# Bhagavad-gita Introduction **Duration:** 26:29 <div class="video-container" style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%;"> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i4ad4N-pWxY" style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; pointer-events: auto; z-index: 10;" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4ad4N-pWxY) --- ## Transcript **[00:10]** So, I shall speak on Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. **[00:19]** The purpose of saying Bhagavad-Gita As It Is is explained that there are many editions of the Bhagavad-Gita. **[00:36]** They are interpreted in their own way, giving up the spirit of Bhagavad-Gita. **[00:45]** So this particular name, 'As It Is' significant, **[00:51]** perhaps there is no other edition of Bhagavad-Gita where it is written 'as it is.' **[00:59]** In this connection, Professor Dimock of Chicago University has written a forward, **[01:11]** and he very much appreciates the theme. **[01:18]** He says, "Swami Bhaktivedanta comments upon the Gita from this point of view, **[01:27]** and that is legitimate." **[01:31]** He accepts that Bhagavad-Gita As It Is is legitimate presentation of the great book of knowledge. **[01:42]** He also says, "More than that, in this translation the Western reader has the unique opportunity **[01:53]** of seeing how a Krsna devotee interprets his own texts." **[01:59]** So, about Krsna, the devotees actually can interpret about Krsna book. **[02:11]** Others, if they are not devotee, how they can interpret on Krsna? **[02:19]** Just like a member of a family can say very nicely about the head of the family, **[02:30]** how outsiders can say about the family? That is not possible. **[02:36]** Similarly, about Krsna, a Krsna devotee can speak nicely. Not others. **[02:45]** Others have no right to speak about Krsna, and Krsna also, admits Arjuna **[02:58]** as the right student of Bhagavad-Gita. In the beginning, Krsna says that, **[03:09]** "I have selected you as my student because you are my friend and you are my devotee." **[03:18]** So, in other words, we can understand that Bhagavad-Gita can be understood who has **[03:31]** intimate relationship with Krsna. This is, Krsna says, "You are my dear friend." **[03:37]** That he has intimate relationship with Krsna. **[03:41]** Without becoming a devotee, nobody can be intimately related with Krsna. **[03:49]** These are the factors to be understood. **[03:53]** So, this Bhagavad-Gita was spoken five thousand years ago to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kuruksetra. **[04:09]** The science of understanding God is there in this Bhagavad-Gita. **[04:24]** Bhagavad-Gita is the science of God. Everything has got some science. **[04:34]** Scientific book, to understand that particular subject matter. **[04:40]** Similarly, there are different types of concepts of God. **[04:46]** Generally, they take it as an idea but we don't take it as idea. **[04:55]** We take God as concrete fact. Just like you are seeing me, I am seeing you. **[05:06]** This is concrete fact. **[05:08]** Similarly, a God can be seen by you, and God is already seeing you. **[05:15]** There is no doubt about it. But you can see also God. **[05:19]** That process we have to understand, how to see God. **[05:26]** That process is mentioned in all the Vedic scriptures. **[05:32]** That is called bhakti-yoga, that process. **[05:38]** Krsna also says in the Bhagavad-Gita. **[05:42]** If anyone wants to know Krsna, what he is, then one has to accept the process of bhakti-yoga. **[06:00]** There are different types of yogas. **[06:04]** Yoga means linking oneself with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. **[06:12]** So, speculating yoga will not help us. You have to take concrete yoga. **[06:22]** Concrete yoga is Krsna Consciousness. **[06:28]** So, we are giving our introduction of the Bhagavad-Gita **[06:39]** that one has to understand Bhagavad-Gita as it is directed in the Bhagavad-Gita. **[06:53]** There is direction. How to read Bhagavad-Gita. **[06:57]** People are reading Bhagavad-Gita without taking the direction. **[07:04]** This we have explained in the manner that if you take some medicine, **[07:11]** there is some direction on the bottle, that this is the dose. **[07:18]** You take so many drops so many times. **[07:21]** That is direction. Similarly, for understanding Bhagavad-Gita actually, **[07:29]** you have to accept the direction as given by the author himself, Krsna. **[07:35]** He says that, long long ago, some forty millions of years