Bhagavad-

Bhagavad-gītā
gītā 2.51
2.51-55
-55
—
New York, April 12, 1966

Prabhupāda:

karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuktā hi
phalaṁ tyaktvā manīṣiṇaḥ
janma-bandha-vinirmuktāḥ
padaṁ gacchanty anāmayam
[Bg. 9.51]

Now, last, in our last meeting, we were discussing this verse, that karma-
jam, every action, every activities that we are engaged in, it has got a reac-
tion. Any activity, it has got reaction. And that reaction is another bondage
for me. Now I am engaged in one action, and I am producing another reac-
tion. Now, at the present moment, I am bounded by one kind of activities,
and I am producing another kind of activities. Just like in the cinematograp-
hic spool, there are hundreds and thousands of pictures. One picture pas-
sed, another picture present, and another picture is ahead. The whole pictu-
re, when put into the machine, it represents some activity. So we are bound
up by nature's law in such a way... Why nature's law? Even in your state
laws, we are bound up by so many laws.

So this is our position. This is called conditioned stage of life. There is no

freedom. The so-called freedom... We declare that "I belong to the free na-
tion. I am free." These are all simply mental speculation. There is no free-
dom. So long I am bound up by the conditions of nature, there is no free-
dom. Now, here is a chance... Lord Kṛṣṇa says that karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuk-
tā.Now, here is an opportunity for you. In human form of your life, you have
got sufficient intelligence, and the Lord Himself is before you to enlighten
your intelligence more and more. Here is the book. This book, what is spo-
ken by Lord Kṛṣṇa, and Kṛṣṇa is not different. Because Kṛṣṇa, or the Lord,
is on the absolute plane. Don't think that Kṛṣṇa is absent. Kṛṣṇa is present
here. There is a verse in Bhāgavata, tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada yatra gāyan-
ti mad-bhaktāḥ, that, "I... My dear Nārada,..." Nārada is a great devotee.
Perhaps you, who are accustomed with Vedic literatures, you have heard the
name of Nārada. So Nārada is a great devotee, and the Lord assures him
that, "Don't think that I am living in the kingdom of God, or I am living in
the heart of a great mystic, or somewhere else, somewhere else... People
may think. But I am living in that place where My sincere devotees assemble
and discuss about Myself."

So here we should always understand that if we sincerely and seriously

take up the message of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is, without any, I mean to
say, adulteration... Sometimes it is adulterated by... Because Bhagavad-
gītā is a very authoritative book, and it is popular all over the world, someti-
mes people take advantage of this book and present their own theory in an
adulterated way. Not to speak of others... I may tell you frankly that even in
our country, the greatest, I mean to, saintly politician, Mahatma Gandhi, he
propounded a philosophy of nonviolence. Perhaps you know, every one of
you, that he propounded nonviolence, and he wanted to prove nonviolence
from Bhagavad-gītā. He has got an annotation of Bhagavad-gītā, and he has
tried to prove that Bhagavad-gītā, there is proof, nonviolence. But ac-
tually, Bhagavad-gītā is being spoken in the battlefield, where everyone is
prepared to start violence. Simply for a moment, when Arjuna was distur-
bed in his mind, that "How can I fight with my relatives and friends and
sons and grandsons and so, so many things?" Bodily relations. And the Bha-
gavad-gītā was spoken. So that is a practical thing that Bhagavad-gītā was
practically spoken to induce Arjuna to adopt violence. Now, Mahatma Gand-
hi, his philosophy was nonviolence. How could he prove that Bhagavad-
gītā gives evidence of nonviolence? No. Therefore, anyone, Mahatma Gand-
hi or anyone, who has got his own ulterior motive, to prove it from the to-
pics of Bhagavad-gītā, he must adulterate it. But that is not the process of
reading Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā, how to read Bhagavad-gītā, that is
stated in the Bhagavad-gītā. When we come to the Fourth Chapter, we'll
know. So anyway, apart from the process of... But rest assured, we are spea-
king here of the Bhagavad-gītā as it is. We are not going to add, add in it so-
mething for fulfilling our own philosophy, our own points of view.

