Paramparā: Knowledge Through Disciplic Succession

Bg. 4.1

श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥१॥

Text

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
imaṁ vivasvate yogaṁ
proktavān aham avyayam
vivasvān manave prāha
manur ikṣvākave ‘bravīt

Synonyms

śrīplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsri

and opulence; beautiful; beauty; fortune; Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune; named śrī; opulence or beauty; opulences; the affluent; the goddess of fortune; the goddess of fortune, or a beautiful calf; the treasury houses; transcendental; with opulence. bhagavānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhagavan

my dear Lord; my lord; O exalted sage; O godly personality; O great brāhmaṇa; O great sage (Śukadeva Gosvāmī); O great sage; O great saint; O great soul; O Lord; O Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead; O most powerful; O most powerful devotee; O most powerful sage; O my Lord; O my lord, O great one; O Personality of Godhead; O possessor of all opulences; O powerful one; O Supreme; O Supreme Lord; O Supreme Lord, O Personality of Godhead; O Supreme Personality of Godhead; O supremely powerful one; O worshipful sage; O Your Lordship; the Personality of Godhead. uvācaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biguvāca

answered; described; explained; he recited; he said; inquired; prayed; replied; said; she said; she spoke; spoke; talked with them.—the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; imamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigimam

all these; him; now present before me; this (love of Godhead); this (material world); this; this body; this child; this exalted position; this science; thus; unto the Supreme Lord.—this; vivasvateplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvivasvate

unto the sun-god.—unto the sun-god; yogamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyogam

yoga; yoga system; absorption, trance; action in devotion; contact; devotional service; in yoga; linking with the Supreme; meditation; mystic yoga; mystic power; mystic powers; mysticism; self-realization; service; spiritual knowledge; the device; the eightfold yoga system; the mystic yoga system; the mystic performances; the mystic process; the process of devotional service to the Supreme Personality of Godhead; the science of one's relationship to the Supreme; Yoga; yoga practice; yogic power.—the science of one’s relationship to the Supreme; proktavānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigproktavān

instructed.—instructed; ahamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigaham

as far as I am concerned; as I am; egotism; false ego; false identification (in the bodily concept of life); false identity; I ("I am this body"); I (am); I (Kṛṣṇa); I (Lord Brahmā); I (Lord Śiva); I (Prahlāda Mahārāja); I (the person desiring release from material life); I (Śukadeva Gosvāmī); I; I am; I am everything; I am independent; I am the material body; I myself; I, Lord Kṛṣṇa; I, the Personality of Godhead; I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; I, Yamarāja; me; my existence ("I am something"); my humble self; myself (Brahmājī); Myself; the word aham; the wrong mental conception.—I; avyayamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigavyayam

being unchangeable; eternal; everlasting; immutable; imperishable; indestructible; inexhaustible; irreproachable; never ending; spiritual; the inexhaustible; the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is inexhaustible; who is the supreme eternal; without diminution; without loss of energy.—imperishable; vivasvānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvivasvān

Vivasvān (the sun-god's name); Vivasvān.—Vivasvān (the sun-god’s name); manaveplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmanave

unto the father of mankind (of the name Vaivasvata); unto the supreme mind or supreme Manu.—unto the father of mankind (of the name Vaivasvata); prāhaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigprāha

addressed (the Lord); began to speak; explained; he said; instructed; replied; said; spoke; told.—told; manuḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmanuḥ

became the Manu; he became the Manu; Lord Manu; Lord Svāyambhuva Manu; Manu; Manu himself; Manu, King Satyavrata; Svāyambhuva; Svāyambhuva Manu; the eighth Manu; the father of mankind; the Manu; Vaivasvata Manu; will be Manu.—the father of mankind; ikṣvākaveplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigikṣvākave

unto King Ikṣvāku.—unto King Ikṣvāku; abravītplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigabravīt

addressed; began to speak; chanted; has said; he said; he spoke; replied; said; she said; spoke; spoke as follows.—said. 

Translation

The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku. 

Purport

Herein we find the history of the Bhagavad-gītā traced from a remote time when it was delivered to the royal order, the kings of all planets. This science is especially meant for the protection of the inhabitants and therefore the royal order should understand it in order to be able to rule the citizens and protect them from the material bondage to lust. Human life is meant for cultivation of spiritual knowledge, in eternal relationship with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and the executive heads of all states and all planets are obliged to impart this lesson to the citizens by education, culture and devotion. In other words, the executive heads of all states are intended to spread the science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that the people may take advantage of this great science and pursue a successful path, utilizing the opportunity of the human form of life. 

In this millennium, the sun-god is known as Vivasvān, the king of the sun, which is the origin of all planets within the solar system. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated: 

yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ
rājā samasta-sura-mūrttir aśeṣa-tejāḥ
yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kālacakro
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

“Let me worship,” Lord Brahmā said, “the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda [Kṛṣṇa], who is the original person and under whose order the sun, which is the king of all planets, is assuming immense power and heat. The sun represents the eye of the Lord and traverses its orbit in obedience to His order.” 

The sun is the king of the planets, and the sun-god (at present of the name Vivasvān) rules the sun planet, which is controlling all other planets by supplying heat and light. He is rotating under the order of Kṛṣṇa, and Lord Kṛṣṇa originally made Vivasvān His first disciple to understand the science of Bhagavad-gītā. The Gītā is not, therefore, a speculative treatise for the insignificant mundane scholar but is a standard book of knowledge coming down from time immemorial. In the Mahābhārata (Śānti-parva 348.51-52) we can trace out the history of the Gītā as follows: 

tretā-yugādau ca tato vivasvān manave dadau
manuś ca loka-bhṛty-arthaṁ sutāyekṣvākave dadau
ikṣvākuṇā ca kathito vyāpya lokān avasthitāḥ

“In the beginning of the Tretā-yuga [millennium] this science of the relationship with the Supreme was delivered by Vivasvān to Manu. Manu, being the father of mankind, gave it to his son Mahārāja Ikṣvāku, the King of this earth planet and forefather of the Raghu dynasty in which Lord Rāmacandra appeared. Therefore, Bhagavad-gītā existed in the human society from the time of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku.” 

