A glimpse of

Bhagavad-gita

From
Srila Bhaktivinod Thakura’s Rasikaraïjana
&
Srila Prabhupada’s Bhagavad Gétä As It Is

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Chapter 1. Observing the armies on the battlefield of Kurukñetra

As the armies of both sides are standing ready, Arjuna, the mighty warrior sees his intimate friends and relatives (on both sides) who are prepared to fight and sacrifice their lives. Overwhelmed by grief, Arjuna becomes confused and thus he gives up his determination to fight.

Bg. 1.1 – Dhåtaräñöra said to Saïjaya: After assembling in the holy place of Kurukñetra, desiring to fight, what did my sons and the sons of Päëòu do?

Bg. 1.2 – Saïjaya said to Dhåtaräñöra: The king Duryodhana, after seeing the armies of the sons of Päëòu, went to his teacher and spoke as follows.

Bg. 1.3, 4 – O Äcärya! Please have a look over the armies of the sons of Päëòu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple Dhåñöadyumna, the son of Drupada. Here (in their army) there are many heroic mighty bowmen who are equivalent to Bhéma and Arjuna such as Yuyudhäna, Viräöa and Drupada.

Bg. 1.5, 6 – There are also many powerful fighters like Dhåñöaketu, Cekitäna, Käçiräja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Çaibya. And there are Yudhämanyu, the mighty-armed Uttamaujä, the powerful son of Subhadrä and the sons of Draupadé – who all are the great chariot fighters.

Bg. 1.7, 8 – For your kind information, O Dvijottama, let me tell you about the captains who are qualified to lead our army. There are personalities like Yourself, Bhéñma, Karëa, Kåpa, Açvatthämä, Vikarëa and Bhüriçravä (the son of Somadatta) – who all are ever victorious personalities.

Bg. 1.9 – Apart from this there are also heroic powerful fighters who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake and all of them are well equipped with many kinds of weapons, and they are very much experienced in the military science.

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Bg. 1.10 – The strength of our army being perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhéñma is immeasurable whereas the strength of the army of the sons of Päëòu being perfectly protected by Bhéma is very limited.

Bg. 1.11 – All of us must extend our full support to Grandfather Bhisma by safely guarding our strategic points in the phalanx of the army.

Bg. 1.12 – Thereafter, the great valiant revered grandsire of Kuru dynasty, Bhéñma, the grandfather of all fighters blew his conchshell loudly like the roar of a lion giving Duryodhana joy.

Bg. 1.13 – Thereafter, the conchshells, kettledrums, bugles, trumpets and horns, were all sounded together. Altogether, the combined sound was tumultuous.

Bg. 1.14 – On the opposite side of the battlefield, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Mädhavaù (Kåñëa) and the mighty warrior, Päëòavaù (Arjuna) were riding on a great chariot drawn by the white horses blew their transcendental conchshells.

As the sun is known by many names such as sunce, soleil, surya, etc. and water is known by many names such as acqua, jal, wasser, etc., similarly the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known by many names such as Kåñëa, Govinda, Madhava, Allah, Yahovah, Keçava, Håñékeça, Madhusüdana, Acyuta, Värñëeya, etc.

Bg. 1.15 – The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Håñékeça (Kåñëa) blew His transcendental conchshell called Päïcajanya; Dhanaïjaya (Arjuna) blew his conchshell called Devadatta; Bhémasena, the performer of herculean tasks and voracious eater blew his conchshell called Pauëòra.

Bg. 1.16 – The son of Kunté, (King) Yudhiñöhira blew his conchshell called Ananta-vijaya. Nakula and Sahadeva blew their conchshells called Sughoña and Maëipuñpaka.

Bg. 1.17 to 18 – The King of Väräëasé, the great bowmen Çikhaëòé, the great chariot fighters like Dhåñöadyumna and Viräöa, unconquerable Sätyaki, the King of Päïcäla (Drupada), the mighty-armed son of Subhadrä and the sons of Draupadé – all of them blew their respective conchshells.

