Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (40 page)

Bg 4.34

TEXT 34

TEXT

tad viddhi praṇipātena

paripraśnena sevayā

upadekṣyanti te jñānaṁ

jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ

SYNONYMS

tat-
that knowledge of different sacrifices;
viddhi-
try to understand;
praṇipātena-
by approaching a spiritual master;
paripraśnena-
by submissive inquiries;
sevayā-
by the rendering of service;
upadekṣyanti-
initiate;
te-
unto you;
jñānam-
knowledge;
jñāninaḥ-
the self-realized;
tattva-
truth;
darśinaḥ-
the seers.

TRANSLATION

Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.

PURPORT

The path of spiritual realization is undoubtedly difficult. The Lord therefore advises us to approach a bona fide spiritual master in the line of disciplic succession from the Lord Himself. No one can be a bona fide
spiritual master without following this principle of disciplic succession. The Lord is the original spiritual master, and a person in the disciplic succession can convey the message of the Lord as it is to his disciple. No one can be spiritually realized by manufacturing his own process, as is the fashion of the foolish pretenders. The
Bhāgavatam
says:
dharmaṁ hi sākṣād-bhagavat-praṇītam-
the path of religion is directly enunciated by the Lord. Therefore, mental speculation or dry arguments cannot help one progress in spiritual life. One has to approach a bona fide spiritual master to receive the knowledge. Such a spiritual master should be accepted in full surrender, and one should serve the spiritual master like a menial servant, without false prestige. Satisfaction of the self-realized spiritual master is the secret of advancement in spiritual life. Inquiries and submission constitute the proper combination for spiritual understanding. Unless there is submission and service, inquiries from the learned spiritual master will not be effective. One must be able to pass the test of the spiritual master, and when he sees the genuine desire of the disciple, he automatically blesses the disciple with genuine spiritual understanding. In this verse, both blind following and absurd inquiries are condemned. One should not only hear submissively from the spiritual master; but one must also get a clear understanding from him, in submission and service and inquiries. A bona fide spiritual master is by nature very kind toward the disciple. Therefore when the student is submissive and is always ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries becomes perfect.

Bg 4.35

TEXT 35

TEXT

yaj jñātvā na punar moham

evaṁ yāsyasi pāṇḍava

yena bhūtāny aśeṣāṇi

drakṣyasy ātmany atho mayi

SYNONYMS

yat-
which;
jñātvā-
knowing;
na-
never;
punaḥ-
again;
moham-
illusion;
evam-
like this;
yāsyasi-
you shall go;
pāṇḍava-
O son of Pāṇḍu;
yena-
by which;
bhūtāni-
all living entities;
aśesāṇi-
totally;
drakṣyasi-
you will see;
ātmani-
in the Supreme Soul;
atho-
or in other words;
mayi-
in Me.

TRANSLATION

And when you have thus learned the truth, you will know that all living beings are but part of Me-and that they are in Me, and are Mine.

PURPORT

The result of receiving knowledge from a self-realized soul, or one who knows things as they are, is learning that all living beings are parts and parcels of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. The sense of a separated existence from Kṛṣṇa is called
māyā (mā-
not,
yā-
this). Some think that we have nothing to do with Kṛṣṇa, that Kṛṣṇa is only a great historical personality and that the Absolute is the impersonal Brahman. Factually, as it is stated in the
Bhagavad-gītā,
this impersonal Brahman is the personal effulgence of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the cause of everything. In the
Brahma-saṁhitā
it is clearly stated that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes. Even the millions of incarnations are only His different expansions. Similarly, the living entities are also expansions of Kṛṣṇa. The Māyāvādī philosophers wrongly think that Kṛṣṇa loses His own separate existence in His many expansions. This thought is material in nature. We have experience in the material world that a thing, when fragmentally distributed, loses its own original identity. But the Māyāvādī philosophers fail to understand that Absolute means that one plus one is equal to one, and that one minus one is also equal to one. This is the case in the absolute world.

For want of sufficient knowledge in the absolute science, we are now covered with illusion, and therefore we think that we are separate from Kṛṣṇa. Although we are separated parts of Kṛṣṇa, we are nevertheless not different from Him. The bodily difference of the living entities is
māyā
, or not actual fact. We are all meant to satisfy Kṛṣṇa. By
māyā
alone Arjuna thought that the temporary bodily relationship with his kinsmen was more important than his eternal spiritual relationship with Kṛṣṇa. The whole teaching of the
Gītā
is targetted toward this end: that a living being, as His eternal servitor, cannot be separated from Kṛṣṇa, and his sense of being an identity apart from Kṛṣṇa is called
māyā
. The living entities, as separate parts and parcels of the Supreme, have a purpose to fulfill. Having forgotten that purpose, since time immemorial they are situated in different bodies, as men, animals, demigods, etc. Such bodily differences arise from forgetfulness of the transcendental service of the Lord. But when one is engaged in transcendental service through Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one becomes at once liberated from this illusion. One can acquire such pure knowledge only from the bona fide spiritual master and thereby avoid the delusion that the living entity is equal to Kṛṣṇa. Perfect knowledge is that the Supreme Soul, Kṛṣṇa, is the supreme shelter for all living entities, and giving up such shelter, the living entities are deluded by the material energy, imagining themselves to have a separate identity. Thus, under different standards of material identity, they become forgetful of Kṛṣṇa. When, however, such deluded living entities become situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is to be understood that they are on the path of liberation, as confirmed in the
Bhāgavatam: muktir hitvānyathā rūpaṁ svarūpeṇa vyavasthitiḥ.
Liberation means to be situated in one's constitutional position as the eternal servitor of Kṛṣṇa (Kṛṣṇa consciousness).

