t really perceive it.
Yeah. There is a Dr. Bigelow’s conversation in Science of Self-Realisation, an essay called Soul Science, where he said that I have observed many people dying and I have seen that there is an instinctive movement. When the eyes become glazed and the mouth falls open, you can see that something dramatic is happening over there.
So, that is in principle true. But in practise, since 30 years have passed now, scientific research state has changed. That was 72-73, now it is almost 40 years.
So now, because there is so much life support equipment, so actually speaking, when a person dies, it is very difficult to tell. The current understanding is that, according to medicine, death is a process, death is not an event. That is the medical understanding.
Because they say, okay, the breathing is going on, but then the heart beats have stopped and they put a respirator over there and it is breathing. Breathing is normally because of respiration. When the patient is in a coma.
But then the remaining body is functioning. Sometimes one part is functioning and the other part is not functioning. So normally, that one part has stopped functioning.
See, when Saro Mata Chai had wanted to see whether Chetanapur is alive or not, what did he do? He put some cotton in the nose. So normally, the air is not there. That is considered that a person is likely to be dead.
But now because of CPR, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, actually when a person stops breathing, you can restart it again. And even if the blood circulation stops, you can restart it again. So now does this mean that we are prolonging the soul’s stay? No, actually the laws of karma are integrated with the human efforts.
The laws of karma are integrated with the human efforts. So Krishna arranges those karmic reactions to come through this way. So essentially, currently speaking, from the current point of view, exactly when death happens is very difficult to say.
Death is more of a, as per the current state of medical science, because of the extensive use of life support equipment, death is more like an event, more like a process rather than an event. Clear? Let’s move forward now. We’ll try to complete at least this one section.
Yadaksharam Veda Vidodanti Vishanti Adhyatayo Vitaradhaha Yadikshanto Brahmacharyam Jaranthi Hathepadam Sangrahena Pravakshe Sons who are learned in the Vedas, who utter Omkar, and who are great sages in the renounced order, enter into Brahman, desire such perfection, one practises celibacy. I shall now briefly explain to you this process by which one may attain salvation. Yes.
So Sangrahena Pravakshe, I’ll briefly explain. I shall explain the characteristics. This is the second time in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna refers to Brahmacharya.
So the first time came in 6.14, when he says, Prashantatma Vigatadhi Brahmachari Vrateshita Anasamyam Nemachitto Yuktasita Madparaha This is Chapter 6, Prashantatma Vigatadhi. So Brahmacharya Vrateshita, one is practising, one is the strict part in the Pratha of Brahmacharya. Once more he refers to Brahmacharya in the 17th Chapter, when he talks about the austerity of the mind, of the body, Brahmacharya, Chapter 116.
So these are the three references to Brahmacharya in the Bhagavad Gita. So Lekshanto Brahmacharya Vrateshita So first time it is talking about Ashtanga Yoga, second time it is not talking about Ashtanga Yoga, third time the reference to Brahmacharya is talking about the austerity of the body. So we will come to that at the end, in the 17th Chapter.
But he is saying that what all does a person have to do to attain perfection, is to practise Brahmacharya, then Aksharam Veda Vidhavananti So a person has to chant the Aksharam, Omkar. And Vishanidhi is Yathayogamitaradaha Yathayogam means a person takes sannyas, Mitaradaha, he is freed from all attachments. And how is the person attaining? Normally somebody might think that he is practising Brahmacharya, he has renounced the world, he is free from attachments, he is chanting Om.
That should be enough to attain perfection. Isn’t it? But Krishna is saying, for those who are doing this, how they are attaining perfection? I will describe that. The key element that is not mentioned here is Ma Manasya, remember me.
And that Krishna has mentioned in the next verses. So, just chanting Om also is not enough. One has to, because Om itself is not necessarily, chanting Om itself is not necessarily a Bhakti element.
Yogis can chant, Jnanis can chant Om. And they all have their different conceptions of what Om means. So, actually the Bhakti element has to be there.
