BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:72

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 2:72

 

esa brahmi sthitih partha

nainam prapya vimuhyati

sthitvasyam anta-kale 'pi

brahma-nirvanam rcchati

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

esa--this; brahmi--spiritual; sthitih--situation; partha--O son of

Prtha; na--never; enam--this; prapya--achieving; vimuhyati--one is

bewildered; sthitva--being situated; asyam--in this; anta-kale--at the

end of life; api--also; brahma-nirvanam--the spiritual kingdom of God;

rcchati--one attains.

 

TRANSLATION

 

That is the way of the spiritual and godly life, after attaining which

a man is not bewildered. If one is thus situated even at the hour of

death, one can enter into the kingdom of God.

 

PURPORT

 

One can attain Krsna consciousness or divine life at once, within a

second--or one may not attain such a state of life even after millions

of births. It is only a matter of understanding and accepting the

fact. Khatvanga Maharaja attained this state of life just a few

minutes before his death, by surrendering unto Krsna. Nirvana means

ending the process of materialistic life. According to Buddhist

philosophy, there is only void after the completion of this material

life, but Bhagavad-gita teaches differently. Actual life begins after

the completion of this material life. For the gross materialist it is

sufficient to know that one has to end this materialistic way of life,

but for persons who are spiritually advanced, there is another life

after this materialistic life. Before ending this life, if one

fortunately becomes Krsna conscious, he at once attains the stage of

brahma-nirvana. There is no difference between the kingdom of God and

the devotional service of the Lord. Since both of them are on the

absolute plane, to be engaged in the transcendental loving service of

the Lord is to have attained the spiritual kingdom. In the material

world there are activities of sense gratification, whereas in the

spiritual world there are activities of Krsna consciousness.

Attainment of Krsna consciousness even during this life is immediate

attainment of Brahman, and one who is situated in Krsna consciousness

has certainly already entered into the kingdom of God.

 

Brahman is just the opposite of matter. Therefore brahmi sthiti means

"not on the platform of material activities." Devotional service of

the Lord is accepted in the Bhagavad-gita as the liberated stage (sa

gunan samatityaitan brahma-bhuyaya kalpate). Therefore, brahmi sthiti

is liberation from material bondage.

 

Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura has summarized this Second Chapter of the

Bhagavad-gita as being the contents for the whole text. In the

Bhagavad-gita, the subject matters are karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, and

bhakti-yoga. In the Second Chapter karma-yoga and jnana-yoga have been

clearly discussed, and a glimpse of bhakti-yoga has also been given,

as the contents for the complete text.

 

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Second Chapter of the

Srimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of its Contents.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.