GITA 4.32

GITA 4.32

vande bRndAvanacaram vallavI janavallabham |

    jayantisambhavam dhAma vaijayantI vibhUshaNam ||




Seva Kunj after Renovation


Temple before renovation

In Gopala vimsati, Swami Vedanta Desika, salutes Brindavan where Sri Krishna walked all over the place. We are at a place called Seva Kunj. Brinda is the name of a thorn and Brindavan indicates this was a forest full of these thorns. The Lord converted this place into a fine grazing place. Now the place is full of greenery all over. It appears that Sri Krishna came along with about 900,000 cows for grazing. He has performed Rasakreeta during the Vasantha Poornima and Sarath Poornima [full moon corresponding to the spring and autumn seasons]. We are at a spot where a Rasakreeta took place. Even now, in the night one could hear the jingles of the ornaments, gopikas and Sri Krishna were wearing. Such is the sanctity of this place. This place is called Sevakunj, and here, Sri Krishna and Sri Radha are gracing the devotees. Lots of monkeys could be seen here. The temple doors are closed by evening. All the monkeys as though by an order, disappear from this place after 8 p.m. in the night and again come back only after sunrise. None is allowed to stay in the night here and the place is believed to be occupied by Sri Krishna and the gopikas for Rasakreeta. Swami Koorathalwan wonders whether the plants and trees sprouting are the result of goosebumps Mother Earth had, as He danced on Her.

 Now we will see the second half of sloka 30 and the first half of sloka 31:

sarve ’py ete yajna-vido
yajna-ksapita-kalmasah
yajna-sistamrita-bhujo
yanti brahma sanatanam

All these performers who know the meaning of sacrifice become cleansed of sinful reaction, and, having tasted the nectar of the remnants of such sacrifice, they go to the supreme eternal atmosphere.

"All these performers who know the meaning of sacrifice become cleansed of sinful reactions by not discarding their daily and occasional duties, and tasted the nectar of the results of Karma yoga, they advance toward the atman sakshatkaram."

Sanatanam = very ancient, brahma = Atman, yanti = they attain. That is atman sakshatkaram. Sarvepy ete = all the thirteen types of Karma yogis described so far, yajna = the duties one is expected to do daily and on special occasions, vida = performed properly. We can note that Sri Krishna is making no difference in the various types of Karma yogis He had described and all of them, without exception, get the same result. We have seen thirteen types of Karma yogis:

• worshiping God by pooja [25th sloka]
• offering ahuti in the agni imagined to be brahman[25th sloka]
• senses offered as ahuti in the sense organs [26th sloka]
• sense organs offered as ahuti in organ control [26th sloka]
• activities of organs and the five air [prana] offered as ahuti in mind control ignited by gyana[27th sloka]
• donating honestly earned materials [28th sloka]
• volunteering body sufferings to meditate [28th sloka]
• pilgrimage to sacred places and rivers [28th sloka]
• chanting Vedas repeatedly [28th sloka]
• reflecting on the meanings of Vedas [28th sloka]
• offering prana in apana during poorakam [ 29th and 30th slokas]
• offering apana in prana during rechakam [29th and 30th slokas]
• offering all the five air in respective air during kumbhakam [ 29th and 30th slokas]

All these have certain common qualities while they practice different types of Karma yoga. They are speaking truth, follow dharma, not greedy after others' properties, fostering good qualities, etc. In addition they are expected to perform their daily and occasional duties. These will vary according to one's varna and ashram. For example, one is expected to perform annual rites for the deceased parents. Without doing these, indulging in Karma yoga will not yield results. Even if one does advanced studies, one can not forget the basics like arithmetic. A famous wrestler also needs to do certain daily practices to keep the body in proper condition. This is what He indicates by saying yajna vida. Yajna = the karma he does, kalmasha = blemishes, ksapita = get nullified. Thus the performance of daily and occasional duties, wipe out the accrued sins. Yajna = the performed karma, sista = remaining, amrita = elixir, bhuja = by eating and consuming. For example, he does pooja and after offering the food to God, he eats the food. Similarly, after performing yagna, he uses the remaining prasad. After donating the honestly earned wealth, he uses the remaining for his requirements. So, by doing a lofty deed, the person uses the remaining for personal needs. This way he removes selfishness and lives for the society. Such persons attain the very ancient status of Atman or see the Atman. So, by not discarding one's daily and occasional duties, by eliminating sins accrued and by contentment with the residual of the lofty Karma yoga practiced, the persons actually consume the elixir of life and have the ancient Atman sakshatkaram.
                                                                                          (continued)