Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (88 page)

devā apy asya rūpasya

nityaṁ darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ

SYNONYMS

śrī bhagavān uvāca-
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
sudur-darśana-
very difficult to be seen;
idam
-this;
rūpam
-form;
dṛṣṭavān asi-
as you have seen;
yat-
which;
mama
-of Mine;
devāḥ-
the demigods;
api asya
-also this;
rūpasya
-of the form;
nityam
-eternally;
darśana-kāṅkṣiṇaḥ-
always aspire to see.

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: My dear Arjuna, the form which you are now seeing is very difficult to behold. Even the demigods are ever seeking the opportunity to see this form which is so dear.

PURPORT

In the forty-eighth verse of this chapter Lord Kṛṣṇa concluded revealing His universal form and informed Arjuna that this form is not possible to be seen by so many activities, sacrifices, etc. Now here the word
sudurdarśam
is
used, indicating that Kṛṣṇa's two-handed form is still more confidential. One may be able to see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa by adding a little tinge of devotional service to various activities like penance, Vedic study and philosophical speculation, etc. It may be possible, but without a tinge of
bhakti,
one cannot see; that has already been explained. Still, beyond that universal form, the form of Kṛṣṇa as a two-handed man is still more difficult to see, even for demigods like Brahmā and Lord Śiva. They desire to see Him, and we have evidences in the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
that when He was supposed to be in the womb of His mother, Devakī, all the demigods from heaven came to see the marvel of Kṛṣṇa. They even waited to see Him. A foolish person may deride Him, but that is an ordinary person. Kṛṣṇa is actually desired to be seen by demigods like Brahmā and Śiva in His two-armed form.

In
Bhagavad-gītā
it is also confirmed that He is not visible to the foolish persons who deride Him. Kṛṣṇa's body, as confirmed by
Brahmā-saṁhitā
and confirmed by Himself in
Bhagavad-gītā,
is
completely spiritual and full of bliss and eternality. His body is never like a material body. But for some who make a study of Kṛṣṇa by reading
Bhagavad-gītā
or similar Vedic scriptures, Kṛṣṇa is a problem. For one using a material process, Kṛṣṇa is considered to be a great historical personality and very learned philosopher. But He isn't an ordinary man. But some think that even though He was so powerful, He had to accept a material body. Ultimately they think that the Absolute Truth is impersonal; therefore they think that from His impersonal feature He assumed a personal feature attached to material nature. This is a materialistic calculation of the Supreme Lord. Another calculation is speculative. Those who are in search of knowledge also speculate on Kṛṣṇa and consider Him to be less important than the universal form of the Supreme. Thus some think that the universal form of Kṛṣṇa which was manifested to Arjuna is more important than His personal form. According to them, the personal form of the Supreme is something imaginary. They believe that in the ultimate issue, the Absolute Truth is not a person. But the transcendental process is described in
Bhagavad-gītā,
Chapter Two: to hear about Kṛṣṇa from authorities. That is the actual Vedic process, and those who are actually in the Vedic line hear about Kṛṣṇa from authority, and by repeated hearing about Him, Kṛṣṇa becomes dear. As we have several times discussed, Kṛṣṇa is covered by His
yoga-māyā
potency. He is not to be seen or revealed to anyone and everyone. Only by one to whom He reveals Himself can He be seen. This is confirmed in Vedic literature; for one who is a surrendered soul, the Absolute Truth can actually be understood. The transcendentalist, by continuous Kṛṣṇa consciousness and by devotional service to Kṛṣṇa, can have his spiritual eyes opened and can see Kṛṣṇa by revelation. Such a revelation is not possible even for the demigods; therefore it is difficult even for the demigods to understand Kṛṣṇa, and the advanced demigods are always in hope of seeing Kṛṣṇa in His two-handed form. The conclusion is that although to see the universal form of Kṛṣṇa is very, very difficult and not possible for anyone and everyone, it is still more difficult to understand His personal form as Śyāmasundara.

Bg 11.53

TEXT 53

TEXT

nāhaṁ vedair na tapasā

na dānena na cejyayā

śakya evaṁ-vidho draṣṭuṁ

dṛṣṭavān asi māṁ yathā

SYNONYMS

na
-never;
aham
-I;
vedaiḥ-
by study of the
Vedas; na
-never;
tapasā-
by serious penances;
na
-never;
dānena-
by charity;
na
-never;
ca
-also;
ijyayā-
by worship;
śakyaḥ-
is
it possible;
evam-vidhaḥ-
like this;
draṣṭum
-to see;
dṛṣṭavān
-seeing;
asi
-you are;
mām
-Me;
yathā
-as.

TRANSLATION

The form which you are seeing with your transcendental eyes cannot be understood simply by studying the Vedas, nor by undergoing serious penances, nor by charity, nor by worship. It is not by these means that one can see Me as I am.

