1
2 Bg 3: Karma-yoga
3
4 Chapter 3
5
6 Karma-yoga
7
8 Bg 3.1
9
10 TEXT 1
11
12 TRANSLATION
13
14 Arjuna said: O Janardana, O Kesava, why do You want to
> engage me in this ghastly warfare, if You think that
> intelligence is better than fruitive work?
15
16 PURPORT
17
18 The Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krsna has very
> elaborately described the constitution of the soul in the
> previous chapter, with a view to delivering His intimate
> friend Arjuna from the ocean of material grief. And the
> path of realization has been recommended: buddhi-yoga, or
> Krsna consciousness. Sometimes Krsna consciousness is
> misunderstood to be inertia, and one with such a
> misunderstanding often withdraws to a secluded place to
> become fully Krsna conscious by chanting the holy name of
> Lord Krsna. But without being trained in the philosophy of
> Krsna consciousness, it is not advisable to chant the holy
> name of Krsna in a secluded place, where one may acquire
> only cheap adoration from the innocent public. Arjuna also
> thought of Krsna consciousness or buddhi-yoga, or
> intelligence in spiritual advancement of knowledge, as
> something like retirement from active life and the practice
> of penance and austerity at a secluded place. In other
> words, he wanted to skillfully avoid the fighting by using
> Krsna consciousness as an excuse. But as a sincere student,
> he placed the matter before his master and questioned Krsna
> as to his best course of action. In answer, Lord Krsna
> elaborately explained karma-yoga, or work in Krsna
> consciousness, in this Third Chapter.
19
20 Bg 3.2
21
22 TEXT 2
23
24 TRANSLATION
25
26 My intelligence is bewildered by Your equivocal
> instructions. Therefore, please tell me decisively which
> will be most beneficial for me.
27
28 PURPORT
29
30 In the previous chapter, as a prelude to the Bhagavad-gita,
> many different paths were explained, such as sankhya-yoga,
> buddhi-yoga, control of the senses by intelligence, work
> without fruitive desire, and the position of the neophyte.
> This was all presented unsystematically. A more organized
> outline of the path would be necessary for action and
> understanding. Arjuna, therefore, wanted to clear up these
> apparently confusing matters so that any common man could
> accept them without misinterpretation. Although Krsna had
> no intention of confusing Arjuna by any jugglery of words,
> Arjuna could not follow the process of Krsna consciousness-
> either by inertia or by active service. In other words, by
> his questions he is clearing the path of Krsna
> consciousness for all students who seriously want to
> understand the mystery of the Bhagavad-gita.
31
32 Bg 3.3
33
34 TEXT 3
35
36 TRANSLATION
37
38 The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O sinless Arjuna,
> I have already explained that there are two classes of men
> who try to realize the self. Some are inclined to
> understand it by empirical, philosophical speculation, and
> others by devotional service.
39
40 PURPORT
41
42 In the Second Chapter, verse 39, the Lord explained two
> kinds of procedures-namely sankhya-yoga and karma-yoga, or
> buddhi-yoga. In this verse, the Lord explains the same more
> clearly. Sankhya-yoga, or the analytical study of the
> nature of spirit and matter, is the subject matter for
> persons who are inclined to speculate and understand things
> by experimental knowledge and philosophy. The other class
> of men work in Krsna consciousness, as it is explained in
> the 61st verse of the Second Chapter. The Lord has
> explained, also in the 39th verse, that by working by the
> principles of buddhi-yoga, or Krsna consciousness, one can
> be relieved from the bonds of action; and, furthermore,
> there is no flaw in the process. The same principle is more
> clearly explained in the 61st verse-that this buddhi-yoga
> is to depend entirely on the Supreme (or more specifically,
> on Krsna), and in this way all the senses can be brought
> under control very easily. Therefore, both the yogas are
> interdependent, as religion and philosophy. Religion
> without philosophy is sentiment, or sometimes fanaticism,
> while philosophy without religion is mental speculation.
> The ultimate goal is Krsna, because the philosophers who
> are also sincerely searching after the Absolute Truth come
> in the end to Krsna consciousness. This is also stated in
> the Bhagavad-gita. The whole process is to understand the
> real position of the self in relation to the Superself. The
> indirect process is philosophical speculation, by which,
> gradually, one may come to the point of Krsna consciousness;
> and the other process is directly connecting with
> everything in Krsna consciousness. Of these two, the path
> of Krsna consciousness is better because it does not depend
> on purifying the senses by a philosophical process. Krsna
> consciousness is itself the purifying process, and by the
> direct method of devotional service it is simultaneously
> easy and sublime.
43
44 Bg 3.4
45
46 TEXT 4
47
48 TRANSLATION
49
50 Not by merely abstaining from work can one achieve freedom
> from reaction, nor by renunciation alone can one attain
> perfection.
51
52 PURPORT
53
54 The renounced order of life can be accepted when one has
> been purified by the discharge of the prescribed form of
> duties which are laid down just to purify the hearts of
> materialistic men. Without purification, one cannot attain
> success by abruptly adopting the fourth order of life (
> sannyasa). According to the empirical philosophers, simply
> by adopting sannyasa, or retiring from fruitive activities,
> one at once becomes as good as Narayana. But Lord Krsna
> does not approve this principle. Without purification of
> heart, sannyasa is simply a disturbance to the social order.
> On the other hand, if someone takes to the transcendental
> service of the Lord, even without discharging his
> prescribed duties, whatever he may be able to advance in
> the cause is accepted by the Lord (buddhi-yoga). Sv-
> alpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat. Even a
> slight performance of such a principle enables one to
> overcome great difficulties.
55
56 Bg 3.5
57
58 TEXT 5
59
60 TRANSLATION
61
62 Everyone is forced to act helplessly according to the
> qualities he has acquired from the modes of material nature;
> therefore no one can refrain from doing something, not
> even for a moment.
63
64 PURPORT
65
66 It is not a question of embodied life, but it is the nature
> of the soul to be always active. Without the presence of
> the spirit soul, the material body cannot move. The body is
> only a dead vehicle to be worked by the spirit soul, which
> is always active and cannot stop even for a moment. As such,
> the spirit soul has to be engaged in the good work of
> Krsna consciousness, otherwise it will be engaged in
> occupations dictated by illusory energy. In contact with
> material energy, the spirit soul acquires material modes,
> and to purify the soul from such affinities it is necessary
> to engage in the prescribed duties enjoined in the sastras.
> But if the soul is engaged in his natural function of Krsna
> consciousness, whatever he is able to do is good for him.
> The Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.17) affirms this:
67
68 tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer bhajann apakvo 'tha
> patet tato yadi yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim ko
> vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah
69
70 "If someone takes to Krsna consciousness, even though he
> may not
> service properly, and even though he
> may fall down from the standard, there is no loss or evil
> for him. But if he carries out all the injunctions for
> purification in the sastras, what does it avail him if he
> is not Krsna conscious?" So the purificatory
> process is necessary for reaching this point of Krsna
> consciousness. Therefore, sannyasa, or any purificatory
> process, is to help reach the ultimate goal of becoming
> Krsna conscious, without which everything is considered a
> failure.
71
72 Bg 3.6
73
74 TEXT 6
75
76 TRANSLATION
77
78 One who restrains the senses of action but
> whose mind dwells on sense objects certainly deludes
> himself and is called a pretender.
