Gita Shloka
CHAPTER 4, VERSE 10
vita-raga-bhaya-krodha
man-maya mam upasritah
bahavo jnana-tapasa
puta mad-bhavam agatah
| vita : |
being freed; |
| raga : |
from attachment; |
| bhaya : |
fear; |
| krodha: |
and anger; (being) |
| mat-mayah : |
absorbed in Me; (and) |
| upaçritah : |
surrendered; |
| mam : |
to Me; |
| bahavah : |
many persons; |
| Jnana-tapasa : |
qualities in the form of knowledge; (became) |
| putah : |
purified; (and) |
| agatah : |
came; (to have) |
| mad-bhavam: |
love for Me. |
Freed from attachment, fear and anger, with their
concentration fixed on Me, being completely surrendered,
and purified by austerity in the form of knowledge,
many persons have attained prema-bhakti for Me.
Sri Bhagavan says,
"O Arjuna, not only do those having full knowledge of My birth and activities, who are now
present during My current avatara attain Me, but even in ancient times those endowed with this transcendental knowledge of My birth and activities of My previous avataras also
attained Me."
To explain this, the present sloka, beginning
with the word vita-raga, is being spoken. Jnana-tapasa means
purified by austerity in the form of knowledge.
In the opinion
of Sri Ramanujacarya, Krsna is saying, "This knowledge is
realisation of the absolute knowledge of My birth and activities.
People attain Me when they have been purified by
realizing My birth and activities in terms of the characteristics
described earlier." In other words, "While trying with
determination to realise the eternal nature of My birth and
activities, they attain My prema-bhakti. However, they are
first purified by the fire of transcendental knowledge and the
austerity of tolerating the burning poison of the serpents of
various types of wrong opinions, misguided logic and fallacious
arguments."
In Sri Ramanujacarya's commentary he cites the Sruti
statement: tasya dhirah parijananti yonim.
"One who is dhira
(intelligent) completely knows the nature of Sri Bhagavan's
birth."
Vita-raga refers to those who have given up attachment to
persons who engage in mundane talk and who advocate bogus opinions. "My bhaktas do not become angry with them
nor do they fear them. If one asks why, the answer is that
they are intensely absorbed in deliberating and meditating
on My birth and activities, and hearing and chanting about
them." Mad-bhavam means "prema for Me".
This text excerpt has been taken from Srimad Bhagavad-Gita - A profound translation of Srimad Bhagavad-Gita by Srila Bhaktivedanta Narayana Maharaja. (Available at www.purebhakti.com)
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