Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (46 page)

PURPORT

Being engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can immediately understand one's spiritual identity, and then one can understand the Supreme Lord by means of devotional service. When he is well situated in devotional service, one comes to the transcendental position, qualified to feel the presence of the Lord in the sphere of one's activity. This particular position is called liberation in the Supreme.

After explaining the above principles of liberation in the Supreme, the Lord gives instruction to Arjuna as to how one can come to that position by the practice of mysticism or
yoga,
known as
aṣṭāṅga-yoga,
which is divisible into an eightfold procedure called
yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna,
and
samādhi.
In the Sixth Chapter the subject of
yoga
is explicitly detailed, and at the end of the Fifth it is only preliminarily explained. One has to drive out the sense objects such as sound, touch, form, taste and smell by the
pratyāhāra
(breathing) process in
yoga,
and then keep the vision of the eyes between the two eyebrows and concentrate on the tip of the nose with half closed lids. There is no benefit in closing the eyes altogether, because then there is every chance of falling asleep. Nor is there benefit in opening the eyes completely, because then there is the hazard of being attracted by sense objects. The breathing movement is restrained within the nostrils by neutralizing the up- and down-moving air within the body. By practice of such
yoga
one is able to gain control over the senses, refrain from outward sense objects, and thus prepare oneself for liberation in the Supreme.

This
yoga
process helps one become free from all kinds of fear and anger and thus feel the presence of the Supersoul in the transcendental situation. In other words, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the easiest process of executing
yoga
principles. This will be thoroughly explained in the next chapter. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person, however, being always engaged in devotional service, does not risk losing his senses to some other engagement. This is a better way of controlling the senses than by the
aṣṭāṅga-yoga
.

Bg 5.29

TEXT 29

TEXT

bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ

sarva-loka-maheśvaram

suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

SYNONYMS

bhoktāram-
beneficiary;
yajña-
sacrifices;
tapasām-
of penances and austerities;
sarva-loka-
all planets and the demigods thereof;
maheśvaram-
the Supreme Lord;
suhṛdam-
benefactor;
sarva-
all;
bhūtānām-
of the living entities;
jñātvā-
thus knowing;
mām-
Me (Lord Kṛṣṇa);
śāntim-
relief from material pangs;
ṛcchati-
achieves.

TRANSLATION

The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.

PURPORT

The conditioned souls within the clutches of illusory energy are all anxious to attain peace in the material world. But they do not know the formula for peace, which is explained in this part of the
Bhagavad-gītā.
The greatest peace formula is simply this: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the beneficiary in all human activities. Men should offer everything to the transcendental service of the Lord because He is the proprietor of all planets and the demigods thereon. No one is greater than He. He is greater than the greatest of the demigods, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. In the
Vedas
the Supreme Lord is described as
tam īśvarāṇāṁ paramaṁ maheśvaram.
Under the spell of illusion, living entities are trying to be lords of all they survey, but actually they are dominated by the material energy of the Lord. The Lord is the master of material nature, and the conditioned souls are under the stringent rules of material nature. Unless one understands these bare facts, it is not possible to achieve peace in the world either individually or collectively. This is the sense of Kssna consciousness: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme predominator, and all living entities, including the great demigods, are His subordinates. One can attain perfect peace only in complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

This Fifth Chapter is a practical explanation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, generally known as
karma-yoga.
The question of mental speculation as to how
karma-yoga
can give liberation is answered herewith. To work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to work with the complete knowledge of the Lord as the predominator. Such work is not different from transcendental knowledge. Direct Kṛṣṇa consciousness is
bhakti-yoga,
and
jñāna-yoga
is a path leading to
bhakti-yoga.
Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to work in full knowledge of one's relationship with the Supreme Absolute, and the perfection of this consciousness is full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A pure soul is the eternal servant of God as His fragmental part and parcel. He comes into contact with
māyā
(illusion) due to the desire to lord it over
māyā
, and that is the cause of his many sufferings. As long as he is in contact with matter, he has to execute work in terms of material necessities. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, brings one into spiritual life even while one is within the jurisdiction of matter, for it is an arousing of spiritual existence by practice in the material world. The more one is advanced, the more he is freed from the clutches of matter. The Lord is not partial toward anyone. Everything depends on one's practical performance of duties in an effort to control the senses and conquer the influence of desire and anger. And, attaining Kṛṣṇa consciousness by controlling the above-mentioned passions, one remains factually in the transcendental stage, or
brahman-nirvāṇa
. The eightfold yoga mysticism is automatically practiced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because the ultimate purpose is served. There is gradual process of elevation in the practice of
yama, niyama, āsana, pratyāhāra, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, prāṇāyāma
, and
samādhi.
But these only preface perfection by devotional service, which alone can award peace to the human being. It is the highest perfection of life.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Fifth Chapter of the
Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā
in the matter of
Karma-yoga,
or Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.

