Read a Lecture by Srila Prabhupada on this Verse
VYavSaaYaaiTMak-a buiÖreke-h ku-åNaNdNa )
bhuXaa%a ùNaNTaaê buÖYaae_VYavSaaiYaNaaMa( )) 41 ))
vyavasäyätmikä buddhir
ekeha kuru-nandana
bahu-çäkhä hy anantäç ca
buddhayo 'vyavasäyinäm
SYNONYMS
vyavasäya-ätmikä-resolute in Kåñëa consciousness; buddhiù-intelligence; ekä-only one; iha-in this world; kuru-nandana-O beloved child of the Kurus; bahu-çäkhäù-having various branches; hi-indeed; anantäù-unlimited; ca-also; buddhayaù-intelligence; avyavasäyinäm-of those who are not in Kåñëa consciousness.
TRANSLATION
Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.
PURPORT
A strong faith that by Kåñëa consciousness one will be elevated to the highest perfection of life is called vyavasäyätmikä intelligence. The Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya 22.62) states:
'çraddhä'-çabde--viçväsa kahe sudåòha niçcaya
kåñëe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kåta haya
Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is engaged in the duties of Kåñëa consciousness, he need not act in relationship to the material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity, or nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one's reactions from past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Kåñëa consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in Kåñëa consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of Kåñëa consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by progressive Kåñëa consciousness.
The resolute purpose of a person in Kåñëa consciousness is based on knowledge. Väsudevaù sarvam iti sa mahätmä su-durlabhaù: a person in Kåñëa consciousness is the rare good soul who knows perfectly that Väsudeva, or Kåñëa, is the root of all manifested causes. As by watering the root of a tree one automatically distributes water to the leaves and branches, so by acting in Kåñëa consciousness one can render the highest service to everyone-namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If Kåñëa is satisfied by one's actions, then everyone will be satisfied.
Service in Kåñëa consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Kåñëa, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Kåñëa consciousness. As such, to be well versed in Kåñëa consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of Kåñëa, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as one's mission in life. Çréla Viçvanätha Cakravarté Öhäkura instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master, as follows:
yasya prasädäd bhagavat-prasädo
yasyäprasädän na gatiù kuto 'pi
dhyäyan stuvaàs tasya yaças tri-sandhyaà
vande guroù çré-caraëäravindam
"By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kåñëa consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master."
The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul beyond the conception of the body-not theoretically but practically, when there is no longer a chance for sense gratification manifested in fruitive activities. One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various types of fruitive acts.
