The Story so far:
Arjuna, the representative of Pandavas is arrayed for battle against his cousins Kauravas. Lord Krishna is his charioteer and so his victory is assured. Neverthess Arjuna is plagued by all kind of doubts and even considers a life of Sanyas as better than fighting against his own kinsmen. But Lord Krishna is nudging him on, saying as a ksatriya he needs a kingdom which is realizable only if he fights and wins the battle. The Lord further advances the argument that in any case the souls of his cousins will live on even if they are dead. Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, (but strangely) Arjuna had a blood relationship with Him. It also appears that Krishna has a teacher and a grandfather! One is often attached to family life, namely to wife, children and other members, on the basis of “skin disease.” A scholarly brähmana, expert in all subjects of Vedic knowledge, is unfit to become a spiritual master without being a Vaiñëava, or expert in the science of Kåñëa consciousness. But a person born in a family of a lower caste can become a spiritual master if he is a Vaiñëava, or Kåñëa conscious. Enlightened, perfect knowledge of self-realization, or Kåñëa consciousness, would make Arjuna fight.
Further along the way, we pick up some significant (and fanciful) assertions like:
“Religious violence is sometimes a necessary factor”
“The brähmaëas also attain the heavenly planets by sacrificing animals in the sacrificial fire”.
“The animal sacrificed gets a human life immediately without undergoing the gradual
evolutionary process from one form to another.”
transcendental loving service of the Lord. Consequently, he becomes qualified to enter into the Vaikuëöha planets, where there is neither material, miserable life, nor the influence of time and death.
“A transcendentally situated person has no sense desires resulting from petty materialism; rather, he remains always happy in his natural position of eternally serving the Supreme Lord”. This can be true only when a transcendentally situated person is no longer a resident of the world.
A fully Kåñëa conscious person is not at all disturbed by the onslaughts of the threefold miseries, for he accepts all miseries as the mercy of the Lord, thinking himself only worthy of more trouble due to his past misdeeds; and he sees that his miseries, by the grace of the Lord, are minimized to the lowest. This is interesting. Because “Grace” is a very Christian word. And now here we see the suggestion that only due to the grace of God we attain Krishna consciousness. Check out the Bible, epistle to the Ephesians, chapter 2:
“8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
One who is fixed in Kåñëa consciousness is not affected by good and evil because he is simply concerned with Kåñëa, who is all good absolute. Such consciousness in Kåñëa situates one in a perfect transcendental position called, technically, Samadhi.
“As long as one is in the material world there is always the possibility of good and evil,
because this world is full of duality.” This is what I said earlier. If a person is not affected by good and evil, he must be dead. Hmmm………….
The restrictions are there for the less intelligent neophytes in the spiritual advancement of life, but such restrictions are only good if one actually has a taste for Kåñëa consciousness. When one is
actually Kåñëa conscious, he automatically loses his taste for pale things.
I do not like the construction: “less intelligent beings”. If that be the case, only intelligent beings have a chance of advancing to the glorious life beyond. This is absolutely contrary to the Word of God found in the Bible: “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Corinthias 1:26)
Why is the Gita going back and forth among multiple godheads? After holding up Krishna as Lord and talking so much about Krishna consciousness, we see a sudden, inexplicable turn to Vishnu.
Interesting that Lord Çiva could be lured into sex! Who is this Parvati anyway – human or goddess? Why do the two children so unlike each other and one of them sporting a trunk? How exactly did Parvati “agitate” the Lord for sensual pleasure?
There seems to be an implication that a Krishna Conscious person is a mindless puppet which can be manipulated. Does he not possess the wisdom to discern between right and wrong?
We are human, aren’t we? If all of the senses are engaged in Kåñëa consciousness, how do we carry on the business of life?
“ A Kåñëa conscious man is not in need of anything because the Lord fulfills all his material necessities”. So is he already in heaven? Does “material desires” imply sensual types as well?
Ah….this is something new again Kåñëa consciousness though karma-yoga
Hmmm…….no easy business, this Kåñëa consciousness. If Arjuna himself, described as Lord Krishna’s intimate friend, Arjuna could not follow the process of Kåñëa consciousness, that pretty much leaves the others hopeless!
The whole process is to understand the real position of the self in relation to the Superself. Ah…. how simple!!
It looks like there are two paths to Kåñëa consciousness, an indirect process being philosophical speculation!
