Srimad Bhagavad-Gita and the Sacredness of All Cows

The Srimad Bhagavad-Gita
and the Sacredness of All Cows

by Jagannath Das

Lord Krishna states in Srimad Bhagavad-Gita: chapter 10, verse 28

dhenunam asmi kamadhuk

dhenunam-among cows, asmi-I am, kamadhuk-the wish fulfilling cow

Among cows I am the wish fulfilling cow.

In this verse Lord Krishna reveals that among cows He is manifested as the kamadhuk meaning kamadhenu the original wish fulfilling cows known as the surabhi cows. Just who and what are thesurabhi cows and how the surabhi cows attained such an elevated and exalted position that they are able to represent a portion of the energy of the supreme Lord Krishna will be revealed in the following information given in the Anusasana Parva of the Mahabharata by Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa.

The surabhi cow descended from the spiritual worlds and manifested herself in the heavenly spheres from the aroma of celestial nectar for the benefit of all created beings. The direct descendants of the surabhi cows are the sacred cows from the continent India which are uniquely distinguished the same as the surabhi by the beautiful hump on their backs and the wonderfully soft folds of skin under their necks. Since all cows in existence in the world today are factual descendants of the sacred cows of India they are all holy as well and should always be lovingly cared for and protected with the highest esteem and greatest respect. One should never cause harm to cows in any way even in a dream and one should never ever even think of eating the flesh of cows as there is no action more sinful in all of creation then cow killing.

Cows are the mothers of all creatures. Cows are verily the mothers of the 33 crores of demigods that administrate creation in the material existence throughout all the universes. Cows are the goddesses of the gods and the refuge of all auspiciousness. Cows bestow every kind of happiness and for these reason they always are worshippable. Cows are the support of all the worlds for by their milk they nourish terrestrials beings and by their ghee offered in sacrifice they nourish the denziens of the celestial realms. Nothing superior to cows.

A cow should not be owned by one who is a killer of cows or a seller to killers of cows, by one who is unrighteous, by one who is sinful, by one who is untruthful in speech, and by one who is outside of the Vedic culture nor should cows ever be given to one such as these. Gifts of cows should be made after ascertaining and determining the qualification of the receiver. Cows should never be given unto those whose residence they are likely to suffer from fire or sun. Cows should always be given away accompanied by their calves. Those cows who have been rescued from situations of distress or have been received from humble farmers unable to continue to take care of them properly are considered to be most auspicious.

One should never show disrepect for cows in any way nor should one feel any repugnance towards the urine and dung of a cow because these things are also pure. When cows are grazing or laying down relaxing one should never disturb or annoy them in any way. Cows should never be killed in any type of sacrifice or slaughtered in any way for food as the killing of cows constitutes the most heinous of all sins in existence.

Cows are the foremost of all creatures in all the worlds. It is from cows that the means for sustaining the worlds has established. Cows are auspicious and sacred and the bequeathers of every blessing. Cows benefit humans with milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter and ghee. The Vedas have stated that the milk of a cow is equivalent to ambrosial nectar and that ghee derived from cows milk is the best of all libations poured onto the sacred fires of brahmins.

Cows of various kinds and diverse colors are always worshippable. They are the foremost of all creatures existing in all of creation. Morning and evening one should bow ones head in reverence to cows. One should never show any disregard to cows in any way but should always show them respect. When one awakes in the morning one should always remember cows. Before falling to sleep at night one should always remember cows. Cows are always auspicious. Cows are also fragrant. The wonderful scent of the amytis agallochum emantes from out of their sacred bodies.

Cows are the great refuge of all creatures. Cows constitute the greatest source of blessings for all creatures. Cows are the past. Cows are the future. Cows are the source of evolution and eternal growth. Cows are the root of prosperity. Whatever is given to cows always produces good fortune and is never in vain. It is solely and exclusively from the ghee of cows that the sacred rituals prescribed and authorised in the Vedas are empowered and able to be performed. Without the presence of cows ghee there is no possibiity of performing sacred rituals that will gratify the 33 million demigods who are responsible for universal management. Neither will the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krishna be pleased and satisfied. Ghee comes exclusively only from cows from whom flow offerings of milk and milk products. Thus cows verily establish the purity of all sacred rituals and constitute the very essence of performing all sacred activities being the very source of sacred activities.

Cows represent sacred acts themselves and without cows there can be no performance of any sacred act. This is the pure, sublime and supremely exalted position and pre-eminence of cows above all creatures in all the worlds. One who knows the pre-eminence of cows and the selfless service cows render to all creatures and does not protect them affectionately is a sinner and offender and their destination is certainly hell. Cows are equal to the rays of the sun that travel through the universe giving light, warmth and nourishment.

In previous yugas the Vedic injunction was given jiyaite pare yadi tabe mare prani veda-purane ache hena ajna vane that means in the Vedic scriptures known as Puranas there are injunctions declaring that one can take the life of a living being only if they are able to revive it back to life again by chanting Vedic mantras. But we find that this injunction has been terminated in todays age of kali yuga by the Brahma-Vaivarta Purana where it is stated that in the present age of kali yuga it is forbidden to kill cows under any circumstances.

Cows are equivalent to our mothers for when the mothers milk has dried up the cow gives her milk unselfishly to noursih and strengthen us. How can one who has ever drunk cows milk justify the killing and eating of such a mother as the sacred cow. One should never even in one's mind do injury to a cow or ever think of harming cows as well as bulls. One should show all respect and compassion for cows and sincere reverence should be offered unto them all without reservation.

Those who fail to give cows reverence and protection and choose to foolishly oppose and whimsically ignore the injunctions of the Vedic scriptures by selling a cow for slaughter, by killing a cow, by eating cows flesh and by permittings the slaughter of cows will all rot in the darkest regions of hell for as many thousands of years as there are hairs on the body of each cow slain. There is no atonement for the killing of a cow.

In Sri Caitanya Caritamrita adi lila, chapter 17 verse 166 Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms:

go-ange yata loma tata sahasra vatsara

go-vadhi raurava-madhye pace nirantar

Cow killers and cow eaters are condemned to rot in hell for as many thousands of years as there are for each hair on the body of every cow they eat from.

In comparison to the contrary, sanctified living beings with purified souls that make gifts of cows to worthy twice born in the three higher ashrams established in the Vedas attain celestial realms for as many years as there are hairs upon the body of the cows given away in charity. There is no gift higher in merit than the gift of cows to a Vaisnava or duly initiated brahmana of the Vedic culture in one of the four authorised sampradayas.

Cows constitute the highest good. Cows are the root of great blessing for all living beings.. Cows are the source of eternal growth. Cows are the past and the furure. Evolution itself depends upon cows. The mantras used for Vedic rituals such as Swaha and Vashat without which no Vedic rites are complete are eternally establishe d in cows. Cows verily are the fruit of all Vedic rituals because all Vedic rituals are dependent upon the ghee from cows for the performance of sacred rituals which benefit all of creation. Thus the protection of cows is the greatest dharma or eternal duty for all living beings.

There is no wealth that is equal to cows. To talk about cows, to hear others speak about cows, to offer gifts of cows to worthy people and to see cows are all auspicious activities. There is never any inauspiciousness in cows. On Earth cows represent high energy and are endued with the elements of strength and energetic exertion. There are also elements of great wisdom in cows and they are bestowers of great happiness upon all creatures. The country or nation where cows are protected and live without fear of slaughter becomes exalted and the sins of that country are evaporated. Cows constitute the stairs that lead to heaven. Cows are adored in heaven. Cows are goddesses competent to grant every righteous wish and desire. Verily there is nothing in the worlds more elevated or superior to cows.

Cows are superior to all yogis and ascetics and because of this liberated divine being perform their austerities in the company and presence of cows. Cows do not feel cold or heat nor can rain afflict. Cows are never to be sacrificed they are to be given as gifts to worthy brahmanas. The ruler who gives gifts of cows to the foremost of brahmanas is sure to overcome every calamity he encounters. It is ordained in the eternal Vedas that ghee from the cow is the best of all ingredients offered as libations into the sacrificial fire. For this reason one who makes a gift of a cow to worthy brahmanas who will then use the ghee from this cow to perform Vedic ceremonies, that fortunate gifter is regarded as making a gift of a libation for sacrifice. A bovine bull is considered to be the embodiment of heaven. One who offers a bovine bull to an accomplished brahmana has factually reserved themselves a place in heaven. Cows that have been rescued and protected and cared for in distress give even more merit as well as cows received from persons in distress due to an inability to properly take care of their cows.

A cow must never be given to a tiller of soil. Only a bovine bull may be given to a tiller of soil but never a cow. Neither a cow or a bull should ever be given unto one who will kill them. Nor should a cow or a bull be given unto an atheist or one who makes a business selling or trading cows. The Vedas have stated that one who gives away cows or bulls to such sinful persons suffers interminably in a hellish condition.

There is no gift that is higher in merit than the gift of cows. A cow lawfully acquired if given away in charity protects the whole dynasty of the giver. Cows are the source of that immortality which Vedic sacrifices prescribe. They have within them the nature of both the sun and the moon. Cows verily constitute and determine the eternal destiny of creation.

Cows are the life breath of all living creatures therefore one who makes a gift of a cow is said to be making a gift of life breath to all living creatures. Cows are also constituted as the great refuge of all living creatures thus one who makes a gift of a cow is said to be making a gift of that which is the great refuge of all living creatures.

