Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (112 page)

Bg 16.24

TEXT 24

TEXT

tasmāc chāstraṁ pramāṇaṁ te

kāryākārya-vyavasthitau

jñātvā śāstra-vidhānoktaṁ

karma kartum ihārhasi

SYNONYMS

tasmāt-
therefore;
śāstram-
scriptures;
pramāṇam-
evidence;
te-
your;
kārya-
duty;
akārya-
forbidden activities;
vyavasthitau-
in determining;
jñātvā-
knowing;
śāstra-
of scripture;
vidhāna-
regulations;
uktam-
as declared;
karma-
work;
kartum-
to do;
iha arhasi
-you should do it.

TRANSLATION

One should understand what is duty and what is not duty by the regulations of the scriptures. Knowing such rules and regulations, one should act so that he may gradually be elevated.

PURPORT

As stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, all the rules and regulations of the
Vedas
are meant for knowing Kṛṣṇa. If one understands Krsṇa from the
Bhagavad-gītā
and becomes situated in Krsṇa consciousness, engaging himself in devotional service, he has reached the highest perfection of knowledge offered by the Vedic literature. Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu made this process very easy: He asked people simply to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare and to engage in the devotional service of the Lord and eat the remnants of foodstuff offered to the Deity. One who is directly engaged in all these devotional activities is to be understood as having studied all Vedic literature. He has come to the conclusion perfectly. Of course, for the ordinary persons who are not in Krsṇa consciousness or who are not engaged in devotional service, what is to be done and what is not to be done must be decided by the injunctions of the
Vedas.
One should act accordingly, without argument. That is called following the principles of
śāstra,
or scripture.
Śāstra
is without the four principal defects that are visible in the conditioned soul: imperfect senses, the propensity for cheating, certainty of committing mistakes, and certainty of being illusioned. These four principal defects in conditioned life disqualify one from putting forth rules and regulations. Therefore, the rules and regulations as described in the
śāstra
-being above these defects-are accepted without alteration by all great saints,
ācāryas,
and great souls.

In India there are many parties of spiritual understanding, generally classified as two: the impersonalist and the personalist. Both of them, however, lead their lives according to the principles of the
Vedas.
Without following the principles of the scriptures, one cannot elevate himself to the perfectional stage. One who actually, therefore, understands the purport of the
śāstras
is considered fortunate.

In human society, aversion to the principles of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all falldowns. That is the greatest offense of human life. Therefore,
māyā
, the material energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always giving us trouble in the shape of the threefold miseries. This material energy is constituted of the three modes of material nature. One has to raise himself at least to the mode of goodness before the path to understanding the Supreme Lord can be opened. Without raising oneself to the standard of the mode of goodness, one remains in ignorance and passion, which are the cause of demoniac life. Those in the modes of passion and ignorance deride the scriptures, deride the holy man, and deride the proper understanding of the spiritual master, and they do not care for the regulations of the scriptures. In spite of hearing the glories of devotional service, they are not attracted. Thus they manufacture their own way of elevation. These are some of the defects of human society, which lead to the demoniac status of life. If, however, one is able to be guided by a proper and bona fide spiritual master, who can lead one to the path of elevation, to the higher stage, then one's life becomes successful.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Sixteenth Chapter of the
Śrīmad-Bhagavad-gītā
in the matter of the Divine and Demoniac Natures.

Bg 17: The Divisions of Faith

17. The Divisions of Faith

Bg 17.1

TEXT 1

TEXT

arjuna uvāca

ye śāstra-vidhim utsṛjya

yajante śraddhayānvitāḥ

teṣāṁ niṣṭhā tu kā kṛṣṇa

sattvam āho rajas tamaḥ

SYNONYMS

arjunaḥ uvāca-
Arjuna said;
ye-
those;
śāstra-vidhim-
the regulations of scripture;
utsṛjya-
giving up;
yajante-
worships;
śraddhayā-
full faith;
anvitāḥ-
possessed of;
teṣām-
of them;
niṣṭhā-
faith;
tu-
but;
kā
-what is that;
kṛṣṇa
-O Kṛṣṇa;
sattvam-
in goodness;
āho-
said;
rajaḥ-
in passion;
tamaḥ-
in ignorance.

TRANSLATION

Arjuna said, O Kṛṣṇa, what is the situation of one who does not follow the principles of scripture but worships according to his own imagination? Is he in goodness, in passion or in ignorance?

PURPORT

In the Fourth Chapter, thirty-ninth verse, it is said that a person faithful to a particular type of worship gradually becomes elevated to the stage of knowledge and attains the highest perfectional stage of peace and prosperity. In the Sixteenth Chapter, it is concluded that one who does not follow the principles laid down in the scriptures is called an
asura
, demon, and one who follows the scriptural injunctions faithfully is called a
deva
, or demigod. Now, if one, with faith, follows some rules which are not mentioned in the scriptural injunctions, what is his position? This doubt of Arjuna is to be cleared by Kṛṣṇa. Are those who create some sort of God by selecting a human being and placing their faith in him worshiping in goodness, passion or ignorance? Do such persons attain the perfectional stage of life? Is it possible for them to be situated in real knowledge and elevate themselves to the highest perfectional stage? Do those who do not follow the rules and regulations of the scriptures but who have faith in something and worship gods and demigods and men attain success in their effort? Arjuna is putting these questions to Kṛṣṇa.

