Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (53 page)

Bg 6.40

TEXT 40

TEXT

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

pārtha naiveha nāmutra

vināśas tasya vidyate

na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid

durgatiṁ tāta gacchati

SYNONYMS

śrī bhagavān uvāca-
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
pārtha
-O son of Prthā;
na eva
-never is it so;
iha
-in this material world;
na
-never;
amutra
-in the next life;
vināśaḥ
-destruction;
tasya
-his;
vidyate
-exists;
na
-never;
hi
-certainly;
kalyāṇa-kṛt-
one who is engaged in auspicious activities;
kaścit-
anyone;
durgatim
-degradation;
tāta
-thereafter;
gacchati
-going.

TRANSLATION

The Blessed Lord said: Son of Pṛthā, a transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil.

PURPORT

In the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(1.5.17) Śrī Nārada Muni instructs Vyāsadeva as follows:

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakko 'tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto 'bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ

"If someone gives up all material prospects and takes complete shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no loss or degradation in any way. On the other hand a nondevotee may fully engage in his occupational duties and yet not gain anything." For material prospects, there are many activities both scriptural and customary. A transcendentalist is supposed to give up all material activities for the sake of spiritual advancement in life, Kṛṣṇa consciousness. One may argue that by Kṛṣṇa consciousness one may attain the highest perfection if it is completed, but if one does not attain
such a perfectional stage, then he loses both materially and spiritually. It is enjoined in the scriptures that one has to suffer the reaction of not executing prescribed duties; therefore one who fails to discharge transcendental activities properly becomes subjected to these reactions. The
Bhāgavatam
assures the unsuccessful transcendentalist that there need be no worries. Even though he may be subjected to the reaction of not perfectly executing prescribed duties, he is still not a loser, because auspicious Kṛṣṇa consciousness is never forgotten, and one so engaged will continue to be so even if he is lowborn in the next life. On the other hand, one who simply follows strictly the prescribed duties need not necessarily attain auspicious results if he is lacking in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

The purport may be understood as follows: humanity may be divided into two sections, namely, the regulated and the nonregulated. Those who are engaged simply in bestial sense gratifications without knowledge of their next life or spiritual salvation belong to the nonregulated section. And those who follow the principles of prescribed duties in the scriptures are classified amongst the regulated section. The nonregulated section, both civilized and noncivilized, educated and noneducated, strong and weak, are full of animal propensities. Their activities are never auspicious because, enjoying the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, defending and mating, they perpetually remain in material existence, which is always miserable. On the other hand, those who are regulated by scriptural injunctions and thus gradually rise to Kṛṣṇa consciousness certainly progress in life.

Those who are then following the path of auspiciousness can be divided into three sections, namely, 1) the followers of scriptural rules and regulations who are enjoying material prosperity, 2) those who are trying to find out the ultimate liberation from material existence, and 3) those who are devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Those who are following the rules and regulations of the scriptures for material happiness may be further divided into two classes: those who are fruitive workers and those who desire no fruit for sense gratification. Those who are after fruitive results for sense gratification may be elevated to a higher standard of life-even to the higher planets; but still, because they are not free from material existence, they are not following the truly auspicious path. The only auspicious activities are those which lead one to liberation. Any activity which is not aimed at ultimate self-realization or liberation from the material bodily concept of life is not at all auspicious. Activity in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the only auspicious activity, and anyone who voluntarily accepts all bodily discomforts for the sake of making progress on the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness can be called a perfect transcendentalist under severe austerity. And because the eightfold
yoga
system is directed toward the ultimate realization of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, such practice is also auspicious, and no one who is trying his best in this matter need fear degradation.

Bg 6.41

TEXT 41

TEXT

prāpya puṇya-kṛtāṁ lokān

uṣitvā śāśvatīḥ samāḥ

śucīnāṁ śrīmatāṁ gehe

yoga-bhraṣṭo 'bhijāyate

SYNONYMS

prāpya-
after achieving;
puṇya-kṛtām-
of those who performed pious activities;
lokān-
planets;
uṣitvā-
after dwelling;
śāśvatīḥ-
many;
samāḥ-
years;
śucīnām-
of the pious;
śrīmatām-
of the prosperous;
gehe-
in the house of;
yoga-bhraṣṭaḥ-
one who is fallen from the path of self-realization;
abhijāyate-
takes his birth.

TRANSLATION

The unsuccessful yogī, after many, many years of enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.

PURPORT

The unsuccessful
yogīs
are divided into two classes: one is fallen after very little progress, and one is fallen after long practice of
yoga.
The
yogī
who falls after a short period of practice goes to the higher planets where pious living entities are allowed to enter. After prolonged life there, he is sent back again to this planet, to take birth in the family of a righteous
brāhmaṇa vaiṣṇava
or of aristocratic merchants.

The real purpose of
yoga
practice is to achieve the highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. But those who do not persevere to such an extent and fail due to material allurements are allowed, by the grace of the Lord, to make full utilization of their material propensities. And after that, they are given opportunities to live prosperous lives in righteous or aristocratic families. Those who are born in such families may take advantage of the facilities and try to elevate themselves to full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Bg 6.42

TEXT 42

TEXT

atha vā yoginām eva

kule bhavati dhīmatām

etad dhi durlabhataraṁ

loke janma yad īdṛśam

SYNONYMS

athavā
-or;
yoginām-
of learned transcendentalists;
eva-
certainly;
kule
-in the family of;
bhavati-
takes birth;
dhīmatām-
of those who are endowed with great wisdom;
etat-
this;
hi-
certainly;
durlabhataram-
very rare;
loke-
in this world;
janma-
birth;
yat
-that which;
īdṛśam
-like this.