When the surabhi cows first manifested from the aroma of ambrosial nectar they performed severe penance for 100,000 years for the purpose of acquiring the spiritual merit to be the foremost of all things needed for the performance of Vedic rituals and ceremonies; thus only from cow milk exclusively is sanctified ghee produced for the performance of Vedic rituals. Whatever is produced from any and all other types of milk is not authorised by Vedic scriptures and thus not being sanctioned by the Vedas can never be used in any Vedic rituals or ceremonies.

At the conclusion of the surabhi cows austerities Brahma himself appeared before them and granted their wishes blessing them with the benediction that cows would eternally be the sustainers of all creatures. This is why cows are sacred and most holy and the foremost of all creatures in creation and verily the refuge of all the worlds.

The cow is extremely important regarding the destiny of the total human species in all the worlds and creation itself that her value is impossible to overestimate. The name for cow in the Vedas is known as aghyna which means invioable. Another name is ahi which means not to be killed and another is aditi which means never to be cut into pieces.

Some scholars and indologists in India as well as from western countries without having ever experienced the Vedic culture as a way of life have speculated that cows and other animals were sacrificed in Vedic ceremonies. They take unorthodox interpretations of obscure verses in the Vedas, out of context to postulate this point of view. Two examples of this we are giving as follows.

First in the Satapatha Brahmana, 3.1.2.21 there is a gross interpolation from western scholars echoed by indolologists around the world that the great sage Yajnavalkya would eat the tender meat of cows and bulls. The word dhenu which they translated as cow factually refers to the milk products of the cow only and not the cow herself and the sanskrit word anaduh factually refers to the grains produced by the bull from ploughing the fields. What exactly Yajnavalkya has stated in this verse is that he can eat what is amsala. The interpolators, some being ignorant and some not so ignorant of the rules of Panini have translated amsala as being tender flesh. Panini is the authority on all matters concerning the rules of Sanskrit grammar and according to sutra 5.2.8 of Panini the word amsala can only mean nourishing and strength bestowing. Also in the Amarakosa 2.6.44 it states that amsala is mamsala which never applies to flesh tender or otherwise. Mamsala specifically aplies to cream and sweets made from milk products as well as fresh and dried fruits. So there is no basis according to sastra for translating amsala as flesh.

Secondly some scholars with an extremely limited fund of knowledge want to postulate that meat was an essential ingreient of madhuparka because of one verse in the Rig Veda VI.44.21 which equates Indra as having the strength of a bull and also mentions the sweet drink madhupeya. So they then interpolated the translation to say that bull meat was a part of madhuparka. In this way due to their academic status they are able to mislead the public. The root word madhu means sweet and is sometimes even referred to honey. In the Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary page 780 the meaning of madhuparka is offerrings of honey and milk also sometimes containing equal parts of curds and ghee to a respected guest. No where in the Vedas can be found any reference to meat being an ingredient of madhuparka.

So other examples like the previous two interpolators have found useful for their obscure translations; but the clear, direct, unequivocal statements found throughout the Vedas against cow killing they ignore. We will give a few relevant examples now.

In the Rig Veda X.87.16 we find: One who partakes of human flesh, the flesh of a horse or of another animal and deprives others from milk by slaughtering cows ; if such a fiend does not desist then even cut off their heads by your powers Oh king.

In the Atharva Veda VIII.6.23 we find: Those who eat cooked or uncooked flesh, who eat eggs and embryos are following an evil addiction that must be put to an end

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 11, chapter 5, verse 14 we find: Those who are ignorant of the absolute truth and believe they are virtuous although wicked and arrogant who kill animals without any feeling of remorse or fear of punishment are devoured by those very same animals in their next birth.

In the Mahabharata, Anusasana-parva, 115.43 -116.45 we find: That wretch among men who pretending to follow the path of righteousness prescribed in the Vedas, would kill living creatures from greed of flesh would certainly go to hellish regions.

In the Manu-samhita, chapter 4, verse 162 we find: A guru, a teacher, a father, a mother, a brahmana, a cow and a yogi all should never be killed.

Even in the Old Testament of the Bible which applies to both Christians and Jews in Issaih, chapter 66 verse 3 we find: He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man. He that sacrifices a lamb is as if he slit a dogs neck, he that offereth it as an oblation is as if he offered swines blood, he that burneth it as incense as if he blessed an idol. Yea they have chosen their way and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

In the Mahabharata, Anusasana-parva, 114.6, 115.6 it states: As the footprints of all moving, living beings are engulfed in those of the elephant, even thus all religions are to be understood by ahimsa which is non-violence to any living being by thought, words or actions.

So from these examples it can be clearly understood that cow killing and cow eating were definitely not sanctioned by the Vedic scriptures to the contrary they were condemned; and also according to the authority of the Bible cow killing is not sanctioned in the Christian religion either.

Just recently in the year 2000 the publication Scientific America reported a complete Cow Human Genome comparison had been completed. Among the 768 genes on the cattle RH map, 687 genes or 89.5% had putative human orthologs. Among the 687 mapped genes, 548 genes had human GB4 RH mapping information. 22 were mapped exclusively on the G3 panel and 68 had human cytogenetic assignments exclusively.

All cow chromosomes with the possible exception of BTA9 and BTA23 have centromere repositioning relative to human chromosomes. Four cattle chromsomes show complete conservation of syntegy with their human homologs. The four are: BTA12 and HSA13, BTA19 and HSA17, BTA24 and HSA18, BTAX and HSAX . For all of these chromosomes multiple rearrangements were observed. BTA3 was the only cow chromosome that showed no internal rearrangments when compared with the homologous segment on HSA1. Fifteen cattle chromosomes are seen to be comprised of genes found on only one human chromosome.

Cow milk is the most compatible with human mothers milk then any other species in existence. This is because the DNA of the cow was specifically constructeds to be harmonious with mammalian human DNA. So it can be clearly understood that cow DNA was designed so humans could benefit from cows products being milk, cheese, butter, cream and yoghurt.

We will end our treatise now as we do not want this discourse to be to voluminous.

This knowledge is highly esoteric and confidential and incomprehensible to those outside the purview of the Vedic culture. It can only be known by that segment of society that is spiritually developed enough to completely abstain from all animal killing and flesh eating while understanding that the soul is eternal and exists in all living beings.

Excerpts from an Extraordinary Expose

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita's Most Confidential Verse

Excerpts from an Extraordinary Expose

by

Swami Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja

Invocation

om ajnana-timirandhasya jnananjana-salakaya

caksur unmiltam yena tasmai sri-gurave namah

I offer my humble obeisance unto my dear spiritual master who with pure spiritual knowledge has illuminated my consciousness which was blinded by the darkness of nescience.

namah om visnupadaya acarya simha rupine

srimad bhaktiprajnana keshava iti namine

I offer my humble obeisance to Srila Bhakti Prajnan Keshava Goswami, the lion-like acarya who never fears having taken shelter of Lord Krishna.

namah om visnupadaya krishna prestaya bhutale

sri srimad bhaktisiddhanta saraswati iti namine

I offer my humble obeisance to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupad who is very dear to Lord Krishna in this world having taken shelter of Him.

vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca krpa-sindhubhya eva ca

patitanam pavenebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

I offer my humble obeisance to all the Vaisnava devotees of the Supreme Lord Krishna who just like desire trees bestow the ultimate benediction on humanity being fully compassionate to all living entities.

................ OM TAT SAT ................

It has been unequivocally determined by the previous acaryas in disciplic succession from the four authorised sampradayas that in order to realize the eternal spiritual truths that apply to all created beings knowledge of the Bhagavad-Gita is essential. As long as ones foundation in spiritual life is not substantiated by the divine revelation originally spoken by the Supreme Lord Krishna known as the Bhagavad-Gita and this knowledge has not been firmly established within the consciousness of a living entity, then regardless of how intelligent or advanced in culture and technology they may appear to be they will not possess a complete and comprehensive understanding of spiritual reality.

When we read the Bhagavad-Gita we must also be careful and attentive to read only the commentaries from those authorised by disciplic succession in one of the four authorised Vaisnava schools of knowledge which is well verified in Vedic scriptures. If unaware we make the mistake of reading the comments of those unauthorised outside of disciplic succession we will find ourselves helplessly adrift from the actual truths of the Bhagavad-Gita and hopelessly stranded from the factual meaning of the Bhagavad-Gita.

Lord Krishna gives five levels of instructions in the Bhagavad-Gita. The first level is the general teachings for everyone. Then in a very sublime way He gives four more additional levels of teachings each more exalted than the previous. These teachings although extensive are delineated in a condensed form revealing only the essence. How are we to understand what is the essence? The following example will illustrate this for you.

When one milks a cow the first thing one does is bring the baby calf to the mother so she can give it a little milk. This first milk is like the general teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita. Afterwards the milkman finishes milking the cow and puts the milk into a pot. This milk is like the confidential teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita. But on the top of this milk there will be some cream. This cream is like the more confidential teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita. Yet if we take and churn the cream it will become butter. This butter is like the most confidential teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita. Still if we take the butter and heat it on a low fire it will slowly turn into pure golden ghee. Ghee is the essence of milk. From this essence we cannot obtain anything else. This essence is like the most confidential verse of all in the Bhagavad-Gita. But you must remember and consider that to turn milk into ghee is no ordinary endeavour and also to acquire the understanding and realization necessary to comprehend the essence of all 700 verses of the illustrious Bhagavad-Gita is also no ordinary endeavour. These points should be thoroughly contemplated and reflected upon.

