SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 43
evam buddheh param buddhva
samstabhyatmanam atmana
jahi satrum maha-baho
kama-rupam durasadam

evam--thus; buddheh--to intelligence; param--superior; buddhva--knowing; samstabhya--by steadying; atmanam--the mind; atmana--by deliberate intelligence; jahi--conquer; satrum--the enemy; maha-baho--O mighty-armed one; kama-rupam--in the form of lust; durasadam--formidable.

TRANSLATION

Thus knowing oneself to be transcendental to the material senses, mind and intelligence, O mighty-armed Arjuna, one should steady the mind by deliberate spiritual intelligence [Krsna consciousness] and thus--by spiritual strength--conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 42
indriyani parany ahur
indriyebhyah param manah
manasas tu para buddhir
yo buddheh paratas tu sah

indriyani--senses; parani--superior; ahuh--are said; indriyebhyah--more than the senses; param--superior; manah--the mind; manasah--more than the mind; tu--also; para--superior; buddhih--intelligence; yah--who; buddheh--more than the intelligence; paratah--superior; tu--but; sah--he.

TRANSLATION

The working senses are superior to dull matter; mind is higher than the senses; intelligence is still higher than the mind; and he [the soul] is even higher than the intelligence.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada, in his excellent style, boils it down when he writes; With intelligence one has to seek out the constitutional position of the soul and then engage the mind always in Krsna consciousness. That solves the whole problem.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 41
tasmat tvam indriyany adau
niyamya bharatarsabha
papmanam prajahi hy enam
jnana- vijnana-nasanam

tasmat--therefore; tvam--you; indriyani--senses; adau--in the beginning; niyamya--by regulating; bharata-rsabha--O chief amongst the descendants of Bharata; papmanam--the great symbol of sin; prajahi--curb; hi--certainly; enam--this; jnana--of knowledge; vijnana--and scientific knowledge of the pure soul; nasanam--the destroyer.

TRANSLATION

Therefore, O Arjuna, best of the Bharatas, in the very beginning curb this great symbol of sin [lust] by regulating the senses, and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 40
indriyanimano buddhir
asyadhisthanam ucyate
etair vimohayaty esa
jnanam avrtya dehinam

indriyani--the senses; manah--the mind; buddhih--the intelligence; asya--of this lust; adhisthanam--sitting place; ucyate--is called; etaih--by all these; vimohayati--bewilders; esah--this lust; jnanam--knowledge; avrt ya--covering; dehinam--of the embodied.

TRANSLATION

The senses, the mind and the intelligence are the sitting places of this lust. Through them lust covers the real knowledge of the living entity and bewilders him.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada opens his purport thus; The enemy has captured different strategic positions in the body of the conditioned soul, and therefore Lord Krsna is giving hints of those places, so that one who wants to conquer the enemy may know where he can be found. He continues with a detailed explanation of these hiding places.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 39
avrtam jnanam etena
jnanino nitya-vairina
kama-rupena kaunteya
duspurenanalena ca

avrtam--covered; jnanam--pure consciousness; etena--by this; jnaninah--of the knower; nitya-vairina--by the eternal enemy; kama-rupena--in the form of lust; kaunteya--O son of Kunti; duspurena--never to be satisfied; analena--by the fire; ca--also.

TRANSLATION

Thus the wise living entity's pure consciousness becomes covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 38
dhumenavriyate vahnir
yathadarso malena ca
yatholbenavrto garbhas
tatha tenedam avrtam

dhumena--by smoke; avriyate--is covered; vahnih--fire; yatha--justas; adarsah--mirror; malena--by dust; ca--also; yatha- just as; ulbena--by the womb; avrtah--is covered; garbhah--embryo; tatha--so; tena--by that lust; idam--this; avrtam--is covered.