At the present moment we have just passed through five thousand years of the Kali-yuga, which lasts 432,000 years. Before this there was Dvāpara-yuga (800,000 years), and before that there was Tretā-yuga (1,200,000 years). Thus, some 2,005,000 years ago, Manu spoke the Bhagavad-gītā to his disciple and son Mahārāja lkṣvāku, the King of this planet earth. The age of the current Manu is calculated to last some 305,300,000 years, of which 120,400,000 have passed. Accepting that before the birth of Manu, the Gītā was spoken by the Lord to His disciple, the sun-god Vivasvān, a rough estimate is that the Gītā was spoken at least 120,400,000 years ago; and in human society it has been extant for two million years. It was respoken by the Lord again to Arjuna about five thousand years ago. That is the rough estimate of the history of the Gīta, according to the Gītā itself and according to the version of the speaker, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. It was spoken to the sun-god Vivasvān because he is also a kṣatriya and is the father of all kṣatriyas who are descendants of the sun-god, or the sūrya-vaṁśa kṣatriyas. Because Bhagavad-gītā is as good as the Vedas, being spoken by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, this knowledge is apauruṣeya, superhuman. Since the Vedic instructions are accepted as they are, without human interpretation, the Gītā must therefore be accepted without mundane interpretation. The mundane wranglers may speculate on the Gītā in their own ways, but that is not Bhagavad-gītā as it is. Therefore, Bhagavad-gītā has to be accepted as it is, from the disciplic succession, and it is described herein that the Lord spoke to the sun-god, the sun-god spoke to his son Manu, and Manu spoke to his son Ikṣvāku. 

“The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku.” (Bg. 4.1)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 4.1

The Blessed Lord said: I instructed this imperishable science of yoga to the sun-god, Vivasvān, and Vivasvān instructed it to Manu, the father of mankind, and Manu in turn instructed it to Ikṣvāku. 

Many ages ago Kṛṣṇa imparted the divine knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā to Vivasvān, the god of the sun. To the best of our knowledge, the sun is a very hot place, and we do not consider it possible for anyone to live there. It is not even possible to approach the sun very closely with these bodies. However, from the Vedic literatures we can understand that the sun is a planet just like this one but that everything there is composed of fire. Just as this planet is predominately composed of earth, there are other planets which are predominately composed of fire, water and air. 

The living entities on these various planets acquire bodies composed of elements in accordance with the predominating element on the planet; therefore those beings who live on the sun have bodies which are composed of fire. Of all beings on the sun, the principal personality is a god by the name of Vivasvān. He is known as the sun-god (sūrya-nārāyaṇa). On all planets there are principal personalities, just as in the United States the chief person is the President. From the history called the Mahābhārata we understand that formerly there was only one king on this planet by the name of Mahārāja Bharata. He ruled some 5,000 years ago, and the planet was named after him. Subsequently the earth has become divided into so many different countries. In this way there is usually one and sometimes many controllers of the various planets in the universe. 

From this first verse of the Fourth Chapter we learn that millions of years ago Śrī Kṛṣṇa imparted the knowledge of karma-yoga to the sun-god Vivasvān, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who imparts the teachings of Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna, here indicates that these teachings are not at all new but were enunciated many ages ago on a different planet. Vivasvān, in his turn, repeated these teachings to his son, Manu. In turn, Manu imparted the knowledge to his disciple Ikṣvāku. Mahārāja Ikṣvāku was a great king and forefather of Lord Rāmacandra. The point being made here is that if one wants to learn Bhagavad-gītā and profit by it, there is a process for understanding it, and that process is described here. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is speaking Bhagavad-gītā to Arjuna for the first time. It is estimated by Vedic authorities that the Lord imparted these divine instructions to Vivasvān some 400 million years ago. From the Mahābhārata we understand that Bhagavad-gītā was spoken to Arjuna some 5,000 years ago. Before Arjuna, the teachings were handed down by disciplic succession, but over such a long period of time, the teachings became lost. 

Bg. 4.2

एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदुः ।
स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्टः परन्तप ॥२॥

Text

evaṁ paramparā-prāptam
imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ
sa kāleneha mahatā
yogo naṣṭaḥ parantapa

Synonyms

evamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigevam

also; as; as exhibited by him; as I have done; as mentioned above; certainly; in that way; in the same way; in this manner; in this way (as described previously); in this way (some sons having been cursed and some blessed); in this way (while they were enjoying their lunch); in this way; it is so; just in the same way; like this; only; similarly (as earthly wealth and possessions are impermanent); similarly; so; so living; such; that; therefore; this; thus (as above mentioned); thus (living a devotional life); thus; thus being always engaged; thus prescribed; thus, as aforementioned; yes, this is right.—thus; paramparāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigparamparā

disciplic succession.—disciplic succession; prāptamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpraptam

achieved; being merged in; coming back home; gotten; had arrived; has been obtained; having accrued; inhabited; obtaining; present; received; was achieved; who had obtained.—received; imamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigimam

all these; him; now present before me; this (love of Godhead); this (material world); this; this body; this child; this exalted position; this science; thus; unto the Supreme Lord.—this science; rājarṣayaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrājarṣayaḥ

saintly kings; the saintly kings.—the saintly kings; viduḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigviduḥ

advanced transcendentalists know; as it is known; being cognizant of; can know; can understand; could understand; do know; everyone should understand; is known; know; know it; know them; known as; knows; one should know; one should understand; one who knows; the learned understand; they know; they know as; they understood; understand; understood; were aware of; you may know it from me; you may understand; you should know; you should understand.—understood; saḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsaḥ

mahat-tattva; a person (Kaṁsa); a son; Aghāsura; all; anyone; Bharata Mahārāja; Brahmā; child Parīkṣit; Dakṣa; Dhruva; Dhruva Mahārāja; Dhṛtarāṣṭra; Durvāsā Muni; he (Agastya); he (Aghāsura); he (Ajāmila); he (Ambarīṣa Mahārāja); he (Aṅgirā Ṛṣi); He (Baladeva); he (Bali Mahārāja); he (Brahmā); he (Brahmājī); he (Budha); he (Citraketu); he (Dakṣa); he (Devāpi); he (Dhruva Mahārāja); he (Dhruva); he (Droṇa); he (Durvāsā); he (Emperor Manu); he (Gajendra); he (Garuḍa); he (Hiraṇyakaśipu); he (Hiraṇyakaśipu, the King of the Daityas); he (Indra); he (Jamadagni); he (Janamejaya); he (Jaḍa Bharata); he (Kardama); he (Kaṁsa); he (King Citraketu); he (King Hūhū); he (King Indra); he (King Kaṁsa); he (King Nīpa); he (King Pṛthu); he (King Rantideva); he (King Āgnīdhra); he (Kārtavīryārjuna); He (Kṛṣṇa); He (Lakṣmaṇa, the brother of Lord Rāmacandra); he (Lord Brahmā); He (Lord Kṛṣṇa); He (Lord Rāmacandra); He (Lord Viṣṇu); he (Lord Śiva); he (Mahārāja Ambarīṣa); he (Mahārāja Bharata); he (Mahārāja Priyavrata); he (Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa); he (Maitreya Muni); he (Manu); he (my father); he (Nahuṣa); he (Nābhāga); he (one who is not self-controlled); he (Prahlāda Mahārāja); he (Purūravā); he (Rantideva); he (Sarvatejā); He (Satyasena); he (Soma, the moon-god); he (Svāyambhuva Manu); he (that hunter); he (that uncivilized Kaṁsa); he (the muni); he (the conditioned soul); he (the devotee); he (the great man); he (the individual soul); he (the King); he (the leader of the elephants); He (the Lord); He (the Personality of Godhead); he (the serpent); he (the sun-god); He (the Supreme Lord); He (the Supreme Person); He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); he (Vasudeva); he (Vasudeva, also known as Ānakadundubhi); he (Venus); he (Vidura); he (Viśvarūpa); He (Vāmanadeva); he (Vāsudeva); he (Vīrabhadra); he (Vṛtra); he (Vṛtrāsura); he (Śukadeva Gosvāmī); he (Śukrācārya); he (Śūra); he (Ṛcīka); he (Ṛṣyaśṛṅga); he; He alone; he is; he, Durvāsā Muni; he, Hariścandra; he, Jamadagni; he, King Purūravā; he, Kārtavīryārjuna; he, Lord Paraśurāma; He, Lord Rāmacandra; he, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa; he, Mahārāja Sagara; he, Prahlāda Mahārāja; he, Purañjaya; he, Purūravā; he, Rohita; he, Rāvaṇa; he, Saubhari Muni; he, Saubhari Ṛṣi; he, so celebrated; he, Soma; he, the brāhmaṇa; he, the King; He, the Lord; he, Varuṇa; he, Vasiṣṭha; he, Vidura; He, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; Hiraṇyakaśipu; Hiraṇyākṣa; His Lordship; His Lordship the Supreme Personality of Godhead; his son Utkala; I am the same powerful person; is he; it; Jambhāsura; Kardama Muni; Kaśyapa; Kaśyapa Muni; King Dakṣa; King Indra; King Malayadhvaja; King Purañjana; King Pṛthu; King Vena; King Yayāti; Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa Himself; Lord Brahmā; Lord Kṛṣṇa; Lord Śiva; Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; Mahārāja Bharata; Mahārāja Ikṣvāku; Mahārāja Yayāti; Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira; myself; one such as your good self; one who does so; Prahlāda Mahārāja; Prajāpati Dakṣa; Revata; so myself; someone; such; such a devotee; such a person; such a person as I am; such a personality; Sudyumna; Svāyambhuva Manu; that (great demon Maya Dānava); that (having the above symptoms); that (Supreme Personality of Godhead); that (Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa); that brāhmaṇa; that yoga system; that; that Ajāmila; that arrow; that banyan tree; that boy of the name Vena; whether that person; which; You; Your Lordship; yourself.—that knowledge; kālenaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkālena

because of the influence of time; because of time (the end of Brahmā's day); because of years of fighting; by a favorable time (or kāvyena---by Śukrācārya); by due course of time (the land and other material things become purified); by means of the eternal kāla; by the course of time; by the eternal time; by the influence of time; by the time factor; by time; duration; eternal time; for many years; in course of time; in due course of time (after millions and millions of years); in due course of time; in the course of time; in time; of time; time; with the course of time.—in the course of time; ihaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiha

as a matter of fact; at the present moment; at this place; by this; during this span of life; here (in this body); here (in this life); here (in this universe); here (on this water); here; here in Jagannātha Purī; here in the spiritual world; here in this world; here in Vṛndāvana; here, in this arena of sacrifice; herein; herewith; in material sense gratification; in the foolish species of life; in the material world; in the matter of this offense; in the sacrifice; in the universe; in this (material world); in this (the holy name); in this Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; in this; in this battle; in this body; in this case; in this connection; in this existence; in this human society; in this land of Bhārata-varṣa; in this life; in this material world (especially in this pious land of Bhārata-varṣa, India); in this material world; in this matter of creation; in this millennium; in this narration; in this place; in this place, in this spot; in this situation; in this universe; in this very life; in this water; in this world; in this world of mortality; in this world or in this life; in Vaikuṇṭha; in which house; it; now; on this planet; on this subject; this; within the universe; within this life; within this material world; within this world.—in this world; mahatāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmahatā

by great; by great activities; by the universal form; great; loud; very great.—by great; yogaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyogah

yoga; auspicious; concentration of mind; connection; connection by devotional service; in such practice; Kṛṣṇa consciousness; linking with the Supreme; mystic yoga; mystic yoga process; mysticism; practice of yoga; practice of yoga; self-realization; the yoga system; the power of mystic yoga; the process by which one can be linked with the Supreme; the process of control; the result of meditation; the science of yoga; the science of one's relationship with the Supreme.—the science of one’s relationship with the Supreme; naṣṭaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignastah

from the nose; through the nostrils.—scattered; parantapaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigparantapa

O Arjuna, subduer of the enemies; O chastiser of the enemies; O chastiser of the enemy; O conquerer of enemies; O conquerer of the enemies; O great one; O killer of the enemies; O King; O King, who can subdue your enemies; O Mahārāja Parīkṣit, chastiser of enemies; O mighty-armed one; O subduer of the enemies; O subduer of the enemy.—O Arjuna, subduer of the enemies. 

Translation

This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. 

Purport

It is clearly stated that the Gītā was especially meant for the saintly kings because they were to execute its purpose in ruling over the citizens. Certainly Bhagavad-gītā was never meant for the demonic persons, who would dissipate its value for no one’s benefit and would devise all types of interpretations according to personal whims. As soon as the original purpose was scattered by the motives of the unscrupulous commentators, there arose the need to reestablish the disciplic succession. Five thousand years ago it was detected by the Lord Himself that the disciplic succession was broken, and therefore He declared that the purpose of the Gītā appeared to be lost. In the same way, at the present moment also there are so many editions of the Gītā (especially in English), but almost all of them are not according to authorized disciplic succession. There are innumerable interpretations rendered by different mundane scholars, but almost all of them do not accept the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, although they make a good business on the words of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. This spirit is demonic, because demons do not believe in God but simply enjoy the property of the Supreme. Since there is a great need of an edition of the Gītā in English, as it is received by the paramparā (disciplic succession) system, an attempt is made herewith to fulfill this great want. Bhagavad-gītā-accepted as it is-is a great boon to humanity; but if it is accepted as a treatise of philosophical speculations, it is simply a waste of time. 

Bg. 4.3

स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योगः प्रोक्तः पुरातनः ।
भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥३॥

Text

sa evāyaṁ mayā te ‘dya
yogaḥ proktaḥ purātanaḥ
bhakto ‘si me sakhā ceti
rahasyaṁ hy etad uttamam

Synonyms

saḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsaḥ

mahat-tattva; a person (Kaṁsa); a son; Aghāsura; all; anyone; Bharata Mahārāja; Brahmā; child Parīkṣit; Dakṣa; Dhruva; Dhruva Mahārāja; Dhṛtarāṣṭra; Durvāsā Muni; he (Agastya); he (Aghāsura); he (Ajāmila); he (Ambarīṣa Mahārāja); he (Aṅgirā Ṛṣi); He (Baladeva); he (Bali Mahārāja); he (Brahmā); he (Brahmājī); he (Budha); he (Citraketu); he (Dakṣa); he (Devāpi); he (Dhruva Mahārāja); he (Dhruva); he (Droṇa); he (Durvāsā); he (Emperor Manu); he (Gajendra); he (Garuḍa); he (Hiraṇyakaśipu); he (Hiraṇyakaśipu, the King of the Daityas); he (Indra); he (Jamadagni); he (Janamejaya); he (Jaḍa Bharata); he (Kardama); he (Kaṁsa); he (King Citraketu); he (King Hūhū); he (King Indra); he (King Kaṁsa); he (King Nīpa); he (King Pṛthu); he (King Rantideva); he (King Āgnīdhra); he (Kārtavīryārjuna); He (Kṛṣṇa); He (Lakṣmaṇa, the brother of Lord Rāmacandra); he (Lord Brahmā); He (Lord Kṛṣṇa); He (Lord Rāmacandra); He (Lord Viṣṇu); he (Lord Śiva); he (Mahārāja Ambarīṣa); he (Mahārāja Bharata); he (Mahārāja Priyavrata); he (Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa); he (Maitreya Muni); he (Manu); he (my father); he (Nahuṣa); he (Nābhāga); he (one who is not self-controlled); he (Prahlāda Mahārāja); he (Purūravā); he (Rantideva); he (Sarvatejā); He (Satyasena); he (Soma, the moon-god); he (Svāyambhuva Manu); he (that hunter); he (that uncivilized Kaṁsa); he (the muni); he (the conditioned soul); he (the devotee); he (the great man); he (the individual soul); he (the King); he (the leader of the elephants); He (the Lord); He (the Personality of Godhead); he (the serpent); he (the sun-god); He (the Supreme Lord); He (the Supreme Person); He (the Supreme Personality of Godhead); he (Vasudeva); he (Vasudeva, also known as Ānakadundubhi); he (Venus); he (Vidura); he (Viśvarūpa); He (Vāmanadeva); he (Vāsudeva); he (Vīrabhadra); he (Vṛtra); he (Vṛtrāsura); he (Śukadeva Gosvāmī); he (Śukrācārya); he (Śūra); he (Ṛcīka); he (Ṛṣyaśṛṅga); he; He alone; he is; he, Durvāsā Muni; he, Hariścandra; he, Jamadagni; he, King Purūravā; he, Kārtavīryārjuna; he, Lord Paraśurāma; He, Lord Rāmacandra; he, Mahārāja Ambarīṣa; he, Mahārāja Sagara; he, Prahlāda Mahārāja; he, Purañjaya; he, Purūravā; he, Rohita; he, Rāvaṇa; he, Saubhari Muni; he, Saubhari Ṛṣi; he, so celebrated; he, Soma; he, the brāhmaṇa; he, the King; He, the Lord; he, Varuṇa; he, Vasiṣṭha; he, Vidura; He, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; Hiraṇyakaśipu; Hiraṇyākṣa; His Lordship; His Lordship the Supreme Personality of Godhead; his son Utkala; I am the same powerful person; is he; it; Jambhāsura; Kardama Muni; Kaśyapa; Kaśyapa Muni; King Dakṣa; King Indra; King Malayadhvaja; King Purañjana; King Pṛthu; King Vena; King Yayāti; Kṛṣṇa; Kṛṣṇa Himself; Lord Brahmā; Lord Kṛṣṇa; Lord Śiva; Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; Mahārāja Bharata; Mahārāja Ikṣvāku; Mahārāja Yayāti; Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira; myself; one such as your good self; one who does so; Prahlāda Mahārāja; Prajāpati Dakṣa; Revata; so myself; someone; such; such a devotee; such a person; such a person as I am; such a personality; Sudyumna; Svāyambhuva Manu; that (great demon Maya Dānava); that (having the above symptoms); that (Supreme Personality of Godhead); that (Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa); that brāhmaṇa; that yoga system; that; that Ajāmila; that arrow; that banyan tree; that boy of the name Vena; whether that person; which; You; Your Lordship; yourself.—the same ancient; evaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigeva

alone; also; also the word eva; although; as; as it is; as it were; as much as; as they are; at all; at that time; certainly; certainly,; certainty; completely; definitely; even; ever; exactly; exactly like; factually; Himself; immediately; in fact; in this way; indeed; it is all like that; just; just so; like; like that; like this; of course; on the very; only; quite; simply; so; surely; the word eva; they are; thus; truly; undoubtedly; very; without doubt.—certainly; ayamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigayam

a person; all these (common men); all these; extraordinary it is; he (Śiva); He; Him; His; I am; in this; Kṛṣṇa; Lord Rāmacandra; of this; one; people in general; such a poor man; that; that is; the Lord; the Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; the same; these; this (Caitanya-caritāmṛta); this (as measured by Brahmā's duration of life); this (child within the womb); this (child); this (Kṛṣṇa); this (Lord Śiva); this (rascal); this (what has been described); this brāhmaṇa; this; this action taken by you; this animal; this Bali Mahārāja; this child; this demon; this form; this incarnation of Kapila; this is; this King; this King Pṛthu; this Kṛṣṇa; this living entity; this Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa; this man; this one (the Supreme Lord); this one; this period; this person (Ajāmila); this person (known as Ajāmila); this person; this Personality of Godhead; this process of creation and annihilation; this soul; this Vedic knowledge; Vasudeva; Śrī Kṛṣṇa; Śukadeva Gosvāmī.—this; mayāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigmaya

consisting of; made of; O Maya.—by Me; teplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigte

all; all of them (the demigods and demons); all of them (the demigods and the demons); all of them; all of those; all the gopas; all the asuric ministers; all the demigods; all the demigods and demons; all the demons; all the great sages; all the Pracetās; all the sons; all the sons of Jamadagni; all the watchmen; all those; all those persons who arrived; also from you; as desired by you; by him; by them; by You; for you; for your; from you; in your possession; Lord Paraśurāma's mother and brothers; of the two divisions; of them; of you (mother Ganges); of You (O dear Lord); of you; of Your good self; of Your Lordship; of yourself; speaking to you; such; such as you; such austerity and knowledge; such household life; such persons; such pure devotees are fully satisfied; that; that is; the gopīs and gopas; the hotā, brahmā and other priests; the cowherd men and ladies; the demigods; the demons (Yakṣas and Rākṣasas); the demons; the Gandharvas; the great sages (the Kumāras); the husbands; the men of Kārtavīryārjuna; the Pracetās; the Pāṇḍavas; the sages; the sons of Kārtavīryārjuna; the Yakṣas; their; therefore; these; these sons (the Savalāśvas); they; they are; to you; unto you; with you; You; your; Your Lordship; your request; Your service; yours; yourself.—unto you; adyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigadya

at present; at the present; at the present moment; beginning from today; from this day; immediately; in this millennium; just now; now; now, immediately; presently; this day; till now; today (because You are personally present here); today.—today; yogaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyogah

yoga; auspicious; concentration of mind; connection; connection by devotional service; in such practice; Kṛṣṇa consciousness; linking with the Supreme; mystic yoga; mystic yoga process; mysticism; practice of yoga; practice of yoga; self-realization; the yoga system; the power of mystic yoga; the process by which one can be linked with the Supreme; the process of control; the result of meditation; the science of yoga; the science of one's relationship with the Supreme.—the science of yoga; proktaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigproktah

being ordered; called; described; described before; have been explained; is called; is well known; said; said to be; spoken; was well known; well known.—spoken; purātanaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpurātanaḥ

the oldest; the original; very old.—very old; bhaktaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhaktah

a devotee; a great devotee; devotee.—devotee; asiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigasi

appear to be; are; are you; become; by swords; certainly You are so; do You belong; have been done; sword; swords; with swords; you are; you are considered; You can; you have become; You must be; you shall be; you were.—you are; meplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigme

about me; by me; executed by me; for me; from Me; Me; mind; mine; my; my duty; myself; of me (Hiraṇyakaśipu); of me; of Mine; of Myself; on me; to Me; unto me; upon me; with me.—My; sakhāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsakha

the companions.—friend; caplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigca

ca; all these; also; also other bodily forms; also that I have not been able to ask; and (the five gross material elements and the ten acting and knowledge-gathering senses); and; and also; and Devahūti; and for all; and the paraphernalia; as also; as much as; as well; as well as; but; certainly; either; however; indeed; only; or; over and above; respectively; the word ca; this word ca; thus; totally; unlimitedly; verily.—also; itiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigiti

thus; all these; also; and so on; as; as such; considering all these things; considering in that way; here; in this way (after giving everything to the brāhmaṇas); in this way; it is thus; known by these names; like that; like this; so it is; such; taking it as; that; therefore; they; this; thus (Hariścandra said); thus (saying out of contempt); thus (thinking in the above-mentioned way); thus (thinking); thus; thus accepted; thus accepting the words of Lord Brahmā; thus deciding; thus stated; thus thinking; thus vituperating.—therefore; rahasyamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrahasyam

mysteries; mystery; solitary.—mystery; hiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bighi

addressed; all; also; and above all; and exactly; as a matter of fact; assuredly; because; because of which; certainly; certainly are; exactly; exactly like; for; for this reason; from which; in deed; in fact; indeed (You can be realized by the devotees); indeed; is certainly; only; positively; reason of; since; surely; than; though; thus; undoubtedly; without fail.—certainly; etatplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigetat

a person materially conditioned; about this; about this incident; all living entities; all these; all these details; all these events of Dakṣa's sacrifice; all these explanations; all these facts; all these incidents; all these things; all these words about the Yadu family and Vṛṣṇi family; all this; all this flesh; all those; concerning this; creation; here; inquiries; it is; like this; of all this; on this matter; such a thing; such an act; such inquiries; that; that is; the events of Dakṣa's sacrifice; the following; the following words; the mind; their; these; these incidents; these two natures; this (Bhārata-varṣa); this (body); this (form); this (maintaining body and soul together); this; this activity; this body; this body and the material manifestation; this book; this cosmic manifestation; this creation; this departure; this description; this form of Viṣṇu; this incident; this incident of delivering both Aghāsura and Kṛṣṇa's associates from death; this instruction; this is; this kind of; this knowledge; this matter; this much; this narration; this narration of the deliverance of Gajendra; this narrative; this path of liberation; this sacrifice; this science of Godhead; this situation; this universe; thus; what you have said.—this; uttamamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biguttamam

first class; most highly elevated; most powerful and opulent; the best; the highest; the supreme; topmost; transcendental; Uttama; very nice.—transcendental. 

Translation

That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science. 

Purport

There are two classes of men, namely the devotee and the demon. The Lord selected Arjuna as the recipient of this great science owing to his becoming the devotee of the Lord, but for the demon it is not possible to understand this great mysterious science. There are a number of editions of this great book of knowledge, and some of them have commentaries by the devotees, and some of them have commentaries by the demons. Commentation by the devotees is real, whereas that of the demons is useless. Arjuna accepts Śrī Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and any commentary on the Gītā following in the footsteps of Arjuna is real devotional service to the cause of this great science. The demonic, however, concoct something about Kṛṣṇa and mislead the public and general readers from the path of Kṛṣṇa’s instructions. One should try to follow the disciplic succession from Arjuna, and thus be benefitted. 

“This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. That very ancient science of the relationship with the Supreme is today told by Me to you because you are My devotee as well as My friend; therefore you can understand the transcendental mystery of this science.” (Bg. 4.2-3)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 4.2

This supreme science was thus received through the chain of disciplic succession, and the saintly kings understood it in that way. But in course of time the succession was broken, and therefore the science as it is appears to be lost. 

In Bhagavad-gītā a number of yoga systems are delineated—bhakti-yoga, karma-yoga, jñāna-yoga, haṭha-yoga—and therefore it is here called yoga. The word yoga means “to link up,” and the idea is that in yoga we link our consciousness to God. It is a means for reuniting with God or re-establishing our relationship with Him. In the course of time, this yoga imparted by Śrī Kṛṣṇa was lost. Why is this? Were there no learned sages at the time Śrī Kṛṣṇa was speaking to Arjuna? No, there were many sages present at the time. By “lost” it is meant that the purport of Bhagavad-gītā was lost. Scholars may give their own interpretation of Bhagavad-gītā, analyzing it according to their own whims, but that is not Bhagavad-gītā. This is the point that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is stressing, and a student of Bhagavad-gītā should note it. A person may be a very good scholar from the material point of view, but that does not qualify him to comment on Bhagavad-gītā. In order to understand Bhagavad-gītā, we have to accept the principle of disciplic succession (paramparā). We must enter into the spirit of Bhagavad-gītā and not approach it simply from the viewpoint of erudition. 

Of all people, why did Śrī Kṛṣṇa select Arjuna as a recipient of this knowledge? Arjuna was not a great scholar at all, nor was he a yogī, meditator or a holy man. He was a warrior about to engage in battle. There were many great sages living at the time, and Śrī Kṛṣṇa could have given Bhagavad-gītā to them. The answer is that despite being an ordinary man, Arjuna had one great qualification: bhakto ‘si me sakhā ceti: “You are My devotee and My friend.” This was Arjuna’s exceptional qualification, a qualification which the sages did not have. Arjuna knew that Kṛṣṇa was the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and therefore he surrendered himself unto Him, accepting Him as his spiritual master. Unless one is a devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s, he cannot possibly understand Bhagavad-gītā. If one wants to understand Bhagavad-gītā, he cannot take help from other methods. He must understand it as prescribed in Bhagavad-gītā itself, by understanding it as Arjuna understood it. If we wish to understand Bhagavad-gītā in a different way, or give an individual interpretation, that may be an exhibition of our scholarship, but it is not Bhagavad-gītā. 

