Surrender to Krishna..12 chapter

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Rajesh

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Posted: 16 years ago

#11

Chapter 12. Devotional Service

TEXT 9

atha cittam samadhatum
na saknosi mayi sthiram
abhyasa-yogena tato
mam icchaptum dhananjaya

SYNONYMS

atha--if, therefore; cittam--mind; samadhatum--fixing; na--not; saknosi--able; mayi--upon Me; sthiram--fixed; abhyasa--practice; yogena--by devotional service; tatah--therefore; mam--Me; iccha--desire; aptum--to get; dhanam-jaya--O Arjuna.

TRANSLATION

My dear Arjuna, O winner of wealth, if you cannot fix your mind upon Me without deviation, then follow the regulated principles of bhakti-yoga. In this way you will develop a desire to attain to Me.

PURPORT

In this verse, two different processes of bhakti-yoga are indicated. The first applies to one who has actually developed an attachment for Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, by transcendental love. And the other is for one who has not developed an attachment for the Supreme Person by transcendental love. For this second class there are different prescribed rules and regulations one can follow to be ultimately elevated to the stage of attachment to Krsna.
Bhakti-yoga is the purification of the senses. At the present moment in material existence the senses are always impure, being engaged in sense gratification. But, by the practice of bhakti-yoga these senses can become purified, and in the purified state they come directly in contact with the Supreme Lord. In this material existence, I may be engaged in some service to some master, but I don't really lovingly serve my master. I simply serve to get some money. And the master also is not in love; he takes service from me and pays me. So there is no question of love. But for spiritual life, one must be elevated to the pure stage of love. That stage of love can be achieved by practice of devotional service, performed with the present senses.
This love of God is now in a dormant state in everyone's heart. And, there, love of God is manifested in different ways, but it is contaminated by the material association. Now the material association has to be purified, and that dormant, natural love for Krsna has to be revived. That is the whole process.
To practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga one should, under the guidance of an expert spiritual master, follow certain principles: one should rise early in the morning, take bath, enter the temple and offer prayers and chant Hare Krsna, then collect flowers to offer to the Deity, cook foodstuffs to offer to the Deity, take prasadam, and so on. There are various rules and regulations which one should follow. And one should constantly hear Bhagavad-gita and Srimad-Bhagavatam from pure devotees. This practice can help anyone to rise to the level of love of God, and then he is sure of his progress into the spiritual kingdom of God. This practice of bhakti-yoga, under the rules and regulations, with the direction of a spiritual master, will surely bring one to the stage of love of God.

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Rajesh

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Posted: 16 years ago

#12

Chapter 12. Devotional Service

TEXT 10

abhyase 'py asamartho 'si
mat-karma-paramo bhava
mad-artham api karmani
kurvan siddhim avapsyasi

SYNONYMS

abhyase--in practice of; api--even; asamarthah--unable; asi--you are; mat-karma--My work; paramah--supreme; bhava--you become; mat-artham--for My sake; api--even though; karmani--work; kurvan--performing; siddhim--perfection; avapsyasi--achieve.

TRANSLATION

If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.

PURPORT

One who is not able even to practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, under the guidance of a spiritual master, can still be drawn to this perfectional stage by working for the Supreme Lord. How to do this work has already been explained in the fifty-fifth verse of the Eleventh Chapter. One should be sympathetic to the propagation of Krsna consciousness. There are many devotees who are engaged in the propagation of Krsna consciousness, and they require help. So, even if one cannot directly practice the regulative principles of bhakti-yoga, he can try to help such work. Every endeavor requires land, capital, organization, and labor. Just as, in business, one requires a place to stay, some capital to use, some labor, and some organization to expand, so the same is required in the service of Krsna. The only difference is that in materialism one works for sense gratification. The same work, however, can be performed for the satisfaction of Krsna, and that is spiritual activity. If one has sufficient money, he can help in building an office or temple for propagating Krsna consciousness. Or he can help with publications. There are various fields of activity, and one should be interested in such activities. If one cannot sacrifice the results of such activities, the same person can still sacrifice some percentage to propagate Krsna consciousness. This voluntary service to the cause of Krsna consciousness will help one to rise to a higher state of love for God, whereupon one becomes perfect.