TRANSLATION

As fire is covered by smoke, as a mirror is covered by dust, or as the embryo is covered by the womb, the living entity is similarly covered by different degrees of this lust.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 37
sri-bhagavan uvaca
kama esa krodha esa
rajo-guna-samudbhavah
mahasano maha-papma
viddhy enam iha vairinam

sri-bhagavan uvaca--the Personality of Godhead said; kamah--lust; esah--this; krodhah--wrath; esah--this; rajah-guna--the mode of passion; samudbhavah--born of; maha-asanah--all-devouring; maha-papma--greatly sinful; viddhi--know; enam--this; iha--in the material world; vairinam--greatest enemy.

TRANSLATION

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: It is lust only, Arjuna, which is born of contact with the material mode of passion and later transformed into wrath, and which is the all-devouring sinful enemy of this world.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 36
arjuna uvaca
atha kena prayukto 'yam
papam carati purusah
anicchann api varsneya
balad iva ni yojitah

arjunah uvaca--Arjuna said; atha--then; kena--by what; prayuktah--impelled; ayam--one; papam--sins; carati--does; purusah--a man; anicchan--without desiring; api--although; varsneya--O descendant of Vrsni; balat--by force; iva--as if; niyojitah--engaged.

TRANSLATION

Arjuna said: O descendant of Vrsni, by what is one impelled to sinful acts, even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?

JOURNAL:

This sloka reminds me of the last days of my drinking. This is the question we ask ourselves just before we get sober. The First Step of AA phrases it this way; . . . our lives had become unmanageable.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 35
sreyan sva-dharmo vigunah
para-dharmat sv-anusthitat
sva-dharme nidhanam sreyah
para-dharmo bhayavahah

sreyan--far better; sva-dharmah--one's prescribed duties; vigunah--even faulty; para-dharmat--than duties mentioned for others; su-anusthitat--perfectly done; sva-dharme--in one's prescribed duties; nidhanam--destruction; sreyah--better; para-dharmah--duties prescribed for others; bhaya-avahah--dangerous.

TRANSLATION

It is far better to discharge one's prescribed duties, even though faultily, than another's duties perfectly. Destruction in the course of performing one's own duty is better than engaging in another's duties, for to follow another's path is dangerous.

JOURNAL:

In the middle of Srila Prabhupada's purport is this sentence; Everyone has to cleanse his heart by a gradual process, not abruptly. It seems there is no short cut to God. I must go through what I must go through while keeping my eyes on Him.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 34
indriyasyendriyasyarthe
raga-dvesau vyavasthitau
tayor na vasam agacchet
tau hy asya paripanthinau

indriyasya--of the senses; indriyasya arthe--in the sense objects; raga--attachment; dvesau--also detachment; vyavasthitau--put under regulations; tayoh--of them; na--never; vasam--control; agacchet--one should come; tau--those; hi--certainly; asya--his; paripanthinau--stumbling blocks.

TRANSLATION

There are principles to regulate attachment and aversion pertaining to the senses and their objects. One should not come under the control of such attachment and aversion, because they are stumbling blocks on the path of self-realization.

JOURNAL:

In today's purport this sentence jumped out; As long as the material body is there, the necessities of the material body are allowed, but under rules and regulations.

A regulated life is a good life. This platform of goodness must be transcended also, but you can't transcend someplace you are not at.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 33
sadrsam cestate svasyah
prakrter jnanavan api
prakrtim yanti bhutani
nigrahah kim karisyati

sadrsam--accordingly; cestate--tries; svasyah--by his own; prakrteh--modes of nature; jnana-van--learned; api--although; prakrtim--nature; yanti--undergo; bhutani--all living entities; nigrahah--repression; kim--what; karisyati--can do.

TRANSLATION

Even a man of knowledge acts according to his own nature, for everyone follows the nature he has acquired from the three modes. What can repression accomplish?

JOURNAL:

The last sentence in today's purport is; Thus one may be freed from the clutches of Krsna's maya.

I tend to think in terms of maya being opposed to Krishna. Here Srila Prabhupada reminds me that everything is arranged by the Lord. Even maya!

