Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (22 page)

PURPORT

One who has actually come to understand one's constitutional position as the eternal servitor of the Lord gives up all engagements save working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As already explained,
buddhi-yoga
means transcendental loving service to the Lord. Such devotional service is the right course of action for the living entity. Only misers desire to enjoy the fruit of their own work just to be further entangled in material bondage. Except for work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all activities are abominable because they continually bind the worker to the cycle of birth and death. One should therefore never desire to be the cause of work. Everything should be done in Kṛṣṇa consciousness for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. Misers do not know how to utilize the assets of riches which they acquire by good fortune or by hard labor. One should spend all energies working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and that will make one's life successful. Like the misers, unfortunate persons do not employ their human energy in the service of the Lord.

Bg 2.50

TEXT 50

TEXT

buddhi-yukto jahātīha

ubhe sukṛta-duṣkṛte

tasmād yogāya yujyasva

yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam

SYNONYMS

buddhi-yuktaḥ-
one who is engaged in devotional service;
jahāti-
can get rid of;
iha-
in this life;
ubhe-
in both;
sukṛta-duṣkṛte-
in good and bad results;
tasmāt-
therefore;
yogāya-
for the sake of devotional service;
yujyasva-
be so engaged;
yogaḥ-
Kṛṣṇa consciousness;
karmasu-
in all activities;
kauśalam-
art.

TRANSLATION

A man engaged in devotional service rids himself of both good and bad actions even in this life. Therefore strive for yoga, O Arjuna, which is the art of all work.

PURPORT

Since time immemorial each living entity has accumulated the various reactions of his good and bad work, As such, he is continuously ignorant of his real constitutional position. One's ignorance can be removed by the instruction of the
Bhagavad-gītā
which teaches one to surrender unto Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa in all respects and become liberated from the chained victimization of action and reaction, birth after birth. Arjuna is therefore advised to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the purifying process of resultant action.

Bg 2.51

TEXT 51

TEXT

karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuktā hi

phalaṁ tyaktvā manīṣiṇaḥ

janma-bandha-vinirmuktāḥ

padaṁ gacchanty anāmayam

SYNONYMS

karma-jam-
because of fruitive activities;
buddhi-yuktāḥ-
being done in devotional service;
hi-
certainly;
phalam-
results;
tyaktvā-
giving up;
manīṣiṇaḥ-
devotees who are great sages;
janma-bandha-
the bondage of birth and death;
vinirmuktāḥ
-liberated souls;
padam-
position;
gacchanti-
reach;
anāmayam-
without miseries.

TRANSLATION

The wise, engaged in devotional service, take refuge in the Lord, and free themselves from the cycle of birth and death by renouncing the fruits of action in the material world. In this way they can attain that state beyond all miseries.

PURPORT

The liberated living entities seek that place where there are no material miseries. The
Bhāgavatam
says:

samāśritā ye padapallava-plavaṁ
mahat-padaṁ puṇya-yaśo murāreḥ
bhāvambudhir vatsa-padaṁ paraṁ padaṁ
paraṁ padaṁ yad vipadāṁ na teṣām

(Bhāg. 10.14.58)

"For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Mukunda or the giver of
mukti,
the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoofprint.
Param padam,
or the place where there are no material miseries, or Vaikuṇṭha, is his goal, not the place where there is danger in every step of life."

Owing to ignorance, one does not know that this material world is a miserable place where there are dangers at every step. Out of ignorance only, less intelligent persons try to adjust to the situation by fruitive activities, thinking that resultant actions will make them happy. They do not know that no kind of material body anywhere within the universe can give life without miseries. The miseries of life, namely birth, death, old age and diseases, are present everywhere within the material world. But one who understands his real constitutional position as the eternal servitor of the Lord, and thus knows the position of the Personality of Godhead, engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Consequently he becomes qualified to enter into the Vaikuṇṭha planets, where there is neither material, miserable life, nor the influence of time and death. To know one's constitutional position means to know also the sublime position of the Lord. One who wrongly thinks that the living entity's position and the Lord's position are on the same level is to be understood to be in darkness and therefore unable to engage himself in the devotional service of the Lord. He becomes a lord himself and thus paves the way for the repetition of birth and death. But one who, understanding that his position is to serve, transfers himself to the service of the Lord, at once becomes eligible for Vaikuṇṭhaloka. Service for the cause of the Lord is called
karma-yoga
or
buddhi-yoga,
or in plain words, devotional service to the Lord.

