BHAGAVAD-GITA 6:8

[Guest guest]

BHAGAVAD-GITA 6:8

 

jnana-vijnana-trptatma

kuta-stho vijitendriyah

yukta ity ucyate yogi

sama-lostrasma-kancanah

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

jnana--by acquired knowledge; vijnana--and realized knowledge;

trpta--satisfied; atma--a living entity; kuta-sthah--spiritually

situated; vijita-indriyah--sensually controlled; yuktah--competent for

self-realization; iti--thus; ucyate--is said; yogi--a mystic;

sama--equipoised; lostra--pebbles; asma--stone; kancanah--gold.

 

TRANSLATION

 

A person is said to be established in self-realization and is called a

yogi

[or mystic] when he is fully satisfied by virtue of acquired knowledge and

realization. Such a person is situated in transcendence and is

self-controlled. He sees everything--whether it be pebbles, stones or

gold--as the same.

 

PURPORT

 

Book knowledge without realization of the Supreme Truth is useless.

This is stated as follows:

 

atah sri-krsna-namadi

na bhaved grahyam indriyaih

sevonmukhe hi jihvadau

svayam eva sphuraty adah

 

"No one can understand the transcendental nature of the name, form, quality

and pastimes of Sri Krsna through his materially contaminated senses.

Only when one becomes spiritually saturated by transcendental service

to the Lord are the transcendental name, form, quality and pastimes of

the Lord revealed to him." (Bhakti rasamrta-sindhu 1.2.234)

 

This Bhagavad-gita is the science of Krsna consciousness. No one can

become Krsna conscious simply by mundane scholarship. One must be

fortunate enough to associate with a person who is in pure

consciousness. A Krsna conscious person has realized knowledge, by the

grace of Krsna, because he is satisfied with pure devotional service.

By realized knowledge, one becomes perfect. By transcendental

knowledge one can remain steady in his convictions, but by mere

academic knowledge one can be easily deluded and confused by apparent

contradictions. It is the realized soul who is actually

self-controlled, because he is surrendered to Krsna. He is

transcendental because he has nothing to do with mundane scholarship.

For him mundane scholarship and mental speculation, which may be as

good as gold to others, are of no greater value than pebbles or

stones.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.