FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 2.41

వ్యవసాయాత్మికా బుద్ధిరేకేహ కురూనన్దన । బహుశాఖా హ్యనన్తాశ్చ బుద్ధయోఽవ్యవసాయినామ్ ॥ ౪౧ ॥
vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
[vyavasaayaatmikaa buddhir]
ekeha kuru-nandana
[ekeha kuru-nandana]
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
[bahu-shaakhaa hy anantaash cha]
buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām
[buddhayo ’vyavasaayinaam]
Word-for-word
vyavasāya - ātmikā — resolute in Kṛṣṇa consciousness buddhiḥ — intelligence ekā — only one iha — in this world kuru - nandana — O beloved child of the Kurus bahu - śākhāḥ — having various branches hi — indeed anantāḥ — unlimited ca — also buddhayaḥ — intelligence avyavasāyinām — of those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
vyavasāyātmikā buddhir
vyavasāya - ātmikā
resolute in Kṛṣṇa consciousness
buddhiḥ
intelligence
ekeha kuru-nandana
ekā
only one
iha
in this world
kuru - nandana
O beloved child of the Kurus
bahu-śākhā hy anantāś ca
bahu - śākhāḥ
having various branches
hi
indeed
anantāḥ
unlimited
ca
also
buddhayo ’vyavasāyinām
buddhayaḥ
intelligence
avyavasāyinām
of those who are not in Kṛṣṇa consciousness .
Important Words
  • vyavasāya - ātmikā — resolute, one-pointed
    Compound — *whose essence is resolution*. Vyavasāya is firm resolve. The buddhi shaped wholly by such resolve is the qualified instrument for yoga. The Gītā's first technical name for the practitioner's intelligence.
  • ekā — single
    Feminine of eka. *One*. The buddhi is one-pointed. The verse names the structure of the discriminating intelligence: it has one aim.
  • bahu - śākhāḥ — many-branched
    Compound — *with many branches*. The unresolved mind sprouts in every direction. The image is a tree of distraction, each branch a competing project.
  • anantāḥ — endless
    Plural. The branches are not just many; they are *endless*. Once the buddhi begins to fork, it forks without limit. The verse warns: there is no rest in that mode.
  • avyavasāyinām — of the irresolute
    Genitive plural. Their *intelligences* — note the plural — are described as forking. The Gauḍīya commentators read this as the karma-kāṇḍī's mind: pursuing many heavens, many rewards, never one Lord.
Those who are on this path are resolute in purpose, and their aim is one. O beloved child of the Kurus, the intelligence of those who are irresolute is many-branched.
Purport