Bg 2.52

TEXT 52

TEXT

yadā te moha-kalilaṁ

buddhir vyatitariṣyati

tadā gantāsi nirvedaṁ

śrotavyasya śrutasya ca

SYNONYMS

yadā-
when;
te-
your;
moha-
illusory;
kalilam-
dense forest;
buddhiḥ-
transcendental service with intelligence;
vyatitariṣyati-
surpasses;
tadā-
at that time;
gantāsi-
you shall go;
nirvedam-
callousness;
śrotavyasya-
all that is to be heard;
śrutasya-
all that is already heard;
ca-
also.

TRANSLATION

When your intelligence has passed out of the dense forest of delusion, you shall become indifferent to all that has been heard and all that is to be heard.

PURPORT

There are many good examples in the lives of the great devotees of the Lord of those who became indifferent to the rituals of the
Vedas
simply by devotional service to the Lord. When a person factually understands Kṛṣṇa and his relationship with Kṛṣṇa, he naturally becomes completely indifferent to the rituals of fruitive activities, even though an experienced
brāhmaṇa.
Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, a great devotee and
ācārya
in the line of the devotees, says:

sandhyā-vandana bhadram astu bhavato bhoḥ snāna tubhyaṁ namo
bho devāḥ pitaraś ca tarpaṇa-vidhau nāhaṁ kṣamaḥ kṣamyatām
yatra kvāpi niṣadya yādava-kulottamasya kaṁsa-dviṣaḥ
smāraṁ smāram aghaṁ harāmi tad alaṁ manye kim anyena me.

"O Lord, in my prayers three times a day, all glory to You. Bathing, I offer my obeisances unto You. O demigods! O forefathers! Please excuse me for my inability to offer you my respects. Now wherever I sit, I can remember the great descendant of the Yadu dynasty [Kṛṣṇa], the enemy of Kaṁsa, and thereby I can free myself from all sinful bondage. I think this is sufficient for me."

The Vedic rites and rituals are imperative for neophytes: comprehending all kinds of prayer three times a day, taking a bath early in the morning, offering respects to the forefathers, etc. But, when one is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and is engaged in His transcendental loving service, one becomes indifferent to all these regulative principles because he has already attained perfection. If one can reach the platform of understanding by service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṇa, he has no longer to execute different types of penances and sacrifices as recommended in revealed scriptures. And, similarly, if one has not understood that the purpose of the
Vedas
is to reach Kṛṣṇa and simply engages in the rituals, etc., then he is uselessly wasting time in such engagements. Persons in Kṛṣṇa consciousness transcend the limit of
śabda-brahma,
or the range of the
Vedas
and
Upaniṣads.

Bg 2.53

TEXT 53

TEXT

śruti-vipratipannā te

yadā sthāsyati niścalā

samādhāv acalā buddhis

tadā yogam avāpsyasi

SYNONYMS

śruti-
Vedic revelation;
vipratipannā-
without being influenced by the fruitive results of the
Vedas; te-
your;
yadā-
when;
sthāsyati-
remains;
niścalā-
unmoved;
samādhau-
in transcendental consciousness, or Kṛṣṇa consciousness;
acalā-
unflinching;
buddhiḥ-
intelligence;
tadā-
at that time;
yogam-
self-realization;
avāpsyasi-
you will achieve.

TRANSLATION

When your mind is no longer disturbed by the flowery language of the Vedas, and when it remains fixed in the trance of self-realization, then you will have attained the Divine consciousness.

