The disciplic succession (Bg 4.1 to 4.3)

Kṛṣṇa starts the chapter by explaining how transcendental knowledge is transmitted. The Bhagavad-gītā is not a new doctrine created for Arjuna; it is an eternal science transmitted long ago by Kṛṣṇa to the sun god, and carefully transmitted in disciplic succession. Arjuna was chosen as the recipient of a new disciplic succession because he is His devotee and friend. It was already established in the introduction that the Gītā can only be understood by one who accepts Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Now, another principle is established: it should be learned within the disciplic succession.

Text 1: śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ, proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha, manur ikṣvākave ’bravīt

The Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.

Text 2: evaṁ paramparā-prāptam, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā, yogo naṣṭaḥ paran-tapa

This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.

Text 3: sa evāyaṁ mayā te ’dya, yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ
bhakto ’si me sakhā ceti, rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam

That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science.

As Kṛṣṇa will later reveal, our universe is repeatedly created and destroyed, following the days and nights of Brahmā. Each cycle of creation, a day of Brahmā, lasts for 4.32 billion years, a period divided into 14 manvantaras. The first manvantara was ruled by Svāyambhuva Manu, the grandfather of Dhruva Mahārāja, and the current manvantara, the 7th in the sequence, is ruled by Vaivasvata Manu, the son of Vivasvān, the current sun god.

Kṛṣṇa reveals that not only does He appear in different forms and in different places, but also that the Bhagavad-gītā itself is eternal, and is repeatedly transmitted again and again, whenever this transcendental science is lost.

Prabhupāda gives several rounded numbers in his purport to text 4.1, but you can find the exact numbers following the formulas he gives in other purports. The point we should pay attention to is the conclusions and the historical facts and their consequences. Anyone can find out exact numbers using a calculator; the important point is the conclusions of the text.

Chronologically, we are in the first day of the 51st year of Brahmā, in the reign of the 7th Manu. Each manvantara is composed of 71 sets of four ages (Satya-yuga, Tretā-yuga, Dvāpara-yuga, and Kali-yuga). Currently, we are in the beginning of the Kali-yuga of the 28th cycle.

Kali-yuga lasts for 432,000 years, of which just a little over 5,000 have passed. Dvāpara-yuga lasts for double the length of Kali-yuga, 864,000 years; Tretā-yuga three times, 1,296,000 years; and Satya-yuga four times, 1,728,000 years. Four ages together form a divya-yuga, which lasts for a total of 4.32 million years. The Bhagavad-gītā was transmitted by Vaivasvata Manu to Mahārāja Ikṣvāku in the beginning of the past Tretā-yuga, over two million years ago.

A manvantara lasts for a total of 306,720,000 years, which equals 71 complete divya-yugas. We are in the 28th cycle, so we have already gone through about 120 million years of the reign of the current Manu.

Kṛṣṇa personally spoke the Bhagavad-gītā to Vivasvān, the current demigod of the sun, at the start of the current manvantara, and he, in turn, later transmitted it to Vaivasvata Manu, who transmitted it to Ikṣvāku. That’s how this divine knowledge reached human society, instructing many generations of saintly kings.

The knowledge of the Bhagavad-gītā is special, even considering other transcendental knowledge in the Vedas, because it is especially relevant for saintly rulers and householders, who have to reconcile their material obligations with their spiritual practice. That’s why it is transmitted to saintly kings, like Ikṣvāku and Arjuna, who can rule according to this knowledge and teach its principles to the general population.

As Prabhupāda mentions, “Certainly Bhagavad-gītā was never meant for the demonic persons, who would dissipate its value for no one’s benefit and would devise all types of interpretations according to personal whims. As soon as the original purpose was scattered by the motives of the unscrupulous commentators, there arose the need to reestablish the disciplic succession.”

The point about the Gītā is that the true secret is not only in the verses, but in the conclusions of the text received through the disciplic succession. Any mental speculator can write a commentary on the Gītā, but only a devotee of Kṛṣṇa connected to the disciplic succession can enter into the mysteries of the text. That’s what makes the Bhagavad-gītā As It Is different from all the thousands of other commentaries available on the market. Five thousand years ago, when Kṛṣṇa was personally present, He detected that the disciplic succession of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku had been lost, and thus He decided to start a new disciplic succession, transmitting it again to Arjuna.

The science of the Gītā is described as purātanaḥ: ancient. In fact, this knowledge is so old that it existed before the creation of the universe. Just as Kṛṣṇa is eternal, the knowledge of the Gītā is eternal, and it is introduced again and again in different contexts whenever there is a need.

What are the qualifications of Arjuna for receiving it? Bhakto ’si me sakhā ceti: Arjuna is a devotee of Kṛṣṇa, as well as His friend. He is never envious of Him.

You may remember that in the introduction, Śrīla Prabhupāda mentioned:

“Therefore Bhagavad-gītā should be taken up in a spirit of devotion. One should not think that he is equal to Kṛṣṇa, nor should he think that Kṛṣṇa is an ordinary personality or even a very great personality. Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. So according to the statements of Bhagavad-gītā or the statements of Arjuna, the person who is trying to understand the Bhagavad-gītā, we should at least theoretically accept Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and with that submissive spirit we can understand the Bhagavad-gītā. Unless one reads the Bhagavad-gītā in a submissive spirit, it is very difficult to understand Bhagavad-gītā, because it is a great mystery.”

At first, it may appear that Śrīla Prabhupāda is asking the reader to accept blindly, but this just reveals an important secret of the text: It is not possible to enter into the mysteries of the Bhagavad-gītā without first accepting Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Without at least some preliminary faith, we will not take what He speaks seriously, and this knowledge will not enter our hearts. Therefore, Prabhupāda urges the reader right at the beginning to accept this point, that at least theoretically Kṛṣṇa should be accepted as God if one wants to benefit from the study. As initial proof, he offers that Arjuna accepted it, other great Vedic sages accepted it, and he himself accepted it, and then proceeds to elaborate on it in the rest of the introduction. This is not a capricious or unreasonable demand; it is just how the Gītā works.

In practically any body of knowledge, the proof comes only after we master the subject. For example, a scientist may prove through an experiment that an atom is not a solid ball of matter but is instead composed of smaller particles, protons, neutrons, etc. His research is then accepted as proof. However, no ordinary person can replicate the experiment to confirm it. Indeed, an ordinary person will probably not even fully comprehend it. The conclusion is accepted based on trust. The researcher is accepted as a respected person; his conclusion is accepted by other respected people; therefore, it is trusted as correct. Even if one desires to become a scientist to confirm the findings, he or she will have to accept these conclusions as part of their study, and only many years later, perhaps, be able to see the proof by repeating the experiment. Similarly, in the spiritual process, everything is confirmed with time. One can see Kṛṣṇa personally, face-to-face, just like Arjuna saw Him, but for that we need to first attain the necessary qualification. Without following the proper process, there will be no advancement, and we will remain perpetually in ignorance.

Main points in the purports of Śrīla Prabhupāda:

“The Personality of Godhead, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.”

a) The Bhagavad-gītā is especially meant for kings, who should understand the spiritual science and guide the citizens, teaching them to avoid material lust.

b) The original disciplic succession of the Gītā was Vivasvān > Manu > Ikṣvāku > saintly kings. Kṛṣṇa transmitted it to Vivasvān 120 million years ago. Prabhupāda quotes a verse from the Mahābhārata to maintain that the transmission to Manu and then to Ikṣvāku happened in the beginning of the last Tretā-yuga, about two million years ago. Ikṣvāku is the forefather of the Raghu dynasty, in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared. This disciplic succession was later broken, leading the Lord to transmit it again to Arjuna, starting a new disciplic succession.

c) The knowledge of the Gītā is apauruṣeya, superhuman, and must be accepted without interpretation through the medium of the disciplic succession. Materialists may speculate, but their commentaries do not represent the Gītā as it is.

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.”

a) The text of the Gītā was never lost, but the meaning was lost, covered by the commentaries of unscrupulous persons. This created the need for a new disciplic succession 5,000 years ago. Similarly, when Prabhupāda came to the West, the real meaning of the Gītā was covered by many atheistic commentaries, creating the need for an edition of the Gītā as it was originally received.

b) When the Bhagavad-gītā is accepted as it is, it is a great boon to humanity, but if it is taken in a speculative spirit, it becomes just a waste of time.

“That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend and can therefore understand the transcendental mystery of this science.”

a) Demons cannot understand at all the science of the Bhagavad-gītā. Arjuna was selected as the recipient for a new disciplic succession of the Gītā because he is a devotee. Similarly, the Gītā should be received from a devotee. Commentaries written by demons are useless.

b) Any commentator of the Gītā must accept Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, just like Arjuna, and any commentary written in this spirit is a great service to the transcendental cause. The demoniac, on the other hand, just misled the readers. To benefit, we must receive it from the disciplic succession.

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In the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa mentions:

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ’pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te ’pi yānti parāṁ gatim

O son of Pṛthā, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaiśyas [merchants] and śūdras [workers] – can attain the supreme destination.

This construction may sound objectionable to some modern readers. Kṛṣṇa speaks about a category, pāpa-yonayaḥ (those of sinful birth), and women, workers, and merchants are included within it. Does this mean women are intrinsically inferior?

As in other passages, we need to understand it in context. Immediately after this verse, Kṛṣṇa mentions three other classes: brāhmaṇāḥ puṇyā (the righteous brāhmaṇas), bhaktāḥ (the pure devotees), and rāja-ṛṣayaḥ (the saintly kings), which are very high. This makes the meaning clear. The point is that if even ordinary persons, who are mainly engaged in mundane occupations, can attain the supreme destination through the process of devotional service, what about devotees who are surrendered to Kṛṣṇa? They are surely even more eligible.

Another detail is the word used for “woman” in the verse: strī. Strī means “that which increases the field of material entanglement.” In this context, this is the word for an ordinary materialistic woman. The Sanskrit language is very specific. There are many other words used to identify other types of women. A virtuous woman is called sādhvī, or satī; a chaste wife is called pati-vratā, and so on (check SB 1.13.30, 3.23.1, and 3.23.10, for example). The context also makes it clear. Sūdras apply to uneducated workers who lack a higher direction in life, and vaiśyas in this context apply to people involved with money and business. In this way, Kṛṣṇa classifies the three classes as pāpa-yonayaḥ because they are generally materialistic and have less facility for spiritual advancement.

Another problem is that when a man reads these verses, he will often classify himself among the brāhmaṇas or rājarṣis. Here, however, we come to an inconvenient truth: the verdict of the scriptures is kalau śūdra-sambhavaḥ: In this age of Kali, everyone is born a śūdra. We thus have a greater category, called “śūdra,” in which both modern men and women are included. Because in the current age the Vedic purificatory system is not followed, people are born without the qualifications traditionally required for higher Vedic culture. The vaiśyas, also mentioned by Kṛṣṇa, are already vastly beyond the qualifications of most modern people.

One could argue that, if everyone is a śūdra, then why is it that Kṛṣṇa explicitly adds “women” to the list? Kṛṣṇa names groups that traditional societies might consider less qualified. Without this, one could argue that śūdras and vaiśyas can attain the supreme destination, but not women.

The central point is that even a person with no education, no status, no wealth, and no social support can become perfect by taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, a point emphasized by Prabhupāda in his purport:

“According to the different modes of material nature, men are classified in the mode of goodness (brāhmaṇas), the mode of passion (kṣatriyas, or administrators), the mixed modes of passion and ignorance (vaiśyas, or merchants), and the mode of ignorance (śūdras, or workers). Those lower than them are called caṇḍālas, and they are born in sinful families. Generally, the association of those born in sinful families is not accepted by the higher classes. But the process of devotional service is so strong that the pure devotee of the Supreme Lord can enable people of all the lower classes to attain the highest perfection of life. This is possible only when one takes shelter of Kṛṣṇa. As indicated here by the word vyapāśritya, one has to take shelter completely of Kṛṣṇa. Then one can become much greater than great jñānīs and yogīs.”

We can also add that just before, in text 9.29, Kṛṣṇa mentions: “I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.”

Still earlier, in 5.18, Kṛṣṇa also mentions: “The humble sage, by virtue of true knowledge, sees with equal vision a learned and gentle brāhmaṇa, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste].”

This gives the framework through which 9.32 should be interpreted. Everyone is equal on the spiritual platform. Kṛṣṇa is equal to all, and therefore He gives an equal chance to everyone to come to Him; women are explicitly included.

It is not even just about women. SB 2.4.18 further expands it to all people and communities that one could classify as low:

“Kirāta, Hūṇa, Āndhra, Pulinda, Pulkaśa, Ābhīra, Śumbha, Yavana, members of the Khasa races and even others addicted to sinful acts can be purified by taking shelter of the devotees of the Lord, due to His being the supreme power. I beg to offer my respectful obeisances unto Him.”

All these different references are thus part of a larger Vaiṣnava doctrine, the conclusion that bhakti can purify anyone, regardless of birth, nation, social class, or previous condition, and that, once one is purified, all divisions introduced by birth, caste, social status, and so on become irrelevant as measures of worth. He thus urges us: anityam asukhaṁ lokam, imaṁ prāpya bhajasva mām: “Therefore, having come to this temporary, miserable world, engage in loving service unto Me.”

Certain types of birth are more favorable as a starting point than others, but the main point is not the start, but the destination. In the age we live in, we all start from a disadvantaged position, but as Kṛṣṇa emphasizes through the word vyapāśritya, once we take shelter under Him, we all have the opportunity of attaining the supreme destination.

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It is said that the whole Vedic literature is meant to bring us to the platform of devotional service. In other words, they are meant to teach us to love Kṛṣṇa. This includes not only books such as the Bhagavad-gītā and the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam but even books we don’t directly associate with love of Godhead, such as the Vedānta-sūtra and the Upaniṣads.

However, when it comes to spiritual practice, it doesn’t look so easy to attain in practice. As we practice, we see that the obstacles are many, and often we don’t know where to start from.

Where is the short answer? How can we develop love for Kṛṣṇa? Here we come to a very important verse Kṛṣṇa gives us at the end of chapter nine of the Gītā:

“Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisances to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to Me.”

Here, Kṛṣṇa gives us four instructions that bring us to the stage of complete absorption that is the foundation of love of Godhead. Love does not arise in a vacuum. Kṛṣṇa does not simply tell us to love Him; He gives us a practical process to revive this love.

Why does a mother develop such a deep love and attachment for her child? It is the combination of four factors. First, the mother is always absorbed in thinking of the child. Even while doing other things, her consciousness remains connected with his needs. Second, there is a relationship. She does not consider the child to be just another person; she thinks, “This is my child,” and identifies herself as his mother. This relationship becomes central to her identity. Third, there is practical activity. She is constantly feeding the child, bathing him, dressing him, comforting him, and so on. Finally, there is a selfless attitude. She puts aside her own comfort for the sake of the child, accepting sacrifices and inconveniences, because the well-being of the child becomes more important than her own immediate comfort.

These are not four separate factors; they reinforce each other, making her whole life and consciousness organized around the child. This deep attachment does not come simply from becoming a biological mother; it is continually deepened through years of selfless service. The limitation is that one’s role as a mother is limited to this life, while our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is eternal, and once fully revived, brings us back to His association.

Prabhupāda explains that the love of a mother is the purest expression of love that we can find in this material world, and it helps us to understand the process Kṛṣṇa is describing in text 9.34. The process He gives us is divided into the four basic components.

The first is man-manāḥ: always think of Me. This describes consciousness. The mind must always think of something; Kṛṣṇa asks us to think of Him. This means to always remember Kṛṣṇa’s name, form, pastimes, instructions, etc. Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa compares this remembrance to an uninterrupted stream of honey. The analogy is that when honey is poured, it does not fall in separate drops, but forms a continuous stream. Similarly, man-manāḥ means that remembrance of Kṛṣṇa should become a continuous current anchored in all the activities of our life instead of isolated flashes during moments of devotional practice.

The second instruction is mad-bhaktaḥ: become My devotee. This is connected with relationship. As Prabhupāda emphasizes, we should not be like Kaṁsa, thinking of Kṛṣṇa as an enemy. We should think of Him devotionally. More than that, to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa means, in the highest sense, to make Him the very center of our identity, fully accepting our eternal relationship with Him. A mundane person accepts so many upādhis, or mundane labels, such as a man, a woman, a citizen of a certain nation, etc. A pure devotee has just one identity: I’m an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.

The third is mad-yājī: Worship Me. This is about activity. Devotion should have a practical form. Mad-yājī includes worshiping Kṛṣṇa’s form as the Deity, offering food, flowers, lamps, prayers, and so on, up to the point of making our whole life an offering to Him.

The fourth is māṁ namaskuru: offer obeisances to Me. This is about our internal attitude. It means to accept that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord and we are dependent upon Him. Ultimately, it leads to the eradication of ahaṅkāra, the false sense of identity as a material enjoyer that keeps us bound to this material world. This, in turn, leads us to completely surrender unto Kṛṣṇa, reinforcing the other three.

In summary, man-manāḥ explains how to center our consciousness on Kṛṣṇa; mad-bhaktaḥ centers our relationships and identity on Kṛṣṇa; mad-yājī makes our activities centered on Kṛṣṇa, and māṁ namaskuru changes our internal attitude towards dependence and surrender unto Him. The four reinforce one another until Kṛṣṇa becomes the center of our consciousness.

Thus, when Kṛṣṇa tells us “become My devotee,” this doesn’t simply mean becoming a member of a religious organization. That’s an eternal process that starts here and continues eternally in the spiritual world. Our relationship with Kṛṣṇa is constitutional and eternal, but this doesn’t mean it is static. It continues to expand unlimitedly.

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CHAPTER THREE:
Karma-yoga

In the second chapter, Kṛṣṇa summarized the essential teachings of the Bhagavad-gītā. He elaborated on the difference between the temporary and the eternal, emphasizing the importance of performing one’s duty, but doing so without attachment, by working in Kṛṣṇa consciousness on the platform of transcendental knowledge. He also described the characteristics of a self-realized soul, who is fixed in transcendental consciousness and is no longer disturbed by the dualities of material life.

There is, however, a point that left Arjuna confused. In describing the process of buddhi-yoga, Kṛṣṇa spoke about remaining detached from material activities through transcendental intelligence (buddhi), while at the same time urging Arjuna to fight. When the instructions of Kṛṣṇa in the second chapter are understood in the context of devotional service, the process is clear, but when heard for the first time, it may appear contradictory.

This doubt opens the discussion of the third chapter, where Kṛṣṇa explains it in more detail, describing the path of karma-yoga, or action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. When we perfect this path, learning to work for Kṛṣṇa without attachment and in transcendental knowledge, we come to the transcendental platform Kṛṣṇa discussed in chapter two.

The central point is that a conditioned soul cannot become free from material bondage by merely giving up work. As long as we have a material body, we are forced to act according to our nature. In this chapter, Kṛṣṇa shows that action itself is not the problem. The issue is selfish desire, the mentality of trying to enjoy the fruits of our work independently of Him. When the same activities are performed as sacrifice, for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, they no longer bind us to karma. Instead, they become a process of purification. By understanding these teachings, we learn how to connect our activities with Kṛṣṇa, transforming our actions into our path back to Godhead.

Follow the study:

+ CHAPTER THREE: Karma-yoga

• Arjuna becomes confused after Kṛṣṇa’s instructions (3.1 and 3.2)

• Karma-yoga in its perfect form (3.3 to 3.9)

• The cycle of sacrifices (3.10 to 3.16)

• Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow (3.17 to 3.24)

• The learned guide others without disturbing them (3.25 and 3.29)

• Surrendering our work to Kṛṣṇa (3.30 to 3.35)

• The danger of lust and anger (3.36 to 3.41)

• A map of the third chapter of the Gītā

Read the entire book:
« The Song of God—Volume 1, chapters 1-6

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A map of the third chapter

In chapter two, Kṛṣṇa gave the main goal of the first chapters of the Gītā: to elevate ourselves to the platform of buddhi-yoga, the foundation of the platform of pure bhakti-yoga, which He will explain in the later chapters. In this chapter, He details the path to this elevated standard, from sinful life all the way to niṣkāma-karma-yoga, and from there back to buddhi-yoga, examining the challenges on the path.

The keys for this chapter are:

Confusion - Solution - Elevation - Example
Guidance - Surrender - Enemy

Confusion: Arjuna becomes confused (3.1 and 3.2)

Arjuna becomes confused by Kṛṣṇa’s praise of buddhi-yoga in chapter two. Buddhi means intelligence. Arjuna takes it literally as meaning using intelligence to avoid fruitive action. Should he use his intelligence or should he fight?

Solution: Niṣkāma-karma-yoga (3.3 to 3.9)

Kṛṣṇa gives the direct solution to Arjuna’s dilemma: not inaction, but detached work. Some can renounce work and follow the path of jñāna-yoga, but they have a different qualification. Arjuna should not become a pretender. Instead, he should work for Kṛṣṇa without attachment, and from there reach the standard prescribed by Kṛṣṇa in the second chapter. He should fight while using his transcendental intelligence, situated in perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Elevation: The cycle of sacrifices (3.10 to 3.16)

Kṛṣṇa starts explaining the process of karma-yoga from the very beginning, starting from the Vedic process of karma-kāṇḍa, meant to elevate common people gradually to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Humans perform sacrifices (yajña), the demigods are pleased, and they supply rain, food, and prosperity. All of this, however, happens under the supervision of Lord Viṣṇu. As people gradually come to understand this, they gradually rise to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Example: Whatever action a great man performs (3.17 to 3.24)

Common people perform duties with attachment to the result. Advanced devotees, however, work without attachment, solely for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. This emphasizes the distinction between the two levels. Does this mean one should work only until he becomes self-realized and then stop? No. Even when a devotee becomes detached, he should continue working to give the proper example to others, as Kṛṣṇa Himself does.

Guidance: The learned guide others without disturbing them (3.25 to 3.29)

The ignorant act under false ego, thinking themselves the sole doers of their activities and the enjoyers of the results. Should the self-realized tell them to stop working? No. He should teach them to work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, becoming free from false ego and material possessiveness. This is done by the transmission of transcendental knowledge.

Surrender: Taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa (3.30 to 3.35)

Performance of duties alone does not bring perfection; a change of consciousness is necessary. Kṛṣṇa gives us three injunctions: “Surrender all your works unto Me,” “Become free from desire for gain and possessiveness,” and “Fight without lethargy.” We should surrender our works unto Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time work according to His injunctions, according to our nature, and not try to imitate the path of others. Our path to perfection is not to renounce prematurely, but to work as an offering to Kṛṣṇa.

Enemy: The main obstacle (3.36 to 3.43)

In these final verses, Kṛṣṇa examines the main obstacle to following the process He gave: lust. This is the main force that binds us to this material world and covers our original consciousness. It forces us to act materially, even against our desire. We need to curb it as soon as possible, not through simple repression, but by a superior engagement in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa then outlines the structural hierarchy of the self: senses < mind < intelligence < soul. We should see ourselves as transcendental to the material body, senses, mind, and intelligence, and from this platform, use spiritual intelligence (buddhi) to conquer lust. Beyond this hierarchy stands Kṛṣṇa, who is greater than all. When we are connected with Him, we automatically obtain all spiritual strength.

