Bhagavad Gita 2.41

[Paramananda das]

TEXT 41

vyavasayatmika buddhir ekeha kuru-nandana bahu-sakha hy anantas ca buddhayo 'vyavasayinam

SYNONYMS

vyavasaya-atmika--resolute Krsna consciousness; buddhih--intelligence; eka--only one; iha--in this world; kuru-nandana--O beloved child of the Kurus; bahu-sakhah--various branches; hi--indeed; anantah--unlimited; ca--also; buddhayah--intelligence; avyavasayinam--of those who are not in Krsna consciousness.

TRANSLATION

Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O  beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.

PURPORT

A strong faith in Krsna consciousness that one should be elevated to the highest perfection of life is called vyavasayatmika intelligence. The Caitanya-caritamrtastates:

'sraddha'-sabde----visvasa kahe sudrdha niscaya krsne bhakti kaile sarva-karma krta haya

Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is engaged in  the duties of Krsna consciousness, he need not act in relationship to  the material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity, or  nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one's reactions  from past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Krsna consciousness,  he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one  is situated in Krsna consciousness, all activities are on the absolute  plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad.  The highest perfection of Krsna consciousness is renunciation of the  material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by  progressive Krsna consciousness. The resolute purpose of a person in  Krsna consciousness is based on knowledge ("Vasudevah sarvam iti sa mahatma su-durlabhah") by which one comes to know perfectly that Vasudeva, or Krsna, is the root  of all manifested causes. As water on the root of a tree is  automatically distributed to the leaves and branches, in Krsna  consciousness, one can render the highest service to everyone--namely  self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If Krsna is satisfied by  one's actions, then everyone will be satisfied. Service in Krsna consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able  guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of  Krsna, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act  in Krsna consciousness. As such, to be well-versed in Krsna  consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of  Krsna, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual  master as one's mission in life. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura  instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master, as  follows:

yasya prasadad bhagavat-prasado yasyaprasadan na gatih kuto 'pi dhyayan stuvams tasya yasas tri-sandhyam vande guroh sri-caranaravindam

"By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of  Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master,  there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Krsna  consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy  three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my  spiritual master." The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul beyond the conception of the body--not theoretically but practically, when  there is no longer chance for sense gratification manifested in fruitive activities. One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various  types of fruitive acts.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

Moreover among all types of intelligence, that intelligence concentrated on  bhakti yoga is the best. Resolute intelligence fixed in bhakti yoga is  only one. The meaning of this is illustrated as follows.

"My sadhana is to serve the lotus feed of the Lord, to remember and glorify him as instructed by my guru. That is also my goal (sadhya). It is my life sustaining medicine, for I cannot give up the sadhana and the sadhya. This is my most desirable object, my duty, and nothing else is my duty; nothing else is desired, even in dreams. There may be  happiness or sorrow. Samsara may be destroyed, or may not be destroyed.  That is no loss for me. Let there only be resolute intelligence fixed in pure bhakti."

It is said:

tato bhajeta mam bhaktya sraddhalur drdha-niscayah

My devotee should remain happy and worship Me withgreat faith and conviction. SB 11.20.28

The intelligence of others however is not eka. Those intellects are unlimited (anantah) rather than one, because of the unlimited desires to fulfill in karma  yoga. The intellects have infinite branches because of the infinity of  actions in their practices.

In jnana yoga, in order to purify the mind, one first fixes the intelligence on niskama karma. When the mind  is purified, the intelligence then concentrates on giving up action.  This is called karma sannyasa. Next, the intelligence concentrates on  jnana, knowledge. The intelligence at that time also concentrates on  bhakti so that jnana does not become without results. The intelligence  then concentrates on giving up jnana, as the Lord says, jnanam ca mayi sannyaset one should surrender such knowledge in order to attain me. (SB 11.19.1)

Thus the intelligences, concentration on different objects, are said to be  infinite or many. And the branches of the respective sadhanas are also  infinite, since karma, jnana and bhakti must all be performed.

Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya: Visnuswami Sridhara Swami's Commentary It may be asked why the difference between actions performed without  desire and actions done with desire is being given. The answer  to  this  is  being given in this verse. By karma  yoga  which  is  performed  surrendering  all actions to the Supreme Lord, there  is  spiritual  intelligence  which  when bequeathed  gives  single  pointed  determination  resolute   in   spiritual consciousness. But in the case of those enacting  actions  with  desires  of fruitive rewards their thoughts are  endless  due  to  their  desires  being endless. Indeed they have unlimited diverse branches  and  thus  diluted  by having too many conceptions in the form of all  their  desires.  Performance of daily rituals enjoined by the Vedic scriptures such as meditation on  the Supreme Lord  and occasional rituals performed on special occasions such  as the birth ceremony are never done in vain  even  if  there  is  some  defect present. for regarding them it is ordained that one who is  duly  authorised by the disciplic succession of  one  of  the  four  authorised  sampradaya's should perform there duties fully according to there capacity  and  in  this way there is no defect or imperfection  for  they  cannot  manifest  through any righteous actions which  are  surrendered  to  the  Supreme  Lord.   But fruitive actions of one motivated by  rewards  are  always  tainted  by  the imperfection of fruitive desires which is binding to  fruitive  reaction  as well as the defect of not surrendering their actions to  the  Supreme  Lord. Hence it can be seen that there is indeed a  great  difference  between  the two.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya: Madhvacarya Madhvacarya's Commentary Listen to these words with a balanced and equipoised mind. Thus has it  been stated. Unlimited are the various conditioned states of the mind due to  the influence  of  uncountable  impressions  leading  to  innumerable  opinions. Therefore Arjuna may have a doubt and enquire, how  can  he  have  faith  in these words without any reservation.  Anticipating  this  the  Supreme  Lord neutralises  this  query  with  this  verse.  Amongst  all  the   prescribed recommended opinions having truthful attributes  there  is  always  singular unity. This is the actual meaning. Propitiation of the Supreme Lord  Krishna is performed only by very few as  only  a  very  few  actually  possess  the quality of being singular and resolute in their commitment. Any  performance done  by  others  is  disparate  and  irresolute  due  to  the  overwhelming impressions  within  their  mind  giving  them  an  endless  procession   of distracting opinions.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya: Ramanuja There is no commentary for this verse.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya: Nimbaditya Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary There is a huge difference between the mentality  of  intelligence  involved in actions seeking fruitive reward and  the  mentality  of  the  spiritually evolved engaged in selfless actions not seeking rewards devoted to the  Lord Krishna which bring  great  happiness.  Thus  Lord  Krishna  says  the  word vyavasa or resolute. The purpose for actions must be  resolute.  One  should perform actions with the thought that it is for  the  ultimate  satisfaction for Lord Krishna thinking that their action will  please  Him  and  for  not other reason. This resolute intelligence  gives  one  the  realization  that they will easily be liberated by the Lords grace, from samsara the ocean  of birth and death in the material existence and only by His grace. It is  one- pointed because its aim is solely  for  the  service  and  devotion  of  the omnipotent, omniscient, Supreme Lord Krishna the  controller  and  dispenser of all rewards and the sole destination of  all  those  seeking  liberation. This resolute intelligence bestows one result and that  is  it  gives  great happiness and thus it is considered as already possessed by  those  who  are in the process of devotion to Lord  Krishna  already.  Those  of  fragmented intelligence who have not perceived reality and whose  endless  desires  for fame, wealth,  power,  etc.  and  who  by  their  actions  are  dictated  by procuring and accumalization and work  and  reward.  Their  intelligence  is fragmented into endless directions each unique unto itself  and  of  diverse types all leading to misery. These things can only be  perceived  by  direct experience.

[Paramananda das]

Srila Prabhupada stated this vers inspired him in his single minded preaching in order to please his spiritual master