Bhagavad-gita As It Is - Macmillan 1972 Edition -- Prabhupada Books (113 page)

Now, it is clearly described here that those who are in the mode of passion worship and create such gods, and those who are in the mode of ignorance, in darkness, worship dead spirits. Sometimes people worship at the tomb of some dead man. Sexual service is also considered to be in the mode of darkness. Similarly, in remote villages in India there are worshipers of ghosts. We have seen that in India the lower class people sometimes go to the forest, and if they have knowledge that a ghost lives in a tree, they worship that tree and offer sacrifices. These different kinds of worship are not actually God worship. God worship is for persons who are transcendentally situated in pure goodness. In the
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
it is said,
sattvaṁ viśuddham vāsudeva-śabditam.
"When a man is situated in pure goodness, he worships Vāsudeva." The purport is that those who are completely purified of the material modes of nature and who are transcendentally situated can worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The impersonalists are supposed to be situated in the mode of goodness, and they worship five kinds of demigods. They worship the impersonal Viṣṇu, or Viṣṇu form in the material world, which is known as philosophized Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu is the expansion of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the impersonalists, because they do not ultimately believe in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, imagine that the Viṣṇu form is just another aspect of the impersonal Brahman; similarly, they imagine that Lord Brahmā is the impersonal form in the material mode of passion. Thus they sometimes describe five kinds of gods that are worshipable, but because they think that the actual truth is impersonal Brahman, they dispose of all worshipable objects at the ultimate end. In conclusion, the different qualities of the material modes of nature can be purified through association with persons who are of transcendental nature.

Bg 17.5, Bg 17.6, Bg 17.5-6

TEXTS 5-6

TEXT

aśāstra-vihitaṁ ghoraṁ

tapyante ye tapo janāḥ

dambhāhaṅkāra-saṁyuktāḥ

kāma-rāga-balānvitāḥ

bhūta-grāmam acetasaḥ

māṁ caivāntaḥ śarīra-sthaṁ

tān viddhy āsura-niścayān

SYNONYMS

aśāstra-
not mentioned in the scriptures;
vihitam-
directed;
ghoram-
harmful to others;
tapyante-
undergo penances;
ye-
those;
tapaḥ-
austerities;
janāḥ-
persons;
dambha-
pride;
ahaṅkāra-
egotism;
saṁyuktāḥ-
engaged;
kāma-
lust;
rāga-
attachment;
bala-
force;
anvitāḥ
-impelled by;
karṣayantaḥ-
tormenting;
śarīra-stham-
situated within the body;
bhūtagrāmam-
combination of material elements;
acetasaḥ-
by such a misled mentality;
mām-
to Me;
ca-
also;
eva
-certainly;
antaḥ-
within;
śarīra-stham-
situated in the body;
tān-
them;
viddhi-
understand;
āsura-
demons;
niścayān-
certainly.

TRANSLATION

Those who undergo severe austerities and penances not recommended in the scriptures, performing them out of pride, egotism, lust and attachment, who are impelled by passion and who torture their bodily organs as well as the Supersoul dwelling within are to be known as demons.

PURPORT

There are persons who manufacture modes of austerity and penances which are not mentioned in the scriptural injunctions. For instance, fasting for some ulterior purpose, such as to promote a purely political end, is not mentioned in the scriptural directions. The scriptures recommend fasting for spiritual advancement, not for some political end or social purpose. Persons who take to such austerities are, according to
Bhagavad-gītā,
certainly demoniac. Their acts are against the scriptural injunction and are not beneficial for the people in general. Actually, they act out of pride, false ego, lust and attachment for material enjoyment. By such activities, not only are the combination of material elements of which the body is constructed disturbed, but also the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself living within the body. Such unauthorized fasting or austerities for some political end are certainly very disturbing to others. They are not mentioned in the Vedic literature. A demoniac person may think that he can force his enemy or other parties to comply with his desire by this method, but sometimes one dies by such fasting. These acts are not approved by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He says that those who engage in them are demons. Such demonstrations are insults to the Supreme Personality of Godhead because they are enacted in disobedience to the Vedic scriptural injunctions. The word
acetasaḥ
is significant in this connection-persons of normal mental condition must obey the scriptural injunctions. Those who are not in such a position neglect and disobey the scriptures and manufacture their own way of austerities and penances. One should always remember the ultimate end of the demoniac people, as described in the previous chapter. The Lord forces them to take birth in the womb of demoniac persons. Consequently they will live by demoniac principles life after life without knowing their relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If, however, such persons are fortunate enough to be guided by a spiritual master who can direct them to the path of Vedic wisdom, they can get out of this entanglement and ultimately achieve the supreme goal.

Bg 17.7

TEXT 7

TEXT

āhāras tv api sarvasya

tri-vidho bhavati priyaḥ

yajñas tapas tathā dānaṁ

teṣāṁ bhedam imaṁ śṛṇu

SYNONYMS

āhāraḥ-
eating;
tu-
certainly;
api-
also;
sarvasya-
of everyone;
trividhaḥ-
three kinds;
bhavati-
there are;
priyaḥ-
dear;
yajñaḥ-
sacrifice;
tapaḥ-
austerity;
tathā-
also;
dānam-
charity;
teṣām-
of them;
bhedam-
differences;
imam-
thus;
śṛṇu
-hear.

TRANSLATION

Even food of which all partake is of three kinds, according to the three modes of material nature. The same is true of sacrifices, austerities and charity. Listen, and I shall tell you of the distinctions of these.

