Part 2 - Bhagavad Gita Nectar Verses

 

bhogaiśvarya-prasaktānāṁ (2.44)
tayāpah
ṛta-cetasām
vyavasāyātmikā buddhi

samādhau na vidhīyate

bhoga — to material enjoyment; aiśvarya — and opulence; prasaktānām — for those who are attached; tayā — by such things; apahṛta-cetasām — bewildered in mind; vyavasāya-ātmikā — fixed in determination; buddhi — devotional service to the Lord; samādhau — in the controlled mind; na — never; vidhīyate — does take place.

In the minds of those who are too attached to sense enjoyment and material opulence, and who are bewildered by such things, the resolute determination for devotional service to the Supreme Lord does not take place.

trai-guṇya-viṣayā vedā (2.45)
nistrai-gu
ṇyo bhavārjuna
nirdvandvo nitya-sattva-stho
niryoga-kṣema ātmavān

trai-guṇya — pertaining to the three modes of material nature; viṣayā — on the subject matter; vedā — Vedic literatures; nistrai-guṇya — transcendental to the three modes of material nature; bhava — be; arjuna — O Arjuna; nirdvandva — without duality; nitya-sattva-stha — in a pure state of spiritual existence; niryoga-kṣema — free from ideas of gain and protection; ātma-vān — established in the self.

The Vedas deal mainly with the subject of the three modes of material nature. O Arjuna, become transcendental to these three modes. Be free from all dualities and from all anxieties for gain and safety, and be established in the self.

yāvān artha uda-pāne (2.46)
sarvata
ḥ samplutodake
tāvān sarveṣu vedeṣu
brāhma
ṇasya vijānata

yāvān — all that; artha — is meant; uda-pāne — in a well of water; sarvata — in all respects; sampluta-udake — in a great reservoir of water; tāvān — similarly; sarveṣu — in all; vedeṣu — Vedic literatures; brāhmaṇasya — of the man who knows the Supreme Brahman; vijānata — who is in complete knowledge.

All purposes served by a small well can at once be served by a great reservoir of water. Similarly, all the purposes of the Vedas can be served to one who knows the purpose behind them.

karmaṇy evādhikāras te (2.47)
mā phaleṣu kadācana
mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr
mā te sa
ṅgo ’stv akarmaṇi

karmaṇi — in prescribed duties; eva — certainly; adhikāra — right; te — of you; — never; phaleṣu — in the fruits; kadācana — at any time; — never; karma-phala — in the result of the work; hetu — cause; bhū — become; — never; te — of you; saṅga — attachment; astu — there should be; akarmaṇi — in not doing prescribed duties.

You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action. Never consider yourself the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.

yoga-sthaḥ kuru karmāṇi (2.48)
sa
ṅgaṁ tyaktvā dhanañ-jaya
siddhy-asiddhyo
ḥ samo bhūtvā
samatva
ṁ yoga ucyate

yoga-stha — equipoised; kuru — perform; karmāṇi — your duties; saṅgam — attachment; tyaktvā — giving up; dhanam-jaya — O Arjuna; siddhi-asiddhyo — in success and failure; sama — equipoised; bhūtvā — becoming; samatvam — equanimity; yogayoga; ucyate — is called.

Perform your duty equipoised, O Arjuna, abandoning all attachment to success or failure. Such equanimity is called yoga.

dūreṇa hy avaraṁ karma (2.49)
buddhi-yogād dhanañ-jaya
buddhau śara
ṇam anviccha
k
ṛpaṇāḥ phala-hetava

dūreṇa — discard it at a long distance; hi — certainly; avaram — abominable; karma — activity; buddhi-yogāt — on the strength of Kṛṇa consciousness; dhanam-jaya — O conqueror of wealth; buddhau — in such consciousness; śaraṇam — full surrender; anviccha — try for; kṛpaṇā — misers; phala-hetava — those desiring fruitive results.

