Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (39 page)

Bg 4.28

TEXT 28

TEXT

dravya-yajñās tapo-yajñā

yoga-yajñās tathāpare

svādhyāya-jñāna-yajñāś ca

yatayaḥ saṁśita-vratāḥ

SYNONYMS

dravya-yajñāḥ-
sacrificing one's possessions;
tapo-yajñāḥ-
sacrifice in austerities;
yoga-yajñāḥ-
sacrifice in eightfold mysticism;
tathā-
thus;
apare-
others;
svādhyāya-
sacrifice in the study of the
Vedas; jñāna-yajñāḥ-
sacrifice in advancement of transcendental knowledge;
ca-
also;
yatayaḥ-
enlightened;
saṁśita-
taken to strict;
vratāḥ-vows.

TRANSLATION

There are others who, enlightened by sacrificing their material possessions in severe austerities, take strict vows and practice the yoga of eightfold mysticism, and others study the Vedas for the advancement of transcendental knowledge.

PURPORT

These sacrifices may be fitted into various divisions. There are persons who are sacrificing their possessions in the form of various kinds of charities. In India, the rich mercantile community or princely orders open various kinds of charitable institutions like
dharmaśālā, anna-kṣetra, atithi-śālā, anathalaya, vidyāpīṭha,
etc. In other countries, too, there are many hospitals, old age homes and similar charitable foundations meant for distributing food, education and medical treatment free to the poor. All these charitable activities are called
dravyamaya-yajña.
There are others who, for higher elevation in life or for promotion to higher planets within the universe, voluntarily accept many kinds of austerities such as
candrāyana
and
cāturmāsya.
These processes entail severe vows for conducting life under certain rigid rules. For example, under the
cāturmāsya
vow the candidate does not shave for four months during the year (July to October), he does not eat certain foods, does not eat twice in a day and does not leave home. Such sacrifice of the comforts of life is called
tapomaya-yajña.
There are still others who engage themselves in different kinds of mystic
yogas
like the Patañjali system (for merging into the existence of the Absolute), or
haṭha-yoga
or
aṣṭāṅga-yoga
(for particular perfections). And some travel to all the sanctified places of pilgrimage. All these practices are called
yoga-yajña,
sacrifice for a certain type of perfection in the material world. There are others who engage themselves in the studies of different Vedic literatures, specifically the
Upaniṣads
and
Vedānta-sūtras,
or the
sāṅkhya
philosophy. All of these are called
svādhyāya-yajña,
or engagement in the sacrifice of studies. All these
yogīs
are faithfully engaged in different types of sacrifice and are seeking a higher status of life. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is, however, different from these because it is the direct service of the Supreme Lord. Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot be attained by any one of the above-mentioned types of sacrifices but can be attained only by the mercy of the Lord and His bona fide devotee. Therefore, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is transcendental.

Bg 4.29

TEXT 29

TEXT

apāne juhvati prāṇaṁ

prāṇe 'pānaṁ tathāpare

prāṇāpāna-gatī ruddhvā

prāṇāyāma-parāyaṇāḥ

apare niyatāhārāḥ

prāṇān prāṇeṣu juhvati

SYNONYMS

apāne-
air which acts downward;
juhvati-
offers;
prāṇam-
air which acts outward;
prāṇe-
in the air going outward;
apānam-
air going downward;
tathā-
as also;
apare-
others;
prāṇa-
air going outward;
apāna-
air going downward;
gatī-
movement;
ruddhvā-
checking;
prāṇāyāma-
trance induced by stopping all breathing;
parāyaṇāḥ-
so inclined;
apare-
others;
niyata-
controlled;
āhārāḥ-
eating;
prāṇān-
outgoing air;
prāṇeṣu-
in the outgoing air;
juhvati-
sacrifices.

TRANSLATION

And there are even others who are inclined to the process of breath restraint to remain in trance, and they practice stopping the movement of the outgoing breath into the incoming, and incoming breath into the outgoing, and thus at last remain in trance, stopping all breathing. Some of them, curtailing the eating process, offer the outgoing breath into itself, as a sacrifice.