ago, **[07:47]** He first spoke this Bhagavad-Gita to the Sun-God. **[07:54]** Sun-God transmitted the knowledge to his son, Manu. **[08:05]** And Manu transmitted the knowledge to his son, Iksvaku. **[08:25]** So, the raja-rsis, they are all kings. Manu is king, Maharaja Iskvaku is also king, **[08:38]** and the Sun-God Vivasvan, he is also king. He is the king of the Sun planet. **[08:47]** His grandson Iskvaku became the king of this planet, Maharaja Iskvaku. **[09:02]** In this dynasty, which is known as Raghu-vamsa, **[09:09]** Lord Ramachandra appeared. This is very old monarchical family. **[09:16]** Iskvaku. vamsa, Raghu vamsa, vamsa mean family. **[09:22]** So formerly, the kings, the head of the administrative executive, **[09:31]** they used to learn the thesis or the injunction given by God. **[09:44]** So according to Bhagavad-gita, only a devotee of Krsna, **[09:56]** a person who is intimately related with Krsna, he can understand what is Bhagavad-gita. **[10:07]** Arjuna, after hearing Bhagavad-gita from Krsna, he addressed him as Parambrahman... **[10:32]** He understood Krsna as Parambrahman. Parambrahman means the Supreme Truth. **[10:44]** Absolute Truth, Parambrahman. Brahman, the living entities, they are also called brahman, **[10:59]** but living entities are not Parambrahman. Parambrahman means Supreme. **[11:09]** So Arjuna addressed him as Parambrahman, and Paramdharman. **[11:18]** Paramdharman means the resting place of everything. **[11:25]** Everything is resting on the energy of the Supreme Lord. **[11:34]** Therefore he is called Paramdharman. **[11:37]** Just like all these planets are resting on the sunshine. **[11:43]** Sunshine is the energy of the Sun globe. **[11:52]** Similarly, this material energy is Krsna's energy. **[12:00]** And everything is material or spiritual. Everything is resting on Krsna's energy. **[12:08]** The resting place is Krsna's energy. **[12:13]** In another place, Krsna says maya tattam... **[12:32]** Krsna says that, "In my impersonal feature, I am spread everywhere." All pervading. **[12:43]** God is all pervading by his impersonal feature, namely his energy. **[12:54]** The example is given, just like heat is the energy of fire. **[13:03]** Through fire it spreads by it's heat and light. **[13:08]** The fire is one place, but the heat and light is spreading. **[13:14]** Similarly, Krsna is in his own abode, which is called Goloka Vrndavana. **[13:24]** There is a planet in the spiritual world, the topmost planet. **[13:29]** As the topmost planet within this universe is called Brahmaloka. **[13:37]** Similarly, in the spiritual sky, there is the topmost planet which is called Goloka Vrndavana. **[13:45]** That is Krsna's place. Krsna is there. **[13:50]** But He can expand himself by his different types of energies and by his different types of incarnations. **[14:03]** It does not mean that when Krsna was present on this planet, Krsna was absent in Goloka Vrndavana. **[14:15]** No. It is not like that. Just like I am now present here, I am absent in my apartment. **[14:24]** Krsna is not like that. Krsna can be present everywhere. **[14:31]** At the same time, he can remain in his own abode. **[14:36]** That is described in the Brahma-samhita. **[14:44]** Although he is in his abode, which is known as Goloka Vrndavana, he can expand himself everywhere. **[14:57]** Everywhere. And actually he has done it. So we must know how he has expanded. **[15:07]** In which way he is in contact with us. That is the science. **[15:14]** In Bhagavad-gita, these things are explained. **[15:19]** So Krsna is addressed here as Paramdharman. The resting place of everything. **[15:25]** Everything is resting. Krsna also says **[15:30]** Everything, material manifestations, is resting on him. **[15:40]** But I am not there. These contradictory things. **[15:45]** Everything is resting on him, but I am not there. But it is not contradictory. **[15:50]** It is very simple to understand. Just like, all the planets, they're resting on sunshine. **[15:58]** But the Sun is far away from the planets. Some millions of miles away.. **[16:06]** But resting on the sunshine means resting on the Sun. That's a fact. **[16:12]** Therefore Krsna says... **[16:25]** Pavitram means uncontaminate. **[16:29]** When we come to this material world, we are also spirit soul, brahman, **[16:40]** not exactly as good as Parambrahman, Krsna, but is still, **[16:48]** because we are part and parcel of Krsna, we are also brahma. Pavitram. **[16:54]** Pavitram means pure. Just like the particle of gold