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Bg. 1.19 – Altogether, the total sound vibrations of these conchshells became uproarious, resounding in the sky and on the earth, shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhåtaräñöra.

Bg. 1.20 – Thereafter, Päëòavaù (Arjuna) seated on the chariot bearing the flag marked with Hanumän took up his bow and arrows and got prepared to fight. Seeing the sons of Dhåtaräöra, Arjuna spoke to Lord Kåñëa as follows.

Bg. 1.21 to 23 – O Acyuta! Kindly draw my chariot in between the two armies, so that I may see who all are present here and with whom I should fight in this great trial of arms. And also I want to see who all are present here to please the evil-minded son of Dhåtaräñöra.

Bg. 1.24, 25 – Håñékeça (Kåñëa), thus having been addressed by Arjuna, drew up his fine chariot in between the two armies. In the presence of Bhéñma, Droëa and all other cheiftains of the world, the Supreme Personality of Godhead said, “O Pärtha, see the Kauravas who all are present here”.

Bg. 1.26 – In the midst of both the armies Pärthaù (Arjuna) could see his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, friends, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, fathers-in-law and many other well-wishers.

Bg. 1.27 – Seeing all these different grades of friends and relatives Kaunteyaù (Arjuna) become overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus.

Bg. 1.28, 29 – Seeing my friends and relatives assembled here in the spirit of fighting, my limbs are quivering, my mouth is drying up and my hair is standing on the end, O Kåñëa! My bow (Gäëòéva) is slipping from my hand and my skin is burning.

Bg. 1.30 – O Keshava! I am no longer able to stay here. My mind is confused and I am forgetting myself. I can see only the sign of misfortune.

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Bg. 1.31 – I can neither foresee anything good in killing one’s own kinsmen nor I have any desire for victory, kingdom or happiness at the cost of their lives.

Bg. 1.32, 33 – O Govinda! What use the kingdom, happiness and life itself have when the very people for whom we desire these things are arrayed on the battlefield.

Bg. 1.34, 35 – O Janärdana! What to speak of the earth, even if I am awarded the three worlds in exchange for killing the sons of Dhåtaräñöra, I would not like to do so,

Bg. 1.36 to 38 – O Mädhava! If the sons of Dhåtaräñöra get killed, then sin will overcome us (though they are aggressors). Overtaken by greed they do not see any fault in killing one’s own kinsmen but why should we involve in such an act when we know the consequences?

Bg. 1.39 – O Mädhava! With the destruction of family members in battle the eternal family traditions will also get destroyed and thus the remaining family members will get involved in the act of irreligiosity.

Bg. 1.40 to 43 – O Kåñëa! When the act of irreligiosity becomes prominent in the society, women in the society become polluted. With the degradation of womanhood, O Värñëeya, there will be unwanted progeny.

There is a common saying that only by the potency of three people’s purity the rain is made possible.
1. Honesty of king in his dealings.
2. Selflessness of citizens in their performance of prescribed duties.
3. Chastity of women for their husband.

Bg. 1.44, 45 – Alas! just see how strange it is that we have decided to commit such an act of killing one’s own kinsmen. It would be better, if the sons of Dhåtaräñöra kill me unarmed and unresisting.

Bg. 1.46 – Saïjaya said to Dhåtaräñöra:: Speaking thus, Arjuna, the mighty warrior cast aside his bow and arrows, and sat down on the seat of his chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.

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Chapter 2. The Universal Teachings of Bhagavad Gétä

Arjuna, the mighty warrior becomes thus confused and surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead as His disciple. Thereafter, the Lord begins His teachings about the fundamental difference between the eternal living being and the temporary material body. Then, the Lord explains the process of transmigration of the eternal living being from one material body to another, the selfless-activities performed for the pleasure of the Supreme in the form of prescribed duties and the characteristics of a self-realized devotee.

Bg. 2.1 – Saïjaya said to Dhåtaräñöra:: Thus, seeing Arjuna become overwhelmed with compassion his eyes full of tears and his mind overcome with grief, Madhusüdanah (Kåñëa) spoke the following words.

