Dhyana-yoga

[Guest guest]

In this chapter the Lord explains that the

process of the eightfold yoga<br> system is a means to

control the mind and the senses. However, this is

very<br> difficult for people in general to perform,

especially in the Age of Kali.<br> Although the eightfold

yoga system is recommended in this chapter, the<br>

Lord emphasizes that the process of karma-yoga, or

acting in Krsna<br> consciousness, is better. Everyone

acts in this world to maintain his family<br> and

their paraphernalia, but no one is working without some

self-interest,<br> some personal gratification, be it concentrated

or extended. The criterion of<br> perfection is to

act in Krsna consciousness, and not with a view to

enjoying<br> the fruits of work. To act in Krsna consciousness

is the duty of every living<br> entity because all

are constitutionally parts and parcels of the

Supreme. The<br> parts of the body work for the

satisfaction of the whole body. The limbs of<br> the body do

not act for self-satisfaction but for the

satisfaction of the<br> complete whole. Similarly, the living

entity who acts for satisfaction of the<br> supreme

whole and not for personal satisfaction is the perfect

sannyasi,<br> the perfect yogi.<br> The sannyasis sometimes

artificially think that they have become liberated<br> from

all material duties, and therefore they cease to

perform agnihotra<br> yajnas (fire sacrifices), but

actually they are self-interested because their<br> goal

is to become one with the impersonal Brahman. Such a

desire is<br> greater than any material desire, but it

is not without self-interest. Similarly,<br> the

mystic yogi who practices the yoga system with half-open

eyes,<br> ceasing all material activities, desires some

satisfaction for his personal self.<br> But a person acting in

Krsna consciousness works for the satisfaction of<br>

the whole, without self-interest. A Krsna conscious

person has no desire<br> for self-satisfaction. His

criterion of success is the satisfaction of Krsna,<br> and

thus he is the perfect sannyasi, or perfect yogi. Lord

Caitanya, the<br> highest perfectional symbol of

renunciation, prays in this way:<br> na dhanam najanam na

sundarim<br> kavitam vajagad-isa kamaye<br> mama

janmanijanmanisvare<br> bhavatad bhaktir ahaituki tvayi<br><br> "O

Almighty Lord, I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor

to enjoy<br> beautiful women. Nor do I want any

number of followers. What I want<br> only is the

causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life,

birth after<br> birth."

[Guest guest]

I have heard this before (at a lecture at a Hare

Krishna Temple, of course), that the Bhagavad Gita says

that the eightfold yoga system (i.e. astanga yoga) is

too difficult for the present age, and therefore

Krishna counsiousness is recomended as the only (or best)

way.<br><br>To this I have 2 questions, that either you

Shrirangc, who posted it, or somebody else, could may be

answer:<br><br>1. Where excactly in the Bhagavad Gita is this

written?<br><br>2. The eightfold yoga system (astanga yoga) we are

following is based on Pattanjali's Yoga Sutras, but these

are much younger than the Bhagavad Gita. Hence the

curiosity about what kind of eightfold yoga system Krisna

is talking about - or does the astanga yoga

name/system have much older known roots?<br><br>Your answer

much appreciated.<br><br>tt

[Guest guest]

Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gita

traced from a remote time when it was delivered to the

royal order of all planets. beginning from the sun

planet. The kings of all planets are especially meant for

the protection of the inhabitants, and therefore the

royal order should understand the science of

Bhagavad-gita in order to be able to rule the citizens and

protect them from material bondage to lust. Human life is

meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge, in

eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of

Godhead, and the executive heads of all states and all

planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens

by education, culture and devotion. In other words,

the executive heads of all states are intended to

spread the science of Krsna consciousness so that the

people may take advantage of this great science and

pursue a successful path, utilizing the opportunity of

the human form of life.<br>In this millennium, the

sun-god is known as Vivasvan, the king of the sun, which

is the origin of all planets within the solar

system. In the Brahma-samhita (5.52) it is

stated:<br><br>"Let me worship", Lord Brahma said, "the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, Govinda [Krsna], who is the original

person and under whose order the sun, which is the king

of all planets, is assuming immense power and heat.

The sun represents the eye of the Lord and traverses

its orbit in obedience to His order.<br>The sun is

the king of the planets, and the sun-god (at present

of the name Vivasvan) rules the sun planet, which is

controlling all other planets by supplying heat and light. He

is rotating under the order of Krsna, and Lord Krsna

originally made Vivasvan His first disciple to understand

the science of Bhagavad-gita. The Gita is not,

therefore, a speculative treatise for the insignificant

mundane scholar but is a standard book of knowledge

coming down from time immemorial.<br><br>"In the

beginning of the millennium known as Treta-yuga this

science of the relationship with the Supreme was

delivered by Vivasvan to Manu. Manu, being the father of

mankind, gave it to his son Maharaja Iksvaku, the king of

this earth planet and forefather of the Raghu dynasty,

in which Lord Ramacandra appeared." Therefore,

Bhagavad-gita existed in human society from the time of

Maharaja Iksvaku.<br>At the present moment we have just

passed through five thousand years of the Kali-yuga,

which lasts 432,000 years. Before this there was

Dvapara-yuga (800,000 years), and before that there was

Treta-yuga (1,200,000 years). Thus, some 2,005,000 years

ago, Manu spoke the Bhagavad-gita to his disciple and

son Maharaja Iksvaku, the king of this planet earth.

The age of the current Manu is calculated to last

some 305,300,000 years, of which 120,400,000 have

passed. Accepting that before the birth of Manu the Gita

was spoken by the Lord to His disciple the sun-god

Vivasvan, a rough estimate is that the Gita was spoken at

least 120,400,000 years ago; and in human society it

has been extant for two million years. It was

respoken by the Lord again to Arjuna about five thousand

years ago. That is the rough estimate of the history of

the Gita, according to the Gita itself and according

to the version of the speaker, Lord Sri Krsna. It

was spoken to the sun-god Vivasvan because he is also

a ksatriya and is the father of all ksatriyas who

are descendants of the sun-god, or the surya-vamsa

ksatriyas. Because Bhagavad-gita is as good as the Vedas,

being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

this knowledge is apauruseya, superhuman. Since the

Vedic instructions are accepted as they are, without

human interpretation, the Gita must therefore be

accepted without mundane interpretation. The mundane

wranglers may speculate on the Gita in their own ways, but

that is not Bhagavad-gita as it is.

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