Now in the beginning of the Bhagavad-gita, in the fourth chapter, we have discussed this point that the Bhagavad-gita was specifically instructed to Arjuna for his only one qualification that he was a devotee. Bhakto 'si priyo 'si me rahasyam etad uttamam [Bg. 4.3]. The Lord said that "The mystery of Bhagavad-gita is very confidential. So, without becoming a pure and unalloyed devotee of Mine, it is very difficult to understand." Actually it is so.

In, in the market you'll have so many commentaries of the Bhagavad-gita. In India we have counted, there are about six hundred and forty-five different commentaries of Bhagavad-gita. One Dr. Rele[?] of Bombay, he has interpreted Bhagavad-gita as the talks between the patient and the medical practitioner. Yes. He has imposed on Krsna as the physician and Arjuna as the patient. And in his commentary he has tried to, I mean to say, interpose all the meanings of anatomy, physiology, everything in his own imagination.

Similarly, at the present moment, there are so many commentaries and people have taken that anybody can interpret in his own way. This is the modern view. Everyone is perfect and he can interpret any scripture in his own way. But so far we are concerned, we are not agreeable to that point. We agree to read Bhagavad-gita in terms of the instruction as it is given in the Bhagavad-gita. The Bhagavad-gita says that this knowledge has to be taken by the parampara system or the disciplic succession. It is not that anyone can interpret. This viewpoint no bona fide student of Bhagavad-gita will accept.

So this Bhagavad-gita is being taught by the Supreme Personality of Godhead to Arjuna. He says again the same thing. He's repeating that yat te 'ham priyamanaya vaksyami hita-kamyaya. "Because you are My dear friend, I desire that you become prosperous, you become happy. Therefore I am speaking to you." Do you think that Krsna is not interested with others? To make them happy and prosperous? No. He's, He's equally disposed. He wants everyone to be happy and peaceful and prosperous. But they do not want it. That is the difficulty.

Just like the sunshine is open to everyone. Sunshine is not for any particular nation or particular country or particular person or community. It is open for everyone. But, if somebody wants to remain in darkness, closing his doors, do not come out, then what poor sunshine can do for him?

Similarly, this Bhagavad-gita, the instruction of Bhagavad-gita, is open to everyone, everyone. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

The principle is evam parampara praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. This is stated in the fourth chapter, that this Bhagavad-gita is coming by disciplic succession from sun-god. Imam vivasvate yogam proktavan aham avyayam [Bg. 4.1]. "I first of all instructed this yoga system of Bhagavad-gita to the sun-god." The sun planet, the Vivasvan... The present ruler of the sun planet is known as Vivasvan. So Vivasvan, his son was Manu, and Manu, the father of the mankind, his son was the king, Iksvaku, and King Iksvaku was the king of this earthly planet and, from him, this parampara system or disciplic succession is coming down. But it has broken down. Lord said to Arjuna, sa kaleneha yogo nastah parantapa. "In course of time, that disciplic succession has now broken. Therefore I make again you as My disciple."

He has already accepted Krsna as spiritual master in the second chapter. In the beginning of the second chapter Krsna said: sisyas te 'ham sadhi mam prapannam [Bg. 2.7]. "So long we are talking as friends, but now I surrender myself as my spiritual master, Krsna." So therefore Krsna was speaking to Arjuna on the platform of spiritual master. So we should note it that the spiritual, perfect spiritual master is Krsna. And anyone who is following the principles, as Krsna says, he's also representative of Krsna. And the teacher is Krsna and the Arjuna is the student. Similarly, as the spiritual master is the representative of Krsna, similarly a student must be also the representative of Arjuna. Then Bhagavad-gita discussion will be nice.

What is that, Arjuna's position? You'll find in this chapter which we are now just beginning. He'll say sarvam etad rtam manye yad vadasi kesava [Bg. 10.14]. "My dear Krsna, whatever You are speaking, I accept. I accept it.' So that should be the process of understanding Krsna, Bhagavad-gita. Not that I don't like this. So I'll reject this portion. I like this portion, therefore I accept it. This sort of studying Bhagavad-gita is useless, nonsense. Sarvam etad rtam manye [Bg. 10.14]. "Whatever You have said, I accept it." That is stated.

Similarly, a teacher of Bhagavad-gita should be a representative of Krsna. Representative of Krsna means a confidential devotee, unalloyed devotee of Krsna. The same thing. He also accepted Krsna as his... The student also should be like that. Then the study of Bhagavad-gita is perfect. Otherwise, it is useless waste of time.

There is a nice verse in Srimad-Bhagavatam. It is said,

In the Vedic literature also, in Svetasvatara Upanisad, it is stated,

Similarly, here it is stated by the Supreme Lord that "Because you have become My dear..." We have to cultivate such practice in Krsna consciousness that we may become dear to God. My spiritual master used to say that, "You do not try to see God. Just act in such a way that God will see you." Just try to understand. This is very nice. If I want to see God, and I make God as my order-supplier, that "Please come and I'll see You." So God is not so small that He, at once I call Him and He'll come. No. We have to qualify ourselves. We have to qualify ourselves. Therefore by the qualification, by your qualification, God will Himself come and see you.