79
80 PURPORT
81
82 There are many pretenders who refuse to work in Krsna
> consciousness but make a show of meditation, while actually
> dwelling within the mind upon sense enjoyment. Such
> pretenders may also speak on dry philosophy in order to
> bluff sophisticated followers, but according to this verse
> these are the greatest cheaters. For sense enjoyment one
> can act in any capacity of the social order, but if one
> follows the rules and regulations of his particular status,
> he can make gradual progress in purifying his existence.
> But he who makes a show of being a yogi while actually
> searching for the objects of sense gratification must be
> called the greatest cheater, even though he sometimes
> speaks of philosophy. His knowledge has no value, because
> the effects of such a sinful man's knowledge are taken away
> by the illusory energy of the Lord. Such a pretender's mind
> is always impure, and therefore his show of yogic
> meditation has no value whatsoever.
83
84 Bg 3.7
85
86 TEXT 7
87
88 TRANSLATION
89
90 On the other hand, if a sincere person tries to
> control the active senses by the mind and begins karma-
> yoga [in Krsna consciousness] without
> attachment, he is by far superior.
91
92 PURPORT
93
94 Instead of becoming a pseudo transcendentalist for the sake
> of wanton living and sense enjoyment, it is far better to
> remain in one's own business and execute the purpose of
> life, which is to get free from material bondage and enter
> into the kingdom of God. The prime svartha-gati, or goal of
> self-interest, is to reach Visnu. The whole institution of
> varna and asrama is designed to help us reach this goal of
> life. A householder can also reach this destination by
> regulated service in Krsna consciousness. For self-
> realization, one can live a controlled life, as prescribed
> in the sastras, and continue carrying out his business
> without attachment, and in that way make progress. A
> sincere person who follows this method is far better
> situated than the false pretender who adopts show-bottle
> spiritualism to cheat the innocent public. A sincere
> sweeper in the street is far better than the charlatan
> meditator who meditates only for the sake of making a
> living.
95
96 Bg 3.8
97
98 TEXT 8
99
100 TRANSLATION
101
102 Perform your prescribed duty, for doing so is better than
> not working. One cannot even maintain one's physical
> body without work.
103
104 PURPORT
105
106 There are many pseudo meditators who misrepresent
> themselves as belonging to high parentage, and great
> professional men who falsely pose that they have sacrificed
> everything for the sake of advancement in spiritual life.
> Lord Krsna did not want Arjuna to become a pretender.
> Rather, the Lord desired that Arjuna perform his prescribed
> duties as set forth for ksatriyas. Arjuna was a householder
> and a military general, and therefore it was better for him
> to remain as such and perform his religious duties as
> prescribed for the householder ksatriya. Such activities
> gradually cleanse the heart of a mundane man and free him
> from material contamination. So-called renunciation for the
> purpose of maintenance is never approved by the Lord, nor
> by any religious scripture. After all, one has to maintain
> one's body and soul together by some work. Work should not
> be given up capriciously, without purification of
> materialistic propensities. Anyone who is in the material
> world is certainly possessed of the impure propensity for
> lording it over material nature, or, in other words, for
> sense gratification. Such polluted propensities have to be
> cleared. Without doing so, through prescribed duties, one
> should never attempt to become a so-called
> transcendentalist, renouncing work and living at the cost
> of others.
107
108 Bg 3.9
109
110 TEXT 9
111
112 TRANSLATION
113
114 Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed,
> otherwise work causes bondage in this material world.
> Therefore, O son of Kunti, perform your prescribed duties
> for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always
> remain free from bondage.
115
116 PURPORT
117
118 Since one has to work even for the simple maintenance of
> the body, the prescribed duties for a particular social
> position and quality are so made that that purpose can be
> fulfilled. Yajna means Lord Visnu, or sacrificial
> performances. All sacrificial performances also are meant
> for the satisfaction of Lord Visnu. The Vedas enjoin: yajno
> vai visnuh. In other words, the same purpose is served
> whether one performs prescribed yajnas or directly serves
> Lord Visnu. Krsna consciousness is therefore performance of
> yajna as it is prescribed in this verse. The varnasrama
> institution also aims at satisfying Lord Visnu.
> Varnasramacaravata purusena parah puman/
> visnur aradhyate (Visnu Purana 3.8.8). Therefore one
> has to work for the satisfaction of Visnu. Any other work
> done in this material world will be a cause of bondage, for
> both good and evil work have their reactions, and any
> reaction binds the performer. Therefore, one has to work in
> Krsna consciousness to satisfy Krsna (or Visnu); and while
> performing such activities one is in a liberated stage.
> This is the great art of doing work, and in the beginning
> this process requires very expert guidance. One should
> therefore act very diligently, under the expert guidance of
> a devotee of Lord Krsna, or under the direct instruction of
> Lord Krsna Himself (under whom Arjuna had the opportunity
> to work). Nothing should be performed for sense
> gratification, but everything should be done for the
> satisfaction of Krsna. This practice will not only save one
> from the reaction of work, but also gradually elevate
> one to transcendental loving service of the Lord, which
> alone can raise one to the kingdom of God.
119
120 Bg 3.10
121
122 TEXT 10
123
124 TRANSLATION
125
126 In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures
> sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with
> sacrifices for Visnu, and blessed them by saying, "Be thou
> happy by this yajna [sacrifice] because its performance
> will bestow upon you everything desirable for living
> happily and achieving liberation."
127
128 PURPORT
129
130 The material creation by the Lord of creatures (Visnu) is a
> chance offered to the conditioned souls to come back home-
> back to Godhead. All living entities within the material
> creation are conditioned by material nature because of
> their forgetfulness of their relationship to Visnu, or
> Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedic
> principles are to help us understand this eternal relation,
> as it is stated in the Bhagavad-gita: vedais ca sarvair
> aham eva vedyah. The Lord says that the purpose of the
> Vedas is to understand Him. In the Vedic hymns it is said:
> patim visvasyatmesvaram. Therefore, the Lord of the living
> entities is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. In
> the Srimad-Bhagavatam also (2.4.20) Srila Sukadeva Gosvami
> describes the Lord as pati in so many ways:
131
132 sriyah patir yajna-patih praja-patir dhiyam patir loka-
> patir dhara-patih patir gatis candhaka-vrsni-satvatam
> prasidatam me bhagavan satam patih
133
134 The praja-pati is Lord Visnu, and He is the Lord of all
> living creatures, all worlds, and all beauties, and the
> protector of everyone. The Lord created this material world
> to enable the conditioned souls to learn how to perform
> yajnas (sacrifices) for the satisfaction of Visnu, so that
> while in the material world they can live very comfortably
> without anxiety and after finishing the present material
> body they can enter into the kingdom of God. That is the
> whole program for the conditioned soul. By performance of
> yajna, the conditioned souls gradually become Krsna
> conscious and become godly in all respects. In the Age of
> Kali, the sankirtana-yajna (the chanting of the names of
> God) is recommended by the Vedic scriptures, and this
> transcendental system was introduced by Lord Caitanya for
> the deliverance of all men in this age. Sankirtana-yajna
> and Krsna consciousness go well together. Lord Krsna in His
> devotional form (as Lord Caitanya) is mentioned in the
> Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32) as follows, with special
> reference to the sankirtana-yajna:
135
136 krsna-varnam tvisakrsnam sangopangastra-parsadam yajnaih
> sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi su-medhasah
137
138 "In this Age of Kali, people who are endowed with
> sufficient intelligence will worship the Lord, who is
> accompanied by His associates, by performance of sankirtana-
> yajna." Other yajnas prescribed in the
> Vedic literatures are not easy to perform in this Age of
> Kali, but the sankirtana-yajna is easy and sublime for all
> purposes, as recommended in Bhagavad-gita also (9.14).