Now here Lord Kṛṣṇa says that if you want to get rid of this entanglement
of... What is that entanglement? Now, janma-bandha, janma-bandha. Oh, it
is a great entanglement. People do not take it very seriously. Birth. Birth
means, as soon as birth... Only the one word has been used here, jan-
ma. Janma means birth. Birth means other things. Birth means death. Birth
means old age. Birth means disease. Whenever there is birth, the other
things are corollaries. They'll follow. Your birth means... A son is born. Oh,
you are very glad, "I have got a son." But if you study philosophically, no,
birth is not. He is not born. Death is born. Because the growing of the child
means he is dying. It is dying. The dying process. The very day, the very mo-
ment the child is born, the dying process begins. So we do not know that it
is not birth. It is death. This is called māyā. This is called illusion, that death
is born and we are jolly that there is birth of a child. This is called māyā. So
everything, from the beginning of our birth, we are illusioned, illusioned.
And that illusion is so strong that it is very, very difficult to get out of it.
Whole thing is illusion. The birth is illusion. This body is an illusion. And
the bodily relationship, the country is illusion. The father is illusion. The
mother is an illusion. The wife is illusion. The childrens are illusion. Everyt-
hing illusion. Everything illusion. And we are compact in that illusion. We
are thinking that we are very much learned and very much advanced and so
many things we are imagining. But as soon as death comes, the actual fact,
the beginning of death, then we forget everything. We can forget our
country. We forget our relatives. We forget our wife, children, father, mot-
her—everything gone. You see? If it is a fact that I am soul, eternal, then it is
a fact also that in my previous life I had my country. I had my children. I
had my home. I had my father. I had my everything. But can you remember
any of these things, what you were in your previous life? Either human, hu-
man-born life or either animal life, you cannot... Death means forgetful. We
have forgotten everything. Actually, there is no death for the soul. Just like
you are... At night, you go to sleep. So that is a sort of death. And again you
get up in the morning. So death is something like that. Death is sleeping for
seven months. That's all. Without any consciousness. For three, three
months without any consciousness. Or, say, seven months. Death means
forgetfulness. Just like at sleep, we forget everything, what I am, where I am
sleeping, who I am, what is my identity, identification, everything forgotten.
Then again, as soon as I rise up in the morning, I remember, "Oh, I am such
and such officer. I am such and such father, such and such husband, and I
have got to do such and such things." Everything remembered. But during
your sleep, you forget everything. Similarly, death means from the time of
your leaving this body and entering into the womb of another mother, and
so long another body is not developed, you remain unconscious. And as
soon as another body's developed within the womb of the mother and the ti-
me is up to come out, then again you remember.
 So practically there is no death. Death means changing the body. We ha-
ve already discussed this point. Now... But that janma, that birth, oh, it is
stated here that it is a bondage. Janma-bandha. Bandha means bondage.
Practically there is similarity in English. It is called bandha.And in English,
bond. There is similarity of sound. Janma-bandha. So this janma, so long,
so long your mind will be absorbed in the activities of this material world,
you are sure to take birth again. So that activities, by intelligence, have to be
purified in such a way that it will not affect you. It will not affect you. That is
the tactics. This tactic... So we should be very serious. We should be very se-
rious that many, many lives, many, many lives we have passed, but there
was no opportunity to get out of this tribulation of birth, death, old age and
diseases. Now here is a chance. Here is a chance in the human form of life.
So every intelligent man should take advantage of it, and you can get assis-
tance from these authorized books of Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgava-
ta. And also expert advice, knowledge. So we should not miss this opportu-
nity. And then the question is, "Suppose my, after this, after quitting this
body, the present body, I don't get janma. Then what is happening to me?"
It is al... That is also stated here. Janma-vi..., janma-bandha-
vinirmuktāḥ padaṁ gacchanty anāmayam. Anāmayam. Āmayam. Āmayam-
means contamination. Āmayam, contamination. So this contaminated life,
as soon as we give up this contaminated life, then our promotion is in the
uncontaminated atmosphere, anāmayam. Anāmayam. Anāma-
yam means Vaikuṇṭha. Vaikuṇṭha means where there is no anxiety. I think
about this anxiety we explained to you in our last meeting.

