Chapter 2 Contents of Gita Summarized (Verses 54-72)

 

Chapter 2

Verses 54-72

Contents of Gita Summarized

In verses 54-72: STHITA-PRAJÑA – THE QUALITIES OF A LIBERATED SOUL (JĪVAN-MUKTA) is described by the Supreme Personality of Godhead

The great warrior Arjuna enquiring  Sri Krishna
who is Sthita-prajña

Verse 54

अर्जुन उवाच

स्थितप्रज्ञस्य का भाषा समाधिस्थस्य केशव ।

स्थितधीः किं प्रभाषेत किमासीत व्रजेत किम् ॥ ५४ ॥

arjuna uvāca

sthita-prajñasya kā bhāṣā

samādhi-sthasya keśava

sthita-dhīḥ kiṁ prabhāṣeta

kim āsīta vrajeta kim

Translation

Arjuna said: O Kṛṣṇa, what are the symptoms of one whose consciousness is thus merged in transcendence? How does he speak, and what is his language? How does he sit, and how does he walk?

Purport

Every individual has different symptoms that relate to his unique condition, and a person who is Krsna conscious has a unique nature that includes the way they move, talk, think, and feel. A man in transcendental consciousness of Krsna has particular symptoms in various interactions, just as a rich man has his symptoms by which he is known to be a rich man, as a diseased man has his symptoms by which he is known to be diseased, or as a learned man has his symptoms. The Bhagavad-gita can be used to identify a person's unique symptoms. The way a guy speaks in Krsna consciousness is crucial since speaking is a man's most vital trait. A fool is believed to remain undetected until he speaks, and it is true that a well-dressed fool cannot be recognised until he speaks; but, as soon as he speaks, he immediately reveals himself. The first sign that a man in Krsna conscious is that he solely speaks about Krsna and things related to Him. Other symptoms then appear automatically as described in  verses described below as follows

S.No	Question	Verse
Q1	Kā bhāṣā: What are his general symptoms?	2.55
Q2	Kim prabhāṣeta (How does he speak?): On receiving praise or blame, affection or hate, what will he say externally or internally?	2.56- 57
Q3	Kim āsīta (How does he sit?): How does he restrain his senses from the sense objects?	2.58-2.63
Q4	Kim vrajeta (How does he walk?): How does he respond to the sense objects?	2.64-2.71

 

Symptoms of a sthita-prajña are described in verse 55 below

Sri Krsna enlightening Arjuna
about  transcedental consciousness

Verse 55 

श्रीभगवानुवाच

प्रजहाति यदा कामान्सर्वान्पार्थ मनोगतान् ।

आत्मन्येवात्मना तुष्टः स्थितप्रज्ञस्तदोच्यते ॥ ५५ ॥

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

prajahāti yadā kāmān

sarvān pārtha mano-gatān

ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ

sthita-prajñas tadocyate

Translation

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said, "O Partha, a man is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness when he gives up all varieties of desire for sense gratification, which arise from mental concoction, and when his mind, thus purified, finds satisfaction in the self alone."

Purport

According to the Bhagavatam, anyone who is fully engaged in Ka consciousness, or devotional service of the Lord, possesses all the virtues of the great sages, in contrast to someone who is not so transcendentally situated, who is certain to be seeking refuge in his own mental creations. As a result, it is accurate to say that one must give up any type of sensory desire created by mental fabrication. Such sense desires cannot be suppressed artificially. However, if one is practising Krsna consciousness, sense wants immediately disappear without the need for additional effort. Therefore, one must immediately begin to engage in Krsna consciousness because doing so will assist them instantly reach the level of transcendental consciousness. The highly evolved soul never loses self-satisfaction since it recognises that it is the Supreme Lord's eternal servant. Such a transcendentally placed individual lacks sense wants brought on by petty materialism; instead, he stays contented in his natural position of serving the Supreme Lord for all eternity. With the mind withdrawn from the sense objects, he is satisfied by the soul whose very one nature is bliss (ātmanā inṣṭaḥ).