Hmm…….what are the previous three orders (of life)?
But if he carries out all the injunctions for purification in the çästras, what does it avail him if he is not Kåñëa conscious?” (Bhäg. 1.5.17)
Does not the bolded sentence above mirror the verse in the Bible that says: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36)
There are many pretenders who refuse to work in Kåñëa consciousness but make a show of meditation, while actually dwelling within the mind upon sense enjoyment
Don’t we know of sundry godmen who fall in this category?
The prime svärtha-gati, or goal of self-interest, is to reach Viñëu.
Well stated, but Vishnu again. What is his relative status viz-a-viz Krishna? Are they in competition? Is it that the compiler of this particular version of the Gita does not want to offend either and is trying a bit of balance?
this realization that “one has to maintain one’s body and soul together by some work” seems to be dawning rather late in the day; earlier it was all about Krishna consciousness. Contrast with the Bible Genesis 2: “And the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.” Dressing and keeping = work! It was never God’s intent to separate Work and Worship according to the Bible.
Oh, what confusing texts and innumerable references. Now we are told that both Krishna and Vishnu are both “Supreme Personality of Godhead”. How is this possible?
Since Chapter 3 is also very long, I thought it best to present it in portions for (relatively) easy consumption. I hope you can bite, digest and assimilate it. We are in 3b, dealing with Texts 11-20.
Karma-yoga
TEXT 11
The demigods are empowered administrators of material affairs. The supply of air, light, water and all other benedictions for maintaining the body and soul of every living entity are entrusted to the demigods, who are innumerable assistants in different parts of the body of the Supreme Personality of
Godhead. Their pleasures and displeasures are dependent on the performance of yajïas by the human being. Some of the yajïas are meant to satisfy particular demigods; but even in so doing, Lord Viñëu is worshiped in all yajïas as the chief beneficiary. It is stated also in the Bhagavad-gétä that Kåñëa
Himself is the beneficiary of all kinds of yajïas. Therefore, ultimate satisfaction of the yajïapati is the chief purpose of all yajïas. When these yajïas are perfectly performed, naturally the demigods in
charge of the different departments of supply are pleased, and there is no scarcity in the supply of natural products. Performance of yajïas has many side benefits, ultimately leading to liberation
from the material bondage. By performance of yajïas, all activities become purified, as it is stated in the Vedas.
As it will be explained in the following verse, by performance of yajïa, one’s eatables become sanctified, and by eating sanctified foodstuffs, one’s very existence becomes purified; by the purification of existence, finer tissues in the memory become sanctified, and when memory is sanctified, one can think of the path of liberation, and all these combined together lead to Kåñëa
consciousness, the great necessity of present-day society.
“The demigods are empowered administrators of material affairs”. Strange that these “gods” do not have any spiritual oversight.
It is not clear who the chief beneficiary of yajïa is. The tussle between Vishnu and Krishna continues.
TEXT 12
The demigods are authorized supplying agents on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viñëu. Therefore, they must be satisfied by the performance of prescribed yajïas. In the Vedas, there are different kinds of yajïas prescribed for different kinds of demigods, but all are ultimately offered
to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For one who cannot understand what the Personality of Godhead is, sacrifice to the demigods is recommended. According to the different material qualities of the persons concerned, different types of yajïas are recommended in the Vedas. Worship of different
demigods is also on the same basis—namely, according to different qualities. For example, the meat-eaters are recommended to worship the goddess Kälé, the ghastly form of material nature, and before the goddess the sacrifice of animals is recommended. But for those who are in the mode of goodness, the transcendental worship of Viñëu is recommended. But ultimately, all yajïas are meant for gradual promotion to the transcendental position. For ordinary men, at least five yajïas, known as païca-mahäyajïa, are necessary. One should know, however, that all the necessities of life that the human
society requires are supplied by the demigod agents of the Lord. No one can manufacture anything. Take, for example, all the eatables of human society. These eatables include grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, sugar, etc., for the persons in the mode of goodness, and also eatables for the nonvegetarians, like meats, etc., none of which can be manufactured by men. Then again, take for example heat, light, water, air, etc., which are also necessities of life―none of them can be manufactured by the human society. Without the Supreme Lord, there can be no profuse sunlight, moonlight, rainfall, breeze, etc., without which no one can live. Obviously, our life is dependent on supplies from the Lord. Even for our manufacturing enterprises, we require so many raw materials like metal, sulphur, mercury, manganese, and so many essentials―all of which are supplied by the agents of the Lord, with the purpose that we should make proper use of them to keep ourselves fit and healthy for the purpose of self-realization, leading to the ultimate goal of life, namely, liberation from the material struggle for existence. This aim of life is attained by performance of yajïas. If we forget the purpose of human life and simply take supplies from the agents of the Lord for sense gratification and become more and more entangled in material existence, which is not the purpose of creation, certainly we become thieves, and therefore we are punished by the laws of material nature. A society of thieves can never be happy because they have no aim in life. The gross materialist thieves have no ultimate goal of life. They are simply directed to sense gratification; nor do they have knowledge of how to perform yajïas. Lord Caitanya, however, inaugurated the easiest performance of yajïa, namely the saìkértana-yajïa, which can be performed by anyone in the world who accepts the principles of Kåñëa consciousness.
