Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya

  • 10-32: From practice to perfection in yoga
    • 10-32 defines how one will achieve perfection when one is practicing yoga.
  • 24-32: Realization of Bhagavan

 

We have discussed Samadhi verses and now Sri Krishna explains how someone can attain Samadhi, this chapter has a flow from Sadhana to Siddha then again from Sadhna to Siddha, and again from Sadhana to Siddha.

In first progression it talks about Brahman realization in 6.10 to 6.15.

Second progression 6.16 to 6.23 it talks about Parmatama realization.

Third progression from 6.24 to 6.32 it talks about Bhagvan realization. 

That is how we are progressing

 

Bg 6.24

sa niścayena yoktavyo
yogo ’nirviṇṇa-cetasā
saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs
tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ

manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ
viniyamya samantataḥ

Word for word: 

saḥ — that; niścayena — with firm determination; yoktavyaḥ — must be practiced; yogaḥ — yoga system; anirviṇṇa–cetasā — without deviation; saṅkalpa — mental speculations; prabhavān — born of; kāmān — material desires; tyaktvā — giving up; sarvān — all; aśeṣataḥ — completely; manasā — by the mind; eva — certainly; indriya–grāmam — the full set of senses; viniyamya — regulating; samantataḥ — from all sides.

Translation: 

One should engage oneself in the practice of yoga with determination and faith and not be deviated from the path. One should abandon, without exception, all material desires born of mental speculation and thus control all the senses on all sides by the mind.

 

sa niścayena yoktavyo, one starts practicing with determination, sa niścayena, niscaye means determination like in Updesamirta it is said Utsaha, Nischayat, Dhairyat, So sa niścayena yoktavyo, with determination they engages, yogo ’nirviṇṇa-cetasā, Anirviṇṇa, nirviṇṇa means rejected and Srila Prabhupada said deviated, so rejected or deviated. ’nirviṇṇa-cetasā, one does not let oneself deviated, So one engages in devotional service in practice of yoga in general, it can also refers to devotional service in the ultimate sense, sa niścayet, with determination and what does determination means? That means there is no deviation. The nature of the mind and nature of the world are such that they will take us off track but we bring ourselves on track again and again that is the essential process of Bhakti yoga or any yoga in general, yogo ’nirviṇṇa-cetasā and what we will need to do this?
saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs, there are many material desire which come up, kāmāṁs is material desires and saṅkalpa is resolution to enjoy those material desires. 

There is Sankalpa and there is Vikalpa. Sankalpa means I want this, Vikalpa means I don’t want this. Sankalpa manifests in Karma-kanda section, this is what I want and to enjoy this I will do this. 

So the difference between Sankalpa and Kama is saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs, what it means is because there is Kama there is desire to enjoy, that lead to resolution, resolution to enjoy. This resolution of enjoy is bond of lust, what is significant is Sri Krishna is not saying give up lust because giving up lust will take a long time, lusty desire may come and they may steam our mind but we decide not to act on that. In SB also in 7th canto when it is discussed how different anarthas will be overcome Asankalpa chaiet Kamah, which means by making firm resolutions one can break free, one can get rid of Kama. Acharyas gives example, Srila Vishwananpt Chakravarti Pad and also Srila Prabhupada, someone make a resolution of not eating grains on Ekadashi day, by making resolution one give up eating grains on that particular day, so like that there is difference between desiring and planning, desiring we may not be able to give up, but planning is something which we can avoid, saṅkalpa-prabhavān kāmāṁs, from Kama the sankalpa that is born one give up, tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ, Sri Krishna is very emphatic here if you want to be anirvhina if you want to be sa niścayena yoktavyo what we have to do? tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ, we give up all material desire we don’t keep up any material desire for example there is a Dam very solid but there is a little crack in that if that crack is not fixed in time that will grow bigger eventually and the whole Dam will collapse. So a tiny crack can lead to a mighty crash. So the tiny crack should also be sealed. tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ, So there is double emphasis sarvān is all and aśeṣataḥ is nothing remaining. That means give it up completely tyaktvā sarvān aśeṣataḥ and manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ, what does one do? Manasa, indriya-grāmaṁ, with mind and senses, viniyamya samantataḥ, with mind and senses one bring himself under control. manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ, Srila Prabhupada says control all the senses from all side by mind. 

Now the question arises does mind takes senses in wrong directions or senses takes mind in wrong direction, actually it can happen in both the ways, how both is possible it depends on where trigger from temptation coming from sometimes trigger for temptation comes from outside, that means we see something externally which agitates us and when it agitates us, from the senses it comes and it triggers internally. Then the imagination fascination gets stimulated and we act on it. So when the trigger is coming from outside to inside that means the senses are agitating the mind.