Bg 17.2

TEXT 2

TEXT

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

tri-vidhā bhavati śraddhā

dehināṁ sā svabhāva-jā

sāttvikī rājasī caiva

tāmasī ceti tāṁ śṛṇu

SYNONYMS

śrī bhagavān uvāca-
the Supreme Personality of Godhead said;
tri-vidhā-
three kinds;
bhavati
-become;
śraddhā-
faith;
dehinām
-of the embodied;
sā
-that;
sva-bhāva-jā-
according to his mode of material nature;
sāttvikī
-mode of goodness;
rājasī-
mode of passion;
ca-
also;
eva-
certainly;
tāmasī-
mode of ignorance;
ca-
and;
iti-
thus;
tām-
that;
sṛṇu-
hear from Me.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Lord said, according to the modes of nature acquired by the embodied soul, one's faith can be of three kinds-goodness, passion or ignorance. Now hear about these.

PURPORT

Those who know the rules and regulations of the scriptures, but, out of laziness or indolence, give up following these rules and regulations, are governed by the modes of material nature. According to their previous activities in the modes of goodness, passion or ignorance, they acquire a nature which is of a specific quality. The association of the living entity with the different modes of nature has been going on perpetually since the living entity is in contact with material nature. Thus he acquires different types of mentality according to his association with the material modes. But this nature can be changed if one associates with a bona fide spiritual master and abides by his rules and the scriptures. Gradually, one can change his position from ignorance to goodness, or from passion to goodness. The conclusion is that blind faith in a particular mode of nature cannot help a person become elevated to the perfectional stage. One has to consider things carefully, with intelligence, in the association of a bona fide spiritual master. Thus one can change his position to a higher mode of nature.

Bg 17.3

TEXT 3

TEXT

sattvānurūpā sarvasya

śraddhā bhavati bhārata

śraddhā-mayo 'yaṁ puruṣo

yo yac-chraddhaḥ sa eva saḥ

SYNONYMS

sattva-anurūpā-
according to the existence;
sarvasya-
of everyone;
śraddhā-
faith;
bhavati-
becomes;
bhārata
-O son of Bhārata;
śraddhā-
faith;
mayaḥ-
full;
ayam-
this;
puruṣaḥ-
living entity;
yaḥ-
anyone;
yat-
that;
śraddhaḥ-
faith;
saḥ-
that;
eva-
certainly;
saḥ-
he.

TRANSLATION

According to one's existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired.

PURPORT

Everyone has a particular type of faith, regardless of what he is. But his faith is considered good, passionate or ignorant according to the nature he has acquired. Thus, according to his particular type of faith, one associates with certain persons. Now the real fact is that every living being, as is stated in the Fifteenth Chapter, is originally the fragmental part and parcel of the Supreme Lord. Therefore one is originally transcendental to all the modes of material nature. But when one forgets his relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead and comes into contact with the material nature in conditional life, he generates his own position by association with the different varieties of material nature. The resultant artificial faith and existence are only material. Although one may be conducted by some impression, or some conception of life, still, originally, he is
nirguṇa,
or transcendental. Therefore one has to become cleansed of the material contamination that he has acquired in order to regain his relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is the only path back without fear: Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then that path is guaranteed for his elevation to the perfectional stage. If one does not take to this path of self-realization, then he is surely to be conducted by the influence of the modes of nature.

The word
sattva,
or faith, is very significant in this verse.
Sattva
or faith always comes out of the works of goodness. One's faith may be in a demigod or some created God or some mental concoction. It is supposed to be one's strong faith in something that is productive of the works of material goodness. But in material conditional life, no works of material nature are completely purified. They are mixed. They are not in pure goodness. Pure goodness is transcendental; in purified goodness one can understand the real nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As long as one's faith is not completely in purified goodness, the faith is subject to contamination by any of the modes of material nature. The contaminated modes of material nature expand to the heart. Therefore according to the position of the heart in contact with a particular mode of material nature, one's faith is established. It should be understood, that if one's heart is in the mode of goodness, his faith is also in the mode of goodness. If his heart is in the mode of passion, his faith is also in the mode of passion. And if his heart is in the mode of darkness, illusion, his faith is also thus contaminated. Thus we find different types of faith in this world, and there are different types of religions due to different types of faith. The real principle of religious faith is situated in the mode of pure goodness, but because the heart is tainted, we find different types of religious principles. Thus according to different types of faith, there are different kinds of worship.

Bg 17.4

TEXT 4

TEXT

yajante sāttvikā devān

yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi rājasāḥ

pretān bhūta-gaṇāṁś cānye

yajante tāmasā janāḥ

SYNONYMS

yajante-
worship;
sāttvikāḥ-
those who are in the mode of goodness;
devān-
demigods;
yakṣa-rakṣāṁsi rājasāḥ-
those who are in the mode of passion worship demons;
pretān
-dead spirits;
bhūta-gaṇān-
ghosts;
ca anye
-and others;
yajante
-worship;
tāmasāḥ-
in the mode of ignorance;
janāḥ
-people.

TRANSLATION

Men in the mode of goodness worship the demigods; those in the mode of passion worship the demons; and those in the mode of ignorance worship ghosts and spirits.

PURPORT

In this verse the Supreme Personality of Godhead describes different kinds of worshipers according to their external activities. According to scriptural injunction, only the Supreme Personality of Godhead is worshipable, but those who are not very conversant with, or faithful to, the scriptural injunctions worship different objects, according to their specific situations in the modes of material nature. Those who are situated in goodness generally worship the demigods. The demigods include Brahmā, Śiva and others such as Indra, Candra and the sun-god. There are various demigods. Those in goodness worship a particular demigod for a particular purpose. Similarly, those who are in the mode of passion worship the demons. We recall that during the Second World War, a man in Calcutta worshiped Hitler because thanks to that war he had amassed a large amount of wealth by dealing in the black market. Similarly, those in the modes of passion and ignorance generally select a powerful man to be God. They think that anyone can be worshiped as God and that the same results will be obtained.