So after the general teachings there are the confidential teachings and then the more confidential teachings and then the most confidential teachings and then the most confidential teaching of all which Lord Krishna reveals in the following most confidential verse in the whole Bhagavad-Gita.

Sanskrit

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yaji mam namaskuru

mam evaisyasi satyam te

pratijane priyo 'si me

Anvaya

man-mana bhava..absorb your mind and heart in Me, mad-bhakto..become My devotee, mad-yaji..offer propitiation to Me, mam namaskuru..give humble obeisance unto Me, eva..surely, esyasi..you will come, mam..to Me, satyam pratijane..I promise this in truth, te..to you, asi..being, priyan..very dear, me..to Me.

Translation

Absorb your mind and heart in Me, become My devotee, offer propitiation to Me, just give humble obeisance unto Me, and surely you will come to Me. I promise this in truth to you, being very dear to Me.

Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 18, verse 65

Lord Krishna first gives the topmost instruction man-mana bhava absorb your mind and heart in Me. But if you are unable to do that then Lord Krishna alternatively advises mad-bhakto become My devotee. But if it is not possible to do that then Lord Krishna suggests mad-yaji offer propitiation to Me and if you cannot even do that then Lord Krishna gives the final request of mam namaskuru just give humble obeisance to Me. This final request gives everyone a chance because if one can at least humbly offer their obeisance to the Supreme Lord then the previous three instructions will gradually manifest themselves eventually due to the effect activated by the rendering of this last most simple form of devotion.

Who are those who are dear to the Supreme Lord? Lord Krishna reveals that those who contemplate the Bhagavad-Gita are very dear to the Supreme Lord. One who contemplates the Bhagavad-Gita with their intelligence will propitiate the Supreme Lord by that very act as a performance of sacrifice to Him in acquiring this spiritual knowledge and wisdom. So we who now engage in contemplating this sacred scripture are also dear to Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna is so merciful that he accepts even the contemplation of the Bhagavad-Gita as propitiation to Him.

Man-Mana Bhava

Man-mana bhavo means absorb your mind and heart in God. This is the paramount instruction not easy to achieve and accomplish in this world. For a person to absorb their mind in any singular activity then the eyes, the ears, the nose and all the senses must be completely focused solely on that activity. If the mind cannot concentrate in this way then it is more or less considered to be uncontrolled. Sometimes our minds are peaceful. Sometimes our minds are agitated. Sometimes our minds are desiring sense enjoyment. Sometimes are mind are desiring relaxation. Sometimes our minds are pondering about the future. Sometimes our minds are lamenting over the past. Sometimes our minds are thinking about loved ones and sometimes our minds are thinking about God. This is the conditioned state of human beings everywhere. But if someones mind is fully absorbed in the name, form, qualities and phenomenal pastimes of the Supreme Lord Krishna then this is the most exalted form of worship of all.

When will this be possible? First and foremost their must be sraddha or faith. Without faith nothing can be accomplished. We get up and begin our day each morning solely because of faith. You may wonder what kind of faith allows us to even get up out of bed each day? We will tell you. Faith that the sun will rise each morning. Faith that the air we breathe each second will be full of oxygen. Faith that the water we drink, cook and wash in will be fresh. Faith that our loved ones are well. Faith that the Earth will continue to revolve. Faith that we will be existing tomorrow. Faith in God. In so many ways we are nonchalantly taking faith for granted but the actual fact is that we are always constantly exhibiting firm faith.

Even firm faith though is not enough to attain the level of absorbing ones mind and heart in God. Along with this faith there must be ruci or inspiration or it still will not be possible to achieve this. But even with faith and inspiration it will not be enough without asakti or spiritual attachment and only then at this point can we begin to absorb our minds and after in the stage of bhava or devotional ecstasy we can absorb our hearts also until we attain the stage of prema which is divine transcendental love.

The only way we can attain this is if our heart has been purified; but purity alone is not enough to accomplish this. There must also be something very special, something very wonderful, something very precious accompanying our purified heart and this is the sublime presence and delightful fragrance of loving devotion. If loving devotion is accompanying our purified heart then we will surely be successful in this endeavour.

Lord Krishna gave these paramount instructions to Arjuna while on the battlefield at Kuruksetra. It was very difficult for Arjuna to follow this primary instruction while preparing for war. As it was difficult for him then it is also difficult for us now. We are also at war. You may wonder what we are at war with? We are at war with the tendencies of our own minds which are very restless and unpredictable by nature.

The Supreme Lord Krishna was the driver of Arjunas chariot but the only driver we have is our imperfect intelligence. Arjuna had an invincible chariot given to him by the fire god Agni which could not be destroyed. But we only have a fragile and perishable human body which is subject to old age, disease and death. Arjuna had his intrepid Gandiva bow to subdue his enemies. But we have only an undetermined will. Arjuna had a quiver of unlimited arrows that would never become empty but we have only our unlimited desires. Arjuna had so much help and assistance but still he was unable to follow the instruction man-mana-bhavo absorb your mind and heart in God.

Arjuna replied to Lord Krishna that he was about to engage in warfare with so many enemies on the battlefield in front of him. How will I be able to absorb my mind in this way if I have to absorb my mind in conquering my enemies? I do not see how it is possible for me to do this.

We also have so many enemies opposite us and we are mostly absorbed in them. What are our enemies? They are the desires of the mind, the eyes, the tongue, the stomach and the sexual organs. Our desires are so strong and prevalent that we cannot conquer even one of these desires let alone all of them. There is aphorism in India which says: If there is no bamboo there will be no flute. The desires of lust, greed, anger and envy are all formidably arrayed against us showing no mercy and it is very difficult for us to overcome them. But anyhow we must endeavour to surmount them one way or another anyway if we are to be successful in our spiritual life. If for some reason due to extenuating circumstances beyond our control we are unable to absorb our mind and heart in Lord Krishna then we can try our level best to follow the advice of the next instruction mad-bhakto become My devotee.

Mad-Bhakto

Lord Krishna being very merciful then gives the advice of mad-bhakto become My devotee. Arjuna reflecting on this said it is very easy for one to say they will become a devotee but to actually be one is not so easy.

To actually become a devotee of the Supreme Lord Krishna there is one requirement that is an indispensable prerequisite and that is one should not have even the slightest material desire that is not directly connected for the service of Lord Krishna. For the attainment of bhakti or loving devotional service to Lord Krishna there cannot even be the slightest trace of any material desires in our hearts. Otherwise it is not possible to attain bhakti.

Also to attain bhakti there cannot be even the slightest trace of either:
1) jnana-knowledge acquired by analytical logic
2) karma-engagment in fruitive activities

Of course there must be some jnana or knowledge otherwise we will not even be able to understand what devotional service is; but there must not be even the slightest trace of analysis or logic as the reason for performing our devotional activities. Loving devotion comes solely from the heart and if our hearts are influenced by a logistical brain in an analytical mind then all the loving devotion is spoiled and all our efforts for bhakti are ruined.

Also without karma no one is even able to live. We are always engaged in some form of karma or fruitive activities consciously or subconsciously. Even when we are sleeping we are performing some karma. You may wonder what karma can we be doing while asleep? We are breathing, our hearts are beating, our stomachs are digesting the food we ate, we are changing positions, we are dreaming. These things are also karma. So you must understand that karma is unavoidable. Without these different forms of karma we cannot live even for a second. Anyone who claims to be living entirely without karma is in illusion. We are always making some form of karma. We must eat. We must drink. We must work. We must have some recreation. Factually we are always engaged in all sorts of karmic activities.

So since we are always engaged in so many karmic activities how can we neutralise the reactions that are attached to all of these activities that are covering our devotion? Pay close attention as we will illuminate this extremely confidential subject matter now.

Know that our actions will never cover our devotion if all that we do is for the ultimate satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. Actually all the Vedic scriptures confirm that Lord Krishna is the Supreme Lord of all. In the following authorised Vedic scriptures we find these verses.

ete camsa-kalah pumsah krishnas tu bhagavan svayam

indras vyakulam lokam mrdayanti yuge yuge

All the incarnations are either plenary portions or expansions of plenary portions appearing in various universes to protect the theists; but Lord Krishna is the original supreme lord and the source of all.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto 1, chapter 3, verse 8

isvara paramah krishna sac-cid-ananda vigrahah

anadir adir govindah sarva karana karanam

Lord Krishna is the supreme absolute controller, whose form comprises immortality, omniscience and bliss. He is without beginning, the origin of all, the cause of all causes and the source of the Vedas.

Brahma Samhita, chapter 5, verse 1

advaya-jnana tattva-vastu krsnera svarupa

brahman atma bhagavan tina tanra rupa

Lord Krishna the supreme ultimate reality can be perceived in any or all of three ways. As Brahman which is the magnificent impersonal effulgence emanating from the spiritual worlds, as Paramatma the all permeating aspect of the spiritual soul in every living entity and as Bhagavan the eternal spiritual form of the Supreme Lord Krishna.

Sri Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi-lila, chapter 2, verse 65

namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca

jagad dhitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah

Let me offer my humble obeisance unto Lord Krishna, who is the worshipable deity for all brahminical people, who is the well-wisher of the cows and brahmanas and who is always benedicting all the universes.

Visnu Purana, Canto 1, chapter 19, verse 65

So always remember Lord Krishna and never forget Lord Krishna. When you eat always remember Lord Krishna. When you drink always remember Lord Krishna. When you walk always remember Lord Krishna. When you talk always remember Lord Krishna. When you work always remember Lord Krishna. When you play always remember Lord Krishna. When you go to sleep always remember Lord Krishna. When you awake always remember Lord Krishna. In all that you do always remember Lord Krishna and always do all that you do for the satisfaction of Lord Krishna. This is the complete understanding of what Lord Krishna means when He says mad-bhaktobecome My devotee.

