Chapter 17 · 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 17.1
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After offering obeisances to the direction from which Ananta, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, had disappeared, Citraketu began traveling in outer space as the head of the Vidyādharas.
Essence. Offering obeisances in the direction Ananta disappeared, Citraketu began traveling outer space as head of the Vidyādharas. After divine vision, life resumes — but at a new altitude.
BG 17.2-3
Being praised by great sages and saints and by the inhabitants of Siddhaloka and Cāraṇaloka, Citraketu, the most powerful mystic yogī, wandered about enjoying life for millions of years. With bodily strength and senses free from deterioration, he traveled within the valleys of Sumeru Mountain, which is the place of perfection for various kinds of mystic power. In those valleys he enjoyed life with the women of Vidyādhara-loka by chanting the glories of the Supreme Lord, Hari.
Essence. Praised by sages and Siddhas, Citraketu wandered for millions of years with undeteriorated body and senses, enjoying without loss. Real spiritual standing extends material vigor without corrupting it.
BG 17.4-5
One time while King Citraketu was traveling in outer space on a brilliantly effulgent airplane given to him by Lord Viṣṇu, he saw Lord Śiva, surrounded by Siddhas and Cāraṇas. Lord Śiva was sitting in an assembly of great saintly persons and embracing Pārvatī on his lap with his arm. Citraketu laughed loudly and spoke, within the hearing of Pārvatī.
Essence. Traveling on his Viṣṇu-given airplane, Citraketu came upon Lord Śiva surrounded by Siddhas and Cāraṇas, seated in an assembly with Pārvatī on his lap. Encounters with great beings can be unexpected and require reading carefully.
BG 17.6
Citraketu said: Lord Śiva, the spiritual master of the general populace, is the best of all living entities who have accepted material bodies. He enunciates the system of religion. Yet how wonderful it is that he is embracing his wife, Pārvatī, in the midst of an assembly of great saintly persons.
Essence. Citraketu remarked: 'Śiva, the spiritual master of the populace and enunciator of religion, is embracing his wife in front of everyone!' Even an advanced devotee can speak too quickly when astonished.
BG 17.7
Lord Śiva, whose hair is matted on his head, has certainly undergone great austerities and penances. Indeed, he is the president in the assembly of strict followers of Vedic principles. Nonetheless, he is seated with his wife on his lap in the midst of saintly persons and is embracing her as if he were a shameless, ordinary human being.
Essence. Matted-hair Śiva, who has undergone great austerities and presides over Vedic followers, sits with his wife on his lap in an assembly of saints. Apparent contradiction baffles the observer; the contradiction is in the observer's frame, not in Śiva.
BG 17.8
Ordinary conditioned persons generally embrace their wives and enjoy their company in solitary places. How wonderful it is that Lord Mahādeva, although a great master of austerity, is embracing his wife openly in the midst of an assembly of great saints.
Essence. Ordinary conditioned persons embrace their wives in private — how wonderful that Śiva does so publicly among saints. Citraketu names the apparent oddity directly.
BG 17.9
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King, after hearing Citraketu’s statement, Lord Śiva, the most powerful personality, whose knowledge is fathomless, simply smiled and remained silent, and all the members of the assembly followed the lord by not saying anything.
Essence. Hearing Citraketu, Śiva simply smiled and remained silent; the assembly followed Śiva's example. The right response to misplaced criticism is sometimes a silent smile.
BG 17.10
Not knowing the prowess of Lord Śiva and Pārvatī, Citraketu strongly criticized them. His statements were not at all pleasing, and therefore the goddess Pārvatī, being very angry, spoke as follows to Citraketu, who thought himself better than Lord Śiva in controlling the senses.
Essence. Not knowing Śiva's and Pārvatī's actual greatness, Citraketu criticized; goddess Pārvatī, angered, spoke to him who thought himself better. Ignorance fueled judgment, judgment provoked legitimate anger.
BG 17.11
The goddess Pārvatī said: Alas, has this upstart now received a post from which to punish shameless persons like us? Has he been appointed ruler, carrier of the rod of punishment? Is he now the only master of everything?
