Bhagavad-gita 4.34
Бхакти Вигьяна Госвами · Мадураи · 2018
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Recitation of Bhagavad-gita verse
Om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, Om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya, Om namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Nārāyaṇaṁ namaskṛtya naraṁ caiva narottamam, devīṁ sarasvatīṁ vyāsaṁ tato jayam udīrayet.
So we are reading Bhagavad-gītā verse 34 of the fourth chapter: Tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnenā sevayā, उपदेश्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिनः। prašnela sevaya, Upadexyan Tadviddhi praṇipātena paripraśnenā sevayā,
upadeśyanti te jñānaṁ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ.
Gyanina statva daršina, Tadvid Pranipaten, Pari prašne nas nase sevavayay, Opa Deks Gyanam dyanina, statva darsi nha. Sevaya seva seva da shanti. Yanam Ynate Yaninaha Anamaraidor Atvay Yarishinaha and Dor Bully to put it all in your Sante Karaman. In a way, and it up here with the Total Kiber Sid up Parampay, Chandra, Angi Karika Pata, Angab Guru, Aragu Maru, Nagavan Ari with Tigra, Sidap Parampare, Bully, Pit Patra, the Yavaram Angiana Petra Anli of Guruaga Muriade, Hagawane Mula Guruava, Sida Parampare Bulla, Ulava, Hadawan Seri Ulla the Ulla Buddy, Tana this Sida, Koduka, Yellow, Sida Arivatra Bodigal, Tamad is Sonta Moregali Windak in Chatter, Anal Yavarum Adam Muram, Anbigathay Modara Mudyad, Padavadam, Sol Giradim, Thermum to Shak Shaqavak Pratam, Thermantin Padi Pula Tana, the Sosa Bala Podi for the Pula, Yamura Army would near Puriad. Yana, near Mayana, Army could be other wedded. Atta Angakuru, Purashan could be a trip, we go on the tiki, we save Mayada, Awale Kana Guru, Awali near it, Mir Mayada, Army and Yadatil, Tanaway Asia with Pikra. If Padatil Guru de Tara pin put them, Putaru Pudakama killed Panam Kansika Putana. Arn we guru with a brother, Araku and Gatepay, Tara the Tonta, Panibu, Giga Lagiva Timula, I would have the Therivan Ari Paraway to Near Mayana, Aanway Guru, Yarki Alaway can see random and put a in a way. Namaḥ oṁ viṣṇu-pādāya kṛṣṇa-preṣṭhāya bhū-tale,
śrīmate bhaktivedānta-svāmin iti nāmine. Namaste sarasvate deve gaura-vāṇī- प्रचारिणे, निर्विशेष-शून्यवाद-पाश्चात्य-देश-तारिणे। Vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaḥ ca kṛpā-sindhubahya eva ca patitānāṁ pāvanebhyo vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ.
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 Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Rema, Hre Ram.
Ajanu Vambhita Bajokna kavadatu sam kirtana, kita ma laitapsivambarodhavaroyu dharma pa Krishna exige the cell phone signal in the Pinadic So
in Ramadan, Phati Vikana Goswami Maharaj, Masonatha, Ranat Maharaj Shealer, Angka Rashyala, Palavarakalanga in the Krishna Baktia Pacham Sadi Varikum, Malvair Sidakalaki, Ramba Arival Puroma in the Krishna Bhaktia, Palayakala Pacham Siddhartiva.
So our Panditana Burri Magim I
Turning human activity into knowledge
am very happy to be here with all of you this evening. I'm very humbled to see your enthusiasm and your desire to serve. In reality, you should teach me, not I should teach you. And since this is my role, I will try to speak a few words about this curse of Bhagavad-gītā.
This is definitely a very important verse of Bhagavad-gītā because it teaches us how we can turn our activity into knowledge. The whole point of the third and fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā is exactly this.
Muddravathyayam Nanda Vathyaya Mm Vida Padam Yeshu Bhagavad-gītā. Sometimes people say that the whole meaning of Bhagavad-gītā is to teach you how to perform your duties.
