Wrapping it all up

Krsna wraps up His teachings in the second chapter by explaining how a self-realized devotee remains fixed despite the onslaught of the desires of the material mind. He is compared to an ocean.

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After all these precious instructions, Krsna wraps up His teachings in the second chapter by explaining how a self-realized devotee is able to remain fixed despite the onslaught of the desires of the material mind. He is compared to an ocean, which remains steady, despite being constantly filled by numerous rivers.

Srila Prabhupada explains this point beautifully in his purport to text 2.70: "As long as one has the material body, the demands of the body for sense gratification will continue. The devotee, however, is not disturbed by such desires, because of his fullness. A Kṛṣṇa conscious man is not in need of anything, because the Lord fulfills all his material necessities. Therefore he is like the ocean – always full in himself. Desires may come to him like the waters of the rivers that flow into the ocean, but he is steady in his activities, and he is not even slightly disturbed by desires for sense gratification. That is the proof of a Kṛṣṇa conscious man – one who has lost all inclinations for material sense gratification, although the desires are present. Because he remains satisfied in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, he can remain steady, like the ocean, and therefore enjoy full peace."

Krsna adds that only such an equipoised devotee can achieve peace, and not someone who is working hard, trying to satisfy his desires.

The problem with material desires is that they have no end. All of us are here in this material world for more time than it can be counted. We are described as nitya-baddha, conditioned since time immemorial. If there were an end to material desires, we would have already reached it by now. The reason we are still trying to satisfy different material desires is that there isn't. Krsna compares lust with fire. Fire burns continuously without ever becoming satisfied. It continues to consume fuel and expand indefinitely. The only way to put off a fire is to restrict its sources of fuel or oxygen. Similarly, the only way to put off the fire of material desires is to make the conscious decision to not act on them, or to do it in a restricted way observing the effects with the help of transcendental knowledge, until we can finally give up on the hopes of becoming happy by material means, observing that other people who try the same achieve only the opposite.

We tend to see the word "lust" as connected with sexual desire, but in the Bhagavad-gītā, the word "kama" (translated as lust) is a general word for all types of material enjoyment. It's mentioned, for example, that women have nine times more lust than men. This just means they have, in general, a stronger impulse to satisfy their senses. Therefore, to become free of lust means to renounce our propensity to enjoy this world through our senses and focus on our original nature as souls, not just to become free from sexual desire.

As Krsna explains in verse 2.71, only a person who, after having given up all desires for sense gratification, lives free from desires can attain real peace. As He defined before, peace is a prerequisite for happiness, and therefore, renouncing one's material desires instead of acting on them is the path to real happiness.

In his purport, Srila Prabhupada explains that actual desirelessness means to become Krsna conscious. The desire to enjoy this material world comes from the idea of seeing ourselves as the center, and therefore the enjoyers of everything we see. When we understand our eternal position as servants of Krsna and put Him in the center, understanding that everything belongs to Him and should be used in His service, we can finally become free from material desires. Real desirelessness means desiring to use everything in the service of Krsna.

Such understanding passes through the realization that we are not the body and that we are not the possessors of anything in this world. We don't belong here. Here came here with nothing and will leave with nothing, and it is just due to the illusion that we see ourselves as the possessors or enjoyers of different objects or people in the meantime. This understanding may start as something theoretical, but over time, it can be converted into deep spiritual realization.

Becoming free from material desires, however, does not mean to become idle, but to engage our senses and energy in the service of Krsna. That's another lesson of the Bhagavad-gītā. The soul is active by nature, and therefore, desires and activities can't be stopped at any stage. Now we are applying our propensity for desire and activity incorrectly, in connection with the material body and senses, and Krsna Consciousness means to apply it correctly in relationship with Krsna.

As Srila Prabhupada explains in his purport to verse 2.71:

"Real desirelessness is desire for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, not an artificial attempt to abolish desires. The living entity cannot be desireless or senseless, but he does have to change the quality of the desires. A materially desireless person certainly knows that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa (īśāvāsyam idam sarvam), and therefore he does not falsely claim proprietorship over anything. This transcendental knowledge is based on self-realization – namely, knowing perfectly well that every living entity is an eternal part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa in spiritual identity, and that the eternal position of the living entity is therefore never on the level of Kṛṣṇa or greater than Him. This understanding of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the basic principle of real peace."