 Verses 56-57 covers Sthita-prajña’s response to dualities (speech)

Verse 56

दुःखेष्वनुद्विग्न‍मनाः सुखेषु विगतस्पृहः ।

वीतरागभयक्रोधः स्थिधीर्मुनिरुच्यते ॥ ५६ ॥

duḥkheṣv anudvigna-manāḥ

sukheṣu vigata-spṛhaḥ

vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodhaḥ

sthita-dhīr munir ucyate

Translation

A person who is unaffected by attachment, fear, or rage and is unperturbed in the face of bliss or the triple sorrows is referred to as a sage of stable mind.

Purport

The term "muni" refers to someone who has the mental flexibility to engage in a variety of speculative activities without reaching a concrete conclusion. Every muni is considered to have a unique perspective, and unless a muni varies from other munis, he cannot be referred to as a muni in the strict sense of the word.  However, a sthita-dhir muni, as the Lord mentions here, is distinct from a regular muni. The sthita-dhir muni is constantly conscious of Krishna since he has finished all of his creative speculative enterprise. He is known as prasanta-nihsesa-mano-rathantara, or one who has passed the mental speculative stage and realised that Lord Krishna, or Vasudeva, is everything (vasudeva sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabha; Stotra-ratna 43). He is referred to as a "muni fixed in  mind."

A person who has fully attained Krsna consciousness is not at all troubled by the onslaughts of the threefold miseries because he accepts all suffering as the Lord's mercy, believing that his past transgressions only make him deserving of further suffering. He also realises that his sufferings are, by the Lord's grace, minimised to the barest minimum. Similar to this, he attributes his happiness to the Lord since he feels unworthy of it. However, he soon realises that his comfort and ability to serve the Lord more effectively are only possible because of the Lord's favour. Additionally, he never lets attachment or repulsion affect his brave and active service to the Lord. Detachment is the absence of such sensuous attachment, which is defined as accepting things for one's own sense enjoyment. However, a person who is fixed in Krsna consciousness lacks both attachment and detachment because their entire lives are devoted to serving the Lord. As a result, he never gets furious, even when his efforts fail. No matter what happens, a Krsna conscious person never wavers in his resolve.

Krsna conscious devotees are unaffected by any good or ill they may acquire, neither admiring it nor despising it

Verse 57

यः सर्वत्रानभिस्नेहस्तत्तत्प्राप्य श‍ुभाश‍ुभम् ।

नाभिनन्दति न द्वेष्टि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ५७ ॥

yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas

tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham

nābhinandati na dveṣṭi

tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

Translation

One who is firmly rooted in complete knowledge in the material world is unaffected by any good or ill they may acquire, neither admiring it nor despising it.

Purport

In the physical world, there is always some sort of upheaval, which could be good or bad. One is said to be fixed in Krsna consciousness if they are unperturbed by such material upheavals and are unaffected by good or evil. Good and evil are always a possibility as long as one is in the material world because it is a dualistic place. However, a person who is firmly rooted in Krsna consciousness is unaffected by good and evil because he is only focused on Krsna, who is the supreme embodiment of all good. One is placed in a flawless transcendental state known as samadhi by virtue of such consciousness of Krishna.

Verses 58-63 covers Sthita-prajña’s sense control (sitting)

Analogy between tortoise drawing its limbs inside
 and human able to control senses

Verse 58

यदा संहरते चायं कूर्मोऽङ्गानीव सर्वशः ।

इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ५८ ॥

yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ

kūrmo ’ṅgānīva sarvaśaḥ

indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas

tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

Translation

As the tortoise draws its limbs inside its shell, someone who is able to do the same with his senses is firmly rooted in perfect consciousness.

Purport

The test of a yogī, devotee or self-realized soul is that he is able to control the senses according to his plan. Most people, however, are servants of the senses and are thus directed by the dictation of the senses. That is the answer to the question as to how the yogī is situated. The senses are compared to venomous serpents. They want to act very loosely and without restriction. The yogī, or the devotee, must be very strong to control the serpents – like a snake charmer. He never allows them to act independently. There are many injunctions in the revealed scriptures; some of them are do-not’s, and some of them are do’s. Unless one is able to follow the do’s and the do-not’s, restricting oneself from sense enjoyment, it is not possible to be firmly fixed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The best example, set herein, is the tortoise. The tortoise can at any moment wind up its senses and exhibit them again at any time for particular purposes. Similarly, the senses of the Kṛṣṇa conscious persons are used only for some particular purpose in the service of the Lord and are withdrawn otherwise. Arjuna is being taught here to use his senses for the service of the Lord, instead of for his own satisfaction. Keeping the senses always in the service of the Lord is the example set by the analogy of the tortoise, who keeps the senses within.