Confusion asks if wisdom calls us to withdraw;
the Solution is detached work, performed by higher law.
Through sacrifice comes Elevation, step by step;
the wise teach by Example, so the world is safely kept.

With careful Guidance, they uplift and do not blame;
through Surrender, every action serves Kṛṣṇa’s aim.
Yet lust, which turns to anger, is the Enemy born of passion;
subdued by higher knowledge, it no longer drives our action.

Read the entire book:
« The Song of God—Volume 1, chapters 1-6

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💬 Text of the lesson

“This great machine, consisting of the stars and planets, resembles the form of a śiśumāra [dolphin] in the water. It is sometimes considered an incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, Vāsudeva. Great yogīs meditate upon Vāsudeva in this form because it is actually visible.
This form of the śiśumāra has its head downward and its body coiled. On the end of its tail is the planet of Dhruva, on the body of its tail are the planets of the demigods Prajāpati, Agni, Indra and Dharma, and at the base of its tail are the planets of the demigods Dhātā and Vidhātā. Where the hips might be on the śiśumāra are the seven saintly sages like Vasiṣṭha and Aṅgirā. The coiled body of the Śiśumāra-cakra turns toward its right side, on which the fourteen constellations from Abhijit to Punarvasu are located. On its left side are the fourteen stars from Puṣyā to Uttarāṣāḍhā. Thus its body is balanced because its sides are occupied by an equal number of stars. On the back of the śiśumāra is the group of stars known as Ajavīthī, and on its abdomen is the Ganges that flows in the sky [the Milky Way].
On the right and left sides of where the loins might be on the Śiśumāra-cakra are the stars named Punarvasu and Puṣyā. Ārdrā and Aśleṣā are on its right and left feet, Abhijit and Uttarāṣāḍhā are on its right and left nostrils, Śravaṇā and Pūrvāṣāḍhā are at its right and left eyes, and Dhaniṣṭhā and Mūlā are on its right and left ears. The eight stars from Maghā to Anurādhā, which mark the southern course, are on the ribs of the left of its body, and the eight stars from Mṛgaśīrṣā to Pūrvabhādra, which mark the northern course, are on the ribs on the right side. Śatabhiṣā and Jyeṣṭhā are on the right and left shoulders.
On the upper chin of the śiśumāra is Agasti; on its lower chin, Yamarāja; on its mouth, Mars; on its genitals, Saturn; on the back of its neck, Jupiter; on its chest, the sun; and within the core of its heart, Nārāyaṇa. Within its mind is the moon; on its navel, Venus; and on its breasts, the Aśvinī-kumāras. Within its life air, which is known as prāṇāpāna, is Mercury; on its neck is Rāhu, all over its body are comets, and in its pores are the numerous stars.” (SB 5.23.4-7)

The Śiśumāra is an aid for meditation, much like the universal form, described in the Second Canto. A yogi observes the path of stars in the sky, and conceives a celestial dolphin that is head down. The end of the tail is connected with the polestar, and other parts of the body are connected with other prominent stars. The purpose of this process is to understand the presence of the Lord behind the cosmic manifestation and fix one’s mind on Him. Many can’t really conceive the personal form of the Lord, and prefer thus to meditate on something they can directly see.

The śiśumāra is also taken, in a more general sense, as the path of the milky way extending through the sky, the millions of stars all the way to the polestar. In the model, the Milky Way is the path of the Ganges flowing in the sky, which forms the abdomen of śiśumāra.

In his description of the chapter, Prabhupāda explains:

“Those who worship the virāṭ-puruṣa, the universal form of the Lord, conceive of this entire rotating system of planets as an animal known as śiśumāra. This imaginary śiśumāra is another form of the Lord. The head of the śiśumāra form is downward, and its body appears like that of a coiled snake. On the end of its tail is Dhruvaloka, on the body of the tail are Prajāpati, Agni, Indra and Dharma, and on the root of the tail are Dhātā and Vidhātā. On its waist are the seven great sages. The entire body of the śiśumāra faces toward its right and appears like a coil of stars. On the right side of this coil are the fourteen prominent stars from Abhijit to Punarvasu, and on the left side are the fourteen prominent stars from Puṣyā to Uttarāṣāḍhā. The stars known as Punarvasu and Puṣyā are on the right and left hips of the śiśumāra, and the stars known as Ārdrā and Aśleṣā are on the right and left feet of the śiśumāra. Other stars are also fixed on different sides of the Śiśumāra planetary system according to the calculations of Vedic astronomers. To concentrate their minds, yogīs worship the Śiśumāra planetary system, which is technically known as the kuṇḍalini-cakra.”

The next verses continue:

“My dear King, the body of the śiśumāra, as thus described, should be considered the external form of Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Morning, noon and evening, one should silently observe the form of the Lord as the Śiśumāra-cakra and worship Him with this mantra: “O Lord who have assumed the form of time! O resting place of all the planets moving in different orbits! O master of all demigods, O Supreme Person, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You and meditate upon You.”

The body of the Supreme Lord, Viṣṇu, which forms the Śiśumāra-cakra, is the resting place of all the demigods and all the stars and planets. One who chants this mantra to worship that Supreme Person three times a day — morning, noon and evening — will surely be freed from all sinful reactions. If one simply offers his obeisances to this form or remembers this form three times a day, all his recent sinful activities will be destroyed.” (SB 5.23.8-9)

These two verses summarize the description of the process of meditation on the śiśumāra, observing the path of stars in the sky as a form of Lord Viṣnu. A yogī following this process worships the Lord three times per day, meditating on His form as the wheel of time, moving the whole cosmic manifestation, with the mantra: namo jyotir-lokāya kālāyanāyānimiṣāṁ pataye mahā-puruṣāyābhidhīmahīti.

The śiśumāra-cakra is not a substitute for Viṣnu; it is seen as Lord Viṣnu’s external body, as Him present in the cosmic manifestation. This is not a form of pantheism, but a process of personal worship that helps the worshipers to gradually advance to a platform of worship of the spiritual form of the Lord.

This again emphasizes the main point of this description: do not just analyze the cosmos, worship the Lord who is the source and maintainer of the whole cosmic apparatus. This is the missing link in modern science, and the key to properly understanding the cosmos. Without this understanding, the study of the cosmos becomes fruitless, a mere exercise of speculation that just brings one further away from the goal of human life.

The whole cosmological model pushes people in the direction of atheism. By properly understanding the theistic model offered in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, we can offer people an alternative. If people can look to the sky and see the hand of the Lord behind its workings, this will be the first step for them to become full-fledged Vaiṣnavas.

Prabhupāda concludes his commentary by giving us a summary of the distances to the higher planetary systems according to the numbers given by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura:

Sun to Dhruvaloka (Polestar): 3,800,000 yojanas
Sun to Maharloka: 13,800,000 yojanas (+10,000,000)
Sun to Janaloka: 33,800,000 yojanas (+20,000,000)
Sun to Tapoloka: 113,800,000 yojanas (+80,000,000)
Sun to Satyaloka: 233,800,000 yojanas (+120,000,000)
Sun to beginning of the coverings: 260,000,000 yojanas (+26,200,000)

Downward from the Sun:

Sun to Earth: 100,000 yojanas
Sun to the bottom of the lower planetary systems: 170,000 yojanas (+70,000)
Sun to Lord Śeṣa: 200,000 yojanas (+30,000)

Below Lord Śeṣa is the Garbhodaka Ocean, which occupies almost half of the universe.

We can observe that the distance to Dhruvaloka, which in the model is the furthest star that we can directly see with the naked eye is quite small compared with the total length of the universe. After the polestar, there is the whole planetary system of Svargaloka, then Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka, which is positioned close to the border of the universe.

The size of the whole universe is supposed to be smaller than believed in modern cosmology, because the Bhāgavatam insists that the stars are not like the sun, and thus emit less light than believed in modern models, but it is still huge, comprising everything we see in the sky. The final, practical size will depend on the interpretation you give for the yojana, as previously discussed.

Outside of it, there are millions of other universes, the Causal Ocean, Lord Mahā-Viṣnu, the impersonal Brahmajyoti, and then all the other three quarters of creation, comprised of the Vaikuṇṭha planets. We are free to go anywhere in this unlimited creation, as long as we abandon our empiric, speculative approach, and focus instead in the process of elevating our consciousness, as explained in the pages of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.

The orbit of Rāhu, the dark planet

After describing the upper portion of the universe, covering the path of stars that go all the way to Svargaloka, Śukadeva Goswami now shifts into describing the lower parts of the universe, starting with Rāhu and the abodes of the lower demigods, all the way to the lower planets, where the asuras live.

“Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: My dear King, some historians, the speakers of the Purāṇas, say that 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles] below the sun is the planet known as Rāhu, which moves like one of the stars. The presiding deity of that planet, who is the son of Siṁhikā, is the most abominable of all asuras, but although he is completely unfit to assume the position of a demigod or planetary deity, he has achieved that position by the grace of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Later I shall speak further about him.

The sun globe, which is a source of heat, extends for 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles]. The moon extends for 20,000 yojanas [160,000 miles], and Rāhu extends for 30,000 yojanas [240,000 miles]. Formerly, when nectar was being distributed, Rāhu tried to create dissension between the sun and moon by interposing himself between them. Rāhu is inimical toward both the sun and the moon, and therefore he always tries to cover the sunshine and moonshine on the dark-moon day and full-moon night.

After hearing from the sun and moon demigods about Rāhu’s attack, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viṣṇu, engages His disc, known as the Sudarśana cakra, to protect them. The Sudarśana cakra is the Lord’s most beloved devotee and is favored by the Lord. The intense heat of its effulgence, meant for killing non-Vaiṣṇavas, is unbearable to Rāhu, and he therefore flees in fear of it. During the time Rāhu disturbs the sun or moon, there occurs what people commonly know as an eclipse.” (SB 5.24.1-3)

These verses clarify the disposition of the sun and the moon. The celestial moon has two times the diameter of the sun and is situated farther away from us. In the Vedic model, therefore, solar eclipses are not caused by the moon passing in front of the sun, but by the orbit of Rāhu, a dark planet positioned between the sun and the earth, that is larger than the moon, and sometimes blocks the light of the sun, and sometimes the light of the moon.

The story of Rāhu is described in the Eighth Canto, in the pastime of the churning of the Milk Ocean. When nectar was finally produced, the demons quickly took it and started discussing who should drink it first. The Lord then appeared as Mohinī-mūrti to bewilder them and bring the nectar to the demigods. Rāhu, however, could understand the plan and slipped into the line, sitting between Soma and Surya. To show the potency of the nectar that had been produced, the Lord allowed him to take a sip of the nectar before cutting his head with His Sudarśana cakra. Because his lips had touched the nectar, he didn’t die, becoming instead a giant dark planet that can exert his envy toward the sun and the moon by periodically covering them.

This, however, also happens due to the will of the Lord, who allows Rāhu to perform his activities as part of the universal arrangement, but quickly sends his Sudarśana cakra to make sure Rāhu doesn’t spend even a minute more in front of the sun or the moon than he is supposed to. Faced with the cakra, Rāhu is forced to retreat.

Just as with Rāhu, there are many other universal forces controlled by demonic or adharmic forces, like Kali-yuga, for example, presided over by Kali, who dressed as a king and was chastised by Parīkṣit Maharaja. However, even they are not outside the control of the Lord. It is just that there is a time for everything.

Dualistic philosophies, such as Zoroastrianism, put forward the idea of a dichotomy between God and evil, but this view is not supported in the Vedas. There is only one Supreme Controller, who is in charge of everything. He controls not only the demigods, but also the demons and other cosmic forces. The reason there is evil is not that there is something out of His control, but just as an instrument for the fulfillment of karma. We bring evil to our lives by performing impious actions. Evil doesn’t come due to negligence or lack of control on Kṛṣṇa’s part, but because we turn our backs to Him.

How to reconcile the existence of Rāhu with the modern cosmological model, of the moon close to the earth and their orbits causing the eclipses?

If we accept both the sun and the moon we see in the sky as gross representations of the celestial bodies described in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, the two explanations don’t sound contradictory. Modern cosmology studies how the phenomenon looks from our gross dimension, while the Bhāgavatam describes the subtle phenomenon behind it, which is observable by the inhabitants of the subtle abodes of Bhū-mandala. These are two levels of reality, and one can choose which he or she wants to focus on.

In any case, Rāhu is described as a dark planet that can’t be directly observed. It influences us, just as the other planets, but its position can be inferred only indirectly, by calculations and by its passing in front of the sun and the moon. It is a disruptive force, but still operates under the divine government of the Lord, who can engage even unqualified agents to fulfill certain purposes. However, devotees who are constantly chanting the holy names are always free from their influence.

“Below Rāhu by 10,000 yojanas [80,000 miles] are the planets known as Siddhaloka, Cāraṇaloka and Vidyādhara-loka. Beneath Vidyādhara-loka, Cāraṇaloka and Siddhaloka, in the sky called antarikṣa, are the places of enjoyment for the Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Piśācas, ghosts and so on. Antarikṣa extends as far as the wind blows and the clouds float in the sky. Above this there is no more air. Below the abodes of the Yakṣas and Rākṣasas by a distance of 100 yojanas [800 miles] is the planet earth. Its upper limits extend as high as swans, hawks, eagles and similar large birds can fly.” (SB 5.24.4-6)

Below Rāhu, there are planetary abodes of the Siddhas, Cāraṇas and Vidyādharas, three types of lower demigods, who are also described as regular visitors of the celestial varṣas of Jambūdvīpa. The Siddhas can travel at will, without the need of spaceships, while the Vidyādharas are described as traveling in their vimānas. These planets are very close to us in the Vedic model, less than 10,000 yojanas above is, but they are invisible to us, just like the rest of Bhū-mandala.

Between these abodes and our planet are the subtle realms of the Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, Piśācas and evil spirits. In the model of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, these abodes constitute the area around Mount Sumeru, which is the abode of Kuvera. The existence of these abodes so close to us, but still invisible, gives us insight on the nature of the rest of Bhū-mandala, and also reinforces the idea that the sun and moon we see in the sky are not directly the celestial abodes described in the Bhāgavatam, but just gross representations of them in our physical reality.

Bila-svarga: The subterranean Heavens

“My dear King, beneath this earth are seven other planets, known as Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Talātala, Mahātala, Rasātala and Pātāla. I have already explained the situation of the planetary systems of earth. The width and length of the seven lower planetary systems are calculated to be exactly the same as those of earth.

In these seven planetary systems, which are also known as the subterranean heavens [bila-svarga], there are very beautiful houses, gardens and places of sense enjoyment, which are even more opulent than those in the higher planets because the demons have a very high standard of sensual pleasure, wealth and influence. Most of the residents of these planets, who are known as Daityas, Dānavas and Nāgas, live as householders. Their wives, children, friends and society are all fully engaged in illusory material happiness. The sense enjoyment of the demigods is sometimes disturbed, but the residents of these planets enjoy life without disturbances. Thus they are understood to be very attached to illusory happiness.” (SB 5.24.7-8)

Below the surface of Bhū-mandala lie seven other planetary systems, described as the abodes of the asuras. Just as Svargaloka is a disk of the same diameter as Bhū-mandala itself, each of these abodes is again of the same diameter, positioned one below the other. This explanation suggests that they are also planetary systems composed of thousands of planets each.

Different from the abodes of human beings and demigods, however, these are subterranean abodes where inhabitants have no access to the light of the sun. Their abodes are thus very opulent and materially beautiful but artificially illuminated.

Because they can’t see the sun, they don’t notice the passage of the days and nights. They live in a continuous night, both literal and figurative, not only living under artificial lights but also completely blind to self-realization. The kāla-cakra continues to rotate, diminishing their life expectancy, but they fail to notice it, being continuously involved in sense gratification.

In the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa mentions,

“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, I perpetually cast into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life. Attaining repeated birth amongst the species of demoniac life, O son of Kuntī, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the most abominable type of existence.”

These two verses describe precisely the existence in the lower planetary systems. Atheists who are somehow pious usually have the opportunity of taking birth there and enjoying sense gratification in the company of other atheists. Because they want to turn their back to Him, Kṛṣṇa organizes a situation in which they can enjoy without being disturbed, and even arranges for some of His pure devotees, such as Prahlāda and Bali, to take birth there and give them the opportunity of getting their association.

As the text mentions, even the demigods are sometimes disturbed in their sense enjoyment by the attacks of the demons and other occurrences, and this helps them to return to their proper consciousness and take shelter of the Lord. The demons, however, are never disturbed (there is no one to attack them). In this way, they are free to enjoy until their pious merits are completely exhausted. After that, they usually go to the lower species of life and have to go through the evolutionary cycle. After millions of births, they eventually take birth as human beings in Kali-yuga, and because of their previous habits, usually engage again in sinful activities and thus glide back down into the lower heavens or animal life. Kṛṣṇa uses the word “ajasram” (perpetually, forever), giving the idea of a practically eternal cycle. In this way, such atheists remain in darkness for an incalculably long time. Since they want to enjoy without being disturbed by thoughts of a God, Kṛṣṇa gives them the opportunity of doing so.

In his purport, Prabhupāda brings our attention to our role in this cosmic system: We are not supposed just to sit and wait, observing as such souls remain perpetually in darkness. Devotees are the way out of this system. If an atheist meets with devotees in the rare opportunity of taking a human birth on our planet and can be, somehow or other, induced to perform any devotional act, smallest as it may be, he can start his devotional path and be eventually saved. For us, it may appear as a small act, such as giving someone a book, a sweet ball, or inducing one to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa and so on, but for them, it can be the moment that turns their existence.

“According to the statements of Prahlāda Mahārāja, material enjoyment is māyā-sukha, illusory enjoyment. A Vaiṣṇava is full of anxieties for the deliverance of all living entities from such false enjoyment. Prahlāda Mahārāja says, māyā-sukhāya bharam udvahato vimūḍhān: these fools (vimūḍhas) are engaged in material happiness, which is surely temporary. Whether in the heavenly planets, the lower planets or the earthly planets, people are engrossed in temporary, material happiness, forgetting that in due course of time they have to change their bodies according to the material laws and suffer the repetition of birth, death, old age and disease. Not caring what will happen in the next birth, gross materialists are simply busy enjoying during the present short span of life. A Vaiṣṇava is always anxious to give all such bewildered materialists the real happiness of spiritual bliss.” (SB 5.24.8 purport)

The cities of the demons

A personality very connected with the subterranean heavens is Maya Dānava, the great architect of the demons. He is an atheist, but he had the good fortune of meeting Arjuna during the pastime of the burning of the Khāṇḍava forest. Being threatened by the fire on one side and the Sudarśana cakra of the Lord on the other, he surrendered to Arjuna and was saved by him. Out of gratitude, he built the assembly hall of Maharaja Yudhiṣṭhira in Indraprastha. This is yet another instance of a demon being saved by a Vaiṣnava and being engaged in devotional service.

The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam describes that this same Maya Dānava builds many opulent cities in the lower planetary systems. All these cities contain gardens, parks, roads, and so on, as well as different types of birds and other animals. Demons travel from one city to another and stay in specially constructed hotels and guest houses. Apart from demons, many nāgas (celestial serpents) live in these cities, and the mystical gems on their heads emit light that illuminates them, replacing the light of the sun. It’s also described that their cities contain temples, but these are not temples of Viṣnu. Demons usually worship Lord Śiva or Durgā.

Their cities are described as more opulent than even the cities of the demigods. Just as the inhabitants of the earthly heavens in Bhū-mandala have access to rivers of different substances that grant them health, beauty, and vitality, the demons also have access to medicinal juices and elixirs that keep them free from old age and other bodily inconveniences. They can thus enjoy unrestricted for a long time, but eventually the Sudarśana cakra of the Lord (in the form of time) catches them. Like all materialists, they are terrified of that.

“My dear King, in the imitation heavens known as bila-svarga there is a great demon named Maya Dānava, who is an expert artist and architect. He has constructed many brilliantly decorated cities. There are many wonderful houses, walls, gates, assembly houses, temples, yards and temple compounds, as well as many hotels serving as residential quarters for foreigners. The houses for the leaders of these planets are constructed with the most valuable jewels, and they are always crowded with living entities known as Nāgas and Asuras, as well as many pigeons, parrots and similar birds. All in all, these imitation heavenly cities are most beautifully situated and attractively decorated.

The parks and gardens in the artificial heavens surpass in beauty those of the upper heavenly planets. The trees in those gardens, embraced by creepers, bend with a heavy burden of twigs with fruits and flowers, and therefore they appear extraordinarily beautiful. That beauty could attract anyone and make his mind fully blossom in the pleasure of sense gratification. There are many lakes and reservoirs with clear, transparent water, agitated by jumping fish and decorated with many flowers such as lilies, kuvalayas, kahlāras and blue and red lotuses. Pairs of cakravākas and many other water birds nest in the lakes and always enjoy in a happy mood, making sweet, pleasing vibrations that are very satisfying and conducive to enjoyment of the senses.

Since there is no sunshine in those subterranean planets, time is not divided into days and nights, and consequently fear produced by time does not exist.

Many great serpents reside there with gems on their hoods, and the effulgence of these gems dissipates the darkness in all directions.

Since the residents of these planets drink and bathe in juices and elixirs made from wonderful herbs, they are freed from all anxieties and physical diseases. They have no experience of grey hair, wrinkles or invalidity, their bodily lusters do not fade, their perspiration does not cause a bad smell, and they are not troubled by fatigue or by lack of energy or enthusiasm due to old age. They live very auspiciously and do not fear death from anything but death’s established time, which is the effulgence of the Sudarśana cakra of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the Sudarśana disc enters those provinces, the pregnant wives of the demons all have miscarriages due to fear of its effulgence.” (SB 5.24.9-15)

Just as our planet is connected to the higher abodes through subtle passages in the Himalayas, we are connected to these lower abodes through caves and subterranean passages. There are many stories in the folklore of different cultures of men going through these passages and finding very opulent places with beautiful women, etc. Based on these old folk stories, many believe these subterranean heavens exist under the surface of our planet, but that’s not exactly true. These planetary systems exist under the plane of Bhū-mandala, and not literally inside our planet. They are just connected to our planet through these subtle subterranean passages.

In his purport to text 14, Prabhupāda connects these lower heavens with the shortcomings of a materialistic civilization. That’s something important to reflect upon:

“This is the defect of material existence. Everything in the subterranean heavens is very nicely arranged. There are well situated residential quarters, there is a pleasing atmosphere, and there are no bodily inconveniences or mental anxieties, but nevertheless those who live there have to take another birth according to karma. Persons whose minds are dull cannot understand this defect of a materialistic civilization aiming at material comforts. One may make his living conditions very pleasing for the senses, but despite all favorable conditions, one must in due course of time meet death. The members of a demoniac civilization endeavor to make their living conditions very comfortable, but they cannot check death. The influence of the Sudarśana cakra will not allow their so-called material happiness to endure.”

Modern civilization is based on the same principles as the lifestyle of the asuras. We can see that most people in the cities imitate even the patterns of being more active during the night. Modern cities are thus replicas of the cities of the demons in the lower planets, with the same basic lifestyle. Trying to practice devotional service and develop the mode of goodness in such environments is surely challenging. Prabhupāda envisioned an alternative, based on small communities, where devotees could live in a more natural setting and practice spiritual life while keeping contact with the land and cows, two factors that strongly push us in the direction of the mode of goodness. Technically, one can practice devotional service in any circumstance, but as long as we are not situated on a perfect platform, the environment we live in surely plays an important role.

