Bhagavad-gītā 4.20

Pradyumna: [leads chanting of verse, etc.] [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat]

tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgaṁ nitya-tṛpto nirāśrayaḥ karmaṅy abhipravṛtto 'pi naiva kiñcit karoti saḥ [Bg 4.20]

[break] [02:06]

Translation: "Abandoning all attachment to the results of his activities, ever satisfied and independent, he performs no fruitive action, although engaged in all kinds of undertakings."

Prabhupāda:

tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgaṁ nitya-tṛpto nirāśrayaḥ karmaṅy abhipravṛtto 'pi naiva kiñcit karoti saḥ [Bg 4.20]

First of all I shall translate this into Hindi. Then I shall speak in English. [Hindi] So tyaktvā karma-phalāsaṅgam. This is very difficult task. Everyone is expecting some result for his personal benefit: "How much I have gained by this business?" That is our disease, everyone. Idam adya mayā labdham imaṁ prāpsye punar dhanam [Bg 6.13].

[One should hold one's body, neck and head erect in a straight line and stare steadily at the tip of the nose. Thus with an unagitated, subdued mind, devoid of fear, completely free from sex life, one should meditate upon Me within the heart and make Me the ultimate goal of life.]

All the people of the world, they are struggling hard for existence, simply calculating that "This much I have achieved today, and this much I'll achieve tomorrow. In this way my bank balance will be increased more and more." That is very much explained in the Sixteenth Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā: āsuri. Pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā vidur āsura-janāḥ [Bg 16.7]. Āsura-janāḥ.

[aside:] Just find out the page, Sixteenth Chapter. Āsura-janāḥ. [Hindi] Oh, I will continue in...

Asuric means non-devotees. Atheist. Asuric. What is the page?

Pradyumna:

pravṛttiṁ ca nivṛttiṁ ca janā na vidur āsuraḥ na śaucaṁ... [Bg 16.7]

Prabhupāda: What is the page number?

Pradyumna: Seven-thirty-one.

Prabhupāda: So in the Sixteenth Chapter it has been explained that what is the difference between atheist and theist, or persons with God consciousness and persons without God consciousness. So it is said,

dvau bhūta-sargau loke 'smin daiva āsura eva ca daivi vistaraśaḥ prokta āsuraṁ pārtha me śṛṅu [Bg 16.6]

[O son of Pṛthā, in this world there are two kinds of created beings. One is called the divine and the other demonic. I have already explained to you at length the divine qualities. Now hear from Me of the demoniac.]

Kṛṣṅa is explaining that there are two classes of men, loke, in every place or every planet. Some planets are full of asuras. They are called asura-loka. And another place it is said that "Who are the asuras and who are the devas?" Viṣṅu-bhakto bhaved daiva āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ.

Even a... There are many demigods. The demigods worshiper are also demons. Only viṣṅu-bhakto bhaved daivaḥ. Viṣṅu-bhakta, those who are devotee of the Supreme Lord Personality of Godhead, Viṣṅu... Oṁ tad viṣṅoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paśyanti sūrayaḥ [Ṛg Veda 1.22.20].

[The lotus feet of Lord Viṣṅu are the supreme objective of all the demigods. These lotus feet of the Lord are as enlightening as the sun in the sky.]

This is Ṛg Veda mantra. Sūrayaḥ and asūrayaḥ. Those who are sūraya, devas, demigods, they are simply worshiping tad viṣṅoḥ paramaṁ padam, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And āsuras tad-viparyayaḥ. And asura means just opposite number. Opposite number means those who are not interested in Viṣṅu worship. Na te viduḥ svārtha-gatiṁ hi viṣṅum [SB 7.5.31].

[Persons who are strongly entrapped by the consciousness of enjoying material life, and who have therefore accepted as their leader or guru a similar blind man attached to external sense objects, cannot understand that the goal of life is to return home, back to Godhead, and engage in the service of Lord Viṣṅu. As blind men guided by another blind man miss the right path and fall into a ditch, materially attached men led by another materially attached man are bound by the ropes of fruitive labor, which are made of very strong cords, and they continue again and again in materialistic life, suffering the threefold miseries.]