But the whole meaning of Bhagavad-gītā is not to teach you how to perform your duties. Some people say kula dharma sanatana my duties in my family is eternal uh occupation.
But ultimately the point of Bhagavad-gītā is to give you transcendental knowledge. And not only theoretical knowledge but realized knowledge.
Krishna wants to convey to us that we are spirit soul and it's not theory, it it''ss reality. He started this topic in the second chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. But then he realized that Arjuna didn't understand this.
What does it mean? You know this body. And of course, it's not a question of Arjuna not understanding this, it's a question of us not understanding this. What does it mean I am not this body?
If I look in the mirror, who I am? It's me. If somebody steps on my foot, I don't think I'm not this body.
Higher purpose of human life
So therefore Krishna's point here in the third and fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā is to explain to us how we should act so that our action would turn into the experience into realization that we are not this body. It's a very important point.
Krishna explains in this fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā that every human being with little developed intelligence understands that there is some purpose in life. That there is some meaning in life and he has some duty to perform. In other words, every human being understands that there is some dharma which we have to follow.
And if he doesn't understand that there is some duty to perform, that there is some purpose in life, he's not better than an animal. Dharmana Hina Pasubik Samana. Dharma Hina Pasubik Samana.
He is equal to animals if he doesn't have any Dharma, if he doesn't have this understanding of dharma.
Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura explains that human beings have mukulitāñjali, muku, mukulita cetanā. His buddhi is budding. It's a little bud. It's not fully blossomed, but it's a little bud.
Animals don't have this sense that I have to do something.
And sometimes, oftentimes, especially in Kali Yuga, human beings also don't understand that they have to do something, that there is some duty in life and some purpose in life.
Nowadays people think that the life, human life is meant to make selfies. The more selfies he takes, the more human he is. But human life has higher purpose.
And Krishna explains that where do you find this higher purpose? How do you find this higher purpose?
Krishna explains this in the fourth chapter. And he explains this in this fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā that this higher purpose in life is in the scriptures, in the Vedas. Which is the commandment of God.
Dharmāṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Dharma tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Dharma is bhagavat-praṇītam, it's the breathing of the Lord.
So when we understand this, we start doing, we start leading our life according to the injunctions of the Vedas.
Living life as a sacrifice
But the next point, this is the first point. We start following the Vedas, we start following some rules and regulations. This is the first point.
The second point is that we start understanding that there is yagya, that the whole life is yagya, that we should do some sacrifice. And when we understand this, then we will understand the spiritual nature of the soul.
This is the next point, this is the junction. When we understand that the life is meant for sacrifice and we are living accordingly, then we understand I am not this body, I am spirit soul.
So it's not enough to follow Vedas. Not enough. It's not enough to follow Vedas to the extent that we understand that everything which we do is just sacrifice and we are doing it not for ourselves.
Many people follow Vedas and they think it's good, it feels good, it gives you some happiness, and this is the meaning of following Vedas, that we want to live very good, happy, wealthy life.
No, next point is that we have to understand that this is not for me, this is for God, for Krishna. But even this is not enough. Even if you understand that this is not for me, this is not enough, Krishna says.
Then you really have to understand I am not this body. And then you really have to understand who is God, see God. And for that you need to add something in your life.
What you have to add to realize this knowledge, you have to add the associations with those people who know, those people who have realized knowledge.
Krishna specifically here says those people who have knowledge theoretical knowledge and those people who are tattva-darśī who see the truths, who see God, who have the realization of God, who are very happy
to to know God. Without this association of such people, Krishna is very emphatic here, you will never be able to realize this knowledge.
You will pass bhakti shastri exam, you will preach this knowledge, I am not this body, and still when you will get sick, you will become worried and morose and depressed, and ultimately you will die without remembering God.
There is one very nice sannyasi in our movement. His name is Bhadrinarayan Swami. He once told a story. He said that there was he he was in an Iskon temple in America.
And I don't know if you've been to America, I was in America several times, and there is a lot of people who are very big. You cannot call them fat because it's an offense. If if you call them fat, you can be put in prison for this.
They call them in America horizontally challenged. Anyway, so he said that during this Sunday feast lecture, like we're sitting here now, there was two horizontally challenged ladies. Two very big ladies, big bodies.
