Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11 Verse 55 — Visvarupa Darsana Yoga
Sanskrit
मत्कर्मकृन्मत्परमो मद्भक्तः सङ्गवर्जितः | निर्वैरः सर्वभूतेषु यः स मामेति पाण्डव ||११-५५||
Transliteration
matkarmakṛnmatparamo madbhaktaḥ saṅgavarjitaḥ . nirvairaḥ sarvabhūteṣu yaḥ sa māmeti pāṇḍava ||11-55||
Hindi Meaning
।।11.55।। हे पाण्डव! जो पुरुष मेरे लिए ही कर्म करने वाला है, और मुझे ही परम लक्ष्य मानता है, जो मेरा भक्त है तथा संगरहित है, जो भूतमात्र के प्रति निर्वैर है, वह मुझे प्राप्त होता है।।
English Meaning
My dear Arjuna, he who engages in My pure devotional service, free from the contaminations of fruitive activities and mental speculation, he who works for Me, who makes Me the supreme goal of his life, and who is friendly to every living being – he certainly comes to Me.
Commentary
Anyone who wants to approach the supreme of all the Personalities of Godhead, on the Kṛṣṇaloka planet in the spiritual sky, and be intimately connected with the Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa, must take this formula, as stated by the Supreme Himself. Therefore, this verse is considered to be the essence of Bhagavad-gītā . The Bhagavad-gītā is a book directed to the conditioned souls, who are engaged in the material world with the purpose of lording it over nature and who do not know of the real, spiritual life. The Bhagavad-gītā is meant to show how one can understand his spiritual existence and his eternal relationship with the supreme spiritual personality and to teach one how to go back home, back to Godhead. Now here is the verse which clearly explains the process by which one can attain success in his spiritual activity: devotional service. As far as work is concerned, one should transfer his energy entirely to Kṛṣṇa conscious activities. As stated in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.2.255), anāsaktasya viṣayān yathārham upayuñjataḥ nirbandhaḥ kṛṣṇa-sambandhe yuktaṁ vairāgyam ucyate No work should be done by any man except in relationship to Kṛṣṇa. This is called kṛṣṇa-karma. One may be engaged in various activities, but one should not be attached to the result of his work; the result should be done only for Him. For example, one may be engaged in business, but to transform that activity into Kṛṣṇa consciousness, one has to do business for Kṛṣṇa. If Kṛṣṇa is the proprietor of the business, then Kṛṣṇa should enjoy the profit of the business. If a businessman is in possession of thousands and thousands of dollars, and if he has to offer all this to Kṛṣṇa, he can do it. This is work for Kṛṣṇa. Instead of constructing a big building for his sense gratification, he can construct a nice temple for Kṛṣṇa, and he can install the Deity of Kṛṣṇa and arrange for the Deity’s service, as is outlined in the authorized books of devotional service. This is all kṛṣṇa-karma. One should not be attached to the result of his work, but the result should be offered to Kṛṣṇa, and one should accept as prasādam the remnants of offerings to Kṛṣṇa. If one constructs a very big building for Kṛṣṇa and installs the Deity of Kṛṣṇa, one is not prohibited from living there, but it is understood that the proprietor of the building is Kṛṣṇa. That is called Kṛṣṇa consciousness. If, however, one is not able to construct a temple for Kṛṣṇa, one can engage himself in cleansing the temple of Kṛṣṇa; that is also kṛṣṇa-karma. One can cultivate a garden. Anyone who has land – in India, at least, any poor man has a certain amount of land – can utilize that for Kṛṣṇa by growing flowers to offer Him. One can sow tulasī plants, because tulasī leaves are very important and Kṛṣṇa has recommended this in Bhagavad-gītā . Patraṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ toyam. Kṛṣṇa desires that one offer Him either a leaf, or a flower, or fruit, or a little water – and by such an offering He is satisfied. This leaf especially refers to the tulasī. So one can sow tulasī and pour water on the plant. Thus, even the poorest man can engage in the service of Kṛṣṇa. These are some of the examples of how one can engage in working for Kṛṣṇa. The word mat-paramaḥ refers to one who considers the association of Kṛṣṇa in His supreme abode to be the highest perfection of life. Such a person does not wish to be elevated to the higher planets such as the moon or sun or heavenly planets, or even the highest planet of this universe, Brahmaloka. He has no attraction for that. He is only attracted to being transferred to the spiritual sky. And even in the spiritual sky he is not satisfied with merging into the glowing brahma-jyotir effulgence, for he wants to enter the highest spiritual planet, namely Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana. He has full knowledge of that planet, and therefore he is not interested in any other. As indicated by the word mad-bhaktaḥ, he fully