| Bhagavad-gétä
2.39 -- London, September 12, 1973
Pradyumna: (leads chanting, etc.) Translation: "Thus far I have declared to you the analytical knowledge of säìkhya philosophy. Now listen to the knowledge of yoga whereby one works without fruitive result. O son of Påthä, when you act by such intelligence, you can free yourself from the bondage of works." Prabhupäda: eñä te 'bhihitä säìkhye Karma-bandham. You act something, and there is reaction. That is called karma-bandha. We can understand very easily. Whatever you act, there is reaction. Good act or bad act... There are two things. So if while in this body we act piously, then our future is very good. If we act impiously, then our future is not very good. So actually we should act piously, not impiously. That is human life. We should know what kind of action we should do. In the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gétä you'll find pravåttià ca nivåttià ca na vidur äsura-janäù: "Those who are asuras, they do not know what kind of action should be done and what kind of action should not be done." Not that "Anything I like at my whims..." That is not... At least for human being, he should not do. Even in the state laws, if you act whimsically, whatever you like, you'll be liable to so many difficulties, and what to speak of spiritual life? So Kåñëa has described so far... Säìkhya yoga means analytical study of the soul and the body. He has very nicely... So this analytical study of the soul and body means so far, He has described the activities of the body. That is säìkhya yoga. Just like a medical man has got full analysis-not full, to a portion-of this body, the anatomy, the physiology. They have studied how the veins are working, how different secretions are transforming into blood, how the heart is working. This is called analytical study. So eñä te abhihitä säìkhye. So far the body is concerned, that is now fully analyzed. Now buddhir yoge tv imäm, another department of knowledge, buddhi-yoga. Buddhi-yoga means spiritual life. That is buddhi-yoga. Just like you'll find in the Tenth Chapter. Kåñëa says to Arjuna, buddhi-yogaà dadämi tam. When there is talk between the spirit, supreme spirit, Kåñëa and the individual spirit, subordinate spirit, the living entity... Kåñëa is the Supreme Being, and we are subordinate being. So these people at the present moment, they do not know. But we have to take instruction from Vedas. Nityo nityänäà cetanaç cetanänäm. The Supreme Being, He is eko yo bahünäà vidadhäti kämän. He is supplying the necessities of life, kämän, whatever we require. There are so many things for birds, beasts, human being, different types of fruits, flowers, milk. Everything is being supplied by Kåñëa. Therefore He's Supreme Being. How He can be supreme? Just like in a family the father is considered to be supreme. Why? Because he takes care of the whole family, he is supreme. Similarly, the Supreme Person, Kåñëa, He takes care of the whole creation, material and spiritual, innumerable universes, and therefore He's sup... So when we act according to the direction of the Supreme... Because we are subordinate. This is our position. A subordinate position is that he must act according to the direction of the master or the supreme. That is natural. Everyone is acting like that. So that is called buddhi-yoga. When you act according to the direction of the Supreme, Kåñëa, or His representative, that is called buddhi-yoga. That is real... Buddhi means intelligence, and yoga means linking, connecting. In the Tenth Chapter you'll find, teñäà satata-yuktänäà There is the buddhi-yoga, one word, and here is also the buddhi-yoga. So what is that buddhi-yoga? Kåñëa says, teñäà satata-yuktänäm: "Persons who are twenty-four-hours engaged," satata... Satata means always. Engaged. What kind of engagement? Bhajatäà préti-pürvakam. This engagement means always trying to render some service to the Lord. How? Préti-pürvakam: "with love and faith." Not that "Oh, I have to do it? All right, let me do." No. "Oh, I have to do it? Let me do it nicely." Unless there is love, you cannot do it nicely, any matter. In the material world also, unless you have got some attachment for something, you cannot act it very nicely. Just like a musician. Because one has got a good attachment for music, he tries to perform it very perfectly. So love is the basis. Similarly, when you serve Kåñëa, if you have no love for Kåñëa, you cannot serve Him very nicely. And Kåñëa also does not accept your service if it is not done in great love and affection. That is the basic principle. Kåñëa does not require your service. He is self-sufficient. He has got many servants anywhere and everywhere. So Kåñëa does not require our service. It is our interest. If we render service to Kåñëa, then we become happy. That is the profit. Teñäà satata-yuktänäà bhajatäà préti-pürvakam [Bg. 10.10]. Just like you'll find in another verse Kåñëa says, patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà yo me bhaktyä prayacchati. Yo me bhaktyä prayacchati: "Anyone who offers Me in love and faith a little flower, a little water, a little fruit," patraà puñpaà phalaà toyam... Patraà puñpaà phalaà toyaà yo me bhaktyä prayacchati. This is the real point. Kåñëa, the Supreme Person who is giving all the necessities of all