Chapter 15 · 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 15.1
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, the mystic perfections of yoga are acquired by a yogī who has conquered his senses, steadied his mind, conquered the breathing process and fixed his mind on Me.
Essence. Mystic perfections come to the yogī who has conquered the senses, steadied the mind, mastered the breath, and fixed the mind on the Lord. The prerequisites are demanding, but they are the door.
BG 15.2
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear Lord Acyuta, by what process can mystic perfection be achieved, and what is the nature of such perfection? How many mystic perfections are there? Please explain these things to me. Indeed, You are the bestower of all mystic perfections.
Essence. Uddhava asks how mystic perfection is achieved, its nature, and how many kinds there are — naming the Lord as the bestower. Good students ask procedure, nature, and inventory.
BG 15.3
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: The masters of the yoga system have declared that there are eighteen types of mystic perfection and meditation, of which eight are primary, having their shelter in Me, and ten are secondary, appearing from the material mode of goodness.
Essence. Yoga masters list eighteen perfections — eight primary ones rooted in the Lord, ten secondary arising from goodness. The Lord names categories so we can hold them without confusion.
BG 15.4-5
Among the eight primary mystic perfections, the three by which one transforms one’s own body are aṇimā, becoming smaller than the smallest; mahimā, becoming greater than the greatest; and laghimā, becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the perfection of prāpti one acquires whatever one desires, and through prākāmya-siddhi one experiences any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next. Through īśitā-siddhi one can manipulate the subpotencies of māyā, and through the controlling potency called vaśitā-siddhi one is unimpeded by the three modes of nature. One who has acquired kāmāvasāyitā-siddhi can obtain anything from anywhere, to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle Uddhava, these eight mystic perfections are considered to be naturally existing and unexcelled within this world.
Essence. The eight primary perfections include aṇimā, mahimā, laghimā, prāpti, and others — powers of body, reach, and possession. Listing them disenchants them; they become tools, not destinations.
BG 15.6-7
The ten secondary mystic perfections arising from the modes of nature are the powers of freeing oneself from hunger and thirst and other bodily disturbances, hearing and seeing things far away, moving the body at the speed of the mind, assuming any form one desires, entering the bodies of others, dying when one desires, witnessing the pastimes between the demigods and the celestial girls called Apsarās, completely executing one’s determination and giving orders whose fulfillment is unimpeded.
Essence. The ten secondary perfections include freedom from bodily disturbances, distance-perception, mind-speed movement, form-shifting, entering bodies, dying at will, and so on. Their breadth shows what the human body-mind can be tuned to.
BG 15.8-9
The power to know past, present and future; tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities; knowing the minds of others; checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on; and remaining unconquered by others — these constitute five perfections of the mystic process of yoga and meditation. I am simply listing these here according to their names and characteristics. Now please learn from Me how specific mystic perfections arise from specific meditations and also of the particular processes involved.
Essence. Knowledge of past-present-future, tolerance of dualities, knowing minds, mastering fire/sun/water/poison, being unconquered by others — five further yogic powers. Each is a refined sensitivity, not just a stunt.
BG 15.10
One who worships Me in My atomic form pervading all subtle elements, fixing his mind on that alone, obtains the mystic perfection called aṇimā.
Essence. Worshiping the Lord as the atomic essence within all subtle elements brings aṇimā — the power to become smaller than the smallest. Each power is unlocked by a specific meditation.
BG 15.11
One who absorbs his mind in the particular form of the mahat-tattva and thus meditates upon Me as the Supreme Soul of the total material existence achieves the mystic perfection called mahimā. By further absorbing the mind in the situation of each individual element such as the sky, air, fire, and so on, one progressively acquires the greatness of each material element.
Essence. Absorbing the mind in the mahat-tattva and meditating on the Lord as Supreme Soul of total existence brings mahimā; further focus brings progressive expansion. Worship enlarges the worshiper.
BG 15.12
I exist within everything, and I am therefore the essence of the atomic constituents of material elements. By attaching his mind to Me in this form, the yogī may achieve the perfection called laghimā, by which he realizes the subtle atomic substance of time.
Essence. The Lord is the essence of atomic constituents, and attaching the mind to Him in that form yields laghimā — realizing the subtle atomic substance of time. Even time has an atomic structure within the Lord.
