Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Bg 9.31

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā
śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati
kaunteya pratijānīhi
na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati

Word for word: 

kṣipram — very soon; bhavati — becomes; dharma–ātmā — righteous; śaśvat–śāntim — lasting peace; nigacchati — attains; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; pratijānīhi — declare; na — never; me — My; bhaktaḥ — devotee; praṇaśyati — perishes.

Translation: 

He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kuntī, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.

 

api cet su-durācāro, that even if somebody does the duracara, achar is action duracar is bad action, su-durācāro, is extremely bad action, 

bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, if while doing some sinful activities the person continues to worship Me determinedly 

Then what happens?

sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ, such a person is considered to be a sadhu 

and 

samyag vyavasito hi saḥ, such a person’s determination is well situated.

So this is quite a mysterious verse, why mysterious normally when we consider someone a sadhu he should never do durachar. The word sadhu means good so the idea is sadhu is a person whose behaviour is very good, so normally if someone is durachari we will say he is not sadhu but Krishna is saying even if someone is terrible durachari, su-durācāro, still that person is considered to be a Sadhu, 

It is described in one scripture that mind is un-saintly and strong so normally we consider a person who is su-durachari is not a devotee, is not at all a sadhu, but Krishna is saying even if such a person is su-durācāro he should be considers as sādhur eva sa mantavyaḥ, he should be considered Sadhu and bhajate mām ananya-bhāk, if a person is worshiping Me undeviatingly.

Now we may wonder if a person is going through difficult situation by battling with conditioning or scum to conditioning because of which one is doing durachar and the question come along how do such a person do ananya-bhava bhakti.

A person who is falling away from the path of bhakti and the person is durachari then how can that person be ananya-bhāk.

Actually different Acharyas explained it in different ways. The standard as per Sridhar Swami is that the ananya-bhāk refers to no other object of worship than Krishna. That means the person may not be acting in pure devotional service like unbreakable devotional service it is not that the person is practicing 24 hours devotional service but the ananya-bhak refers to the person he doesn’t deviate from the path of Bhakti and doesn’t seem to doubt that Lord Krishna is the absolute truth but one doesn’t able to maintain steady worship of Absolute Truth.  So such a person is considered as sadhu Krishna says. That means the person stays fixed in the worship of Krishna or other manifestation like Vishnu, Ram or other but while staying fixed in the worship the person may not be able to follow required standards for practice. So either way the emphasis of this verse is that consider such a person to be sadhu.

Now let us look at the implication of this and there is a whole range of conservative, liberal and accommodative explanation on this, we will look all of them.

9.30 –Conservative commentary

Why is such a devotee considered saintly?

1.Sridhar Swami: Ananya bhak: doesn’t go to any other deity or any other process.

Devotees doesn’t think that by doing Bhakti Yoga I fell away from my process therefore Bhakti Yoga doesn’t work I have to practice some other Yoga. The devotees doesn’t think like that, the devotee is fixed. 

  1. JG: Jiva Goswami said it is a rhetorical statement. Hypothetical glorification to highlight a particular glory. What is that particular glory? That even if such a person fall away I am ready,  eg. SrivasThakur, yatra gayanti…

So the point is when a devotee is trying to worship the Lord at that time the devotee is continuously and clearly fixed on the worship of the Lord and the devotee never falls away, but in terms of leaving the worship of the Lord, Jiva Goswami says that it is hypothetical glorification essential point is to make the point that process of devotion is so great that even if such a person commits wrong still that person remains saintly. So it is hypothetical glorification. For example it is like the verse
Naham vasami vaikunthe yoginam hridaye na cha
mad-bhakta yatra gayanti tatra tishthami narada

 

So it is not that Lord really not present in Vaikuntha but that Lord who is not accessible in those places is accessible where talks are given where glories are sung where mantra meditation is being done at those places Lord becomes accessible. So the point of this verse is it is hypothetical.

Now there is a whole philosophy called Antinomianism: Devotion frees one from moral behavior. This is Wrong.

Antinomianism, is a philosophy in Christians which says that whatever sins we can commit Jesus has already paid for us by dyeing for us so we can do anything, this kind of philosophy cannot be accepted in devotional path.