139
140 Bg 3.11
141
142 TEXT 11
143
144 TRANSLATION
145
146 The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please
> you, and thus, by cooperation between men and
> demigods, prosperity will reign for all.
147
148 PURPORT
149
150 The demigods are empowered administrators of material
> affairs. The supply of air, light, water and all other
> benedictions for maintaining the body and soul of every
> living entity is entrusted to the demigods, who are
> innumerable assistants in different parts of the body of
> the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Their pleasures and
> displeasures are dependent on the performance of yajnas by
> the human being. Some of the yajnas are meant to satisfy
> particular demigods; but even in so doing, Lord Visnu is
> worshiped in all yajnas as the chief beneficiary. It is
> stated also in the Bhagavad-gita that Krsna Himself is the
> beneficiary of all kinds of yajnas: bhoktaram yajna-tapasam.
> Therefore, ultimate satisfaction of the yajna-pati is
> the chief purpose of all yajnas. When these yajnas are
> perfectly performed, naturally the demigods in charge of
> the different departments of supply are pleased, and there
> is no scarcity in the supply of natural products.
151
152 Performance of yajnas has many side benefits, ultimately
> leading to liberation from material bondage. By
> performance of yajnas, all activities become purified, as
> it is stated in the Vedas:
153
154 ahara-suddhau sattva-suddhih sattva-suddhau
155 dhruva smrtih smrti-lambhe sarvagranthinam vipramoksah.
156
157 By
> performance of yajna one's eatables become sanctified, and
> by eating sanctified foodstuffs one's very existence
> becomes purified; by the purification of existence finer
> tissues in the memory become sanctified, and when memory is
> sanctified one can think of the path of liberation, and
> all these combined together lead to Krsna consciousness,
> the great necessity of present-day society.
158
159 Bg 3.12
160
161 TEXT 12
162
163 TRANSLATION
164
165 In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods,
> being satisfied by the performance of yajna [sacrifice],
> will supply all necessities to you. But he who enjoys such
> gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is
> certainly a thief.
166
167 PURPORT
168
169 The demigods are authorized supplying agents on behalf of
> the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Visnu. Therefore, they
> must be satisfied by the performance of prescribed yajnas.
> In the Vedas, there are different kinds of yajnas
> prescribed for different kinds of demigods, but all are
> ultimately offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
> For one who cannot understand what the Personality of
> Godhead is, sacrifice to the demigods is recommended.
> According to the different material qualities of the
> persons concerned, different types of yajnas are
> recommended in the Vedas. Worship of different demigods is
> also on the same basis-namely, according to different
> qualities. For example, the meat-eaters are recommended to
> worship the goddess Kali, the ghastly form of material
> nature, and before the goddess the sacrifice of animals is
> recommended. But for those who are in the mode of goodness,
> the transcendental worship of Visnu is recommended. But
> ultimately all yajnas are meant for gradual promotion to
> the transcendental position. For ordinary men, at least
> five yajnas, known as panca-maha-yajna, are necessary.
170
171 One should know, however, that all the necessities of life
> that the human society requires are supplied by the demigod
> agents of the Lord. No one can manufacture anything. Take,
> for example, all the eatables of human society. These
> eatables include grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, sugar,
> etc., for the persons in the mode of goodness, and also
> eatables for the nonvegetarians, like meats, none of
> which can be manufactured by men. Then again, take for
> example heat, light, water, air, etc., which are also
> necessities of life-none of them can be manufactured by the
> human society. Without the Supreme Lord, there can be no
> profuse sunlight, moonlight, rainfall, breeze, etc.,
> without which no one can live. Obviously, our life is
> dependent on supplies from the Lord. Even for our
> manufacturing enterprises, we require so many raw materials
> like metal, sulphur, mercury, manganese, and so many
> essentials-all of which are supplied by the agents of the
> Lord, with the purpose that we should make proper use of
> them to keep ourselves fit and healthy for the purpose of
> self-realization, leading to the ultimate goal of life,
> namely, liberation from the material struggle for existence.
> This aim of fife is attained by performance of yajnas. If
> we forget the purpose of human life and simply take
> supplies from the agents of the Lord for sense
> gratification and become more and more entangled in
> material existence, which is not the purpose of creation,
> certainly we become thieves, and therefore we are punished
> by the laws of material nature. A society of thieves can
> never be happy, because they have no aim in life. The gross
> materialist thieves have no ultimate goal of life. They are
> simply directed to sense gratification; nor do they have
> knowledge of how to perform yajnas. Lord Caitanya, however,
> inaugurated the easiest performance of yajna, namely the
> sankirtana-yajna, which can be performed by anyone in the
> world who accepts the principles of Krsna consciousness.
172
173 Bg 3.13
174
175 TEXT 13
176
177 TRANSLATION
178
179 The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of
> sins because they eat food which is offered first for
> sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense
> enjoyment, verily eat only sin.
180
181 PURPORT
182
183 The devotees of the Supreme Lord, or the persons who are in
> Krsna consciousness, are called santas, and they are always
> in love with the Lord as it is described in the Brahma-
> samhita (5.38): premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena
> santah sadaiva hrdayesu vilokayanti. The santas, being
> always in a compact of love with the Supreme Personality of
> Godhead, Govinda (the giver of all pleasures), or Mukunda (
> the giver of liberation), or Krsna (the all-attractive
> person), cannot accept anything without first offering it
> to the Supreme Person. Therefore, such devotees always
> perform yajnas in different modes of devotional service,
> such as sravanam, kirtanam, smaranam, arcanam, etc., and
> these performances of yajnas keep them always aloof from
> all kinds of contamination of sinful association in the
> material world. Others, who prepare food for self or sense
> gratification, are not only thieves but also the
> eaters of all kinds of sins. How can a person be happy if
> he is both a thief and sinful? It is not possible.
> Therefore, in order for people to become happy in all
> respects, they must be taught to perform the easy process
> of sankirtana-yajna, in full Krsna consciousness. Otherwise,
> there can be no peace or happiness in the world.
184
185 Bg 3.14
186
187 TEXT 14
188
189 TRANSLATION
190
191 All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are
> produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of
> yajna [sacrifice], and yajna is born of prescribed duties.
192
193 PURPORT
194
195 Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, a great commentator on the
> Bhagavad-gita, writes as follows:
196
197 ye indrady-angatayavasthitam yajnam
> sarvesvaram visnum abhyarcya tac-chesam asnanti tena
> tad deha-yatram sampadayanti, te santah sarvesvarasya
> yajna-purusasya bhaktah sarva-kilbisair anadi-kala-
> vivrddhair atmanubhava-prati bandhakair nikhilaih
> papair vimucyante.