They do not know that ultimate goal of life—to approach Viṣṅu, Lord Viṣṅu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

So asuras, they are engaged for fruitive result. They are working, but they are expecting that "I shall enjoy the result." So that freedom is given to everyone, that "You can work at your responsibility and enjoy or suffer." Just like state has given everyone individuality, everyone freedom: "You act as you like. But if you act criminally, then you will be punished." That you cannot avoid. You have been given freedom, "You act whatever you like," but if you violate the laws of the state, then you are to be punished, criminal. Similarly, the same thing is there in God's kingdom, that we have been given freedom, we have got little freedom because we are part and parcel of God. Mamaivāṁśo jīva-bhūtaḥ [Bg 15.7]. Kṛṣṅa says, "All these living entities, they are My minute particles, minute part of My body." Just like father is the part of the body..., er, son is the part of body of father, similarly, we are also part and parcel of the transcendental body of Kṛṣṅa. That is our real identity, spiritual identity.

So therefore Kṛṣṅa has got freedom, full freedom, so we have got also freedom in minute quantity. That is our position. That freedom, if we use properly, then we are happy, and if we misuse improperly, then we are unhappy. But freedom is there. Kṛṣṅa says that sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

He is requesting Arjuna that "You just surrender unto Me." He is all-powerful. He can force anyone and everyone to be surrendered to Him, but that He does not do. That is not Kṛṣṅa's business. He gives freedom. Because Kṛṣṅa has given you little freedom, so He does not want to interfere with your freedom. Then what is the meaning of giving freedom? That is Kṛṣṅa's business.

Yathecchasi tathā kuru [Bg 18.63]. Kṛṣṅa says, Arjuna, "Now I have explained to you the whole Bhagavad-gītā. Now what is your decision? You can do whatever you like." Because Kṛṣṅa..., Arjuna's decision was that "I shall not fight. I am not going to kill my brothers and nephews and teachers and grandfather. Kṛṣṅa, excuse me. I will not fight." So therefore Kṛṣṅa instructed him the whole Bhagavad-gītā science. Now, after hearing Bhagavad-gītā, He asked, because he has got the freedom, "Now what is your decision?" Yathecchasi tathā kuru [Bg 18.63]. "Whatever you like, you can do. You can reject My proposal or you can accept." This is freedom. Then Kṛṣṅa..., Arjuna said, "Yes," kariṣye vacanaṁ tava [Bg 18.73],

[Arjuna said, My dear Kṛṣṅa, O infallible one, my illusion is now gone. I have regained my memory by Your mercy, and I am now firm and free from doubt and am prepared to act according to Your instructions.]

"I shall accept Your proposal."

This is Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Kṛṣṅa is giving instruction to everyone. This is the way of life, to come gradually to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. All these things are being explained by Kṛṣṅa—how to work, how to gradually come to Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Because Kṛṣṅa consciousness is the original consciousness. Now it is polluted. Just like originally when the rain falls, it is pure distilled water. And as soon as touches the ground, it become polluted. Immediately dirty. Similarly, as spirit soul we are pure. As Kṛṣṅa is pure... Kṛṣṅa has explained in the Tenth Chapter, paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān, puruṣaṁ śāśvataṁ divyam [Bg 10.12].

[Arjuna said: You are the Supreme Brahman, the ultimate, the supreme abode and purifier, the Absolute Truth and the eternal divine person. You are the primal God, transcendental and original, and You are the unborn and all-pervading beauty. All the great sages such as Nārada, Asita, Devala, and Vyāsa proclaim this of You, and now You Yourself are declaring it to me.]

So pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān. Kṛṣṅa is paraṁ pavitra, complete pure. And we are part and parcel of Kṛṣṅa; we are also pure. That is our real identity. We are pure, but we have been contaminated by the touch of this material world. The same example: the rain falls, it is pure distilled water, but when it touches the surface of the earth, it becomes dirty. Therefore we see the rivers are full of dirty water. That is not the water is dirty, but because it is mixed up with the dirty dirts of the surface of the globe...