And the lecturer in the same way as I am was rambling from his vyāsāsana and you're not this body, you're not this body, you're not this. So one lady looked at another lady and she said, Did you hear this? Such a relief.
The point here is that yeah when we hear I am not this body, it's a relief in itself. But it's not enough. To really get relief from this knowledge, you have to realize I'm not this body.
And it basically means that if something wrong with the body, it doesn't affect you.
No, usually when something is wrong with our body, with our surround surrounding, we become depressed, we become very sad and everything. But those people who realize I am not this body, they are happy.
Very soon I go to God, very good. So Krishna says you have to come to this point. Krishna consciousness means practice, not theory. And Krishna says for this you have to follow the duties of the Vedas.
You have to come to the point that you're not doing these duties for yourself, you're doing it for God.
Qualities of a realized guide
And then you will start associating with those people who understand uh who realize this knowledge. And by associating properly with them you will also get this knowledge within your heart.
So therefore this Sangha, Sadhu Sangha is extremely important. There is nothing more important in this world than Sadhu Sangha.
Sadhu-sanga sadhu-sanga sarva-shastra-hoy, lava-matra-sadhu-sanga sarva-siddhi hoy. All the shastras, all the scriptures say that even very little association with the sadhu can give you all perfection.
All perfection means understanding that your soul, understanding God, and even more than this, giving you love of God. But there are two conditions which are very beautifully described by Krishna in this verse.
The real sadhus have to have these two qualities, jyaninas and tattva darshina. And basically it means that they have to have theoretical knowledge for sure
and they also have to have practical knowledge or realised knowledge. In other words, they have to demonstrate that they are happy. Because if somebody claims that he has knowledge at the same time he is depressed,
this is not knowledge. Shok, this experience of grief, is the result of Tamagun. Ignorance. If you look at the people, especially you know, I'm from Russia. I'm from Moscow. Moscow is the most tomastic city in the world.
Please don't tell this to any Russians. But you can see it when you go to the street, you will see all these gloomy faces of people. If you are in grief and you are PhD, you're still fool.
The first sign of knowledge is a big smile in your face. So at least according to Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavān usā la pradhāna. Krishna says this to Arjuna.
When Arjuna in the beginning of Bhagavad-gītā becomes completely morose, Krishna says you're fool. So at least start smiling. It's it's your first investment to get some spiritual knowledge.
Anyway, Krishna here says that they have to be gyani and Tattva Darsha, they have to see the truth. Tattvadarsa literally means they see the truth. He will say later in this fourth chapter of Bhagavad-gītā that you
know if if you have this uh ignorance, Agyyan then you will have doubts. Whether God is there or not there, whether he is Krishna or Ramu, Shivo, Durga, who he is. Or maybe Jesus Christ or Jesus Arabara.
Oh God knows who he is. So uh you know if you have these doubts, uh you cannot claim to be sādhu if you have these doubts. Sādhu is those who see the truth, who see.
So this is one condition, you have to find the proper sadhu.
Practicing submission on three levels
But this is not enough. Then you have to behave properly with this sādhu. And Kṛṣṇa is very emphatic. says this if you want to realize knowledge you have to behave in a certain way with proper sādhus.
He says praṇipātena paripraśnena and sevayā. It basically means that you have to become humble on three levels. End of the purport that therefore when the student is submissive and is always
ready to render service, the reciprocation of knowledge and inquiries become perfect. Mūlya-prakāśa-mudrā-siddhir-vyāpāra-śikṣā-mandiram / rakṣā-pāni-vidhā-pīṭha-sevayā-āpta-kuryāt-pūrayet. Savasia, Apa Kurya, Purant.
Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that the knowledge will flow from sādhu to you and the sādhu kita uh to us if we become submissive. And he says submission has to be, as I said, on three levels.
We have to be humble on the level of the body. This is difficult but not so difficult. For normal people in the street it's it's a little difficult to bow down when they see devotees.
Again, somebody told me the story that once in America, devotees they started chanting Premadhani. And everyone bowed down and started kneeling at the floor. And there was one guest who first time came.
the devotee who brought him to the temple asked how did you like the program? Did you like what was happening? It was very nice, everyone was jumping and singing. Very nice, very nice.
