Bhagavad-gita 2.14
Bhakti Vijnana Goswami · Dubai · 2006
Chapters
Recitation of Gita verse two fourteen
Umnamo Bhagavateva Sudevaya Umnamo Bhagavateva Sudevaya. Omnamo Bhagavat Sudevaya, Sudevaya, Narayanamaskrity, naramchaya narudamam, dimi saraswati sam, divi saraswati, Okay,
we'll change audience goals from the second chapter of the Grab Gita Madra Matra Sparsaha Sasha tu komteya sita pusna sukkad dukkar, dha, agama, apaino painam sitam. Titiksasva, siksasva, maratam, matras parsastukonte, matrasa
na sukdukka da suknuka Adam Pari no mitya Tan styti ksa Swada Soba Matraspars, Sido Sukadukada, Srit Sukadukada, Adamapaidonity, sessavarata, stigha svavata, matrasparsas tokandeya,
matras, Sitasna Sukadukkada, Sukasukadukada, Agama Pai Nuritya, Agampay Nuridya, Tamtixa Swata, Swata Matra senses Sparsa Sparsa Contact Tu Bhatt Kurdeya son of Kuti Sita Kusna Usna Hot Sukadokada giving pleasure and pain.
Agama. Agama. Agama. Coming. Apaina Goik Anitya Non
Reading translation and verse purport
Termin Non Termin Then Bharata Bharata Asana of Bharata Asana of Kunji the
non-permanent appearance of happiness and distress and their disappearance in due course are like appearance and disappearance of winter and summer season.
They arise from sense perception or sign of Bartha and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed. Propoy by his divine grace is baktivitante slami praopata.
In the proper discharge of duty, one has to learn to tolerate non-permanent appearances and disappearances of happiness and distress.
According to Vedic injunction, one has to take bath early in the morning, even during the months of Mark, January, February. It is very cold at that time.
But in spite of that, a man who abides by the religious principles does not hesitate to take his bath.
Similarly, a woman does not hesitate to cook in the kitchen in the months of May or June, the hottest part of the summer season. One has to execute his duty in spite of climatic inconveniences. Similarly, to fight is the religious principle of a kshatriya, and although one has to fight with some friend or relative, one should not deviate from his prescribed duty.
One has to follow the prescribed rules and regulations of religious principles in order to rise up to the platform of knowledge, because the knowledge and devotion can only liberate himself from the clutches of the
two different names of address given to Arjuna are also significant. To address him as Kaunteya signifies his great blood relations from his mother's side.
And to address him as Bharata signifies his greatness from his father's side. From both sides, he is supposed to have a great heritage. A great heritage brings responsibility in the matter of proper discharge of duties.
Therefore he cannot avoid fighting.
Prabhupāda: śītōṣṇa-sukha-duḥkha-daḥ āgamāpāyino ’nityās tāṁs titikṣasva bhārata. O son of Kuntī, the non-permanent appearance of happiness and distress, and their disappearance in due course are like the appearance and disappearance of winter and summer seasons. They arise from sense perception, o son of Bharata, and one must learn to tolerate them without being disturbed.
Foundation of spiritual practice in Gita
Oṁ ajñāna-timirāndhasya jñānāñjana-śalākayā cakṣun militam yena tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale śrīmatī bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine. Namaste sārasvate deve gaura-vāṇī-pracāriṇe nirviśeṣa-śūnyavādi- paścātya-deśa-tāriṇe. Śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda, Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare. Hare.
Hare Krishna. So we are here today to discuss the eternal philosophy of Krishna consciousness. And this particular verse which I have chosen today to speak on is
is very significant even though it is seemingly simple. From the first view, you can say that this is a very simple instruction of Lord Krishna. But as everything which is said by Lord Krishna, it is very profound.
And if we really understand what Krishna has to say to us here in this verse, It can become the beginning of our new life. In fact, this verse is the foundation of bhakti.
Even though it doesn't speak about bhakti so much, but we will be able to see throughout Bhagavad-gītā how the instruction given by Krishna in this particular verse is a foundational,
It's a very basic saying, but Krishna keeps on repeating the same thing again and again and again in Bhagavad-gītā. And it's our duty to try to understand very deeply what he wants to say to us.