“The demigods are authorized supplying agents”. This suggests that there are unauthorized agents as well.
Supreme Personality of Godhead struggle continues.
“For ordinary men, at least five yajïas, known as païca-mahäyajïa, are necessary.” How about extra-ordinary men?
“Lord Caitanya, however, inaugurated the easiest performance of yajïa” And what is his fiefdom? Where does he stand viz-a-viz Vishnu and Krishna?
TEXT 13
The devotees of the Supreme Lord, or the persons who are in Kåñëa consciousness, are called santas, and they are always in love with the Lord as it is described in the Brahma-saàhitä. The santas, being always in a compact of love with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda (the giver of all
pleasures), or Mukunda (the giver of liberation), or Kåñëa (the all-attractive person), cannot accept anything without first offering it to the Supreme Person. Therefore, such devotees always perform yajïas in different modes of devotional service, such as çravaëam, kértanam, smaraëam, arcanam, etc., and these performances of yajïas keep them always aloof from all kinds of contamination of sinful association in the material world. Others, who prepare food for self or sense gratification, are not only thieves, but are also the eaters of all kinds of sins. How can a person be happy if he is both a thief and sinful? It is not possible. Therefore, in order for people to become happy in all respects, they must be taught to perform the easy process of saìkértana-yajïa, in full Kåñëa consciousness. Otherwise, there can be no peace or happiness in the world.
Are we to understand that saìkértana-yajïa encompasses çravaëam, kértanam, smaraëam, arcanam, etc.?
Govinda, Mukunda, Krishna, Vishnu – a rather confusing mix of god names. Contrast this with the categorical averment in the Bible, in the Book of Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4, verses 10 -12 (King James Version:
“…….by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”
No confusion folks, there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. No need for multiple or composite Yagnas in an effort to please myriad mythical gods.
TEXT 14
The Supreme Lord, who is known as the yajïa-puruñaù, or the personal beneficiary of all sacrifices, is the master of all demigods who serve Him as the different limbs of the body serve the whole. Demigods like Indra, Candra, Varuëa, etc., are appointed officers who manage material affairs, and the Vedas direct sacrifices to satisfy these demigods so that they may be pleased to supply air, light and water sufficiently to produce food grains. When Lord Kåñëa is worshiped, the demigods, who are
different limbs of the Lord, are also automatically worshiped; therefore there is no separate need to worship the demigods. For this reason, the devotees of the Lord, who are in Kåñëa consciousness, offer food to Kåñëa and then eat—a process which nourishes the body spiritually. By such action not only are past sinful reactions in the body vanquished, but the body becomes immunized to all contamination of material nature ¹. When there is an epidemic disease, an antiseptic vaccine protects a person from the attack of such an epidemic. Similarly, food offered to Lord Viñëu and then taken by us makes us sufficiently resistant to material affection, and one who is accustomed to this practice is called a devotee of the Lord. Therefore, a person in Kåñëa consciousness, who eats only food offered to Kåñëa, can counteract all reactions of past material infections, which are impediments to the progress of self-realization. On the other hand, one who does not do so continues to increase the volume of sinful action, and this prepares the next body to resemble hogs and dogs, to suffer the resultant reactions of all sins ². The material world is full of contaminations, and one who is immunized by
accepting prasädam of the Lord (food offered to Viñëu) is saved from the attack, whereas one who does not do so becomes subjected to contamination. Food grains or vegetables are factually eatables. The human being eats different kinds of food grains, vegetables, fruits, etc., and the animals eat the
refuse of the food grains and vegetables, grass, plants, etc. Human beings who are accustomed to eating meat and flesh must also depend on the production of vegetation in order to eat the animals. Therefore, ultimately, we have to depend on the production of the field and not on the production of big factories. The field production is due to sufficient rain from the sky, and such rains are controlled by demigods like Indra, sun, moon, etc., and they are all servants of the Lord. The Lord can be satisfied by sacrifices ³; therefore, one who cannot perform them will find himself in scarcity―that is the law of nature. Yajïa, specifically the saìkértana-yajïa prescribed for this age, must therefore be performed to save us at least from scarcity of food supply.
