BG 12.3-4 (1972)
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXTS 3-4
- ये त्वक्षरमनिर्देश्यमव्यक्तं पर्युपासते ।
- सर्वत्रगमचिन्त्यञ्च कूटस्थमचलन्ध्रुवम् ॥३॥
- सन्नियम्येन्द्रियग्रामं सर्वत्र समबुद्धयः ।
- ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः ॥४॥
- ye tv akṣaram anirdeśyam
- avyaktaṁ paryupāsate
- sarvatra-gam acintyaṁ ca
- kūṭa-stham acalaṁ dhruvam
- sanniyamyendriya-grāmaṁ
- sarvatra sama-buddhayaḥ
- te prāpnuvanti mām eva
- sarva-bhūta-hite ratāḥ
SYNONYMS
ye—those; tu—but; akṣaram—which is beyond the perception of the senses; anirdeśyam—indefinite; avyaktam—unmanifested; paryupāsate—completely engages; sarvatra-gam—all-pervading; acintyam—inconceivable; ca—also; kūṭastham—in the center; acalam—immovable; dhruvam—fixed; sanniyamya—controlling; indriya-grāmam—all the senses; sarvatra—everywhere; sama-buddayaḥ—equally disposed; te—they; prāpnuvanti—achieve; mām—unto Me; eva—certainly; sarva-bhūta-hite—all living entities' welfare; ratāḥ—engaged.
TRANSLATION
But those who fully worship the unmanifested, that which lies beyond the perception of the senses, the all-pervading, inconceivable, fixed, and immovable—the impersonal conception of the Absolute Truth-by controlling the various senses and being equally disposed to everyone, such persons, engaged in the welfare of all, at last achieve Me.
PURPORT
Those who do not directly worship the Supreme Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, but who attempt to achieve the same goal by an indirect process, also ultimately achieve the supreme goal, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, as is stated, "After many births the man of wisdom seeks refuge in Me, knowing Vāsudeva is all." When a person comes to full knowledge after many births, he surrenders unto Lord Kṛṣṇa. If one approaches the Godhead by the method mentioned in this verse, he has to control the senses, render service to everyone and engage in the welfare of all beings. It is inferred that one has to approach Lord Kṛṣṇa, otherwise there is no perfect realization. Often there is much penance involved before one fully surrenders unto Him.
In order to perceive the Supersoul within the individual soul, one has to cease the sensual activities of seeing, hearing, tasting, working, etc. Then one comes to understand that the Supreme Soul is present everywhere. Realizing this, one envies no living entity-he sees no difference between man and animal because he sees soul only, not the outer covering. But for the common man, this method of impersonal realization is very difficult.