Todays Bhagavad-Gita Class Given By His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada--Bhagavad-gita 2.1-11 --75/10/17 Johannesburg

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BG-text-029

"When To Approach A Guru"

75/10/17 Johannesburg, Bhagavad-gita 2.1-11

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Prabhupada: I shall speak some verses from Bhagavad-gita, Second Chapter,

in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead Krsna instructed. The beginning of

instruction is the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. So Arjuna, representing

ourself, conditioned soul, covered with the material body and thinking in bodily

conception of life... He was to fight with his brothers, nephews, grandfather,

Bhismadeva, also teacher the military science, Dronacarya. In this way the

business was not very palatable. Although he was forced to fight by the opposite

party who were very near, thick and thin people, and he had to kill them, so it

was not very satisfactory to him. Therefore he flatly denied to fight: "Krsna, I

am not going to fight." He left his weapon, and then Krsna was surprised that

"My friend, Arjuna, he is denying to fight in My presence."

 

So Sanjaya, the private secretary of Maharaja Dhrtarastra, he was relaying

the message which was going on in the battle of Kuruksetra by higher process.

Nowadays we have got experience of the television, but the another process,

antar-drsti, that is also television. You can see the reflection of external

activities within your heart, and you can explain. So Sanjaya, the private

secretary of Maharaja Dhrtarastra, he explained that Arjuna was denying to

fight. So,

 

tam tatha krpayavistam

asru-purnakuleksanam

visidantam idam vakyam

uvaca madhusudanah

[bg. 2.1]

 

Madhusudana is Krsna's another name. So when Krsna saw that Arjuna is

unnecessarily disturbed, then, tam tatha krpayavistam asru-purnakuleksanam [bg.

2.1]. Asru-purna: his eyes was full with tears. "Krsna, I have to fight with my

relatives." So he was crying, that "This is not very good business." So why he

was crying? Krpayavistam: being merciful upon them. They were so cruel upon the

Pandavas that they insulted their wife, they tricked how to take away their

kingdom. All this injustice was done to them. Still, because Arjuna is a

Vaisnava, a devotee, still, he was sympathetic: "No, no, let them do whatever

they have done, but I am not going to kill them." So krpayavistam

asru-purnakuleksanam [bg. 2.1], visidantam. Bhagavan uvaca. Then, after Arjuna

being silent not to fight, then Bhagavan... Krsna is Bhagavan. Bhagavan means

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, full with all opulences. That is called

Bhagavan. Generally in India we speak, bhagyavan. Bhagyavan means one who has

got opulences. So Bhagavan means one who is full in opulences -- in wealth, in

strength, in influence, in beauty, in education, in renunciation. In these six

ways, when one is opulent fully then he can be called Bhagavan. Partially, if

one is very opulent, sometimes he is also called Bhagavan, but real Bhagavan,

according to sastra, is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Others, they may

possess some of the opulences, not in full, partially. Just like Narada Muni or

Lord Brahma, Lord Siva. They are also sometimes called Bhagavan. But real

Bhagavan is Krsna. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. Ete camsa-kalah pumsah krsnas tu

bhagavan svayam [sB 1.3.28]. So here Bhagavan, the Supreme Person, Krsna. Krsna

means, as Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mattah parataram nanyat kincid asti

dhananjaya: [bg. 7.7] "There is no more superior person or element more than

Me." And when Arjuna understood Krsna he also admitted, param brahma param dhama

pavitram paramam bhavan [bg. 10.12].

 

So Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is the origin of

Brahman. He is the origin of Paramatma. Brahmeti paramatmeti bhagavan iti

sabdyate [sB 1.2.11]. The Absolute Truth is experienced in three ways --

Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. So Bhagavan is the last word of the Absolute

Truth, the Supreme Person. Therefore Vyasadeva has purposefully written here,

"sri bhagavan uvaca." Bhagavan uvaca mean you cannot exceed the Supreme Person.

Nobody can be equal to the Supreme Person; nobody can be more than the Supreme

Person. Everyone should be under the Supreme Person. That is the meaning of

Bhagavan. So Bhagavan said,

 

kutas tva kasmalam idam

visame samupasthitam

anarya-justam asvargyam

akirti-karam arjuna

[bg. 2.2]

 

"My dear Arjuna, you are My friend, personal friend, and you are proposing

this, which is befitting to the anarya." Anarya-justam: "This is not for the

Aryan. You are ksatriya, you are meant for fighting for justice, and you are

denying to fight? Oh, this is not good." Anarya-justam: "This kind of proposal,

cowardice, can be proposed by the anarya." Arya means the advanced. One who is

advanced in knowledge, in civilization, they are called arya, Aryan

civilization. So in the Aryan civilization there are four divisions to maintain

the society in the correct balance. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita.

