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TEXT 29 bhoktaram yajna-tapasam
SYNONYMS  bhoktaram--beneficiary;
yajna--sacrifices;
tapasam--of penances and austerities;
sarva-loka--all planets
and the demigods thereof; maha-isvaram--the Supreme Lord; su-hrdam--benefactor;
sarva--all; bhutanam--of the living entities; jnatva--thus
knowing; mam--Me (Lord Krsna); santim--relief from material
pangs; rcchati--achieves.
TRANSLATION The sages,
knowing Me as the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices and austerities, the
Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods and the benefactor and well-wisher
of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.
PURPORT The conditioned
souls within the clutches of illusory energy are all anxious to attain
peace in the material world. But they do not know the formula for peace,
which is explained in this part of the Bhagavad-gita. The greatest
peace formula is simply this: Lord Krsna is the beneficiary in all human
activities. Men should offer everything to the transcendental service of
the Lord because He is the proprietor of all planets and the demigods thereon.
No one is greater than He. He is greater than the greatest of the demigods,
Lord Siva and Lord Brahma. In the Vedas the Supreme Lord is described
as tam isvaranam paramam mahesvaram. Under the spell of illusion,
living entities are trying to be lords of all they survey, but actually
they are dominated by the material energy of the Lord. The Lord is the
master of material nature, and the conditioned souls are under the stringent
rules of material nature. Unless one understands these bare facts, it is
not possible to achieve peace in the world either individually or collectively.
This is the sense of Krsna consciousness: Lord Krsna is the supreme predominator,
and all living entities, including the great demigods, are His subordinates.
One can attain perfect peace only in complete Krsna consciousness.
This Fifth
Chapter is a practical explanation of Krsna consciousness, generally known
as karma-yoga. The question of mental speculation as to how karma-yoga
can give liberation is answered herewith. To work in Krsna consciousness
is to work with the complete knowledge of the Lord as the predominator.
Such work is not different from transcendental knowledge. Direct Krsna
consciousness is bhakti-yoga, and jnana-yoga is a path leading
to bhakti-yoga. Krsna consciousness means to work in full knowledge
of one's relationship with the Supreme Absolute, and the perfection of
this consciousness is full knowledge of Krsna, or the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. A pure soul is the eternal servant of God as His fragmental
part and parcel. He comes into contact with maya (illusion) due
to the desire to lord it over maya, and that is the cause of his
many sufferings. As long as he is in contact with matter, he has to execute
work in terms of material necessities. Krsna consciousness, however, brings
one into spiritual life even while one is within the jurisdiction of matter,
for it is an arousing of spiritual existence by practice in the material
world. The more one is advanced, the more he is freed from the clutches
of matter. The Lord is not partial toward anyone. Everything depends on
one's practical performance of duties in an effort to control the senses
and conquer the influence of desire and anger. And, attaining Krsna consciousness
by controlling the above-mentioned passions, one remains factually in the
transcendental stage, or brahma-nirvana. The eightfold yoga
mysticism is automatically practiced in Krsna consciousness because the
ultimate purpose is served. There is gradual process of elevation in the
practice of yama, niyama, asana, pratyahara, dhyana, dharana, pranayama,
and samadhi. But these only preface perfection by devotional service,
which alone can award peace to the human being. It is the highest perfection
of life.
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