The Bhagavad-gita
is universally renowned as the jewel of India's spiritual
wisdom. Spoken by Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality
of Godhead to His intimate disciple Arjuna, the Gita's
seven hundred concise verses provide a definitive guide
to the science of self realization. No other philosophical
or religious work reveals, in such a lucid and profound
way, the nature of consciousness, the self, the universe
and the Supreme.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is
uniquely qualified to present this English translation
and commentary on Bhagavad-gita. He is the world's foremost
Vedic scholar and teacher, and he is also the current
representative of an unbroken chain of fully self-realized
spiritual masters begining with Lord Krishna Himself.
Thus, unlike other editions of the Gita, this one is presented
as it is--without the slightest taint of adulteration
or personal motivation. This edition is certain to stimulate
and enlighten with its ancient yet thoroughly timely message.
Chapter
12.
Devotional Service
Chapter
12, Verse 1.
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?
TEXT 1
arjuna uvaca
evam satata-yukta ye
bhaktas tvam paryupasate
ye capy aksaram avyaktam
tesam ke yoga-vittamah
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
Krsna has now explained
about the personal, the impersonal and the universal and has
described all kinds of devotees and yogis. 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 Krsna 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 Krsna
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 Krsna at the moment of death is at once transferred to
the spiritual sky, Krsna's abode. And at the end of the Sixth
Chapter the Lord says that out of all the yogis, he who thinks
of Krsna within himself is considered to be the most perfect.
So throughout the Gita personal devotion to Krsna is recommended
as the highest form of spiritual realization. Yet there are
those who are still attracted to Krsna'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 Krsna. 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 Krsna is best because he could thus
understand all other forms at the same time and there was
no disturbance to his love for Krsna. This important question
asked of Krsna by Arjuna will clarify the distinction between
the impersonal and personal conceptions of the Absolute Truth.
Chapter 12, Verse 2.
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.
TEXT 2
sri-bhagavan uvaca
mayy avesya mano ye mam
nitya-yukta upasate
sraddhaya parayopetas
te me yuktatama matah
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, Krsna 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
Krsna consciousness there are no material activities because
everything is done by Krsna. A pure devotee is constantly
engaged. Sometimes he chants, sometimes he hears or reads
books about Krsna, or sometimes he cooks prasadam or goes
to the marketplace to purchase something for Krsna, 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 Krsna. Such action is in full samadhi.
Chapter 12, Verse 3-4.
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.
TEXT 3-4
ye tv aksaram anirdesyam
avyaktam paryupasate
sarvatra-gam acintyam ca
kuta-stham acalam dhruvam
sanniyamyendriya-gramam
sarvatra sama-buddhayah
te prapnuvanti mam eva
sarva-bhuta-hite ratah
SYNONYMS
ye--those; tu--but;
aksaram--which is beyond the perception of the senses; anirdesyam--indefinite;
avyaktam--unmanifested; paryupasate--completely engages; sarvatra-gam--all-pervading;
acintyam--inconceivable; ca--also; kuta-stham--in the center;
acalam--immovable; dhruvam--fixed; sanniyamya--controlling;
indriya-gramam--all the senses; sarvatra--everywhere; sama-buddhayah--equally
disposed; te--they; prapnuvanti--achieve; mam--unto Me; eva--certainly;
sarva-bhuta-hite--all living entities' welfare; ratah--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, Krsna, but who attempt
to achieve the same goal by an indirect process, also ultimately
achieve the supreme goal, Sri Krsna, as is stated, "After
many births the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, knowing
Vasudeva is all." When a person comes to full knowledge
after many births, he surrenders unto Lord Krsna. 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 Krsna, 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.
Chapter 12, Verse 5.
For those whose minds are attached to
the unmanifested, impersonal feature of the Supreme, advancement
is very troublesome. To make progress in that discipline is
always difficult for those who are embodied.
TEXT 5
kleso 'dhikataras
tesam
avyaktasakta-cetasam
avyakta hi gatir duhkham
dehavadbhir avapyate
SYNONYMS
klesah--trouble;
adhika-tarah--more troublesome; tesam--of them; avyakta--to
unmanifested; asakta--being attached; cetasam--of those whose
minds; avyakta--toward the unmanifested; hi--certainly; gatih
duhkham--progress is troublesome; deha-vadbhih--of the embodiments;
avapyate--achieve.