Bg 6: Sāṅkhya-yoga

6. Sāṅkhya-yoga

Bg 6.1

TEXT 1

TEXT

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

anāśritaḥ karma-phalaṁ

kāryaṁ karma karoti yaḥ

sa sannyāsī ca yogī ca

na niragnir na cākriyaḥ

SYNONYMS

śrī bhagavān uvāca-
the Lord said;
anāśritaḥ-
without shelter;
karma-phalam-
the result of work;
kāryam-
obligatory;
karma-
work;
karoti-
performs;
yaḥ-
one who;
saḥ-
he;
sannyāsī-
in the renounced order;
ca-
also;
yogī-
mystic;
ca-
also;
na-
not;
nir-
without;
agniḥ-
fire;
na-
nor;
ca-
also;
akriyaḥ-
without duty.

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: One who is unattached to the fruits of his work and who works as he is obligated is in the renounced order of life, and he is the true mystic: not he who lights no fire and performs no work.

PURPORT

In this chapter the Lord explains that the process of the eightfold
yoga
system is a means to control the mind and the senses. However, this is very difficult for people in general to perform, especially in the age of Kali. Although the eightfold
yoga
system is recommended in this chapter, the Lord emphasizes that the process of
karma-yoga,
or acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is better. Everyone acts in this world to maintain his family and their paraphernalia, but no one is working without some self-interest, some personal gratification, be it concentrated or extended. The criterion of perfection is to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and not with a view to enjoying the fruits of work. To act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the duty of every living entity because all are constitutionally parts and parcels of the Supreme. The parts of the body work for the satisfaction of the whole body. The limbs of the body do not act for self-satisfaction but for the satisfaction of the complete whole. Similarly, the living entity who acts for satisfaction of the supreme whole and not for personal satisfaction is the perfect
sannyāsī,
the perfect
yogī
.

The
sannyāsīs
sometimes artificially think that they have become liberated from all material duties, and therefore they cease to perform
agnihotra yajñas
(fire sacrifices), but actually they are self-interested because their goal is becoming one with the impersonal Brahman. Such a desire is greater than any material desire, but it is not without self-interest. Similarly, the mystic
yogī
who practices the
yoga
system with half-open eyes, ceasing all material activities, desires some satisfaction for his personal self. But a person acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness works for the satisfaction of the whole, without self-interest. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no desire for self-satisfaction. His criterion of success is the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, and thus he is the perfect
sannyāsī,
or perfect
yogī.
Lord Caitanya, the highest perfectional symbol of renunciation, prays in this way:

na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagadīśa kāmaye.
mama janmani janmanīśvare bhavatād bhaktir ahaitukī tvayi.

"O Almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth."

Bg 6.2

TEXT 2

TEXT

yaṁ sannyāsam iti prāhur

yogaṁ taṁ viddhi pāṇḍava

na hy asannyasta-saṅkalpo

yogī bhavati kaścana

SYNONYMS

yam-
what;
sannyāsam-
renunciation;
iti-
thus;
prāhuḥ-
they say;
yogam-
linking with the Supreme;
tam-
that;
viddhi-
you must know;
pāṇḍava-
O son of Pāṇḍu;
na-
never;
hi-
certainly;
asannyasta-
without giving up;
saṅkalpaḥ-
self-satisfaction;
yogī-
a mystic transcendentalist;
bhavati-
becomes;
kaścana-
anyone.

TRANSLATION

What is called renunciation is the same as yoga, or linking oneself with the Supreme, for no one can become a yogī unless he renounces the desire for sense gratification.

PURPORT

Real
sannyāsa-yoga
or
bhakti
means that one should know his constitutional position as the living entity, and act accordingly. The living entity has no separate independant identity. He is the marginal energy of the Supreme. When he is entrapped by material energy, he is conditioned, and when he is Kṛṣṇa conscious, or aware of the spiritual energy, then he is in his real and natural state of life. Therefore, when one is in complete knowledge, one ceases all material sense gratification, or renounces all kinds of sense gratificatory activities. This is practiced by the
yogīs
who restrain the senses from material attachment. But a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has no opportunity to engage his senses in anything which is not for the purpose of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is simultaneously a
sannyāsī
and a
yogī.
The purpose of knowledge and of restraining the senses, as prescribed in the
jñāna
and
yoga
processes, is automatically served in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one is unable to give up the activities of his selfish nature, then
jñāna
and
yoga
are of no avail. The real aim is for a living entity to give up all selfish satisfaction and to be prepared to satisfy the Supreme. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person has no desire for any kind of self-enjoyment. He is always engaged for the enjoyment of the Supreme. One who has no information of the Supreme must therefore be engaged in self-satisfaction because no one can stand on the platform of inactivity. All these purposes are perfectly served by the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Bg 6.3

TEXT 3

TEXT

ārurukṣor muner yogaṁ

karma kāraṇam ucyate

yogārūḍhasya tasyaiva

śamaḥ kāraṇam ucyate

SYNONYMS

ārurukṣoḥ-
of one who has just begun
yoga; muneḥ-
of the sage;
yogam
-the eightfold
yoga
system;
karma-
work;
kāraṇam-
the cause;
ucyate-
is said to be;
yoga-
eightfold
yoga; ārūḍhasya-
one who has attained;
tasya-
his;
eva-
certainly;
śamaḥ-
cessation of all material activities;
kāraṇam-
the cause;
ucyate-
is said to be.