Verse 59

विषया विनिवर्तन्ते निराहारस्य देहिनः ।

रसवर्जं रसोऽप्यस्य परं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तते ॥ ५९ ॥

viṣayā vinivartante

nirāhārasya dehinaḥ

rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya

paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate

Translation

The embodied soul may not be able to appreciate the senses, yet it still has a taste for them. However, he stops engaging in such activities after having a higher taste, and he becomes fixed in consciousness.

Purport

It is impossible to stop engaging in sense gratification unless one is placed in a transcendental state. The practise of restricting sense enjoyment by laws and regulations is analogous to denying particular foods to someone who is ill. However, the patient does not dislike these limitations or lose his appetite. Similar to this, sensation restriction through a spiritual practise like astanga-yoga is advised for those with lower intelligence who lack better information in regards to yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and other topics. However, someone who has seen the beauty of the Supreme Lord Krsna loses their appetite for lifeless objects as they develop in Krsna consciousness. Therefore, there are limitations on the spiritual development of life for the less intelligent beginners, but these limitations are only useful until one genuinely develops a thirst for Krsna consciousness. When one is truly Krsna conscious, they naturally lose their preference for light colours.

 

In the next four verses, Kṛṣṇa explains how the senses distract and degrade a person if he doesn’t develop a higher taste.

Verse 60

यततो ह्यपि कौन्तेय पुरुषस्य विपश्चितः ।

इन्द्रियाणि प्रमाथीनि हरन्ति प्रसभं मनः ॥ ६० ॥

yatato hy api kaunteya

puruṣasya vipaścitaḥ

indriyāṇi pramāthīni

haranti prasabhaṁ manaḥ

Translation

The senses are so strong and impetuous, O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away the mind even of a man of discrimination who is endeavoring to control them.

Purport

Many learned sages, philosophers, and transcendentalists strive to control their senses, yet despite their best efforts, even the most accomplished among them occasionally succumb to the unsettled mind's desire to indulge their senses in the material world. Even Visvamitra, a great sage and ideal yogi, was enticed into erotic pleasure by Menaka, despite the yogi's efforts to suppress his senses by extreme forms of penance and yoga practise. Of course, the history of the globe has a great number of cases like this one. As a result, controlling the mind and senses without being fully Krsna conscious is quite challenging. Such material engagements cannot be stopped without engaging mind in Krsna. Because Krsna consciousness is such a transcendentally pleasing phenomenon, material satisfaction automatically loses its appeal. It is as if a man who was starving had been satiated with a substantial amount of nourishing food. Durva Muni, a famous yogi, was similarly subdued by Maharaja Ambarisa simply because his mind was focused on Krsna consciousness.

Connecting link-Kṛṣṇa indicates here that even a jñānī who can discriminate between matter and spirit will be distracted by the senses. So it is better to perform buddhi-yoga and not give up work. Kṛṣṇa is showing the defect in practicing jñāna to establish the superiority of bhakti. Thus, in the next verse, He directly refers to Himself as the object of devotion, for the first time.

Verse 61

तानि सर्वाणि संयम्य युक्त आसीत मत्परः ।

वशे हि यस्येन्द्रियाणि तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ६१ ॥

tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya

yukta āsīta mat-paraḥ

vaśe hi yasyendriyāṇi

tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

Translation

A man of steady intelligence is one who restrains his senses, keeping them completely under control, and focusses his mind upon me.

