One should act to satisfy the Supreme Lord. For example, Arjuna was a
kṣatriya.
He was hesitating to fight the other party. But if such fighting is performed for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there need be no fear of degradation. In the business field also, sometimes a merchant has to tell so many lies to make a profit. If he does not do so, there can be no profit. Sometimes a merchant says, "Oh, my dear customer, for you I am making no profit," but one should know that without profit the merchant cannot exist. Therefore it should be taken as a simple lie if a merchant says that he is not making a profit. But the merchant should not think that because he is engaged in an occupation in which the telling of lies is compulsory, he should give up his profession and pursue the profession of a
brāhmaṇa.
That is not recommended. Whether one is a
kṣatriya,
a
vaiśya,
or a
śūdra
doesn't matter, if he serves, by his work, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Even
brāhmaṇas,
who perform different types of sacrifice, sometimes must kill animals because sometimes animals are sacrificed in such ceremonies. Similarly, if a
kṣatriya
engaged in his own occupation kills an enemy, there is no sin incurred. In the Third Chapter these matters have been clearly and elaborately explained; every man should work for the purpose of
yajña,
or for Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Anything done for personal sense gratification is a cause of bondage. The conclusion is that everyone should be engaged according to the particular mode of nature he has acquired, and he should decide to work only to serve the supreme cause of the Supreme Lord.
Bg 18.48
TEXT 48
TEXT
saha-jaṁ karma kaunteya
sa-doṣam api na tyajet
sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa
dhūmenāgnir ivāvṛtāḥ
SYNONYMS
saha-jam-
born simultaneously;
karma-
work;
kaunteya
-O son of Kuntī;
sa-doṣam-
with fault;
api-
although;
na-
never;
tyajet-
to be given up;
sarva-ārambhāḥ-
any venture;
hi-
is certainly;
doṣeṇa-
with fault;
dhūmena-
with smoke;
agniḥ-
fire;
iva-
as;
āvṛtāḥ-
covered.
TRANSLATION
Every endeavor is covered by some sort of fault, just as fire is covered by smoke. Therefore one should not give up the work which is born of his nature, O son of Kuntī, even if such work is full of fault.
PURPORT
In conditioned life, all work is contaminated by the material modes of nature. Even if one is a
brāhmaṇa,
he has to perform sacrifices in which animal killing is necessary. Similarly, a
kṣatriya,
however pious he may be, has to fight enemies. He cannot avoid it. Similarly, a merchant, however pious he may be, must sometimes hide his profit to stay in business, or he may sometimes have to do business on the black market. These things are necessary; one cannot avoid them. Similarly, even though a man is a
śūdra
serving a bad master, he has to carry out the order of the master, even though it should not be done. Despite these flaws, one should continue to carry out his prescribed duties, for they are born out of his own nature.
A very nice example is given herein. Although fire is pure, still there is smoke. Yet smoke does not make the fire impure. Even though there is smoke in the fire, fire is still considered to be the purest of all elements. If one prefers to give up the work of a
kṣatriya
and take up the occupation of a
brāhmaṇa,
he is not assured that in the occupation of a
brāhmaṇa
there are no unpleasant duties. One may then conclude that in the material world no one can be completely free from the contamination of material nature. This example of fire and smoke is very appropriate in this connection. When in wintertime one takes a stone from the fire, sometimes smoke disturbs the eyes and other parts of the body, but still one must make use of the fire despite disturbing conditions. Similarly, one should not give up his natural occupation because there are some disturbing elements. Rather, one should be determined to serve the Supreme Lord by his occupational duty in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the perfectional point. When a particular type of occupation is performed for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, all the defects in that particular occupation are purified. When the results of work are purified, when connected with devotional service, one becomes perfect in seeing the self within, and that is self-realization.