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Rajesh

@set_raj

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Posted: 16 years ago

#13

Chapter 12. Devotional Service

TEXT 11

athaitad apy asakto 'si
kartum mad-yogam asritah
sarva-karma-phala-tyagam
tatah kuru yatatmavan

SYNONYMS

atha--even though; etat--this; api--also; asaktah--unable; asi--you are; kartum--to perform; mat--unto Me; yogam--devotional service; asritah--refuge; sarva-karma--all activities; phala--result; tyagam--renunciation; tatah--therefore; kuru--do; yata-atma-van--self-situated.

TRANSLATION

If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.

PURPORT

It may be that one is unable to even sympathize with the activities of Krsna consciousness because of social, familial or religious considerations or because of some other impediments. If one attaches himself directly to the activities of Krsna consciousness, there may be objections from family members, or so many other difficulties. For one who has such a problem, it is advised that he sacrifice the accumulated result of his activities to some good cause. Such procedures are described in the Vedic rules. There are many descriptions of sacrifices and special functions of pumundi, or special work in which the result of one's previous action may be applied. Thus one may gradually become elevated to the state of knowledge. It is also found that when one who is not even interested in the activities of Krsna consciousness gives charity to some hospital or some other social institution, he gives up the hard-earned results of his activities. That is also recommended here because by the practice of giving up the fruits of one's activities one is sure to purify his mind gradually, and in that purified stage of mind one becomes able to understand Krsna consciousness. Of course Krsna consciousness is not dependent on any other experience because Krsna consciousness itself can purify one's mind, but if there are impediments to Krsna consciousness, one may try to give up the result of his action. In that respect, social service, community service, national service, sacrifice for one's country, etc., may be accepted so that some day one may come to the stage of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gita we find it is stated, yatah pravrttir bhutanam: if one decides to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not know that the supreme cause is Krsna, he will come gradually to understand that Krsna is the supreme cause by the sacrificial method.

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Rajesh

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Posted: 16 years ago

#14

Chapter 12. Devotional Service

TEXT 12

sreyo hi jnanam abhyasaj
jnanad dhyanam visisyate
dhyanat karma-phala-tyagas
tyagac chantir anantaram

SYNONYMS

sreyah--better; hi--certainly; jnanam--knowledge; abhyasat--by practice; jnanat--better than knowledge; dhyanam--meditation; visisyate--especially considered; dhyanat--from meditation; karma-phala-tyagah--renunciation of the results of fruitive action; tyagat--by such renunciation; santih--peace; anantaram--thereafter.

TRANSLATION

If you cannot take to this practice, then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge. Better than knowledge, however, is meditation, and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action, for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.

PURPORT

As mentioned in the previous verses, there are two kinds of devotional service: the way of regulative principles, and the way of full attachment in love to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For those who are actually not able to follow the principles of Krsna consciousness, it is better to cultivate knowledge because by knowledge one can be able to understand his real position. Gradually knowledge will develop to the point of meditation. By meditation one can be able to understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead by a gradual process. There are processes which make one understand that one himself is the Supreme, and that sort of meditation is preferred if one is unable to engage in devotional service. If one is not able to meditate in such a way, then there are prescribed duties, as enjoined in the Vedic literature, for the brahmanas, vaisyas and sudras, which we shall find in a later chapter of Bhagavad-gita. But in all cases, one should give up the result or fruits of labor; this means to employ the result of karma for some good cause.
In summary, to reach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the highest goal, there are two processes: one process is by gradual development, and the other process is direct. Devotional service in Krsna consciousness is the direct method, and the other method involves renouncing the fruits of one's activities. Then one can come to the stage of knowledge, then to the stage of meditation, then to the stage of understanding the Supersoul, and then to the stage of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One may either take the step by step process or the direct path. The direct process is not possible for everyone; therefore the indirect process is also good. It is, however, to be understood that the indirect process is not recommended for Arjuna because he is already at the stage of loving devotional service to the Supreme Lord. It is for others who are not at this stage; for them the gradual process of renunciation, knowledge, meditation and realization of the Supersoul and Brahman should be followed. But as far as Bhagavad-gita is concerned, it is the direct method that is stressed. Everyone is advised to take to the direct method and surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna.

