The Bhagavad-gītā as it is : with the original Sanskrit text, Roman transliteration, English equivalents, translation, and elaborate purports [Complete edition.] 9781602930001, 1602930007

Citation preview

¢ \alff

Y

NB

¥

oe:

,

ae

ats

a

bas

}

ks =

| fe Vo? «

« c) af “

D

i

‘“

uni NS

}

ss

4

oun

,

a)

aa)

,

&

q

t

7

of

a

|

:

ie

te

e

,

eh

eN

\

ee

|

.

Pe.

&

a

Sie:

4

se

m

‘4y/

\

i

pe.

St ‘

>

; :

Nee

hy ’

,

.

A

Ay

j

|

P

4

a

t

wr,

5

ae

ee

J

4

make

f

,

, :

Be

i}

ae

eee

pi

ps La

a

(it.

tt

} \

aul

ma i

i

eee

\

i |

ie

RS

Y yas

:

er

at

x

#4

me

a Ne

}

A

ame J

=

eg ir vs

i

,

h sa

;

y

:

a

ta pp

f

1

e e e ie Go

7

e

ma Bie

, a

*

.

24

ieee

4

f

a

k

Re

Wee,

rep

e:

— ve

ng a

an

i P

.

P|

/

.

ie

~

4

|

eS

.

ie

: a

,

“

i

ra 4

é

.

a

thence

oie Aw!

i

L%

gs

ro c

:

:

me

\

aa

I y

}

end

ye 3

i

AARNE

Y

ry

4

e

on

it)

ss

i \\ mY "eh ANN Sa 4

NF

we

ay

oh

i

ne.

a

S51m2 w

=

\

ei

Ya\;

;




i

aN

|

, ;

iN

:

i

-

=

5

¥

=

mr,

j

in

a

a)

Za

i

-

:

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

OTHER BOOKS by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Srimad-Bhagavatam Teachings of Lord Caitanya Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (2 volumes) Sri Igopanisad Easy Journey to Other Planets Krsna Consciousness: The Topmost Yoga System The Nectar of Devotion The Krsna Consciousness Movement is the Genuine Back to Godhead Magazine (Founder)

Vedic Way

Bhagavad-sita COMPLETE

EDITION

with original Sanskrit text, Roman transliteration, English equivalents translation and elaborate purports

His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-Acarya of the Intemational Society for Krishna Consciousness

Collier Books, New York Collier Macmillan Publishers, London

Copyright © 1972 by His Divine Grace

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Readers interested in the subject matter of this book are invited by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness to correspond with its Secretary. International Society for Krishna Consciousness 3764 Watseka Avenue Los Angeles, California 90034

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 72-79319 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher. First Collier Books Edition 1972 Third Printing 1973

Bhagavad-gita As It Is is also published in a hardcover edition by the Macmillan Company.

Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.

Collier-Macmillan Canada Ltd. Printed in the United States of America

To

SRILA BALADEVA

VIDYABHUSANA

who presented so nicely the ““Govinda-bhasya” commentary

on

Vedanta philosophy

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

Foreword

Ix

Preface

xl

Introduction

1

CHAPTER ONE

Observing the Armies on

the Battlefield of Kuruksetra

31

CHAPTER TWO Contents of the Gita Summarized

71

CHAPTER THREE

Karma-yoga

161

GHAPTER FOUR

Transcendental

Knowledge

213

CHAPTER FIVE

Karma-yoga-

Action in Krsna Consciousness

271

CHAPTER SIX

Sankhya-yoga

307

CHAPTER SEVEN

Knowledge of the Absolute CHAPTER EIGHT

Attaining the Supreme

361 409

CHAPTER NINE

The Most Confidential Knowledge

441

CHAPTER TEN The Opulence of the Absolute

491

CHAPTER ELEVEN The Universal Form

539

CHAPTER TWELVE Devotional Service

595

CHAPTER THIRTEEN Nature, the Enjoyer,

and Consciousness

619

CHAPTER FOURTEEN The Three Modes of Material Nature

663

CHAPTER FIFTEEN The Yoga of the Supreme Person

693

CHAPTER SIXTEEN The Divine and Demoniac

' 721

Natures

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN The Divisions of Faith

751

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN ConclusionThe Perfection of Renunciation

779

Appendixes Picture Index

853

References

863

Glossary

865

Sanskrit Pronunciation

Guide

881

Index of Sanskrit Verses

883

General

899

Index

Foreword The Bhagavad-gita is the best known and the most frequently translated of Vedic religious texts. Why it should be so appealing to the Western mind is an interesting question.It has drama, for its settingis a scene of two great armies, banners flying, drawn up opposite one another on the field, poised for battle. It has ambiguity, and the fact that Arjuna and his charioteer Krsna are carrying on their dialogue between the two armies suggests the

indecision of Arjuna about the basic question: should he enter battle against and kill those who are friends and kinsmen? It has mystery, as Krsna demonstrates to Arjuna His cosmic form. It has a properly complicated view of the ways of the religious life and treats of the paths of knowledge, works, discipline and faith and their inter-relationships, problems that have bothered adherents of other religions in other times and places. The devotion spoken of is a deliberate means of religious satisfaction, not a mere outpouring of poetic emotion. Next to the Bhagavata-purana, a long work from South India, the Gita is the text most frequently quoted

in the philosophical writings of the Gaudiya Vaisnava school, the school

represented by Swami Bhaktivedanta as the latest in a long succession of teachers. It can be said that this school of Vaisnavism was founded, or revived, by Sri Krgna-Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1533) in Bengal, and

that it is currently the strongest single religious force in the eastern part of

the Indian subcontinent. The Gaudiya Vaisnava school, for whom

is Himself the Supreme

Krsna

God, and not merely an incarnation of another

deity, sees bhakti as an immediate and powerful religious force, consisting

of love between man and God. Its discipline consists of devoting all one’s

actions to the Deity, and one listens to the stories of Krsna from the sacred texts, one chants Krgna’s name, washes, bathes, and dresses the murti of Krsna, feeds Him and takes the remains of the food offered to Him, thus absorbing His grace; one does these things and many more, until one has

been changed:

the devotee

has become

Krsna, and sees the Lord face to face.

transformed into one close to

Swami Bhaktivedanta comments upon the Gitd from this point of view,

and

that is legitimate.

More

than

that, in this translation

the Western

reader has the unique opportunity of seeing how a Krsna devotee interprets his own texts. It is the Vedic exegetical tradition, justly famous, in action. This book is then a welcome addition from many points of view. It can serve as a valuable textbook for the college student. It allows us to listen to ix

x a skilled interpreter explicating a text which has profound religious meaning. It gives us insights into the original and highly convincing ideas of the Gaudiya Vaisnava school. In providing the Sanskrit in both Devanagari and transliteration, it offers the Sanskrit specialist the opportunity to reinterpret, or debate particular Sanskrit meanings—although I think there will be little disagreement about the quality of the Swami’s Sanskrit

scholarship.

And

finally, for the nonspecialist, there is readable

English and a devotional attitude which cannot help but move the sensitive reader. And there are the paintings, which, incredibly as it may seem to those familiar with contemporary Indian religious art, were done by American devotees. The

scholar,

the

student

of Gaudiya

Vaisnavism,

and the increasing

number of Western readers interested in classical Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta. By bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased our understanding manyfold; and arguments for understanding, in these days of estrangement, need not be made. Professor Edward C. Dimock, Jr.

