Gita 10.11

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TEXT 11

TaezaMaevaNauk-MPaaQaRMahMajaNaJa& TaMa" )

NaaXaYaaMYaaTMa>aavSQaae jaNadqPaeNa >aaSvTaa )) 11 ))

teñäm evänukampärtham

aham ajïäna-jaà tamaù

näçayämy ätma-bhäva-stho

jïäna-dépena bhäsvatä

Audio

SYNONYMS

teñäm—for them; eva—certainly; anukampä-artham—to show special mercy; aham—

I; ajïäna-jam—due to ignorance; tamaù—darkness; näçayämi—dispel; ätma-bhäva—

within their hearts; sthaù—situated; jïäna—of knowledge; dépena—with the

lamp; bhäsvatä—glowing.

TRANSLATION

To show them special mercy, I, dwelling in their hearts, destroy with the

shining lamp of knowledge the darkness born of ignorance.

PURPORT

When Lord Caitanya was in Benares promulgating the chanting of Hare Kåñëa,

Hare Kåñëa, Kåñëa Kåñëa, Hare Hare/ Hare Räma, Hare Räma, Räma Räma, Hare Hare,

 

thousands of people were following Him. Prakäçänanda Sarasvaté, a very

influential and learned scholar in Benares at that time, derided Lord Caitanya

for

being a sentimentalist. Sometimes Mäyävädé philosophers criticize the devotees

because they think that most of the devotees are in the darkness of ignorance

and are philosophically naive sentimentalists. Actually that is not the fact.

There are very, very learned scholars who have put forward the philosophy of

devotion. But even if a devotee does not take advantage of their literatures or

 

of his spiritual master, if he is sincere in his devotional service he is

helped by Kåñëa Himself within his heart. So the sincere devotee engaged in

Kåñëa

consciousness cannot be without knowledge. The only qualification is that one

carry out devotional service in full Kåñëa consciousness.

The Mäyävädé philosophers think that without discriminating one cannot have

pure knowledge. For them this answer is given by the Supreme Lord: those who

are engaged in pure devotional service, even though they be without sufficient

education and even without sufficient knowledge of the Vedic principles, are

still helped by the Supreme God, as stated in this verse.

The Lord tells Arjuna that basically there is no possibility of understanding

the Supreme Truth, the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead,

simply by speculating, for the Supreme Truth is so great that it is not

possible

to understand Him or to achieve Him simply by making a mental effort. Man can

go on speculating for several millions of years, and if he is not devoted, if

he is not a lover of the Supreme Truth, he will never understand Kåñëa, or

the Supreme Truth. Only by devotional service is the Supreme Truth, Kåñëa,

pleased, and by His inconceivable energy He can reveal Himself to the heart of

the

pure devotee. The pure devotee always has Kåñëa within his heart; and with the

presence of Kåñëa, who is just like the sun, the darkness of ignorance is at

once dissipated. This is the special mercy rendered to the pure devotee by

Kåñëa.

Due to the contamination of material association, through many, many millions

of births, one's heart is always covered with the dust of materialism, but

when one engages in devotional service and constantly chants Hare Kåñëa, the

dust quickly clears, and one is elevated to the platform of pure knowledge. The

 

ultimate goal, Viñëu, can be attained only by this chant and by devotional

service, and not by mental speculation or argument. The pure devotee does not

have

to worry about the material necessities of life; he need not be anxious,

because when he removes the darkness from his heart, everything is provided

automatically by the Supreme Lord, who is pleased by the loving devotional

service

of the devotee. This is the essence of the teachings of Bhagavad-gétä. By

studying Bhagavad-gétä, one can become a soul completely surrendered to the

Supreme

Lord and engage himself in pure devotional service. As the Lord takes charge,

one becomes completely free from all kinds of materialistic endeavors.