Prabhupāda: This is very important verse to understand Bhagavad-gītā. By rascal interpretation you cannot understand what is Bhagavad-gītā. It is a mystery. Rahasyam, mysterious. Only a devotee who is in intimate relation with Kṛṣṇa, he can understand. That is clearly stated here. When Kṛṣṇa was speaking Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna, it was in the battlefield. It is not a parlor discussing, smoking and discussing Vedānta philosophy. No. It is not like that. Very serious, in the battlefield. And Kṛṣṇa selected Arjuna. Kṛṣṇa selected . . . at that time, when Kṛṣṇa was present, there were very, very great, learned scholars. Even Vyāsadeva was present there, the Vedavyāsa. And many others—Asita, Devala . . . great, great saintly persons and saints. Rājarṣis. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was rājarṣi. Because in the previous verse He said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2).
So why He selected Arjuna? He was a military man. He was not a Vedāntist. A military man is not supposed to become a Vedāntist, a very great sannyāsī. No. Because the so-called Vedāntists, they cannot understand Bhagavad-gītā. It is not possible. It is a mystery. Kṛṣṇa, in other place, He says, nāhaṁ prakāśaḥ sarvasya yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ (BG 7.25): "I cannot be exposed to anyone." Yoga-māyā-samāvṛtaḥ. Therefore, those who are fools, rascals, they consider Kṛṣṇa as fictitious, Kṛṣṇa as a human being, Kṛṣṇa as a historical person. Or "There was no Kṛṣṇa. It is an imaginary writing." Because these rascals, they cannot understand. Unless one is a bona fide devotee and intimately related with Kṛṣṇa, one cannot understand. That is the purport of this verse. One must become a devotee first of all. Because . . . you'll find in the Eighteenth Chapter: bhaktyā mām abhijānāti yāvān yaś cāsmi tattvataḥ (BG 18.55). Tattvataḥ, in reality, what Kṛṣṇa is, that can be understood through devotion and service. This is what we are preaching all over the world, devotional service, the . . .
- śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ
- smaraṇaṁ pāda-sevanam
- arcanaṁ vandanaṁ dāsyaṁ
- sakhyam ātma-nivedanam
- (SB 7.5.23)
- iti puṁsārpitā viṣṇau
- bhaktiś cen nava-lakṣaṇā . . .
- tan manye 'dhītam uttamam
- (SB 7.5.24)
This is the statement of Prahlāda Mahārāja. These are the bhakti process. If one wants to become bhakta, then he must begin with śravaṇam. Just like you have kindly come here to hear about Kṛṣṇa. This is the beginning of bhakti. Unless you hear about the Supreme Person . . . this is Vedic process. Śruti. Śruti. Veda is known as śruti.
- śruti-smṛti-purāṇādi
- pañcarātrikī-vidhiṁ vinā
- aikāntikī harer bhaktir
- utpātāyaiva kalpate
- (Brs. 1.2.101)
If one does not follow the principle, Vedic principle, smṛti, the Vedic corollaries . . . smṛti means literature which is written according to Vedic principle. That is called smṛti. And śruti means the Vedas. Bhaktyā śruta-gṛhītayā (SB 1.2.12). Śruta-gṛhītayā. Śruta-gṛhītayā, there are two meanings: by hearing, or through the Vedic literature. Through the Vedic literature . . . only bhakti is . . .