Basically Lord Krishna starts his Bhagavad-gītā because he sees how distressed is Arjuna. Because he sees his sufferings. He sees his weakness, and he feels pity in his heart.
And that's exactly the situation of every one of us in this material world. Our position in this material world is lamentable. We're all suffering.
We're all suffering because of uncertainties, because of the sense of insecurity, because of fears of different kinds. And ultimately we suffer. And that's exactly the diagnosis which Krishna makes towards Arjuna.
Ultimately, we suffer because of our false identification with the body. We suffer from this false ego and this false ego is the main cause of our problems.
And that problem, that very mistake, avidyā, ignorance, which we are all guilty of, gives the beginning to so many different other problems. And that's exactly what Krishna sees in Arjuna.
He says, Arjuna, you're a fool. You're speaking so many learned words. And sometimes we know that to defend our position in this world, we approach different philosophies and we speak so eloquently. It has to be like this.
I am this body. And for that you create so many speculative philosophies. I am from Russia. And in Russia, they invented so much philosophy just to defend that there is no God and there is no soul.
And why do they have to say it again and again and again if there is no God? Why? For 70 years they were trying to somehow or other to free people, as they said, from this false conception of God. They couldn't do it.
In fact, all this materialistic philosophy which is invented, it's all about this. It's all about making people animals again.
Because the duty of human being, and this is very clearly said in Hitopadeśa, that the only difference between human being and animal is that the human being knows that there is dharma, there is religion, and he follows religion.
Dharmasya hīna paśubhiḥ samānaḥ.
It is said that without dharma, dharmasya hīna, paśubhiḥ samānaḥ. You are like an animal. No difference between animal and it's just the only difference that you have two legs and animal has four legs.
Sometimes animal has six legs. And very soon you will also have four legs or six legs or eight legs or whatever whatever number of legs you want. You can crawl with all these legs.
Understanding the eternal nature of soul
So Dharma is very essential and that's the beginning. Krishna comes and Krishna tells Arjuna: There is no death. There is no death. You're so afraid.
And the cause of fear, the innermost cause of fear is that we are afraid of death. In Yoga Sutra, Patanjali Muni he says that this fear of death, abhiniveśa, is the subtlest of clashes of the causes of sufferings.
And he says that no one is exempt of this fear. No one. He says, even the greatest munis, the wisest of men, they still afraid of this. They're still trying to clinch to this material body.
That's how deeply ignorance is there. And therefore Krishna says, and he starts from this point. This is the starting point of his discussion. And he says, there is no death. I didn't die and you didn't die.
You were always there. And all these kings are always there. And all these people, all these soldiers are there. And you are also there all the time. Because there is no death for soul.
That he gives as pratigya as the very solemn statement, but then he tries to prove it. Because the greatness of the Gita is that Krishna doesn't want to make you a blind follower.
Krishna never said, not in the Bhagavad-gītā, never said that you follow me blindly. Just believe. Just believe in me and you will be saved. Like some foolish people, they say, just believe and you will be saved.
Sometimes Christians do this, you know. Just believe in Jesus Christ. Believe, believe. And that's it. You don't have to do anything else, just believe. If Krishna wanted to do this, he could do it too. He was great enough.
He could tell Arjuna, just believe me Arjuna, just fight, you know, just close your eyes, become a fanatic, become a you know fighter, and kill people.
Arjuna is giving him arguments and he's explaining this is sinful, I cannot do this.
And Krishna could have said very easily what he said at the end, sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekāṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. And Bhagavad-gītā would be finished at that point.
He would say to him, just give it up all these fears. I will take all your sins. Masuchaha, don't worry, don't be afraid, just do it. No.
He wants to prove. He wants us to understand. He wants to dispel the ignorance. Which is the main cause of our suffering.
And therefore, he gives in this chapter of Bhagavad-gītā some introduction to the spiritual philosophy which everyone can understand. And he explains in the previous verse how one can understand that he is not his body.