engages in devotional service, specifically in the nine processes of devotional engagement: hearing, chanting, remembering, worshiping, serving the lotus feet of the Lord, offering prayers, carrying out the orders of the Lord, making friends with Him, and surrendering everything to Him. One can engage in all nine devotional processes, or eight, or seven, or at least in one, and that will surely make one perfect. The term saṅga-varjitaḥ is very significant. One should disassociate himself from persons who are against Kṛṣṇa. Not only are the atheistic persons against Kṛṣṇa, but so also are those who are attracted to fruitive activities and mental speculation. Therefore the pure form of devotional service is described in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (1.1.11) as follows: anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānu- śīlanaṁ bhaktir uttamā In this verse Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī clearly states that if anyone wants to execute unalloyed devotional service, he must be freed from all kinds of material contamination. He must be freed from the association of persons who are addicted to fruitive activities and mental speculation. When, freed from such unwanted association and from the contamination of material desires, one favorably cultivates knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, that is called pure devotional service. Ānukūlyasya saṅkalpaḥ prātikūlyasya varjanam ( Hari-bhakti-vilāsa 11.676). One should think of Kṛṣṇa and act for Kṛṣṇa favorably, not unfavorably. Kaṁsa was an enemy of Kṛṣṇa’s. From the very beginning of Kṛṣṇa’s birth, Kaṁsa planned in so many ways to kill Him, and because he was always unsuccessful, he was always thinking of Kṛṣṇa. Thus while working, while eating and while sleeping, he was always Kṛṣṇa conscious in every respect, but that Kṛṣṇa consciousness was not favorable, and therefore in spite of his always thinking of Kṛṣṇa twenty-four hours a day, he was considered a demon, and Kṛṣṇa at last killed him. Of course anyone who is killed by Kṛṣṇa attains salvation immediately, but that is not the aim of the pure devotee. The pure devotee does not even want salvation. He does not want to be transferred even to the highest planet, Goloka Vṛndāvana. His only objective is to serve Kṛṣṇa wherever he may be. A devotee of Kṛṣṇa is friendly to everyone. Therefore it is said here that he has no enemy ( nirvairaḥ ). How is this? A devotee situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness knows that only devotional service to Kṛṣṇa can relieve a person from all the problems of life. He has personal experience of this, and therefore he wants to introduce this system, Kṛṣṇa consciousness, into human society. There are many examples in history of devotees of the Lord who risked their lives for the spreading of God consciousness. The favorite example is Lord Jesus Christ. He was crucified by the nondevotees, but he sacrificed his life for spreading God consciousness. Of course, it would be superficial to understand that he was killed. Similarly, in India also there are many examples, such as Ṭhākura Haridāsa and Prahlāda Mahārāja. Why such risk? Because they wanted to spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness, and it is difficult. A Kṛṣṇa conscious person knows that if a man is suffering it is due to his forgetfulness of his eternal relationship with Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, the highest benefit one can render to human society is relieving one’s neighbor from all material problems. In such a way, a pure devotee is engaged in the service of the Lord. Now, we can imagine how merciful Kṛṣṇa is to those engaged in His service, risking everything for Him. Therefore it is certain that such persons must reach the supreme planet after leaving the body. In summary, the universal form of Kṛṣṇa, which is a temporary manifestation, and the form of time which devours everything, and even the form of Viṣṇu, four-handed, have all been exhibited by Kṛṣṇa. Thus Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all these manifestations. It is not that Kṛṣṇa is a manifestation of the original viśva-rūpa, or Viṣṇu. Kṛṣṇa is the origin of all forms. There are hundreds and thousands of Viṣṇus, but for a devotee no form of Kṛṣṇa is important but the original form, two-handed Śyāmasundara. In the Brahma-saṁhitā it is stated that those who are attached to the Śyāmasundara form of Kṛṣṇa in love and devotion can see Him always within the heart and cannot see anything else. One should understand, therefore, that the purport of this Eleventh Chapter is that the form of Kṛṣṇa is essential and supreme. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta s to the Eleventh Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā in the matter of the Universal Form.