Purport

This verse makes it quite apparent that Krsna consciousness is the pinnacle of yogic mastery. Furthermore, it is absolutely impossible to govern the senses unless one is Krsna conscious. As previously mentioned, when the renowned sage Durva Muni and Maharaja Ambarisa got into an argument, Durva Muni unnecessarily lost his temper out of pride and was unable to control it. The king, who was a follower of the Lord but not as strong a yogi as the sage, meekly accepted all of the sage's injustices and won the battle. King Ambarisa fixed his mind on the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, engaged his words to describe the abode of the Lord, engaged his hands to clean the temple of the Lord, engaged his ears to hear the Lord's pastimes, engaged his eyes to see the form of the Lord, engaged his body to touch the body of the devotee, engaged his nostrils to smell the flavour of the flowers offered to the lotus feet of the Lord, engaged his tongue to taste the tulasi and with all of these credentials, he qualified to be a mat-para devotee of the lord.

The word "mat-para" is crucial in this context. In Maharaja Ambarisa's life, it is explained how one can become mat-para.

Only the intensity of devotional service to Krishna can entirely subdue the senses. Additionally, the analogy of fire is occasionally used: "Lord Visnu, located in the centre of yoga, burns up all kinds of impurities, just as a blazing fire burn everything within a room." Additionally, the Yoga-sutra recommends focusing on Visnu rather than the emptiness when practising meditation. The so-called yogis waste their time in a fruitless pursuit of some phantasmagoria when they focus their meditation on something other than the Visnu form. To be devoted to the Personality of Godhead, we must be Krsna conscious. The purpose of real yoga is this.

 Verses 2.62-2.63 described below the effects coming from that uncontrolled mind.

Verse 62

ध्यायतो विषयान्पुंसः सङ्गस्तेषूपजायते ।

सङ्गात्सञ्जायते कामः कामात्क्रोधोऽभिजायते ॥ ६२ ॥

dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ

saṅgas teṣūpajāyate

saṅgāt sañjāyate kāmaḥ

kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate

Translation

While contemplating the objects of the senses, a person develops attachment for them, and from such attachment lust develops, and from lust anger arises.

 

Purport

When thinking about the things that the senses can perceive, someone who is not Krsna conscious is vulnerable to material cravings. The senses need meaningful activities, and if they aren't used in the Lord's loving, transcendent service, they'll undoubtedly try to find one in the service of materialism. Everyone in the material universe is affected by sense objects, including Lord Siva and Lord Brahma, not to mention other demigods on heavenly planets. The only way to solve the riddle of material existence is to become Krsna conscious. Even though Lord Siva was deeply contemplating, he accepted  Parvati's request for sensual pleasure, which led to the birth of Kartikeya.

When Haridsa Thakura was still a youthful devotee of the Lord, he was also seduced by the personification of Maya-devi, but Haridasa easily passed the test due to his unwavering devotion to Lord Krsna. A real devotee of the Lord forgoes all material sense satisfaction due to his higher craving for spiritual enjoyment in the company of the Lord, The key to success is that. Therefore, if a person is not in Krsna consciousness, no matter how effective he may be at artificially suppressing the senses, he will ultimately fail since even the tiniest concept of a sense pleasure will make him want to satiate his cravings.

Verse 63

क्रोधाद्भ‍वति सम्मोहः सम्मोहात्स्मृतिविभ्रमः ।

स्मृतिभ्रंशाद्बुद्धिनाशो बुद्धिनाशात्प्रणश्यति ॥ ६३ ॥

krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ

sammohāt smṛti-vibhramaḥ

smṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo

buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati

Translation

Complete delusion develops from anger, and memory confusion follows complete delusion. Memory confusion causes intellect to disappear, and when intelligence disappears, one descends once more into the material world.

Purport

One might become aware that everything has a purpose in the service of the Lord by developing their Krsna consciousness. Even if they want to be freed from their worldly bonds, those who lack awareness of Krsna consciousness artificially try to shun material things, which prevents them from reaching the ideal state of renunciation. Their purported renunciation is known as phalgu, which means less significant. A person with Krsna consciousness, on the other hand, is aware of how to employ everything for the Lord's benefit and is consequently immune to the effects of material consciousness. For an impersonalist, the Lord or the Absolute cannot eat because they are both impersonal. While an impersonalist attempts to shun delicious foods, a devotee is aware that Krsna is the supreme connoisseur and that He consumes everything that is offered to Him in devotion, So, after giving the Lord nice food, the devotee receives the leftovers, known as prasadam. Everything becomes spiritualized as a result, and there is no risk of something bad happening. While the nondevotee rejects it as material, the devotee consumes it while maintaining Krsna consciousness. Because of his artificial renunciation, the impersonalist is therefore unable to enjoy life; as a result, a small mental disturbance pulls him back into the abyss of material existence. Even when such a soul ascends to the point of release, it is claimed that he falls back down because he lacks support in devotional service.