A strong faith that by Kṛṣṇa consciousness one will be elevated to the highest perfection of life is called vyavasāyātmikā intelligence. The Caitanya-caritāmṛta ( Madhya 22.62) states: ‘śraddhā’-śabde – viśvāsa kahe sudṛḍha niścaya kṛṣṇe bhakti kaile sarva-karma kṛta haya Faith means unflinching trust in something sublime. When one is engaged in the duties of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he need not act in relationship to the material world with obligations to family traditions, humanity or nationality. Fruitive activities are the engagements of one’s reactions from past good or bad deeds. When one is awake in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he need no longer endeavor for good results in his activities. When one is situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, all activities are on the absolute plane, for they are no longer subject to dualities like good and bad. The highest perfection of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is renunciation of the material conception of life. This state is automatically achieved by progressive Kṛṣṇa consciousness. The resolute purpose of a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is based on knowledge. Vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti sa mahātmā su-durlabhaḥ: a person in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is the rare good soul who knows perfectly that Vāsudeva, or Kṛṣṇa, is the root of all manifested causes. As by watering the root of a tree one automatically distributes water to the leaves and branches, so by acting in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one can render the highest service to everyone – namely self, family, society, country, humanity, etc. If Kṛṣṇa is satisfied by one’s actions, then everyone will be satisfied. Service in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is, however, best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Kṛṣṇa, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. As such, to be well versed in Kṛṣṇa consciousness one has to act firmly and obey the representative of Kṛṣṇa, and one should accept the instruction of the bona fide spiritual master as one’s mission in life. Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura instructs us, in his famous prayers for the spiritual master, as follows: yasya prasādād bhagavat-prasādo yasyāprasādān na gatiḥ kuto ’pi dhyāyan stuvaṁs tasya yaśas tri-sandhyaṁ vande guroḥ śrī-caraṇāravindam “By satisfaction of the spiritual master, the Supreme Personality of Godhead becomes satisfied. And by not satisfying the spiritual master, there is no chance of being promoted to the plane of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. I should, therefore, meditate and pray for his mercy three times a day, and offer my respectful obeisances unto him, my spiritual master.” The whole process, however, depends on perfect knowledge of the soul beyond the conception of the body – not theoretically but practically, when there is no longer a chance for sense gratification manifested in fruitive activities. One who is not firmly fixed in mind is diverted by various types of fruitive acts.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
41. Resolute intelligence is only one in this process, O son of the Kurus. The intelligence of those who are irresolute has many branches of action and unlimited desires. 42. The unintelligent people, absorbed in discussing the Vedas, who propound the theory that matter is everything, attractively speak flowery words. 43. Filled with desire, anxious for heaven, they speak many words concerning rituals for attaining power and enjoyment, words for giving the fruits of their action in the form of higher birth.
Commentary

Moreover among all types of intelligence, that intelligence concentrated on bhakti-yoga is the best. Resolute intelligence fixed in bhakti-yoga is only one. The meaning of this is illustrated as follows. “My sādhana is to serve the lotus feet of the Lord, to remember and glorify Him as instructed by my guru. That is also my goal (sādhya). It is my life sustaining medicine, for I cannot give up the sādhana and the sādhya. This is my most desirable object, my duty, and nothing else is my duty; nothing else is desired, even in dreams. There may be happiness or sorrow. Saṁsāra may be destroyed, or may not be destroyed. That is no loss for me. Let there only be resolute intelligence fixed in pure bhakti.” It is said: tato bhajeta māṁ bhaktyā śraddhālur dṛḍha-niścayaḥ My devotee should remain happy and worship Me with great faith and conviction. SB 11.20.28 The intelligence of others however is not ekā. Those intellects have many branches, and thus the intellects are unlimited (anantāḥ) rather than one, because of the unlimited desires to fulfill in karma-yoga. For instance, in jṣāna-yoga, in order to purify the mind, one must first fix the intelligence on niṣkāma-karma. When the mind is purified, the intelligence then concentrates on giving up action (karma-sannyāsa). Next, the intelligence concentrates on jṣāna, knowledge. But the intelligence at that time must also concentrate on bhakti so that jṣāna does not become devoid of results. The intelligence then concentrates on giving up jṣāna, as the Lord says, jṣānaṁ ca mayi sannyaset one should surrender such knowledge in order to attain me. (SB 11.19.1) Thus the intelligences or minds, concentrating on different objects, are said to be infinite or many. And the types of differing sādhanas are also many, since karma, jṣāna and bhakti must all be performed.

This verse speaks of the persons with wavering intelligence, involved in sakāma-karma, who are very dull witted. They speak excellently (pra vadanti) [Note: Pra here stands for prakṛṣṭa, which means “attractively.”] pleasant words of the Vedas which are like a poisonous but attractive flowering plant. Since their consciousness has been deluded by those words, they are not endowed with fixed intelligence, (tayā apahṛta cetasām vyavasāyātmikā buddhiḥ samādhau na vidhīyate). The sentence is completed in verse 44. Because of the impossibility for them to accept, that fixed intelligence is not taught to them. Why do they speak in this way? They speak in this way because they are fools (avipaścitāh), because they interpret the words of the Vedas (veda-vāda-ratāḥ) such as the following: akṣayyaṁ ha vai cāturmāsya-yājinaḥ sukṛtaṁ bhavati