Bg. 2.2, 3 – The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Arjuna, in the hour of crisis from where these lamentations have come upon you? It does not befit a man who knows the actual goal of life; nor it leads you to higher destination but to infamy.

Bg. 2.4, 5 – O Madhusüdana! How can I counterattack my worshipable elders like Bhéñma and Droëa with my arrows? It would be better to earn my livelihood by begging than to live at the cost of their lives. Eventhough they are yearning for worldly gains they are our superiors. If they are killed, then everything that we enjoy will be tainted with blood.

According to the consciousness, which is acquired because of the reactions of one’s past live’s activities, he gets a particular type of material body and gets inclined to a particular type of prescribed duty such as brähmaëa (the intelligent class), kñatriya (the administrative class), vaiçya (the productive class) or çüdra (the laborer class). When one performs his prescribed duties genuinely without any tinge of ulterior motivations by keeping the Supreme Lord at center, he never incurs sin; rather, he progresses towards perfection.

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Bg. 2.6, 7 – I am unable to understand which one is better – conquering them or being conquered by them. Now, I am totally confused about my prescribed duties because of my miserly weakness and I have lost all of my composure. In this condition, I am asking You for certain which one is better and taking the complete shelter of You as a surrendered disciple. Please instruct me.

Bg. 2.8 – I am not finding any means to drive away this grief which is drying up my senses and it cannot be dispelled even if I win a prosperous and unrivaled kingdom like demigods.

Bg. 2.9, 10 – Speaking thus Guòäkeçaù (Arjuna) said, “O Govinda! I shall not fight”, and became silent. At that time, smiling in the midst of both the armies, the Supreme Personality of Godhead spoke to grief stricken Arjuna as follows.

Bg. 2.11 – The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Though you are speaking learned words you are lamenting for something not worthy of grief. One who is learned, laments neither for the living nor for the dead.

Bg. 2.12 – Certainly never was there a time when I did not exist nor you or all these kings, and never in the future will any of us cease to be.

Actually the living being is imperishable and eternal (it never dies); only the material body repeatedly takes birth and dies helplessly.

Bg. 2.13 – As the (embodied) conditioned living being transmigrates in the current material body from the boyhood to youth and to the old age, similarly at the time of death it transmigrates into another material body. One who is learned, does not get bewildered by such a change. [The term ’embodied’ means ‘that which is enwrapped by the body’.]

Bg. 2.14 – The nonpermanent appearance and disappearance of happiness and distress (due to the reactions of one’s past activities), O Kaunteya, are like the appearance and disappearance of summer and winter seasons. They are only experienced because of sense perception, O Bhärata. You should learn to tolerate them, without being disturbed.

One good thing regarding the reactions of one’s past activities is that they appear in the form of prescribed duties. Therefore, they should be performed with utmost care to purify one’s existence; otherwise, it is not so easy to get rid of the crocodile jaw of the reactions of one’s past activities.

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Bg. 2.16 to 18 – [Due to the (awakened or dormant) consciousness of the eternal living being (which pervades the entire material body) the material body seems to be alive; otherwise, the material body by itself is just dead matter.] The temporary material body of the eternal living being is sure to come to an end, therefore, stand up and fight, O Bhärata.

Bg. 2.19 to 21 – For the (imperishable) eternal living being, there is neither birth nor death; only the material body takes birth and dies repeatedly.

Bg. 2.22 – As one accepts new clothes (by giving up his old one), similarly the conditioned living being accepts a new material body (by giving up his current one).

Until the conditioned living being achieves his perfection, he is forced to accept a temporary material body repeatedly. After achieving his perfection he goes back to his eternal home, the spiritual world. [This material world which we are living now is like a school. It educates us through the process of repeated birth and death based on our own action and its reactions. That is why this material world is called mrityu-loka.]

Bg. 2.23 to 30 – The eternal living being can never be cut by weapon nor burned by fire nor moistened by water nor withered by wind. O Mahä-bäho, however, even if you think that the living being takes birth and dies, still you have no reason to lament because one who has taken his birth is sure to die and he is sure to take birth again.

