Chapter 20 · 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 20.1
Śrī Uddhava said: My dear lotus-eyed Kṛṣṇa, You are the Supreme Lord, and thus the Vedic literatures, consisting of positive and negative injunctions, constitute Your order. Such literatures focus upon the good and bad qualities of work.
Essence. Uddhava notes that Vedic literatures with their positive and negative injunctions are the Lord's own order, focusing on the qualities of work. Scripture is named as the Lord speaking directly.
BG 20.2
According to Vedic literature, the superior and inferior varieties found in the human social system, varṇāśrama, are due to pious and sinful modes of family planning. Thus piety and sin are constant points of reference in the Vedic analysis of the components of a given situation — namely the material ingredients, place, age and time. Indeed, the Vedas reveal the existence of material heaven and hell, which are certainly based on piety and sin.
Essence. Varṇāśrama varieties arise from pious and sinful family-planning patterns; piety and sin are constant points of reference. Moral causes ripple through generations.
BG 20.3
Without seeing the difference between piety and sin, how can one understand Your own instructions in the form of Vedic literatures, which order one to act piously and forbid one to act sinfully? Furthermore, without such authorized Vedic literatures, which ultimately award liberation, how can human beings achieve the perfection of life?
Essence. Without distinguishing piety and sin, how could Uddhava understand the Lord's instructions? Without authorized scripture, how could one achieve liberation? The questions defend categorical thinking.
BG 20.4
My dear Lord, to understand those things beyond direct experience — such as spiritual liberation or the attainment of heaven and similar material enjoyments — and in general to understand the means and end of all things, it is imperative that the forefathers, demigods and human beings consult the Vedic literatures, for these literatures, being Your own laws, constitute the highest evidence and revelation.
Essence. To understand things beyond direct experience — liberation, heaven, and means-and-ends generally — forefathers, demigods, and humans rely on scripture. The Lord's words become the road-map.
BG 20.5
My dear Lord, the distinction observed between piety and sin comes from Your own Vedic knowledge and does not arise by itself. If the same Vedic literature subsequently nullifies such distinction between piety and sin, there will certainly be confusion.
Essence. If the same Veda first names piety vs sin and then nullifies the distinction, confusion follows. Uddhava is naming a real interpretive tension.
BG 20.6
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, because I desire that human beings may achieve perfection, I have presented three paths of advancement — the path of knowledge, the path of work and the path of devotion. Besides these three there is absolutely no other means of elevation.
Essence. The Lord has presented three paths — knowledge, work, and devotion — for human perfection, and no other means exists anywhere. The map of paths is small enough to memorize.
BG 20.7
Among these three paths, jñāna-yoga, the path of philosophical speculation, is recommended for those who are disgusted with material life and are thus detached from ordinary, fruitive activities. Those who are not disgusted with material life, having many desires yet to fulfill, should seek perfection through the path of karma-yoga.
Essence. Jñāna-yoga is for those disgusted with material life; karma-yoga is for those not disgusted, with desires to fulfill. The Lord assigns paths by inner condition.
BG 20.8
If somehow or other by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting My glories, such a person, being neither disgusted with nor very much attached to material life, should achieve perfection through the path of loving devotion to Me.
Essence. If by good fortune one develops faith in hearing and chanting His glories, then neither disgusted nor very attached, one should reach perfection through bhakti. Devotion fits the in-between, which is most of us.
BG 20.9
As long as one is not satiated by fruitive activity and has not awakened his taste for devotional service by śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, one has to act according to the regulative principles of the Vedic injunctions.
Essence. Until one is satiated by fruitive activity and tastes devotional service via śravaṇaṁ kīrtanaṁ viṣṇoḥ, one should follow Vedic regulations. Regulation guides until taste arrives.
BG 20.10
My dear Uddhava, a person who is situated in his prescribed duty, properly worshiping by Vedic sacrifices but not desiring the fruitive result of such worship, will not go to the heavenly planets; similarly, by not performing forbidden activities he will not go to hell.
Essence. One engaged in prescribed duty, properly worshiping without desiring fruits, will not go to heaven; and not performing forbidden acts, will not go to hell. The duty-without-desire person bypasses both extremes.
BG 20.11
One who is situated in his prescribed duty, free from sinful activities and cleansed of material contamination, in this very life obtains transcendental knowledge or, by fortune, devotional service unto Me.
Essence. One who follows prescribed duty, is free from sin, and is cleansed of contamination obtains in this life either transcendental knowledge or, by fortune, devotional service. Both fruits are reachable here.
BG 20.12
The residents of both heaven and hell desire human birth on the earth planet because human life facilitates the achievement of transcendental knowledge and love of Godhead, whereas neither heavenly nor hellish bodies efficiently provide such opportunities.
