Bhagavad Gita -Srila Prabhupada 61

Shrimad Bhagavad Gita As It Is -Shri Shrimad A.C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Contents of the Gita Summarized Chapter 2: Verse-20 In the Katha Upanisad we also find a similar passage, which reads: na jäyate mriyate vä vipascin näyam kutascin na babhüva kascit ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano na hanyate hanyamäne sarire The meaning and purport of this verse is the same as in the Bhagavad-gita, but here in this verse there is one special word, vipaçcit, which means learned or with knowledge. The soul is full of knowledge, or full always with consciousness. Therefore, consciousness is the symptom of the soul. Even if one does not find the soul within the heart, where he is situated, one can still understand the presence of the soul simply by the presence of consciousness. Sometimes we do not find the sun in the sky owing to clouds, or for some other reason, but the light of the sun is always there, and we are convinced that it is therefore daytime. As soon as there is a little light in the sky early in the morning, we can understand that the sun is in the sky. Similarly, since there is some consciousness in all bodies—whether man or animal—we can understand the presence of the soul. This consciousness of the soul is, however, different from the consciousness of the Supreme because the supreme consciousness is all-knowledge—past, present and future. The consciousness of the individual soul is prone to be forgetful. When he is forgetful of his real nature, he obtains education and enlightenment from the superior lessons of Krsna. Butkrsnais not like the forgetful soul. If so, Krsna’s teachings of Bhagavad-gitawould be useless. There are two kinds of souls—namely the minute particle soul (aëu-ätmä) and the Supersoul (vibhu-ätmä). This is also confirmed in the Katha Upanisad in this way: anor aniyan mahato mahiyän ätmäsya jantor nihito guhäyäm tam akratuh pasyati vita-soko dhätuh prasädän mahimänam ätmanah “Both the Supersoul [Paramätmä] and the atomic soul [jévätmä] are situated on the same tree of the body within the same heart of the living being, and only one who has become free from all material desires as well as lamentations can, by the grace of the Supreme, understand the glories of the soul.”krsnais the fountainhead of the Supersoul also, as it will be disclosed in the following chapters, and Arjuna is the atomic soul, forgetful of his real nature; therefore he requires to be enlightened by Krsna, or by His bona fide representative (the spiritual master).