The
Supreme Lord said: 'They who give up on these means of
achieving Me, consisting of the devotion, the knowledge and the
work to be done, are by the insignificance of the flickering
lusts they cultivate with the senses, confronted with the
finality of a material existence.
(1)
The Supreme Lord said: 'They who give up on these means for
achieving Me, consisting of the devotion, the knowledge and
the work to be done, are by the insignificant of the
flickering lusts with the senses that they cultivate,
confronted with the finality of life.
(Vedabase)
Text
2
The steadiness
each one has in his own position is declared to be the actual
virtue and the opposite [of being unsteady] is indeed
the vice; this is the final conclusion about the two [see
also B.G. 2:
16].
Steadiness
of each in his own position as such is declared to be the
virtue and the opposite is indeed the vice; this is the
definite conclusion about the two [see also B.G. 2:
16].
(Vedabase)
Text
3
What would be
pure or impure concerning the religion, what would be vice or
virtue in normal affairs and what would be favorable or
unfavorable for one's physical survival are matters one must
evaluate from the same category of elements, o sinless one
[what is good for the body e.g. is not necessarily good for
the religion].
A
particular object is to be evaluated within the same
category of objects and thus is for the purpose of the
religion the pure and impure, for the ordinary dealings the
virtue and the vice and for one's physical survival the
auspicious and inauspicious established, o sinless one.
(Vedabase)
Text
4
This approach
[of distinguishing between good and bad] I put forward
for the sake of those who suffer the burden of religious
principles.
This
way of proceeding [distinguishing between good and
bad] is revealed by Me for those bearing the burden of
religious principles. (Vedabase)
Text
5
Earth,
water, fire, air and ether are the five basic elements that,
from Lord Brahmâ down to the nonmoving creatures,
constitute the bodies of the living beings who are all
connected in the Supreme Soul.
Earth,
water, fire, air and ether are the five basic elements that,
from Lord Brahmâ down to the nonmoving creatures, make
up the bodies of all living beings equally relating to the
Supreme Soul. (Vedabase)
Text
6
Although they
consist of the same elements and in that sense are equal,
assign the Vedas different names and forms to them in service
of their self-interest [see varnâs'rama].
Though
being equal in their elements are, in relation to them,
Uddhava, by the Veda different names and forms conceived for
the achievement of their self-interest [see
varnâs'rama]. (Vedabase)
Text
7
What would be
the right and wrong considerations concerning the time, place,
the things and so on, is established by Me with the purpose of
restricting materially motivated activities.
O
most truthful one, the positive quality and the detrimental
of the space and time and so on of the states of existence
and of things, are by Me established to be sure of the
restriction of profit minded activities.
(Vedabase)
Text
8
Among all
places are those places spoiled where there is no respect for
the brahminical and the spotted antelopes are missing. And even
when there are spotted antelopes [left, viz. not all being
killed] is a place that is without saintly, cultured men,
an uncivilized place where the practices are unclean and the
earth is barren [see mleccha
and *].
Among
the places are the places where there is no respect for the
brahminical and the spotted antelopes are missing, spoiled;
and even if there are spotted antelopes [left, viz. not
all being killed] is a place without saintly cultured
men, a place uncivilized where the practice is unclean and
the earth is barren [see mleccha and *].
(Vedabase)
Text
9
That time is
correct and suitable which either by its own nature [viz.
not manipulated against nature] or understood according to
the person [the Lord, but also according the season, the
money - the lakshmî
-, the availability of something] is suitable for executing
one's prescribed duty. Wrong and not suitable is the time which
impedes someone in the performance of his duty, the time that
is not fit for doing work [a lust motivated, arbitrary
notion of time, see 11.20:
26,
kâla
and kâlakûtha
**].
That
time is valid which, either by its own nature [the
not-for-profit time of nature] or the same way to the
person [the Lord, or the object, the lakshmî, the
time for harvesting etc.], is suitable for executing
one's prescribed duty; and bad and offensive is the time
that impedes one's duty, the time that is unsuitable for
doing work [lust- and profit-minded time, see 11.20: 26,
kâla and kâlakûtha
**].
(Vedabase)
Text
10
The pure or
impure of a thing [or of a substance] is determined
with the help of another thing, in respect of what one says
about it, by means of a ritual performance, by the reference of
time or according the relative magnitude
[***].