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Bg. 2.31 to 36 – By considering your specific duty, as a kñatriya, you should know that there is no better engagement for you than fighting (against the irreligious principles, adharma). If you fail to perform your prescribed duty, then certainly you will incur sin. People will always speak of your infamy and for a respectable person dishonor is worse than death. The great warriors who have highly honored your name & fame will think that you have left the battle out of fear. What can be more painful than this?

Bg. 2.37, 38 – O Kaunteya, either you achieve a victory in battle and achieve the kingdom or you achieve a glorious death and achieve a higher destination. Therefore, with determination stand-up and fight without considering happiness or distress, loss or gain, victory or defeat – thus, by doing so you never incur sin.

Bg. 2.39 – O Pärtha, I have described to you, till now, in terms of säìkhya-yoga, the analytical study of activities. Now, I am going to describe in terms of performing the activities without having any desires for fruitive results. If one performs his prescribed duties with the help of this knowledge, then certainly he will free himself from the bondage of work.

Bg. 2.40, 41 – O Arjuna, on this path there is no loss or diminution even a little advancement can save oneself from the most dangerous fear of material existence. Those who are fixed on this path are resolute in their purpose but those who are not their intelligence is many-branched and contaminated with unlimited desires, O Kuru-nandana.

Bg. 2.42, 43 – Those who are less intelligent are very much attached to the flowery words of Vedas, O Pärtha, which generally recommend various fruitive activities for material accomplishments like elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power and so forth. Being overly attached to sense enjoyment, one argues that there is nothing more than this.

Vedas recommend materially motivated ritualistic worship (to the demigods) to encourage the people of lower stages, so that they can gradually progress and achieve the ultimate goal, the pure devotional service. [Note: Performing one’s prescribed duties devotedly (without any tinge of ulterior motivation by keeping the Supreme Lord at centre) which eventually leads him to love of God is actually the pure devotional service.]

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Bg. 2.44 – Those whose mind is too attached to sense enjoyment and heavanly opulence, for them the firm determination for pure devotional service does not take place.

Bg. 2.45, 46 – Vedas in general deal with the subject matter of three modes of material nature (i.e. the subject matter of action and its reactions), O Arjuna. You be transcendental to them and be always situated on the platform of pure devotional service and be always free from dualities and anxieties for gain and safety and thus be established in the self.

The three modes of material nature is nothing but a governing force, which governs us at every step of our life based on our past activities. Every action that we perform determines our consciousness and at the time of death whatever state of consciousness we may have accordingly we receive our next body (either it may be a higher or lower human form of life or any other form out of 84 lakhs species). [In the Padma Purana it is stated that there are 84 lakhs of varieties of material bodies, out of which 9 lakhs varieties are the aquatic bodies, 20 lakhs varieties are the bodies of trees, 11 lakhs varieties are the insect bodies, 10 lakhs varieties are the bodies of birds, 30 lakhs varieties are the bodies of animals and 4 lakhs varieties are the human bodies.]

Bg. 2.47 – O Arjuna, you have the privileges to perform your prescribed duties but you do not have the privileges to enjoy the fruits of your labor (i.e., you can utilize them to fulfill your bodily needs but certainly not to fulfill your desires (for sense enjoyments)). Never become attached to the results of your activities, for they are stringently controlled by the three modes of material nature (based on the reactions of your past activities). And also you never become attached to not performing your prescribed duties.

The conditioned living being bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself as the doer of the activities but actually those are performed by the three modes of material nature (as per the reactions of his past activities). – Bg. 3.27

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Bg. 2.48 to 50 – O Dhanaïjaya, keep all the materialistic fruitive activities at far distance (by performing your prescribed duty devotedly without any tinge of ulterior motivations by keeping the Supreme Lord at centre). Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their labor are misers.

The human form of life amongst 84 lakhs of species is specifically meant to cross over this insurmountable material existence. But, one who is not utilizing it for this purpose and wasting it for enjoying the insignificant results of their labor are considered to be the misers.