Essence. Pārvatī: has this upstart received an office from which to punish shameless people like us? Sharp questions can be a kindness toward someone who has overreached.
BG 17.12
Alas, Lord Brahmā, who has taken his birth from the lotus flower, does not know the principles of religion, nor do the great saints like Bhṛgu and Nārada, nor the four Kumāras, headed by Sanat-kumāra. Manu and Kapila have also forgotten the religious principles. I suppose it to be because of this that they have not tried to stop Lord Śiva from behaving improperly.
Essence. Apparently Brahmā, Bhṛgu, Nārada, the Kumāras, Manu, Kapila — all have forgotten dharma; only this Citraketu now knows it. The sarcasm exposes the absurdity of his perch.
BG 17.13
This Citraketu is the lowest of kṣatriyas, for he has impudently overridden Brahmā and the other demigods by insulting Lord Śiva, upon whose lotus feet they always meditate. Lord Śiva is personified religion and the spiritual master of the entire world, and therefore Citraketu must be punished.
Essence. Citraketu, lowest of kṣatriyas, has insulted Śiva — personified religion and master of even Brahmā. The crime is not just rudeness; it is theological error.
BG 17.14
This person is puffed up because of his achievements, thinking, “I am the best.” He does not deserve to approach the shelter of Lord Viṣṇu’s lotus feet, which are worshiped by all saintly persons, for he is impudent, thinking himself greatly important.
Essence. He is puffed up by achievements, thinking 'I am the best,' and does not deserve to approach Viṣṇu's lotus feet. Inflation cuts one off from the very shelter one needed.
BG 17.15
O impudent one, my dear son, now take birth in a low, sinful family of demons so that you will not commit such an offense again toward exalted, saintly persons in this world.
Essence. Now take birth in a low, sinful demoniac family so you will not commit such an offense again. The curse is corrective, not vindictive.
BG 17.16
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: My dear King Parīkṣit, when Citraketu was cursed by Pārvatī, he descended from his airplane, bowed before her with great humility and pleased her completely.
Essence. Cursed, Citraketu descended from his airplane, bowed humbly, and pleased Pārvatī completely. The right response to a deserved curse is immediate, humble acceptance.
BG 17.17
Citraketu said: My dear mother, with my own hands folded together I accept the curse upon me. I do not mind the curse, for happiness and distress are given by the demigods as a result of one’s past deeds.
Essence. I accept the curse with folded hands; happiness and distress are given by demigods as results of past deeds. He treats the curse as karmic justice, not personal offense.
BG 17.18
Deluded by ignorance, the living entity wanders in the forest of this material world, enjoying the happiness and distress resulting from his past deeds, everywhere and at all times. [Therefore, my dear mother, neither you nor I am to be blamed for this incident.]
Essence. Deluded by ignorance, the entity wanders enjoying happiness and distress by past deeds — neither you nor I is to be blamed. Citraketu names the structural cause behind the immediate exchange.
BG 17.19
In this material world, neither the living entity himself nor others [friends and enemies] are the cause of material happiness and distress. But because of gross ignorance, the living entity thinks that he and others are the cause.
Essence. Neither one's self nor others is the cause of material happiness and distress; gross ignorance makes us think so. Even self-blame is partly ignorance.
BG 17.20
This material world resembles the waves of a constantly flowing river. Therefore, what is a curse and what is a favor? What are the heavenly planets, and what are the hellish planets? What is actually happiness, and what is actually distress? Because the waves flow constantly, none of them has an eternal effect.
Essence. Material world resembles a constantly flowing river — what is curse and favor, heaven and hell, happiness and distress? The fluency of the metaphor melts the categories.
BG 17.21
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is one. Unaffected by the conditions of the material world, He creates all the conditioned souls by His own personal potency. Because of being contaminated by the material energy, the living entity is put into ignorance and thus into different conditions of bondage. Sometimes, by knowledge, the living entity is given liberation. In sattva-guṇa and rajo-guṇa, he is subjected to happiness and distress.
Essence. The Lord is one; unaffected by material conditions, He creates all conditioned souls by His own potency; through contamination, they suffer. The cause is unitary, but distribution is via contamination.
