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
The great sage Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, being very much satisfied by the performance of ninety-nine horse sacrifices, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, appeared on the scene. Accompanying Him was King Indra. Lord Viṣṇu then began to speak.
Essence. Satisfied by 99 sacrifices, Viṣṇu Himself appears — bringing Indra with Him. The Lord arrives with the very party you almost punished; mercy uses unexpected escorts.
BG 20.2
Lord Viṣṇu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, said: My dear King Pṛthu, Indra, the King of heaven, has disturbed your execution of one hundred sacrifices. Now he has come with Me to be forgiven by you. Therefore excuse him.
Essence. Viṣṇu says: Indra disturbed your 100th sacrifice; he's come with Me to seek forgiveness — please excuse him. The Supreme personally brokers reconciliation; if He's the mediator, the answer can only be yes.
BG 20.3
O King, one who is advanced in intelligence and eager to perform welfare activities for others is considered best amongst human beings. An advanced human being is never malicious to others. Those with advanced intelligence are always conscious that this material body is different from the soul.
Essence. Advanced intelligence is welfare-oriented and non-malicious; the wise know body and soul are distinct. The metric of advanced humanity is goodwill, not capacity.
BG 20.4
If a personality like you, who are so much advanced because of executing the instructions of the previous ācāryas, is carried away by the influence of My material energy, then all your advancement may be considered simply a waste of time.
Essence. If even you, who follow the ācāryas, are swept up by My material energy, your advancement is wasted. Even high attainment can be undone by a moment's domination by māyā; vigilance is permanent.
BG 20.5
Those who are in full knowledge of the bodily conception of life, who know that this body is composed of nescience, desires and activities resulting from illusion, do not become addicted to the body.
Essence. Those who know the body as composed of nescience, desire and illusion-driven action don't become addicted to it. Right metaphysics is itself anti-addictive; the cure to bodily fascination is clear seeing.
BG 20.6
How can a highly learned person who has absolutely no affinity for the bodily conception of life be affected by the bodily conception in regard to house, children, wealth and similar other bodily productions?
Essence. How could one without affinity for body-identification be entangled by house, children, wealth? Detachment in the root cures attachment in the branches; no branch-level pruning would do as much.
BG 20.7
The individual soul is one, pure, nonmaterial and self-effulgent. He is the reservoir of all good qualities, and He is all-pervading. He is without material covering, and He is the witness of all activities. He is completely distinguished from other living entities, and He is transcendental to all embodied souls.
Essence. The soul is one, pure, self-effulgent, all-pervading, the witness, free of material covering. Memorize the soul's properties; they reorganize self-talk dramatically.
BG 20.8
Although within the material nature, one who is thus situated in full knowledge of the Paramātmā and ātmā is never affected by the modes of material nature, for he is always situated in My transcendental loving service.
Essence. One who knows ātmā and Paramātmā and is engaged in loving service is untouched by modes even while in material nature. The protection isn't escape from the field; it's right relation within it.
BG 20.9
The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Viṣṇu, continued: My dear King Pṛthu, when one situated in his occupational duty engages in My loving service without motive for material gain, he gradually becomes very satisfied within.
Essence. Engaging in occupational duty as loving service to Me, without material motive, gradually satisfies the heart. The same job, done with shift of purpose, transforms the worker; you don't have to change jobs to be transformed.
BG 20.10
When the heart is cleansed of all material contamination, the devotee’s mind becomes broader and transparent and he can see things equally. At that stage of life there is peace, and one is situated equally with Me as sac-cid-ānanda-vigraha.
Essence. When the heart is cleansed, mind broadens, sees equally, finds peace, and is situated alongside Me as sac-cid-ānanda. Equal vision is not flattening — it is the natural posture of a clean heart.
BG 20.11
Anyone who knows that this material body, made of the five gross elements, the sense organs, the working senses and the mind, is simply supervised by the fixed soul is eligible to be liberated from material bondage.
Essence. Knowing the body is supervised by the soul makes one eligible for liberation. Understanding the chain of command in your own organism is itself liberating intelligence.