Department of South Asian Languages and Civilization University of Chicago

Preface Originally I wrote Bhagavad-gita As It Is in the form in which it is presented now. When this book was first published, the original manuscript was, unfortunately, cut short to less than 400 pages, without illustrations and without explanations for most of the original verses of the Srimad Bhagavad-gité. In all of my other books—Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri Isopanisad, etc.—the system is that I give the original verse, its English transliteration,

word-for-word

Sanskrit-English

equivalents,

translations

and purports. This makes the book very authentic and scholarly and makes the meaning self-evident. I was not very happy, therefore, when I had to minimize my original manuscript. But later on, when the demand for Bhagavad-gita As It Is considerably increased, I was requested by many scholars and devotees to present the book in its original form, and Messrs. Macmillan and Co. agreed to publish the complete edition. Thus the present attempt is to offer the original manuscript of this great book of knowledge with full parampara explanation in order to establish the Krsna consciousness movement more soundly and progressively. Our Krsna consciousness movement is genuine, historically authorized,

natural and transcendental due to its being based on Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It is gradually becoming the most popular movement in the entire world, especially amongst the younger generation. It is becoming more and more interesting to the older generation also. Older gentlemen are becoming interested, so much so that the fathers and grandfathers of my disciples are encouraging us by becoming life members of our great society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In Los Angeles many fathers and mothers used to come to see me to express their feelings of gratitude for my leading the Krsna consciousness movement throughout the entire world. Some of them said that it is greatly fortunate for the Americans that I have started the Krsna consciousness movement in America. But actually the original father of this movement is Lord Krsna

Himself, since it was started a very long time ago but is coming down to human society by disciplic succession. If I have any credit in this connection, it does not belong to me personally, but it is due to my eternal spiritual master,

jakacarya 108 Prabhupada.

His

Divine

Sri Srimad

Grace

Om

Visnupada

Bhaktisiddhanta

xu

Paramahamsa

Parivra-

Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja

xu

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

If personally I have any credit in this matter, it is only that I have tried to present Bhagavad-gita as it is, without adulteration. Before my presentation of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, almost all the English editions of Bhagavadgita were introduced to fulfill someone’s personal ambition. But our attempt,

in presenting Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is to present the mission of

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Our business is to present the will of Krsna, not that of any mundane speculator like the politician,

philosopher

or scientist, for they have very little knowledge

of Krsna,

despite all their other knowledge. When Krsna says, man-mana bhava madbhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru, etc., we, unlike the so-called scholars, do not say that Krsna and His inner spirit are different. Krsna is absolute, and there is no difference between Krsna’s name, Krsna’s form, Krsna’s quality, Krsna’s pastimes, etc. This absolute position of Krsna is difficult to understand for any person who is not a devotee of Krsna in the param-

para (disciplic succession) system. Generally the so-called scholars, politi-

cians, philosophers, and svamis, without perfect knowledge of Krsna, try

to banish or kill Krsna when writing commentary on Bhagavad-gita. Such unauthorized commentary upon Bhagavad-gita is known as MayavadiBhasya, and Lord Caitanya has warned us about these unauthorized men. Lord Caitanya clearly says that anyone who tries to understand Bhagavadgita from the Mayavad: point of view will commit a great blunder. The result of such a blunder will be that the misguided student of Bhagavadgita will certainly be bewildered on the path of spiritual guidance and will not be able to go back home, back to Godhead. Our only purpose is to present this Bhagavad-gita As It Is in order to guide the conditioned student to the same purpose for which Krsna descends to this planet once in a day of Brahma, or every 8,600,000,000

years. This purpose is stated in Bhagavad-gita, and we have to accept it as it is; otherwise there is no point in trying to understand the Bhagavad-gita and its speaker, Lord Krsna. Lord Krsna first spoke Bhagavad-gita to the

sun-god some hundreds of millions of years ago. fact and thus understand the historical significance out misinterpretation, on the authority of Krsna. gita without any reference to the will of Krsna is

We have to accept this of Bhagavad-gita, withTo interpret Bhagavadthe greatest offense. In

order to save oneself from this offense, one has to understand the Lord as

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as He was directly understood by Arjuna, Lord Krsna’s first disciple. Such understanding of Bhagavad-gita is really profitable and authorized for the welfare of human society in fulfilling the mission of life.

The Krsna consciousness movement is essential in human society, for it

offers the highest perfection of life. How this is so is explained fully in the

Preface

XL

Bhagavad-gita. Unfortunately, mundane wranglers have taken advantage of Bhagavad-gita to push forward their demonic propensities and mislead people regarding right understanding of the simple principles of life. Everyone should know how God or Krsna is great, and everyone should know

the factual position of the living entities. Everyone should know that a living entity is eternally a servant and that unless one serves Krsna one has to serve illusion in different varieties of the three modes of material nature,

and thus perpetually one has to wander within the cycle of birth and death; even the so-called liberated Mayavadi speculator has to undergo this process. This knowledge constitutes a great science, and each and every living being has to hear it for his own interest. People in general, especially in this age of Kali, are enamored by the external energy of Krsna, and they wrongly think that by advancement of material comforts every man will be happy. They have no knowledge that the

material

or external

nature

is very strong, for everyone

is strongly

bound by the stringent laws of material nature. A living entity is happily

the part and parcel of the Lord, and thus his natural function is to render

immediate service to the Lord. By the spell of illusion one tries to be happy by serving his personal sense gratification in different forms which will never make him happy. Instead of satisfying his own personal material senses, he has to satisfy the senses of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of life. The Lord wants this, and He demands it. One has to under-

stand this central ment is teaching not polluting the ested in deriving from

the

point of Bhagavad-gita. Our Krsna consciousness movethe whole world this central point, and because we are theme of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, anyone seriously interbenefit by studying the Bhagavad-gita must take help

Krsna consciousness

movement

for practical understanding

of

Bhagavad-gita under the direct guidance of the Lord. We hope, therefore, that people will derive the greatest benefit by studying Bhagavad-gita

As It Is as we have presented it here, and if even one man becomes a pure

devotee of the Lord we shall consider our attempt a success.

J

Say 100) NWN bel MY Ta 12 May 1971 Sydney, Australia

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

et

LoS

uN

J

KORN

COA | a

LEE

=

PET

oe

4

+)

LAG

eS

Pe IRS

Pil

yf

Bees,

ee

&

“?

:

‘an

=

BBF

SS

Se

“

a

i

ae

ee

.

oo

Se

erry

oes

rs

>


aa

4

H

AN

ms

2

a a

Y

at

a

ee Ey

i

eo

“

RS ey

s

>.

>.

‘

ss

v

|

ae

a

*

%

>

ne &

r -

=—

@

;

,

a

‘

Mr

ges

A

a

r

eS

-

ho

a

:

vg

Ga

i

H

Plate 2.

eet PY ee

“O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pandu.”

|

\

= *

—

a

a

.