198
199 The Supreme Lord, who is known as the yajna-purusa, or the
> personal beneficiary of all sacrifices, is the master of
> all the demigods, who serve Him as the different limbs of
> the body serve the whole. Demigods like Indra, Candra
> and Varuna are appointed officers who manage material
> affairs, and the Vedas direct sacrifices to satisfy these
> demigods so that they may be pleased to supply air, light
> and water sufficiently to produce food grains. When Lord
> Krsna is worshiped, the demigods, who are different limbs
> of the Lord, are also automatically worshiped; therefore
> there is no separate need to worship the demigods. For this
> reason, the devotees of the Lord, who are in Krsna
> consciousness, offer food to Krsna and then eat-a process
> which nourishes the body spiritually. By such action not
> only are past sinful reactions in the body vanquished, but
> the body becomes immunized to all contamination of material
> nature. When there is an epidemic disease, an antiseptic
> vaccine protects a person from the attack of such an
> epidemic. Similarly, food offered to Lord Visnu and then
> taken by us makes us sufficiently resistant to material
> affection, and one who is accustomed to this practice is
> called a devotee of the Lord. Therefore, a person in Krsna
> consciousness, who eats only food offered to Krsna, can
> counteract all reactions of past material infections, which
> are impediments to the progress of self-realization. On the
> other hand, one who does not do so continues to increase
> the volume of sinful action, and this prepares the next
> body to resemble hogs and dogs, to suffer the resultant
> reactions of all sins. The material world is full of
> contaminations, and one who is immunized by accepting
> prasadam of the Lord (food offered to Visnu) is saved from
> the attack, whereas one who does not do so becomes
> subjected to contamination.
200
201 Food grains or vegetables are factually eatables. The human
> being eats different kinds of food grains, vegetables,
> fruits, etc., and the animals eat the refuse of the food
> grains and vegetables, grass, plants, etc. Human beings who
> are accustomed to eating meat and flesh must also depend on
> the production of vegetation in order to eat the animals.
> Therefore, ultimately, we have to depend on the production
> of the field and not on the production of big factories.
> The field production is due to sufficient rain from the sky,
> and such rains are controlled by demigods like Indra, sun,
> moon, etc., and they are all servants of the Lord. The Lord
> can be satisfied by sacrifices; therefore, one who cannot
> perform them will find himself in scarcity-that is the law
> of nature. Yajna, specifically the sankirtana-yajna
> prescribed for this age, must therefore be performed to
> save us at least from scarcity of food supply.
202
203 Bg 3.15
204
205 TEXT 15
206
207 TRANSLATION
208
209 Regulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the
> Vedas are directly manifested from the Supreme Personality
> of Godhead. Consequently the all-pervading Transcendence is
> eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.
210
211 PURPORT
212
213 Yajnartha-karma, or the necessity of work for the
> satisfaction of Krsna only, is more expressly stated in
> this verse. If we have to work for the satisfaction of the
> yajna-purusa, Visnu, then we must find out the direction of
> work in Brahman, or the transcendental Vedas. The Vedas are
> therefore codes of working directions. Anything performed
> without the direction of the Vedas is called vikarma, or
> unauthorized or sinful work. Therefore, one should always
> take direction from the Vedas to be saved from the reaction
> of work. As one has to work in ordinary life by the
> direction of the state, one similarly has to
> work under direction of the supreme state of the Lord. Such
> directions in the Vedas are directly manifested from the
> breathing of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said,
> asya mahato bhutasya nisvasitam etad yad rg-vedo yajur-
> vedah samavedo 'tharvangirasah. "The four
> Vedas-namely the Rg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and
> Atharva Veda-are all emanations from the breathing of the
> great Personality of Godhead." (Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 4.5.
> 11) The Lord, being omnipotent, can speak by breathing air,
> for as it is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita, the Lord
> has the omnipotence to perform through each of His senses
> the actions of all other senses. In other words, the Lord
> can speak through His breathing, and He can impregnate by
> His eyes. In fact, it is said that He glanced over material
> nature and thus fathered all living entities. After
> creating or impregnating the conditioned souls into the
> womb of material nature, He gave His directions in the
> Vedic wisdom as to how such conditioned souls can return
> home, back to Godhead. We should always remember that the
> conditioned souls in material nature are all eager for
> material enjoyment. But the Vedic directions are so made
> that one can satisfy one's perverted desires, then return
> to Godhead, having finished his so-called enjoyment. It is
> a chance for the conditioned souls to attain liberation;
> therefore the conditioned souls must try to follow the
> process of yajna by becoming Krsna conscious. Even those
> who have not followed the Vedic injunctions may adopt the
> principles of Krsna consciousness, and that will take the
> place of performance of Vedic yajnas, or karmas.
214
215 Bg 3.16
216
217 TEXT 16
218
219 TRANSLATION
220
221 My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human
> life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by
> the Vedas certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only
> for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person
> lives in vain.
222
223 PURPORT
224
225 The mammonist philosophy of "work very hard and enjoy sense
> gratification" is condemned herein by the Lord. Therefore,
> for those who want to enjoy this material world, the above-
> mentioned cycle of performing yajnas is absolutely
> necessary. One who does not follow such regulations is
> living a very risky life, being condemned more and more. By
> nature's law, this human form of life is specifically meant
> for self-realization, in either of the three ways-namely
> karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. There is no
> necessity of rigidly following the performances of the
> prescribed yajnas for the transcendentalists who are above
> vice and virtue; but those who are engaged in sense
> gratification require purification by the above-mentioned
> cycle of yajna performances. There are different kinds of
> activities. Those who are not Krsna conscious are certainly
> engaged in sensory consciousness; therefore they need to
> execute pious work. The yajna system is planned in such a
> way that sensory conscious persons may satisfy their
> desires without becoming entangled in the reaction of sense-
> gratificatory work. The prosperity of the world depends not
> on our own efforts but on the background arrangement of the
> Supreme Lord, directly carried out by the demigods.
> Therefore, the yajnas are directly aimed at the particular
> demigods mentioned in the Vedas. Indirectly, it is the
> practice of Krsna consciousness, because when one masters
> the performance of yajnas one is sure to become Krsna
> conscious. But if by performing yajnas one does not become
> Krsna conscious, such principles are counted as only moral
> codes. One should not, therefore, limit his progress only
> to the point of moral codes, but should transcend them, to
> attain Krsna consciousness.
226
227 Bg 3.17
228
229 TEXT 17
230
231 TRANSLATION
232
233 But for one who takes pleasure in the self, whose
> human life is one of self-realization,
> and who is satisfied in the self only, fully satiated-for
> him there is no duty.
234
235 PURPORT
236
237 A person who is fully Krsna conscious, and is fully
> satisfied by his acts in Krsna consciousness, no longer has
> any duty to perform. Due to his being Krsna conscious, all
> impiety within is instantly cleansed, an effect of many,
> many thousands of yajna performances. By such clearing of
> consciousness, one becomes fully confident of his eternal
> position in relationship with the Supreme. His duty thus
> becomes self-illuminated by the grace of the Lord, and
> therefore he no longer has any obligations to the Vedic
> injunctions. Such a Krsna conscious person is no longer
> interested in material activities and no longer takes
> pleasure in material arrangements like wine, women and
> similar infatuations.
238
239 Bg 3.18
240
241 TEXT 18
242
243 TRANSLATION
244
245 A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the
> discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason
> not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on
> any other living being.
246
247 PURPORT
248
249 A self-realized man is no longer obliged to perform any
> prescribed duty, save and except activities in Krsna
> consciousness. Krsna consciousness is not inactivity either,
> as will be explained in the following verses. A Krsna
> conscious man does not take shelter of any person-man or
> demigod. Whatever he does in Krsna consciousness is
> sufficient in the discharge of his obligation.
250
251 Bg 3.19
252
253 TEXT 19
254
255 TRANSLATION
256
257 Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of
> activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by
> working without attachment one attains the Supreme.