Krishna has talked about the Bhakti, and we will emphasise that in the next verse. So, otherwise Krishna is saying, I will describe the process, actually he describes the process only in one, one and a half verses. If you are just going to speak for one verse, why do you have to tell me the previous one, I will describe the process now.
But the crux of the process is remembrance of Krishna. And that is what he is going to describe in the next verse. That is why, to highlight that is the Trutte Padam Sandrahe Pramakshite.
That process I will describe to you. Sarvadwaram Sanyamya Sarvadwaram Sanyamya Manorudhirudhyacha Murdhyadhyaratmanah Pranam Murdhyadhyaratmanah Pranam Asthito Yogadharanam Asthito Yogadharanam That is Krishna. Using the nose of the senses, and using the mind on the heart, and the light at the top of the head, one establishes himself.
So this is actually describing the progression from Pratyahara to Dharana. Sarva, you know the yogic stages. So Pratyahara is the 5th stage.
Dharana is the 6th stage. Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi. Sarvadwaram Sanyamya Dwaravya Krishna senses.
So control all the senses. Cut out all the senses. This happens in Pratyahara.
Sarvadwaram Sanyamya Manorudhirudhyacha This is an interesting phrase. Fix the mind in the heart. Now what does that mean? Fix the mind on the heart.
That means now, actually, when you are using the word mind over here, it is the focus of consciousness. Means concentrate on the heart. Now what do the yogis know is in the heart? They ultimately know that the super soul is there.
The object of meditation for them is there. So fix the mind on the heart means think of the super soul. That is Dhyana Vastuto Tadgatena Manasa Pashyantiyam Yoginod Raghavan describes it.
In Dhar, they see Pashyanti. They are able to see a super soul in the heart. At this stage, the yogis are not able to see the super soul.
But they are told fix the mind on the heart. Concentrate on the heart and gradually you will start seeing. Earlier Krishna had described in the 5th chapter and 6th chapter, He had said fix your mind in the centre of the eyes.
He had said fix the eyes on the tip of the nose. Now we say no. Fix the mind on the heart.
Because those are external stitches. That is to not let the mind get distracted externally. But once one is shut out of the senses, once you turn the machine off, then focus on the heart.
And in Mudhya Adhyatmanah Pranam So Mudhya is the head. So let the prana come in the head. And then Astito Yogadharanam.
So when the prana is in the head, when the senses are shut out and the consciousness is fixed on the heart. Then at that time, one will be able to start seeing the super soul. So what is the essential difference between Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi? It is actually, they are all progressions of the same stage.
All three are internal. And all three, the difference between Dharana, Dhyana and Samadhi is the steadiness of the connection to the super soul. In Dharana, the connection is very little.
In Dhyana, the connection is more. And in Samadhi, it is steady, continuous. So it is basically steadiness.
So when Krishna is steady, one starts fixing on the super soul. One will start connecting to the super soul. That is Astito Yogadharanam.
So this is not describing liberation. It is describing the progression from Pratyahara to Dharana. Next verse will describe the liberation.
How the person gets liberated. OM ITTE KAKSHARAM BRAHMAN YAHARANMA MANUSMARAN YAH PRAYATI KE JANDEHAM SVAYATI PARAMANGATIM After being situated in this lobe, like this, hand vibration, vibrating the sacred liver, OM, the supreme combination of letters. If one thinks of the supreme from his body, he will certainly reach the spiritual planets.
So this verse indicates the complexity of Yoga Mishra Bhakti. Why complexity? One has to practise Ashtanga Yoga. That will indicate OM ITTE KAKSHARAM BRAHMAN.
So one is chanting OM. And Krishna has raised such a person, YAHARANMA MANUSMARAN. He fixes his mind on me.
And now normally, Krishna has said that if you fix your mind on me, in the same chapter he has said, in the verse 8, 7, 8 basically that, you will come back to me. TASMAD SARVESHU KAALESHU He said you will come back to me. But here Krishna is not saying specifically.
Krishna has brought the first person reference. He is saying that think about me. But what will you get? PARAMANGATI, the supreme destination.
