Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

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

so now Krishna has talked one way how one can remember Him at the time of death through the process of Yoga Mishra Bhakti. 

Now after this in 8.14,15,16 Sri Krishna will talk briefly about how one can come to think about Him in an alternative way through the process of devotional service.

Bg 8.14

ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ
yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ
tasyāhaṁ su-labhaḥ pārtha
nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ

Word for word: 

ananya–cetāḥ — without deviation of the mind; satatam — always; yaḥ — anyone who; mām — Me (Kṛṣṇa);smarati — remembers; nityaśaḥ — regularly; tasya — to him; aham — I am; su–labhaḥ — very easy to achieve;pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; nitya — regularly; yuktasya — engaged; yoginaḥ — for the devotee.

Translation: 

For one who always remembers Me without deviation, I am easy to obtain, O son of Pṛthā, because of his constant engagement in devotional service.

 

Chapter 8 – overview

Verses 1& 2 are the questions than 3 & 4 are answers to the 6 questions 

1-4: Krishna’s answers Arjuna’s first 6 questions

5-8: Remembrance of Krishna at death – answer to 7thquestion

9-13: Remembrance by yoga-mishra bhakti

14-15-Remembrance by shuddha-bhakti

16-22: Remembrance by comparing natures of material and spiritual worlds (so we are attracted from material world when we think that material world is place of enjoyment for us but when we understand that material world is not place of enjoyment then we turn towards spiritual world )

23-28: Remembrance by bhakti-yoga is easier than by ashtanga yoga

Let us have a quick overlook of the eighth chapter before we move to the next section. Here we have finished first three sections the whole focus of the chapter is remembrance of Krishna specially remembrance at the time of death. So from 09-13 remembrance from Yoga-Mishra Bhakti was discussed, now Sri Krishna will talk about remembrance by Shuddha-Bhakti, and then He will talk about becoming fixed in remembrance by comparing natures of material and spiritual world,

So ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ, without any deviation ananya-cetāḥ, anya-cetāḥ means the consciousness goes to other things, ananya-cetāḥ without letting consciousness go anywhere satataṁ constantly.

yo māṁ smarati nityaśaḥ, that one who remembers Krishna constantly so what happens to such a person tasyāhaṁ su-labhaḥ pārtha, I am easily obtained by such a person, nitya-yuktasya yoginaḥ, nitya-yuktasya one who is ever engage thus, so here Sri Krishna is telling that one who remembers Him with undeviating and constantly he can obtain Krishna easily in whole BG this is the only verse which uses the word su-labhaḥ, which indicates the process is easy so this is significant because this verse by no stretch of interpretation can be used to refer to anything other than Bhakti Yoga and Sri Krishna is telling Bhakti is the easiest way to attain Him. So Sulabha so if you look at what previous verse has talked about earlier Yoga-Mishra Bhakti , Sri Krishna has talked about that in the Yoga-Mishra Bhakti section so in 08.10 He explains that one has to practice Brahmachara one has to be free from attachment one has to know Vedas, one has to chant Om!!!, And in this way one has to practice serious spiritual life, in the renounced order then one can attain Him, one can enter into that absolute truth, but here Sri Krishna is telling Sulabha and what He is saying, all one has to do is remember Him, so if we look at the overall flow of this chapter Sri Krishna has talked about by the process of Astang Yoga how one can remember Him at the time of death, here He is saying the same thing can be attained, the same goal, the goal is Param Purasham Yathi it was told that one has to attain Param Purusha Yathi, so one has to attain Parmam Purusha what is the Parma Purusha ultimately it is Krishna that is clear in this chapter, we discussed earlier, so Krishna is saying I can be attained and I can be attained easily that means whatever is the result which is attained by the process of astang Yoga that can be attained also by the practice of the Bhakti Yoga, undeviating un-distracting Bhakti Yoga, now when Sri Krishna talks about this what he sees what is the implication, the implication is Bhakti Yoga is far preferable to astanga yoga than to the demanding and gruelling path of astanga yoga, by Bhakti Yoga we can move much faster and much easier in spiritual path. So now when Sri Krishna is talking about Bhakti Yoga over here what is He implying, He is implying that Bhakti Yoga is easier than astanga yoga now we can go back and consider Arjuna’s admission in 6th chapter in verses 33 and 34 where he says that this process is not practical for me, Srila Prabhupada uses Arjuna’s statement to emphasise that astanga yoga is not practical and one should chant Hare Krishna and follow Bhakti Yoga instead, so now some commentator of Gita especially who are critic of Srila Prabhupada’s commentary they say that Krishna never reject the process of Astanga Yoga, although Bhakti Vedanta Swami gives the impression that  Krishna rejects the process of astanga yoga or Gita rejects the process of astanga yoga, so Krishna never does that, Krishna tells Arjuna that it is difficult but if you practice you will succeed, and you have to control the mind if you will not control the mind you will not succeed you will not get anything, so it seems that Sri Krishna never agrees to Arjuna’s reluctance about the process of Astanga Yoga, so is Srila Prabhupada not representing Gita properly when he says that Gita rejects the path of astanga yoga. Actually we have discussed earlier Prabhupada strategy of presentation is that he gives conclusion of Gita throughout the Gita. So we see very clearly that at the end of BG Krishna rejects all other paths,