But then I couldn't understand why everyone started searching for something in the floor. So for quote unquote normal people it's it's unusual. But Krishna says that humility starts from your body when you bow down.
Pranipat literally means pat means fall down, fall. Praṇipātaḥ kila. And prāṇa means living force when you are just bowling down with all your force the floor. So that is the first point, being humble with your body.
And then pariprashnana means being humble with your speech. Usually when we listen others speaking we always think I know this. I already know this. When he will stop speaking so that I could speak.
We like speaking ourselves, but don't like listening to others. So Krishna here says that humility of speech means that you listen to what others have to speak and you ask them questions.
Usually, you know, when when we are not we are proud we don't ask questions. We don't have any questions. We won't we have instructions when we are proud.
But you know, humility with the body, humility with the speech is not so difficult. But humility with the mind is very difficult. And humility of the mind, Krishna says, sevaya means you serve.
And if you imbibe this humility on the three levels, starting with the body, then speech, then with the mind. It basically means that you prepare your intelligence to adopt the real knowledge.
Knowledge will come to you automatically. Śrīla Prabhupāda says that you don't have to endeavor too much for the knowledge. What we have to endeavor is to become humble in relationship to the spiritual master.
To study shlokas is not so difficult. You can have shloka competition and there may be some parrot who also knows quite a few slogans. And he can win the competition. Slokas anyone can learn. It's good to learn slokas.
But the real knowledge comes when you act in a certain way towards sādhus.
Cultivating humility toward all devotees
When you listen to them and when you serve them and when you bow down to them. And actually ultimately we have to learn how to behave in this way with every devotee.
Even though Krishna here says that you have to learn from real sadhu. But we don't know who is real sadhu. Sometimes sadhus they are not very you know they don't show themselves so much.
And actually, Sanātana Gosvāmī gives a very important advice. Very important advice. If you understand this advice, your life may change.
He says that we have to really strive to associate with very elevated devotees. And behave in a very humble way with these devotees.
But then he says if you don't really know the level of the devotee whom you are associating with. You should just in case think that he is a nutamadikari and behave in accordingly to him.
In other words, if we really want to learn this truth, which is very important for us, if we really want to understand how to live this life If we really want to understand who is God and how to serve God and to be attached to Him in love.
Then we have to behave with every devotee as if he is sādhu. We have to practice this humility in a very genuine way.
That's the only reason why our We can do so many things. We can chant many rounds we can you know do our business properly. We can take care of our family very nicely.
But if we don't develop humility, our human life is wasted. Actually the English word humility comes from Latin word humus. Humus, Latin root, the humility of the vacuum.
And Latin word humus literally means... You know, if if you have very fertile ground, whatever you grow there, uh whatever you plant there will grow very nicely.
So the point is that if you're humble in heart, your heart will become like fertile ground. You will hear some knowledge, and this knowledge will grow there into realization. You will get understanding very quickly.
So the main point of this verse actually is that Krishna says if you really want to understand, then you have to become humble. And this is within our power. This is what we can do. This is everyone can do.
If we are proud, if we say I am better than you, I am senior devotee, I am this, I am that, you're a fool, number one. You are foolish senior devotee.
But if you're humble with everyone, if you try to serve everyone, no matter who you are, then you really understand something.
Lord Chaitanya says in his Śikṣāṣṭaka, tṛṇād api su-nīcena taror api sahiṣṇunā amāninā mānadena kīrtanīyaḥ sadā hariḥ. namānada nakirtaniya sadahi.
He says that you know you will always feel the presence of the holy name in your heart. If you become humble like a tree, humble like a blade of grass, and tolerant like a tree.
The point of this whole spiritual culture and spiritual knowledge is actually always be with God.
It's not that in the morning you mumble something for some time blah blah blah blah blah blah blah and you know, okay, Krishna, I've done my duty towards you, now let me do whatever I like.
The point is to always feel happy because Krishna is with you and you feel it.