258
259 PURPORT
260
261 The Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees,
> and liberation for the impersonalist. A person, therefore,
> acting for Krsna, or in Krsna consciousness, under proper
> guidance and without attachment to the result of the work,
> is certainly making progress toward the supreme goal of
> life. Arjuna is told that he should fight in the Battle of
> Kuruksetra for the interest of Krsna because Krsna wanted
> him to fight. To be a good man or a nonviolent man is a
> personal attachment, but to act on behalf of the Supreme is
> to act without attachment for the result. That is perfect
> action of the highest degree, recommended by the Supreme
> Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna. Vedic rituals, like
> prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of
> impious activities that were performed in the field of
> sense gratification. But action in Krsna consciousness is
> transcendental to the reactions of good or evil work. A
> Krsna conscious person has no attachment for the result but
> acts on behalf of Krsna alone. He engages in all kinds of
> activities, but is completely nonattached.
262
263 Bg 3.20
264
265 TEXT 20
266
267 TRANSLATION
268
269 Kings such as Janaka attained perfection
> solely by performance of prescribed duties.
> Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in
> general, you should perform your work.
270
271 PURPORT
272
273 Kings like Janaka were all self-realized souls;
> consequently they had no obligation to perform the
> prescribed duties in the Vedas. Nonetheless they performed
> all prescribed activities just to set examples for the
> people in general. Janaka was the father of Sita and
> father-in-law of Lord Sri Rama. Being a great devotee of
> the Lord, he was transcendentally situated, but because he
> was the king of Mithila (a subdivision of Bihar province in
> India), he had to teach his subjects how to perform
> prescribed duties. Lord Krsna and Arjuna,
> the Lord's eternal friend, had no need to fight in the
> Battle of Kuruksetra, but they fought to teach people in
> general that violence is also necessary in a situation
> where good arguments fail. Before the Battle of Kuruksetra,
> every effort was made to avoid the war, even by the Supreme
> Personality of Godhead, but the other party was determined
> to fight. So for such a right cause, there is a necessity
> for fighting. Although one who is situated in Krsna
> consciousness may not have any interest in the world, he
> still works to teach the public how to live and how to act.
> Experienced persons in Krsna consciousness can act in such
> a way that others will follow, and this is explained in the
> following verse.
274
275 Bg 3.21
276
277 TEXT 21
278
279 TRANSLATION
280
281 Whatever action a great man performs,
> common men follow. And whatever standards
> he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.
282
283 PURPORT
284
285 People in general always require a leader who can teach the
> public by practical behavior. A leader cannot teach the
> public to stop smoking if he himself smokes. Lord Caitanya
> said that a teacher should behave properly before he
> begins teaching. One who teaches in that way is called
> acarya, or the ideal teacher. Therefore, a teacher must
> follow the principles of sastra (scripture) to teach the
> common man. The teacher cannot manufacture rules against
> the principles of revealed scriptures. The revealed
> scriptures, like Manu-samhita and similar others, are
> considered the standard books to be followed by human
> society. Thus the leader's teaching should be based on the
> principles of such standard sastras. One who desires to
> improve himself must follow the standard rules as they are
> practiced by the great teachers. The Srimad-Bhagavatam also
> affirms that one should follow in the footsteps of great
> devotees, and that is the way of progress on the path of
> spiritual realization. The king or the executive head of a
> state, the father and the school teacher are all considered
> to be natural leaders of the innocent people in general.
> All such natural leaders have a great responsibility to
> their dependents; therefore they must be conversant with
> standard books of moral and spiritual codes.
286
287 Bg 3.22
288
289 TEXT 22
290
291 TRANSLATION
292
293 O son of Prtha, there is no work prescribed for Me within
> all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of
> anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything-and yet I am
> engaged in prescribed duties.
294
295 PURPORT
296
297 The Supreme Personality of Godhead is described in the
> Vedic literatures as follows:
298
299 tam isvaranam paramam mahesvaram tam devatanam paramam ca
> daivatam patim patinam paramam parastad vidama devam
> bhuvanesam idyam
300
301 na tasya karyam karanam ca vidyate na tat-samas
> cabhyadhikas ca drsyate parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate
> svabhaviki jnana-bala-kriya ca
302
303 "The Supreme Lord is the controller of all other
> controllers, and He is the greatest of all the diverse
> planetary leaders. Everyone is under His control. All
> entities are delegated with particular power only by the
> Supreme Lord; they are not supreme themselves. He is also
> worshipable by all demigods and is the supreme director of
> all directors. Therefore, He is transcendental to all kinds
> of material leaders and controllers and is worshipable by
> all. There is no one greater than Him, and He is the
> supreme cause of all causes.
304
305 "He does not possess bodily form like that of an ordinary
> living entity. There is no difference between His body and
> His soul. He is absolute. All His senses are transcendental.
> Any one of His senses can perform the action of any other
> sense. Therefore, no one is greater than Him or equal to
> Him. His potencies are multifarious, and thus His deeds are
> automatically performed as a natural sequence." (
> Svetasvatara Upanisad 6.7–8)
306
307 Since everything is in full opulence in the Personality of
> Godhead and is existing in full truth, there is no duty for
> the Supreme Personality of Godhead to perform. One who must
> receive the results of work has some designated duty, but
> one who has nothing to achieve within the three planetary
> systems certainly has no duty. And yet Lord Krsna is
> engaged on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra as the leader of
> the ksatriyas because the ksatriyas are duty-bound to give
> protection to the distressed. Although He is above all the
> regulations of the revealed scriptures, He does not do
> anything that violates the revealed scriptures.
308
309 Bg 3.23
310
311 TEXT 23
312
313 TRANSLATION
314
315 For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing
> prescribed duties, O Partha, certainly all men would follow
> My path.
316
317 PURPORT
318
319 In order to keep the balance of social tranquillity for
> progress in spiritual life, there are traditional family
> usages meant for every civilized man. Although such rules
> and regulations are for the conditioned souls and not Lord
> Krsna, because He descended to establish the principles of
> religion He followed the prescribed rules. Otherwise,
> common men would follow in His footsteps, because He is the
> greatest authority. From the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is
> understood that Lord Krsna was performing all the religious
> duties at home and out of home, as required of a
> householder.
320
321 Bg 3.24
322
323 TEXT 24
324
325 TRANSLATION
326
327 If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these
> worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause
> of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby
> destroy the peace of all living beings.
328
329 PURPORT
330
331 Varna-sankara is unwanted population which disturbs the
> peace of the general society. In order to check this social
> disturbance, there are prescribed rules and regulations by
> which the population can automatically become peaceful and
> organized for spiritual progress in life. When Lord Krsna
> descends, naturally He deals with such rules and
> regulations in order to maintain the prestige and necessity
> of such important performances. The Lord is the father of
> all living entities, and if the living entities are
> misguided, indirectly the responsibility goes to the Lord.
> Therefore, whenever there is general disregard of
> regulative principles, the Lord Himself descends and
> corrects the society. We should, however, note carefully
> that although we have to follow in the footsteps of the
> Lord, we still have to remember that we cannot imitate Him.