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 32
ye tv etad abhyasuyanto
nanutisthanti me matam
sarva-jnana-vimudhams tan
viddhi nastan acetasah

ye--those; tu--however; etat--this; abhyasuyantah--out of envy; na--do not; anutisthanti--regularly perform; me--My; matam--injunction; sarva-jnana--in all sorts of knowledge; vimudhan--perfectly befooled; tan--they are; viddhi--know it well; nastan--all ruined; acetasah--without Krsna consciousness.

TRANSLATION

But those who, out of envy, disregard these teachings and do not follow them are to be considered bereft of all knowledge, befooled, and ruined in their endeavors for perfection.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 31
ye me matam idam nityam
anutisthanti manavah
sraddhavanto 'nasuyanto
mucyante te 'pi karmabhih

ye--those who; me--My; matam--injunctions; idam--these; nityam--as an eternal function; anutisthanti--execute regularly; manavah--human beings; sraddha-vantah--with faith and devotion; anasuyantah--without envy; mucyante--become free; te--all of them; api--even; karmabhih--from the bondage of the law of fruitive actions.

TRANSLATION

Those persons who execute their duties according to My injunctions and who follow this teaching faithfully, without envy, become free from the bondage of fruitive actions.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 30
mayi sarvani karmani
sannyasyadhyatma-cetasa
nirasir nirmamo bhutva
yudhyasva vigata-jvarah

mayi--unto Me; sarvani--all sorts of; karmani--activities; sannyasya--giving up completely; adhyatma--with full knowledge of the self; cetasa--by consciousness; nirasih--without desire for profit; nirmamah--without ownership; bhutva--so being; yudhyasva--fight; vigata-jvarah--without being lethargic.

TRANSLATION

Therefore, O Arjuna, surrendering all your works unto Me, with full knowledge of Me, without desires for profit, with no claims to proprietorship, and free from lethargy, fight.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada opens his purport with this sentence; This verse clearly indicates the purpose of the Bhagavad-gita.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 29
prakrter guna-sammudhah
sajjante guna-karmasu
tan akrtsna-vido mandan
krtsna-vin na vicalayet

prakrteh--of material nature; guna--by the modes; sammudhah--befooled by material identification; sajjante--they become engaged; guna-karmasu--in material activities; tan--those; akrtsna-vidah--persons with a poor fund of knowledge; mandan--lazy to understand self-realization; krtsna-vit--one who is in factual knowledge; na--not; vicalayet--should try to agitate.

TRANSLATION

Bewildered by the modes of material nature, the ignorant fully engage themselves in material activities and become attached. But the wise should not unsettle them, although these duties are inferior due to the performers' lack of knowledge.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada writes; Social work, nationalism and altruism are some of the activities for such materially designated persons. Under the spell of such designations, they are always busy in the material field; for them spiritual realization is a myth, and so they are not interested.

This seems to set up a dichotomy since ISKCON is based on ideas like book distribution and feeding people. So, Srila Prabhupada at the end of his purport explains;

Men who are ignorant cannot appreciate activities in Krsna consciousness, and therefore Lord Krsna advises us not to disturb them and simply waste valuable time. But the devotees of the Lord are more kind than the Lord because they understand the purpose of the Lord. Consequently they undertake all kinds of risks, even to the point of approaching ignorant men to try to engage them in the acts of Krsna consciousness, which are absolutely necessary for the human being.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 28
tattva-vit tu maha-baho
guna-karma- vibhagayoh
guna gunesu vartanta
iti matva na sajjate

tattva-vit--the knower of the Absolute Truth; tu--but; maha-baho--O mighty-armed one; guna-karma--of works under material influence; vibhagayoh--differences; gunah--senses; gunesu--in sense gratification; vartante--are being engaged; iti--thus; matva--thinking; na--never; sajjate--becomes attached.

TRANSLATION

One who is in knowledge of the Absolute Truth, O mighty-armed, does not engage himself in the senses and sense gratification, knowing well the differences between work in devotion and work for fruitive results.