For someone trying to develop love of Godhead, living in a materialistic city, like the demons in the lower planets, may not be the most favorable environment.

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In chapter sixteen of the Bhagavad-gītā, Kṛṣṇa describes the qualities of the demoniac person. In the Vedic conception, “demon” (asura) is not someone with horns and tail but an atheist who challenges the divine law and lives according to his lower instincts. Kṛṣṇa gives us a vivid description:

“Those who are demoniac do not know what is to be done and what is not to be done. Neither cleanliness nor proper behavior nor truth is found in them. They say that this world is unreal, with no foundation, no God in control. They say it is produced of sex desire and has no cause other than lust. Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world. Taking shelter of insatiable lust and absorbed in the conceit of pride and false prestige, the demoniac, thus illusioned, are always sworn to unclean work, attracted by the impermanent. They believe that to gratify the senses is the prime necessity of human civilization. Thus until the end of life their anxiety is immeasurable. Bound by a network of hundreds of thousands of desires and absorbed in lust and anger, they secure money by illegal means for sense gratification.” (Bg 16.7-12)

Their destination is described in texts 16.19-20: they continue to take progressively lower births, life after life. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, we learn that the universe is composed of fourteen levels of planetary systems. We are in bhū-loka, the seventh level from top to bottom. Below us are seven levels populated by the āsūras. Life there is not necessarily miserable in the material sense. On the contrary, these abodes are described as extraordinarily opulent. The problem is that, because of this association, a soul who falls there has little opportunity to rise again. One already has the tendency to envy Kṛṣṇa, and by associating with other atheists, the tendency is for that only to grow. Eventually one falls into the lower species of life, plants and animals, and from there has to go on the long evolutionary cycle throughout the 8,400,000 species of life until reaching the form of a human being again.

Looking around, we can observe that the vast majority of living entities on our planet are non-human, including plants, insects, bacteria, etc. As discussed in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (SB 9.24.58), when a soul first enters the material universe, he starts from the very top. That being so, we may ask how so many souls have fallen into such lower forms. The answer is the accumulated misuse of independence over repeated births. That’s exactly the path Kṛṣṇa describes. No one is forced to go on this path; one goes there by his own choice.

What about the mahātmās? They are the precise opposite. They are described by Kṛṣṇa in text 9.13. After describing the dark path of the demoniac, He declares: mahātmānas tu. But for the great souls, the devotees, it’s different…

Different from the atheist, who takes shelter of the bewildering material nature, the devotee takes shelter of the spiritual potency, Kṛṣṇa’s divine nature. Every time we chant “Hare Kṛṣṇa!” we are invoking this divine potency (harā) to connect us with Kṛṣṇa. It is not even just about chanting; every devotional act has the same practical effect. A devotee who remains busy in different devotional activities during the day remains always connected. One doesn’t even have to be a pure devotee. This shelter begins from the first day one sincerely engages in devotional service. That’s the beauty of the process of devotional service: one does not have to first become pure and then come under the spiritual potency; by sincerely approaching Kṛṣṇa through the appropriate process, one comes under the spiritual potency, and by that association one becomes pure.

Prabhupāda makes this point in his purport:

“In this verse the description of the mahātmā is clearly given. The first sign of the mahātmā is that he is already situated in the divine nature. He is not under the control of material nature. And how is this effected? That is explained in the Seventh Chapter: one who surrenders unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, at once becomes freed from the control of material nature. That is the qualification. One can become free from the control of material nature as soon as he surrenders his soul to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is the preliminary formula. Being marginal potency, as soon as the living entity is freed from the control of material nature, he is put under the guidance of the spiritual nature. The guidance of the spiritual nature is called daivī prakṛti, divine nature. So when one is promoted in that way – by surrendering to the Supreme Personality of Godhead – one attains to the stage of great soul, mahātmā.”

When it is described that the soul is the marginal potency of Kṛṣṇa, this does not imply that the soul is somehow made of a different type of substance. The soul is spiritual, just as Kṛṣṇa is spiritual. The point is that the soul is an eternally separated part, and therefore, just as Kṛṣṇa has independence, the soul has a minute independence. By misusing this free will, we go down the path Kṛṣṇa described. However, as soon as we take shelter of Him, we come again under the protection of the divine nature. This shelter is immediate. The only question is to remain under it, avoiding falling back under the influence of lust, greed, and anger that distance us from Kṛṣṇa. That’s what the process of sādhana-bhakti is about.

How can we maintain such a high state of consciousness? That’s where the second part of Prabhupāda’s purport lands:

“The mahātmā does not divert his attention to anything outside Kṛṣṇa, because he knows perfectly well that Kṛṣṇa is the original Supreme Person, the cause of all causes. There is no doubt about it. Such a mahātmā, or great soul, develops through association with other mahātmās, pure devotees.”

The pure devotee is firmly and exclusively fixed upon Kṛṣṇa. This is the symptom. But how can I get there? Such an elevated consciousness is developed through association with other pure devotees. Just as one becomes a drunkard by associating with other drunkards, one can become a pure devotee by properly and persistently associating with pure devotees, starting with the spiritual master. We come back thus to the importance of good association.

In text 9.13, Kṛṣṇa mentions the word bhajanty: they engage in bhajana (worship, devotional service). Arjuna could then ask what exactly this worship consists of. Anticipating this question, Kṛṣṇa summarizes the devotional process in text 9.14: “Always chanting My glories, endeavoring with great determination, bowing down before Me, these great souls perpetually worship Me with devotion.”

Such great devotees are described by Kṛṣṇa as yatantaḥ: they endeavor with steadfast vows. However, as he mentions immediately afterward, devotional service is easy and can be performed in a happy mood. There is no need to become a fakir. To endeavor with steadfast vows means to chant a prescribed number of rounds, offer obeisances, fast on Ekādaśis, and perform other standard practices. As he mentions, a devotee “can live this life in devotional service, guided by an expert spiritual master, and in any position, either as a householder or a sannyāsī or a brahmacārī; in any position and anywhere in the world, he can perform this devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and thus become actually mahātmā, a great soul.”

In short, Mahātmā is not a fabricated title. It’s not about rubber-stamping a man based on academic qualifications. It is not vox populi. The real qualification is that he has no other business apart from glorifying Kṛṣṇa.

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The danger of lust and anger (Bg 3.36 to 3.43)

After describing the process of devotional service, Kṛṣṇa now examines the obstacles we face on this path. The difficulties may appear in many forms, but they stem from a common enemy, the very force that binds us to this material world, and prevents us from finding our way out. This is an enemy that has to be defeated from the beginning, before it can drag us away from the path of self-realization.

Text 36: arjuna uvāca
atha kena prayukto ’yaṁ, pāpaṁ carati pūruṣaḥ
anicchann api vārṣṇeya, balād iva niyojitaḥ

Arjuna said: O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?

Text 37: śrī-bhagavān uvāca
kāma eṣa krodha eṣa, rajo-guṇa-samudbhavaḥ
mahāśano mahā-pāpmā, viddhy enam iha vairiṇam

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.

Text 38: dhūmenāvriyate vahnir, yathādarśo malena ca
yatholbenāvṛto garbhas, tathā tenedam āvṛtam

As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust.

Text 39: āvṛtaṁ jñānam etena, jñānino nitya-vairiṇā
kāma-rūpeṇa kaunteya, duṣpūreṇānalena ca

Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.

Text 40: indriyāṇi mano buddhir, asyādhiṣṭhānam ucyate
etair vimohayaty eṣa, jñānam āvṛtya dehinam

The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.

Text 41: tasmāt tvam indriyāṇy ādau, niyamya bharatarṣabha
pāpmānaṁ prajahi hy enaṁ, jñāna-vijñāna-nāśanam

Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bhāratas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.

Text 42: indriyāṇi parāṇy āhur, indriyebhyaḥ paraṁ manaḥ
manasas tu parā buddhir, yo buddheḥ paratas tu saḥ

The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.

Text 43: evaṁ buddheḥ paraṁ buddhvā, saṁstabhyātmānam ātmanā
jahi śatruṁ mahā-bāho, kāma-rūpaṁ durāsadam

Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Kṛṣṇa consciousness] and thus – by spiritual strength – conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.

After the last section, the point about performing duties and following the regulations of the scriptures is now clear enough. However, it can be practically seen that often a person may philosophically understand this principle and agree to act according to the principles of the scriptures, but still fail to do it due to some mysterious force that hijacks his intelligence and impels him to do the wrong thing, as if by force. What kind of force is this?

One could argue that it must be the Supersoul, because it is described that He is everywhere and directs the wanderings of all living entities. This idea is, however, quickly dismissed. The Supersoul does not desire the soul to act sinfully. This must be due to some other cause.

Another could conclude that it comes from the soul, but this is also not exactly correct. The soul is originally pure, free from material contamination. The soul has free will, and this can cause the soul to come in contact with the material nature, but the tendency to act sinfully also does not come directly from the soul. This comes from another cause, that covers the soul.

Kṛṣṇa not only identifies it but also explains from where it comes and the whole process of how it acts: “It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.”

Lust is not part of the soul, but it is a covering that appears from something that is inherent in the soul, which is love for Kṛṣṇa. It is just like milk transformed into yogurt or curd. Milk is by nature sweet, but when it comes in contact with bacteria or an acid, it is transformed. The acidity is not part of the milk, but it is introduced due to contact with an external source.

Prabhupāda explains this process masterfully in his purport:

“When a living entity comes in contact with the material creation, his eternal love for Kṛṣṇa is transformed into lust, in association with the mode of passion. Or, in other words, the sense of love of God becomes transformed into lust, as milk in contact with sour tamarind is transformed into yogurt. Then again, when lust is unsatisfied, it turns into wrath; wrath is transformed into illusion, and illusion continues the material existence. Therefore, lust is the greatest enemy of the living entity, and it is lust only which induces the pure living entity to remain entangled in the material world. Wrath is the manifestation of the mode of ignorance; these modes exhibit themselves as wrath and other corollaries. If, therefore, the mode of passion, instead of being degraded into the mode of ignorance, is elevated to the mode of goodness by the prescribed method of living and acting, then one can be saved from the degradation of wrath by spiritual attachment.”

The soul is endowed with free will, and when this free will is misused, we come into contact with the material energy, and end up being covered in this way. Later in the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa will explain the three modes of material nature in detail. As long as we can remain situated in the mode of goodness, we remain on an upward path, but as soon as we come in contact with the mode of passion, lust covers us, manifesting itself in different forms of material desires. Thus, if lust is not controlled, it brings us down to the mode of ignorance, which is especially dangerous.

The soul is not factually transformed, but as long as the covering of lust is there, all actions and thoughts become perverted. There is a way out, however. Just as love for Kṛṣṇa is transformed into lust, the same lust can be transformed back into love of Kṛṣṇa. Lust is also a potency of Kṛṣṇa, and it can be thus used in both ways, just as the same electrical current can produce both heat and cold according to the appliance it is connected to. The same applies to anger, which is the transformation of lust due to contact with the mode of ignorance.

This is also explained by Prabhupāda in his purport:

“Therefore the origin of lust is also in the Supreme. If, therefore, lust is transformed into love for the Supreme, or transformed into Kṛṣṇa consciousness – or, in other words, desiring everything for Kṛṣṇa – then both lust and wrath can be spiritualized. Hanumān, the great servitor of Lord Rāma, exhibited his wrath by burning the golden city of Rāvaṇa, but by doing so he became the greatest devotee of the Lord. Here also, in Bhagavad-gītā, the Lord induces Arjuna to engage his wrath upon his enemies for the satisfaction of the Lord. Therefore, lust and wrath, when they are employed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, become our friends instead of our enemies.”

Lust can be directed to Kṛṣṇa when we desire things for Kṛṣṇa. This comes from identification. We identify with our material body, and thus we want to decorate and satisfy it in different ways. We identify with our children, and thus we want to keep them satisfied in all aspects. Similarly, if we identify with Kṛṣṇa, developing love for Him, we will want to use everything for Him. In this case, lust becomes a catalyst instead of an impediment.

Similarly, if we find ways to use anger for Kṛṣṇa, it can also become the cause of our advancement instead of the opposite. Anger is an engine for action. With some adjustment, it can be used to perform different types of services, cleaning the temple vigorously, for example. Many famous book distributors were able to attain such high scores by directing anger they brought inside to their service—not at people, but in the sense of maintaining their fighting spirit, using their energy to distribute in effective ways. Similarly, Arjuna employed his anger in the battle of Kurukṣetra, and Hanumān used his to burn Lankā.

If, however, lust and anger are not used for Kṛṣṇa, and thus purified, they remain as coverings that obstruct our consciousness. This is the situation of most conditioned souls. Kṛṣṇa gives three examples to explain three degrees of coverings: as fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, and as the womb covers an embryo.

The example of the embryo covered by the womb describes the helpless condition of souls in bodies of trees and plants. They are so covered that they can’t even move. The soul is active and blissful by nature, but when covered by ignorance to this extent, these symptoms become almost completely hidden, just like a baby in the womb.

The mirror covered by dust exemplifies the position of animals. When a mirror is covered by dust, there is some reflection, but we can’t see clearly. The function of the mirror is thus only partially visible. Similarly, animals exhibit some symptoms of the soul, moving and desiring, but are still clearly covered. One may move, but there is no possibility of seeing oneself clearly as an eternal soul.

Finally, the example of the fire covered by smoke illustrates the position of a human being. Fire covered by smoke is still fire. It still emits light and heat, just not very cleanly. The nature and potency of the fire are visible, just covered. If the fire is taken care of, it can grow and start burning cleanly. Similarly, the symptoms of the soul are more clearly visible in human life, and there is a chance of developing our Kṛṣṇa consciousness and destroying our material contamination. As Prabhupāda explains, “By careful handling of the smoke in the fire, fire can be made to blaze. Therefore the human form of life is a chance for the living entity to escape the entanglement of material existence. In the human form of life, one can conquer the enemy, lust, by cultivation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness under able guidance.”

This lust that covers the soul has a notable characteristic: it is never satisfied. This explains how we can remain for such long, practically endless periods in this material world, going from one body to another without relief. Life after life, we feel the urge of the senses and try to satisfy it with sense gratification, which is the wrong process.

Just as fire cannot be extinguished by pouring ghee on it, lust is also never satisfied by sensual gratification. When we pour a great quantity of fuel at once, the fire suffocates a little, but soon it burns stronger than before. Similarly, a lot of sense gratification can make the mind peaceful for a short time, but soon lust returns with a vengeance.

The next question is where this lust can be found. What is its location inside the body? Kṛṣṇa answers that the senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. The role of the senses and the mind can be easily understood. The senses are the very means we use to enjoy matter, while the mind coordinates the work of the senses, storing all kinds of desires and impressions that surface one after the other. The mention of the intelligence, however, can be a little more puzzling.

If the intelligence is also affected, how is it supposed to free us? Here Kṛṣṇa speaks about the material intelligence, which is part of this material world. This material intelligence is a tool that helps us to understand the world around us and make plans to satisfy our ambitions, but it will never be able to find the way out of this material plane. The intelligence that can free us is a different type of intelligence, awakened through the study of the scriptures under the spiritual master. It is awakened as we receive the correct conclusions and mold our understanding of life around them.

Kṛṣṇa then reveals the process for defeating lust: “Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bhāratas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.”

The process to control lust is to act according to the injunctions of the scriptures, regulating the actions of the senses through restrictions and regulations. We don’t have to starve, but we must restrict ourselves to prescribed foods offered to Kṛṣṇa; we don’t have to completely restrict sexual life, but we must limit it to married life, and so on. That’s the process that allows us to gradually extinguish the fire. It is not easy, but that’s what gives us a chance of success.

Simultaneously, we should develop a higher taste through the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, cutting our attraction to this material world from the root. We thus have a negative and a positive process, and both have to be practiced simultaneously. This understanding makes the purport of Śrīla Prabhupāda more clear:

“Lust is only the perverted reflection of the love of God which is natural for every living entity. But if one is educated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness from the very beginning, that natural love of God cannot deteriorate into lust. When love of God deteriorates into lust, it is very difficult to return to the normal condition. Nonetheless, Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so powerful that even a late beginner can become a lover of God by following the regulative principles of devotional service. So, from any stage of life, or from the time of understanding its urgency, one can begin regulating the senses in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, devotional service of the Lord, and turn the lust into love of Godhead – the highest perfectional stage of human life.”

When he speaks about the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this includes the rules and regulations inherent to the process. Sahajiyās pretend to be great devotees while immersed in immoral habits, but their process is not effective. One should not indulge in immoral acts at any stage of practice, but there are two distinct phases: while practicing sādhana-bhakti, one has to make an effort to follow the rules, while in the rāgānugā stage, avoiding sinful activities becomes automatic, as one loses interest in sense enjoyment. Therefore, our practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness should start as soon as possible, and we should remain sober at all stages, avoiding the trap of unlawful sense enjoyment.

One could argue that the senses and the mind are too strong, and it is impossible to control them. Kṛṣṇa counters this by explaining the hierarchy inside the body: “The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.”

The senses are very strong and superior to gross matter, but the mind is higher than the senses and can direct their actions. Similarly, the wanderings of the mind can be disciplined by the intelligence. The proof is that even a materialist can become disciplined and refrain from sense enjoyment when there is an important reason, like a student studying to enter into a good university, for example. However, the soul is still higher.

When the soul is not connected with Kṛṣṇa, one can be easily swayed by the movements of the mind and material intelligence, but when one is again connected with Kṛṣṇa, the hierarchy culminates in Him, who is greater than all. When the soul is connected with Kṛṣṇa, the functions of all the subordinates, the intelligence, mind and senses, will also be automatically engaged.

As Prabhupāda explains in the purport:

“In the Kaṭha Upaniṣad the soul has been described as mahān, the great. Therefore the soul is above all – namely, the sense objects, the senses, the mind and the intelligence. Therefore, directly understanding the constitutional position of the soul is the solution of the whole problem. With intelligence one has to seek out the constitutional position of the soul and then engage the mind always in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. That solves the whole problem. A neophyte spiritualist is generally advised to keep aloof from the objects of the senses. But aside from that, one has to strengthen the mind by use of intelligence. If by intelligence one engages one’s mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, by complete surrender unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, then, automatically, the mind becomes stronger, and even though the senses are very strong, like serpents, they will be no more effective than serpents with broken fangs. But even though the soul is the master of intelligence and mind, and the senses also, still, unless it is strengthened by association with Kṛṣṇa in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, there is every chance of falling down due to the agitated mind.”

Kṛṣṇa then concludes the chapter, bringing us back to our original identity. Realizing this eternal identity is what allows us to finally subdue lust and never again return to this material world. All other forms of realization, including impersonal realization, are incomplete.

Kṛṣṇa consciousness is our real, spiritual intelligence. That’s the intelligence that allows us to subdue the mind and senses, along with the contaminated material intelligence. This is the intelligence that Kṛṣṇa mentions that can conquer our eternal enemy, lust.

In his purport, Prabhupāda gives us a summary of the conclusions of the chapter:

“This Third Chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā is conclusively directive to Kṛṣṇa consciousness by knowing oneself as the eternal servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, without considering impersonal voidness the ultimate end. In the material existence of life, one is certainly influenced by propensities for lust and desire for dominating the resources of material nature. Desire for overlording and for sense gratification is the greatest enemy of the conditioned soul; but by the strength of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can control the material senses, the mind and the intelligence. One may not give up work and prescribed duties all of a sudden; but by gradually developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one can be situated in a transcendental position without being influenced by the material senses and the mind – by steady intelligence directed toward one’s pure identity. This is the sum total of this chapter. In the immature stage of material existence, philosophical speculations and artificial attempts to control the senses by the so-called practice of yogic postures can never help a man toward spiritual life. He must be trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness by higher intelligence.”

Main points in the purports of Śrīla Prabhupāda:

“Arjuna said: O descendant of Vṛṣṇi, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?”

a) The soul is originally pure, but in contact with the material nature, we are covered by lust and act sinfully without hesitation. Lust even forces us to act against our will. Arjuna’s question is very relevant: What is this force, and how to escape it?

“The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.”

a) The association with the mode of passion transforms the eternal love for Kṛṣṇa that is inherent in the soul into lust, as milk becomes curd when mixed with tamarind. Lust can’t be satisfied, and thus eventually transforms into wrath, which continues material existence. Lust is thus the very cause of our material conditioning. How to escape? Instead of being degraded to the mode of ignorance, we need to progress to goodness.

b) The souls are expansions of Kṛṣṇa, meant to increase His spiritual bliss. They have partial independence, and that’s the factor that makes it possible for us to get involved with the material energy. This material creation is organized by Kṛṣṇa to give us an opportunity to become again free.

c) Kṛṣṇa is the origin of everything. This means even lust is part of His energy. This means that lust, when properly connected with Him, used in His service, can be transformed back into its original form: love of Godhead. The same applies to anger. Both can be used in the service of Kṛṣṇa and purified.

“As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust.”

a) When a living entity exhibits a little bit of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, this can be likened to the fire covered by smoke. Dust on the mirror can be linked with the process of cleaning the heart, and also to animal life. The child is in a helpless condition inside the womb, which can be compared to the life of trees.

b) Different from plant and animal life, human life makes the development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness possible. By carefully kindling the fire, it can be made to blaze, destroying our material conditioning.

“Thus the wise living entity’s pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.”

a) Lust can’t be extinguished by sense enjoyment, just as fire can’t be extinguished by pouring fuel on it. On the contrary, it expands. Sense gratification may bring us some momentary pleasure, but this sensual happiness is our ultimate enemy, which prevents us from feeling real happiness on the spiritual platform. Lust is thus the chain that keeps us bound to this material world.

“The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.”

a) Kṛṣṇa gives us a list of the strategic positions of lust inside the body that must be purified. The mind is the reservoir of all plans for sense gratification, and because of it, the senses are engaged in these activities. When the material intelligence also becomes affected, it cooperates with the mind in the satisfaction of these desires by making many plans. The material intelligence thus becomes absorbed in matter and drags the soul under the influence of the false ego, making one identify with body, family, country, and so on.

“Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bhāratas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.”

a) Since sense gratification only increases lust, the best approach is to start controlling the senses as soon as possible, if possible, from early life.

b) What makes lust so dangerous? It completely destroys the desire for self-realization and covers all one’s knowledge about the soul and one’s relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

c) What is the antidote? The Bhagavad-gītā describes this knowledge about the soul as part and parcel of the Lord and meant to serve the whole. This original consciousness is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

d) Love of Godhead is natural for every living entity. Lust is just the perverted reflection of it. If we are trained in Kṛṣṇa consciousness since early life, we can prevent this original propensity for Kṛṣṇa consciousness from deteriorating into lust. This is the best path, because when lust becomes entrenched, later in life, it is very difficult to remove it.

e) However, because the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is so powerful, one can start from any stage of life. Even someone who comes later in life can attain perfection by following the regulated process.