So what is that supreme destination? He is not mentioning that over here directly. So actually, it depends on the conception. So for the Yogi, the supreme destination will be NAMMA YOGI.
For the Bhakta, the supreme destination will be the spiritual one, the kingdom of God, the Vaikuntha, the Goloka. So what is happening over here is, although there is a remembrance of Krishna, if there is not that desire to attain Krishna, then such a person will not necessarily go back to Krishna. The person, because he is fixing the mind on Krishna, surely will attain perfection.
And the person, as it was described earlier, that he is BRAHMACHARYAM CHARANTI, free from material attachments. VITRAGAHA Then naturally he will not come back to the material world. But he will not necessarily go back to the Vaikuntha planets.
He will actually attain the destination based on his conception. That’s why here OMITTI EKAKSHANAM BRAHMA is the unique element. Then ANUSMARAN MA ANUSMARAN is the Bhakti element.
And then the critical moment of death is PRAYADHI VIJANDI. So what will happen? PARAMAM GATI That PARAMAM GATI will depend on the conception of the person. So here, Krishna concludes the action of YOGA VISHWIRA BHAKTI.
And he says, such a person will also attain perfection. And now Krishna will contrast this with the practise of SHUKRA BHAGWATI. Spiritual planets.
So planets means it’s not the Brahman, it’s actually planets. Yes. So, Srila Prabhupada explains that he will certainly be the spiritual master.
As I mentioned earlier, Srila Prabhupada gives us not just his purpose, but even in his translations, the conclusions of the Bhagavad Gita consistently. So that’s why we discussed earlier how Srila Prabhupada translates Karma Yoga as Bhakti Yoga. So now, is Karma Yoga the same as Bhakti Yoga? It is the same in destination.
But in specific details, it is different. So, we are now presently studying the Bhagavad Gita in two distinct units. One way is, if we look at the translation, the purpose of Srila Prabhupada, in general, we will understand the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness crystal clear.
There will be no doubt about what is the goal. If somebody reads Prabhupada’s books, there is no ambiguity. What is the goal and what is the means? The goal is Krishna and the means is Bhakti.
That will be very clear. At the same time, if we want to understand the subtleties of the internal flow of the book, we will have to look at the pre-Bhagavad Gita’s commentaries. And Srila Prabhupada has also recommended.
Srila Prabhupada himself said that, when he was asked which books he would like to translate and comment on, he said, I would like to comment on the Bhagavad Gita. So, now, what does that mean? That means that the Bhagavad Gita can be commented in many different ways. So right now, when we are studying, when we all study Bhakti Shastra, we want to understand the flow of the Bhagavad Gita.
So, now from the devotional perspective, the devotional perspective means, if we consider this person is a devotee, such a person will actually attain the spiritual planets. If such a person is a yogi, Krishna Chakravarti explains, such a person will not attain the spiritual planets, he will attain the Nirmal Jyotis. This is a different destination.
But again, Srila Prabhupada was also aware of this. This opens 2.72. I discussed this earlier also. So, the last 2-3 sentences of 2.72. I’ll explain how Srila Prabhupada is aware of certain things and at the end time, Srila Prabhupada is choosing some other strategy.
2.72, at the end, Srila Prabhupada is describing the summary of the purport. So, last 2 sentences, last sentence in fact of the purport. In the second chapter, Karma Yoga and Jnana Yoga have been clearly discussed and a glimpse of Bhakti Yoga has also been given as the contents of the complete text.
Now, Prabhupada is aware that in the second chapter, a glimpse of Bhakti Yoga has been given. But Srila Prabhupada in his Bhagavad Gita has not given us a glimpse. He has given us the full picture.
Quite not a full picture, but an extensive picture. He has Savayi Manohar, Krishnapadar, Ravindra Yoga, that lot of verses of Bambarish Maharaj Bhakti has talked about. Prabhupada has contrasted Haridas Thakur’s pure devotional service with, say, Lord Shiva and others not being able to control the senses.