BG 20.12
Lord Viṣṇu told King Pṛthu: My dear King, the constant change of this material world is due to the interaction of the three modes of material nature. The five elements, the senses, the demigods who control the senses, as well as the mind, which is agitated by the spirit soul — all these taken together comprise the body. Since the spirit soul is completely different from this combination of gross and subtle material elements, My devotee who is connected with Me in intense friendship and affection, being completely in knowledge, is never agitated by material happiness and distress.
Essence. Material flux comes from the three modes; the body is a combination of elements, senses, demigods and mind, agitated by the soul. The whole apparatus is moving; locate yourself correctly within it.
BG 20.13
My dear heroic King, please keep yourself always equipoised and treat people equally, whether they are greater than you, in the intermediate stage or lower than you. Do not be disturbed by temporary distress or happiness. Fully control your mind and senses. In this transcendental position, try to execute your duty as king in whatever condition of life you may be posted by My arrangement, for your only duty here is to give protection to the citizens of your kingdom.
Essence. Stay equipoised; treat greater, equal, lesser the same; don't be disturbed by transient pleasure or pain; control mind and senses; do your duty as king. The royal posture is precisely this composed inner architecture.
BG 20.14
To give protection to the general mass of people who are citizens of the state is the prescribed occupational duty for a king. By acting in that way, the king in his next life shares one sixth of the result of the pious activities of the citizens. But a king or executive head of state who simply collects taxes from the citizens but does not give them proper protection as human beings has the results of his own pious activities taken away by the citizens, and in exchange for his not giving protection he becomes liable to punishment for the impious activities of his subjects.
Essence. Protecting citizens earns the king a sixth of their pious acts in his next life; merely collecting taxes without protecting collects their sins. The compensation system runs cleanly: protection earns, exaction without protection costs.
BG 20.15
Lord Viṣṇu continued: My dear King Pṛthu, if you continue to protect the citizens according to the instructions of the learned brāhmaṇa authorities, as they are received by the disciplic succession — by hearing — from master to disciple, and if you follow the religious principles laid down by them, without attachment to ideas manufactured by mental concoction, then every one of your citizens will be happy and will love you, and very soon you will be able to see such already liberated personalities as the four Kumāras [Sanaka, Sanātana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumāra].
Essence. If you protect citizens per the brāhmaṇas' paramparā instruction, without material attachment, your salvation is sure. The system is a real path to liberation; follow it as designed.
BG 20.16
My dear King, I am very captivated by your elevated qualities and excellent behavior, and thus I am very favorably inclined toward you. You may therefore ask from Me any benediction you like. One who does not possess elevated qualities and behavior cannot possibly achieve My favor simply by performance of sacrifices, severe austerities or mystic yoga. But I always remain equipoised in the heart of one who is also equipoised in all circumstances.
Essence. I am captivated by your qualities; ask any benediction. Elevated qualities, not just sacrifices, win the Lord's favor; the back door is character.
BG 20.17
The great saint Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, in this way Mahārāja Pṛthu, the conqueror of the entire world, accepted the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead on his head.
Essence. Pṛthu accepts the Lord's instructions on his head — literally and figuratively bowing. The form of acceptance matters; the head-position of agreement is itself part of the obedience.
BG 20.18
As King Indra was standing by, he became ashamed of his own activities and fell down before King Pṛthu to touch his lotus feet. But Pṛthu Mahārāja immediately embraced him in great ecstasy and gave up all envy against him for his having stolen the horse meant for the sacrifice.
Essence. Indra, ashamed, fell to touch Pṛthu's feet; Pṛthu embraced him and dropped all enmity at once. The wronged king's right move is the embrace, not the recitation of the offense; mercy is its own restoration.
BG 20.19
King Pṛthu abundantly worshiped the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who was so merciful to him. While worshiping the lotus feet of the Lord, Pṛthu Mahārāja gradually increased his ecstasy in devotional service.
Essence. Pṛthu worshiped the Lord abundantly, and his devotional ecstasy gradually increased. Ecstasy is not a one-time gift; sustained worship deepens it incrementally.
BG 20.20
The Lord was just about to leave, but because He was so greatly inclined toward the behavior of King Pṛthu, He did not depart. Seeing the behavior of Mahārāja Pṛthu with His lotus eyes, He was detained because He is always the well-wisher of His devotees.
Essence. The Lord was about to leave but didn't — He stayed because of His inclination toward Pṛthu's behavior. The Lord's well-wisher status detains Him; love overrides departure schedule.
