BHAGAVAD-GITA 6:40

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 6:40

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca

partha naiveha namutra

vinasas tasya vidyate

na hi kalyana-krt kascid

durgatim tata gacchati

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; partha--O

son of Prtha; na eva--never is it so; iha--in this material world;

na--never; amutra--in the next life; vinasah--destruction; tasya--his;

vidyate--exists; na--never; hi--certainly; kaiyana-krt--one who is

engaged in auspicious activities; kascit--anyone; durgatim--to

degradation; tata--My friend; gacchati--goes.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Son of Prtha, a

transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with

destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world; one who

does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil.

 

PURPORT

 

In the Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.5.17) Sri Narada Muni instructs Vyasadeva

as follows:

 

tyaktva sva-dharmam caranambujam harer

bhajann apakvo 'tha patet tato yadi

yatra kva vabhadram abhud amusya kim

ko vartha apto 'bhajatam sva-dharmatah

 

"If someone gives up all material prospects and takes complete shelter of

the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no loss or degradation in

any way. On the other hand a nondevotee may fully engage in his

occupational duties and yet not gain anything." For material prospects

there are many activities, both scriptural and customary. A

transcendentalist is supposed to give up all material activities for

the sake of spiritual advancement in life, Krsna consciousness. One

may argue that by Krsna consciousness one may attain the highest

perfection if it is completed, but if one does not attain such a

perfectional stage, then he loses both materially and spiritually. It

is enjoined in the scriptures that one has to suffer the reaction for

not executing prescribed duties; therefore one who fails to discharge

transcendental activities properly becomes subjected to these

reactions. The Bhagavatam assures the unsuccessful transcendentalist

that there need be no worries. Even though he may be subjected to the

reaction for not perfectly executing prescribed duties, he is still

not a loser, because auspicious Krsna consciousness is never

forgotten, and one so engaged will continue to be so even if he is

lowborn in the next life. On the other hand, one who simply follows

strictly the prescribed duties need not necessarily attain auspicious

results if he is lacking in Krsna consciousness.

 

The purport may be understood as follows. Humanity may be divided into

two sections, namely, the regulated and the nonregulated. Those who

are engaged simply in bestial sense gratifications without knowledge

of their next life or spiritual salvation belong to the nonregulated

section. And those who follow the principles of prescribed duties in

the scriptures are classified amongst the regulated section. The

nonregulated section, both civilized and noncivilized, educated and

noneducated, strong and weak, are full of animal propensities. Their

activities are never auspicious, because while enjoying the animal

propensities of eating, sleeping, defending and mating, they

perpetually remain in material existence, which is always miserable.

On the other hand, those who are regulated by scriptural injunctions,

and who thus rise gradually to Krsna consciousness, certainly progress

in life.

 

Those who are following the path of auspiciousness can be divided into

three sections, namely (1) the followers of scriptural rules and

regulations who are enjoying material prosperity, (2) those who are

trying to find ultimate liberation from material existence, and (3)

those who are devotees in Krsna consciousness. Those who are following

the rules and regulations of the scriptures for material happiness may

be further divided into two classes: those who are fruitive workers

and those who desire no fruit for sense gratification. Those who are

after fruitive results for sense gratification may be elevated to a

higher standard of life--even to the higher planets--but still,

because they are not free from material existence, they are not

following the truly auspicious path. The only auspicious activities

are those which lead one to liberation. Any activity which is not

aimed at ultimate self-realization or liberation from the material

bodily concept of life is not at all auspicious. Activity in Krsna

consciousness is the only auspicious activity, and anyone who

voluntarily accepts all bodily discomforts for the sake of making

progress on the path of Krsna consciousness can be called a perfect

transcendentalist under severe austerity. And because the eightfold

yoga system is directed toward the ultimate realization of Krsna

consciousness, such practice is also auspicious, and no one who is

trying his best in this matter need fear degradation.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.