Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (89 page)

The word
mat-paramaḥ
refers to one who considers the association of Kṛṣṇa in His supreme abode to be the highest perfection of life. Such a person does not wish to be elevated to the higher planets such as the moon or sun or heavenly planets, or even the highest planet of this universe, Brahmaloka. He has no attraction for that. He is only attracted to being transferred to the spiritual sky. And even in the spiritual sky he is not satisfied with merging into the glowing
brahmajyoti
effulgence, for he wants to enter the highest spiritual planet, namely Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana. He has full knowledge of that planet, and therefore he is not interested in any other. As indicated by the word
mad-bhaktaḥ,
he fully engages in devotional service, specifically in the nine processes of devotional engagement: hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering prayers, carrying out the orders of the Lord, making friends with Him, and surrendering everything to Him. One can engage in all nine devotional processes, or eight, or seven, or at least in one, and that will surely make one perfect.

The term
saṅga-varjitaḥ
is very significant. One should disassociate himself from persons who are against Kṛṣṇa. Not only are the atheistic persons against Kṛṣṇa, but also those who are attracted to fruitive activities and mental speculation. Therefore the pure form of devotional service is described in
Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu
as follows:
anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā.
In this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī clearly states that if anyone wants to execute unalloyed devotional service, he must be freed from all kinds of material contamination. He must be freed from the association of persons who are addicted to fruitive activities and mental speculation. When, freed from such unwanted association and from the contamination of material desires, one favorably cultivates knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, that is called pure devotional service.
Ānukūlyasya saṅkaplaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam
. One should think of Kṛṣṇa and act for Kṛṣṇa favorably, not unfavorably. Kaṁsa was an enemy of Kṛṣṇa's. From the very beginning of Kṛṣṇa's birth, he planned in so many ways to kill Him, and because he was always unsuccessful, he was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Thus while working, while eating and while sleeping, he was always Kṛṣṇa conscious in every respect, but that Kṛṣṇa consciousness was not favorable, and therefore in spite of his always thinking of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, he was considered a demon, and Kṛṣṇa at last killed him. Of course anyone who is killed by Kṛṣṇa attains salvation immediately, but that is not the aim of the pure devotee. The pure devotee does not even want salvation. He does not want to be transferred even to the highest planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana. His only objective is to serve Kṛṣṇa wherever he may be.

A devotee of Kṛṣṇa is friendly to everyone. Therefore it is said here that he has no enemy. How is this? A devotee situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness knows that only devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can relieve a person from all the problems of life. He has personal experience of this, and therefore he wants to introduce this system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, into human society. There are many examples in history of devotees of the Lord risking their lives for the spreading of God consciousness. The favorite example is Lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified by the nondevotees, but He sacrificed His life for spreading God consciousness. Of course, it would be superficial to understand that He was killed. Similarly, in India also there are many examples, such as Ṭhākur Haridāsa. Why such risk? Because they wanted to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and it is difficult. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that if a man is suffering, it is due to his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, the highest benefit one can render to human society is relieving one's neighbor from all material problems. In such a way, a pure devotee is engaged in the service of the Lord. Now, we can imagine how merciful Kṛṣṇa is to those engaged in His service, risking everything for Him. Therefore it is certain that such persons must reach the supreme planet after leaving the body.

In summary, the universal form of Kṛṣṇa, which is a temporary manifestation, and the form of time which devours everything, and even the form of Viṣṇu, four-handed, have all been exhibited by Kṛṣṇa. Thus Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all these manifestations. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is a manifestation of the original
viśva-rūpa,
or Viṣṇu. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all forms. There are hundreds and thousands of Viṣṇus, but for a devotee, no form of Kṛṣṇa is important but the original form, two-handed Śyāmasundara. In the
Brahmā-saṁhitā
it is stated that those who are attached to the Śyāmasundara form of Kṛṣṇa in love and devotion can see Him always within the heart and cannot see anything else. One should understand, therefore, that the purport of this Eleventh Chapter is that the form of Kṛṣṇa is essential and supreme.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Eleventh Chapter of the
Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā
in the matter of the Universal Form.

Bg 12: Devotional Service

12. Devotional Service

Bg 12.1

TEXT 1

TEXT

arjuna uvāca

evaṁ satata-yuktā ye

bhaktās tvāṁ paryupāsate

ye cāpy akṣaram avyaktaṁ

teṣāṁ ke yoga-vittamāḥ

SYNONYMS

arjunaḥ uvāca-
Arjuna said;
evam-
thus;
satata-
always;
yuktāḥ-
engaged;
ye-
those;
bhaktāḥ-
devotees;
tvām-
unto You;
paryupāsate-
properly worship;
ye-
those;
ca-
also;
api-
again;
akṣaram
-beyond the senses;
avyaktam
-unmanifested;
teśām-
of them;
ke-
who;
yoga-vittamāḥ-
the most perfect.

TRANSLATION

Arjuna inquired: Which is considered to be more perfect: those who are properly engaged in Your devotional service, or those who worship the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested?

PURPORT

Kṛṣṇa has now explained about the personal, the impersonal and the universal and has described all kinds of devotees and
yogīs
. Generally, the transcendentalists can be divided into two classes. One is the impersonalist, and the other is the personalist. The personalist devotee engages himself with all energy in the service of the Supreme Lord. The impersonalist engages himself not directly in the service of Kṛṣṇa but in meditation on the impersonal Brahman, the unmanifested.

We find in this chapter that of the different processes for realization of the Absolute Truth,
bhakti-yoga,
devotional service, is the highest. If one at all desires to have the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then he must take to devotional service.

