Bhagavad-gītā As It Is

Bhagavad-gītā 2.7

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

kārpaṅya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ pṛcchāmi tvam dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ yac chreyaḥ syān niścitaṁ brūhi tan me śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam [Bg 2.7]

[Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.]

[break]

[01:16]

Translation: "Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of weakness. In this condition, I am asking You to tell me clearly what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul surrendered unto You. Please instruct me."

Prabhupāda: Hmm. This is very important verse in Bhagavad-gītā. It is a turning point of life. Kārpaṅya-doṣa. Miserly. Doṣa means fault When one does not act according to his position, that is fault, and that is called miserly. So everyone has got his natural propensities, svabhāva. Yasya hi svabhāvasya tasyāso duratikramaḥ. Svabhāva, natural propensities. It is a common example, it is given, that yasya hi yaḥ svabhāvasya tasyāso duratikramaḥ. One..., habit is the second nature.

One who has, who is habituated, or one whose nature, characteristic in some way, it is very difficult to change. The example is given: śvā yadi kriyate rājā saḥ kiṁ na so uparhanam. If you make a dog a king, does it mean that he'll not lick up shoes? Yes, dog's nature is to lick up shoes. So even if you dress him like a king and let him sit down on a throne, still, as soon as he'll see one shoe, he'll jump over and lick it. This is called svabhāva. Kārpaṅya-doṣa.

So in the animal life it is not possible to change one's nature, which is given by the material energy, prakṛti. Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni [Bg 3.27].

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

Kāraṅaṁ guṅa-saṅgo 'sya... Kāraṅaṁ guṅa-sangaḥ asya sad-asad-janma-yoniṣu [Bg 13.22].

[The living entity in material nature thus follows the ways of life, enjoying the three modes of nature. This is due to his association with that material nature. Thus he meets with good and evil amongst various species.]

Why? All living entities are part and parcel of God. Therefore originally the characteristic of the living entity is as good as God. Simply it is a question of quantity. Quality is the same. Quality is the same. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg 15.7].

[The living entities in this conditioned world are My eternal, fragmental parts. Due to conditioned life, they are struggling very hard with the six senses, which include the mind.]

The same example: If you take a drop of seawater, the quality, the chemical composition, is the same, but the quantity is different. It is a drop, and the sea is vast ocean. Similarly, we are exactly of the same quality as Kṛṣṅa. We can study. Why people say God is impersonal? If I am of the same quality, so God is also person, how He can be imperson? If qualitatively we are one, then as I feel individually, so why God should be refused individuality? This is another nonsense.

The impersonalist rascal, they cannot understand what is the nature of God. In the Bible also it is said, "Man is made after God." You can study God's quality by studying your quality, or anyone's quality. Simply the difference is the quantity's different. I have got some quality, some productive capacity. We also produce; every individual soul is producing something. But his production cannot be compared with the production of God. That is the difference. We are producing one flying machine. We are taking very much pride that "Now we have discovered the sputnik. It is going to the moon planet." But that is not perfect. It is coming back. But God has produced so many flying planets, millions and trillions of planets, very heavy, heavy planets.

Just like this planet is carrying so many big, big mountains, sea, but still it is flying. It is floating in the air just like a cotton swab. This is God's power. Gām āviśya [Bg 15.13].

[I enter into each planet, and by My energy they stay in orbit. I become the moon and thereby supply the juice of life to all vegetables.]

In the Bhagavad-gītā, you'll find: ahaṁ dhārayāmy ojasā. Who is sustaining all these big, big planets? We are explaining "gravity." And in the śāstra we find that it is being carried by Saṅkarṣaṅa.

So the quality is the same, but the quantity is different. So because the quality's same, so we have got all the propensities as God has, as Kṛṣṅa has. Kṛṣṅa has got loving propensities with His pleasure potency, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṅī. Similarly, because we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa, we have also got this loving propensity. So this is svabhava. But when we come in contact with this material nature... Kṛṣṅa does not come into the contact of the material nature. Therefore, Kṛṣṅa's name is Acyuta. He never falls down. But we are prone to fall down, to be under the... Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni. We are now under the influence of prakṛti.

Prakṛteḥ kriyamāṅāni guṅaiḥ karmāṅi sarvaśaḥ [Bg 3.27].

[The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.]