Wi. 3

ge

2 % ,

“SS

—

~ }

a ae

o—

er ea

er

Oe

ee

ee

=

¥ ms

Wen

S

_

en

=

:

+

:

a

os

“tw

ee

a

ed

al

=

oe

:


at

re

i

MS

ee ae os

a

:

ache eat

Ps

NE

ie

Oe

Z

PE

a

& co

con

ae a

e a

Lee

f

a

ies ea el ute

LibPie

ee a

POM eo Meee

ee

Re:

Yo)

Pe y

ee g

i

Se ae emer oe

a

Nicos iad

:

Baia ie.

ie

anes

es

ae

ae

ees)

ac ie

40 as

:

eee

ere aes orca

Eh.

= ee

e




oe

we

Se

i

ae ee

Py nd

igo em

>

oe

Se:

Py.

ss

ee

oe

oe

Tae

fd

a a

a

a

al

ee a 4ell FS

to eee

os

&

> —Ae&8s Sees

re

oe

ia

fee

SCNT pS a Th TG

aie! ee acae eS ae

a

2 2

bs

ee tae

Bee ae oT ha Bo Nae

od

wer a a an

ty

OS e

—

P

be

Cer

a?

ae

eer ple

*

a

%

Lae

eS

i

.

a a arg

ND

By

;

d

aS a

By.

Mts

oS

ere

part

n

% f.

oe

ae Seen se

ann

ea

%

ore

Plate 3. Krsna and Arjuna in the midst of the two armies.

‘ ¥

.

ms

c

"7 eS

|

re:

°

or

iRise

Be

Pie

eg

:

ee a ee So

OF Re

Sethi

IAS

ee en

OG

Oty

eh

eee

i

:

-

‘

:

for

:

To

:

@esees en Rie, Rie,

aia

a

6

‘7

ae

Pee

Ye

~

v™:

para

“

e

..

y

re et See

,,

e*

Ce

:

ise:

3

| (om af

Aides

3

eeu

ee

er

ww

No

ae

Meee Reena fe

aeae

Pameen a ie eal Ss ee 7) eae a Bieter oc

ig 2

as

ki

Bea

BE

,

ae

™

Pate.

|

e

Poy

be

‘

roe \

ig"x

e"9

oe.

Ls

pee

weAte

hod>

bs

*

Fr.

*

oe

aNae ,

a

“Pg CS a

ye

i

a m

ae

oF

a

-

a

a eZ

+0

=

a

i meg

5rie

be

;

Ya

y

wi

oka

4

e a

ss

j

Ee

-

te Le a

oe

a” oom Fee .

1

:

ae

.

.

ne@

2e

Fae. e

eernd

acer, ‘ © Pe *x ‘e, ‘ Pk rE he

Ce

i

y

VA

PS

~ Ss Gt i

bot

=

id

.

es al

¥

a,

L

J >

’

"

Oks

a

oe

.

.

}

* es oe

ey

’

7 Be.

:

©

,

2

j f

i

*

f

a

a mE, ee

ei a

y

Ps

ee

a

ae

*

Ty

~~

N°— og

a

*

nea

hl, Pore)

7)

be

"ie

eee

Sa

+2

b

7

‘

ate

ge. SO

[ae

= of:

ra te

ee.

a

oe: ‘

woe f

—_.

er

“Rpt rR,

a

i

eee

ie,

‘

aeod

a

ee. oe

:i

e

ke LF

7

vad

,

“Ta a A

me

fo

,

a

a

4

oe a

‘2

‘

5 ee

‘, em

=

A

:

Me

eee

\ }

Ae —

esa

een »

; va

7

a

t.\,

e

aaa

SCTE

-

,

ie

aka

:

rs

oo.

(esate one eer aap

a

5

RS eee A

OT

AS

a4 ”

pedo er Ga i cncadeeenaeS

oo i ease Risse lit: ola ge n ye eee eure Shs poo

ee

a

x

F

ae

.

or So

JAS aa ISERIES Ree eine

ge ee

i. eineft Bete

j

|i)

I

na

:

:

Be

es oe

=

wie

Ma

ees

ane,

cee.

“

.e .

*

ee

ieee

Si

goo

eae

si

en

ehTae epee

0 CUES Gere a

oS

f

:

Yeager

ae

,:

ee

pan

—> Pees

‘

e

a

Weve

ee ee jae

oe

2

"3

:

4

,

=

Bipeh

Be :

:

ne

hd ieee eS ay et ra ek Natori

| Bog)

Bene Sig et eet A

ee

oy ee

c Vashon apo oe"

hoe 3s

:

sae

Be

Cee

hEte Ee Oe cy VEG eR

a

ae

i

ae

ee

ee Be

eee

Be

ie

=

ee

He ee My See int cain SaegPE RABEL

ee

ee Pee ce OR

EAS

a

Bg eM

es

i

ea

Plate 4, Krsna and Arjuna sounded their transcendental conchshells.

ie!

ol

s

Py et

iS

i

ry et

S

Bre ype

ay pee

Lo

Reo

.=

“a 5

i ae




«

oe

—

ae

a :

2

.

. weee

.

oo

o ‘

_

x :

-

3

oo

ee*4

,

|

Bai P .

,

¥

:

Se

ae

fi

a

.

i;

Rea A

eee

ae

¥




aks

ach :

dD

BD

te

és

DM ifr Re i DS =

SE. tee

hd,

ery

‘~

t-

:

=

™

5

:

e

Se

te

> Ny

a

—

f

en

|

an

-

‘

:

a

SF

,¢

gael Tee

es

:

se

a \

wie

ae

im

“

3

P

——

is

oF ae

es ae

i

ee oe B

ta "

%

=

7

€- ea

:

¥

seh

fer

2

2

-

re

om

-

Ce. aah. Rd

B

:

bare

Ped

:

at

ee eames. oe Be ae oe ee ee

oo

a

fe

a

Pre

tft

_

*:

4

4

|

A

is 2

ee

a.

i

edie

er

:

he

;

ees

on

E

e

|

Po

x

ie

ee TNO Oo

po —

wae,

q

fe

3

a

=

a

a

ee me "

Pare ae

ee

‘ Sng)”

\

Galera

Por

jsa

Sais

“*

a

.

uN

, '

a,

2a
At

i

Ds:

PF

;

oy

/

i

&

i

:

Te j

&

J

fa

\

ge”

ge

PD el oad

. "

"

|

Teele er

p

a

?

-

‘

a

er

se.

eeP

ra

.

ee

ee

7

—

,

—

,

:

LN5

ia

9

ae

,

ee Nemain:

fies

* at

ed

Pn

Pe

Piatt

Pie

CP

-

pane

,

—

\)a

Pied

£ ro

ee

‘

e

5

a

e

P

eer

taggin

ea

ad

pent.

onal)

ei

fe

oe

— i

Sie

Err

be

ki

wal

;

pte

A

——

&

x

re)

:

5

1h

a.

we

“\

r

“ar,

Pe

|

Pe

i. a

A

e

\ i

Le

Si

pe

ee

.

-

oo ——

at

od

mY

ye

we

Sf

\

j /

Ee

o

sis

Plate 9.

Se en

>

The body changes, but the soul remains the same.

eee|

a

, |

’

i, te ie |

— |

er

i

3

i

> ‘ fas ry

hy-*

oo

rf

:

q

;

3

.

4

z

é

.

im. on

er fi es re no

a

a

"ey

a

le e at

=

4 Dy H

Po mea

~

ee

a

2 ss

é

1B

x LA

a =e

i...

a

fo

oi ba

-

we

a Ka

.

ed

+

"

i

Ag

ed

se -.

