SB 1.15.27 - 31Arjuna remembers Krsna’s

instructions

SB 1.15.32 - 35The Pandavas Retire

Offering obeisancesnäräyaëaà namaskåtya

naraà caiva narottamamdevéà sarasvatéà vyäsaà

tato jayam udérayet

“Before reciting this Çrémad-Bhägavatam, which is the very means of conquest, one should offer respectful obeisances unto the Personality of Godhead, Näräyaëa, unto Nara-näräyaëa Åñi, the supermost human being, unto mother Sarasvaté, the goddess of learning, and unto Çréla Vyäsadeva, the author.” SB 1.2.4

nañöa-präyeñv abhadreñunityaà bhägavata-sevayäbhagavaty uttama-çloke

bhaktir bhavati naiñöhiké

“By regular attendance in classes on the Bhägavatam and by rendering of service to the pure devotee, all that is troublesome to the heart is almost completely destroyed, and loving service unto the Personality of Godhead, who is praised with transcendental songs, is established as an irrevocable fact.” SB1.2.18

SB 1.15.27 - 31Arjuna remembers Krsna’s

instructions

SB 1.15.27

deśa-kālārtha-yuktānihrt-tāpopaśamāni ca

haranti smarataś cittamgovindābhihitāni me

Now I am attracted to those instructions imparted to me by the Personality of Godhead [Govinda] because they are impregnated with instructions for relieving the burning heart in all circumstances of time and

space.

Bhagavad Gita… for all times…• Everyone goes through Critical Times (Disasters)– At least at death, but usually before

• Where is our shelter?– Instructions of the Lord– Essence of all Vedic Wisdom• Bhagavad Gita

• Bhagavad Gita - Solution to Arjuna’s problems– On battlefield of Kuruksetra– Now wants to approach the same solution• By remembering the instructions again..

Merciful Lord… makes Himself accessible• The merciful Lord left behind Him the great teachings of

the Bhagavad-Gita so that one can take the instructions of the Lord even when He is not visible to material eyesight.

• Material senses cannot have any estimation of the Supreme Lord,

• but by His inconceivable power the Lord can incarnate Himself to the sense perception of the conditioned souls in a suitable manner – through the agency of matter,

• which is also another form of the Lord's manifested energy.

• Lord is non-different from His sound representation– Same benefit with Bhagavad Gita as in His personal

presence

Summary of Bhagavad Gita

• Purpose– Terminate all different types of miseries

• Who can really take advantage of it?– Faithful human being desirous of being liberated

from the clutches of material existence• Starts by

• Discriminating soul from matter by all reason and logic• Outer covering of matter, body and mind, continually

change for another term of material existence, which is full of miseries

Summary of Bhagavad Gita

• Simultaneously one and different– One• Spiritual, just like the Lord

– “Whole scheme of Vedic wisdom” targeted to » Liberation from the illusion of material identification

– Different• Sense of enjoyment

– “Real” in the Lord– “Just a wishful desire” in the living being

Practical Application• In all circumstances, remind ourselves of the

instructions of the Lord– Gain strength from it

• It is non-different from being with the Lord in person

• Means– Regular hearing and chanting, Recitation of slokas,

Chapter a Day – Meditating on and discussing the slokas and

discussing how to practically apply them

SB 1.15.28

sūta uvācaevam cintayato jisnohkrsna-pāda-saroruhamsauhārdenātigādhenaśāntāsīd vimalā matih

Sūta Gosvāmī said: Thus being deeply absorbed in thinking of the instructions of the Lord, which were imparted in the great

intimacy of friendship, and in thinking of His lotus feet, Arjuna's mind became pacified and free from all material

contamination.

• By deep absorption in the instructions of the Lord– Pacification of the mind– Freedom from material contamination

• Lord is like the Sun– Drives away the darkness of ignorance

• And its miserable material effects

• Final Recommendation– Constant chanting of the Holy Name

• For protection from all contamination of the material world

SB 1.15.29

vāsudevāńghry-anudhyāna-paribrmhita-ramhasā

bhaktyā nirmathitāśesa-kasāya-dhisano 'rjunah

Arjuna's constant remembrance of the lotus feet of Lord Śrī Krsna rapidly increased his

devotion, and as a result all the trash in his thoughts subsided.

