In order to understand Bhagavad-gītā, one has to come to this position to become a devotee of Kṛṣṇa. It is a business between Bhagavān and bhakta. Just like, if you go to the marketplace, if some merchant is talking with some broker or somebody about business, he is talking about that business, that is concluded. Similarly, Bhagavad-gītā is spoken by Bhagavān, and it is heard by the bhakta. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā there is no other business than bhakti. There is no other business. Karma, jñāna, yoga, they are described, but with the aim to culminate in bhakti. Just like karma. Kṛṣṇa said, yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yat tapasyasi kuruṣva tat mad-arpaṇam (BG 9.27): "Give it to Me." This is bhakti. So far jñānīs are concerned, Kṛṣṇa concludes, bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate (BG 7.19). Jñānīs, after many, many births' cultivation of knowledge, when he actually begins to become a bhakta, then his perfection is there.
- bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
- jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
- vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
- sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ
- (BG 7.19)
This is for the jñānīs. And for the karmīs, yat karoṣi. Yat karoṣi: "Whatever you do, the result you give it to Me." That means bhakti miśra karma, jñāna miśra bhakti.
And for the yogīs, He says,
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gatenāntarātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
- sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
- (BG 6.47)
"The first-class yogī is who is always thinking of Me. He is first-class yogī." Yogī's business is to see God within the heart. That is real yogī. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yogino (SB 12.13.1). Yogī's business is to see in meditation always Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu within the heart. That is real yogī. Dhyānāvasthita, by meditation, one has to see continually. That is called samādhi.
- yoginām api sarveṣāṁ
- mad-gatenāntarātmanā
- śraddhāvān bhajate yo māṁ
- sa me yuktatamo mataḥ
- (BG 6.47)
He is first-class yogī. So everything is there, ending in bhakti. Therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā, the only talk is about bhakti, in a different way, either through karma-yoga, or jñāna-yoga, or haṭha-yoga. The point is how to become a devotee, and at the end He concludes, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is the conclusion of. . . So these things cannot be understood by anyone who is not a devotee. Without being devotee, you cannot understand. Therefore there are so many, the politicians, the scholars, they are commenting Bhagavad-gītā in so many ways, but they are misled. Because they are not devotee of Kṛṣṇa, they cannot poke their nose in the Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible. So Arjuna was bhakta, therefore Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to him. Not to a yogī, not to a karmī, not to a jñānī. This is the answer.
Acyutānanda: (reading question put by audience) "Śrī Kṛṣṇa says in the end of the Gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya (BG 18.66), but in another place in the Gītā, twice it is mentioned, śreyān sva-dharmo, para-dharmo bhayāvahaḥ: one should perform his own duty rather than another's duty."
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Acyutānanda: "How can we. . ."
Prabhupāda: I may say many things to you, but when I say something directly, "Do it," your first duty is to do that. You cannot argue, "Sir, you said me like this before." No, that is not your duty. What I say now, you do it. That is obedience. You cannot argue. Of course, Kṛṣṇa never said anything contradictory, but if when one thinks foolishly that Kṛṣṇa said something contradictory, no, that is not to be. You could not understand. So "Even though you could not understand, you take My direct orders now, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām e. . . (BG 18.66). That is your business." The master says like that, and the servant's business is to accept it as it is, without any argument. That's all right.
Acyutānanda: "Are not all the poor, the miserable and the weak God? Why not worship the living God first?"
Prabhupāda: Who is living God? Who is living God? That he has not mentioned?
Acyutānanda: The poor.
Prabhupāda: Poor is God? Then why rich is not God? If you have so broad vision that you see God everywhere, so why you make distinction between poor God and rich God? Why you make distinction? If poor is God, the rich is also God. Paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ (BG 5.18). If you have got so broader vision, then why you distinguish between poor and rich? A paṇḍita, a learned scholar,
- vidyā-vinaya sampanne
- brāhmaṇe gavi hastini
- śuni caiva śva-pāke ca
- paṇḍitāḥ sama-darśinaḥ
- (BG 5.18)
Sama-darśī means he has no distinction. Why you should make distinction between poor and rich? That is sama-darśī. As soon as you make distinction, then your vision is imperfect. Brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā na śocati na kāṅkṣati samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu (BG 18.54). Samata. Not that I distinguish between this particular class to another particular. That is not brahma-darśana, neither it is sama-darśana.