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Rajesh

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Posted: 16 years ago

#15

TEXT 13-14

advesta sarva-bhutanam
maitrah karuna eva ca
nirmamo nirahankarah
sama-duhkha-sukhah ksami

santustah satatam yogi
yatatma drdha-niscayah
mayy arpita-mano-buddhir
yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah

SYNONYMS

advesta--nonenvious; sarva-bhutanam--for all living entities; maitrah--friendly; karunah--kindly; eva--certainly; ca--also; nirmamah--with no sense of proprietorship; nirahankarah--without false ego; sama--equally; duhkha--distress; sukhah--happiness; ksami--forgiving; santustah--satisfied; satatam--always; yogi--engaged in devotion; yata-atma--self-controlled; drdha-niscayah--with determination; mayi--upon Me; arpita--engaged; manah--mind; buddhih--intelligence; yah--one who; mat-bhaktah--My devotee; sah me priyah--he is dear to Me.

TRANSLATION

One who is not envious but who is a kind friend to all living entities, who does not think himself a proprietor, who is free from false ego and equal both in happiness and distress, who is always satisfied and engaged in devotional service with determination and whose mind and intelligence are in agreement with Me--he is very dear to Me.

PURPORT

Coming again to the point of pure devotional service, the Lord is describing the transcendental qualifications of a pure devotee in these two verses. A pure devotee is never disturbed in any circumstances. Nor is he envious of anyone. Nor does a devotee become his enemy's enemy; he thinks that one is acting as his enemy due to his own past misdeeds. Thus it is better to suffer than to protest. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam it is stated: tat te 'nukampam susamiksamano. Whenever a devotee is in distress or has fallen into difficulty, he thinks that it is the Lord's mercy upon him. He thinks: "Thanks to my past misdeeds I should suffer far, far greater than I am suffering now. So it is by the mercy of the Supreme Lord that I am not getting all the punishment I am due. I am just getting a little, by the mercy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead." Therefore he is always calm, quiet and patient, despite many distressful conditions. A devotee is always kind to everyone, even to his enemy. Nirmama means that a devotee does not attach much importance to the peace and trouble pertaining to the body because he knows perfectly well that he is not the material body. He does not identify with the body; therefore he is freed from the conception of false ego and is equipoised both in happiness and distress. He is tolerant, and he is satisfied with whatever comes by the grace of the Supreme Lord. He does not endeavor much to achieve something with great difficulty; therefore he is always joyful. He is a completely perfect mystic because he is fixed in the instructions received from the spiritual master, and because his senses are controlled, he is determined. He is not swayed by false argument because no one can lead him from the fixed determination of devotional service. He is fully conscious that Krsna is the eternal Lord, so no one can disturb him. All his qualifications enable him to depend entirely on the Supreme Lord. Such a standard of devotional service is undoubtedly very rare, but a devotee becomes situated in that stage by following the regulative principles of devotional service. Furthermore, the Lord says that such a devotee is very dear to Him, for the Lord is always pleased with all his activities in full Krsna consciousness.

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Rajesh

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Posted: 16 years ago

#16

Chapter 12. Devotional Service

TEXT 15

yasman nodvijate loko
lokan nodvijate ca yah
harsamarsa-bhayodvegair
mukto yah sa ca me priyah

SYNONYMS

yasmat--from whom; na--never; udvijate--agitates; lokah--persons; lokat--persons; na--never; udvijate--disturbed; ca--also; yah--anyone; harsa--happiness; amarsa--distress; bhaya--fear; udvegaih--with anxiety; muktah--freed; yah--who; sah--anyone; ca--also; me--Mine; priyah--very dear.

TRANSLATION

He for whom no one is put into difficulty and who is not disturbed by anxiety, who is steady in happiness and distress, is very dear to Me.