S sie

ne e

a

\

2

Co

cs

~

™

io

ay

aS

ed ce WF Pd

ee

°C We gS Na

of"

a nS aa Lice!

we oe). po

aaa ot

ss

yom Pee J Pe

.

;

Sfp

3 ae

"

|

i

3 ,

oe .

* a

= oe

c!

Fs

F

ys

-

:

l fi

Fs

ee “ns

é

P i

'

= rail

A

ih

'

rs

4

¥‘

!

-

Ee

¥

ve

f

ey’ ae 7 4

——

y

,

ba

.

jth i>

aoe

P me, ” ac

‘

i

r

7

f

ae a .

r

Y

e

-

Poa

ed as

‘

r

——

| i

ie

ait

4

F

,

}

ia

.

ae

=

'

|

=

‘

(i

i

zs

t —o

e

a

+

fee

i ae

OUlUl.=k. ES Re gut 4 eT

eh.

CO

ea al

]

+

ad

i

a.

Plate 10. Krsna and the living entity are seated on the tree of the body.

4

:

Pes

oe

bea

en

g

j

:

ae

S

nS

:

sams

fiat. gd ps i e esas eee




3

a,

Srey

ee La

f 7 a

a

_

a)

a

y

ihe

Baas Plate 18,

~~

ae

oi

di

=

Pie

|

:

i

Rid ;

ab

gh,

Be

a

ail

.

:

;

i

a

4

¥

tf

Ma)

5

\

ey

Es

? + ae

ef

es

Sli

; t

M4

i

Ti

.

=

os ao

er

Ni

*

>

ae

ie

et

cd al

1.

Nie

ts

:

be,

ee

ra

th

4

ee

ae

.

er

a

Se

rN

oy

=

Pt

P

wp

ey

A:

{

Hi}

‘

ig

. §

a;

See

—

ie

BA

q

7

re

:

=

Se

+

‘

i

4 th:

i

ae

Ee

a

at

)

\e

¢

ype

.

ie

AP

>

A

ES)

»

Yee

=

Te




3

—>

=

5

oll

oa 3

es

(

Bs

—F

y

h

.

oe

yy

a

x Keg

dibs

>.

~~

‘

ys

at

By.

Foe

_

P

F

e PP

es " ~.

ee

ee Pi

\

“fe

.

:

ts Fy

Oa

ee yg

as

; 7

f

ew

Ms

s

;

“

a

ae

‘e

:

Sar aot a

a Vi

"

¥

.

~~,

tw

=

wu

:3

a

‘

Shy.

,

P

y

ee,

F

:

3

x,

J

ee

4

a

al

“~~

’

te

a

Pm

,

i

en

a

fl

ee 5

|

be

ts ,

‘

A Fi pm

=, PR a

a

a

has Ce A

.

me

*4

ie

Plate 21.

' ae

>

-

ASR?

fs

:

4

|

3

F

;

~

-

“

ma

are

4

—

: gf _

;

a

bo

»

reas

-

é

- jn * “a . ~ _— ry

rd

ws ey

es 4

4

Fi

.

F

i

ae

;

ee

h

A

Se

4

|

a

-

7

j *

a

“f

atime

iit ’

2

Tia

Hi

oD:

&

5

+

Ne

«!

)

x

i oe

i

i ce

A ee

sep

Ea

me‘z

i

,

ia

gk.

Ps! *

it

a

etoa

ORE

a

f

=

Che a oe o

yh,

\aeme

-

ha

. She

3

'»

-

:

,

2

i

_a

ae + 2a

| all

ap.

y

Or ee

*

*

a

#3

>

ry Bd

stall»,

rs,

78

:

“One should meditate on Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.”

—

.

“He “yj

“ee

* “Si

-

:

i

“=

GOs

a

. Yn

eee ee

Ee ea ee eM eee ee

one eli he eas

,

«

3

j

?

———

cae

—

%

a... Ota

ee a oa

ee Mer e Ses

Pies

eo ;

a

a

ee

ee oe. 2

ea

ee

:

a

gh

e.

=

:

4

“

Bs

ged aS

as

a

—

:

=

ae

3

oo

oar

,

Ye a

lel

~

—

oo

ae

eo

be

earl

eae

Be

ae

2

.en.

see

a

eas e

ta

cial

an

:

.

a

f

—

ee ya

or

aa ees

=

ee

ae

,

Se

re

ee

4 250

,

:

eli

ee

ee

ee

‘

nt

i

os “a ie

oT

ee

gece

= we

oo

a

3

ae

ae sr

Z

moe

ene

oe ae

Po

OE a

wisn

oe ee aa

ey = ate

——

—

=

Plate 22,

ae

Ce

se ME

ee eee a ia

Ff

oiPio, eer

+e

,

ee

se

eer

a

.

Pact

ee

od

cae

ee

as

Oe

e

Pe”

ai “

aN

e

a ° ce sie

‘ ae i

ae

ee

ee

ois

eo

7 ae

ee ee

a

eae

nega

Sk

are

oie = ee

Se

i

4

Hee

eer a

as

e

ee

x

oe

=e Faeed,

_

ee

Tee

ae

|

.

) oe

:

a

m To

:

_

ar

Pe

ey

y

3

wv ™

oe

8

="

:

_

i

a,

=

2

'

:

—

Se

ee

eu

es

eae ae. 5

tae

ae

a

ae

One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with undeviating determination and faith.

‘ip

i

. i.:

%,

iia

‘

N f.

i

Su ,

-

a

=

~~

4

rs

ll

a

.

q

oa

2

‘paid

ta

E-

~

—

ges oe

gi %.

;

o

ry

’

——

A

q

in _

Py

ig '

*

) .

‘

p

i

.

aN

a

Le ;

2 :

co

ae

n>

.

»

5

en )

a

7

oN

iL

a

os

Plate 23.

m,

a = aa sce

‘pha

“ae

allt

“The mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krsna.”

ae

7

>

.

-

NS

zl

ra

On

;

Mewes)

ns

4

eo

a

i.

6

ro

a

OO /

-_

y

=——.,

4

vi

a

Ld

a

a

.

27

ee me |

3

: i

ql

a

it :

on:

* ,

Fr

i

i

2.

eo

26

,

-

&

‘

en E

NS

ta Oe A

y

4 “a

y

le de

oe

Bs

Zs y

ne n

;

a

aa

:

Be

8

SS 1

as

4

ae

a

y 79

9

Plate 24,

Ps

“

a

:

aes

a

es

me

at

?

ra

i “4 te care

3

:

BE

ae

; ya

ee

“8

’

.

-

vy i

y

es 7

->

ig

ee

oe

* he, AY ha

awe

i

.

%

é

eaean

Z

Z ae

ian

re

Pome

%

Fee ey

.

a

2

+

a :

Pie

a

vo

eg

er ,

‘

ca Pat

cS

ry

. ae

,

go em Fi

ent a

:

=}

aaa

er

e

ae 3

i

si

ee

Pe

Rs ey a7 Vas se=

;

Pegs,

ss rs

=

-

a.

ee

ie

3?’

