BHAGAVAD-GITA 3:3

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 3:3

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca

loke 'smin dvi-vidha nistha

pura prokta mayanagha

jnana-yogena sankhyanam

karma-yogena yoginam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; loke--in

the world; asmin--this; dvi-vidha--two kinds of; nistha--faith;

pura--formerly; prokta--were said; maya--by Me; anagha--O sinless one;

jnana-yogena--by the linking process of knowledge; sankhyanam--of the

empiric philosophers; karma-yogena--by the linking process of

devotion; yoginam--of the devotees.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O sinless Arjuna, I have

already explained that there are two classes of men who try to realize

the self. Some are inclined to understand it by empirical,

philosophical speculation, and others by devotional service.

 

PURPORT

 

In the Second Chapter, verse 39, the Lord explained two kinds of

procedures--namely sankhya-yoga and karma-yoga, or buddhi-yoga. In

this verse, the Lord explains the same more clearly. Sankhya-yoga, or

the analytical study of the nature of spirit and matter, is the

subject matter for persons who are inclined to speculate and

understand things by experimental knowledge and philosophy. The other

class of men work in Krsna consciousness, as it is explained in the

61st verse of the Second Chapter. The Lord has explained, also in the

39th verse, that by working by the principles of buddhi-yoga, or Krsna

consciousness, one can be relieved from the bonds of action; and,

furthermore, there is no flaw in the process. The same principle is

more clearly explained in the 61st verse--that this buddhi-yoga is to

depend entirely on the Supreme (or more specifically, on Krsna), and

in this way all the senses can be brought under control very easily.

Therefore, both the yogas are interdependent, as religion and

philosophy. Religion without philosophy is sentiment, or sometimes

fanaticism, while philosophy without religion is mental speculation.

The ultimate goal is Krsna, because the philosophers who are also

sincerely searching after the Absolute Truth come in the end to Krsna

consciousness. This is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita. The whole

process is to understand the real position of the self in relation to

the Superself. The indirect process is philosophical speculation, by

which, gradually, one may come to the point of Krsna consciousness;

and the other process is directly connecting with everything in Krsna

consciousness. Of these two, the path of Krsna consciousness is better

because it does not depend on purifying the senses by a philosophical

process. Krsna consciousness is itself the purifying process, and by

the direct method of devotional service it is simultaneously easy and

sublime.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.