One who has worshiped by means of the vows of cāturmāsya attains pious credits which never become depleted. Āpastamba Śrauta Sūtra, Kṛṣṇa Yajur Veda 8.1.1 apāma somam amṛtā abhūma We drank soma and became immortal. Ṛg Veda 8.48.3 They say that there is no God other than this (na anyat asti). 43. What type of words do they speak? They speak words about various rites giving many results [Note: He analyzes the word bahula as “giving much” from the root lā, meaning “to give” combined with bahu, many.] for attaining power and enjoyment, words which give good karma in terms of birth.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
41. Resolute intelligence is only one in this process, O son of the Kurus. The intelligence of those who are irresolute has many branches of action and unlimited desires. 42. The unintelligent people, absorbed in the praises of svarga offered in the Vedas, who propound that there is nothing higher that svarga, attractively speak those superficially attractive words. 43. Filled with desire, thinking heaven as ultimate, the unintelligent speak many words concerning attainment of power and enjoyment, which gives fruits to their action, actions in varṇāśrama and high birth.
Commentary

In this verse the Lord distinguishes the intelligence directed towards niṣkāma karma from the intelligence directed towards kāmya karma. O son of the Kurus, among all these actions authorized by the Vedas (iha), the consciousness purified by niṣkāma karma as a form of worship of the Lord, the intelligence firmly ascertaining (vyavasāyaṭmikā buddhiḥ) that one will realize the true nature of ātmā through the jṣāna contained within niṣkāma karma, like lotus arising from the root—that intelligence has only one object (ekā), in the sense that it is fixed only on carrying out all those actions for realization of ātmā. The intellects of those who undertake kāmya karmas (avyavasāyinām) however have infinite objects (anantāḥ), having desires for unlimited objects such as sons, food, animals or svarga. And all of these goals have many branches (bahu sākhāḥ). Though a single goal may be prescribed in the scriptures for rituals like the full moon sacrifice, the scriptures also speak of many desires for intermediate fruits such as progeny and long life. In performing kāmya karma there is no regard for knowledge of ātmā different from the body, for it is impossible to have such conviction in the ātmā for one engaged in kāmya karma. Bg 2.42, Bg 2.43, Bg 2.42-43 YaaiMaMaa& PauiZPaTaa& vac& Pa[vdNTYaivPaiêTa" ) vedvadrTaa" PaaQaR NaaNYadSTaqiTa vaidNa" )) 42 )) k-aMaaTMaaNa" SvGaRPara JaNMak-MaRf-l/Pa[daMa( ) i§-YaaivXaezbhul/a& >aaeGaEṅYaRGaiTa& Pa[iTa )) 43 )) yām imāṁ puṣpitāṁ vācaṁ pravadanty avipaścitaḥ veda-vāda-ratāḥ pārtha nānyad astīti vādinaḥ kāmātmānaḥ svarga-parā janma-karma-phala-pradām kriyā-viśeṣa-bahulāṁ bhogaiśvarya-gatiṁ prati yām imām—all these; puṣpitām—flowery; vācam—words; pravadanti—say; avipaścitaḥ—men with a poor fund of knowledge; veda-vāda-ratāḥ—supposed followers of the Vedas; pārtha—O son of Pṛthā; na—never; anyat—anything else; asti—there is; iti—thus; vādinaḥ—the advocates; kāma-ātmānaḥ—desirous of sense gratification; svarga—parāḥ—aiming to achieve heavenly planets; janma-karma-phala-pradām—resulting in good birth and other fruitive reactions; kriyā-viśeṣa—pompous ceremonies; bahulām—various; bhoga—in sense enjoyment; aiśvarya—and opulence; gatim—progress; prati—towards.