¹ A rather simple and painless way to rid yourself of the effect of sin and immunize yourself: offer and eat. No regret, repentance, renunciation – wow!
² Ah…the next body conundrum again! What is your current body – the original or nth? How can you tell?
³ Sin today, sacrifice tomorrow – all is well. Really?
Yes, some folks are under the mistaken impression that we can wipe out the effect of our sin by offering sacrifices to appease God. It appears that Eli and his sons were labouring under this particular misconception. But in his message to Samuel the Lord puts paid to this notion. So don’t get the idea that you can buy pardon by sacrifice. Just as money can’t buy you love, money can’t buy you forgiveness either. God is not in the business of selling forgiveness!
TEXT 15
Yajïärtha karma, or the necessity of work for the satisfaction of Kåñëa only, is more expressly stated in this verse. If we have to work for the satisfaction of the yajïa-puruña, Viñëu, then we must find out the direction of work in Brahman, or the transcendental Vedas. The Vedas are therefore codes of
working directions. Anything performed without the direction of the Vedas is called vikarma, or unauthorized or sinful work. Therefore, one should always take direction from the Vedas to be saved from the reaction of work. As one has to work in ordinary life by the direction of the state, similarly, one has to work under direction of the supreme state of the Lord. Such directions in the
Vedas are directly manifested from the breathing of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. “The four Vedas—namely the Åg-veda, Yajur-veda, Säma-veda and Atharva-veda—are all emanations from the breathing of the great Personality of Godhead ¹.” The Lord, being omnipotent, can speak by breathing air, as it is confirmed in the Brahma-saàhitä, for the Lord has the omnipotence to perform through each of His senses the actions of all other senses. In other words, the Lord can speak through His breathing, and He can impregnate by His eyes. In fact, it is said that He glanced over material
nature and thus fathered all living entities ². After creating or impregnating the conditioned souls into the womb of material nature, He gave His directions in the Vedic wisdom as to how such conditioned souls can return home, back to Godhead. We should always remember that the conditioned souls in material nature are all eager for material enjoyment. But the Vedic directions are so made that one can satisfy one’s perverted desires, then return to Godhead, having finished his so-called enjoyment. It is a chance for the conditioned souls to attain liberation; therefore the conditioned souls must try to follow the process of yajïa by becoming Kåñëa conscious. Even those who cannot follow the Vedic injunctions may adopt the principles of Kåñëa consciousness, and that will take the place of performance of Vedic yajïas, or karmas ³.
¹Where do these four Vedas stand in relation to the Baghvat Gita?
² Rather fanciful…..and let’s face it..scary!!
³ Oh….concession for the backbenchers!
TEXT 16
The mammonist philosophy of work very hard and enjoy sense gratification is condemned herein by the Lord. Therefore, for those who want to enjoy this material world, the above-mentioned cycle of performing yajïas is absolutely necessary ¹. One who does not follow such regulations is living a very risky life, being condemned more and more. By nature’s law, this human form of life is specifically meant for self-realization, in either of the three ways (sic)—namely karma-yoga, jïäna-yoga, or bhakti-yoga. There is no necessity of rigidly following the performances of the prescribed yajïas for the transcendentalists who are above vice and virtue; but those who are engaged in sense gratification require purification by the above-mentioned cycle of yajïa performances. There are different kinds of activities. Those who are not Kåñëa conscious are certainly engaged in sensory consciousness; therefore they need to execute pious work. The yajïa system is planned in such a way that sensory
conscious persons may satisfy their desires without becoming entangled in the reaction of sense-gratificatory work. The prosperity of the world depends not on our own efforts but on the background arrangement of the Supreme Lord, directly carried out by the demigods². Therefore, the yajïas are directly aimed at the particular demigod mentioned in the Vedas. Indirectly, it is the practice
of Kåñëa consciousness, because when one masters the performance of yajïas, one is sure to become Kåñëa conscious³. But if by performing yajïas one does not become Kåñëa conscious, such principles are counted as only moral codes. One should not, therefore, limit his progress only to the point of moral codes, but should transcend them, to attain Kåñëa consciousnessº.
