Chapter 21 · 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 21.1
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: Those who give up these methods for achieving Me, which consist of devotional service, analytic philosophy and regulated execution of prescribed duties, and instead, being moved by the material senses, cultivate insignificant sense gratification, certainly undergo the continual cycle of material existence.
Essence. Those who abandon devotion, philosophy, and prescribed duty for sense gratification driven by the senses fall into birth and death. Three legitimate roads abandoned for a side trail leads nowhere good.
BG 21.2
Steadiness in one’s own position is declared to be actual piety, whereas deviation from one’s position is considered impiety. In this way the two are definitely ascertained.
Essence. Real piety is steadiness in one's own position; deviation is impiety. The standard is internal-to-the-path, not external comparison.
BG 21.3
O sinless Uddhava, in order to understand what is proper in life one must evaluate a given object within its particular category. Thus, in analyzing religious principles one must consider purity and impurity. Similarly, in one’s ordinary dealings one must distinguish between good and bad, and to insure one’s physical survival one must recognize that which is auspicious and inauspicious.
Essence. Evaluate things within their own category — religious by purity and impurity, ordinary by good and bad, survival by helpful and harmful. The right ruler for the right object.
BG 21.4
I have revealed this way of life for those bearing the burden of mundane religious principles.
Essence. The Lord has revealed this way of life for those bearing the burden of mundane religious principles. Even for those still attached to ritual, there is a roadmap.
BG 21.5
Earth, water, fire, air and ether are the five basic elements that constitute the bodies of all conditioned souls, from Lord Brahmā himself down to the nonmoving creatures. These elements all emanate from the one Personality of Godhead.
Essence. All bodies, from Brahmā to plants, are made of earth, water, fire, air, ether — all emanating from one Lord. The elemental sameness underlines a shared Source.
BG 21.6
My dear Uddhava, although all material bodies are composed of the same five elements and are thus equal, the Vedic literatures conceive of different names and forms in relation to such bodies so that the living entities may achieve their goal of life.
Essence. Bodies are made of the same elements but the Vedas give different names and forms for them so beings may achieve life's goal. Naming is purposeful, not arbitrary.
BG 21.7
O saintly Uddhava, in order to restrict materialistic activities, I have established that which is proper and improper among all material things, including time, space and all physical objects.
Essence. To restrict materialism, the Lord has established proper and improper among time, space, and physical objects. The point of categorization is restraint.
BG 21.8
Among places, those bereft of the spotted antelope, those devoid of devotion to the brāhmaṇas, those possessing spotted antelopes but bereft of respectable men, provinces like Kīkaṭa and places where cleanliness and purificatory rites are neglected, where meat-eaters are prominent or where the earth is barren, are all considered to be contaminated lands.
Essence. Places lacking spotted antelopes, devotion to brāhmaṇas, respectable men, cleanliness, or where meat-eaters dominate are impure. Environments shape practice as surely as practice shapes us.
BG 21.9
A specific time is considered pure when it is appropriate, either by its own nature or through achievement of suitable paraphernalia, for the performance of one’s prescribed duty. That time which impedes the performance of one’s duty is considered impure.
Essence. Time is pure when appropriate, by its nature or by available paraphernalia, for prescribed duty; time that impedes duty is impure. The clock has moral character.
BG 21.10
An object’s purity or impurity is established by application of another object, by words, by rituals, by the effects of time or according to relative magnitude.
Essence. An object's purity or impurity is established by application of another object, by words, by rituals, by time effects, or by relative magnitude. Purity is contextual and multiple-axis.
BG 21.11
Impure things may or may not impose sinful reactions upon a person, depending on that person’s strength or weakness, intelligence, wealth, location and physical condition.
Essence. Impure things may or may not produce sin depending on the person's strength, intelligence, wealth, location, condition. The same encounter is not the same for every person.