Acyutānanda: "You said that Lord Kṛṣṇa has many opulences, but in Chapter Thirteen, verse fifteen, He says that He is nirguṇa. How to reconcile this statement?"
Prabhupāda: What did. . . does He mean by nirguṇa? That let him explain first of all. What is nirguṇa? What does he mean by nirguṇa? Nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca (BG 13.15). He is. . . Kṛṣṇa is described, nirguṇaṁ guṇa-bhoktṛ ca. He is nirguṇa, at the same time enjoyer of guṇas. What is that enjoyer of guṇa and nirguṇa? Can you explain? Nirguṇa means one who does not live under the condition of material guṇas—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. Transcendental. That is called nirguṇa. But nirguṇa does not mean that He has no transcendental qualities. Just like Kṛṣṇa is bhakta-vatsala. That is His guṇa, but that is not material guṇa. That is spiritual guṇa. Kṛṣṇa is nirguṇa means He is not controlled by the material qualities, but He has got innumerable spiritual qualities. That is called guṇavati. So unless we understand the distinction between matter and spirit, we cannot understand what is the meaning of nirguṇa. That is not possible.
Acyutānanda: "In India, there are many svāmīs who claim themselves to be Kṛṣṇa. How to detect them?"
Prabhupāda: Hmm? Many svāmīs. . .?
Devotee: Claim to be Kṛṣṇa. How to detect them?
Prabhupāda: Let them prove that he is Kṛṣṇa. If you are foolish, then they will accept. If you are intelligent, then you'll ask him, "First of all lift the Govardhana Hill, then you become Kṛṣṇa. Otherwise you are rascal, I kick you on your face." (laughter) This is our version. We do not accept these rascals as Kṛṣṇa. We want to test, first of all, that you are Kṛṣṇa. Why should we accept a rascal as Kṛṣṇa unless he proves himself that he is Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa lifted Govardhana Hill when He was seven years old. What he has done that we shall accept him Kṛṣṇa? Don't be foolish. First of all let him prove that he's Kṛṣṇa. Test him. Then accept.
Acyutānanda: "Why, at the time of death, the name of God does not come to the tongue?"
Prabhupāda: Because you are not practiced. You practice to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, at the time of death it will come. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). That is advised. You practice it and you'll remember. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. If you practice twenty-four hours "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa," then at the time you'll chant "Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa." Otherwise, there is no possibility. Sadā tad-bhāva-bhāvitaḥ. Yaṁ yaṁ vāpi smaran bhāvaṁ tyajaty ante kalevaram (BG 8.6). So we have to practice. That is natural. If you always think of something, at the time of death you will think like that. So if you think of Kṛṣṇa, man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ nama. . . Therefore Kṛṣṇa adv. . . mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ (BG 18.68). You simply adopt these four principles: "Always think of Me, you become My devotee, and offer obeisances unto Me," man-manā bhava mad. . . mad-yājī, "worship Me." You do these four things, then mām evaiṣyasi asaṁśayaḥ, "Without any doubt you are coming to Me."
So why don't you do this, four things, very easy things? Is it very difficult to constantly remember Kṛṣṇa? You can do it. You are remembering something. A mind is occupied always with something. Just practice to occupy the mind with Kṛṣṇa, that's all. Where is the difficulty? Man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namas. . . Everything is there. You practice it. Don't . . . (indistinct) . . .. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padāravindayor (SB 9.4.18). Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, he was a great emperor of this world, but his mind was fixed up on the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. Sa vai manaḥ kṛṣṇa-padaravindayor vacāṁsi vaikuṇṭha-guṇānuvarṇane. When you talk, you will talk about Kṛṣṇa only. You practice. You see, you see Kṛṣṇa's picture, Kṛṣṇa's Deity. You hear Kṛṣṇa's topics, Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In, in this way engage all your senses: your seeing power, your hearing power, your talking power, your eating power, your sleeping power. Everything, if you make Kṛṣṇa conscious, then generally or automatically, you'll remember at the time of death Kṛṣṇa. And as soon as you remember Kṛṣṇa, ante nārāyaṇa-smṛtiḥ (SB 2.1.6), then your life is perfect. There is no difficulty. Simply you have to practice. Abhyāsa-yoga-yuktena cetasā nānya-gāminā (BG 8.8). Don't allow your mind to go astray, then everything is all right.