So we are, we are getting promotion. We are getting promotion to a life

where there is no birth, no death and no disease, no old age. And that
means we come to our normal life. Normally, we want. Nobody wants disea-
se. Nobody wants death. Nobody wants old age. Nobody wants to suffer the
suf..., I mean to say, the miseries of birth. Oh. There are great miseries when
you are in the womb of the mother, all tightly packed up and in a bag, suffo-
cated bag. We do not (know) how do we live even. And if we put again into
that position, it will be very difficult. You cannot live for a few seconds. But
by the arrangement of nature, or God, we live within the womb of our mot-
her for ten months in that position. But we have forgotten. But just imagine
in how much trouble I was. That is, these things are to be thought. That is
intelligent thought. Now, here is a chance that you can get rid of these, all
these miseries—the miseries of birth, the miseries of death, the miseries of
old age and miseries of, I mean to say, disease.
 Now, this... Now we are speaking the synopsis; the Bhagavad-gītā, this
Second Chapter is the synopsis, what will be elaborately explained. Not very
elaborately, but still more clearly, it will be explained in later chapters.
Now Bhagavad-gītā is the preliminary study of the Śrīmad-Bhāgava-
tam. Just like introductory, introductory study. Now, how we can practically
get into such activities which will not bound me, I mean to say, in a reac-
tion? That is explained in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, that,

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo

yato bhaktir adhokṣaje
ahaituky apratihatā
yayātmā suprasīdati
[SB 1.2.6]

Ātmā suprasīdati. Ātmā means self. Our present position is that we are not
happy. We are always full of anxieties. That is our present position. Now, he-
re just the opposite word is used that yayāātmā suprasīdati. If you want to
actually, if you want actually to make yourself jolly, full of happiness, then
you should search out your occupation in such a way that it will lead you to
the devotional service of the Supreme
Lord. Sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para means the highest, or the trans-
cendent. We are engaged in some, in some sort of activities. Nobody is free
from activities. Even a ant, an ant, it is also engaged in activity. And the
elephant. Ant is the most, I mean to..., according to our vision, the ant is
very small and the elephant is very big. But everyone, beginning from the
ant up to the elephant, so far our experience is concerned... There are other
big animals also. We have not seen. But we can see from the description of
the scriptures that there are fishes in the ocean which is ca-
lled timiṅgila. So timiṅgila... You, perhaps you know that fish which is ca-
lled in Sanskrit timi matsya, or whale fish, very big, sometimes hundred feet
long. So there are other fishes which is a timiṅgila. That fish swallows up
this fish, this hundred-feet-long. Now just imagine what must be the length
of that fish's body. You see?