“The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.”

a) The senses serve as channels for the expression of the lust that is inside the body. It is possible to disengage the senses from matter by a superior engagement, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, in which the soul makes direct contact with Kṛṣṇa, who becomes the top of the whole hierarchy.

b) When the soul is directly engaged with the Supreme, both the intelligence and the mind, as well as the senses, will be automatically engaged. Paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate: If the mind is engaged in the transcendental service of the Lord, there is no chance of its being engaged in the lower propensities.

c) Using our intelligence, we need to find our constitutional position as the eternal soul, and with this understanding, always engage the mind in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This solves the whole problem. By doing this, the mind becomes strong and can easily subdue the senses. We need to, however, keep ourselves always engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness; otherwise, there is every chance of falling down.

“Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Kṛṣṇa consciousness] and thus – by spiritual strength – conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.”

a) The essence of the teachings of the third chapter is to understand our eternal position as a servitor of Kṛṣṇa, without being distracted by impersonalism. Acting on this knowledge, we can control the mind and intelligence, and thus curb our tendency toward lust and control on the material platform.

b) Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the real process for transcendental realization. Mental speculation and yogic postures can’t help. One does not even need to abandon his material duties to become situated in a transcendental position. The point is developing Kṛṣṇa consciousness, realizing one’s pure identity, and, based on this, making the intelligence steady by remaining connected with Kṛṣṇa.

Read the entire book:
« The Song of God—Volume 1, chapters 1-6

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A recent study from MIT (Nataliya Kosmyna et al., “Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task) supports with data something many of us may have already been noticing in practice: excessive use of AI can make us dumber.

The study found that participants who relied on ChatGPT while writing essays showed much lower neural connectivity during the activity than participants who used conventional web search or wrote from memory. The participants in the AI group also showed weaker recall of their own essays and reported less sense of ownership over them. The researchers then extrapolated these results to describe the possible accumulation of such effects as a “cognitive debt” that may increase with time, creating a form of permanent impairment.

This first image shows the engagement of different parts of the brain during the activity. The EEG of the brain in the participants writing from memory shows intense activity, while in the LLM group the brain remains passive:

This second image breaks it down by stage. In the LLM group, the brain remains passive during all the stages of the task and then becomes active when they are questioned about what they did. At this stage, they finally woke up and tried to remember, without success, the essay they produced using the AI. For the participants who wrote the essay from memory, the opposite happened. The brain was fully active during the task and, conversely, showed the lowest level of neural connectivity when they were describing what they just did. In other words, they had to work hard to write the essay and then had an easy time while describing what they wrote, remembering it easily. The group using search engines stayed in the middle in all these stages:

This study supports the idea that writing in the old style, using books and memory, is still the most intellectually engaging method of writing. The point of the study is not whether we write using a pen or a keyboard but what kind of assistance we rely on. If we work hard to write each word of an article, the mental activity will be huge. If we do a search and then half-copy it from the results, the effect will be moderate, and if we just write a prompt and copy the result, the effort will be minimal. If we do the same every day, the cumulative effect may be huge. With people starting to rely on the use of Gemini, ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Claude, etc. for the simplest tasks, we can see where we are going. If AI is constantly used to replace thinking, our capacity to think weakens.

The main problem is that many tend to use AI as an oracle. They write a prompt and accept whatever comes back. This is the pattern of usage that weakens thinking, because it allows the AI to think for us. This is an updated version of an old pattern: people receive information from search engines and social networks and repeat it without questioning. It is thus not exactly new, but LLMs certainly amplified it. The way things are going, it may be eventually possible for a person to just rely on AI for all actions and interactions, without ever having to think. At this point, we will have to discuss whether this will be human life at all.

How can we deal with this problem without reducing the discussion to a simple “Should we use AI or not?”

The point is that AI is, in essence, just another tool, just like Google or anything else. The point is not so much the tool but the use we give it. So, how to use AI in a way that doesn’t impair our cognitive ability?

The point is to not use it as an oracle, but as an assistant. There is a huge difference between the two.

When we ask an assistant to help us with a task, we keep the overall planning and offload to him or her parts of the task that we know how to do but can do faster with help. If the idea is to make a fruit salad, we can ask the assistant to go check the prices or help to peel them. The problem starts when we don’t know what a fruit salad is and ask the assistant to make one.

Similarly, when we are studying or writing, we can use the AI to help with the mechanical parts of the work, like research. This is probably the best use for it: to help find information and use this information to improve our thinking, instead of doing the thinking for us. We can also use it as a partner to test ideas and discuss different points, and so on.

As we all know, AI systems can invent facts, misattribute quotations, provide false references, or misunderstand a problem while expressing complete certainty. If we don’t check at each stage, we will end up passively accepting false answers just because they look polished. This will not only lead to mistakes but will also weaken our thinking.

Let’s presume I’m writing an article disagreeing with the Māyāvāda philosophy, for example. I can use the AI to help me find the references. I may remember a verse from the Gītā only vaguely, and the AI can help me find it instead of having to go through the mechanical process of looking for the verse page by page.

After the article has taken form, I can then use a prompt like this:

Now, I will have a lot of information and counterarguments that can help me to improve the original article. In this case, the output of the LLM doesn’t need to be accepted as truth; it just gives me something to work with. I will simply analyze the arguments one by one and be sure my article anticipates the ones I consider relevant.

This is very different from asking the AI to write the article for me. I studied, I came to understand what Māyāvāda is, and I have an idea of how to refute particular points, but I’m using the AI to strengthen my work, helping me to notice the dead spots in my thinking. I will probably not have an Advaitin at my side to discuss the points of the article, but I can use the AI to create a digital one to discuss with. It will not be perfect, but it can be good enough for what I need, or at least be better than not having it.

I can also make it more specific. Presume I’m writing an essay about the practical application of the Bhagavad-gītā as It Is in modern life, for example. If I have a digital copy, I can add the file and the draft of my article and prompt:

Again, it can give me a lot of contrary arguments that I can use to go deeper into the book and refine my conclusions. A lot of it will be bogus, but this can also help me to refine my thinking, anticipating misunderstandings readers may have.

When the article is more or less complete, I can use the AI as an editor to refine it:

This is a little more dangerous than the first, because it can invoke the oracle attitude. The point here is not to accept what the AI returns, but to check each point and decide case by case what we can use or not, separating what is factually a mistake and what is just hallucination or misunderstanding from the model. AI can do a relatively good job of pointing out basic inconsistencies, but it usually fails to understand most delicate philosophical points, so it’s up to us to judge what is relevant or not.

The main point is that in both cases we don’t accept what the model gives at face value. It is just like a friend giving opinions, or a post we read on a social network. We don’t accept it as authoritative; we accept it as an opinion that we will compare with authoritative knowledge we have.

We can also use AI to offload repetitive parts of the work, like formatting, sorting out references, making tables, etc. If I can do these in less time, it can actually improve my thinking instead of atrophying it, because I will spend more time thinking and improving the article instead of doing mechanical work.

There are also parts of the work where we understand the result we want, but we don’t have the direct skill to produce it. A good example is images. I may have an idea of an image for an article, but since I’m not a painter, I have no means to produce it. I could use AI to help with that, giving it clear parameters and adjusting the result until it fits what I have in mind. Maybe I need to produce an audio version of the article, but my pronunciation is not good. AI may make a passable audio narration. Perhaps I need to make it into a web page, but I know nothing about web design. AI can also help with that.

Normally, all of these stages would require me to hire different people to do it. One may argue against it from the point of generating jobs, which is a valid point, but from the point of view of thinking, the use of AI in these cases is not negative, because in any case I would not be the one doing the thinking.

In conclusion, AI acts more like an amplifier. It magnifies existing habits. If a person wants to avoid thinking, AI can surely help with that. If the idea is the opposite, to get the other side, get contrary arguments, challenge the way we see things, and force us to go back to the books and study harder to be able to answer different challenges, AI can also help to develop that. What puts us on one side or another is the use or absence of critical thinking.

When we speak about critical thinking, there are four skills that have become essential when dealing with AI tools:

1- Analysis: This one is important in dealing with all types of information, but specifically with AI. We should be able to identify what the AI is missing, detect gaps, assumptions, etc. If it’s something outside my area of expertise, a good way to do that is to always ask it to provide references and check them at every step.

2- Logical thinking: How does A lead to B? Again, that’s an essential skill since the beginning of time, but the importance has increased with the popularization of AI. I have a problem, and an LLM may suggest a solution, but I should be able to analyze the steps that this solution involves, detect mistakes, improve things, and so on. Maybe the solution is completely bogus, and I will decide to just do it myself, or start again. This all depends on personal judgment. Without it, the AI becomes just an oracle, and we go back to the initial problem.

3- Judgment: This brings back to the idea of AI as an assistant. The AI is not the authority in this case; you are. As human beings, we are supposed to learn from superior sources, and then apply this knowledge. AI can feed us with additional information and offer additional challenges, but AIs are not living beings; they have no rational thinking; they just regurgitate information based on patterns and algorithms. You are the one who has to judge the validity and usefulness of it based on knowledge and realization you have acquired.

4- Systematic questioning: That’s an important one. Presume I need to use AI to figure out something I don’t know. How to avoid using it as an oracle? I can treat it as an unreliable source. In this case, I will not accept the first answer. I will keep questioning, ask for references, check them, pose arguments, explore different sides, try to understand what assumptions it’s making, study the canonical texts, etc. By following this process, I can come to know the subject, and the AI again becomes the assistant and not the oracle.

All of this takes energy and time, but that’s precisely the point. Without it, I become just a passive spectator who learns nothing and questions nothing. That’s the mistake many are making.

Read more:

This is a publication for thoughtful readers who want to go deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I publish daily, trying to offer high-quality spiritual content, and all posts are available to free subscribers. If you wish, you can support this work with a monthly contribution. When you subscribe, you can choose between a free subscription and a monthly contribution, and you can switch from a free subscriber to a supporter at any time.

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In the 9th chapter of the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa describes three classes of worshipers who worship Him only indirectly:

jñāna-yajñena cāpy anye, yajanto mām upāsate
ekatvena pṛthaktvena, bahudhā viśvato-mukham

“Others, who engage in sacrifice by the cultivation of knowledge, worship the Supreme Lord as the one without a second, as diverse in many, and in the universal form.”

The first worships Him as a manifestation of the Absolute Truth, the second worships a demigod, and the third worships the universe itself. These three are different from the Māyāvādī, the ordinary demigod worshiper, and the ordinary materialist. They are sincere in their worship, but their knowledge is still imperfect.

The universe is Kṛṣṇa’s energy, but it is not directly His transcendental body. Similarly, the demigods are His representatives, and the worshiper himself, as a soul, is part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa, but again, they are not exactly the same.

Then, Kṛṣṇa returns to the devotees, who worship Him directly. To them, He promises:

ananyāś cintayanto māṁ, ye janāḥ paryupāsate
teṣāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ, yoga-kṣemaṁ vahāmy aham

“But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form – to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.”

Kṛṣṇa uses the words “vahāmy aham.” Aham means “I,” personally, and vahāmi means to carry a load. Taken literally, vahāmy aham means that He, in His transcendental form, personally carries what a devotee needs.

Arjunācārya, a great devotee from South India, once came to these words while writing a commentary on the Bhagavad-gītā. Because he was so devoted, the idea of the Lord personally carrying the burden of what is needed by His devotees was painful to him. He thus concluded that the carrying must be indirect, through some agents. He thus scratched the word vahāmy (I carry) in the manuscript and replaced it with karomi (I have it done), giving instead the idea that the carrying is performed by Kṛṣṇa’s agents.

Kṛṣṇa, however, to prove the point, came together with Balarama, the two carrying two heavy baskets of foodstuffs tied to the ends of a bamboo stick. Because Arjunācārya had so emphatically erased the words, Kṛṣṇa took the marks he made in the manuscript as a direct beating, and thus, when He came personally to His house, He acted as if afraid of Him, showing the wife cane marks on his back. Prabhupada tells this story personally in a lecture on Bg 9.20-22 given on December 7th, 1966, in New York:

“That’s a very nice story. When he was writing commentaries, oh, he thought, “How is that, the Lord will come Himself and deliver the goods? Oh, it is not possible. He might be sending through some agents.” So he wanted to cut vahāmy aham, “I bear the burden and deliver.” He wrote in a way that “I send some agent who delivers.” So that Arjunācārya went to take bath, and in the meantime two boys, very beautiful boys, They brought some very nice foodstuff, very large..., in large quantity. And in India there is a process to taking two sides burden on the bamboo. Just like a scale it is balanced.

So these two boys brought some very highly valuable foodstuff and grains and ghee and of the same, and his wife was there. And the boys said, “My dear mother, Arjunācārya has sent these goods to you. Please take delivery.” And “Oh, You are so nice boy, You are so beautiful boys, and he has given. And Ācārya is not so cruel. How is that? He has given so much burden to You, and he is not kind...?” “Oh, I was not taking; just see, he has beaten Me. Here is cane mark. Oh, see.” His wife became very much astonished, that “Ācārya is not so cruel. How he has become so cruel?”

So she was thinking in that way. Then “All right, my dear boys. You come on,” and gave Him shelter. And, “No. I shall go, because Arjunācārya again comes. He will chastise Us.” “No, no. You sit down, take foodstuff.” He [she] prepared foodstuff, and then They went away. And when Arjunācārya came back, then he saw that his wife is eating. Because it is the system of Indian family that after the husband has taken the food, the wife will take. So they don’t take together. After the family members—the boys and the husband—is sumptuously fed, then the housewife takes.”

“So the wife said, “Ācārya, you have become so much cruel nowadays?” “Oh, what is that?” “Now, two boys, very nice boys, They have brought so many foodstuff. You loaded on Their head, and They denied to take it, and you have beaten Them, chastised?” He said, “No. I have never done this. Why shall I do it?” Then she described, “Oh, such a nice, beautiful boy.” Then Arjunācārya understood that “Because I wanted that God does not deliver, so He has delivered these goods, and because I cut these alphabets that He does not give personally, so He has shown that beating mark.”

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī mentions that Kṛṣṇa accepts the work of maintaining his devotee as a burden of love, just as a householder maintains his own family. In other words, the maintenance of a devotee is not a fruit of his karma like in the case of others: a devotee who worships Kṛṣṇa with exclusive devotion is directly maintained by Kṛṣṇa. To sustain this point, he comments, explaining how Kṛṣṇa sees it:

“My pure ananya-bhaktas are niṣkāma (selfless), and because of this selfless nature, whatever bliss one sees in them is personally given by Me. Even though I am completely neutral, I give this bliss to My bhaktas because of My affection for them, and therefore I am called bhakta-vatsala, always affectionate to My devotees. It is incorrect to say that those devotees are lacking in love for Me because they give Me the responsibility of their maintenance and nourishment, for I willingly accept this responsibility even if they do not completely give it to Me. I am capable of creating all the universes merely by My will, so this is not a burden for Me. Furthermore, because I am attached to My devotees, it is a great pleasure to carry their burden, just as it is a pleasure for a man to carry the burden of maintaining a pleasing wife.”

There is, however, yet another meaning: “I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have” is also applied in the spiritual sense. Kṛṣṇa preserves one’s spiritual advancement and helps the devotee to advance further, bringing what they still lack.

These two sides explain why devotees sometimes experience material difficulties. The Pāndavas, for example, were at some point extremely prosperous, having just subjugated opposing kings and constructed Indrapastha, their capital. They, however, lost everything, faced many difficulties living in exile, and in the end faced all the challenges of the battle of Kurukṣetra. Similarly, many other devotees face different types of difficulties. How to explain “I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have” in this context?

The point is that Kṛṣṇa also considers the main priority of bringing His devotee back home, back to Godhead, and carries out what is lacking in this direction. Most of us still struggle with material desires, and thus we live in a situation where material facilities can pull us back into a materialistic life, hampering our progress. Everyone knows that an alcoholic who is trying to give up drinking has to stay away from alcohol, since even one sip can make him relapse. A good friend will thus refuse to supply him with drink, no matter how much he asks.

If a devotee cannot manage material facilities without relapsing into his old habits, Kṛṣṇa withdraws these facilities so he can come to Him and attain the supreme goal. Once one becomes fixed in devotion, then Kṛṣṇa can shower him with oppulences.

Once, Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira himself asked a similar question. Kṛṣṇa’s answer is described in the Kṛṣṇa Book, chapter 88:

“Lord Kṛṣṇa answered the question of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira as follows: “If I especially favor a devotee and especially wish to care for him, the first thing I do is take away his riches. When the devotee becomes a penniless pauper or is put into a comparatively poverty-stricken position, his relatives and family members no longer take interest in him, and in most cases they give up their connection with him. The devotee then becomes doubly unhappy.” First of all the devotee becomes unhappy because his riches have been taken away by Kṛṣṇa, and he is made even more unhappy when his relatives desert him because of his poverty. We should note, however, that when a devotee falls into a miserable condition in this way, it is not due to past impious activities, known as karma-phala; the poverty of the devotee is a creation of the Personality of Godhead. Similarly, when a devotee becomes materially opulent, that is also not due to his pious activities. In either case, whether the devotee becomes poorer or richer, the arrangement is made by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This arrangement is especially made by Kṛṣṇa for His devotee just to make him completely dependent upon Him and to free him from all material obligations. He can then concentrate his energies, mind and body – everything – for the service of the Lord, and that is pure devotional service.”

Later, in the same chapter, Prabhupāda concludes:

“It may be questioned why a devotee is put into such tribulation by the Personality of Godhead. The answer is that this kind of arrangement by the Lord is just like a father’s sometimes becoming unkind to his sons. Because the devotee is a surrendered soul and is taken charge of by the Supreme Lord, whatever condition of life the Lord puts him in – whether one of distress or of happiness – it is to be understood that behind this arrangement is a large plan designed by the Personality of Godhead.”

In this way, Kṛṣṇa personally preserves what a devotee has and carries what he lacks. Pure devotees have devotion in abundance, but they may sometimes lack material facilities. When that’s the case, Kṛṣṇa personally supplies that. Sincere devotees in the intermediate stage, conversely, may have material facilities due to past karma, but they may prevent them from advancing. In this case, Kṛṣṇa may take away these facilities so the devotee can develop the permanent asset of pure devotion to Him and live happily eternally, instead of continuing to struggle in the material world. A neophyte, on the other hand, may have some attraction to Kṛṣṇa, but this faith may be very unstable. In this case, Kṛṣṇa may shower him with material facilities when he comes to Him asking for material benefits, understanding that this will increase his faith. Sometimes, also, Kṛṣṇa uses pure devotees like the Pāṇḍavas or Prahlāda Maharaja to give us valuable examples of how a devotee should remain fixed, even in material difficulty, remaining focused on the final goal. As Prabhupāda mentions:

“When after the dense, dark night there is finally sunrise in the morning, it is very pleasant; when there is scorching heat, cold water is very pleasant; and when there is freezing winter, hot water is very pleasant. Similarly, when a devotee, after experiencing the distress of the material world, relishes the spiritual happiness awarded by the Lord, his position is still more pleasant and enjoyable.”

In this way, we can see Kṛṣṇa’s mercy appearing in different forms, according to what is necessary. This is the meaning of “I carry what they lack.”

Prabhupāda summarizes this conclusion of the protection of the Lord in his purport:

“One who is unable to live for a moment without Kṛṣṇa consciousness cannot but think of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, being engaged in devotional service by hearing, chanting, remembering, offering prayers, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, rendering other services, cultivating friendship and surrendering fully to the Lord. Such activities are all auspicious and full of spiritual potencies, which make the devotee perfect in self-realization, so that his only desire is to achieve the association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Such a devotee undoubtedly approaches the Lord without difficulty. This is called yoga. By the mercy of the Lord, such a devotee never comes back to this material condition of life. Kṣema refers to the merciful protection of the Lord. The Lord helps the devotee to achieve Kṛṣṇa consciousness by yoga, and when he becomes fully Kṛṣṇa conscious the Lord protects him from falling down to a miserable conditioned life.”

There is thus an intrinsic difference in taking shelter of Kṛṣṇa, even if imperfectly, and taking shelter of a demigod or any other material deity. Apart from Kṛṣṇa and His pure devotee, everyone else is under the onslaught of birth and death himself, and therefore cannot offer proper shelter to anyone, not materially, and much less spiritually.

One example in this direction is Hiraṇyakaśipu. After he performed his austerities, Brahmā himself appeared to him and offered blessings. Hiraṇyakaśipu asked for immortality, but Brahmā answered that he himself is not immortal, and therefore could not grant immortality. Hiraṇyakaśipu then asked for an elaborate set of boons, trying to close every different possibility of dying (not dying during the day or night, not inside or outside a house, not being killed by a man or animal, etc.), but in the end he was killed by Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, who killed him in a situation that kept all the boons he received from Brahmā intact.

Therefore, all other classes of worshippers should come to Kṛṣṇa. As mentioned in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (2.3.10):

akāmaḥ sarva-kāmo vā, mokṣa-kāma udāra-dhīḥ
tīvreṇa bhakti-yogena, yajeta puruṣaṁ param

“A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire, or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead.”

Everyone, regardless of having material desires or not, desiring liberation or not, should come to the platform of devotional service to Kṛṣṇa. One may then become one of the four categories of devotees (the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute) and from there advance further, gradually coming to the platform of pure devotional service, becoming one of the mahātmās Kṛṣṇa described in texts 9.13 and 9.14 of the Gītā.

Read more:

This is a publication for thoughtful readers who want to go deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I publish daily, trying to offer high-quality spiritual content, and all posts are available to free subscribers. If you wish, you can support this work with a monthly contribution. When you subscribe, you can choose between a free subscription and a monthly contribution, and you can switch from a free subscriber to a supporter at any time.

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Surrendering our work to Kṛṣṇa (Bg 3.30 to 3.35)

This section acts as a crucial turning point in the chapter. Kṛṣṇa gives us the essential formula of devotional work: the external action may remain the same, but the internal focus is transferred to Him. This simple and sublime system leads to liberation from the bondage of karma, while rejecting it in the name of artificial renunciation can lead to ruin. We are all more or less forced to act according to the particular nature we have acquired under the influence of the three material modes. Therefore, instead of a superficial show of detachment, Kṛṣṇa instructs us to follow the path given to us by the scriptures, regulating our activities and connecting them to Him. This also brings the discussion back to Arjuna’s personal situation: his path to perfection is not to renounce the battlefield, but to fight as an offering to Kṛṣṇa.

Text 30: mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi, sannyasyādhyātma-cetasā
nirāśīr nirmamo bhūtvā, yudhyasva vigata-jvaraḥ

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.

Text 31: ye me matam idaṁ nityam, anutiṣṭhanti mānavāḥ
śraddhāvanto ’nasūyanto, mucyante te ’pi karmabhiḥ

Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.

Text 32: ye tv etad abhyasūyanto, nānutiṣṭhanti me matam
sarva-jñāna-vimūḍhāṁs tān, viddhi naṣṭān acetasaḥ

But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.

Text 33: sadṛśaṁ ceṣṭate svasyāḥ, prakṛter jñānavān api
prakṛtiṁ yānti bhūtāni, nigrahaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati

Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?

Text 34: indriyasyendriyasyārthe, rāga-dveṣau vyavasthitau
tayor na vaśam āgacchet, tau hy asya paripanthinau

There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.