> Following and imitating are not on the same level. We
> cannot imitate the Lord by lifting Govardhana Hill, as the
> Lord did in His childhood. It is impossible for any human
> being. We have to follow His instructions, but we may not
> imitate Him at any time. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.30–31)
> affirms:
332
333 naitat samacarej jatu manasapi hy anisvarah vinasyaty
> acaran maudhyad yatha 'rudro 'bdhi-jam visam
334
335 isvaranam vacah satyam tathaivacaritam kvacit tesam yat sva-
> vaco-yuktam buddhimams tat samacaret
336
337 "One should simply follow the instructions of the Lord and
> His empowered servants. Their instructions are all good for
> us, and any intelligent person will perform them as
> instructed. However, one should guard against trying to
> imitate their actions. One should not try to drink the
> ocean of poison in imitation of Lord Siva."
338
339 We should always consider the position of the isvaras, or
> those who can actually control the movements of the sun and
> moon, as superior. Without such power, one cannot imitate
> the isvaras, who are superpowerful. Lord Siva drank poison
> to the extent of swallowing an ocean, but if any common man
> tries to drink even a fragment of such poison, he will be
> killed. There are many pseudo devotees of Lord Siva who
> want to indulge in smoking ganja (marijuana) and similar
> intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so imitating the
> acts of Lord Siva they are calling death very near.
> Similarly, there are some pseudo devotees of Lord Krsna who
> prefer to imitate the Lord in His rasa-lila, or dance of
> love, forgetting their inability to lift Govardhana Hill.
> It is best, therefore, that one not try to imitate the
> powerful, but simply follow their instructions; nor should
> one try to occupy their posts without qualification. There
> are so many "incarnations" of God without the power of the
> Supreme Godhead.
340
341 Bg 3.25
342
343 TEXT 25
344
345 TRANSLATION
346
347 As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to
> results, the learned may similarly act, but
> without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the
> right path.
348
349 PURPORT
350
351 A person in Krsna consciousness and a person not in Krsna
> consciousness are differentiated by different desires. A
> Krsna conscious person does not do anything which is not
> conducive to development of Krsna consciousness. He may
> even act exactly like the ignorant person, who is too much
> attached to material activities, but one is engaged in such
> activities for the satisfaction of his sense gratification,
> whereas the other is engaged for the satisfaction of Krsna.
> Therefore, the Krsna conscious person is required to show
> the people how to act and how to engage the results of
> action for the purpose of Krsna consciousness.
352
353 Bg 3.26
354
355 TEXT 26
356
357 TRANSLATION
358
359 So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men
> attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a
> learned person should not induce them to stop
> work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he
> should engage them in all sorts of activities [for the
> gradual development of Krsna consciousness].
360
361 PURPORT
362
363 Vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah. That is the end of all
> Vedic rituals. All rituals, all performances of sacrifices,
> and everything that is put into the Vedas, including all
> direction for material activities, are meant for
> understanding Krsna, who is the ultimate goal of life. But
> because the conditioned souls do not know anything beyond
> sense gratification, they study the Vedas to that end.
> But through fruitive activities and sense
> gratification regulated by the Vedic rituals one is
> gradually elevated to Krsna consciousness.
364
365 Therefore a realized soul in Krsna consciousness should not
> disturb others in their activities or understanding, but he
> should act by showing how the results of all work can be
> dedicated to the service of Krsna. The learned Krsna
> conscious person may act in such a way that the ignorant
> person working for sense gratification may learn how to act
> and how to behave. Although the ignorant man is not to be
> disturbed in his activities, a slightly developed
> Krsna conscious person may directly be engaged in the
> service of the Lord without waiting for other Vedic
> formulas. For this fortunate man there is no need to follow
> the Vedic rituals, because by direct Krsna consciousness
> one can have all the results one would otherwise
> derive from following one's prescribed duties.
366
367 Bg 3.27
368
369 TEXT 27
370
371 TRANSLATION
372
373 The spirit soul bewildered by the
> influence of false ego thinks himself
> the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out
> by the three modes of material nature.
374
375 PURPORT
376
377 Two persons, one in Krsna consciousness and the other in
> material consciousness, working on the same level, may
> appear to be working on the same platform, but there is a
> wide gulf of difference in their respective positions. The
> person in material consciousness is convinced by false ego
> that he is the doer of everything. He does not know that
> the mechanism of the body is produced by material nature,
> which works under the supervision of the Supreme Lord. The
> materialistic person has no knowledge that ultimately he is
> under the control of Krsna. The person in false ego takes
> all credit for doing everything independently, and that is
> the symptom of his nescience. He does not know that this
> gross and subtle body is the creation of material nature,
> under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and
> as such his bodily and mental activities should be engaged
> in the service of Krsna, in Krsna consciousness. The
> ignorant man forgets that the Supreme Personality of
> Godhead is known as Hrsikesa, or the master of the senses
> of the material body, for due to his long misuse of the
> senses in sense gratification, he is factually bewildered
> by the false ego, which makes him forget his eternal
> relationship with Krsna.
378
379 Bg 3.28
380
381 TEXT 28
382
383 TRANSLATION
384
385 One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-
> armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense
> gratification, knowing well the differences between work in
> devotion and work for fruitive results.
386
387 PURPORT
388
389 The knower of the Absolute Truth is convinced of his
> awkward position in material association. He knows that he
> is part and parcel of the Supreme Personality of Godhead,
> Krsna, and that his position should not be in the material
> creation. He knows his real identity as part and parcel of
> the Supreme, who is eternal bliss and knowledge, and he
> realizes that somehow or other he is entrapped in the
> material conception of life. In his pure state of existence
> he is meant to dovetail his activities in devotional
> service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. He
> therefore engages himself in the activities of Krsna
> consciousness and becomes naturally unattached to the
> activities of the material senses, which are all
> circumstantial and temporary. He knows that his material
> condition of life is under the supreme control of the Lord;
> consequently he is not disturbed by all kinds of material
> reactions, which he considers to be the mercy of the Lord.
> According to Srimad-Bhagavatam, one who knows the Absolute
> Truth in three different features-namely Brahman, Paramatma,
> and the Supreme Personality of Godhead-is called tattva-
> vit, for he knows also his own factual position in
> relationship with the Supreme.
390
391 Bg 3.29
392
393 TEXT 29
394
395 TRANSLATION
396
397 Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant
> fully engage themselves in material activities and become
> attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although
> these duties are inferior due to the performers' lack of
> knowledge.
398
399 PURPORT
400
401 Persons who are unknowledgeable falsely identify with gross
> material consciousness and are full of material
> designations. This body is a gift of the material nature,
> and one who is too much attached to the bodily
> consciousness is called manda, or a lazy person without
> understanding of spirit soul. Ignorant men think of the
> body as the self; they accept bodily connections with
> others as kinsmanship, the land in which the
> body is obtained is their object of worship, and they
> consider the formalities of religious rituals to
> be ends in themselves. Social work, nationalism
> and altruism are some of the activities for such materially
> designated persons. Under the spell of such designations,
> they are always busy in the material field; for them
> spiritual realization is a myth, and so they are not
> interested.
> Those who are
> enlightened in spiritual life, however, should not try to
> agitate such materially engrossed persons. Better to
> prosecute one's own spiritual activities silently. Such
> bewildered persons may be engaged in such primary moral
> principles of life as nonviolence and similar materially
> benevolent work.
402
403 Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Krsna
> consciousness, and therefore Lord Krsna advises us not to
> disturb them and simply waste valuable time. But the
> devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because
> they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they
> undertake all kinds of risks, even to the point of
> approaching ignorant men to try to engage them in the acts
> of Krsna consciousness, which are absolutely necessary for
> the human being.
404
405 Bg 3.30
406
407 TEXT 30
408
409 TRANSLATION
410
411 Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me,
> with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit,
> with no claims to proprietorship, and free from
> lethargy, fight.
