Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (41 page)

TRANSLATION

But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.

PURPORT

Out of many standard and authoritative revealed scriptures, the
Bhagavad-gītā
is the best. Persons who are almost like animals have no faith in, or knowledge of, the standard revealed scriptures; and some, even though they have knowledge of, or can cite passages from, the revealed scriptures, have actually no faith in these words. And even though others may have faith in scriptures like
Bhagavad-gītā,
they do not believe in or worship the Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Such persons cannot have any standing in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. They fall down. Out of all the abovementioned persons, those who have no faith and are always doubtful make no progress at all. Men without faith in God and His revealed word find no good in this world, nor in the next. For them there is no happiness whatsoever. One should therefore follow the principles of revealed scriptures with faith and thereby be raised to the platform of knowledge. Only this knowledge will help one become promoted to the transcendental platform of spiritual understanding. In other words, doubtful persons have no status whatsoever in spiritual emancipation. One should therefore follow in the footsteps of great
ācāryas
who are in the disciplic succession and thereby attain success.

Bg 4.41

TEXT 41

TEXT

yoga-sannyasta-karmāṇaṁ

jñāna-sañchinna-saṁśayam

ātmavantaṁ na karmāṇi

nibadhnanti dhanañjaya

SYNONYMS

yoga-
devotional service in
karma-yoga; sannyasta-
renounced;
karmāṇam-
of the performers;
jñāna-
knowledge;
sañchinna-
cut by the advancement of knowledge;
saṁśayam-
doubts;
ātma-vantam-
situated in the self;
na-
never;
karmāṇi-
work;
nibadhnanti-
do bind up;
dhanañjaya
-O conquerer of riches.

TRANSLATION

Therefore, one who has renounced the fruits of his action, whose doubts are destroyed by transcendental knowledge, and who is situated firmly in the self, is not bound by works, O conqueror of riches.

PURPORT

One who follows the instruction of the
Gītā
, as it is imparted by the Lord, the Personality of Godhead Himself, becomes free from all doubts by the grace of transcendental knowledge. He, as a part and parcel of the Lord, in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, is already established in self-knowledge. As such, he is undoubtedly above bondage to action.

Bg 4.42

TEXT 42

TEXT

tasmād ajñāna-sambhūtaṁ

hṛt-sthaṁ jñānāsinātmanaḥ

chittvainaṁ saṁśayaṁ yogam

ātiṣṭhottiṣṭha bhārata

SYNONYMS

tasmāt-
therefore;
ajñāna-sambhūtam-
outcome of ignorance;
hṛt-stham
-situated in the heart;
jñāna-
knowledge;
asinā-
by the weapon of;
ātmanaḥ-
of the self;
chittvā-
cutting off;
enam-
this;
saṁśayam-
doubt;
yogam-
in yoga;
ātiṣṭha-
be situated;
uttiṣṭha-
stand up to fight;
bhārata-
O descendant of Bharata.

TRANSLATION

Therefore the doubts which have arisen in your heart out of ignorance should be slashed by the weapon of knowledge. Armed with yoga, O Bhārata, stand and fight.

