yat karmabhir yat tapasa
jnana-vairagyatas ca yat
yogena dana-dharmena
sreyobhir itarair api
sarvam mad-bhakti-yogena
mad-bhakto labhate 'njasa
svargapavargam mad-dhama
kathancid yadi vanchati
TRANSLATION
Everything that can be achieved by fruitive activities, penance, knowledge, detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties and all other means of perfecting life is easily achieved by My devotee through loving service unto Me. If somehow or other My devotee desires promotion to heaven, liberation, or residence in My abode, he easily achieves such benedictions.
PURPORT
Lord Krishna here reveals the transcendental glories of devotional service to the Lord. Although pure devotees are desireless, desiring only the Lord's service, sometimes a great devotee may desire the Lord's benediction to facilitate his loving service. In the Sixth Canto of the Bhagavatam we find that Sri Citraketu, a great devotee of the Lord, desired promotion to heaven so that accompanied by the most attractive ladies of the Vidyadhara planet he could beautifully chant the glories of the Lord. Similarly, Sri Sukadeva Gosvami, the great narrator of Srimad-Bhagavatam, desiring to avoid entanglement in the illusory potency of the Lord, would not come out of his mother's womb. In other words, Sukadeva Gosvami desired apavargam, or liberation from maya, so that his devotional service would not be disturbed. Lord Krishna personally sent the illusory energy far away so that Sukadeva Gosvami would come out of his mother's womb. Because of intense loving desire to serve the lotus feet of the Lord, a devotee may also desire promotion to the spiritual world.
According to Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura, a devotee, having given up the independent cultivation of knowledge and detachment, may have firm faith in the devotional service of the Lord and yet remain slightly attached to the fruits of such activities. By expert fruitive activities one gains residence in material heaven, and by cultivation of detachment one is relieved of all bodily distress. If Lord Krishna detects within a devotee's heart the desire for such benedictions, the Lord can easily award them to His devotee.
The word itaraih in this verse indicates visiting holy places, accepting religious vows and so forth. Several auspicious processes of elevation are mentioned in the verse preceding this, but all the auspicious results of these processes are easily achieved by loving service to the Lord. Thus all devotees of the Lord, in whatever stage of advancement, should dedicate their energy exclusively to the Lord's service, as affirmed in the Second Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam by Sri Sukadeva Gosvami:
akamah sarva-kamo va
moksha-kama udara-dhih
tivrena bhakti-yogena
yajeta purusham param
"A person who has broader intelligence, whether he be full of all material desire, without any material desire or desiring liberation, must by all means worship the supreme whole, the Personality of Godhead." (Bhag. 2.3.10)
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BG 8.28
vedesu yajnesu tapahsu caiva
danesu yat punya-phalam pradistam
atyeti tat sarvam idam viditva
yogi param sthanam upaiti cadyam
TRANSLATION
A person who accepts the path of devotional service is not bereft of the results derived from studying the Vedas, performing austere sacrifices, giving charity or pursuing philosophical and fruitive activities. Simply by performing devotional service, he attains all these, and at the end he reaches the supreme eternal abode.
This verse is the summation of the Seventh and Eighth chapters, which particularly deal with Krsna consciousness and devotional service. One has to study the Vedas under the guidance of the spiritual master and undergo many austerities and penances while living under his care. A brahmacari has to live in the home of the spiritual master just like a servant, and he must beg alms from door to door and bring them to the spiritual master. He takes food only under the master's order, and if the master neglects to call the student for food that day, the student fasts. These are some of the Vedic principles for observing brahmacarya.
After the student studies the Vedas under the master for a period from five to twenty years, he may become a man of perfect character. Study of the Vedas is not meant for the recreation of armchair speculators, but for the formation of character. After this training, the brahmacari is allowed to enter into household life and marry. When he is a householder, he has to perform many sacrifices so that he may achieve further enlightenment. He must also give charity according to the country, time and candidate, discriminating among charity in goodness, in passion and in ignorance, as described in Bhagavad-gita. Then after retiring from household life, upon accepting the order of vanaprastha, he undergoes severe penances—living in forests, dressing with tree bark, not shaving, etc. By carrying out the orders of brahmacarya, householder life, vanaprastha and finally sannyasa, one becomes elevated to the perfectional stage of life. Some are then elevated to the heavenly kingdoms, and when they become even more advanced they are liberated in the spiritual sky, either in the impersonal brahmajyoti or in the Vaikuntha planets or Krsnaloka. This is the path outlined by Vedic literatures.
The beauty of Krsna consciousness, however, is that by one stroke, by engaging in devotional service, one can surpass all the rituals of the different orders of life.
The words idam viditva indicate that one should understand the instructions given by Sri Krsna in this chapter and the Seventh Chapter of Bhagavad-gita. One should try to understand these chapters not by scholarship or mental speculation but by hearing them in association with devotees. Chapters Seven through Twelve are the essence of Bhagavad-gita. The first six and the last six chapters are like coverings for the middle six chapters, which are especially protected by the Lord. If one is fortunate enough to understand Bhagavad-gita—especially these middle six chapters—in the association of devotees, then his life at once becomes glorified beyond all penances, sacrifices, charities, speculations, etc., for one can achieve all the results of these activities simply by Krsna consciousness.
One who has a little faith in Bhagavad-gita should learn Bhagavad-gita from a devotee, because in the beginning of the Fourth Chapter it is stated clearly that Bhagavad-gita can be understood only by devotees; no one else can perfectly understand the purpose of Bhagavad-gita. One should therefore learn Bhagavad-gita from a devotee of Krsna, not from mental speculators. This is a sign of faith. When one searches for a devotee and finally gets a devotee's association one actually begins to study and understand Bhagavad-gita. By advancement in the association of the devotee one is placed in devotional service, and this service dispels all one's misgivings about Krsna, or God, and Krsna's activities, form, pastimes, name and other features. After these misgivings have been perfectly cleared away, one becomes fixed in one's study. Then one relishes the study of Bhagavad-gita and attains the state of feeling always Krsna conscious. In the advanced stage, one falls completely in love with Krsna. This highest perfectional stage of life enables the devotee to be transferred to Krsna's abode in the spiritual sky, Goloka Vrndavana, where the devotee becomes eternally happy.
SB 5.6.4
nityam dadati kamasya
cchidram tam anu ye 'rayah
yoginah krta-maitrasya
patyur jayeva pumscali
An unchaste woman is very easily carried away by paramours, and it sometimes happens that her husband is violently killed by her paramours. If the yogi gives his mind a chance and does not restrain it, his mind will give facility to enemies like lust, anger and greed, and they will doubtlessly kill the yogi.
Sukadeva Gosvami
SB 5.6.5
kamo manyur mado lobhah
soka-moha-bhayadayah
karma-bandhas ca yan-mulah
svikuryat ko nu tad budhah
The mind is the root cause of lust, anger, pride, greed, lamentation, illusion and fear. Combined, these constitute bondage to fruitive activity. What learned man would put faith in the mind?
Sukadeva Gosvami
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