Krishna in the form of the holy name is always with you. And you feel extreme happiness of being with him. And uh this only possible if you develop genuine humility, not not show humility, but real humility.
This is only possible if you behave with every devotee in a very humble way. Why do we come here in this temple, only for one reason. Because there are so many Prabhu's here. And matajis also. Prabhu means master.
Prabhu anuchara. And we are dāsa-dāsa-nudāsa. We serve all these Prabhus. Sometimes people think devotees think they are all Prabhus. And I am Mahaprabhu.
No, but you know, they're all Prabhu and I am Dasa Dasa no Dasa. I am their servant. And if we develop this sort of attitude, then the knowledge will come to us. Prabhupāda says it will become very easy and simple.
Devotees will be pleased with you. And they will bless you with the knowledge.
Ramanujacharya example of humble service
Rāmānujācārya, the great Ācārya of Śrī Sampradāya, He was uh learning from many gurus. His first guru was Kanchipurna, Guru Kanchi Purna, very simple devotee in Kanchipuram, who actually engaged him in practical service.
He was not knowledgeable himself. Rāmānujācārya was a genius, but he was a very simple devotee. But he was speaking with God himself. With Varadaraja Perumal, he was speaking personally.
And when Rāmānujācārya approached him: "What should I do?" He said you just bring some water from the well. This is the real learning. Just go and bring some water.
And then he had second guru who was Mahapurna. Mahapuruna Guru. Mahāpūrṇa gave him pañca-saṁskāra. And then he had third guru who was Goshtipurna. And Goshtipurna gave him mantra and explained him meaning of the mantra.
But then at one point, Mahapurna, he is initiating spiritual master, he said, there is one more devotee. I want you to learn from him. His name is Ranga Purna. And he knows the greatest secret of all.
And he can explain to you, only he can explain to you this secret. But it's very difficult to get this secret from him. He is not very easily giving this secret to everyone.
So I want you to go to him and somehow rather get the most secret knowledge. And Rāmānujācārya, very eager to get this secret knowledge, he went to this devotee Ranga Purna.
Ranka Purra Gita, Ramada Rampa Antha Kodana Jana Karatapura. And he started, he came to his house and his big ācārya already in Sri Rangam, he is sannyāsī, and he started serving in his house.
He started sweeping the floor in his house. No, no. Actually it started. He came he came in the evening and he he boiled the milk
for uh uh he came to the kitchen of this Rangapurna's house he asked his cook can I cook something for him and he said yes you can uh make the milk special milk for this Rangapurna.
And when Ranga Purna drank this milk, he asked who who did this milk? And Rakapur and the Palak the Palakchan. Only Yamuna Charya could do such milk. Only he knows the recipe. He was very impressed.
And then they told Rāmānujācārya, Rāmānuja came and he is he's making this milk for you. And he immediately realized he came to learn something from it. And he kept quiet.
And for one day, two days, three days, one month, Ramanuja is serving in his house like a menial servant. He is doing everything possible and impossible. And not even asking anything from him.
At one point the Śrī Ranga Pūrṇa became really angry. He came to Rāmānuja said, You are thief. You came here to get something from me. And then Rāmānujācārya said, who told you? I didn't ask you anything.
I'm just serving, I'm very happy. What do you want? I want you want me to do something? I will do something.
And then at one point after many many days Ranga Pūrṇa called Rāmānuja Ranga Pūrṇa Rāmānuja and he said you melted my heart I have to give you something. Now you take it.
And then he started explaining the secret knowledge to him. And what was this secret knowledge? And then Yana Madera Hasina. He explained this Guru disciple relationship.
And actually, Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, the great ācārya of the Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, he also says that when you are serving God you will get knowledge. But if you want viśeṣajñāna, special knowledge.
Very special knowledge of your relationship with God and love of God. And then you have to serve guru. And this is Rahasya. This is very secret knowledge. Very secret knowledge.
And again, the secret knowledge is simple in one sense if we develop genuine humility. And to develop genuine humility, we have to see every devotee as our spiritual master. As the representative of our spiritual master.
And serve everyone uh accordingly. So that's the meaning of this verse. Thank you very much. I tried to answer and comprehensively the first time.