Bhakti Shastri

Open Book Assessment

(Ssapan Patel)

1. Explain in your words, the process of sense control by Krishna Consciousness with reference
to verses, purports, cited analogies and examples from Bhagvad Gita 2.54 – 2.68.
How is this relevant for:
a. Arjuna’s situation on the battlefield of Kurukshetra?
b. Your own practice of Krishna Consciousness?

Answer:

The process of sense control starts with identifying certain symptoms. One who becomes Krishna
Conscious exhibits certain symptoms like he speaks only Krishna Katha, because speech is the
most important quality of a man (2.54). But to be situated in such consciousness, an individual
must give up material desires and when he does this, he finds peace within himself. And this peace
is achieved when soul is convinced that the eternal svarupa of a jiva is to serve Krishna. (2.55)
Then we try to make the mind steady (sthita-dhir muni) by not being so happy in good times and
not being too sad in difficult times, not getting too attached and being free from fear and anger.
Everything, whether good or bad, is offered to the Supreme Lord. (2.56).
Eventually, a stith-dhir muni becomes strongly fixed in perfect knowledge. This stage is called
samadhi, where one is only concerned with Krishna (2.57)
But the senses are very much like snakes. They don’t like restrictions and always wants to act as
per their own wish. Therefore, the Shastras mention certain dos and don’ts. If one follows them,
then it will be possible to fix senses on Krishna very firmly. A very good analogy of Tortoise is
given by Srila Prabhupada. He explains that just as a tortoise uses it its limbs for walking etc and
then when there is danger it draws its limbs into its shell, similarly, a devotee trying to control
senses should use the senses only while performing certain Krishna Conscious activities and
otherwise should withdraw from the material activities. (2.58)
By the above process, the senses are restricted but the urge for sense gratification remains. To
control this urge, the less advanced devotees turn to ashtanga-yoga, but the advanced devotees do
not hanker for material pleasures and no longer follows the eight limbs of ashtanga yoga, because
they have already experienced a Higher Taste in their journey of advancement in Krishna
Consciousness (2.59).
Again, it is not very easy to control the senses because they are very strong and forcibly diverts
the person trying to control them e.g. Sage Vishvamitra’s senses got trapped into sex indulgence
by Menaka. When the mind becomes fully Krishna conscious by constantly engaging in service of
the Supreme Lord, then it is automatically controlled as confirmed by Sri Yamunacharya. (2.60)
Ambarish Maharaj was able to emerge victorious against sage Durvasa because he constantly
engaged his sense objects like hearing, smelling, tasting etc in Krishna’s service, while sage
Durvasa lost control and became angry. Hence, the devotee of the Lord is more powerful than a
yogi. The real aim is to fix mind on Vishnu and thus perform the real yoga of bhakti (2.61).
One who is not Krishna conscious is guaranteed to fall because the senses will think of sense
enjoyment which leads to attachment and when it is unfulfilled, lust arises. Unsatisfied lust
develops anger, leads to complete delusion, memory is bewildered, intellect is lost, and person
falls down. The devotee of Krishna eats only Krishna prasadam and does not fall down while the
impersonalist rejects such a method of eating (2.62 – 2.63).
A person in Krishna consciousness may look like he is enjoying senses, but he has no attachment
to them. He acts only under the direction of the Lord. Sooner, one’s intelligence becomes fixed.
But this is not true for people who do not believe in Krishna and they cannot gain peace (2.64,
2.65, 2.66).
Just like a wind carries away a boat in water, similarly, one’s senses can carry away the intelligence
and hence, when senses are controlled, the intelligence becomes fixed on Krishna. (2.67 – 2.68)

- A pure devotee like Arjuna was confused whether to fight or not because of 5 primary
reasons. 1. Compassion 2. Loss of enjoyment 3. Indecision 4. Loss of family tradition 5.
Fear of sinful reaction. These were symptoms of uncontrolled senses.
But when he surrendered to Krishna (karpanya doso …2.7), Hrishikesa, as the controller
of the senses took charge and ultimately, Arjuna’s senses were all engaged in just following
the orders of the Lord.

- Since I am in a full-time job where I spend 8 hrs outside of Krishna conscious activities,
my senses easily get out of control. But it is by rendering devotional service (chanting,
eating Krishna prasadam and deity worship at home) unto the Lord, my senses remain
focused on Krishna rather than on material things. Doing regular introspection of sadhana
helps me to keep a check on my advancement in Krishna Consciousness and taking
guidance from a mentor makes sure that my intelligence is not bewildered, and I am
focused / involved in the temple services.
2. Establish, in your own words, the superiority of Bhakti over the other yoga systems, with
reference to verses and purports from Bhagvad Gita, chapters 2-6.
In your answer explain the following:
a. The impracticality of yoga systems, other than Bhakti-Yoga, in Kaliyuga. (6.33. 34)
b. How Bhakti-Yoga contains all components of the other yoga systems.
c. How Bhakti-Yoga can be practiced without having practiced other yoga systems.