Bg. 2.51 to 53 – One whose intelligence does not get disturbed by the flowery words of Vedas and does not get inclined to any kinds of Vedic ritual, is said to be steadily fixed in the unflinching devotional service.

One who is fixed steadily on the path of pure devotional service, for them the path of Vedic rituals is not required. If the prescribed duties are performed devotedly (as explained here in Bhagavad-gita), which eventually leads to love of God (as explained in Çré Chaitanya Charitamrita) is the natural path to achieve love of God whereas the path of Vedic rituals is neither conducive for one’s prescribed duties nor for one’s love of God; but it is very much encouraging for the people of lower stages.

Bg. 2.54 – Arjuna inquired: O Keshava! What are the behaviours of those whose mind and intelligence are thus fixed?

Bg. 2.55 – The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: One who has given up his desires, O Pärtha, altogether (for sense gratification) and whose mind finds satisfaction in the self alone, he is said to be in pure consciousness.

Bg. 2.56, 57 – As long as the conditioned living being possesses a material body he is sure to experience the dualities of material existence like happiness and distress, good and bad, success and failure, etc (because of his past activities). One who is not affected by such dualities, neither praising them nor hating them, is said to be fixed firmly in perfect knowledge.

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Bg. 2.58 to 61 – As a tortoise withdraws its limbs within its shell, similarly one who withdraws his senses from its objects, is said to be fixed firmly in perfect consciousness.

In the Çrémad-Bhägavatam it is mentioned that the most detestable and horrible sinful activities performed for one’s sense enjoyments are meat eating, intoxication, having illicit sex (i.e. relationship outside marriage) and gambling (i.e. dishonest earnings). [Note: Dishonest earnings is the worst amongst all.]

Bg. 2.62 to 68 – By contemplating the objects of his senses, one develops attachment towards them. By such attachments lust develops and anger arises by which one’s memory gets bewildered and thus he looses his intelligence, and falls down into the material pool again.

Bg. 2.69 – What is considered to be the night for all the conditioned living beings is considered to be the time of awakening for a self-controlled, and what is considered to be the night for a self-controlled is considered to be the time of awakening for all the conditioned living beings.

The conditioned living being gets awakened by the flickering happiness of sense enjoyment but it remains asleep towards the eternal happiness of spiritual life but for a self-controlled it is vice versa.

Bg. 2.70 – As the ever-full steady-ocean does not get disturbed by the incessant flow of rivers, similarly one who does not get disturbed by the incessant flow of his desires (due to the reactions of his past activities), can alone attain peace; not who strives to satisfy them.

Bg. 2.71, 72 – [After giving up his desires (for sense enjoyment)] One who lives without any sense of proprietorship and false ego – he alone can attain real peace. If one is thus situated (even at the time of death), he attains the kingdom of God.

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Conclusion:

Eventhough one’s prescribed duties can be many but still they can be categorised into three.

The prescribed duties that are related to one’s occupation (Varna)
- Brähmaëa, Kñatriya, Vaiçya and Çüdra. [Doctor, Engineer, Farmer, Teacher, Administrator, Warrior, Lawyer, Laborer, etc.]

The prescribed duties that are related to one’s family (Ashram)
- The prescribed duties that are related to one’s parents, children, parents-in-law and others (like saintly persons, dependent living beings i.e. all the living beings, etc).

The prescribed duties that are related to one’s spiritual-austerity (Sädhana)
- As per the state of one’s consciousness, the platform of his sädhana varies : viräö-rüpa, säyujya, sälokya, särñöi, särüpya, sämépya, çänta, däsya, sakhya, vätsalya, çåìgära and çåìgära-audärya. [The recommended sädhana for this age, the kali-yuga, (for all) is singing congregationally the holy names of the Supreme Lord (with great attachment like the inhabitants of Vrindavan).]