So we fall down when we deny to accept Kṛṣṅa as the Supreme or we try to imitate Kṛṣṅa, "Now why Kṛṣṅa shall be enjoyer? We shall also enjoy. Why Kṛṣṅa shall have rāsa dance? We shall also rāsa dance. Why Kṛṣṅa will marry sixteen thousand wives? We shall marry at least sixteen wives." When this competitive spirit comes, then we fall down. Fall down means Kṛṣṅa gives the chance, "All right, you also go. You also dance in the hotel, ball dance, and be complicated." Because he does not know what is rāsa dance, he imitates, ball dance. So everything, what is going on in this material world, it is imitation of Kṛṣṅa's activities. Janmādy asya yataḥ [SB 1.1.1], the Vedānta-sūtra says. Everything that is going on, it is simply generated from that original.

So... But it is contaminated, because the..., in touch with the material three qualities. Some of them are goodness, some of them are passion and some of them are ignorance. The example is given: Just like fire, big fire, and the sparks are coming out from the fire. That is natural. Similarly, the big fire is Kṛṣṅa, and we are small sparks. So the sparks sometimes fall down from the original fire, phut! phut! falls down. So falls down... When the fire sparks falls down on the dry grass, it creates fire. And if it is fallen down on the land, it keeps the fiery element for some time. But if it falls down on the water, immediately it is extinguished. Similarly, when we fall down from Kṛṣṅa's association, the fire, big fire and the spark, if we be in touch with the modes of goodness, then we keep some Kṛṣṅa consciousness. Just like the brāhmaṅas, the quality of satyaṁ śamo damas titikṣā. And if we fall down on the ground, then we keep sometimes the fiery quality. That is passion. Three qualities, goodness and passion. And if we fall down in the ignorance, just like the spark falls down on the water, then it is extinguished—no Kṛṣṅa consciousness, finished.

But it can be revived. That is explained in the Prema-vivarta,

kṛṣṅa-bahirmukha hañā bhoga vāñchā kare pasate māyā tāre jāpaṭiyā dhare [Prema-vivarta]

As soon as we want to imitate, even in the material world, those who are trying to go up again, back to home, back to Godhead... There are different processes, karma, jñāna, yoga. Kṛṣṅa is explaining the karma. How to go back again to the original consciousness, that is being described, karma, how to work. So even those who are trying for that, because that original disease is there, therefore even one who has advanced spiritually, he also says, "I am God. I am God." The same spirit, to make competition with Kṛṣṅa. The māyā is there. "Why you are going to worship Kṛṣṅa? You are God." "Oh, yes. I am God." This is the last snare of māyā. Therefore they are Māyāvādīs. Nobody can become Kṛṣṅa. Kṛṣṅa says, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñcid asti dhanañjaya [Bg 7.7].

[O conqueror of wealth [Arjuna], there is no Truth superior to Me. Everything rests upon Me, as pearls are strung on a thread.]

Nobody can be equal to Kṛṣṅa; nobody can be greater than Kṛṣṅa. Then what is the meaning of God? If there are so many rascal Gods, then what is the specific personality of God? So this is the last snare of māyā, if one is trying to become God. That is not possible. That is asuric. Āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ. They never will...

Kṛṣṅa's desire is that you surrender. Sarva-dharmān... You have manufactured so many things within this material world to become happy. This is all foolishness. You will never be happy. Therefore Kṛṣṅa says, because Kṛṣṅa loves, that you sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṅaṁ vraja [Bg 18.66].

[Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.]

But māyā says, "No. Why? You become Kṛṣṅa. You become God." This is going on. This is āsuri, āsuri bhāva. So it is very difficult to give up the āsuri bhāva.

na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuri bhāvam āśritāḥ [Bg 7.15]

[Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons, do not surrender unto Me.]