There are three kinds of departmental study in the Vedas. First thing is sambandha. Sambandha means, "What is my relationship with God." This is stated there. In the Vedānta it says, janmādy asya yataḥ: the Absolute Truth is that from whom everything is generated. So everything, amongst everything, I am also, you are also. So you are also coming from that Supreme Absolute Truth. Kṛṣṇa says, mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ (BG 15.7): "All these living entities . . ." Sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya (BG 14.4): "In every species, any form of life . . ." sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ, "as many forms are there . . ." Not only human beings—the animals, the trees, the birds, the aquatics, the insects, everyone, all living entities. Kṛṣṇa says, sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya sambhavanti mūrtayo yāḥ: "In any species of life, as many forms are there," ahaṁ bīja-pradaḥ pitā, "I am their original father." Bīja-pradaḥ pitā, seed-giving father. So as father places the seeds within the womb of the mother, similarly the material nature is the mother and Kṛṣṇa is the father. The Kṛṣṇa impregnates the material nature, and we come out in different forms: sveda-ja, udbhij-ja and jarāyu-ja and aṇḍa-ja. Sveda-ja means by perspiration, through perspiration. Just like bed bugs. Bed bugs . . . because if you keep your bed nasty, do not keep it very clean, then by your perspiration there is generation of these bed bugs. They are called sveda-ja, "By perspiration." And aṇḍa-ja, through the eggs. Just like the birds, the living entity is coming through the eggs. That is called aṇḍa-ja. Sveda-ja, aṇḍa-ja, jarāyu-ja, embryo, just like we are coming from the embryo. Aṇḍa-ja, jarāyu-ja. And udbhij-ja, coming from the seeds, the trees, plants. So within these four groups, all different living entities are coming.
So the . . . by gradual evolution, we are coming to the human form of life. So in the human form of life, here there is a prerogative, there is a chance to know what is God and what is my relationship with Him. That is called sambandha-jñāna. Sambandha, abhidheya. Then execution of the duty. Just like sambandha. We can understand, an unmarried girl and unmarried boy, there is first of all sambandha: the father, mother makes the relationship. Then there is function between husband and wife. That is called abhidheya. And why? No, because there is a necessity. What is that? To get children. Sambandha, abhidheya, prayojana. Prayojana. Every sambandha, every relationship is made, every action is done with an aim, the goal, the prayojana. So Vedic literature means sambandha, abhidheya and prayojana. That is to be studied in the human form of life. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam (BG 15.15). To study Vedas means to understand what is my relation, what is Kṛṣṇa, what I am, and what is my relationship, and how to act in that relationship, and what is the aim of life.
The aim of life is to go back to home, back to Godhead. That is the aim of life. We are fallen in this material condition of life. We are suffering, but we do not know. We are so fool. Just like animals, we do not know what is the aim of life. Aim of life, that is also described in the Bhagavad-gītā: janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi-duḥkha-doṣānudarśanam (BG 13.9). When we can understand that "This process of repetition of birth, death, old age and disease, this is not wanted by me . . ." Nobody wants to die, but death is forced upon him. He does not think that, "This is my problem. I do not want to die, but death is as sure as anything." So this is the problem. Nobody is careful how to solve this problem. They are simply engaged in the, I mean to say, temporary problems. The temporary problems are not problems. Real problem is how to stop death, how to stop birth, how to stop old age and how to stop disease. That is real problem. That can be done when you are liberated from this material world. This is our problem.
So Kṛṣṇa comes here again . . . yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata (BG 4.7). Dharmasya glāniḥ. Glāniḥ means when it is distorted. So people are manufacturing, in the name of so-called religion, "This is our religion. This is . . ." "This is Hindu religion," "This is Muslim religion," "This is Christian religion." Or "This is Buddha religion," and "This is Sikh religion," "This is that religion, that religion . . ." They have manufactured so many religions. So many religions. But real religion is dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam (SB 6.3.19). Religion means the codes and the laws given by the Lord, given by God. That is religion. Simple definition of religion is: dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṇītam. Just like law is given by the state, by the government. You cannot manufacture law. I have repeatedly said. Law is made by the government. Similarly, religion is made by God. If you accept God's religion, then that is religion. And what is God's religion? (aside:) If you stand, you come stand here. Other people are seeing. God's religion is . . . you'll find in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja (BG 18.66). This is God's religion. "You give up all this nonsense religion. You become a devotee, a surrendered soul unto Me." That is religion.