PURPORT

The
yoga
system instructed in this chapter is called
sanātana-yoga,
or eternal activities performed by the living entity. This
yoga
has two divisions of sacrificial actions: one is called sacrifice of one's material possessions, and the other is called knowledge of self, which is pure spiritual activity. If sacrifice of one's material possessions is not dovetailed for spiritual realization, then such sacrifice becomes material. But one who performs such sacrifices with a spiritual objective, or in devotional service, makes a perfect sacrifice. When we come to spiritual activities, we find that these are also divided into two: namely, understanding of one's own self (or one's constitutional position), and the truth regarding the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One who follows the path of the
Gītā
as it is can very easily understand these two important divisions of spiritual knowledge. For him there is no difficulty in obtaining perfect knowledge of the self as part and parcel of the Lord. And such understanding is beneficial for such a person who easily understands the transcendental activities of the Lord. In the beginning of this chapter, the transcendental activities of the Lord were discussed by the Supreme Lord Himself. One who does not understand the instructions of the
Gītā
is faithless, and is to be considered to be misusing the fragmental independence awarded to him by the Lord. In spite of such instructions, one who does not understand the real nature of the Lord as the eternal, blissful, all-knowing Personality of Godhead, is certainly fool number one. Ignorance can be removed by gradual acceptance of the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is awakened by different types of sacrifices to the demigods, sacrifice to Brahman, sacrifice in celibacy, in household life, in controlling the senses, in practicing mystic
yoga,
in penance, in foregoing material possessions, in studying the
Vedas,
and in partaking of the social institution called
varṇāśrama-dharma.
All of these are known as sacrifice, and all of them are based on regulated action. But within all these activities, the important factor is self-realization. One who seeks
that
objective is the real student of
Bhagavad-gītā,
but one who doubts the authority of Kṛṣṇa falls back. One is therefore advised to study
Bhagavad-gītā,
or any other scripture, under a bona fide spiritual master, with service and surrender. A bona fide spiritual master is in the disciplic succession from time eternal, and he does not deviate at all from the instructions of the Supreme Lord as they were imparted millions of years ago to the sun-god, from whom the instructions of
Bhagavad-gītā
have come down to the earthly kingdom. One should, therefore, follow the path of
Bhagavad-gītā
as it is expressed in the
Gītā
itself and beware of self-interested people after personal aggrandizement who deviate others from the actual path. The Lord is definitely the supreme person, and His activities are transcendental. One who understands this is a liberated person from the very beginning of his study of the
Gītā.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Fourth Chapter of the
Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā
in the matter of Transcendental Knowledge.

Bg 5: Karma-yoga-Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness

5. Karma-yoga-Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness

Bg 5.1

TEXT 1

TEXT

arjuna uvāca

sannyāsaṁ karmaṇāṁ kṛṣṇa

punar yogaṁ ca śaṁsasi

yac chreya etayor ekaṁ

tan me brūhi su-niścitam

SYNONYMS

arjunaḥ uvāca-
Arjuna said;
sannyāsam-
renunciation;
karmaṇām-
of all activities;
kṛṣṇa
-O Kṛṣṇa;
punaḥ-
again;
yogam-
devotional service;
ca-
also;
śaṁsasi-
You are praising;
yat-
which;
śreyaḥ-
is beneficial;
etayoḥ-
of these two;
ekam-
one;
tat-
that;
me-
unto me;
brūhi-
please tell;
suniścitam-
definitely.

TRANSLATION

Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, first of all You ask me to renounce work, and then again You recommend work with devotion. Now will You kindly tell me definitely which of the two is more beneficial?

PURPORT

In this Fifth Chapter of the
Bhagavad-gītā,
the Lord says that work in devotional service is better than dry mental speculation. Devotional service is easier than the latter because, being transcendental in nature, it frees one from reaction. In the Second Chapter, preliminary knowledge of the soul and its entanglement in the material body were explained. How to get out of this material encagement by
buddhi-yoga,
or devotional service, was also explained therein. In the Third Chapter, it was explained that a person who is situated on the platform of knowledge no longer has any duties to perform. And, in the Fourth Chapter, the Lord told Arjuna that all kinds of sacrificial work culminate in knowledge. However, at the end of the Fourth Chapter, the Lord advised Arjuna to wake up and fight, being situated in perfect knowledge. Therefore, by simultaneously stressing the importance of both work in devotion and inaction in knowledge, Kṛṣṇa has perplexed Arjuna and confused his determination. Arjuna understands that renunciation in knowledge involves cessation of all kinds of work performed as sense activities. But if one performs work in devotional service, then how is work stopped? In other words, he thinks that
sannyāsam
, or renunciation in knowledge, should be altogether free from all kinds of activity because work and renunciation appear to him to be incompatible. He appears not to have understood that work in full knowledge is nonreactive and is therefore the same as inaction. He inquires, therefore, whether he should cease work altogether, or work with full knowledge.

