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      "title": "Bhagavad-gita As It Is. English Texts and Purports and Audio Narration. CHAPTER 1",
      "body": "@@ -1399,12 +1399,43975 @@\n e (IPFS)%3C/a%3E\n+%0ATo listen to narration and view Texts and Purports at the same time: Right click Option %22Listen on DShound%22 or %22Listen from source (IPFS)%22 and then select %22Open In New Tab%22.%0A %0ACHAPTER ONE  Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra  %0A%0ATEXT 1:  Dhrtarastra said: O Sanjaya, after assembling in the place of pilgrimage at Kuruksetra, what did my sons and the sons of Pandu do, being desirous to fight?  %0A%0APURPORT:  Bhagavad-gita is the widely read theistic science summarized in the Gita-mahatmya (Glorification of the Gita). There it says that one should read Bhagavad-gita very scrutinizingly with the help of a person who is a devotee of Sri Krishna and try to understand it without personally motivated interpretations. The example of clear understanding is there in the Bhagavad-gita itself, in the way the teaching is understood by Arjuna, who heard the Gita directly from the Lord. If someone is fortunate enough to understand Bhagavad-gita in that line of disciplic succession, without motivated interpretation, then he surpasses all studies of Vedic wisdom, and all scriptures of the world. One will find in the Bhagavad-gita all that is contained in other scriptures, but the reader will also find things which are not to be found elsewhere. That is the specific standard of the Gita. It is the perfect theistic science because it is directly spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krishna.   %0A%0AThe topics discussed by Dhrtarastra and Sanjaya, as described in the Mahabharata, form the basic principle for this great philosophy. It is understood that this philosophy evolved on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, which is a sacred place of pilgrimage from the immemorial time of the Vedic age. It was spoken by the Lord when He was present personally on this planet for the guidance of mankind.  %0A%0AThe word dharma-ksetra (a place where religious rituals are performed) is significant because, on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead was present on the side of Arjuna. Dhrtarastra, the father of the Kurus, was highly doubtful about the possibility of his sons%E2%80%99 ultimate victory. In his doubt, he inquired from his secretary Sanjaya, %E2%80%9CWhat did my sons and the sons of Pandu do?%E2%80%9D He was confident that both his sons and the sons of his younger brother Pandu were assembled in that Field of Kuruksetra for a determined engagement of the war. Still, his inquiry is significant. He did not want a compromise between the cousins and brothers, and he wanted to be sure of the fate of his sons on the battlefield. Because the battle was arranged to be fought at Kuruksetra, which is mentioned elsewhere in the Vedas as a place of worship%E2%80%94even for the denizens of heaven%E2%80%94Dhrtarastra became very fearful about the influence of the holy place on the outcome of the battle. He knew very well that this would influence Arjuna and the sons of Pandu favorably, because by nature they were all virtuous. Sanjaya was a student of Vyasa, and therefore, by the mercy of Vyasa, Sanjaya was able to envision the Battlefield of Kuruksetra even while he was in the room of Dhrtarastra. And so, Dhrtarastra asked him about the situation on the battlefield.%0ABoth the Pandavas and the sons of Dhrtarastra belong to the same family, but Dhrtarastra%E2%80%99s mind is disclosed herein. He deliberately claimed only his sons as Kurus, and he separated the sons of Pandu from the family heritage. One can thus understand the specific position of Dhrtarastra in his relationship with his nephews, the sons of Pandu. As in the paddy field the unnecessary plants are taken out, so it is expected from the very beginning of these topics that in the religious field of Kuruksetra where the father of religion, Sri Krishna, was present, the unwanted plants like Dhrtarastra%E2%80%99s son Duryodhana and others would be wiped out and the thoroughly religious persons, headed by Yudhisthira, would be established by the Lord. This is the significance of the words dharma-ksetre and kuru-ksetre, apart from their historical and Vedic importance.   %0A%0ATEXT 2:  Sanjaya said: O King, after looking over the army gathered by the sons of Pandu, King Duryodhana went to his teacher and began to speak the following words:  %0A%0APURPORT:  Dhrtarastra was blind from birth. Unfortunately, he was also bereft of spiritual vision. He knew very well that his sons were equally blind in the matter of religion, and he was sure that they could never reach an understanding with the Pandavas, who were all pious since birth. Still he was doubtful about the influence of the place of pilgrimage, and Sanjaya could understand his motive in asking about the situation on the battlefield. He wanted, therefore, to encourage the despondent King, and thus he warned him that his sons were not going to make any sort of compromise under the influence of the holy place. Sanjaya therefore informed the King that his son, Duryodhana, after seeing the military force of the Pandavas, at once went to the commander-in-chief, Dronacarya, to inform him of the real position. Although Duryodhana is mentioned as the king, he still had to go to the commander on account of the seriousness of the situation. He was therefore quite fit to be a politician. But Duryodhana%E2%80%99s diplomatic veneer could not disguise the fear he felt when he saw the military arrangement of the Pandavas.  %0A%0ATEXT 3:  O my teacher, behold the great army of the sons of Pandu, so expertly arranged by your intelligent disciple, the son of Drupada. %0A%0APURPORT:  Duryodhana, a great diplomat, wanted to point out the defects of Dronacarya, the great brahmana commander-in-chief. Dronacarya had some political quarrel with King Drupada, the father of Draupadi, who was Arjuna%E2%80%99s wife. As a result of this quarrel, Drupada performed a great sacrifice, by which he received the benediction of having a son who would be able to kill Dronacarya. Dronacarya knew this perfectly well, and yet, as a liberal brahmana, he did not hesitate to impart all his military secrets when the son of Drupada, Dhrstadyumna, was entrusted to him for military education. Now, on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra, Dhrstadyumna took the side of the Pandavas, and it was he who arranged for their military phalanx, after having learned the art from Dronacarya. %E2%80%A6.%0ADuryodhana pointed out this mistake of Dronacarya%E2%80%99s so that he might be alert and uncompromising in the fighting. By this he wanted to point out also that he should not be similarly lenient in battle against the Pandavas, who were also Dronacarya%E2%80%99s affectionate students. Arjuna, especially, was his most affectionate and brilliant student. Duryodhana also warned that such leniency in the fight would lead to defeat.  %0A%0ATEXT 4:  Here in this army there are many heroic bowmen equal in fighting to Bhima and Arjuna; there are also great fighters like Yuyudhana, Virata and Drupada. %0A%0APURPORT:  Even though Dhrstadyumna was not a very important obstacle in the face of Dronacarya%E2%80%99s very great power in the military art, there were many others who were the cause of fear. They are mentioned by Duryodhana as great stumbling blocks on the path of victory because each and every one of them was as formidable as Bhima and Arjuna. He knew the strength of Bhima and Arjuna, and thus he compared the others with them.  %E2%80%A6.%0A%0ATEXT 5:  There are also great, heroic, powerful fighters like Dhrstaketu, Cekitana, Kasiraja, Purujit, Kuntibhoja and Saibya. %0A%0ATEXT 6:  O best of the brahmanas, for your information, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force. %0A%0ATEXT 7:  O best of the brahmanas, for your information, let me tell you about the captains who are especially qualified to lead my military force. %0A%0ATEXT 8:  There are personalities like yourself, Bhisma, Karna, Krpa, Asvatthama, Vikarna and the son of Somadatta called Bhurisrava, who are always victorious in battle.  %0A%0APURPORT:  Duryodhana mentioned the exceptional heroes in the battle, all of whom are ever-victorious. Vikarna is the brother of Duryodhana, Asvatthama is the son of Dronacarya, and Saumadatti, or Bhurisrava, is the son of the King of the Bahlikas. Karna is the half brother of Arjuna, as he was born of Kunti before her marriage with King Pandu. Krpacarya married the twin sister of Dronacarya.%0A%0ATEXT 9:  There are many other heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives for my sake. All of them are well equipped with different kinds of weapons, and all are experienced in military science.  %0A%0APURPORT:  As far as the others are concerned%E2%80%94like Jayadratha, Krtavarma, Salya, etc.%E2%80%94all are determined to lay down their lives for Duryodhana%E2%80%99s sake. In other words, it is already concluded that all of them would die in the Battle of Kuruksetra for joining the party of the sinful Duryodhana. Duryodhana was, of course, confident of his victory on account of the above-mentioned combined strength of his friends.  %0A %0ATEXT 10:  Our strength is immeasurable, and we are perfectly protected by Grandfather Bhisma, whereas the strength of the Pandavas, carefully protected by Bhima, is limited.  %0A%0APURPORT:  Herein an estimation of comparative strength is made by Duryodhana. He thinks that the strength of his armed forces is immeasurable, being specifically protected by the most experienced general, Grandfather Bhisma. On the other hand, the forces of the Pandavas are limited, being protected by a less experienced general, Bhima, who is like a fig in the presence of Bhisma. Duryodhana was always envious of Bhima because he knew perfectly well that if he should die at all, he would only be killed by Bhima. But at the same time, he was confident of his victory on account of the presence of Bhisma, who was a far superior general. His conclusion that he would come out of the battle victorious was well ascertained.  %E2%80%A6.%0A%0ATEXT 11:  Now all of you must give full support to Grandfather Bhisma, standing at your respective strategic points in the phalanx of the army.%0A%0APURPORT:  Duryodhana, after praising the prowess of Bhisma, further considered that others might think that they had been considered less important, so in his usual diplomatic way, he tried to adjust the situation in the above words. He emphasized that Bhismadeva was undoubtedly the greatest hero, but he was an old man, so everyone must especially think of his protection from all sides. He might become engaged in the fight, and the enemy might take advantage of his full engagement on one side. Therefore, it was important that other heroes would not leave their strategic positions and allow the enemy to break the phalanx. Duryodhana clearly felt that the victory of the Kurus depended on the presence of Bhismadeva. He was confident of the full support of Bhismadeva and Dronacarya in the battle because he well knew that they did not even speak a word when Arjuna%E2%80%99s wife Draupadi, in her helpless condition, had appealed to them for justice while she was being forced to strip naked in the presence of all the great generals in the assembly. Although he knew that the two generals had some sort of affection for the Pandavas, he hoped that all such affection would now be completely given up by them, as was customary during the gambling performances.  %0A%0ATEXT 12:  Then Bhisma, the great valiant grandsire of the Kuru dynasty, the grandfather of the fighters, blew his conch shell very loudly like the sound of a lion, giving Duryodhana joy.%0A%0APURPORT:  The grandsire of the Kuru dynasty could understand the inner meaning of the heart of his grandson Duryodhana, and out of his natural compassion for him he tried to cheer him by blowing his conch shell very loudly, befitting his position as a lion. Indirectly, by the symbolism of the conch shell, he informed his depressed grandson Duryodhana that he had no chance of victory in the battle, because the Supreme Lord Krishna was on the other side. But still, it was his duty to conduct the fight, and no pains would be spared in that connection.  %E2%80%A6%0A%0ATEXT 13:  After that, the conch shells, bugles, trumpets, drums and horns were all suddenly sounded, and the combined sound was tumultuous.%0A%0ATEXT 14:  On the other side, both Lord Krishna and Arjuna, stationed on a great chariot drawn by white horses, sounded their transcendental conch shells. %0A%0APURPORT:  In contrast with the conch shell blown by Bhismadeva, the conch shells in the hands of Krishna and Arjuna are described as transcendental. The sounding of the transcendental conch shells indicated that there was no hope of victory for the other side because Krishna was on the side of the Pandavas. Jayas tu pandu-putranam yesam pakse janardanah. Victory is always with persons like the sons of Pandu because Lord Krishna is associated with them. And whenever and wherever the Lord is present, the goddess of fortune is also there because the goddess of fortune never lives alone without her husband. Therefore, victory and fortune were awaiting Arjuna, as indicated by the transcendental sound produced by the conch shell of Visnu, or Lord Krishna. Besides that, the chariot on which both the friends were seated was donated by Agni (the fire-god) to Arjuna, and this indicated that this chariot was capable of conquering all sides, wherever it was drawn over the three worlds. %0A%0ATEXT 15:  Then, Lord Krishna blew His conch shell, called Pancajanya; Arjuna blew his, the Devadatta; and Bhima, the voracious eater and performer of Herculean tasks, blew his terrific conch shell called Paundram. %0A%0APURPORT:  Lord Krishna is referred to as Hrsikesa in this verse because He is the owner of all senses The living entities are part and parcel of Him, and, therefore, the senses of the living entities are also part and parcel of His senses. The impersonalists cannot account for the senses of the living entities, and therefore they are always anxious to describe all living entities as sense-less, or impersonal. The Lord, situated in the hearts of all living entities, directs their senses. But, He directs in terms of the surrender of the living entity, and in the case of a pure devotee He directly controls the senses. Here on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra the Lord directly controls the transcendental senses of Arjuna, and thus His particular name of Hrsikesa. The Lord has different names according to His different activities. For example, His name is Madhusudana because He killed the demon of the name Madhu; His name is Govinda because He gives pleasure to the cows and to the senses; His name is Vasudeva because He appeared as the son of Vasudeva; His name is Devaki-nandana because He accepted Devaki as His mother; His name is Yasoda-nandana because He awarded His childhood pastimes to Yasoda at Vrndavana; His name is Partha-sarathi because He worked as charioteer of His friend Arjuna. Similarly, His name is Hrsikesa because He gave direction to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra.  %E2%80%A6.%0AArjuna is referred to as Dhananjaya in this verse because he helped his elder brother in fetching wealth when it was required by the King to make expenditures for different sacrifices. Similarly, Bhima is known as Vrkodara because he could eat as voraciously as he could perform Herculean tasks, such as killing the demon Hidimba. So, the particular types of conch shell blown by the different personalities on the side of the Pandavas, beginning with the Lord%E2%80%99s, were all very encouraging to the fighting soldiers. On the other side there were no such credits, nor the presence of Lord Krishna, the supreme director, nor that of the goddess of fortune. So, they were predestined to lose the battle%E2%80%94and that was the message announced by the sounds of the conch shells.   %0A%0A%0ATEXTS 16%E2%80%9318:  King Yudhisthira, the son of Kunti, blew his conch shell, the Anantavijaya, and Nakula and Sahadeva blew the Sughosa and Manipuspaka. That great archer the King of Kasi, the great fighter Sikhandi, Dhrstadyumna, Virata and the unconquerable Satyaki, Drupada, the sons of Draupadi, and the others, O King, such as the son of Subhadra, greatly armed, all blew their respective conch shells.  %0A%0APURPORT:  Sanjaya informed King Dhrtarastra very tactfully that his unwise policy of deceiving the sons of Pandu and endeavoring to enthrone his own sons on the seat of the kingdom was not very laudable. The signs already clearly indicated that the whole Kuru dynasty would be killed in that great battle. Beginning with the grandsire, Bhisma, down to the grandsons like Abhimanyu and others%E2%80%94including kings from many states of the world%E2%80%94all were present there, and all were doomed. The whole catastrophe was due to King Dhrtarastra, because he encouraged the policy followed by his sons. %0A%0ATEXT 19:  The blowing of these different conch shells became uproarious, and thus, vibrating both in the sky and on the earth, it shattered the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra.%0A%0APURPORT:  When Bhisma and the others on the side of Duryodhana blew their respective conch shells, there was no heart-breaking on the part of the Pandavas. Such occurrences are not mentioned, but in this particular verse it is mentioned that the hearts of the sons of Dhrtarastra were shattered by the sounds vibrated by the Pandavas%E2%80%99 party. This is due to the Pandavas and their confidence in Lord Krishna. One who takes shelter of the Supreme Lord has nothing to fear, even in the midst of the greatest calamity.   %0A%0ATEXT 20:  O King, at that time Arjuna, the son of Pandu, who was seated in his chariot, his flag marked with Hanuman, took up his bow and prepared to shoot his arrows, looking at the sons of Dhrtarastra. O King, Arjuna then spoke to Hrsikesa %5BKrishna%5D these words:  %0A%0APURPORT:  The battle was just about to begin. It is understood from the above statement that the sons of Dhrtarastra were more or less disheartened by the unexpected arrangement of military force by the Pandavas, who were guided by the direct instructions of Lord Krishna on the battlefield. The emblem of Hanuman on the flag of Arjuna is another sign of victory because Hanuman cooperated with Lord Rama in the battle between Rama and Ravana, and Lord Rama emerged victorious. Now both Rama and Hanuman were present on the chariot of Arjuna to help him. Lord Krishna is Rama Himself, and wherever Lord Rama is, His eternal servitor Hanuman and His eternal consort Sita, the goddess of fortune, are present. Therefore, Arjuna had no cause to fear any enemies whatsoever. And above all, the Lord of the senses, Lord Krishna, was personally present to give him direction. Thus, all good counsel was available to Arjuna in the matter of executing the battle. In such auspicious conditions, arranged by the Lord for His eternal devotee, lay the signs of assured victory.  %0A%0ATEXTS 21%E2%80%9322:  Arjuna said: O infallible one, please draw my chariot between the two armies so that I may see who is present here, who is desirous of fighting, and with whom I must contend in this great battle attempt.  %0A%0APURPORT:  Although Lord Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, out of His causeless mercy He was engaged in the service of His friend. He never fails in His affection for His devotees, and thus He is addressed herein as infallible. As charioteer, He had to carry out the orders of Arjuna, and since He did not hesitate to do so, He is addressed as infallible. Although He had accepted the position of a charioteer for His devotee, His supreme position was not challenged. In all circumstances, He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hrsikesa, the Lord of the total senses. The relationship between the Lord and His servitor is very sweet and transcendental. The servitor is always ready to render a service to the Lord, and, similarly, the Lord is always seeking an opportunity to render some service to the devotee. He takes greater pleasure in His pure devotee%E2%80%99s assuming the advantageous position of ordering Him than He does in being the giver of orders. As master, everyone is under His orders, and no one is above Him to order Him. But when he finds that a pure devotee is ordering Him, He obtains transcendental pleasure, although He is the infallible master of all circumstances. %0A%0AAs a pure devotee of the Lord, Arjuna had no desire to fight with his cousins and brothers, but he was forced to come onto the battlefield by the obstinacy of Duryodhana, who was never agreeable to any peaceful negotiation. Therefore, he was very anxious to see who the leading persons present on the battlefield were. Although there was no question of a peacemaking endeavor on the battlefield, he wanted to see them again, and to see how much they were bent upon demanding an unwanted war.  %0A%0ATEXT 23:  Let me see those who have come here to fight, wishing to please the evil-minded son of Dhrtarastra.  %0A%0APURPORT:  It was an open secret that Duryodhana wanted to usurp the kingdom of the Pandavas by evil plans, in collaboration with his father, Dhrtarastra. Therefore, all persons who had joined the side of Duryodhana must have been birds of the same feather. Arjuna wanted to see them in the battlefield before the fight was begun, just to learn who they were, but he had no intention of proposing peace negotiations with them. It was also a fact that he wanted to see them to make an estimate of the strength which he had to face, although he was quite confident of victory because Krishna was sitting by his side.  %0A%0ATEXT 24:  Sanjaya said: O descendant of Bharata, being thus addressed by Arjuna, Lord Krishna drew up the fine chariot in the midst of the armies of both parties.%0A%0APURPORT:  In this verse Arjuna is referred to as Gudakesa. Gudaka means sleep, and one who conquers sleep is called gudakesa. Sleep also means ignorance. So Arjuna conquered both sleep and ignorance because of his friendship with Krishna. As a great devotee of Krishna, he could not forget Krishna even for a moment, because that is the nature of a devotee. Either in waking or in sleep, a devotee of the Lord can never be free from thinking of Krishna%E2%80%99s name, form, quality and pastimes. Thus a devotee of Krishna can conquer both sleep and ignorance simply by thinking of Krishna constantly. This is called Krishna consciousness, or samadhi. As Hrsikesa, or the director of the senses and mind of every living entity, Krishna could understand Arjuna%E2%80%99s purpose in placing the chariot in the midst of the armies. Thus He did so, and spoke as follows. %0A%0ATEXT 25:  In the presence of Bhisma, Drona and all other chieftains of the world, Hrsikesa, the Lord, said, Just behold, Partha, all the Kurus who are assembled here. %0A%0APURPORT:  As the Supersoul of all living entities, Lord Krishna could understand what was going on in the mind of Arjuna. The use of the word Hrsikesa in this connection indicates that He knew everything. And the word Partha, or the son of Kunti or Prtha, is also similarly significant in reference to Arjuna. As a friend, He wanted to inform Arjuna that because Arjuna was the son of Prtha, the sister of His own father Vasudeva, He had agreed to be the charioteer of Arjuna. Now what did Krishna mean when He told Arjuna to %E2%80%9Cbehold the Kurus%E2%80%9D? Did Arjuna want to stop there and not fight? Krishna never expected such things from the son of His aunt Prtha. The mind of Arjuna was thus predicated by the Lord in friendly joking.  %0A%0ATEXT 26:  There Arjuna could see, within the midst of the armies of both parties, his fathers, grandfathers, teachers, maternal uncles, brothers, sons, grandsons, friends, and also his father-in-law and well-wishers%E2%80%94all present there.  %0A%0APURPORT:  On the battlefield Arjuna could see all kinds of relatives. He could see persons like Bhurisrava, who were his father%E2%80%99s contemporaries, grandfathers Bhisma and Somadatta, teachers like Dronacarya and Krpacarya, maternal uncles like Salya and Sakuni, brothers like Duryodhana, sons like Laksmana, friends like Asvatthama, well-wishers like Krtavarma, etc. He could see also the armies which contained many of his friends.  %E2%80%A6.%0A%0ATEXT 27:  When the son of Kunti, Arjuna, saw all these different grades of friends and relatives, he became overwhelmed with compassion and spoke thus:  %E2%80%A6.%0A%0ATEXT 28:  Arjuna said: My dear Krishna, seeing my friends and relatives present before me in such a fighting spirit, I feel the limbs of my body quivering and my mouth drying up. %0A%0APURPORT:  Any man who has genuine devotion to the Lord has all the good qualities which are found in godly persons or in the demigods, whereas the nondevotees, however advanced he may be in material qualifications by education and culture, lacks in godly qualities. As such, Arjuna, just after seeing his kinsmen, friends and relatives on the battlefield, was at once overwhelmed by compassion for them who had so decided to fight amongst themselves. As far as his soldiers were concerned, h was sympathetic from the beginning, but he felt compassion even for the soldiers of the opposite party, foreseeing their imminent death. And so thinking, the limbs of his body began to quiver, and his mouth became dry. He was more or less astonished to see their fighting spirit. Practically the whole community, all blood relatives of Arjuna, had come to fight with him. This overwhelmed a kind devotee like Arjuna. Although it is not mentioned here, still one can easily imagine that not only were Arjuna%E2%80%99s bodily limbs quivering and his mouth drying up, but that he was also crying out of compassion. Such symptoms in Arjuna were not due to weakness but to his softheartedness, a characteristic of a pure devotee of the Lord. It is said therefore:  %0A%0Ayasyasti bhaktir bhagavaty akincana  %0Asarvair gunais tatra samasate surah  %0Aharav abhaktasya kuto mahad-guna  %0Amano-rathenasati dhavato bahih  %0A%0A%E2%80%9COne who has unflinching devotion for the Personality of Godhead has all the good qualities of the demigods. But one who is not a devotee of the Lord has only material qualifications that are of little value. This is because he is hovering on the mental plane and is certain to be attracted by the glaring material energy.