BG 15.13
Fixing his mind completely in Me within the element of false ego generated from the mode of goodness, the yogī obtains the power of mystic acquisition, by which he becomes the proprietor of the senses of all living entities. He obtains such perfection because his mind is absorbed in Me.
Essence. Fixing the mind in Him within false ego generated from goodness, the yogī becomes proprietor of all beings' senses — through absorption in the source of all senses. Power flows from the right source.
BG 15.14
One who concentrates all mental activities in Me as the Supersoul of that phase of the mahat-tattva which manifests the chain of fruitive activities obtains from Me, whose appearance is beyond material perception, the most excellent mystic perfection called prākāmya.
Essence. Concentrating in the Lord as Supersoul of the karma-producing mahat-tattva yields prākāmya — the most excellent perfection. Mastery over karma's machinery begins with worship at its hidden source.
BG 15.15
One who places his consciousness on Viṣṇu, the Supersoul, the prime mover and Supreme Lord of the external energy consisting of three modes, obtains the mystic perfection of controlling other conditioned souls, their material bodies and their bodily designations.
Essence. Placing consciousness on Viṣṇu, prime mover and Lord of the three-mode external energy, brings the power to influence other conditioned souls and their bodies. The power follows the height of the meditation.
BG 15.16
The yogī who places his mind in My form of Nārāyaṇa, known as the fourth factor, full of all opulences, becomes endowed with My nature and thus obtains the mystic perfection called vaśitā.
Essence. Meditating on the Lord as Nārāyaṇa, the 'fourth factor' full of all opulence, the yogī takes on His nature and gains vaśitā — controlling perfection. To take on the Lord's nature is the real opulence.
BG 15.17
One who fixes his pure mind on Me in My manifestation as the impersonal Brahman obtains the greatest happiness, wherein all his desires are completely fulfilled.
Essence. Fixing the pure mind on the Lord as impersonal Brahman gives the greatest happiness — all desires fulfilled. Even the impersonal feature, properly meditated upon, gives fullness.
BG 15.18
A human being who concentrates on Me as the upholder of religious principles, the personification of purity and the Lord of Śvetadvīpa obtains the pure existence in which he is freed from the six waves of material disturbance, namely hunger, thirst, decay, death, grief and illusion.
Essence. Concentrating on the Lord as upholder of religion, personification of purity, Lord of Śvetadvīpa frees one from the six waves — hunger, thirst, decay, death, grief, illusion. The waves do not vanish; one is lifted past them.
BG 15.19
That purified living entity who fixes his mind on the extraordinary sound vibrations occurring within Me as the personified sky and total life air is then able to perceive within the sky the speaking of all living entities.
Essence. Fixing the mind on extraordinary sound vibrations within the Lord as personified sky and life air lets one perceive the speaking of all beings. The Lord is the field where all voices live.
BG 15.20
Merging one’s sight into the sun planet and then the sun planet into one’s eyes, one should meditate on Me as existing within the combination of sun and vision; thus one acquires the power to see any distant thing.
Essence. Merging sight into the sun and sun into the eyes, meditating on the Lord as the combination, one gains the power to see anything distant. Vision is bidirectional; the Lord is at the meeting point.
BG 15.21
The yogī who completely absorbs his mind in Me, and who then makes use of the wind that follows the mind to absorb the material body in Me, obtains through the potency of meditation on Me the mystic perfection by which his body immediately follows his mind wherever it goes.
Essence. Absorbing the mind in the Lord and using mind-following wind to absorb the body in Him gives instant body-follows-mind movement. Power follows depth of absorption.
BG 15.22
When the yogī, applying his mind in a certain way, desires to assume a particular form, that very form immediately appears. Such perfection is possible by absorbing the mind in the shelter of My inconceivable mystic potency, by which I assume innumerable forms.
Essence. Applying the mind a certain way and resting on the Lord's inconceivable potency, the yogī assumes whatever form he desires. Many forms in the Lord, many forms accessible through Him.
BG 15.23
When a perfect yogī desires to enter another’s body, he should meditate upon himself within the other body, and then, giving up his own gross body, he should enter the other’s body through the pathways of air, as easily as a bee leaves one flower and flies into another.
Essence. To enter another's body, the yogī meditates on himself within it and passes through the airways like a bee from flower to flower. The mechanism is described with calm precision.
BG 15.24
The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Situated within the brahma-randhra, the yogī then gives up his material body and guides the spirit soul to the selected destination.
