BG 13th Chapter HG Shyamsundar prabhu

Bg 13.1-2 — Arjuna said: O my dear Kṛṣṇa, I wish to know about prakṛti [nature], puruṣa [the enjoyer], and the field and the knower of the field, and of knowledge and the object of knowledge. The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: This body, O son of Kuntī, is called the field, and one who knows this body is called the knower of the field.

Bg 13.3 — O scion of Bharata, you should understand that I am also the knower in all bodies, and to understand this body and its knower is called knowledge. That is My opinion.

Arjuna is asking about 6 questions from Krsna 1. Prakriti (nature) 2. Purusa (enjoyer) 3. Field (Ksetra) 4. Knower of the field (Ksetra-jnam)  5. Knowledge (Jyanam) 6. Object of knowledge. (Jneyam)

Field is the body, the material body is called ksetra why is it called? What happens in the Ksetra - variety of activities being performed in the ksetra. The conditioned soul wants to enjoy the material nature and it provides the body (8.4 million types of bodies - based on different sense gratification desire). Hence field is the body. Ksetra-jnam is the knower of the field - why is it important to know that the knower of the field is Krsna. The purpose of knowing the body is that Krsna knows the body and unless we know why the body is there for the purpose of self realization. The only purpose of this body is only to Go Back Home, Back to Godhead - We need to do brahma jignasa. The field of activity is to engage in KC.Krsna the knower of the field, the body, is always ready to give us direction to understand the knowledge that we are the soul, not the body and Krsna is the master, we are eternal souls and our only purpose is to serve Krsna. From verse 8 he is going to expand on the knowledge feature. 

Bg 13.4 — Now please hear My brief description of this field of activity and how it is constituted, what its changes are, whence it is produced, who that knower of the field of activities is, and what his influences are.

Why is Arjuna asking these questions after Chapter 12 - Devotional Service? Knowledge of BG is a progressive knowledge. It is a sandwich - 1st 6 and last 6 are covering and middle 6 are the inside of the sandwich the core. The inside 6 are the nectar guarded by the coverings. Again from 13 he talks about the living entity and how he is transmigrating from one body to another. Arjuna is again bringing the question how the Jiva is interacting with prakriti, the material world and without this topic we won't be able to follow devotional service. Through these different element they help us plan our KC properly to seek more clarification about all of this so once these topics become clear then he is able to focus on devotional service and make concrete progress everyday. The various qualities/attributes I need to develop, what I need to focus on and how this all ties into the devotional service. The reason why the confidential chapters are in the middle is because it always needs to be protected and only now after attracting Arjuna did he want to now discuss these topics. Also, only now Arjuna is ready to understand these topics. Hence we now have chapters 13 where Arjuna is asking these questions.

Inner Secrets of Bhakti - HH Sacinandana Swami

Inner Secrets of Bhakti - HH Sacinandana Swami

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fd2gV0tPdcw#t=17

Sadhu - speaks about the eternal values something which time can't take away - sat chit and ananda, Sadhana, Satya

We need to keep checking if we are on the right road, are we developing the fruit of love of Godhead. Are we seeing any progress in ourselves. If we aren't, we need to retrospect to see if we are on the right road.

How do you define KC, Bhakti? - Serve Krsna, free from upadies - something you think from your intelligence but it's not true, in the spirit of devotion. Loving exchange between the lord and the devotees in the 5 different mellows. Bhakti is an expansion of the Lladini potency which is given by Radharani's mercy and it gets implanted into the citta of our heart.

Some definitions - Offering anything and everything to Krsna and you feel extreme distress when you forget to do it. When you are doing bhakti, your heart will melt like wax and it will start moving towards Krsna.

Srila Rupa Gosvami says - apply the proper process for Bhakti - the 3 keys/elements which must be there in any effort the devotee does. In order to make that effort Bhakti.  "Anyabhilashita shunyam….." Bhakti is something you do for Krsna only. The second is an act of engagement you do with your body, mind and words (saying prayers). Third is anakulyena - constant intention to please Krsna for his pleasure.

