Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

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

Ch 12 overview:

1-7: Worship of personal form is superior to impersonal Brahman.

8-12: Talk about progressive stages of Bhakti.

13-20: Talk about qualities that endear (these qualities Krishna likes in His devotees) one to Krishna.

 

Bg 12.10

abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si
mat-karma-paramo bhava
mad-artham api karmāṇi
kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi

Synonyms: 

abhyāse — in practice; api — even if; asamarthaḥ — unable; asi — you are; mat–karma — My work; paramaḥ — dedicated to; bhava — become; mat–artham — for My sake; api — even; karmāṇi — work; kurvan — performing; siddhim — perfection; avāpsyasi — you will achieve.

Translation: 

If you cannot practice the regulations of bhakti-yoga, then just try to work for Me, because by working for Me you will come to the perfect stage.

 

So in this chapter talks about how Bhakti is the best process for transcendence, then how Bhakti can be practices at multiple levels and how one will cultivate qualities that will make one devotee. 

 

abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si, asamartho means incapable. Abhyasa was talked about in previous verse

abhyāsa-yogena tato
mām icchāptuṁ dhanañ-jaya

 by the practice to yoga obtain the desire to attain Me.

 

abhyāse ’py asamartho ’si, that if you are incapable of doing Abhyas, then mat-karma-paramo bhava, make my karma the Supreme Goal become dedicated to working for Me. 

Parmo can means supreme, parmo can also means mat parah, fix the mind on Me, make me your ultimate aspiration. 

mat-karma-paramo bhava

So there is a difference between “mat parah” and “mat-karma-paramo”

mat parah means our heart our mind, intelligence our whole being is offered to Sri Krishna. This is higher level then mat-karma-paramo.

mat-karma-paramo means we are doing various work but we understand that the work we are doing for Krishna is the most important and work for Him.

So I try to work for Krishna and I make all my work as an offering to Krishna. 

And then what will happen by this? 

mad-artham api karmāṇi.

If you in this way work for Me, kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi, you will attain perfection by this also.

So Sri Krishna is extending the mercy lower and lower e.g. if a person is in dry well and someone gives him rope and says you stretch yourself stand on your toes and catch the rope and I will pull you out the person says I cannot do this, ok them the person lowers the rope more and says just raise your arm and catch the rope still the person says I cannot do this, then ok I will lower rope further just tie the rope around your waist and I will pull you out.

And Krishna is saying mad-artham api karmāṇi, if you work in this way kurvan siddhim avāpsyasi, siddhi you will attain. 

The word siddhi literally means perfection. 

Earlier He said in 7.3 

manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu
kaścid yatati siddhaye
yatatām api siddhānāṁ
kaścin māṁ vetti tattvataḥ

Sometimes Siddhi is used for material perfections like Anima, Lagima etc. but here Krishna is talking about devotional perfections which ultimately culminate in pure love for Krishna. Krishna is saying even working for Me you come to the level of attaining Me.

  1. Work for Krishna (12.10). This level includes two implicit sub-levels:

3.1 Direct: Do His work that is render service to Him.

3.2 Indirect: Offer Him the fruits of our work.

3.1 Do His works examples are book distribution, share Krishna’s messages, do services in the temple, i.e. do His work, i.e. It is Krishna’s work, it is Krishna’s mission, and we help in Krishna’s mission to do His work

3.2 Then there is indirect, offer Him the fruits of the work. How we do this? By giving charity. 

Devotees try to integrate family life or whole family into Krishna’s work. Devotees see that family members if they are devotee it is wonderful but if they are not devotees still they are also parts of Krishna and it is ultimately by Krishna’s arrangement that I am placed in the situation with this family members and let me try to serve Krishna by taking care of them materially and spiritually, so this is mat-karma-paramo bhava. 

SP Purport: Every endeavor requires land, capital, organization and labor. 

So these are included in mat-karma-paramo bhava.

SP Purport:  The only difference is that in materialism one works for sense gratification. The same work, however, can be performed for the satisfaction of Kṛṣṇa, and that is spiritual activity.

SP Purport: This voluntary service to the cause of Kṛṣṇa consciousness will help one to rise to a higher state of love for God, whereupon one becomes perfect.

End of transcription.