Catur-varnyam maya srstam guna-karma-vibhagasah [bg. 4.13]. The society must be

divided into four classes of men. The first-class means most intelligent class

of men. They should be trained up as brahmana. Samo damah satyam saucam titiksa

arjavam jnanam vijnanam astikyam brahma-karma svabhava-jam. So this is the

beginning of civilization, not that all sudras as it is now in this age. Kalau

sudra-sambhavah. Kali-yuga, there is no training how to qualify a section of

person to become first-class brahmana. That training is not there, neither

ksatriya, neither pure vaisya class. We are proud of our business, vaisya, but

vaisya means krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [bg. 18.44].

Vaisya means they should take care of the cows, cow protection, go-raksya. Why

go-raksya? Why not other animal raksya? Krsna has not said "animal raksya" or

"janawal-(?) raksya." Go-raksya. The cow is very, very important animal. If you

want to advance your spiritual consciousness, then you must have sufficient milk

and sufficient grains. That is civilization. Therefore it is the duty of the

vaisyas to produce food grain. Annad bhavanti bhutani [bg. 3.14]. Annad. In the

society, if you have got sufficient anna, both the animals and the man, they

will be happy. These are the instruction in the Bhagavad-gita, everything

practical. If we follow Bhagavad-gita from all angles of vision -- social,

political, economical, religious, cultural -- you will be perfect. This is

Bhagavad-gita. We are therefore taken up this mission, to preach Bhagavad-gita

as it is to solve all the problems of the world. That is Aryan civilization.

Aryan civilization means following the principles of Bhagavad-gita.

 

So here Krsna is addressing Arjuna, anarya: "Non-Aryan. You are ksatriya.

Your service is now required to fight with persons who have created injustice.

So what is this, that you are denying to fight?" Anarya justam. And asvargyam.

Asvargyam means "By denying your duty you cannot be elevated in your next life

or you cannot be elevated in the higher planetary system." For a ksatriya, it is

the duty of the ksatriya to fight and lay down his life. Then he is promoted to

the higher planetary system. That is the shastric injunction. If he becomes

victorious, then he enjoys this material world, and if he dies, he is promoted

to heaven. These things are there. Therefore Krsna is advising Arjuna,

asvargyam: "If you deny to fight, then you will be refused to enter in the

higher planetary system." Akirti-karam. "And you are known as a great fighter,

great soldier and My friend, and this will be going against your reputation.

Don't do this." Then He says,

 

klaibyam ma sma gamah partha

naitat tvayy upapadyate

ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam

tvaktvottistha parantapa

[bg. 2.3]

 

"My dear friend, parantapa..." Parantapa means one who gives trouble to

the enemies. This is the material world. A ksatriya cannot behave like a

brahmana, to excuse. Brahmana business is to excuse. Ksama-rupa-tapasvinah.

Those who are tapasvi, they can excuse, but those who are in the governmental

post, to make justice, there is no question of excuse. Life for life. "You have

killed one man; you must be killed." This is justice. A brahmana, he may excuse,

"All right, you have killed my man. Never mind. I excuse you." That is a

brahmana's business. But a ksatriya, the government, the ruling power, he cannot

do so. It is his mercy. It is the government's mercy when a murderer is hanged.

That is the injunction in the Manu-samhita. "So parantapa, you are ksatriya.

Your business is to punish the unjust." Ksudram hrdaya-daurbalyam: "For a

ksatriya this kind of poor-heartedness, that 'I shall not fight...' Give it up.

Don't indulge in such thing."

 

Then Arjuna replied,

 

katham bhismam aham sankhye

dronam ca madhusudana

isubhih pratiyotsyami

pujarhav arisudana

[bg. 2.4]

 

He is addressing Krsna as arisudana, the killer of the enemies. He says,

"But in my case, I have to fight with Bhisma, Dronacarya. They are my

well-wisher, and how can I kill them? It is my duty to offer my respect,

touching their feet, and You are enticing me to pierce their body with arrow?

So, of course, You have killed so many enemies, but You have killed enemies. Why

You are inducing me to kill my grandfather and my teacher?" Of course, Arjuna,

also intelligent. He replied that "You cannot accuse me as anarya. This is the

consideration. Therefore I am hesitating to fight." Then he says Otherwise we

are in ignorance.

 

Dear Members,I took out a good portion of this lecture,as to not repeat

what you can go too, on the internet, to finish! If you want to read the rest of

this lecture go to

http://www.prabhupadavani.org/Gita/web/text/029.html As always, You can

Hear this Class ,if You just Click on (Listen) under the Title,Your Servant,

Jaya Kesava Dasa

 

 

 

© 2001 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with permission.