PURPORT

This system of
yoga
for controlling the breathing process is called
prāṇāyāma,
and in the beginning it is practiced in the
haṭha-yoga
system through different sitting postures. All of these processes are recommended for controlling the senses and for advancement in spiritual realization. This practice involves controlling the air within the body to enable simultaneous passage in opposite directions. The
apāna
air goes downward, and the
prāṇa
air goes up. The
prāṇāyāma yogī
practices breathing the opposite way until the currents are neutralized into
pūraka,
equilibrium. Similarly, when the exhaled breathing is offered to inhaled breathing, it is called
recaka.
When both air currents are completely stopped, it is called
kumbhaka-yoga.
By practice of
kumbhaka-yoga,
the
yogīs
increase the duration of life by many, many years. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, however, being always situated in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, automatically becomes the controller of the senses. His senses, being always engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, have no chance of becoming otherwise engaged. So at the end of life, he is naturally transferred to the transcendental plane of Lord Kṛṣṇa; consequently he makes no attempt to increase his longevity. He is at once raised to the platform of liberation. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person begins from the transcendental stage, and he is constantly in that consciousness. Therefore, there is no falling down, and ultimately he enters into the abode of the Lord without delay. The practice of reduced eating is automatically done when one eats only Kṛṣṇa
prasādam,
or food which is offered first to the Lord. Reducing the eating process is very helpful in the matter of sense control. And without sense control there is no possibility of getting out of the material entanglement.

Bg 4.30

TEXT 30

TEXT

sarve 'py ete yajña-vido

yajña-kṣapita-kalmaṣāḥ

yajña-śiṣṭāmṛta-bhujo

yānti brahma sanātanam

SYNONYMS

sarve-
all;
api-
although apparently different;
ete-
all these;
yajña-vidaḥ-
conversant with the purpose of performing;
yajña-
sacrifices;
kṣapita-
being cleansed of the result of such performances;
kalmaṣāḥ-
sinful reactions;
yajña-śiṣṭa-
as a result of such performances of
yajña
;
amṛta-bhujaḥ-
those who have tasted such nectar;
yānti-
do approach;
brahma-
the supreme;
sanātanam-
eternal atmosphere.

TRANSLATION

All these performers who know the meaning of sacrifice become cleansed of sinful reaction, and, having tasted the nectar of the remnants of such sacrifice, they go to the supreme eternal atmosphere.

PURPORT

From the foregoing explanation of differents types of sacrifice (namely sacrifice of one's possessions, study of the
Vedas
or philosophical doctrines, and performance of the
yoga
system), it is found that the common aim of all is to control the senses. Sense gratification is the root cause of material existence; therefore, unless and until one is situated on a platform apart from sense gratification, there is no chance of being elevated to the eternal platform of full knowledge, full bliss and full life. This platform is in the eternal atmosphere, or Brahman atmosphere. All the above-mentioned sacrifices help one to become cleansed of the sinful reactions of material existence. By this advancement in life, one not only becomes happy and opulent in this life, but also, at the end, he enters into the eternal kingdom of God, either merging into the impersonal Brahman or associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

Bg 4.31

TEXT 31

TEXT

nāyaṁ loko 'sty ayajñasya

kuto 'nyaḥ kuru-sattama

SYNONYMS

na-
never;
ayam-
this;
lokaḥ-
planet;
asti-
there is;
ayajñasya-
of the foolish;
kutaḥ-
where is;
anyaḥ-
the other;
kuru-sattama
-O best amongst the Kurus.

TRANSLATION

O best of the Kuru dynasty, without sacrifice one can never live happily on this planet or in this life: what then of the next?