Hinglish Commentary
Jo bhi insaan sabse uchi shakhsiyat, yani Supreme Personality, Kṛṣṇa ke saath judna chahta hai, usko is formula ko apnana padega jo ki Kṛṣṇa ne khud bataya hai. Isliye yeh verse Bhagavad-gītā ka essence maana jaata hai. Bhagavad-gītā un logon ke liye hai jo is material duniya mein hain aur unhe asli spiritual life ka pata nahi. Is kitab ka maksad yeh dikhana hai ki kaise hum apni spiritual existence aur Kṛṣṇa ke saath apne eternal relationship ko samajh sakte hain, aur kaise hum wapas apne ghar, yani Godhead, jaa sakte hain. Yeh verse bilkul clear hai ki kaise kisi bhi insaan ko apne spiritual activities mein success mil sakti hai: devotional service ke zariye. Kaam ke maamle mein, humein apni energy ko poori tarah se Kṛṣṇa conscious activities mein laga dena chahiye. Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu mein kaha gaya hai ki koi bhi kaam sirf Kṛṣṇa ke sambandh mein kiya jaana chahiye, isko kṛṣṇa-karma kaha jaata hai. Aap alag-alag activities mein busy ho sakte hain, lekin aapko apne kaam ke result se attached nahi hona chahiye; wo result sirf Kṛṣṇa ke liye hona chahiye. Jaise agar aap business kar rahe hain, toh usko Kṛṣṇa ke liye karna hoga. Agar Kṛṣṇa us business ka malik hai, toh profit bhi Kṛṣṇa ko dena chahiye. Agar koi businessman hazaron dollars ka malik hai, toh wo sab Kṛṣṇa ko offer kar sakta hai. Yeh Kṛṣṇa ke liye kaam hai. Agar wo apne liye ek bada building banane ki jagah, Kṛṣṇa ke liye ek sundar mandir banata hai, toh yeh bhi kṛṣṇa-karma hai. Aur agar koi temple nahi bana sakta, toh wo Kṛṣṇa ke mandir ko saaf karne me bhi engage ho sakta hai. Koi bhi insaan jo zameen rakhta hai, wo Kṛṣṇa ke liye phool uga sakta hai, jaise tulasī, jo Kṛṣṇa ko bahut pasand hai. Kṛṣṇa kehate hain ki agar koi patta, phool, ya thoda paani bhi unhe diya jaaye, toh wo khush hote hain. Toh sabse gareeb insaan bhi Kṛṣṇa ki seva mein lag sakta hai. Yeh sab examples hain ki kaise hum Kṛṣṇa ke liye kaam kar sakte hain. Jo log Kṛṣṇa ki supreme abode mein milne ko sabse badi perfection samajhte hain, unka mat-paramaḥ hai. Aise log higher planets jaise chanda ya surya ki taraf nahi dekhte, unka bas ek hi sapna hota hai, spiritual sky mein jaana. Aur woh bhi brahma-jyotir mein merge hone se khush nahi hote, unhe sirf Kṛṣṇaloka, Goloka Vṛndāvana mein jaana hota hai. Unhe us planet ki poori knowledge hoti hai, aur isi wajah se wo kisi aur cheez mein interested nahi hote. Jo log bhakti mein engaged hain, wo nine processes ko follow karte hain: sunna, gaana, yaad rakhna, pooja karna, Lord ke lotus feet ki seva karna, prarthna karna, Lord ke orders ko follow karna, unse dosti karna, aur unhe sab kuch surrender karna. Kisi bhi devotee ko in processes mein se ek ya zyada mein engage hona chahiye, aur yeh unhe perfect bana dega. Saṅga-varjitaḥ ka matlab hai ki humein un logon se door rehna