On the basis of āsuri bhāvam, one is always constantly engaged in duṣkṛtina, I mean to say, sinful activities, and mūḍha, falsely thinking that he is God. Therefore he is a mūḍha. That is the sign. A big mūḍha. Small mūḍhas, they are working hard only to become happy, and the big mūḍha, he wants to become God. The small mūḍha wants to become a minister or a president, and the big mūḍha wants to become God. The disease is the same: "I shall become the most powerful." But that is not possible. Therefore these big mūḍhas who simply falsely thinking that "I have become now liberated by meditation or by some jugglery of powers," so they have been described in the Bhāgavata as vimukta-māninaḥ. They are falsely thinking that they have become liberated, they have become Nārāyaṅa. How you can become Nārāyaṅa? The śāstra says,

yas tu nārāyaṅaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ samatvenaiva vīkṣeta sa pāṣaṅḍī bhaved dhruvam [Cc Madhya 18.116]

Nārāyaṅaṁ devam. Even Śaṅkarācārya, he says, nārāyaṅaḥ avyaktāt paraḥ: "Nārāyaṅa is transcendental. He has nothing to do with this material world."

So Vaiṣṅavas also say, yas tu nārāyaṅaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ. Brahmā, Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, they are demigods of this material world. So if one puts Nārāyaṅa even with the label of Brahmā and Rudra, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā... They are very exalted, big demigods. Lord Śiva is almost like Nārāyaṅa. Nārāyaṅa is ninety-five percent complete God, and Lord Śiva is eighty-five percent and Kṛṣṅa is cent per cent. There is analysis. So yas tu nārāyaṅaṁ devaṁ brahma-rudrādi-daivataiḥ, samatvenaiva vīkṣeta. Samatvena, equal. "Well, whatever is Nārāyaṅa, that is also Lord Śiva, that is also Lord Brahmā, that is also Goddess Kālī." This is Māyāvāda. Because the Māyāvāda philosophy is that "The Absolute Truth is impersonal. That is the final understanding. So because we cannot think of impersonal, meditate upon that, let us imagine some form." Sādhakānāṁ hitvārthāya brahmaṅo rūpa-kalpanaḥ. The Māyāvādī philosophers, they say that kalpana, "You just imagine any form." Therefore they especially recommend the five forms, the five form: the Sūrya, sun-god; Gaṅeśa and Durgā, Viṣṅu and Lord Śiva. There is also Viṣṅu. But this Viṣṅu and the Vaiṣṅava conception of Viṣṅu is different. This Viṣṅu is imagination, and Vaiṣṅava conception of Viṣṅu is reality. Kṛṣṅa is reality. Avajānanti māṁ mūḍhā mānuṣīṁ tanum āśritam [Bg 9.11].

[Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be.]

Those are mūḍhas, the same mūḍhas. Because He has come in the form of a human being, they say, "This is māyā. This Kṛṣṅa has come... The impersonal Brahman has assumed a body, accepting this body given by māyā." This is the Māyāvāda philosophy. But actually Kṛṣṅa does not come. Because Kṛṣṅa says, daivī hy eṣā guṅa-mayī mama māyā [Bg 7.14].

[This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.]

Māyā is controlled by Him. How He can accept subordinance of māyā? No. So Vaiṣṅava philosophy is very perfect philosophy according to the śāstra and Vedas. All the ācāryas confirm. So we have to follow this. Then our life will be successful.

So Kṛṣṅa is teaching how to work. How to work. Now, here He says that tyaktvā karma-phala. Now, who will be ready to work? Suppose you are doing some business and there is expectation of profit, one lakh of rupees. Now profit comes. Then if I say, "Now here is, in Bhagavad-gītā it is said, tyaktvā karma-phala: you give it up," are you ready? No. "I have with so much hard labor I have earned. Why shall I give it up?" But here it is said, tyaktvā karma-phala. Then immediately his impetus to work will be finished, that these ordinary persons, those who are karmīs, if I say that "Yes, you earn, I mean, lakhs of rupees, but you will not be allowed to take it..." Just like the Communist country. The Communist country, they are engaging people to work, but you cannot take the result. The government will take. And therefore they are not very enthusiastic. I have been in your Communist country. They are not very enthusiastic. That is, unless one can enjoy personally, he is not interested in any business. "Why shall I work so hard?" This is natural. But here it is said, tyaktvā karma-phala. The... What is the difference between the Communist philosophy and Vaiṣṅava philosophy? The Communist also says that everyone should work without expecting the result. The result will go to the government. Similarly, where the result will go? It is Communist proposal? No. That will be explained later on. Kariṣye... [break] ...is it meaning that, tyaktvā karma-phala? No. Tyaktvā karma-phala means that you should give it to Kṛṣṅa. That is tyaktvā karma-phala.