TRANSLATION
For those whose
minds are attached to the unmanifested, impersonal feature
of the Supreme, advancement is very troublesome. To make progress
in that discipline is always difficult for those who are embodied.
PURPORT
The group of transcendentalists
who follow the path of the inconceivable, unmanifested, impersonal
feature of the Supreme Lord are called jnana-yogis, and persons
who are in full Krsna consciousness, engaged in devotional
service to the Lord, are called bhakti-yogis. Now, here the
difference between jnana-yoga and bhakti-yoga is definitely
expressed. The process of jnana-yoga, although ultimately
bringing one to the same goal, is very troublesome, whereas
the path of bhakti-yoga, the process of being in direct service
to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is easier and is natural
for the embodied soul. The individual soul is embodied since
time immemorial. It is very difficult for him to simply theoretically
understand that he is not the body. Therefore, the bhakti-yogi
accepts the Deity of Krsna as worshipable because there is
some bodily conception fixed in the mind, which can thus be
applied. Of course, worship of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead in His form within the temple is not idol worship.
There is evidence in the Vedic literature that worship may
be saguna and nirguna--of the Supreme possessing or not possessing
attributes. Worship of the Deity in the temple is saguna worship,
for the Lord is represented by material qualities. But the
form of the Lord, though represented by material qualities
such as stone, wood or oil paint, is not actually material.
That is the absolute nature of the Supreme Lord.
A crude example may be given here. We may find some mailboxes
on the street, and if we post our letters in those boxes,
they will naturally go to their destination without difficulty.
But any old box, or an imitation, which we may find somewhere,
which is not authorized by the post office, will not do the
work. Similarly, God has an authorized representation in the
Deity form, which is called arca-vigraha. This arca-vigraha
is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord. God will accept service
through that form. The Lord is omnipotent and all-powerful;
therefore, by His incarnation as arca-vigraha, He can accept
the services of the devotee, just to make it convenient for
the man in conditioned life.
So, for a devotee, there is no difficulty in approaching the
Supreme immediately and directly, but for those who are following
the impersonal way to spiritual realization, the path is difficult.
They have to understand the unmanifested representation of
the Supreme through such Vedic literatures as the Upanisads,
and they have to learn the language, understand the nonperceptual
feelings, and they have to realize all these processes. This
is not very easy for a common man. A person in Krsna consciousness,
engaged in devotional service, simply by the guidance of the
bona fide spiritual master, simply by offering regulative
obeisances unto the Deity, simply by hearing the glories of
the Lord, and simply by eating the remnants of foodstuffs
offered to the Lord, realizes the Supreme Personality of Godhead
very easily. There is no doubt that the impersonalists are
unnecessarily taking a troublesome path with the risk of not
realizing the Absolute Truth at the ultimate end. But the
personalist, without any risk, trouble, or difficulty, approaches
the Supreme Personality directly. A similar passage appears
in Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is stated there that if one has to
ultimately surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
(this surrendering process is called bhakti), but instead
takes the trouble to understand what is Brahman and what is
not Brahman and spends his whole life in that way, the result
is simply troublesome. Therefore it is advised here that one
should not take up this troublesome path of self-realization
because there is uncertainty in the ultimate result.
A living entity is eternally an individual soul, and if he
wants to merge into the spiritual whole, he may accomplish
the realization of the eternal and knowledgeable aspects of
his original nature, but the blissful portion is not realized.
By the grace of some devotee, such a transcendentalist, highly
learned in the process of jnana-yoga, may come to the point
of bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. At that time, long
practice in impersonalism also becomes a source of trouble,
because he cannot give up the idea. Therefore an embodied
soul is always in difficulty with the unmanifest, both at
the time of practice and at the time of realization. Every
living soul is partially independent, and one should know
for certain that this unmanifested realization is against
the nature of his spiritual blissful self. One should not
take up this process. For every individual living entity the
process of Krsna consciousness, which entails full engagement
in devotional service, is the best way. If one wants to ignore
this devotional service, there is the danger of turning to
atheism. Thus this process of centering attention on the unmanifested,
the inconceivable, which is beyond the approach of the senses,
as already expressed in this verse, should never be encouraged
at any time, especially in this age. It is not advised by
Lord Krsna.
Chapter 12, Verse 6-7.
For one who worships Me, giving up all
his activities unto Me and being devoted to Me without deviation,
engaged in devotional service and always meditating upon Me,
who has fixed his mind upon Me, O son of Prtha, for him I
am the swift deliverer from the ocean of birth and death.
