Krishna Katha - Verse for meditation - 10/10/2013 - Melbourne Ekadasi reminder Tuesday 15th OCT

BG 2.71

 

vihaya kaman yah sarvan

pumams carati nihsprhah

nirmamo nirahankarah

sa santim adhigacchati

 

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.

PURPORT

To become desireless means not to desire anything for sense gratification. In other words, desire for becoming Krsna conscious is actually desirelessness. To understand one's actual position as the eternal servitor of Krsna, without falsely claiming this material body to be oneself and without falsely claiming proprietorship over anything in the world, is the perfect stage of Krsna consciousness. One who is situated in this perfect stage knows that because Krsna is the proprietor of everything, everything must be used for the satisfaction of Krsna. Arjuna did not want to fight for his own sense satisfaction, but when he became fully Krsna conscious he fought because Krsna wanted him to fight. For himself there was no desire to fight, but for Krsna the same Arjuna fought to his best ability. Real desirelessness is desire for the satisfaction of Krsna, not an artificial attempt to abolish desires. The living entity cannot be desireless or senseless, but he does have to change the quality of the desires. A materially desireless person certainly knows that everything belongs to Krsna (isavasyam idam sarvam), and therefore he does not falsely claim proprietorship over anything. This transcendental knowledge is based on self-realization—namely, knowing perfectly well that every living entity is an eternal part and parcel of Krsna in spiritual identity, and that the eternal position of the living entity is therefore never on the level of Krsna or greater than Him. This understanding of Krsna consciousness is the basic principle of real peace.

 

SB 1.2.10

kamasya nendriya-pritir

labho jiveta yavata

jivasya tattva-jijñasa

nartho yas ceha karmabhih

 

 

Life's desires should never be directed toward sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life, or self-preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the Absolute Truth. Nothing else should be the goal of one's works.

Suta Gosvami

Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu 1.1.11

 

anyabhilasita-sunyam

jnana-karmady-anavrtam

anukulyena krsnanu-

silanam bhaktir uttama

 

anya-abhilasita-sunyam-without desires other than those for the service of Lord Krsna, or without material desires (such as those for meateating, illicit sex, gambling and addiction to intoxicants); jnana-by the knowledge of the philosophy of the monist Mayavadis; karma-by fruitive activities; adi-by artificially practicing detachment, by the mechanical practice of yoga, by studying the Sankhya philosophy and so on; anavrtam-uncovered; anukulyena-favorable; krsna-anu-silanam-cultivation of service in relationship to Krsna; bhaktih-uttama-first-class devotional service.

 

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 Krsna favorably, as Krsna desires.

(quoted in Cc. Madhya 19.167)