So in God's creation there are so many wonderful things. We have not

seen all. But everyone is engaged in some sort of occupation for livelihood.
Nobody is silent. Nobody is silent. According to his nature, modes of nature,
and position, everyone is busy. Now the Bhāgavatasays
that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ. Everyone busy, but when one is busy in
such a work that leads to devotional service of the Lord, that busyness, that
occupation, is the supermost. That occupation is the super-
most. Sa vai puṁsaṁ paro dharmaḥ. Para means supermost. And that sort
of occupation should be without any cause. Everything is done, everything is
done, so far our duties are concerned—there is a cause. I do this because I
want this. So there is a cause and effect. But this sort of busyness, this sort
of occupation, which leads you to the devotional service of the Lord, it has
no cause. Ahaituki. It has no cause. Why it has no cause? Just like a lover,
or, say, lover, beloved, set aside. Just like mother. A mother loves the, her
child. There is no cause. She does not know "Why I am loving." Automati-
cally. Automatically, she loves. Similarly, we have got our relationship with
the supreme consciousness. We are consciousness. That is accepted. Now,
there is supreme consciousness also. Just let us have some estimation what
is that supreme consciousness. Now, supreme consciousness... Conscious-
ness is described in the Bhagavad-gītā: yena sarvam idaṁ tatam. The cons-
ciousness is distributed throughout your whole body. That we can make an
experiment. But this consciousness is not, I mean to..., spread over all the
cosmic manifestation. That is also a fact. My consciousness is spread over
my body. Your consciousness is spread over your body. I do not know what
you are thinking now, and you do not know what I am thinking. Therefore
my consciousness, individual; your consciousness, individual. But there is
the Supersoul who knows what you are thinking and what I am thinking,
what he is thinking, everyone thinking. That is superconsciousness.

So superconsciousness and individual consciousness. So our relations-

hip, the superconsciousness and individual consciousness, is eternal, eter-
nal. They cannot be, I mean to say, separated. Therefore my position is...
Just like there is superior one and the inferior one. Inferior one is subordi-
nate to the superior one, and inferior one is to act according to the superior
one. Just like it is taught here that Kṛṣṇa is the superconsciousness; He's
trying to convince Arjuna that "You act according to My direction. Because
you are individual consciousness, subordinate to Me, and I am Supercons-
ciousness." And in the last phase of Bhagavad-gītā, you'll see that He sum-
marized, Lord Kṛṣṇa summarized, sarva-dharmānparityaj-
ya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja: [Bg. 18.66] "You just surrender unto Me."
This is the sum and substance of everything. So therefore the conclusion is
that the individual consciousness should surrender to the supreme cons-
ciousness and act accordingly. That is the position of standing on the cons-
cious plane. That is the position of conscious plane. And Bhagavad, Śrīmad-
Bhāgavata also says that sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmaḥ, the activities, the oc-
cupation, the business, that which leads us to that consciousness, that cons-
ciousness, that "I am subordinate to the supreme consciousness," and let
me act according to the supreme consciousness, without any cause, ahaitu-
ki, without... "Why I shall act?" There is no such question. It is automatic,
automatic. Just like a little son, and the mother... The little son is automati-
cally subordinate to the mother. Whatever the mother says, the child acts.
The child is completely dependent. Similarly, as soon as we make our cons-
ciousness completely engaged in the service of the supreme consciousness,
that is our liberated position. That is our liberated position. And in that libe-
rated position, whatever we do, there is no reaction. That is transcendental
position.

So what Śrī Kṛṣṇa says here? That karma-jam, karma-jam, that "Every,
your any work which you are performing, that is creating some reaction for
future enjoyment or suffering. But if you act intelligently, in collaboration
with the supreme consciousness, then you'll be free from this bondage of
birth, death, old age and diseases and, in your next life... This is a training
period. This life will be a training period, and as soon as you are fully trai-
ned up, then the next result will be that after giving up this body you come
to My kingdom." Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janmanaiti mām eti kaunte-
ya [Bg. 4.9].