¹ …and you thought you can get away just with Kåñëa consciousness going by the preceding text. You have another think coming.
2 Sorry communists, the prosperity of the world does not depend on your work. The Supreme God is standing in the background, directing affairs.
³ This is going round and round, I know. Please bear with the author.
° ditto
TEXT 17
A person who is fully Kåñëa conscious, and is fully satisfied by his acts in Kåñëa consciousness, no longer has any duty to perform ¹. Due to his being Kåñëa conscious, all impiety within is instantly cleansed, an effect of many, many thousands of yajïa performances. By such clearing of consciousness, one becomes fully confident of his eternal position in relationship with the Supreme. His duty thus becomes self-illuminated by the grace of the Lord, and therefore he no longer has any obligations to the Vedic injunctions. ²
¹ Hurray, is this what is known as Nirvana?
² Freed from the Vedas as well! Wow!
TEXT 18
A self-realized man is no longer obliged to perform any prescribed duty, save and except activities in Kåñëa consciousness. Kåñëa consciousness is not inactivity either, as will be explained in the following verses. A Kåñëa conscious man does not take shelter of any person—man or demigod.
Whatever he does in Kåñëa consciousness is sufficient in the discharge of his obligation.
Does not significantly add to material in Text 17
TEXT 19
The Supreme is the Personality of Godhead for the devotees, and liberation for the impersonalist. A person, therefore, acting for Kåñëa, or in Kåñëa consciousness, under proper guidance and without attachment to the result of the work, is certainly making progress toward the supreme goal of life. Arjuna is told that he should fight in the Battle of Kurukñetra for the interest of Kåñëa because Kåñëa wanted him to fight. To be a good man or a nonviolent man is a personal attachment, but to act on behalf of the Supreme is to act without attachment for the result. That is perfect action of the highest degree, recommended by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Çré Kåñëa. Vedic rituals, like prescribed sacrifices, are performed for purification of impious activities that were performed in the field of sense gratification. But action in Kåñëa consciousness is transcendental to the reactions of good or evil work. A Kåñëa conscious person has no attachment for the result but acts on behalf of
Kåñëa alone. He engages in all kinds of activities but is completely nonattached.
Does not significantly add to material in earlier Texts
TEXT 20
Kings like Janaka and others were all self-realized souls; consequently they had no obligation to perform the prescribed duties in the Vedas. Nonetheless they performed all prescribed activities just to set examples for the people in general. Janaka was the father of Sétä, and father-in-law of Lord Çré Räma. Being a great devotee of the Lord, he was transcendentally situated, but because he was the King of Mithila (a subdivision of Behar province in India), he had to teach his subjects how to fight righteously in battle. He and his subjects fought to teach people in general that violence is also necessary in a situation where good arguments fail ¹. Before the Battle of Kurukñetra, every
effort was made to avoid the war, even by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the other party was determined to fight. So for such a right cause, there is a necessity for fighting. Although one who is situated in Kåñëa consciousness may not have any interest in the world, he still works to teach
the public how to live and how to act. Experienced persons in Kåñëa consciousness can act in such a way that others will follow, and this is explained in Text 21.
¹ Tell this to Mahatma Gandhi
Epilogue
Watching me dabble in biblical narratives (https://judahsjottings.com/), it was a senior friend who suggested it might be interesting to have a look at the Baghvat Gita and study how that book deals with the subject of cycle of life and eternity. The idea appealed to me as I always wanted to read the Gita.
But it is not an easy journey. Particularly painful is the newfound knowledge that the Gita comes asymptotically close to the Truth as revealed in the Bible and yet it ties itself with a zillion knots and fails to recognize the innate simplicity of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, preferring to lose itself in an ambiguous concept of Krishna Consciousness.
I am aware my views are open to debate; especially as I have proceeded from the position of nescience about the Hindu philosophy. Indeed, I have sought discussion with experts in the Gita, but they would not engage. So, there it is. If you have something to say, it would be interesting to have a dialogue.
In the meanwhile, we will move on. It is hard work.
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