%E2%80%9D (Bhag. 5.18.12)  %0A%0ATEXT 29:  My whole body is trembling, and my hair is standing on end. My bow Gandiva is slipping from my hand, and my skin is burning.  %0A%0APURPORT:  There are two kinds of trembling of the body, and two kinds of standings of the hair on end. Such phenomena occur either in great spiritual ecstasy or out of great fear under material conditions. There is no fear in transcendental realization. Arjuna%E2%80%99s symptoms in this situation are out of material fear%E2%80%94namely, loss of life. This is evident from other symptoms also; he became so impatient that his famous bow Gandiva was slipping from his hands, and, because his heart was burning within him, he was feeling a burning sensation of the skin. All these are due to a material conception of life. %0A%0ATEXT 30:  I am now unable to stand here any longer. I am forgetting myself, and my mind is reeling. I foresee only evil, O killer of the Kesi demon. %0A%0APURPORT:  Due to his impatience, Arjuna was unable to stay on the battlefield, and he was forgetting himself on account of the weakness of his mind. Excessive attachment for material things puts a man in a bewildering condition of existence. Bhayam dvitiyabhinivesatah: such fearfulness and loss of mental equilibrium take place in persons who are too affected by material conditions. Arjuna envisioned only unhappiness in the battlefield%E2%80%94he would not be happy even by gaining victory over the foe. The word nimitta is significant. When a man sees only frustration in his expectations, he thinks, %E2%80%9CWhy am I here?%E2%80%9D Everyone is interested in himself and his own welfare. No one is interested in the Supreme Self. Arjuna is supposed to show disregard for self-interest by submission to the will of Krishna, who is everyone%E2%80%99s real self-interest. The conditioned soul forgets this, and therefore suffers material pains. Arjuna thought that his victory in the battle would only be a cause of lamentation for him.  %E2%80%A6.%0A%0ATEXT 31:  I do not see how any good can come from killing my own kinsmen in this battle, nor can I, my dear Krishna, desire any subsequent victory, kingdom, or happiness.%0A%0APURPORT:  Without knowing that one%E2%80%99s self-interest is in Visnu (or Krishna), conditioned souls are attracted by bodily relationships, hoping to be happy in such situations. Under delusion, they forget that Krishna is also the cause of material happiness. Arjuna appears to have even forgotten the moral codes for a ksatriya. It is said that two kinds of men, namely the ksatriya who dies directly in front of the battlefield under Krishna%E2%80%99s personal orders and the person in the renounced order of life who is absolutely devoted to spiritual culture, are eligible to enter into the sun-globe, which is so powerful and dazzling. Arjuna is reluctant even to kill his enemies, let alone his relatives. He thought that by killing his kinsmen there would be no happiness in his life, and therefore he was not willing to fight, just as a person who does not feel hunger is not inclined to cook. He has now decided to go into the forest and live a secluded life in frustration. But as a ksatriya, he requires a kingdom for his subsistence, because the ksatriyas cannot engage themselves in any other occupation. But Arjuna has had no kingdom. Arjuna%E2%80%99s sole opportunity for gaining a kingdom lay in fighting with his cousins and brothers and reclaiming the kingdom inherited from his father, which he does not like to do. Therefore he considers himself fit to go to the forest to live a secluded life of frustration. %0A%0ATEXTS 32%E2%80%9335:  O Govinda, of what avail to us are kingdoms, happiness or even life itself when all those for whom we may desire them are now arrayed in this battlefield? O Madhusudana, when teachers, fathers, sons, grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law and all relatives are ready to give up their lives and properties and are standing before me, then why should I wish to kill them, though I may survive? O maintainer of all creatures, I am not prepared to fight with them even in exchange for the three worlds, let alone this earth.  %0A%0APURPORT:  Arjuna has addressed Lord Krishna as Govinda because Krishna is the object of all pleasures for cows and the senses. By using this significant word, Arjuna indicates what will satisfy his senses. Although Govinda is not meant for satisfying our senses, if we try to satisfy the senses of Govinda then automatically our own senses are satisfied. Materially, everyone wants to satisfy his senses, and he wants God to be the order supplier for such satisfaction. The Lord will satisfy the senses of the living entities as much as they deserve, but not to the extent that they may covet. But when one takes the opposite way%E2%80%94namely, when one tries to satisfy the senses of Govinda without desiring to satisfy one%E2%80%99s own senses%E2%80%94then by the grace of Govinda all desires of the living entity are satisfied. Arjuna%E2%80%99s deep affection for community and family members is exhibited here partly due to his natural compassion for them. He is therefore not prepared to fight. Everyone wants to show his opulence to friends and relatives, but Arjuna fears that all his relatives and friends will be killed in the battlefield, and he will be unable to share his opulence after victory. This is a typical calculation of material life. The transcendental life is, however, different. Since a devotee wants to satisfy the desires of the Lord, he can, Lord willing, accept all kinds of opulence for the service of the Lord, and if the Lord is not willing, he should not accept a farthing. Arjuna did not want to kill his relatives, and if there were any need to kill them, he desired that Krishna kill them personally. At this point he did not know that Krishna had already killed them before their coming into the battlefield and that he was only to become an instrument for Krishna. This fact is disclosed in following chapters. As a natural devotee of the Lord, Arjuna did not like to retaliate against his miscreant cousins and brothers, but it was the Lord%E2%80%99s plan that they should all be killed. The devotee of the Lord does not retaliate against the wrongdoer, but the Lord does not tolerate any mischief done to the devotee by the miscreants. The Lord can excuse a person on His own account, but He excuses no one who has done harm to His devotees. Therefore the Lord was determined to kill the miscreants, although Arjuna wanted to excuse them.   %0A%0ATEXT 36:  Sin will overcome us if we slay such aggressors. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill the sons of Dhrtarastra and our friends. What should we gain, O Krishna, husband of the goddess of fortune, and how could we be happy by killing our own kinsmen?  %0A%0APURPORT:  According to Vedic injunctions there are six kinds of aggressors: 1) a poison giver, 2) one who sets fire to the house, 3) one who attacks with deadly weapons, 4) one who plunders riches, 5) one who occupies another%E2%80%99s land, and 6) one who kidnaps a wife. Such aggressors are at once to be killed, and no sin is incurred by killing such aggressors. Such killing of aggressors is quite befitting for any ordinary man, but Arjuna was not an ordinary person. He was saintly by character, and therefore he wanted to deal with them in saintliness. This kind of saintliness, however, is not for a ksatriya. Although a responsible man in the administration of a state is required to be saintly, he should not be cowardly. For example, Lord Rama was so saintly that people were anxious to live in His kingdom, (Rama-rajya), but Lord Rama never showed any cowardice. Ravana was an aggressor against Rama because he kidnapped Rama%E2%80%99s wife, Sita, but Lord Rama gave him sufficient lessons, unparalleled in the history of the world. In Arjuna%E2%80%99s case, however, one should consider the special type of aggressors, namely his own grandfather, own teacher, friends, sons, grandsons, etc. Because of them, Arjuna thought that he should not take the severe steps necessary against ordinary aggressors. Besides that, saintly persons are advised to forgive. Such injunctions for saintly persons are more important than any political emergency. Arjuna considered that rather than kill his own kinsmen for political reasons, it would be better to forgive them on grounds of religion and saintly behavior. He did not, therefore, consider such killing profitable simply for the matter of temporary bodily happiness. After all, kingdoms and pleasures derived therefrom are not permanent, so why should he risk his life and eternal salvation by killing his own kinsmen? Arjuna%E2%80%99s addressing of Krishna as %E2%80%9CMadhava,%E2%80%9D or the husband of the goddess of fortune, is also significant in this connection. He wanted to point out to Krishna that, as husband of the goddess of fortune, He should not have to induce Arjuna to take up a matter which would ultimately bring about misfortune. Krishna, however, never brings misfortune to anyone, to say nothing of His devotees.  %0A%0ATEXTS 37%E2%80%9338:  O Janardana, although these men, overtaken by greed, see no fault in killing one%E2%80%99s family or quarrelling with friends, why should we, with knowledge of the sin, engage in these acts?  %0A%0APURPORT:  A ksatriya is not supposed to refuse to battle or gamble when he is so invited by some rival party. Under such obligation, Arjuna could not refuse to fight because he was challenged by the party of Duryodhana. In this connection, Arjuna considered that the other party might be blind to the effects of such a challenge. Arjuna, however, could see the evil consequences and could not accept the challenge. Obligation is actually binding when the effect is good, but when the effect is otherwise, then no one can be bound. Considering all these pros and cons, Arjuna decided not to fight.  %0A%0ATEXT 39:  With the destruction of dynasty, the eternal family tradition is vanquished, and thus the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligious practice.%0A%0APURPORT:  In the system of the varnasrama institution there are many principles of religious traditions to help members of the family grow properly and attain spiritual values. The elder members are responsible for such purifying processes in the family, beginning from birth to death. But on the death of the elder members, such family traditions of purification may stop, and the remaining younger family members may develop irreligious habits and thereby lose their chance for spiritual salvation. Therefore, for no purpose should the elder members of the family be slain.%0A%0ATEXT 40:  When irreligion is prominent in the family, O Krishna, the women of the family become corrupt, and from the degradation of womanhood, O descendant of Vrsni, comes unwanted progeny. %0A%0APURPORT:  Good population in human society is the basic principle for peace, prosperity and spiritual progress in life. The varnasrama religion%E2%80%99s principles were so designed that the good population would prevail in society for the general spiritual progress of state and community. Such population depends on the chastity and faithfulness of its womanhood. As children are very prone to be misled, women are similarly very prone to degradation. Therefore, both children and women require protection by the elder members of the family. By being engaged in various religious practices, women will not be misled into adultery. According to Canakya Pandit, women are generally not very intelligent and therefore not trustworthy. So, the different family traditions of religious activities should always engage them, and thus their chastity and devotion will give birth to a good population eligible for participating in the varnasrama system. On the failure of such varnasrama-dharma, naturally the women become free to act and mix with men, and thus adultery is indulged in at the risk of unwanted population. Irresponsible men also provoke adultery in society, and thus unwanted children flood the human race at the risk of war and pestilence. %0A%0ATEXT 41:  When there is increase of unwanted population, a hellish situation is created both for the family and for those who destroy the family tradition. In such corrupt families, there is no offering of oblations of food and water to the ancestors.%0A%0APURPORT:  According to the rules and regulations of fruitive activities, there is a need to offer periodical food and water to the forefathers of the family. This offering is performed by worship of Visnu, because eating the remnants of food offered to Visnu can deliver one from all kinds of sinful actions. Sometimes the forefathers may be suffering from various types of sinful reactions, and sometimes some of them cannot even acquire a gross material body and are forced to remain in subtle bodies as ghosts. Thus, when remnants of prasadam food are offered to forefathers by descendants, the forefathers are released from ghostly or other kinds of miserable life. Such help rendered to forefathers is a family tradition, and those who are not in devotional life are required to perform such rituals. One who is engaged in the devotional life is not required to perform such actions. Simply by performing devotional service, one can deliver hundreds and thousands of forefathers from all kinds of misery. It is stated in the Bhagavatam: %0A %0Adevarsi-bhutapta-nrnam pitrnam  %0Ana kinkaro nayamrni ca rajan %0Asarvatmana yah saranam saranyam   %0Agato mukundam parihrtya kartam%0A%0A%E2%80%9CAnyone who has taken shelter of the lotus feet of Mukunda, the giver of liberation, giving up all kinds of obligation, and has taken to the path in all seriousness, owes neither duties nor obligations to the demigods, sages, general living entities, family members, humankind or forefathers.%E2%80%9D (Bhag. 11.5.41) Such obligations are automatically Fulfilled by performance of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.   %0A%0ATEXT 42:  Due to the evil deeds of the destroyers of family tradition, all kinds of community projects and family welfare activities are devastated. %0A%0APURPORT:  The four orders of human society, combined with family welfare activities as they are set forth by the institution of the sanatana-dharma or varnasrama-dharma, are designed to enable the human being to attain his ultimate salvation. Therefore, the breaking of the sanatana-dharma tradition by irresponsible leaders of society brings about chaos in that society, and consequently people forget the aim of life%E2%80%94Visnu. Such leaders are called blind, and persons who follow such leaders are sure to be led into chaos.  %E2%80%A6.%0A%0ATEXT 43:  O Krishna, maintainer of the people, I have heard by disciplic succession that those who destroy family traditions dwell always in hell. %0A%0APURPORT:  Arjuna bases his argument not on his own personal experience, but on what he has heard from the authorities. That is the way of receiving real knowledge. One cannot reach the real point of factual knowledge without being helped by the right person who is already established in that knowledge. There is a system in the varnasrama institution by which one has to undergo the process of ablution before death for his sinful activities. One who is always engaged in sinful activities must utilize the process of ablution called the prayascitta. Without doing so, one surely will be transferred to hellish planets to undergo miserable lives as the result of sinful activities.  %0A%0ATEXT 44:  Alas, how strange it is that we are preparing to commit greatly sinful acts, driven by the desire to enjoy royal happiness. %0A%0APURPORT:  Driven by selfish motives, one may be inclined to such sinful acts as the killing of one%E2%80%99s own brother, father, or mother. There are many such instances in the history of the world. But Arjuna, being a saintly devotee of the Lord, is always conscious of moral principles and therefore takes care to avoid such activities.   %0A%0ATEXT 45:  I would consider it better for the sons of Dhrtarastra to kill me unarmed and unresisting, rather than fight with them.  %0A%0APURPORT:  It is the custom%E2%80%94according to ksatriya fighting principles%E2%80%94that an unarmed and unwilling foe should not be attacked. Arjuna, however, in such an enigmatic position, decided he would not fight if he were attacked by the enemy. He did not consider how much the other party was bent upon fighting. All these symptoms are due to softheartedness resulting from his being a great devotee of the Lord.   %0A%0ATEXT 46:  Sanjaya said: Arjuna, having thus spoken on the battlefield, cast aside his bow and arrows and sat down on the chariot, his mind overwhelmed with grief.  %0A%0APURPORT:  While observing the situation of his enemy, Arjuna stood up on the chariot, but he was so afflicted with lamentation that he sat down again, setting aside his bow and arrows. Such a kind and softhearted person, in the devotional service of the Lord, is fit to receive self-knowledge.   %0A%0AThus end the Bhaktivedanta PURPORTS to the First Chapter of the Srimad-Bhagavad-gita in the matter of Observing the Armies on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra.%0A%0A DONATION REQUEST%0A %0AIf this blog post has stimulated you, or is valued or appreciated by you for any personal reason, or helped you advance your understanding of the subject matter presented; please visit my blog, follow me, up vote, reply, resteem and/or - consider donating to help me continue to spread this knowledge.  I will never use these funds for any personal expense.  The following are my crypto-coin wallet addresses. 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      "permlink": "bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-chapter-1",
      "title": "Bhagavad-gita As It Is. English Texts and Purports and Audio Narration. CHAPTER 1",
      "body": "<center><a href=\"https://dsound.audio/#/@upendranath/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-chapter-1\"><img src=\"https://mercury.i.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmcP5pp2q8myXtXi5MeXbRUbb18pdXHUw5GTpwM73W5LoP\" width=\"400px\"></a></center>\n      <hr>Bhagavad-gita As It Is. By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. English Texts and Purports from 1972 Macmillan Edition. Narrated By Siksastaka Dasa from: <a href=\"http://krishnapath.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">krishnapath.org</a> <br>\nNOTE FOR DSound'ees ONLY: Texts and Purports for just reading or  viewing and listening at same time; you must go to my Steemit Blog and find Post at <a href=\"http://steemit.com/@upendranath\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">steemit.com/@upendranath</a>&lt;/a.  Or go directly to Post on my Steemit Blog with this link:: <a href=\"http://steemit.com/dsound/@upendranath/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-chapter-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">steemit.com/dsound/@upendranath/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-chapter-1</a><hr>\n      <a href=\"https://dsound.audio/#/@upendranath/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-chapter-1\">► Listen on DSound</a><br>\n      <a href=\"https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmSsbpqnnrG7Bw72A3K64Skf1GBRvUEqhbWyV2tyf41QZc\">► Listen from source (IPFS)</a>",
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      "title": "Bhagavad-gita As It Is. English Texts and Purports and Audio Narration. INTRODUCTION",
      "body": "<center><a href=\"https://dsound.audio/#/@upendranath/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-introduction\"><img src=\"https://mercury.i.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmcP5pp2q8myXtXi5MeXbRUbb18pdXHUw5GTpwM73W5LoP\" width=\"400px\"></a></center>\n      <hr>Bhagavad-gita As It Is. By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. English Texts and Purports from 1972 Macmillan Edition. Narrated By Siksastaka Dasa from: <a href=\"http://krishnapath.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">krishnapath.org</a> Text for reading and/or viewing, is below; however, it will only be found on my Steemit Blog at <a href=\"http://steemit.com/@upendranath\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">steemit.com/@upendranath</a>.<hr>\n      <a href=\"https://dsound.audio/#/@upendranath/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-introduction\">► Listen on DSound</a><br>\n      <a href=\"https://scrappy.i.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmWaNMGhokUTNrEjEEnPhDXkVGk9dn18EB2WCjHapYfXxm\">► Listen from source (IPFS)</a>\nTo listen to narration and view Texts and Purports at the same time: Right click Option to Listen on/from, and select \"Open In New Tab\".\n\nINTRODUCTION  \n\nom ajnana-timirandhasya   \njnananjana-salakaya   \ncaksur unmilitam yena   \ntasmai Sri-gurave namah   \nsri-caitanya-mano-’bhistam   \nsthapitam yena bhu-tale   \nsvayam rupah kada mahyam  \ndadati sva-padantikam   \n\nI was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.    \n\nWhen will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to Fulfil the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?   \n\nvande ’ham Sri-guroh Sri-yuta-pada-kamalam Sri-gurun vaisnavams ca   \nSri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam   \nsadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam Krishna-caitanya-devam   \nSri-radha-Krishna-padan saha-gana-lalita-Sri-visakhanvitams ca \n\nI offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and unto the feet of all Vaisnavas. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Srila Rupa Gosvami along with his elder brother Sanatana Gosvami, as well as Raghunatha Dasa and Raghunatha Bhatta, Gopala Bhatta, and Srila Jiva Gosvami. I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Krishna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda along with Advaita Acarya, Gadadhara, Srivasa, and other associates. I offer my respectful obeisances to Srimati Radharani and Sri Krishna along with Their associates, Sri Lalita and Visakha.  \n\nhe Krishna karuna-sindho dina-bandho jagat-pate  \ngopesa gopika-kanta radha-kanta namo ’stu te \n\nO my dear Krishna, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the gopis and the lover of Radharani. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.\n\ntapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari  \nvrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye  \n\nI offer my respects to Radharani whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrndavana. You are the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krishna.\n\nvancha-kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca \npatitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah  \n\nI offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord who can Fulfil the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and who are full of compassion for the fallen souls.  \n\nSri Krishna caitanya prabhu nityananda  \nSri advaita gadadhara Srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda\n\nI offer my obeisances to Sri Krishna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri   .Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa and all others in the line of devotion. \n\nhare Krishna, hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, hare hare  \nhare rama, hare rama, rama rama, hare hare.  \n\nBhagavad-gita is also known as Gitopanisad. It is the essence of Vedic knowledge and one of the most important Upanisads in Vedic literature.   Of course there are many commentaries in English on the Bhagavad-gita, and one may question the necessity for another one. This present edition can be explained in the following way. Recently an American lady asked me to recommend an English translation of Bhagavad-gita. Of course in America there are so many editions of Bhagavad-gita available in English, but as far as I have seen, not only in America but also in India, none of them can be strictly said to be authoritative because in almost every one of them the commentator has expressed his own opinions without touching the spirit of Bhagavad-gita as it is.   \n\nThe spirit of Bhagavad-gita is mentioned in Bhagavad-gita itself. It is just like this: if we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the directions written on the label. We cannot take the medicine according to our own whim or the direction of a friend. It must be taken according to the directions on the label or the directions given by a physician. Similarly, Bhagavad-gita should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker himself.   \n\nThe speaker of Bhagavad-gita is Lord Sri Krishna. He is mentioned on every page of Bhagavad-gita as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. Of course the word “bhagavan” sometimes refers to any powerful person or any powerful demigod, and certainly here Bhagavan designates Lord Sri Krishna as a great personality, but at the same time we should know that Lord Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as is confirmed by all great acaryas (spiritual masters) like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Nimbarka Svami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and many other authorities of Vedic knowledge in India. The Lord Himself also establishes Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gita, and He is accepted as such in the Brahma-samhita and all the Puranas, especially the Srimad-Bhagavatam, known as the Bhagavata Purana (Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam). Therefore we should take Bhagavad-gita as it is directed by the Personality of Godhead Himself. \n\nIn the Fourth Chapter of the Gita the Lord says:  \n\n(1) imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam   \nvivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave ’bravit  \n(2) evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh   \nsa kaleneha mahata yogo nastah parantapa  \n(3) sa evayam maya te ’dya yogah proktah puratanah   \nbhakto ’si me sakha ceti rahasyam hy etad uttamam \n\nHere the Lord informs Arjuna that this system of yoga, the Bhagavad-gita, was first spoken to the sun-god, and the sun-god explained it to Manu, and Manu explained it to Iksvaku, and in that way, by disciplic succession, one speaker after another, this yoga system has been coming down. But in the course of time it has become lost. Consequently the Lord has to speak it again, this time to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra.   \n\nHe tells Arjuna that He is relating this supreme secret to him because he is His devotee and His friend. The PURPORT:  of this is that Bhagavad-gita is a treatise which is especially meant for the devotee of the Lord. There are three classes of transcendentalists, namely the jnani, the yogi and the bhakta, or the impersonalist, the meditator and the devotee. Here the Lord clearly tells Arjuna that He is making him the first receiver of a new parampara (disciplic succession) because the old succession was broken. It was the Lord’s wish, therefore, to establish another parampara in the same line of thought that was coming down from the sun-god to others, and it was His wish that His teaching be distributed anew by Arjuna. He wanted Arjuna to become the authority in understanding the Bhagavad-gita. So we see that Bhagavad-gita is instructed to Arjuna especially because Arjuna was a devotee of the Lord, a direct student of Krishna, and His intimate friend. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is best understood by a person who has qualities similar to Arjuna’s. That is to say he must be a devotee in a direct relationship with the Lord. As soon as one becomes a devotee of the Lord, he also has a direct relationship with the Lord. That is a very elaborate subject matter, but briefly it can be stated that a devotee is in a relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in one of five different ways:  \n\n1. One may be a devotee in a passive state;\n2. One may be a devotee in an active state;\n3. One may be a devotee as a friend;\n4. One may be a devotee as a parent;\n5. One may be a devotee as a conjugal lover.   \n\nArjuna was in a relationship with the Lord as friend. Of course there is a gulf of difference between this friendship and the friendship found in the material world. This is transcendental friendship which cannot be had by everyone. Of course everyone has a particular relationship with the Lord, and that relationship is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. But in the present status of our life, we have not only forgotten the Supreme Lord, but we have forgotten our eternal relationship with the Lord. Every living being, out of many, many billions and trillions of living beings, has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally. That is called svarupa. By the process of devotional service, one can revive that svarupa, and that stage is called svarupa-siddhi—perfection of one’s constitutional position. So Arjuna was a devotee, and he was in touch with the Supreme Lord in friendship.\nHow Arjuna accepted this Bhagavad-gita should be noted. His manner of acceptance is given in the Tenth Chapter.   \n\n(12) arjuna uvaca  \nparam brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan   \npurusam sasvatam divyam adi-devam ajam vibhum   \n(13) ahus tvam rsayah sarve devarsir naradas tatha   \nasito devalo vyasah svayam caiva bravisi me \n(14) sarvam etad rtam manye yan mam vadasi kesava  \nna hi te bhagavan vyaktim vidur deva na danavah \n\n“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal Divine Person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages like Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me. O Krishna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality.” (Bg. 10. 12–14).  \n\nAfter hearing Bhagavad-gita from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna accepted Krishna as Param Brahma, the Supreme Brahman. Every living being is Brahman, but the supreme living being, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the Supreme Brahman. Param dhama means that He is the supreme rest or abode of everything, pavitram means that He is pure, untainted by material contamination, purusam means that He is the supreme enjoyer, divyam, transcendental, adi-devam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, ajam, the unborn, and vibhum, the greatest, the all-pervading.\n\nNow one may think that because Krishna was the friend of Arjuna, Arjuna was telling Him all this by way of flattery, but Arjuna, just to drive out this kind of doubt from the minds of the readers of Bhagavad-gita, substantiates these praises in the next verse when he says that Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead not only by himself but by authorities like the sage Narada, Asita, Devala, Vyasadeva and so on. These are great personalities who distribute the Vedic knowledge as it is accepted by all acaryas. Therefore Arjuna tells Krishna that he accepts whatever He says to be completely perfect. Sarvam etad rtam manye: “I accept everything You say to be true.” Arjuna also says that the personality of the Lord is very difficult to understand and that He cannot be known even by the great demigods. This means that the Lord cannot even be known by personalities greater than human beings. So how can a human being understand SRI Krishna without becoming His devotee? \n\nTherefore Bhagavad-gita should be taken up in a spirit of devotion. One should not think that he is equal to Krishna, nor should he think that Krishna is an ordinary personality or even a very great personality. Lord SRI Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at least theoretically, according to the statements of Bhagavad-gita or the statements of Arjuna, the person who is trying to understand the Bhagavad-gita. We should therefore at least theoretically accept SRI Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and with that submissive spirit we can understand the Bhagavad-gita. Unless one reads the Bhagavad-gita in a submissive spirit, it is very difficult to understand Bhagavad-gita because it is a great mystery.  \n\nJust what is the Bhagavad-gita? The purpose of Bhagavad-gita is to deliver mankind from the nescience of material existence. Every man is in difficulty in so many ways, as Arjuna also was in difficulty in having to fight the Battle of Kuruksetra. Arjuna surrendered unto SRI Krishna, and consequently this Bhagavad-gita was spoken. Not only Arjuna, but every one of us is full of anxieties because of this material existence. Our very existence is in the atmosphere of nonexistence. Actually we are not meant to be threatened by nonexistence. Our existence is eternal. But somehow or other we are put into asat. Asat refers to that which does not exist.   \nOut of so many human beings who are suffering, there are a few who are actually inquiring about their position, as to what they are, why they are put into this awkward position and so on. Unless one is awakened to this position of questioning his suffering, unless he realizes that he doesn’t want suffering but rather wants to make a solution to all sufferings, then one is not to be considered a perfect human being. Humanity begins when this sort of inquiry is awakened in one’s mind. In the Brahma-sutra this inquiry is called “brahma-jijnasa.” Every activity of the human being is to be considered a failure unless he inquires about the nature of the Absolute. Therefore those who begin to question why they are suffering or where they came from and where they shall go after death are proper students for understanding Bhagavad-gita. The sincere student should also have a firm respect for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a student was Arjuna.   \n\nLord Krishna descends specifically to reestablish the real purpose of life when man forgets that purpose. Even then, out of many, many human beings who awaken, there may be one who actually enters the spirit of understanding his position, and for him this Bhagavad-gita is spoken. Actually we are all followed by the tiger of nescience, but the Lord is very merciful upon living entities, especially human beings. To this end He spoke the Bhagavad-gita, making His friend Arjuna His student.   \n\nBeing an associate of Lord Krishna, Arjuna was above all ignorance, but Arjuna was put into ignorance on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra just to question Lord Krishna about the problems of life so that the Lord could explain them for the benefit of future generations of human beings and chalk out the plan of life. Then man could act accordingly and perfect the mission of human life.  \n\nThe subject of the Bhagavad-gita entails the comprehension of five basic truths. First of all, the science of God is explained and then the constitutional position of the living entities, jivas. There is isvara, which means controller, and there are jivas, the living entities which are controlled. If a living entity says that he is not controlled but that he is free, then he is insane. The living being is controlled in every respect, at least in his conditioned life. So in the Bhagavad-gita the subject matter deals with the isvara, the supreme controller, and the jivas, the controlled living entities. Prakrti (material nature) and time (the duration of existence of the whole universe or the manifestation of material nature) and karma (activity) are also discussed. The cosmic manifestation is full of different activities. All living entities are engaged in different activities. From Bhagavad-gita we must learn what God is, what the living entities are, what prakrti is, what the cosmic manifestation is and how it is controlled by time, and what the activities of the living entities are.   \n\nOut of these five basic subject matters in Bhagavad-gita it is established that the Supreme Godhead, or Krishna, or Brahman, or supreme controller, or Paramatma—you may use whatever name you like—is the greatest of all. The living beings are in quality like the supreme controller. For instance, the Lord has control over the universal affairs, over material nature, etc., as will be explained in the later chapters of Bhagavad-gita. Material nature is not independant. She is acting under the directions of the Supreme Lord. As Lord Krishna says, “Prakrti is working under My direction.” When we see wonderful things happening in the cosmic nature, we should know that behind this cosmic manifestation there is a controller. Nothing could be manifested without being controlled. It is childish not to consider the controller. For instance, a child may think that an automobile is quite wonderful to be able to run without a horse or other animal pulling it, but a sane man knows the nature of the automobile’s engineering arrangement. He always knows that behind the machinery there is a man, a driver. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is a driver under whose direction everything is working. Now the jivas, or the living entities, have been accepted by the Lord, as we will note in the later chapters, as His parts and parcels. A particle of gold is also gold, a drop of water from the ocean is also salty, and similarly, we the living entities, being part and parcel of the supreme controller, isvara, or Bhagavan, Lord Sri Krishna, have all the qualities of the Supreme Lord in minute quantity because we are minute isvaras, subordinate isvaras. We are trying to control nature, as presently we are trying to control space or planets, and this tendency to control is there because it is in Krishna. But although we have a tendency to lord it over material nature, we should know that we are not the supreme controller. This is explained in Bhagavad-gita.\nWhat is material nature? This is also explained in Gita as inferior prakrti, inferior nature. The living entity is explained as the superior prakrti. Prakrti is always under control, whether inferior or superior. Prakrti is female, and she is controlled by the Lord just as the activities of a wife are controlled by the husband. Prakrti is always subordinate, predominated by the Lord, who is the predominator. The living entities and material nature are both predominated, controlled by the Supreme Lord. According to the Gita, the living entities, although parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are to be considered prakrti. This is clearly mentioned in the Seventh Chapter, fifth verse of Bhagavad-gita: “Apareyam itas tv anyam.” “This prakrti is My lower nature.” “Prakrtim viddhi me param jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat.” And beyond this there is another prakrti: jiva-bhutam, the living entity.  \n\nPrakrti itself is constituted by three qualities: the mode of goodness, the mode of passion and the mode of ignorance. Above these modes there is eternal time, and by a combination of these modes of nature and under the control and purview of eternal time there are activities which are called karma. These activities are being carried out from time immemorial, and we are suffering or enjoying the fruits of our activities. For instance, suppose I am a businessman and have worked very hard with intelligence and have amassed a great bank balance. Then I am an enjoyer. But then say I have lost all my money in business; then I am a sufferer. Similarly, in every field of life we enjoy the results of our work, or we suffer the results. This is called karma.  ….\n\nIsvara (the Supreme Lord), jiva (the living entity), prakrti (nature), eternal time and karma (activity) are all explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Out of these five, the Lord, the living entities, material nature and time are eternal. The manifestation of prakrti may be temporary, but it is not false. Some philosophers say that the manifestation of material nature is false, but according to the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita or according to the philosophy of the Vaisnavas, this is not so. The manifestation of the world is not accepted as false; it is accepted as real, but temporary. It is likened unto a cloud which moves across the sky, or the coming of the rainy season which nourishes grains. As soon as the rainy season is over and as soon as the cloud goes away, all the crops which were nourished by the rain dry up. Similarly, this material manifestation takes place at a certain interval, stays for a while and then disappears. Such are the workings of prakrti But this cycle is working eternally. Therefore prakrti is eternal; it is not false. The Lord refers to this as “My prakrti.” This material nature is the separated energy of the Supreme Lord, and similarly the living entities are also the energy of the Supreme Lord, but they are not separated. They are eternally related. So the Lord, the living entity, material nature and time are all interrelated and are all eternal. However, the other item, karma, is not eternal. The effects of karma may be very old indeed. We are suffering or enjoying the results of our activities from time immemorial, but we can change the results of our karma, or our activity, and this change depends on the perfection of our knowledge. We are engaged in various activities. Undoubtedly we do not know what sort of activities we should adopt to gain relief from the actions and reactions of all these activities, but this is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita.   \n\nThe position of isvara is that of supreme consciousness. The jivas, or the living entities, being parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are also conscious. Both the living entity and material nature are explained as prakrti, the energy of the Supreme Lord, but one of the two, the jiva, is conscious. The other prakrti is not conscious. That is the difference. Therefore the jiva-prakrti is called superior because the jiva has consciousness which is similar to the Lord’s. The Lord’s is supreme consciousness, however, and one should not claim that the jiva, the living entity, is also supremely conscious. The living being cannot be supremely conscious at any stage of his perfection, and the theory that he can be so is a misleading theory. Conscious he may be, but he is not perfectly or supremely conscious. \n\nThe distinction between the jiva and the isvara will be explained in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. The Lord is ksetra-jnah, conscious, as is the living being, but the living being is conscious of his particular body, whereas the Lord is conscious of all bodies. Because He lives in the heart of every living being, He is conscious of the psychic movements of the particular jivas. We should not forget this. It is also explained that the Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is living in everyone’s heart as isvara, as the controller, and that He is giving directions for the living entity to act as he desires. The living entity forgets what to do. First of all he makes a determination to act in a certain way, and then he is entangled in the acts and reactions of his own karma. After giving up one type of body, he enters another type of body, as we put on and take off old clothes. As the soul thus migrates, he suffers the actions and reactions of his past activities. These activities can be changed when the living being is in the mode of goodness, in sanity, and understands what sort of activities he should adopt. If he does so, then all the actions and reactions of his past activities can be changed. Consequently, karma is not eternal. Therefore we stated that of the five items (isvara, jiva, prakrti time and karma) four are eternal, whereas karma is not eternal. \n\nThe supreme conscious isvara is similar to the living entity in this way: both the consciousness of the Lord and that of the living entity are transcendental. It is not that consciousness is generated by the association of matter. That is a mistaken idea. The theory that consciousness develops under certain circumstances of material combination is not accepted in the Bhagavad-gita. Consciousness may be pervertedly reflected by the covering of material circumstances, just as light reflected through colored glass may appear to be a certain color, but the consciousness of the Lord is not materially affected. Lord Krishna says, “mayadhyaksena prakrtih.” When He descends into the material universe, His consciousness is not materially affected. If He were so affected, He would be unfit to speak on transcendental matters as He does in the Bhagavad-gita. One cannot say anything about the transcendental world without being free from materially contaminated consciousness. So the Lord is not materially contaminated. Our consciousness, at the present moment, however, is materially contaminated. The Bhagavad-gita teaches that we have to purify this materially contaminated consciousness. In pure consciousness, our actions will be dovetailed to the will of isvara, and that will make us happy. It is not that we have to cease all activities. Rather, our activities are to be purified, and purified activities are called bhakti. Activities in bhakti appear to be like ordinary activities, but they are not contaminated. An ignorant person may see that a devotee is acting or working like an ordinary man, but such a person with a poor fund of knowledge does not know that the activities of the devotee or of the Lord are not contaminated by impure consciousness or matter. They are transcendental to the three modes of nature. We should know, however, that at this point our consciousness is contaminated.   \n\nWhen we are materially contaminated, we are called conditioned. False consciousness is exhibited under the impression that I am a product of material nature. This is called false ego. One who is absorbed in the thought of bodily conceptions cannot understand his situation. Bhagavad-gita was spoken to liberate one from the bodily conception of life, and Arjuna put himself in this position in order to receive this information from the Lord. One must become free from the bodily conception of life; that is the preliminary activity for the transcendentalist. One who wants to become free, who wants to become liberated, must first of all learn that he is not this material body. Mukti or liberation means freedom from material consciousness. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam also the definition of liberation is given: Mukti means liberation from the contaminated consciousness of this material world and situation in pure consciousness. All the instructions of Bhagavad-gita are intended to awaken this pure consciousness, and therefore we find at the last stage of the Gita’s instructions that Krishna is asking Arjuna whether he is now in purified consciousness. Purified consciousness means acting in accordance with the instructions of the Lord. This is the whole sum and substance of purified consciousness. Consciousness is already there because we are part and parcel of the Lord, but for us there is the affinity of being affected by the inferior modes. But the Lord, being the Supreme, is never affected. That is the difference between the Supreme Lord and the conditioned souls.   \n\nWhat is this consciousness? This consciousness is “I am.” Then what am I? In contaminated consciousness “I am” means “I am the lord of all I survey. I am the enjoyer.” The world revolves because every living being thinks that he is the lord and creator of the material world. Material consciousness has two psychic divisions. One is that I am the creator, and the other is that I am the enjoyer. But actually the Supreme Lord is both the creator and the enjoyer, and the living entity, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, is neither the creator nor the enjoyer, but a cooperator. He is the created and the enjoyed. \n\nFor instance, a part of a machine cooperates with the whole machine; a part of the body cooperates with the whole body. The hands, feet, eyes, legs and so on are all parts of the body, but they are not actually the enjoyers. The stomach is the enjoyer. The legs move, the hands supply food, the teeth chew and all parts of the body are engaged in satisfying the stomach because the stomach is the principal factor that nourishes the body’s organization. Therefore everything is given to the stomach. One nourishes the tree by watering its root, and one nourishes the body by feeding the stomach, for if the body is to be kept in a healthy state, then the parts of the body must cooperate to feed the stomach. \n\nSimilarly, the Supreme Lord is the enjoyer and the creator, and we, as subordinate living beings, are meant to cooperate to satisfy Him. This cooperation will actually help us, just as food taken by the stomach will help all other parts of the body. If the fingers of the hand think that they should take the food themselves instead of giving it to the stomach, then they will be frustrated. The central figure of creation and of enjoyment is the Supreme Lord, and the living entities are cooperators. By cooperation they enjoy. The relation is also like that of the master and the servant. If the master is fully satisfied, then the servant is satisfied. Similarly, the Supreme Lord should be satisfied, although the tendency to become the creator and the tendency to enjoy the material world are there also in the living entities because these tendencies are there in the Supreme Lord who has created the manifested cosmic world.\n\nWe shall find, therefore, in this Bhagavad-gita that the complete whole is comprised of the supreme controller, the controlled living entities, the cosmic manifestation, eternal time, and karma, or activities, and all of these are explained in this text. All of these taken completely form the complete whole, and the complete whole is called the Supreme Absolute Truth. The complete whole and the complete Absolute Truth are the Supreme Personality of Godhead,Sri Krishna. All manifestations are due to His different energies. He is the complete whole.  \n\nIt is also explained in the Gita that impersonal Brahman is also subordinate to the complete. Brahman is more explicitly explained in the Brahma-sutra to be like the rays of the sunshine. The impersonal Brahman is the shining rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Impersonal Brahman is incomplete realization of the absolute whole, and so also is the conception of Paramatma in the Twelfth Chapter. There it shall be seen that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Purusottama, is above both impersonal Brahman and the partial realization of Paramatma. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is called sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. The Brahma-samhita begins in this way: isvarah paramah Krishnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah/anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam. “Krishna is the cause of all causes. He is the primal cause, and He is the very form of eternal being, knowledge and bliss.” Impersonal Brahman realization is the realization of His sat (being) feature. Paramatma realization is the realization of the cit (eternal knowledge) feature. But realization of the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is realization of all the transcendental features: sat, cit and ananda (being, knowledge, bliss) in complete vigraha (form).  \n\nPeople with less intelligence consider the Supreme Truth to be impersonal, but He is a transcendental person, and this is confirmed in all Vedic literatures. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. As we are all individual living beings and have our individuality, the Supreme Absolute Truth is also, in the ultimate issue, a person, and realization of the Personality of Godhead is realization of all of the transcendental features. The complete whole is not formless. If He is formless, or if He is less than any other thing, then He cannot be the complete whole. The complete whole must have everything within our experience and beyond our experience, otherwise it cannot be complete. The complete whole, Personality of Godhead, has immense potencies.   \n\nHow Krishna is acting in different potencies is also explained in Bhagavad-gita. This phenomenal world or material world in which we are placed is also complete in itself because the twenty-four elements of which this material universe is a temporary manifestation, according to Sankhya philosophy, are completely adjusted to produce complete resources which are necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe. There is nothing extraneous; nor is there anything needed. This manifestation has its own time fixed by the energy of the supreme whole, and when its time is complete, these temporary manifestations will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete. There is complete facility for the small complete units, namely the living entities, to realize the complete, and all sorts of incompleteness are experienced due to incomplete knowledge of the complete. So Bhagavad-gita contains the complete knowledge of Vedic wisdom.  \n\nAll Vedic knowledge is infallible, and Hindus accept Vedic knowledge to be complete and infallible. For example, cow dung is the stool of an animal, and according to smrti or Vedic injunction, if one touches the stool of an animal he has to take a bath to purify himself. But in the Vedic scriptures cow dung is considered to be a purifying agent. One might consider this to be contradictory, but it is accepted because it is Vedic injunction, and indeed by accepting this, one will not commit a mistake; subsequently it has been proved by modern science that cow dung contains all antiseptic properties. So Vedic knowledge is complete because it is above all doubts and mistakes, and Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all Vedic knowledge.   \n\nVedic knowledge is not a question of research. Our research work is imperfect because we are researching things with imperfect senses. We have to accept perfect knowledge which comes down, as is stated in Bhagavad-gita, by the parampara disciplic succession. We have to receive knowledge from the proper source in disciplic succession beginning with the supreme spiritual master, the Lord Himself, and handed down to a succession of spiritual masters. Arjuna, the student who took lessons from Lord SRI Krishna, accepts everything that He says without contradicting Him. One is not allowed to accept one portion of Bhagavad-gita and not another. No. We must accept Bhagavad-gita without interpretation, without deletion and without our own whimsical participation in the matter. The Gita should he taken as the most perfect presentation of Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge is received from transcendental sources, and the first words were spoken by the Lord Himself. The words spoken by the Lord are different from words spoken by a person of the mundane world who is infected with four defects. A mundaner 1) is sure to commit mistakes, 2) is invariably illusioned, 3) has the tendency to cheat others and 4) is limited by imperfect senses. With these four imperfections, one cannot deliver perfect information of all-pervading knowledge.   \n\nVedic knowledge is not imparted by such defective living entities. It was imparted unto the heart of Brahma, the first created living being, and Brahma in his turn disseminated this knowledge to his sons and disciples, as he originally received it from the Lord. The Lord is purnam, all-perfect, and there is no possibility of His becoming subjected to the laws of material nature. One should therefore be intelligent enough to know that the Lord is the only proprietor of everything in the universe and that He is the original creator, the creator of Brahma. In the Eleventh Chapter the Lord is addressed as prapitamaha because Brahma is addressed as pitamaha, the grandfather, and He is the creator of the grandfather. So no one should claim to be the proprietor of anything; one should accept only things which are set aside for him by the Lord as his quota for his maintenance.   \n\nThere are many examples given of how we are to utilize those things which are set aside for us by the Lord. This is also explained in Bhagavad-gita. In the beginning, Arjuna decided that he should not fight in the Battle of Kuruksetra. This was his own decision. Arjuna told the Lord that it was not possible for him to enjoy the kingdom after killing his own kinsmen. This decision was based on the body because he was thinking that the body was himself and that his bodily relations or expansions were his brothers, nephews, brothers-in-law, grandfathers and so on. He was thinking in this way to satisfy his bodily demands. Bhagavad-gita was spoken by the Lord just to change this view, and at the end Arjuna decides to fight under the directions of the Lord when he says, “karisye vacanam tava.” “I shall act according to Thy word.”  \n\nIn this world man is not meant to toil like hogs. He must be intelligent to realize the importance of human life and refuse to act like an ordinary animal. A human being should realize the aim of his life, and this direction is given in all Vedic literatures, and the essence is given in Bhagavad-gita. Vedic literature is meant for human beings, not for animals. Animals can kill other living animals, and there is no question of sin on their part, but if a man kills an animal for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste, he must be responsible for breaking the laws of nature. In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly explained that there are three kinds of activities according to the different modes of nature: the activities of goodness, of passion and of ignorance. Similarly, there are three kinds of eatables also: eatables in goodness, passion and ignorance. All of this is clearly described, and if we properly utilize the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, then our whole life will become purified, and ultimately we will be able to reach the destination which is beyond this material sky.  \n\nContinued in INTRODUCTION PART 2\n\n DONATION REQUEST\n \nIf this blog post has stimulated you, or is valued or appreciated by you for any personal reason, or helped you advance your understanding of the subject matter presented; please visit my blog, follow me, up vote, reply, resteem and/or - consider donating to help me continue to spread this knowledge.  I will never use these funds for any personal expense.  The following are my crypto-coin wallet addresses. THANK YOU. \n\nBTC - 12u3ot6UR5UxVakoFNuhA4vjfrtUGYikBd \n\nETH - 0x4a7FB485562bCe1E11A71D623684cb2Ef2aFEf45 \n\nLTC - LYKxKMUmNHwU2Vc4tSumA47TCAW54TKgpG \n  \nI will keep a ledger of all donations and how they are spent in my effort to further my mission as stated in my introducemyself post which you can get straight away by doing a search with the following “upendranath in introducemyself”; this is the quickest. Or you can visit my blog and scroll to the second post. Twice a year I will post this ledger to my blog; in January and in July \n\nhttps://i.supload.com/B1xAjpsZSz.jpg  https://i.supload.com/rJgUrz0ZVG.jpg",
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      "title": "Bhagavad-gita As It Is. English Texts and Purports and Audio Narration. INTRODUCTION  PART 2",
      "body": "@@ -58674,32 +58674,4912 @@\n p%3E.   \n+%3C/p%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EThreefold miseries%E2%80%94%3C/strong%3EThis is another feature of the influence of the three modes of material nature. All living entities within this material world are controlled by material nature (prakrti), who subjects them to threefold miseries: adhidaivika-klesa (sufferings caused by the demigods, such as droughts, earthquakes and storms), adhibhautika-klesa (sufferings caused by other living entities like insects or enemies), and adhyatmika-klesa (sufferings caused by one's own body and mind, such as mental and physical infirmities). Daiva-bhutatma-hetavah: the conditioned souls, subjected to these three miseries by the control of the external energy, suffer various difficulties. This suffering is the impetus for seeking answers to the fundamental questions of life: Who am I? Why am I suffering? How can I get free of suffering.     %3Cstrong%3EBrahman%E2%80%94%3C/strong%3E(1) the infinitesimal spiritual individual soul; (2) the impersonal, all-pervasive aspect of the Supreme; (3) the Supreme Personality of Godhead; (4) the mahat-tattva, or total material substance; This Sanskrit term comes from the root brh, which means to grow or to evolve. In the Chandogya Upanisad 3.14, Brahman is described as tajjalan, as that (tat) from which the world arises (ja), into which it returns (la), and by which is is supported and lives (an). Impersonalists equate Brahman with the brahmajyoti. But in its fullest sense, Brahman is the vastu, the actual substance of the world: 1) Visnu as the Supreme Soul (param brahman), 2) the individual self as the subordinate soul (jiva-brahman), and 3) matter as creative nature (mahad-brahman). Visnu is accepted by all schools of Vaisnava Vedanta as the transcendental, unlimited Purusottama (Supreme Person), while the individual souls and matter are His conscious and unconscious energies (cid-acid-sakti).     %3Cstrong%3EIntellect, %3C/strong%3E%3C/p%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3Eintelligence%E2%80%94%3C/strong%3EThe power of discrimination, in Sanskrit called buddhi, in Greek dinoia. Intelligence is as natural to the jiva as taste is to water or smell is to earth: As there is no separate existence of the earth and its aroma or of water and its taste, there cannot be any separate existence of intelligence and consciousness. (Kapiladeva, SB 3.27.18) Buddhi manifests within each living entity as the ability to distinguish between forms in the field of perception, and as the sense of direction. The mind (manah) imputes emotional values to form and direction (painful, pleasurable, etc.). The false ego (ahankara) lays claim to the field of perception (this is mine etc.). Intelligence, being originally spiritual, can rise above the influence of mind and false ego by buddhi-yoga, as explained in Bhagavad-gita. Narada Muni tells Maharaja Yudhisthira in SB 7.14.38: O King Yudhisthira, the Supersoul in every body gives intelligence to the individual soul according to his capacity for understanding. Therefore the Supersoul is the chief within the body. The Supersoul is manifested to the individual soul according to the individual's comparative development of knowledge, austerity, penance and so on. Since buddhi is awarded to all living entities by the Supersoul according to their knowledge and austerity, when a living entity surrenders completely to Krishna, he is awarded pure intelligence. Surrendering completely to Krishna entails surrendering to the spiritual master by renouncing the emotional values of the mind and the claims of the false ego. When original intelligence is covered by ignorance, it is called tamasa-buddhi. This is the beginning of the material existence of the soul. In Bg. 10.10 Lord Krishna says that buddhi-yoga, the respiritualization of the intelligence, is accomplished by priti-purvakam, the method of loving devotion. See Consciousness, False ego, Mind, Modes of nature, Soul, Subtle body, Supersoul. Ipse dixit (Lat.) He himself has said it. A kind of proof, after the answer that disciples of Pythagoras, an ancient Greek sage, used to give whenever an opponent called the certitude of the sage's doctrine into question. This proof is rejected by modern philosophers.     %3C/p%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESabda%E2%80%94%3C/strong%3Etranscendental sound; Sound, especially the Vedic sound, which is the self-evident proof of knowledge. As an authoritative testimony, the third of the three Vaisnava pramanas.     %3Cstrong%3EPramana%E2%80%94%3C/strong%3EEvidence, proof. The term refers to sources of knowledge that are held to be valid. In the Brahma-Madhva-Gaudiya Sampradaya, the school of Vedic knowledge that ISKCON represents, there are three pram%C3%A4%C3%ABas. They are pratyaksa (direct sense perception), anumana (reason), and sabda (authoritative testimony). Of these three pramanas, sabda is imperative, while pratyaksa and anumana are supportive.      \n  %3C/p%3E%0A%3Cp%3E&n\n@@ -63576,22 +63576,16 @@\n %3C/p%3E%0A%3Cp%3E\n- \n DONATION\n@@ -64047,28 +64047,16 @@\n sp;%3C/p%3E%0A\n-%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C/p%3E%0A\n %3Cp%3EBTC -\n@@ -64101,28 +64101,16 @@\n sp;%3C/p%3E%0A\n-%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C/p%3E%0A\n %3Cp%3EETH -\n@@ -64163,28 +64163,16 @@\n sp;%3C/p%3E%0A\n-%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C/p%3E%0A\n %3Cp%3ELTC -\n@@ -64232,24 +64232,16 @@\n p; \n-%3C/p%3E%0A%3Cp%3E\n I will k\n@@ -64632,20 +64632,8 @@\n /p%3E%0A\n-%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C/p%3E%0A\n %3Cp%3Eh\n",
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      "title": "Bhagavad-gita As It Is. English Texts and Purports and Audio Narration. INTRODUCTION  PART 2",
      "body": "<html>\n<p>https://i.supload.com/rJgB1D6AVf.jpg https://i.supload.com/BJexpaaRVG.jpg</p>\n<p>Audio narration of Introduction Part 2 TEXT can be heard on DSound; half way through on this link:</p>\n<p>https://dsound.audio/#/@upendranath/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-introduction</p>\n<p>INTRODUCTION PART 2 &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>That destination is called the sanatana sky, the eternal spiritual sky. In this material world we find that everything is temporary. It comes into being, stays for some time, produces some by-products, dwindles and then vanishes. That is the law of the material world, whether we use as an example this body, or a piece of fruit or anything. But beyond this temporary world there is another world of which we have information. This world consists of another nature which is sanatana, eternal. Jiva is also described as sanatana, eternal, and the Lord is also described as sanatana in the Eleventh Chapter.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>We have an intimate relationship with the Lord, and because we are all qualitatively one—the sanatana-dhama, or sky, the sanatana Supreme Personality and the sanatana living entities—the whole purpose of Bhagavad-gita is to revive our sanatana occupation, or sanatana-dharma, which is the eternal occupation of the living entity. We are temporarily engaged in different activities, but all of these activities can be purified when we give up all these temporary activities and take up the activities which are prescribed by the Supreme Lord. That is called our pure life. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Supreme Lord and His transcendental abode are both sanatana, as are the living entities, and the combined association of the Supreme Lord and the living entities in the sanatana abode is the perfection of human life. The Lord is very kind to the living entities because they are His sons. Lord Krishna declares in Bhagavad-gita, “sarva-yonisu…aham bija-pradah pita.” “I am the father of all.”</p>\n<p>&nbsp;Of course there are all types of living entities according to their various karmas, but here the Lord claims that He is the father of all of them. Therefore the Lord descends to reclaim all of these fallen, conditioned souls to call them back to the sanatana eternal sky so that the sanatana living entities may regain their eternal sanatana positions in eternal association with the Lord. The Lord comes Himself in different incarnations, or He sends His confidential servants as sons or His associates or acaryas to reclaim the conditioned souls. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Therefore, sanatana-dharma does not refer to any sectarian process of religion. It is the eternal function of the eternal living entities in relationship with the eternal Supreme Lord. Sanatana-dharma refers, as stated previously, to the eternal occupation of the living entity. Ramanujacarya has explained the word sanatana as “that which has neither beginning nor end,” so when we speak of sanatana-dharma, we must take it for granted on the authority of SRI Ramanujacarya that it has neither beginning nor end. The English word “religion” is a little different from sanatana-dharma. Religion conveys the idea of faith, and faith may change. One may have faith in a particular process, and he may change this faith and adopt another, but sanatana-dharma refers to that activity which cannot be changed. For instance, liquidity cannot be taken from water, nor can heat be taken from fire.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Similarly, the eternal function of the eternal living entity cannot be taken from the living entity. Sanatana-dharma is eternally integral with the living entity. When we speak of sanatana-dharma, therefore, we must take it for granted on the authority of SRI Ramanujacarya that it has neither beginning nor end.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>That which has neither end nor beginning must not be sectarian, for it cannot be limited by any boundaries. Yet those belonging to some sectarian faith will wrongly consider that sanatana-dharma is also sectarian, but if we go deeply into the matter and consider it in the light of modern science, it is possible for us to see that sanatana-dharma is the business of all the people of the world—nay, of all the living entities of the universe. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Non-sanatana religious faith may have some beginning in the annals of human history, but there is no beginning to the history of sanatana-dharma because it remains eternally with the living entities. Insofar as the living entities are concerned, the authoritative sastras state that the living entity has neither birth nor death.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>In the Gita it is stated that the living entity is never born, and he never dies. He is eternal and indestructible, and he continues to live after the destruction of his temporary material body. In reference to the concept of sanatana-dharma, we must try to understand the concept of religion from the Sanskrit root meaning of the word. Dharma refers to that which is constantly existing with the particular object. We conclude that there is heat and light along with the fire; without heat and light, there is no meaning to the word fire. Similarly, we must discover the essential part of the living being, that part which is his constant companion.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>That constant companion is his eternal quality, and that eternal quality is his eternal religion. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Sanatana Gosvami asked Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu about the svarupa of every living being, the Lord replied that the svarupa or constitutional position of the living being is the rendering of service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If we analyze this statement of Lord Caitanya, we can easily see that every living being is constantly engaged in rendering service to another living being. A living being serves other living beings in two capacities. By doing so, the living entity enjoys life. The lower animals serve human beings as servants serve their master. A serves B master, B serves C master and C serves D master and so on. Under these circumstances, we can see that one friend serves another friend, the mother serves the son, the wife serves the husband, the husband serves the wife and so on. If we go on searching in this spirit, it will be seen that there is no exception in the society of living beings to the activity of service.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The politician presents his manifesto for the public to convince them of his capacity for service. The voters therefore give the politician their valuable votes, thinking that he will render valuable service to society. The shopkeeper serves the customer, and the artisan serves the capitalist. The capitalist serves the family, and the family serves the state in the terms of the eternal capacity of the eternal living being. In this way we can see that no living being is exempt from rendering service to other living beings, and therefore we can safely conclude that service is the constant companion of the living being and that the rendering of service is the eternal religion of the living being. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Yet man professes to belong to a particular type of faith with reference to particular time and circumstance and thus claims to be a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or any other sect. Such designations are non-sanatana-dharma. A Hindu may change his faith to become a Muslim, or a Muslim may change his faith to become a Hindu, or a Christian may change his faith and so on. But in all circumstances the change of religious faith does not effect the eternal occupation of rendering service to others. The Hindu, Muslim or Christian in all circumstances is servant of someone. Thus, to profess a particular type of sect is not to profess one’s sanatana-dharma. The rendering of service is sanatana-dharma. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Factually we are related to the Supreme Lord in service. The Supreme Lord is the supreme enjoyer, and we living entities are His servitors.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>We are created for His enjoyment, and if we participate in that eternal enjoyment with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, we become happy. We cannot become happy otherwise. It is not possible to be happy independantly, just as no one part of the body can be happy without cooperating with the stomach. It is not possible for the living entity to be happy without rendering transcendental loving service unto the Supreme Lord. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the Bhagavad-gita, worship of different demigods or rendering service to them is not approved. It is stated in the Seventh Chapter, twentieth verse:</p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;kamais tais tair hrta-jnanah prapadyante ’nya-devatah<br>\ntam tam niyamam asthaya prakrtya niyatah svaya &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>“<em>Those whose minds are distorted by material desires surrender unto demigods and follow the particular rules and regulations of worship according to their own natures.” (Bg. 7.20) Here it is plainly said that those who are directed by lust worship the demigods and not the Supreme Lord Krishna. When we mention the name Krishna, we do not refer to any sectarian name. Krishna means the highest pleasure, and it is confirmed that the Supreme Lord is the reservoir or storehouse of all pleasure. We are all hankering after pleasure</em>. Anandamayo ’bhyasat. (Vs. 1.1.12)&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The living entities, like the Lord, are full of consciousness, and they are after happiness. The Lord is perpetually happy, and if the living entities associate with the Lord, cooperate with Him and take part in His association, then they also become happy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lord descends to this mortal world to show His pastimes in Vrndavana, which are full of happiness. When Lord Sri Krishna was in Vrndavana,&nbsp;</p>\n<p>His activities with His cowherd boy friends, with His damsel friends, with the inhabitants of Vrndavana and with the cows were all full of happiness. The total population of Vrndavana knew nothing but Krishna. But Lord Krishna even discouraged His father Nanda Maharaja from worshiping the demigod Indra because He wanted to establish the fact that people need not worship any demigod. They need only worship the Supreme Lord because their ultimate goal is to return to His abode. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The abode of Lord SRI Krishna is described in the Bhagavad-gita, Fifteenth Chapter, sixth verse: &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah &nbsp;<br>\nyad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>“<em>That abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by electricity. And anyone who reaches it never comes back to this material world</em>.” (Bg. 15.6) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>This verse gives a description of that eternal sky.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Of course we have a material conception of the sky, and we think of it in relationship to the sun, moon, stars and so on, but in this verse the Lord states that in the eternal sky there is no need for the sun nor for the moon nor fire of any kind because the spiritual sky is already illuminated by the brahmajyoti, the rays emanating from the Supreme Lord. We are trying with difficulty to reach other planets, but it is not difficult to understand the abode of the Supreme Lord. This abode is referred to as Goloka. In the Brahma-samhita it is beautifully described: Goloka eva nivasaty akhilatma-bhutah. The Lord resides eternally in His abode Goloka, yet He can be approached from this world, and to this end the Lord comes to manifest His real form, sac-cid-ananda-vigraha.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>When He manifests this form, there is no need for our imagining what He looks like. To discourage such imaginative speculation, He descends and exhibits Himself as He is, as Syamasundara. Unfortunately, the less intelligent deride Him because He comes as one of us and plays with us as a human being. But because of this we should not consider that the Lord is one of us. It is by His potency that He presents Himself in His real form before us and displays His pastimes, which are prototypes of those pastimes found in His abode.