PURPORT

To say that one is in
samādhi
is to say that one has fully realized Kṛṣṇa consciousness; that is, one in full
samādhi
has realized Brahman, Paramātmā and Bhagavān. The highest perfection of self-realization is to understand that one is eternally the servitor of Kṛṣṇa and that one's only business is to discharge one's duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, or unflinching devotee of the Lord, should not be disturbed by the flowery language of the
Vedas
nor be engaged in fruitive activities for promotion to the heavenly kingdom. In Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one comes directly into communion with Kṛṣṇa, and thus all directions from Kṛṣṇa may be understood in that transcendental state. One is sure to achieve results by such activities and attain conclusive knowledge. One has only to carry out the orders of Kṛṣṇa or His representative, the spiritual master.

Bg 2.54

TEXT 54

TEXT

arjuna uvāca

sthita-prajñasya kā bhāṣā

samādhi-sthasya keśava

sthita-dhīḥ kiṁ prabhāṣeta

kim āsīta vrajeta kim

SYNONYMS

arjuna uvāca-
Arjuna said;
sthita-prajñasya-
of one who is situated in fixed Kṛṣṇa consciousness;
kā-
what;
bhāṣā-
language;
samādhi-sthasya-
of one situated in trance;
keśava
-O Kṛṣṇa;
sthita-dhīḥ-
one fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness;
kim-
what;
prabhāṣeta-
speak;
kim-
how;
āsīta-
does remain;
vrajeta-
walk;
kim-
how.

TRANSLATION

Arjuna said: What are the symptoms of one whose consciousness is thus merged in Transcendence? How does he speak, and what is his language? How does he sit, and how does he walk?

PURPORT

As there are symptoms for each and every man, in terms of his particular situation, similarly one who is Kṛṣṇa conscious has his particular nature-talking, walking, thinking, feeling, etc. As a rich man has his symptoms by which he is known as a rich man, as a diseased man has his symptoms, by which he is known as diseased, or as a learned man has his symptoms, so a man in transcendental consciousness of Kṛṣṇa has specific symptoms in various dealings. One can know his specific symptoms from the
Bhagavad-gītā
. Most important is how the man in Kṛṣṇa consciousness speaks, for speech is the most important quality of any man. It is said that a fool is undiscovered as long as he does not speak, and certainly a well-dressed fool cannot be identified unless he speaks, but as soon as he speaks, he reveals himself at once. The immediate symptom of a Kṛṣṇa conscious man is that he speaks only of Kṛṣṇa and of matters relating to Him. Other symptoms then automatically follow, as stated below.

Bg 2.55

TEXT 55

TEXT

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

prajahāti yadā kāmān

sarvān pārtha mano-gatān

ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ

sthita-prajñas tadocyate

SYNONYMS

śrī bhagavān uvāca-
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
prajahāti
-gives up;
yadā-
when;
kāmān-
desires for sense gratification;
sarvān-
of all varieties;
pārtha
-O son of Pṛthā;
manaḥ-gatān-
of mental concoction;
ātmani-
in the pure state of the soul;
eva-
certainly;
ātmanā-
by the purified mind;
tuṣṭaḥ-
satisfied;
sthita-prajñaḥ-
transcendentally situated;
tadā-
at that time;
ucyate-
is said.

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: O Pārtha, when a man gives up all varieties of sense desire which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind finds satisfaction in the self alone, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.

PURPORT

The
Bhāgavatam
affirms that any person who is fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, or devotional service of the Lord, has all the good qualities of the great sages, whereas a person who is not so transcendentally situated has no good qualifications, because he is sure to be taking refuge in his own mental concoctions. Consequently, it is rightly said herein that one has to give up all kinds of sense desire manufactured by mental concoction. Artificially, such sense desires cannot be stopped. But if one is engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, automatically, sense desires subside without extraneous efforts. Therefore, one has to engage himself in Kṛṣṇa consciousness without hesitation, for this devotional service will instantly help one on to the platform of transcendental consciousness. The highly developed soul always remains satisfied in himself by realizing himself as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord. Such a transcendentally situated person has no sense desires resulting from petty materialism; rather, he remains always happy in his natural position of eternally serving the Supreme Lord.