O Dhanañjaya, keep all abominable activities far distant by devotional service, and in that consciousness surrender unto the Lord. Those who want to enjoy the fruits of their work are misers.

buddhi-yukto jahātīha (2.50)
ubhe suk
ṛta-duṣkṛte
tasmād yogāya yujyasva
yoga
ḥ karmasu kauśalam

buddhi-yukta — one who is engaged in devotional service; jahāti — can get rid of; iha — in this life; ubhe — both; sukṛta-duṣkṛte — good and bad results; tasmāt — therefore; yogāya — for the sake of devotional service; yujyasva — be so engaged; yoga — Kṛṇa consciousness; karmasu — in all activities; kauśalam — art.

A man engaged in devotional service rids himself of both good and bad reactions even in this life. Therefore strive for yoga, which is the art of all work.

karma-jaṁ buddhi-yuktā hi (2.51)
phala
ṁ tyaktvā manīṣiṇa
janma-bandha-vinirmuktā

pada
ṁ gacchanty anāmayam

karma-jam — due to fruitive activities; buddhi-yuktā — being engaged in devotional service; hi — certainly; phalam — results; tyaktvā — giving up; manīṣiṇa — great sages or devotees; janma-bandha — from the bondage of birth and death; vinirmuktā — liberated; padam — position; gacchanti — they reach; anāmayam — without miseries.

By thus engaging in devotional service to the Lord, great sages or devotees free themselves from the results of work in the material world. In this way they become free from the cycle of birth and death and attain the state beyond all miseries [by going back to Godhead].

yadā te moha-kalilaṁ (2.52)
buddhir vyatitariṣyati
tadā gantāsi nirveda

śrotavyasya śrutasya ca

yadā — when; te — your; moha — of illusion; kalilam — dense forest; buddhi — transcendental service with intelligence; vyatitariṣyati — surpasses; tadā — at that time; gantā asi — you shall go; nirvedam — callousness; śrotavyasya — toward all that is to be heard; śrutasya — all that is already heard; ca — also.

When your intelligence has passed out of the dense forest of delusion, you shall become indifferent to all that has been heard and all that is to be heard.

śruti-vipratipannā te (2.53)
yadā sthāsyati niścalā
samādhāv acalā buddhis
tadā yogam avāpsyasi

śruti — of Vedic revelation; vipratipannā — without being influenced by the fruitive results; te — your; yadā — when; sthāsyati — remains; niścalā — unmoved; samādhau — in transcendental consciousness, or Kṛṇa consciousness; acalā — unflinching; buddhi — intelligence; tadā — at that time; yogam — self-realization; avāpsyasi — you will achieve.

When your mind is no longer disturbed by the flowery language of the Vedas, and when it remains fixed in the trance of self-realization, then you will have attained the divine consciousness.

śrī-bhagavān uvāca (2.55)
prajahāti yadā kāmān
sarvān pārtha mano-gatān
ātmany evātmanā tuṣṭaḥ
sthita-prajñas tadocyate

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; prajahāti — gives up; yadā — when; kāmān — desires for sense gratification; sarvān — of all varieties; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; mana-gatān — of mental concoction; ātmani — in the pure state of the soul; eva — certainly; ātmanā — by the purified mind; tuṣṭa — satisfied; sthita-prajña — transcendentally situated; tadā — at that time; ucyate — is said.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O Pārtha, when a man 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, then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.

duḥkheṣv anudvigna-manāḥ (2.56)
sukheṣu vigata-sp
ṛha
vīta-rāga-bhaya-krodha

sthita-dhīr munir ucyate

duḥkheṣu — in the threefold miseries; anudvigna-manā — without being agitated in mind; sukheṣu — in happiness; vigata-spṛha — without being interested; vīta — free from; rāga — attachment; bhaya — fear; krodha — and anger; sthita-dhī — whose mind is steady; muni — a sage; ucyate — is called.

One who is not disturbed in mind even amidst the threefold miseries or elated when there is happiness, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady mind.

yaḥ sarvatrānabhisnehas (2.57)
tat tat prāpya śubhāśubham
nābhinandati na dveṣ
ṭi
tasya prajñā pratiṣ
ṭhitā

ya — one who; sarvatra — everywhere; anabhisneha — without affection; tat — that; tat — that; prāpya — achieving; śubha — good; aśubham — evil; na — never; abhinandati — praises; na — never; dveṣṭi — envies; tasya — his; prajñā — perfect knowledge; pratiṣṭhitā — fixed.

