Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya

  • 38-45: If the mind deviates the yogi, what is his destination?

Bg 6.40

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

pārtha naiveha nāmutra
vināśas tasya vidyate
na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid
durgatiṁ tāta gacchati

Word for word: 

śrī–bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; pārtha — O son of Pṛthā; na eva — never is it so; iha — in this material world; na — never; amutra — in the next life; vināśaḥ — destruction; tasya — his; vidyate — exists; na — never; hi — certainly; kalyāṇa–kṛt — one who is engaged in auspicious activities; kaścit — anyone; durgatim — to degradation; tāta — My friend; gacchati — goes.

Translation: 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Son of Pṛthā, a transcendentalist engaged in auspicious activities does not meet with destruction either in this world or in the spiritual world; one who does good, My friend, is never overcome by evil.

 

pārtha naiveha nāmutra, Krishna addresses Arjuna intimately O Partha, naïve, neither here nor in next birth, eha, here, āmutra, next world, mutra in this world, āmutra, next world. Such a person will never meet with destruction. na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid, one who tries to do good Arjuna one who tries to work auspiciously for others na hi kalyāṇa-kṛt kaścid, durgatiṁ tāta gacchati, that person will never meet inauspicious destination, tāta is again a very intimate form of address, durgatiṁ tāta gacchati, tāta so dear Arjuna one who tries to do good will never meet evil from anyone else. Same theme of Krishna’s compassion and categorical assurance will be repeated in 9th chapter when Sri Krishna will describe specially for Bhaktas, Kaunteya Pratijaniti Na Me Bhaktaya Pranisyati. My devotee will never perish, so of course Krishna is not talking about devotion very explicitly in this chapter but he is talking about in general transcendentalist, and he is saying that na kalyan na kaschit, one who is doing good O my dear Arjuna will never meet with evil it is a very heart touching statement and assurance and to make the assurance more reassuring Krishan is using a very enduring form of address to Arjuna tata, tata means O friend, it is intimate form of address, when people are in anxiety we can give them philosophy to help them in anxiety but along with philosophically helping them we also have to emotionally solace them, so before Sri Krishna gives Arjuna clear philosophical answer first thing He does is gives him emotional assurance, things will be alright they will improve don’t worry about it, He gives assurance to Arjuna to calm down, once assurance is given Krishna talks about further philosophically explaining what will happen to such a person.

3rd time Srila Prabhupada is quoting Srimad Bhagavatam purport:

In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (1.5.17) Śrī Nārada Muni instructs Vyāsadeva as follows:

tyaktvā sva-dharmaṁ caraṇāmbujaṁ harer
bhajann apakvo ’tha patet tato yadi
yatra kva vābhadram abhūd amuṣya kiṁ
ko vārtha āpto ’bhajatāṁ sva-dharmataḥ

“If someone gives up all material prospects and takes complete shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, there is no loss or degradation in any way. On the other hand a nondevotee may fully engage in his occupational duties and yet not gain anything.” 

The above is from transcendental perspective.

Srila Prabhupada Purport: 

The purport may be understood as follows. Humanity may be divided into two sections, namely, the regulated and the non-regulated. Those who are engaged simply in bestial sense gratifications without knowledge of their next life or spiritual salvation belong to the nonregulated section. And those who follow the principles of prescribed duties in the scriptures are classified amongst the regulated section. The nonregulated section, both civilized and non-civilized, educated and non-educated, strong and weak, are full of animal propensities. Their activities are never auspicious, because while enjoying the animal propensities of eating, sleeping, defending and mating, they perpetually remain in material existence, which is always miserable. On the other hand, those who are regulated by scriptural injunctions, and who thus rise gradually to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, certainly progress in life.

Those who are following the path of auspiciousness can be divided into three sections, namely (1) the followers of scriptural rules and regulations who are enjoying material prosperity, (2) those who are trying to find ultimate liberation from material existence, and (3) those who are devotees in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Those who are following the rules and regulations of the scriptures for material happiness may be further divided into two classes: those who are fruitive workers and those who desire no fruit for sense gratification. Those who are after fruitive results for sense gratification may be elevated to a higher standard of life – even to the higher planets – but still, because they are not free from material existence, they are not following the truly auspicious path. The only auspicious activities are those which lead one to liberation.

 

Why Srila Prabhupada is explaining all these things here because he is explaining what auspicious activity is, kalyāṇa-kṛt is? So what is auspicious activity actually? So actual auspicious activity is that which aim for liberation. Any activity which doesn’t aim for liberation is not at all auspicious, and Sri Krishna has talked about this earlier in 2.49 where he has said Durena He Avaram Karma Buddhi Yoga Dananjaya Buddho Sernam Vicha Kripnav Phal He Te Va, so in 2.49 He has stated that Durena He Avran karma, give up inauspicious work and what is inauspicious work? He has explain to be practice of Karma Kanda, someone think sinful activities are inauspicious that is definitely inauspicious but even practice of Dharma for the sake of Artha – Kama that means Karma Kanda that is also considered inauspicious that is not aim for liberation. Material existence itself is ultimately inauspicious and one needs to come out of material existence and that happens when one practices serious devotion service, serious spiritual life in general and devotional service is best of spiritual life. So give up inauspicious work.

End of transcription.