TEXT 6-7
ye tu sarvani karmani
mayi sannyasya mat-parah
ananyenaiva yogena
mam dhyayanta upasate
tesam aham samuddharta
mrtyu-samsara-sagarat
bhavami na cirat partha
mayy avesita-cetasam
SYNONYMS
ye--one who; tu--but;
sarvani--everything; karmani--activities; mayi--unto Me; sannyasya--giving
up; mat-parah--being attached to Me; ananyena--without division;
eva--certainly; yogena--by practice of such bhakti-yoga; mam--unto
Me; dhyayantah--meditating; upasate--worship; tesam--of them;
aham--I; samuddharta--deliverer; mrtyu--death; samsara--material
existence; sagarat--from the ocean; bhavami--become; na cirat--not
a long time; partha--O son of Prtha; mayi--unto Me; avesita--fixed;
cetasam--of those whose minds are like that.
TRANSLATION
For one who worships
Me, giving up all his activities unto Me and being devoted
to Me without deviation, engaged in devotional service and
always meditating upon Me, who has fixed his mind upon Me,
O son of Prtha, for him I am the swift deliverer from the
ocean of birth and death.
PURPORT
It is explicitly
stated here that the devotees are very fortunate to be delivered
very soon from material existence by the Lord. In pure devotional
service one comes to the realization that God is great and
that the individual soul is subordinate to Him. His duty is
to render service to the Lord--if not, then he will render
service to maya.
As stated before, the Supreme Lord can only be appreciated
by devotional service. Therefore, one should be fully devoted.
One should fix his mind fully on Krsna in order to achieve
Him. One should work only for Krsna. It does not matter in
what kind of work one engages, but that work should be done
only for Krsna. That is the standard of devotional service.
The devotee does not desire any achievement other than pleasing
the Supreme Personality of Godhead. His life's mission is
to please Krsna, and he can sacrifice everything for Krsna's
satisfaction, just as Arjuna did in the Battle of Kuruksetra.
The process is very simple: one can devote himself in his
occupation and engage at the same time in chanting Hare Krsna,
Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Such transcendental chanting attracts
the devotee to the Personality of Godhead.
The Supreme Lord herein promises that He will without delay
deliver a pure devotee thus engaged from the ocean of material
existence. Those who are advanced in yoga practice can willfully
transfer the soul to whatever planet they like by the yoga
process, and others take the opportunity in various ways,
but as far as the devotee is concerned, it is clearly stated
here that the Lord Himself takes him. He does not need to
wait to become very experienced in order to transfer himself
to the spiritual sky.
In the Varaha Purana this verse appears:
The purport of this verse is that a devotee does not need
to practice astanga-yoga in order to transfer his soul to
the spiritual planets. The responsibility is taken by the
Supreme Lord Himself. He clearly states here that He Himself
becomes the deliverer. A child is completely cared for by
his parents, and thus his position is secure. Similarly, a
devotee does not need to endeavor to transfer himself by yoga
practice to other planets. Rather, the Supreme Lord, by His
great mercy, comes at once, riding on His bird carrier Garuda,
and at once delivers the devotee from this material existence.
Although a man who has fallen in the ocean may struggle very
hard and may be very expert in swimming, he cannot save himself.
But if someone comes and picks him up from the water, then
he is easily rescued. Similarly, the Lord picks up the devotee
from this material existence. One simply has to practice the
easy process of Krsna consciousness and fully engage himself
in devotional service. Any intelligent man should always prefer
the process of devotional service to all other paths. In the
Narayaniya this is confirmed as follows:
ya vai sadhana-sampattih purusartha-catustaye
taya vina tad apnoti naro narayanasrayah
The purport of this verse is that one should not engage in
the different processes of fruitive activity or cultivate
knowledge by the mental speculative process. One who is devoted
to the Supreme Personality can attain all the benefits derived
from other yogic processes, speculation, rituals, sacrifices,
charities, etc. That is the specific benediction of devotional
service.
Simply by chanting the holy name of Krsna--Hare Krsna, Hare
Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama
Rama, Hare Hare--a devotee of the Lord can approach the supreme
destination easily and happily, but this destination cannot
be approached by any other process of religion.
The conclusion of Bhagavad-gita is stated in the Eighteenth
Chapter:
sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah
One should give up all other processes of self-realization
and simply execute devotional service in Krsna consciousness.
That will enable one to reach the highest perfection of life.