Bg 18.49
TEXT 49
TEXT
asakta-buddhiḥ sarvatra
jitātmā vigata-spṛhaḥ
naiṣkarmya-siddhiṁ paramāṁ
sannyāsenādhigacchati
SYNONYMS
asakta-buddhiḥ-
unattached intelligence;
sarvatra
-everywhere;
jita-ātmā-
control of the mind,
vigata-spṛhaḥ-
without material desires;
naiṣkarmya-siddhim-
perfection of non-reaction;
paramām
-supreme;
sannyāsena
-by the renounced order of life;
adhigacchati-
attains.
TRANSLATION
One can obtain the results of renunciation simply by self-control and by becoming unattached to material things and disregarding material enjoyments. That is the highest perfectional stage of renunciation.
PURPORT
Real renunciation means that one should always think himself part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore he has no right to enjoy the results of his work. Since he is part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, the results of his work must be enjoyed by the Supreme Lord. This is actually Krṣna consciousness. The person acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is really a
sannyāsī
, one in the renounced order of life. By such mentality, one is satisfied because he is actually acting for the Supreme. Thus he is not attached to anything material; he becomes accustomed to not taking pleasure in anything beyond the transcendental happiness derived from the service of the Lord. A
sannyāsī
is supposed to be free from the reactions of his past activities, but a person who is in Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically attains this perfection without even accepting the so-called order of renunciation. This state of mind is called
yogārūḍha,
or the perfectional stage of
yoga,
as confirmed in the Third Chapter:
yas tv ātma-ratir eva syāt.
One who is satisfied in himself has no fear of any kind of reaction from his activity.
Bg 18.50
TEXT 50
TEXT
siddhiṁ prāpto yathā brahma
tathāpnoti nibodha me
samāsenaiva kaunteya
niṣṭhā jñānasya yā parā
SYNONYMS
siddhim-
perfection;
prāptaḥ-
achieving;
yathā-
as;
brahma-
the Supreme;
tathā-
so;
āpnoti-
achieves;
nibodha-
try to understand;
me-
from Me;
samāsena-
summarily;
eva-
certainly;
kaunteya
-O son of Kuntī;
niṣṭhā-
stage;
jñānasya-
of knowledge;
yā
-which;
parā
-transcendental.
TRANSLATION
O son of Kuntī, learn from Me in brief how one can attain to the supreme perfectional stage, Brahman, by acting in the way which I shall now summarize.
PURPORT
The Lord describes for Arjuna how one can achieve the highest perfectional stage simply by being engaged in his occupational duty, performing that duty for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One attains the supreme stage of Brahman simply by renouncing the result of his work for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. That is the process of self-realization. Actual perfection of knowledge is in attaining pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness; that is described in the following verses.
Bg 18.51, Bg 18.52, Bg 18.53, Bg 18.51-53
TEXTS 51-53
TEXT
buddhyā viśuddhayā yukto
dhṛtyātmānaṁ niyamya ca
śabdādīn viṣayāṁs tyaktvā
rāga-dveṣau vyudasya ca
yata-vāk-kāya-mānasaḥ
dhyāna-yoga-paro nityaṁ
vairāgyaṁ samupāśritaḥ
kāmaṁ krodhaṁ parigraham
vimucya nirmamaḥ śānto
brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
SYNONYMS
buddhyā-
by the intelligence;
viśuddhayā-
fully purified;
yuktaḥ-
such engagement;
dhṛtyā-
determination;
ātmānam-
self;
niyamya-
regulated;
ca-
also;
śabdādīn-
the sense objects, such as sound, etc.;
viṣayān-
sense objects;
tyaktvā-
giving up;
rāga
-attachments;
dveṣau-
hatred;
vyudasya-
having laid aside;
ca-
also;
vivikta-sevī-
living in a secluded place;
laghu-āśī
-eating a small quantity;
yata-vāk
-control of speech;
kāya-
body;
mānasaḥ-
control of the mind;
dhyāna-yoga-paraḥ-
always absorbed in trance;
nityam-
twenty-four hours a day;
vairāgyam-
detachment;
samupāśritaḥ-
taken shelter of;
ahaṅkāram-
false ego;
balam-
false strength;
darpam-
false pride;
kāmam-
lust;
krodham-
anger;
parigraham-
acceptance of material things;
vimucya-
being delivered;
nirmamaḥ
-without proprietorship;
śāntaḥ
-peaceful;
brahma-bhūyāya
-to become self-realized;
kalpate-
is understood.