In the material world, one who is unaffected by whatever good or evil he may obtain, neither praising it nor despising it, is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge.

yadā saṁharate cāyaṁ (2.58)
kūrmo ’
ṅgānīva sarvaśa
indriyā
ṇīndriyārthebhyas
tasya prajñā pratiṣ
ṭhitā

yadā — when; saṁharate — winds up; ca — also; ayam — he; kūrma — tortoise; aṅgāni — limbs; iva — like; sarvaśa — altogether; indriyāṇi — senses; indriya-arthebhya — from the sense objects; tasya — his; prajñā — consciousness; pratiṣṭhitā — fixed.

One who is able to withdraw his senses from sense objects, as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell, is firmly fixed in perfect consciousness.

viṣayā vinivartante (2.59)
nirāhārasya dehina

rasa-varja
ṁ raso ’py asya
para
ṁ dṭvā nivartate

viṣayā — objects for sense enjoyment; vinivartante — are practiced to be refrained from; nirāhārasya — by negative restrictions; dehina — for the embodied; rasa-varjam — giving up the taste; rasa — sense of enjoyment; api — although there is; asya — his; param — far superior things; dṭvā — by experiencing; nivartate — he ceases from.

Though the embodied soul may be restricted from sense enjoyment, the taste for sense objects remains. But, ceasing such engagements by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.

yatato hy api kaunteya (2.60)
puruṣasya vipaścita

indriyā
ṇi pramāthīni
haranti prasabha
ṁ mana

yatata — while endeavoring; hi — certainly; api — in spite of; kaunteya — O son of Kuntī; puruṣasya — of a man; vipaścita — full of discriminating knowledge; indriyāṇi — the senses; pramāthīni — agitating; haranti — throw; prasabham — by force; mana — the mind.

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.

tāni sarvāṇi saṁyamya (2.61)
yukta āsīta mat-para

vaśe hi yasyendriyā
ṇi
tasya prajñā pratiṣ
ṭhitā

tāni — those senses; sarvāṇi — all; saṁyamya — keeping under control; yukta — engaged; āsīta — should be situated; mat-para — in relationship with Me; vaśe — in full subjugation; hi — certainly; yasya — one whose; indriyāṇi — senses; tasya — his; prajñā — consciousness; pratiṣṭhitā — fixed.

One who restrains his senses, keeping them under full control, and fixes his consciousness upon Me, is known as a man of steady intelligence.

dhyāyato viṣayān puṁsaḥ (2.62)
sa
ṅgas teṣūpajāyate
sa
ṅgāt sañjāyate kāma
kāmāt krodho ’bhijāyate

dhyāyata — while contemplating; viṣayān — sense objects; puṁsa — of a person; saṅga — attachment; teṣu — in the sense objects; upajāyate — develops; saṅgāt — from attachment; sañjāyate — develops; kāma — desire; kāmāt — from desire; krodha — anger; abhijāyate — becomes manifest.

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

krodhād bhavati sammohaḥ (2.63)
sammohāt sm
ṛti-vibhrama
sm
ṛti-bhraṁśād buddhi-nāśo
buddhi-nāśāt pra
ṇaśyati

krodhāt — from anger; bhavati — takes place; sammoha — perfect illusion; sammohāt — from illusion; smṛti — of memory; vibhrama — bewilderment; smṛti-bhraṁśāt — after bewilderment of memory; buddhi-nāśa — loss of intelligence; buddhi-nāśāt — and from loss of intelligence; praṇaśyati — one falls down.

From anger, complete delusion arises, and from delusion bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, intelligence is lost, and when intelligence is lost one falls down again into the material pool.

rāga-dveṣa-vimuktais tu (2.64)
viṣayān indriyaiś caran
ātma-vaśyair vidheyātmā
prasādam adhigacchati

rāga — attachment; dveṣa — and detachment; vimuktai — by one who has become free from; tu — but; viṣayān — sense objects; indriyai — by the senses; caran — acting upon; ātma-vaśyai — under one’s control; vidheya-ātmā — one who follows regulated freedom; prasādam — the mercy of the Lord; adhigacchati — attains.