“But these persons should also develop fixed intelligence because the śrutis deal with both subjects equally.” “No, this fixed intelligence will not arise, because they have faults in the heart.” This is explained in three verses. Those with little knowledge (avipaścitaḥ) speak words (imām vacām) such as jyotiṣṭomena svargakāmo yajeta: a person desiring svarga should perform the jyotiṣṭoma sacrifice. (Apastambha Śrauta Sūtra, Black Yajur veda, 10.2.1) They think that these are the best words in the Vedas. Fixed intelligence does not arise in the minds of those people whose consciousness is stolen by these words. The thought is completed in verse 44. What type of words are these? The words are like flowering creepers which are full of poison, appearing attractive, but with no beneficial purpose. Then why do they say these words? They are absorbed in the exaggerated praises offered in the Vedas, because they think that those statements must be true, being part of the Veda. Examples are as follows: apāma somam amṛtā abhūma We drank soma and became immortal. Rig Veda 8.48.3 akṣayyaṁ ha vai cāturmāsya-yājinaḥ sukṛtaṁ bhavati One who has worshiped by means of the vows of cāturmāsya attains pious credits which never become depleted. Apastambha Śrauta Sūtra, Black Yajur Veda 8.1.1 They say that there is no supreme, eternal happiness in the form of liberation attained through spiritual knowledge of jīva and God; nothing other than reaching svarga through kāmya karma exists (na anyad asti). They speak in this way because they reason that the statements of Vedānta, which proposes liberation, are secondary because they do not proclaim the devatās, the performer and the various stages of action. [Note: The karma mīmāmsakas argue that action is superior to knowledge. The Vedas mainly give injunctions or vidhi for action.] 43. This verse speaks of the faulty consciousness. Their hearts are possessed by desires for material happiness (kāmātmānaḥ). If that is the case, they have no desire for liberation at all. Rather they consider svarga alone, with availability of nectar and beautiful women, to be the best goal (svarga parā). Being so afflicted by desires, nothing else occurs in their minds. They speak (pravadanti of the previous verse) words in which the rituals like jyotiṣṭoma sacrifices (kriyā viśeṣa) are many (bahulām) directed towards the attainment (gatim) of enjoyment (bhoga), such as beautiful women and drinking nectar, and lordship (āiṣvarya) over the devatās. They speak words which continually (promise to) bestow (pradām) birth with appropriate body and senses (janma), which enables them to perform actions prescribed by varṇa and āśrama (karma), and attain fruits such as temporary food, animals and svarga (phalam). The phrases in this verse modify vācam in the previous verse.

Bhūrijana Dāsa Gauḍīya
Commentary

"Ekeha", become "one", his intelligence is fixed, he is fixed in Krsna consciousness. Why is this verse very dear to all the devotees in ISKCON? The reason is, Srila Prabhupada explains that when he was reading this verse, way back on the 1950's, way before he left for USA, to begin this Krsna consciousness movement, and he was reading the commentary of Viswanatha C. Thakura on this verse, and this commentary struck him because it explains how important it is to have that "fixness" on the order of ons's spiritual master. And when Srila Prabhupada read that commentary he remembered the order that his spiritual master, Srila Bhaktisidhanta Sarasvati Thakura gave him, to preach Krsna consciousness in the english‑speaking countries in the West and that strucked him. Next are some excerpts, translated in english, from the original commentary of Srila Viswanatha C. Thakura: "The best kind of intelligence I can have, is intelligence used in the service of Krsna. That intelligence is defined as "fixed" when it is intent upon my spiritual master's instructions such as chanting the Name of Krsna, remember his activities, and performing service to His lotus feet instructions are my sadhana and my life both in the beginning stages of bhakti as well in bhakti's perfectional stage. I desire only to follow his instructions, I accept nothing el my life's work even in dreams. Whether I am happy or distressed, whether the material world remains or is destroyed, I d care. There is no loss for me. I simply must carry the orders of my spiritual master. Fixness upon his order is determined intelligence and devotional service and only by being fixed on his orders can such determined intelligence prosper."