And we all know, we all heard this philosophy many, many times. But still, it's not that easy to understand this philosophy.
Sometimes devotees complain why Prabhupada has to repeat again and again and again, you're not this body. You're not this body, you're not this body, you're not this body, you're not this body.
The point is that he didn't repeat it enough because we still don't understand it. Because we still are attached to this body. So even though it's a nice philosophy, one has to really deeply believe it.
Because it's very difficult to understand. How is that I'm soul? And even Krishna is amazed. He says in the second chapter of Bhagavad-gītā that this is really amazing. This philosophy of the soul is amazing.
Nobody can understand this. Even I cannot understand this. How the soul is connected and not connected with the body. And what is the soul?
Realizing detachment from the body
You know, you may be very elated in the beginning to hear this philosophy. Like there is a nice story. Once there was a Sunday feast program like this in San Diego Temple in America.
And in America there is a special human species of life which is not listed among 8,400,000 species. This is special category. They're totally round. They're as wide as they high. Evenly round peopleople, you know, very fat.
Many of them. Sometimes you see the whole family, you know. You look from behind and you see three balls are rolling.
And then when you see from the front you see that one ball is mother, then other ball is father, another ball with the child. But they're not different in shape.
So that there was this nice story and two of these ladies they came to uh Hare Krishna temple in San Diego and somebody uh from Vyasasan was speaking about this philosophy, you know this body.
And he was just raving and rambling, you're not this body, you're not this body. So one lady looked at another and she asked another lady, did you hear this? Such a relief. So I mean it's a relief.
It's definitely a relief to know I'm not this body. It's a relief because after all body causes so many problems. Body grows old, body is becoming sick, you know, so many problems are there.
But it's not enough just to believe it. Because sometimes we use philosophy in a convenient manner. When it is convenient for us, we say I'm not this body. When it's not convenient, we again become body.
You know, when it comes time to enjoy, we're these bodies. When it comes some other time, we're not these bodies. So therefore Krishna he gives a very interesting hint.
In the previous verse, he says, after declaring this, that soul is immortal, that there is no death for soul, there is no death for soul whatsoever.
After declaring this, he says, dehino 'smin yathā dehe kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā says that you already changed your bodies. You weren't another body. Some time ago, and it was totally different body.
Sometimes people think that because you know the body is changing so slowly, it's the same body, but it's different body.
The scientists say, and I'm a biochemist, I know it for sure, that within six years all the molecules in this body are removed. It's a completely new set.
It's just gradually, gradually different spare parts are being removed and new spare parts are entered. So it's a different body. And Krishna says, you have been this different body.
You were a child, and then you were adult, and then you will become old man. And then you will die. But this is just another change.
There is nothing special about this change because you have already undergone all these changes. The death is just another change and you will get new body.
Later he will say, jātasya hi dhruvo mṛtyur dhruvaṁ janma mṛtasya ca. He said that, you know, whoever is born, he will die, and whoever will die, he will be born again. There's no problem with this. Why are you so lamenting about this?
What's the problem? Sometimes people cannot understand this. Sometimes they cannot even understand this example.
Once I was traveling in a train and there was one it was night train and somebody was drunk there and he couldn't sleep and I couldn't sleep because other people in my compartment were drunk also and they were snoring and so I went out to chant and he went out to just roam.
So he asked me what I'm doing. I said, I'm praying to God. He said, Who is God? I said, let's talk. So we went to his compartment and I started to explain to him that you're not this body, you are spirit, soul.
And I said to him, You were this little child, and then you become adult. And it was you. I said, was it you when you were little child? He started thinking deeply deeply. He said, No, it was not me. No. It was somebody else.
But it's you. Krishna says the particle of consciousness is the same. It's not changed. And he gives a very interesting example because sometimes we're so used to this example that we don't understand how deep it is.
What Krishna is supposed to say to us, he's saying very interesting thing. He says: the very fact that you know these changes in your body proves that you are not this body. How come?
Because if you were this body, you would not notice these changes. The body is changing all the time. You know, and at one point you start noticing something is wrong with me. I was so young and I'm not young anymore.