BG 21.12
Various objects such as grains, wooden utensils, things made of bone, thread, liquids, objects derived from fire, skins and earthy objects are all purified by time, by the wind, by fire, by earth and by water, either separately or in combination.
Essence. Grains, wood utensils, bone objects, thread, liquids, fire-derived items, skins, and earthy objects are purified by time, wind, fire, earth, water — singly or combined. Even physical objects have purification protocols.
BG 21.13
A particular purifying agent is considered appropriate when its application removes the bad odor or dirty covering of some contaminated object and makes it resume its original nature.
Essence. A purifying agent is right when its application removes bad odor or covering, restoring the object's original nature. Restoration of original nature is the test.
BG 21.14
The self can be cleansed by bathing, charity, austerity, age, personal strength, purificatory rituals, prescribed duties and, above all, by remembrance of Me. The brāhmaṇa and other twice-born men should be duly purified before performing their specific activities.
Essence. The self is cleansed by bathing, charity, austerity, age, strength, rituals, prescribed duties, and above all by remembrance of Me. Many cleansers — but one prime.
BG 21.15
A mantra is purified when chanted with proper knowledge, and one’s work is purified when offered to Me. Thus by purification of the place, time, substance, doer, mantras and work, one becomes religious, and by negligence of these six items one is considered irreligious.
Essence. Mantra is purified by proper knowledge, work by offering to the Lord; purifying place, time, substance, doer, mantras, work yields religion. Six axes of purification compose one life.
BG 21.16
Sometimes piety becomes sin, and sometimes what is ordinarily sin becomes piety on the strength of Vedic injunctions. Such special rules in effect eradicate the clear distinction between piety and sin.
Essence. Sometimes piety becomes sin and sin becomes piety by Vedic injunction — special rules can override clear distinctions. The world is subtler than fixed lists.
BG 21.17
The same activities that would degrade an elevated person do not cause falldown for those who are already fallen. Indeed, one who is lying on the ground cannot possibly fall further. The material association that is dictated by one’s own nature is considered a good quality.
Essence. Activities that would degrade the elevated do not cause falldown for those already fallen — one on the ground cannot fall further. The Lord acknowledges variable responsibility.
BG 21.18
By refraining from a particular sinful or materialistic activity, one becomes freed from its bondage. Such renunciation is the basis of religious and auspicious life for human beings and drives away all suffering, illusion and fear.
Essence. Refraining from sinful or materialistic activity frees one from its bondage; such renunciation is the basis of religious life and drives away suffering, illusion, fear. Simple subtraction is powerful.
BG 21.19
One who accepts material sense objects as desirable certainly becomes attached to them. From such attachment lust arises, and this lust creates quarrel among men.
Essence. Treating sense objects as desirable produces attachment; attachment produces lust; lust produces quarrel. The chain is short and predictable.
BG 21.20
From quarrel arises intolerable anger, followed by the darkness of ignorance. This ignorance quickly overtakes a man’s broad intelligence.
Essence. Quarrel produces intolerable anger, anger produces ignorance, and ignorance overtakes intelligence. The descent is rapid once started.
BG 21.21
O saintly Uddhava, a person bereft of real intelligence is considered to have lost everything. Deviated from the actual purpose of his life, he becomes dull, just like a dead person.
Essence. A person bereft of real intelligence has lost everything — deviated from life's purpose, dull as a dead person. The teaching is stark.
BG 21.22
Because of absorption in sense gratification, one cannot recognize himself or others. Living uselessly in ignorance like a tree, one is merely breathing just like a bellows.
Essence. Absorbed in sense gratification, one cannot recognize self or others, living like a tree, breathing like a bellows. The teaching describes complete spiritual unconsciousness.
BG 21.23
Those statements of scripture promising fruitive rewards do not prescribe the ultimate good for men but are merely enticements for executing beneficial religious duties, like promises of candy spoken to induce a child to take beneficial medicine.