[ 2 ‑ Arjuna should rise above the "good and bad" of the Vedic formulas by knowing that the purpose of the Vedas is to serve Krsna. (42‑46 , 52‑53) ]

Study Notes — Gauranga Priya Dāsa
Gauranga Priya Dāsa Study
Bhakti-śāstrī Notes, ISKCON Chowpatty (2009)
Theme

Vyavasāyātmikā buddhiù, one-pointed intelligence, is required for success. Śrīla Prabhupāda once

told his disciples that in the 1950s, before he spread Kṛṣṇa consciousness throughout the world, he

read the commentary on this verse written by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura. He said he was

struck by the commentary, which further fixed him in his resolve to follow Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta

Sarasvatī Ṭhākura’s order to preach Kṛṣṇa consciousness in English.

Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura writes:

Of all kinds of intelligence, the best is intelligence focused on bhakti-yoga. In bhakti-yoga, one’s in-

telligence becomes single- pointed, or fixed in determination. One thinks, “The instructions of my

spiritual master to worship the Personality of Godhead by chanting, remembering, serving His feet

and so on are my only sādhana, my only sādhya, my only livelihood. I am incapable of giving up

these instructions either in the stage of practice or in the stage of perfection. They alone are my

object of desire and my only responsibility. Besides them I can desire no other responsibility, not

even in my dreams. It is all the same to me whether I feel happy or unhappy, or whether my mate-

rial existence is eradicated or not.”

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
2.41 Kuru-nandana, O scion of the Kuru dynasty; iha, is this path to Liberation; there is only eka, a single; vyavasayatmika, one-pointed; buddhih, conviction, which has been spoken of in the Yoga of Knowledge and which has the characteristics going to be spoken of in (Karma-) yoga. It is resolute by nature and annuls the numerous branches of the other opposite thoughts, since it originates from the right source of knowledge. [The right source of knowledge, viz the Vedic texts, which are above criticism.] Those again, which are the other buddhayah, thoughts; they are bahu-sakhah, possessed of numerous branches, i.e. possessed of numerous variations. Owing to the influence of their many branches the worldly state becomes endless, limitless, unceasing, ever-growing and extensive. [Endless, because it does not cease till the rixe of full enlightenment; limitless, because the worldly state, which is an effect, springs from an unreal source.] But even the worldly state ceases with the cessation of the infinite branches of thoughts, under the influence of discriminating wisdom arising from the valid source of knowledge. (And those thoughts are) hi, indeed; anantah, innumerable under every branch. Whose thoughts? Avyavasayinam, of the irresolute ones, i.e. of those who are devoid of discriminating wisdom arising from the right source of knowledg.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
2.41 Here, i.e., in every ritual sanctioned by the scriptures, the Buddhi or disposition of mind marked by resolution, is single. The Buddhi marked by resolution is the Buddhi concerned with acts which must be performed by one desirous of release (and not any kind of work). The term 'Vyavasaya' menas unshakable conviction: this Buddhi (disposition of mind) comes out of prior determination about the true nature of the self. But the Buddhi concerning the performance of rituals of fulfill certain desires, is marked by irresolution; because here only this much knowledge of the self is sufficient - 'the self (as an entity) exists differently from the body.' Such a general understanding is sufficient to alify for performing acts giving fulfilment of certain desires. It does not reire any definite knowledge about the true nature of the self. For, even if there is no such knowledge, desires for heaven etc., can arise, the means for their attainment can be adopted, and the experience of those fruits can take place. For this reason there is no contradiction in the teaching of the scriptures. [The contradiction negated here is how can the same scriptural acts produce different results - fulfilment of desires and liberation. The difference in the disposition of the mind accouts of it.] The Buddhi (mental disposition) marked by resolution has a single aim, because it relates to the attainment of a single fruit. For, as far as one desiring release is concerned, all acts are enjoined only for the accomplishment of that single fruit. Therefore, since the purpose of the scriptures here is one only (i.e., liberation), the Buddhi regarding all rituals taught in the scriptures too is only one, as far as liberation-seekers are concerned. For example, the set of six sacrifices, beginning with Agneya with all their subsidiary processes (though enjoined in different passages) forms the subject of a single injunction, as they are all for the attainment of a single fruit. Conseently the Buddhi concerning these is one only. The meaning of the verse under discussion must be construed in the same manner. But the Buddhi of the irresolute ones who are engaged in rituals for winning such fruits as heaven, sons, cattle, food etc., are endless, frutis being endless. In rituals like Darsapurnamasa (new moon and full moon sacrifice), even though attainment of a single fruit (heaven) is enjoined, there accrues to these the character of having many branches on account of the mention of many secondary fruits as evidenced by such passages as, 'He desires a long life.' Therefore the Buddhi of irresolute ones has many branches and are endless. The purport is: In performing obligatory and occasional rituals, all fruits, primary and secondary, promised in the scriptures, should be abandoned, with the idea that release or salvation is the only purpose of all scripture-ordained rituals. These rituals should be performed without any thought of selfish gains. In addition, acts motivated by desires (Kamya-karmas) also should be performed according to one's own capacity, after abandoning all desire for fruits and with the conviction that they also, when performed in that way, form the means for attainment of release. They should be looked upon as eal to obligatory and occasional rites suited to one's own station and stage in life. Sri Krsna condemns those who perform acts for the attainment of objects of desire:
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
2.41 Vyavasayatmika etc. The knowledge in the form of determination is just one and natural in the case of everyone; but it suffers manifoldedness according to the objects to be determined. Therefore -
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
2.41 Here, O joy of the Kurus, there is but a single one-pointed determination; many-branched and endless are the thoughts of the irresolute.
Commentary