And sometimes people cannot understand how it is. They become bewildered, you know, they get grey hairs and they start plucking these great hairs. Until they realize that they will have to pluck all the hairs.
So that's exactly what Krishna says that you know sometimes people become bewildered. Muchyati. He uses this verb.
Muhyati means you get bewildered because of these changes, but it also is the proof that you're not this body. Why? Very simple.
Because if you were this body, you would not notice these changes as much as you would not notice the movement of something if you're moving yourself.
If you don't see outside, you are in a nice car or you are in a plane, you're flying somewhere in a plane, and plane is flying with the speed nine hundred kilometers per hour. That's a huge speed, it's amazing speed.
And what do people do? Are they amazed that I'm flying with nine hundred kilometers per hour? No, they eat the chickens, you know, whatever they know they just chew something and sleep.
You know, they don't know that they fly. You know, that's just peacefully sleeping there. Why? Because they are in the plane. You cannot see the changes, you cannot see the movement because you are inside.
You can only see the movement of the plane if you are outside of the plane. If you happen to fall out from the plane, then you will be able to see this is yeah. Indeed, it flies with 900 kilometers per hour speed.
So, and that's exactly the point which Krishna makes. He says: the very fact that you can absorb this body, that you are absorber. Absorber means you are aloof from the body.
You can see the changes from the position of absorber, and that means that you are not this body.
The very fact that you can see from aloof about your body and about the changes in your mind and everything else proves that the soul is different. And it's a very deep philosophy.
But again, Krishna wants us to understand it even deeply in a sense that we have to realize it within our heart.
Separating soul consciousness from the mind
So in this particular verse, he gives a hint how to do this. Actually, when I said that this verse is the foundation of all spiritual practices,
the reason being that if we understand this verse and if we practice this verse, then we can realize that I'm spirit-soul.
And while realizing that I'm spirit-soul, separate from body and mind, realizing this fact, I will be able to practice my Krishna consciousness.
So basically, what Krishna is saying here, and it's also very interesting, Matras Pasas to Khantea Shitashna Sukadukadaha, Adamaphainonityam stamstitiks for barata.
He says that this is the way how to understand that you're not this mind. Just watch your mind. Just watch what is happening within your mind. And try to understand that you are separate from the mind.
Because the happiness and distress is taking place in the mind. People are so obsessed by these feelings of happiness and distress. They want to experience something new.
And in the beginning of this verse, Krishna gives a very scientific and interesting analysis of what the happiness and distress is all about. He says, Matras parsas tukontea.
He says, What is this feeling of sukha and dukkha? What is this happiness? What is this stress? He says it comes from this matra sparsa. And he uses a very interesting word for senses, matra. Matra in Sanskrit means measure.
Miter. Basically the word meter comes from matra. So matra or meter also means senses. Because senses are nothing else but different meters. We have different meters here. Very scientifically designed meters.
We have this meter which can measure the odors, different aromas. You know it's a nice meter. Sometimes the species like dogs, they have a big big nose. Basically, the whole face of the dog is a big nose.
So they just smell aromas. And that's their meaning in life. They just measure different aromas. That's their experience. And that's where they get happiness. Right?
Oh this is a nice, this is a nice aroma. Oh I like it. I love it. So this is what happiness is all about. Krishna says when your senses come in contact with the object of the senses, matra sparchas.
When your meters are coming sparsa, in contact with different objects of the senses, and started measuring it. This measuring process is being interpreted within your mind as happiness or distress. That's it.
You know, you have this tongue, which is the most powerful sense. You know, this is by far. Lobomoy Sudurmati, this is jihwa. The jihwa is the most powerful sense. And you always measure something. You want to measure this.
Well this is nice. And you choose something. Oh So you measure this.
This is sweet, this is bitter, this is sour, this is nice odor, and this is stinks. And then you also measure sounds, you know. You measure sounds, this is a very nice sound. This is a beautiful sound. Oh, this is a bad sound. This is what's going on.
You are measuring and measuring and measuring, and what is happening then when you measure this, you interpret this as sukha dukkha. That's what Krishna says.
