BHAGAVAD-GITA 3:15

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 3:15

 

karma brahmodbhavam viddhi

brahmaksara-samudbhavam

tasmat sarva-gatam brahma

nityam yajne pratisthitam

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

karma--work; brahma--from the Vedas; udbhavam--produced; viddhi--you

should know; brahma--the Vedas; aksara--from the Supreme Brahman

(Personality of Godhead); samudbhavam--directly manifested;

tasmat--therefore; sarva-gatam--all-pervading; brahma--transcendence;

nityam--eternally; yajne--in sacrifice; pratisthitam--situated.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Regulated activities are prescribed in the Vedas, and the Vedas are

directly manifested from the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Consequently the all-pervading Transcendence is eternally situated in

acts of sacrifice.

 

PURPORT

 

Yajnartha-karma, or the necessity of work for the satisfaction of

Krsna only, is more expressly stated in this verse. If we have to work

for the satisfaction of the yajna-purusa, Visnu, then we must find out

the direction of work in Brahman, or the transcendental Vedas. The

Vedas are therefore codes of working directions. Anything performed

without the direction of the Vedas is called vikarma, or unauthorized

or sinful work. Therefore, one should always take direction from the

Vedas to be saved from the reaction of work. As one has to work in

ordinary life by the direction of the state, one similarly has to work

under direction of the supreme state of the Lord. Such directions in

the Vedas are directly manifested from the breathing of the Supreme

Personality of Godhead. It is said, asya mahato bhutasya nisvasitam

etad yad rg-vedo yajur-vedah samavedo 'tharvangirasah. "The four

Vedas--namely the Rg Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, and Atharva

Veda--are all emanations from the breathing of the great Personality

of Godhead."

(Brhad-aranyaka Upanisad 4.5.11) The Lord, being omnipotent, can speak by

breathing air, for as it is confirmed in the Brahma-samhita, the Lord

has the omnipotence to perform through each of His senses the actions

of all other senses. In other words, the Lord can speak through His

breathing, and He can impregnate by His eyes. In fact, it is said that

He glanced over material nature and thus fathered all living entities.

After creating or impregnating the conditioned souls into the womb of

material nature, He gave His directions in the Vedic wisdom as to how

such conditioned souls can return home, back to Godhead. We should

always remember that the conditioned souls in material nature are all

eager for material enjoyment. But the Vedic directions are so made

that one can satisfy one's perverted desires, then return to Godhead,

having finished his so-called enjoyment. It is a chance for the

conditioned souls to attain liberation; therefore the conditioned

souls must try to follow the process of yajna by becoming Krsna

conscious. Even those who have not followed the Vedic injunctions may

adopt the principles of Krsna consciousness, and that will take the

place of performance of Vedic yajnas, or karmas.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.