There is no need for one to consider the sinful actions of
his past life because the Supreme Lord fully takes charge
of him. Therefore one should not futilely try to deliver himself
in spiritual realization. Let everyone take shelter of the
supreme omnipotent Godhead, Krsna. That is the highest perfection
of life.
Chapter 12, Verse 8.
Just fix your mind upon Me, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, and engage all your intelligence in
Me. Thus you will live in Me always, without a doubt.
TEXT 8
mayy eva mana adhatsva
mayi buddhim nivesaya
nivasisyasi mayy eva
ata urdhvam na samsayah
Just fix your mind
upon Me, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and engage all
your intelligence in Me. Thus you will live in Me always,
without a doubt.
PURPORT
One who is engaged
in Lord Krsna's devotional service lives in a direct relationship
with the Supreme Lord, so there is no doubt that his position
is transcendental from the very beginning. A devotee does
not live on the material plane--he lives in Krsna. The holy
name of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent; therefore
when a devotee chants Hare Krsna, Krsna and His internal potency
are dancing on the tongue of the devotee. When he offers Krsna
food, Krsna directly accepts these eatables, and the devotee
becomes Krsna-ized by eating the remnants. One who does not
engage in such service cannot understand how this is so, although
this is a process recommended in the Gita and in other Vedic
literatures.
Chapter 12, Verse 9.
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.
TEXT 9
atha cittam samadhatum
na saknosi mayi sthiram
abhyasa-yogena tato
mam icchaptum dhananjaya
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 Krsna, 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
one can follow to be ultimately elevated to the stage of attachment
to Krsna.
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 Krsna 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 Krsna, then
collect flowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to
offer to the Deity, take prasadam, and so on. There are various
rules and regulations which one should follow. And one should
constantly hear Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam 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.
Chapter 12, Verse 10.
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.
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 Krsna consciousness. There are many devotees
who are engaged in the propagation of Krsna consciousness,
and they require help. So, even if one cannot directly practice
the regulative 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 Krsna. The
only difference is that in materialism one works for sense
gratification. The same work, however, can be performed for
the satisfaction of Krsna, and that is spiritual activity.
If one has sufficient money, he can help in building an office
or temple for propagating Krsna 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 results of such activities, the same person
can still sacrifice some percentage to propagate Krsna consciousness.
This voluntary service to the cause of Krsna consciousness
will help one to rise to a higher state of love for God, whereupon
one becomes perfect.
Chapter 12, Verse 11.
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.
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 Krsna
consciousness because of social, familial or religious considerations
or because of some other impediments. If one attaches himself
directly to the activities of Krsna consciousness, there may
be objections 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 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 Krsna 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 Krsna consciousness. Of course Krsna consciousness
is not dependent on any other experience because Krsna consciousness
itself can purify one's mind, but if there are impediments
to Krsna 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-gita
we find it is stated, yatah pravrttir bhutanam: if one decides
to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not know
that the supreme cause is Krsna, he will come gradually to
understand that Krsna is the supreme cause by the sacrificial
method.
Chapter 12, Verse 12.
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.
sreyah--better;
hi--certainly; jnanam--knowledge; abhyasat--by practice; jnanat--better
than knowledge; dhyanam--meditation; visisyate--especially
considered; dhyanat--from meditation; karma-phala-tyagah--renunciation
of the results of fruitive action; tyagat--by such renunciation;
santih--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 regulative 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 Krsna 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 brahmanas, vaisyas and sudras, which we shall find in
a later chapter of Bhagavad-gita. 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 Krsna 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 stage;
for them the gradual process of renunciation, knowledge, meditation
and realization of the Supersoul and Brahman should be followed.
But as far as Bhagavad-gita 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, Krsna.
Chapter 12, Verse 13-14.
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.
TEXT 13-14
advesta sarva-bhutanam
maitrah karuna eva ca
nirmamo nirahankarah
sama-duhkha-sukhah ksami
santustah satatam
yogi
yatatma drdha-niscayah
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah
SYNONYMS
advesta--nonenvious;
sarva-bhutanam--for all living entities; maitrah--friendly;
karunah--kindly; eva--certainly; ca--also; nirmamah--with
no sense of proprietorship; nirahankarah--without false ego;
sama--equally; duhkha--distress; sukhah--happiness; ksami--forgiving;
santustah--satisfied; satatam--always; yogi--engaged in devotion;
yata-atma--self-controlled; drdha-niscayah--with determination;
mayi--upon Me; arpita--engaged; manah--mind; buddhih--intelligence;
yah--one who; mat-bhaktah--My devotee; sah me priyah--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 Srimad-Bhagavatam it is
stated: tat te 'nukampam susamiksamano. 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 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 equipoised 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 Krsna 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 undoubtedly 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 Krsna consciousness.
