BHAGAVAD-GITA 13:5

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 13:5

 

rsibhir bahudha gitam

chandobhir vividhaih prthak

brahma-sutra-padais caiva

hetumadbhir viniscitaih

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

rsibhih--by the wise sages; bahudha--in many ways; gitam--described;

chandobhih--by Vedic hymns; vividhaih--various; prthak--variously;

brahma-sutra--of the Vedanta; padaih--by the aphorisms; ca--also;

eva--certainly; hetu-madbhih--with cause and effect;

viniscitaih--certain.

 

TRANSLATION

 

That knowledge of the field of activities and of the knower of

activities is described by various sages in various Vedic writings. It

is especially presented in Vedanta-sutra with all reasoning as to

cause and effect.

 

PURPORT

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, is the highest authority in

explaining this knowledge. Still, as a matter of course, learned

scholars and standard authorities always give evidence from previous

authorities. Krsna is explaining this most controversial point

regarding the duality and nonduality of the soul and the Supersoul by

referring to a scripture, the Vedanta, which is accepted as authority.

First He says, "This is according to different sages." As far as the

sages are concerned, besides Himself, Vyasadeva (the author of the

Vedanta-sutra) is a great sage, and in the Vedanta-sutra duality is

perfectly explained. And Vyasadeva's father, Parasara, is also a great

sage, and he writes in his books of religiosity, aham tvam ca

tathanye... "we--you, I and the various other living entities--are all

transcendental, although in material bodies. Now we are fallen into

the ways of the three modes of material nature according to our

different karma. As such, some are on higher levels, and some are in

the lower nature. The higher and lower natures exist due to ignorance

and are being manifested in an infinite number of living entities. But

the Supersoul, which is infallible, is uncontaminated by the three

qualities of nature and is transcendental." Similarly, in the original

Vedas, a distinction between the soul, the Supersoul and the body is

made, especially in the Katha Upanisad. There are many great sages who

have explained this, and Parasara is considered principal among them.

 

The word chandobhih refers to the various Vedic literatures. The

Taittiriya Upanisad, for example, which is a branch of the Yajur Veda,

describes nature, the living entity and the Supreme Personality of

Godhead.

 

As stated before, ksetra is the field of activities, and there are two

kinds of ksetra-jna: the individual living entity and the supreme

living entity. As stated in the Taittiriya Upanisad (2.9), brahma

puccham pratistha. There is a manifestation of the Supreme Lord's

energy known as anna-maya, dependence upon food for existence. This is

a materialistic realization of the Supreme. Then, in prana-maya, after

realizing the Supreme Absolute Truth in food, one can realize the

Absolute Truth in the living symptoms or life forms. In jnana-maya,

realization extends beyond the living symptoms to the point of

thinking, feeling and willing. Then there is Brahman realization,

called vijnana-maya, in which the living entity's mind and life

symptoms are distinguished from the living entity himself. The next

and supreme stage is ananda-maya, realization of the all-blissful

nature. Thus there are five stages of Brahman realization, which are

called brahma puccham. Out of these, the first three--anna-maya,

prana-maya and jnana-maya--involve the fields of activities of the

living entities. Transcendental to all these fields of activities is

the Supreme Lord, who is called ananda-maya. The Vedanta-sutra also

describes the Supreme by saying, ananda-mayo 'bhyasat: the Supreme

Personality of Godhead is by nature full of joy. To enjoy His

transcendental bliss, He expands into vijnana-maya, prana-maya,

jnana-maya and anna-maya. In the field of activities the living entity

is considered to be the enjoyer, and different from him is the

ananda-maya. That means that if the living entity decides to enjoy in

dovetailing himself with the ananda-maya, then he becomes perfect.

This is the real picture of the Supreme Lord as the supreme knower of

the field, the living entity as the subordinate knower, and the nature

of the field of activities. One has to search for this truth in the

Vedanta-sutra, or Brahma-sutra.

 

It is mentioned here that the codes of the Brahma-sutra are very

nicely arranged according to cause and effect. Some of the sutras, or

aphorisms, are na viyad asruteh (2.3.2), natma sruteh (2.3.18), and

parat tu tac-chruteh (2.3.40). The first aphorism indicates the field

of activities, the second indicates the living entity, and the third

indicates the Supreme Lord, the summum bonum among all the

manifestations of various entities.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.