The
pure or impure of a thing [or: the substance] is
there by another thing, by the speech and by a ritual
performance or else by time or according the relative
magnitude [see ***]. (Vedabase)
Text
11
Depending one's
power or impotence, intelligence and wealth, condition and
place, imposes it [viz. the quality of a thing]
accordingly upon a person a sinful [or pious]
reaction.
Depending
one's power or impotence, the intelligence and increase of
wealth, as also to one's condition or place, causes it to
oneself a sinful [or pious] reaction accordingly.
(Vedabase)
Text
12
By a
combination of time, air, fire, earth and water or by each of
them separately [are matters purified like] grains,
things made of wood, clay and bone, thread, skins, liquids and
things won from fire.
By
time, by air, by fire, by earth and by water in combination
or separately [do also wither away] the grains,
things of wood and bone, thread and liquids, things won from
fire and skins and things of clay.
(Vedabase)
Text
13
That is
considered purifying which by touching the impure removes a bad
smell or dirt and so restores the original nature of that
object.
That
which touching the impure removes a bad smell or dirt and so
restores the original nature of that object, that is for
that matter considered as purifying.
(Vedabase)
Text
14
By bathing,
charity and austerity, by virtue of his age, his heroism,
ritual purification and his prescribed duties a twice-born man
[being the doer] should, in the remembrance of Me,
perform according to the pure, the cleanliness of the
[original] self.
By
bathing, charity and austerity, by virtue of his age, his
heroism, ritual purification and his prescribed duties
should a twice-born man [: the doer] in the
remembrance of Me, perform to the pure, the cleanliness of
the self.
(Vedabase)
Text
15
The
purification derived from a mantra is a consequence of the
correct knowledge about it and the purification by a certain
act is the consequence of one's dedication to Me. Religiosity
is achieved by [the purity of] the six factors [as
mentioned: the place, the time, the substance, the mantras, the
doer and the devotional act], whereas the irreligious is
there as a consequence of the contrary.
(15)
The purification derived from a mantra so follows the
correct knowledge of it and the purification by a certain
act so follows the dedication to Me; the religiousness is
achieved by the six [as mentioned: the place, the time,
the substance, the mantras, the doer and the devotional
act] but the irreligious follows the contrary.
(Vedabase)
Text
16
Sometimes a
virtue turns into a vice though and a vice turns by the power
of vedic instruction into a virtue. Respecting the regulative
principles one is thus faced with the fact that the distinction
[between that what is proper and improper] factually is
effaced by them [4*].
Sometimes
a virtue turns into a vice though and turns a vice on the
strength of vedic instruction into a virtue; it is actually
in regard of this restriction of the two that the
distinction falls away [4*].
(Vedabase)
Text
17
The same karma
because of which someone fell down is not the cause of another
falldown. Someone who fell [in love...] doesn't fall
further; for such a one the natural attachment changes into a
virtue.
The
same karma is for those who are fallen not a cause of a
falldown; with the one who lies down not further falling
down is the natural attachment a virtue.
(Vedabase)
Text
18
Whatever one
desists from one is freed from - this is for human beings the
foundation of religious life that takes away the suffering,
fear and delusion.
(18)
Whatever one desists from, from that is one liberated - this
is for human beings the foundation of dharma that takes away
the suffering, fear and delusion.
(Vedabase)
Text
19
Presuming the
objects that gratify the senses to be good rises from that
assumption the attachment of a person, from that attachment
originates the lust and because of lust there is quarrel among
people.
Presuming
the objects of gratification to be good rises from that
presumption the attachment of a person, from that attachment
springs the lust and from the lust so the quarrel among
people. (Vedabase)
Text
20
From quarreling
there is the anger that is difficult to handle and the
consequent ignorance; thus is someone's consciousness quickly
overtaken by darkness.
From
the quarrel there is the anger diffcult to handle and the
ignorance that follows the anger; thus is of a man the
broadmindedness, swiftly seized by darkness.
(Vedabase)
Text
21
O saintly one,
a living being bereft that way [of clear understanding]
becomes empty-headed so that, consequently fallen away from his
goals in life, he similar to dull matter is as good as dead
[compare B.G. 2:
62-63].
O
saintly one, a living being bereft of that [wider
consciousness] becomes empty-headed so that,
consequently fallen down from his goals in life, he like
dull matter is as good as dead [compare B.G.: 2:
62-63]. (Vedabase)
Text
22
Overly absorbed
in the sensual he, vainly living the lifestyle of a tree, fails
in knowing himself and knowing the other so that his breathing
is nothing but pumping air.