PURPORT

Kṛṣṇa first appeared before His parents Devakī and Vasudeva in a four-handed form, and then He transformed Himself into the two-handed form. This mystery is very difficult to understand for those who are atheists or who are devoid of devotional service. For scholars who have simply studied Vedic literature by way of speculation or out of mere academic interest, Kṛṣṇa is not easy to understand. Nor is He to he understood by persons who officially go to the temple to offer worship. They make their visit, but they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa as He is. Kṛṣṇa can be understood only through the path of devotional service, as explained by Kṛṣṇa Himself in the next verse.

Bg 11.54

TEXT 54

TEXT

bhaktyā tv ananyayā śakya

aham evaṁ-vidho 'rjuna

jñātuṁ draṣṭuṁ ca tattvena

praveṣṭuṁ ca parantapa

SYNONYMS

bhaktyā-
by devotional service;
tu-
but;
ananyayā-
without being mixed with fruitive activities or speculative knowledge;
śakyaḥ
-possible;
aham-
I;
evam-vidhaḥ-
like this;
arjuna
-O Arjuna;
jñātum-
to know;
draṣṭum-
to see;
tattvena-
in fact;
praveṣṭum
-and to enter into;
ca
-also;
parantapa-
O mighty-armed one.

TRANSLATION

My dear Arjuna, only by undivided devotional service can I be understood as I am, standing before you, and can thus be seen directly. Only in this way can you enter into the mysteries of My understanding.

PURPORT

Kṛṣṇa can be understood only by the process of undivided devotional service. He explicitly explains this in this verse so unauthorized commentators, who try to understand
Bhagavad-gītā
by the speculative process, will know that they are simply wasting their time. No one can understand Kṛṣṇa or how He came from parents in a four-handed form and at once changed Himself into a two-handed form. It is clearly stated here that no one can see Him. Those who, however, are very experienced students of Vedic literature can learn about Him from the Vedic literature in so many ways. There are so many rules and regulations, and if one at all wants to understand Kṛṣṇa, he must follow the regulative principles described in the authoritative literature. One can perform penance in accordance with those principles. As far as charity is concerned, it is plain that charity should be given to the devotees of Kṛṣṇa who are engaged in His devotional service to spread the Kṛṣṇa philosophy or Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the world. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is a benediction to humanity. Lord Caitanya was appreciated by Rūpa Gosvāmī as the most munificent man of charity because love of Kṛṣṇa, which is very difficult to achieve, was distributed freely by Him. And if one worships as prescribed in the temple (in the temples in India there is always some statue, usually of Viṣṇu or Kṛṣṇa), that is a chance to progress. For the beginners in devotional service to the Lord, temple worship is very essential, and this is confirmed in the Vedic literature.

One who has unflinching devotion for the Supreme Lord and is directed by the spiritual master can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead by revelation. For one who does not take personal training under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, it is impossible to even begin to understand Kṛṣṇa. The word
tu
is specifically used here to indicate that no other process can be used, can be recommended, or can be successful in understanding Kṛṣṇa.

The personal forms of Kṛṣṇa, the two-handed form and the four-handed, are completely different from the temporary universal form shown to Arjuna. The four-handed form is Nārāyaṇa, and the two-handed form is Kṛṣṇa; they are eternal and transcendental, whereas the universal form exhibited to Arjuna is temporary. The very word
sudurdarśam,
meaning difficult to see, suggests that no one saw that universal form. It also suggests that amongst the devotees there was no necessity of showing it. That form was exhibited by Kṛṣṇa at the request of Arjuna because in the future, when one represents himself as an incarnation of God, people can ask to see his universal form.

Kṛṣṇa changes from the universal form to the four-handed form of Nārāyaṇa and then to His own natural form of two hands. This indicates that the four-handed forms and other forms mentioned in Vedic literature are all emanations of the original two-handed Kṛṣṇa. He is the origin of all emanations. Kṛṣṇa is distinct even from these forms, not to speak of the impersonal conception. As far as the four-handed forms of Kṛṣṇa are concerned, it is stated clearly that even the most identical four-handed form of Kṛṣṇa (which is known as Mahā-Viṣṇu, who is lying on the cosmic ocean and from whose breathing so many innumerable universes are passing out and entering) is also an expansion of the Supreme Lord. Therefore one should conclusively worship the personal form of Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is eternity, bliss and knowledge. He is the source of all forms of Viṣṇu, He is the source of all forms of incarnation, and He is the original Supreme Personality, as confirmed in
Bhagavad-gītā.

