BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:41

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:41

 

vyavasayatmika buddhir

ekeha kuru-nandana

bahu-sakha hy anantas ca

buddhayo 'vyavasayinam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

vyavasaya-atmika--resolute in Krsna consciousness;

buddhih--intelligence; eka--only one; iha--in this world;

kuru-nandana--O beloved child of the Kurus; bahu-sakhah--having

various branches; hi--indeed; anantah--unlimited; ca--also;

buddhayah--intelligence; avyavasayinam--of those who are not in Krsna

consciousness.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is

one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are

irresolute is many-branched.

 

PURPORT

 

A strong faith that by Krsna consciousness one will be elevated to the

highest perfection of life is called vyavasayatmika intelligence. The

Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 22.62) states:

 

`sraddha'-sabde--visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya

krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

 

Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is

engaged in the duties of Krsna consciousness, he need not act in

relationship to the material world with obligations to family

traditions, humanity, or nationality. Fruitive activities are the

engagements of one's reactions from past good or bad deeds. When one

is awake in Krsna consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good

results in his activities. When one is situated in Krsna

consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are

no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest

perfection of Krsna consciousness is renunciation of the material

conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by

progressive Krsna consciousness.

 

The resolute purpose of a person in Krsna consciousness is based on

knowledge. Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah: a person in

Krsna consciousness is the rare good soul who knows perfectly that

Vasudeva, or Krsna, is the root of all manifested causes. As by

watering the root of a tree one automatically distributes water to the

leaves and branches, so by acting in Krsna consciousness one can

render the highest service to everyone--namely self, family, society,

country, humanity, etc. If Krsna is satisfied by one's actions, then

everyone will be satisfied.

 

Service in Krsna consciousness is, however, best practiced under the

able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative

of Krsna, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to

act in Krsna consciousness. As such, to be well versed in Krsna

consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of

Krsna, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide

spiritual master as one's mission in life. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti

Thakura instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master,

as follows:

 

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado

yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi

dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam

vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

 

"By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead

becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there

is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Krsna consciousness. I

should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day,

and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master."

 

The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul

beyond the conception of the body--not theoretically but practically,

when there is no longer a chance for sense gratification manifested in

fruitive activities. One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted

by various types of fruitive acts.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.