—

ee

SR es > em i

PS ae ee

4 ee

ug 4

ey Sa

fd

oa

% ages

;

is

ae

/

at

3

_

Ae

,

s

::

‘

- o

sg

Se

Xe

-

>

r.

pa

de

$

of

d

ee : a 7

|

i

ee

Ss

3

nm

5 -.

‘

A

{

E

a

ao

oh

re

co

yy

, Fy

; Ge.

a

S eerie 4

Ca

4

1%

ea

F

ae

ley

ce 4

Hi

ryAk

ae

cs ¥

‘

PA

:

Fd

i

eo

“sce d i

:

mn Ss

4

m ye ig sen

SOME

ee

‘ %

a

i?

G

>

he

Le

Zz

~

se

a

=

;

)

1

A

eee!

{ ¢

Zz.

wae

‘G

F

ee

ta ——a-_ a eee

SPO)

a

4

i=

: >

a

ee

ae

Cade

he

a

a

se ms

Sr ee

nes =

r

A

VA

;

fe ea

a

‘

“

ee

a"

*

ae

ae,

a TYP

J

J

“Sees

he

t

|

ae * :

“Of all yogis, he who abides in Me with great faith is the highest of all.”

4

aa

)

‘

ca

oS : ee Tis,at N EE MN di

: hy

ny

Pad

‘

_

.

sae

PF

‘

Fs Pes , ae

4

r &

\

\

5

Ps

«.Co

oN

ay

Plate 25,

Krsna’s material and spiritual energies.

LIES a

aa

RI

pS

Wee

i

a

Sow

oy

i

7

j

.

oa

Pat

4

vd

’

eo

Be

CY i Fae. ee ee ae

a

Be,

+

es

i

}

4

Ne

|

~~ -"

j a

Sy

ah

>

h

,

:

__——

va

:

»\

2

x

het res}

ye

eo! a

ms a -

a

J

eee

rane

—

ut

;

a

AWA

ae

oe

>

—

oi

Sy

'

i

Be

~

Ey

a

RG

eee. cay

pe, i: pf sad

eG

Sr >

\ ia

a

ay

joe

as

a at

- ren:

a

Siew

oa.

ree e

a

Be

a by

ar,

Plate 26,

a

j

.

,

"

£

~

yr Ey

a fs

ee

A

i, J

ese...

Sagem.

“ty

a.

ae eh

2

= oie

am espoe

cs

*

i

as

Rey

4a ee

2

eKEe

aa

ci

oe

hen =

:

on

»

oe

“3 ‘tn

LT

cc

>

we

=

yp et

;

.\

a

cy

_

eae

a

A

ea

r

d

2

ey

~~) ao * a

:

oo ‘

>

v * -

ay

SE

Faw

~

zee”

r

.

C

of

gilt

Qe ‘ a

e

*% ire

nN’

jo. Ale '

es

>

:

Bien.

li :

.

ba

Dyin

aN

=

bral ae

,

is

—

a

}

FS

SN

A

:

Plate 27.

~~

ee

&

‘

.

—_

ee

SeFa

ieeesou

ad

4

GE

Z

Be

!

Fy

Oe

Be

a FN .

‘

Re

(i)

L-

ae Tes,

f

5 An gate

CON Bel

RK

APY G&s

WS

Y

A ye F ‘s

Rae gm \ :

2

¥

=

se

Nod >

SS

REN

Ae

%

LY

SS

REAL ISS

The Opulence of the Absolute TEXT 1

ATTATTA |

WT UT AEM TY A WA TA: | quse strana qearty feaaezar 1 2 tl sri bhagavan uvaca bhitya eva maha-baho Smu me paramam vacah yat te’ham priyamanaya vaksyami hita-kamyaya $i bhagavan uvaca—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; bhityah—again; eva—certainly; mahd-baho—O mighty-armed; srnu—just hear;

me—My;

paramam—supreme;

vacah—information;

yat—that which;

te—to you; aham—J; priyamanaya—thinking you dear to Me; vaksyami— say; hita-kamyaya—for your benefit. 491

492

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

[Ch. 10

TRANSLATION The Supreme Lord said: My dear friend, mighty-armed Arjuna, listen again to My supreme word, which I shall impart to you for your benefit and which will give you great joy. PURPORT The word paramam is explained thus by Parasara Muni: one who is full

in six opulences,

beauty

Godhead.

and

opulences. Krsna

who

has

Krsna

was

renunciation,

While

full strength,

is paramam, present

on

full fame,

Personality

this earth, He displayed

Therefore great sages like Paragara Muni

as the Supreme

wealth, knowledge,

or the Supreme

of

all six

have all accepted

Personality of Godhead. Now Krsna is instructing

Arjuna in more confidential knowledge of His opulences and His work. Previously, beginning with the Seventh Chapter, the Lord already explained His different energies and how they are acting. Now in this chapter He explains His specific opulences to Arjuna. In the previous chapter he has clearly explained His different energies to establish devotion in firm conviction. Again in this chapter He tells Arjuna about His manifestations and various opulences. The more one hears about the Supreme God, the more one becomes fixed in devotional service. One should always hear about the Lord in the

association

of devotees;

that

will enhance

one’s

devotional

service.

Dis-

courses in the society of devotees can take place only among those who

are really anxious to be in Krsna consciousness. Others cannot take part in

such discourses. The Lord clearly tells Arjuna that because he is very dear to Him, for his benefit such discourses are taking place. TEXT 2

aH (Zs ACU

:

S

AAT A ATT: | 8

wearlate Sarat aadiont AAT WAM na me viduh sura-ganah prabhavarn na maharsayah aham ddir hi devanarm maharsinam ca sarvasah

Text 2] na—never;

opulences;

The Opulence of the Absolute me—My;

na—never;

viduh—knows;

493

sura-ganadh—demigods; prabhavam—

maharsayah—great

sages;

aham—I

origin; hi—certainly; devanam—of the demigods; great sages; ca—also; sarvasah—in all respects.

am;

adih—the

maharsindm—of

the

TRANSLATION Neither the hosts of demigods nor the great sages know My origin, for, in every respect, I am the source of the demigods and the sages. PURPORT As stated in the Brahma-samhita,

Lord Krsna is the Supreme Lord. No

one is greater than Him; He is the cause of all causes. Here it is also stated by the Lord personally that He is the cause of all the demigods and sages. Even the demigods and great sages cannot understand Krsna; they can understand neither His name nor His personality, so what is the position of the so-called scholars of this tiny planet? No one can understand why this Supreme God comes to earth as an ordinary human being and executes such commonplace

and yet wonderful activities. One should know, then,

that scholarship is not the qualification necessary to understand Krsna. Even the demigods and the great sages have tried to understand Krsna by their mental speculation, and they have failed to do so. In the SrimadBhagavatam also it is clearly said that even the great demigods are not able to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They can speculate to the limits of their imperfect senses and can reach the opposite conclusion of impersonalism, of something not manifested by the three qualities of material nature, or they can imagine something by mental speculation, but it is not possible to understand Krsna by such foolish speculation.