Those who worship the Supreme Lord directly by devotional service are called personalists. Those who engage themselves in meditation on the impersonal Brahman are called impersonalists. Arjuna is here questioning which position is better. There are different ways to realize the Absolute Truth, but Kṛṣṇa indicates in this chapter that
bhakti-yoga,
or devotional service to Him, is highest of all. It is the most direct, and it is the easiest means for association with the Godhead.

In the Second Chapter the Lord explains that a living entity is not the material body but is a spiritual spark, a part of the Absolute Truth. In the Seventh Chapter He speaks of the living entity as part and parcel of the supreme whole and recommends that he transfer his attention fully to the whole. In the Eighth Chapter it is stated that whoever thinks of Kṛṣṇa at the moment of death is at once transferred to the spiritual sky, Kṛṣṇa's abode. And at the end of the Sixth Chapter the Lord says that out of all the
yogīs,
he who thinks of Kṛṣṇa within himself is considered to be the most perfect. So throughout the
Gītā
personal devotion to Kṛṣṇa is recommended as the highest form of spiritual realization. Yet there are those who are still attracted to Kṛṣṇa's impersonal
brahmajyoti
effulgence, which is the all-pervasive aspect of the Absolute Truth and which is unmanifest and beyond the reach of the senses. Arjuna would like to know which of these two types of transcendentalists is more perfect in knowledge. In other words, he is clarifying his own position because he is attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa. He is not attached to the impersonal Brahman. He wants to know whether his position is secure. The impersonal manifestation, either in this material world or in the spiritual world of the Supreme Lord, is a problem for meditation. Actually, one cannot perfectly conceive of the impersonal feature of the Absolute Truth. Therefore Arjuna wants to say, "What is the use of such a waste of time?" Arjuna experienced in the Eleventh Chapter that to be attached to the personal form of Kṛṣṇa is best because he could thus understand all other forms at the same time and there was no disturbance to his love for Kṛṣṇa. This important question asked of Kṛṣṇa by Arjuna will clarify the distinction between the impersonal and personal conceptions of the Absolute Truth.

Bg 12.2

TEXT 2

TEXT

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

mayy āveśya mano ye māṁ

nitya-yuktā upāsate

śraddhayā parayopetās

te me yuktatamā matāḥ

SYNONYMS

śrī bhagavān uvāca-
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
mayi
-unto Me;
āveśya
-fixing;
manaḥ
-mind;
ye
-one who;
mām
-unto Me;
nitya
-always;
yuktāḥ
-engaged;
upāsate
-worships;
śraddhayā
-with faith;
parayā
-transcendental;
upetāḥ
-engages;
te
-they;
me
-Mine;
yuktatamāḥ
-most perfect;
matāḥ
-I consider.

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: He whose mind is fixed on My personal form, always engaged in worshiping Me with great and transcendental faith, is considered by Me to be most perfect.

PURPORT

In answer to Arjuna's question, Kṛṣṇa clearly says that he who concentrates upon His personal form and who worships Him with faith and devotion is to be considered most perfect in
yoga
. For one in such Kṛṣṇa consciousness there are no material activities because everything is done by Kṛṣṇa. A pure devotee is constantly engaged-sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads books about Kṛṣṇa, or sometimes he cooks
prasādam
or goes to the marketplace to purchase something for Kṛṣṇa, or sometimes he washes the temple or the dishes-whatever he does, he does not let a single moment pass without devoting his activities to Kṛṣṇa Such action is in full
samādhi.

Bg 12.3, Bg 12.4, Bg 12.3-4

TEXTS 3-4

TEXT

ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam

avyaktaṁ paryupāsate

sarvatra-gam acintyaṁ ca

kūṭa-stham acalaṁ dhruvam

sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ

te prāpnuvanti mām eva

sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ

SYNONYMS

ye
-those;
tu
-but;
akṣaram
-which is beyond the perception of the senses;
anirdeśyam
-indefinite;
avyaktam
-unmanifested;
paryupāsate-
completely engages;
sarvatra-gam
-all-pervading;
acintyam
-inconceivable;
ca
-also;
kūṭastham-
in the center;
acalam-
immovable;
dhruvam-
fixed;
sanniyamya
-controlling;
indriya-grāmam-
all the senses;
sarvatra
-everywhere;
sama-buddayaḥ-
equally disposed;
te
-they;
prāpnuvanti
-achieve;
mām
-unto Me;
eva
-certainly;
sarva-bhūta-hite-
all living entities' welfare;
ratāḥ
-engaged.

TRANSLATION

But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, fixed, and immovable-the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth-by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.

PURPORT

Those who do not directly worship the Supreme Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, but who attempt to achieve the same goal by an indirect process, also ultimately achieve the supreme goal, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as is stated, "After many births the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, knowing Vāsudeva is all." When a person comes to full knowledge after many births, he surrenders unto Lord Kṛṣṇa. If one approaches the Godhead by the method mentioned in this verse, he has to control the senses, render service to everyone and engage in the welfare of all beings. It is inferred that one has to approach Lord Kṛṣṇa, otherwise there is no perfect realization. Often there is much penance involved before one fully surrenders unto Him.

In order to perceive the Supersoul within the individual soul, one has to cease the sensual activities of seeing, hearing, tasting, working, etc. Then one comes to understand that the Supreme Soul is present everywhere. Realizing this, one envies no living entity-he sees no difference between man and animal because he sees soul only, not the outer covering. But for the common man, this method of impersonal realization is very difficult.

Bg 12.5