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>In the effulgent rays of the spiritual sky there are innumerable planets floating. The brahmajyoti emanates from the supreme abode, Krishnaloka, and the anandamaya-cinmaya planets, which are not material, float in those rays. The Lord says, na tad bhasayate suryo na sasanko na pavakah yad gatva na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>One who can approach that spiritual sky is not required to descend again to the material sky. In the material sky, even if we approach the highest planet (Brahmaloka), what to speak of the moon, we will find the same conditions of life, namely birth, death, disease and old age. No planet in the material universe is free from these four principles of material existence. Therefore the Lord says in Bhagavad-gita, abrahma-bhuvanal lokah punar avartino ’rjuna. The living entities are traveling from one planet to another, not by mechanical arrangement but by a spiritual process.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>This is also mentioned: yanti deva-vrata devan pitrn yanti pitr-vratah. No mechanical arrangement is necessary if we want interplanetary travel. The Gita instructs: yanti deva-vrata devan. The moon, the sun and higher planets are called svargaloka. There are three different statuses of planets: higher, middle and lower planetary systems. The earth belongs to the middle planetary system. Bhagavad-gita informs us how to travel to the higher planetary systems (devaloka) with a very simple formula: yanti deva-vrata devan.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>One need only worship the particular demigod of that particular planet and in that way go to the moon, the sun or any of the higher planetary systems. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yet Bhagavad-gita does not advise us to go to any of the planets in this material world because even if we go to Brahmaloka, the highest planet, through some sort of mechanical contrivance by maybe traveling for forty thousand years (and who would live that long?), we will still find the material inconveniences of birth, death, disease and old age.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>But one who wants to approach the supreme planet, Krishnaloka, or any of the other planets within the spiritual sky, will not meet with these material inconveniences. Amongst all of the planets in the spiritual sky there is one supreme planet called Goloka Vrndavana, which is the original planet in the abode of the original Personality of Godhead SRI Krishna. All of this information is given in Bhagavad-gita, and we are given through its instruction information how to leave the material world and begin a truly blissful life in the spiritual sky. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the Fifteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita, the real picture of the material world is given. It is said there: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>urdhva-mulam adhah-sakham asvattham prahur avyayam &nbsp;<br>\nchandamsi yasya parnani yas tam veda sa veda-vit &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;“<em>The Supreme Lord said: There is a banyan tree which has its roots upward and its branches down, and the Vedic hymns are its leaves. One who knows this tree is the knower of the </em>Vedas<em>.</em>” (Bg. 15.1) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Here the material world is described as a tree whose roots are upwards and branches are below. We have experience of a tree whose roots are upward: if one stands on the bank of a river or any reservoir of water, he can see that the trees reflected in the water are upside down. The branches go downward and the roots upward.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Similarly, this material world is a reflection of the spiritual world. The material world is but a shadow of reality. In the shadow there is no reality or substantiality, but from the shadow we can understand that there is substance and reality. In the desert there is no water, but the mirage suggests that there is such a thing as water. In the material world there is no water, there is no happiness, but the real water of actual happiness is there in the spiritual world. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lord suggests that we attain the spiritual world in the following manner: &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>nirmana-moha jita-sanga-dosa &nbsp;<br>\nadhyatma-nitya vinivrtta-kamah &nbsp;<br>\ndvandvair vimuktah sukha-duhkha-samjnair &nbsp;<br>\ngacchanty amudhah padam avyayam tat. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>That padam avyayam or eternal kingdom can be reached by one who is nirmana-moha. What does this mean? We are after designations. Someone wants to become a son, someone wants to become Lord, someone wants to become the president or a rich man or a king or something else. As long as we are attached to these designations, we are attached to the body because designations belong to the body.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>But we are not these bodies, and realizing this is the first stage in spiritual realization. We are associated with the three modes of material nature, but we must become detached through devotional service to the Lord. If we are not attached to devotional service to the Lord, then we cannot become detached from the modes of material nature. Designations and attachments are due to our lust and desire, our wanting to lord it over the material nature. As long as we do not give up this propensity of lording it over material nature, there is no possibility of returning to the kingdom of the Supreme, the sanatana-dhama.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>That eternal kingdom, which is never destroyed, can be approached by one who is not bewildered by the attractions of false material enjoyments, who is situated in the service of the Supreme Lord. One so situated can easily approach that supreme abode. Elsewhere in the Gita it is stated: &nbsp;&nbsp;avyakto ’ksara ity uktas tam ahuh paramam gatim &nbsp;<br>\nyam prapya na nivartante tad dhama paramam mama. &nbsp;&nbsp;Avyakta means unmanifested. Not even all of the material world is manifested before us.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Our senses are so imperfect that we cannot even see all of the stars within this material universe. In Vedic literature we can receive much information about all the planets, and we can believe it or not believe it. All of the important planets are described in Vedic literatures, especially Srimad-Bhagavatam, and the spiritual world, which is beyond this material sky, is described as avyakta, unmanifested. One should desire and hanker after that supreme kingdom, for when one attains that kingdom, he does not have to return to this material world. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Next, one may raise the question of how one goes about approaching that abode of the Supreme Lord. Information of this is given in the Eighth Chapter. It is said there: &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>anta-kale ca mam eva smaran muktva kalevaram &nbsp;<br>\nyah prayati sa mad-bhavam yati nasty atra samsayah &nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;“A<em>nyone who quits his body, at the end of life, remembering Me, attains immediately to My nature; and there is no doubt of this</em>.” (Bg. 8.5) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>One who thinks of Krishna at the time of his death goes to Krishna. One must remember the form of Krishna; if he quits his body thinking of this form, he approaches the spiritual kingdom. Mad-bhavam refers to the supreme nature of the Supreme Being.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Supreme Being is sac-cid-ananda-vigraha—eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. Our present body is not sac-cid-ananda. It is asat, not sat. It is not eternal; it is perishable. It is not cit, full of knowledge, but it is full of ignorance. We have no knowledge of the spiritual kingdom, nor do we even have perfect knowledge of this material world where there are so many things unknown to us. The body is also nirananda; instead of being full of bliss it is full of misery. All of the miseries we experience in the material world arise from the body, but one who leaves this body thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead at once attains a sac-cid-ananda body, as is promised in this fifth verse of the Eighth Chapter where Lord Krishna says, “He attains My nature.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The process of quitting this body and getting another body in the material world is also organized. A man dies after it has been decided what form of body he will have in the next life. Higher authorities, not the living entity himself, make this decision.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>According to our activities in this life, we either rise or sink. This life is a preparation for the next life. If we can prepare, therefore, in this life to get promotion to the kingdom of God, then surely, after quitting this material body, we will attain a spiritual body just like the Lord. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As explained before, there are different kinds of transcendentalists, the brahmavadi paramatmavadi and the devotee, and, as mentioned, in the brahmajyoti (spiritual sky) there are innumerable spiritual planets. The number of these planets is far, far greater than all of the planets of this material world. This material world has been approximated as only one quarter of the creation. In this material segment there are millions and billions of universes with trillions of planets and suns, stars and moons.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>But this whole material creation is only a fragment of the total creation. Most of the creation is in the spiritual sky. One who desires to merge into the existence of the Supreme Brahman is at once transferred to the brahmajyoti of the Supreme Lord and thus attains the spiritual sky. The devotee, who wants to enjoy the association of the Lord, enters into the Vaikuntha planets, which are innumerable, and the Supreme Lord by His plenary expansions as Narayana with four hands and with different names like Pradyumna, Aniruddha, Govinda, etc., associates with him there. Therefore at the end of life the transcendentalists either think of the brahmajyoti, the Paramatma or the Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna. In all cases they enter into the spiritual sky, but only the devotee, or he who is in personal touch with the Supreme Lord, enters into the Vaikuntha planets.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Lord further adds that of this “there is no doubt.” This must be believed firmly. We should not reject that which does not tally with our imagination; our attitude should be that of Arjuna: “I believe everything that You have said.” Therefore when the Lord says that at the time of death whoever thinks of Him as Brahman or Paramatma or as the Personality of Godhead certainly enters into the spiritual sky, there is no doubt about it. There is no question of disbelieving it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The information on how to think of the Supreme Being at the time of death is also given in the Gita: &nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;yam yam vapi smaran bhavam tyajaty ante kalevaram &nbsp;<br>\ntam tam evaiti kaunteya sada tad-bhava-bhavitah &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>“In whatever condition one quits his present body, in his next life he will attain to that state of being without fail.” (Bg. 8.6)&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Material nature is a display of one of the energies of the Supreme Lord. In the Visnu Purana the total energies of the Supreme Lord as Visnu-saktih para prokta, etc., are delineated.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The Supreme Lord has diverse and innumerable energies which are beyond our conception; however, great learned sages or liberated souls have studied these energies and have analyzed them into three parts. All of the energies are of Visnu-sakti, that is to say they are different potencies of Lord Visnu. That energy is para, transcendental. Living entities also belong to the superior energy, as has already been explained. The other energies, or material energies, are in the mode of ignorance. At the time of death we can either remain in the inferior energy of this material world, or we can transfer to the energy of the spiritual world. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In life we are accustomed to thinking either of the material or the spiritual energy. There are so many literatures which fill our thoughts with the material energy—newspapers, novels, etc. Our thinking, which is now absorbed in these literatures, must be transferred to the Vedic literatures. The great sages, therefore, have written so many Vedic literatures such as the Puranas, etc. The Puranas are not imaginative; they are historical records. In the Caitanya-caritamrta there is the following verse: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>maya mugdha jiver nahi svatah Krishna-jnana &nbsp;<br>\njivera krpaya kaila Krishna veda-purana &nbsp;&nbsp;(Cc. Madhya 20.122) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>The forgetful living entities or conditioned souls have forgotten their relationship with the Supreme Lord, and they are engrossed in thinking of material activities. Just to transfer their thinking power to the spiritual sky, Krishna has given a great number of Vedic literatures. First He divided the Vedas into four, then He explained them in the Puranas, and for less capable people He wrote the Mahabharata. In the Mahabharata there is given the Bhagavad-gita.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Then all Vedic literature is summarized in the Vedanta-sutra, and for future guidance He gave a natural commentation on the Vedanta-sutra, called Srimad-Bhagavatam. We must always engage our minds in reading these Vedic literatures. Just as materialists engage their minds in reading newspapers, magazines and so many materialistic literatures, we must transfer our reading to these literatures which are given to us by Vyasadeva; in that way it will be possible for us to remember the Supreme Lord at the time of death. That is the only way suggested by the Lord, and He guarantees the result: “There is no doubt.” (Bg. 8.7) &nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;tasmat sarvesu kalesu mam anusmara yudhya ca &nbsp;<br>\nmayy arpita-mano-buddhir mam evaisyasy asamsayah &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>“<em>Therefore, Arjuna, you should always think of Me, and at the same time you should continue your prescribed duty and fight. With your mind and activities always fixed on Me, and everything engaged in Me, you will attain to Me without any doubt</em>.” &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>He does not advise Arjuna to simply remember Him and give up his occupation. No, the Lord never suggests anything impractical. In this material world, in order to maintain the body one has to work. Human society is divided, according to work, into four divisions of social order—brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra. The brahmana class or intelligent class is working in one way, the ksatriya or administrative class is working in another way, and the mercantile class and the laborers are all tending to their specific duties.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>In the human society, whether one is a laborer, merchant, warrior, administrator, or farmer, or even if one belongs to the highest class and is a literary man, a scientist or a theologian, he has to work in order to maintain his existence. The Lord therefore tells Arjuna that he need not give up his occupation, but while he is engaged in his occupation he should remember Krishna. If he doesn’t practice remembering Krishna while he is struggling for existence, then it will not be possible for him to remember Krishna at the time of death. Lord Caitanya also advises this. He says that one should practice remembering the Lord by chanting the names of the Lord always. The names of the Lord and the Lord are nondifferent. So Lord Krishna’s instruction to Arjuna to “remember Me” and Lord Caitanya’s injunction to always “chant the names of Lord Krishna” are the same instruction. There is no difference, because Krishna and Krishna’s name are nondifferent.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>In the absolute status there is no difference between reference and referent. Therefore we have to practice remembering the Lord always, twenty-four hours a day, by chanting His names and molding our life’s activities in such a way that we can remember Him always. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;How is this possible? The acaryas give the following example. If a married woman is attached to another man, or if a man has an attachment for a woman other than his wife, then the attachment is to be considered very strong. One with such an attachment is always thinking of the loved one. The wife who is thinking of her lover is always thinking of meeting him, even while she is carrying out her household chores. In fact, she carries out her household work even more carefully so her husband will not suspect her attachment.&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Similarly, we should always remember the supreme lover, Sri Krishna, and at the same time perform our material duties very nicely. A strong sense of love is required here. If we have a strong sense of love for the Supreme Lord, then we can discharge our duty and at the same time remember Him. But we have to develop that sense of love. Arjuna, for instance, was always thinking of Krishna; he was the constant companion of Krishna, and at the same time he was a warrior. Krishna did not advise him to give up fighting and go to the forest to meditate. When Lord Krishna delineates the yoga system to Arjuna, Arjuna says that the practice of this system is not possible for him. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>arjuna uvaca &nbsp;<br>\nyo ’yam yogas tvaya proktah samyena madhusudana &nbsp;<br>\netasyaham na pasyami cancalatvat sthitim sthiram &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;“<em>Arjuna said, O Madhusudana, the system of </em>yoga <em>which you have summarized appears impractical and unendurable to me, for the mind is restless and unsteady</em>.” (Bg. 6.33) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>But the Lord says: &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>yoginam api sarvesam mad-gatenantaratmana &nbsp;</p>\n<p><br>\nsraddhavan bhajate yo mam sa me yuktatamo matah &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Of all yogis, he who always abides in Me with great faith, worshiping Me in transcendental loving service, is most intimately united with Me in yoga, and is the highest of all.” (Bg. 6.47) So one who thinks of the Supreme Lord always is the greatest yogi, the supermost jnani, and the greatest devotee at the same time. The Lord further tells Arjuna that as a ksatriya he cannot give up his fighting, but if Arjuna fights remembering Krishna, then he will be able to remember Him at the time of death. But one must be completely surrendered in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>We work not with our body, actually, but with our mind and intelligence. So if the intelligence and the mind are always engaged in the thought of the Supreme Lord, then naturally the senses are also engaged in His service. Superficially, at least, the activities of the senses remain the same, but the consciousness is changed. The Bhagavad-gita teaches one how to absorb the mind and intelligence in the thought of the Lord. Such absorption will enable one to transfer himself to the kingdom of the Lord. If the mind is engaged in Krishna’s service, then the senses are automatically engaged in His service. This is the art, and this is also the secret of Bhagavad-gita: total absorption in the thought of Sri Krishna. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Modern man has struggled very hard to reach the moon, but he has not tried very hard to elevate himself spiritually. If one has fifty years of life ahead of him, he should engage that brief time in cultivating this practice of remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This practice is the devotional process of: &nbsp;&nbsp;sravanam kirtanam visnoh smaranam pada-sevanam &nbsp;<br>\narcanam vandanam dasyam sakhyam atma-nivedanam &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;These nine processes, of which the easiest is sravanam, hearing Bhagavad-gita from the realized person, will turn one to the thought of the Supreme Being. This will lead to niscala, remembering the Supreme Lord, and will enable one, upon leaving the body, to attain a spiritual body which is just fit for association with the Supreme Lord. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lord further says: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>abhyasa-yoga-yuktena cetasa nanya-gamina &nbsp;<br>\nparamam purusam divyam yati parthanucintayan &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;“<em>By practicing this remembering, without being deviated, thinking ever of the Supreme Godhead, one is sure to achieve the planet of the Divine, the Supreme Personality, O son of Kunti</em>.” (Bg. 8.8) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>This is not a very difficult process. However, one must learn it from an experienced person, from one who is already in the practice. The mind is always flying to this and that, but one must always practice concentrating the mind on the form of the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna or on the sound of His name. The mind is naturally restless, going hither and thither, but it can rest in the sound vibration of Krishna. One must thus meditate on paramam purusam, the Supreme Person; and thus attain Him. The ways and the means for ultimate realization, ultimate attainment, are stated in the Bhagavad-gita, and the doors of this knowledge are open for everyone. No one is barred out. All classes of men can approach the Lord by thinking of Him, for hearing and thinking of Him is possible for everyone. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lord further says:</p>\n<p>&nbsp;mam hi partha vyapasritya ye ’pi syuh papa-yonayah &nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;striyo vaisyas tatha sudras te ’pi yanti param gatim &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>kim punar brahmanah punya bhakta rajarsayas tatha &nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;anityam asukham lokam imam prapya bhajasva mam &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;“<em>O son of Prtha, anyone who will take shelter in Me, whether a woman, or a merchant, or one born in a low family, can yet approach the supreme destination. How much greater then are the </em>brahmanas, <em>the righteous, the devotees, and saintly kings! In this miserable world, these are fixed in devotional service to the Lord</em>.” (Bg. 9.32–33) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Human beings even in the lower statuses of life (a merchant, a woman or a laborer) can attain the Supreme. One does not need highly developed intelligence. The point is that anyone who accepts the principle of bhakti-yoga and accepts the Supreme Lord as the summum bonum of life, as the highest target, the ultimate goal, can approach the Lord in the spiritual sky. If one adopts the principles enunciated in Bhagavad-gita, he can make his life perfect and make a perfect solution to all the problems of life which arise out of the transient nature of material existence. This is the sum and substance of the entire Bhagavad-gita. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In conclusion, Bhagavad-gita is a transcendental literature which one should read very carefully. It is capable of saving one from all fear. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>nehabhikrama-naso ’sti pratyavayo na vidyate &nbsp;<br>\nsvalpam apy asya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.” (Bg. 2.40)</p>\n<p>&nbsp;If one reads Bhagavad-gita sincerely and seriously, then all of the reactions of his past misdeeds will not react upon him. In the last portion of Bhagavad-gita, Lord Sri Krishna proclaims: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja &nbsp;<br>\naham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>“<em>Give up all varieties of religiousness, and just surrender unto Me; and in return I shall protect you from all sinful reactions. Therefore, you have nothing to fear.</em>” (Bg. 18.66) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;Thus the Lord takes all responsibility for one who surrenders unto Him, and He indemnifies all the reactions of sin. &nbsp;&nbsp;One cleanses himself daily by taking a bath in water, but one who takes his bath only once in the sacred Ganges water of the Bhagavad-gita cleanses away all the dirt of material life. Because Bhagavad-gita is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one need not read any other Vedic literature. One need only attentively and regularly hear and read Bhagavad-gita. In the present age, mankind is so absorbed with mundane activities that it is not possible to read all of the Vedic literatures. But this is not necessary. T</p>\n<p>his one book, Bhagavad-gita, will suffice because it is the essence of all Vedic literatures and because it is spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It is said that one who drinks the water of the Ganges certainly gets salvation, but what to speak of one who drinks the waters of Bhagavad-gita? Gita is the very nectar of the Mahabharata spoken by Visnu Himself, for Lord Krishna is the original Visnu. It is nectar emanating from the mouth of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the Ganges is said to be emanating from the lotus feet of the Lord.