As soon as we fall down under the clutches of this prakṛti, material nature, which means... Prakṛti's composed of three qualities: goodness, passion and ignorance. So we capture one of the quality. That is the cause, kāraṅaṁ, guṅa-sanga [Bg 13.22]. Guṅa-saṅga means associating with different quality, guna-saṅga, asya jīvasya, of the living entity. That is the cause. One can ask: "If the living entity is as good as God, why one living entity has become dog and one living entity has become god, demigod, Brahmā?" Now, the answer is kāraṅam. The reason is guṅa-saṅga asya. Asya jīvasya guṅa-saṅga: because he's associating with a particular guṅa: sattva-guṅa, rajo-guṅa, tamo-guṅa.

So these things are described very vividly in Upaniṣad, how guṅa-sanga acts. Just like a fire; there are sparks. The..., sometimes the sparks fall down from the fire. Now there are three condition of the fire spark falling down: If the spark falls down on dry grass, then it can immediately ignite the grass, the dry grass. If the spark falls down on ordinary grass, then it burns for some time, then again it becomes extinguished. But if the spark falls down on the water, immediately extinguished, the fiery quality. So those who are captured by the sattva-guṅa, sattva-guṅa, they are intelligent. They have got knowledge. Just like brāhmaṅa. And those who are captured by the rajo-guṅa, they are busy in material activities. And those who have captured tamo-guṅa, they are lazy and sleepy. That's all. These are the symptoms.

Tamo-guṅa means they're very lazy and sleepy. Rajo-guṅa means very active, but active like monkey. Just like monkey's very active, but they're all dangerous. As soon as the monkey... You'll never see inactive. Whenever it will sit down, it will make gat-ga-gat-gat. So these are activities, foolish activities. But when one is in goodness, he's sober. He can understand what is the value of life, how one should live, what is the aim of life, what is the goal of life. That goal of life is to understand Brahman. Brahma jānātīti brāhmaṅaḥ. Therefore the good quality means the brāhmaṅa. Similarly, kṣatriya.

So they are guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ. Guṅa. Guṅa has to be taken into account. Śrī Kṛṣṅa therefore said, catur vārṅyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg 4.13].

[According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. And, although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the non-doer, being unchangeable.]

We have captured some kind of guṅa. It is very difficult. But we can immediately transcend all guṅas. Immediately. How? By bhakti yoga process. Sa guṅān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg 14.26].

[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]

If you take the bhakti-yoga process, then you are no longer influenced by either of these three qualities, goodness, passion and ignorance. That is also stated in the Bhagavad-gītā: māṁ ca avyabhicāriṅī bhakti-yogena yaḥ sevate. Anyone who is engaged in the devotional service of Kṛṣṅa, avyabhicāriṅī, without any deviation—staunch, devout attention—such person, māṁ cāvyabhicāriṅī yogena..., māṁ ca avyabhicāreṅa yogena bhajate māṁ sa guṅān samatītyaitān [Bg 14.26], immediately he becomes transcendental to all the qualities.

So devotional service is not within these material qualities. They are transcendental. Bhakti is transcendental. Therefore, you cannot understand Kṛṣṅa, or God, without bhakti. Bhaktyā māṁ abhijānāti [Bg 18.55].

[One can understand the Supreme Personality as He is only by devotional service. And when one is in full consciousness of the Supreme Lord by such devotion, he can enter into the kingdom of God.]

Only bhaktyā māṁ abhijānāti. Otherwise, it is not possible. Bhaktyā māṁ abhijānāti yāvan yas cāsmi tattvataḥ. Reality, in reality, if you want to understand what is God, then you have to adopt this bhakti process, devotional service. Then you transcend. Therefore, in the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam Nārada says that tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṅāmbujaṁ harer [SB 1.5.17].

[One who has forsaken his material occupations to engage in the devotional service of the Lord may sometimes fall down while in an immature stage, yet there is no danger of his being unsuccessful. On the other hand, a nondevotee, though fully engaged in occupational duties, does not gain anything.]

If anyone, even by sentiment, gives such..., gives up his occupational duty according to guṅa... That is called svadharma. Svadharma means one's duty according to the quality he has acquired. That is called svadharma. The brāhmaṅa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, śūdra, they are divided, guṅa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ [Bg 4.13], by guṅa and karma.

So here Arjuna says that kārpaṅya-doṣopahataḥ-svabhāvaḥ [Bg 2.7].

