BHAGAVAD-GITA 18:78

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 18:78

 

yatra yogesvarah krsno

yatra partho dhanur-dharah

tatra srir vijayo bhutir

dhruva nitir matir mama

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

yatra--where; yoga-isvarah--the master of mysticism; krsnah--Lord

Krsna; yatra--where; parthah--the son of Prtha; dhanuh-dharah--the

carrier of the bow and arrow; tatra--there; srih--opulence;

vijayah--victory; bhutih--exceptional power; dhruva--certain;

nitih--morality; matih mama--my opinion.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Wherever there is Krsna, the master of all mystics, and wherever there

is Arjuna, the supreme archer, there will also certainly be opulence,

victory, extraordinary power, and morality. That is my opinion.

 

PURPORT

 

The Bhagavad-gita began with an inquiry of Dhrtarastra's. He was

hopeful of the victory of his sons, assisted by great warriors like

Bhisma, Drona and Karna. He was hopeful that the victory would be on

his side. But after describing the scene on the battlefield, Sanjaya

told the King, "You are thinking of victory, but my opinion is that

where Krsna and Arjuna are present, there will be all good fortune."

He directly confirmed that Dhrtarastra could not expect victory for

his side. Victory was certain for the side of Arjuna because Krsna was

there. Krsna's acceptance of the post of charioteer for Arjuna was an

exhibition of another opulence. Krsna is full of all opulences, and

renunciation is one of them. There are many instances of such

renunciation, for Krsna is also the master of renunciation.

 

The fight was actually between Duryodhana and Yudhisthira. Arjuna was

fighting on behalf of his elder brother, Yudhisthira. Because Krsna

and Arjuna were on the side of Yudhisthira, Yudhisthira's victory was

certain. The battle was to decide who would rule the world, and

Sanjaya predicted that the power would be transferred to Yudhisthira.

It is also predicted here that Yudhisthira, after gaining victory in

this battle, would flourish more and more because not only was he

righteous and pious but he was also a strict moralist. He never spoke

a lie during his life.

 

There are many less intelligent persons who take Bhagavad-gita to be a

discussion of topics between two friends on a battlefield. But such a

book cannot be scripture. Some may protest that Krsna incited Arjuna

to fight, which is immoral, but the reality of the situation is

clearly stated: Bhagavad-gita is the supreme instruction in morality.

The supreme instruction of morality is stated in the Ninth Chapter, in

the thirty-fourth verse: man-mana bhava mad-bhaktah. One must become a

devotee of Krsna, and the essence of all religion is to surrender unto

Krsna (sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja). The

instructions of Bhagavad-gita constitute the supreme process of

religion and of morality. All other processes may be purifying and may

lead to this process, but the last instruction of the Gita is the last

word in all morality and religion: surrender unto Krsna. This is the

verdict of the Eighteenth Chapter.

 

>From Bhagavad-gita we can understand that to realize oneself by

philosophical speculation and by meditation is one process, but to

fully surrender unto Krsna is the highest perfection. This is the

essence of the teachings of Bhagavad-gita. The path of regulative

principles according to the orders of social life and according to the

different courses of religion may be a confidential path of knowledge.

But although the rituals of religion are confidential, meditation and

cultivation of knowledge are still more confidential. And surrender

unto Krsna in devotional service in full Krsna consciousness is the

most confidential instruction. That is the essence of the Eighteenth

Chapter.

 

Another feature of Bhagavad-gita is that the actual truth is the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. The Absolute Truth is realized

in three features--impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma, and

ultimately the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Perfect

knowledge of the Absolute Truth means perfect knowledge of Krsna. If

one understands Krsna, then all the departments of knowledge are part

and parcel of that understanding. Krsna is transcendental, for He is

always situated in His eternal internal potency. The living entities

are manifested of His energy and are divided into two classes,

eternally conditioned and eternally liberated. Such living entities

are innumerable, and they are considered fundamental parts of Krsna.

Material energy is manifested into twenty-four divisions. The creation

is effected by eternal time, and it is created and dissolved by

external energy. This manifestation of the cosmic world repeatedly

becomes visible and invisible.

 

In Bhagavad-gita five principal subject matters have been discussed: the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, material nature, the living entities,

eternal time and all kinds of activities. All is dependent on the

Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. All conceptions of the Absolute

Truth--impersonal Brahman, localized Paramatma and any other

transcendental conception--exist within the category of understanding

the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Although superficially the Supreme

Personality of Godhead, the living entity, material nature and time

appear to be different, nothing is different from the Supreme. But the

Supreme is always different from everything. Lord Caitanya's

philosophy is that of "inconceivable oneness and difference." This

system of philosophy constitutes perfect knowledge of the Absolute

Truth.

 

The living entity in his original position is pure spirit. He is just

like an atomic particle of the Supreme Spirit. Thus Lord Krsna may be

compared to the sun, and the living entities to sunshine. Because the

living entities are the marginal energy of Krsna, they have a tendency

to be in contact either with the material energy or with the spiritual

energy. In other words, the living entity is situated between the two

energies of the Lord, and because he belongs to the superior energy of

the Lord, he has a particle of independence. By proper use of that

independence he comes under the direct order of Krsna. Thus he attains

his normal condition in the pleasure-giving potency.

 

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Eighteenth Chapter of the

Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of its Conclusion--the Perfection

of Renunciation.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.