chahiye jo Kṛṣṇa ke against hain. Yeh sirf atheists nahi hain, balki jo log fruitive activities aur mental speculation mein hain, wo bhi ismein shamil hain. Isliye, shuddh bhakti ke liye kisi bhi tarah ki material contamination se door rehna zaroori hai. Jab hum aise unwanted associations se free hote hain aur Kṛṣṇa ki knowledge ko positively cultivate karte hain, tab wo shuddh bhakti hoti hai. Humein Kṛṣṇa ke liye sochna aur kaam karna chahiye, na ki unke against. Kaṁsa, jo Kṛṣṇa ka dushman tha, usne Kṛṣṇa ko maarne ki bohot koshish ki, lekin wo hamesha unsuccessful raha. Is wajah se wo hamesha Kṛṣṇa ke baare mein sochta raha, lekin uska Kṛṣṇa consciousness favorable nahi tha, aur isliye wo ek demon tha. Kṛṣṇa ne usse mara diya, lekin jo Kṛṣṇa ke liye bhakti karte hain, unka aim sirf seva karna hota hai, na ki salvation ya kisi aur planet par jaana. Kṛṣṇa ka devotee sabke liye dosti rakhta hai, isliye yahan kaha gaya hai ki uska koi dushman nahi hai. Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein jo devotee hai, wo jaanta hai ki sirf Kṛṣṇa ki bhakti hi sab problems ka hal hai. Isliye, wo is system ko society mein spread karne ke liye koshish karta hai. Itne saare historical examples hain jahan devotees ne apni jaan ki parwah kiye bina Kṛṣṇa consciousness ko spread kiya, jaise Lord Jesus Christ, jo non-devotees dwara crucified hue, lekin unhone God consciousness ke liye apni jaan di. India mein bhi bohot saare examples hain, jaise Ṭhākura Haridāsa aur Prahlāda Mahārāja. Yeh sab risk kyun? Kyunki wo Kṛṣṇa consciousness ko spread karna chahte the, jo ki mushkil hai. Kṛṣṇa conscious insaan jaanta hai ki agar koi insaan suffer kar raha hai, toh wo Kṛṣṇa ke saath apne eternal relationship ko bhoolne ki wajah se hai. Isliye, sabse bada benefit jo hum insaaniyat ko de sakte hain, wo hai apne padosi ko material problems se nikaalna. Is tarah, ek pure devotee Kṛṣṇa ki seva mein engaged rehta hai. Ab sochiye, Kṛṣṇa kitne dayalu hain un logon ke liye jo unki seva karte hain aur unke liye sab kuch risk lete hain. Isliye yeh pakka hai ki aise log apne sharir ko chhodne ke baad supreme planet tak zaroor pahunchte hain. Ant mein, Kṛṣṇa ka universal form, jo ek temporary manifestation hai, aur time ka form, jo sab kuch kha jaata hai, wo sab Kṛṣṇa dwara dikhaya gaya hai. Kṛṣṇa sab manifestations ka origin hai. Yeh nahi hai ki Kṛṣṇa kisi original viśva-rūpa ya Viṣṇu ka manifestation hai. Kṛṣṇa sab forms ka origin hai. Bohot saare Viṣṇus hain, lekin ek devotee ke liye Kṛṣṇa ka asli form, yani do haath wala Śyāmasundara, sabse important hai. Brahma-saṁhitā mein kaha gaya hai ki jo log Śyāmasundara form se prem aur bhakti se jude hue hain, wo hamesha apne dil mein Kṛṣṇa ko dekh sakte hain aur kuch aur nahi dekh sakte. Isliye, is Eleventh Chapter ka maksad yeh hai ki Kṛṣṇa ka form essential aur supreme hai.