Your senses come in contact with the sense object, and then you feel cold or you feel hot. And then you say, Oh, this is Sukha, and this is dukkha. And this is all relative.
What Krishna wants to say that this is a meaningless concept. That basically, when you say that this is good, it doesn't mean anything. It's just good for you at this moment of time with your particular conditioning.
And somebody else can feel terrible at this very moment being near you. Somebody says, oh, this is so hot, and some say no, it's nice, it's warm.
You know, like you know, going out and all these people who live here they turn on IC and I say no it's nice it's warm because tomorrow I'll go to Moscow and it's cold there. So it's relative.
You say it's too hot, and I say, No, it's nice. And then you come to Moscow and you say, Oh, this is so cold, and I say, No, it's nice. It's fresh, it's cool.
Impermanence of material pleasure and pain
So, what Krishna wants to say to us, he says, when he says Shita, Usna, he says basically he gives the generic definition of all these sense experiences. Because we have so many sense experiences.
And what he wants to say to us is that it's all relative, it all doesn't have any permanent value. All these kind of concepts, good and bad, cold and hot. It's all relative concepts.
And when he will say, a little later in a few verses, he will say that something which is non-permanent does not exist. Nāsato vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ. He says, nāstīti vidyate bhāvo nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ.
He says something which is not permanent doesn't exist. Because it's there now, it's not there a few seconds later.
It's non-permanent, and because it's not permanent, it doesn't exist, and because our happiness and distress are non-permanent, they don't exist. People become so obsessed by this feeling.
I want this happiness, I only want happiness, I want happiness and nothing else, I need happiness. But they don't understand that it doesn't exist. Because you will lose it anyway.
And the more you are trying to catch it, the sooner you will lose it. The more you are obsessed by this feeling of happiness, the more you apply value to this feeling of happiness, the more miserable you will become.
There is a nice saying in Russian that if you laugh too much now, today, you will cry too much tomorrow. The more you laugh now, the more you will cry. Because this is how it is.
This is how this whole material nature is arranged and nothing is permanent here. Like all wise people, they tell this one thing. Don't be too much obsessed by this feeling of happiness and distress.
Because it will all be gone. If you're very much attached to the feeling of happiness, then when the happiness is gone, what you will do? You will lament. And the more you are touched, you will lament.
And when the distress comes, you know, and when the distress goes, what Krishna says here that it's not real, that if you become very much attached to this feeling of happiness and distress, it's just it's not wise.
It's not proper. And you will not gain anything out of it. There is a nice story about King Solomon, this Jewish king, who was a wise man. He had a special ring, and this ring was supposed to give him some solace.
So, and this ring there was a very nice uh saying writing in writing there that everything will pass.
So when he was in very much distress when something bad happened, he used to look at this ring and it was said there, everything will pass. And he became little, you know, solace by this. He became a little pacified.
But one time, the feeling of distress was so big, he had a very bad time, you know, so bad, so bad. And he looked in the ring, and it was written there, everything will pass.
And he just he just didn't believe it. He just didn't want to believe it. Because he said, what is the use? Okay, it will pass, but now it's bad.
Tolerating dualities through prescribed duty
So he took this ring from the finger and he threw it on the floor.
And then he noticed that something is written on the back side which he didn't know. That you know he always used to wear this ring so he didn't know that something is engraved on the back side of the ring.
So he picked up the ring and he looked and it was written there: this will also pass. Don't worry. Even this will pass.
So, but that's basically also what Krishna is saying to Arjuna. Krishna is saying here to Arjuna that you have to tolerate this happiness and distress because without this you will not be able to understand who you are.
If you're too much absorbed in this feeling, so in these emotions of happiness and distress all the time. You're bewildered. You become a fool.
And moreover, what happens to you because of these feelings of happiness and distress, you become enslaved by this feeling. You want to experience it again and again and again. This is what karma does to you.
When you enjoy too much, you know, you really enjoy, you're really into it. You're really, you know, you're really having a good time. Like they say in America. You're having a good time at this moment.
It means that you create a very strong saṁskāra in your consciousness. And this saṁskāra will make you a slave. Will push you again and again to repeat the same experience.