Text 35: śreyān sva-dharmo viguṇaḥ, para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt
sva-dharme nidhanaṁ śreyaḥ, para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ

It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.

After describing the process of karma-yoga in the previous sections as a cure for the false ego that binds us to this material world, Kṛṣṇa reiterates his conclusion that Arjuna should fight, performing his duty. As already explained, however, performance of duties alone does not bring perfection. Consciousness is crucial.

Kṛṣṇa thus adds that Arjuna should fight without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy. This means he should remain free from the influence of the modes of passion and ignorance.

The mode of passion makes us develop material ambition, wanting to become the masters of everything we see. Under this mentality, we are constantly trying to expand our dominions, performing actions that we think can bring us material gain. The mode of ignorance is even more dangerous, making us lethargic and prone to a life of vices and degradation. Both entangle us in the material world; only the mode of goodness brings us upward.

Kṛṣṇa will explain the symptoms of the three modes in detail starting from chapter fourteen, but by this simple instruction, He is already guiding Arjuna to ascend to the mode of goodness. On top of that, he should fight in full transcendental knowledge, dedicating all his activities to Him. With this, Kṛṣṇa gives instructions that elevate us even further, in the direction of the transcendental platform.

This gives us a map of the consciousness we should have when we perform our own activities. By studying the Bhagavad-gītā, we develop transcendental knowledge, and by applying this knowledge, we can act in perfect Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The verse describes two platforms: performing our duties out of duty (niṣkāma-karma-yoga) and serving Kṛṣṇa out of transcendental love, which is full bhakti-yoga. We start from the platform of duty, and over time we can ascend to the platform of love.

In his purport to text 3.30, Prabhupāda emphasizes how we need to become Kṛṣṇa conscious in order to properly perform our duties for Kṛṣṇa. Again, this emphasizes the importance of transcendental knowledge. Mere sentimentality will not do. That’s why Prabhupāda wrote so many books, and we should study them in detail, in a continuous process, one after the other, starting from the Bhagavad-gītā.

The contents of text 30 are expanded in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, 1.2.6:

sa vai puṁsāṁ paro dharmo, yato bhaktir adhokṣaje

ahaituky apratihatā, yayātmā suprasīdati

“The supreme occupation [dharma] for all humanity is that by which men can attain to loving devotional service unto the transcendent Lord. Such devotional service must be unmotivated and uninterrupted to completely satisfy the self.”

This may sound very difficult, but this is the conclusion of the process, the qualities we aim to develop, and not our state at the start. In the beginning, we may have many faults, but if we continue practicing the process with faith, without resenting the instructions of Kṛṣṇa, or envying Him, we gradually progress.

In his purport to text 3.31, Prabhupāda reassures us:

“In the beginning of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one may not fully discharge the injunctions of the Lord, but because one is not resentful of this principle and works sincerely without consideration of defeat and hopelessness, he will surely be promoted to the stage of pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

Because of our current conditioned nature, working for Kṛṣṇa in a disciplined and detached way, may sound difficult, but as we become purified, the process becomes more or less automatic, as the eternal nature of the soul is awakened. In the beginning, however, we need to put in effort, accepting a certain service and performing it dutifully, “as if in military discipline,” to quick-start the process. This ends up being the determining factor in our spiritual progress. Devotees who are able to uphold their vows and continue practicing year after year make steady progress, while others who relax their practice over time tend to stagnate.

There is the other side, however: “But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.”

The root cause of conditioned life is envy of Kṛṣṇa. Directly or indirectly, we desire to be the masters, and we resent His position as the supreme controller. When we love someone, the fact that he is rich, powerful, intelligent, etc., does not at all bother us. On the contrary, it makes us love even more. However, when we see someone as a competitor, these qualities awaken envy. This is the nature of material life: one wants to enjoy life separately from Kṛṣṇa and resents the regulations He gives for our own good. This envy prevents him or her from accepting His instructions, leading to the path described here. A materialist thus becomes more and more inclined in the direction of lust and anger, and gradually sinks more and more into the material pit. Instead of perfection, he gradually sinks in the direction of animal life.

We have then one of the most iconic verses of the Bhagavad-gītā:

“Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?”

This verse emphasizes that the performance of duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the process for becoming free from the influence of the three modes.

Every conditioned soul develops a certain material nature that can’t be easily changed. We have thus to work with this conditioned nature until we reach the platform of liberation. The process to do that is the dutiful performance of duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness that Kṛṣṇa just recommended. Trying to artificially force ourselves into a position that is against our nature—like Arjuna wanting to go to meditate in the forest like a brāhmana—is a process of repression that leads to the path of becoming a pretender. Better to be humble, accept our current conditioned condition, and follow the path given by Kṛṣṇa that can gradually free us from it.

As Prabhupāda explains in his purport:

“There are many so-called spiritualists who outwardly pose as advanced in the science but inwardly or privately are completely under particular modes of nature which they are unable to surpass. Academically, one may be very learned, but because of his long association with material nature, he is in bondage. Kṛṣṇa consciousness helps one to get out of the material entanglement, even though one may be engaged in his prescribed duties in terms of material existence. Therefore, without being fully in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one should not give up his occupational duties. No one should suddenly give up his prescribed duties and become a so-called yogī or transcendentalist artificially. It is better to be situated in one’s position and to try to attain Kṛṣṇa consciousness under superior training. Thus one may be freed from the clutches of Kṛṣṇa’s māyā.”

One could, however, argue that since everyone has to act according to his nature, and repression doesn’t achieve anything, everyone should just act according to their desires, a common conclusion in new-age groups. Kṛṣṇa, however, counters this with the next verse: “There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.”

One should act according to his nature, but within the regulations of the scriptures. A man who is too attracted to women should enter family life instead of pretending to be a sannyāsī, but once in family life, he should restrict himself to his duly married wife. In other words, the tendency to associate with a woman should not be artificially curbed, but the tendency to have illicit relationships with other women must be controlled. Everyone has to eat, but the tendency to eat improper foods must be controlled.

Both artificial restriction and hedonism are condemned. The path offered in the scriptures is of moderation, and this right balance is the divine system created by Kṛṣṇa to save us from material conditioning. As Prabhupāda explains in his purport to text 3.34:

“Unrestricted sense enjoyment is the cause of material encagement, but one who follows the rules and regulations of the revealed scriptures does not become entangled by the sense objects. For example, sex enjoyment is a necessity for the conditioned soul, and sex enjoyment is allowed under the license of marriage ties. According to scriptural injunctions, one is forbidden to engage in sex relationships with any women other than one’s wife. All other women are to be considered as one’s mother. But in spite of such injunctions, a man is still inclined to have sex relationships with other women. These propensities are to be curbed; otherwise they will be stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization. As long as the material body is there, the necessities of the material body are allowed, but under rules and regulations.”

Later in the purport, however, Prabhupāda alerts us to another danger: regulated sense gratification can also be a problem if we become attached to it. One may replace a certain substance for a less dangerous one, to cure his drug addiction, but if he becomes addicted to the second drug, the addiction can bring him back to the first. It is thus crucial that we accept whatever sense gratification is allowed according to our position in life with a spirit of detachment, understanding that we are accepting it for now, in order to keep the mind peaceful and thus have stability to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness, but that the ultimate goal is to renounce all forms of sense gratification and embrace our eternal spiritual identity.

Kṛṣṇa then concludes this section by again emphasizing that we should perform our duties in text 3.35. This is another characteristic of the Bhagavad-gītā: the knowledge is transmitted in waves, with the same explanation often being repeated in different contexts and with a growing level of depth.

Apart from reinforcing the previous conclusion, Kṛṣṇa adds another layer to the explanation: “It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly.”

How is that? If we can somehow perform another set of duties perfectly, why should we insist on doing what we can’t properly perform? The point is that prescribed duties are enjoined according to our psychophysical condition. If one is a householder, for example, it means one has a need for a wife and family relationships. As previously explained, a material need brings a certain set of duties that allow one to obtain it responsibly, and to gradually purify this tendency. Once there is a need for a family, one has to accept the duties of a householder. One may think that he is not very good at it, and conclude he could be better at performing the duties of a sannyasī, but Kṛṣṇa warns against it. Acting as a sannyasī will not cure his problem; it will rather accentuate it, making him restless, thinking about women. Therefore, this attempt would bring him destruction, instead of progress. It is simply the wrong medicine.

Duties can change only when the necessary purification of the heart is completed. If one later in life genuinely becomes detached, then the duties of a sannyasī may be accepted through the proper process. The same applies to the duties connected with the four varnas. This is emphasized by Prabhupāda in his purport:

“When one is under the spell of the modes of material nature, one should follow the prescribed rules for his particular situation and should not imitate others. For example, a brāhmaṇa, who is in the mode of goodness, is nonviolent, whereas a kṣatriya, who is in the mode of passion, is allowed to be violent. As such, for a kṣatriya it is better to be vanquished following the rules of violence than to imitate a brāhmaṇa who follows the principles of nonviolence. Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly.”

Apart from material duties, there are spiritual duties, connected with our service to Kṛṣṇa. These should be enjoined by the spiritual master, who can understand the nature and psychology of the disciple and help him or her to find proper engagement in the service of the Lord. Another dimension is that once one reaches the transcendental level, material distinctions can be dropped, and one may perform any set of duties according to what is necessary, under the supervision of the spiritual master. This is also explained by Śrīla Prabhupāda in his purport:

“However, when one transcends the modes of material nature and is fully situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he can perform anything and everything under the direction of a bona fide spiritual master. In that complete stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the kṣatriya may act as a brāhmaṇa, or a brāhmaṇa may act as a kṣatriya. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions of the material world do not apply. For example, Viśvāmitra was originally a kṣatriya, but later on he acted as a brāhmaṇa, whereas Paraśurāma was a brāhmaṇa but later on he acted as a kṣatriya. Being transcendentally situated, they could do so; but as long as one is on the material platform, he must perform his duties according to the modes of material nature. At the same time, he must have a full sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

Main points in the purports of Śrīla Prabhupāda:

“Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.”

a) To perform duties without attachment to the result may be difficult, but we should perform them, depending on Kṛṣṇa. This dependency is the constitutional position of the soul, that we are trying to uncover. Dependency means we follow the orders of Kṛṣṇa without hesitation.

b) We should resist both the tendency of giving up everything and becoming attached. Instead, we should perform our duties without seeing ourselves as the proprietors. Sacrificing everything means to use everything in the service of Kṛṣṇa, understanding that in reality everything belongs to Him. That’s true renunciation.

c) Prabhupāda makes five points that correspond to the five instructions of Kṛṣṇa in the verse: 1. Adhyātma-cetās (with full knowledge of Me) means to become fully Kṛṣṇa conscious and depend exclusively on Kṛṣṇa, acting without separate personal consideration. 2. Nirāśīḥ (without desire for profit) means to fully understand that everything belongs to Him. Only when fully situated in this mentality can we work fully detached. A cashier may count millions of dollars for his employer, but he does not claim a cent for himself. 3. This same realization makes it possible to fulfill the next instruction: Mayi sarvāṇi karmāṇi (surrender all your works unto Me). 4. When this is converted into practical action, the result is nirmama, to work without claiming ownership over anything. 5. Vigata-jvaraḥ (without lethargy) means to throw away all reluctance based on material considerations, such as bodily ties.

“Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.”

a) A person can benefit from the instructions of the Vedas only if one has faith in them, and one can follow Kṛṣṇa’s instructions in the Gītā only if he doesn’t envy the Lord. Even if one is not able to perfectly follow, just this combination of faith and humility is enough to bring progress. As long as one does not resent the process and continues practicing, success is assured, even if it may take some time.

“But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them regularly are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.”

a) Just as one has to follow the laws of the state, one has to follow the universal laws created by Kṛṣṇa. If one disregards these laws, there is no hope of happiness or perfection.

“Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?”

a) One can become free from the material influence only through Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Even theoretical knowledge of the difference between body and soul is not sufficient. This explains how apparently learned persons in the spiritual science can still be under the modes and remain addicted to questionable habits.

b) Even on the conditioned platform, one can advance by practicing Kṛṣṇa consciousness while performing material duties. This is the safe platform to follow. One should not become a pretender. Until one becomes fully situated on the spiritual platform, one should not give up prescribed duties.

“There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.”

a) As long as we are not fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we should restrict our sense enjoyment to only what is prescribed in the scriptures; this protects us against degradation. One can thus enter into family life and so on, to keep his or her mind in order. However, unlawful sense gratification that goes against the injunctions of the scriptures must be avoided. As long as the material body is there, the necessities of the material body are allowed, but under rules and regulations.

b) On the other hand, even lawful sense gratification should be accepted in a spirit of detachment; otherwise, it can still cause attachment and eventually lead one to fall into previous habits. Even if a road is considered safer, accidents can still happen if one is not careful.

c) Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the goal; that’s the thing we should never give up. On the contrary, we detach from everything else to attain this supreme goal.

“It is far better to discharge one’s prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another’s duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one’s own duty is better than engaging in another’s duties, for to follow another’s path is dangerous.”

a) There are two types of duties: material duties, and spiritual duties connected with Kṛṣṇa’s service. Both should be performed in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

b) There are different duties on the material platform, but they share a common principle: to accept superior authority. Material duties should be performed according to our particular situation; we should not imitate others. Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly.

c) Once one becomes fixed in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, one may perform any kind of duty enjoined by the spiritual master. In the transcendental stage, the distinctions of the material world do not apply. In the complete stage of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, a kṣatriya may act as a brāhmaṇa, or a brāhmaṇa may act as a kṣatriya. However, as long as we are not in this stage, we must perform duties as prescribed.

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Originally, the divisions in the varṇāśrama system were based on qualifications rather than birth. Kṛṣṇa declares in the Bhagavad-gītā (4.13) that cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ: according to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me.

However, with the advent of Kali-yuga, sectors of society started defending the division of classes based on hereditary rights, claiming that one can’t be a brāhmaṇa without being born of a brāhmaṇa father. This was one of the decisive factors in the destruction of Vedic culture, since the establishment of a hereditary system allows unqualified sons of brahmanas to assume the position of brahmanas and thus destroy the society from within.

According to them, if one is born in a degraded family, one has to take another birth in order to purify himself. Without changing one’s body, it’s not possible to become purified.

Vaiṣnava acaryas, however, energetically opposed this idea. Apart from the idea that a Vaiṣnava born into a sinful family can be initiated as a brāhmaṇa if he shows the proper qualifications, they argued that devotional service is transcendental and therefore not limited to any particular country, class, society, or circumstance. Any person can become a Vaiṣnava, whether he is born in a pious family in India or in a family of meat-eaters in the West. The point is not birth, but one’s commitment to the spiritual process of purification.

Supported by passages from the scriptures, they established the potency of the holy names and their capacity to elevate even the most sinful persons to the highest platform. Devotional service is thus open to all, being the constitutional occupation of the living entities, and once one becomes purified by the practice of devotional service, one becomes automatically qualified as a brāhmaṇa, since a Vaiṣnava is by definition superior to an ordinary brāhmaṇa. A brāhmaṇa is considered superior to the other classes for being established in the mode of goodness, a position that is superseded by a pure Vaiṣnava. As Prabhupada mentions:

“Anyone who is a pure Vaiṣnava is situated transcendentally, and therefore the highest qualification in the material world, namely, to be in the mode of goodness, has already been achieved by such a person.”

Apart from caste brāhmaṇas, another class that was vocal about hereditary privileges was the caste goswamis, who claimed to be the only ones qualified to act as spiritual masters and worship in the temples. On NoD 5, for example, Prabhupada mentions the Nityānanda-vaṁśa:

“In the Middle Ages, after the disappearance of Lord Caitanya’s great associate Lord Nityānanda, a class of priestly persons claimed to be the descendants of Nityānanda, calling themselves the gosvāmī caste. They further claimed that the practice and spreading of devotional service belonged only to their particular class, which was known as Nityānanda-vaṁśa. In this way, they exercised their artificial power for some time, until Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura, the powerful ācārya of the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava sampradāya, completely smashed their idea. There was a great hard struggle for some time, but it has turned out successfully, and it is now correctly and practically established that devotional service is not restricted to a particular class of men.”

These are not just empty words but authorized conclusions supported by a host of passages from the scriptures.

In the Padma Purāṇa, the sage Vasiṣṭha tells King Dilīpa:

“My dear King, everyone has the right to execute devotional service, just as he has the right to take early bath in the month of Māgha [December-January].”

In the Kāśī-khaṇḍa portion of the Skanda Purāṇa, it’s mentioned

“In the country known as Mayūradhvaja, the lower-caste people, who are considered less than śūdras, are also initiated in the Vaiṣnava cult of devotional service. And when they are properly dressed, with tilaka on their bodies and beads in their hands and on their necks, they appear to be coming from Vaikuṇṭha. In fact, they look so very beautiful that immediately they surpass the ordinary brāhmaṇas.”

In his Hari-bhakti-vilāsa, Sanātana Gosvāmī gives an analogy, stating that any person who is properly initiated as a Vaiṣnava certainly becomes a brāhmaṇa, just as bell metal is turned into gold by a mixture of mercury. Śrila Rupa Goswami, however, adds that initiation is just the beginning, since one who doesn’t follow the rules and regulations after initiation will become fallen again.

Unfortunately, caste privileges are something that is very profoundly and deeply rooted in Indian culture since they were practiced for many centuries. We can’t also forget that the soul is never destroyed, and therefore the same caste brāhmaṇas and caste Goswamis who were oppressing the other classes in previous centuries are still around in new bodies, and many may be found even inside our movement, finding other groups to oppress, like women. Therefore, we need to remain always vigilant to avoid letting our movement degenerate back into a system of classes and privileges.

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The learned guide others without disturbing them (Bg 3.25 to 3.29)

In the previous section, Kṛṣṇa emphasized the role of saintly persons in guiding others by their example. Now, He explains how they guide with their words. The self-realized devotee understands well the difference between work performed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and material, fruitive work performed under the material modes. However, he also understands that it is not possible for an ordinary person to be immediately elevated to a completely detached platform. Therefore, instead of telling them to stop their material work, he teaches them to spiritualize their activities, so they can be gradually elevated to the platform of work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Text 25: saktāḥ karmaṇy avidvāṁso, yathā kurvanti bhārata
kuryād vidvāṁs tathāsaktaś, cikīrṣur loka-saṅgraham

As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, the learned may similarly act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.

Text 26: na buddhi-bhedaṁ janayed, ajñānāṁ karma-saṅginām
joṣayet sarva-karmāṇi, vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran

So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a learned person should not induce them to stop work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he should engage them in all sorts of activities [for the gradual development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness].

Text 27: prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni, guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā, kartāham iti manyate

The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.

Text 28: tattva-vit tu mahā-bāho, guṇa-karma-vibhāgayoḥ
guṇā guṇeṣu vartanta, iti matvā na sajjate

One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results.

Text 29: prakṛter guṇa-sammūḍhāḥ, sajjante guṇa-karmasu
tān akṛtsna-vido mandān, kṛtsna-vin na vicālayet

Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these duties are inferior due to the performers’ lack of knowledge.

In the previous section, we studied how a person in knowledge should act. Even though a pure devotee is free from material attachment, he should give the proper example to others. Now, Kṛṣṇa deepens this instruction, explaining how he should instruct ordinary persons, who are still attached to enjoying their senses and acting in this world. We may think this section may not apply to us, because we are not liberated souls, but it is not so. All of us have some realization to share, and we have a duty to share what we know about Kṛṣṇa consciousness with others. This passage contains important instructions on how to do so.

Both a materialist and a self-realized soul perform some kind of work. The difference is that the materialist works to satisfy his senses, while the devotee works for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa. Superficially, a pure devotee and a materialist may appear to perform similar activities, but there will be a crucial difference in their consciousness. When Śrīla Prabhupāda was living in Vṛndāvana, before coming to the West, he was personally printing and selling his books. Many pseudo-Vaiṣṇavas were criticizing him, confusing this with ordinary business. In their stereotyped idea, a Vaiṣṇava should simply sit, chant, and pretend to be humble. Prabhupāda, however, could understand and apply the essence of the Gītā, performing activities in devotional service and accepting all sorts of inconveniences to spread the teachings of Kṛṣṇa and the previous ācāryas.

Another misconception is that karma-yoga is merely a platform for neophytes that is later replaced by devotional service. This is similar to believing that the foundation is different from the building. Technically speaking, there is a division, but they are so intimately connected that the separation remains merely technical. A teacher may emphasize the technical difference in order to help the student to understand the structure, but one errs if he thinks the foundation is separated from, or less important than the rest of the building and can thus be neglected. Noticing this tendency in his students, another teacher may do the opposite, emphasizing that the foundation is an essential and inseparable part of the building that cannot be skipped.

Similarly, if we study the commentary of Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura, for example, we can notice that he emphasizes the distinctions to help us understand the structure and hierarchy of the different yoga processes explained in the Gītā. Prabhupāda, on the other hand, speaking to a modern audience prone to inactivity, impersonalism, and false renunciation, often emphasizes the common ground, teaching us that karma-yoga and bhakti-yoga should be seen as different steps of the same ladder. We can see that in the Gītā, Śrīla Prabhupāda usually translates karma-yoga, and other processes performed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness directly as “devotional service,” emphasizing the substance instead of the details.

Both emphases are valid, but Prabhupāda emphasizes the points that are more essential to us. He carefully studied the commentaries made by previous ācāryas and presented their conclusions in a way that makes the practical application unmistakable.

When work is connected with Kṛṣṇa, it is already devotional service in progressive form, regardless of the faults of the practitioner. The natural progression is to gradually transition from sakāma-karma-yoga to niṣkāma-karma-yoga, and from this platform, gradually come to the platform of pure love of Godhead, without necessarily ceasing to work. As we can see practically, even the greatest Vaiṣṇavas continue to work for Kṛṣṇa, often until their last breath, but they do so from a platform of pure love.

In this way, the activities of a pure devotee are completely spiritual, even while printing and selling books, building temples, or managing a spiritual institution. The question is, how can a devotee bring a materialist to the platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness? Should he instruct him to stop working, leave his family, and go to chant solitarily in the forest?

Kṛṣṇa answers this question in text 3.26: “So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a learned person should not induce them to stop work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he should engage them in all sorts of activities.”

A person who is still full of material desires can’t stop performing actions. This is simply not possible. Even if one tries to renounce and go to chant in the forest, the mind will continue dwelling on the objects of sense gratification. One will then either fall back into his previous lifestyle, or become one of the pretenders already condemned in the previous sections.

Instead, a materialistic person should be engaged in activities connected with Kṛṣṇa consciousness. By associating with pure devotees, one can get the taste, and learn that serving Kṛṣṇa and following the spiritual process is much more blissful than simply serving his senses. Studying different biographies of Śrīla Prabhupāda, we can see how he was practically applying this strategy in the beginning of our movement, creating temples that were always buzzing with activity.

Another dimension of this verse appears when we speak to materially pious people, who follow the path of the Vedas to some extent, performing some worship to demigods or family traditions. Should we tell them to stop everything? In his purport, Prabhupāda speaks of two paths: in general, we should teach them to continue whatever beneficial activities they are performing, but connect them with the service of Kṛṣṇa, especially with our own example. In other words, we should help them transition from karma-kānda to karma-yoga, by establishing Kṛṣṇa as the goal. By starting the process of dedicating the fruits of one’s work to Kṛṣṇa, one can gradually advance further.