Example: Before you start cooking, you say this is for Krsna. Use body, mind and words (prayers etc) consciously for Krsna. Ask yourself what am I going to cook - will it please Krsna. Then it is Bhakti. As soon as you do this for any activity, your whole life will change. As you do this, Bhakti devi (Srimati Radha Rani), she will bless you and some very sweet bhakti shakti will enter your heart and you will get Love of Godhead. Bhakti is both a way and a Goal.  Example - beggar going to a door filled with gold using a gold staircase.  What I'm doing is also Bhakti and the Goal is also Bhakti! The HOLY NAME IS KRSNA. It's not different from Krsna.  Another example - messenger and the Prince were the same. I'm dealing with Krsna all the while, why am I so careless when I chant, why careless in deity puja, why careless while doing Bhakti. Even though we don't recognize the path and goal are same, but as we go ahead with the 3 elements ahead - Miracles will happen - just use these 3 keys to open up your path to Bhakti! Then you get Rasa Graha (Mellows which will Grab you). Even if we have many imperfections, just following these 3 keys still we will reach the LORD. Bhakti gives Rasa or taste. This happens only when you have the 3 items: You can't just do things without any consciousness intent inside you. You need to switch on when you do Bhakti. Jiva Gosvami says if you do something and then offer it to Krsna, that is not Bhakti, that is Kama. Even before you start doing something you should say a prayer that this is for Krsna! One verse in BG which says what is Bhakti and is said verbatim - Patram, pushpam pahalam toyam …. If one offers me with love and devotion a leaf, flower, fruit or water - I will accept. Even if you are not perfect, he will still accept it. Context in which this verse appeared - Sudama Vipra brahamana. Krsna says - something might not be tasty or pleasing in its own right but if my devotee offers it to me with Love with the expectation that I will enjoy it, I eat it with great pleasure without thinking about it. Krsna eats even a flower which though acceptable isn't edible and it's because of the ecstatic love for his devotees. This glorifies the act of Bhakti. Do everything with attention and then you will have a Miracle!

1. Always do everything FOR KRSNA
2. With Body, Mind and Words
3. Do everything to please Krsna, for his PLEASURE.

After initiation, what should our mood be:

1. - Create a very strong discipline after initiation, because once you have a good discipline that stays with you forever
2. - Please contemplate everyday on the mood of your Gurudev so you can continuously serve him everyday and please him
3. - Don't do any vaishnava aparadha - don't get puffed up
4. - If you do, the only solution is to fall down and become humble and ask for forgiveness for your offenses
5. - To get away from these sense pleasures, the most important thing for us to do everyday is chant our rounds very very nicely and read SB everyday - have a great schedule so you can get closer to Krsna everyday one mustard seed at a time.
6. - The most important thing during initiation is not the name but actually DASA - we are the servant of Krsna and always need to serve the divine couple, Gurudev and our vaishnavas
7. - If we are losing the taste for chanting we have committed Vaishnava aparadha, very difficult to identify vaishnava aparadha so be very close to devotees who can help us know that we have committed aparadha and we should be open to listen and learn
8. - Also be very alert to not cause Vaishnava aparadha - not to cause anybody anxiety or criticize anybody.
9. - We will find that if we do Vaishnava aparadha our rounds the next day won't be great - So we need to find out from everybody if we offended them and beg for forgiveness from them immediately. Example - Rupa Gosvami committed aparadha to the hunchback and immediately he asked for forgiveness from them.
10. - Barometer is if our rounds and sadhana decreases the next day we have committed vaishnava aparadha or we have engaged in sense gratification.
11. - If any service comes to us and we can't do that service properly what do we do? - 99,99% comes to us, never say no to seva - because we are always praying to Krsna that engage me in your service.  If we genuinely want to serve Krsna, Krsna himself will empower us to do that service. Devotional service is worth billions of dollars but we don't understand this. Hence we should grab any opportunity we get for service to Vaishnavas. But sometimes if we are absolutely absolutely not able to do service, then we should consult senior devotees and under their guidance then we can follow their footsteps. Never say no to a service - ALWAYS YES! And Krsna himself will empower you and send help to you to complete the seva.