Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (91 page)

abhyāsa-yogena tato

mām icchāptuṁ dhanañjaya

SYNONYMS

atha-
if, therefore;
cittam-
mind;
samādhātam-
fixing;
na-
not;
śaknoṣi-
able;
mayi-
upon Me;
sthiram-
fixed;
abhyāsa-
practice;
yogena
-by devotional service;
tataḥ
-therefore;
mām-
Me;
icchā-
desire;
āptum
-to get;
dhanañjaya
-O Arjuna.

TRANSLATION

My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulated principles of bhakti-yoga In this way you will develop a desire to attain to Me.

PURPORT

In this verse, two different processes of
bhakti-yoga
are indicated. The first applies to one who has actually developed an attachment for Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by transcendental love. And the other is for one who has not developed an attachment for the Supreme Person by transcendental love. For this second class there are different prescribed rules and regulations, which one can follow to be ultimately elevated to the stage of attachment to Kṛṣṇa.

Bhakti-yoga
is
the purification of the senses. At the present moment in material existence the senses are always impure, being engaged in sense gratification. But, by the practice of
bhakti-yoga
these senses can become purified, and in the purified state they come directly in contact with the Supreme Lord. In this material existence, I may be engaged in some service to some master, but I don't really lovingly serve my master. I simply serve to get some money. And the master also is not in love; he takes service from me and pays me. So there is no question of love. But for spiritual life, one must be elevated to the pure stage of love. That stage of love can be achieved by practice of devotional service, performed with the present senses.

This love of God is now in a dormant state in everyone's heart. And, there, love of God is manifested in different ways, but it is contaminated by the material association. Now the material association has to be purified, and that dormant, natural love for Kṛṣṇa has to be revived. That is the whole process.

To practice the regulative principles of
bhakti-yoga
one should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, follow certain principles: one should rise early in the morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, then collect flowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take
prasādam,
and so on. There are various rules and regulations which one should follow. And one should constantly hear
Bhagavad-gītā
and
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
from pure devotees. This practice can help anyone to rise to the level of love of God, and then he is sure of his progress into the spiritual kingdom of God. This practice of
bhakti-yoga,
under the rules and regulations, with the direction of a spiritual master, will surely bring one to the stage of love of God.

Bg 12.10

TEXT 10

TEXT

abhyāse 'py asamartho 'si

mat-karma-paramo bhava

mad-artham api karmāṇi

kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi

SYNONYMS

abhyāse-
in the practice of;
api-
even;
asamarthaḥ-
unable;
asi
-you are;
mat-karma-
My work;
paramaḥ-
supreme;
bhava-
you become;
mat-artham-
for My sake;
api-
even though;
karmāṇi-
what;
kurvan-
performing;
siddhim-
perfection;
avāpsyasi-
achieve.

TRANSLATION

If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.

PURPORT

One who is not able even to practice the regulative principles of
bhakti-yoga
, under the guidance of a spiritual master, can still be drawn to this perfectional stage by working for the Supreme Lord. How to do this work has already been explained in the fifty-fifth verse of the Eleventh Chapter. One should be sympathetic to the propagation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. There are many devotees who are engaged in the propagation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and they require help. So, even if one cannot directly practice the regulated principles of
bhakti-yoga,
he can try to help such work. Every endeavor requires land, capital, organization, and labor. Just as, in business, one requires a place to stay, some capital to use, some labor, and some organization to expand, so the same is required in the service of Kṛṣṇa. The only difference is that in materialism one works for sense gratification. The same work, however, can be performed for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, and that is spiritual activity. If one has sufficient money, he can help in building an office or temple for propagating Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Or he can help with publications. There are various fields of activity, and one should be interested in such activities. If one cannot sacrifice the result of such activities, the same person can still sacrifice some percentage to propagate Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This voluntary service to the cause of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help one to rise to a higher state of love for God, whereupon one becomes perfect.

Bg 12.11

TEXT 11

TEXT

athaitad apy aśakto 'si

kartuṁ mad-yogam āśritaḥ

sarva-karma-phala-tyāgaṁ

tataḥ kuru yatātmavān

SYNONYMS

atha-
even though;
etat-
this;
api-
also;
aśaktaḥ-
unable;
asi-
you are;
kartum-
to perform;
mat-
unto Me;
yogam-
devotional service;
āśritaḥ-
refuge;
sarva-karma-
all activities;
phala-
result;
tyāgam-
for renunciation;
tataḥ-
therefore;
kuru-
do;
yata-ātmavan-
self-situated.

TRANSLATION

If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.

PURPORT

It may be that one is unable to even sympathize with the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness because of social, familial or religious considerations or because of some other impediments. If one attaches himself directly to the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there may be objection from family members, or so many other difficulties. For one who has such a problem, it is advised that he sacrifice the accumulated result of his activities to some good cause. Such procedures are described in the Vedic rules. There are many descriptions of sacrifices and special functions of the
pumundi
or special work in which the result of one's previous action may be applied. Thus one may gradually become elevated to the state of knowledge. It is also found that when one who is not even interested in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness gives charity to some hospital or some other social institution, he gives up the hard-earned results of his activities. That is also recommended here because by the practice of giving up the fruits of one's activities one is sure to purify his mind gradually, and in that purified stage of mind one becomes able to understand Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Of course Kṛṣṇa consciousness is not dependant on any other experience because Kṛṣṇa consciousness itself can purify one's mind, but if there are impediments to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may try to give up the result of his action. In that respect, social service, community service, national service, sacrifice for one's country, etc., may be accepted so that some day one may come to the stage of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In
Bhagavad-gītā
we find it is stated:
yataḥ pravṛttir bhūtānām:
If one decides to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not know that the supreme cause is Kṛṣṇa, he will come gradually to understand that Kṛṣṇa is the supreme cause by the sacrificial method.