And moreover, you will have to repeat it to a greater extent because after some time you will need to have more excitement and more excitement and more excitement. That's how people become addicts.
They take little drug and they think this is ridiculous, you know. But they think, you know, all the people say it's nice. Let me try more. And they try more and more and more and very soon they cannot live without it.
So that's exactly what Krishna says here. Because if you become bewildered by this, and this is basically this rāga and dveṣa is the foundation of our ignorance.
In Patañjali Yoga Sūtra, it is explained that rāga and dveṣa, our distinction between good and bad, which is very relative and which is basically our interpretation according to our tastes.
Because it's all very relative conception, as I said, you know, if you're Indian you like some hot food and you give the same hot food to a Russian and he will say, Oh, oh, this is poison, I mean it's you cannot do this.
And Indian says, no, more chili, more chili. It's all it's all just it's just totally relative, irrelevant conceptions which is there ingrained in your mind because of some past experiences.
And Krishna says: the only way to deal with this, with all these problems, the only way to really sort it out is to tolerate it. It's not to take it very seriously.
Because if you are to take it very seriously, if you take all this happiness and distress, you will not be able to perform your duties.
And because you will not be able to perform your duties, you will never be able to understand the spiritual soul. What Śrīla Prabhupāda is explaining in this purport is that when you perform your duties,
it means that you make the standard of your consciousness not your own whims, not your own likings and dislikings. Because when you're whimsical.
When you live according to your uh own likings and dislikings, it means you're simple. Basically, it's the definition of pop.
If you're whimsical, if you do whatever you like, and all the people do whatever they like, especially nowadays.
Following scriptures over personal mental whims
They create sins and they implicate themselves in the cycle of dharma. Oh, not dharma, karma, sorry. They implicate themselves in this cycle, vicious cycle of karma, which is practically very difficult to break through.
So what Śrīla Prabhupāda is explaining when you perform your duties without caring whether it's good or bad for your senses, without really applying too much importance to your senses, then you make the standard of hope happiness different.
The foundation of your life is the scriptures. And when the scriptures is the foundation of your life, this is the way to knowledge. This is the way to purify your heart.
The only way to purify your heart is uh to make the standard for your life, scriptures. The commandments and rules and regulations of the scriptures has to be the supreme power within our life.
And if it's there, then we don't have to worry. Then everything else comes into place automatically. There is no need to worry about it.
So that's exactly what uh Śrīla Prabhupāda is explaining here: that this is the way to obtain happiness, and when the happiness is there, when the heart is pure, because when the heart is pure you become naturally happy, spontaneously happy.
And when you become spontaneously happy and pure heart, then bhakti will come also. You will understand that your spirit soul. So that's what he said.
In order to understand how to live, you make the standard of your life, uh, duties or dharma from the scriptures.
Scriptures say you have to take bath, even though it's very cold in the months of Māgha. Or you have to cook if you are wife. You may be hating your husband, you still have to cook for him. With love and devotion.
Because this is your duty. Nowadays people they become so enamored by this, you know, whimsical natures. You know, I love this and you know, two days later, oh I hate him, you know, and I love somebody else.
Scriptures say no. No, it's not it's not the way to conduct your life. The only way to conduct your life is not what you like and what you don't like.
The only way to conduct your life is what Krishna likes and what Krishna doesn't like. If Krishna likes something if Krishna likes something you have to do it no matter what.
And if Krishna doesn't like something you have to do you you you you you soon do it no matter what, no matter how much you like it.
Like also it is explained later in the third chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa in his commentary, he explains very nicely.
He said that people they sometimes they become little whimsical in their approach to scriptures. And in the scriptures it is said, for example, that it's not good to talk with another's wives.
It's specifically instruction from the Vedas. You shouldn't talk with another's wives. And you read this instruction and you feel a little strange. How is it not good? I know it's good.
It feels good when I speak with another's wife. How is it not good? But then what we have to do out of this, we have to believe scriptures.
And we have to follow scriptures and ultimately we will understand that this is good, that this is really good for us. Because uh the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, He created the scriptures not for us to suffer.
