Gita shloka 3.4, DEVOTIONAL SERVICE TO THE LORD IS BEST, 10th June

Gita shloka 3.4

TRANSLATION

NOT BY MERELY ABSTAINING FROM WORK CAN ONE ACHIEVE FREEDOM FROM REACTION, NOR BY RENUNCIATION ALONE CAN ONE ATTAIN PERFECTION.

PURPORT

The renounced order of life can be accepted upon being purified by the discharge of the prescribed form of duties which are laid down just to purify the heart 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).

Svalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat.

EVEN A SLIGHT PERFORMANCE OF SUCH A PRINCIPLE ENABLES ONE TO OVERCOME GREAT DIFFICULTIES.

Gita shloka 3.3, PATH OF KRSNA CONSCIOUSNESS IS BEST PATH, 9th June

Gita shloka 3.3

TRANSLATION

THE BLESSED LORD SAID: O SINLESS ARJUNA, I HAVE ALREADY EXPLAINED THAT THERE ARE TWO CLASSES OF MEN WHO REALIZE THE SELF. SOME ARE INCLINED TO UNDERSTAND HIM BY EMPIRICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL SPECULATION, AND OTHERS ARE INCLINED TO KNOW HIM BY DEVOTIONAL WORK.

 

PURPORT

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 interdependant, 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.

 

Bhagvat ONLY WHEN ONE UNDERSTANDS HIS REAL IDENTITY AS A SPIRITUAL BEING, REAL HAPPINESS FOLLOWS,8th June

Srimad Bhagvat

TRANSLATION
JUST AS A DEER, BECAUSE OF IGNORANCE, CANNOT SEE THE WATER WITHIN A WELL COVERED BY GRASS, BUT RUNS AFTER WATER ELSEWHERE, THE LIVING ENTITY COVERED BY THE MATERIAL BODY DOES NOT SEE THE HAPPINESS WITHIN HIMSELF, BUT RUNS AFTER HAPPINESS IN THE MATERIAL WORLD.

PURPORT
THIS IS AN ACCURATE EXAMPLE DEPICTING HOW THE LIVING ENTITY, BECAUSE OF LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, RUNS AFTER HAPPINESS OUTSIDE HIS OWN SELF.

WHEN ONE UNDERSTANDS HIS REAL IDENTITY AS A SPIRITUAL BEING, HE CAN UNDERSTAND THE SUPREME SPIRITUAL BEING, KRSHNA, AND THE REAL HAPPINESS EXCHANGED BETWEEN KRSHNA AND ONE'S SELF.

IT IS VERY INTERESTING TO NOTE HOW THIS VERSE POINTS TO THE BODY'S GROWTH FROM THE SPIRIT SOUL.

THE MODERN MATERIALISTIC SCIENTIST THINKS THAT LIFE GROWS FROM MATTER, BUT ACTUALLY THE FACT IS THAT MATTER GROWS FROM LIFE.

THE LIFE, OR THE SPIRITUAL SOUL, IS COMPARED HEREIN TO WATER, FROM WHICH CLUMPS OF MATTER GROW IN THE FORM OF GRASS.

ONE WHO IS IGNORANT OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE SPIRIT SOUL DOES NOT LOOK INSIDE THE BODY TO FIND HAPPINESS IN THE SOUL; INSTEAD, HE GOES OUTSIDE TO SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS, JUST AS A DEER WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THE WATER BENEATH THE GRASS GOES OUT TO THE DESERT TO FIND WATER.

THE KRSHNA CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT IS TRYING TO REMOVE THE IGNORANCE OF MISLED HUMAN BEINGS WHO ARE TRYING TO FIND WATER OUTSIDE THE JURISDICTION OF LIFE.

Raso vai sam. Raso 'ham apsu kaunteya. THE TASTE OF WATER IS KRSHNA.

TO QUENCH ONE'S THIRST, ONE MUST TASTE WATER BY ASSOCIATION WITH KRSHNA.

THIS IS THE VEDIC INJUNCTION.