Gita 07.28 – Dont expect immediate steady determination – use present determination, even if unsteady
yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ (Bg 7.28)
Word-to-word:
yeṣām — whose; tu — but; anta-gatam — completely eradicated; pāpam — sin; janānām — of the persons; puṇya — pious; karmaṇām — whose previous activities; te — they; dvandva — of duality; moha — delusion; nirmuktāḥ — free from; bhajante — engage in devotional service; mām — to Me; dṛḍha-vratāḥ — with determination.
Translation:
Persons who have acted piously in previous lives and in this life and whose sinful actions are completely eradicated are freed from the dualities of delusion, and they engage themselves in My service with determination.
Explanation:
yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ: For those whose sins have come to an end,
janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām: who are persons engaged in pious activities
te dvandva-moha-nirmuktāḥ: they, being freed from the delusion of dualities,
bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ: worship Me with firm determination
In the previous verse (7.27), Kṛṣṇa explained how people in this world become entangled in illusion through icchā-dveṣa—attachment and aversion. Dvandva-moha, the delusion born of these dualities, becomes the combined source of their bewilderment. Thus sarva-bhūtāni sammohaṁ—all living beings—are placed under delusion. Sarge yānti paran-tapa—this condition begins from birth itself.
After explaining how living beings fall into illusion, a natural question arises: how can they come out of it? Kṛṣṇa has already addressed this in 7.14, where He states, daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā, mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te—by surrendering to Him, one can rise above the formidable energy of Māyā. While that teaching is complete in itself, it appears in a different context—there Kṛṣṇa is speaking about the three modes of material nature and how one can transcend that energy by surrendering to Him.
In this verse (7.28), Kṛṣṇa explains specifically how the illusion of duality that afflicts the soul can be removed. He states that those who have given up sinful actions (yeṣāṁ tv anta-gataṁ pāpaṁ) and who engage in pious activities (janānāṁ puṇya-karmaṇām) become free from the illusion created by duality (te dvandva-moha-nirmuktā). Such people worship Him with firm determination (bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ).
This verse can also be understood from another angle: those who sincerely desire purification worship Kṛṣṇa with determination, and through that devoted practice, they become purified.
Kṛṣṇa will revisit this theme toward the end of the fourteenth chapter (14.26), where He states: māṁ ca yo ’vyabhicāreṇa bhakti-yogena sevate sa guṇān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate. There, He explains that one can rise above the modes by practicing unwavering bhakti. At first glance, this may appear like a self-referential cycle. In 7.14, Kṛṣṇa says that by surrendering to Him we can transcend the formidable modes of nature; and in 14.26, He again says that by practicing steady devotion to Him, we can go beyond those same modes.
This may prompt the question: where does one begin? It seems similar to saying, “By taking the treatment, you will be cured; and to be cured, take the treatment.” Verses 7.14 and 14.26 both emphasize that transcending the modes requires steadfast bhakti and surrender to Kṛṣṇa. But verse 7.28 introduces another dimension: to become fixed in such unwavering devotion, one must first become freed from sin and firmly established in pious conduct. Piety prepares the ground on which determined bhakti can take root.
So what, then, is the entry point? Actually, we need not make this overly complicated. The essential point is simple: in the beginning, if we are unable to practice bhakti steadily—for instance, if we are dominated by tamo-guṇa—we will naturally find the basic principles of bhakti difficult to follow. We may struggle to concentrate while chanting, feel restless when sitting to read or hear, or find our attachments and aversions overpowering. At such times, steadiness in bhakti does not come easily.
Sometimes, in Ayurvedic treatment, a patient may be too weak to handle a strong remedy. In such cases, the doctor begins with a milder treatment so the patient can regain enough basic strength to later receive the stronger medicine. In the same way, when someone is deeply affected by the lower modes, they may not be able to practice bhakti properly. Still, if they continue to practice according to their capacity—even if it is very little—that small effort gradually purifies them and brings them to a point where they can practice more steadily and wholeheartedly.
We may feel that if someone is very sick, they need a stronger dose of medicine. That is true, but whether they can actually sustain that stronger dose is an equally important question. Similarly, in material existence, when people are situated in the lower modes, their attachments and aversions can be so strong that they simply cannot put them aside and focus on the principles of bhakti. Whatever room their attachments and aversions leave for them, they have to practice bhakti within that limited space. Gradually, through even a little practice of bhakti, they become purified, give up impiety, and begin to act piously. In this way, they become free from the illusion of duality and eventually begin to worship Kṛṣṇa with determination (bhajante māṁ dṛḍha-vratāḥ).
Unless one comes to the level of practicing bhakti diligently, one has to continue practicing according to whatever capacity one presently has. We should not become disheartened if, for now, we can only practice according to our current ability. By continuing in this way, that very practice will carry us forward and eventually bring us to the level of steady, consistent bhakti.
If we cannot beat our conditionings, we don’t have to beat ourselves for our conditionings. We can simply deal with them according to our present capacity. When we say “beat our conditionings,” we mean overcoming the influences that prevent us from practicing bhakti steadily. If we are unable to do that, we may slip into self-pity, remorse, guilt, and negativity—so much so that we become disheartened and lose the motivation to practice even the little bhakti we are capable of. In that state, we may end up neglecting the very practice we could have continued.
Hence, we certainly have standards we want to aspire toward, but if we cannot beat down our conditionings, we should not beat ourselves down because of those conditionings. We can simply continue practicing, praying to Kṛṣṇa, seeking His mercy, and identifying the activities through which we naturally feel taste and strength. Guided by the steady performance of those activities, we can gradually move toward steadiness in the overall practice of bhakti. Even steady engagement in one limb of bhakti purifies the heart, and that purification enables us to move forward in our journey toward Kṛṣṇa.
Thank you.
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