So first characteristic, Krishna describes is, results will be eternal. But then after describing the characteristics He describes the qualification, what one need to possess to actually do this?

BG 2.41

vyavasayatmika buddhir

ekeha kuru–nandana

bahu–sakha hy anantas ca

buddhayo ‘vyavasayinam

SYNONYMS

vyavasaya–atmika — resolute in Krishna consciousness; buddhih — intelligence; eka — only one; iha — in this world; kuru–nandana — O beloved child of the Kurus; bahu–sakhah — having various branches; hi — indeed; anantah — unlimited; ca — also; buddhayah — intelligence; avyavasayinam — of those who are not in Krishna 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.

Vyavasayatmika buddhi, once Buddhi has to be one-pointed, has to be fixed. And ekeha kuru-nandana, and at one place, ekeha kuru-nandana ca. On the other hand, those people who are not fixed like this, their intelligence is bahu-sakha. And how many sakhas? Anantas ca, unlimited Sakha for whom? Buddhayo ‘vyavasayinam, ‘vyavasayinam, those people whose Buddhi is ‘vyavasayi, is not fixed in one place. So here we see that Krishna is telling Arjuna to become one-pointed indirectly. He is conveying this by highlighting the contrast between those people whose intelligence is fixed and those people whose intelligence is multi-branched and dissipated. When we want to do something, we have to focus. The more we let our intelligence be distributed, the more it gets dissipated. When desires crowd our minds, dilemmas cloud our intelligence. Cloud means it will be very difficult to decide. Too many desires cannot fit into 24 hours a day. It’s like when we are going on a trip, if we try to fit the whole house in a suitcase, that is not possible. So we need to decide what things we have to carry. Similarly, we have to streamline things and establish proper priorities. We should be one-pointed. So generally, when we want to practice Krishna Consciousness, we have to be ekeha kuru-nandana. To the extent we are one-pointed, to that extent we can practice Krishna Consciousness diligently. If we are not one-pointed, then we find it very difficult to persevere in Krishna Consciousness. Srila Prabhupada’s whole purport takes a very interesting angle. Srila Prabhupada doesn’t focus too much on the second part, bahu-sakha hy anantas ca, but rather focuses more on ekeha kuru-nandana, one-pointedness. So how do we achieve this one-pointedness? Otherwise, there is difficulty in perseverance.

How to remain fixed on a single point, like Olympic gold medalists or mountain climbing? We need to focus on one thing. A world-class cricketer only focuses on cricket. That is fanatical focus (fanatics are those who believe that what they are doing is the only right thing, and everything else is wrong). They are not only focused on cricket but also on just one aspect of cricket, such as pace bowling, spin bowling, wicket-keeping, or batting, etc. Similarly, in our studies, if we want to advance in Krishna Consciousness, we need to be focused. There are many things done in Srila Prabhupada’s mission, and Krishna wants the whole world to be delivered, and He wants us to become instruments for it. But how do we decide? If we just sit and keep thinking, ‘This has to be done, and that has to be done,’ that is fine. But a serious devotee is defined by a sense of purpose and a sense of urgency. Something has to be done, and something has to be done soon. Something has to be done now. How do we get a sense of urgency and a sense of purpose? Krishna will reveal His will through the Spiritual Master. So Prabhupada took Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Thakur’s instruction to heart: to share, write books in the English language, and preach in the West. He made an extraordinary success by following this instruction.

Now, we may or may not be so fortunate to have specific and personal instructions from a spiritual master. The important point is to recognize that the spiritual master’s instructions don’t have to be specific and personal for them to become the mission of our life. Instead, we should understand that the general instructions Krishna has given us through Srila Prabhupada are the way we all have to become devotees, love Krishna, and help others in loving Krishna. So how we do it specifically will vary depending on time, place, and circumstances. At this stage, we may or may not know how we can serve Krishna, but if we keep exploring our interests, we will gradually find out what we are most comfortable with. Generally, the way we decide is by feeling internally comfortable and externally competent in doing that service. We think, ‘Yes, I like to do it, and I am looking to do this.’ That is the principle of varnashrama.

Determining our varna in Kali Yuga may be difficult due to mixing that has happened over the past several decades. So it will be challenging to assume varna based on our birth. Instead, what we can do is focus on ourselves with the guidance of senior devotees, discussing what service is best for us and the best way we can serve Krishna. So the way we apply this instruction is ekeha kuru-nandana. We find out that our goal is to become Krishna conscious, as we have learned from the scriptures, and then we try to find out, with the help of Krishna and devotees, what is the best way we can serve Krishna while we are in this world. We use the talents and abilities given to us for His glorification, for our purification, and for the benefit of the world. This is how we can apply ekeha kuru-nandana. Spiritual master guidance doesn’t have to come through personal instruction. If it does, that is wonderful. Otherwise, we learn it by studying scriptures, engaging our minds, connecting with Krishna internally, and seeking the help of senior devotees.