And Srila Prabhupada has practically everywhere translated Karma Yoga as Krishna Consciousness. So, what does this indicate? That means, Srila Prabhupada is consciously choosing a strategy to make sure that we understand the conclusions. What is the strategy? Give every verse in its connection with the conclusions.
At the same time, Srila Prabhupada is aware there is an internal flow of the Bhagavad Gita. And he gives us hints of that internal flow in this purpose. But in this purpose, primarily he focusses on giving us the conclusive crystal clear understanding.
So, that’s why we can study the Bhagavad Gita at these two dual levels. If we want to understand the philosophy of Krishna Consciousness clearly, then we look at the purpose of Srila Prabhupada and get a clear understanding of it. And if we want to understand the internal flow of the Bhagavad Gita in addition to Srila Prabhupada’s purpose, we also have to look at the Vinaya Satcharita communities and then see how the Bhagavad Gita has its internal flow.
So, when Srila Prabhupada is certain in each of the Supreme Lines, that is definitely true for a person who is practising Bhagavad Gita. For a person who is practising Aitarastra Yoga, with some elements of Bhakti, this is a person not necessarily going to be spiritualised. Srila Prabhupada is giving us his purpose and even his translations from the point of view of the crystal clear conclusions.
Does this answer your question? Is it clear? So, actually speaking, this is an important question and I hope that what I have said is clear over here. So now, does this mean that Srila Prabhupada’s purports are sort of biassed towards Bhakti? Actually, it is not Prabhupada’s purports are biassed towards Bhakti. Bhagavad Gita is biassed towards Bhakti.
Bhagavad Gita is clearly concluding the Bhakti supremacy. So, there is a story of an anecdote. One scholar came to Prabhupada and he was telling that, Swami, there are so many places where there is no Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita and you have put Krishna in the translations, not in the purports.
So, Prabhupada actually gave his reply. It was a resounding reply. He says, you all Gita scholars, you have removed Krishna where he is there also.
So, I have put him where he is not there also. So, where there are clear verses, manmana paum mad-bhakto, in 9.34 purport, there are Mayavadi commentators who say, you don’t have to surrender to Krishna, I am born within Krishna. He says, where Krishna is there, you remove him, then where Krishna is not there, I will put him there also.
So, Prabhupada is actually, it’s not that his purports are biassed, but it is that he is bringing the conclusions to us right from the beginning and throughout. That is his compassion. It is his compassion and you have to understand that compassion is meant to be.
See, already this book is 800 pages. And when Prabhupada published it from Akmal, in the first edition, they did not allow 800 pages. So, Hayagriva Prabhupada had to decide which purports were unnecessary.
How did he decide which bhaktiya purports are necessary? He had to cut it down to bring down to their level. So, now Shloka Gopal, he has started giving all the subtleties of everything. Then, the book would have become forbiddenly big.
So, Shloka Gopal had to have practical constraints in mind. And therefore, he gives us a Bhagavad Gita which makes the conclusions crystal clear. And the subtleties, it is not a deficiency of Bhagavad Gita as it is that all the subtleties are not there.
Actually, Krishna’s words are like Krishna. The meaning within them are profound. And no one commentary is enough.
No matter how great the commentary. That is not an indication of the deficiency of the commentator. It is actually an indication of the glory of the original work.
That no one commentary can definitively or conclusively or exhaustively explain the Bhagavad Gita. There are so many. So, there is so much depth of meaning.
Is it clear? Okay. So, let’s just decide that the last piece was written in the next section. Ananya chetah sadatam Ananya chetah sadatam Yo mam smarati nityasa Yo mam smarati nityasa Kasyaham sulabha partha Kasyaham sulabha partha Okay, so this is starting the next section.
I just would like to discuss because there is a contrast. In the previous section he described, do this, do this. He did not use any word, the word sulabha.
Already Krishna has used, Arjuna has used the word Swamiji has said It is not very easy for me to understand. So, Krishna’s use of the word sulabha is very significant. And we will discuss this section in more detail tomorrow.
Thank you very much. Jai. Jai.
Jai. Jai. Jai.