Actually devotion can free us from all sins ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi…that will happen when one will do mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja, and one does sarva-dharmān parityajya, so when we surrender everything else all the conception of living and focus on the conception of para bhakti conception around love for Krishna and love for all His children then Krishna frees us from all sinful reactions. This doesn’t mean that Krishna allows us to perform sinful action for all time to come. No a serious devotee has to practice all regulative principle and give up all sinful activities. 

Srila Prabhupada also explained a devotee who is not able to give up sinful activity is not considered an advance devotee. So Krishna Consciousness is not Antinomianism e.g. Srila Prabhupada said my devotees are perfect gentleman means exemplary character. At the time of Bhakti Vinod Thakur this idea was there if we chant Hare Krishna whatever we do that is alright, which is not correct and he has opposed that where a devotees is carrying mala in one hand and wearing tilak and other hand is fish. So this is not compatible to those who are aspiring for pure devotional service. There idea was because we are cost dweller so we need to eat meat and you can avoid if you wanted to avoid. Srila Prabhupada answered this by mentioning that focus on the principle of compassion that how can we kill other children of God and claim to love God. 

So doing devotion will not free one from becoming moral responsibilities one has to be moral also.

Another commentary on 9.30 –Rasika commentary

Bhakti Vinod Thakur has written a sub-commentary called Vidvat Ranjana on Baladeva Vidya Bhusan commentary called Gita Bhushana.

Bhakti Vinod Thakur has written a sub-commentary called Rasika Ranjana on Vishvanath Chakravarti Thakur commentary – Sarartha Varshini. 

Let us look at 9.31 verse to understand it properly:

kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā

kṣipraṁ, quickly become dharmātmā, he becomes a religious 

śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati, such a person will quickly attains peace 

and then

kaunteya pratijānīhi, O Arjuna declare 

na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati, by devotee will never perish. 

 

So Bhakti Vinod Thakur has talked on three levels on this verse

9.30a: api cet su-durācāro – level 0 (low level, at a level of Vikarma at the level of sinful activity) –Ras a-lila

9.30b: bhajate mām ananya-bhāk -level 2 (level of Akarma that is transcendental) –18.66

9.31a: kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā – level 1  (coming from next verse 9.31) (at the level of Karma, it is positive activity it is not necessary pure devotional service)

So Bhakti Vinod Thakur has explained it esoterically, he says that actually this verse is referring to the Gopis of Vrindavan, how is that? He says in the eyes of the world api cet su-durācāro, when they left home they left their families in the middle of the night to respond to the call of Krishna at that time what the Gopis are doing? From the worldly point of view it is su-durācāro but from the point of view of pure devotional service it is ananya-bhāk bhajate, Krishna is saying actually they are doing pure devotional service, as this act represents supremacy of their surrender, when we surrender to God we give up bad for the sake of God but for the sake of God we need to give up the good also, even the good of this world should be given up. And Bhakti Vinod Thakur says those who understand this truth those who understand that the Gopis are sadhus what they have done is not bad but is very good so such people who have this understanding they become dharmatma (kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātm – 9.31) such people soon become dharmic and they become elevated by the practice of Dharma.

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9.30 –Liberal commentary -VCT

Why is dev considered saintly?

  1. Sridhar Swami said Ananya bhak–> repent -> dharmatma

If he doesn’t become dharmatma, still

  1. Na me bhaktahpranashyati eg. Ajamila

Sinful inclination is never eternal

Devotional inclination is always eternal

 

Ninth chapter last section is talking about how Bhakti Yoga can elevate any person no matter how much that person would be fallen. We have discussed about api cet su-durācāro and we had discussed how that verse is having different kinds of explanation liberal commentary and conservative commentary. So what is the meaning of liberal and conservative the conservative commentary emphasises the point that the devotees do not justify any sinful activity in the name of devotion that should not be there, Srila Prabhupada also emphasises that in the purport, and liberal commentary highlights love of Krishna and Krishna keeps loving those who are trying to come to Him irrespective of their action. So Krishna’s love is evident in this verse.