</p>\n<p>&nbsp;Of course there is no difference between the mouth and the feet of the Supreme Lord, but in our position we can appreciate that the Bhagavad-gita is even more important than the Ganges. The Bhagavad-gita is just like a cow, and Lord Krishna, who is a cowherd boy, is milking this cow. The milk is the essence of the Vedas, and Arjuna is just like a calf. The wise men, the great sages and pure devotees, are to drink the nectarean milk of Bhagavad-gita. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In this present day, man is very eager to have one scripture, one God, one religion, and one occupation. So let there be one common scripture for the whole world—Bhagavad-gita. And let there be one God only for the whole world—Sri Krishna. And one mantra only—Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. And let there be one work only—the service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>THE DISCIPLIC SUCCESSION </strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>Evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh. (Bhagavad-gita, 4.2)&nbsp;</p>\n<p>This Bhagavad-gita As It Is is received through this disciplic succession:&nbsp;</p>\n<p>1) Krishna, 2) Brahma, 3) Narada; 4) Vyasa, 5) Madhva, 6) Padmanabha, 7) Nrhari, 8) Madhava, 9) Aksobhya, 10) Jayatirtha, 11) Jnanasindhu, 12) Dayanidhi, 13) Vidyanidhi, 14) Rajendra, 15) Jayadharma, 16) Purusottama, 17) Brahmanyatirtha, 18) Vyasatirtha, 19) Laksmipati, 20) Madhavendra Puri, 21) Isvara Puri, (Nityananda, Advaita), 22) Lord Caitanya, 23) Rupa (Svarupa, Sanatana), 24) Raghunatha, Jiva, 25) Krishnadasa, 26) Narottama, 27) Visvanatha, 28) (Baladeva) Jagannatha, 29) Bhaktivinode, 30) Gaurakisora, 31) Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati, 32) His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>END OF INTRODUCTION PART 2 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<h3>Note from Upendranath Dasa: I have added the following definitions which will aid reader in the following presentation of Bhagavad-gita As It Is. &nbsp;&nbsp;</h3>\n<p><strong>Upanisads</strong>—one-hundred and eight Sanskrit treatises that embody the philosophy of the Vedas. Considered the most significant philosophical sections and crest jewels of the Vedas, the Upanisads are found in the Aranyaka and Brahmana portions of the Vedas. They are theistic and contain the realizations and teachings of great sages of antiquity; The term upanisad literally means that which is learned by sitting close to the teacher. The texts of the Upanisads teach the philosophy of the Absolute Truth (Brahman) to those seeking liberation from birth and death, and the study of the Upanisads is known as Vedanta, the conclusion of the Veda. The contents of the Upanisads are extremely difficult to fathom; they are to be understood only under the close guidance of a spiritual master (guru). Because the Upanisads contain many apparently contradictory statements, the great sage Vyasa systematized the Upanisadic teachings in the Vedanta-sutra. His natural commentary on the Vedanta-sutra is the Srimad-Bhagavatam. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Srimad-Bhagavatam—the foremost of the eighteen Puranas, the complete science of God that establishes the supreme position of Lord Krishna. It was glorified by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as the amalam puranam, \"the purest Purana.\" It was written by Srila Vyasadeva as his commentary on the Vedanta-sutra, and it deals exclusively with topics concerning the Supreme Personality of Godhead (Lord Krishna) and His devotees. Srila Prabhupada has given Bhaktivedanta purports in English and wonderfully presented it to the modern world, specifically to give a deep understanding of Lord Krishna; Also known as the Bhagavata Purana, this is a work of eighteen thousand verses compiled by sage Vyasa as his natural commentary on the Vedanta-sutra. It takes up where the Bhagavad-gita leaves off. In Bg. 4.9, Lord Krishna says that by knowing His transcendental appearance and activities in this world, one becomes free of the cycle of repeated birth and death. Srimad-Bhagavatam recounts with great relish the details of the Lord's appearance and activities, beginning with His purusa incarnations and their lila of cosmic manifestation, and culminating with Krishna's own appearance in Vrndavana 5000 years ago, and His most sweet rasa-lila with the His cowherd girlfriends, the gopis headed by Radharani. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>Vedanta-sutra (Brahma-sutra)—</strong>Srila Vyasadeva's conclusive summary of Vedic philosophical knowledge, written in brief codes. The philosophy of the Absolute Truth, which finds implicit expression in the Vedas and the Upanisads, was put into a systematic and more explicit form in the Vedanta-sutra. All apparent contradictory statements of the vast literature of the Vedas are resolved by the great Vyasa in this work. In this work there are four divisions 1) reconciliation of all scriptures; 2) the consistent reconciliation of apparently conflicting hymns; 3) the means or process of attaining the goal (spiritual realization); and 4) the object (or desired fruit) achieved by the spiritual process. The Vedanta-sutra establishes that Godhead exists, that devotion is the means of realizing transcendental love for Godhead, and that this love is the final object of man's endeavors. This book is the textbook of all theistic philosophy, and, as such, many commentators have elaborated on the significance of its conclusions; This most important work of nyaya-prasthana (Vedic logic), which is also known as Brahma-sutra, Sariraka, Vyasa-sutra, Badarayana-sutra, Uttara-mimamsa and Vedanta-darsana, was composed by the great sage Vyasa 5000 years ago. Sutra means code. The Vedanta-sutra is a book of codes that present, in concise form, brahma-jnana, i.e. conclusive Vedic knowledge. These codes are very terse, and without a fuller explanation, their meaning is difficult to grasp. In India there are five main schools of Vedanta, each established by an acarya (founder) who explained the sutras in a bhasya (commentary). The natural commentary on the Vedanta-sutra is the Srimad-Bhagavatam. &nbsp;. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>Caitanya-caritamrta—</strong>translated as \"the character of the living force in immortality,\" it is the title of the authorized biography of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu written in the late sixteenth century and compiled by Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, presenting the Lord's pastimes and teachings. Written in Bengali, with many Sanskrit verses as well, it is regarded as the most authoritative book on Lord Caitanya's life and teachings; Written by Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, this biography of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the single most important text of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy. Caitanya-caritamrta means the immortal character of the living force. It is the postgraduate study of spiritual knowledge, and so is not intended for the novice. Ideally, one begins with Bhagavad-gita and advances through Srimad-Bhagavatam to the Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. Although alI these great scriptures are on the same absolute level, for the sake of comparative study Sri Caitanya-caritamrta is considered to be on the highest platform. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>Caitanya Mahaprabhu, (1486-1534)—</strong>Lord Krishna in the aspect of His own devotee. He appeared in Navadvipa, West Bengal, and inaugurated the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord to teach pure love of God by means of sankirtana. Lord Caitanya is understood by Gaudiya Vaisnavas to be Lord Krishna Himself; The Golden Avatara of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who descended into the material world 500 years ago at Sridhama Mayapur. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu inaugurated the yuga-dharma of sankirtana. Together with His associates Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa, Lord Caitanya is worshiped by the Gaudiya Vaisnavas as the Panca-tattva (five-fold Absolute Truth). Within the Panca-tattva, Mahaprabhu is the iSa-tattva, the Supreme Lord. Nityananda is the prakasa-tattva, the feature of isvara who controls the kriya-sakti, out of which the kala and karma potencies expand. Advaita is the avatara-tattva, the incarnation. Gadadhara is sakti-tattva, a feature of the original, spiritual prakrti. Srivasa is jiva-tattva. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>Gaudiya Vaisnava—</strong>specifically, a Vaisnava born in Bengal, or, more generally, any Vaisnava who follows the pure teachings of Lord Caitanya; The name gaudiya refers to the region of Bengal and Bangladesh. A Vaisnava is a devotee of Visnu or Krishna. Hence, a Gaudiya Vaisnava is a practitioner of the form of Vaisnavism associated with Bengal, as started by Caitanya Mahaprabhu some 500 years ago. &nbsp;&nbsp;Krishna, Vaisnava, Visnu. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<strong>Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya—t</strong>he Bengal Vaisanava sect founded by Caitanya Maha-prabhu in the late fifteenth century. Lord Caitanya's immediate disciples, the six Gosvamis, initiated the resurrection of Vrndavana. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>Avatara—</strong>literally means \"one who descends.\" A partially or fully empowered incarnation of the Lord who descends from the spiritual sky to the material universe with a particular mission described in scriptures; When Krishna descends from the world of spirit into the world of matter, His appearance here is called avatara. The Sanskrit term avatara (one who descends) is often rendered into English as incarnation. It is wrong, however, to think that Krishna incarnates in a body made of physical elements. The Seventh and Eighth Chapters of Bhagavad-gita distinguish at length between the material nature (apara-prakrti), visible as the temporary substances of earth, water, fire, air and ethereal space, and God's own spiritual nature (para-prakrti), which is invisible (avyakta), eternal (sanatana) and infallible (aksara). When the Lord descends, by His mercy the invisible becomes visible. As He Himself states in Bg. 4.6, I descend by My own nature, appearing in My form of spiritual energy . In Bg. 4.9 He declares, &nbsp;&nbsp;My appearance and activities are divine. God has many avataras. But of all of them, that form described in Bg. 11.50 as the most beautiful (saumya-vapu) is His own original form (svakam rupam). This is the eternal form of Sri Krishna, the all-charming lotus-eyed youth whose body is the shape of spiritual ecstasy. SB 1.3.28 confirms that Krishna is the original form of Visnu: ete camsa-kalah pumsah Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam indrari-vyakulam lokam mrdayanti yuge yuge, which means, All of the incarnations of Visnu listed in the scriptures are expansions of the Lord. Lord Sri Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead. All avataras appear in the world whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists. The Srimad-Bhagavatam also provides us with the authorized list of scheduled incarnations of Godhead, of whom the DaSavatara (ten avataras) are particularly celebrated. The ten are 1) Matsya (the Lord's form of a gigantic golden fish), 2) Kurma (the turtle), 3) Varaha (the boar), 4) Sri Nrsimha (the half-man, half-lion form), 5) Parasurama (the hermit who wields an axe), 6) Vamana (the small brahmana boy), 7) Sri Ramacandra (the Lord of Ayodhya), 8) Sri Baladeva (Lord Krishna's brother), 9) Buddha (the sage who cheated the atheists), and 10) Kalki (who will depopulate the world of all degraded, sinful men at the end of the present age of Kali). There are two broad categories of avataras. Some, like Sri Krishna, Sri Rama and Sri Nrsimha, are Visnu-tattva, i.e. direct forms of God Himself, the source of all power. Others are individual souls (jiva-tattva) who are empowered by the Lord in one or more of the following seven ways: with knowledge, devotion, creative ability, personal service to God, rulership over the material world, power to support planets, or power to destroy rogues and miscreants. This second category of avatara is called SaktyaveSa. Included herein are Buddha, Christ and Muhammed. The Mayavadis think that form necessarily means limitation. God is omnipresent, unlimited and therefore formless, they argue. When He reveals His avatara form within this world, that form, being limited in presence to a particular place and time, cannot be the real God. It is only an indication of God. But the fact is that it is not God's form that is limited. It is only the Mayavadis' conception of form that is limited, because that conception is grossly physical. God's form is of the nature of supreme consciousness. Being spiritual, it is called suksma, most subtle. There is no contradiction between the omnipresence of something subtle and its having form. The most subtle material phenomena we can perceive is sound. Sound may be formless (as noise) or it may have form (as music). Because sound is subtle, its having form does not affect its ability to pervade a huge building. Similarly, God's having form does not affect His ability to pervade the entire universe. Since God's form is finer than the finest material subtlety, it is completely inappropriate for Mayavadis to compare His form to gross hunks of matter. Because they believe God's form is grossly physical, Mayavadis often argue that any and all embodied creatures may be termed avataras. Any number of living gods are being proclaimed within India and other parts of the world today. Some of these gods are mystics, some are charismatics, some are politicians, and some are sexual athletes. But none of them are authorized by the Vedic scriptures. They represent only the mistaken Mayavadi idea that the one formless unlimited Truth appears in endless gross, physical human incarnations, and that you and me and I and he are therefore all together God. And since each god has a different idea of what dharma is, the final truth, according to Mayavada philosophy, is that the paths of all gods lead to the same goal. This idea is as unenlightened as it is impractical. When ordinary people proclaim themselves to be God, and that whatever they are doing is Vedic dharma, that is called dharmasya glanih, a disturbance to eternal religious principles. Therefore Krishna came again, 500 years ago, as the Golden Avatara, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He established the yuga-dharma, the correct form of sanatana-dharma for our time (sankirtana). Lord Caitanya's appearance was predicted in SB 11.5.32: In this Age of Kali, people who are endowed with sufficient intelligence will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by congregational chanting of the holy names of God. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Isvara—a controller. Krishna is paramesvara, the supreme controller; One of the five tattvas, or Vedic ontological truths: the supreme controller of all living and non-living energy. In Bg. 18.61-62, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna: &nbsp;&nbsp;The Supreme Lord (isvara) is situated in everyone's heart, O Arjuna, and is directing the wanderings of all living entities, who are seated as on a machine, made of the material energy. O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode. And Cc., Adi-lila 5.142 states: ekale iSvara Krishna, ara saba bhrtya yare yaiche nacaya, se taiche kare nrtya. Lord Krishna alone is the supreme controller, and all others are His servants. They dance as He makes them do so. The iSvara has full control over the jiva, prakrti, kala and karma. The jiva has the power to choose whether to surrender to the iSvara or not. If he does surrender, he is freed from bondage within prakrti, kala and karma. If he does not, he is bound by them in the cycle of birth and death (samsara). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>Sankirtana—</strong>The congregational glorification of the Lord through chanting His holy name. The most recommended process of spiritual upliftment in the present age (Kali-yuga). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>Krishna—</strong>the original, two-armed form of the Supreme Lord, who is the origin of all expansions. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>Vaisnava—</strong>a devotee of the Supreme Lord, Visnu, or Krishna. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>Modes of nature—</strong>There are three gunas, or modes of material nature: goodness (sattva-guna), passion (rajo-guna) and ignorance (tamo-guna). They make possible our mental, emotional and physical experiences of the universe. Without the influence of the modes, thought, value judgement and action are impossible for the conditioned soul. The English word mode, as used by Srila Prabhupada in his translations of Vedic literature, best conveys the sense of the Sanskrit term guna (material quality). Mode comes from the Latin modus, and it has a special application in European philosophy. Modus means measure. It is used to distinguish between two aspects of material nature: that which is immeasurable (called natura naturans, the creative nature) and that which seems measurable (called natura naturata, the created nature). Creative nature is a single divine substance that manifests, through modes, the created nature, the material world of physical and mental variety. Being immeasurable (in other words, without modes), creative nature cannot be humanly perceived. Created nature (with modes) seems measurable, hence we do perceive it. Modus also means a manner of activity. When creative nature acts, it assumes characteristic modes of behavior: creation, maintainance and destruction. Bhagavad-gita (14.3-5) presents a similar twofold description of material nature as mahat yoni, the source of birth, and as guna prakrti, that which acts wonderfully through modes. Material nature as the source of birth is also termed mahad-brahman, the great or immeasurable Brahman. Mahad-brahman is nature as the divine creative substance, which is the material cause of everything. Material cause is a term common to both European philosophy (as causa materialis) and Vedanta philosophy (as upadana karana). It means the source of ingredients that make up creation. We get an example of a material cause from the Sanskrit word yoni, which literally means womb. The mother's womb provides the ingredients for the formation of the embryo. Similarly, the immeasurable creative nature provides the ingredients for the formation of the material world in which we live, the seemingly measurable created nature. The clarity of this example forces a question: what about the father, who must impregnate the womb first before it can act as the material cause? This question is answered by Krishna, the speaker of the Bhagavad-gita, in verse 14.4: aham bija-pradah pita, I am the seed-giving father. In Vedanta philosophy, this factor of causation is termed nimitta-matram (the remote cause). It is important to note that by presenting creation as the result of the union of two causes (the material and the remote), the Bhagavad-gita rejects the philosophy of Deus sive natura, the identity of God and nature. In short, though creative nature may be accepted as the direct cause of creation, it is not the self-sufficient cause of creation. The seed with which Krishna impregnates the womb of creative nature is comprised of sarva-bhutanam, all living entities (Bg. 14.3). And Bg. 14.5 explains that when Krishna puts the souls into the womb of material nature, their consciousness is conditioned by three modes, or tri-guna. The modes are three measures of interaction between conscious spirit and unconscious matter. The modes may be compared to the three primary colors, yellow, red and blue, and consciousness may be compared to clear light. The conditioning (nibhadnanti: they do condition) of consciousness upon its entry into the womb of material nature is comparable to the coloration of light upon its passing through a prism. The color yellow symbolizes sattva-guna, the mode of goodness. This mode is pure, illuminating, and sinless. Goodness conditions the soul with the sense of happiness and knowledge. The color red symbolizes the rajo-guna, the mode of passion, full of longings and desires. By the influence of passion the soul engages in works of material accomplishment. The color blue symbolizes tamo-guna, the mode of ignorance, which binds the soul to madness, indolence and sleep. As the three primary colors combine to produce a vast spectrum of hues, so the three modes combine to produce the vast spectrum of states of conditioned consciousness that encompasses all living entities within the universe. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;<strong>Supersoul—</strong>Paramatma-the Supersoul, the localized aspect Visnu expansion of the Supreme Lord residing in the heart of each embodied living entity and pervading all of material nature; Known as Paramatma in Sanskrit, He is the third of Lord Krishna's three purusa incarnations: 1) Maha-Visnu, from whom unlimited universes emanate; 2) GarbhodakaSayi Visnu, who enters each universe and is the source of birth of Brahma; and 3) KsirodakaSayi Visnu, who expands into the heart of every living entity and every atom within the universe. The Supersoul dwells within the hearts of all living beings next to the soul. His spiritual form is four-armed and the size of a thumb. From him come the living entity's knowledge, rememberance and forgetfulness. The Supersoul is the witness and permitter of karma. What He witnesses is punished or rewarded by prakrti (see Bg. 13.23). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p><strong>Tattva—t</strong>ruth, reality. According to Baladeva Vidyabhusana, Vedic knowledge categorizes reality into five tattvas, or ontological truths: iSvara (the Supreme Lord), jiva (the living entity), prakrti (nature), kala (eternal time) and karma (activity). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;DONATION REQUEST</p>\n<p>&nbsp;If this blog post has stimulated you, or is valued or appreciated by you for any personal reason, or helped you advance your understanding of the subject matter presented; please visit my blog, follow me, up vote, reply, resteem and/or - consider donating to help me continue to spread this knowledge. &nbsp;I will never use these funds for any personal expense. &nbsp;The following are my crypto-coin wallet addresses. THANK YOU.&nbsp;</p>\n<p><br></p>\n<p>BTC - 12u3ot6UR5UxVakoFNuhA4vjfrtUGYikBd&nbsp;</p>\n<p><br></p>\n<p>ETH - 0x4a7FB485562bCe1E11A71D623684cb2Ef2aFEf45&nbsp;</p>\n<p><br></p>\n<p>LTC - LYKxKMUmNHwU2Vc4tSumA47TCAW54TKgpG&nbsp;</p>\n<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>\n<p>I will keep a ledger of all donations and how they are spent in my effort to further my mission as stated in my introducemyself post which you can get straight away by doing a search with the following “upendranath in introducemyself”; this is the quickest. Or you can visit my blog and scroll to the second post. Twice a year I will post this ledger to my blog; in January and in July&nbsp;</p>\n<p><br></p>\n<p>https://i.supload.com/B1xAjpsZSz.jpg &nbsp;https://i.supload.com/rJgUrz0ZVG.jpg</p>\n</html>",
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      "author": "upendranath",
      "permlink": "bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-introduction",
      "title": "Bhagavad-gita As It Is. English Texts and Purports and Audio Narration. INTRODUCTION",