So this is the whole process. So that sort of business which will lead us to
the position when we shall be dovetailed, we shall be dovetailed with the su-
preme consciousness... Just like this morning I was giving an example. Just
like one motorcar is passing on in sixty miles' speed, and a cyclist also going
on. If the cyclist catches the motorcar, he can also proceed with the same
speed, sixty miles' speed, without even pedalling. Similarly, if we can join
our consciousness with the supreme consciousness, then our whole life be-
comes successful. That is the point. Now, how to join it? The religion. The
whole worldly religious process is the same, I mean to say, experimental or
formulas or rituals so that one may become dovetailed with the supreme
consciousness. Every religion. But if we become attracted by the rituals only
or formulas, and quarrel on that point that, "Oh, my Bible says like this," or
I say, "No, my Vedas says like this," and the Muslim, Musselman, says that
"No, my Koran says like this. Your is not right," then we become attached to
the rituals only. We forget, we forget the right point. The right point is... The
whole process is how to dovetail, how to dovetail myself with the supreme
consciousness. Going to the church, it is not a formality, but real thing is to
elevate myself gradually, to dovetail myself to the supreme consciousness of
God. That is the real formula. So Kṛṣṇa says that karma-jaṁbuddhi-yuk-
tā hi. When we are engaged in such a way, then we get rid of this janma-
bandha-vinirmuktāḥ. And next śloka is yadā te moha-kalilaṁ, gantā-
si nirvedaṁ śrotavyasya śrutasya ca:[Bg. 9.52] "When you are elevated to
that platform, dovetailing yourself with the Supreme consciousness, then
there is no more requisition for understanding the scriptures or the rituals
or the religious process. You have, you are transcendental to that, all these
paraphernalia." Yadāte moha-kalilaṁ buddhir vyatitariṣyati: "When your
consciousness is dovetailed in cooperation with the supreme consciousness,
then you are transcendental to the position of this illusory sta-
ge." Yadā te moha-kalilaṁ buddhir vyatitariṣyati, tadā gantāsi nirve-
dam: "At that time you become callous to all these rituals because your posi-
tion and your activities are fixed up." Śrotavyasya śrutasya ca: "Whatever
you have heard and whatever you have to hear in the future, all finishes."

Therefore the whole thing depends how to adjust ourself to that supreme
consciousness. And if we cannot... The next verse in the Śrīmad-Bhāgava-
ta says that,

dharmaḥ svanuṣṭhitaḥ puṁsāṁ

viṣvaksena-kathāsu yaḥ
notpādayed yadi ratiṁ
śrama eva hi kevalam
[SB 1.2.8]

Śrama eva hi kevalam. If by performing all religious rituals very nicely and
very perfectly, if we fail to dovetail ourself with the supreme consciousness,
then all our labor for performing these rituals and religious performances,
they become only labor of love. It has not produced anything substantial,
anything substantial. Nanu niṣkarmāṇi karmāṇi kurvata me.(?) This is the
question of Arjuna, that "When I shall be self-realized by doing work wit-
hout any fruitive result, so what will be the position of my self-realization?"
That, in that, in answer to that question, that "When you shall be callous to
all religious rituals and scriptural injunction and simply you shall be enga-
ged in the, in the dovetailing business of with the superconsciousness, then
you are in transcendental position of all religious rituals and all conception
of religious ceremonies and everything." That's it. But in the beginning you
require all these things. Therefore Bhāgavatasays that that sort of religion
which elevates you to that consciousness, that is the supreme type of reli-
gion.

śruti-vipratipannā te
yadā sthāsyati niścalā
samādhāv acalā buddhis
tadā yogam avāpsyasi
[Bg. 9.53]

This is the position of yoga. Yoga, samādhi. Samādhi means to be always in

the, situated in the superconsciousness, situated in the business of dovetai-
ling with the superconsciousness. That is called samādhi. Bhagavad-
gītā. Śruti-vipratipannā te yadā sthāsyati niścalā. You are not deviated even
by hearing so many other things. If you are not deviated, then that position
is called samādhi, and that position is the highest position of your life.