412
413 PURPORT
414
415 This verse clearly indicates the purpose of the Bhagavad-
> gita. The Lord instructs that one has to become fully Krsna
> conscious to discharge duties, as if in military discipline.
> Such an injunction may make things a little difficult;
> nevertheless duties must be carried out, with dependence on
> Krsna, because that is the constitutional position of the
> living entity. The living entity cannot be happy
> independent of the cooperation of the Supreme Lord, because
> the eternal constitutional position of the living entity is
> to become subordinate to the desires of the Lord. Arjuna
> was therefore ordered by Sri Krsna to fight as if the
> Lord were his military commander. One has to sacrifice
> everything for the good will of the Supreme Lord, and at
> the same time discharge prescribed duties without claiming
> proprietorship. Arjuna did not have to consider the order
> of the Lord; he had only to execute His order. The Supreme
> Lord is the soul of all souls; therefore, one who depends
> solely and wholly on the Supreme Soul without personal
> consideration, or in other words, one who is fully Krsna
> conscious, is called adhyatma-cetas. Nirasih means that
> one has to act on the order of the master but should not
> expect fruitive results. The cashier may count
> millions of dollars for his employer, but he does not claim
> a cent for himself. Similarly, one has to realize that
> nothing in the world belongs to any individual person, but
> that everything belongs to the Supreme Lord. That is the
> real purport of mayi, or "unto Me." And when one acts in
> such Krsna consciousness, certainly he does not claim
> proprietorship over anything. This consciousness is called
> nirmama, or "nothing is mine." And if there is any
> reluctance to execute such a stern order, which is without
> consideration of so-called kinsmen in the bodily
> relationship, that reluctance should be thrown off; in this
> way one may become vigata-jvara, or without feverish
> mentality or lethargy. Everyone, according to his quality
> and position, has a particular type of work to discharge,
> and all such duties may be discharged in Krsna
> consciousness, as described above. That will lead one to
> the path of liberation.
416
417 Bg 3.31
418
419 TEXT 31
420
421 TRANSLATION
422
423 Those persons who execute their duties according to My
> injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully,
> without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive
> actions.
424
425 PURPORT
426
427 The injunction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna,
> is the essence of all Vedic wisdom and therefore is
> eternally true without exception. As the Vedas are eternal,
> so this truth of Krsna consciousness is also eternal. One
> should have firm faith in this injunction, without envying
> the Lord. There are many philosophers who write comments on
> the Bhagavad-gita but have no faith in Krsna. They will
> never be liberated from the bondage of fruitive action. But
> an ordinary man with firm faith in the eternal injunctions
> of the Lord, even though unable to execute such orders,
> becomes liberated from the bondage of the law of karma. In
> the beginning of Krsna consciousness, one may not fully
> discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is
> not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without
> consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be
> promoted to the stage of pure Krsna consciousness.
428
429 Bg 3.32
430
431 TEXT 32
432
433 TRANSLATION
434
435 But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and
> do not follow them are to be considered bereft
> of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their
> endeavors for perfection.
436
437 PURPORT
438
439 The flaw of not being Krsna conscious is clearly stated
> herein. As there is punishment for disobedience to the
> order of the supreme executive head, so there is certainly
> punishment for disobedience to the order of the Supreme
> Personality of Godhead. A disobedient person, however great
> he may be, is ignorant of his own self, and of the Supreme
> Brahman, Paramatma and the Personality of Godhead, due
> to a vacant heart. Therefore there is no hope of perfection
> of life for him.
440
441 Bg 3.33
442
443 TEXT 33
444
445 TRANSLATION
446
447 Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature,
> for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the
> three modes. What can repression accomplish?
448
449 PURPORT
450
451 Unless one is situated on the transcendental platform of
> Krsna consciousness, he cannot get free from the influence
> of the modes of material nature, as it is confirmed by the
> Lord in the Seventh Chapter (7.14). Therefore, even for the
> most highly educated person on the mundane plane, it is
> impossible to get out of the entanglement of maya simply by
> theoretical knowledge, or by separating the soul from the
> body. There are many so-called spiritualists who outwardly
> pose as advanced in the science but inwardly or
> privately are completely under particular modes of
> nature which they are unable to surpass. Academically, one
> may be very learned, but because of his long association
> with material nature, he is in bondage. Krsna consciousness
> helps one to get out of the material entanglement, even
> though one may be engaged in his prescribed duties in terms
> of material existence. Therefore, without being fully in
> Krsna consciousness, one should not give up his
> occupational duties. No one should suddenly give up his
> prescribed duties and become a so-called yogi or
> transcendentalist artificially. It is better to be situated
> in one's position and to try to attain Krsna consciousness
> under superior training. Thus one may be freed from the
> clutches of Krsna's maya.
452
453 Bg 3.34
454
455 TEXT 34
456
457 TRANSLATION
458
459 There are principles to regulate attachment and
> aversion pertaining to the senses and their
> objects. One should not come under the control of such
> attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling
> blocks on the path of self-realization.
460
461 PURPORT
462
463 Those who are in Krsna consciousness are naturally
> reluctant to engage in material sense gratification. But
> those who are not in such consciousness should follow the
> rules and regulations of the revealed scriptures.
> Unrestricted sense enjoyment is the cause of material
> encagement, but one who follows the rules and regulations
> of the revealed scriptures does not become entangled by the
> sense objects. For example, sex enjoyment is a necessity
> for the conditioned soul, and sex enjoyment is allowed
> under the license of marriage ties. According
> to scriptural injunctions, one is forbidden to
> engage in sex relationships with any women other than one's
> wife. All other women are to be considered as one's mother.
> But in spite of such injunctions, a man is still inclined
> to have sex relationships with other women. These
> propensities are to be curbed; otherwise they will be
> stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization. As long
> as the material body is there, the necessities of the
> material body are allowed, but under rules and regulations.
> And yet, we should not rely upon the control of such
> allowances. One has to follow those rules and regulations,
> unattached to them, because practice of sense
> gratification under regulations may also lead one to go
> astray-as much as there is always the chance of an accident,
> even on the royal roads. Although they may be very
> carefully maintained, no one can guarantee that there will
> be no danger even on the safest road. The sense enjoyment
> spirit has been current a very long, long time, owing to
> material association. Therefore, in spite of regulated
> sense enjoyment, there is every chance of falling down;
> therefore any attachment for regulated sense enjoyment must
> also be avoided by all means. But attachment to Krsna
> consciousness, or acting always in the loving service of
> Krsna, detaches one from all kinds of sensory activities.
> Therefore, no one should try to be detached from Krsna
> consciousness at any stage of life. The whole purpose of
> detachment from all kinds of sense attachment is ultimately
> to become situated on the platform of Krsna consciousness.
464
465 Bg 3.35
466
467 TEXT 35
468
469 TRANSLATION
470
471 It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even
> though faultily, than another's duties
> perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one's
> own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for
> to follow another's path is dangerous.
472
473 PURPORT
474
475 One should therefore discharge his prescribed duties in
> full Krsna consciousness rather than those prescribed for
> others. Materially, prescribed duties are duties
> enjoined according to one's psychophysical condition, under
> the spell of the modes of material nature. Spiritual duties
> are as ordered by the spiritual master for the
> transcendental service of Krsna. But whether material or
> spiritual, one should stick to his prescribed duties even
> up to death, rather than imitate another's prescribed
> duties. Duties on the spiritual platform and duties on the
> material platform may be different, but the principle of
> following the authorized direction is always good for the
> performer. When one is under the spell of the modes of
> material nature, one should follow the prescribed rules for
> his particular situation and should not imitate others.
