Qualification needed to understand Bhagavad Gita
1.)Mayapur Feb 26 1977
Prabhupāda: It is said, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. (aside:) If there are outsiders, they should be given plate. [break] The dhīras tatra na muhyati [Bg. 2.13]. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ [Bg. 4.2]. These words are there. Actually to understand this Kṛṣṇa philosophy, it is not for ordinary person.
Brahmānanda: What is the qualification for understanding?
Prabhupāda: These things are there. Imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ. The rājarṣi means the topmost class. Rāja means government or the king. So simply the government man or the king will not suffice. He must be ṛṣi, saintly person. So, topmost man in the society, at the same time, he must be saintly. That is the qualification of understanding Bhagavad-gītā. Kṛṣṇa uses this word, imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ.
Brahmānanda: Sometimes we see that an Indian, he’s living at least a more saintly life than the life that we have led, but sometimes we are more qualified to hear than some Indian men.
Prabhupāda: Yes, because you have got qualification-dhīra. What I say, you hear with patience. And those who are adhīra, they cannot. Sometimes… Aye. (someone enters) You can come this side. [break] Two words is very important. One is, that in the beginning one must be dhīra, not restless.Restlessness is for the animal, or a child. He is restless. He cannot understand. An animal, a cat and dog… Sometimes they remain very silent before the master, but not always. Their habit is not silent. So this understanding, that “I am not this body,” is not possible for, say, restless person, that “I am not this body.” It is specially mentioned in the Bhagavad-gītā, dhīra. He must not be a restless animal, always busy. Just like monkey. Monkey is always busy. But as soon as the monkey comes, everyone knows he is very busy. He can jump very nicely. And immediately they take a stick, “Get out! Get out! Get out!” Busy fool. Fool, if he remains little silent, so he does less harm. But if he is busy, he is more harmful. So this is the position at the present moment, that people are kept in the animal civilization and they are busy. So they are creating more harm. It is not for the good of the society. They are creating more harm. This dehātma-buddhi is the conception of the animals.
yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]
So this dehātma-buddhi, “I am this body,” is very strong at the present. They think dehātma-buddhi, extended, is very good. And that I was speaking, that a person is taking care of his own body or own dress, but they say, “We shall not take care of my body but for others body also, my son’s body, my grandson’s body, my relative’s body.” So that means extending the activities of taking care of the dress. So that I said, that a washerman is taking care of many people’s dress, but that does not mean that he is very elevated man. He is nothing but a washerman. But people are interested to take care of the dress. This body is described in the Bhagavad-gītā as dress. Vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya [Bg. 2.22]. We are changing the dress. And so long we are interested with dress of the body, not of the body, so the person who has got this body will remain animal. Sa eva go-kharaḥ [SB 10.84.13]. So people are not prepared even to hear about this distinction, that “I am not this body; you are not this body.” The modern civilization has trained up, educated people, in such a way that the more you think yourself, “I am this body—’I am American,’ ‘I am Indian,’ ‘I am brāhmaṇa,’ ‘I am this, I am that’ “—and you feel and act like that and create trouble like that, then you are called civilized. Is it not? This is the defect of modern civilization. The more you keep yourself in the darkness of accepting this body as yourself-national feeling, social feeling, family feeling, community feeling-then... But we are speaking from a different platform. Our movement is Kṛṣṇa consciousness. So Kṛṣṇa begins His teaching from a different platform. He begins from the platform of the soul. Dhīras tatra na muhyati. His teaching to Arjuna begins, first of all convincing him that “You are not this body.” And He’s describing the nature of the soul-na jāyate na mriyate vā kadācin na hanyate—in so many ways, adāhyo ‘yam aśoṣyo ‘yam, so many. Find out this verse. Who will find out? Hm.
2.)Vrndavana Aug 13 1974
Prabhupāda: So Nārada Muni, by the grace of the mahātmās, he could understand that this material position is very dangerous, and… Dangerous means duḥkhālayam, always miserable condition. But one cannot understand. Unless he’s Kṛṣṇa conscious, he cannot understand what is the miserable condition of this material world. He cannot understand. This is māyā. He’s suffering, but he’s thinking, “I am happy.” This is called māyā. So when one becomes Kṛṣṇa conscious by the grace of the Supreme Personality, guru krsna, by the grace of guru and Kṛṣṇa, then he understands that this place, this material world, is full of miseries. Then brahma jijnasa. But foolishly people do not understand that it is a miserable condition.
3.)750919SB.VRN Lectures
So to forget Krsna and to become subjected to the condition of
material nature, that is called material life. Material life means to
give up the idea of going back to home, back to Godhead, but making
plan here to be happy. This is called maya, or material life.
Some Conclusions-What is the qualification to understand Bhagavad Gita? Srila Prabhupada tells us above there are two things-one must become saintly and dhira or, non restless,or patient. One time he also described impatience- as a lack of goodness. More good reasons for living in the country on your own farm land-the mode of goodness automatically comes with the food.
The next thing he tells us is that unless one actually is Krsna Conscious, he will not be able to understand that this place is meant only for misery, and consequently will always be making plans for some so called happiness. Therefore we have the early chapters in BG meant for such persons-Karma yoga, jnana yoga, astanga yoga, and finally after many lifetimes when we really do understand-100% of only bhakti yoga for the serious practitioner .
Hare Krsna
damaghosa das
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Today’s Deity Darshan