Here the Lord indirectly says that if anyone wants to know the Absolute Truth, “Here I am present as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I am the Supreme.” One should know this. Although one cannot understand the inconceivable Lord who is personally present, He nonetheless exists. We can actually understand Krsna, who is eternal, full of bliss and knowledge,

simply by studying His words in Bhogavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam. The impersonal Brahman can be conceived by persons who are already in the inferior energy of the Lord, but the Personality of Godhead cannot be conceived unless one is in the transcendental position. Because most men cannot understand Krsna in His actual situation, out

of His causeless mercy He descends to show favor to such speculators. Yet

494,

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

[Ch. 10.

despite the Supreme Lord’s uncommon activities, these speculators, due to contamination in the material energy, still think that the impersonal Brahman is the Supreme. Only the devotees who are fully surrendered unto the Supreme Lord can understand, by the grace of the Supreme Personality, that He is Krsna.

The

devotees

of the Lord

do not bother

about the impersonal Brahman conception of God; their faith and devotion bring them to surrender immediately unto the Supreme Lord, and out of the causeless mercy of Krsna, they can understand Krsna. No one else can

understand Him. So even great sages agree: What is atmd, what is the Supreme? It is He whom we have to worship. TEXT 3 x

+

A AAT FT AT SAAT | * S x HAAS! A AAG TAM WYTAT Ul 3 Ul yo mam ajam anddim ca vetti loka-mahesvaram asammidhah sa martyesu sarva-papaih pramucyate yah—any one; maém—unto Me; ajam—unborn; anadim—without beginning ; ca—also;

vetti-knows;

loka—the

planets;

mahesvaram—supreme

master;

asammidhah—without doubt; sah—he; martyesu—among those subject to death; sarva-paépaih—from all sinful reactions; pramucyate—is delivered. TRANSLATION He who knows Me as the unborn, as the beginningless, as the Supreme

Lord of all the worlds—he, undeluded among men, is freed from all sins,

PURPORT As stated in the Seventh Chapter, those who are trying to elevate themselves to the platform of spiritual realization are not ordinary men. They are superior to millions and millions of ordinary men who have no knowledge of spiritual realization, but out of those actually trying to understand their spiritual situation, one who can come to the understanding that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the proprietor of everything, the

Text 3]

The Opulence of the Absolute

495

unborn, is the most successful spiritually realized person. In that stage only, when one has fully understood Krsna’s supreme position, can one be free completely from all sinful reactions. Here the word ajam, meaning unborn, should not be confused with the

living entities, who are described in the Second Chapter as ajam. The Lord is different from the living entities who are taking birth and dying due to material attachment. The conditional souls are changing their bodies, but His body is not changeable. Even when He comes to this material world, He comes as the same unborn; therefore in the Fourth Chapter it is said that the Lord, by His internal potency, is not under the inferior material energy, but is always in the superior energy. He was existing before the creation, and He is different from His creation. All the demigods were created within this material world, but as far as Krsna is concerned, it is said that He is not created; therefore Krsna

is different even from

the great demigods like Brahma and Siva. And

because He is the creator of Brahmi, Siva and all the other demigods, He is

the Supreme Person of all planets. Sri Krsna is therefore different from everything that is created, and anyone who knows Him as such immediately becomes liberated from all sinful reaction. One must be liberated from all sinful activities to be in the knowledge of the Supreme Lord. Only by devotional service can He be known and not by any other means, as stated in Bhagavad-gita. One should not try to understand Krsna as a human being. As stated

previously, only a foolish person thinks Him to be a human being. This is again expressed here in a different way. A man who is not foolish, who is intelligent enough to understand the constitutional position of the Godhead, is always free from all sinful reactions. If Krsna is known

as the son of Devaki, then how can He be unborn?

That is also explained in Srimad-Bhdgavatam: When He appeared before Devaki and Vasudeva, He was not born as an ordinary child; He appeared in His original form, and then He transformed Himself into an ordinary child. Anything done under the direction of Krsna is transcendental. It cannot

be contaminated by the material reactions, which may be auspicious or inauspicious. The conception that there are things auspicious and inauspicious in the material world is more or less a mental concoction because there is nothing auspicious in the material world. Everything is inauspicious because the very material mask is inauspicious. We simply imagine it to be auspicious. Real auspiciousness depends on activities in Krsna con-

sciousness in full devotion and service. Therefore if we at all want our

496

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

activities to be auspicious,

[Ch. 10

then we should work under the directions of

the Supreme Lord. Such directions are given in authoritative scriptures such as Srimad-Bhagavatam and Bhagavad-gita, or from a bona fide spiritual master. Because the spiritual master is the representative of the Supreme

Lord, his direction is directly the direction of the Supreme Lord. The spiritual master, saintly persons and scriptures direct in the same way.

There is no contradiction in these three sources. All actions done under such direction are free from the reactions of pious or impious activities of this material world. The transcendental attitude of the devotee in the

performance of activities sannydsa. Anyone acting actually a sannydst and a dress of the sannyasi, or a

is actually that of renunciation, and this is called under the direction of the Supreme Lord is yogi, and not the man who has simply taken the pseudo-yogi. TEXTS

4-5

Sfaaiaaddle: qat ae TA Ta: |

TS TAS Wasa Aa AVATAT FI 8 II e

e

e

a‘

AAT AAA THAN Ft TASTT? |

AafegT ATT alah AM TT TATA 114 II °

aN

buddhir jiidnam asammohah ksamd satyam damah samah sukham duhkham bhavo’bhavo bhayam cabhayam eva ca ahirsd samata tustis

tapo danam yaso’yasah

bhavanti bhava bhitanar

matta eva prthag-vidhah

buddhih—intelligence; jrignam—knowledge;asam-mohah—freedom from doubt; ksama—forgiveness; satyam—truthfulness; damah—control of the senses; §amah—control of the mind; sukham—happiness; duhkham— distress; bhavah—birth; cbhavah—death; bhayam—fear; ca—also; abhayam— without fear; eva—also;ca—and; ahirisd—nonviolence; samata—equilibrium; tustih— satisfaction; tapah—penance; ddnam—charity; yasah—fame; ayasah—in-

Texts 4-5] famy;

The Opulence of the Absolute

bhavanti—become;

bhavah—natures;

bhiitandm—of

497 living entities;

mattah—from Me; eva—certainly; prthak-vidhah—differently arranged. TRANSLATION

Intelligence, knowledge, freedom from doubt and delusion, forgiveness, truthfulness, self-control and calmness, pleasure and pain, birth, death, fear, fearlessness, nonviolence, equanimity, satisfaction, austerity, charity,

fame and infamy are created by Me alone. PURPORT

The different qualities of living entities, be they good or bad, are all created by Krsna, and they are described here. Intelligence refers to the power of analyzing things in proper perspective, and knowledge refers to understanding what is spirit and what is matter. Ordinary knowledge obtained by a university education pertains only to matter, and it is not accepted here as knowledge. Knowledge means knowing the distinction between spirit and matter. In modern education there is no knowledge about the spirit; they are simply taking care of the material elements and bodily needs. Therefore academic knowledge is not complete. Asammohah,

freedom from doubt and delusion, can be achieved when

one is not hesitant and when he understands the transcendental philosophy. Slowly but surely he becomes free from bewilderment. Nothing should be accepted blindly; everything should be accepted with care and with

caution. Ksama,

forgiveness, should be practiced, and one should excuse

the minor offenses of others. Satyam, truthfulness, means that facts should be presented as they are for the benefit of others. Facts should not be misrepresented. According to social conventions, it is said that one can speak the truth only when it is palatable to others. But that is not truthfulness. The truth should be spoken in a straight and forward way, so that others will understand actually what the facts are. If a man is a thief and if people are warned that he is a thief, that is truth. Although sometimes the truth is unpalatable, one should not refrain from speaking it. Truthfulness demands that the facts be presented as they are for the benefit of others. That is the definition of truth. Self-control means that the senses should not be used for unnecessary personal enjoyment. There is no prohibition against meeting the proper needs of the senses. but unnecessary sense enjoyment is detrimental for