In the Vedic literature it is stated that the Supreme Absolute Truth is a person. His name is Kṛṣṇa, and He sometimes descends on this earth. Similarly, in
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam there is a description of all kinds of incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and there it is said that Kṛṣṇa is not an incarnation of God but is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself.
Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam.
Similarly, in
Bhagavad-gītā
the Lord says,
mattaḥ parataram nānyāt:
"There is nothing superior to My form as the Personality of Godhead Kṛṣṇa." He also says elsewhere in
Bhagavad-gītā, aham ādir hi devānām:
"I am the origin of all the demigods." And after understanding
Bhagavad-gītā
from Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna also confirms this in the following words:
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ
bhavān:
"I now fully understand that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, and that You are the refuge of everything." Therefore the universal form which Kṛṣṇa showed to Arjuna is not the original form of God. The original is the Kṛṣṇa form. The universal form, with its thousands and thousands of heads and hands, is manifest just to draw the attention of those who have no love for God. It is not God's original form.

The universal form is not attractive for pure devotees, who are in love with the Lord in different transcendental relationships. The Supreme Godhead exchanges transcendental love in His original form of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore to Arjuna, who was so intimately related with Kṛṣṇa in friendship, this form of the universal manifestation was not pleasing; rather, it was fearful. Arjuna, who is a constant companion of Kṛṣṇa's, must have had transcendental eyes; he was not an ordinary man. Therefore he was not captivated by the universal form. This form may seem wonderful to persons who are involved in elevating themselves by fruitive activities, but to persons who are engaged in devotional service, the two-handed form of Kṛṣṇa is the most
dear.

Bg 11.55

TEXT 55

TEXT

mat-karma-kṛn mat-paramo

mad-bhaktaḥ saṅga-varjitaḥ

nirvairaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu

yaḥ sa mām eti pāṇḍava

SYNONYMS

mat-karma-kṛt
-engaged in doing My work;
mat-paramaḥ
-concerning Me, the Supreme;
mat-bhaktaḥ
-engaged in My devotional service;
saṅga-varjitaḥ-
freed from the contamination of previous activities and mental speculation;
nirvairaḥ
-without an enemy;
sarva-bhūteṣu
-to every living entity;
yaḥ
-one who;
saḥ
-he;
mām
-unto Me;
eti
-comes;
pāṇḍava
-O son of Pāṇḍu.

TRANSLATION

My dear Arjuna, one who is engaged in My pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of previous activities and from mental speculation, who is friendly to every living entity, certainly comes to Me.

PURPORT

Anyone who wants to approach the Supreme of all the Personalities of Godhead, on the Kṛṣṇaloka planet in the spiritual sky, and be intimately connected with the Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa, must take this formula, as is stated by the Supreme Himself. Therefore, this verse is considered to be the essence of
Bhagavad-gītā.
The
Bhagavad-gītā
is
a book directed to the conditioned souls, who are engaged in the material world with the purpose of lording it over nature and who do not know of the real, spiritual life. The
Bhagavad-gītā
is
meant to show how one can understand his spiritual existence and his eternal relationship with the Supreme Spiritual Personality and to teach one how to go back home, back to Godhead. Now here is the verse which clearly explains the process by which one can attain success in his spiritual activity: devotional service. As far as work is concerned, one should transfer his energy entirely to Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. No work should be done by any man except in relationship to Kṛṣṇa. This called Kṛṣṇa-
karma
. One may be engaged in various activities, but one should not be attached to the result of his work, but the result should be done for Him. For example, one may be engaged in business, but to transform that activity into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to do business for Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of the business, then Kṛṣṇa should enjoy the profit of the business. If a businessman is in possession of thousands and thousands of dollars, and if he has to offer all this to Kṛṣṇa, he can do it. This is work for Kṛṣṇa. Instead of constructing a big building for his sense gratification, he can construct a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa, and he can install the Deity of Kṛṣṇa and arrange for the Deity's service, as is outlined in the authorized books of devotional service. This is all Kṛṣṇa-
karma
. One should not be attached to the result of his work, but the result should be offered to Kṛṣṇa. One should also accept as
prasādam,
food, the remnants of offerings to Kṛṣṇa. If, however, one is not able to construct a temple for Kṛṣṇa, one can engage himself in cleansing the temple of Kṛṣṇa; that is also Kṛṣṇa-
karma
. One can cultivate a garden. Anyone who has land-in India, at least, any poor man has a certain amount of land-can utilize that for Kṛṣṇa by growing flowers to offer Him. He can sow
tulasī
plants because
tulasī
leaves are very important, and Kṛṣṇa has recommended this in
Bhagavad-gītā.
Kṛṣṇa desires that one offer Him either a leaf, or a flower, or a little water-and He is satisfied. This leaf especially refers to the
tulasī
So one can sow
tulasī
leaves and pour water on the plant. Thus, even the poorest man can engage in the service of Kṛṣṇa. These are some of the examples of how one can engage in working for Kṛṣṇa.