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Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18
(Compiled notes)
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Note: This is a series of study notes from the translation of Bhagavad Gita by Srila Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada (ISKCON founder) and titled as "Bhagvad Gita as it is". The copyright and content is that of Prabhupada & publishers. My part is simply distilling the knowledge from my self study and notes to share here in simple abridged form.

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Sannyas Bhakti Yoga  -  Yoga of Renunciation & Sacrifice in Devotion

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  • Devotional service, and nothing else, is the ultimate purpose of life.

  • The purpose of life is renunciation and attainment of the transcendental position above the three material modes of nature. We review this in some detail below:

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  • 18.2 - श्रीभगवानुवाच: काम्यानां कर्मणां न्यासं सन्न्यासं कवयो विदु: । सर्वकर्मफलत्यागं प्राहुस्त्यागं विचक्षणा: ॥ २ ॥

    • (Lord says) 

    • sannyas = giving up activities for material desires

    • tyag   = giving up desires for results of actions

    • it is not advised for giving up activities altogether — esp the ones that lead to spiritual advance

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  • 18.5 - (frm 18.2)

    • Q - What kind of activities lead to spiritual advancement?

    • A - Activities that involve यज्ञदानतप: (sacrifice charity austerity) lead to spiritual advance

      • in vedic culture, even marriage is a यज्ञ = sacrifice, a lifelong sacrifice.

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  • 18.6 - but all of these activities must be without attachment or expectations

    • attachment to work - I’m doing, I’m doer, so I’m special

    • expectation of result - I’m doing it for xyz outcome

    • the attitude ought to be I’m doing its because its my prescribed duty for pleasure of God

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  • 18.11 - न हि देहभृता शक्यं त्यक्तुं कर्माण्यशेषत: । यस्तु कर्मफलत्यागी स त्यागीत्यभिधीयते ॥ ११ ॥

    • its not possible for the soul embodied (देहभृता) to stop activities (कर्म)

    • but attachment to results of activities (कर्मफल) is to be renounced (त्याग).

    • One who does so is real renunciate (त्यागी)

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  • 18.13: 

    • Q - what determines who will have rebirth or not after death?

    • the weight of ones karma determines if and what kind of birth one will have after death

    • the ones who renounce attachment to results of activities dont accrue karma

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  • karma or work can be in thoughts, words and actions

  • Right karma is work done in terms of the prescribed directions in the scriptures, and wrong karma is work done against the principles of the scriptural injunctions. 

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  • 18.22 - यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम् । अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम् ॥ २२ ॥

    • tamasic knowledge symptoms (in mode of darkness):

    • One who does not develop knowledge through the authorities or scriptural injunctions has knowledge that is limited to the body. He is not concerned about acting in terms of the directions of scripture. For him God is money, and knowledge means the satisfaction of bodily demands. Such knowledge has no connection with the Absolute Truth. It is more or less like the knowledge of the ordinary animals: the knowledge of eating, sleeping, defending and mating. 

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  • 18.25 - अनुबन्धं क्षयं हिंसामनपेक्ष्य च पौरुषम् । मोहादारभ्यते कर्म यत्तत्तामसमुच्यते ॥ २५ ॥

    • tamasic actions:

    • That action performed in illusion, in disregard of scriptural injunctions, and without concern for future bondage or for violence or distress caused to others is said to be in the mode of ignorance.

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  • 18.26 - मुक्तसङ्गोऽनहंवादी धृत्युत्साहसमन्वित: । सिद्ध्यसिद्ध्योर्निर्विकार: कर्ता सात्त्विक उच्यते ॥ २६ ॥

    • sattvic worker:

    • One who performs his duty without association with the modes of material nature, without false ego, with great determination and enthusiasm, and without wavering in success or failure is said to be a worker in the mode of goodness.

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  • 18.42 - शमो दमस्तप: शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेव च । ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥ ४२ ॥

  • qualities of brahmana:

    • शम: = peace

    • दम: = self control, regulations

    • तप: = voluntariy austerity/simplicity

    • क्षान्ति: = tolerance

    • -> आर्जवम = honesty

    • ज्ञानं = knowledge

    • विज्ञान = truth of knowledge/wisdom

    • आस्तिक्यं = faith

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  • 18.46 - यत: प्रवृत्तिर्भूतानां येन सर्वमिदं ततम् ।स्वकर्मणा तमभ्यर्च्य सिद्धिं विन्दति मानव: ॥ ४६ ॥

    • by executing ones prescribed duties to perfection, a man attains perfection

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  • 18.58 - चेतसा सर्वकर्माणि मयि सन्न्यस्य मत्पर: । बुद्धियोगमुपाश्रित्य मच्च‍ित्त: सततं भव ॥ ५७ ॥

  • "Work without expectations is worship, so work AS worship to Me”

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  • - as stated in the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā, the Supreme Lord, by His two energies, His external energy and internal energy, is all-pervading. Generally the Vaiṣṇava devotees worship the Supreme Lord with His internal energy. His external energy is a perverted reflection of the internal energy. The external energy is a background, but the Supreme Lord by the expansion of His plenary portion as Paramātmā is situated everywhere. He is the Supersoul of all demigods, all human beings, all animals, everywhere. 

