BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:7

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:7

 

karpanya-dosopahata-svabhavah

prcchami tvam dharma-sammudha-cetah

yac chreyah syan niscitam bruhi tan me

sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam tvam prapannam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

karpanya--of miserliness; dosa--by the weakness; upahata--being

afflicted; sva-bhavah--characteristics; prcchami--I am asking;

tvam--unto You; dharma--religion; sammudha--bewildered; cetah--in

heart; yat--what; sreyah--all-good; syat--may be;

niscitam--confidently; bruhi--tell; tat--that; me--unto me;

sisyah--disciple; te--Your; aham--I am; sadhi--just instruct; mam--me;

tvam--unto You; prapannam--surrendered.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Now I am confused about my duty and have lost all composure because of

miserly weakness. In this condition I am asking You to tell me for

certain what is best for me. Now I am Your disciple, and a soul

surrendered unto You. Please instruct me.

 

PURPORT

 

By nature's own way the complete system of material activities is a

source of perplexity for everyone. In every step there is perplexity,

and therefore it behooves one to approach a bona fide spiritual master

who can give one proper guidance for executing the purpose of life.

All Vedic literatures advise us to approach a bona fide spiritual

master to get free from the perplexities of life, which happen without

our desire. They are like a forest fire that somehow blazes without

being set by anyone. Similarly, the world situation is such' that

perplexities of life automatically appear, without our wanting such

confusion. No one wants fire, and yet it takes place, and we become

perplexed. The Vedic wisdom therefore advises that in order to solve

the perplexities of life and to understand the science of the

solution, one must approach a spiritual master who is in the disciplic

succession. A person with a bona fide spiritual master is supposed to

know everything. One should not, therefore, remain in material

perplexities but should approach a spiritual master. This is the

purport of this verse.

 

Who is the man in material perplexities? It is he who does not

understand the problems of life. In the Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad

(3.8.10) the perplexed man is described as follows: yo va etad aksaram

gargy aviditvasmal lokat praiti sa krpanah. "He is a miserly man who

does not solve the problems of life as a human and who thus quits this

world like the cats and dogs, without understanding the science of

self-realization." This human form of life is a most valuable asset

for the living entity who can utilize it for solving the problems of

life; therefore, one who does not utilize this opportunity properly is

a miser. On the other hand, there is the brahmana, or he who is

intelligent enough to utilize this body to solve all the problems of

life. Ya etad aksaram gargi viditvasmal lokat praiti sa brahmanah.

 

The krpanas, or miserly persons, waste their time in being overly

affectionate for family, society, country, etc., in the material

conception of life. One is often attached to family life, namely to

wife, children and other members, on the basis of "skin disease." The

krpana thinks that he is able to protect his family members from

death; or the krpana thinks that his family or society can save him

from the verge of death. Such family attachment can be found even in

the lower animals, who take care of children also. Being intelligent,

Arjuna could understand that his affection for family members and his

wish to protect them from death were the causes of his perplexities.

Although he could understand that his duty to fight was awaiting him,

still, on account of miserly weakness, he could not discharge the

duties. He is therefore asking Lord Krsna, the supreme spiritual

master, to make a definite solution. He offers himself to Krsna as a

disciple. He wants to stop friendly talks. Talks between the master

and the disciple are serious, and now Arjuna wants to talk very

seriously before the recognized spiritual master. Krsna is therefore

the original spiritual master of the science of Bhagavad-gita, and

Arjuna is the first disciple for understanding the Gita. How Arjuna

understands the Bhagavad-gita is stated in the Gita itself. And yet

foolish mundane scholars explain that one need not submit to Krsna as

a person, but to "the unborn within Krsna." There is no difference

between Krsna's within and without. And one who has no sense of this

understanding is the greatest fool in trying to understand

Bhagavad-gita.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.