Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (123 page)

Bg 18.61

TEXT 61

TEXT

īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ

hṛd-deśe 'rjuna tiṣṭhati

bhrāmayan sarva-bhūtāni

yantrārūḍhāni māyayā

SYNONYMS

īśvaraḥ-
the Supreme Lord;
sarva-bhūtānām-
of all living entities;
hṛd-deśe-
in the location of the heart;
arjuna
-O Arjuna;
tiṣṭhati-
resides;
bhrāmayan-
causing to travel;
sarva-bhūtāni-
all living entities;
yantra-
machine;
ārūḍhāni-
being so placed;
māyayā-
under the spell of material energy.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Lord 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.

PURPORT

Arjuna was not the supreme knower, and his decision to fight or not to fight was confined to his limited discretion. Lord Kṛṣṇa instructed that the individual is not all in all. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, or He Himself, Kṛṣṇa, the localized Supersoul, sits in the heart directing the living being. After changing bodies, the living entity forgets his past deeds, but the Supersoul, as the knower of the past, present and future, remains the witness of all his activities. Therefore all the activities of living entities are directed by this Supersoul. The living entity gets what he deserves and is carried by the material body which is created in the material energy under the direction of the Supersoul. As soon as a living entity is placed in a particular type of body, he has to work under the spell of that bodily situation. A person seated in a high-speed motor car goes faster than one seated in a slower car, though the living entities, the drivers, may be the same. Similarly, by the order of the Supreme Soul, material nature fashions a particular type of body to a particular type of living entity to work according to his past desires. The living entity is not independant. One should not think himself independant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The individual is always under His control. Therefore his duty is to surrender, and that is the injunction of the next verse.

Bg 18.62

TEXT 62

TEXT

tam eva śaraṇaṁ gaccha

sarva-bhāvena bhārata

tat-prasādāt parāṁ śāntiṁ

sthānaṁ prāpsyasi śāśvatam

SYNONYMS

tam-
unto Him;
eva-
certainly;
śaraṇam-
surrender;
gaccha-
go;
sarva-bhāvena-
in all respects;
bhārata
-O son of Bharata;
tat-prasādāt-
by His grace;
parām-
transcendental;
śāntim-
peace;
sthānam-
abode;
prāpsyasi-
you will get;
śāśvatam-
eternal.

TRANSLATION

O scion of Bharata, surrender unto Him utterly. By His grace you will attain transcendental peace and the supreme and eternal abode.

PURPORT

A living entity should therefore surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is situated in everyone's heart, and that will relieve him from all kinds of miseries of this material existence. By such surrender, one will not only be released from all miseries in this life, but at the end he will reach the Supreme God. The transcendental world is described in the Vedic literature as
tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam.
Since all of creation is the kingdom of God, everything material is actually spiritual, but
paramaṁ padam
specifically refers to the eternal abode, which is called the spiritual sky or Vaikuṇṭha.

In the Fifteenth Chapter of
Bhagavad-gītā
it is stated:
"Sarvasya cāham hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ."
The Lord is seated in everyone's heart, so this recommendation that one should surrender unto the Supersoul sitting within means that one should surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead
,
Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa has already been accepted by Arjuna as the Supreme. He was accepted in the Tenth Chapter as
paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma.
Arjuna
has accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the supreme abode of all living entities, not only because of his personal experience but also because of the evidences of great authorities like Nārada, Asita, Devala and Vyāsa.

Bg 18.63

TEXT 63

TEXT

iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ

guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā

vimṛśyaitad aśeṣeṇa

yathecchasi tathā kuru

SYNONYMS

iti-
thus;
te-
unto you;
jñānam-
knowledge;
ākhyātam-
described;
guhyāt-
confidential;
guhyataram-
still more confidential;
mayā-
by Me;
vimṛśya-
by deliberation;
etat-
that;
aśeṣeṇa-
fully;
yathā-
as you;
icchasi-
you like;
tathā-
that;
kuru-
perform.

TRANSLATION

Thus I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do.

PURPORT

The Lord has already explained to Arjuna the knowledge of
brahmabhūta
. One who is in the
brahma-bhūta
condition is joyful; he never laments, nor does he desire anything. That is due to confidential knowledge. Kṛṣṇa also discloses knowledge of the Supersoul. This is also Brahman knowledge, knowledge of Brahman, but it is superior.

Here Lord Kṛṣṇa telIs Arjuna that he can do as he chooses. God does not interfere with the little independence of the living entity. In
Bhagavad-gītā,
the Lord has explained in all respects how one can elevate his living condition. The best advice imparted to Arjuna is to surrender unto the Supersoul seated within his heart. By right discrimination, one should agree to act according to the order of the Supersoul. That will help one become situated constantly in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the highest perfectional stage of human life. Arjuna is being directly ordered by the Personality of Godhead to fight. Surrender to the Supreme Personality of Godhead is in the best interest of the living entities. It is not for the interest of the Supreme. Before surrendering, one is free to deliberate on this subject as far as the intelligence goes; that is the best way to accept the instruction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such instruction comes also through the spiritual master, the bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa.

Bg 18.64

TEXT 64

TEXT

sarva-guhyatamaṁ bhūyaḥ

śṛṇu me paramaṁ vacaḥ

iṣṭo 'si me dṛḍham iti

tato vakṣyāmi te hitam

SYNONYMS

sarva-guhyatamam-
the most confidential;
bhūyaḥ-
again;
śṛṇu
-just hear;
me-
from Me;
paramam-
the supreme;
vacaḥ-
instruction;
isṭaḥ asi-
you are very dear to Me;
dṛḍham-
very;
iti
-thus;
tataḥ-
therefore;
vakṣyāmi
-speaking;
te-
for your;
hitam
-benefit.