Essence. Heaven and hell residents desire human birth on earth because only here are transcendental knowledge and love of God efficiently available. The Lord names this position as enviable.
BG 20.13
A human being who is wise should never desire promotion to heavenly planets or residence in hell. Indeed, a human being should also never desire permanent residence on the earth, for by such absorption in the material body one becomes foolishly negligent of one’s actual self-interest.
Essence. Don't desire heaven, hell, or permanent residence on earth — body-absorption makes one negligent of true self-interest. Permanence-thinking betrays the temporary.
BG 20.14
A wise person, knowing that although the material body is subject to death it can still award the perfection of one’s life, should not foolishly neglect to take advantage of this opportunity before death arrives.
Essence. Even though the body dies, it can yield life's perfection — so don't foolishly neglect the opportunity before death arrives. Urgency without panic.
BG 20.15
Without attachment, a bird gives up the tree in which his nest was constructed when that tree is cut down by cruel men who are like death personified, and thus the bird achieves happiness in another place.
Essence. A bird without attachment leaves a nest in a felled tree and finds happiness elsewhere. Loss is not a verdict — relocation is possible.
BG 20.16
Knowing that one’s duration of life is being similarly cut down by the passing of days and nights, one should be shaken by fear. In this way, giving up all material attachment and desire, one understands the Supreme Lord and achieves perfect peace.
Essence. Days and nights cut down our lifespan; this should shake us into fear, dropping attachment and reaching peace by understanding the Lord. Fear at the right object yields peace.
BG 20.17
The human body, which can award all benefit in life, is automatically obtained by the laws of nature, although it is a very rare achievement. This human body can be compared to a perfectly constructed boat having the spiritual master as the captain and the instructions of the Personality of Godhead as favorable winds impelling it on its course. Considering all these advantages, a human being who does not utilize his human life to cross the ocean of material existence must be considered the killer of his own soul.
Essence. The human body is automatically given but rare; it is like a well-built boat with the guru as captain and the Lord's instructions as favorable wind. Three gifts converge to enable crossing.
BG 20.18
A transcendentalist, having become disgusted and hopeless in all endeavors for material happiness, completely controls the senses and develops detachment. By spiritual practice he should then fix the mind on the spiritual platform without deviation.
Essence. A transcendentalist disgusted with material happiness, fully controlling the senses, develops detachment and fixes the mind without deviation. Disgust matures into discipline.
BG 20.19
Whenever the mind, being concentrated on the spiritual platform, is suddenly deviated from its spiritual position, one should carefully bring it under the control of the self by following the prescribed means.
Essence. When the spiritually fixed mind is suddenly deviated, carefully bring it back under the self's control through prescribed means. Deviation is expected; the response is the practice.
BG 20.20
One should never lose sight of the actual goal of mental activities, but rather, conquering the life air and senses and utilizing intelligence strengthened by the mode of goodness, one should bring the mind under the control of the self.
Essence. Never lose sight of the actual goal; conquering breath and senses, with intelligence strengthened by goodness, bring the mind under the self. Goal, breath, senses, intelligence, mind — five tools.
BG 20.21
An expert horseman, desiring to tame a headstrong horse, first lets the horse have his way for a moment and then, pulling the reins, gradually places the horse on the desired path. Similarly, the supreme yoga process is that by which one carefully observes the movements and desires of the mind and gradually brings them under full control.
Essence. An expert horseman lets a wild horse run for a moment, then pulls the reins; supreme yoga similarly observes the mind's motions before guiding it. Force after observation works better than force without it.
BG 20.22
Until one’s mind is fixed in spiritual satisfaction, one should analytically study the temporary nature of all material objects, whether cosmic, earthly or atomic. One should constantly observe the process of creation through the natural progressive function and the process of annihilation through the regressive function.
Essence. Until the mind is fixed in spiritual satisfaction, analytically study the temporary nature of all objects — cosmic, earthly, atomic — and observe creation and annihilation. Reasoned observation supports devotion.
BG 20.23
When a person is disgusted with the temporary, illusory nature of this world and is thus detached from it, his mind, guided by the instructions of his spiritual master, considers again and again the nature of this world and eventually gives up the false identification with matter.
Essence. Disgusted with the temporary world and detached, the mind, guided by the guru, considers its nature repeatedly and gives up false matter-identification. Repetition is the engine.
BG 20.24
Through the various disciplinary regulations and the purificatory procedures of the yoga system, through logic and spiritual education or through worship and adoration of Me, one should constantly engage his mind in remembering the Personality of Godhead, the goal of yoga. No other means should be employed for this purpose.