      "body": "<center><a href=\"https://dsound.audio/#/@upendranath/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-introduction\"><img src=\"https://mercury.i.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmcP5pp2q8myXtXi5MeXbRUbb18pdXHUw5GTpwM73W5LoP\" width=\"400px\"></a></center>\n      <hr>Bhagavad-gita As It Is. By A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. English Texts and Purports from 1972 Macmillan Edition. Narrated By Siksastaka Dasa from: <a href=\"http://krishnapath.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">krishnapath.org</a> Text for reading and/or viewing, is below; however, it will only be found on my Steemit Blog at <a href=\"http://steemit.com/@upendranath\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">steemit.com/@upendranath</a>.<hr>\n      <a href=\"https://dsound.audio/#/@upendranath/bhagavad-gita-as-it-is-english-texts-and-purports-and-audio-narration-introduction\">► Listen on DSound</a><br>\n      <a href=\"https://scrappy.i.ipfs.io/ipfs/QmWaNMGhokUTNrEjEEnPhDXkVGk9dn18EB2WCjHapYfXxm\">► Listen from source (IPFS)</a>\nTo listen to narration and view Texts and Purports at the same time: Right click Option to Listen on/from, and select \"Open In New Tab\".\n\nINTRODUCTION  \n\nom ajnana-timirandhasya   \njnananjana-salakaya   \ncaksur unmilitam yena   \ntasmai Sri-gurave namah   \nsri-caitanya-mano-’bhistam   \nsthapitam yena bhu-tale   \nsvayam rupah kada mahyam  \ndadati sva-padantikam   \n\nI was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.    \n\nWhen will Srila Rupa Gosvami Prabhupada, who has established within this material world the mission to Fulfil the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?   \n\nvande ’ham Sri-guroh Sri-yuta-pada-kamalam Sri-gurun vaisnavams ca   \nSri-rupam sagrajatam saha-gana-raghunathanvitam tam sa-jivam   \nsadvaitam savadhutam parijana-sahitam Krishna-caitanya-devam   \nSri-radha-Krishna-padan saha-gana-lalita-Sri-visakhanvitams ca \n\nI offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and unto the feet of all Vaisnavas. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Srila Rupa Gosvami along with his elder brother Sanatana Gosvami, as well as Raghunatha Dasa and Raghunatha Bhatta, Gopala Bhatta, and Srila Jiva Gosvami. I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Krishna Caitanya and Lord Nityananda along with Advaita Acarya, Gadadhara, Srivasa, and other associates. I offer my respectful obeisances to Srimati Radharani and Sri Krishna along with Their associates, Sri Lalita and Visakha.  \n\nhe Krishna karuna-sindho dina-bandho jagat-pate  \ngopesa gopika-kanta radha-kanta namo ’stu te \n\nO my dear Krishna, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the gopis and the lover of Radharani. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.\n\ntapta-kancana-gaurangi radhe vrndavanesvari  \nvrsabhanu-sute devi pranamami hari-priye  \n\nI offer my respects to Radharani whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vrndavana. You are the daughter of King Vrsabhanu, and You are very dear to Lord Krishna.\n\nvancha-kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca \npatitanam pavanebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah  \n\nI offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaisnava devotees of the Lord who can Fulfil the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and who are full of compassion for the fallen souls.  \n\nSri Krishna caitanya prabhu nityananda  \nSri advaita gadadhara Srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda\n\nI offer my obeisances to Sri Krishna Caitanya, Prabhu Nityananda, Sri   .Advaita, Gadadhara, Srivasa and all others in the line of devotion. \n\nhare Krishna, hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, hare hare  \nhare rama, hare rama, rama rama, hare hare.  \n\nBhagavad-gita is also known as Gitopanisad. It is the essence of Vedic knowledge and one of the most important Upanisads in Vedic literature.   Of course there are many commentaries in English on the Bhagavad-gita, and one may question the necessity for another one. This present edition can be explained in the following way. Recently an American lady asked me to recommend an English translation of Bhagavad-gita. Of course in America there are so many editions of Bhagavad-gita available in English, but as far as I have seen, not only in America but also in India, none of them can be strictly said to be authoritative because in almost every one of them the commentator has expressed his own opinions without touching the spirit of Bhagavad-gita as it is.   \n\nThe spirit of Bhagavad-gita is mentioned in Bhagavad-gita itself. It is just like this: if we want to take a particular medicine, then we have to follow the directions written on the label. We cannot take the medicine according to our own whim or the direction of a friend. It must be taken according to the directions on the label or the directions given by a physician. Similarly, Bhagavad-gita should be taken or accepted as it is directed by the speaker himself.   \n\nThe speaker of Bhagavad-gita is Lord Sri Krishna. He is mentioned on every page of Bhagavad-gita as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Bhagavan. Of course the word “bhagavan” sometimes refers to any powerful person or any powerful demigod, and certainly here Bhagavan designates Lord Sri Krishna as a great personality, but at the same time we should know that Lord Sri Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as is confirmed by all great acaryas (spiritual masters) like Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya, Madhvacarya, Nimbarka Svami, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and many other authorities of Vedic knowledge in India. The Lord Himself also establishes Himself as the Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Bhagavad-gita, and He is accepted as such in the Brahma-samhita and all the Puranas, especially the Srimad-Bhagavatam, known as the Bhagavata Purana (Krishnas tu bhagavan svayam). Therefore we should take Bhagavad-gita as it is directed by the Personality of Godhead Himself. \n\nIn the Fourth Chapter of the Gita the Lord says:  \n\n(1) imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam   \nvivasvan manave praha manur iksvakave ’bravit  \n(2) evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh   \nsa kaleneha mahata yogo nastah parantapa  \n(3) sa evayam maya te ’dya yogah proktah puratanah   \nbhakto ’si me sakha ceti rahasyam hy etad uttamam \n\nHere the Lord informs Arjuna that this system of yoga, the Bhagavad-gita, was first spoken to the sun-god, and the sun-god explained it to Manu, and Manu explained it to Iksvaku, and in that way, by disciplic succession, one speaker after another, this yoga system has been coming down. But in the course of time it has become lost. Consequently the Lord has to speak it again, this time to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra.   \n\nHe tells Arjuna that He is relating this supreme secret to him because he is His devotee and His friend. The PURPORT:  of this is that Bhagavad-gita is a treatise which is especially meant for the devotee of the Lord. There are three classes of transcendentalists, namely the jnani, the yogi and the bhakta, or the impersonalist, the meditator and the devotee. Here the Lord clearly tells Arjuna that He is making him the first receiver of a new parampara (disciplic succession) because the old succession was broken. It was the Lord’s wish, therefore, to establish another parampara in the same line of thought that was coming down from the sun-god to others, and it was His wish that His teaching be distributed anew by Arjuna. He wanted Arjuna to become the authority in understanding the Bhagavad-gita. So we see that Bhagavad-gita is instructed to Arjuna especially because Arjuna was a devotee of the Lord, a direct student of Krishna, and His intimate friend. Therefore Bhagavad-gita is best understood by a person who has qualities similar to Arjuna’s. That is to say he must be a devotee in a direct relationship with the Lord. As soon as one becomes a devotee of the Lord, he also has a direct relationship with the Lord. That is a very elaborate subject matter, but briefly it can be stated that a devotee is in a relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead in one of five different ways:  \n\n1. One may be a devotee in a passive state;\n2. One may be a devotee in an active state;\n3. One may be a devotee as a friend;\n4. One may be a devotee as a parent;\n5. One may be a devotee as a conjugal lover.   \n\nArjuna was in a relationship with the Lord as friend. Of course there is a gulf of difference between this friendship and the friendship found in the material world. This is transcendental friendship which cannot be had by everyone. Of course everyone has a particular relationship with the Lord, and that relationship is evoked by the perfection of devotional service. But in the present status of our life, we have not only forgotten the Supreme Lord, but we have forgotten our eternal relationship with the Lord. Every living being, out of many, many billions and trillions of living beings, has a particular relationship with the Lord eternally. That is called svarupa. By the process of devotional service, one can revive that svarupa, and that stage is called svarupa-siddhi—perfection of one’s constitutional position. So Arjuna was a devotee, and he was in touch with the Supreme Lord in friendship.\nHow Arjuna accepted this Bhagavad-gita should be noted. His manner of acceptance is given in the Tenth Chapter.   \n\n(12) arjuna uvaca  \nparam brahma param dhama pavitram paramam bhavan   \npurusam sasvatam divyam adi-devam ajam vibhum   \n(13) ahus tvam rsayah sarve devarsir naradas tatha   \nasito devalo vyasah svayam caiva bravisi me \n(14) sarvam etad rtam manye yan mam vadasi kesava  \nna hi te bhagavan vyaktim vidur deva na danavah \n\n“Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal Divine Person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages like Narada, Asita, Devala, and Vyasa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me. O Krishna, I totally accept as truth all that You have told me. Neither the gods nor demons, O Lord, know Thy personality.” (Bg. 10. 12–14).  \n\nAfter hearing Bhagavad-gita from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Arjuna accepted Krishna as Param Brahma, the Supreme Brahman. Every living being is Brahman, but the supreme living being, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the Supreme Brahman. Param dhama means that He is the supreme rest or abode of everything, pavitram means that He is pure, untainted by material contamination, purusam means that He is the supreme enjoyer, divyam, transcendental, adi-devam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, ajam, the unborn, and vibhum, the greatest, the all-pervading.\n\nNow one may think that because Krishna was the friend of Arjuna, Arjuna was telling Him all this by way of flattery, but Arjuna, just to drive out this kind of doubt from the minds of the readers of Bhagavad-gita, substantiates these praises in the next verse when he says that Krishna is accepted as the Supreme Personality of Godhead not only by himself but by authorities like the sage Narada, Asita, Devala, Vyasadeva and so on. These are great personalities who distribute the Vedic knowledge as it is accepted by all acaryas. Therefore Arjuna tells Krishna that he accepts whatever He says to be completely perfect. Sarvam etad rtam manye: “I accept everything You say to be true.” Arjuna also says that the personality of the Lord is very difficult to understand and that He cannot be known even by the great demigods. This means that the Lord cannot even be known by personalities greater than human beings. So how can a human being understand SRI Krishna without becoming His devotee? \n\nTherefore Bhagavad-gita should be taken up in a spirit of devotion. One should not think that he is equal to Krishna, nor should he think that Krishna is an ordinary personality or even a very great personality. Lord SRI Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, at least theoretically, according to the statements of Bhagavad-gita or the statements of Arjuna, the person who is trying to understand the Bhagavad-gita. We should therefore at least theoretically accept SRI Krishna as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and with that submissive spirit we can understand the Bhagavad-gita. Unless one reads the Bhagavad-gita in a submissive spirit, it is very difficult to understand Bhagavad-gita because it is a great mystery.  \n\nJust what is the Bhagavad-gita? The purpose of Bhagavad-gita is to deliver mankind from the nescience of material existence. Every man is in difficulty in so many ways, as Arjuna also was in difficulty in having to fight the Battle of Kuruksetra. Arjuna surrendered unto SRI Krishna, and consequently this Bhagavad-gita was spoken. Not only Arjuna, but every one of us is full of anxieties because of this material existence. Our very existence is in the atmosphere of nonexistence. Actually we are not meant to be threatened by nonexistence. Our existence is eternal. But somehow or other we are put into asat. Asat refers to that which does not exist.   \nOut of so many human beings who are suffering, there are a few who are actually inquiring about their position, as to what they are, why they are put into this awkward position and so on. Unless one is awakened to this position of questioning his suffering, unless he realizes that he doesn’t want suffering but rather wants to make a solution to all sufferings, then one is not to be considered a perfect human being. Humanity begins when this sort of inquiry is awakened in one’s mind. In the Brahma-sutra this inquiry is called “brahma-jijnasa.” Every activity of the human being is to be considered a failure unless he inquires about the nature of the Absolute. Therefore those who begin to question why they are suffering or where they came from and where they shall go after death are proper students for understanding Bhagavad-gita. The sincere student should also have a firm respect for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a student was Arjuna.   \n\nLord Krishna descends specifically to reestablish the real purpose of life when man forgets that purpose. Even then, out of many, many human beings who awaken, there may be one who actually enters the spirit of understanding his position, and for him this Bhagavad-gita is spoken. Actually we are all followed by the tiger of nescience, but the Lord is very merciful upon living entities, especially human beings. To this end He spoke the Bhagavad-gita, making His friend Arjuna His student.   \n\nBeing an associate of Lord Krishna, Arjuna was above all ignorance, but Arjuna was put into ignorance on the Battlefield of Kuruksetra just to question Lord Krishna about the problems of life so that the Lord could explain them for the benefit of future generations of human beings and chalk out the plan of life. Then man could act accordingly and perfect the mission of human life.  \n\nThe subject of the Bhagavad-gita entails the comprehension of five basic truths. First of all, the science of God is explained and then the constitutional position of the living entities, jivas. There is isvara, which means controller, and there are jivas, the living entities which are controlled. If a living entity says that he is not controlled but that he is free, then he is insane. The living being is controlled in every respect, at least in his conditioned life. So in the Bhagavad-gita the subject matter deals with the isvara, the supreme controller, and the jivas, the controlled living entities. Prakrti (material nature) and time (the duration of existence of the whole universe or the manifestation of material nature) and karma (activity) are also discussed. The cosmic manifestation is full of different activities. All living entities are engaged in different activities. From Bhagavad-gita we must learn what God is, what the living entities are, what prakrti is, what the cosmic manifestation is and how it is controlled by time, and what the activities of the living entities are.   \n\nOut of these five basic subject matters in Bhagavad-gita it is established that the Supreme Godhead, or Krishna, or Brahman, or supreme controller, or Paramatma—you may use whatever name you like—is the greatest of all. The living beings are in quality like the supreme controller. For instance, the Lord has control over the universal affairs, over material nature, etc., as will be explained in the later chapters of Bhagavad-gita. Material nature is not independant. She is acting under the directions of the Supreme Lord. As Lord Krishna says, “Prakrti is working under My direction.” When we see wonderful things happening in the cosmic nature, we should know that behind this cosmic manifestation there is a controller. Nothing could be manifested without being controlled. It is childish not to consider the controller. For instance, a child may think that an automobile is quite wonderful to be able to run without a horse or other animal pulling it, but a sane man knows the nature of the automobile’s engineering arrangement. He always knows that behind the machinery there is a man, a driver. Similarly, the Supreme Lord is a driver under whose direction everything is working. Now the jivas, or the living entities, have been accepted by the Lord, as we will note in the later chapters, as His parts and parcels. A particle of gold is also gold, a drop of water from the ocean is also salty, and similarly, we the living entities, being part and parcel of the supreme controller, isvara, or Bhagavan, Lord Sri Krishna, have all the qualities of the Supreme Lord in minute quantity because we are minute isvaras, subordinate isvaras. We are trying to control nature, as presently we are trying to control space or planets, and this tendency to control is there because it is in Krishna. But although we have a tendency to lord it over material nature, we should know that we are not the supreme controller. This is explained in Bhagavad-gita.\nWhat is material nature? This is also explained in Gita as inferior prakrti, inferior nature. The living entity is explained as the superior prakrti. Prakrti is always under control, whether inferior or superior. Prakrti is female, and she is controlled by the Lord just as the activities of a wife are controlled by the husband. Prakrti is always subordinate, predominated by the Lord, who is the predominator. The living entities and material nature are both predominated, controlled by the Supreme Lord. According to the Gita, the living entities, although parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are to be considered prakrti. This is clearly mentioned in the Seventh Chapter, fifth verse of Bhagavad-gita: “Apareyam itas tv anyam.” “This prakrti is My lower nature.” “Prakrtim viddhi me param jiva-bhutam maha-baho yayedam dharyate jagat.” And beyond this there is another prakrti: jiva-bhutam, the living entity.  \n\nPrakrti itself is constituted by three qualities: the mode of goodness, the mode of passion and the mode of ignorance. Above these modes there is eternal time, and by a combination of these modes of nature and under the control and purview of eternal time there are activities which are called karma. These activities are being carried out from time immemorial, and we are suffering or enjoying the fruits of our activities. For instance, suppose I am a businessman and have worked very hard with intelligence and have amassed a great bank balance. Then I am an enjoyer. But then say I have lost all my money in business; then I am a sufferer. Similarly, in every field of life we enjoy the results of our work, or we suffer the results. This is called karma.  ….\n\nIsvara (the Supreme Lord), jiva (the living entity), prakrti (nature), eternal time and karma (activity) are all explained in the Bhagavad-gita. Out of these five, the Lord, the living entities, material nature and time are eternal. The manifestation of prakrti may be temporary, but it is not false. Some philosophers say that the manifestation of material nature is false, but according to the philosophy of Bhagavad-gita or according to the philosophy of the Vaisnavas, this is not so. The manifestation of the world is not accepted as false; it is accepted as real, but temporary. It is likened unto a cloud which moves across the sky, or the coming of the rainy season which nourishes grains. As soon as the rainy season is over and as soon as the cloud goes away, all the crops which were nourished by the rain dry up. Similarly, this material manifestation takes place at a certain interval, stays for a while and then disappears. Such are the workings of prakrti But this cycle is working eternally. Therefore prakrti is eternal; it is not false. The Lord refers to this as “My prakrti.” This material nature is the separated energy of the Supreme Lord, and similarly the living entities are also the energy of the Supreme Lord, but they are not separated. They are eternally related. So the Lord, the living entity, material nature and time are all interrelated and are all eternal. However, the other item, karma, is not eternal. The effects of karma may be very old indeed. We are suffering or enjoying the results of our activities from time immemorial, but we can change the results of our karma, or our activity, and this change depends on the perfection of our knowledge. We are engaged in various activities. Undoubtedly we do not know what sort of activities we should adopt to gain relief from the actions and reactions of all these activities, but this is also explained in the Bhagavad-gita.   \n\nThe position of isvara is that of supreme consciousness. The jivas, or the living entities, being parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord, are also conscious. Both the living entity and material nature are explained as prakrti, the energy of the Supreme Lord, but one of the two, the jiva, is conscious. The other prakrti is not conscious. That is the difference. Therefore the jiva-prakrti is called superior because the jiva has consciousness which is similar to the Lord’s. The Lord’s is supreme consciousness, however, and one should not claim that the jiva, the living entity, is also supremely conscious. The living being cannot be supremely conscious at any stage of his perfection, and the theory that he can be so is a misleading theory. Conscious he may be, but he is not perfectly or supremely conscious. \n\nThe distinction between the jiva and the isvara will be explained in the Thirteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. The Lord is ksetra-jnah, conscious, as is the living being, but the living being is conscious of his particular body, whereas the Lord is conscious of all bodies. Because He lives in the heart of every living being, He is conscious of the psychic movements of the particular jivas. We should not forget this. It is also explained that the Paramatma, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is living in everyone’s heart as isvara, as the controller, and that He is giving directions for the living entity to act as he desires. The living entity forgets what to do. First of all he makes a determination to act in a certain way, and then he is entangled in the acts and reactions of his own karma. After giving up one type of body, he enters another type of body, as we put on and take off old clothes. As the soul thus migrates, he suffers the actions and reactions of his past activities. These activities can be changed when the living being is in the mode of goodness, in sanity, and understands what sort of activities he should adopt. If he does so, then all the actions and reactions of his past activities can be changed. Consequently, karma is not eternal. Therefore we stated that of the five items (isvara, jiva, prakrti time and karma) four are eternal, whereas karma is not eternal. \n\nThe supreme conscious isvara is similar to the living entity in this way: both the consciousness of the Lord and that of the living entity are transcendental. It is not that consciousness is generated by the association of matter. That is a mistaken idea. The theory that consciousness develops under certain circumstances of material combination is not accepted in the Bhagavad-gita. Consciousness may be pervertedly reflected by the covering of material circumstances, just as light reflected through colored glass may appear to be a certain color, but the consciousness of the Lord is not materially affected. Lord Krishna says, “mayadhyaksena prakrtih.” When He descends into the material universe, His consciousness is not materially affected. If He were so affected, He would be unfit to speak on transcendental matters as He does in the Bhagavad-gita. One cannot say anything about the transcendental world without being free from materially contaminated consciousness. So the Lord is not materially contaminated. Our consciousness, at the present moment, however, is materially contaminated. The Bhagavad-gita teaches that we have to purify this materially contaminated consciousness. In pure consciousness, our actions will be dovetailed to the will of isvara, and that will make us happy. It is not that we have to cease all activities. Rather, our activities are to be purified, and purified activities are called bhakti. Activities in bhakti appear to be like ordinary activities, but they are not contaminated. An ignorant person may see that a devotee is acting or working like an ordinary man, but such a person with a poor fund of knowledge does not know that the activities of the devotee or of the Lord are not contaminated by impure consciousness or matter. They are transcendental to the three modes of nature. We should know, however, that at this point our consciousness is contaminated.   \n\nWhen we are materially contaminated, we are called conditioned. False consciousness is exhibited under the impression that I am a product of material nature. This is called false ego. One who is absorbed in the thought of bodily conceptions cannot understand his situation. Bhagavad-gita was spoken to liberate one from the bodily conception of life, and Arjuna put himself in this position in order to receive this information from the Lord. One must become free from the bodily conception of life; that is the preliminary activity for the transcendentalist. One who wants to become free, who wants to become liberated, must first of all learn that he is not this material body. Mukti or liberation means freedom from material consciousness. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam also the definition of liberation is given: Mukti means liberation from the contaminated consciousness of this material world and situation in pure consciousness. All the instructions of Bhagavad-gita are intended to awaken this pure consciousness, and therefore we find at the last stage of the Gita’s instructions that Krishna is asking Arjuna whether he is now in purified consciousness. Purified consciousness means acting in accordance with the instructions of the Lord. This is the whole sum and substance of purified consciousness. Consciousness is already there because we are part and parcel of the Lord, but for us there is the affinity of being affected by the inferior modes. But the Lord, being the Supreme, is never affected. That is the difference between the Supreme Lord and the conditioned souls.   \n\nWhat is this consciousness? This consciousness is “I am.” Then what am I? In contaminated consciousness “I am” means “I am the lord of all I survey. I am the enjoyer.” The world revolves because every living being thinks that he is the lord and creator of the material world. Material consciousness has two psychic divisions. One is that I am the creator, and the other is that I am the enjoyer. But actually the Supreme Lord is both the creator and the enjoyer, and the living entity, being part and parcel of the Supreme Lord, is neither the creator nor the enjoyer, but a cooperator. He is the created and the enjoyed. \n\nFor instance, a part of a machine cooperates with the whole machine; a part of the body cooperates with the whole body. The hands, feet, eyes, legs and so on are all parts of the body, but they are not actually the enjoyers. The stomach is the enjoyer. The legs move, the hands supply food, the teeth chew and all parts of the body are engaged in satisfying the stomach because the stomach is the principal factor that nourishes the body’s organization. Therefore everything is given to the stomach. One nourishes the tree by watering its root, and one nourishes the body by feeding the stomach, for if the body is to be kept in a healthy state, then the parts of the body must cooperate to feed the stomach. \n\nSimilarly, the Supreme Lord is the enjoyer and the creator, and we, as subordinate living beings, are meant to cooperate to satisfy Him. This cooperation will actually help us, just as food taken by the stomach will help all other parts of the body. If the fingers of the hand think that they should take the food themselves instead of giving it to the stomach, then they will be frustrated. The central figure of creation and of enjoyment is the Supreme Lord, and the living entities are cooperators. By cooperation they enjoy. The relation is also like that of the master and the servant. If the master is fully satisfied, then the servant is satisfied. Similarly, the Supreme Lord should be satisfied, although the tendency to become the creator and the tendency to enjoy the material world are there also in the living entities because these tendencies are there in the Supreme Lord who has created the manifested cosmic world.\n\nWe shall find, therefore, in this Bhagavad-gita that the complete whole is comprised of the supreme controller, the controlled living entities, the cosmic manifestation, eternal time, and karma, or activities, and all of these are explained in this text. All of these taken completely form the complete whole, and the complete whole is called the Supreme Absolute Truth. The complete whole and the complete Absolute Truth are the Supreme Personality of Godhead,Sri Krishna. All manifestations are due to His different energies. He is the complete whole.  \n\nIt is also explained in the Gita that impersonal Brahman is also subordinate to the complete. Brahman is more explicitly explained in the Brahma-sutra to be like the rays of the sunshine. The impersonal Brahman is the shining rays of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Impersonal Brahman is incomplete realization of the absolute whole, and so also is the conception of Paramatma in the Twelfth Chapter. There it shall be seen that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Purusottama, is above both impersonal Brahman and the partial realization of Paramatma. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is called sac-cid-ananda-vigraha. The Brahma-samhita begins in this way: isvarah paramah Krishnah sac-cid-ananda-vigrahah/anadir adir govindah sarva-karana-karanam. “Krishna is the cause of all causes. He is the primal cause, and He is the very form of eternal being, knowledge and bliss.” Impersonal Brahman realization is the realization of His sat (being) feature. Paramatma realization is the realization of the cit (eternal knowledge) feature. But realization of the Personality of Godhead, Krishna, is realization of all the transcendental features: sat, cit and ananda (being, knowledge, bliss) in complete vigraha (form).  \n\nPeople with less intelligence consider the Supreme Truth to be impersonal, but He is a transcendental person, and this is confirmed in all Vedic literatures. Nityo nityanam cetanas cetananam. As we are all individual living beings and have our individuality, the Supreme Absolute Truth is also, in the ultimate issue, a person, and realization of the Personality of Godhead is realization of all of the transcendental features. The complete whole is not formless. If He is formless, or if He is less than any other thing, then He cannot be the complete whole. The complete whole must have everything within our experience and beyond our experience, otherwise it cannot be complete. The complete whole, Personality of Godhead, has immense potencies.   \n\nHow Krishna is acting in different potencies is also explained in Bhagavad-gita. This phenomenal world or material world in which we are placed is also complete in itself because the twenty-four elements of which this material universe is a temporary manifestation, according to Sankhya philosophy, are completely adjusted to produce complete resources which are necessary for the maintenance and subsistence of this universe. There is nothing extraneous; nor is there anything needed. This manifestation has its own time fixed by the energy of the supreme whole, and when its time is complete, these temporary manifestations will be annihilated by the complete arrangement of the complete. There is complete facility for the small complete units, namely the living entities, to realize the complete, and all sorts of incompleteness are experienced due to incomplete knowledge of the complete. So Bhagavad-gita contains the complete knowledge of Vedic wisdom.  \n\nAll Vedic knowledge is infallible, and Hindus accept Vedic knowledge to be complete and infallible. For example, cow dung is the stool of an animal, and according to smrti or Vedic injunction, if one touches the stool of an animal he has to take a bath to purify himself. But in the Vedic scriptures cow dung is considered to be a purifying agent. One might consider this to be contradictory, but it is accepted because it is Vedic injunction, and indeed by accepting this, one will not commit a mistake; subsequently it has been proved by modern science that cow dung contains all antiseptic properties. So Vedic knowledge is complete because it is above all doubts and mistakes, and Bhagavad-gita is the essence of all Vedic knowledge.   \n\nVedic knowledge is not a question of research. Our research work is imperfect because we are researching things with imperfect senses. We have to accept perfect knowledge which comes down, as is stated in Bhagavad-gita, by the parampara disciplic succession. We have to receive knowledge from the proper source in disciplic succession beginning with the supreme spiritual master, the Lord Himself, and handed down to a succession of spiritual masters. Arjuna, the student who took lessons from Lord SRI Krishna, accepts everything that He says without contradicting Him. One is not allowed to accept one portion of Bhagavad-gita and not another. No. We must accept Bhagavad-gita without interpretation, without deletion and without our own whimsical participation in the matter. The Gita should he taken as the most perfect presentation of Vedic knowledge. Vedic knowledge is received from transcendental sources, and the first words were spoken by the Lord Himself. The words spoken by the Lord are different from words spoken by a person of the mundane world who is infected with four defects. A mundaner 1) is sure to commit mistakes, 2) is invariably illusioned, 3) has the tendency to cheat others and 4) is limited by imperfect senses. With these four imperfections, one cannot deliver perfect information of all-pervading knowledge.   \n\nVedic knowledge is not imparted by such defective living entities. It was imparted unto the heart of Brahma, the first created living being, and Brahma in his turn disseminated this knowledge to his sons and disciples, as he originally received it from the Lord. The Lord is purnam, all-perfect, and there is no possibility of His becoming subjected to the laws of material nature. One should therefore be intelligent enough to know that the Lord is the only proprietor of everything in the universe and that He is the original creator, the creator of Brahma. In the Eleventh Chapter the Lord is addressed as prapitamaha because Brahma is addressed as pitamaha, the grandfather, and He is the creator of the grandfather. So no one should claim to be the proprietor of anything; one should accept only things which are set aside for him by the Lord as his quota for his maintenance.   \n\nThere are many examples given of how we are to utilize those things which are set aside for us by the Lord. This is also explained in Bhagavad-gita. In the beginning, Arjuna decided that he should not fight in the Battle of Kuruksetra. This was his own decision. Arjuna told the Lord that it was not possible for him to enjoy the kingdom after killing his own kinsmen. This decision was based on the body because he was thinking that the body was himself and that his bodily relations or expansions were his brothers, nephews, brothers-in-law, grandfathers and so on. He was thinking in this way to satisfy his bodily demands. Bhagavad-gita was spoken by the Lord just to change this view, and at the end Arjuna decides to fight under the directions of the Lord when he says, “karisye vacanam tava.” “I shall act according to Thy word.”  \n\nIn this world man is not meant to toil like hogs. He must be intelligent to realize the importance of human life and refuse to act like an ordinary animal. A human being should realize the aim of his life, and this direction is given in all Vedic literatures, and the essence is given in Bhagavad-gita. Vedic literature is meant for human beings, not for animals. Animals can kill other living animals, and there is no question of sin on their part, but if a man kills an animal for the satisfaction of his uncontrolled taste, he must be responsible for breaking the laws of nature. In the Bhagavad-gita it is clearly explained that there are three kinds of activities according to the different modes of nature: the activities of goodness, of passion and of ignorance. Similarly, there are three kinds of eatables also: eatables in goodness, passion and ignorance. All of this is clearly described, and if we properly utilize the instructions of Bhagavad-gita, then our whole life will become purified, and ultimately we will be able to reach the destination which is beyond this material sky.  \n\nContinued in INTRODUCTION PART 2\n\n DONATION REQUEST\n \nIf this blog post has stimulated you, or is valued or appreciated by you for any personal reason, or helped you advance your understanding of the subject matter presented; please visit my blog, follow me, up vote, reply, resteem and/or - consider donating to help me continue to spread this knowledge.  I will never use these funds for any personal expense.  The following are my crypto-coin wallet addresses. THANK YOU. \n\nBTC - 12u3ot6UR5UxVakoFNuhA4vjfrtUGYikBd \n\nETH - 0x4a7FB485562bCe1E11A71D623684cb2Ef2aFEf45 \n\nLTC - LYKxKMUmNHwU2Vc4tSumA47TCAW54TKgpG \n  \nI will keep a ledger of all donations and how they are spent in my effort to further my mission as stated in my introducemyself post which you can get straight away by doing a search with the following “upendranath in introducemyself”; this is the quickest. Or you can visit my blog and scroll to the second post. Twice a year I will post this ledger to my blog; in January and in July \n\nhttps://i.supload.com/B1xAjpsZSz.jpg  https://i.supload.com/rJgUrz0ZVG.jpg",
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      "title": "Bhagavad-gita As It Is.  English Texts and Purports and Audio Narration. PREFACE",
      "body": "@@ -1269,12 +1269,8947 @@\n e (IPFS)%3C/a%3E\n+%0ATo listen to narration and view Tests & Purports at the same time: Right click Option to Listen on/from, and select %22Open In New Tab%22.%0A%0APreface  %0A%0AOriginally I wrote Bhagavad-gita As It Is in the form in which it is presented now. When this book was first published, the original manuscript was, unfortunately, cut short to less than 400 pages, without illustrations and without explanations for most of the original verses of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita. In all of my other books%E2%80%94Srimad Bhagavatam, Sri  Isopanisad, etc.%E2%80%94the system is that I give the original verse, its English transliteration, word-for-word Sanskrit-English equivalents, translations and PURPORT: s. This makes the book very authentic and scholarly and makes the meaning self-evident. I was not very happy, therefore, when I had to minimize my original manuscript. But later on, when the demand for Bhagavad-gita As It Is considerably increased, I was requested by many scholars and devotees to present the book in its original form, and Messrs. Macmillan and Co. agreed to publish the complete edition. Thus the present attempt is to offer the original manuscript of this great book of knowledge with full parampara explanation in order to establish the Krishna consciousness movement more soundly and progressively. %0A%0AOur Krishna consciousness movement is genuine, historically authorized, natural and transcendental due to its being based on Bhagavad-gita As It Is. It is gradually becoming the most popular movement in the entire world, especially amongst the younger generation. It is becoming more and more interesting to the older generation also. Older gentlemen are becoming interested, so much so that the fathers and grandfathers of my disciples are encouraging us by becoming life members of our great society, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In Los Angeles many fathers and mothers used to come to see me to express their feelings of gratitude for my leading the Krishna consciousness movement throughout the entire world. Some of them said that it is greatly fortunate for the Americans that I have started the Krishna consciousness movement in America. But actually the original father of this movement is Lord Krishna Himself, since it was started a very long time ago but is coming down to human society by disciplic succession. If I have any credit in this connection, it does not belong to me personally, but it is due to my eternal spiritual master, His Divine Grace Om Visnupada Paramahamsa Parivrajakacarya 108 Sri Srimad Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Maharaja Prabhupada. %0A%0AIf personally I have any credit in this matter, it is only that I have tried to present Bhagavad-gita as it is, without adulteration. Before my presentation of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, almost all the English editions of Bhagavad-gita were introduced to fulfil someone%E2%80%99s personal ambition. But our attempt, in presenting Bhagavad-gita As It Is, is to present the mission of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna.   %E2%80%A6.%0A%0AOur business is to present the will of Krishna, not that of any mundane speculator like the politician, philosopher or scientist, for they have very little knowledge of Krishna, despite all their other knowledge. When Krishna says, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru, etc., we, unlike the so-called scholars, do not say that Krishna and His inner spirit are different. Krishna is absolute, and there is no difference between Krishna%E2%80%99s name, Krishna%E2%80%99s form, Krishna%E2%80%99s quality, Krishna%E2%80%99s pastimes, etc. %0A%0AThis absolute position of Krishna is difficult to understand for any person who is not a devotee of Krishna in the parampara (disciplic succession) system. Generally, the so-called scholars, politicians, philosophers, and Swamis, without perfect knowledge of Krishna, try to banish or kill Krishna when writing commentary on Bhagavad-gita. Such unauthorized commentary upon Bhagavad-gita is known as Mayavadi-Bhasya, and Lord Caitanya has warned us about these unauthorized men. Lord Caitanya clearly says that anyone who tries to understand Bhagavad-gita from the Mayavadi point of view will commit a great blunder. The result of such a blunder will be that the misguided student of Bhagavad-gita will certainly be bewildered on the path of spiritual guidance and will not be able to go back home, back to Godhead. %0A%0AOur only purpose is to present this Bhagavad-gita As It Is in order to guide the conditioned student to the same purpose for which Krishna descends to this planet once in a day of Brahma, or every 8,600,000,000 years. This purpose is stated in Bhagavad-gita, and we have to accept it as it is; otherwise there is no point in trying to understand the Bhagavad-gita and its speaker, Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna first spoke Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god some hundreds of millions of years ago. We have to accept this fact and thus understand the historical significance of Bhagavad-gita, without misinterpretation, on the authority of Krishna.   %0A%0ATo interpret Bhagavad-gita without any reference to the will of Krishna is the greatest offense. In order to save oneself from this offense, one has to understand the Lord as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, as He was directly understood by Arjuna, Lord Krishna%E2%80%99s first disciple. Such understanding of Bhagavad-gita is really profitable and authorized for the welfare of human society in Fulfiling the mission of life.  %E2%80%A6.%0A%0AThe Krishna consciousness movement is essential in human society, for it offers the highest perfection of life. How this is so is explained fully in the Bhagavad-gita. Unfortunately, mundane wranglers have taken advantage of Bhagavad-gita to push forward their demonic propensities and mislead people regarding right understanding of the simple principles of life.   %0A%0AEveryone should know how God or Krishna is great, and everyone should know the factual position of the living entities. Everyone should know that a living entity is eternally a servant and that unless one serves Krishna one has to serve illusion in different varieties of the three modes of material nature, and thus perpetually one has to wander within the cycle of birth and death; even the so-called liberated Mayavadi speculator has to undergo this process. This knowledge constitutes a great science, and each and every living being has to hear it for his own interest.  %0A%0APeople in general, especially in this age of Kali, are enamoured by the external energy of Krishna, and they wrongly think that by advancement of material comforts every man will be happy. They have no knowledge that the material or external nature is very strong, for everyone is strongly bound by the stringent laws of material nature.   %0A%0AA living entity is happily the part and parcel of the Lord, and thus his natural function is to render immediate service to the Lord. By the spell of illusion one tries to be happy by serving his personal sense gratification in different forms which will never make him happy. Instead of satisfying his own personal material senses, he has to satisfy the senses of the Lord. That is the highest perfection of life. The Lord wants this, and He demands it. One has to understand this central point of Bhagavad-gita. Our Krishna consciousness movement is teaching the whole world this central point, and because we are not polluting the theme of Bhagavad-gita As It Is, anyone seriously interested in deriving benefit by studying the Bhagavad-gita must take help from the Krishna consciousness movement for practical understanding of Bhagavad-gita under the direct guidance of the Lord. We hope, therefore, that people will derive the greatest benefit by studying Bhagavad-gita As It Is as we have presented it here, and if even one man becomes a pure devotee of the Lord we shall consider our attempt a success.  %0A%0A%5Bsigned%5D A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami %0A12 May 1971  %0ASydney, Australia  %0A%0A DONATION REQUEST%0A %0AIf this blog post has stimulated you, or is valued or appreciated by you for any personal reason, or helped you advance your understanding of the subject matter presented; please visit my blog, follow me, up vote, reply, resteem and/or - consider donating to help me continue to spread this knowledge.  I will never use these funds for any personal expense.  The following are my crypto-coin wallet addresses. THANK YOU. %0A%0ABTC - 12u3ot6UR5UxVakoFNuhA4vjfrtUGYikBd %0A%0AETH - 0x4a7FB485562bCe1E11A71D623684cb2Ef2aFEf45 %0A%0ALTC - LYKxKMUmNHwU2Vc4tSumA47TCAW54TKgpG %0A  %0AI will keep a ledger of all donations and how they are spent in my effort to further my mission as stated in my introducemyself post which you can get straight away by doing a search with the following %E2%80%9Cupendranath in introducemyself%E2%80%9D; this is the quickest. Or you can visit my blog and scroll to the second post. Twice a year I will post this ledger to my blog; in January and in July %0A%0Ahttps://i.supload.com/B1xAjpsZSz.jpg  https://i.supload.com/rJgUrz0ZVG.jpg\n",
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      "body": "@@ -1269,12 +1269,5070 @@\n e (IPFS)%3C/a%3E\n+%0A %0ATo SRILA BALADEVA VIDYABHUSANA who presented so nicely the %E2%80%9CGovinda-bhasya%E2%80%9D commentary on Vedanta philosophy.%0A%0AForeword%0A%0AThe Bhagavad-gita is the best known and the most frequently translated of Vedic religious texts. Why it should be so appealing to the Western mind is an interesting question. It has drama, for its setting is a scene of two great armies, banners flying, drawn up opposite one another on the field, poised for battle. It has ambiguity, and the fact that Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna are carrying on their dialogue between the two armies suggests the indecision of Arjuna about the basic question: should he enter battle against and kill those who are friends and kinsmen? It has mystery, as Krishna demonstrates to Arjuna His cosmic form. It has a properly complicated view of the ways of the religious life and treats of the paths of knowledge, works, discipline and faith and their inter-relationships, problems that have bothered adherents of other religions in other times and places. %0A%0AThe devotion spoken of is a deliberate means of religious satisfaction, not a mere outpouring of poetic emotion. Next to the Bhagavata-purana, a long work from South India, the Gita is the text most frequently quoted in the philosophical writings of the Gaudiya Vaisnava school, the school represented by Swami Bhaktivedanta as the latest in a long succession of teachers. It can be said that this school of Vaisnavism was founded, or revived, by Sri Krishna-Caitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1533) in Bengal, and that it is currently the strongest single religious force in the eastern part of the Indian subcontinent. The Gaudiya Vaisnava school, for whom Krishna is Himself the Supreme God, and not merely an incarnation of another deity, sees bhakti as an immediate and powerful religious force, consisting of love between man and God. Its discipline consists of devoting all one%E2%80%99s actions to the Deity, and one listens to the stories of Krishna from the sacred texts, one chants Krishna%E2%80%99s name, washes, bathes, and dresses the murti of Krishna, feeds Him and takes the remains of the food offered to Him, thus absorbing His grace; one does these things and many more, until one has been changed: the devotee has become transformed into one close to Krishna, and sees the Lord face to face.   %0A%0ASwami Bhaktivedanta comments upon the Gita from this point of view, and that is legitimate. More than that, in this translation the Western reader has the unique opportunity of seeing how a Krishna devotee interprets his own texts. It is the Vedic exegetical tradition, justly famous, in action.  %0A%0AThis book is then a welcome addition from many points of view. It can serve as a valuable textbook for the college student. It allows us to listen to a skilled interpreter explicating a text which has profound religious meaning. It gives us insights into the original and highly convincing ideas of the Gaudiya Vaisnava school. In providing the Sanskrit in both Devanagari and transliteration, it offers the Sanskrit specialist the opportunity to re-interpret, or debate particular Sanskrit meanings%E2%80%94although I think there will be little disagreement about the quality of the Swami%E2%80%99s Sanskrit scholarship.  %0A%0AAnd finally, for the nonspecialist, there is readable English and a devotional attitude which cannot help but move the sensitive reader. And there are the paintings, which, incredibly as it may seem to those familiar with contemporary Indian religious art, were done by American devotees.%0AThe scholar, the student of Gaudiya Vaisnavism, and the increasing number of Western readers interested in classical Vedic thought have been done a service by Swami Bhaktivedanta.   %0A%0ABy bringing us a new and living interpretation of a text already known to many, he has increased our understanding many fold; and arguments for understanding, in these days of estrangement, need not be made. %0A%0AProfessor Edward C. Dimock, Jr.  %0ADepartment of South Asian Languages and Civilization  %E2%80%A6.%0AUniversity of Chicago%0A%0A DONATION REQUEST%0A %0AIf this blog post has stimulated you, or is valued or appreciated by you for any personal reason, or helped you advance your understanding of the subject matter presented; please visit my blog, follow me, up vote, reply, resteem and/or - consider donating to help me continue to spread this knowledge.  I will never use these funds for any personal expense.  The following are my crypto-coin wallet addresses. THANK YOU. %0A%0ABTC - 12u3ot6UR5UxVakoFNuhA4vjfrtUGYikBd %0A%0AETH - 0x4a7FB485562bCe1E11A71D623684cb2Ef2aFEf45 %0A%0ALTC - LYKxKMUmNHwU2Vc4tSumA47TCAW54TKgpG %0A  %0AI will keep a ledger of all donations and how they are spent in my effort to further my mission as stated in my introducemyself post which you can get straight away by doing a search with the following %E2%80%9Cupendranath in introducemyself%E2%80%9D; this is the quickest. Or you can visit my blog and scroll to the second post. Twice a year I will post this ledger to my blog; in January and in July %0A%0Ahttps://i.supload.com/B1xAjpsZSz.jpg  https://i.supload.com/rJgUrz0ZVG.jpg\n",
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