TRANSLATION

Because you are My very dear friend, I am speaking to you the most confidential part of knowledge. Hear this from Me, for it is for your benefit.

PURPORT

The Lord has given Arjuna confidential knowledge of the Supersoul within everyone's heart, and now He is giving the most confidential part of this knowledge: just surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead. At the end of the Ninth Chapter He has said, "Just always think of Me." The same instruction is repeated here to stress the essence of the teachings of
Bhagavad-gītā.
This essence is not understood by a common man, but by one who is actually very dear to Kṛṣṇa, a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa. This is the most important instruction in all Vedic literature. What Kṛṣṇa is saying in this connection is the most essential part of knowledge, and it should be carried out not only by Arjuna but by all living entities.

Bg 18.65

TEXT 65

TEXT

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru

mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te

pratijāne priyo 'si me

SYNONYMS

man-manāḥ
-thinking of Me;
bhava-
just become;
mat-bhaktaḥ-
My devotee;
mat-yājī
-My worshiper;
mām
-unto Me;
namaskuru
-offer your obeisances;
mām
-unto Me;
eva
-certainly;
eṣyasi-
come;
satyam
-truly;
te
-to you;
pratijāne-
I promise;
prijaḥ
-dear;
asi-
you are;
me
-My.

TRANSLATION

Always think of Me and become My devotee. Worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.

PURPORT

The most confidential part of knowledge is that one should become a pure devotee of Kṛṣṇa and always think of Him and act for Him. One
should not become an official meditator. Life should be so molded that one will always have the chance to think of Kṛṣṇa. One should always act
in such a way that all his daily activities are in connection with Kṛṣṇa. He should arrange his life in such a way that throughout the twenty-four hours he cannot but think of Kṛṣṇa. And the Lord's promise is that anyone who is in such pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness will certainly return to the abode of Kṛṣṇa, where he will be engaged in the association of Kṛṣṇa face to face. This most confidential part of knowledge is spoken to Arjuna because he is the dear friend of Kṛṣṇa. Everyone who follows the path of Arjuna can become a dear friend to Kṛṣṇa and obtain the same perfection as Arjuna.

These words stress that one should concentrate his mind upon Kṛṣṇa-the very form with two hands carrying a flute, the bluish boy with a beautiful face and peacock feathers in His hair. There are descriptions of Kṛṣṇa found in the
Brahma-saṁhitā
and other literatures. One should fix his mind on this original form of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa. He should not even divert his attention to other forms of the Lord. The Lord has multi-forms, as Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Rāma, Varāha, etc., but a devotee should concentrate his mind on the form that was present before Arjuna. Concentration of the mind on the form of Kṛṣṇa constitutes the most confidential part of knowledge, and this is disclosed to Arjuna because Arjuna is the most dear friend of Kṛṣṇa's.

Bg 18.66

TEXT 66

TEXT

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ

SYNONYMS

sarva-dharmān-
all varieties of religion;
parityajya-
abandoning;
mām-
unto Me;
ekam-
only;
śaraṇam-
surrender;
vraja-
go;
aham-
I;
tvām-
you;
sarva-
all;
pāpebhyaḥ-
from sinful reactions;
mokṣayiṣyāmi-
deliver;
mā-
not;
śucaḥ-
worry.

TRANSLATION

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.

PURPORT

The Lord has described various kinds of knowledge, processes of religion, knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, knowledge of the Supersoul, knowledge of the different types of orders and statuses of social life, knowledge of the renounced order of life, knowledge of nonattachment, sense and mind control, meditation, etc. He has described in so many ways different types of religion. Now, in summarizing
Bhagavad-gītā,
the Lord says that Arjuna should give up all the processes that have been explained to him; he should simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That surrender will save him from all kinds of sinful reactions, for the Lord personally promises to protect him.

In the Eighth Chapter it was said that only one who has become free from all sinful reactions can take to the worship of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Thus one may think that unless he is free from all sinful reactions he cannot take to the surrendering process. To such doubts it is here said that even if one is not free from all sinful reactions, simply by the process of surrendering to Śrī Kṛṣṇa he is automatically freed. There is no need of strenuous effort to free oneself from sinful reactions. One should unhesitatingly accept Kṛṣṇa as the supreme savior of all living entities. With faith and love, one should surrender unto Him.

According to the devotional process, one should simply accept such religious principles that will lead ultimately to the devotional service of the Lord. One may perform a particular occupational duty according to his position in the social order, but if by executing his duty one does not come to the point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all his activities are in vain.

Anything that does not lead to the perfectional stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should be avoided. One should be confident that in all circumstances Kṛṣṇa will protect him from all difficulties. There is no need of thinking how one should keep the body and soul together. Kṛṣṇa will see to that. One should always think himself helpless and should consider Kṛṣṇa the only basis for his progress in life. As soon as one seriously engages himself in devotional service to the Lord in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, at once he becomes freed from all contamination of material nature. There are different processes of religion and purificatory processes by cultivation of knowledge, meditation in the mystic
yoga
system, etc., but one who surrenders unto Kṛṣṇa does not have to execute so many methods. That simple surrender unto Kṛṣṇa will save him from unnecessarily wasting time. One can thus make all progress at once and be freed from all sinful reaction.