JOURNAL:

Lately I have been doing my japa outdoors in some very nice settings. A couple of days ago it was, first, in a grove of Magnolia trees and then, later that day, in a grove of Hathornes. I love the outdoor setting; it brings me closer to Vrindavan.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 27
prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara- vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

prakrteh--of material nature; kriyamanani--being done; gunaih--by the modes; karmani--activities; sarvasah--all kinds of; ahankara-vimudha--bewildered by false ego; atma--the spirit soul; karta--doer; aham--I; iti--thus; many ate--he thinks.

TRANSLATION

The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of false ego thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature.

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada closes his purport with this explanation; The ignorant man forgets that the Supreme Personality of Godhead is known as Hrsikesa, or the master of the senses of the material body, for due to his long misuse of the senses in sense gratification, he is factually bewildered by the false ego, which makes him forget his eternal relationship with Krsna.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 26
na buddhi-bhedam janayed
ajnanam karma-sanginam
josayet sarva-karmani
vidvan yuktah samacaran

na--not; buddhi-bhedam--disruption of intelligence; janayet--he should cause; ajnanam--of the foolish; karma-sanginam--who are attached to fruitive work; josayet--he should dovetail; sarva--all; karmani--work; vidvan--a learned person; yuktah--engaged; samacaran--practicing.

TRANSLATION

So as not to disrupt the minds of ignorant men attached to the fruitive results of prescribed duties, a learned person should not induce them to stop work. Rather, by working in the spirit of devotion, he should engage them in all sorts of activities [for the gradual development of Krsna consciousness].

JOURNAL:

Srila Prabhupada states in his purport an ultimate rule of etiquette; Therefore a realized soul in Krsna consciousness should not disturb others in their activities or understanding, but he should act by showing how the results of all work can be dedicated to the service of Krsna.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 25
saktah karmany avidvamso
yatha kurvanti bharata
kuryad vidvams tathasaktas
cikirsur loka-sangraham


saktah--being attached; karmani--in prescribed duties; avidvamsah--the ignorant; yatha--as much as; kurvanti--they do; bharata--O descendant of Bharata; kuryat--must do; vidvan--the learned; tatha--thus; asaktah--without attachment; cikirsuh--desiring to lead; loka-sangraham--the people in general.

TRANSLATION

As the ignorant perform their duties with attachment to results, the learned may similarly act, but without attachment, for the sake of leading people on the right path.

SLOKA OF THE DAY:

Bhagavad Gita As It Is -
Chapter 3 Text 24
utsideyur ime loka
na kuryam karma ced aham
sankarasya ca karta syam
upahanyam imah prajah

utsideyuh--would be put into ruin; ime--all these; lokah--worlds; na--not; kuryam--I perform; karma--prescribed duties; cet--if; aham--I; sankarasya--of unwanted population; ca--and; karta--creator; syam--would be; upahanyam--would destroy; imah--all these; prajah--living entities.

TRANSLATION

If I did not perform prescribed duties, all these worlds would be put to ruination. I would be the cause of creating unwanted population, and I would thereby destroy the peace of all living beings.

PURPORT (excerpts)

Therefore, whenever there is general disregard of regulative principles, the Lord Himself descends and corrects the society.

"One should simply follow the instructions of the Lord and His empowered servants. Their instructions are all good for us, and any intelligent person will perform them as instructed. However, one should guard against trying to imitate their actions. One should not try to drink the ocean of poison in imitation of Lord Siva."
(SB 10.33.30-31)

There are many pseudo devotees of Lord Siva who want to indulge in smoking ganja (marijuana) and similar intoxicating drugs, forgetting that by so imitating the acts of Lord Siva they are calling death very near. Similarly, there are some pseudo devotees of Lord Krsna who prefer to imitate the Lord in His rasa-lila, or dance of love, forgetting their inability to lift Govardhana Hill. It is best, therefore, that one not try to imitate the powerful, but simply follow their instructions;