This is explained by Prabhupāda in this passage:

“All rituals, all performances of sacrifices, and everything that is put into the Vedas, including all direction for material activities, are meant for understanding Kṛṣṇa, who is the ultimate goal of life. But because the conditioned souls do not know anything beyond sense gratification, they study the Vedas to that end. But through fruitive activities and sense gratification regulated by the Vedic rituals one is gradually elevated to Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Therefore a realized soul in Kṛṣṇa consciousness should not disturb others in their activities or understanding, but he should act by showing how the results of all work can be dedicated to the service of Kṛṣṇa. The learned Kṛṣṇa conscious person may act in such a way that the ignorant person working for sense gratification may learn how to act and how to behave.”

If, however, one is already slightly developed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he or she may be directly engaged in the service of the Lord, ascending directly to the platform of niṣkāma-karma-yoga. In this case, there is no need to perform Vedic rituals and other pious activities because the practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness includes the results of all these activities.

This point is made in the next paragraph of the purport:

“Although the ignorant man is not to be disturbed in his activities, a slightly developed Kṛṣṇa conscious person may directly be engaged in the service of the Lord without waiting for other Vedic formulas. For this fortunate man there is no need to follow the Vedic rituals, because by direct Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can have all the results one would otherwise derive from following one’s prescribed duties.”

We need to be able to see, in a detached spirit, which of the two platforms is more adequate, according to the person to whom we are speaking, and our own level of spiritual realization.

Next, in texts 3.27 and 3.28, Kṛṣṇa describes the consciousness of a materially attached person. This helps us to understand our own material conditioning and gradually become free from it, and also to better understand the challenges of others whom we are trying to teach.

While living in the material world, we identify with the material body, and observing that the body is performing actions, we assume that we are the ones performing such actions. This reinforces our false ego, making us see ourselves as the creators of many material things.

Kṛṣṇa, however, points out the central fault in this thinking: we are not the body or the mind. We are not the ones who create the body, we are not the ones who maintain it, and we are not even the ones who move it. He is. How then can we claim to be the ones constructing things and take the results? The credit as well as the results should be given to Him.

The Sanskrit word is kartā (doer). I may think I’m the doer, but this is illusory. The immediate cause is the three modes of material nature, which are moving the body, and the ultimate cause is Kṛṣṇa, who is operating the whole structure. A passenger seated on a train may think he is the cause of the train moving, while in reality the train is moved by electricity and operated by a locomotive engineer.

Prabhupāda explains this concept in his purport to text 3.27:

“The materialistic person has no knowledge that ultimately he is under the control of Kṛṣṇa. The person in false ego takes all credit for doing everything independently, and that is the symptom of his nescience. He does not know that this gross and subtle body is the creation of material nature, under the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and as such his bodily and mental activities should be engaged in the service of Kṛṣṇa, in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.”

Material life is based on the concept of false ego, thinking we are the body and mind and claiming the results of the activities performed by these layers. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to accept our dependency and agree to act according to His direction, performing our role in His cosmic creation through the performance of our material duties, while at the same time improving our spiritual practice. This dual approach brings us gradually to our true ego, the understanding of our eternal relationship with Him.

A person who understands that he is not the body, or the material modes that are moving the body, and not even the mind or intelligence, is called a tattva-vit, a knower of the Absolute Truth. On this platform, we understand that we are not part of this material world, but somehow got entrapped here. Once we reach this understanding, we can understand our eternal, real position of service to Kṛṣṇa and act upon it.

Kṛṣṇa summarizes the process of becoming free from material illusion in text 3.28. The devotee should understand well the difference between working for Kṛṣṇa and working for his personal sense gratification and choose the first. At every moment we have the choice of doing something for Kṛṣṇa or for our material senses, and as we consistently make the right choice, we advance. Others will engage themselves in different activities according to their natures and will want to take the credit for such activities. Some will engage themselves in social work, others in nationalism or some other ism, and will not show interest in self-realization.

Kṛṣṇa’s advice is that we should not try to agitate such materialistic persons, for this will just produce useless discussions that will serve no purpose apart from agitating both ourselves and them. Unless we are ourselves on the spiritual platform, we can’t bring anyone else to the spiritual platform. Therefore, the best policy is to try to develop our own practice and help innocent persons, leaving the big materialists to pure devotees who may be able to effectively influence them.

This is the general principle. There is, however, another dimension to it explained by Prabhupāda in his purport:

“Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and therefore Lord Kṛṣṇa advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time. But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they undertake all kinds of risks, even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try to engage them in the acts of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which are absolutely necessary for the human being.”

Even though generally ineffective, dangerous, and even discouraged by the Lord Himself, devotees who are anxious to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness and bring everyone to the service of Kṛṣṇa may approach all kinds of materialists and accept all kinds of risks and inconveniences. They do so because they understand the ultimate desire of the Lord in saving the conditioned souls from the covering of illusion, and try to find ways to bring even the staunch materialist to a platform of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Main points in the purports of Śrīla Prabhupāda:

“As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, the learned may similarly act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.”

a) The activities of a devotee and a materialist may be similar, but they are different in desires and consciousness. A pure devotee conducts all his activities for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, and teaches others how to act on the same platform.

“So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a learned person should not induce them to stop work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he should engage them in all sorts of activities [for the gradual development of Kṛṣṇa consciousness].”

a) Everything in the Vedas is meant to help understand Kṛṣṇa, but conditioned souls have a tendency to use the Vedas to increase their sense gratification. Still, by following the scriptures, they are gradually elevated.

b) A devotee thus does not disturb them in these activities, even though their activities lack in knowledge. Instead, he tries to elevate them to the next step, teaching them to connect their work with the service of Kṛṣṇa.

c) Among such ignorant persons, there may be a few who are slightly developed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, who may be directly involved in devotional service without first following other formulas recommended in the Vedas.

“The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.”

a) Even though the external activity may appear similar, there is a gulf of difference between a Kṛṣṇa conscious person and an ordinary man. A materialist acts under the false ego and thinks himself the doer of everything.

b) The body and senses are created from material nature, which is a potency of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, they belong to Him and should be used in His service. Because of his misuse of the body and senses since time immemorial, a materialist becomes completely bewildered by the false ego, and forgets his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa.

“One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results.”

a) Once a person comes to know Kṛṣṇa, he comes to understand that his position in this material world is unnatural. He understands his real identity and comes to the conclusion that he should perform all his activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

b) By being engaged in Kṛṣṇa-conscious activities, one loses the attachment to temporary material activities. He understands that this material creation exists under the control of the Lord and accepts even negative reactions as the mercy of the Lord for his ultimate liberation. In this way, he remains undisturbed. Such a knower of the Lord is called a tattva-vit.

“Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these duties are inferior due to the performers’ lack of knowledge.”

a) The body is a gift of nature for us to practice Kṛṣṇa consciousness and realize our spiritual nature, but people without understanding of the soul identify with the body and act materially on the platform of false ego. Under the illusion of material designations, they remain busy in the material field, acting in terms of social work, nationalism, altruism, or simply base selfish action.

b) Busy in such materialistic activities, they consider self-realization a myth and are not interested. However, instead of fighting with them, it is better to spend time in our own spiritual practice. Instead of trying to make them pure devotees overnight, it’s more effective to start with moral principles, non-violence, pious work, and so on, that they can more easily accept. By gradually developing piety, they may become more prone to becoming devotees in the future.

c) Even though Kṛṣṇa advises us to not disturb them, devotees are more kind than the Lord Himself, because they understand the inner desire of the Lord to reach the conditioned souls. They thus take the risk of approaching ignorant men to engage them in Kṛṣṇa-conscious activities.

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💬 Text of the lesson

The orbit of the moon

“Above the rays of the sunshine by a distance of 100,000 yojanas [800,000 miles] is the moon, which travels at a speed faster than that of the sun. In two lunar fortnights the moon travels through the equivalent of a saṁvatsara of the sun, in two and a quarter days it passes through a month of the sun, and in one day it passes through a fortnight of the sun.” (SB 5.22.8)

Previously, it was stated that the sun has its orbit in a plane 100,000 yojanas above the plane of Bhū-mandala, and now it is stated that the moon has its orbit in a plane 100,000 yojanas above the sunshine.

The direct meaning is that taking the plane of Bhū-mandala as ground zero, we have the sun 100,000 yojanas above it, and the moon 100,000 yojanas above that, or 200,000 in total. The expression arka-gabhastibhyaḥ upariṣṭāt (above the rays of sunshine) also appears to suggest that the moon is more distant than the sun, something that Prabhupāda appears to accept as a fact. Let’s try to unpack this.

The first point is that 100,000 yojanas for the sun and 200,000 yojanas for the moon is not the total distance from our planet, but simply the vertical elevation above the plane of Bhū-mandala. Most of the distance is in the horizontal orbit of the sun, and not in the elevation. Horizontally, the sun is over 10 million yojanas from earth, with its orbit over the ocean of yogurt.

In his research, Sadaputa Prabhu came up with a figure of 93 million miles for the earth-sun distance according to the description of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam using a 8.5-mile yojana, a figure that closely matches modern estimates. This is a point to keep in mind. Many universal distances and dates given in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam closely match modern estimates that were published only very recently. This reinforces the point that the scripture is divinely revealed, since it would be impossible to ancient sages without computers and telescopes to come to these numbers. This also makes the point that we should not discard the version of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam when it appears to disagree with scientific research.

Back to the moon, the orbit on top of Bhū-mandala is not directly stated, and therefore, we can’t directly calculate the precise distance like in the case of the sun. However, the Bhāgavatam mentions that “arka-gabhastibhya upariṣṭāl lakṣa-yojanata”: the moon is 100,000 yojanas above the rays of the sunshine, and Śukadeva Goswami also states that it moves faster than the sun. Prabhupāda uses this as a basis to conclude that the moon is further away than the sun. Since both appear to be more or less the same size when observed from our planet, the next conclusion is that the moon is larger than the sun.

How is that? The point made by the Bhāgavatam is that the moon is a celestial planet, even higher than the sun in the vertical dimension. Yogis who desire to attain the moon have to first elevate themselves to the sun to be purified, and from there move upwards in the direction of the moon.

It’s interesting to note that this same Vedic conclusion appears to have been accepted by all ancient civilizations. In both India and Europe, the weekdays are named after the planets, with Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday for English, dies Solis, dies Lunae, dies Martis, dies Mercurii, dies Jovis, dies Veneris, and dies Saturni for Latin, and Ādityavāra, Somavāra, Maṅgalavāra, Budhavāra, Bṛhaspativāra, Śukravāra, and Śanivāra in India. The meaning for the three sets is exactly the same: The day of the sun, moon, mars, mercury, jupiter, venus and saturn. Each day is named after the planet that governs the first hour after sunrise.

Prabhupāda noted that Sunday (the day of the sun) comes before Monday (the day of the moon). He saw this as not just an accident or cultural whim, but as a reflection of the cosmic order described in the Bhāgavatam, with the sun as the primary regulator of time, and the moon as a higher, faster-moving luminary beyond it. This is an argument he insisted upon in many conversations.

In this way, from the account of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, it is clear that the moon is taken as higher than the sun, behind it in the universal order. Solar eclipses are taken as caused by Rāhu, instead of the moon coming in front of the sun. By the description, it is clear that in the higher dimensional reality of Bhū-mandala it is so. The question is how we can relate it to our physical reality.

An interesting clue is that the Surya-siddhanta (4.1) offers a different descriptive framework. There, it is mentioned:

sārdhāni ṣaṭsahasrāṇi yojanāni vivasvataḥ
viskambho maṇḍalasyendoḥ sahasrityā catuḥśatam
sphuṭa svabhuktyā guṇitau madhyabhuktyoddhṛtau sphuṭau

“The diameter of sun’s disc (ravimandala) is 6,500 yojanas and that of moon’s disc is 480 yojanas.”

This description is similar to modern calculations, giving the idea of the moon being much smaller than the sun and closer to our planet. The Surya-siddhanta also gives formulas to calculate the distance. Āryabhaṭa and Bhāskarācārya came up with values very close to modern estimates by interpreting these formulas. Āryabhaṭa gave 237,540 miles, and Bhāskarācārya 238,700 miles. The modern estimate for the mean earth–moon distance is 238,855 miles. In other words, both came within a margin of less than 1% of modern estimates. Just as in the case of the distance to the sun, this can’t be mere coincidence.

This suggests that these two accounts, of the Bhāgavatam and Surya-siddhanta, describe two different dimensional objects, otherwise such great contradiction would not be possible in the scriptures.

The description of the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam describes the higher-dimensional reality of Bhū-mandala, with the moon as a celestial planet, the abode of Soma, which is higher than the sun in the hierarchy of the planets. Yogis can reach this celestial moon for a very long life of material enjoyment after becoming purified of all sinful contamination. Rāvaṇa tried to construct a tower to reach this celestial moon, and Triśaṅku tried to reach it without relinquishing his gross body by performing a special sacrifice with the help of Viśvāmitra, but both failed. Based on these accounts, Prabhupāda insisted that modern humans would never be able to reach this celestial moon using spaceships, and all efforts in this direction would be doomed to fail.

The Surya-siddhanta, on the other hand, describes the gross moon that orbits our planet, which is some kind of physical projection of the celestial moon. When we look to the sky, the moon we see is, somehow, simultaneously both; however, when we try to reach the moon using a spacecraft, we reach this gross moon, which appears to be uninhabited.

In other words, the true moon is a celestial planet, but it is represented in our gross reality as the celestial body that is close to our planet. When we consider the multidimensional nature of the Vedic universe, this doesn’t seem too implausible, since there are many other cosmic bodies that are not visible to us, only partially visible, or that appear differently in our dimension. Bhū-mandala is not visible at all, and we can see the sun as just a globe of light, instead of a demigod seated on a cosmic chariot. Similarly, we see the moon as much closer to our planet, and its celestial opulences remain hidden to mere mortals. Vedic sages, however, understood this multidimensional nature of the moon and described both in different scriptures. The Bhāgavatam describes the higher-dimensional body, while the Surya-siddhanta describes the gross manifestation that is visible to us.

“When the moon is waxing, the illuminating portions of it increase daily, thus creating day for the demigods and night for the pitās. When the moon is waning, however, it causes night for the demigods and day for the pitās. In this way the moon passes through each constellation of stars in thirty muhūrtas [an entire day]. The moon is the source of nectarean coolness that influences the growth of food grains, and therefore the moon-god is considered the life of all living entities. He is consequently called Jīva, the chief living being within the universe.

Because the moon is full of all potentialities, it represents the influence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The moon is the predominating deity of everyone’s mind, and therefore the moon-god is called Manomaya. He is also called Annamaya because he gives potency to all herbs and plants, and he is called Amṛtamaya because he is the source of life for all living entities. The moon pleases the demigods, pitās, human beings, animals, birds, reptiles, trees, plants and all other living entities. Everyone is satisfied by the presence of the moon. Therefore the moon is also called Sarvamaya [all-pervading].” (SB 5.22.9-10)

Although the Surya-siddhanta gives a description of the gross moon that is close to our planet, the Bhāgavatam calls our attention to the characteristics of the celestial moon and presents it as the real object to be studied.

We can see that even in scientific circles, the interest in the moon largely waned after the Apollo program. People came to the conclusion that there is simply nothing interesting there. There were a few unmanned missions to the moon, like the Indian probe, but these are more a matter of national prestige, and not in hope of finding anything new there. Similarly, when we study other parts of the cosmos using telescopes and other physical means, everything appears to be sterile and purposeless. In comparison, the multidimensional description of the Bhāgavatam is much more interesting and useful, offering us real understanding of the universe, and helping us to find our way out of it.

The moon is very important, because it acts as a primary channel for the potency of the Lord. The moon is called Manomaya because it is the regulator of the mind. The Supreme Lord Himself presides over the mind as Aniruddha, and His influence is manifested inside the material universe through Chandra, the moon-god. Just as Indra presides over the rain, and Vāyu over the wind, Chandra acts as the presiding demigod of the mind, channeling the potency of the Lord. Sometimes, sages who desire to control the mind worship the moon, but the ones with higher insight understand that the one being worshiped is not the demigod, but the Supreme Lord as Aniruddha.

The mind also functions as a universal nourisher, nourishing the plants and vegetables with not only nutrients, but vital force that is later transferred to humans, animals, demigods, etc. The Vedic concept of anna, or food, is not just a source of gross material nutrients, but also of subtle and spiritual nourishment. All of this is governed by the moon. This leads the moon to be called amṛtamaya, the source of life for all.

It’s also interesting to note that the moon performs all these functions not only for our planet, but for the whole planetary system of Bhū-mandala. Just as in the Vedic universe there is just one sun, there is just one moon. This reinforces the idea of a higher-dimensional moon that transcends the earth satellite. This is yet another mysterious characteristic of the mystic Vedic universe.

“There are many stars located 200,000 yojanas [1,600,000 miles] above the moon. By the supreme will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, they are fixed to the wheel of time, and thus they rotate with Mount Sumeru on their right, their motion being different from that of the sun. There are twenty-eight important stars, headed by Abhijit.” (SB 5.22.11)

Further than the moon is a region with many stars. Among these stars there are 28 which are prominent (led by Abhijit), and each of these 28 stars is assigned a sector of the sky. These are the 28 nakṣatras studied in Vedic astrology.

In the vertical dimension, they are 200,000 yojanas higher than the moon. Different from the sun and moon, these nakṣatras don’t have an independent counterclockwise movement, but they still move daily following the movement of the whole sky. The sun, moon, and other planets move on this background, and their movements are studied in Vedic astrology. Just as the sun and the moon, the nakṣatras are channels for the manifestation of the potency of the Lord, regulating karma, destiny and other influences according to our time and place of birth.

It’s important to note that the position of these stars doesn’t match anything in the modern cosmological model. According to the modern interpretation, these stars are all many light-years away. In the multidimensional model of the Bhāgavatam, however, they appear relatively close to us, lower than visible planets like venus and mars.

The description of the Bhāgavatam can be loosely connected with the modern cosmological model if we take Dhruvaloka as being Polaris, the many stars described in this verse as being other stars closer to us, Śiśumāra as the path of the Milky Way we see in the sky, and Svargaloka as the many stars that comprise it. Beyond it are the planetary systems of Maharloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka and Satyaloka as the rest of the structures of our galaxy, as well as the other galaxies and other cosmic structures beyond it. Even the distances can be harmonized to a certain extent if we accept the concept of yojana corresponding to the concept of distance of the inhabitants of each level, and thus the distances growing exponentially from our perspective.

This can be is useful to harmonize the description of the Bhāgavatam with our observable universe, and sustain the validity of the explanation, not just from a mystical standpoint, but even in the practical level. However, it is important to keep in mind that the Bhāgavatam describes not only our physical universe, but higher spheres of existence that match different levels of spiritual development. Our goal is not just to accumulate information and speculate about them, but to understand this map of the vertical dimension given in the scripture and see the blue hand behind all of it. By understanding the different levels of the material universe, we can gradually lose interest in it, and fix our consciousness on what is beyond, back home, back to Godhead.

On this path, becoming fixed in modern cosmological models based on what our eyes can see is a trap, because it keeps us chained to the gross realm of our physical senses.

Context is also important. Śukadeva Goswami is not describing the universe in these verses as a mere intellectual exercise. He is answering the question Maharaja Parīkṣit posed on SB 5.16.3: “When the mind is fixed upon the Supreme Personality of Godhead in His external feature made of the material modes of nature — the gross universal form — it is brought to the platform of pure goodness. In that transcendental position, one can understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, who in His subtler form is self-effulgent and beyond the modes of nature. O my lord, please describe vividly how that form, which covers the entire universe, is perceived.”

Kṛṣṇa pervades the entire cosmic manifestation, and this is visualized as the universal from. By fixing our mind in this description, it can be brought to the platform of pure goodness, and when this is achieved, we can finally understand the Supreme Lord in His spiritual form.

The orbits of the planets

From text 5.22.12 to 17, Śukadeva Gosvāmi completes the description of the visible planets and their influence on us. This description helps us to see the planets as not just cosmic bodies, but as mediums for the distribution of karmic results and the manifestation of the potencies of the Lord.

The orbits of venus, mercury, mars, jupiter and saturn are described from the point of view of someone observing from earth. When we look up at night, the sky looks like a vast dome, where the stars appear fixed in position in relation to each other. In the midst of this mass of stars, we have the path of the zodiac, which serves as a planetary highway for the sun, the moon, and all the planets. They all stay within it.

Different from the stars and the sun, which trace a predictable path in the sky, the planets wander around, constantly shifting their position. Sometimes they move to the east, sometimes to the west, sometimes they pause and then move in the opposite direction and so on.

In Vedic cosmology, the planets (as well as the sun and the moon) are called grahas. The word graha comes from the root graḥ, which means to seize, grasp, hold, influence. They are cosmic agents that influence us, acting as instruments of our karma.

In the Vedic model, the planets are situated between the stars that form the nakṣatras, but below Dhruvaloka. They are all described as celestial planets, but they are positioned below the plane of Dhruvaloka. It’s also probable that the gross planets we see in the sky may be just gross representations of these celestial bodies, just as in the case of the moon. No one should expect that one traveling to mars or venus in a space probe would find apasaras there. Even if such a trip were to become technically possible, one would find only rocks, just as in the case of the moon.

“Some 1,600,000 miles above this group of stars is the planet Venus, which moves at almost exactly the same pace as the sun according to swift, slow and moderate movements. Sometimes Venus moves behind the sun, sometimes in front of the sun and sometimes along with it. Venus nullifies the influence of planets that are obstacles to rainfall. Consequently its presence causes rainfall, and it is therefore considered very favorable for all living beings within this universe. This has been accepted by learned scholars.

Mercury is described to be similar to Venus, in that it moves sometimes behind the sun, sometimes in front of the sun and sometimes along with it. It is 1,600,000 miles above Venus, or 7,200,000 miles above earth. Mercury, which is the son of the moon, is almost always very auspicious for the inhabitants of the universe, but when it does not move along with the sun, it forbodes cyclones, dust, irregular rainfall, and waterless clouds. In this way it creates fearful conditions due to inadequate or excessive rainfall.” (SB 5.22.12-13)

In the modern concept of the solar system, the sun is at the center, with mercury and venus orbiting it, followed by the earth. The Bhāgavatam, however, describes their orbits from a geocentric perspective. When we look at the sky at night, we can see the movements of venus and mercury exactly as described here. They never appear very far from the sun, but sometimes appear in front of it, sometimes behind, sometimes alongside it, and so on.

Basically, you can imagine that from a geocentric perspective, mercury and venus continue to orbit the sun, while the sun orbits around the earth, creating these patterns.

“Situated 1,600,000 miles above Mercury, or 8,800,000 miles above earth, is the planet Mars. If this planet does not travel in a crooked way, it crosses through each sign of the zodiac in three fortnights and in this way travels through all twelve, one after another. It almost always creates unfavorable conditions in respect to rainfall and other influences.

Situated 1,600,000 miles above Mars, or 10,400,000 miles above earth, is the planet Jupiter, which travels through one sign of the zodiac within the period of a Parivatsara. If its movement is not curved, the planet Jupiter is very favorable to the brāhmaṇas of the universe.