sarva-dharmān parityajya

mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja

ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo

mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ,

Krishna says that give up all varieties of religion and just surrender to Me. If you surrender to Me then whatever sinful reactions you may get because of having given up other duties because of abandoning your other responsibility because you have not followed other paths, you have sinful reactions I will take care of them don’t worry. So Krishna is here categorically rejecting other paths. Pritayaja, there can be very few words that are stronger than Pritayaja, just give it up Sarva Dharman, it is categorical so that means if we look BG in conclusion very clearly it rejects all other paths and enthrone the path of Bhakti. Mam Ekam Senam Verja is clearly Bhakti, so what Sri Krishna does at the end of Bhagavad Gita, Srila Prabhupada does throughout Bhagavad Gita in his purports, that is Srila Prabhupada’s compassion that he wants us that we don’t miss the conclusion of Bhagavad Gita, that we understand the conclusion properly and we go properly along with that conclusion, so now when we talk about this point that Srila Prabhupada is giving conclusion throughout his purports what about the flow of Bhagavad Gita, now within the flow of Bhagavad Gita also Krishna does not deny the point, when Arjuna says that it is difficult Krishna says that it is difficult, so 6th chapter was talking about astanga yoga where it is said By Abhyasa and Vairagya we will move forward, and Krishna overall doesn’t recommend specifically about the process of Astanga yoga there also Krishna said do Abhyas and do Vairagya, so He says that one has to follow the process of transcendence and one has to control the mind then one will attend success it is essential to control the mind, it is difficult but it is essential so Krishna specifically doesn’t endorsed the path of astanga yoga, if we are looking for the endorsement by Krishna we find it here in 8th chapter, the word Sulabha is a very strong endorsement, it is easy and it gives the same destination that can be got by astanga yoga, so why not take it? That means what Sri Krishna is doing is in 6th chapter He is outlining the astanga yoga and there Arjuna expresses reservation / apprehension and Krishna says but one has to keep practicing the path of transcendence and thereafter if we see the Arjuna’s question is about deviated Yogis, so Krishna’s answer to that also is nothing specially to astanga yoga it is generic, so both Arjuna’s questions and Krishna’s answers are referring to generic topics, the stimulation for Arjuna’s both the question are that the path of astanga yoga which Sri Krishna has just delineated in 6th chapter till 6.32 that is difficult path so he says O I don’t think I can have equanimity of mind, I don’t think I will be able to succeed in one life that is why he asked two question, one is 6.33 & 6.34 and second question is from 6.37 to 6.39, so either way the point which HG CC Pr is making here is if all this seems technical the simple point here is that Arjuna feels that path of astanga yoga is difficult and Krishna in His response neither rejects astanga yoga nor endorsed astanga yoga, Krishna simply says that “but one has to perceive in transcendental path and if one perceive it one will get Supreme Destination then after that in 7th chapter Krishna introduced this process of Bhakti Yoga and then in eighth chapter he contrast astanag yoga and Bhakti Yoga, and He says Bhakti Yoga is easy therefore the answer to Arjuna’s point tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manye