So far Kṛṣṇa explained the dangers of accepting sense objects and how a sthita-prajña controls himself from being distracted by them. Now he says that it is not a fault to accept the sense objects, if it is done with controlled senses, without undue attachment in the mind.

 

In the verses 64 -72 Sthita-prajña’s sense engagement (walking) is described.

Verse 64

रागद्वेषविमुक्तैस्तु विषयनिन्द्रियैश्चरन् ।

आत्मवश्यैर्विधेयात्मा प्रसादमधिगच्छति ॥ ६४ ॥

rāga-dveṣa-vimuktais tu

viṣayān indriyaiś caran

ātma-vaśyair vidheyātmā

prasādam adhigacchati

Translation

However, in order to obtain the full mercy of the Lord, a person must be free from every attachment and aversion and be able to govern their senses using regulative principles of freedom.

Purport

Because the senses can be artificially controlled from the outside, unless they are actively serving the Lord transcendentally, there is always a risk of losing control. Despite appearing to be on the sensual plane, a person who is fully Krsna conscious has no attachment to sensuous pursuits since they are Krsna conscious. The fulfilment of Krsna is the sole thing the Krsna conscious individual is focused on. He is therefore immune to all forms of attachment and detachment. If Krsna desires it, the devotee can do anything ordinarily undesirable ; nevertheless, if Krsna is not interested, he must refrain from performing the act that he would normally perform for his own delight. He can therefore choose whether to act or not to act because he only follows Krsna's orders when acting. This consciousness, which the devotee can attain despite his attachment to the sensuous platform, is the causeless mercy of the Lord.

Verse 65

प्रसादे सर्वदुःखानां हानिरस्योपजायते ।

प्रसन्नचेतसो ह्याश‍ु बुद्धिः पर्यवतिष्ठते ॥ ६५ ॥

prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ

hānir asyopajāyate

prasanna-cetaso hy āśu

buddhiḥ paryavatiṣṭhate

Translation

The triple sufferings of material existence no longer exist for someone who has reached this point of satisfaction with Krsna consciousness; with such a contented consciousness, one's intelligence quickly becomes well-established.

 

Verse 66

नास्ति बुद्धिरयुक्तस्य न चायुक्तस्य भावना ।

न चाभावयतः शान्तिरशान्तस्य कुतः सुखम् ॥ ६६ ॥

nāsti buddhir ayuktasya

na cāyuktasya bhāvanā

na cābhāvayataḥ śāntir

aśāntasya kutaḥ sukham

Translation

Without transcendental knowledge and a stable mind, which are both necessary for serenity, one cannot be connected to the Supreme [in Krsna consciousness]. And without peace, how can there be any happiness?

Purport

There is no chance for tranquilly unless one is in Ka consciousness.  The only way to experience true peace is to comprehend that Krsna is the only one who benefits from all the benefits of sacrifice and penance, that He is the owner of all universal manifestations, and that He is the true friend of all living things. Therefore, the mind cannot have a final destination if one is not in Krsna consciousness. Disturbance results from lacking an ultimate objective, and when one is confident that Krsna is the enjoyer, owner, and friend of everyone and everything, one can work to bring about peace with a calm mind. Therefore, even though he puts on an appearance of serenity and spiritual development, a person who is involved in activities without a relationship with Krishna is undoubtedly always in turmoil and is without peace. Krsna consciousness is a self-manifested tranquil state that can only be attained in connection with Krsna.

Analogy between a strong wind sweeping away the boat and
roaming senses carrying away man's intelligence

Verse 67

इन्द्रियाणां हि चरतां यन्मनोऽनुविधीयते ।

तदस्य हरति प्रज्ञां वायुर्नावमिवाम्भसि ॥ ६७ ॥

indriyāṇāṁ hi caratāṁ

yan mano ’nuvidhīyate

tad asya harati prajñāṁ

vāyur nāvam ivāmbhasi

Translation

As a strong wind sweeps away a boat on the water, even one of the roaming senses on which the mind focuses can carry away a man’s intelligence.