"I am kṣatriya." He understands that "I am doing wrong. I am refusing to fight. Therefore, it is kārpaṅya-doṣa, miserly." Miserly means I have got some means to spend, but if I don't spend, this is called miser. Kṛpaṅatā. So kṛpaṅatā. There are two classes of men: brāhmaṅa and śūdra. Brāhmaṅa and śūdra. Brāhmaṅa means he's not miser. He has got the opportunity, great asset of this human form of body, many millions of dollars' worth, this human... But he's not using it properly, simply seeing it: "How beautiful I am." That's all. Just spend your beauty or utilize your asset, the human... That is brāhmaṅa, to be liberal. And the... Etad viditvā prayāti sa brāhmaṅaḥ [Gargopaniṣad]. One who knows...

Therefore Prahlāda Mahārāja says, durlabhaṁ manuṣyaṁ janma adhruvam arthadam [SB 7.6.1]. He was preaching amongst his class friends. He was born in a demonic family, Hiraṅyakaśipu. And his class friends, also, of the same category. So Prahlāda Mahārāja was advising them, "My dear brothers, let us cultivate Kṛṣṅa consciousness." So other boys, what do they know about Kṛṣṅa conscious...? Prahlāda Mahārāja is liberated from the very birth. So they said, "What is this Kṛṣṅa consciousness?" They could not understand. So he was convincing them: durlabhaṁ manuṣyaṁ janma tad apy adhruvam arthadam.

This human body is durlabhaṁ. Labdhvā sudurlabhaṁ idam bahu sambhavānte [SB 11.9.29].

[After many, many births and deaths one achieves the rare human form of life, which, although temporary, affords one the opportunity to attain the highest perfection. Thus a sober human being should quickly endeavor for the ultimate perfection of life as long as his body, which is always subject to death, has not fallen down and died. After all, sense gratification is available even in the most abominable species of life, whereas Kṛṣṅa consciousness is possible only for a human being.]

This human form of body is a great concession given by the material nature. People are so miscreant and foolish, they do not understand what is the value of this human form of life. They engage this body for sense gratification, like cats and dogs. The śāstra therefore says, "No. This human form of body is not meant for spoiling like the hogs and dogs." Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke. Everyone has got a body, material body. But nṛ-loke, in the human society, this body is not to be spoiled. Nāyaṁ deho deha-bhājāṁ nṛ-loke kaṣṭān kāmān arhati viḍ-bhujāṁ ye [SB 5.5.1].

[Lord Ṛṣabhadeva told His sons: My dear boys, of all the living entities who have accepted material bodies in this world, one who has been awarded this human form should not work hard day and night simply for sense gratification, which is available even for dogs and hogs that eat stool. One should engage in penance and austerity to attain the divine position of devotional service. By such activity, one's heart is purified, and when one attains this position, he attains eternal, blissful life, which is transcendental to material happiness and which continues forever.]

This human form of life, simply working uselessly hard, day and night, for sense gratification, this is the business of the hog and dog. They are doing also the same thing, whole day and night, working hard simply for sense gratification.

So therefore in the human society there must be a system of division. That is called varṅāśrama-dharma. That is Vedic civilization. That is real called ārya-samāja. Ārya-samāja does not mean to become rascal and fool and deny the existence of God. No. That is anārya. Just like Kṛṣṅa rebuked Arjuna, anārya-juṣṭam: "You are talking like anārya." One who is not Kṛṣṅa conscious, he's anārya. Anārya. Ārya means who is advancing in Kṛṣṅa consciousness. So really ārya-samāna means Kṛṣṅa conscious person. Otherwise, bogus, bogus ārya-samāna. Because here from the Bhagavad-gītā says, Kṛṣṅa says Arjuna, rebuking, because he was refusing to fight, because he does not know what is his duty, again Arjuna is admitting here that kārpaṅya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ [Bg 2.7]:

"Yes, I am anārya. I have become anārya, because I have forgotten my duty." So actually ārya samāja means Kṛṣṅa conscious Society, International Society for Kṛṣṅa... That is ārya. Not bogus.

So here, Arjuna is explaining, putting himself: "Yes, kārpaṅya-doṣo. Because I am forgetting my duty, therefore upahata-svabhāvaḥ, I am bewildered in my natural propensities." A kṣatriya should be always active. Whenever there is a war, there is fight, they must be very much enthusiastic. A kṣatriya, if another kṣatriya says, "I want to fight with you," he, oh, he cannot refuse: "Yes, come one. Fight. Take sword." Immediately: "Come one." That is kṣatriya. Now he's refusing to fight. Therefore he can understand...

[aside:] You can stand this side, not in front.