Although it is understood that there always will be some jnana and karma they both must always be exclusively dependent upon the service of bhakti otherwise they both will cover our bhakti or devotion. When one uses jnana or knowledge for the service of bhakti then by that process itself it becomes bhakti and when one uses karma or actions for the service of bhakti then by that process itself it also becomes bhakti. This is very confidential information.

One performs the very same action in the exact same situation but due to the intention and quality it becomes bhakti or else remains jnana or karma. In learning to discern these things it is very beneficial to receive the compassionate guidance of a spiritual master in the authorised line of disciplic succession. This is an extremely important principle and should be carefully contemplated giving it adequate attention and consideration.

In general everything that we have and everything that we do should be done for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord. This means connected directly to Him in His service. Spiritually inclined and pious people all over the world are following this maxim. But the most munificent and magnanimous Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the previous acaryas in authorised disciplic succession have given us the special instruction to verily offer our very selves fully to the Supreme Lord Krishna with complete surrender. Then everything we do will be automatically reserved in the service of loving devotion to Him. Whatever we do should be for the satisfaction of Lord Krishna. Then whatever will comes to us will be automatically offered to Him. In this way we become exclusively His by performing bhakti in loving devotional service to Him exclusively.

The nine ways to perform bhakti in devotion to the Supreme Lord Krishna:
1) sravanam - hearing about Lord Krishna
2) kirtanam - glorifying Lord Krishna
3) smaranam - remembering Lord Krishna
4) pada-sevanam - attending at the feet of Lord Krishna
5) arcanam - worshipping Lord Krishna
6) vandanam - praying to Lord Krishna
7) dasyam - becoming a servitor to Lord Krishna
8) sakhyam - becoming a dear friend to Lord Krishna
9) atma-nivedanam - fully surrendering unto Lord Krishna

Learning to perform these nine types of bhakti is the topmost knowledge because it allows us to establish a personal relationship with the Supreme Lord Krishna. In order to properly establish this personal relationship in the beginning stages it is necessary for us to offer everything first to the spiritual master who will then make the offering to Lord Krishna for us. This is because the spiritual master already has an established relationship with Lord Krishna which he received from his spiritual master in disciplic succession and it is he who establishes our bhakti relationship with Lord Krishna in devotional service also following the authorised line of disciplic succession.

Bhakti is extremely difficult to attain in life because it also requires that we have some sukriti or pious merit from a previous birth. Without pious merit from spiritual activities performed in a previous birth it is not possible to attain the platform of loving devotional service in this life. But by the mercy of Lord Krishna through the potency of the spiritual master in direct disciplic succession from Him which also comes from pious merit derived form a previous life and by the mercy of the Vaisnava devotees of Lord Krishna then pure loving devotional bhakti will surely manifest within us.

As the Ganga river descends from the Himalaya mountains and flows naturally to the ocean without making a special effort in the same we want our bhakti to flow from our hearts naturally to Lord Krishna without effort.

There are two distinct processes within these nine types of bhakti:
1) vaidhi-bhakti -devotion strictly following the rules and regulations
2) raganuga-bhakti -spontaneous loving devotion from the heart

Devotion works in these two ways and we must always follow them both. Externally we must perform vaidhi-bhakti in devotional service attentively following all the regulations and injunctions ordained by scripture while internally we will be performing raganuga-bhakti in devotional service within our mind and heart in so many sublime and wonderful ways. With tears flowing from our eyes due to feelings of seperation from the presence of Lord Krishna we should conceive our heart as a beautiful scented flower and offer that flower by our minds and hearts to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.

One absorbed in raganuga-bhakti should perform devotional service in this manner. Overwhelmed in a great mood of seperation from Lord Krishna while having the one pointed desire of uniting with Him eternally we should see all the realizations within our hearts in the form of flowers and collecting them all string these wonderful realizations together just like a flower garland and humbly offer them to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.

Great enthusiasm and eagerness to have the association of Lord Krishna is a prerequisite for attaining bhakti. This expressed in hearing and glorifying the Supreme Lord and is also further sub-divided into two types:

1) nisthata-bhakti-devotion performed with resolute faith
2) anisthata-bhakti-devotion performed without resolute faith

Although we have begun the practice of bhakti are faith is not yet resolute. So we must make the endeavour to achieve nistha or firm resolute faith. Then after we have achieved nistha and are beginning our practice of bhakti we must also transcend the four kinds of anarthas or reactions which are:

1) bhaktyottha-reactions arising from imperfect service
2) duskrtottha-reactions arising from previous piety
3) sukrtottha-reactions arising from previous sins
4) aparadhottha-reactions arising from offenses in chanting

But there is another reaction more devastating than all the others combined and this reaction we must unceasingly gaurd against or our bhakti is ruined.

1) Vaisnava aparadha-the utterly destructive and totally devastating reaction from an offense committed knowingly or unknowingly unto a Vaisnava devotee of the Supreme Lord Krishna.

I now beseech all of you with full compassion to be very, very vigilant against making any type of offense consciously or otherwise by thought, word or deed unto a Vaisnava devotee of the Supreme Lord Krishna for it will certainly destroy all your chances for progress in spiritual life totally devastating all your possibilities at the very root. So even in your dreams gaurd against this most heinous of offenses known as Vaisnava aparadha.

By taking great care in avoiding Vaisnava aparadha and neutralizing the four anarthas our nistha or faith will become resolute and we can then begin to make progress in our bhakti. From nistha comes ruci or inspiration where we begin to relish our devotion and from ruci comes asakti or attachment where we cannot give up our devotion at any cost.

We should have firm faith and complete attachment in our devotion and also to the object of our devotion which is Lord Krishna. When our inspiration reaches a certain level of attainment it will mature within both of these and then by the mercy of the spiritual master and Lord Krishna our heart will never deviate. All this is also included within the advice of mad-bhakto become my devotee.

Arjuna after reflecting on this second instruction and contemplating the situation on the battlefield concluded that it would also be very difficult for him to engage in devotional service in this way and follow the advice of mad-bhakto while fighting a war and so he humbly requested Lord Krishna to give him a method of salvation more simple and easy.

Mad-Yaji

Then Lord Krishna seeing Arjuna still needed something more simple then suggests mad-yaji offer propitiation to Me. Yaji refers to yagna or propitiation by the performance of austerities in sacrifice unto the Supreme Lord Krishna. Even if one has not developed real love for Lord Krishna as yet if they have at least a little faith they can still execute some austerities in sacrifice. These austerities are the medicine and the treatment to directly disengage us from attachments and alleviate our material entanglement.

When one is hungry and thirsty the taste of food and even water will be delicious. Food will be satisfying only to the degree that one has hunger. If one is not hungry even delectable foodstuffs will not be pleasing and there will be no satisfaction. But if we are hungry then old and stale food may even seem to be delicious and give us satisfaction. Similarly if there is no devotion in our activities then they will not be appetising for Lord Krishna and He will not be satisfied by our individuals actions.

Lord Krishna reveals that if someone simply offers to Him with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or even water He will accept them and He will always accept the love we have for Him with in our hearts. So in this way following the path of devotion store this love in your heart like a treasure chest and always offer in everything you do to Lord Krishna.

In the Vedic scriptures it is written that the ultimate reality for all living beings in life is to develop pure unalloyed, loving devotion to the Supreme Lord Krishna. This devotion must be free from any duplicity or ulterior motivation and must be engaged in consistently without interruption to totally satisfy the self.

It is the Supreme Lord Krishna to who we must learn to humbly endeavour to please. Just as a loving wife always tries to please her loving husband in every way by everything she does. In the same way we should always try to please Lord Krishna in every way in everything we do. If Lord Krishna is satisfied then we have succeeded in activating our eternal relationship with Him and the purpose of human existence has been achieved and our lives have become 100% successful.

There is a wonderful story that illustrates the sentiment of worship in devotion that we will relate to you all now. There was once a brahmana that was overly influenced by jnana or analytical reasoning in performing his worship to the deity form of Lord Krishna. Once when he had to travel for one day he lovingly called his son and instructed him to bathe, dress and feed the diety of Lord Krishna while he was gone. The boy had not learned all the appropriate mantras as yet; but he had great faith and respect in the presence of Lord Krishna manifesting in the diety form. That day his mother prepared the food and bringing it before the diety the son placed a fragrant flower petal on the seat where Lord Krishna was being invited to eat. Then carefully putting a Tulasi leaf on each preperation he humbly requested with folded hands and bowed head for Lord Krishna to please accept the offerings of food.

Right away the boy saw that no food was being eaten by Lord Krishna and so he apologised to Him for not knowing all the proper mantras and beseeched Him to please eat His food anyway. After sometime when he saw that the food was still not being eaten he told Lord Krishna that it was not his fault that his father had not taught him all the proper mantras. He asked Lord Krishna will you refrain from eating just because of that? Alright if you do not eat then I will also not eat. I will fast along with you until you decide to accept this offering. Still the food remained on the plate untouched. So the boy told Lord Krishna alright if you will not eat then I will go to sleep right now without eating or even drinking. Hearing these plaintive words from the boy Lord Krishna could not restrain Himself any longer and in compassion jumped down from the altar took His seat and happily ate all the food on the plate before returning back to His position on the altar as before.

