Bhagavad Gita Chapter 2 Verse 41 — Sankhya Yoga
Sanskrit
व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकेह कुरुनन्दन | बहुशाखा ह्यनन्ताश्च बुद्धयोऽव्यवसायिनाम् ||२-४१||
Transliteration
vyavasāyātmikā buddhirekeha kurunandana . bahuśākhā hyanantāśca buddhayo.avyavasāyinām ||2-41||
Hindi Meaning
।।2.41।। हे कुरुनन्दन ! इस (विषय) में निश्चयात्मक बुद्धि एक ही है, अज्ञानी पुरुषों की बुद्धियां (संकल्प) बहुत भेदों वाली और अनन्त होती हैं।।
English Meaning
Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.
Commentary
A strong faith that by Kṛṣṇa consciousness one will be elevated to the highest perfection of life is called vyavasāyātmikā intelligence. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Madhya 22.62) states: ‘śraddhā’-śabde – viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is engaged in the duties of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he need not act in relationship to the material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity or nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one’s reactions from past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by progressive Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The resolute purpose of a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is based on knowledge. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the rare good soul who knows perfectly that Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa, is the root of all manifested causes. As by watering the root of a tree one automatically distributes water to the leaves and branches, so by acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can render the highest service to everyone – namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied by one’s actions, then everyone will be satisfied. Service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As such, to be well versed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as one’s mission in life. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master, as follows: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam “By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master.” The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul beyond the conception of the body – not theoretically but practically, when there is no longer a chance for sense gratification manifested in fruitive activities. One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various types of fruitive acts.
Hinglish Commentary
Kṛṣṇa ki bhakti mein ek majboot vishwas rakhna, jo humein jeevan ki sabse unchai par le jaata hai, ise vyavasāyātmikā intelligence kaha jaata hai. Caitanya-caritāmṛta mein likha hai ki “śraddhā” ka matlab hai Kṛṣṇa par pura bharosa rakhna, jisse humari saari karmasiddhi ho jaati hai. Jab hum Kṛṣṇa ki bhakti mein lage hote hain, toh humein duniya ki material obligations, jaise parivaar, samaj ya rashtravad se nahi judna padta. Fruitive activities toh bas humare purane karmon ka prabhav hain, lekin jab hum Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein jagrit hote hain, toh humein achhe parinaamon ke liye koshish karne ki zarurat nahi hoti. Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein sabhi karmas absolute plane par hote hain, kyunki inme achha-bura nahi hota. Iska sabse uncha roop hai material jeevan ki samajh se renunciation. Yeh avastha Kṛṣṇa consciousness ke vikas se khud hi prapt hoti hai. Ek vyakti ka Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein dridh sankalp gyaan par aadharit hota hai. Vāsudeva hi sab kuch hai, yeh samajhne wala vyakti ek rare atma hota hai, jo jaanta hai ki Kṛṣṇa hi sabhi cheezon ka mool hai. Jaise ek ped ki jad ko paani dene se uske patte aur shaakhein bhi paani paati hain, waise hi Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein kaam karke hum sabhi ko sabse bada seva de sakte hain – apne aap, parivaar, samaj, desh, aur insaniyat ko. Agar Kṛṣṇa humare karmon se khush hain, toh sab khush honge. Lekin Kṛṣṇa consciousness ka seva sahi tareeke se tabhi hota hai jab hum ek genuine spiritual master ki guidance lete hain, jo Kṛṣṇa ka asli pratinidhi hota hai aur jo student ki prakriti ko samajhta hai. Isliye, Kṛṣṇa consciousness mein achha karne ke liye humein mazbooti se kaam karna chahiye aur Kṛṣṇa ke pratinidhi ki baatein apne jeevan ka mission samajhkar apnana chahiye. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura kehte hain ki spiritual master ki khushi se Bhagwan bhi khush hote hain, aur unhe khush na karne par Kṛṣṇa consciousness ki unchai par nahi pahunch sakte. Isliye, humein din mein teen baar unki kripa ke liye dhyaan aur prarthana karni chahiye, aur unhe apne guru ke roop mein samman dena chahiye. Yeh poora process tabhi sambhav hai jab hum aatma ke gyaan ko samjhein, jo sharir ki soch se pare hai – na sirf theory mein, balki practically, jab hum sense gratification ke liye koi koshish nahi karte. Jo vyakti apne man mein dridh nahi hai, wo alag-alag fruitive acts se bhatak jaata hai.
Chinmaya Commentary
कर्मयोग के साधन से आत्मसाक्षात्कार की सर्वोच्च उपलब्धि केवल इसलिये सम्भव है कि साधक दृढ़ निश्चय और एकाग्र चित्त से इसका अभ्यास करता है। जो लोग फल प्राप्ति की असंख्य इच्छाओं से प्रेरित हुये कर्म करते हैं उनका व्यक्तित्व विखरा हुआ रहता है और इस कारण एकाग्र चित्त होकर वे किसी भी क्षेत्र में सतत् कार्य नहीं कर सकते जिसका एक मात्र परिणाम उन्हें मिलता है विनाशकारी असफलता।इस श्लोक में संक्षेप में सफलता का रहस्य बताया गया है। निश्चयात्मक बुद्धि से कार्य करने पर किसी भी क्षेत्र में निश्चय ही सफलता मिलती है। परन्तु सामान्यत लोग असंख्य इच्छायें करते हैं जो अनेक बार परस्पर विरोधी होती हैं और स्वाभाविक ही उन्हें पूर्ण करने में मन की शक्ति को खोकर थक जाते हैं। इसे ही संकल्प विकल्प का खेल कहते हैं जो मनुष्य की सफलता के समस्त अवसरों को लूट ले जाता है।