PURPORT

Whatever form of material existence one is in, one is invariably ignorant of his real situation. In other words, existence in the material world is due to the multiple reactions to our sinful lives. Ignorance is the cause of sinful life, and sinful life is the cause of one's dragging on in material existence. The human form of life is the only loophole by which one may get out of this entanglement. The
Vedas,
therefore, give us a chance for escape by pointing out the paths of religion, economic comfort, regulated sense gratification and, at last, the means to get out of the miserable condition entirely. The path of religion, or the different kinds of sacrifice recommended above, automatically solves our economic problems. By performance of
yajña
we can have enough food, enough milk, etc.-even if there is a so-called increase of population. When the body is fully supplied, naturally the next stage is to satisfy the senses. The
Vedas
prescribe, therefore, sacred marriage for regulated sense gratification. Thereby one is gradually elevated to the platform of release from material bondage, and the highest perfection of liberated life is to associate with the Supreme Lord. Perfection is achieved by performance of
yajña
(sacrifice), as described above. Now, if a person is not inclined to perform
yajña
according to the
Vedas,
how can he expect a happy life? There are different grades of material comforts in different heavenly planets, and in all cases there is immense happiness for persons engaged in different kinds of
yajña.
But the highest kind of happiness that a man can achieve is to be promoted to the spiritual planets by practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. A life of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is therefore the solution to all the problems of material existence.

Bg 4.32

TEXT 32

TEXT

evaṁ bahu-vidhā yajñā

vitatā brahmaṇo mukhe

karma-jān viddhi tān sarvān

evaṁ jñātvā vimokṣyase

SYNONYMS

evam-
thus;
bahu-vidhāḥ-
various kinds of;
yajñāḥ-
sacrifices;
vitatāḥ-
widespread;
brahmaṇaḥ-
of the
Vedas; mukhe-
in the face of;
karma-jān-
born of work;
viddhi-
you should know;
tān-
them;
sarvān-
all;
evam-
thus;
jñātvā-
knowing;
vimokṣyase-
be liberated.

TRANSLATION

All these different types of sacrifice are approved by the Vedas, and all of them are born of different types of work. Knowing them as such, you will become liberated.

PURPORT

Different types of sacrifice, as discussed above, are mentioned in the
Vedas
to suit the different types of worker. Because men are so deeply absorbed in the bodily concept, these sacrifices are so arranged that one can work either with the body, the mind, or the intelligence. But all of them are recommended for ultimately bringing about liberation from the body. This is confirmed by the Lord herewith from His own mouth.

Bg 4.33

TEXT 33

TEXT

śreyān dravya-mayād yajñāj

jñāna-yajñaḥ parantapa

sarvaṁ karmākhilaṁ pārtha

jñāne parisamāpyate

SYNONYMS

śreyān-
greater;
dravyamayāt-
than the sacrifice of material possessions;
yajñāt-
knowledge;
jñāna-yajñaḥ-
sacrifice in knowledge;
parantapa-
O chastiser of the enemy;
sarvam-
all;
karma-
activities;
akhilam-
in totality;
pārtha-
O son of Pṛthā;
jñāne-
in knowledge;
parisamāpyate-
ends in.

TRANSLATION

O chastiser of the enemy, the sacrifice of knowledge is greater than the sacrifice of material possessions. O son of Pṛthā, after all, the sacrifice of work culminates in transcendental knowledge.

PURPORT

The purpose of all sacrifices is to arrive at the status of complete knowledge, then to gain release from material miseries, and, ultimately, to engage in loving transcendental service to the Supreme Lord (Kṛṣṇa consciousness). Nonetheless, there is a mystery about all these different activities of sacrifice, and one should know this mystery. Sacrifices sometimes take different forms according to the particular faith of the performer. When one's faith reaches the stage of transcendental knowledge, the performer of sacrifices should be considered more advanced than those who simply sacrifice material possessions without such knowledge, for without attainment of knowledge, sacrifices remain on the material platform and bestow no spiritual benefit. Real knowledge culminates in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the highest stage of transcendental knowledge. Without the elevation of knowledge, sacrifices are simply material activities. When, however, they are elevated to the level of transcendental knowledge, all such activities enter onto the spiritual platform. Depending on differences in consciousness, sacrificial activities are sometimes called
karma-kāṇḍa,
fruitive activities, and sometimes
jñāna-kāṇḍa,
knowledge in the pursuit of truth. It is better when the end is knowledge.