Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

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

From next verse it will move towards Gyana Yoga  

We are part of BG which will take us from Karma yoga through Gyan Yoga to Bhakti. So here Krishna will talk about how one will move to Bhakti through the process of Gyana.

So 49 to 53 describes Gyana is brief and then 54 describes how Gyana will lead to Bhakti then 55 explains how Pure Bhakti Para Bhakti takes to Krishna 

Bg 18.49

asakta-buddhiḥ sarvatra
jitātmā vigata-spṛhaḥ
naiṣkarmya-siddhiṁ paramāṁ
sannyāsenādhigacchati

Synonyms: 

asakta–buddhiḥ — having unattached intelligence; sarvatra — everywhere; jita–ātmā — having control of the mind; vigata–spṛhaḥ — without material desires; naiṣkarmya–siddhim — the perfection of nonreaction; paramām— supreme; sannyāsena — by the renounced order of life; adhigacchati — one attains.

Translation: 

One who is self-controlled and unattached and who disregards all material enjoyments can obtain, by practice of renunciation, the highest perfect stage of freedom from reaction.

asakta-buddhiḥ sarvatra, AASAKTA is attached, asakta is detached, so with detached intelligence, sarvatra means all living beings, 

jitātmā vigata-spṛhaḥ, jitātmā one who has conquered the mind

  vigata-spṛhaḥ, one who is detached, free from material desires

naiṣkarmya-siddhiṁ paramāṁ, by the practice of Naiskarmya, siddhiṁ paramāṁ, the supreme destination, the perfection

sannyāsenādhigacchati, through sanyas one can attain

So essentially Krishna is talking about detachment in three way 

  1. asakta-buddhiḥ – detached
  2. jitātmā – conquered the mind
  3. vigata-spṛhaḥ – free from material desire

Same point is mentioned as sannyāsenā and naiṣkarmya

Till now Krishna was talking about sva-karma, by practice of one’s karma worship the transcendental Lord, but here it takes us to another level where He talks about naiṣkarmya, one doesn’t need to practice karma here, one gives up karma, one gives up action and live with not just spirit of renunciation while doing action but actually one renounces action entirely, so this is also valid path and talked about in BG in 18.49, asakta-buddhiḥ sarvatra.

So the idea is Varnashram creates a platform for transcendence, varnashram in itself is not always transcendental, Varnashram if it is done for satisfaction of Lord Vishnu as mentioned in SB and Vishnu Puranas in other places especially the scripture which focuses on devotion e.g. 

Atah Pumvir Dvija Sreshta Varanashram Vibhj Shah 

Sva Anushtashya Darmasys Samsdhhir Hari Tosanam.

So the purpose of Varnashram is Hari Tosanam, Satisfaction of Lord Hari 

Similarly the purpose of Varnashram is 

Varanshram Acharvata Purashen Na Pura Puman 

Vishnur Aradhyate Pantha Na Anyat Ta Tosa Karanam

Na Anyat Ta Tosa Karanam, No other Karan apart from Pureshe Parah Puman Vishnu Aradhyate apart from worship of Supreme Lord Vishnu there is no other reason for Varnashram. 

  1. If one does Karma Yoga for the satisfaction of Lord Vishnu that directly leads one to devotional service 
  2. Or one practices Karma Yoga and then renounces the world practices Gyana Yoga and after Gyana Yoga one eventually comes to Bhakti. That is what we will be discussing now here.

So practice of Varnashram is supportive to practice of Bhakti, Varnashram itself is not Bhakti and it never beats down or suppresses the principles of Bhakti, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu makes it very clear when He subordinates Varnashram identity to Bhakti identity, He said 

nāhaṁ vipro na ca nara-patir nāpi vaiśyo na śūdro
nāhaṁ varṇī na ca gṛha-patir no vanastho yatir vā
kintu prodyan-nikhila-paramānanda-pūrnāmṛtābdher
gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ

Translation: 

“ ‘I am not a brāhmaṇa, I am not a kṣatriya, I am not a vaiśya or a śūdra. Nor am I a brahmacārī, a householder, a vānaprastha or a sannyāsī. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of the servant of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the maintainer of the gopīs. He is like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendental bliss. He is always existing with brilliance.’ ”

So He is saying I don’t identify myself with any Varna or any Ashram 

gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor, that Lord who is the master of the Gopis, I am servant of the servant of the servant of that Lord. So here Lord Chaitanya rejects Varnashram identity for the sake of Vaishnava identity. 

So we accept the social organization of Varnashram but not the philosophy of Varnashram, which means one progresses from a lower varna to a higher varna, So Krishna will talk about this elevating potency of Bhakti for anyone in 18.57, right now He is talking about the gradual process.

End of transcription.