When the boy returned with the empty plate to his mother she asked where was the food. The boy told her that it was with great difficulty that he finally got Lord Krishna to eat all the offering. His mother amazed asked how is this possible? The boy said Lord Krishna ate everything mother. And his mother thinking replied now we have to go to bed hungry because there is no more food remaining.

When the brahmana returned the next morning his wife told him that they had to go to bed hungry last night because Lord Krishna had eaten all the food that was offered. The brahmana astonished replied how can this be? Reflecting further he concluded that an animal must have gotten in somehow and eaten all the food. But the son told his father that this was not the case because he had seen Lord Krishna eat all the food. The brahmana after deliberating for some time told his son to offer the food again that day and unknown to his son he hid himself so he could see if Lord Krishna was really eating the offering or not.

The boy came in and placing a fragrant flower petal down on the seat where Lord Krishna was being invited to eat and carefully putting a Tulasi leaf on every preperation he began ringing a small bell and offering the food to Lord Krishna. When the Lord did not begin eating immeadiaiely the boy asked. Why are you not eating? You must eat your dinner. What has happened? Has the food not been prepared properly? In a soft voice Lord Krishna said that today your father is hiding here. Where is my father hiding the boy replied? Lord Krishna said over there behind the curtain. That is why I am not eating. But you must eat your food anyway it is time now and I will be very unhappy if you do not eat the boy answered. Lord Krishna told the boy to go and simply touch his father. The boy did so and just by the touch of his son the boys pure sentiment and firm faith in Lord Krishna arose in the father and the father could also see that Lord Krishna was actually partaking of the food.

So this story illustrates the necessity of appropriate sentiment for performing worship to Lord Krishna. Dressing, cooking, feeding are all included in worship along with chanting, singing and glorifying. If there is no such sentiment and no such faith then one has no qualification for worship and thus their worship may or may not be accepted but with resolute faith our worship will not only be surely accepted but will be reciprocated with as well.

Arjuna contemplating the suggestion of mad-yaji offer propitiation to Me then concluded that it was also not possible for him to perform this on the battlefield and so he beseeched Lord Krishna for still a more simpler way.

Mam Namaskuru

Lord Krishna knowing that Arjuna still needed something even more simple requests him at least to: mam namaskuru just give humble obeisance to Me. What Lord Krishna is revealing here is that we should offer our obeisance without the false ego attached. What is the false ego? The false ego is the I am syndrome. Thinking I am man. Thinking I am woman. Thinking I am young. Thinking I am old. Thinking I am happy. Thinking I am sad. Thinking I am this. Thinking I am that. This is our totally false identification with the physical body. When in truth we are all eternal spiritual beings. So we must offer our humble obeisance to Lord Krishna with the realization that we are all pure, eternal spiritual beings.

Taking this instruction in our hearts we should offer obeisance to Lord Krishna in this way. For any living entity who offers obeisance to Lord Krishna in this way even once in their life are liberated from the material existence. It is like one has jumped into an endless body of water which is what the material existence is like and then once looking back one realizes that they have already crossed over it. This is what even one obeisance to the Supreme Lord Krishna awards. In the Vedic scriptures it is stated that one who has performed ten of the most exalted penance and austerities of sacrifice will take birth again; but one who has even once offered humble obeisance to Lord Krishna never takes birth again.

Exactly what does this mean? It means that when one even once offers obeisance to Lord Krishna they will never again enter the cycle of birth and death. One will not be forced to enter another womb of a mother to languish for 9 months until being born if they have even once offered obeisance to Lord Krishna with exclusive surrender. This is the actual meaning of Lord Krishna requesting mam-namaskuru just give humble obeisance to Me and Arjuna realizing that he could fulfill this final request offered hundreds of obeisances to Lord Krishna.

Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana an exalted Vaisnava acarya in the Brahma Madhva disciplic succession wrote a glorious commentary named Gita Govinda on the Vedanta Sutra by Vyasadeva has stated comprehensively those who are qualified to receive the wisdom of the Bhagavad-Gita:

1) those who are inherently pious and reverent
2) those who are righteous and sincere following daily scriptural duties

3) those who are of controlled senses

Those who are qualified to understand the wisdom of the Bhagavad-Gita must be humble enough to approach a bonafide spiritual master in authorised disciplic succession and must come possessing three qualities:

1) pranipatena-submission
2) pariprasnena-relevant enquiry
3) sevaya-sincere service

Lord Krishna has revealed that one whose heart has not been purified by austerities, one who has not renounced their false ego and one who has never served the spiritual master and the Vaisnavas will not be eligible to understand the confidential knowledge which the Bhagavad-Gita contains no matter how intelligent they may be.

So in conclusion Lord Krishna advises man-mana-bhava absorb your mind and heart in Me and in this way mad-bhakto become My devotee and then mad-yaji offer propitiation to Me and then mam namaskuru just give humble obeisance to Me always remembering that we are not our physical bodies but effulgent and pure spiritual beings eternally.

Now all of these four instructions have become united harmoniously and this is the supreme secret, the most hidden treasure, the most confidential instruction of the Bhagavad-Gita. If anyone earnestly and sincerely follows the instructions of this single verse with great faith and love in a mood of humility following any or all of the nine branches of bhakti fully surrendered to the Lord Krishna. Then by the causeless mercy of the spiritual master they will surely cross over the vast ocean of birth and death in the material existence and attain pure love and devotion in the spiritual worlds eternally in association with the Supreme Lord Krishna.

Sanskrit

man-mana bhava mad-bhakto

mad-yaji mam namaskuru

mam evaisyasi satyam te

pratijane priyo' si me

Translation

Absorb your mind and heart in Me, become My devotee, offer propitiation to Me, just give humble obeisance to Me and surely you will come to Me. I promise this in truth to you, being very dear to Me.

Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 18, verse 65

This verse revealed by Lord Krishna is the paramount revelation within the Bhagavad-Gita. The Bhagavad-Gita is the acknowledged panacea for spiritual evolution. The instructions within the Bhagavad-Gita establish the foundation by which we can construct a palace for bhakti wherein we can perform devotion to Lord Krishna with great love. This most sacred and confidential knowledge is the goal to be attained as well as the essence to be gained from the transcendental Srimad Bhagavad-Gita of Lord Krishna!

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita Dedication and Delineation

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita

Dedication and Delineation

by

Srila Bhaktivedanta Vaman Goswami Maharaja

DEDICATION

om ajnana timirandasya jnana-jnanan salakaya

caksur unmilitam yena tasmai sri gurave namah

I offer my humble obeisance unto my dear spiritual master who with pure spiritual knowledge has illuminated my consciousness which was covered by nescience.

namah om visnupadaya acarya simha rupine

srimad bhaktiprajnana keshava iti namine

I offer my humble obeisance unto Srila Bhaktiprajnana Keshava Maharaja, the lion-like acarya who never fears having taken shelter of Lord Krishna.

namah om visnupadaya krishna prestaya bhutale

sri srimad bhaktisiddhanta saraswati iti namine

I offer my humble obeisance to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krishna in this world having taken shelter of Him.

vancha-kalpatarubhyas ca krpap-sindhubhya eva ca

patitanam pavenebhyo vaisnavebhyo namo namah

I offer my humble obeisance to all Vaisnava devotees of the Supreme Lord Krishna, who are just like desire trees bestowing the ultimate benediction on humanity being fully compassionate to all living entities.

DELINEATION

First and foremost I again offer my heartfelt prayers unto Sri Guru, the Vaisnavas and the Supreme Lord Krishna beseeching them for their most merciful blessings. With great humility I offer this auspicious dedication to the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita. In this humble endeavor our only guide and shelter is by the causeless mercy and auspicious blessings of our Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya acarya's in the line of disciplic succession descending through Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu through Sri Rupa Goswami and then continuing through Jagadguru Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Srila Prabhupada.

By the auspicious desires and blessings of my own dear Guru, Sri Gurupada-padma, nitya-lila pravista om visnupada astottara-sata Sri Srimad Bhakti Prajnana Kesava Goswami Maharaja, Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti published its first edition of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita on 9th Hrsikesa, 491 Sri Gaurabda, 20 Bhadrapada, 1384 Bangabda, which corresponds to September 6,1977. This included the illustrious commentary of Vedantacarya-bhaskara, the illuminating sun among acaryas, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, known as ‘Gita-bhusana and also the commentary of nitya lila pravista om visnupada Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura entitled ‘Vidvat-ranjan’.

Following this an abridged pocket edition of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita was published bySri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti on October 3, 1990 which included the original Sanskrit verses and Bengali translation. The various Hindi speaking areas of India, and indeed the whole world, were in dire need of an edition of this jewel-like scripture with the original Sanskrit verses and Hindi translation. To fulfill this need, my Godbrother, theVice-president and general editor of Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti, pujyapada Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja has published a royal edition of the Bhagavad Gitafor the general public. It contains the original Sanskrit verses, anvaya, translation, the Saratha-varsini commentary by Sri Gaudiya Vaisnava-acarya maha-mahopadhyaya Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, and the simple, natural, and comprehensive

Saratha-varsini prakasika-vrtti. Sri Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti will remain forever grateful and indebted to him for this service. Intelligent and pious readers will also undoubtedly derive great bliss by constant study of this present edition.

Under the editorship of jagad-guru nitya-lila pravista om visnupada astottara-sata Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada, many wonderful editions of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, along with the above mentioned two commentaries, as well as the translation and expositions of its essence, have already been published. After that various editions of this sacred scripture were published in the Bengali language from different ashrams, temples and missions all under the compassionate leadership of Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Sarasvati Prabhupada.