 

And the last verse in this section is kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati, so we concluded in last verse about Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur how this refers to Gopis now Kaunteya He Pratijani, Krishna is telling Arjuna you declare Pratijani is declare not just tell but proclaim or announce Srila Viswanath Chakravarti Thakur explain that the word Pratijani indicated Krishna’s mood that Arjuna should go out in public square with a drums and bugles and just as an announcer announce that na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati, That My devotee shall never perish. 

Now this is endeavouring  revelation from Krishna’s heart.

 

9.30a: api cet su-durācāro – level 0 (low level, at a level of Vikarma at the level of sinful activity) –Ras a-lila

9.30b: bhajate mām ananya-bhāk -level 2 (level of Akarma that is transcendental) –18.66

9.31a: kṣipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā – level 1  (coming from next verse 9.31) (at the level of Karma, it is positive activity it is not necessary pure devotional service)

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura gives a set of inner conversation happen between Krishna and Arjuna as their thoughts are going.

In previous verse Krishna says my devotees should always be considered saintly 

Arjuna: How a devotee is considered saintly when a devotee is doing su-durācāro, terribly bad activities.

Krishna: the devotee soon will become dharmātmā, religious. Then all the agitation in mind of the person which is making the person restless will go away. And what will happen is śaśvac-chāntiṁ nigacchati, lasting peace is internal peace which comes by being in harmony with God.

Arjuna: That time Arjuna ask, ok if the devotee becomes saintly that is good by what if the devotee doesn’t become saintly. 

Krishna says: still kaunteya pratijānīhi, na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati, declare that my devotee will never perish. 

This means that the devotee is always be eager and ready to serve Krishna and Krishna will be eager and ready to protect the devotee. 

That is a normal reciprocation of love. 

Even if the devotee falls away and does some sinful activity Krishna tells that even then also the devotee will never perish. 

So here we can see that Krishna is talking about the overall spiritual advancement and spiritual protection of devotee. When a devotee do Su-duruchara there is a fall, when a devotee falls it causes pain to everyone including Lord, although Lord is anand-maya-vaishata, he feels pain.

But at the same time God can reciprocate with different devotees in different ways. He can reciprocate with Gopis at the same time He can be concerned about some devotees. 

So when Krishna says that my devotees will not perish it is not that he cannot fall that Krishna has already said in previous verse su-durachara, but it is temporary it is not eternal. There may be a slip or fall but there will not be any fatality (die or death). Whatever credit one has acquired that will be there with the person forever. So when fall happen because of attachment to sense gratification the attachment for Krishna will not go away but it will be covered temporarily. In material world we are vulnerable to material offerings, we have freedom because of which we may chose worldly offers. 

There is difference between falling down and falling away. Falling down means we are moving towards Krishna and we fell down, at the bottom of whole universe is Garbodhak Shasi Visnu so you fall down and down and Maha Vishnu will take care of us ☺, so even if someone fall down from standard he should still take shelter of Krishna and Krishna will catch and also uplift him but we should not fall away from Krishna.

Whenever scriptures guarantees that whatever happen my devotees will be protected, devotees understand that this is Krishna’s love and they tries to love and serve Krishna more and do not wanted to take advantage of that. E.g. Ajamila pastime, conclusion of Acharays are if Ajamila chanted once and so much of advantage how much we will benefit when we will do chant attentively throughout our life. Lord will definitely come. 

So great is the Lord’s love that even if He is displeased by His devotees He doesn’t stop loving him.

But since we wanted to please Krishna naturally we will avoid those activities which will displease Him. 

Even if someone is fallen he should not give up Bhakti thinking in any other way but he should try and pray to Krishna for help. E.g. when child fall on ground he will get up taking help of same ground. E.g. some Srila Prabhupada’s disciples fell away but during last time of their life they came back and left their body in extraordinary ways, although then the process have been painful to them on external platform. 

 

So devotee’s devotional advancement will not be perished.

There are two kinds of faults:

  1. Incidental faults: 9.30 talks about incidental faults. Means through some incidence it occurred but the devotees are not having any deficiencies inherently, inherently the devotee is sincere ananya-bhak but the devotee fell because of some situations.
  2. Inherent faults: Here Krishna is saying if someone is having inherent fault even they can be elevated if they practice devotional service diligently. 

 

End of transcription.