  • Everyone should think that he is engaged in a particular type of occupation by Hṛṣīkeśa, the master of the senses. And by the result of the work in which one is engaged, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, should be worshiped. If one thinks always in this way, in full Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then, by the grace of the Lord, he becomes fully aware of everything. That is the perfection of life. 

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  • 18.63:   इति ते ज्ञानमाख्यातं गुह्याद्गुह्यतरं मया । विमृश्यैतदशेषेण यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ॥ ६३ ॥

    • Thus to you I have shared the most confidential knowledge. After thorough review, do as you wish.

    • The above is the proof of freewill: 

      • God can arrange things but decisions are individual

      • God does not interfere with the little independence of the living entity. 

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  • 18.65, 66:

  • Lords promise:  The culmination of Bhagavad Gita:

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  • मन्मना भव मद्भ‍क्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु । मामेवैष्यसि सत्यं ते प्रतिजाने प्रियोऽसि मे ॥ ६५ ॥

    • Remember Me, Surrender to Me, Pray to Me, Salute Me. Then to Me you will certainly reach, this My True promise to you for you are very dear to Me.

  • सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज । अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा श‍ुच: ॥ ६६ ॥

    • Give up all your worries and plans and paths and just surrender to Me. I will deliver you from all sins, dont worry.

 

Summary (Lords promise):

  • One should arrange his life in such a way that throughout the twenty-four hours he cannot but think of Kṛṣṇa. And the Lord’s promise is that anyone who is in such pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness will certainly return to the abode of Kṛṣṇa. The Lord has multiforms as Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Rāma, Varāha, etc., but a devotee should concentrate his mind on the form that was present before Arjuna.

  • The devotee should simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That surrender will save him from all kinds of sinful reactions, for the Lord personally promises to protect him.

  • This is the Lords' own personal promise. Nothing is higher than this in the entireUniverse.

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  • 18.68 - a preacher devotee is very dear to Krishna:

    • य इदं परमं गुह्यं मद्भ‍क्तेष्वभिधास्यति । भक्तिं मयि परां कृत्वा मामेवैष्यत्यसंशय: ॥ ६८ ॥

      • One who distributes this most confidential knowledge in devotion, will surely come to Me.

    • न च तस्मान्मनुष्येषु कश्चिन्मे प्रियकृत्तम: । भविता न च मे तस्मादन्य: प्रियतरो भुवि ॥ ६९ ॥

      • Not another human is dearer to Me, nor will ever be who distributes this confidential knowledge.

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  • 18.70 - अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयो: । ज्ञानयज्ञेन तेनाहमिष्ट: स्यामिति मे मति: ॥ 18.70 ॥

    • One who studies this sacred conversation of ours (O Arjuna) he worships Me with spiritual knowledge.

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  • 18.71 - श्रद्धावाननसूयश्च श‍ृणुयादपि यो नर: । सोऽपि मुक्त: शुभाँल्ल‍ोकान्प्राप्‍नुयात्पुण्यकर्मणाम् ॥ ७१ ॥

    • Even simply the act of listening with sincere faith about Krishna frees one of all sins.

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My chosen verse from this chapter:

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सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज ।

अहं त्वां सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा श‍ुच: ॥ 18.66 ॥

Give up all your worries and plans and paths and just surrender to Me. I will deliver you from all sins, dont worry.

 

This verse can be treated as the consummation of all vedic spiritual knowledge.

One should arrange his life in such a way that throughout the twenty-four hours he cannot but think of Kṛṣṇa. And the Lord’s promise is that anyone who is in such pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness will certainly return to the abode of Kṛṣṇa. The Lord has multiforms as Viṣṇu, Nārāyaṇa, Rāma, Varāha, etc., but a devotee should concentrate his mind on the form that was present before Arjuna. The devotee should simply surrender to Kṛṣṇa. That surrender will save him from all kinds of sinful reactions, for the Lord personally promises to protect him.

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This is the Lords' own personal promise. Nothing is higher than this in the entire Universe.

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Haribol!

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