The Tejpura sector of Assam published an edition of the Bhagavad-Gita in the Assamiya language, and from Calcutta and Tamilnadu a few editions in English have also been published. However, up until now a Hindi edition of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita with the commentaries of Srila Cakravarti Thakura or Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana could not be published. By consistent contemplation of the Bhagavad-Gita scholars and intellectuals will experience true understanding and shall assuredly be benefited.

The following was written by jagad-guru om visnupada Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura, at the end of his preface named avataranika in his original edition of this scripture.

"Unfortunately until now whatever commentaries and Bengali translations of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita have been published are mostly written by undifferentiated monists known as brahmavadis. Commentaries and translations which are in accordance with pure bhagavad-bhakti are rarely published. Sankara-bhasya and Anandagiri-tika are full of undifferentiated monism or abheda brahmavada. Although the commentary of Srila Sridhara Svami is not fully endowed with monism and is to be accepted, it has an aroma of sampradayika sudhadvaitism or pure dualism. In the commentary of SrilaMadhusudana Sarasvatipada, there are a few statements which nourish the process of bhakti. Yet, while deliberating upon its foremost instructions or essence, it is observedundifferentiated monism, mukti or liberation is what is established by it."

"The commentary of Ramanujacarya is completely in accordance with the process of bhakti; but in India, due to the absence of any commentary on the Bhagavad-Gita based on the conclusion ofacintya-bhedabheda which is the inconceivable and simulataneous oneness and difference of the Supreme Lord as revealed by Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the ananda or bliss of all rasika bhaktas, who are the relishers of the suprememly pure and sublime bhakti-rasa, this exalted state is not perceivable.

Hence, for inducing the pure devotees to relish bhakti-rasa and for bestowing benefit upon the general public and the faithful, I gathered with great effort the commentary written by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti, the crest-jewel of devotees, who is a staunch stalwart following the conclusions Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. I thus published the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita including the above mentioned commentary, as well as Bengali translation named rasika ranjana, which is in line with the said commentary.

Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Gita-bhasya is also in accordance with the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This commentary of Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana consistsmainly of philosophical thoughts, whereas the commentary of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti is fully complete in both the aspects of philosophical thoughts as well as poetic ornaments of priti-rasa in the mood of inspiration.

We have chosen to make available the full commentary of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti at this time. His Sanskrit language is straight forward and thus easily translatable and his conceptions are simple to comprehend and good reading for the public in general."

Jagad-guru Srila Bhaktisidhanta Sarasvati Gosvami Prabhupada has also said, "There are numerous expositions, commentaries and translations of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita currently existing in many languages. Although the Bhagavad-Gita is very popular among the masses, in accordance with the conceptions of the Gaudiya Vaisnavas, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti has written the commentarySaratha-varsini for the Gaudiya Vaisnava rasika bhaktas. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti is situated as the fourth descendent in the sisya-parampara from Srila Narottama Thakura. He is an acarya par excellent and a guardian of Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta and he lived and wrote in the medieval period of its historical progress. The following verse about him is very famous:

visvasya natha rupo ’sau bhaktivartma pradarsnata

bhaktacakre varttitatvata cakravartyakhyaya bhavat

"Every Gaudiya Vaisnava must definitively know something about Srila Cakravarti Thakura. Those who seriously study the Srimad-Bhagavatam, who deliberate upon the Bhagavad-Gita, who discuss and teach the commentary on Vedanta-sutra by Gaudiya Vaisnava acaryas must to some extent be knowledgeable of the sublime and super excellent commentaries and compositions of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti."

Gaudiya Vaisnavacaryas, as Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti who composed voluminous Sanskrit scriptures with commentaries, very rarely appear in this world. Besides his composing such extensive Sanskrit scriptures he also engaged in welfare activities for the benefit of the whole Gaudiya Vaisnava society. These two contributions were enacted through his writing and preaching and were both in the domain of kirtana.

During his life a great calamity had come upon the Sri Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya in the form of a challenge to the authenticity of the Gaudiya sampradaya. Historical documentation confirms that in 1706 AD some envious pandits challenged King Jai Singh of Jaipur, who was a Vaisnava; telling him that the Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya was not bonafide because no one from this line had written commentary on Vedanta-Sutra by Vedavyasa. The king being distressed immeadiately dispatched a message to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti explaining the full situation. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti was too old at that time to travel. So he sent his student, Gaudiya VaisnavaVedanta-acarya, that crown jewel among the scholars, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, along with his disciple Krishna-deva dasa to uphold the honor and integrity of all the Gaudiya Vaisnavas.

Arriving humbly, barefoot with waterpot in hand and an old blanket over his shoulder at the Kings royal assembly in Jaipura. Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana declared boldly that the establisher of the Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya was Sri Krishna Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself and that Srila Vyasadeva who is in our disciplic succession already wrote the Srimad Bhagavatam which is the natural commentary on his own Vedanta-sutra. But since Madhvacarya was accepted by Srila Vyasadeva and I am in the disciplic succession from Madhvacaraya I will write a commentary on Vedanta-sutra to satisfy your demands, establish Vaisnava vedanta and please the devotees.

In order to dispel this calamity Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusan composed in a short time a very wonderful and marvelous commentary on Vedanta-sutra in accordance with the thinking and conclusions of the Sri Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya through Sri Caitanaya Mahapranhu. This exalted commentary is known as "Govinda Bhasya" and it is so majestic, so flawlessly concise and so splendidly presented that the erring pandits were spellbound in awe and amazement and without any hesitation they fell down at the feet Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana without reservation and fully surrendered without protest to the superiority of the Gaudiya Vaisnava siddhanta.

In this way Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana Prabhu rendered a distinguished service to the Sri Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya and by this important and great act he attained the heartfelt blessings of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti and the eternal gratitude of all the devotees. This incident serves as an illuminating example of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti's second act of greatness and serves the purposes of preaching the Vaisnava dharma. For by by him, Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana, who appeared in a non-seminal brahminical family, is shown to be approved and accepted according to qualification by samskara and Vaisnava initiation.

The eighteen successive chapters, from 25 to 42 of the Bhisma-parva of Mahabharata comprise the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.The Supreme Lord Krishna is the speaker of this divine discourse and His dear friend the prince Arjuna is the listener. Before reading Srimad Bhagavad-Gita it is very important to understand the mutual relationship

between Lord Krishna and Arjuna. It is also essential to understand exactly what type of attitude Arjuna had in relation to Lord Krishna. This mood is precisely illustrated early on by Arjuna and is revealed in Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 2, verse 7:

karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah

yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me sisyas te'ham sadhi mam tvam prapanna

Translation

Now my natural qualities are beseiged by weakness and apprehension and my thinking is bewildered regarding rightousness. I am asking you to state what is definitely good for me. I am your disciple surrendered to you, kindly instruct me.

From this statement by Arjuna it is clear to understand that he humbly approached Lord Krishna in full submission and fully surrendering all ego requested instruction.

Srimad Bhagavad-Gita is not an imaginary scripture, and therefore there is no need toassign to it any interpretation or explanation derived from mundane speculations. To put forward that the supposition that Sanjaya should be seen metaphorically as divine vision, or that the blind king Dhrtarastra represents the blind mind are mere fanciful speculations and concoctions. The existence of a self-controlled mind which posesses divine vision is natural and certainly possible. Only by having such a mind is one able to successfully control their senses.

When the word Gita is spoken it should be understood that it is referring only to the Bhagavad-Gita which was instructed by the Supreme Lord Krishna to Prince Arjuna. Nowadays we find in bookshops, many books with titles such as Gita-samanvya or Gita-granthavali. These books are being popularized by claiming that they are great scriptures whose compilation comprises the very essence of the entire knowledge derived from the scriptures. But why should there be any objection in accepting the supremacy and eternality of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita which emanated from the lotus mouth of the Supreme Lord Krishna Himself and which is sumptuously adorned with such superlative adjectives as ‘sarva-jnana-prayojika’ meaning that which fulfills thepurpose of all knowledge,‘sarva-sastra-sarabhutah’ which means the essence of all the Vedic scriptures, ’tattvartha-jnana-manjari’ meaning the blossoming flower in the form of knowledge of the absolute truth, etc.

Those who are nirvisesa-vadis or undifferentiated monists, jiva-brahma-ekavadi thosewho consider jiva and brahma to be one, cit-jada-samanvyavadis those who accept irrational conclusions and others, usually employ adjectives like ‘samanvya’ meaningharmony instead of showing vaisistya meaning uniqueness of cit and acit, exhibiting their self impudence by saying ‘everything is the one.’ In this way so called moralists,while always publishing their speculative ‘samanvaya-bhasya’ which is filled with their incoherent explanations of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita remain busy in vain efforts to display their deceptive veil of illusion to appear wise and knowledgeable.

At the present time the word ‘samanvaya’ or harmony is being greatly misused and misinterpreted. Actual and genuine all encompassing harmony can be seen only in the Supreme Lord Krishna alone, and therefore imaginary speculative concoctions and erroneous conclusions cannot be equated or acceptable. Nowadays we see many examples of irrational compromising commentaries of the Bhagavad-Gita in bookshops and libraries. By accepting the conception of oneness between the Supreme Lord and this world it is impossible to arrive at a state of harmony between the two. Neither can we make any anvaya or direct connection with either the world or the Supreme Lord. Presently we see this kind of distortion is vividly apparent among the so-called educated people of society and especially prevalent among people of the new age movement both young and old. It is therefore imperative to benevolently refute and compassionately correct all infectious distortions in the form of fallacious misconceptions and misguided delusions.