Overly
absorbed in the sensual knows he, in vain living to the
lifestyle of a tree, not himself nor the other and is his
breathing mere bellowing.
(Vedabase)
Text
23
The awards
promised in the scriptures are for man not the highest good;
they are merely enticements to create a taste for the ultimate
good, similar to what one says to make someone take a
medicine.
Those
awards the scriptures speak are for man not the highest
good; they are merely enticements with the idea of prompting
for the ultimate good, just the same as what one says to
make someone take a medicine. (Vedabase)
Text
24
Simply by their
birth alone strive mortals against the interest of their souls,
because their minds are entangled in the care for the objects
of their desire, their vital functions and their loved
ones.
Simply
by birth do mortals, attached in the mind to the cause of
their objects of desire, their vital functions and their
folks, defeat the purpose of their soul.
(Vedabase)
Text
25
Submissive
[religiously] wander they unaware in regard of their
real self-interest the path of disaster. Why would the
intelligent [the vedic authority] lead those who enter
the darkness further into sense engagement [see also
5.5:
17]?
Submissive
[religiously] do they ignorant to their real
self-interest wander the path of disaster; for what reason
would the intelligent [the vedic authority] cause
them, entering the darkness, to engage further in that all?
[see also 5.5: 17].
(Vedabase)
Text
26
Some people,
they who this way with a perverted intelligence do not
understand the actual conclusion, speak in flowery statements
of the material awards about which he who really knows the
Vedas doesn't speak [see also B.G. 2:
42-44].
Some,
this way with a perverted intelligence not understanding the
actual conclusion, speak in flowery statements of the
material awards that the one who knows the Veda's indeed
doesn't speak of [see also B.G. 2: 42-44].
(Vedabase)
Text
27
The lusty,
miserly and greedy ones take the flowers for the ultimate
truth; bewildered by the fire do they, suffocating by the
smoke, not know their position [of being an individual soul
instead of being a body].
The
lusty, miserly and greedy ones think the flowers to be the
ultimate truth; bewildered by the fire do they, suffocating
from the smoke, not know their own place [of being an
individual soul instead of being a body].
(Vedabase)
Text
28
They, armed
with their expressions, My dear, do not know Me who is seated
within the heart and from whom this universe has risen that is
also Me - they, self-indulgent, are like people staring in
fog.
They,
armed with their expressions, My dear, do not know Me who is
seated within the heart and from whom this universe has
risen - they, self-indulgent, are like persons with their
eyes in the fog. (Vedabase)
Text
29-30
They without
understanding My confidential conclusion [see also
10.87
and B.G. 9]
are, being absorbed in the sensual, attached to the violence
that may be [an itegral part of nature], but certainly
never is encouraged for the sacrifices. In reality taking
pleasure in being violent with the animals that in the desire
for their own happiness were slaughtered, they are in their
ritual worship of the gods, the forefathers and the leading
ghosts, mischievous people.
They
without understanding My confidential conclusion [see
also 10.87 and B.G. 9] are, when absorbed in the
sensual, attached to the violence that may be, but certainly
never is encouraged in the sacrificial prescriptions. Indeed
taking pleasure in being violent with the animals that in
the desire for their own happiness were slaughtered, are
they in their worshiping the gods, the forefathers and the
leading ghosts with rituals, mischievous people.
(Vedabase)
Text
31
That unholy
world [they uphold] can be compared to a dream that,
sounding nice, is about mundane achievements with which they,
imagined in their hearts like they were businessmen, have
forsaken the actual purpose [of realizing the
soul].
That
world unholy [upheld by them] equals a dream that
sounding nice is about mundane achievements with which they,
imagined in their hearts like a businessman, do give up the
purpose [of realizing the
soul].
(Vedabase)
Text
32
Established in
the mode of passion, goodness or ignorance they worship the
gods and others headed by Indra who likewise delight in
passion, goodness and ignorance. But I am thus not worshiped
the proper way [see also B.G. 9:
23 and
10:
24 &
25].
Not
worshiping Me the proper way do they, established in the
mode of passion, goodness or ignorance worship the gods and
others headed by Indra who delight in that passion, goodness
and ignorance [see also B.G. 9: 23 and 10: 24 &
25]. (Vedabase)
Text
33-34
'When we here
with our sacrifices to the gods are full of worship, we will
enjoy the pleasures of heaven and next on earth all live in a
barn of a house and be high-born.' With their minds thus
bewildered by the flowery words [of the Vedas] they
despite of these words, as proud and most greedy men, are not
attracted to My topics.