Essence. The yogī skilled in svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus, lifts the soul from heart to chest to neck to head, exits through the brahma-randhra. Even leaving the body has a precise technique.
BG 15.25
The yogī who desires to enjoy in the pleasure gardens of the demigods should meditate on the purified mode of goodness, which is situated within Me, and then the heavenly women, generated from the mode of goodness, will approach him in airplanes.
Essence. A yogī wanting heavenly pleasure-gardens meditates on the Lord's purified mode of goodness and is approached by heavenly women in airplanes. The Lord notes this without endorsing it as the goal.
BG 15.26
A yogī who has faith in Me, absorbing his mind in Me and knowing that My purpose is always fulfilled, will always achieve his purpose by the very means he has determined to follow.
Essence. A yogī faithful to the Lord, knowing the Lord's purpose is always fulfilled, achieves his own purpose through whatever means he has chosen. Faith in the Lord's purpose stabilizes one's own.
BG 15.27
A person who perfectly meditates on Me acquires My nature of being the supreme ruler and controller. His order, like Mine, can never be frustrated by any means.
Essence. Perfect meditation on the Lord gives one His nature of supreme ruler; one's order, like His, cannot be frustrated. Power is consequence of identification, not technique.
BG 15.28
A yogī who has purified his existence by devotion to Me and who thus expertly knows the process of meditation obtains knowledge of past, present and future. He can therefore see the birth and death of himself and others.
Essence. A devotee purified by devotion who knows meditation expertly gains knowledge of past, present, future — including birth and death of self and others. Wide vision follows pure devotion.
BG 15.29
Just as the bodies of aquatics cannot be injured by water, similarly, the body of a yogī whose consciousness is pacified by devotion to Me and who is fully developed in yoga science cannot be injured by fire, sun, water, poison, and so forth.
Essence. As fish are not injured by water, a yogī pacified by devotion and developed in yoga science is unhurt by fire, sun, water, poison, and so on. Devotion forms an interior environment in which threats lose grip.
BG 15.30
My devotee becomes unconquerable by meditating on My opulent incarnations, which are decorated with Śrīvatsa and various weapons and are endowed with imperial paraphernalia such as flags, ornamental umbrellas and fans.
Essence. The devotee becomes unconquerable by meditating on the Lord's opulent incarnations decorated with Śrīvatsa and imperial paraphernalia. The image carries protective potency.
BG 15.31
A learned devotee who worships Me through yoga meditation certainly obtains in all respects the mystic perfections that I have described.
Essence. A learned devotee who worships the Lord through yoga meditation obtains in all respects the perfections described. The Lord names the qualifying combination — learning plus worship.
BG 15.32
For a sage who has conquered his senses, breathing and mind, who is self-controlled and always absorbed in meditation on Me, what mystic perfection could possibly be difficult to achieve?
Essence. For a sage who has conquered senses, breath, mind, and is absorbed in the Lord, what perfection could possibly be difficult? Mastery in the inputs makes outputs surprisingly available.
BG 15.33
Learned experts in devotional service state that the mystic perfections of yoga that I have mentioned are actually impediments and are a waste of time for one who is practicing the supreme yoga, by which one achieves all perfection in life directly from Me.
Essence. Experts in devotional service say mystic perfections are impediments and a waste of time for one practicing the supreme yoga — direct attainment from the Lord. Powers can distract from the Person.
BG 15.34
Whatever mystic perfections can be achieved by good birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can all be achieved by devotional service to Me; indeed, one cannot achieve the actual perfection of yoga by any other means.
Essence. Whatever powers come from good birth, herbs, austerities, or mantras can all be had through devotion to the Lord — and real yoga's perfection comes by no other means. Devotion is the universal solvent.
BG 15.35
My dear Uddhava, I am the cause, the protector and the Lord of all mystic perfections, of the yoga system, of analytic knowledge, of pure activity and of the community of learned Vedic teachers.
Essence. The Lord is cause, protector, and Lord of all perfections, of yoga, analytic knowledge, pure activity, and the community of Vedic teachers. Every excellence has Him as its true owner.
BG 15.36
Just as the same material elements exist within and outside of all material bodies, similarly, I cannot be covered by anything else. I exist within everything as the Supersoul and outside of everything in My all-pervading feature.
Essence. As the same elements exist inside and outside all bodies, the Lord cannot be covered — He is within everything as Supersoul and outside as all-pervading. There is no place He is not.