Bg 12.12

TEXT 12

TEXT

śreyo hi jñānam abhyāsāj

jñānād dhyānaṁ viśiṣyate

dhyānāt karma-phala-tyāgas

tyāgāc chāntir anantaram

SYNONYMS

śreyaḥ-
better;
hi-
certainly;
jñānam-
knowledge;
abhyāsāt-
by practice;
jnānāt-
better than knowledge;
dhyānam-
meditation;
viśiṣyate-
especially considered;
dhyānāt-
from meditation;
karma-phala-tyāgaḥ-
renunciation of the results of fruitive action;
tyāgāt-
by such renunciation;
śāntiḥ-
peace;
anantaram-
thereafter.

TRANSLATION

If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.

PURPORT

As mentioned in the previous verses, there are two kinds of devotional service: the way of regulated principles, and the way of full attachment in love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those who are actually not able to follow the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is better to cultivate knowledge because by knowledge one can be able to understand his real position. Gradually knowledge will develop to the point of meditation. By meditation one can be able to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by a gradual process. There are processes which make one understand that one himself is the Supreme, and that sort of meditation is preferred if one is unable to engage in devotional service. If one is not able to meditate in such a way, then there are prescribed duties, as enjoined in the Vedic literature, for the
brāhmaṇas, vaiśyas,
and
śūdras,
which we shall find in a later chapter of
Bhagavad-gītā.
But in all cases, one should give up the result or fruits of labor; this means to employ the result of
karma
for some good cause. In summary, to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the highest goal, there are two processes: one process is by gradual development, and the other process is direct. Devotional service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the direct method, and the other method involves renouncing the fruits of one's activities. Then one can come to the stage of knowledge, then to the stage of meditation, then to the stage of understanding the Supersoul, and then to the stage of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One may either take the step by step process or the direct path. The direct process is not possible for everyone; therefore the indirect process is also good. It is, however, to be understood that the indirect process is not recommended for Arjuna because he is already at the stage of loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord. It is for others who are not at this state; for them the gradual process of renunciation, knowledge, meditation and realization of the Supersoul and Brahman should be followed. But as far as
Bhagavad-gītā
is
concerned, it is the direct method that is stressed. Everyone is advised to take to the direct method and surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.

Bg 12.13, Bg 12.14, Bg 12.13-14

TEXTS 13-14

TEXT

adveṣṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ

maitraḥ karuṇa eva ca

nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ

sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī

yatātmā dṛḍha-niścayaḥ

mayy arpita-mano-buddhir

yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ

SYNONYMS

adveṣṭā-
not envious;
sarva-bhūtānām-
for all living entities;
maitraḥ-
friendly;
karuṇaḥ-
kindly;
eva-
certainly;
ca-
also;
nirmamaḥ-
with no sense of proprietorship;
nirahaṅkāraḥ-
without false ego;
sama-
equally;
duḥkhaḥ-
distress;
sukhaḥ-
happiness;
kṣamī-
forgiving;
santuṣṭaḥ
-satisfied;
satatam-
satisfied;
yogī
-engaged in devotion;
yatā-atmā-
endeavoring;
dṛdḥaniścayaḥ-
with determination;
mayi-
upon Me;
arpita-
engaged;
manaḥ-
mind;
buddhiḥ
-intelligent;
yaḥ
-one who;
mat-bhaktaḥ-
My devotee;
saḥ me priyaḥ-
he is dear to Me.

TRANSLATION

One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me-he is very dear to Me.

PURPORT

Coming again to the point of pure devotional service, the Lord is describing the transcendental qualifications of a pure devotee in these two verses. A pure devotee is never disturbed in any circumstances. Nor is he envious of anyone. Nor does a devotee become his enemy's enemy; he thinks that one is acting as his enemy due to his own past misdeeds. Thus it is better to suffer than to protest. In the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
it is stated:
tat te 'nukampāṁ su-samīkṣyamaṇo.
Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord's mercy upon him. He thinks: "Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Therefore he is always calm, quiet and patient, despite many distressful conditions. A devotee is also always kind to everyone, even to his enemy.
Nirmama
means that a devotee does not attach much importance to the peace and trouble pertaining to the body because he knows perfectly well that he is not the material body. He does not identify with the body; therefore he is freed from the conception of false ego and is equiposed both in happiness and distress. He is tolerant, and he is satisfied with whatever comes by the grace of the Supreme Lord. He does not endeavor much to achieve something with great difficulty; therefore he is always joyful. He is a completely perfect mystic because he is fixed in the instructions received from the spiritual master, and because his senses are controlled, he is determined. He is not swayed by false argument because no one can lead him from the fixed determination of devotional service. He is fully conscious that Kṛṣṇa is the eternal Lord, so no one can disturb him. All his qualifications enable him to depend entirely on the Supreme Lord. Such a standard of devotional service is undoubtably very rare, but a devotee becomes situated in that stage by following the regulative principles of devotional service. Furthermore, the Lord says that such a devotee is very dear to Him, for the Lord is always pleased with all his activities in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.