Chapter 48 · Class prep
A printable handout for teaching this chapter. For each verse with Personal Guidance, you'll see Prabhupāda's translation, the essence, two or three practical applications, and a discussion prompt. Press ⌘P / Ctrl P to print as a handout.
BG 48.1
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Next, after assimilating Uddhava’s report, Lord Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the omniscient Soul of all that be, desired to satisfy the serving girl Trivakrā, who was troubled by lust. Thus He went to her house.
Essence. Having assimilated Uddhava's report, Kṛṣṇa goes to satisfy Trivakrā the serving girl who was troubled by lust. The Lord remembers the promise He made earlier and visits even a person of small piety; promises are kept.
BG 48.2
Trivakrā’s home was opulently appointed with expensive furnishings and replete with sensual accoutrements meant to inspire sexual desire. There were banners, rows of strung pearls, canopies, fine beds and sitting places, and also fragrant incense, oil lamps, flower garlands and aromatic sandalwood paste.
Essence. Trivakrā's home is opulent with banners, pearls, canopies, beds, incense, lamps, flowers — and sensual pictures meant to inspire desire. The Lord enters even a setting designed for material enjoyment without being unsettled.
BG 48.3
When Trivakrā saw Him arriving at her house, she at once rose from her seat in a flurry. Coming forward graciously with her girlfriends, she respectfully greeted Lord Acyuta by offering Him an excellent seat and other articles of worship.
Essence. Seeing Him, Trivakrā rises in a flurry, comes forward graciously with her girlfriends, offers Him an excellent seat and articles of worship. Even those of mixed motives know how to receive Him with appropriate honor when He actually arrives.
BG 48.4
Uddhava also received a seat of honor, since he was a saintly person, but he simply touched it and sat on the floor. Then Lord Kṛṣṇa, imitating the manners of human society, quickly made Himself comfortable on an opulent bed.
Essence. Uddhava, saintly, touches the offered seat and sits on the floor; Kṛṣṇa, imitating human manners, makes Himself comfortable on the opulent bed. Hierarchy reverses what we'd expect: the saint sits on the floor while the Lord sits high.
BG 48.5
Trivakrā prepared herself by bathing, anointing her body, and dressing in fine garments, by putting on jewelry, garlands and perfume, and also by chewing betel nut, drinking fragrant liquor, and so on. She then approached Lord Mādhava with shy, playful smiles and coquettish glances.
Essence. Trivakrā prepares by bathing, anointing, dressing, jeweling, garlanding, perfuming, chewing betel, drinking fragrant liquor, and approaches with shy playful smiles. Material preparation for desire is meticulous; if devotional preparation matched it, we would be far ahead.
BG 48.6
Calling forward His beloved, who was anxious and shy at the prospect of this new contact, the Lord pulled her by her bangled hands onto the bed. Thus He enjoyed with that beautiful girl, whose only trace of piety was her having offered ointment to the Lord.
Essence. The Lord pulls anxious, shy Trivakrā onto the bed by her bangled hands and enjoys with her — her only piety having been offering Him ointment. A single act of devotional offering opens a door no obvious qualification can.
BG 48.7
Simply by smelling the fragrance of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, Trivakrā cleansed away the burning lust Cupid had aroused in her breasts, chest and eyes. With her two arms she embraced between her breasts her lover, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the personification of bliss, and thus she gave up her long-standing distress.
Essence. Simply by smelling His feet's fragrance, Trivakrā cleanses the burning lust from her breasts, chest, eyes; she embraces Him and abandons the long-felt distress of desire. The Lord's feet are the antidote to the very lust His charm aroused.
BG 48.8
Having thus gotten the hard-to-get Supreme Lord by the simple act of offering Him body ointment, unfortunate Trivakrā submitted to that Lord of freedom the following request.
Essence. Having obtained the hard-to-get Lord by simply offering body ointment, unfortunate Trivakrā submits a request. The text calls her unfortunate because her next ask is small; access to the Lord doesn't guarantee good choices about what to request.
BG 48.9
[Trivakrā said:] O beloved, please stay here with me for a few days more and enjoy. I cannot bear to give up Your association, O lotus-eyed one!
Essence. O beloved, please stay a few more days and enjoy; I cannot bear to give You up. Trivakrā asks only for more pleasure, not for pure devotion — and the Lord is asked to remain merely as a lover.
BG 48.10
Promising her the fulfillment of this lusty desire, considerate Kṛṣṇa, Lord of all beings, paid Trivakrā His respects and then returned with Uddhava to His own supremely opulent residence.
Essence. Promising her this desire, considerate Kṛṣṇa pays respects and returns with Uddhava to His own opulent residence. The Lord makes the promise He was asked for; the recipient determines the quality of the boon.
BG 48.11
Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Lord of all lords, is ordinarily difficult to approach. One who has properly worshiped Him and then chooses the benediction of mundane sense gratification is certainly of poor intelligence, for he is satisfied with an insignificant result.
Essence. Viṣṇu is hard to approach; one who has worshiped Him then chooses mundane gratification is of poor intelligence, satisfied with insignificant result. The story of Trivakrā warns: don't waste hard-won access on small boons.
BG 48.12
Then Lord Kṛṣṇa, wanting to have some things done, went to Akrūra’s house with Balarāma and Uddhava. The Lord also desired to please Akrūra.
Essence. Then Kṛṣṇa, wanting some things done, goes to Akrūra's house with Balarāma and Uddhava — He also desires to please Akrūra. The Lord moves between visits with multiple purposes; each visit blends mercy and mission.
BG 48.13-14
Akrūra stood up in great joy when he saw them, his own relatives and the greatest of exalted personalities, coming from a distance. After embracing them and greeting them, Akrūra bowed down to Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and was greeted by Them in return. Then, when his guests had taken their seats, he worshiped them in accordance with scriptural rules.
Essence. Akrūra stands joyfully, embraces them, bows to Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, is greeted in return; after their seat is taken he reverences them with friendly mood. Welcome to the Lord includes both physical hospitality and emotional warmth.
BG 48.15-16
O King, Akrūra bathed the feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma and then poured the bath water on his head. He presented Them with gifts of fine clothing, aromatic sandalwood paste, flower garlands and excellent jewelry. After thus worshiping the two Lords, he bowed his head to the floor. He then began to massage Lord Kṛṣṇa’s feet, placing them on his lap, and with his head bowed in humility he addressed Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma as follows.
Essence. Akrūra bathes the Lords' feet, pours the water on his own head, presents fine clothing, sandalwood paste, garlands, jewelry — fully worshiping them. After ritual, he speaks. Action precedes speech in real worship.
BG 48.17
[Akrūra said:] It is our good fortune that You two Lords have killed the evil Kaṁsa and his followers, thus delivering Your dynasty from endless suffering and causing it to flourish.
Essence. It is our good fortune, says Akrūra, that You have killed evil Kaṁsa and his followers, delivering the dynasty from suffering and causing it to flourish. Praise of the Lord rests on naming specific past mercies.
BG 48.18
You both are the original Supreme Person, the cause of the universe and its very substance. Not the slightest subtle cause or manifest product of creation exists apart from You.
Essence. You both are the original Supreme Person, the cause and substance of the universe; not the slightest subtle cause or manifest product exists apart from You. Theological clarity surrounds personal gratitude; both are required.
BG 48.19
O Supreme Absolute Truth, with Your personal energies You create this universe and then enter into it. Thus one can perceive You in many different forms by hearing from authorities and by direct experience.
Essence. With Your personal energies You create this universe and enter into it; thus You can be perceived in many forms through hearing from authorities and direct experience. Knowing the Lord uses both śravaṇa and pratyakṣa.
BG 48.20
Just as the primary elements — earth and so on — manifest themselves in abundant variety among all the species of mobile and immobile life, so You, the one independent Supreme Soul, appear to be manifold among the variegated objects of Your creation.
Essence. As elements appear in many species, so You, the one independent Soul, appear manifold among Your creation's variegated objects. Diversity is one Person playing many roles.
BG 48.21
You create, destroy and also maintain this universe with Your personal energies — the modes of passion, ignorance and goodness — yet You are never entangled by these modes or the activities they generate. Since You are the original source of all knowledge, what could ever cause You to be bound by illusion?
Essence. You create, destroy and maintain by Your energies — passion, ignorance, goodness — yet are never entangled by them or their activities; what could be a cause of bondage for You who are pure knowledge? The Lord's involvement is non-binding for Him.
BG 48.22
Since it has never been demonstrated that You are covered by material, bodily designations, it must be concluded that for You there is neither birth in a literal sense nor any duality. Therefore You never undergo bondage or liberation, and if You appear to, it is only because of Your desire that we see You in that way, or simply because of our lack of discrimination.
Essence. It is never demonstrated that You are covered by bodily designations; for You there is no birth in a literal sense, no duality, no bondage or liberation — appearance of bondage is by Your potency for pastimes. Apparent constraints on Kṛṣṇa are theatrical.
BG 48.23
You originally enunciated the ancient religious path of the Vedas for the benefit of the whole universe. Whenever that path becomes obstructed by wicked persons following the path of atheism, You assume one of Your incarnations, which are all in the transcendental mode of goodness.
Essence. You originally enunciated the Vedas; when wicked people obstruct that path with atheism, You assume incarnations in transcendental modes for the universe's benefit. The Lord re-establishes obscured truth when needed.
BG 48.24
You are that very same Supreme Person, my Lord, and You have now appeared in the home of Vasudeva with Your plenary portion. You have done this to relieve the earth’s burden by killing hundreds of armies led by kings who are expansions of the demigods’ enemies, and also to spread the fame of our dynasty.