He's forgetting his duty, kṣatriya duty. Therefore he's admitting, "Yes," kārpaṅya-doṣa, kārpaṅya-doṣopahata-svabhāvaḥ [Bg 2.7],

"my natural duty I am forgetting. Therefore I have become miser. Therefore my..."

Now, when you become miser, that is a diseased condition. Then what is your duty? Then go to a person who can... Just like when you become diseased, you go to a physician and ask him, "What to do, sir? I am now suffering with this disease." This is your duty. Similarly, when we are perplexed in our duties, or we forget our duties, it is very nice to go to the superior person and ask him what to do. So who can be superior person than Kṛṣṅa? Therefore Arjuna says, pṛcchāmi tvām: "I am asking You. Because it is my duty. I'm now falling in my duty, faulty. So this is not good. So I must ask somebody who is superior to me." That is the duty.

Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12].

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

This is the Vedic duty. Everyone is perplexed. Everyone is suffering in this material world, being perplexed. But he'll not search out a bona fide guru. No. That is kārpaṅya-doṣa. That is kārpaṅya-doṣa. Here, Arjuna is coming out of the kārpaṅya-doṣa. How? Now he's asking Kṛṣṅa. Pṛcchāmi tvām: "My dear Kṛṣṅa, You are the most superior person. That I know. You are Kṛṣṅa. So I am perplexed. Actually, I am forgetting my duty. Therefore I am asking You."

So you have to approach the Supreme Person, means Kṛṣṅa or His representative. All others are rascals and fools. If you approach a person, guru, who is not representative of Kṛṣṅa, you are approaching a rascal. How you'll be enlightened? You must approach Kṛṣṅa or His representative. That is wanted. Tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12]. So who is guru? Samit-pāṅiḥ śrotriyaṁ brahma-niṣṭham. A guru is full Kṛṣṅa conscious. Brahma-niṣṭham. And śrotriyam. Śrotriyam means who has heard, who has received knowledge by the śrotriyaṁ paṭha, by hearing from superior authority. Evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayoḥ viduḥ [Bg 4.2].

[This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost.]

So here we have to learn from Arjuna that when we are perplexed, when we forget our real duty, and therefore we are puzzled, then our duty is to approach Kṛṣṅa, as Arjuna is doing. So if you say, "Where is Kṛṣṅa?" Kṛṣṅa is not there, but Kṛṣṅa's representative is there. You should approach him. That is the Vedic injunction. Tad-vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12].

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

One must approach guru. And guru means Kṛṣṅa originally. Guru... Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat sūrayaḥ [SB 1.1.1]. Janmādyasya yataḥ anvayāt itarataś ca artheṣu abhijñaḥ svarāt. You have to approach. That is guru.

So we consider..., we take Brahmā. Because he's the first creature within this universe, he's accepted as the guru. He imparted... Just like we belong to the Brahma-sampradāya. There are four sampradāyas: Brahma-sampradāya, Śrī-sampradāya, Rudra-sampradāya and Kumāra-samapradāya. They're all mahājanas. Mahājano yena gataḥ sa panthāḥ [Cc Madhya 17.186].

[Dry arguments are inconclusive. A great personality whose opinion does not differ from others is not considered a great sage. Simply by studying the Vedas, which are variegated, one cannot come to the right path by which religious principles are understood. The solid truth of religious principles is hidden in the heart of an unadulterated self-realized person. Consequently, as the śāstras confirm, one should accept whatever progressive path the mahājanas advocate.]

We have to accept the line of action which is given by the mahājana.

So Brahmā is mahājana. You'll find Brahmā's picture with Veda in his hand. So he's the..., he gave the first instruction of Veda. But wherefrom he got the Vedic knowledge? Therefore Vedic knowledge is apauruṣeya. It is not man-made; it is God-made. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṅītam [SB 6.3.19].

[Real religious principles are enacted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although fully situated in the mode of goodness, even the great ṛṣis who occupy the topmost planets cannot ascertain the real religious principles, nor can the demigods or the leaders of Siddhaloka, to say nothing of the asuras, ordinary human beings, Vidyādharas and Cāraṅas.]

So how God, Kṛṣṅa, gave to Brahmā? Tene brahma hṛdā. Brahma, brahma means the Vedic knowledge. Śabda-brahma. Tene. He injected Vedic knowledge from hṛdā. Teṣāṁ satata-yuktānāṁ bhajatāṁ pritī-pūrvakam [Bg 10.10].

[To those who are constantly devoted and worship Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.]