Purport

Unless all of the senses are engaged in the service of the Lord, even one of them engaged in sense gratification can deviate the devotee from the path of transcendental advancement. As mentioned in the life of Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, all of the senses must be engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, for that is the correct technique for controlling the mind.

Verse 68

तस्माद्यस्य महाबाहो निगृहीतानि सर्वशः ।

इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेभ्यस्तस्य प्रज्ञा प्रतिष्ठिता ॥ ६८ ॥

tasmād yasya mahā-bāho

nigṛhītāni sarvaśaḥ

indriyāṇīndriyārthebhyas

tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā

Translation

Because of this, O Mighty-Armed, one whose senses are kept from their objects is undoubtedly of solid intelligence.

Purport

Only by Krsna consciousness, or using the five senses in the transcendental loving service of the Lord, can one tame the powers of sense satisfaction. Similar to how superior force can subdue an enemy, the senses can be subdued by the Lord alone and not by any effort on the part of man. A person who has realised this—that one can only be truly established in intelligence through Krsna consciousness—and that one should practise this technique under the supervision of a genuine spiritual master—is referred to be a sadhaka, or a suitable candidate for liberation.

 

Verse 69

या निशा सर्वभूतानां तस्यां जागर्ति संयमी ।

यस्यां जाग्रति भूतानि सा निशा पश्यतो मुनेः ॥ ६९ ॥

yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ

tasyāṁ jāgarti saṁyamī

yasyāṁ jāgrati bhūtāni

sā niśā paśyato muneḥ

Translation

What is night for all beings is the time of awakening for the self-controlled; and the time of awakening for all beings is night for the introspective sage.

Purport

Men who are intelligent fall into two categories. the first is intelligent in material activities for sense fulfilment. whereas the other is introspective and awake to the pursuit of self-realization. Activities of the reflective man or sage are night to those who are monetarily engrossed. Due to their lack of understanding of self-realization, materialistic people sleep through such a night. In the "night" of the materialistic man, the introspective sage keeps vigil. The sage experiences transcendental pleasure as spiritual culture develops gradually, but the man engaged in worldly pursuits, who is asleep to self-realization, dreams of various forms of sense pleasure and alternately experiences happiness and anguish while he sleeps. The introspective man is never affected by the joys and sorrows of the world. He continues unhindered with his self-realization endeavours.

Verse 70

आपूर्यमाणमचलप्रतिष्ठं

समुद्रमापः प्रविशन्ति यद्वत् ।

तद्वत्कामा यं प्रविशन्ति सर्वे

स शान्तिमाप्‍नोति न कामकामी ॥ ७० ॥

āpūryamāṇam acala-pratiṣṭhaṁ

samudram āpaḥ praviśanti yadvat

tadvat kāmā yaṁ praviśanti sarve

sa śāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī

Translation

A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires – that enter like rivers into the ocean, which is ever being filled but is always still – can alone achieve peace, and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires.

Purport

Even though the wide ocean is always filled with water, it always contains much more water, especially during the rainy season. The ocean, however, stays the same and is constant; it is neither agitated nor does it go beyond its margin. That applies to someone who is fixed in Krsna consciousness as well. The need for sense fulfilment will persist as long as a person has a material body. However, , the devotee is not troubled by these wants because of his abundance. A Krsna conscious person doesn't need anything because the Lord provides for all of their material needs. He is therefore like the ocean in that he is constantly filled.

Though his passions may come to him like the floods of rivers that pour into the sea, he is constant in his actions and is not the slightest bit distracted by them. That is the sign of a Krsna aware person—one who, despite having desires, has abandoned all propensities for sensual fulfilment. He can remain stable, like the ocean, and thus experience complete tranquilly because he is content in the transcendental loving service of the Lord. However, some people never find peace because they push their ambitions all the way to the edge of liberation, let alone pursue material achievement.

Unfulfilled wants make all of the fruitive workers, salvationists, and yogis seeking mystic powers sad. The person in Krsna consciousness, however, is content while serving the Lord and lacks any wants. He doesn't even want to be freed from the so-called material bondage, in actuality. The lack of material wants among Krsna's followers results in their complete peace.

