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.

Bhagvatam, ORIGINAL SPIRITUAL NATURE IS TO BE HAPPY BUT WE ARE IN MISERY FORGETTING OUR ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH KRSHNA, 7th June

Srimad Bhagvatam

TRANSLATION
IN THIS WAY THE CONDITIONED SOUL LIVING WITHIN THE BODY FORGETS HIS SELF-INTEREST BECAUSE HE IDENTIFIES HIMSELF WITH THE BODY. BECAUSE THE BODY IS MATERIAL, HIS NATURAL TENDENCY IS TO BE ATTRACTED BY THE VARIETIES OF THE MATERIAL WORLD. THUS THE LIVING ENTITY SUFFERS THE MISERIES OF MATERIAL EXISTENCE.

PURPORT
EVERYONE IS TRYING TO BE HAPPY BECAUSE, AS EXPLAINED IN THE PREVIOUS VERSE,sukham asyatmano rüpam sarvehoparatis tanum: WHEN THE LIVING ENTITY IS IN HIS ORIGINAL SPIRITUAL FORM, HE IS HAPPY BY NATURE.

THERE IS NO QUESTION OF MISERIES FOR THE SPIRITUAL BEING. AS KRSHNA IS ALWAYS HAPPY, THE LIVING ENTITIES, WHO ARE HIS PARTS AND PARCELS, ARE ALSO HAPPY BY NATURE, BUT BECAUSE OF BEING PUT WITHIN THIS MATERIAL WORLD AND FORGETTING THEIR ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH KRSHNA, THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN THEIR REAL NATURE.

BECAUSE EVERY ONE OF US IS A PART OF KRSHNA, WE HAVE A VERY AFFECTIONATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE FORGOTTEN OUR IDENTITIES AND ARE CONSIDERING THE BODY TO BE THE SELF, WE ARE AFFLICTED BY ALL THE TROUBLES OF BIRTH, DEATH, OLD AGE AND DISEASE.

THIS MISCONCEPTION IN MATERIALISTIC LIFE CONTINUES UNLESS AND UNTIL ONE COMES TO UNDERSTAND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH KRSHNA. THE HAPPINESS SOUGHT BY THE CONDITIONED SOUL IS CERTAINLY ONLY ILLUSION, AS EXPLAINED IN THE NEXT VERSE.