But a person free from all attachment and aversion and able to control his senses through regulative principles of freedom can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord.

prasāde sarva-duḥkhānāṁ (2.65)
hānir asyopajāyate
prasanna-cetaso hy āśu
buddhi
ḥ paryavatiṣṭhate

prasāde — on achievement of the causeless mercy of the Lord; sarva — of all; duḥkhānām — material miseries; hāni — destruction; asya — his; upajāyate — takes place; prasanna-cetasa — of the happy-minded; hi — certainly; āśu — very soon; buddhi — intelligence; pari — sufficiently; avatiṣṭhate — becomes established.

For one thus satisfied [in Kṇa consciousness], the threefold miseries of material existence exist no longer; in such satisfied consciousness, one’s intelligence is soon well established.

nāsti buddhir ayuktasya (2.66)
na cāyuktasya bhāvanā
na cābhāvayata
ḥ śāntir
aśāntasya kuta
ḥ sukham

na asti — there cannot be; buddhi — transcendental intelligence; ayuktasya — of one who is not connected (with Kṛṇa consciousness); na — not; ca — and; ayuktasya — of one devoid of Kṛṇa consciousness; bhāvanā — fixed mind (in happiness); na — not; ca — and; abhāvayata — of one who is not fixed; śānti — peace; aśāntasya — of the unpeaceful; kuta — where is; sukham — happiness.

One who is not connected with the Supreme [in Kṇa consciousness] can have neither transcendental intelligence nor a steady mind, without which there is no possibility of peace. And how can there be any happiness without peace?

indriyāṇāṁ hi caratāṁ (2.67)
yan mano ’nuvidhīyate
tad asya harati prajñā

vāyur nāvam ivāmbhasi

indriyāṇām — of the senses; hi — certainly; caratām — while roaming; yat — with which; mana — the mind; anuvidhīyate — becomes constantly engaged; tat — that; asya — his; harati — takes away; prajñām — intelligence; vāyu — wind; nāvam — a boat; iva — like; ambhasi — on the water.

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.

yā niśā sarva-bhūtānāṁ (2.69)
tasyā
ṁ jāgarti saṁyamī
yasyā
ṁ jāgrati bhūtāni
sā niśā paśyato mune

— what; niśā — is night; sarva — all; bhūtānām — of living entities; tasyām — in that; jāgarti — is wakeful; saṁyamī — the self-controlled; yasyām — in which; jāgrati — are awake; bhūtāni — all beings; — that is; niśā — night; paśyata — for the introspective; mune — sage.

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.

āpūryamāṇam acala-pratiṣṭhaṁ (2.70)
samudram āpa
ḥ praviśanti yadvat
tadvat kāmā ya
ṁ praviśanti sarve
sa śāntim āpnoti na kāma-kāmī

āpūryamāṇam — always being filled; acala-pratiṣṭham — steadily situated; samudram — the ocean; āpa — waters; praviśanti — enter; yadvat — as; tadvat — so; kāmā — desires; yam — unto whom; praviśanti — enter; sarve — all; sa — that person; śāntim — peace; āpnoti — achieves; na — not; kāma-kāmī — one who desires to fulfill desires.

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.

vihāya kāmān yaḥ sarvān (2.71)
pumā
ṁś carati niḥspṛha
nirmamo niraha
ṅkāra
sa śāntim adhigacchati

vihāya — giving up; kāmān — material desires for sense gratification; ya — who; sarvān — all; pumān — a person; carati — lives; niḥspṛha — desireless; nirmama — without a sense of proprietorship; nirahaṅkāra — without false ego; sa — he; śāntim — perfect peace; adhigacchati — attains.

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.

eṣā brāhmī sthitiḥ pārtha (2.72)
nainā
ṁ prāpya vimuhyati
sthitvāsyām anta-kāle ’pi
brahma-nirvā
ṇam ṛcchati

eṣā — this; brāhmī — spiritual; sthiti — situation; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; na — never; enām — this; prāpya — achieving; vimuhyati — one is bewildered; sthitvā — being situated; asyām — in this; anta-kāle — at the end of life; api — also; brahma-nirvāṇam — the spiritual kingdom of God; ṛcchati — one attains.

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.