Verse 71

विहाय कामान्यः सर्वान्पुमांश्चरति निःस्पृहः ।

निर्ममो निरहङ्कार स शान्तिमधिगच्छति ॥ ७१ ॥

vihāya kāmān yaḥ sarvān

pumāṁś carati niḥspṛhaḥ

nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ

sa śāntim adhigacchati

Translation

A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship and is devoid of false ego – he alone can attain real peace.

Purport

To lose one's desire for sense satisfaction is to stop having any. To put it another way, the desire to become Krsna conscious is actually the absence of desire. The ideal state of Krsna consciousness is when a person realises that they are actually Krsna's eternal servant and that they have no right to claim ownership of anything in the world or their physical body. One who is at this ideal stage understands that everything must be used for Krsna's happiness because Krsna is the owner of everything. Arjuna didn't want to fight for his personal sense of fulfilment, but after becoming completely Krsna conscious, he engaged in combat because Krsna commanded him to.

While Arjuna had little desire to fight for himself, he gave Krsna his all in his battle. Real desirelessness, as opposed to a artificial attempt to do away with desires, is a desire for the fulfilment of Krsna. Although the living being cannot be apathetic or without desires, he must alter the nature of his desires. A materially desireless individual does not fraudulently claim ownership of anything since he is aware that everything belongs to Krsna . This transcendental understanding is founded on self-realization, which is the complete knowledge that every living thing is an everlasting part and parcel of Krishna in spiritual identity and that, as a result, their eternal status never elevates them to the level of or surpasses Him.

The foundation of true serenity is this comprehension of Krsna consciousness.

 

Verse 72

एषा ब्राह्मी स्थितिःपार्थ नैनां प्राप्य विमुह्यति ।

स्थित्वास्यामन्तकालेऽपि ब्रह्मनिर्वाणमृच्छति ॥ ७२ ॥

eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha

naināṁ prāpya vimuhyati

sthitvāsyām anta-kāle ’pi

brahma-nirvāṇam ṛcchati

Translation

That is the way of the spiritual and godly life, after attaining which a man is not bewildered. If one is thus situated even at the hour of death, one can enter into the kingdom of God.

Purport

A person can instantly achieve Krsna consciousness or divine existence, or they may never do so, even after countless reincarnations. The only thing left to do is to comprehend and accept the reality. Just a few minutes before he passed away, Khatvanga Maharaja surrendered to Krishna and entered this stage of life. Nirvana is the end of the cycle of materialistic existence. Buddhism holds that once our physical life is over there is nothing but vacuum, whereas Bhagavad-gita teaches otherwise. After this worldly life is through, real life starts. For the gross materialist, it is sufficient to understand that one must abandon their materialistic lifestyle, but for those who have attained spiritual maturity, there is life after this one. If one is lucky enough to become Krsna conscious before passing from this existence, he immediately reaches the stage of brahma-nirvana. Between the kingdom of God and the Lord's devotional service, there is no distinction. They are both on the absolute level, thus to be performing the Lord's transcendental loving service means one has entered the spiritual kingdom. Activities for sense pleasure exist in the physical realm, whereas Krsna conscious activities exist in the spiritual world.

One who is positioned in Krsna consciousness has unquestionably already entered the kingdom of God. Attaining Krsna consciousness even during this life is immediate attainment of Brahman.

 

The opposite of matter is brahman. Brahmi sthiti, thus, is Sanskrit for "not on the platform of material activities." The Bhagavad-gita accepts devotional service to the Lord as the liberated stage (sa gun samattyaitn brahma-bhyyya kalpate). So, brahmi sthiti is liberation from material slavery.

The Bhagavad-gita's Second Chapter has been summarised by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura into the text's entirety. The topics covered in the Bhagavad-gita are karma-yoga, jnana-yoga, and bhakti-yoga. As the contents for the entire text, karma-yoga and jnana-yoga are covered in detail in the second chapter, along with a brief overview of bhakti-yoga.

 

The Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Second Chapter of the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita in regard to its Contents come to an end with this. Keep Chanting 

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna Hare Hare

 Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare