bhaktyÄ tv ananyayÄ Ĺakya
aham evaáš-vidho 'rjuna
jĂąÄtuáš draᚣášuáš ca tattvena
praveᚣášuáš ca parantapa
bhaktyÄ - by devotional service; tu - but; ananyayÄ - without being mixed with fruitive activities or speculative knowledge; ĹakyaḼ - possible; aham - I; evam-vidhaḼ - like this; arjuna - O Arjuna; jĂąÄtum - to know; draᚣášum - to see; ca - and; tattvena - in fact; praveᚣášum - to enter into; ca - also; parantapa - O mighty-armed one.
KášášŁáša can be understood only by the process of undivided devotional service. He explicitly explains this in this verse so that unauthorized commentators, who try to understand Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ by the speculative process, will know that they are simply wasting their time. No one can understand KášášŁáša or how He came from parents in a four-handed form and at once changed Himself into a two-handed form. These things are very difďŹcult to understand by study of the Vedas or by philosophical speculation. Therefore it is clearly stated here that no one can see Him or enter into understanding of these matters. Those who, however, are very experienced students of Vedic literature can learn about Him from the Vedic literature in so many ways. There are so many rules and regulations, and if one at all wants to understand KášášŁáša, he must follow the regulative principles described in the authoritative literature. One can perform penance in accordance with those principles. For example, to undergo serious penances one may observe fasting on JanmÄᚣášamÄŤ, the day on which KášášŁáša appeared, and on the two days of EkÄdaĹÄŤ (the eleventh day after the new moon and the eleventh day after the full moon). As far as charity is concerned, it is plain that charity should be given to the devotees of KášášŁáša who are engaged in His devotional service to spread the KášášŁáša philosophy, or KášášŁáša consciousness, throughout the world. KášášŁáša consciousness is a benediction to humanity. Lord Caitanya was appreciated by RĹŤpa GosvÄmÄŤ as the most muniďŹcent man of charity because love of KášášŁáša, which is very difďŹcult to achieve, was distributed freely by Him. So if one gives some amount of his money to persons involved in distributing KášášŁáša consciousness, that charity, given to spread KášášŁáša consciousness, is the greatest charity in the world. And if one worships as prescribed in the temple (in the temples in India there is always some statue, usually of Viᚣášu or KášášŁáša), that is a chance to progress by offering worship and respect to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. For the beginners in devotional service to the Lord, temple worship is essential, and this is conďŹrmed in the Vedic literature (ĹvetÄĹvatara Upaniᚣad 6.23):
yasya deve parÄ bhaktir
yathÄ deve tathÄ gurau
tasyaite kathitÄ hy arthÄḼ
prakÄĹante mahÄtmanaḼ
One who has unďŹinching devotion for the Supreme Lord and is directed by the spiritual master, in whom he has similar unďŹinching faith, can see the Supreme Personality of Godhead by revelation. One cannot understand KášášŁáša by mental speculation. For one who does not take personal training under the guidance of a bona ďŹde spiritual master, it is impossible to even begin to understand KášášŁáša. The word tu is speciďŹcally used here to indicate that no other process can be used, can be recommended, or can be successful in understanding KášášŁáša.
The personal forms of KášášŁáša, the two-handed form and the four-handed, are described as su-durdarĹam, very difďŹcult to see. They are completely different from the temporary universal form shown to Arjuna. The four-handed form of NÄrÄyaáša and the two-handed form of KášášŁáša are eternal and transcendental, whereas the universal form exhibited to Arjuna is temporary. The words tvad anyena na dášášŁáša-pĹŤrvam (verse 47) state that before Arjuna, no one had seen that universal form. Also, they suggest that amongst the devotees there was no necessity of showing it. That form was exhibited by KášášŁáša at the request of Arjuna so that in the future, when one represents himself as an incarnation of God, people can ask to see his universal form.
The word na, used repeatedly in the previous verse, indicates that one should not be very much proud of such credentials as an academic education in Vedic literature. One must take to the devotional service of KášášŁáša. Only then can one attempt to write commentaries on Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ.