Now, Kṛṣṇa is being questioned by Arjuna that "What are the symptoms
of such person who is already in that position of dovetailing the individual
consciousness with the superconsciousness? What are the symptoms?"

arjuna uvāca
sthita-prajñasya kā bhāṣā
samādhi-sthasya keśava
sthita-dhīḥ kiṁ prabhāṣeta
kim āsīta vrajeta kim
[Bg. 2.54]

Now Arjuna says, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, will You kindly explain what are the lan-
guage? How a person who is already in transcendental position, how does
he speak? How does he act? And how does he live? How does he move?" All
these things. Because in our present life, we have to act. Activity is not stop-
ped. Simply the activities are to be dovetailed in a certain way that we can
join ourself with the superconsciousness. Now, when such thing is perfor-
med, when actually one is dovetailed with the superconsciousness, what are
the symptoms of his life, this is being questioned by Arjuna. And
Lord Kṛṣṇa, śrī bhagavān uvāca. You will find always in Bhagavad-gītā that
although Kṛṣṇa is speaking the words, "Bhagavān" is used. Becau-
se Kṛṣṇa is, Kṛṣṇa... The very word means the Supreme Personality of God-
head. Just like we have recited the śloka,

īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ

sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ
anādir ādir govindaḥ
sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam
[Bs. 5.1]

So Kṛṣṇa and Bhagavān is identical. So here you'll see, in the Bhagavad-

gītā, instead of mentioning that Kṛṣṇa said, when Arjuna speaking, it is
clearly said that "Arjuna said," but when Kṛṣṇa is speaking, it is said śrī bha-
gavān uvāca: "The Personality of God is speaking."

Now Śrī Kṛṣṇa answering the symptoms of the self-realized personality.

So what is that? First symptom is,

prajahāti yadā kāmān

sarvān pārtha mano-gatān
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ
sthita-prajñas tadocyate
[Bg. 2.55]

The first principle, or the first symptom of a self-realized soul is that he does
not make any plan for his prosperity. Because we are always busy in making
plan, "Now, after this, we shall do this. After this, we shall do this." But one
who is self-realized, he has no plan. Because he has dovetailed himself with
the supreme consciousness, so for himself he has nothing to do. He simply
depends. He simply depends on the supreme consciousness. It is very eleva-
ted stage. You see. But completely, he surrenders himself and... But we
should not be, I mean, imitating this. This is, of course, spoken for the hig-
hest stage. But we should... Without coming to that highest stage, we should
not imitate. When Kṛṣṇa is asked, He must give the proper answer; so He's
giving answer that prajahāti yadā kāmān sarvān pārtha mano-gatān. Becau-
se our mind is the factory of creating so many plans, so many plans. But one
who has dovetailed himself, he has nothing to do for planmaking because
everything is taken up by the supreme consciousness. He has simply to fo-
llow. Therefore he has, for himself, he has no plan. He has no plan. This is
the first symptom. But without reaching that stage, we should not pose our-
self, that "I have nothing to think. I have nothing to speak of future, past or
anything." No. Gradually, we shall come to the stage when there will be
everything done automatically. But in, in the present moment, in the pre-
sent moment, we should give up planmaking, but we shall, we shall have to
take up the plan of the supreme consciousness. Personally, we shall not ma-
ke any plans. But we have to receive the plan from the supreme conscious-
ness. That will be our position. Just like an apprentice. He is working, he is
working in the apprenticeship. He should not present his own plan. But he
has to take plans of work from his superior. Then he will learn. And when
he's accustomed, when he's elevated, then he'll be able to make independent
plans. Although not independent always, but even it is higher officer, ever-
yone has to consult the higher authorities. Similarly, this means that I shall
not independently make any plan, but I must accept the standard plan
which is coming directly from the supreme consciousness through a chan-
nel. Through a channel. You have to seek that channel.

