BHAGAVAD-GITA 3:24

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BHAGAVAD-GITA 3:24

 

utsideyur ime loka

na kuryam karma ced aham

sankarasya ca karta syam

upahanyam imah prajah

 

WORD FOR WORD

 

utsideyuh--would be put into ruin; ime--all these; lokah--worlds;

na--not; kuryam--I perform; karma--prescribed duties; cet--if;

aham--I; sankarasya--of unwanted population; ca--and; karta--creator;

syam--would be; upahanyam--would destroy; imah--all these;

prajah--living entities.

 

TRANSLATION

 

If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put

to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population,

and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.

 

PURPORT

 

Varna-sankara is unwanted population which disturbs the peace of the

general society. In order to check this social disturbance, there are

prescribed rules and regulations by which the population can

automatically become peaceful and organized for spiritual progress in

life. When Lord Krsna descends, naturally He deals with such rules and

regulations in order to maintain the prestige and necessity of such

important performances. The Lord is the father of all living entities,

and if the living entities are misguided, indirectly the

responsibility goes to the Lord. Therefore, whenever there is general

disregard of regulative principles, the Lord Himself descends and

corrects the society. We should, however, note carefully that although

we have to follow in the footsteps of the Lord, we still have to

remember that we cannot imitate Him. Following and imitating are not

on the same level. We cannot imitate the Lord by lifting Govardhana

Hill, as the Lord did in His childhood. It is impossible for any human

being. We have to follow His instructions, but we may not imitate Him

at any time. The Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.33.30-31) affirms:

 

naitat samacarej jatu

manasapi hy anisvarah

vinasyaty acaran maudhyad

yatha 'rudro 'bdhi-jam visam

isvaranam vacah sat yam

tathaivacaritam kvacit

tesam yat sva-vaco-yuktam

buddhimams tat samacaret

 

"One should simply follow the instructions of the Lord and His empowered

servants. Their instructions are all good for us, and any intelligent

person will perform them as instructed. However, one should guard

against trying to imitate their actions. One should not try to drink

the ocean of poison in imitation of Lord Siva."

 

We should always consider the position of the isvaras, or those who

can actually control the movements of the sun and moon, as superior.

Without such power, one cannot imitate the isvaras, who are

superpowerful. Lord Siva drank poison to the extent of swallowing an

ocean, but if any common man tries to drink even a fragment of such

poison, he will be killed. There are many pseudo devotees of Lord Siva

who want to indulge in smoking ganja

(marijuana) and similar intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so imitating

the acts of Lord Siva they are calling death very near. Similarly,

there are some pseudo devotees of Lord Krsna who prefer to imitate the

Lord in His rasa-lila, or dance of love, forgetting their inability to

lift Govardhana Hill. It is best, therefore, that one not try to

imitate the powerful, but simply follow their instructions; nor should

one try to occupy their posts without qualification. There are so many

"incarnations" of God without the power of the Supreme Godhead.

 

Copyright 1983 The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International. Used with

permission.