TRANSLATION

Or he takes his birth in a family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom. Verily, such a birth is rare in this world.

PURPORT

Birth in a family of
yogīs
or transcendentalists-those with great wisdom-is praised herein because the child born in such a family receives spiritual impetus from the very beginning of his life. It is especially the case in the
ācārya
or
gosvāmī
families. Such families are very learned and devoted by tradition and training, and thus they become spiritual masters. In India there are many such
ācārya
families, but they have now degenerated due to insufficient education and training. By the grace of the Lord, there are still families that foster transcendentalists generation after generation. It is certainly very fortunate to take birth in such families. Fortunately, both our spiritual master, Oṁ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja, and our humble self, had the opportunity to take birth in such families, by the grace of the Lord, and both of us were trained in the devotional service of the Lord from the very beginning of our lives. Later on we met by the order of the transcendental system.

Bg 6.43

TEXT 43

TEXT

tatra taṁ buddhi-saṁyogaṁ

labhate paurva-dehikam

yatate ca tato bhūyaḥ

saṁsiddhau kuru-nandana

SYNONYMS

tatra-
thereupon;
tam-
that;
buddhi-saṁyogam-
revival of such consciousness;
labhate-
regains;
paurva-
previous;
dehikam-
bodily consciousness;
yatate-
endeavors;
ca-
also;
tataḥ-
thereafter;
bhūyaḥ-
again;
saṁsiddhau-
for perfection;
kuru-nandana
-O son of Kuru.

TRANSLATION

On taking such a birth, he again revives the divine consciousness of his previous life, and he tries to make further progress in order to achieve complete success, O son of Kuru.

PURPORT

King Bharata, who took his third birth in the family of a good
brāhmaṇa,
is an example of good birth for the revival of previous transcendental consciousness. King Bharata was the Emperor of the world, and since his time this planet is known among the demigods as Bhāratavarṣa. Formerly it was known as Ilāvartavarṣa. The Emperor, at an early age, retired for spiritual perfection but failed to achieve success. In his next life he took birth in the family of a good
brāhmaṇa
and was known as Jaḍabharata because he always remained secluded and did not talk to anyone. And later on, he was discovered as the greatest transcendentalist by King Rahūgaṇa. From his life it is understood that transcendental endeavors, or the practice of
yoga
, never go in vain. By the grace of the Lord the transcendentalist gets repeated opportunities for complete perfection in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Bg 6.44

TEXT 44

TEXT

pūrvābhyāsena tenaiva

hriyate hy avaśo 'pi saḥ

jijñāsur api yogasya

śabda-brahmātivartate

SYNONYMS

pūrva-
previous;
abhyāsena-
practice;
tena-
by the influence of that;
eva
-certainly;
hriyate
-is attracted;
hi-
surely;
avaśaḥ
-helpless;
api-
also;
saḥ
-he;
jijñāsuḥ-
willing to know;
api-
so;
yogasya-
of
yoga; śabda-brahma-
ritualistic principles of scripture;
ativartate
-transcends.

TRANSLATION

By virtue of the divine consciousness of his previous life, he automatically becomes attracted to the yogic principles-even without seeking them. Such an inquisitive transcendentalist, striving for yoga, stands always above the ritualistic principles of the scriptures.

PURPORT

Advanced
yogīs
are not very much attracted to the rituals of the scriptures, but they automatically become attracted to the
yoga
principles, which can elevate them to complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the highest
yoga
perfection. In the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
(3.33.8), such disregard of Vedic rituals by the advanced transcendentalists is explained as follows:

aho bata śvapaco 'to garīyān
yajjihvāgre vartate nāma tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuḥ sasnur āryā
brahmānūcur nāma gṛṇanti ye te.

"O my Lord! Persons who chant the holy names of Your Lordship are far, far advanced in spiritual life, even if born in families of dog-eaters. Such chanters have undoubtedly performed all kinds of austerities and sacrifices, bathed in all sacred places, and finished all scriptural studies."

The famous example of this was presented by Lord Caitanya, who accepted Ṭhākur Haridāsa as one of His most important disciples. Although Ṭhākur Haridāsa happened to take his birth in a Moslem family, he was elevated to the post of
nāmācārya
by Lord Caitanya due to his rigidly attended principle of chanting three hundred thousand holy names of the Lord daily: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. And because he chanted the holy name of the Lord constantly, it is understood that in his previous life he must have passed through all the ritualistic methods of the
Vedas,
known as
śabda-brahman.
Unless, therefore, one is purified, one cannot take to the principle of Kṛṣṇa consciousness nor become engaged in chanting the holy name of the Lord, Hare Kṛṣṇa.

Bg 6.45

TEXT 45

TEXT

prayatnād yatamānas tu

yogī saṁśuddha-kilbiṣaḥ

aneka-janma-saṁsiddhas

tato yāti parāṁ gatim

SYNONYMS

prayatnāt-
by rigid practice;
yatamānaḥ-
one who endeavors;
tu-
but;
yogī
-such a transcendentalist;
saṁśuddha
-washed off;
kilbiṣaḥ-
all kinds of sins;
aneka-
many, many;
janma
-births;
saṁsiddhaḥ-
so achieved perfection;
tataḥ
-thereafter;
yāti
-attains;
parām
-highest;
gatim
-destination.