Those who take pride in their western oriented education are averse to the steadfast pursuit of pure knowledge through the method of inquiry with complete trust in the infallible validity of the Vedic scriptures. Instead they adopt different varieties of mundane logic and being absorbed in such moods, they attempt but unsuccessfully to conduct investigations. Such mundane historians, scholars, philosophers, scientists and the like are completely atheistic. By their mundane minds of limited perception they attempt to ascertain the point in time when the Vedic scriptures were composed. By such futile efforts they are not only unable to reconcile certain apparently opposing conceptions mentioned in the Vedas, but becoming confused they end up rejecting the Absolute Reality of the Ultimate Truth established therein. They even try and postulate the supposition that Srimad Bhagavad-Gita which is contained within the authentic historical treatise of the Mahabharata is only to be taken as allegorical.

Such type of investigation by mundane academians who are not sincere practitioners is extremely faulty and degraded. Instead of proclaiming and expanding the glories of Sanatana dharma's eternal righteousness and our sanatan dharma aryan sages and rishis, they to the contrary cause them to be neglected by encouraging disregard for knowledge of the absolute truth and ultimate reality. Theirs is not a search for immortal nectar, but rather theirs is the promulgation of destructive poison. It is observed in this modern day and age that educated persons often utilize the term sampradayika or secular in their verbal communications as well as in their thought processes. It is their intention to demonstrate that they are very liberal. However, they are most forgetful of the fact that visuddha sampradayism or pure secularism is the very crowning glory of sanatana arya dharma which is the eternal religion of the Aryan civilization and advanced in spiritual culture.

A sampradaya can only be used referring to a bona-fide guru paraparam or a disciplic succession of spiritual masters or gurus. This is the scripturally authorized and only acceptable way through which the science of the Absolute Truth is received by the method of srauta-amnaya-dhara or by the aural reception of spiritual knowledge. And sat-sampradaya means the system by which the Supreme Absolute Truth is bestowed upon one fully and in totality. This sampradayika line or disciplic succession has been existing and flowing within the Indian theistic culture and the foundation of the Aryan civilzation and culture since time immemorial.

There are only four authentic sampradayas or bonafide spiritual channels descending from and leading to the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. Unless one is connected to one of these four authorized spiritual channels by disciplic succession all ones efforts for spiritual evolvement are futile and one is merely only deluding themselves while misleading others. This information is well documented and fully substantiated in ancient Vedic scriptures. We find in the Garga Samhita, Canto 10, chapter 61, verses 24, 25, 26:

visnuswami vamangsastatha madhvastu brahmanah

ramanujastu sesangsa nimbaditya sanakasya ca

Translation

Visnuswami, Madhvacarya, Ramanuja and Nimbaditya will appear respectively as a portion of Vamana, Brahma, Ananta Sesha and Sanaka Kumara.

ete kalau yuge bhavyah sampradaya pravartakah

samvatsare vikrama catvarah ksiti pavanah

Translation

These four saviours will establish the four authorised and empowered spiritual channels of disciplic succession through the 432,000 year duration of kali yuga.

sampradaya vihina ye mantraste nisphalah smritah

tasmacca gamanang hyasti sampradaya narairapi

Translation

These four authorised and empowered spiritual channels of disciplic succession are to be fully accepted by all beings as any word, combination of words or formulation of sound frequencies; invoked or addressed, audible or inaudible, secret or revealed, ancient or contemporary outside their auspices prove to have absolutely no efficacy.

The illustrious sampradaya-pranali or disciplic succession although completely and fully authorised by Vedanta is now being attacked by persons duly influenced by totally atheistic conceptions and mentalities originating from foreign lands. Efforts are being executed by them to destroy this system of our Aryan civilization. The root cause of all these problems stems from the mistaken understanding and use of the word ‘sectarian’ which also has been imported from the Western civilization. In the current age of speculation and concocted thinking innumerable, imaginary and whimsical schools of thought are being advanced and new ones are constantly being hatched up with the intention of declaring a revolution against the sat-sampradaya. When one is unable to properly investigate the Supreme Absolute Truth, then they adopt the path of convenience by succumbing to the flickering dictates of the mind considering this to be the ‘liberality’ so much promoted for the option of appealing to the opinions of the masses. By developing this attitude, one is forced to soon become nirvisesa-vadi or worshipers of a formless, featureless God. We see this in the religionof the Christians, the Muslims and Hebrews that their God is formless and featureless. We also see this conception in India in the mayavadi adoption of a qualitiless brahma.

Such foolish attempts to establish para-tattva Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord Krishna as nirvesa, devoid of qualities is ludicrous, and this is being dubbed nowadays as apasampradayika or secularism. In discussions on Vedanta such as the Bhagavad-Gita, the prevailing trend is to give an apasampradayika interpretation to it. This has become an unfortunate and extremely lamentable situation, in that today’s society the unrestrained acts which are not condoned by Vedanta, and are performed merely for one’s whimsical pleasure, are being accepted in accordance with this bogus and fallaciousapasampradayika hypothesis.

If someone attempts to diminish the perfected realizations of the sanatan aryan sages and nitya siddha maha purusas who know past, present and future, in the matter of their conclusive understanding of the Supreme Absolute Reality, the param satyam, then they reject them considering them to be polluted by the one defect which they term as sampradayika, non-secular and instead they deviate and pretend to accept the explanations of Vedanta given by political and social leaders who are apasampradyika although in the guise of karmis, jnanis, yogis or mayavadis. In light of this it should be understood that the intelligence of such persons is simply engaged in opportunism and exploitation, deeply engrossed in mundane materialism.

In order to acquire the appropriate and philosophical understanding and comprehend the actual conclusion of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, we should submissively follow and humbly accept the shelter of the knowledge of our previous acaryas in disciplic succession which have been given to us by them in the form of their instructions and directions. Then and only then will the actual internal meaning ofSrimad Bhagavad-Gita be revealed within our hearts to us.

If the author of a scripture composes his own commentary on that scripture denoting and illuminating its real intent and meaning, then it becomes very simple and easy to understand. Otherwise to the contrary without the aid of such commentary, it is quite natural that in the process of trying to penetrate its meaning, one will be overpowered by the four inherent defects: subject to illusion, imperfection of the senses, the tendency to commit mistakes and proneness to cheating. Therefore in order to understand the real meaning of the Bhagavad-Gita and attain its essence; there is no other recourse than to accept the shelter of param satyam or perfected realizations of such trikala-jnani holy rishis who know past, present and future and our previous acaryas in the disciplic succession who are free from the above mentioned four defects.

In this connection, my own dearmost, divine master parama-aradhyadeva Sri Srimad Srila Bhakti Prajnana Keshava Gosvami Maharaja has given potent and pertinent instructions about Srimad Bhagavad-Gita. I will now attempt herewith to mention a few of them.

"The purpose for the advent of the Bhagavad-Gita is neither political nor military war tactics. Rather it aims at complete saranagati unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Krishna the Supreme Absolute Truth and the Ultimate Reality. The Bhagavad-Gita's manifestation appeared to be due to Arjuna's illusion of lamentation. However, Arjuna can never come under the spell of illusion, and so his apparent lamentation was merely a pastime of Lord Krishna in order to enable the advent of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita. Arjuna is an eternal associate and a dear servitor of the Supreme Lord Krishna. It's understood from the statements of the Vedas: partho vatsa," that the advent of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita as Gitamrta or a giver of nectar, did not take place only just for the benefit of Arjuna. Lord Krishna Himself has said: mamekami paranam vraja. Here the import of the word ekam is to surrender unto the Supreme Lord Krishna, who is the supreme controller and this is indeed the final conclusion to be found in Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.

We see in the Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 9, verse 31:

kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati

Translation

O Arjuna, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.

Herein we can observe that Lord Krishna Himself is making His devotee Arjuna take a vow on His own behalf. The reason Lord Krishna has done this is because He will always unfailingly protect the vow of His devotees under all circumstances, but the vow in which Lord Krishna Himself makes can sometimes be amended due to His devotees acute supplications during great duress. Therefore by the display of His natural disposition of being bhakta-vatsalya He is proclaiming the victory of His devotees in Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 4, verse 9. He has stated here that His appearance and activities, which are endowed with inconceivable sakti or potency are all divya or divine, alaukika or transcendental and aprakrta beyond the modes of material nature.

The Vedas are the instructions which emanated directly from the very breath of Isvara, Garbhodaksayi Visnu who is an expansion and verified as a purusa avatar of the Supreme Lord Krishna. Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, being the words which have emanated from the lotus mouth of the Supreme Lord Krishna who is the unlimited source of Visnu is thus known as apauruseya which means of divine origin beyond the purview and authority of the material existence the same as the Vedas. There is no scope for debating this eternal truth.

In Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 9,verse 11,Lord Krishna has told Arjuna that being deluded by maya or illusion which is avidya or devoid of knowledge; ignorant and foolish living entities do not show any regard for Lord Krishna's aprakrta sac-cid-ananda form or for sri vigraha. Instead they consider the Supreme Lord to be just like any other perishable living entity in a physical body and they disrespect Him. Any object which is bereft of form or is impersonal cannot be worshipped. Merely by having an impersonal nature does not justify an object to be accepted as nirguna or aprakrta. The eternal, blissful and transcendental sac-cid-ananda form of the SupremeLord Krishna although completely imperceptible by material senses, is always pure, aprakrta beyond this material existence and nirguna-tattva, totally free from the influence of the material modes of existence."