Bg 4.36

TEXT 36

TEXT

api ced asi pāpebhyaḥ

sarvebhyaḥ pāpa-kṛt-tamaḥ

sarvaṁ jñāna-plavenaiva

vṛjinaṁ santariṣyasi

SYNONYMS

api-
even;
cet-
if;
asi-
you are;
pāpebhyaḥ-
of sinners;
sarvebhyaḥ-
of all;
pāpa-kṛttamaḥ-
the greatest sinner;
sarvam-
all such sinful actions;
jñāna-plavena-
by the boat of transcendental knowledge;
eva-
certainly;
vṛjinam-
the ocean of miseries;
santariṣyasi-
you will cross completely.

TRANSLATION

Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge, you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries.

PURPORT

Proper understanding of one's constitutional position in relationship to Kṛṣṇa is so nice that it can at once lift one from the struggle for existence which goes on in the ocean of nescience. This material world is sometimes regarded as an ocean of nescience and sometimes as a blazing forest. In the ocean, however expert a swimmer one may be, the struggle for existence is very severe. If someone comes forward and lifts the struggling swimmer from the ocean, he is the greatest savior. Perfect knowledge, received from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the path of liberation. The boat of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is very simple, but at the same time the most sublime.

Bg 4.37

TEXT 37

TEXT

yathaidhāṁsi samiddho 'gnir

bhasma-sāt kurute 'rjuna

jñānāgniḥ sarva-karmāṇi

bhasma-sāt kurute tathā

SYNONYMS

yathā-
just as;
edhāṁsi-
firewood;
samiddhaḥ-
blazing;
agniḥ-
fire;
bhasmasāt-
turns into ashes;
kurute-
so does;
arjuna-
O Arjuna;
jñāna-agniḥ-
the fire of knowledge;
sarva-karmāṇi-
all reactions to material activities;
bhasmasāt-
to ashes;
kurute-
it so does;
tathā-
similarly.

TRANSLATION

As the blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge burn to ashes all reactions to material activities.

PURPORT

Perfect knowledge of self and Superself and of their relationship is compared herein to fire. This fire not only burns up all reactions to impious activities, but also all reactions to pious activities, turning them to ashes. There are many stages of reaction: reaction in the making, reaction fructifying, reaction already achieved, and reaction
a priori.
But knowledge of the constitutional position of the living entity burns everything to ashes. When one is in complete knowledge, all reactious, both
a priori
and
a posteriori,
are consumed. In the
Vedas
it is stated:
ubhe uhaivaiṣa ete taraty amṛtaḥ sādhv-asādhūnī:
"One overcomes both the pious and impious interactions of work."

Bg 4.38

TEXT 38

TEXT

na hi jñānena sadṛśaṁ

pavitram iha vidyate

tat svayaṁ yoga-saṁsiddhaḥ

kālenātmani vindati

SYNONYMS

na-
never;
hi-
certainly;
jñānena-
with knowledge;
sadṛśam-
in comparison;
pavitram-
sanctified;
iha-
in this world;
vidyate-
exists;
tat-
that;
svayam-
itself;
yoga-
devotion;
saṁsiddhaḥ-
matured;
kālena-
in course of time;
ātmani-
in himself;
vindati-
enjoys.

TRANSLATION

In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism. And one who has achieved this enjoys the self within himself in due course of time.

PURPORT

When we speak of transcendental knowledge, we do so in terms of spiritual understanding. As such, there is nothing so sublime and pure as transcendental knowledge. Ignorance is the cause of our bondage, and knowledge is the cause of our liberation. This knowledge is the mature fruit of devotional service, and when one is situated in transcendental knowledge, he need not search for peace elsewhere, for he enjoys peace within himself. In other words, this knowledge and peace are culminated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That is the last word in the
Bhagavad-gītā.

Bg 4.39

TEXT 39

TEXT

śraddhāvāl labhate jñānaṁ

tat-paraḥ saṁyatendriyaḥ

jñānaṁ labdhvā parāṁ śāntim

acireṇādhigacchati

SYNONYMS

śraddhāvān-
a faithful man;
labhate-
achieves;
jñānam-
knowledge;
tat-paraḥ-
very much attached to it;
saṁyata-
controlled;
indriyaḥ-
senses;
jñanam-
knowledge;
labdhvā-
having achieved;
parām-
transcendental;
śāntim-
peace;
acireṇa-
very soon;
adhigacchati-
attains.

TRANSLATION

A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge and who subdues his senses quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.

PURPORT

Such knowledge in Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be achieved by a faithful person who believes firmly in Kṛṣṇa. One is called a faithful man who thinks that, simply by acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can attain the highest perfection. This faith is attained by the discharge of devotional service, and by chanting
"Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare,"
which cleanses one's heart of all material dirt. Over and above this, one should control the senses. A person who is faithful to Kṛṣṇa and who controls the senses can easily attain perfection in the knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness without delay.

Bg 4.40

TEXT 40

TEXT

ajñaś cāśraddadhānaś ca

saṁśayātmā vinaśyati

nāyaṁ loko 'sti na paro

na sukhaṁ saṁśayātmanaḥ

SYNONYMS

ajñaḥ-
fools who have no knowledge in standard scriptures;
ca-
and;
aśraddadhānaḥ-
without faith in revealed scriptures;
ca-
also;
saṁśaya-
doubts;
ātmā-
person;
vinaśyati-
falls back;
na-
never;
ayam-
this;
lokaḥ-
world;
asti-
there is;
na-
neither;
paraḥ-
next life;
na-
not;
sukham-
happiness;
saṁśaya-
doubtful;
ātmanaḥ-
of the person.