the living entities... He is actually the provider, maintainer of everyone. So why He is asking a little fruit, flower and water from you? Is He hungry? No. Yo me bhaktyä prayacchati. Just to induce you again to love Kåñëa. That is the point. Because your, this material condition is bhütvä bhütvä praléyate, subjected to birth, death, old age, disease, and so many other material conditions. You have fallen in this condition because you have forgotten Kåñëa. Just like last night so many people came to discuss with us, but they are not interested in talking of Kåñëa. They are interested how their sense gratification will be disturbed by starting this temple. That is their concern. Here we have come to preach about Kåñëa. They did not ask anything about Kåñëa, "What is this philosophy? What is this Kåñëa's philosophy?" No. They are simply interested in their own sense gratification. That's all. How their sense gratification will be disturbed-they are concerned in that way. This is the position of the material world. Everyone is simply interested in sense gratification. That's all. There is no question of asking "What is God? What I am? What is this world?" Actually, these should be the questions of human life. Athäto brahma jijïäsä. They should be engaged always in inquiring about the Supreme Being, the Absolute Truth. That is their only business. But you see the whole world. They are simply busy how to satisfy their senses. This is the cause of fall down. kåñëa-bahirmukha haïä bhoga väïchä kare There are many quotations. Because we have forgotten Kåñëa, therefore we are now under the clutches of mäyä. So we have forgotten Kåñëa, we are suffering, but because we are part and parcel of Kåñëa, Kåñëa comes to canvass that "Why you are suffering? You just surrender unto Me. I'll give you all protection." No, they'll not take. They'll not take. Therefore, when one is trained up to, how to surrender to Kåñëa, that is called devotional service, practice, practicing. And when, actually, one is very sincere to serve Kåñëa... Kåñëa is within everyone's heart. Éçvaraù sarva-bhütänäà håd-deçe arjuna tiñöhati [Bg. 18.61]. So He can understand whether you are sincerely serving or with some motive you are serving. Even with a motive you serve Kåñëa, it will never go in vain. Kåñëa is so kind. Just like Pütanä. Pütanä wanted to serve Kåñëa by feeding Kåñëa with her breast, but the purpose was the breast was poison, so Kåñëa would suck the milk and He would die. There is a different motive. But still, Kåñëa is so kind that He thought that "This rascal Pütanä, she wanted to kill Me, but she does not know that I am not a person to be killed, but still, although the motive was to kill Me, but she has served Me to suck her breast. I have drunk her milk. So she is My mother. So she is My mother. Never mind she came with a motive." So this is the Kåñëa consciousness benefit. Of course, we should not have any more... Kaàsa. Kaàsa, just like. He was simply thinking of Kåñëa. He was Kåñëa conscious fully, always thinking of Kåñëa. But the motive was to kill. So still, Kaàsa got liberation because he was constantly thinking of Kåñëa. But ac... That is not bhakti. Bhakti is the same thinking of Kåñëa-favorably. Änukülyena kåñëänuçélanam. That is bhakti. To think of Kåñëa as enemy, that is not required. One may think, but a devotee, how can he think of Kåñëa as enemy? He thinks of Kåñëa as friend, as son, as master, as lover. A devotee thinks like that, whereas a demon or an enemy of Kåñëa, he's always thinking of... This is the difference between demon and devotee. Demon is thinking how to wipe out, how to banish Kåñëa, how to kill Kåñëa. They don't want Kåñëa. That is demonic. So therefore they do not know that a demonic person is always suffering. That is due to his forgetfulness of Kåñëa. But because he is demon, he is continuing the business. Therefore they do not know... Na te viduù... They... That is also... Na te viduù svärtha-gatià hi viñëum [SB 7.5.31]. Pravåttià ca nivåttià ca na vidur äsura-janäù. Äsura-jana, those who are asuras, they do not know what to do and what not to do. Therefore one has to learn how to live, what to know, what to forget. Every... Every educational or progressive method has got do's and do not's. So the asuras, they do not know what they should do and what they should not do. That is asura. And a devotee, he knows what to do and what not to do. There is no illicit sex. That is "do not." But there is "do" also, that "If you want sex life, then get yourself married according to religious principle and get a wife and beget nice children." That is "do." And "No illicit sex," that is "do not." Side by side. "You do not take intoxicants"-that is "do not." But "You take Kåñëa prasädam and be intoxicated with Kåñëa's love"-that is "do." Similarly, "You do not indulge in gambling, but you indulge in gambling." What is that gambling? That gambling is "Dedicate your life to Kåñëa and see the result." That is also gambling. That is also gambling, because everyone is engaged in his own business, but if he's advised, "You give up this business. You take to this Kåñëa business," that is also gambling because he does not know what will happen. So everything has "do" and "do not." So we have to give up this "do not" and accept the "do," positive