Essence. Scriptures' promises of fruitive rewards are not the ultimate good — they are like candy spoken to make a child take medicine. The candy is real; the medicine is the point.
BG 21.24
Simply by material birth, human beings become attached within their minds to personal sense gratification, long duration of life, sense activities, bodily strength, sexual potency and friends and family. Their minds are thus absorbed in that which defeats their actual self-interest.
Essence. Material birth attaches the mind to gratification, longevity, sense activity, strength, sexual potency, friends, family — absorbed in what defeats real self-interest. The natural drift is toward the wrong things.
BG 21.25
Those ignorant of their real self-interest are wandering on the path of material existence, gradually heading toward darkness. Why would the Vedas further encourage them in sense gratification if they, although foolish, submissively pay heed to Vedic injunctions?
Essence. The ignorant are wandering toward darkness — why would the Vedas further encourage them in sense gratification? The candy is to make them take the medicine.
BG 21.26
Persons with perverted intelligence do not understand this actual purpose of Vedic knowledge and instead propagate as the highest Vedic truth the flowery statements of the Vedas that promise material rewards. Those in actual knowledge of the Vedas never speak in that way.
Essence. Perverse intelligence propagates the Vedas' flowery material promises as supreme truth; actual knowers never speak this way. The marker of wisdom is what it refuses to elevate.
BG 21.27
Those who are full of lust, avarice and greed mistake mere flowers to be the actual fruit of life. Bewildered by the glare of fire and suffocated by its smoke, they cannot recognize their own true identity.
Essence. The lusty mistake mere flowers for the actual fruit; bewildered by fire's glare and choked by smoke, they don't know themselves. Beauty and discomfort together can obscure identity.
BG 21.28
My dear Uddhava, persons dedicated to sense gratification obtained through honoring the Vedic rituals cannot understand that I am situated in everyone’s heart and that the entire universe is nondifferent from Me and emanates from Me. Indeed, they are just like persons whose eyes are covered by fog.
Essence. Persons dedicated to gratification through Vedic ritual cannot understand that the Lord is in the heart and that the universe is non-different from Him. Their eyes are functionally covered.
BG 21.29-30
Those who are sworn to sense gratification cannot understand the confidential conclusion of Vedic knowledge as explained by Me. Taking pleasure in violence, they cruelly slaughter innocent animals in sacrifice for their own sense gratification and thus worship demigods, forefathers and leaders among ghostly creatures. Such passion for violence, however, is never encouraged within the process of Vedic sacrifice.
Essence. Those sworn to gratification cannot grasp the confidential Vedic conclusion; taking pleasure in violence, they slaughter innocent animals in sacrifice to demigods and ancestors, mistaken in their worship. Violence shows the level of misunderstanding.
BG 21.31
Just as a foolish businessman gives up his real wealth in useless business speculation, foolish persons give up all that is actually valuable in life and instead pursue promotion to material heaven, which although pleasing to hear about is actually unreal, like a dream. Such bewildered persons imagine within their hearts that they will achieve all material blessings.
Essence. A foolish businessman gives up real wealth for useless speculation, just as fools give up real value for material heaven, which is unreal like a dream. The trade is named as a bad deal.
BG 21.32
Those established in material passion, goodness and ignorance worship the particular demigods and other deities, headed by Indra, who manifest the same modes of passion, goodness or ignorance. They fail, however, to properly worship Me.
Essence. Those in passion, goodness, or ignorance worship the deities matching their mode, headed by Indra, and fail to properly worship the Lord. Mode determines worship's address.
BG 21.33-34
The worshipers of demigods think, “We shall worship the demigods in this life, and by our sacrifices we shall go to heaven and enjoy there. When that enjoyment is finished we shall return to this world and take birth as great householders in aristocratic families.” Being excessively proud and greedy, such persons are bewildered by the flowery words of the Vedas. They are not attracted to topics about Me, the Supreme Lord.
