Bhagavad-gita As It Is
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
CHAPTER TWO
Bg2.40
TEXT 40
nehabhikrama-naso ’sti
pratyavayo na vidyate
sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya
trayate mahato bhayat
na—there is not; iha—in this world; abhikrama—endeavoring; nasah—loss; asti—there is; pratyavayah—diminution; na—never; vidyate—there is; svalpam—little; api—although; asya—of this; dharmasya—of this occupation; trayate—releases; mahatah—of very great; bhayat—from danger.
TRANSLATION
In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.
PURPORT
Activity in Krsna consciousness, or acting for the benefit of Krsna without expectation of sense gratification, is the highest transcendental quality of work. Even a small beginning of such activity finds no impediment, nor can that small beginning be lost at any stage. Any work begun on the material plane has to be completed, otherwise the whole attempt becomes a failure. But any work begun in Krsna consciousness has a permanent effect, even though not finished. The performer of such work is therefore not at a loss even if his work in Krsna consciousness is incomplete. One percent done in Krsna consciousness bears permanent results, so that the next beginning is from the point of two percent; whereas, in material activity, without a hundred percent success, there is no profit. Ajamila performed his duty in some percentage of Krsna consciousness, but the result he enjoyed at the end was a hundred percent, by the grace of the Lord. There is a nice verse in this connection in Srimad-Bhagavatam:
tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer
bhajan na pakko ’tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim
ko vartha apto ’bhajatam sva-dharmatah
“If someone gives up self-gratificatory pursuits and works in Krsna consciousness and then falls down on account of not completing his work, what loss is there on his part? And, what can one gain if one performs his material activities perfectly?” (Bhag. 1.5.17
) Or, as the Christians say, “What profiteth a man if he gain the whole world yet suffers the loss of his eternal soul?”Material activities and their results end with the body. But work in Krsna consciousness carries the person again to Krsna consciousness, even after the loss of the body. At least one is sure to have a chance in the next life of being born again as a human being, either in the family of a great cultured brahmana or in a rich aristocratic family that will give one a further chance for elevation. That is the unique quality of work done in Krsna consciousness. Bg2.41 TEXT 41 vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana bahu-sakha hy anantas ca buddhayo ’vyavasayinam vyavasayatmika—resolute Krsna consciousness; buddhih—intelligence; eka—only one; iha—in this world; kuru-nandana—O beloved child of the Kurus; bahu-sakhah—various branches; hi—indeed; anantah—unlimited; ca—also; buddhayah—intelligence; avyavasayinam—of those who are not in Krsna consciousness. TRANSLATION Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched. PURPORT A strong faith in Krsna consciousness that one should be elevated to the highest perfection of life is called vyavasayatmika intelligence. The Caitanya-caritamrta [Cc. Madhya 22.62] states: ‘sraddha’-sabde visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is engaged in the duties of Krsna consciousness, he need not act in relationship to the material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity, or nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one’s reactions from past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Krsna consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in Krsna consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of Krsna consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by progressive Krsna consciousness. The resolute purpose of a person in Krsna consciousness is based on knowledge (“Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma sudurlabhah”) by which one comes to know perfectly that Vasudeva, or Krsna, is the root of all manifested causes. As water on the root of a tree is automatically distributed to the leaves and branches, in Krsna consciousness, one can render the highest service to everyone—namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If Krsna is satisfied by one’s actions, then everyone will be satisfied. Service in Krsna consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Krsna, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Krsna consciousness. As such, to be well-versed in Krsna consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of Krsna, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as one’s mission in life. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master, as follows: yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado “By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Krsna consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master.” The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul beyond the conception of the body—not theoretically but practically, when there is no longer chance for sense gratification manifested in fruitive activities. One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various types of fruitive acts. Bg2.42-43 TEXTS 42–43 yam imam puspitam vacam pravadanty avipascitah veda-vada-ratah partha nanyad astiti vadinah kamatmanah svarga-para janma-karma-phala-pradam kriya-visesa-bahulam bhogaisvarya-gatim prati yam imam—all these; puspitam—flowery; vacam—words; pravadanti—say; avipascitah—men with a poor fund of knowledge; veda-vada-ratah—supposed followers of the Vedas; partha—O son of Prtha; na—never; anyat—anything else; asti—there is; iti—this; vadinah—advocates; kama-atmanah—desirous of sense gratification; svarga-parah—aiming to achieve heavenly planets; janma-karma-phala-pradam—resulting in fruitive action, good birth, etc.; kriya-visesa—pompous ceremonies; bahulam—various; bhoga—sense enjoyment; aisvarya—opulence; gatim—progress; prati—towards. TRANSLATION Men of small knowledge are very much attached to the flowery words of the Vedas, which recommend various fruitive activities for elevation to heavenly planets, resultant good birth, power, and so forth. Being desirous of sense gratification and opulent life, they say that there is nothing more than this. PURPORT People in general are not very intelligent, and due to their ignorance they are most attached to the fruitive activities recommended in the karma-kanda portions of the Vedas. They do not want anything more than sense gratificatory proposals for enjoying life in heaven, where wine and women are available and material opulence is very common. In the Vedas many sacrifices are recommended for elevation to the heavenly planets, especially the jyotistoma sacrifices. In fact, it is stated that anyone desiring elevation to heavenly planets must perform these sacrifices, and men with a poor fund of knowledge think that this is the whole purpose of Vedic wisdom. It is very difficult for such inexperienced persons to be situated in the determined action of Krsna consciousness. As fools are attached to the flowers of poisonous trees without knowing the results of such attractions, similarly unenlightened men are attracted by such heavenly opulence and the sense enjoyment thereof. In the karma-kanda section of the Vedas it is said that those who perform the four monthly penances become eligible to drink the somarasa beverages to become immortal and happy forever. Even on this earth some are very eager to have somarasa to become strong and fit to enjoy sense gratifications. Such persons have no faith in liberation from material bondage, and they are very much attached to the pompous ceremonies of Vedic sacrifices. They are generally sensual, and they do not want anything other than the heavenly pleasures of life. It is understood that there are gardens called nandana-kanana in which there is good opportunity for association with angelic, beautiful women and having a profuse supply of somarasa wine. Such bodily happiness is certainly sensual; therefore there are those who are purely attached to material, temporary happiness, as lords of the material world. Bg2.44 TEXT 44 bhogaisvarya-prasaktanam tayapahrta-cetasam vyavasayatmika buddhih samadhau na vidhiyate bhoga—material enjoyment; aisvarya—opulence; prasaktanam—those who are so attached; taya—by such things; apahrta-cetasam—bewildered in mind; vyavasayatmika—fixed determination; buddhih—devotional service of the Lord; samadhau—in the controlled mind; na—never; vidhiyate—does take place. TRANSLATION In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination of devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place. PURPORT Samadhi means “fixed mind.” The Vedic dictionary, the Nirukti, says, samyag adhiyate ’sminn atmatattva-yathatmyam: “When the mind is fixed for understanding the self, it is called samadhi. “Samadhi is never possible for persons interested in material sense enjoyment, nor for those who are bewildered by such temporary things. They are more or less condemned by the process of material energy. Bg2.45 TEXT 45 trai-gunya-visaya veda nistrai-gunyo bhavarjuna nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho niryoga-ksema atmavan traigunya—pertaining to the three modes of material nature; visayah—on the subject matter; vedah—Vedic literatures; nistraigunyah—in a pure state of spiritual existence; bhava—be; arjuna—O Arjuna; nirdvandvah—free from the pains of opposites; nitya-sattva-sthah—ever remaining in sattva (goodness); niryoga-ksemah—free from (the thought of) acquisition and preservation; atmavan—established in the Self. TRANSLATION The Vedas mainly deal with the subject of the three modes of material nature. Rise above these modes, O Arjuna. Be transcendental to all of them. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the Self. PURPORT All material activities involve actions and reactions in the three modes of material nature. They are meant for fruitive results, which cause bondage in the material world. The Vedas deal mostly with fruitive activities to gradually elevate the general public from the field of sense gratification to a position on the transcendental plane. Arjuna, as a student and friend of Lord Krsna, is advised to raise himself to the transcendental position of Vedanta philosophy where, in the beginning, there is brahma-jijnasa, or questions on the Supreme Transcendence. All the living entities who are in the material world are struggling very hard for existence. For them the Lord, after creation of the material world, gave the Vedic wisdom advising how to live and get rid of the material entanglement. When the activities for sense gratification, namely the karma-kanda chapter, are finished, then the chance for spiritual realization is offered in the form of the Upanisads, which are part of different Vedas, as the Bhagavad-gita is a part of the fifth Veda, namely the Mahabharata. The Upanisads mark the beginning of transcendental life. As long as the material body exists, there are actions and reactions in the material modes. One has to learn tolerance in the face of dualities such as happiness and distress, or cold and warmth, and by tolerating such dualities become free from anxieties regarding gain and loss. This transcendental position is achieved in full Krsna consciousness when one is fully dependant on the good will of Krsna Bg2.46 TEXT 46 yavan artha udapane sarvatah samplutodake tavan sarvesu vedesu brahmanasya vijanatah yavan—all that; arthah—is meant; udapane—in a well of water; sarvatah—in all respects; sampluta-udake—in a great reservoir of water; tavan—similarly; sarvesu—in all; vedesu—Vedic literatures; brahmanasya—of the man who knows the Supreme Brahman; vijanatah—of one who is in complete knowledge. TRANSLATION All purposes that are served by the small pond can at once be served by the great reservoirs of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them. PURPORT The rituals and sacrifices mentioned in the karma-kanda division of the Vedic literature are to encourage gradual development of self-realization. And the purpose of self-realization is clearly stated in the Fifteenth Chapter of the Bhagavad-gita (15.15): the purpose of studying the Vedas is to know Lord Krsna, the primeval cause of everything. So, self-realization means understanding Krsna and one’s eternal relationship with Him. The relationship of the living entities with Krsna is also mentioned in the Fifteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. The living entities are parts and parcels of Krsna; therefore, revival of Krsna consciousness by the individual living entity is the highest perfectional stage of Vedic knowledge. This is confirmed in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.33.7) as follows: aho bata svapaco’to gariyan “O my Lord, a person who is chanting Your holy name, although born of a low family like that of a candala [dog eater], is situated on the highest platform of self-realization. Such a person must have performed all kinds of penances and sacrifices according to Vedic rituals and studied the Vedic literatures many, many times after taking his bath in all the holy places of pilgrimage. Such a person is considered to be the best of the Aryan family.” So one must be intelligent enough to understand the purpose of the Vedas, without being attached to the rituals only, and must not desire to be elevated to the heavenly kingdoms for a better quality of sense gratification. It is not possible for the common man in this age to follow all the rules and regulations of the Vedic rituals and the injunctions of the Vedantas and the Upanisads. It requires much time, energy, knowledge and resources to execute the purposes of the Vedas. This is hardly possible in this age. The best purpose of Vedic culture is served, however, by chanting the holy name of the Lord, as recommended by Lord Caitanya, the deliverer of all fallen souls. When Lord Caitanya was asked by a great Vedic scholar, Prakasananda Sarasvati, why He, the Lord, was chanting the holy name of the Lord like a sentimentalist instead of studying Vedanta philosophy, the Lord replied that His spiritual master found Him to be