Gita 15.05 explained

Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Now Krishna will conclude this description about material existence using the metaphor of the tree with one verse which elaborates on the process of surrender. 

Bg 15.5

nirmāna-mohā jita-saṅga-doṣā
adhyātma-nityā vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ
dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair
gacchanty amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat


niḥ — without; māna — false prestige; mohāḥ — and illusion; jita — having conquered; saṅga — of association; doṣāḥ — the faults; adhyātma — in spiritual knowledge; nityāḥ — in eternity; vinivṛtta — disassociated; kāmāḥ — from lust; dvandvaiḥ — from the dualities; vimuktāḥ — liberated; sukhaduḥkha — happiness and distress; saṁjñaiḥ — named; gacchanti — attain; amūḍhāḥ — unbewildered; padam — situation; avyayam — eternal; tat— that.




nirmāna-mohā, without maana, prestige and moha, illusion  jita-saṅga-doṣā, having concurred the faults of association.

adhyātma-nityā, in spiritual knowledge one is situated in eternity vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ, given up lust, Srila Prabhupada writes disassociated from lust. 

vṛitti means inclination, nivṛitti means going against ones inclination giving up. In tradition vedic conception there are two marga, Pravritti and Nivritti which is attachment and detachment can be roughly equated with karam Kanda and Karma Sanyas giving up activity and practicing Jyana Yoga engaging in path of transcendence and disengaging oneself from this world,  but beyond that is Bhakti which is being in this world but fixing the heart on object which is beyond this world vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ, so we don’t have to renounce the world but we have to renounce the desire to enjoy the world. 

In fact the word Nivritti is also used to refer retirement. So vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ refers to detachment from sensual enjoyment. Why vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ because desire for sensual enjoyment binds the soul. Prakriti Estho He Bunkte Prakriti Jan Guna… As a person starts watching all the emotions of movie started coming upon him anger, fear etc. but if one on longer watch the movie those emotions will not come on him, so as long as we desire to enjoy material things or material existence so many of these emotions overwhelm us but when we give up our entanglement for material desire we become detached. 

dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair

dvandvair vimuktāḥ, so one become detached from the dualities

sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair, one remains equipoised among happiness and distress. 

Person who can do this

gacchanty amūḍhāḥ padam avyayaṁ tat

such a person is amūḍhāḥ such a person is unbewildered.

That person is well situated is not caught up in material energy. The material energy makes us mudha but a person who is situated in this consciousness is amūḍhāḥ and that person is padam avyayaṁ tat, that person will attain eternal destination. padam avyayaṁ as described in 8th chapter as Krishna’s personal abode. In 8.21,22,23 padam avyayaṁ is referred as tad dhāma paramaṁ mama, what is the nature of that abode? 

In 8.21

avyakto ’kṣara ity uktas
tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim
yaṁ prāpya na nivartante
tad dhāma paramaṁ mama

what is the nature of that abode?

avyakto ’kṣara ity uktas
tam āhuḥ paramāṁ gatim

It Supreme destination, it is imperishable. That supreme abode can be attain by surrender, 15.5 is elaboration of previous verse, tam eva cādyaṁ puruṣaṁ prapadye, one has to surrender to that Absolute Truth, so how that surrender is done is explained in this verse.

Srila Prabhupada has explained about the surrendering process:

Purport: The surrendering process is described here very nicely.

  1. The ﬁrst qualiﬁcation is that one should not be deluded by pride.


Why nirmāna? Because one recognizes that I am being kicked by the material nature. Material nature is making me dance like a puppet. I think I can do this and that but actually I am so fragile I am so powerless. I am just made like a leave tossed in the waves of material nature. So I have to go beyond these waves of material nature and that happens when I get an anchor that is beyond the reach of waves that anchor is the Supreme Lord. 

So we need to be strong enough to admit that we are not strong enough. Many people feel that being strong means never admitting any weakness. We can put a mask of peacefulness but unless some shelter is taken within that mask cannot stay for a long. The mask will fall off in the adversity of this world. For a conditioned soul to admit that I am very week is very difficult. Devotees has self confidence in the form that they have confidence on Krishna and oneself has taken shelter of Krishna. I might me a tool in the hand of Krishna to do certain work. 

As long as one thinks I can do all one cannot seek help of anyone what to speak of Krishna’s help so humility is important

  1. Here moha means things are mine, I am the proprietor of the things, the attachment
  2. jita-saṅga-doṣā, modes create duality and those dualities becomes faults which binds us in material existence but jita-saṅga-doṣā one is free from that.
  3. adhyātma-nityā vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ

one stays always in spiritual consciousness and one stays free from lust vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ. 

  1. 5. dvandvair vimuktāḥ sukha-duḥkha-saṁjñair

dvandvair vimuktāḥ, one stays free from dualities

Purport: One has to cultivate knowledge of what is actually his own and what is actually not his own. 

What is our own? Our connection with Krishna is our own. Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur says Ami to Tomara Tomi To Amara Kij Karana Apradhana Ne. Krishna I am Yours and You are mine so what other wealth do I want? So we have to harmonize things in the service of Krishna. Our connection with Krishna is our most important property. 

vinivṛtta-kāmāḥ, completely retired from material existence. 

nivriti is retire vinivṛtta is totally retired no chance of coming back. 

Vedic culture doesn’t encourage divorce but it encourage divorce of soul from matter, reap it apart and that will lead to Supreme liberation.

End of transcription.

Author: Vallabhi

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