BG 20.21
The original king, Mahārāja Pṛthu, his eyes full of tears and his voice faltering and choked up, could neither see the Lord very distinctly nor speak to address the Lord in any way. He simply embraced the Lord within his heart and remained standing in that way with folded hands.
Essence. Pṛthu, tears full, voice choked, couldn't see or speak — just embraced the Lord in his heart with folded hands. Inarticulate worship is sometimes the deepest; the embrace is offered when the words have gone.
BG 20.22
The Supreme Personality of Godhead stood with His lotus feet almost touching the ground while He rested the front of His hand on the raised shoulder of Garuḍa, the enemy of the snakes. Mahārāja Pṛthu, wiping the tears from his eyes, tried to look upon the Lord, but it appeared that the King was not fully satisfied by looking at Him. Thus the King offered the following prayers.
Essence. The Lord stood almost touching the ground, resting His hand on Garuḍa's shoulder; Pṛthu, wiping tears, looked but was not fully satisfied. Some satisfactions cannot be exhausted by seeing; sight is fed but heart still hungers.
BG 20.23
My dear Lord, You are the best of the demigods who can offer benedictions. Why, therefore, should any learned person ask You for benedictions meant for living entities bewildered by the modes of nature? Such benedictions are available automatically, even in the lives of living entities suffering in hellish conditions. My dear Lord, You can certainly bestow merging into Your existence, but I do not wish to have such a benediction.
Essence. You are the best of benediction-givers, but the wise don't ask for benedictions available even in hell. The point isn't to use the relationship for crumbs; ask only for what only He can give.
BG 20.24
My dear Lord, I therefore do not wish to have the benediction of merging into Your existence, a benediction in which there is no existence of the nectarean beverage of Your lotus feet. I want the benediction of at least one million ears, for thus I may be able to hear about the glories of Your lotus feet from the mouths of Your pure devotees.
Essence. I don't want kaivalya merging — give me a million ears to hear the glories of Your feet from devotees. Hearing about Him is sweeter than dissolving into Him; bhakti's economy preferences relationship over absorption.
BG 20.25
My dear Lord, You are glorified by the selected verses uttered by great personalities. Such glorification of Your lotus feet is just like saffron particles. When the transcendental vibration from the mouths of great devotees carries the aroma of the saffron dust of Your lotus feet, the forgetful living entity gradually remembers his eternal relationship with You. Devotees thus gradually come to the right conclusion about the value of life. My dear Lord, I therefore do not need any other benediction but the opportunity to hear from the mouth of Your pure devotee.
Essence. The selected verses from devotees carry the saffron-dust of Your feet; that vibration awakens the forgetful. Sacred speech has actual particulate content; it's not just sound.
BG 20.26
My dear highly glorified Lord, if one, in the association of pure devotees, hears even once the glories of Your activities, he does not, unless he is nothing but an animal, give up the association of devotees, for no intelligent person would be so careless as to leave their association. The perfection of chanting and hearing about Your glories was accepted even by the goddess of fortune, who desired to hear of Your unlimited activities and transcendental glories.
Essence. Anyone who hears Your glories even once in devotee-association won't leave it unless he's nothing but an animal. The threshold experience reorganizes priorities for life — if the listener is human.
BG 20.27
Now I wish to engage in the service of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and to serve just like the goddess of fortune, who carries a lotus flower in her hand, because His Lordship, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the reservoir of all transcendental qualities. I am afraid that the goddess of fortune and I would quarrel because both of us would be attentively engaged in the same service.
Essence. I wish to serve You as Lakṣmī does — but I fear her displeasure at my intruding on her platform. Reverence for senior devotees doesn't disappear when you address God; it's part of how you address God.
BG 20.28
My dear Lord of the universe, the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, is the mother of the universe, and yet I think that she may be angry with me because of my intruding upon her service and acting on that very platform to which she is so much attached. Yet I am hopeful that even though there is some misunderstanding, You will take my part, for You are very much inclined to the poor, and You always magnify even insignificant service unto You. Therefore even though she becomes angry, I think that there is no harm for You, because You are so self-sufficient that You can do without her.
Essence. Lakṣmī, mother of the universe, may be angry; even so, You will support me — saints take Your side. Confidence in protection isn't from one's own merit but from the Lord's loyalty to His devotees.