By scholarship we may be able to manufacture some theory of Bhagavad-gītā, just as Mahātmā Gandhi did when he interpreted Bhagavad-gītā in an effort to support his theory of nonviolence. How is it possible to prove nonviolence from Bhagavad-gītā? The very theme of Bhagavad-gītā involves Arjuna’s reluctance to fight and Kṛṣṇa’s inducing him to kill his opponents. In fact, Kṛṣṇa tells Arjuna that the battle had already been decided by the Supreme, that the people who were assembled on the battlefield were predestined never to return. It was Kṛṣṇa’s program that the warriors were all destined to die, and Kṛṣṇa gave Arjuna the opportunity of taking the credit of conquering them. If fighting is proclaimed a necessity in Bhagavad-gītā, how is it possible to prove nonviolence from it? Such interpretations are attempts to distort Bhagavad-gītā. As soon as the Gītā is interpreted according to the motive of an individual, the purpose is lost. It is stated that we cannot attain the conclusion of the Vedic literature by the force of our own logic or argument. There are many things which do not come within the jurisdiction of our sense of logic. As far as scriptures are concerned, we find different scriptures describing the Absolute Truth in different ways. If we analyze all of them, there will be bewilderment. There are also many philosophers with different opinions, and they’re always contradicting one another. If the truth cannot be understood by reading various scriptures, by logical argument or philosophical theories, then how can it be attained? The fact is that the wisdom of the Absolute Truth is very confidential, but if we follow the authorities, it can be understood. 

In India, there are disciplic successions coming from Rāmānujācārya, Madhvācārya, Nimbārka, Viṣṇu Svāmī and other great sages. The Vedic literatures are understood through the superior spiritual masters. Arjuna understood Bhagavad-gītā from Kṛṣṇa, and if we wish to understand it, we have to understand it from Arjuna, not from any other source. If we have any knowledge of Bhagavad-gītā, we have to see how it tallies with the understanding of Arjuna. If we understand Bhagavad-gītā in the same way that Arjuna did, we should know that our understanding is correct. This should be the criteria for our studying of Bhagavad-gītā. If we actually want to receive benefit from Bhagavad-gītā, we have to follow this principle. Bhagavad-gītā is not an ordinary book of knowledge which we can purchase from the market place, read and merely consult a dictionary to understand. This is not possible. If it were, Kṛṣṇa would never have told Arjuna that the science was lost. 

It is not difficult to understand the necessity of going through the disciplic succession to understand Bhagavad-gītā. If we wish to be a lawyer, an engineer or doctor, we have to receive knowledge from the authoritative lawyers, engineers and doctors. A new lawyer has to become an apprentice of an experienced lawyer, or a young man studying to be a doctor has to become an intern and work with those who are already licensed practitioners. Our knowledge of a subject cannot be perfectionalized unless we receive it through authoritative sources. 

There are two processes for attaining knowledge—one is inductive and the other is deductive. The deductive method is considered to be more perfect. We may take a premise such as, “All men are mortal,” and no one need discuss how man is mortal. It is generally accepted that this is the case. The deductive conclusion is: “Mr. Johnson is a man; therefore Mr. Johnson is mortal.” But how is the premise that all men are mortal arrived at? Followers of the inductive method wish to arrive at this premise through experiment and observations. We may thus study that this man died and that man died, etc., and after seeing that so many men have died we may conclude or generalize that all men are mortal, but there is a major defect in this inductive method, and that is that our experience is limited. We may never have seen a man who is not mortal, but we are judging this on our personal experience, which is finite. Our senses have limited power, and there are so many defects in our conditional state. The inductive process consequently is not always perfect, whereas the deductive process from a source of perfect knowledge is perfect. The Vedic process is such a process. 

Although the authority is acknowledged, there are many passages in Bhagavad-gītā which appear to be dogmatic. For instance, in the Seventh Chapter Śrī Kṛṣṇa says: 

mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat
kiñcid asti dhanañjaya
mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ
sūtre maṇi-gaṇā iva

“O conqueror of wealth (Arjuna), there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.” (Bg. 7.7)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 7.7

O conquerer of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread. 

Śrī Kṛṣṇa is saying that there is no authority greater than Him, and this appears to be very dogmatic. If I say, “There is no one greater than me,” people would think, “Oh, Swāmījī is very proud.” If a man who is conditioned by so many imperfections says that he is the greatest of all, he blasphemes. But Kṛṣṇa can say this, for we can understand from the histories that even while He was on this earth, He was considered the greatest personality of His time. Indeed, He was the greatest in all fields of activity. 

According to the Vedic system, knowledge which is achieved from the greatest authority is to be considered perfect. According to the Vedas, there are three kinds of proof: pratyakṣa, anumāna and śabda. One is by direct visual perception. If a person is sitting in front of me, I can see him sitting there, and my knowledge of his sitting there is received through my eyes. The second method, anumāna, is auricular: we may hear children playing outside, and by hearing we can conjecture that they are there. And the third method is the method of taking truths from a higher authority. Such a saying as “Man is mortal” is accepted from higher authorities. Everyone accepts this, but no one has experienced that all men are mortal. By tradition, we have to accept this. If someone asks, “Who found this truth first? Did you discover it?” it is very difficult to say. All we can say is that the knowledge is coming down and that we accept it. Out of the three methods of acquiring knowledge, the Vedas say that the third method, that of receiving knowledge from higher authorities, is the most perfect. Direct perception is always imperfect, especially in the conditional stage of life. By direct perception we can see that the sun is just like a disc, no larger than the plate we eat on. From scientists, however, we come to understand that the sun is many thousands of times larger than the earth. So what are we to accept? Are we to accept the scientific proclamation, the proclamation of authorities, or our own experience? Although we cannot ourselves prove how large the sun is, we accept the verdict of astronomers. In this way we are accepting the statements of authorities in every field of our activities. From newspapers and radio we also understand that such and such events are taking place in China and India and other places all around the earth. We’re not experiencing these events directly, and we don’t know that such events are actually taking place, but we accept the authority of the newspapers and radio. We have no choice but to believe authorities in order to get knowledge. And when the authority is perfect, our knowledge is perfect. 