a great fool, and thus he asked Him to chant the holy name of Lord Krsna. He did so, and became ecstatic like a madman. In this age of Kali, most of the population is foolish and not adequately educated to understand Vedanta philosophy; the best purpose of Vedanta philosophy is served by inoffensively chanting the holy name of the Lord. Vedanta is the last word in Vedic wisdom, and the author and knower of the Vedanta philosophy is Lord Krsna; and the highest Vedantist is the great soul who takes pleasure in chanting the holy name of the Lord. That is the ultimate purpose of all Vedic mysticism. Bg2.47 TEXT 47 karmany evadhikaras te ma phalesu kadacana ma karma-phala-hetur bhur ma te sango ’stv akarmani karmani—prescribed duties; eva—certainly; adhikarah—right; te—of you; ma—never; phalesu—in the fruits; kadacana—at any time; ma—never; karma-phala—in the result of the work; hetuh—cause; bhuh—become; ma—never; te—of you; sangah—attachment; astu—be there; akarmani—in not doing. TRANSLATION You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty. PURPORT There are three considerations here: prescribed duties, capricious work, and inaction. Prescribed duties refer to activities performed while one is in the modes of material nature. Capricious work means actions without the sanction of authority, and inaction means not performing one’s prescribed duties. The Lord advised that Arjuna not be inactive, but that he perform his prescribed duty without being attached to the result. One who is attached to the result of his work is also the cause of the action. Thus he is the enjoyer or sufferer of the result of such actions. As far as prescribed duties are concerned, they can be fitted into three subdivisions, namely routine work, emergency work and desired activities. Routine work, in terms of the scriptural injunctions, is done without desire for results. As one has to do it, obligatory work is action in the mode of goodness. Work with results becomes the cause of bondage; therefore such work is not auspicious. Everyone has his proprietory right in regard to prescribed duties, but should act without attachment to the result; such disinterested obligatory duties doubtlessly lead one to the path of liberation. Arjuna was therefore advised by the Lord to fight as a matter of duty without attachment to the result. His nonparticipation in the battle is another side of attachment. Such attachment never leads one to the path of salvation. Any attachment, positive or negative, is cause for bondage. Inaction is sinful. Therefore, fighting as a matter of duty was the only auspicious path of salvation for Arjuna. Bg2.48 TEXT 48 yoga-sthah kuru karmani sangam tyaktva dhananjaya siddhy-asiddhyoh samo bhutva samatvam yoga ucyate yoga-sthah—steadfast in yoga; kuru—perform; karmani—your duty; sangam—attachment; tyaktva—having abandoned; dhananjaya—O Dhananjaya; siddhi-asiddhyoh—in success and failure; samah—the same; bhutva—having become; samatvam—evenness of mind; yogah—yoga; ucyate—is called. TRANSLATION Be steadfast in yoga, O Arjuna. Perform your duty and abandon all attachment to success or failure. Such evenness of mind is called yoga. PURPORT Krsna tells Arjuna that he should act in yoga. And what is that yoga? Yoga means to concentrate the mind upon the Supreme by controlling the ever-disturbing senses. And who is the Supreme? The Supreme is the Lord. And because He Himself is telling Arjuna to fight, Arjuna has nothing to do with the results of the fight. Gain or victory are Krsna’s concern; Arjuna is simply advised to act according to the dictation of Krsna. The following of Krsna’s dictation is real yoga, and this is practiced in the process called Krsna consciousness. By Krsna consciousness only can one give up the sense of proprietorship. One has to become the servant of Krsna, or the servant of the servant of Krsna. That is the right way to discharge duty in Krsna consciousness, which alone can help one to act in yoga. Arjuna is a ksatriya, and as such he is participating in the varnasrama-dharma institution. It is said in the Visnu Purana that in the varnasrama-dharma, the whole aim is to satisfy Visnu. No one should satisfy himself, as is the rule in the material world, but one should satisfy Krsna. So, unless one satisfies Krsna, one cannot correctly observe the principles of varnasrama-dharma. Indirectly, Arjuna was advised to act as Krsna told him. Bg2.49 TEXT 49 durena hy avaram karma buddhi-yogad dhananjaya buddhau saranam anviccha krpanah phala-hetavah durena—by discarding it at a long distance; hi—certainly; avaram—abominable; karma—activities; buddhi-yogat—on the strength of Krsna consciousness; dhananjaya—O conqueror of wealth; buddhau—in such consciousness; saranam—full surrender; anviccha—desire; krpanah—the misers; phala-hetavah—those desiring fruitive action. TRANSLATION O Dhananjaya, rid yourself of all fruitive activities by devotional service, and surrender fully to that consciousness. Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers. PURPORT One who has actually come to understand one’s constitutional position as the eternal servitor of the Lord gives up all engagements save working in Krsna consciousness. As already explained, buddhi-yoga means transcendental loving service to the Lord. Such devotional service is the right course of action for the living entity. Only misers desire to enjoy the fruit of their own work just to be further entangled in material bondage. Except for work in Krsna consciousness, all activities are abominable because they continually bind the worker to the cycle of birth and death. One should therefore never desire to be the cause of work. Everything should be done in Krsna consciousness for the satisfaction of Krsna. Misers do not know how to utilize the assets of riches which they acquire by good fortune or by hard labor. One should spend all energies working in Krsna consciousness, and that will make one’s life successful. Like the misers, unfortunate persons do not employ their human energy in the service of the Lord. Bg2.50 TEXT 50 buddhi-yukto jahatiha ubhe sukrta-duskrte tasmad yogaya yujyasva yogah karmasu kausalam buddhi-yuktah—one who is engaged in devotional service; jahati—can get rid of; iha—in this life; ubhe—in both; sukrta-duskrte—in good and bad results; tasmat—therefore; yogaya—for the sake of devotional service; yujyasva—be so engaged; yogah—Krsna consciousness; karmasu—in all activities; kausalam—art. TRANSLATION A man engaged in devotional service rids himself of both good and bad actions even in this life. Therefore strive for yoga, O Arjuna, which is the art of all work. PURPORT Since time immemorial each living entity has accumulated the various reactions of his good and bad work, As such, he is continuously ignorant of his real constitutional position. One’s ignorance can be removed by the instruction of the Bhagavad-gita which teaches one to surrender unto Lord Sri Krsna in all respects and become liberated from the chained victimization of action and reaction, birth after birth. Arjuna is therefore advised to act in Krsna consciousness, the purifying process of resultant action. Bg2.51 TEXT 51 karma-jam buddhi-yukta hi phalam tyaktva manisinah janma-bandha-vinirmuktah padam gacchanty anamayam karma-jam—because of fruitive activities; buddhi-yuktah—being done in devotional service; hi—certainly; phalam—results; tyaktva—giving up; manisinah—devotees who are great sages; janma-bandha—the bondage of birth and death; vinirmuktah—liberated souls; padam—position; gacchanti—reach; anamayam—without miseries. TRANSLATION The wise, engaged in devotional service, take refuge in the Lord, and free themselves from the cycle of birth and death by renouncing the fruits of action in the material world. In this way they can attain that state beyond all miseries. PURPORT The liberated living entities seek that place where there are no material miseries. The Bhagavatam says: samasrita ye padapallava-plavam (Bhag. 10.14.58) “For one who has accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Mukunda or the giver of mukti, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoofprint. Param padam, or the place where there are no material miseries, or Vaikuntha, is his goal, not the place where there is danger in every step of life.” Owing to ignorance, one does not know that this material world is a miserable place where there are dangers at every step. Out of ignorance only, less intelligent persons try to adjust to the situation by fruitive activities, thinking that resultant actions will make them happy. They do not know that no kind of material body anywhere within the universe can give life without miseries. The miseries of life, namely birth, death, old age and diseases, are present everywhere within the material world. But one who understands his real constitutional position as the eternal servitor of the Lord, and thus knows the position of the Personality of Godhead, engages himself in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. Consequently he becomes qualified to enter into the Vaikuntha planets, where there is neither material, miserable life, nor the influence of time and death. To know one’s constitutional position means to know also the sublime position of the Lord. One who wrongly thinks that the living entity’s position and the Lord’s position are on the same level is to be understood to be in darkness and therefore unable to engage himself in the devotional service of the Lord. He becomes a lord himself and thus paves the way for the repetition of birth and death. But one who, understanding that his position is to serve, transfers himself to the service of the Lord, at once becomes eligible for Vaikunthaloka. Service for the cause of the Lord is called karma-yoga or buddhi-yoga, or in plain words, devotional service to the Lord. Bg2.52 TEXT 52 yada te moha-kalilam buddhir vyatitarisyati tada gantasi nirvedam srotavyasya srutasya ca yada—when; te—your; moha—illusory; kalilam—dense forest; buddhih—transcendental service with intelligence; vyatitarisyati—surpasses; tada—at that time; gantasi—you shall go; nirvedam—callousness; srotavyasya—all that is to be heard; srutasya—all that is already heard; ca—also. TRANSLATION When your intelligence has passed out of the dense forest of delusion, you shall become indifferent to all that has been heard and all that is to be heard. PURPORT There are many good examples in the lives of the great devotees of the Lord of those who became indifferent to the rituals of the Vedas simply by devotional service to the Lord. When a person factually understands Krsna and his relationship with Krsna, he naturally becomes completely indifferent to the rituals of fruitive activities, even though an experienced brahmana. Sri Madhavendra Puri, a great devotee and acarya in the line of the devotees, says: sandhya-vandana bhadram astu bhavato bhoh snana tubhyam namo “O Lord, in my prayers three times a day, all glory to You. Bathing, I offer my obeisances unto You. O demigods! O forefathers! Please excuse me for my inability to offer you my respects. Now wherever I sit, I can remember the great descendant of the Yadu dynasty [Krsna], the enemy of Kamsa, and thereby I can free myself from all sinful bondage. I think this is sufficient for me.” The Vedic rites and rituals are imperative for neophytes: comprehending all kinds of prayer three times a day, taking a bath early in the morning, offering respects to the forefathers, etc. But, when one is fully in Krsna consciousness and is engaged in His transcendental loving service, one becomes indifferent to all these regulative principles because he has already attained perfection. If one can reach the platform of understanding by service to the Supreme Lord Krsna, he has no longer to execute different types of penances and sacrifices as recommended in revealed scriptures. And, similarly, if one has not understood that the purpose of the Vedas is to reach Krsna and simply engages in the rituals, etc., then he is uselessly wasting time in such engagements. Persons in Krsna consciousness transcend the limit of sabda-brahma, or the range of the Vedas and Upanisads. Bg2.53 TEXT 53 sruti-vipratipanna te yada sthasyati niscala samadhav acala buddhis tada yogam avapsyasi sruti—Vedic revelation; vipratipanna—without being influenced by the fruitive results of the Vedas; te—your; yada—when; sthasyati—remains; niscala—unmoved; samadhau—in transcendental consciousness, or Krsna consciousness; acala—unflinching; buddhih—intelligence; tada—at that time; yogam—self-realization; avapsyasi—you will achieve. TRANSLATION When your mind is no longer disturbed by the flowery language of the Vedas, and when it remains fixed in the trance of self-realization, then you will have attained the Divine consciousness. PURPORT To say that one is in samadhi is to say that one has fully realized Krsna consciousness; that is, one in full samadhi has realized Brahman, Paramatma and Bhagavan. The highest perfection of self-realization is to understand that one is eternally the servitor of Krsna and that one’s only business is to discharge one’s duties in Krsna consciousness. A Krsna conscious person, or unflinching devotee of the Lord, should not be disturbed by the flowery language of the Vedas nor be engaged in fruitive activities for promotion to the heavenly kingdom. In Krsna consciousness, one comes directly into communion with Krsna, and thus all directions from Krsna may be understood in that transcendental state. One is sure to achieve results by such activities and attain conclusive knowledge. One has only to carry out the orders of Krsna or His representative, the spiritual master.
krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya
yasyaprasadanna gatih kuto ’pi
dhyayam stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam
vande guroh sri-caranaravindam.
yaj-jihvagre vartate nama tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuh sasnur arya
brahmanucur nama grnanti ye te.
mahat-padam punya-yaso murareh
bhavambudhir vatsa-padam param padam
param padam yad vipadam na tesam
bho devah pitaras ca tarpana-vidhau naham ksamah ksamyatam
yatra kvapi nisadya yadava-kulottamasya kamsa-dvisah
smaram smaram agham harami tad alam manye kim anyena me.