TRANSLATION
Being purified by his intelligence and controlling the mind with determination, giving up the objects of sense gratification, being freed from attachment and hatred, one who lives in a secluded place, who eats little and who controls the body and the tongue, and is always in trance and is detached, who is without false ego, false strength, false pride, lust, anger, and who does not accept material things, such a person is certainly elevated to the position of self-realization.
PURPORT
When one is purified by knowledge, he keeps himself in the mode of goodness. Thus one becomes the controller of the mind and is always in trance. Because he is not attached to the objects of sense gratification, he does not eat more than what he requires, and he controls the activities of his body and mind. He has no false ego because he does not accept the body as himself. Nor has he a desire to make the body fat and strong by accepting so many material things. Because he has no bodily concept of life, he is not falsely proud. He is satisfied with everything that is offered to him by the grace of the Lord, and he is never angry in the absence of sense gratification. Nor does he endeavor to acquire sense objects. Thus when he is completely free from false ego, he becomes nonattached to all material things, and that is the stage of self-realization of Brahman. That stage is called the
brahma-bhūta
stage. When one is free from the material conception of life, he becomes peaceful and cannot be agitated.
Bg 18.54
TEXT 54
TEXT
brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām
SYNONYMS
brahma-bhūtaḥ-
being one with the Absolute;
prasanna-ātmā-
fully joyful;
na-
never;
śocati-
laments;
na-
never;
kāṅkṣati-
desires;
samaḥ-
equally disposed;
sarveṣu-
all;
bhūteṣu-
living entity;
mat-bhaktim-
My devotional service;
labhate-
gains;
parām-
transcendental.
TRANSLATION
One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.
PURPORT
To the impersonalist, achieving the
brahma-bhūta
stage, becoming one with the Absolute, is the last word. But for the personalist, or pure devotee, one has to go still further to become engaged in pure devotional service. This means that one who is engaged in pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord is already in a state of liberation, called
brahma-bhūta,
oneness with the Absolute. Without being one with the Supreme, the Absolute, one cannot render service unto Him. In the absolute conception, there is no difference between the served and the servitor; yet the distinction is there, in a higher spiritual sense.
In the material concept of life, when one works for sense gratification, there is misery, but in the absolute world, when one is engaged in pure devotional service, there is no misery. The devotee in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has nothing to lament or desire. Since God is full, a living entity who is engaged in God's service, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, becomes also full in himself. He is just like a river cleansed of all dirty water. Because a pure devotee has no thought other than Kṛṣṇa, he is naturally always joyful. He does not lament for any material loss or gain because he is full in service of the Lord. He has no desire for material enjoyment because he knows that every living entity is the fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord and therefore eternally a servant. He does not see, in the material world, someone as higher and someone as lower; higher and lower positions are ephemeral, and a devotee has nothing to do with ephemeral appearances or disappearances. For him stone and gold are of equal value. This is the
brahma-bhūta
stage, and this stage is attained very easily by the pure devotee. In that stage of existence, the idea of becoming one with the Supreme Brahman and annihilating one's individuality becomes hellish, and the idea of attaining the heavenly kingdom becomes phantasmagoria, and the senses are like broken serpents' teeth. As there is no fear of a serpent with broken teeth, so there is no fear from the senses when they are automatically controlled. The world is miserable for the materially infected person, but for a devotee the entire world is as good as Vaikuṇṭha, or the spiritual sky. The highest personality in this material universe is no more significant than an ant for a devotee. Such a stage can be achieved by the mercy of Lord Caitanya, who preached pure devotional service in this age.