When one performs these three catagories of prescribed duties without any negligence and without any tinge of ulterior motivations, is said to be the devotional service. Eventually when one’s devotional service gets matured and merges into love of God, is said to be the pure devotional service (This is the act of self (the living being); not the body) (which is discussed elaborately in Çré Chaitanya Charitamrita).

Çré Chaitanya Charitamrita (Madhya lila 128, 129) states,

sädhu-saìga, näma-kértana, bhägavata-çravaëa
mathurä-väsa, çré-mürtira çraddhäya sevana
sakala-sädhana-çreñöha ei païca aìga
kåñëa-prema janmäya ei päìcera alpa saìga

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When one performs these five primary limbs of devotional service (with great attachment like the inhabitants of Vrindavan) in any one of the following four relationships namely çåìgära, vätsalya, sakhya or däsya (with original form i.e., person form of Kåñëa), one will certainly transcend the bodily conception of life and achieve the pure love of Kåñëa in this very life time. This is the essence of Çré Chaitanya Charitamrita. – CC Adi lila 3.11

[Beware: These five primary limbs of devotional service should not be performed in the mode of ritualistic activities, for they play a major role in having loving reciprocation with original form i.e., person form of Kåñëa.] (This is the act of self (the living being); not the body)

Important Verses:

O Pärtha, as I am the Supreme there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Neither I have a need to obtain anything nor I am in want of anything – yet, I am engaged carefully in all of My prescribed duties. (Bg. 3.22)

Arjuna said: What actually is inducing one to indulge in sinful activities; even unwillingly as if he is engaged by force? O Värñëeya! (Bg. 3.36)

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is certainly lust, O Arjuna, which is born out of mode of passion (which is acquired from the reactions of one’s past activities). Lust is the (all-devouring) greatest sinful enemy which gets transformed into wrath later. Therefore, you should curb this great symbol of sin by controlling your senses from the very beginning of life, O Bharata-åñabha, and thus kill this enemy, the destroyer of knowledge and self-realization. (Bg. 3. 37 & 41)

Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners still when you get situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge, you will be able to transcend the ocean of material existence very easily. As a blazing fire turns firewood to ashes, similarly the fire of transcendental knowledge burns all the reactions of one’s past activities to ashes. (Bg. 4.36, 37)

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The Supreme Personality of Godhead says in Bg. 18.66 “O Arjuna, give up all (mentally speculated) dharma, and surrender unto Me by following My instructions (the transcendental knowledge). I shall deliver you from all sins. Do not fear”.

The selfless activities (in the form of prescribed duties) that are executed for the pleasure of the Supreme are nothing but ‘Yajïa’. All the activities other than this will bind one to this material world, for they produce reactions. (Bg. 3.9)

Act of tyäg (through one’s occupation), charity (through one’s ashram) and spiritual-austerity (through one’s sädhana) are not to be given up. Infact, the act of tyäg, charity and spiritual-austerity purify even the great souls. But, they must be performed without any expectation of result, as a matter of responsibility (not as a ritual) , O Pärtha. This is My final opinion. (Bg.18.5, 6)

As the Supreme Personality of Godhead himself mentions above (this is his final opinion), this is the essence of entire Bhagavad-gita.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Whether you have heard My words, O Pärtha, with an attentive mind? Whether your ignorance is now dispelled, O Dhanaïjaya? (Bg. 18.72)

Arjuna said: O Achyuta, now my illusion has gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy. Now, I am firmly fixed and free from all doubts, and prepared to act according to Your instructions. (Bg. 18.73)

Wherever there is Yogeçvaraù (Kåñëa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead) and wherever there is Dhanur-dharaù (Arjuna, the pure devotee), certainly there will be opulence, victory, extraordinary-power, determination and morality. (Bg. 18.78)

Däsya, Sakhya, Vätsalya and Çåìgära are the four transcendental relationships by which one can relish the sweet and intimate association with original form i.e., person form of Kåñëa, by which Kåñëa is subdued (by pure love). (CC Adi lila 3.11) (This is the act of self (the living being); not the body)

“Responsibilities in this world, relationships in that world”