Chinmaya Commentary
अर्जुन ने यह सुना कि अनन्यभक्ति के द्वारा कोई भी भक्त भगवान् के समष्टि वैभव को न केवल पहचान ही सकता है वरन् स्वयं में ही उसका साक्षात् अनुभव भी कर सकता है। तब पाण्डव राजपुत्र के मुख पर उस अनुभव या पद को प्राप्त करने की उत्सुकता दिखाई दी। यद्यपि उसने स्पष्ट प्रश्न नहीं किया तथापि उसके मुख के भाव से ही उसे समझकर भगवान् श्रीकृष्ण यहाँ वर्णन करते हैं कि कोई साधक जीवन में इस पूर्णत्व को कैसे प्राप्त कर सकता है।किसी जीव को ईश्वरत्व प्राप्त करने का श्रीकृष्ण द्वारा उपदिष्ट योजना के पांच अंग हैं। उन पांच अंगों या आवश्यक गुणों को इस श्लोक में बताया गया है। वे गुण हैं जो ईश्वरार्पण बुद्धि से कर्म करता है जिसका परम लक्ष्य ईश्वर ही है जो ईश्वर का भक्त है जो आसक्तियों से रहित है तथा जो भूतमात्र के प्रति वैरभाव से रहित है।इन पांच आवश्यक गुणों में आत्मसंयम की सम्पूर्ण साधना का सारांश दिया गया है। ईश्वर के अखण्ड स्मरण से ही समस्त उपाधियों के कर्मों में अनासक्ति का भाव दृढ़ होता है। किसी व्यक्ति के प्रति वैरभाव तभी होता है जब हम उसे पराया समझते हैं। मेरे ही दोनों हाथों के मध्य कोई वैरभाव नहीं हो सकता। आत्मैकत्व के बोध से जब सर्वत्र एकता का दर्शन और अनुभव होता है केवल तभी समस्त भूतों के प्रति पूर्ण निर्वैरभाव प्राप्त हो सकता है।मन और बुद्धि के स्तर पर सर्वथा अनासक्ति होना असंभव है। मन और बुद्धि किसी वस्तु या व्यक्ति के प्रति आसक्ति के बिना नहीं रह सकते हैं। इसलिए एक साधक सर्वप्रथम ईश्वरार्पण की भावना के द्वारा विषयासक्ति को त्यागना सीखता है और तत्पश्चात् अपने मन को भक्ति के साथ ईश्वर में स्थित कर देता है। इस अंग की पूर्णता के लिए पूर्व कथित गुण निश्चय ही सहायक होते हैं।इस प्रकार सम्पूर्ण योजना का पुनरावलोकन करने पर ज्ञात होगा कि वह पूर्ण मनोवैज्ञानिक होने के कारण सर्वथा स्वीकार्य है। प्रत्येक उत्तर अंग अपने पूर्व अंग से पोषित होता है। इस श्लोक से यह भी स्पष्ट ज्ञात होता है कि अध्यात्म के साधक की महान् पवित्र तीर्थयात्रा ईश्वरार्पण बुद्धि से कर्म करने से प्रारम्भ होती है। तत्पश्चात् स्वयं ईश्वर ही उसके जीवन का परम लक्ष्य बन जाता है। इसका परिणाम होगा ईश्वर के प्रति परम प्रेम। स्वाभाविक है कि जगत् की अनित्य परिच्छिन्न वस्तुओं के साथ उसकी आसक्ति समाप्त हो जायेगी और वह आत्मा का दर्शन कर सकेगा। जब स्वयं आत्मस्वरूप ही बनकर वह स्वयं को सर्वत्र सब भूतों में पहचानेगा तब उसका किसी भी प्राणी से किसी प्रकार का वैर नहीं होगा।गीता के अनुसार साधना के द्वारा प्राप्त आत्मसाक्षात्कार की पूर्णता की कसौटी है सबसे प्रेम और किसी से द्वेष नहीं होना। तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषस्तु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रेश्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे विश्वरूपदर्शनयोगो नाम एकादशोऽध्याय।।इस प्रकार श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवाद के रूप में ब्रह्मविद्या और योगशास्त्रस्वरूप श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतोपनिषद् का विश्वरूप दर्शनयोग नामक ग्यारहवां अध्याय समाप्त होता है।इस अध्याय का विश्वरूपदर्शनयोग यह नाम सार्थक है। वेदान्तशास्त्र की परिभाषिक शब्दावली के अनुसार यहाँ प्रयुक्त विश्वरूप शब्द का वास्तविक अर्थ विराट्रूप है। आत्मा एक व्यष्टि स्थूल देह के साथ तादात्म्य को प्राप्त होकर जाग्रत् अवस्था की घटनाओं का अनुभव करता है। इस अवस्था में स्थित आत्मा को वेदान्त में विश्व कहा जाता है। वही आत्मा समष्टि स्थूल देह अर्थात् ब्रह्माण्ड के साथ तादात्म्य प्राप्त कर विराट् कहलाता है। यद्यपि यहाँ भगवान् ने अपना विराट्रूप दिखाया है तथापि इस अध्याय का नाम विश्वरूपदर्शनयोग है। इससे विश्व और विराट् के पारमार्थिक एकत्व का बोध होता है।