Answer:
Krishna in 6.46 clearly states that Bhakti Yoga is superior because it is full of transcendental
knowledge. From verse 6.47, we conclude that the yogi who always thinks of the Lord and
performs bhakti is the topmost yogi. Similar argument is given by Krishna in verse 6.31, where
He says that a yogi who performs devotional service unto Him knowing Him to be the super-soul
always remains with Him. In the Yoga ladder, Bhakti yoga is at the top, yogarudha. (BG 6.3). To
support this, Srila Prabhupada, in purport of 6.47 says that Bhakti Yoga is the final stage of all
Yogas and says that if someone is performing a different yoga, at the end, he will come to bhakti
yoga. We begin with Karma yoga, when this yoga comes to a stage of action of without fruitive
results (akarma) then one’s knowledge and renunciation increases, and one moves to Jnana Yoga.
By being fixed in Krishna consciousness, this Jnana yoga reaches ashtanga yoga. When an
individual successfully performs the 8 limbs of ashtanga yoga then he finally reaches Bhakti Yoga,
which is the final and the topmost level of Yoga. This proves the superiority of Bhakti yoga.

a. Arjuna, nearly 5000yrs ago rejected the yoga systems (BG 6.33). The reason is explained
by Srila Prabhupada that for common people, it has practically become impossible to
renounce worldly affairs and go to jungle for meditation. Arjuna had a very long-life span;
he was a great warrior but still he rejected the idea of other yoga systems. Hence, ashtanga
yoga is proved to be impractical. In this age of quarrel, the mind has become very restless
that it takes over one’s intelligence (BG 6.34). From the process of sense control as
explained in verses 2.54-2.68, we learn that it is very hard to control the senses such that
sage Vishvamitra got influenced by the beauty of Menaka but at the same time, Maharaj
Ambarish who performed devotional service remained unaffected when he picked up a
fight with Durvasa muni. That is the strength of Bhakti yoga and Krishna himself confirms
this in verses 2.49 – 2.51. Because of Kaliyuga, the people are less educated and cannot
comprehend the Vedantist philosophy, hence jnana yoga becomes impractical (2.46).
Purport of verse 6.12 states that in Kaliyuga, people will be slow to realise the absolute
truth, Krishna, hence, the process of chanting taken from Brhad-naradiya purana is
recommended which is an important limb of Bhakti.

b. Bhakti Yoga means performing devotional service unto the Lord (BG 6.46). The perfect
Karma yoga stage is when we perform activities without fruitive results. This is called
 action in Krishna Consciousness meaning we perform activities for pleasure of Lord (BG
5.2) and wherever there is an element of Krishna consciousness, there is an element of
Bhakti Yoga. In verse 6.2, Srila Prabhupada explicitly mentions that the purpose of
Knowledge (jnana) is automatically served in Krishna Consciousness because a person
receives transcendental knowledge from Krishna (BG 4.38). Hence, we can say that Jnana
Yoga also has an element of Bhakti Yoga. Verse 5.29 is a perfect example that when one
understands that Krishna is the ultimate enjoyer of everything, and he is the supreme lord
of all living entities then this transcendental knowledge is nothing but Bhakti yoga. In
purport 6.3, Srila Prabhupada explains ashtanga yoga is automatically covered in Bhakti
Yoga because a Krishna conscious person always thinks of Krishna from the very start of
Bhakti.

c. By performing bhakti-yoga, we can cleanse up the mind perfectly. (Lecture on BG 2.26 --

Los Angeles, December 6, 1968). Just like Ambarish Maharaj engaged all his senses in
devotional service (BG 6.18). By chanting the holy name, even a small child, starts
clapping. The child is not trained, nor educated. Therefore, Lord Caitanya has said that the
only system in this age: harer nama harer nama harer nama eva kevalam (CC Adi 17.21)
(Lecture on BG 6.30-34 -- Los Angeles, February 19, 1969). Bhakti can be performed by
focusing mind on the beautiful form of Krsna, meditating on his Lotus feet, dress etc and
by knowing that He incarnates as Rama, Nrsimha, child of Yashoda and that he is full in
six opulence. By great faith in Krsna and Guru all Vedas are revealed in the heart of a yogi.
There should be no desire for material gain and the mind should be engaged in Krsna. By
these ways, one can perform Bhakti (BG 6.47).