The “Trash”

• What is the trash?– Material Desires in the mind

• Result of the trash– Entrapment birth after birth with pleasing/displeasing

elements• All false and temporary

• Why is the trash accumulating?– Due to our reactions to material desires

• Cleaning the trash– Getting in touch with the Lord through devotional service

• Exposes the naked forms of the material desires• Mind/Intelligence is pacified

– Manifests the true color of eternal association with the Lord

SB 1.15.30

gītam bhagavatā jñānamyat tat sańgrāma-mūrdhanikāla-karma-tamo-ruddhampunar adhyagamat prabhuh

Because of the Lord's pastimes and activities and because of His absence, it appeared

that Arjuna forgot the instructions left by the Personality of Godhead. But factually this was not the case, and again he became lord of his senses.

• Arjuna was an eternal associate of the Lord– His being cast into forgetfulness before speaking

of Bhagavad Gita was purposeful• Meant to aid our own return to Krishna’s shelter

• Arjuna always engaged to serve the “mission of the Lord”– Fought the battle for that purpose only

• One should, therefore, adjust the activities of life in pace with the mission of the Lord, and by doing this one is sure to return back home, back to Godhead. This is the highest perfection of life.

Practical Application

• Adjust the activities of our life in pace with the mission of the Lord– We are sure to back home, back to Godhead– That is the Highest Perfection

1.15.31

viśoko brahma-sampattyāsañchinna-dvaita-samśayah

līna-prakrti-nairgunyādalińgatvād asambhavah

Because of his possessing spiritual assets, the doubts of duality were completely cut off. Thus he was freed

from the three modes of material nature and placed in transcendence. There was no longer any chance of

his becoming entangled in birth and death, for he was freed from material form.

DualityDoubts of duality begin from the misconception of the material body, which is

accepted as the self by less intelligent persons. The most foolish part of our ignorance is our identifying this material body with the self. Everything in relation with the body is ignorantly accepted as our own. Doubts due to misconceptions of "myself" and "mine" — in other words, "my body," "my relatives," "my property," "my wife," "my children," "my wealth," "my country," "my community," and hundreds and thousands of similar illusory contemplations — cause bewilderment for the conditioned soul. By assimilating the instructions of the Bhagavad-Gita, one is sure to be released from such bewilderment because real knowledge is knowledge that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vāsudeva, Lord Krsna, is everything, including one's self. Everything is a manifestation of His potency as part and parcel. The potency and the potent are nondifferent, so the conception of duality is at once mitigated by attainment of perfect knowledge.

Visoka – Being freed from all grief and anxieties

• Arjuna eradicated material conception of Lord Krishna• By Following Lord’s instructions

– Arjuna apparently felt absence of the Lord but revived his original position

• Lord is always transcendentally present in His non-dual energies

• Can feel His presence simply by hearing, chanting, remembering and worshipping Him

• Chant and engage in devotional service– Become free from the reaction of the modes of material nature

• Possible by the required transcendental vision granted by engaging in devotional service

–

Practical Application

• Golden words by HG Harivilas Prabhu– During Arguments • If I argue, I am jumping in the fire of the modes of

material nature– I suffer more

• Realize what is being hurt is my false ego, not me• See it is an education, as a test, and the other party as a

Guru– Thus you can rise above the modes, and remain unaffected,

• Remember the instructions of Bhagavad Gita always• This is what Krishna Consciousness is all about.. Isn’t it?

Golden words by Srila Prabhupada

• Anxiety – Symptom of material life– In every circumstance, whether you have something or not

• Cause – Because I have accepted a temporary body• Real education

– What makes one anxiety less

• Arjuna’s method– Meditate on Lord Krishna constantly

• Then you no longer get a temporary body

• Krishna Consciousness Movement– Just to teach one how to think of Krishna always– Think Think Think…. Attach– In the association of devotee, not alone

• Under the guidance of Guru

SB 1.15.32 - 35The Pandavas Retire

SB 1.15.32

niśamya bhagavan-mārgamsamsthām yadu-kulasya casvah-pathāya matim cakrenibhrtātmā yudhisthirah

Upon hearing of Lord Krsna's returning to His abode, and upon understanding the end of the Yadu dynasty's earthly manifestation, Mahārāja Yudhisthira decided to go back home, back to Godhead.