498

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

[Ch. 10

spiritual advancement. Therefore the senses should be restrained from unnecessary use. Similarly, the mind should not indulge in unnecessary thoughts; that is called Samah, or calmness. Nor should one spend one’s time pondering over earning money. That is a misuse of the thinking power. The mind should be used to understand the prime necessity of human beings, and that should be presented authoritatively. The power of thought should be developed in association with persons who are authorities in the scriptures, saintly persons and spiritual masters and those whose thinking is highly developed. Sukham, pleasure or happiness, should always be in that which is favorable for the cultivation of the spiritual knowledge of Krsna consciousness. And similarly, that which is painful or which causes distress is that which is unfavorable for the cultivation of Krsna conscious-

ness. Anything favorable for the development of Krsna consciousness should be accepted, and anything unfavorable should be rejected. Bhava, birth, should be understood to refer to the body. As far as the

soul is concerned, there is neither birth nor death; that we have discussed

in the beginning of Bhagavad-gitd. Birth and death apply to one’s embodiment in the material world. Fear is due to worrying about the future. A

person in Krsna consciousness

has no fear because by his activities he is

sure to go back to the spiritual sky, back home, back to Godhead. Therefore his future is very bright. Others, however, do not know what their future holds; they have no knowledge of what the next life holds. So they are therefore in canstant anxiety. If we want to get free from anxiety,

then the best course is to understand Krsna and be situated always in Krsna consciousness. In that way we will be free from all fear. In the

Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated that fear is caused by our absorption in the illusory energy, but those who are free from the illusory energy, those who are confident that they are not the material body, that they are spiritual parts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and are therefore engaged in the transcendental service of the Supreme Godhead, have nothing to fear. Their future is very bright. This fear is a condition of persons who are not in Krsna consciousness. Bhayam,

Krsna consciousness. Ahimsa,

nonviolence,

means

fearlessness, is only possible for one in

that

one

should

not

do

anything

which

will put others into misery or confusion. Material activities that are promised by so many Politicians, sociologists, philanthropists, etc., do not produce very good results because the politicians and philanthropists have no transcendental vision; they do not know what is actually beneficial for human society. Ahunsd means that people should be trained in such a way that the full utilization of the human body can be achieved. The human

Texts 4-5]

The Opulence of the Absolute

499

body is meant for spiritual realization, so any movement

or any commis-

sions which do not further that end commit violence on the human body. That which furthers the future spiritual happiness of the people in general is called nonviolence. Samata, equanimity, refers to freedom from attachment and aversion. To be very much attached or to be very much detached is not the best. This material world should be accepted without attachment or aversion. Similarly,

that

which

is favorable

should be accepted; that which

for prosecuting

is unfavorable

should

Krsna consciousness

be rejected. That is

called samatd, equanimity. A person in Krsna consciousness has nothing to

reject and nothing to accept unless it is useful in the prosecution of Krsna

consciousness. Tustih, satisfaction, means that one should not be eager to gather more and more material goods by unnecessary activity. One should be satisfied with whatever is obtained by the grace of the Supreme Lord; that is called satisfaction. Tapas means austerity or penance. There are many rules and definitions in the Vedas which apply here, like rising early in the morning and taking a bath. Sometimes it is very troublesome to rise early in the morning, but whatever voluntary trouble one may suffer in this way is called penance. Similarly, there are prescriptions for fasting on certain days of the month. One may not be inclined to practice such fasting, but because of his determination to make advancement in the science of Krsna

consciousness, he should accept such bodily troubles which are recommended. However, one should not fast unnecessarily or against Vedic injunctions. One should not fast for some political purpose; that is described in Bhagavad-gita as fasting in ignorance, and anything done in ignorance or passion does not lead to spiritual advancement. Everything done

in the mode

of goodness

does advance

one, however,

and fasting

done in terms of the Vedic injunctions enriches one in spiritual knowledge. As far as charity is concerned, one should give fifty percent of his earnings to some good cause. And what is a good cause? It is that which is

conducted in terms of Krsna consciousness. That is not only a good cause, but it is the best cause. Because Krsna is good, His cause is also good. Thus

charity should be given to a person who is engaged in Krsna consciousness. According to Vedic literature, it is enjoined that charity should be given to the brahmanas. This practice is still followed, although not very nicely in terms of the Vedic injunction. But still the injunction is that charity should be given to the brahmanas. Why? Because they are engaged in higher cultivation of spiritual knowledge. A brahmana is supposed to devote his whole

500

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

[Ch. 10

life to understanding Brahman. A brahma-jana is one who knows Brahman; he is called a brahmana. Thus charity is offered to the brahmanas because since they are always engaged in higher spiritual service, they have no time to earn their livelihood. In the Vedic literature, charity is also to be awarded to the renouncer of life, the sannydsi. The sannydsis beg from door to door, not for money but for missionary purposes. The system is that they go from door to door to awaken the householders from the slumber of ignorance. Because the householders are engaged in family affairs and have forgotten their actual purpose in life—awakening their Krsna consciousness—it is the business of the sannydsis to go as beggars to the householders and encourage them to be Krsna conscious. As it is said in the Vedas, one should awake and achieve what is due him in this human form

of life. This knowledge and method is distributed by the sannydsis; hence charity is to be given to the renouncer of life, to the brahmanas, and similar good causes, not to any whimsical cause. Yasah, fame, should be according to Lord Caitanya, who said that a man

is famous when he is known as a great devotee. That is real fame. If one

has become a great man in Krsna consciousness and it is known, then he is

truly famous. One who does not have such fame is infamous. All these qualities are manifest throughout the universe inhuman society and in the society of the demigods. There are many forms of humanity on other planets, and these qualities are there. Now, for one who wants to advance

in Krsna consciousness,

Krsna creates all these qualities, but the

person develops them himself from within. One who engages in the devotional service of the Supreme Lord develops all the good qualities, as arranged by the Supreme Lord. Of whatever we find, good or bad, the origin is Krsna. Nothing can manifest in this material world which is not in Krsna. That is knowledge;

although we know that things are differently situated, we should realize

that everything flows from Krsna.

TEXT 6

HET: AA TS AAT AAT |

WATT AAT SAT AT SUH TAT ASAT! UGH maharsayah sapta purve catvdro manavas tatha mad-bhava manasd jata yesam loka imah prajah

Text 7]

The Opulence of the Absolute

501

maharsayah—the great sages; sapta—seven; purve—before; catvarah—four; manavah—Manus; tathd—also; mat-bhdvah—born of Me; manasah—from the mind; jatah—born; yesam—of them; loke—the planets; imah—all this;

prajah—population.

