na hi prapaçyämi mamäpanudyäd
yac chokam ucchoñaëam indriyäëäm
aväpya bhümäv asapatnam åddhaà
räjyaà suräëäm api cädhipatyam

SYNONYMS

na-do not; hi-certainly; prapaçyämi-I see; mama-my; apanudyät-can drive away; yat-that which; çokam-lamentation; ucchoñaëam-drying up; indriyäëäm-of the senses; aväpya-achieving; bhümau-on the earth; asapatnam-without rival; åddham-prosperous; räjyam-kingdom; suräëäm-of the demigods; api-even; ca-also; ädhipatyam-supremacy.

PURPORT

Although Arjuna was putting forward so many arguments based on knowledge of the principles of religion and moral codes, it appears that he was unable to solve his real problem without the help of the spiritual master, Lord Çré Kåñëa. He could understand that his so-called knowledge was useless in driving away his problems, which were drying up his whole existence; and it was impossible for him to solve such perplexities without the help of a spiritual master like Lord Kåñëa. Academic knowledge, scholarship, high position, etc., are all useless in solving the problems of life; help can be given only by a spiritual master like Kåñëa. Therefore, the conclusion is that a spiritual master who is one hundred percent Kåñëa conscious is the bona fide spiritual master, for he can solve the problems of life. Lord Caitanya said that one who is master in the science of Kåñëa consciousness, regardless of his social position, is the real spiritual master.

kibä vipra, kibä nyäsé, çüdra kene naya
yei kåñëa-tattva-vettä, sei 'guru' haya

"It does not matter whether a person is a vipra [learned scholar in Vedic wisdom] or is born in a lower family, or is in the renounced order of life-if he is master in the science of Kåñëa, he is the perfect and bona fide spiritual master." (Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya 8.128) So without being a master in the science of Kåñëa consciousness, no one is a bona fide spiritual master. It is also said in Vedic literature:

ñaö-karma-nipuëo vipro
mantra-tantra-viçäradaù
avaiñëavo gurur na syäd
vaiñëavaù çva-paco guruù

"A scholarly brähmaëa, expert in all subjects of Vedic knowledge, is unfit to become a spiritual master without being a Vaiñëava, or expert in the science of Kåñëa consciousness. But a person born in a family of a lower caste can become a spiritual master if he is a Vaiñëava, or Kåñëa conscious." (Padma Puräëa)

The problems of material existence-birth, old age, disease and death-cannot be counteracted by accumulation of wealth and economic development. In many parts of the world there are states which are replete with all facilities of life, which are full of wealth and economically developed, yet the problems of material existence are still present. They are seeking peace in different ways, but they can achieve real happiness only if they consult Kåñëa, or the Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam-which constitute the science of Kåñëa-through the bona fide representative of Kåñëa, the man in Kåñëa consciousness.

If economic development and material comforts could drive away one's lamentations for family, social, national or international inebrieties, then Arjuna would not have said that even an unrivaled kingdom on earth or supremacy like that of the demigods in the heavenly planets would be unable to drive away his lamentations. He sought, therefore, refuge in Kåñëa consciousness, and that is the right path for peace and harmony. Economic development or supremacy over the world can be finished at any moment by the cataclysms of material nature. Even elevation into a higher planetary situation, as men are now seeking on the moon planet, can also be finished at one stroke. The Bhagavad-gétä confirms this: kñéëe puëye martya-lokaà viçanti. "When the results of pious activities are finished, one falls down again from the peak of happiness to the lowest status of life." Many politicians of the world have fallen down in that way. Such downfalls only constitute more causes for lamentation.