When Brahmā was created, he was perplexed: "What is my duty? Everything is dark." So he meditated, and Kṛṣṅa gave him knowledge, that "Your duty is this. You do like this." Tene brahma hṛdā ya ādi-kavaye. Ādi-kavaye [SB 1.1.1]. Brahmā is ādi-kavaye. So actual guru is Kṛṣṅa. And here is... Kṛṣṅa is advising the Bhagavad-gītā. These rascals and fools will not accept Kṛṣṅa as guru. They'll go to some rascal and fool and miscreants, sinful person, and accept guru. How he can be guru? So guru is Kṛṣṅa.

Here is the example given by Arjuna. Pṛcchāmi tvām. Who is that tvām? Kṛṣṅa. "Why you are asking Me?" Dharma-sammūḍha-cetāḥ [Bg 2.7].

"I am bewildered in my duties, dharma." Dharma means duty. Dharmaṁ tu sākṣād bhagavat-praṅītam [SB 6.3.19]. Sammūḍha-cetāḥ. "So what I have to do?" Yac chreyaḥ. "What is actually my duty?" Śreyaḥ. Śreyaḥ and preyaḥ. Preyaḥ... They are two things. Preya means which I like immediately, very nice. And śreya means ultimate goal. They are two things. Just like a child wants to play all day. That is childish nature. That is śreya.

And preya means he must take education so that in future his life will be settled up. That is preya..., śreya. So Arjuna is asking not preya. He's asking instruction from Kṛṣṅa not for the purpose of confirming his śreya. Śreya means immediately he was thinking that "I shall be happy by not fighting, not by killing my kinsmen." That, he was, like a child, he was thinking. Śreya. But when he came to his consciousness—not actually consciousness, because he's intelligent—he's asking for preya, uh, śreya. Yac chreyaḥ syāt. "What is the, actually, my ultimate goal of life?" Yac chreyaḥ syāt. Yac chreyaḥ syāt niścitaṁ [Bg 2.7]. Niścitam means fixed-up, without any mistake. Niścitam. In Bhāgavata there is, called niścitaṁ. Niścitam means you haven't got to make research. It is already settled up: "This is the decision." Because we, with our teeny brain, we cannot find out what is the actual niścitaṁ, fixed-up sreya. That we do not know. That you have to ask from Kṛṣṅa or His representative. These are the things. Yac chreya syāt niścitaṁ brūhi tan me.

So... "Kindly speak to me that." "So why shall I speak to you?" Here says, śiṣyas te 'ham [Bg 2.7]: "Now I am accepting You as my guru. I become Your śiṣya." Śiṣya means "Whatever you'll say, I'll accept." That is śiṣya. The śiṣya word comes from śas-dhātu. Śas-dhātu. Śāstra. Śastra. Śāsana. Śiṣya. These are from the same root. Śas-dhātu. Śas-dhātu means rule, ruling. So we can rule in various way. We can be ruled, becoming a śiṣya of a proper guru. That is śas-dhātu. Or we can be ruled by śastra, weapon. Just like king has got weapon. If you don't follow the king's instruction or government instruction, then there is police force, military force. That is śastra. And there is śāstra also. Śāstra means book, scripture, just like Bhagavad-gītā. Everything is there. So we must be ruled, either by śastra, śāstra or guru. Or becoming śiṣya. Therefore it is said, śiṣyas te 'ham [Bg 2.7]:

"I become voluntarily... I surrender unto You." "Now you become śiṣya. What is the proof that you have become My śiṣya?" Śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam: "Now I am fully surrendered." Prapannam.

So this knowledge required, how to find out real guru and how to surrender unto Him. The guru does not mean that I keep a guru, so, as order-supplier: "My dear guru, I am suffering from this. Can you give me some medicine?" "Yes, yes. Take this medicine." "Yes." Not that guru. If you are suffering from some disease, you go to a physician. It is not guru's business to give you some medicine. A guru's business is to give you Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa sei tomāra, kṛṣṅa dīte pāra [Bhajana-Lālasā, Song 7]. A Vaiṣṅava is praying, guru: "Sir, you are devotee of Kṛṣṅa. You can give me Kṛṣṅa if you like." This is the position of śiṣya. Guru's business is how to give you Kṛṣṅa, not any material things. For material things, there are so many institution. But if you want Kṛṣṅa, then guru's required.

Who is..., who requires a guru?

tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsu śreya uttamam śābde pare ca niṣṅātaṁ brahmaṅy upasamāśrayam [SB 11.3.21]

[Therefore any person who seriously desires real happiness must seek a bona fide spiritual master and take shelter of him by initiation. The qualification of the bona fide guru is that he has realized the conclusions of the scriptures by deliberation and is able to convince others of these conclusions. Such great personalities, who have taken shelter of the Supreme Godhead, leaving aside all material considerations, should be understood to be bona fide spiritual masters.]