> For example, a brahmana, who is in the mode of goodness, is
> nonviolent, whereas a ksatriya, who is in the mode of
> passion, is allowed to be violent. As such, for a ksatriya
> it is better to be vanquished following the rules of
> violence than to imitate a brahmana who follows the
> principles of nonviolence. Everyone has to cleanse his
> heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. However, when one
> transcends the modes of material nature and is fully
> situated in Krsna consciousness, he can perform anything
> and everything under the direction of a bona fide
> spiritual master. In that complete stage of Krsna
> consciousness, the ksatriya may act as a brahmana, or a
> brahmana may act as a ksatriya. In the transcendental stage,
> the distinctions of the material world do not apply. For
> example, Visvamitra was originally a ksatriya, but later on
> he acted as a brahmana, whereas Parasurama was a brahmana
> but later on he acted as a ksatriya. Being transcendentally
> situated, they could do so; but as long as one is on the
> material platform, he must perform his duties according to
> the modes of material nature. At the same time, he must
> have a full sense of Krsna consciousness.
476
477 Bg 3.36
478
479 TEXT 36
480
481 TRANSLATION
482
483 Arjuna said: O descendant of Vrsni, by what is one impelled
> to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?
484
485 PURPORT
486
487 A living entity, as part and parcel of the Supreme, is
> originally spiritual, pure, and free from all material
> contaminations. Therefore, by nature he is not subject to
> the sins of the material world. But when he is in contact
> with the material nature, he acts in many sinful ways
> without hesitation, and sometimes even against his will. As
> such, Arjuna's question to Krsna is very sanguine, as to
> the perverted nature of the living entities. Although the
> living entity sometimes does not want to act in sin, he is
> still forced to act. Sinful actions are not, however,
> impelled by the Supersoul within, but are due to another
> cause, as the Lord explains in the next verse.
488
489 Bg 3.37
490
491 TEXT 37
492
493 TRANSLATION
494
495 The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only,
> Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of
> passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the
> all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.
496
497 PURPORT
498
499 When a living entity comes in contact with the material
> creation, his eternal love for Krsna is transformed into
> lust, in association with the mode of passion. Or, in other
> words, the sense of love of God becomes transformed into
> lust, as milk in contact with sour tamarind is transformed
> into yogurt. Then again, when lust is unsatisfied, it turns
> into wrath; wrath is transformed into illusion, and
> illusion continues the material existence. Therefore, lust
> is the greatest enemy of the living entity, and it is lust
> only which induces the pure living entity to remain
> entangled in the material world. Wrath is the manifestation
> of the mode of ignorance; these modes exhibit themselves as
> wrath and other corollaries. If, therefore, the mode of
> passion, instead of being degraded into the mode of
> ignorance, is elevated to the mode of goodness by the
> prescribed method of living and acting, then one can be
> saved from the degradation of wrath by spiritual attachment.
500
501 The Supreme Personality of Godhead expanded Himself into
> many for His ever-increasing spiritual bliss, and the
> living entities are parts and parcels of this spiritual
> bliss. They also have partial independence, but by misuse
> of their independence, when the service attitude is
> transformed into the propensity for sense enjoyment, they
> come under the sway of lust. This material creation is
> created by the Lord to give facility to the conditioned
> souls to fulfill these lustful propensities, and when
> completely baffled by prolonged lustful activities, the
> living entities begin to inquire about their real position.
502
503 This inquiry is the beginning of the Vedanta-sutras,
> wherein it is said, athato brahma-jijnasa: one should
> inquire into the Supreme. And the Supreme is defined in
> Srimad-Bhagavatam as janmady asya yato 'nvayad itaratas
> ca, or, "The origin of everything is the Supreme Brahman."
> Therefore the origin of lust is also in the Supreme. If,
> therefore, lust is transformed into love for the Supreme,
> or transformed into Krsna consciousness-or, in other words,
> desiring everything for Krsna-then both lust and wrath can
> be spiritualized. Hanuman, the great servitor of Lord Rama,
> exhibited his wrath by burning the golden city of Ravana,
> but by doing so he became the greatest devotee of the Lord.
> Here also, in Bhagavad-gita, the Lord induces Arjuna to
> engage his wrath upon his enemies for the satisfaction of
> the Lord. Therefore, lust and wrath, when they are employed
> in Krsna consciousness, become our friends instead of our
> enemies.
504
505 Bg 3.38
506
507 TEXT 38
508
509 TRANSLATION
510
511 As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust,
> or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the
> living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of
> this lust.
512
513 PURPORT
514
515 There are three degrees of covering of the living entity by
> which his pure consciousness is obscured. This covering is
> but lust under different manifestations like smoke in the
> fire, dust on the mirror, and the womb about the embryo.
> When lust is compared to smoke, it is understood that the
> fire of the living spark can be a little perceived. In
> other words, when the living entity exhibits his Krsna
> consciousness slightly, he may be likened to the fire
> covered by smoke. Although fire is necessary where there is
> smoke, there is no overt manifestation of fire in the early
> stage. This stage is like the beginning of Krsna
> consciousness. The dust on the mirror refers to a cleansing
> process of the mirror of the mind by so many spiritual
> methods. The best process is to chant the holy names of the
> Lord. The embryo covered by the womb is an analogy
> illustrating a helpless position, for the child in the womb
> is so helpless that he cannot even move. This stage of
> living condition can be compared to that of the trees. The
> trees are also living entities, but they have been put in
> such a condition of life by such a great exhibition of lust
> that they are almost void of all consciousness. The covered
> mirror is compared to the birds and beasts, and the smoke-
> covered fire is compared to the human being. In the form of
> a human being, the living entity may revive a little Krsna
> consciousness, and, if he makes further development, the
> fire of spiritual life can be kindled in the human form of
> life. By careful handling of the smoke in the fire,
> fire can be made to blaze. Therefore the human form of life
> is a chance for the living entity to escape the
> entanglement of material existence. In the human form of
> life, one can conquer the enemy, lust, by cultivation of
> Krsna consciousness under able guidance.
516
517 Bg 3.39
518
519 TEXT 39
520
521 TRANSLATION
522
523 Thus the wise living entity's pure consciousness becomes
> covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is
> never satisfied and which burns like fire.
524
525 PURPORT
526
527 It is said in the Manu-smrti that lust cannot be satisfied
> by any amount of sense enjoyment, just as fire is never
> extinguished by a constant supply of fuel. In the material
> world, the center of all activities is sex, and thus this
> material world is called maithunya-agara, or the shackles
> of sex life. In the ordinary prison house, criminals are
> kept within bars; similarly, the criminals who are
> disobedient to the laws of the Lord are shackled by sex
> life. Advancement of material civilization on the basis of
> sense gratification means increasing the duration of the
> material existence of a living entity. Therefore, this lust
> is the symbol of ignorance by which the living entity is
> kept within the material world. While one enjoys sense
> gratification, it may be that there is some feeling of
> happiness, but actually that so-called feeling of happiness
> is the ultimate enemy of the sense enjoyer.
528
529 Bg 3.40
530
531 TEXT 40
532
533 TRANSLATION
534
535 The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting
> places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real
> knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.
536
537 PURPORT