This article is based on a lecture given by His Divine Grace A.C.
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada from the “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” Chapter 3.1-5
recorded on Dec 20, 1968 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
Arjuna’s doubt – Bhagavad-gita – Chapter 3.1-2
Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, elaborately described the constitution of the soul in 2nd chapter to deliver Arjuna from the ocean of material grief. The path of realization that is recommended is buddhi yoga or Krishna consciousness. In the 3rd chapter of Bhagavad Gita entitled “Karma Yoga”, Arjuna enquires, “O Janardana, O Keshava, why do You urge me to engage in this ghastly warfare if You think that intelligence is better than fruitive work.”
The general impression people have about spiritual life is that it means retiring from active life. Spiritual advancement is commonly considered to involve practicing meditation in a secluded place in the forest like the Himalayan caves. Shankaracarya taught that in order to make spiritual advancement one should take the renounced order of life or sannyasa. According to Shankara sampradaya as soon as one takes sannyasa he becomes as good as Narayana. Sannyasis in that sampradaya address another sannyasi as Narayana.
Buddhi Yoga or Krishna consciousness is also sometimes misunderstood in that way. But Krishna consciousness does not require any such condition like becoming a sannyasi. People mistaking Krishna consciousness to be inertia often withdraw to a secluded place to chant the Holy Name of the Lord. Such artificial methods do not help one make spiritual progress. Many so-called sadhus chant the Holy name of the Lord in a secluded place and begin smoking after completion of their chanting. Maya will dictate. "Oh, you are so tired. Why don't you come out and smoke a cigarette?" One can test his advancement by judging the result. In Sanskrit this is called “Phalena pariciyate”. Real spiritual advancement results in advancement of character. If by a certain process of meditation or spiritual practice, his character does not improve then the whole process is defective.
Real practitioners of Krishna consciousness do not sit idle but they go door to door chanting the Holy Name of the Lord. This gives an opportunity for ordinary men to hear the Holy Name. Lord Jesus Christ practically worked hard for spiritual upliftment of the society. In fact we can make progress in Krishna consciousness by staying in a congested city and preaching the message without getting affected by the contamination of city life. It is advised that without getting trained in the philosophy of Krishna consciousness it is not advisable to chant the holy name of Krishna in a secluded place where one may acquire only cheap adoration from the innocent public.
Arjuna had a similar misconception about spiritual advancement or Buddhi yoga. He questioned Lord Krishna. “You say that Krishna consciousness is very good but why do you want me to fight in this ghastly war”. Lord Krishna responds by saying that one should not give up his prescribed duties. Arjuna as a warrior must continue his fighting but this fight must be executed for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord Krishna. This will help him advance in Buddhi yoga or Krishna consciousness. Similarly a businessman or a fighter or an administrator or anyone in any profession can make spiritual advancement simply if he executes his duties for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord Krishna. This is real renunciation or “yukta vairagya” or dovetailing everything for Krishna. Renunciation does not mean that one earn millions of dollars and distributes it among his wife and children and then retires to a quiet place in the forest for meditation. Krishna consciousness practice starts from the very beginning of life. Whatever we do either it be earning or spending or thinking or working is all done for the satisfaction of Krishna. This process is known as karma yoga.
Everyone works hard in this world to achieve some result for his sense gratification. A businessman works very hard and earns millions of dollars. Usually that money is used for improving his standard of living like buying a new house or a new car. This is called karma or fruitive action which means we enjoy the results of our own work. Karma yoga involves doing the same activities but the result is not for our sense gratification but for the satisfaction of Lord Krishna. Yoga means linking up with the Supreme and Karma Yoga involves linking up our activities for Krishna.
In the 2nd shloka of the 3rd chapter Arjuna expresses his confusion by saying he is bewildered by Lord Krishna’s equivocal instructions. In the earlier sections many different paths of realization were mentioned namely sankhya yoga, buddhi yoga, controlling the senses, the position of the neophyte etc. This was all presented unsystematically. A more organized outline of the path would be necessary for action and understanding. Arjuna therefore wanted to clear up these apparently confusing matters so that any common man could accept them without misinterpretation. Although Krishna had no intention of confusing Arjuna by any jugglery of words, Arjuna could not follow the process of Krishna consciousness either by inertia or active service. In other words, by his questions he is clearing the path of Krishna consciousness for all students who are serious about understanding the mystery of the Bhagavad-gita."
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