Krsna concludes His teachings of the second chapter by explaining that after attaining this state of Krsna Consciousness, a person can see everything clearly. Such a devotee is not bewildered. Prabhupada explains that this stage of full Krsna Consciousness can be obtained immediately, or not be attained in many lifetimes; it is a matter of understanding and accepting. An example in this connection is the story of Mahārāja Khaṭvānga, who was able to attain perfection in just a few minutes. This is, in turn, connected with the story of Parīkṣit Maharaja in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

Parīkṣit was the emperor of the whole world, but he was cursed by a brāhmaṇa boy to die in seven days. After hearing about the curse, he immediately entrusted the kingdom to his son, Janamejaya, and went to the banks of the Ganges to hear about devotional service, preparing to leave his body. By the arrangement of the Lord, he met with Śukadeva Goswami, the son of Vyāsadeva, who was situated in the highest perfectional stage and heard the Srimad Bhagavatam from Him. To encourage Maharaja Parīkṣit, Śukadeva Goswami explained that there is no point in a long life that doesn't lead to self-realization. Certain species on our planet can live for thousands of years, such as certain types of trees, but what is the point of having a very long life as a tree? Similarly, many may live long lives as human beings, but what is the point of a long human life in ignorance of our eternal nature as souls? Better to live for just a moment, but in full Krsna Consciousness. Since Parīkṣit Maharaja had already decided to dedicate the last days of his life to hearing the Srimad Bhagavatam and situating himself in Krsna Consciousness, there was nothing to lament.

To put things into perspective, Śukadeva Goswami mentioned the story of Maharaja Khaṭvānga, who was able to achieve perfection in just a muhūrta, which was much less time than Parīkṣit Maharaja had. A muhūrta equals 48 minutes, but it is generally translated as "a moment" because it is not a very long time. Certainly, we can waste a muhūrta very easily if we don't have a clear idea of what to do, but that was not the case with Khaṭvānga.

The story is that Mahārāja Khaṭvānga was invited by the demigods to the celestial planets to help them fight the asuras. After fighting many battles, the demigods became satisfied with him and offered him a benediction. Instead of asking for some material blessing, Khaṭvānga inquired about his remaining duration of life. This showed how his priority was not to just enjoy materially but to prepare himself for the next life. After being informed by the demigods that he had only one muhūrta left, he immediately returned to Earth and used his remaining time to practice self-realization and return home, back to Godhead.

Examples like Maharaja Khaṭvānga and Maharaja Parīkṣit set the gold standard of how one can achieve perfection at the time of death. Instead of being afraid, we should see death as an opportunity to regain our eternal position as servants of Krsna. During our lifetime, we may be distracted by many tasks and duties, but when we come to the last stage of life and realize that our days are numbered, we should become fully determined to cross the material ocean. As Krsna explains, "If one is thus situated even at the hour of death, one can enter into the kingdom of God."

The original word in Sanskrit is "brahma-nirvāṇam". We often relate the word "nirvāṇa" to Buddhism, but it originally comes from the Vedic tradition. It comes from the Sanskrit root nir (out) and vāṇa (extinguishing). Nirvāṇa means thus to extinguish our material desires and attachment and become re-established in our original position as pure souls. The nirvāṇa studied in Buddhism (the extinction of material activities) is just a partial understanding. After that, there is also the positive side: reviving our spiritual consciousness and activities. When both are attained, we can achieve the brahma-nirvāṇam described in the verse, the kingdom of God.

When we hear "kingdom of God" we may think about the spiritual planets, but Prabhupada offers a deeper meaning in his purport to verse 2.72: This platform can be achieved even while still living in this world since there is no difference between living in the spiritual planets and being situated in pure devotional service. Some of Krsna's associates, like Arjuna, are constantly taking birth in different universes following the Lord. Even though technically living in this material world, they are always situated in pure consciousness and living in the association of the Lord, therefore, there is no difference between their lives and the lives of the inhabitants of the spiritual planets. Living in the kingdom of God is thus not just a geographical place, but a state of consciousness.

As Prabhupada explains: "According to Buddhist philosophy, there is only void after the completion of this material life, but Bhagavad-gītā teaches differently. Actual life begins after the completion of this material life. For the gross materialist it is sufficient to know that one has to end this materialistic way of life, but for persons who are spiritually advanced, there is another life after this materialistic life. Before ending this life, if one fortunately becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious, he at once attains the stage of brahma-nirvāṇa. There is no difference between the kingdom of God and the devotional service of the Lord. Since both of them are on the absolute plane, to be engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord is to have attained the spiritual kingdom. In the material world there are activities of sense gratification, whereas in the spiritual world there are activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Attainment of Kṛṣṇa consciousness even during this life is immediate attainment of Brahman, and one who is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness has certainly already entered into the kingdom of God."

This is reinforced by Prabhupada's reading of the words "brāhmī sthitiḥ" (spiritual situation) in the verse. As he mentions, brāhmī sthiti means liberation from material bondage, which is attained in the platform of devotional service. Krsna confirm this later in the Gītā (14.26) where he mentions: mām ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa, bhakti-yogena sevate, sa guṇān samatītyaitān, brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. When a devotee attains perfection in devotional service, he transcends the modes of material nature and becomes situated in the spiritual platform (brahma-bhūyāya kalpate). This happens even while he is still living in the body.

The second chapter of the Bhagavad-gītā is considered a summary of the whole text because it describes the three main topics of the book: karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, and bhakti-yoga, or action in Krsna Consciousness, transcendental knowledge, and pure devotional service. As Srila Bhaktivinoda Thākura explains, in the second chapter karma-yoga and jñāna-yoga have been clearly discussed, and a glimpse of bhakti-yoga has also been given.

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