PURPORT

A few of a devotee's qualifications are further being described. No one is put into difficulty, anxiety, fearfulness, or dissatisfaction by such a devotee. Since a devotee is kind to everyone, he does not act in such a way to put others into anxiety. At the same time, if others try to put a devotee into anxiety, he is not disturbed. It is by the grace of the Lord that he is so practiced that he is not disturbed by any outward disturbance. Actually because a devotee is always engrossed in Krsna consciousness and engaged in devotional service, all such material circumstances cannot woo him. Generally a materialistic person becomes very happy when there is something for his sense gratification and his body, but when he sees that others have something for their sense gratification and he hasn't, he is sorry and envious. When he is expecting some retaliation from an enemy, he is in a state of fear, and when he cannot successfully execute something he becomes dejected. But a devotee is always transcendental to all these disturbances; therefore he is very dear to Krsna.

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Rajesh

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Posted: 16 years ago

#17

Chapter 12. Devotional Service

TEXT 16

anapeksah sucir daksa
udasino gata-vyathah
sarvarambha-parityagi
yo mad-bhaktah sa me priyah

SYNONYMS

anapeksah--neutral; sucih--pure; daksah--expert; udasinah--free from care; gata-vyathah--freed from all distress; sarva-arambha--all endeavors; parityagi--renouncer; yah--anyone; mat-bhaktah--My devotee; sah--he; me--Me; priyah--very dear.

TRANSLATION

A devotee who is not dependent on the ordinary course of activities, who is pure, expert, without cares, free from all pains, and who does not strive for some result, is very dear to Me.

PURPORT

Money may be offered to a devotee, but he should not struggle to acquire it. If automatically, by the grace of the Supreme, money comes to him, he is not agitated. Naturally a devotee takes bath at least twice in a day and rises early in the morning for devotional service. Thus he is naturally clean both inwardly and outwardly. A devotee is always expert because he fully knows the essence of all activities of life, and he is convinced of the authoritative scriptures. A devotee never takes the part of a particular party; therefore he is carefree. He is never pained because he is free from all designations; he knows that his body is a designation, so if there are some bodily pains, he is free. The pure devotee does not endeavor for anything which is against the principles of devotional service. For example, constructing a big building requires great energy, and a devotee does not take to such business if it does not benefit him by advancing his devotional service. He may construct a temple for the Lord, and for that he may take all kinds of anxiety, but he does not construct a big house for his personal relations.

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Rajesh

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Posted: 16 years ago

#18

Chapter 12. Devotional Service

TEXT 17

yo na hrsyati na dvesti
na socati na kanksati
subhasubha-parityagi
bhaktiman yah sa me priyah

SYNONYMS

yah--one who; na--never; hrsyati--takes pleasure; na--never; dvesti--grieves; na--never; socati--laments; na--never; kanksati--desires; subha--auspicious; asubha--inauspicious; parityagi--renouncer; bhakti-man--devotee; yah--one who; sah--he is; me--Mine; priyah--dear.

TRANSLATION

One who neither grasps pleasure or grief, who neither laments nor desires, and who renounces both auspicious and inauspicious things, is very dear to Me.

PURPORT

A pure devotee is neither happy nor distressed over material gain and loss, nor is he very much anxious to get a son or disciple, nor is he distressed by not getting them. If he loses anything which is very dear to him, he does not lament. Similarly, if he does not get what he desires, he is not distressed. He is transcendental in the face of all kinds of auspicious, inauspicious and sinful activities. He is prepared to accept all kinds of risks for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Nothing is an impediment in the discharge of his devotional service. Such a devotee is very dear to Krsna.

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Rajesh

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Posted: 16 years ago

#19

Chapter 12. Devotional Service

TEXT 18-19

samah satrau ca mitre ca
tatha manapamanayoh
sitosna-sukha-duhkhesu
samah sanga-vivarjitah

tulya-ninda-stutir mauni
santusto yena kenacit
aniketah sthira-matir
bhaktiman me priyo narah

SYNONYMS

samah--equal; satrau--to the enemy; ca--also; mitre--to friends; ca--also; tatha--so; mana--honor; apamanayoh--dishonor; sita--cold; usna--heat; sukha--happiness; duhkhesu--distress; samah--equipoised; sanga-vivarjitah--free from all association; tulya--equal; ninda--defamation; stutih--repute; mauni--silent; santustah--satisfied; yena--somehow; kena--or other; cit--if; aniketah--having no residence; sthira--fixed; matih--determination; bhakti-man--engaged in devotion; me--My; priyah--dear; narah--a man.