According to the Vedic sources, of all authorities Kṛṣṇa is the greatest and most perfect (mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg. 7.7]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 7.7

O conquerer of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.). Not only does Kṛṣṇa proclaim Himself to be the highest authority, but this is also accepted by great sages and scholars of Bhagavad-gītā. If we do not accept Kṛṣṇa as authority and take His words as they are, we cannot derive any benefit from Bhagavad-gītā. It is not dogmatic; it is a fact. If we study scrutinizingly what Kṛṣṇa says, we will find that it is right. Even scholars like Śaṅkarācārya, who have different opinions from the Personality of Godhead, admit that Kṛṣṇa is svayaṁ bhagavān—Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Lord. 

Vedic knowledge is not a recent discovery. It is all old revealed knowledge. Kṛṣṇa refers to it as purātanaḥ, which means ancient. Kṛṣṇa says that millions of years before He spoke this yoga to the sun-god, and we do not know how many millions of years before that He spoke it to someone else. This knowledge is always being repeated, just as summer, autumn, winter and spring are repeated every year. Our fund of knowledge is very poor; we do not even know the history of this planet more than 5,000 years back, but the Vedic literatures give us histories extending millions of years ago. Just because we have no knowledge of what happened 3,000 years ago on this planet, we cannot conclude that there was no history then. Of course one can disclaim the historical validity of Kṛṣṇa. One may say that Kṛṣṇa, according to Mahābhārata, lived 5,000 years ago, and this being the case, there is no possibility of His having spoken Bhagavad-gītā to the sun god so many millions of years before. If I said that I gave a speech on the sun some millions of years ago to the sun-god, people would say, “Swāmījī is speaking some nonsense.” But this is not the case with Kṛṣṇa, for He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Whether we believe that Kṛṣṇa spoke Bhagavad-gītā to the sun-god or not, this fact is being accepted by Arjuna. Arjuna accepted Kṛṣṇa as the Supreme Lord, and therefore he knew that it was quite possible for Kṛṣṇa to have spoken to someone millions of years before. Although Arjuna personally accepts the statements of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, in order to clarify the situation for people who would come after him, he asks: 

aparaṁ bhavato janma
paraṁ janma vivasvataḥ
katham etad vijānīyāṁ
tvam ādau proktavān iti

“The sun-god Vivasvān is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him?” (Bg. 4.4)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 4.4

Arjuna said: The sun-god Vivasvān is senior by birth to You. How am I to understand that in the beginning You instructed this science to him? 

Actually this is a very intelligent question, and Kṛṣṇa answers it in this way: 

bahūni me vyatītāni
janmāni tava cārjuna
tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

“Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!” (Bg. 4.5)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 4.5

The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy! 

Although Kṛṣṇa is God, He incarnates many, many times. Arjuna, being a living entity, also takes his birth many, many times. The difference between the Supreme Personality of Godhead and a living entity is, tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi: Kṛṣṇa remembers the events of His past incarnations, whereas the living entity cannot remember. That is one of the differences between God and man. God is eternal, and we are also eternal, but the difference is that we are always changing our bodies. At death we forget the events of our lifetime; death means forgetfulness, that’s all. At night, when we go to sleep, we forget that we are the husband of such and such a wife and the father of such and such children. We forget ourselves in sleep, but when we wake up, we remember, “Oh, I am so and so, and I must do such and such.” It is a fact that in our previous lives we had other bodies with other families, fathers, mothers and so on in other countries, but we have forgotten all of these. We might have been dogs or cats or men or gods—whatever we were we have now forgotten. 

Despite all these changes, as living entities, we are eternal. Just as in previous lives we have prepared for this body, in this lifetime we are preparing for another body. We get our bodies according to our karma, or activities. Those who are in the mode of goodness are promoted to higher planets, in a higher status of life (Bg. 14.14)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 14.14

When one dies in the mode of goodness, he attains to the pure higher planets.. Those who die in the mode of passion remain on earth, and those who die in the mode of ignorance may fall into the animal species of life or may be transferred to a lower planet (Bg. 14.15)plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 14.15

When one dies in the mode of passion, he takes birth among those engaged in fruitive activities; and when he dies in the mode of ignorance, he takes birth in the animal kingdom.. This is the process that has been going on, but we forget it. 

At one time, Indra, the king of heaven, committed an offense at the feet of his spiritual master, and his spiritual master cursed him to take the birth of a hog. Thus the throne of the heavenly kingdom became empty as Indra went to earth to become a hog. Seeing the situation, Brahmā came to earth and addressed the hog: “My dear sir, you have become a hog on this planet earth. I have come to deliver you. Come with me at once.” But the hog replied:. “Oh I cannot go with you. I have so many responsibilities—my children, wife and this nice hog society.” Even though Brahmā promised to take him back to heaven, Indra, in the form of a hog, refused. This is called forgetfulness. Similarly, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa comes and says to us, “What are you doing in this material world? Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja [Bg. 18.66]plugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBhagavad-gītā As It Is 18.66

Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.. Come to Me, and I’ll give you all protection.” But we say, “I don’t believe You Sir. I have more important business here.” This is the position of the conditioned soul—forgetfulness. This forgetfulness is quickly dissipated by following in the path of disciplic succession.