Who requires a guru? Guru is not a fashion, "Oh, I have got a guru. I shall make a guru." Guru means one who is serious. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta. One has to seek out a guru. Why? Jijñāsu śreya uttamam. One who is inquisitive of the Supreme. Not guru make a fashion, just like we keep a dog, fashion, similarly, we keep a guru. That is not guru dharma[?]. "Guru will act according to my decision." Not like that. Guru means one who can give you Kṛṣṅa. That is guru. Kṛṣṅa sei tomāra. Because Kṛṣṅa is guru. That is stated in the Brahma-saṁhitā: vedeṣu durlabhaṁ adurlabhaṁ ātma-bhaktau [Bs 5.33].

[I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal puruṣa; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth.]

Vedeṣu durlabhaṁ. If you want to search out... Although Vedas means knowledge, and the ultimate knowledge is to understand Kṛṣṅa. Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg 15.15].

[I am seated in everyone's heart, and from Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness. By all the Vedas am I to be known; indeed I am the compiler of Vedānta, and I am the knower of the Vedas.]

This is the instruction.

So if you independently wants to study Vedas, just, there is, there are some rascals... They say, "We understand only Vedas." What do you understand Veda? How you'll understand Veda? So Vedas says, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum eva abhigacchet [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12].

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

You'll understand Vedas by taking one..., purchasing one Vedas book, or taking it, you'll understand Vedas? The Veda is not so cheap thing. Without becoming a brāhmaṅa, nobody can understand a Veda, what is Veda.

Therefore, it is restricted. Without becoming brāhmaṅa, nobody is allowed to study Vedas. It's all nonsense. What you'll understand about the Vedas? Therefore Vyāsadeva, after compiling the four Vedas, dividing the four Vedas, he made Mahābhārata. Because the Vedas, subject matter of Vedas, is so difficult. Strī-śūdra-dvija-bandhūnāṁ trayī na śruti-gocarāḥ [SB 1.4.25]:

[Out of compassion, the great sage thought it wise that this would enable men to achieve the ultimate goal of life. Thus he compiled the great historical narration called the Mahābhārata for women, laborers and friends of the twice-born.]

for women, for śūdras, and for the dvija bandhu. They cannot understand what is Vedas. So all these rascal dvija-bandhus and śūdras, they want to study Vedas. No. That is not possible.

One has to become first of all situated in the brahminical qualification, satyaṁ śamo damas titiksva ārjavaṁ jñānaṁ vijñānam āstikyaṁ brahma karma sva-bhāva... [Bg 18.42].

[Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom, knowledge, and religiousness—these are the qualities by which the brāhmaṅas work.]

Then touch Veda. Otherwise, what you'll understand Vedas? Nonsense. Therefore, Vedas says, tad vijñānārthaṁ sa gurum [Muṅḍaka Upaniṣad 1.2.12].

[To understand these things properly, one must humbly approach, with firewood in hand, a spiritual master who is learned in the Vedas and firmly devoted to the Absolute Truth.]

You must approach a guru to understand Veda. And what is that Veda? Vedaiś ca sarvair aham eva vedyam [Bg 15.15].

The Vedas means..., to study Vedas means to understand Kṛṣṅa and surrender unto Him. This is Vedic knowledge.

Here Arjuna says that prapannam: "Now I am surrender unto You. I am now no more going to talk with You on equal level, just as if I know so many things." He was right, but he was thinking on the material platform. He was thinking that praduṣyanti kula-striyaḥ [Bg 1.40]. If everyone... This is material point. But Vedic knowledge is spiritual, uttamam. Tasmād guruṁ prapadyeta jijñāsu śreya uttamam [SB 11.3.21].

This śreya. Uttamam. Yac chreya syāt niścitaṁ. Fixed-up. There is..., there is no question of changing. That instruction is now..., will be given by Kṛṣṅa: sarva-dharmān parityaja mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja. And this takes place—bahūnāṁ janmanām ante jñānavān māṁ prapadyate [Bg 7.19].

[After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.]

So therefore, in order to achieve the highest goal of life, one should fully surrender to Kṛṣṅa or His representative. Then his life is successful.

Thank you very much.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Śrīla Prabhupāda. [end]

Bhagavad-gītā 2.7

Referenced verses