So that channel is called... You'll find it in the Bhagavad-gītā, in the

Fourth Chapter, paramparā, paramparā, disciplic succession. Disciplic suc-
cession. The words, the plan and the instruction which is coming directly
from Kṛṣṇa, that thing we have to accept. We shall not make any our own
plan. That is the way of making progress. Now, this disciplic succession, as
we have accepted, this disciplic succession comes from Kṛṣṇa. Just
like Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa is instructing Arjuna, and we have to
understand how Arjuna has understood Kṛṣṇa. And if we follow the unders-
tanding of Arjuna, then we are following the paramparā system, or the disci-
plic succession. That is the process. Now, in the Tenth Chapter, in the Tenth
Chapter you'll find that how Kṛṣṇa is understood by Arjuna. After hearing
not all, at least seventy-five percent of the instruction of Bhagavad-gītā, the
estimation of Arjuna is stated in the Tenth Chapter. He says that... I think
that I may... (long pause, pages rustling) Here. Arjuna, after understan-
ding Kṛṣṇa, after His instruction, he said that, automatically he said,

paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma

pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān
puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam
ādi-devam ajaṁ vibhum
[Bg. 10.12]

"Kṛṣṇa, now I understand it that you are Paraṁ Brahman." Paraṁ Brah-
man means the, the Supreme, supreme spiritual identity. Every one of us
is Brahman. You are Brahman. I am Brahman. Every living entity is Brah-
man. Because he's not this matter, he's spirit soul. Whoever is spirit soul, he
is called Brahman. But Kṛṣṇa is addressed here, Paraṁ Brahma. Just like
we recited that śloka, the verse, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Īśva-
ra, every one of us, īśvara.The translation of īśvara word is "god." Now, god,
god means, īśvara means controller. So every one of us is controller,
but Kṛṣṇa is the supreme controller. He has no controller. I am controller, I
am Brahman, but at the same time, I have got superior controller over me.
But Kṛṣṇa is called Paraṁ Brahma, or the īśvara parama, the supreme con-
troller, because He has no controller over Him. That is the acceptance of Ar-
juna. This is the mode of studying Bhagavad-gītā. If we don't interpret in
our own way. If we really want to study Bhagavad-gītā, then here is the con-
firmation by Arjuna how he understands Kṛṣṇa after hearing Bhagavad-
gītā. Not only that, he also... In the Eleventh Chapter you'll find that Arju-
na will request Kṛṣṇa to show him His gigantic universal form. Because
he, Arjuna, as he is, he accepted Kṛṣṇa that He's God undoubtedly. But in
future people may think that Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna were two friends. So out of
friendly appreciation, Arjuna might have accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead, but what is the evidence to us? Now, here,
when Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna requested that "Kṛṣṇa, You kindly show me the gigantic
form, the gigantic universal form," He showed. That is also described.

So the idea is that imitation God, there may be so many. Nowadays it has
become a fashion. Not in your country; at least in India, it has become a fas-
hion, that everyone is coming out and he declares himself, "I am God. I am
God." As if the God has become a very cheap thing, and it can be had in the
market, wherever you go. You see? That is not the thing. God is not so cheap
thing. God is not so cheap thing. The description of God is, in the Brahma-
saṁhitā is given,

yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya
jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-aṇḍa-nāthāḥ
viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣo
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
[Bs. 5.48]

The God... This material creation... We have got this information from aut-
horitative scripture. This material creation, how it is being done? It is being
done that the Supreme Lord in His form of Mahā-Viṣṇu, He's lying on the
Causal Ocean and in a sleeping mood, and with the breathing of His nos-
trils, so many universes are being born as seed. And when He's taking the
breathing, inhaling, the whole thing is going into Him. So such is the posi-
tion of God, that by His breathings, all the universes are coming, and by His
breathing... So the existence of the universe means within His breathing pe-
riod, within the breathing period of the Mahā-Viṣṇu. So that Mahā-Viṣṇu is
described, yasyaika-niśvasita-kālam athāvalambya jīvanti loma-vilajā jagad-
aṇḍa-nāthāḥ viṣṇur mahān sa iha yasya kalā-viśeṣaḥ [Bs. 5.48]. That Mahā-
Viṣṇu is also plenary portion of Kṛṣṇa, Govinda. That Mahā-Viṣṇu is also
not the original. The original Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa.