There are many instances. God is... Just like Dhruva Maharaja. Dhruva Maharaja, he went to the forest to undergo severe penances to see God. So when he was, God saw him or when he saw God, then God asked him, "What do you want? What benediction you want? I shall give you." The Dhruva Maharaja, a small boy, five years old, he said, svamin krtartho 'smi varam na yace [Cc. Madhya 22.42]. "Now I am so satisfied that I have nothing to ask from You." So one who sees, one who can perceive God, he has no more any demand because he's transcendental to all these material demands.

So long we are in the material sense, we are always dissatisfied. Na abhavah vidyate satah, nasato vidyate bhavah, nasato vidyate bhavah. Asat. Asat means the circumstances which will not continue. Everything, any circumstances of this material world, is temporary. Suppose I am very happy. Oh. Then your happiness is temporary. Suppose you think or I think I am in very sorry plight, or I am in distress. That will also not exist for some time. Just like seasonal changes. So this, this is called duality. You are feeling happy or miserable, we are feeling cold and heat, everything duality. But these things are coming and going. So when one is in transcendental position, he is above this duality, he's in the absolute.

So in that absolute stage, if we want to go to that absolute stage, then this is the process. This is the process, Krsna consciousness, gradually, as we develop, so Krsna is within everyone, the Supersoul, the Supreme Personality of Godhead as Paramatma, He's seated in everyone's heart, and, as we become purified, as we become sincere, all dictation will come from within and He will show you the path which following you shall be happy and prosperous and, at the end, by quitting this body, you shall reach the supreme abode of Krsna in the spiritual sky. These are, all these have been discussed in the last chapters, eighth chapter, seventh chapter.

Now Krsna says that,

Now suppose we had some forefather, ten generations before. So we do not know many things about him. We may hear something by parampara or in the family history that our tenth, tenth generation before there was one forefather. So even we do not know. So from Krsna, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, so many generations... In the beginning of this creation, the first beginning, Brahma was created. Brahma. So millions and millions and years before Brahma was created. So what do we know about Brahma and the demigods? So practically we do not know anything about God. It is not possible. Our teeny brain cannot approach such extensive, I mean to say, foremost platform where we can understand God.

In Srimad-Bhagavatam also it is said, atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. Indriya means these material senses. We gather knowledge by sense. But these material senses are very limited. So it is not possible to understand God, or Krsna, by speculating our mind. Mind is the center of all senses. So senses help mind gathers knowledge. So it is not possible. Because our senses are all imperfect. By imperfect senses we cannot reach to the perfect or to the unlimited. Therefore we cannot know. Atah sri-krsna-namadi na bhaved grahyam indriyaih [Cc. Madhya 17.136]. It is not possible by manipulating your different senses and knowledge and mind you can understand God.

Then how it is possible? The possibility is sevonmukhe hi jihvadau svayam eva sphuraty adah. The, if you engage your senses in the service of the Lord, then He'll reveal to your senses. The same thing. We have to acquire knowledge of God through these senses. But, in our conditional life, the senses are all impure. Therefore these senses cannot understand God simply by speculating. It is not possible. Therefore Lord says, na me viduh sura-ganah [Bg. 10.2]. Now we have got developed senses. Suppose a child. A child, his understanding and his father's understanding, there is difference because his senses are not so developed. Father's senses are developed. Similarly, as we are here in this earthly planet, there are many, many other superior planets. Their senses are far, far improved. But still they cannot understand God. Still they cannot understand.

Similarly rsayah. Rsayah means great philosophers, saintly persons, sages; they also cannot understand God.

Therefore He says that yo mam ajam anadim ca vetti loka-mahesvaram. "Anyone who can understand Me as the origin of everything and loka-mahesvaram, and the, I mean to, the proprietor or the master of everything, yo mam ajam anadim ca vetti loka-mahesvaram." Loka-mahesvaram is the Supreme Proprietor or master of all planets or all, everything, asammudhah, without any doubt, asammudhah sa martyesu, even in this material world, sa martyesu sarva-papaih pramucyate, he becomes free from all sinful reactions, simply by knowing, understanding that God is great, He's the proprietor of everything, He is the friend of everyone, and He's the origin of everything, these things. If one can understand, asammudhah... Asammudhah means... Not that because Bhagavad-gita's speaking like that, not that because a swami is speaking like that, but you should understand yourself asammudhah, without any doubt. When you understand doubtlessly that God is the proprietor of everything, then you'll be liberated and freed from all, I mean to say, anxieties and miseries.

So it is our interest to know God. We are always full of anxieties. Nobody is free from anxieties. Nobody's free from miseries of this material world. And here is the process. And Bhagavata confirms it: na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum [SB 7.5.31]. We are making progress, but we do not know what is the ultimate goal of progress. That we do not know. Na te viduh.

So similarly, Bhagavata also confirms: na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya [SB 7.5.31]. Durasaya means some impossible hope. They are being conducted under the guidance of this illusory energy with some hope which is impossible to be fulfilled. Durasaya. Na te viduh svartha-gatim hi visnum durasaya ye bahir-artha-maninah [SB 7.5.31]. Why they are thinking of that impossibility? Impossible hope? Because they have taken, they are captivated by this material energy.

So Krsna says that:

Similarly, just the opposite number is impious or sinful activities. So by sinful activities you suffer. By... Suffering is always there, either in pious or impious, but there is some distinction between pious and impious. So here it is said that anyone who understands God, that He's the Supreme Proprietor, sarva-loka-mahesvaram [Bg. 5.29], vetti, without any doubt, then he becomes freed from all sinful reactions. Immediately. Thank you very much. Any question? (end)