'Worshiping
out here will we by our sacrifices to the gods enjoy in
heaven and at the end of that enjoyment will we on earth
become great housekeepers of high standing', thus with their
minds bewildered by the flowery words have they
nevertheless, as proud and most greedy men, no attraction
for My topics.
(Vedabase)
Text
35
The
trikânda
divided Vedas have the spiritual understanding of the true
self, the soul, as their subject matter, but also the vedic
seers who more esoterically privately express themselves are
dear to Me [the 'other gurus'].
The
tri-kânda divided Vedas have the spiritual
understanding of the Self as their subject matter but also
dear to Me are the vedic seers esoterically expressing
themselves in indirect terms [the 'other gurus'].
(Vedabase)
Text
36
The
transcendental sound [the s'abda-brahman]
manifesting itself in the prâna,
the senses and the mind [of the self-realized, enlightened
person] is something most difficult to understand, it is
unlimited and is as unfathomably deep as the
ocean.
The
spiritual sound [the s'abda-brahman] manifesting
itself in the prâna, the senses and the mind knows no
limit and is unfathomably deep like the
ocean.
(Vedabase)
Text
37
The groundless,
changeless Absolute of endless potencies that I promote [as
My nature, see Omkâra],
is represented within the living beings in the form of
soundvibrations, the way a lotus stalk is represented by a
single strand of fiber [see also 11.18:
32 and
6.13:
15].
The
groundless, changeless Absolute of endless potencies
[that I am], is, as promoted by Me [see
omkâra], represented within the living beings in
the form of soundvibrations, the way a single single strand
of fiber is on a lotus stalk [see also 11.18: 32 and
6.13: 15]. (Vedabase)
Text
38-40
Just as a
spider from the heart weaves its web through its opening, is
the breath of God [the prâna] from the
ether manifesting the soundvibration through the mind in the
form of the different phonemes. Full of nectar comprising all
the shapes that branch out in thousands of directions, has the
Master, decorated with consonants, vowels, sibilants and
semivowels, expanded from the syllable om. By the
elaborated diversity of expressions and metrical arrangements
that each have four more syllables, He creates and Himself
withdraws again the great unlimited expanse [of the vedic
manifestation of sound, see also B.G. 15.15].
Just
as a spider from its opening from within emits its web, is
the breath of God [the prâna] from the ether
manifesting the soundvibration through the mind in the form
of the different phonemes. Comprising all the shapes full of
nectar branching out in thousands of directions, has the
Master, decorated with consonants, vowels, sibilants and
semivowels, expanded from the syllable om. By the elaborated
diversity of expressions and metrical arrangements each
having four more syllables, does He create and Himself
withdraw the great unlimited expanse [of the vedic
literature, see also B.G. 15: 15].
(Vedabase)
Text
41
For
instance the metres Gâyatrî,
Ushnik and Anushthup; Brihatî and Pankti as also
Trishthup, Jagatî, Aticchanda, and Atyashthi,
Atijagatî and Ativirâth [have each in this
order four more syllables].
For
instance the metres: Gâyatrî, Ushnik and
Anusthup; Brihatî and Pankti as also Tristhup,
Jagatî, Aticchanda, and Atyasthi, Atijagatî and
Ativirâth [have each in this order four more
syllables].
(Vedabase)
Text
42
What they
[karma-kânda] enjoin [to be done],
what they [upâsana-kânda] indicate
[as being the object of devotion], what aspects they
describe or what alternatives they
[jñâna-kânda] thus literarily
offer [as philosophy], the heart of this matter is in
this world not known by anyone else but Me [compare
11.20,
B.G. 4:
5,
7:
26,
10:
41].
What
they [karma-kânda] enjoin, what they
[upâsana-kânda] indicate, what aspects
they describe or what alternatives they
[jñâna-kânda] thus literarily
offer, that heart in this world, is not known by anyone else
but by Me [compare 11.20, B.G. 5: 5, 7: 26, 10: 41].
(Vedabase)
Text
43
I am the object
of worship, the concern of the enjoined action and the
alternative that is offered and explained away
[5*].
The transcendental sound vibration of the Vedas establishes Me
as being their meaning and elaborately describes the material
duality as simply being the illusory one has to emasculate to
ultimately become happy.'