is also gold. **[17:02]** If gold is pure, the particle also, pure. **[17:06]** So Krsna comes to this world, we also come to this world. But we are contaminated. **[17:18]** But Krsna is not contaminated. The example is, just like in the prison house, **[17:26]** there are many prisoners but if the king, or some king's representative, minister, **[17:35]** goes into the prison, to inspect things, how things are going on, **[17:40]** it does not mean that the king or his minister is also a prisoner. He is not prisoner. **[17:49]** But we, living entities, we have been entangled with these material modes of nature. **[18:00]** But Krsna never becomes involved in these modes of material nature. **[18:07]** Therefore he is called pavitram paramam. Absolute. Pure. bhavan. **[18:17]** bhavan means pure. And purusam. Purusam he is addressed as a person. **[18:28]** God is never imperson. God is person. Exactly a person like you and me. **[18:35]** And when He appeared on this planet exactly like a human being, two hands, two legs, **[18:47]** walking like human being, talking, behaving like human being, everything. **[18:54]** So God is Purusam. Purusam means man. I mean to say, male. Not female. Male. **[19:10]** Without becoming male one cannot be enjoyer. **[19:13]** In another place it is stated that Krsna is the Supreme Enjoyer. **[19:22]** As soon as the word is used, enjoyed, he must be purusam, male. **[19:29]** So that is described. Arjuna understood him. He is a purusam. **[19:37]** Param Purusam, the Supreme Person. In another place Krsna is described as Purusottam,. **[19:44]** The best of the males. So, purusam sasvatam. sasvatam means eternal. **[19:54]** The Mayavadi philosopher, they think that the Absolute Truth is impersonal. **[20:17]** Arjuna is being advised by Krsna, "What is God?" **[20:29]** The conception of God, however we may speculate, it cannot be perfect **[20:40]** because God is unlimited. All pervading. We are limited. **[20:51]** So actually unless God Himself, He reveals Himself to the devotee, **[21:02]** it is not possible to understand what is God. **[21:07]** Therefore, God Himself, Krsna, is speaking about Himself, the processes is: **[21:23]** One has to increase attachment for Krsna. **[21:27]** We have got now attachment for material things, and we have to divert that. **[21:38]** Our position is that we must have attachment for something that is fact. **[21:49]** So now, on the bodily concept of life, we have got attachment to this body, **[21:59]** and anything pertaining to this body, we have got attachment. **[22:07]** Just like I have got attachment for my wife. Why? **[22:15]** There are millions and thousands of women beautiful women. **[22:23]** I have no attachment for them. But my attachment for my wife, **[22:30]** even though she may not be very beautiful, is a fact. Why? **[22:37]** Because due to her relation with my body. **[22:43]** Similarly, I have got attachment for my country, I have got attachment for my home, **[22:54]** my, so many things, because I am thinking I am this body, **[23:02]** and anything in connection with this body, I am thinking mine. **[23:11]** So at the present, my conception of 'I' and 'My' is wrong. **[23:22]** Therefore, if we divert that attachment to Krsna, then we can understand Krsna, **[23:34]** or God, perfectly well. **[23:38]** Krsna is just like Sun, when there is sunshine, you can see the Sun **[23:48]** and yourself also. Without sunshine, in the darkness of night, **[23:59]** neither you can see the sun nor yourself. **[24:00]** Therefore the process is... Developing Krsna Consciousness... **[24:16]** This is the yoga. Yoga means connected. **[24:24]** That yoga should be practiced in connection with Krsna. **[24:29]** Therefore he said, mad asraya. Mad means me, or mine. **[24:38]** Asraya means taking shelter. So either you take shelter of Krsna, or Krsna's representative. **[24:50]** Of course it is not possible for us to take shelter of Krsna **[24:57]** because Krsna is not present at the present moment. But His representative is there. **[25:07]** So one has to take shelter of His representative. **[25:12]** And practice bhakti-yoga, concentrating his mind on Krsna. **[25:21]** This is called Krsna Consciousness. **[25:24]** One has to take shelter of a person who's life is devoted to Krsna and under his direction, **[25:38]** we have to practice how to develop Krsna Consciousness, and then Krsna will be revealed. **[25:48]** The revelation, proportionate revelation is proportionate advancement in seeing Krsna directly.