Chapter 12, Verse 15.
He for whom no one is put into difficulty
and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness
and distress, is very dear to Me.
TEXT 15
yasman nodvijate
loko
lokan nodvijate ca yah
harsamarsa-bhayodvegair
mukto yah sa ca me priyah
He for whom no
one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety,
who is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me.
PURPORT
A few of a devotee's
qualifications are further being described. No one is put
into difficulty, anxiety, fearfulness, or dissatisfaction
by such a devotee. Since a devotee is kind to everyone, he
does not act in such a way to put others into anxiety. At
the same time, if others try to put a devotee into anxiety,
he is not disturbed. It is by the grace of the Lord that he
is so practiced that he is not disturbed by any outward disturbance.
Actually because a devotee is always engrossed in Krsna consciousness
and engaged in devotional service, all such material circumstances
cannot woo him. Generally a materialistic person becomes very
happy when there is something for his sense gratification
and his body, but when he sees that others have something
for their sense gratification and he hasn't, he is sorry and
envious. When he is expecting some retaliation from an enemy,
he is in a state of fear, and when he cannot successfully
execute something he becomes dejected. But a devotee is always
transcendental to all these disturbances; therefore he is
very dear to Krsna.
Chapter 12, Verse 16.
A devotee who is not dependent on the
ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without
cares, free from all pains, and who does not strive for some
result, is very dear to Me.
TEXT 16
anapeksah sucir
daksa
udasino gata-vyathah
sarvarambha-parityagi
yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah
SYNONYMS
anapeksah--neutral;
sucih--pure; daksah--expert; udasinah--free from care; gata-vyathah--freed
from all distress; sarva-arambha--all endeavors; parityagi--renouncer;
yah--anyone; mat-bhaktah--My devotee; sah--he; me--Me; priyah--very
dear.
TRANSLATION
A devotee who is
not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is
pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and who
does not strive for some result, is very dear to Me.
PURPORT
Money may be offered
to a devotee, but he should not struggle to acquire it. If
automatically, by the grace of the Supreme, money comes to
him, he is not agitated. Naturally a devotee takes bath at
least twice in a day and rises early in the morning for devotional
service. Thus he is naturally clean both inwardly and outwardly.
A devotee is always expert because he fully knows the essence
of all activities of life, and he is convinced of the authoritative
scriptures. A devotee never takes the part of a particular
party; therefore he is carefree. He is never pained because
he is free from all designations; he knows that his body is
a designation, so if there are some bodily pains, he is free.
The pure devotee does not endeavor for anything which is against
the principles of devotional service. For example, constructing
a big building requires great energy, and a devotee does not
take to such business if it does not benefit him by advancing
his devotional service. He may construct a temple for the
Lord, and for that he may take all kinds of anxiety, but he
does not construct a big house for his personal relations.
Chapter 12, Verse 17.
One who neither grasps pleasure or grief,
who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious
and inauspicious things, is very dear to Me.
TEXT 17
yo na hrsyati na
dvesti
na socati na kanksati
subhasubha-parityagi
bhaktiman yah sa me priyah
One who neither
grasps pleasure or grief, who neither laments nor desires,
and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things,
is very dear to Me.
PURPORT
A pure devotee
is neither happy nor distressed over material gain and loss,
nor is he very much anxious to get a son or disciple, nor
is he distressed by not getting them. If he loses anything
which is very dear to him, he does not lament. Similarly,
if he does not get what he desires, he is not distressed.
He is transcendental in the face of all kinds of auspicious,
inauspicious and sinful activities. He is prepared to accept
all kinds of risks for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord.
Nothing is an impediment in the discharge of his devotional
service. Such a devotee is very dear to Krsna.
Chapter 12, Verse 18-19.
One who is equal to friends and enemies,
who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness
and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contamination,
always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn't care
for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and engaged in
devotional service, is very dear to Me.
TEXT 18-19
samah satrau ca
mitre ca
tatha manapamanayoh
sitosna-sukha-duhkhesu
samah sanga-vivarjitah
samah--equal; satrau--to
the enemy; ca--also; mitre--to friends; ca--also; tatha--so;
mana--honor; apamanayoh--dishonor; sita--cold; usna--heat;
sukha--happiness; duhkhesu--distress; samah--equipoised; sanga-vivarjitah--free
from all association; tulya--equal; ninda--defamation; stutih--repute;
mauni--silent; santustah--satisfied; yena--somehow; kena--or
other; cit--if; aniketah--having no residence; sthira--fixed;
matih--determination; bhakti-man--engaged in devotion; me--My;
priyah--dear; narah--a man.
TRANSLATION
One who is equal
to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor,
heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who
is always free from contamination, always silent and satisfied
with anything, who doesn't care for any residence, who is
fixed in knowledge and engaged in devotional service, is very
dear to Me.
PURPORT
A devotee is always
free from all bad association. Sometimes one is praised and
sometimes one is defamed; that is the nature of human society.
But a devotee is always transcendental to artificial fame
and infamy, distress or happiness. He is very patient. He
does not speak of anything but the topics about Krsna; therefore
he is called silent. Silent does not mean that one should
not speak; silent means that one should not speak nonsense.
One should speak only of essentials, and the most essential
speech for the devotee is to speak of the Supreme Lord. He
is happy in all conditions; sometimes he may get very palatable
foodstuffs, sometimes not, but he is satisfied. Nor does he
care for any residential facility. He may sometimes live underneath
a tree, and he may sometimes live in a very palatial building;
he is attracted to neither. He is called fixed because he
is fixed in his determination and knowledge. We may find some
repetition in the descriptions of the qualifications of a
devotee, but this is just to give an illustration of the fact
that a devotee must acquire all these qualifications. Without
good qualifications, one cannot be a pure devotee. O ne who
is not a devotee has no good qualification. One who wants
to be recognized as a devotee should develop the good qualifications.
Of course he does not extraneously endeavor to acquire these
qualifications, but engagement in Krsna consciousness and
devotional service automatically help him develop them.
Chapter 12, Verse 20.
He who follows this imperishable path
of devotional service and who completely engages himself with
faith, making Me the supreme goal, is very, very dear to Me.
TEXT 20
ye tu dharmamrtam
idam
yathoktam paryupasate
sraddadhana mat-parama
bhaktas te 'tiva me priyah
SYNONYMS
ye--one who; tu--but;
dharma--of religion; amrtam--nectar; idam--this; yatha--as;
uktam--said; paryupasate--completely engage; sraddadhanah--with
faith; mat-paramah--taking the Supreme Lord as everything;
bhaktah--devotees; te--such persons; ativa--very, very; me--Me;
priyah--dear.
TRANSLATION
He who follows
this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely
engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal, is
very, very dear to Me.
PURPORT
In this chapter
the religion of eternal engagement, the explanation of the
processes of transcendental service for approaching the Supreme
Lord, is given. This process is very dear to the Lord, and
He accepts a person who is engaged in such a process. The
question who is better--one who is engaged in the path of
impersonal Brahman or one who is engaged in the personal service
of the Supreme Personality of Godhead--was raised by Arjuna,
and the Lord replied to him so explicitly that there is no
doubt that devotional service to the Personality of Godhead
is the best of all processes of spiritual realization. In
other words, in this chapter it is decided that through good
association, one develops attachment for pure devotional service
and thereby accepts a bona fide spiritual master and from
him begins to hear and chant and observe the regulative principles
of devotional service with faith, attachment and devotion
and thus becomes engaged in the transcendental service of
the Lord. This path is recommended in this chapter; therefore
there is no doubt that devotional service is the only absolute
path for self-realization, for the attainment of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead. The impersonal conception of the Supreme
Absolute Truth, as described in this chapter, is recommended
only up to the time one surrenders himself for self-realization.
In other words, as long as one does not have the chance to
associate with a pure devotee, the impersonal conception may
be beneficial. In the impersonal conception of the Absolute
Truth one works without fruitive result, meditates and cultivates
knowledge to understand spirit and matter. This is necessary
as long as one is not in the association of a pure devotee.
Fortunately, if one develops directly a desire to engage in
Krsna consciousness in pure devotional service, he does not
need to undergo step by step improvements in spiritual realization.
Devotional service, as described in the middle six chapters
of the Bhagavad-gita, is more congenial. One need not bother
about materials to keep body and soul together because by
the grace of the Lord everything is carried out automatically.
Thus
end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Twelfth Chapter of the
Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of Devotional Service.