I
am the object of worship enjoined and I am the alternative
offered and argued; I thus am the meaning of all the Vedas
that establish Me,the transcendental soundvibration, and
elaborately describe the material duality as simply the
illusory to negate to ultimately become
happy.
(Vedabase)
*:
S'rîla Madhvâcârya quotes from the Skanda
Purâna as follows: 'Religious persons should reside
within an eight-mile radius of rivers, oceans, mountains,
hermitages, forests, spiritual cities or places where the
s'âlagrâma-s'îlâ [a black
oval river-stone suitable for worship] is found. All other
places should be considered kîkatha, or
contaminated. But if even in such contaminated places black and
spotted antelopes are found, one may reside there as long as
sinful persons are not also present. Even if sinful persons are
present, if the civil power rests with respectable authorities,
one may remain. Similarly, one may dwell wherever the Deity of
Vishnu is duly installed and worshiped.'
**:
The paramparâ adds here: 'Political, social or
economic disturbances that obstruct the execution of one's
religious duties are considered inauspicious times.' Therefore
is the - form of, type of - time with which one achieves the
association of the Supreme Lord or the Lord's pure devotee, the
most auspicious time, whereas the form of time which is
politically, economically or socially determined and with which
one loses such association, most inauspicious. Religous timing
- to the sun and moon e.g. - is sat kâla, or true
timing and proper conditioning, whereas humanly
determined timing is asat kâla, or time
conditioning by false authority, a karma motivated time driven
by ulterior motives. Scientifically it concerns a biological
conflict at the level of the nervous system between natural
stimuli of time, like the regularity of daylight, and the
cultural stimuli of time that oppose with linear and
generalized concepts of time like mean time and zone time. The
time sense of modern man is for this reason disturbed, he
suffers psychological time, an unstable sense of time which is
fundamental to the cultural neurosis.
***:
An example to illustrate this rather abstract formulation is
the clock: the clock is pure or impure relative to its object
measured: the time of nature as another 'thing' of time. This
is called the criterion of scientific validation or the
determining of the zero point of measurement. But also speaking
of it in a scientific lecture telling that the mean of time,
the clock deviating from nature, is derived from and refers to
nature itself through a scientific formula that expresses the
socalled equation
of time,
is a political way of sanctifying, declaring the truth of, an
obviously deviating clock. Furthermore is there also the
religious ritual that presents the cross of Jesus Christ for
instance, or the Mahâmantra of Lord Caitanya, to the
standard of time on the clock in order to forgive the sin of
the pragmatical deviating from God's nature of time and the
scientific rationalization about it. Next we can
simply
set the clock to the nature of
time,
to the time of Krishna, to be true to the religious insight
[see f.c.o.].
And finally, realizing that the confidentiality of Krishna's
time cannot be imposed politically, there is the purity to the
relative magnitude, as this verse states, that with the modern
complexity of time awareness can be respected with a dual
display of time offered by some clocks or else with two clocks
combined: one display set to nature and one to the politics of
pragmatical timekeeping. Thus we can by this verse tolerate the
impurity of profit motivated karmic time manipulations and
still manage with purity as devotees [Prabhupâda who
at the one hand demanded punctuality, requested his devotees to
further study the subject of time. 'All days and hours are the
same to me. I leave that matter to you', he confided in 'A
Transcendental Diary' by Hari S'auri
Dâsa].
4*:
According to S'rîla Madhvâcârya, persons
above the age of fourteen are considered capable of
distinguishing between good and bad and are thus responsible
for their pious and sinful activities.
5*:
This 'explaining away' is associated with the relationship
between form and content. In bhakti one is faced with His form,
the form of the âcârya and the form of the
other devotees as the entrance gate giving access to the Vedic
knowledge. Once having passed that gate on one's way inside,
the gate for which the Lord stands with His form is of a lesser
importance than the content taken care of by
jñâna. When one has accessed the content,
the form is just as obsolete as the package of a product is
when one wants to use it after being bought. But Lord Krishna
is of course just as well the form as the content. In that
sense one rather finds Him on one's way inside. The explaining
away pertains to the form thus. Thus is the necessity
demonstrated of the trikânda threefoldness of
yoga: karma-yoga constitutes the way, bhakti-yoga
constitutes the shop and jñâna-yoga shows
the contents of spiritual realization to procure there.