2.41 व्यवसायात्मिका onepointed? बुद्धिः determination? एका single? इह here? कुरुनन्दन O joy of the Kurus? बहुशाखाः manybranched? हि indeed? अनन्ताः endless? च and? बुद्धयः thoughts? अव्यवसायिनाम् of the irresoulte.Commentary Here? in this path to Bliss there is only one thought of a resolute nature there is singleminded determination. This single thought arises from the right source of knowledge. The student of Yoga collects all the dissipated rays of the mind. He gathers all of them through discrimination? dispassion and concentration. He is free from wavering or vacillation of the mind.The worldlyminded man who is suck in the mire of Samsara has no singleminded determination. He entertains countless thoughts. His mind is always unsteady and vacillating.If thoughts cease? Samsara also ceases. Mind generates endless thoughts and this world comes into being. Thoughts? and names and forms are inseparable. If the thoughts are controlled? the mind is controlled and the Yogi is liberated.

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
2.41 O scion of the Kuru dynasty, in this there is a single, one-pointed conviction. The thoughts of the irresolute ones have many branches indeed, and are innumerable.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
2.41 By its means, the straying intellect becomes steadied in the contemplation of one object only; whereas the minds of the irresolute stray into bypaths innumerable.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Ahimsa (Non-violence / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Guru Bhakti (Reverence for Teacher)Atma Nigraha (Self-control)
Related verses
BG 2.44 BG 9.30 BG 18.66 SB 1.5.13 SB 3.25.21 SB 11.20.27 CC Ādi 1.94 CC Madhya 22.62 CC Madhya 24.124 Kaṭha Upaniṣad 1.3.14BRS 1.2.103
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Resolute intelligence is one-pointed; the irresolute scatter their intelligence in many directions and accomplish nothing.
Practical Applications
  • Pick one spiritual aim and pursue it without diluting it with simultaneous worldly ambitions.
  • When you feel scattered, name your single highest aim and let other goals serve it.
  • Refuse the modern habit of treating spirituality as one optional pursuit among many.
Reflection Questions
  • What is the one resolute aim of my life — am I living as if I have one?
  • Where am I 'many-branched' (bahu-śākhā) when I should be unified?
Analogy

An arrow flies straight only when one string and one target hold the archer's mind; if many strings and many targets enter the eye at once, the arrow finds none. The vyavasāyātmikā buddhi is single-stringed; the avyavasāyī's intelligence forks into a thousand small ambitions, none reaching home.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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