So this is a great science, what Kṛṣṇa is—Kṛṣṇa science. It is simply a

synopsis; Bhagavad-gītāis only a synopsis of the science of God, and it is
more explicitly given in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavata.But after all, it is a great
science. If we study it very seriously, then we can understand... We should
not take so cheaply that "Here is a God, here is a God, here is a God." No,
no. God is not so cheap. God is one, and He is great. "God is great," as in
your English language it is said, and nobody can be greater than Him or
equal to Him. That is the position of God. Now here, Arjuna, he ac-
cepts Kṛṣṇa and he says that "You are Paraṁ Brahman." Paraṁ brah-
ma paraṁ dhāma [Bg. 10.12]. Dhāma means in which everything rests. We
are resting, everything is resting. Just like... This is scientific and practical,
you know, that the innumerable planets that the, that you can see at night
as, I mean to say, luminaries, stars in the sky, each and every one of them,
more or less, they are all different kinds of planets. But do you know how
they are floating in the space? They are floating on the sunshine, on the sun
rays. They are floating. That you can see. Similarly, the sunshine is the imi-
tation of the brahmajyoti that is coming out of the body of the Supreme
Lord. So everything is resting on the shine of the Supreme Lord. Therefore
He is called paraṁ dhāma. Paraṁ dhāma means "everything resting on
You." Paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitram [Bg. 10.12]. Pavitram. Pavi-
tram means uncontaminated. Because we, although we are Brahman, now
we are contaminated by this material body. But the Lord has no contamina-
ted body of this material existence. We have already no-
ted, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda... Sac-cid-ānanda-
vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1]. Sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ means His body is full—full of
bliss, full of knowledge, and it is eternal. That is completely distinct from
this body. So when there is description of the Lord that He is formless, He is
formless means He is not of this form. He has got a sac-cid-ānanda-
vigrahaḥ [Bs. 5.1], a different element. Therefore He's called pavi-
tra. And paramaṁ bhavān: "You are the Supreme Origi-
nal." Puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam ādi-devam ajaṁvibhum. So "You
are Puruṣa." Puruṣa means enjoyer. "In the Vedic literature, about Your-
self...," āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥ sarve, "all the great sages accept You, the Supreme
Lord." Āhus tvām ṛṣayaḥsarve devarṣir nāradaḥ. Devarṣir nārada. I have al-
ready spoken to you about Nārada. He has also accepted Him. That means
authorities. He's quoting authorities. Not that "I am personally accepting
you as such, but there are many authorities, many authorities." So we have
to understand about the science of God from the extraordinary activities
and confirmed by the authorities, accepted by the revealed scriptures. Then
we have to accept. You see? Not blindly. So Arjuna is giving such eviden-
ces. Asito devalo vyāsaḥ svayaṁ caiva bravīṣi me: "You are accepted by such
authorities like that, and I have the opportunity that I hear all this from You
directly. I am fortunate enough that I am become Your..., I am related in
friendship with You, and I am hearing."

So here is the evidence. Now, if you want to study Bhagavad-gītā, then

you have to accept all these, this statement of Arjuna. Because Bhagavad-gī-
tā was explained directly to Arjuna, and if you don't accept the appreciation
of the direct person who heard Bhagavad-gītā, then whom do we believe?
Suppose I have heard something directly from one person. So what I am sa-
ying, another person who has no direct relation, he's also saying. Whom do
you believe? You have to believe the person who has directly heard. So here
there is no doubt about it, that Arjuna directly heard Kṛṣṇa, and his appre-
ciations are recorded here. So therefore, if we want to study Bhagavad-
gītā, then we have to accept the appreciation of the direct hearer, Arjuna. If
we do that, then we can get the right thing. But if we change it for our ulte-
rior motive, as some, so many annotators are doing in the case of Bhagavad-
gītā, then we shall not be able to understand what is Bhagavad-gītā.

All right, let us have some question if you have. (end)