BG 17.22
The Supreme Personality of Godhead is equally disposed toward all living entities. Therefore no one is very dear to Him, and no one is a great enemy for Him; no one is His friend, and no one is His relative. Being unattached to the material world, He has no affection for so-called happiness or hatred for so-called distress. The two terms happiness and distress are relative. Since the Lord is always happy, for Him there is no question of distress.
Essence. The Lord is equally disposed to all — no one is dear, none enemy, friend, or relative; being unattached, He is the witness of every karma. Equanimity is His baseline.
BG 17.23
Although the Supreme Lord is unattached to our happiness and distress according to karma, and although no one is His enemy or favorite, He creates pious and impious activities through the agency of His material potency. Thus for the continuation of the materialistic way of life He creates happiness and distress, good fortune and bad, bondage and liberation, birth and death.
Essence. Although unattached to our karma, He creates pious and impious activities through His material potency for the continuation of the world. The cosmic order itself is His delegated arrangement.
BG 17.24
O mother, you are now unnecessarily angry, but since all my happiness and distress are destined by my past activities, I do not plead to be excused or relieved from your curse. Although what I have said is not wrong, please let whatever you think is wrong be pardoned.
Essence. Mother, you are unnecessarily angry, but since happiness and distress are by my past, I don't plead exemption; let what you have said be done. Acceptance without bargaining is mature surrender.
BG 17.25
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī continued: O King Parīkṣit, subduer of the enemy, after Citraketu satisfied Lord Śiva and his wife, Pārvatī, he boarded his airplane and left as they looked on. When Lord Śiva and Pārvatī saw that Citraketu, although informed of the curse, was unafraid, they smiled, being fully astonished by his behavior.
Essence. Having satisfied Śiva and Pārvatī, Citraketu boarded his airplane and left; Śiva and Pārvatī, witnessing his greatness in accepting the curse, were impressed. Right response to consequence elevates one even in the eyes of those who cursed.
BG 17.26
Thereafter, in the presence of the great sage Nārada, the demons, the inhabitants of Siddhaloka, and his personal associates, Lord Śiva, who is most powerful, spoke to his wife, Pārvatī, while they all listened.
Essence. In the presence of Nārada, demons, Siddhaloka inhabitants, and his associates, Śiva spoke to Pārvatī. Teaching unfolds before a witnessing community, not in private.
BG 17.27
Lord Śiva said: My dear beautiful Pārvatī, have you seen the greatness of the Vaiṣṇavas? Being servants of the servants of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Hari, they are great souls and are not interested in any kind of material happiness.
Essence. Have you seen the greatness of Vaiṣṇavas? As servants of Hari's servants, they are great souls, not interested in material happiness — even liberation. The servant-of-servants frame is the highest.
BG 17.28
Devotees solely engaged in the devotional service of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Nārāyaṇa, never fear any condition of life. For them the heavenly planets, liberation and the hellish planets are all the same, for such devotees are interested only in the service of the Lord.
Essence. Devotees engaged solely in service of Nārāyaṇa never fear; heaven, liberation and hell are equal to them, for they are interested only in serving the Lord. Freedom from polarity is freedom indeed.
BG 17.29
Because of the actions of the Supreme Lord’s external energy, the living entities are conditioned in contact with material bodies. The dualities of happiness and distress, birth and death, curses and favors, are natural by-products of this contact in the material world.
Essence. By the Lord's external energy, entities are conditioned in bodily contact; happiness, distress, birth, death, curses, favors are natural by-products. Recognize the system rather than the individual incident.
BG 17.30
As one mistakenly considers a flower garland to be a snake or experiences happiness and distress in a dream, so, in the material world, by a lack of careful consideration, we differentiate between happiness and distress, considering one good and the other bad.
Essence. As mistaking a flower garland for a snake produces fear, in dreams we feel real joy and pain — so in this world by careless thought we differentiate happiness and distress. Discernment, not denial, is the prescription.