Bg 5.2

TEXT 2

TEXT

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

sannyāsaḥ karma-yogaś ca

niḥśreyasa-karāv ubhau

tayos tu karma-sannyāsāt

karma-yogo viśiṣyate

SYNONYMS

śrī bhagavān uvāca-
the Personality of Godhead said;
sannyāsaḥ-
renunciation of work;
karma-yogaḥ-
work in devotion;
ca-
also;
niḥśreyasa-karau-
all leading to the path of liberation;
ubhau-
both;
tayoḥ-
of the two;
tu-
but;
karma-sannyāsāt-
in comparison to the renunciation of fruitive work;
karma-yogaḥ-
work in devotion;
viśiṣyate-
is better.

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: The renunciation of work and work in devotion are both good for liberation. But, of the two, work in devotional service is better than renunciation of works.

PURPORT

Fruitive activities (seeking sense gratification) are cause for material bondage. As long as one is engaged in activities aimed at improving the standard of bodily comfort, one is sure to transmigrate to different types of bodies, thereby continuing material bondage perpetually.
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
confirms this as follows:

nūnaṁ pramattaḥ kurute vikarma yad indriya-prītaya āpṛṇoti
na sādhu manye yata ātmano 'yam asann api kleśada āsa dehaḥ

parābhavas tāvad abodha-jāto yāvanna jijñāsata ātma-tattvam
yāvat kriyās tāvad idaṁ mano vai karmātmakaṁ yena śarīra-bandhaḥ

evaṁ manaḥ karma-vaśaṁ prayuṅkte avidyayātmany upadhīyamāne
prītir na yāvan mayi vāsudeve na mucyate deha-yogena tāvat

"People are mad after sense gratification, and they do not know that this present body, which is full of miseries, is a result of one's fruitive activities in the past. Although this body is temporary, it is always giving one trouble in many ways. Therefore, to act for sense gratification is not good. One is considered to be a failure in life as long as he makes no inquiry about the nature of work for fruitive results, for as long as one is engrossed in the consciousness of sense gratification, one has to transmigrate from one body to another. Although the mind may be engrossed in fruitive activities and influenced by ignorance, one must develop a love for devotional service to Vāsudeva. Only then can one have the opportunity to get out of the bondage of material existence."
(Bhāg.
5.5.4-6)

Therefore,
jñāna
(or knowledge that one is not this material body but spirit soul) is not sufficient for liberation. One has to
act
in the status of spirit soul, otherwise there is no escape from material bondage. Action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not, however, action on the fruitive platform. Activities performed in full knowledge strengthen one's advancement in real knowledge. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, mere renunciation of fruitive activities does not actually purify the heart of a conditioned soul. As long as the heart is not purified, one has to work on the fruitive platform. But action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness automatically helps one escape the result of fruitive action so that one need not descend to the material platform. Therefore, action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always superior to renunciation, which always entails a risk of falling. Renunciation without Kṛṣṇa consciousness is incomplete, as is confirmed by Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī in his
Bhak ti-rasāmṛta-sindbu.

prāpañcikatayā buddhyā hari-sambandhi-vastunaḥ
mumukṣubhiḥ parityāgo vairāgyaṁ phalgu kathyate.

"Renunciation by persons eager to achieve liberation of things which are related to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, though they are material, is called incomplete renunciation." Renunciation is compete when it is in the knowledge that everything in existence belongs to the Lord and that no one should claim proprietorship over anything. One should understand that, factually, nothing belongs to anyone. Then where is the question of renunciation? One who knows that everything is Kṛṣṇa's property is always situated in renunciation. Since everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa, everything should be employed in the service of Kṛṣṇa. This perfect form of action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is far better than any amount of artificial renunciation by a
sannyāsī
of the Māyāvādī school.