Jagad-guru Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Srila Prabhupad has written in his commentary that the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita consisting of eighteen chapters is the most famous of all the Vedic scriptures. Numerous commentaries, explanations and translations of this exalted and sacred Vedic scripture numbering in the thousands are present in the world today in many languages. Amongst the various and assorted expositions of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita the commentaries of Srila Sridhara Swami of the Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya, Srila Ramanuja of the Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya, Srila Madhvacarya of the Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya, Srila Keshava Kashmiri of the Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti and Srila Baladeva Vidyabhusana both from the Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya, are the most prominent of those being validated by the bonafide authority of disciplic succession from one of the four authorised spiritual channels of disciplic successions revealed in the Vedic scripture Garga Samhita as delineated earlier.

Those who have taken shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the worshipable ista, diety of Gaudiya Vaisnavas, derive great, transcendental pleasure from these commentaries which are recommended and approved by the acaryas of the Brahma Madhva GaudiyaVaisnava Sampradaya. Brahmanas who are born into a seminal brahmana lineage of caste brahmans, adopt the occupation of smarta dharma which was made prevalent by the rules and injunctions given in the Manu Samhita. But in Srimad Bhagavad-Gita a provision is given for occupational duties based varna which is contrary to all these argumentative opinions. The Supreme Lord Krishna has revealed that, "Those whose intelligence has become deluded or covered by desires that to become free from distress adopt the proper rules to worship the respective demi-gods being compelled by their own nature they worship them. Why should one accept the shelter of different demi-gods giving up the shelter of the Supreme Lord Krishna who is the absolute controller of all the 33,000 crores of demigods? This would be nescience. A living entities knowledge is destroyed and lost when he forsakes the devotion of the Supreme Lord Krishna and instead offers his worships to others designations. Yet without being free from all types of desires it is not possible to offer unalloyed devotion unto the Supreme Lord Krishna.

Jagad-guru Srila Bhaktivinode Thakura has said in his rasika-ranjana exposition of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita," The supremely compassionate Supreme Lord Krishna, whose vows are always true,while aiming His words at His friend Arjuna, manifested Srimad Bhagavad-Gita for the deliverance and redemption of the whole world. This Lord Krishna accomplished in the form of this divine discourse by revealing the deep and esoteric, essential meanings of all the Vedas. In this way Srimad Bhagavad-Gita is the exclusive means of achieving the highest attainment.

Therefore Srimad Bhagavad-Gita is like the crest jewel of all the Upanisads. The Upanisads, Puranas, Srimad Bhagavatam, Vedanta-sutra and Srimad Bhagavad-Gita are all pure scriptures of unalloyed devotion to the Supreme Lord Krishna. Those individuals who are endowed with realization of the impersonal brahman will after hearing the Bhagavad-Gita accept the renounced order like Uddhava. The deep import of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita is that one’s adhikara or qualification is always in accordance with one's own svabhava or inherent nature. For a baddha jiva or a being in bondage there is no possibility of any attaining tattva-vastu or the ultimate truth by abandoning the inate qualities of one's own adhikara. Karma, jnana and bhakti each have their own separate svabhava.Therefore it can be understood that their svarupas or spiritual forms are also different. Thus by thorough and sincere comprehensive deliberation on tattva, karma-kanda, jnana-kanda and bhakti it can be determined that there are divisions amongst them. When one renounces all lesser, inferior mundane desires and pleasures and directs one's consciousness in attaining the superior bliss of bhagavat-seva which is exclusive service unto the Supreme Lord Krishna, then karma will automatically culminate in bhakti. Therefore bhakti alone is the highest objective of all living entities along with karmaas well as karma-phala or the fruits of their karma. The knowledge of bhakti is an extremely profound and esoteric science. It is the very life breath of both karma and jnana and the only means by which the supreme goal is attained. For this reason the subject of bhakti has been positioned in the middle six chapters of the Bhagavad-Gita, thus showing that visuddha-bhakti or pure devotion is indeed the Bhagavad-Gita’s topmost objective. The verse beginning: sarva-dharman parityajya, in Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 18, verse 66 firmly establishes that saranagati or complete surrender to the Supreme Lord Krishna is indeed the final conclusion to the supreme science of the Bhagavad-Gita.

In order to understand the tattva-siddhanta or conclusive reality, and actual teachingsof the entire Bhagavad-Gita from its auspicious beginning to its final conclusion, it is necessary to first of all become fully surrendered to one of the four authentic and bonafide spiritual channels of disciplic succession in one of the four empowered sampradayas as revealed in the Vedic scripture Garga Samhita given earlier in this forward. This is the only means for us to be recepients of the pure vani or spiritual knowledge which is free from the four defects which is revealed by the nitya-siddhas who are eternally omniscient personalities, far beyond the mundane realm of the material existence.

The trees of neem, mango, bela, imli, etc., situated at the banks of the pure waters of the sacred Ganga, although all accepting the same water, yield different types of fruits, some sour, some sweet and some bitter respectively. Similarly living entities who are beguiled, bewilderd and deluded by maya or illusion even after reading Srimad Bhagavad-Gita go and preach their speculative suppositions and concocted opinions according to their respective qualities. If the question is raised that if karma, jnana, yoga and so on, are not the superior means, then why did Lord Krishna instruct His dear friend Arjuna to practice them? Then the answer must be given that at the same places where Lord Krishna has discussed these subjects, He has also mentioned that the endeavors for karma, jnana and yoga are futile and fruitless without devotion or bhagavad-bhakti.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu has instructed that the topmost method of bhajana is in the anugatya or guidance of the vraja-gopis: aisvarya sithila preme nahi mora prita. This alone is His innermost intention. In the Bhagavad-Gita, the source and origin of all incarnations and expansions as well as all of creation is the Supreme Lord Krishna in the verse: sarva-dharman parityajya He has manifested and established His supreme controllership over maya, the demi-gods, and all living entities in existence. As well as His being the supreme object of bhajanathe supremely worshipable object of all. He is the foundation or support of nirvisesa-brahma, the worshipable object of the jnanis. He is advaya-jnana tattva the non-dual absolute reality and He is advitiya vastva-vastu the absolute and ultimate reality one without a second. As the para-tattva He is the embodiment of all energies in perfect harmony and the possessor of all mellows and He is the worshipable of all beings.

In Srimad Bhagavad-Gita the first six chapters delineate karma-yoga or the yoga of actions and the last six chapters delineate jnana-yoga or the yoga of knowledge. Since bhakti-yoga is placed in the middle six chapters, it should be understood that bhakti which is devotion is the supreme shelter of karma and jnana. At Haridwar in maya-tirtha which is prominent among the seven holy tirthas whereSrimad-Bhagavatam was recited, bhakti or devotion alone has been established as the life giving source of jnana-vairagya which is knowledge and renunciation. Without receiving the mercy of Bhakti-devi, endeavors of karma, jnana and yoga cannot bequeath their respective rewards and desired fruits.

From Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 9, verse 14 which begins: satatam kirtyanto mam, it is understood that kirtana or glorification of the Supreme Lord Krishna's nama, rupa, guna and lila which correspondlingly is His name, form, qualities and pastimes and engaging in the nine-fold limbs of bhakti is factual and actual worship of the Supreme Lord Krishna. It is said in Caitanya-caritamrta:aprakrta vastu nahe prakrta gocara, aprakrta objects are beyond the scope of prakrta, materialism and jnana, intelligence. In that exalted realm concepts like conceit, ego, scholarship and other mundane ideas are not applicable. Exclusive and unalloyed saranagati or complete surrender is the only means of attaining the mercy of the Supreme Lord Krishna.

Many persons who are unduly intoxicated by their mundane scholarship and ego, falsely claim that they understand and can guide others to understand the import of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita and the Vedic scriptures. But they simply deceive themselves and mislead others. Thus Lord Krishna has instructed in Bhagavad-Gita, chapter 10, verse 10:

tesam satata yuktanam bhajatam priti-purvakam

dadami buddhi-yogam tam yena mam upayanta te

Translation

To those who in constant devotion worship Me with love, I give them the spiritual intelligence by which they may come to me.

Bhagavat-tattva or knowledge of divinty can only be thoroughly known with the help and blessings of buddhi-yoga or spiritual intelligence leading to communion with God This can only be bequeathed by the creator of all existence the Supreme Lord Krishna thru his bonafide representative in disciplic succession known as the spiritual master. Those who try to understand the real imports of the Bhagavad-Gita by accepting the shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Krishna, the bonafide guru in authorised disciplic succession directly descending from the Supreme Lord Krishna Himself and the Vaisnavas who are the Supreme Lords dearmost servitors; can very easily cross over the endless cycle of birth and death in the ocean of material existence, and becoming eligible attain para-bhakti, supreme service unto the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord Krishna.

Thus in closing the sarva-guhyatam or the confidential words of the Bhagavad-Gita, have revealed the supreme object to be ascertained and has been established. This is also called pancam purusartha, the highest stage of sadhana and bhajana. Through a comparative discussion, Lord Krishna has established the supremacy of bhakti-yoga. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu who has descended to purify the age of Kali along with His associates has performed this supremely benevolent act for the sake of all living being by illuminating the path of he most worshipable Supreme AbsoluteTruth and Ultimate Reality which is the apex of sadhana and zenith of bhajana. This is their causeless and compassionate magnanimty towards all created beings. Therefore this is the only process which is authorized by the auspices of disciplic succession and fully approved and recommended by the previous acaryas, reflective sages, sincere scholars and pious people throughout the entire world.