Essence. Through regulations, yogic purification, logic, spiritual education, or worship, one should constantly remember the Lord — yoga's goal. The Lord is the destination, methods are interchangeable.
BG 20.25
If, because of momentary inattention, a yogī accidentally commits an abominable activity, then by the very practice of yoga he should burn to ashes the sinful reaction, without at any time employing any other procedure.
Essence. If a yogī accidentally commits an abominable act through inattention, he should burn its reaction to ashes through yoga itself — not by any other procedure. The path heals its own wounds.
BG 20.26
It is firmly declared that the steady adherence of transcendentalists to their respective spiritual positions constitutes real piety and that sin occurs when a transcendentalist neglects his prescribed duty. One who adopts this standard of piety and sin, sincerely desiring to give up all past association with sense gratification, is able to subdue materialistic activities, which are by nature impure.
Essence. Real piety is steady adherence to one's spiritual position; sin is neglecting prescribed duty. This standard helps eliminate undesirable qualities.
BG 20.27-28
Having awakened faith in the narrations of My glories, being disgusted with all material activities, knowing that all sense gratification leads to misery, but still being unable to renounce all sense enjoyment, My devotee should remain happy and worship Me with great faith and conviction. Even though he is sometimes engaged in sense enjoyment, My devotee knows that all sense gratification leads to a miserable result, and he sincerely repents such activities.
Essence. Having awakened faith in His glories, disgusted with material activity, knowing sense pleasure leads to misery yet still unable to fully renounce — the devotee should worship the Lord with happy faith. Imperfect renunciation does not disqualify devotion.
BG 20.29
When an intelligent person engages constantly in worshiping Me through loving devotional service as described by Me, his heart becomes firmly situated in Me. Thus all material desires within the heart are destroyed.
Essence. When an intelligent person engages constantly in His loving service as He described, the heart becomes firmly situated in Him and material desires are destroyed. Constancy does the destroying.
BG 20.30
The knot in the heart is pierced, all misgivings are cut to pieces and the chain of fruitive actions is terminated when I am seen as the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Essence. When the Lord is seen as the Supreme Personality, the heart's knot is pierced, misgivings are cut, the chain of fruitive action terminates. Vision does the cutting that effort cannot.
BG 20.31
Therefore, for a devotee engaged in My loving service, with mind fixed on Me, the cultivation of knowledge and renunciation is generally not the means of achieving the highest perfection within this world.
Essence. For a devotee fixed in loving service with mind on the Lord, cultivating knowledge and renunciation is generally not the path to highest perfection. Devotion already contains what those would yield.
BG 20.32-33
Everything that can be achieved by fruitive activities, penance, knowledge, detachment, mystic yoga, charity, religious duties and all other means of perfecting life is easily achieved by My devotee through loving service unto Me. If somehow or other My devotee desires promotion to heaven, liberation, or residence in My abode, he easily achieves such benedictions.
Essence. All that fruitive activity, penance, knowledge, detachment, yoga, charity, or duty can give is easily achieved by the devotee through loving service; even heaven, liberation, or My abode comes to such a devotee. Devotion is the universal solvent.
BG 20.34
Because My devotees possess saintly behavior and deep intelligence, they completely dedicate themselves to Me and do not desire anything besides Me. Indeed, even if I offer them liberation from birth and death, they do not accept it.
Essence. Devotees have saintly behavior and deep intelligence; they dedicate themselves to the Lord and want nothing besides Him — even refusing liberation. Wanting only Him is itself the highest gain.
BG 20.35
It is said that complete detachment is the highest stage of freedom. Therefore, one who has no personal desire and does not pursue personal rewards can achieve loving devotional service unto Me.
Essence. Complete detachment is the highest stage of freedom — one without personal desire achieves loving devotional service. Freedom is named precisely as no-desire.
BG 20.36
Material piety and sin, which arise from the good and evil of this world, cannot exist within My unalloyed devotees, who, being free from material hankering, maintain steady spiritual consciousness in all circumstances. Indeed, such devotees have achieved Me, the Supreme Lord, who am beyond anything that can be conceived by material intelligence.
Essence. Material piety and sin do not exist for unalloyed devotees free from hankering — they have already reached the Lord, beyond all dual designations. The categories that organize ordinary life don't apply.
BG 20.37
Persons who seriously follow these methods of achieving Me, which I have personally taught, attain freedom from illusion, and upon reaching My personal abode they perfectly understand the Absolute Truth.
Essence. Persons who seriously follow these methods that the Lord has personally taught attain freedom from illusion, and reaching His personal abode they fully understand the Absolute Truth. Seriousness is named as the qualifier.