BG 17.31
Persons engaged in devotional service to Lord Vāsudeva, Kṛṣṇa, have naturally perfect knowledge and detachment from this material world. Therefore such devotees are not interested in the so-called happiness or so-called distress of this world.
Essence. Devotees of Vāsudeva are naturally perfect in knowledge and detached; the supposed happiness or distress of this world does not interest them. The destination produces the detachment, not vice versa.
BG 17.32
Neither I [Lord Śiva], nor Brahmā, nor the Aśvinī-kumāras, nor Nārada or the other great sages who are Brahmā’s sons, nor even the demigods can understand the pastimes and personality of the Supreme Lord. Although we are part of the Supreme Lord, we consider ourselves independent, separate controllers, and thus we cannot understand His identity.
Essence. Neither Śiva, nor Brahmā, nor Aśvinīs, Nārada, sages, demigods understand the Lord's pastimes and personality — even though we are parts. Mystery is not failure; it is appropriate.
BG 17.33
He holds no one as very dear and no one as inimical. He has no one for His own relative, and no one is alien to Him. He is actually the soul of the soul of all living entities. Thus He is the auspicious friend of all living beings and is very near and dear to all of them.
Essence. He holds no one as dear or inimical; soul of every soul, He is auspicious friend of all — very dear and intimately near. Equal does not mean cold.
BG 17.34-35
This magnanimous Citraketu is a dear devotee of the Lord. He is equal to all living entities and is free from attachment and hatred. Similarly, I am also very dear to Lord Nārāyaṇa. Therefore, no one should be astonished to see the activities of the most exalted devotees of Nārāyaṇa, for they are free from attachment and envy. They are always peaceful, and they are equal to everyone.
Essence. Magnanimous Citraketu is a dear devotee, equal to all, free from attachment and hatred; I am also dear to Nārāyaṇa. No one should be astonished at devotee-behaviors. Saints are predictable in their unpredictability.
BG 17.36
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: O King, after hearing this speech by her husband, the demigoddess [Umā, the wife of Lord Śiva] gave up her astonishment at the behavior of King Citraketu and became steady in intelligence.
Essence. Hearing this, Pārvatī gave up her astonishment at Citraketu's behavior and became steady in intelligence. Right teaching steadies even the great Mother's intelligence.
BG 17.37
The great devotee Citraketu was so powerful that he was quite competent to curse mother Pārvatī in retaliation, but instead of doing so he very humbly accepted the curse and bowed his head before Lord Śiva and his wife. This is very much to be appreciated as the standard behavior of a Vaiṣṇava.
Essence. Citraketu could have cursed Pārvatī in retaliation but instead humbly accepted and bowed. The refusal to retaliate is more devotional than any retaliation could have been.
BG 17.38
Being cursed by mother Durgā [Bhavānī, the wife of Lord Śiva], that same Citraketu accepted birth in a demoniac species of life. Although still fully equipped with transcendental knowledge and practical application of that knowledge in life, he appeared as a demon at the fire sacrifice performed by Tvaṣṭā, and thus he became famous as Vṛtrāsura.
Essence. Cursed by Durgā, Citraketu accepted birth in a demoniac species, still equipped with transcendental knowledge. Spiritual standing survives even demonic embodiment.
BG 17.39
My dear King Parīkṣit, you inquired from me how Vṛtrāsura, a great devotee, took birth in a demoniac family. Thus I have tried to explain to you everything about this.
Essence. Thus the explanation of how Vṛtra, a great devotee, took birth in a demoniac family is complete. The story closes its loop; the great mystery has been resolved.
BG 17.40
Citraketu was a great devotee [mahātmā]. If one hears this history of Citraketu from a pure devotee, the listener also is freed from the conditional life of material existence.
Essence. Citraketu was a mahātmā; hearing his history from a pure devotee frees the listener from conditional life. The transmission of stories is itself liberating.
BG 17.41
One who rises from bed early in the morning and recites this history of Citraketu, controlling his words and mind and remembering the Supreme Personality of Godhead, will return home, back to Godhead, without difficulty.
Essence. One who rises early, recites this history, controls words and mind, and remembers the Lord, will return home without difficulty. Practice is specific: time, content, control, remembrance.