Sometimes we think, you know, all this regulative principle, this is too much, this is you know I want to break it one way or another. But ultimately, Krishna gives us for our ultimate benefit.
And he says, this is good and this is bad for you to follow. And if you follow this, then you will purify your heart.
And ultimately, when you purify your heart, when the heart is pure, when bhakti is there, uh you don't care. You know all this good and bad is just for the lower cases of development of bhakti.
But when the bhakti is there spontaneously you do whatever pleases Krishna and you avoid what displeases Krishna.
Upholding spiritual heritage and duty
And that's exactly what Śrīla Prabhupāda is explaining at the end of the Purport.
Where he says that when Krishna addresses Arjuna here in this verse, Kaunteya and Bharata, he says that you have this noble heritage. You have to follow this heritage.
And you are all uh Indians, people from Bharata, and you have this great heritage. Krishna addresses Arjuna and says, Look, your mother is so great. And look, your father is also great. Bharata.
And he's addressing all of you.
He's saying, you're so great. Your heritage is so great you have to live up according to this heritage you should not degrade yourself or uh kind of diminish yourself in dignity uh by following your own whims or the crazy, stupid rules of the modern society, you have to live up according to the greatest standards of the Vedas and tolerate all the inconveniences which may be there on the way.
Because anyway inconveniences will be there. One way or another. It will come to you. It will follow you. In any case. So that's the message of Lord Krishna, that you have to fulfill your duties no matter what.
And our duties as the members of Krishna consciousness movement is that we have to preach this Krishna consciousness no matter what. Even if we live in Dubai or even if we live in Russia, we still have to do it.
Because this is what pleases Krishna. Krishna is pleased, and Śrīla Prabhupāda is pleased. This is what is purifying our heart. When we do this, we can feel happy. Like recently I got a letter.
And one devotee, somehow or other, he was put in prison. Sometimes it happens. Somehow all these devotees in Russia they have a special karma. They always put in prison or somewhere else that get themselves in troubles.
And he writes to me, he says, this is the nicest, nicest days in my life. Because I can preach to my heart's content.
And all these people who are there in prison with me, they're all very receptive because they want to hear about God.
And that's exactly what also Haridāsa Ṭhākura said when Haridāsa Ṭhākura was in prison by a Muslim ruler. I don't know if I can say this here, but anyway that happened.
in prison, and all the prisoners they were very happy that a great saint is put with them and they said can you give us an āśīrvāda, can you give us an āśīrvāda so that we would be relieved from this prison?
And Haridāsa Ṭhākura says, yes, I'll give you an āśīrvāda. You please stay in prison forever. He said, how come? What are you saying? And he said, because you're very receptive now. Now you can hear about God.
Now you can chant the holy names of God because you are in this difficult situation. And if you are out and you you will be enjoying and you will forget all about God. So you please stay in prison and chant the holy name.
Finding lasting peace in devotional service
That was his blessing. And that's basically also blessing of Lord Krishna in this verse. He said to Arjuna, dear Arjuna, you have to fight, this is your duty. This may be unpleasant. But what is pleasant in this life anyway?
There's nothing pleasant. What is pleasant, what really gives happiness is when you fulfill your duty, when you live up according to the highest principles of life. Then you become really happy.
Then you become really enthusiastic and you know uh that every day of your life makes your heart cleaner and cleaner more pure and more pure
and it means basically that at one point when your heart is completely pure when the lamentation, grief, envy, illusion, pride, madness, when all these things greed and anger and lust, when all these things are cleansed from the body, then you will see Krishna there.
You will meet with Krishna, you will play with Krishna, you will hear his flute. And that's what exactly he says. He says, please tolerate it. Please don't worry about this.
Don't be so much hung up about all this happiness and distress. This is not the meaning of life. Nobody is happy in this life anyway. They're just imitating.
They're just, you know, they're just basically bored, but they're trying to, uh, you know, imitate happiness or express happiness, but the real happiness comes when you feel that your spirit soul and that you're always connected with Lord Krishna, and in this way you will become happy and fulfilled in your life.
Thank you very much. Yeah.