And sometimes the triggers of temptation can come from inside that means we remember based on our past life, we remember this is what I have done in past we didn’t think it as wrong that time and we remember it was so enjoyable at that time this way we get agitated and trigger comes from mind and mind takes us towards senses gratification. We have seen some provoking object externally but we imagined something internally and then we ourselves go to sense object, and then we indulge in it.  manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ
viniyamya samantataḥ. Now Sri Krishna is saying with the mind control the senses, now the significance of this is Yogi who is practicing astang Yoga, has already withdrawn away from world of temptation, the yogi is not situated in the materialistic environment, the Yogi has gone to the jungle, and in that sense in the environment of the forest there is not many external triggers of temptation, so the trigger for temptation for yogis who are gone to jungle are primarily internal and with the mind one control the senses, that means that mind may come up with some memories Oh I had enjoyed like that, I have done like that, I had done like that…so once such desires comes up one starts acting at the level of senses so when one control at the level of mind one doesn’t let senses gets active. With the mind one control the senses, that means one doesn’t go towards sense object and don’t let senses exposed by placing in that environment where this contact would happen too much.

So for us we cannot avoid the contact we live in contaminated environment where there are provocative stimuli all around us so how do we deal with them? We deal them by inner restraint, manasaivendriya-grāmaṁ
viniyamya samantataḥ, so the point is whether externally triggers happen or not but real fall happens internally first, That is why in 2.62 also Sri Krishna talked about Dhyayato Visamaya Pumpsa, and the beginning to the fall lead to Visvato Vismaya Pumpsa, it is not seeing the sense object it is contemplating sense object that begins the downward fall, So now all material desires one gives up and one fixes on Supreme Lord. So here Sri Krishna is not telling what to fix on, that He will tell later in BG but we understand BG ultimately recommends Bhakti yoga and in Bhakti Yoga one is recommended to fix the mind on Supreme Lord. Now here Yogis are trying to fix the mind on Atma Dhyat Tattva, it may be Atma it may be paramatma, depending on how evolved yogis understand is? So here Srila Prabhupada gives the example of Sparrow and the Ocean who has taken the eggs of the Sparrow, and when Ocean did not give back eggs Sparrow determined to dry up the ocean, to achieve this just by determination is impossible, but impossible determination attracted the unstoppable power of Garuda, Now Garuda said I will dry up the ocean, then ocean took it up very seriously and give back the eggs. So what does this illustration demonstrate? Our conditioning are like Ocean, this material existence itself is considered as Ocean and our conditions are also Oceanic, deep within those conditionings is the love of God, just like the birds had eggs which are taken away by the Ocean, so deep under this vast ocean there is potential love of God. Love for God which is misdirected now to other things, So for us to remove our conditioning is impossible but if we just keep practicing the devotional service, so like every maha mantra we chant is like removing one drop from the Ocean, it is one moment we are trying to live purely, so keep practicing keep practicing, just by every moment we are trying to love Sri Krishna we are trying to serve Sri Krishna, it is like removing one drop from the Ocean. We can never dry up the Ocean. But by our sincere endeavour we can attract the mercy of the Lord. And when we attract the mercy of the Lord, Lord does miracles, actually Lord does it though spiritual master, Garuda here represents the spiritual master, then one is able to become free, one is able to become rescued, liberated from conditioning and reinitiated with original love for Sri Krishna.

 

Srila Prabhupada Purport: may appear to be a very difficult job. But if anyone follows the principles with great determination, the Lord will surely help, for God helps those who help themselves.

 

Now a days this is common saying from people God help those who help themselves, what is the Vedic understanding of this? Srila Prabhupada, themselves is quoting this, often time when materialistic people quote this they mean don’t just sit and do prayer or japa, those who help themselves God will help them, so when such type of people speak their emphasis is not on God help but they help themselves. So emphasis is on You help yourself then God will help you, for them God’s help is like a side show, real thing is you help yourself, unless you endeavour you are not going to get result, often people say that don’t waste your time in praying, don’t waste your time in distributing all sort of nonsense, actually work, help yourself then God will help you. So in principle this statement is true but the emphasis has to be understood, actually when Srila Prabhupada is speaking he is saying it is God’s help which is decisive, so it is God’s help which brings out the result, and God’s help cannot be and should not be neglected just for the sake of helping ourselves, in fact the best way we can help ourselves is by taking God’s help. God help those who help themselves is true but how we help ourselves? By taking God’s help. In fact we don’t have even to take God’s help, He is already in our heart and He wanted to help us, we simply have to stop obstructing the help, just like a Dr. wants to treat a patient and all the patient has to do is cooperate, stop interfering with the treatment and the Dr. will cure like that we will be cured we have to just stop interrupting letting ourselves distracted, so God will help us there should not be wrong emphasis on this.

End of transcription.