KášášŁáša changes from the universal form to the four-handed form of NÄrÄyaáša and then to His own natural form of two hands. This indicates that the four-handed forms and other forms mentioned in Vedic literature are all emanations of the original two-handed KášášŁáša. He is the origin of all emanations. KášášŁáša is distinct even from these forms, what to speak of the impersonal conception. As far as the four-handed forms of KášášŁáša are concerned, it is stated clearly that even the most identical four-handed form of KášášŁáša (which is known as MahÄ-viᚣášu, who is lying on the cosmic ocean and from whose breathing so many innumerable universes are passing out and entering) is also an expansion of the Supreme Lord. As stated in the Brahma-saášhitÄ (5.48),
yasyaika-niĹvasita-kÄlam athÄvalambya
jÄŤvanti loma-vila-jÄ jagad-aášá¸a-nÄthÄḼ
viᚣášur mahÄn sa iha yasya kalÄ-viĹeᚣo
govindam Ädi-puruᚣaáš tam ahaáš bhajÄmi
âThe MahÄ-viᚣášu, into whom all the innumerable universes enter and from whom they come forth again simply by His breathing process, is a plenary expansion of KášášŁáša. Therefore I worship Govinda, KášášŁáša, the cause of all causes.â Therefore one should conclusively worship the personal form of KášášŁáša as the Supreme Personality of Godhead who has eternal bliss and knowledge. He is the source of all forms of Viᚣášu, He is the source of all forms of incarnation, and He is the original Supreme Personality, as conďŹrmed in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ.
In the Vedic literature (GopÄla-tÄpanÄŤ Upaniᚣad 1.1) the following statement appears:
sac-cid-Änanda-rĹŤpÄya
kášášŁášÄyÄkliᚣáša-kÄriáše
namo vedÄnta-vedyÄya
gurave buddhi-sÄkᚣiáše
âI offer my respectful obeisances unto KášášŁáša, who has a transcendental form of bliss, eternity and knowledge. I offer my respect to Him, because understanding Him means understanding the Vedas, and He is therefore the supreme spiritual master.â Then it is said, kášášŁášo vai paramaáš daivatam: âKášášŁáša is the Supreme Personality of Godhead.â (GopÄla-tÄpanÄŤ Upaniᚣad 1.3) Eko vaĹÄŤ sarva-gaḼ kášášŁáša ÄŤá¸yaḼ: âThat one KášášŁáša is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and He is worshipable.â Eko âpi san bahudhÄ yo âvabhÄti: âKášášŁáša is one, but He is manifested in unlimited forms and expanded incarnations.â (GopÄla-tÄpanÄŤ Upaniᚣad 1.21)
The Brahma-saášhitÄ (5.1) says,
ÄŤĹvaraḼ paramaḼ kášášŁášaḼ
sac-cid-Änanda-vigrahaḼ
anÄdir Ädir govindaḼ
sarva-kÄraáša-kÄraášam
âThe Supreme Personality of Godhead is KášášŁáša, who has a body of eternity, knowledge and bliss. He has no beginning, for He is the beginning of everything. He is the cause of all causes.â
Elsewhere it is said, yatrÄvatÄŤrášaáš kášášŁášÄkhyaáš paraáš brahma narÄkášti: âThe Supreme Absolute Truth is a person, His name is KášášŁáša, and He sometimes descends on this earth.â Similarly, in the ĹrÄŤmad-BhÄgavatam we ďŹnd a description of all kinds of incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and in this list the name of KášášŁáša also appears. But then it is said that this KášášŁáša is not an incarnation of God but is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself (ete cÄášĹa-kalÄḼ puášsaḼ kášášŁášas tu bhagavÄn svayam).
Similarly, in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ the Lord says, mattaḼ parataraáš nÄnyat: âThere is nothing superior to My form as the Personality of Godhead KášášŁáša.â He also says elsewhere in Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ, aham Ädir hi devÄnÄm: âI am the origin of all the demigods.â And after understanding Bhagavad-gÄŤtÄ from KášášŁáša, Arjuna also conďŹrms this in the following words: paraáš brahma paraáš dhÄma pavitraáš paramaáš bhavÄn, âI now fully understand that You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Absolute Truth, and that You are the refuge of everything.â Therefore the universal form which KášášŁáša showed to Arjuna is not the original form of God. The original is the KášášŁáša form. The universal form, with its thousands and thousands of heads and hands, is manifest just to draw the attention of those who have no love for God. It is not Godâs original form.
The universal form is not attractive for pure devotees, who are in love with the Lord in different transcendental relationships. The Supreme Godhead exchanges transcendental love in His original form of KášášŁáša. Therefore to Arjuna, who was so intimately related with KášášŁáša in friendship, this form of the universal manifestation was not pleasing; rather, it was fearful. Arjuna, who was a constant companion of KášášŁášaâs, must have had transcendental eyes; he was not an ordinary man. Therefore he was not captivated by the universal form. This form may seem wonderful to persons who are involved in elevating themselves by fruitive activities, but to persons who are engaged in devotional service the two-handed form of KášášŁáša is the most dear.