BG 20.29
Great saintly persons who are always liberated take to Your devotional service because only by devotional service can one be relieved from the illusions of material existence. O my Lord, there is no reason for the liberated souls to take shelter at Your lotus feet except that such souls are constantly thinking of Your feet.
Essence. Liberated saints take to Your service only because You attract their hearts; no other reason exists. The most realized souls choose bhakti not because they need to but because they want to; that's the highest endorsement.
BG 20.30
My dear Lord, what You have said to Your unalloyed devotee is certainly very much bewildering. The allurements You offer in the Vedas are certainly not suitable for pure devotees. People in general, bound by the sweet words of the Vedas, engage themselves again and again in fruitive activities, enamored by the results of their actions.
Essence. Your words to me are bewildering; the Vedic allurements bind people to fruitive activity. Pure devotees find even the Lord's standard offers (heaven, success) confusing because they want only Him.
BG 20.31
My Lord, due to Your illusory energy, all living beings in this material world have forgotten their real constitutional position, and out of ignorance they are always desirous of material happiness in the form of society, friendship and love. Therefore, please do not ask me to take some material benefits from You, but as a father, not waiting for the son’s demand, does everything for the benefit of the son, please bestow upon me whatever You think best for me.
Essence. Living beings forget their position and seek material happiness; don't ask me to take such benefits — please give only loving service. The honest petition rejects the menu and asks for the chef.
BG 20.32
The great sage Maitreya continued by saying that the Lord, the seer of the universe, after hearing Pṛthu Mahārāja’s prayer, addressed the King: My dear King, may you always be blessed by engaging in My devotional service. Only by such purity of purpose, as you yourself very intelligently express, can one cross over the insurmountable illusory energy of māyā.
Essence. The Lord blessed: stay always engaged in My devotional service, and you'll cross māyā. Crossing māyā isn't a separate operation; sustained service is itself the crossing.
BG 20.33
My dear King, O protector of the citizens, henceforward be very careful to execute My orders and not be misled by anything. Anyone who lives in that way, simply carrying out My orders faithfully, will always find good fortune all over the world.
Essence. Be careful to execute My orders faithfully and you'll find good fortune everywhere. Faithful execution of given orders is the simplest, hardest, most reliable spiritual life.
BG 20.34
The great saint Maitreya told Vidura: The Supreme Personality of Godhead amply appreciated the meaningful prayers of Mahārāja Pṛthu. Thus, after being properly worshiped by the King, the Lord blessed him and decided to depart.
Essence. The Lord appreciated Pṛthu's prayers and prepared to depart after blessing him. Real worship is judged by the Lord Himself; appreciation from Him is the only real review.
BG 20.35-36
King Pṛthu worshiped the demigods, the great sages, the inhabitants of Pitṛloka, the inhabitants of Gandharvaloka, and those of Siddhaloka, Cāraṇaloka, Pannagaloka, Kinnaraloka, Apsaroloka, the earthly planets and the planets of the birds. He also worshiped many other living entities who presented themselves in the sacrificial arena. With folded hands he worshiped all these, as well as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the personal associates of the Lord, by offering sweet words and as much wealth as possible. After this function, they all went back to their respective abodes, following in the footsteps of Lord Viṣṇu.
Essence. Pṛthu worshiped demigods, pitṛs, gandharvas, siddhas, cāraṇas, pannagas, kinnaras, apsarās, earth and bird planets — and all other beings present. After honoring the chief, honor the full guest list; nobody who came is unimportant.
BG 20.37
The infallible Supreme Personality of Godhead, having captivated the minds of the King and the priests who were present, returned to His abode in the spiritual sky.
Essence. The infallible Lord, having captivated everyone's mind, returned to His spiritual abode. The Lord's coming and going both leave the room transformed; the captivation outlasts His presence.
BG 20.38
King Pṛthu then offered his respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the Supreme Lord of all demigods. Although not an object of material vision, the Lord revealed Himself to the sight of Mahārāja Pṛthu. After offering obeisances to the Lord, the King returned to his home.
Essence. Pṛthu offered obeisances; the Lord revealed Himself to Pṛthu's vision though not visible to material eyes; the king returned home. Self-revelation to one set of eyes doesn't require it for all; intimacy is selectively granted.