vāyor iva su-duṣkaram, that controlling the mind is Duskara it is almost impossible it is like controlling the wind it is impossible, so Krishna’s response is here Sulabha, Yes actually fixing Mind on Me you can attain Me easily. So He is recommending the process of Bhakti Yoga as the easy way in attending success in transcendental path, now we may say actually fixing the mind on Krishna and fixing the mind constantly on Krishna is not so easy. Yes ultimately no spiritual path is entirely easy if something material also requires effort and everything material we achieve is also temporary then that which is going to give eternal result we can’t expect that come very easily that will also require endeavour no doubt so anyway there is endeavour but what is easier is Bhakti Yoga because the mind gets positive engagement right from the beginning, there are various reasons why Bhakti Yoga is highest and best but here in the context of mind, you just trying to withdraw the mind from the negative then afterwards trying to probe do discover what is the positive reality on which to focus the mind that is an onerous process that is a burdensome process but if one knows how to draw the mind back and then one doesn’t have to just focus the mind on drawing back, yes one has to undoubtedly take the mind away from negative from the  agitating titillating material temptations of this world but one knows I have to fix the mind on Krishna and Krishna is such a captivating enchanting fulfilling higher reality to fix the mind on so therefore the whole process becomes much easier. For example if someone will tell never think of blue monkey with red tell, now we would have never thought about blue money with red tell but when someone will tell like this immediately mind will draw the picture, so the nature of the mind is whatever told to it not to do it often goes to that so if we tell mind don’t think of this, don’t think of this, don’t think of this, saying No is never pleasant we have something positive to say, then the absorption in positive enables us to say No much easily, so this is the easy way ananya-cetāḥ satataṁ.

Srila Prabhupada whole Purport in this verse is actually we have to fix mind on Krishna.

The Lord helps such devotees in various ways. 

As stated in the Vedas (Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.2.23), yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas/ tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām

yam evaiṣa vṛṇute tena labhyas, so the person whom the absolute truth selects that is the person who understands the spiritual reality, that is the meaning yam evaiṣa vṛṇute, yam evaiṣa vṛṇute  by whom vṛṇute selected that person attain tena labhyas, 

tasyaiṣa ātmā vivṛṇute tanuṁ svām, that person understands the spiritual reality, so whom do Sri Krishna select? That He explains in the BG another literature He has not arbitrarily partial He is reciprocal and He is universally reciprocal, so if we approach Him with devotion we approach Him for understanding Him as Supreme Person then He will reciprocate as the Supreme Person. Then He will reciprocate as Supreme Person to us as Sri Krishna says Ye Yetha Mam Prapadyante in 4.11 then He says 10.10 dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ, So Krishna helps us so now this is second point, the first point is it is much easier to fix mind on Krishna then it is to withdraw mind from material reality, other reason for Bhakti being easy is that it is Krishna who helps us to make spiritual advancement. Krishna gives His mercy He gives intelligence from within, by which we can fix mind on Him easily, so therefore His mercy also makes it much more easy for us to gain concentration of mind on Krishna, somebody says that Krishna says first we have to serve Him affectionately Bhajatam Preethi Purvakam then He will give Buddhi so what about when we don’t have affection. Actually we all have some affection so it is not that only for Pure Devotees Krishna will give Dadami Bhuddhi Yogam, Krishna gives for everyone, now depending upon how much is our affection and how much is our intention to serve Krishna will in proportion give us intelligence . Srila Prabhupada has mentioned this frequently when one devotees came with intelligent ways of spreading Krishna Consciousness, that Srila Prabhupada appreciates and said since you are trying to sincerely serve Krishna, Krishna will give you intelligence how to spread Krishna Consciousness Movement. How to share Krishna consciousness and Prabhupada would quote this dadāmi buddhi-yogaṁ taṁ, so Krishna can give us guidance and to anybody who has intention to remember Krishna and has whatever little affection with that intention and affection we try to serve and Krishna will reciprocate so devotee thinks of Krishna everywhere so devotees creates holy places wherever he goes so Srila Prabhupada quotes here from Chaitanya Critamrita: It was Śrī Advaita who told Lord Caitanya, “Wherever You are, O Lord – there is Vṛndāvana.

What does this mean? He is saying the essence of Vrindavan is remembrance of Krishna and with Lord Himself present then one can remember Him very easily so devotee can invoke Sri Krishna’s presence by remembrance everywhere and can remember Krishna everywhere therefore it is not necessary for devotee to be present in holy place nor devotee has to go to secluded place or in jungle as a yogi, a devotee can be anywhere and everywhere and remember Krishna, then Srila Prabhupada has talked about the five rasa and he has concluded again with full Maha Mantra. We should chant Hare Krishna that is the best way to remember Krishna. So now here Krishna establishes how remembering Him through the process of Bhakti Yoga is far easier and therefore it is preferable.

End of transcription.