TRANSLATION

One who is equal to friends and enemies, who is equipoised in honor and dishonor, heat and cold, happiness and distress, fame and infamy, who is always free from contamination, always silent and satisfied with anything, who doesn't care for any residence, who is fixed in knowledge and engaged in devotional service, is very dear to Me.

PURPORT

A devotee is always free from all bad association. Sometimes one is praised and sometimes one is defamed; that is the nature of human society. But a devotee is always transcendental to artificial fame and infamy, distress or happiness. He is very patient. He does not speak of anything but the topics about Krsna; therefore he is called silent. Silent does not mean that one should not speak; silent means that one should not speak nonsense. One should speak only of essentials, and the most essential speech for the devotee is to speak of the Supreme Lord. He is happy in all conditions; sometimes he may get very palatable foodstuffs, sometimes not, but he is satisfied. Nor does he care for any residential facility. He may sometimes live underneath a tree, and he may sometimes live in a very palatial building; he is attracted to neither. He is called fixed because he is fixed in his determination and knowledge. We may find some repetition in the descriptions of the qualifications of a devotee, but this is just to give an illustration of the fact that a devotee must acquire all these qualifications. Without good qualifications, one cannot be a pure devotee. O ne who is not a devotee has no good qualification. One who wants to be recognized as a devotee should develop the good qualifications. Of course he does not extraneously endeavor to acquire these qualifications, but engagement in Krsna consciousness and devotional service automatically help him develop them.

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Rajesh

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Posted: 16 years ago

#20

Chapter 12. Nature, the Enjoyer, and Consciousness

TEXT 20

ye tu dharmamrtam idam
yathoktam paryupasate
sraddadhana mat-parama
bhaktas te 'tiva me priyah

SYNONYMS

ye--one who; tu--but; dharma--of religion; amrtam--nectar; idam--this; yatha--as; uktam--said; paryupasate--completely engage; sraddadhanah--with faith; mat-paramah--taking the Supreme Lord as everything; bhaktah--devotees; te--such persons; ativa--very, very; me--Me; priyah--dear.

TRANSLATION

He who follows this imperishable path of devotional service and who completely engages himself with faith, making Me the supreme goal, is very, very dear to Me.

PURPORT

In this chapter the religion of eternal engagement, the explanation of the processes of transcendental service for approaching the Supreme Lord, is given. This process is very dear to the Lord, and He accepts a person who is engaged in such a process. The question who is better--one who is engaged in the path of impersonal Brahman or one who is engaged in the personal service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead--was raised by Arjuna, and the Lord replied to him so explicitly that there is no doubt that devotional service to the Personality of Godhead is the best of all processes of spiritual realization. In other words, in this chapter it is decided that through good association, one develops attachment for pure devotional service and thereby accepts a bona fide spiritual master and from him begins to hear and chant and observe the regulative principles of devotional service with faith, attachment and devotion and thus becomes engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord. This path is recommended in this chapter; therefore there is no doubt that devotional service is the only absolute path for self-realization, for the attainment of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The impersonal conception of the Supreme Absolute Truth, as described in this chapter, is recommended only up to the time one surrenders himself for self-realization. In other words, as long as one does not have the chance to associate with a pure devotee, the impersonal conception may be beneficial. In the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth one works without fruitive result, meditates and cultivates knowledge to understand spirit and matter. This is necessary as long as one is not in the association of a pure devotee. Fortunately, if one develops directly a desire to engage in Krsna consciousness in pure devotional service, he does not need to undergo step by step improvements in spiritual realization. Devotional service, as described in the middle six chapters of the Bhagavad-gita, is more congenial. One need not bother about materials to keep body and soul together because by the grace of the Lord everything is carried out automatically.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Twelfth Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of Devotional Service.

Source;

bhagavad gita as it is......

Edited by set_raj - 16 years ago