So those who are devotees, although tyaktvā karma-phalam, they are not touching the fruit, still, they are nitya-tṛpta, very satisfied. The karmīs are dissatisfied: "So I worked so hard. Now I have to give up whatever I have earned?" He becomes very, very sorry. But who becomes nitya-tṛpta? Working like this, without taking the result, still nitya-tṛpta, very satisfied. That is devotee. That is devotee. You will see these boys, these American, European boys—also some of them are Indian—they are working day and night. They are getting money also. They are making Life Members. They are selling some books. There is no scarcity of money. But they do not touch even a single paisa. It is for Kṛṣṅa. And still, they are happy. This is tyaktvā karma-phalam asaṅgam. Asaṅga means no attachment. They are bringing money and giving to me—I spend it like anything. So this is tyaktvā karma-phala-āsaṅgaṁ nitya-tṛptaḥ, very much satisfied. "I have been able to collect so much and give it to Kṛṣṅa." This is their satisfaction. Tyaktvā karma-phala-āsaṅgaṁ nitya..., nirāśrayaḥ. Don't expect any profit, no dividend. As soon as there is dividend, immediately it is material. Immediately he'll be complicated. And so long there is no expectation of dividend, then he is pure devotee. This is the difference.

Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyaṁ jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu 1.1.11].

[One should render transcendental loving service to the Supreme Lord Kṛṣṅa favorably and without desire for material profit or gain through fruitive activities or philosophical speculation. That is called pure devotional service.]

Jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam [Cc Madhya 19.167].

[When first-class devotional service develops, one must be devoid of all material desires, knowledge obtained by monistic philosophy, and fruitive action. The devotee must constantly serve Kṛṣṅa favorably, as Kṛṣṅa desires.]

This karma-phala... A devotee doesn't want karma-phala. Therefore he is not implicated. He doesn't want. Therefore it is said, karmaṅy abhipravṛtto 'pi. Although he is engaged in karma... Because superficially it looks like karma. Karma and bhakti looks the same thing. But the difference is that the result is for Kṛṣṅa and the karmī's result is for myself. That is the difference. That is the difference. Karmaṅy abhipravṛtto 'pi naiva kiñcit karoti saḥ. This is the... Although he is doing day and night, but he is still doing nothing. Doing nothing means doing, but he is not becoming entangled with the results. That is... Because karma and karma-phala, one has to accept the karma-phala, but this man who is doing everything for Kṛṣṅa, he is not becoming entangled.

That is explained in the Second Chapter also: yajñārthāt karmaṅo 'nyatra karma-bandhanaḥ [Bg 3.9].

[Work done as a sacrifice for Viṣṅu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this material world. Therefore, O son of Kuntī, perform your prescribed duties for His satisfaction, and in that way you will always remain unattached and free from bondage.]

If you don't act for Kṛṣṅa, then you will be entangled by the resultant action. But if you do it for Kṛṣṅa, then you will not be entangled. Your everything will be taken as devotion. Everything. Everything will be taken on account of devotion. And devotion means you are making progress.

māṁ ca 'vyabhicāreṅa bhakti-yogena sevate sa guṅān samatītyaitān brahma-bhūyāya kalpate [Bg 14.26]

[One who engages in full devotional service, who does not fall down in any circumstance, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.]

So activities on the platform of devotional service, without expecting any result for his personal satisfaction, means on the platform of liberation.

Thank you... [break] [end]