• Following authority– Narada Muni’s instruction

• Lord’s appearance and disappearance like the rising and setting of the Sun

• Similarly, the Lord’s eternal associates appearance and disappearance is transcendental

• One who factually knows this is liberated from the cycle of birth and death

SB 1.15.33

prthāpy anuśrutya dhanañjayoditamnāśam yadūnām bhagavad-gatim ca tām

ekānta-bhaktyā bhagavaty adhoksajeniveśitātmopararāma samsrteh

Kuntī, after overhearing Arjuna's telling of the end of the Yadu dynasty and disappearance of Lord Krsna,

engaged in the devotional service of the transcendental Personality of Godhead with full

attention and thus gained release from the course of material existence.

• Goal of life– Go back to the eternal abode of the Lord

• The eternal abode– Not a myth– But cannot be achieved by material means like a

sputnik or a space capsule• The only passport– Transcendental devotional service

SB 1.15.34

yayāharad bhuvo bhāramtām tanum vijahāv ajahkantakam kantakeneva

dvayam cāpīśituh samamThe supreme unborn, Lord Śrī Krsna, caused the members of the Yadu dynasty to relinquish their bodies, and thus He relieved the burden of the

world. This action was like picking out a thorn with a thorn, though both are the same to the controller.

• Lord with His associates came to eradicate burden of this world– Some demigods joined them to serve Him

• After mission was accomplished, they relinquished their bodies in madness of intoxication

• Sages at Naimisaranya were not happy to hear about the Yadus’ dying in the madness of intoxication

• So Suta Goswami assured that The Lord caused this to relinquish their bodies– By which they had to relieve the burden of the world

God is partial?

• In this world, always Demons v/s Demigods– Demons• Disobedient to the Lord• The pricking thorn

– Demigods• Obedient to the Lord• The serving thorn

• Lord does good to both the them– Uses the “serving thorn” to destroy the “pricking

thorn”

SB 1.15.35

yathā matsyādi-rūpānidhatte jahyād yathā natahbhū-bhārah ksapito yenajahau tac ca kalevaram

The Supreme Lord relinquished the body which He manifested to diminish the burden of the earth. Just like a magician, He relinquishes one body to accept different ones, like the fish incarnation and others.

• Lord is not impersonal or formless– But His body is non different from Him

• He is embodiment of eternity, knowledge and bliss

• Example of a magician– He never is burnt, or cut to pieces. It is just a false show

• All incarnations such as Fish– Eternally present somewhere in the universe

• BG 7.24-25– Impersonalists think I have no form and I have assumed one now

• They are ignorant of my inconceivable energies and My eternal forms of personality

– Reason• I reserve of not exposing My eternal form to the non devotees

Temporary manifestations for the Asuras

• Temporary manifestations such as – Thunderbolt for wrestlers sent by Kamsa– Glaring light for Sisupala

• Assumed temporarily for the asuras– Then relinquished by the Lord– Then asuras think Lord has no eternal form– Just like the foolish audience is fooled by the

magician

Summary

• Symptom of material world – Anxiety• Solution - Learning from Arjuna– Meditate on the instructions of the Lord– His sound representation is non-different from Him

• Derive the same benefit as His personal presence

• Trash – Material desires in the mind– Reason for accumulation – Our reactions to material

desires– Cleansing method – Getting in touch with the Lord through

devotional service – Exposes the naked form of trash – Reveals the true color of reality

Summary

• Lord’s abode– Not a myth, but a reality– Reached not through a space capsule, but by devotional service

• Lord’s appearance/disappearance– Like that of the sun – Like a magician performing his tricks

• Always present in His eternal forms– Manifested only for the devotees– Non-devotees cannot see them as the Lord reserves the right not to

expose, through curtain of Yoga-Maya

References:

• Srila Prabhupada’s purports on these verses• HG Bhurijana Prabhu’s book: “Unveiling His

Lotus Feet”• Lectures by Srila Prabhupada on these verses– http://www.prabhupadavani.org