and negative. Then... Therefore, in the Tenth Chapter it is said, teñäà satata-yuktänäà bhajatäà préti-pürvakam [Bg. 10.10]. By some way or other, who has become engaged in devotional service twenty-four hours, satata-satata means twenty-four hours-satata-yuktänäm, with faith-"Now I am engaged in Kåñëa's service. Kåñëa will be... Actually He'll be merciful upon me. He'll deliver me from this miserable condition of material life"-teñäà satata-yuktänäà bhajatäà préti-pürvakam... [Bg. 10.10]. So Kåñëa is within. You cannot deceive Kåñëa. That is not possible. Kåñëa is the Supreme. If you are deceiver, Kåñëa is also the supreme deceiver. And if you are lover, then Kåñëa is the supreme lover. Ye yathä mäà prapadyante täàs tathaiva bhajämy aham [Bg. 4.11]. You deal with Kåñëa. As you deal, He'll also... He reciprocates. That is Kåñëa. So Kåñëa is describing now buddhi-yoga. Buddhi-yoga means bhakti-yoga. This, this word, buddhi-yoga... Buddhi means intelligence. One who is very intelligent, he can take to Kåñëa consciousness. Therefore bhakti-yoga's another name is buddhi-yoga. Buddhi-yoga. Because buddhi-yoga... There are many verses in the Bhagavad-gétä, you'll find. Just like Kåñëa says, bahünäà janmanäm ante Kåñëa says, "After many, many births' endeavor..." Because everyone is trying to be happy. That is the struggle for existence. Why this struggle? To become happy. So sometimes they are karmés, sometimes they are jïänés, sometimes they are yogis, sometimes... As soon as they become bhakta, that is success. But so long he is not bhakta but otherwise, karmés, jïänés... Generally they are divided: karmés, jïänés, yogis... Therefore Rüpa Gosvämé has said, bhukti-mukti-spåhä yävat "So long in one's heart there is a piçäcé..." Piçäcé means, what is called, a witch. Yes. The witch is there, piçäcé. What is that piçäcé? Bhukti-mukti-siddhi. Bhukti means karmé, to, one who wants to enjoy this material world by working. That is called bhukti. Bhoktä. "I want to enjoy." Everyone is trying that. Struggle for existence. Everyone is trying to... "I want to enjoy this material world to the fullest extent." So their struggle going on, competition. That is called bhukti. And another? Mukti. Mukti means those who are disappointed. Disappointed must be because nobody can be happy here with this karmé plan. That is not possible. So he will be disappointed. But disappointed when? After many, many births' struggle for existence, he'll be disappointed. That's a fact. Therefore Kåñëa says, bahünäà janmanäm ante [Bg. 7.19]. He continues to be, become karmé and sometimes jïäné, sometimes yogi, to become happy, but he'll be confused. He'll be defeated. Nature is so strong. Therefore Kåñëa says, bahünäà janmanäm ante: "After many, many births of this struggle"-sometimes karmé, sometimes jïäné, sometimes yogi, sometimes something else-"when one comes to be really wise," jïänavän mäà prapadyate, "he surrenders unto Me." How he surrenders? Blindly? No. Väsudevaù sarvam iti [Bg. 7.19]. He at that time understands that "Kåñëa is everything." Therefore... That is a big mahätmä. Sa mahätmä sudurlabhaù: "It is very difficult to find out such a great person." Therefore intelligent person, if he sees... Dekhe çekhara(?). If I understand that "This person has surrendered to Kåñëa after many, many births. If that is the ultimate goal, why not myself surrender immediately?" That is buddhi-yoga. "If one has to come to this point for perfection of life, why not my life be perfected in this life? Why I shall wait for many, many births?" And that is buddhi-yoga, intelligent yoga. Kåñëa yei bhaje, sei baòa catura. Unless one is exceptionally intelligent, he cannot take to Kåñëa consciousness. This is buddhi-yoga. Therefore Kåñëa has described in säìkhya-yoga that "This is your duty. You are kñatriya. You have... Why you are rejecting fighting?" In this way, in so many ways... "The soul is immortal, the body is perishable, so your grandfather or your kinsmen, they'll not die." So this is analytical study from the material point of view. And as soon as one comes to the point of serving Kåñëa with love, without any understanding... Just like fire. Fire, you accept it. Without studying fire, analytical, if you touch fire, it will act. It will act. It doesn't require to study fire, how, what is the composition of fire. This is knowledge, of course. But if you... Just like gopés in Våndävana. They did not study what is Kåñëa. They did not care even to study. But they wanted to love Kåñëa. That is their only qualification. They were ordinary village girls. Similarly, the cowherds boy. They were tending cows. They had no Vedänta knowledge or any higher education, not very nicely cultured gentlemen, village cowherds boy, cowherds girl, but they did not know any other business than to love Kåñëa. That is perfection. Jïäna-çünya, without any knowledge. They did not know. They... They saw Näräyaëa: "Oh, here is Näräyaëa. All right. I offer you..." But there is no love. Love is for Kåñëa. Even Näräyaëa, four-handed Näräyaëa, there is no love for. They have got respect. You can offer respect to anyone, even you have no love. But love is different thing. That was... That is the typical examples in Våndävana. That is the ultimate goal of buddhi-yoga. Thank you very much. Hare Kåñëa. (End) |