TRANSLATION The seven great sages and before them the four other great sages and the Manus [progenitors of mankind] are born out of My mind, and all creatures in these planets descend from them. PURPORT The Lord is giving a genealogical synopsis of the universal population. Brahma is the original creature born out of the energy of the Supreme Lord known as Hiranyagarbha. And from Brahma all the seven great

sages, and before them four other great sages, named Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana, and Sanatkumara, and the Manus, are manifest. All these

twenty-five great sages are known as the patriarchs of the living entities all over the universe. There are innumerable universes and innumerable

planets within each universe, and each planet is full of population of dif-

ferent varieties. All of them are born of these twenty-five patriarchs. Brahma underwent penance for one thousand years of the demigods be-

fore he realized by the grace of Krsna how to create. Then from Brahma, Sanaka, Sananda, Sanatana, and Sanatkum4ra came out, then Rudra, and

then the seven sages, and in this way all the brahmanas and ksatriyas are born out of the energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Brahma is known as pitamaha, the grandfather, and Krsna is known as the prapita-

maha, the father of the grandfather. That is stated in the Eleventh Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita. (Bg. 11.39) TEXT 7

ah aaa: | wat fratx att a am at x

ashaeert MTT TTT AT AAT Ut tl etam vibhiitim yogarh ca mama yo vetti tattvatah so’vikalpena yogena yujyate ndatra samsayah

502

Bhagavad-gita As It Is

[Ch. 10

etam—all this; vibhittim—opulence; yogam ca—also mystic power; mama —of Mine; yah—anyone; vetti—knows; tattvatah—factually; sah—he; avikal-

pena—without

division; yogena—in devotional service; yujyate—engaged;

na—never; atra—here; sarmsayah—doubt.

TRANSLATION He who knows in truth this glory and power of Mine engages in unalloyed devotional service; of this there is no doubt. PURPORT The highest summit of spiritual perfection is knowledge of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Unless one is firmly convinced of the different opulences of the Supreme Lord, he cannot engage in devotional service. Generally people know that God is great, but they do not know in detail how God is great. Here are the details. If one knows factually how God is great, then naturally he becomes a surrendered soul and engages himself in the devotional service of the Lord. When one factually knows the opulences of the Supreme, there is no alternative but to surrender to Him. This factual knowledge can be known from the descriptions in SrimadBhdgavatam and Bhagavad-gita and similar literatures. In the administration of this universe there are many demigods distributed throughout the planetary system, and the chief of them are Brahma, Lord Siva and the four great Kumiras and other patriarchs. There are many forefathers of the population of the universe, and all of them are born of the Supreme Lord Krsna. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the original forefather of all forefathers.

These are some of the opulences of the Supreme Lord. When one is

firmly convinced of them, he accepts Krsna with great faith and without

any doubt, and he engages in devotional service. All this particular knowledge is required in order to increase one’s interest in the loving devotional service of the Lord. One should not neglect to understand fully how great Krsna is, for by knowing the greatness of Krsna one will be able to be fixed

in sincere devotional service.

TEXT 8

HE TTA TAN AT: TT TAIT |

ahd AAT Asia At TM ATTTATT?I

s

| |

“You

oy

sr

ae

'

ae

é

Yeo

iy

ai

(Gye , | re

tes

4

“

are the Supreme

Pi

ad

a /j

ras * Or

—_—"

or

Hy

*

a) ©

* a

r

leee

¢

ha

Brahman,

ie

he,

et 4

me

“

|

4

.

ee aa.

ie

=

ee

LF

“g-

:

z

ole

De Le

9 8 ee

an Ey oca Go}

4

| ee ¥ ity

ur pe)

An

7r

oy

eS

Das

yd

be

,

ra

: 4

Ne

os

‘

a

eS

>.

roe

iv

ie

-

oe

OE

Cs

3

a

:

4

F

ks

eee

ii a

Pa

Be

aoe

aw,

he

my. ?

e

“a

; 27

tis

a ai

vl




yo

.

t

A Sea he

2

ep

)

:

Ee

a

r

Pie ’

Sa

tt

&

)

A

,

at a

bara g®.

®%

.

-

Fs

it

,

F

}

‘

-_.

~~

a

me.)

oi

n

i”

ae

cies meee meee manne

as

ye. .

CPS LAT

Caer

»

*

—_

eet

Cmcig ca

eS .

eS ee

:

uae eee Sake

genme

\

rt

ge

ee

co

ly

oe

ne ba)

.

Wee NP geese aaa

OR

See

fo P

Ss

ee we

allie

Me

ors

omg

aire

os

‘

POl

CIs

ie Pit ec OO Mag

Os

f

ye be

Lone

- Sees Sa ees ee a ga Lg Soe CO RA ise Saran cet Ae aS

;

a

ee

3

e

the ultimate, the supreme

:

i i

oo

4

F

AN 5-34

ee

dy

aves!

i

Py |

>

ae

*

‘

Pi

a

OP

*

Ls

ee

rs

1

Me

sins BAR

eee a

i

ys"

ee

ae

(Sak

:

'

i

Be - oh

=: 4 los

i aL j

f

Fi

2s

sf

yy

Pte

‘

BP etic. eoA P

se:

e

te

a

os

ci

wo i

Ne

ait

fe

ae

Plate 30.

7

;

a.

ON Me

Se

ss

OT

*

eo

3

“

en Se

ne

i

———_

_s *

y

See

Ie

fe

ay

:

a ao

g A

Ne

,

LS

j

-

ie

ae} rf “a |

: a

‘

Pr

‘

4s

me

¥

J

"7

VA

~

a

—gseage aint

‘

Be

4

Se

ex

ea

~~

ae aaa ny

y SN!

(Nem

me

—

ae

,

7 P

4

BS io

~~SOTie AS BS oH oe

3

Pa IT

ge

=

a:

ne

aS a

Be

Be

=

i

di

a349

(

;

.

i

A

ee

: Paced

ee

4

;

#4 t

, , ( | ef

93 i

&

A

y

=-

| oe

r

Ge.

J

eye ‘ Ls

.

No

,

)oN

ae

== 2

is

es

,

§

2.

i

Be

,

i 4

es

e

dm

ads

tae

Ne

ree

ta

tee sae

aR

is

‘Phen

a

pi

ait

& i

¥.

=


H "

4

ravtev

;

i

P

‘Pa

ae ‘

foe

Pe aa

Of

rf

eed

Y

a

2i

soe -

4

At}

4

‘

&

a

&.

A:

4

4 ae

Y

F) pee

w

| de

te 4

tee eg

*

Ca

i yi

:

i

yp.

:

itn.

ee

a

‘

Plate 31.

a

a

.

i

es Pe

7

ey

i

f Pi

at

y =

lU eee

ee

ey

=

4

ey J

The universal form.

f i

|

P

4

ae

re

2 aw? we

hs

ae f Cn tee ee

see

. hy

‘

>

Pe

e

.

a

ow

,

4

3

ad

—]

ve ee

i

a H 4 a a Haas,

‘

Le

+

fe

'

mi

se

oT

e ,

woe te

c

4 ~

y

ae

fs

Ja

&

a

—

¥: ie

,

be

.

&

=

-

i

*

vi

8

eg

z

ee

Ye

‘ ,

Sree.

ae

Py

eho,

:

zl tt 0 Oe i

=

'

ae

oe

«f

Tw

a

E

ber crease!

‘


5

Se

id Ssh

a

e:

4

es

F

‘

if

Se,

y Fail

a

|