Essence. You are that very same Lord, appearing in Vasudeva's home with Your plenary portion to relieve earth's burden by killing armies led by kings who are demigods' enemies. Cosmic-burden relief is part of the work; politics and the Lord intersect.
BG 48.25
Today, O Lord, my home has become most fortunate because You have entered it. As the Supreme Truth, You embody the forefathers, ordinary creatures, human beings and demigods, and the water that has washed Your feet purifies the three worlds. Indeed, O transcendent one, You are the spiritual master of the universe.
Essence. Today my home is fortunate because You have entered it; You embody forefathers, creatures, humans, demigods, and the water washing Your feet purifies the three worlds. A single visit reframes a household's status.
BG 48.26
What learned person would approach anyone but You for shelter, when You are the affectionate, grateful and truthful well-wisher of Your devotees? To those who worship You in sincere friendship You reward everything they desire, even Your own self, yet You never increase or diminish.
Essence. What learned person would seek shelter anywhere but in You — affectionate, grateful, truthful well-wisher of devotees — who rewards everything desired, even Yourself, yet diminishes nothing? The Lord gives unsurpassed gifts without depletion.
BG 48.27
It is by our great fortune, Janārdana, that You are now visible to us, for even the masters of yoga and the foremost demigods can achieve this goal only with great difficulty. Please quickly cut the ropes of our illusory attachment for children, wife, wealth, influential friends, home and body. All such attachment is simply the effect of Your illusory material energy.
Essence. By great fortune, Janārdana, You are visible to us — even masters of yoga and chief demigods achieve this with great difficulty. Please quickly cut the ropes of our illusory attachment for children, wife, wealth, etc.
BG 48.28
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Thus worshiped and fully glorified by His devotee, the Supreme Lord Hari smilingly addressed Akrūra, completely charming him with His words.
Essence. Thus worshiped and glorified, the Supreme Lord smilingly addresses Akrūra, completely charming him with His words. The Lord smiles when properly worshiped; mutual charm is part of the relationship.
BG 48.29
The Supreme Lord said: You are Our spiritual master, paternal uncle and praiseworthy friend, and We are like your sons, always dependent on your protection, sustenance and compassion.
Essence. You are Our spiritual master, paternal uncle, and praiseworthy friend; We are like your sons, dependent on your protection, sustenance, and compassion. The Lord casts Himself as needy of His devotee's care; devotional role-reversal is divine humility.
BG 48.30
Exalted souls like you are the true objects of service and the most worshipable authorities for those who desire the highest good in life. Demigods are generally concerned with their own interests, but saintly devotees never are.
Essence. Exalted souls like you are the true objects of service and worshipable for those desiring the highest good; demigods are concerned with their own interests, but saintly devotees never are. The Lord points His devotees toward each other.
BG 48.31
No one can deny that there are holy places with sacred rivers, or that the demigods appear in deity forms made of earth and stone. But these purify the soul only after a long time, whereas saintly persons purify just by being seen.
Essence. Holy places with sacred rivers and earth-stone deities purify only after long time; saintly persons purify just by being seen. Speed of grace is highest in living saints; geography is slower than persons.
BG 48.32
You are indeed the best of Our friends, so please go to Hastināpura and, as the well-wisher of the Pāṇḍavas, find out how they are doing.
Essence. You are the best of Our friends; please go to Hastināpura and, as well-wisher of the Pāṇḍavas, find out how they are doing. The Lord delegates intelligence-gathering to friends; service includes scouting.
BG 48.33
We have heard that when their father passed away, the young Pāṇḍavas were brought with their anguished mother to the capital city by King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and that they are now living there.
Essence. We've heard that on their father's death the young Pāṇḍavas were brought with their anguished mother to the capital by Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and live there. Even the Lord works with intelligence and rumor; He uses normal channels to confirm before acting.
BG 48.34
Indeed, weak-minded Dhṛtarāṣṭra, the son of Ambikā, has come under the control of his wicked sons, and therefore that blind King is not treating his brother’s sons fairly.
Essence. Weak-minded Dhṛtarāṣṭra, son of Ambikā, has come under his wicked sons' control, so the blind King isn't treating his nephews fairly. Family dynamics are honestly named; mercy doesn't blur clarity about who is failing whom.
BG 48.35
Go and see whether Dhṛtarāṣṭra is acting properly or not. When We find out, We will make the necessary arrangements to help Our dear friends.
Essence. Go and see whether Dhṛtarāṣṭra is acting properly; when We find out, We will make arrangements to help Our dear friends. The Lord plans help in stages: investigate, learn, then arrange.
BG 48.36
[Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued:] Thus fully instructing Akrūra, the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari then returned to His residence, accompanied by Lord Saṅkarṣaṇa and Uddhava.
Essence. Having fully instructed Akrūra, the Lord returns to His residence with Saṅkarṣaṇa and Uddhava. Instruction is followed by return; the work is delegated, not micromanaged.