Situated 1,600,000 miles above Jupiter, or 12,000,000 miles above earth, is the planet Saturn, which passes through one sign of the zodiac in thirty months and covers the entire zodiac circle in thirty Anuvatsaras. This planet is always very inauspicious for the universal situation.” (SB 5.22.13-16)

All these planets influence us in different ways, and their influence can be seen as auspicious or inauspicious in different circumstances. Venus, for example, is favorable in the sense of creating the conditions for material life and sense enjoyment, while jupiter is often feared by materialists for bringing fulfillment of our karma, but is seen as very auspicious by brāhmaṇas and transcendentalists.

After the planets, there is a very special group of stars, the Saptarṣi constellation (Ursa Major), which is the abode of the seven sages. These are sages who are perfect knowers of the Vedas and are chosen to disseminate the principles of dharma over the universe in each universal cycle. At the beginning of each manvantara, a new group of seven sages take charge, following the change of the Manus and demigods:

“Situated 8,800,000 miles above Saturn, or 20,800,000 miles above earth, are the seven saintly sages, who are always thinking of the well-being of the inhabitants of the universe. They circumambulate the supreme abode of Lord Viṣṇu, known as Dhruvaloka, the polestar.” (SB 5.22.17)

Just as all the other stars and constellations, the Saptarṣi honor Dhruvaloka by circumambulating it daily, following the movement of the whole sky.

The Bhāgavatam thus offers a list of some of the prominent stars, but it is important to understand that these are not the only ones. The path to Dhruvaloka includes millions of other stars, and there are many more beyond it. All these stars form the Śiśumāra, the Divine Dolphin, another divine form of the Lord visible in the material universe.

Dhruvaloka, the universal pivot

“Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, 1,300,000 yojanas [10,400,000 miles] above the planets of the seven sages is the place that learned scholars describe as the abode of Lord Viṣṇu. There the son of Mahārāja Uttānapāda, the great devotee Mahārāja Dhruva, still resides as the life source of all the living entities who live until the end of the creation. Agni, Indra, Prajāpati, Kaśyapa and Dharma all assemble there to offer him honor and respectful obeisances. They circumambulate him with their right sides toward him. I have already described the glorious activities of Mahārāja Dhruva [in the Fourth Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam].

Established by the supreme will of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the polestar, which is the planet of Mahārāja Dhruva, constantly shines as the central pivot for all the stars and planets. The unsleeping, invisible, most powerful time factor causes these luminaries to revolve around the polestar without cessation.” (SB 5.23.1-2)

The pastime of Dhruva Maharaja is described in the Fourth Canto. He is such a great devotee that He was given a Vaikuṇṭha planet that manifests inside of the universe and is the central pivot of the rotation of the whole sky. The analogy is that all luminaries are yoked to this central pivot, just like bulls in an oil-pressing machine, where they are yoked to a central pivot and made to walk in circles.

The glories of Dhruvaloka are the best explanation of how the whole sky can rotate around a central axis. Dhruvaloka is different in essence from all other planets and stars. It is not a material planet, but an eternal Vaikuṇṭha planet that appears inside the universe, just as the abode of the Lord is manifested in Vṛndāvana. These places are transcendental, but they become manifest inside the material universe. Dhruvaloka is also the abode of Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣnu, who is present in Śvetadvīpa, the divine island in the middle of the ocean of milk present there. When the demigods need assistance, they go there and pray for the Lord’s divine intervention from the shore.

When the material universe is destroyed, Dhruvaloka remains invisible (or unmanifested), but it is not destroyed. It continues to exist eternally as a spiritual planet and is later revealed again inside another material universe in the course of another pastime.

Later, on SB 7.3.11, there is a verse where Hiraṇyakaśipu mentions: “By dint of my severe austerities, I shall reverse the results of pious and impious activities. I shall overturn all the established practices within this world. Even Dhruvaloka will be vanquished at the end of the millennium. Therefore, what is the use of it? I shall prefer to remain in the position of Brahmā.”

This verse just reveals the materialistic thinking of Hiraṇyakaśipu in seeing Dhruvaloka as an ordinary planet. It should not be taken as a contradiction to the description of Dhruvaloka as an eternal Vaikuṇṭha planet that is manifested inside the universe.

“When bulls are yoked together and tied to a central post to thresh rice, they tread around that pivot without deviating from their proper positions — one bull being closest to the post, another in the middle, and a third on the outside. Similarly, all the planets and all the hundreds and thousands of stars revolve around the polestar, the planet of Mahārāja Dhruva, in their respective orbits, some higher and some lower. Fastened by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to the machine of material nature according to the results of their fruitive acts, they are driven around the polestar by the wind and will continue to be so until the end of creation. These planets float in the air within the vast sky, just as clouds with hundreds of tons of water float in the air or as the great śyena eagles, due to the results of past activities, fly high in the sky and have no chance of falling to the ground.” (SB 5.23.3)

In the description of the process of creation given in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, it is described that kāla (time) is the mixing element, the energy that puts the material energy in motion, creating the material manifestation. This same time energy, operating under the will of the Lord, controls the movements of all stars and planets around Dhruvaloka. Each star and planet has a precise path to follow. This is the main point behind Vedic cosmology: it is not about mechanics, but about the will of the Lord. Even though the universe operates under certain forces and rules, these are not blind impersonal laws, but potencies of the Lord acting under His order.

As Prabhupāda explains in his purport: “Material scientists want to avoid the ruling government of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore they imagine different conditions under which they suppose the planets move. The only condition, however, is the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All the various predominating deities of the planets are persons, and the Supreme Personality of Godhead is also a person. The Supreme Personality orders the subordinate persons, the demigods of various names, to carry out His supreme will.”

Modern researchers observe the movements of the planets and call the law supposedly behind it “gravity”. However, “gravity” is just a name for an observable phenomenon. They see an orderly universe and create a “law” to explain it. It doesn’t answer the question of why there is an orderly universe in the first place.

By focusing on the phenomenon, they fail to understand the cause behind it. An aborigine observing planes flying at regular times over his island could conclude there is a force called ‘air-drive’ that makes these objects fly at specific times. However, even if the aborigine came to perfectly understand the flight schedule, his explanation would remain flawed. The flights follow a certain schedule and happen through consistent physical principles, but the reason they fly at those times is the desire and coordination of persons.

Similarly, what we call ‘gravity’ describes the regularity of motion, but the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam points to an ultimate governance behind that regularity, including the different demigods, kāla, the results of karma, and so on, all operating under the will of the Lord.

In general, scientists prefer impersonal explanations so they can avoid acknowledging a supreme controller. They thus focus on explaining the mechanics, but they fail to find the cause behind it. The Bhāgavatam goes in the opposite direction: it explains how Kṛṣṇa controls the cosmic manifestation through His different energies (such as kāla, karma, and so on) and servants (such as the demigods).

This is the main point of Vedic cosmology: it offers an explanation of the cosmos that properly acknowledges the true causes behind the cosmic manifestation and its goals, instead of merely describing physical phenomena.

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In the ninth chapter of the Gītā, Kṛṣṇa mentions that:

“Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature as the Supreme Lord of all that be.
Those who are thus bewildered are attracted by demonic and atheistic views. In that deluded condition, their hopes for liberation, their fruitive activities, and their culture of knowledge are all defeated.”

In his purport to the first verse, Prabhupāda bashes the Māyāvādīs, who conclude that Kṛṣṇa has a material body.

Māyāvādīs study the scriptures, especially the Vedānta-sūtra and Upaniṣads, and accept Brahman as the ultimate reality. However, they understand this Supreme Brahman as impersonal, formless, and without qualities. The problem with this conclusion is that many passages in the scriptures, starting from the Gītā itself, describe the Lord as having a form, qualities, desires, and activities. To counteract that, they create another misguided theory on top of the first, arguing that there are two manifestations of Brahman: nirguṇa Brahman and saguṇa Brahman.

According to them, nirguṇa Brahman is the original formless and qualityless Brahman, while saguṇa Brahman is a lower manifestation associated with māyā. From this idea, they conclude that when Kṛṣṇa appears in this world, He not only accepts a material form and qualities, but performs material activities under the influence of the material modes. When we consider this conclusion, however, the logical problem becomes evident: if Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Brahman, becomes covered by māyā when He appears, this means that māyā can overpower Kṛṣṇa. In other words, their conclusion is that the subordinate energy becomes greater than its controller. Māyāvādīs also study the Bhagavad-gītā, but we can see that their philosophy directly contradicts what Kṛṣṇa just explained in text 9.10.

Kṛṣṇa explains that the material nature works under His direction, but the Māyāvādī concludes that the same subordinate energy becomes the cause of Kṛṣṇa’s body and places Him under its laws. That’s why we call them Māyāvādīs: their philosophy concludes that māyā is greater than God.

In his purport to 9.12, however, Prabhupāda mentions something else:

“There are many devotees who assume themselves to be in Kṛṣṇa consciousness and devotional service but at heart do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, as the Absolute Truth. For them, the fruit of devotional service – going back to Godhead – will never be tasted. Similarly, those who are engaged in fruitive pious activities and who are ultimately hoping to be liberated from this material entanglement will never be successful either, because they deride the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa.”

Who are these devotees who do not accept Kṛṣṇa as the Absolute Truth? One particularly dangerous example is a certain class of sahajiyās. While worshipping Kṛṣṇa, they adhere to the Māyāvādī conclusion that behind Kṛṣṇa there is the impersonal Brahman. This may sound surprising, but it appears as a natural consequence.

The Māyāvāda philosophy offers some semblance of transcendence by speaking of the Absolute Truth, emphasizing detachment and austerity and so on. The problem is that all of this is very dry. How much pleasure can a person obtain by endlessly speculating on the meaning of the words of the Vedānta-sūtra while fasting and sleeping on the ground? Some may remain satisfied with this, but others start hankering for some taste. They then face a problem: the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa (whom they call the “saguṇa Brahman”) are extraordinarily attractive. What happens then when we combine attraction to Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes with the idea of being ultimately one with Him? This combination produces the essential sahajiyā mentality: instead of serving Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, one tries to imitate them.

When a devotee who understands the purity of Kṛṣṇa and accepts His supremacy hears about His pastimes, the consequence is spiritual attraction. One does not envy Kṛṣṇa, but comes to love Him. One then develops the desire to perform some form of service to facilitate these pastimes. That’s how a devotee eventually comes to the position of joining Kṛṣṇa in His eternal pastimes to serve Him eternally.

A Māyāvādi, however, does nothing to treat the root of the problem, which is his envy of Kṛṣṇa. On the contrary, he fuels it by considering Him an ordinary man, while simultaneously believing himself to be one with Him. The consequence then is:

Putting oneself in the position of an enjoyer, one gradually becomes some form of bogus guru, who pretends to be transcendental while at the same time taking advantage of women who accept him as spiritually advanced, performing so-called pastimes with them.

A pure devotee does not desire to enjoy materially, because he is absorbed in the understanding of Kṛṣṇa as the supreme enjoyer. Such a devotee simply wants to bring everything enjoyable to Him. When he cooks, he cooks for Kṛṣṇa. When he chants, he chants to give Kṛṣṇa pleasure. If he accepts disciples, it is with the goal of bringing these souls to Kṛṣṇa. In this way, his existence is based on genuinely giving, not taking.

A sahajiyā, on the contrary, sees himself as the enjoyer. Externally, he may imitate devotional practices, but internally he sees himself as the center, the enjoyer, which leads to the development of an exploitative mentality, that culminates in unscrupulous or even predatory relationships with followers. This also explains why such imitators often appear more saintly to the uneducated than genuine pure devotees: they deliberately try to fit into the stereotype of a sādhu to attract followers, while a genuine pure devotee has no such concern.

Prabhupāda mentions this point in chapter 33 of the Kṛṣṇa Book:

“There is a distinction between Lord Kṛṣṇa’s dancing with the gopīs and the ordinary dancing of living entities within the material world. In order to clear up further misconceptions about the rāsa dance and the affairs of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs, Mahārāja Parīkṣit, the hearer of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, told Śukadeva Gosvāmī, “Kṛṣṇa appeared on the earth to establish the regulative principles of religion and to curb the predominance of irreligion. But the behavior of Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs might encourage irreligious principles in the material world. I am simply surprised that He would act in such a way, enjoying the company of others’ wives in the dead of night.” This statement of Mahārāja Parīkṣit’s was very much appreciated by Śukadeva Gosvāmī. The answer anticipates the abominable acts of the Māyāvādī impersonalists who place themselves in the position of Kṛṣṇa and enjoy the company of young girls and women.”

The word “sahajiyā” is used in different senses, starting with more or less innocent people who just take the devotional process cheaply, but here we are speaking about this particularly dangerous type.

This brings us again to the point of sambandha. When the philosophical foundation is incorrect, the practice is misguided, and the supreme goal is not attained. A devotee understands that he is the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa, who is completely pure and transcendental. Based on this foundation, one hears Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and understands His supreme position. Gradually, one becomes disinterested in material enjoyment and becomes fixed on the spiritual platform. The Māyāvādī, on the other hand, believes that he is one with Kṛṣṇa. Thus, as long as he hears Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes through this Māyāvādī conception, his envy of Kṛṣṇa is reinforced rather than cured, and he desires to become Him. His practice then becomes some form of sensual imitation of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes. The goal is then never reached.

As Prabhupāda warns in his purport to text 3.24:

“Lord Śiva drank poison to the extent of swallowing an ocean, but if any common man tries to drink even a fragment of such poison, he will be killed. There are many pseudo devotees of Lord Śiva who want to indulge in smoking gañjā (marijuana) and similar intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so imitating the acts of Lord Śiva they are calling death very near. Similarly, there are some pseudo devotees of Lord Kṛṣṇa who prefer to imitate the Lord in His rāsa-līlā, or dance of love, forgetting their inability to lift Govardhana Hill.”

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Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow (Bg 3.17 to 3.24)

After explaining the cycle of sacrifice, which is ultimately meant to elevate the common man to the platform of devotional service, Kṛṣṇa now clarifies the position of the self-realized soul. Advanced devotees have no material desires to satisfy and thus no duties to perform, but this does not mean they remain idle. They continue to perform duties on the platform of devotional service, acting without attachment, as an offering to the Lord, the very platform of niṣkāma-karma-yoga on which Kṛṣṇa recommends that Arjuna situate himself. By doing so, they also set the proper example for common people to follow, and thus advance towards the same platform.

Text 17: yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād, ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ
ātmany eva ca santuṣṭas, tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate

But for one who takes pleasure in the Self, whose human life is one of self-realization, and who is satisfied in the Self only, fully satiated – for him there is no duty.

Text 18: naiva tasya kṛtenārtho, nākṛteneha kaścana
na cāsya sarva-bhūteṣu, kaścid artha-vyapāśrayaḥ

A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.

Text 19: tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ, kāryaṁ karma samācara
asakto hy ācaran karma, param āpnoti pūruṣaḥ

Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.

Text 20: karmaṇaiva hi saṁsiddhim, āsthitā janakādayaḥ,
loka-saṅgraham evāpi, sampaśyan kartum arhasi

Kings such as Janaka attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.

Text 21: yad yad ācarati śreṣṭhas, tat tad evetaro janaḥ
sa yat pramāṇaṁ kurute, lokas tad anuvartate

Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

Text 22: na me pārthāsti kartavyaṁ, triṣu lokeṣu kiñcana
nānavāptam avāptavyaṁ, varta eva ca karmaṇi

O son of Pṛthā, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything – and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties.

Text 23: yadi hy ahaṁ na varteyaṁ, jātu karmaṇy atandritaḥ
mama vartmānuvartante, manuṣyāḥ pārtha sarvaśaḥ

For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Pārtha, certainly all men would follow My path.

Text 24: utsīdeyur ime lokā, na kuryāṁ karma ced aham
saṅkarasya ca kartā syām, upahanyām imāḥ prajāḥ

If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.

The path of pious life is necessary for everyone who has material desires, for it is the only way to satisfy these desires without becoming entangled in sinful reactions. This was already made clear in the previous section. What about an advanced devotee who became free from material desires? What are his or her duties? Should one immediately abandon everything and go to the forest?

In text 3.17, Kṛṣṇa confirms that once one becomes free from material desires, there are no more material duties to perform. At this stage, one starts performing his nitya-dharma, becoming fully confident in his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa and serving Him on the spiritual platform. However, Kṛṣṇa raises another point: even though a devotee without material desires has no need to perform material duties, because he is detached, he also has no need to discard them.

That’s a crucial point. To be truly detached means to be neutral. If I insist on a certain path, on one side or the other, it means I’m still attached to it. In the beginning of the Gītā, Arjuna posed as a renounced person, arguing that he was ready to leave everything and go to the forest. However, if he is truly renounced, then why not stay and fight?

This also applies to us. Often we use detachment as an excuse to neglect our duties, but this is just another side of material attachment: trying to avoid activities that are difficult or unpleasant. Real detachment means to just follow the order of Kṛṣṇa, performing our duties faithfully alongside our practice of Kṛṣṇa consciousness until the proper time for external renunciation comes. By following this process, we become truly free. Kṛṣṇa confirms this point in text 3.19, enjoining that one should work as a matter of duty, without attachment to the fruits of these activities, for working in this way, one attains the Supreme.

Arjuna wanted to avoid the fight because he didn’t find the idea of fighting his teachers very pleasant. He was also concerned about mundane morality. All of these, however, are signs of attachment. Kṛṣṇa thus argues that he should fight. From the material perspective, he should fight because this is his duty as a kṣatriya, his duty on the path of dharma, and that’s what will bring real benefit for society. From the spiritual perspective, he should also fight, because Kṛṣṇa personally desires him to fight.

The case of Arjuna, personally receiving instructions from Kṛṣṇa, is unique, but we have the same benefit when we have the opportunity to receive instructions from a self-realized spiritual master. If the spiritual master is connected with Kṛṣṇa, and the disciple has faith in him, then the process is as good as receiving direct instructions from Kṛṣṇa, for Kṛṣṇa will speak to the disciple through the mouth of the spiritual master.

To sustain this point of self-realized souls performing material duties, Kṛṣṇa mentions the example of great saintly kings of the past, such as King Janaka, the father of Sītā. Although a king and a householder, he was a great devotee and fully detached. He was so great that at the end of his life he was able to liberate all the souls living in hell by giving them his pious religious merits, as described in the Padma Purāṇa. Still, he was perfectly performing his duties as a king to give a good example to people in general. Similarly, Arjuna should perform his duty not only for his own sake but for the benefit of the whole society.

Why is it that pure devotees such as Janaka and Arjuna should still perform material duties, just like ordinary men? The point is that these duties are essential for ordinary people and devotees who are still battling their material desires. Everyone looks at the examples of great personalities for the path to follow, and thus pure devotees also perform their duties to give the proper example. A leader can’t teach people to stop smoking if he himself smokes. People will not hear what he says; they will follow what he does. If Arjuna were to leave the battlefield due to the difficulty in fighting his relatives, everyone who has problems at home would use his example as an excuse to also leave. If a pure devotee is seen not performing his duties, others will use it as an excuse to do the same.

We can see that even the Supreme Lord Himself performs duties when He comes as an incarnation, playing the role of a perfect king as Rāma, and a perfect sannyāsī as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Certainly, the Lord has no material desire, and He is not under the influence of karma. Still, He performs duties to set a good example for others. As He mentions, “For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Pārtha, certainly all men would follow My path.”

We should, however, follow the example of the Lord without imitating Him. We can follow the path of dharma and morality, just as He did as Rāma, but we can’t imitate His superhuman activities, such as lifting Govardhana Hill. Following His example comes from humility, while imitating comes from envy. We should not confuse the two.

Out of envy, sahajiyās and Māyāvādīs try to imitate the amorous pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, without understanding that the gopīs are manifestations of His internal potency who met Him in their spiritual bodies. If a man wants to imitate Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes in marrying many wives, he should also be prepared to imitate His pastimes of giving a palace to each one, and being personally present with each of them simultaneously.

Main points in the purports of Śrīla Prabhupāda:

“But for one who takes pleasure in the Self, whose human life is one of self-realization, and who is satisfied in the Self only, fully satiated – for him there is no duty.”

a) A fully Kṛṣṇa-conscious devotee becomes fully aware of his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa and loses interest in material activities. Cleansed of all impiety and free from material desires, he no longer has any obligations to the Vedic injunctions. His duties are on the spiritual platform, connected with his service to Kṛṣṇa.

“A self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill in the discharge of his prescribed duties, nor has he any reason not to perform such work. Nor has he any need to depend on any other living being.”

a) Although a self-realized devotee has no obligation to perform material duties, he is not inactive, nor is he averse to the performance of duties ordained by the Lord. His performance of duties is, however, different from an ordinary person, for everything he does is exclusively for the satisfaction of the Lord.

“Therefore, without being attached to the fruits of activities, one should act as a matter of duty, for by working without attachment one attains the Supreme.”

a) The process of working for Kṛṣṇa without attachment to the result allows us to progress toward the supreme goal of life. This is the most perfect form of action. In the Gītā, Arjuna is advised on how to act by Kṛṣṇa Himself, and this is beyond mundane matters such as the idea of being a good man or a non-violent man.

b) Vedic rituals and sacrifices allow one to attain material results and purify himself of impious reactions. They are, however, still under the sphere of sense gratification. The goal is to be happy in this world, not to transcend it. Action in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, is transcendental and free from pious and impious results. A devotee thus remains unattached even while performing different activities. He does not work for himself, but for Kṛṣṇa.

“Kings such as Janaka attained perfection solely by performance of prescribed duties. Therefore, just for the sake of educating the people in general, you should perform your work.”

a) Although pure devotees such as Janaka have no material desires to satisfy, they are eager to cooperate in the mission of the Lord of saving the conditioned souls. They therefore perform their prescribed duties to set the proper standards that others can follow. In other words, even though they may not have any interest in the world, they still work to teach the public how to live and how to act.

“Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.”

a) A teacher should behave properly before he begins teaching. To teach the common man, an ācārya must follow the principles of the scriptures. Even though a pure devotee is transcendental to mundane duties, common men are not, and they have to be properly guided.

b) Apart from spiritual masters, all types of other authorities, including a king, a father, a teacher, etc., have a great responsibility for their dependents, and must be well familiar with the principles of the scriptures.

“O son of Pṛthā, there is no work prescribed for Me within all the three planetary systems. Nor am I in want of anything, nor have I a need to obtain anything – and yet I am engaged in prescribed duties.”

a) Kṛṣṇa is the greatest; everyone is under His control. There is no other leader who can censure Him. In fact, He is the object of worship of all the great demigods and kings. Nor is He under the influence of karma or material qualities. On the contrary, His body is fully spiritual.

b) He also has no material desire, and nothing to obtain. He is thus, on all levels, completely free from any material duty. Still, He engages Himself in many activities, such as participating in the battle of Kurukṣetra to set the proper example. As the compiler of the Vedic scriptures, He does not do anything that contradicts their precepts.

“For if I ever failed to engage in carefully performing prescribed duties, O Pārtha, certainly all men would follow My path.”

a) Kṛṣṇa is the greatest authority. If He did not follow the injunctions of the scriptures, others would follow His actions. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we learn that while living as a householder in Dvārakā, Kṛṣṇa was perfectly performing all His religious duties.