PURPORT

In terms of different situations and the modes of material nature, there are differences in the manner of eating, performing sacrifices, austerities and charities. They are not all conducted on the same level. Those who can understand analytically what kind of performances are in what modes of material nature are actually wise; those who consider all kinds of sacrifice or foods or charity to be the same cannot discriminate, and they are foolish. There are missionary workers who advocate that one can do whatever he likes and attain perfection. But these foolish guides are not acting according to the direction of the scripture. They are manufacturing ways and misleading the people in general.

Bg 17.8, Bg 17.9, Bg 17.10, Bg 17.8-10

TEXT 8-10

TEXT

āyuḥ-sattva-balārogya-

sukha-prīti-vivardhanāḥ

rasyāḥ snigdhāḥ sthirā hṛdyā

āhārāḥ sāttvika-priyāḥ

tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ

āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā

duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ

pūti paryuṣitaṁ ca yat

ucchiṣṭam api cāmedhyaṁ

bhojanaṁ tāmasa-priyam

SYNONYMS

āyuḥ
-duration of life;
sattva
-existence;
bala
-strength;
ārogya
-health;
sukha
-happiness;
prīti
-and satisfaction;
vivardhanāḥ
-increasing;
rasyāḥ
-juicy;
snigdhāḥ
-fatty;
sthirāḥ
-enduring;
hṛdyāḥ
-pleasing to the heart;
āhārāḥ
-food;
sāttvika
-to one in goodness;
priyāḥ
-palatable.

TRANSLATION

Foods in the mode of goodness increase the duration of life, purify one's existence and give strength, health, happiness and satisfaction. Such nourishing foods are sweet, juicy, fattening and palatable. Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, pungent, dry and hot, are liked by people in the modes of passion. Such foods cause pain, distress, and disease. Food cooked more than three hours before being eaten, which is tasteless, stale, putrid, decomposed and unclean, is food liked by people in the mode of ignorance.

PURPORT

Thc purpose of food is to increase the duration of life, purify the mind and aid bodily strength. This is its only purpose. In the past, great authorities selected those foods that best aid health and increase life's duration, such as milk products, sugar, rice, wheat, fruits and vegetables. These foods are very dear to those in the mode of goodness. Some other foods, such as baked corn and molasses, while not very palatable in themselves, can be made pleasant when mixed with milk or other foods. They are then in the mode of goodness. All these foods are pure by nature. They are quite distinct from untouchable things like meat and liquor. Fatty foods, as mentioned in the eighth verse, have no connection with animal fat obtained by slaughter. Animal fat is available in the form of milk, which is the most wonderful of all foods. Milk, butter, cheese and similar products give animal fat in a form which rules out any need for the killing of innocent creatures. It is only through brute mentality that this killing goes on. The civilized method of obtaining needed fat is by milk. Slaughter is the way of subhumans. Protein is amply available through split peas,
dhall,
whole wheat, etc.

Foods in the mode of passion, which are bitter, too salty, or too hot or overly mixed with red pepper, cause misery by producing mucous in the stomach, leading to disease. Foods in the mode of ignorance or darkness are essentially those that are not fresh. Any food cooked more than three hours before it is eaten (except
prasādam
, food offered to the Lord) is considered to be in the mode of darkness. Because they are decomposing, such foods give a bad odor, which often attracts people in this mode but repulses those in the mode of goodness.

Remnants of food may be eaten only when they are part of a meal that was first offered to the Supreme Lord or first eaten by saintly persons, especially the spiritual master. Otherwise the remnants of food are considered to be in the mode of darkness, and they increase infection or disease. Such foodstuffs, although very palatable to persons in the mode of darkness, are neither liked nor even touched by those in the mode of goodness. The best food is the remnant of what is offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In
Bhagavad-gītā
the Supreme Lord says that He accepts preparations of vegetables, flour and milk when offered with devotion.
Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam.
Of course, devotion and love are the chief things which the Supreme Personality of Godhead accepts. But it is also mentioned that the
prasādam
should be prepared in a particular way. Any food prepared by the injunction of the scripture offered to the Supreme Personality of Godhead can be taken even if prepared long, long ago, because such food is transcendental. Therefore to make food antiseptic, eatable and palatable for all persons, one should offer food to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Bg 17.11

TEXT 11

TEXT

aphalākāṅkṣibhir yajño

vidhi-diṣṭo ya ijyate

yaṣṭavyam eveti manaḥ

samādhāya sa sāttvikaḥ

SYNONYMS

aphala-kāñkṣibhiḥ-
devoid of desire for result;
yajñaḥ-
sacrifice;
vidhi-
accordingly;
dṛṣtaḥ-
direction;
yaḥ
-anyone;
ijyate
-performs;
yaṣṭavyam
-must be performed;
eva-
certainly;
iti-
thus;
manaḥ-
mind;
samādhāya-
fixed in;
saḥ-
he;
sāttvikaḥ-
is in the mode of goodness.

TRANSLATION

Of sacrifices, that sacrifice performed according to duty and to scriptural rules, and with no expectation of reward, is of the nature of goodness.

PURPORT

The general tendency is to offer sacrifice with some purpose in mind, but here it is stated that sacrifice should be performed without any such desire. It should be done as a matter of duty. Take, for example, the performance of rituals in temples or in churches. Generally they are performed with the purpose of material benefit, but that is not in the mode of goodness. One should go to a temple or church as a matter of duty, offer respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead and offer flowers and eatables. Everyone thinks that there is no use in going to the temple just to worship God. But worship for economic benefit is not recommended in the scriptural injunction. One should go simply to offer respect to the Deity. That will place one in the mode of goodness. It is the duty of every civilized man to obey the injunctions of the scriptures and offer respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Bg 17.12

TEXT 12

TEXT

abhisandhāya tu phalaṁ

dambhārtham api caiva yat

ijyate bharata-śreṣṭha

taṁ yajñaṁ viddhi rājasam