Essence. Worshipers of demigods plan: 'We'll worship now, go to heaven, enjoy, return to aristocratic householder life' — excessively attached to ritual, they miss the Lord. The plan is detailed and worldly.
BG 21.35
The Vedas, divided into three divisions, ultimately reveal the living entity as pure spirit soul. The Vedic seers and mantras, however, deal in esoteric terms, and I also am pleased by such confidential descriptions.
Essence. The Vedas in three divisions ultimately reveal the soul as pure spirit; seers and mantras use esoteric terms, and the Lord is pleased by such confidential descriptions. Layered language is part of the design.
BG 21.36
The transcendental sound of the Vedas is very difficult to comprehend and manifests on different levels within the prāṇa, senses and mind. This Vedic sound is unlimited, very deep and unfathomable, just like the ocean.
Essence. The Vedic sound is hard to comprehend, manifesting on different levels in prāṇa, senses, and mind — unlimited, deep, oceanic. The text refuses to flatten itself.
BG 21.37
As the unlimited, unchanging and omnipotent Personality of Godhead dwelling within all living beings, I personally establish the Vedic sound vibration in the form of oṁkāra within all living entities. It is thus perceived subtly, just like a single strand of fiber on a lotus stalk.
Essence. The Lord personally establishes Vedic sound as oṁkāra in every living being, perceived subtly like a single strand on a lotus stalk. Sacred sound is built into the body of every being.
BG 21.38-40
Just as a spider brings forth from its heart its web and emits it through its mouth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead manifests Himself as the reverberating primeval vital air, comprising all sacred Vedic meters and full of transcendental pleasure. Thus the Lord, from the ethereal sky of His heart, creates the great and limitless Vedic sound by the agency of His mind, which conceives of variegated sounds such as the sparśas. The Vedic sound branches out in thousands of directions, adorned with the different letters expanded from the syllable om: the consonants, vowels, sibilants and semivowels. The Veda is then elaborated by many verbal varieties, expressed in different meters, each having four more syllables than the previous one. Ultimately the Lord again withdraws His manifestation of Vedic sound within Himself.
Essence. Like a spider emitting its web from within and through its mouth, the Lord manifests as primeval vital air comprising Vedic meters, full of transcendental pleasure. The cosmic system flows from one inner reservoir.
BG 21.41
The Vedic meters are Gāyatrī, Uṣṇik, Anuṣṭup, Bṛhatī, Paṅkti, Triṣṭup, Jagatī, Aticchanda, Atyaṣṭi, Atijagatī and Ativirāṭ.
Essence. The Vedic meters are listed: Gāyatrī, Uṣṇik, Anuṣṭup, Bṛhatī, and so on — each with its own metric body. The enumeration itself honors detail.
BG 21.42
In the entire world no one but Me actually understands the confidential purpose of Vedic knowledge. Thus people do not know what the Vedas are actually prescribing in the ritualistic injunctions of karma-kāṇḍa, or what object is actually being indicated in the formulas of worship found in the upāsanā-kāṇḍa, or that which is elaborately discussed through various hypotheses in the jñāna-kāṇḍa section of the Vedas.
Essence. Only the Lord understands the confidential purpose of Vedic knowledge; people don't actually know what karma-kāṇḍa prescribes or what is being indicated in worship. The verdict is striking.
BG 21.43
I am the ritualistic sacrifice enjoined by the Vedas, and I am the worshipable Deity. It is I who am presented as various philosophical hypotheses, and it is I alone who am then refuted by philosophical analysis. The transcendental sound vibration thus establishes Me as the essential meaning of all Vedic knowledge. The Vedas, elaborately analyzing all material duality as nothing but My illusory potency, ultimately completely negate this duality and achieve their own satisfaction.
Essence. The Lord is the ritualistic sacrifice, the worshipable Deity, the philosophical hypotheses, and even the refutation of them — sound vibration establishes Him as the essence of all. Even debate, dissolved, lands in Him.