“If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.”

a) The rules of the scriptures are formulated to allow people to live peacefully and progress spiritually. When Kṛṣṇa appears in this world, He follows these rules to maintain their prestige and emphasize their importance.

b) He does so because He is the father of all living entities, and thus He is indirectly responsible. When society deviates from the regulative principles, the Lord comes personally to correct it.

c) We should follow the example of the Lord in practicing religious principles, and not try to imitate His pastimes. Following is different from imitating. We can’t drink the ocean of poison like Lord Śiva. If we try to imitate, we just invite death.

Read the entire book:
« The Song of God—Volume 1, chapters 1-6

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In his Jaiva Dharma, Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura mentions that a Vaiṣnava who is a brahmana should preferentially accept a spiritual master who is also a brahmana by varna. He also recommends that Vaiṣnavas should marry within their own varna. A brahmana boy should thus preferentially marry a brahmana girl and so on. Some consider these passages a concession to the caste brahmanas which were common at the time, but it is not the case.

The Jaiva Dharma is not a book of fiction penned by Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura but a real history that happened a few decades after the disappearance of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, much like the Brhad Bhagavatamrta, which also narrates a true history, although it describes events that happened a very long time ago. The events of the Jaiva Dharma may have happened on this planet or in some other universe, but it doesn’t make much of a difference. Śrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura was thus narrating events from the past and not penning a fiction story written according to the fashion in vogue.

Such passages that appear to suggest the observation of a resemblance of the caste system among Vaiṣnavas are actually a set of common-sense recommendations for Vaiṣnavas that are still operating under the three modes of nature.

It happens that human relationships are strongly dependent on a common culture. It’s very difficult to maintain an intimate relationship with a person who has cultural values too different from ours. A girl growing up in a traditional braḥmana family, trained in all the scriptures and standards, would have difficulty being the wife of an unrefined factory worker, even if both are devotees. For a marriage to work out, the bride and groom must share similar values and a similar culture; therefore, the recommendation of marrying within the same varna. In the book, we can see that, although already very advanced in bhakti by that stage, Vrajanatha marries a girl of a similar social position through a brahmana matchmaker who took into consideration astrology and other factors.

The exception, of course, is if both are pure Vaiṣṇavas; in this case, other factors become irrelevant. This is a point emphasized by Śrila Prabhupada. In SB 2.6.26, for example, he mentions:

“The custom in Vedic society is to examine the horoscopes of a girl and boy being considered for marriage to see whether their combination is suitable. Vedic astrology reveals whether one has been born in the vipra-varṇa, kṣatriya-varṇa, vaiśya-varṇa or śūdra-varṇa, according to the three qualities of material nature. This must be examined because a marriage between a boy of the vipra-varṇa and a girl of the śūdra-varṇa is incompatible; married life would be miserable for both husband and wife. Consequently a boy should marry a girl of the same category. Of course, this is trai-guṇya, a material calculation according to the Vedas, but if the boy and girl are devotees there need be no such considerations. A devotee is transcendental, and therefore in a marriage between devotees, the boy and girl form a very happy combination.”

Similarly, to follow a spiritual master, one must have great faith and respect for him. If one considers himself superior to the spiritual master in any way, this is going to put a significant strain on the relationship. Someone who comes from a braḥmana family and rigidly follows braḥminical standards will almost inevitably have a certain pride. Such a person is thus advised to accept a spiritual master from a similar background, whom he can easily surrender to. It doesn’t thus have to do with the qualification of the spiritual master but with the material conditioning of the disciple.

An example of this found in the book itself is Lahiri Mahasaya accepting Vaiṣnava dāsa as his guru because he was also a braḥmana by caste. At that point, there were other more senior Vaiṣnavas in the meeting, but Lahiri became attracted to the sadhu who had a similar material background. He himself made the choice based on his material conditioning, but it was blessed by Paramahansa Babaji, who saw it as a good combination according to Lahiri Mahasaya’s material conceptions at the time.

Another point is about the reaction of other people in society (customary behavior). In general, Vaiṣnavas avoid breaking with social etiquette unless necessary, thus avoiding unnecessary disturbances. In some cases, we may have to go against flawed social norms, but we don’t do this indiscriminately. Therefore, we may follow social customs in traditional societies if such customs don’t directly go against Vaiṣnava values. This is explained in the book itself:

“Vaiṣṇava dāsa said, “Humans have two types of activity: material and spiritual. Even attaining qualification, one cannot perform material activities. A person born as a yavana may develop the nature of a pure brāhmaṇa and is thus a brāhmaṇa from the spiritual perspective. However, he has no qualification for material activities such as marrying a brāhmaṇa girl.”

Cūḍāmaṇi said, “Why not? What is the fault if he does marry a brāhmaṇa girl?”

Vaiṣṇava dāsa said, “If a person performs acts contrary to custom, there is a fault in customary behavior. Persons who respect customary behavior in society and are proud of that will not accept such contrary acts. Though one may have a spiritual qualification, one’s acts may not agree with customary behavior.”

A similar point made in the book is that when we compare two Vaiṣnavas of similar status, one following varnasrama and the other not, the one who follows varnasrama is considered better. The point here is that one following varnasrama is living a pious life, following the principles of dharma, which is favorable for his devotional service, while another who is not following the principles of varnasrama is probably still living a sinful life, which is detrimental to his spiritual development. A devotee living in a spiritual community who wakes up early to go to mangala-artik and chant his rounds, who is following all the principles, and so on, is on a much more solid path than a devotee who is working in a factory and living an unregulated life. Even if both have been following for a similar time and appear to be similar in other aspects, the one who is rigidly following the rules and regulations has a better foundation in his practice and can thus be considered superior. This is also common sense.

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This is a publication for thoughtful readers who want to go deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I publish daily, trying to offer high-quality spiritual content, and all posts are available to free subscribers. If you wish, you can support this work with a monthly contribution. When you subscribe, you can choose between a free subscription and a monthly contribution, and you can switch from a free subscriber to a supporter at any time.

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The cycle of sacrifices (Bg 3.10 to 3.16)

After hinting at the perfection of the platform of karma-yoga, work without attachment as an offering to Him, Kṛṣṇa now starts describing the ladder that leads to this standard. In this section, He describes the first step, the process of Vedic sacrifices (karma-kānda), that gradually elevates a common person. One starts in this process with the goal of obtaining the necessities of life and satisfying material desires, but gradually one comes to the platform of seeing Viṣṇu as the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices.

Text 10: saha-yajñāḥ prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā, purovāca prajāpatiḥ
anena prasaviṣyadhvam, eṣa vo ’stv iṣṭa-kāma-dhuk

In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Viṣṇu, and blessed them by saying, “Be thou happy by this yajña [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.

Text 11: devān bhāvayatānena, te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ
parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ, śreyaḥ param avāpsyatha

The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you, and thus, by cooperation between men and demigods, prosperity will reign for all.

Text 12: iṣṭān bhogān hi vo devā, dāsyante yajña-bhāvitāḥ
tair dattān apradāyaibhyo, yo bhuṅkte stena eva saḥ

In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajña [sacrifice], will supply all necessities to you. But he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is certainly a thief.

Text 13: yajña-śiṣṭāśinaḥ santo, mucyante sarva-kilbiṣaiḥ
bhuñjate te tv aghaṁ pāpā, ye pacanty ātma-kāraṇāt

The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.

Text 14: annād bhavanti bhūtāni, parjanyād anna-sambhavaḥ
yajñād bhavati parjanyo, yajñaḥ karma-samudbhavaḥ

All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.

Text 15: karma brahmodbhavaṁ viddhi, brahmākṣara-samudbhavam
tasmāt sarva-gataṁ brahma, nityaṁ yajñe pratiṣṭhitam

Regulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are directly manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.

Text 16: evaṁ pravartitaṁ cakraṁ, nānuvartayatīha yaḥ
aghāyur indriyārāmo, moghaṁ pārtha sa jīvati

My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by the Vedas certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person lives in vain.

In the previous section, Kṛṣṇa revealed the ultimate goal of the process of karma-yoga: to reach the platform of niṣkāma, working for Kṛṣṇa without attachment to the results.

The Vedas offer two general paths of gradual progression for ordinary people: karma and jñāna. Karma means the path of pious, fruitive activities, karma-kāṇḍa, which is offered to ordinary materialists. The idea is that a conditioned soul wants to enjoy materially, and the Vedas offer a process to do it smartly. By following the cycle of sacrifices prescribed in the scriptures and obtaining material recompenses, a person gradually acquires faith in the scriptures and the brāhmanas. Eventually, by following this path, one is elevated to the celestial planets and has the opportunity to enjoy a much higher and subtler standard of sense enjoyment there, for a very long time. After his previous pious results are finished, one takes birth again on earth. However, having his material desires satisfied, one may this time start inquiring about spiritual realization.

One comes then to the parts of the scriptures that speak about ātma-tattva, knowledge about the soul, and starts the path of jñāna, the path of philosophical introspection and mental speculation that comes after one becomes frustrated with material existence.

The path of jñāna is considered superior to karma, but both are indirect processes that don’t necessarily include devotion to Kṛṣṇa. Demons are often very expert in performing fruitive activities to increase their power, even though they are inimical to God and His devotees. Similarly, Māyāvādīs believe they themselves are God, and ordinary materialists think about satisfying their interests. The only real benefit is that there is a chance that one may be gradually elevated to the platform of devotional service.

We come then to karma-yoga, the very start of the path of devotional service, where one accepts the supremacy of Kṛṣṇa and agrees to work as an offering to Him.

Because devotional service is so powerful, one can benefit even if working for Kṛṣṇa on a sentimental basis, but for better results, one should do it anchored in proper philosophical understanding.

The process of karma-yoga subdivides into two main branches: sakāma-karma-yoga and niṣkāma-karma-yoga.

Sakāma-karma-yoga means to work for Kṛṣṇa while still attached to the results of our activities (sa=with, kāma=desire). One may work and give only a percentage of the results to Kṛṣṇa, or one may desire to enjoy the results indirectly, by achieving fame or status, for example. In this level, the service is not pure, but because it is connected with Kṛṣṇa, it still brings gradual purification.

Niṣkāma-karma-yoga is the advanced platform, when the heart is cleansed of material desires (niṣ=without, kāma=desire). We can then offer our service to Kṛṣṇa without expecting any material result, working first as a matter of duty, and later as an offering of love. Niṣkāma-karma-yoga is already a very high platform. The only fault is that while there is no attachment to the result, there may be attachment to the activity itself. One may thus be still attached to acting like a brāhmana, for example, and refusing other types of service, even when they are necessary. By continuing our practice, we can get rid of even this last layer of hesitation and come to a platform where we simply desire to serve Kṛṣṇa, and are prepared to accept any kind of position.

Starting from text 3.10, Kṛṣṇa gives a gradual process by which we can reach this level. Texts 3.10 to 3.16 bring the first part of this explanation, describing the Vedic process of karma-kāṇḍa and its ultimate goal.

When Kṛṣṇa mentions, “In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Viṣṇu”, the word used is “prajāpati” (the Lord of all creatures). Ordinarily, prajāpati means Brahmā, but Prabhupāda calls our attention to the higher meaning of the term, clarifying that the ultimate creator is Viṣṇu. He is the ultimate Lord of all creatures. Brahmā is simply empowered by Him to perform his functions.

In each cycle of creation, the Vedas are manifested, containing instructions for the performance of dharma. By following the path of dharma, one can live peacefully in this world and at the same time advance spiritually. Dharma is based on the performance of duties, and these duties can be divided into two broad categories: naimittika-dharma and nitya-dharma.

Naimittika-dharma means temporary duties connected with our material identity. One may be a brāhmana in this life and thus perform duties connected with this particular varna, but if in his next life he becomes a vaiśya or something else, the duties will be different. Nitya-dharma, on the other hand, is connected with our eternal loving relationship with the Lord as pure souls. The nitya-dharma is eternal and never changes, but it can be temporarily forgotten when we become absorbed in this material world. The temporary duties we perform here are a means to gradually reconnect with this eternal dharma, which is love for Kṛṣṇa.

As long as we identify with our current material identity, we have to perform the material duties connected with it, but when we reach the spiritual platform, we may simply serve Kṛṣṇa on a platform of love, serving Him according to pure spiritual sentiments.

In text 3.10, Kṛṣṇa speaks about the manifestation of the temporary duties connected with the material identity that applies to all conditioned souls. We should all perform yajña for the satisfaction of the Lord.

In previous ages, people would perform fire sacrifices, worshipping Lord Viṣṇu and then offering the prasādam to the different demigods. Only people who can’t at all understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead would be advised to directly worship demigods. In the age we live, however, the best form of yajña is the chanting of the holy names, where the Lord is directly worshipped. Other forms of yajña can’t be properly performed, and are thus rendered ineffective.

The performance of yajña pleases not only Lord Viṣṇu Himself, but also the demigods, who are His assistants. Just as we nourish a tree by watering the root, we satisfy all demigods by worshipping Kṛṣṇa. Being pleased and nourished by the performance of sacrifice, the demigods supply water, light, wind, and all necessities of life, leading to the progress of human society. None of these can be manufactured by us. One may open a factory to produce bread, but the factory can work only when supplied with grains, electricity, gas, and other natural resources. Eventually it all comes down to rain, wind, sun, oil, gas, coal, and other natural resources we can’t produce by ourselves.

The water, grains, milk, minerals, and other resources we receive from the demigods, however, should be offered back to the Lord, or at least used to perform sacrifices to the demigods, according to which level one is. We can then take the prasādam and use it to maintain our lives. Ultimately, our lives themselves should be lived in a spirit of sacrifice.

If, however, one takes things simply for sense satisfaction, without offering them back to the Lord, one becomes a thief. How is it so? It is just like when we work in a company. One may receive a car, air tickets, hotel rooms, and so on while at work, but these resources are meant to be used in the company’s service. If one takes the company’s car and goes to the beach, one becomes implicated. Similarly, in human life we receive many facilities, but all these material resources are meant to be used for a higher purpose. In the process, we are also maintained with everything we need, but this must be accepted in the context of the performance of our duties.

The Vedas offer different processes of sacrifice for different classes of persons. Even meat eaters have some process of sacrifice prescribed for them, sacrificing animals to Kālī before eating. As long as we are on the bodily platform, we should perform the process of sacrifice prescribed to us according to our position in life, but as we genuinely ascend to the spiritual platform, we come to the platform of nitya-dharma, performing our eternal occupation of loving service to the Lord. That’s why Kṛṣṇa later says that one who comes to the spiritual platform has no more material duties to perform.

Everyone who is practicing as a devotee, is already connected with his or her nitya-dharma to some extent by serving Kṛṣṇa, but at the same time we are advised to perform our material duties and regulate our activities according to devotional principles. This assures that we remain free from all kinds of sins. One of the greatest sources of sinful reactions is eating, because to eat, we need to kill so many living beings. Even one who is a vegetarian has to kill so many plants, seeds, etc. A devotee, however, automatically remains free from sin by always offering his food to Kṛṣṇa before eating. We may not see such a simple process as offering a sacrifice, but it is so powerful that it can immunize us against all material contamination. Similarly, by giving donations to Kṛṣṇa-conscious activities and maintaining a Kṛṣṇa-conscious family, one purifies his work, and so on. We may not be pure devotees, but by just following these general spiritual principles, we remain free from sins.

On the other hand, as Kṛṣṇa warns, one who prepares food for personal sense enjoyment, without caring about offering it to the Lord, eats only sin. In the previous verses, Kṛṣṇa already defined such persons as thieves. Prabhupāda then questions: “How can a person be happy if he is both a thief and sinful? It is not possible.” From this we can understand why people face so many difficulties in modern societies. The solution is bringing them to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, teaching them the process of saṅkīrtana-yajña. That’s how we can convert the world into a happy and peaceful place.

All types of eatables, including industrialized foods and meat, come from the rains, because without grass and vegetables, it is not possible to maintain animals. Rain comes from the performance of sacrifice, and thus, even if people are not at all interested in spiritual progression, they must at least perform saṅkīrtana-yajña to remain free from food scarcity.

Why is it that Kṛṣṇa creates such a system that forces us to live according to different sets of rules and regulations, instead of just allowing us to live peacefully the way we want? The point is that to maintain a materialistic life in this world, we have to inevitably cause suffering to many other living beings. We thus become implicated in the reactions for all of this. We then end up living a purposeless life, just working to satisfy our senses and the senses of others around us. By doing that, we waste our opportunity of human life.

The cycle of sacrifices offered in the Vedas is an opportunity to become free from these problems. Not only do the regulations of spiritual life keep us free from sinful reactions, but they guide us in the direction of a progressive life, back to the spiritual platform.

Text 3.15 reveals the divinity of the Vedic instructions. The Vedas manifest from the Supreme Lord, and thus He is eternally present in the instructions of the Vedas. All the acts of sacrifice are thus direct manifestations of God. It is thus not just about rules and regulations, but keeping ourselves in the association of the Lord, first indirectly, through the performance of rules and regulations that are manifestations of His will and compassion, and eventually personally through the practice of loving devotional service.

Main points in the purports of Śrīla Prabhupāda:

“In the beginning of creation, the Lord of all creatures sent forth generations of men and demigods, along with sacrifices for Viṣṇu, and blessed them by saying, “Be thou happy by this yajña [sacrifice] because its performance will bestow upon you everything desirable for living happily and achieving liberation.”

a) All souls are eternally connected with Kṛṣṇa, but when we forget this eternal relationship, we become conditioned by material nature. The material creation is an opportunity to revive this eternal relationship, and the Vedic principles are the guides in this journey.

b) The cycle of sacrifices is created by the Lord to allow us to live happily in this material world and at the same time gradually awaken to our original spiritual identity.

c) By performing yajña, we become godly in all respects. There are many types of yajñas described in the Vedas, but in our age the recommended process is saṅkīrtana-yajña, introduced by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. One can chant even without following other principles of spiritual life, but if one also follows the principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, the process is especially powerful.

“The demigods, being pleased by sacrifices, will also please you, and thus, by cooperation between men and demigods, prosperity will reign for all.”

a) The demigods are empowered assistants and parts of the universal body of the Lord, who are entrusted with maintaining all living entities. As such, they are not independent of the Lord.

b) Different yajñas are recommended in the Vedas to please different demigods, but the ultimate beneficiary of all these different sacrifices is Lord Viṣṇu. When He is satisfied by our performance of sacrifice, all demigods automatically become satisfied. There is thus no need to worship them separately.

c) One can obtain many material benefits from the performance of yajñas, but the real purpose is to purify our activities and ultimately attain liberation from material bondage. For example, by offering our food to Kṛṣṇa and eating prasādam, our existence becomes purified, and we gradually become Kṛṣṇa conscious.

“In charge of the various necessities of life, the demigods, being satisfied by the performance of yajña [sacrifice], will supply all necessities to you. But he who enjoys such gifts without offering them to the demigods in return is certainly a thief.”

a) One who cannot at all understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead is recommended to worship demigods according to their nature for gradual elevation. People in the mode of ignorance are advised to worship Kālī, for example. However, people in the mode of goodness who have proper knowledge are always recommended to worship Viṣṇu.

b) Our whole way of life is based on many types of natural resources that we can’t manufacture by ourselves. We can take minerals from the earth, but we can’t produce them. We can open a factory to produce bread, but the grains are produced from the sun and rain sent by God. Without the cooperation of the demigods and, ultimately, the supply from the Lord, no one can live.

c) The purpose of using all these resources should be to live a progressive life and cultivate our self-realization, not to just enjoy our senses and become implicated in the laws of nature. A society of thieves can never be happy.

“The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food which is offered first for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.”

a) Devotees of the Lord are always in touch with the divine energy. Because of their loving relationship, they cannot accept anything without first offering it to Him.

b) They constantly perform different types of yajñas for the satisfaction of the Lord, hearing about Him, chanting His names, remembering Him, worshipping Him, and so on. This keeps them always aloof from all kinds of material contamination and association.

“All living bodies subsist on food grains, which are produced from rains. Rains are produced by performance of yajña [sacrifice], and yajña is born of prescribed duties.”

a) The Vedas direct people who have this tendency to worship demigods like Indra and Candra, so they may be pleased to perform their universal functions. However, when the Lord is worshipped, the demigods are also worshipped. There is thus no necessity to worship them separately. This is just offered as a concession for less intelligent people.

b) Devotees thus worship Kṛṣṇa directly. One of the most important forms of this worship is to offer our food to Kṛṣṇa before eating. By eating His prasādam, we are nourished spiritually, becoming free from all sinful reactions and material attachment. Conversely, one who eats anything and everything without bothering to offer it, accumulates more sinful reactions and prepares another material body.

c) All food production, including meat, depends on agricultural production, which in turn depends on the rains, winds, the moon, etc., which are controlled by demigods, who become pleased when the Lord is satisfied. If nothing else, saṅkīrtana-yajña must be performed to save us from food scarcity.

“Regulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are directly manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Consequently the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in acts of sacrifice.”

a) The Vedas offer many paths for the gradual progression of different classes of people. If we ignore the advice and act capriciously, we perform vikarma, sinful work, which entangles us in karmic reactions. We should thus always work according to the guidance of the scriptures, just as ordinary people work according to the laws of the state.

b) Why should we follow the Vedas? Because they are manifested directly from the Lord, containing His divine instructions for our deliverance out of material illusion.

c) All conditioned souls are anxious for material enjoyment. The instructions of the Vedas allow one to enjoy materially in a lawful way, and gradually become purified from this propensity. The principles of Kṛṣṇa consciousness are the conclusion of the Vedic injunctions; therefore, even one who is not able or willing to follow the Vedic injunctions may simply follow the process of Kṛṣṇa consciousness to achieve the same result.

“My dear Arjuna, one who does not follow in human life the cycle of sacrifice thus established by the Vedas certainly leads a life full of sin. Living only for the satisfaction of the senses, such a person lives in vain.”

a) For anyone who wants to be happy in this world, following this cycle of sacrifices is absolutely necessary. One who tries to enjoy life without following it follows a very risky path, just like a citizen who disregards the laws of the state.

b) A pure transcendentalist may not rigidly perform the path of sacrifices prescribed in the Vedas, because he has no more material desires, but anyone who is on the path of sense gratification has to follow the path of sacrifices for gradual purification. This is the very essence of human life.

c) Normally, sense gratification means sinful activities; this is what makes the materialistic path so dangerous. The pious path offered in the scriptures offers a way of satisfying material desires without becoming entangled in karmic reactions. This is thus the only viable path for one who is not practicing the devotional process.

d) The goal of the path of sacrifices prescribed in the Vedas is to gradually elevate one to the path of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Without Kṛṣṇa consciousness, it is reduced to mere moral codes. We should thus not stagnate in the level of pious life; we should transcend it and come to the spiritual level.

Read the entire book:
« The Song of God—Volume 1, chapters 1-6

This is a publication for thoughtful readers who want to go deeper into Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I publish daily, trying to offer high-quality spiritual content, and all posts are available to free subscribers. If you wish, you can also choose a paid subscription to support this work.

You can also receive the updates on WhatsApp or Telegram.
If you would like to contribute further, you can find the donation links here.