Bg. 5.29 · Bhagavad-gita As It Is

Devanagari

भोक्तारं यज्ञतपसां सर्वलोकमहेश्वरम् । सुहृदं सर्वभूतानां ज्ञात्वा मां शान्तिमृच्छति ॥ २९ ॥

Verse text

bhoktāraṁ yajṣa-tapasāṁ sarva-loka-maheśvaram suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ jṣātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati

Synonyms

bhoktāram — the beneficiary ; yajṣa — of sacrifices ; tapasām — and penances and austerities ; sarva-loka — of all planets and the demigods thereof ; mahā-īśvaram — the Supreme Lord ; su-hṛdam — the benefactor ; sarva — of all ; bhūtānām — the living entities ; jṣātvā — thus knowing ; mām — Me (Lord Kṛṣṇa) ; śāntim — relief from material pangs ; ṛcchati — one achieves.

Translation

A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

29. Knowing Me who am the object of worship of the karmīs and jṣānīs who do sacrifice and penance, the object of worship of the yogīs as Paramātmā, and the object of worship of the devotees— the friend of all living entities by giving instructions on bhakti— this aṣṭāṅga-yogī attains liberation.

Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

29. Knowing Me as the protector of sacrifice and austerities, the master of all controllers, and the protector of all living beings, he attains liberation.

Purport

The conditioned souls within the clutches of the illusory energy are all anxious to attain peace in the material world. But they do not know the formula for peace, which is explained in this part of the Bhagavad-gītā. The greatest peace formula is simply this: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the beneficiary in all human activities. Men should offer everything to the transcendental service of the Lord because He is the proprietor of all planets and the demigods thereon. No one is greater than He. He is greater than the greatest of the demigods, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. In the Vedas ( Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.7) the Supreme Lord is described as tam īśvarāṇāṁ paramaṁ maheśvaraṁ. Under the spell of illusion, living entities are trying to be lords of all they survey, but actually they are dominated by the material energy of the Lord. The Lord is the master of material nature, and the conditioned souls are under the stringent rules of material nature. Unless one understands these bare facts, it is not possible to achieve peace in the world either individually or collectively. This is the sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness: Lord Kṛṣṇa is the supreme predominator, and all living entities, including the great demigods, are His subordinates. One can attain perfect peace only in complete Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This Fifth Chapter is a practical explanation of Kṛṣṇa consciousness, generally known as karma-yoga. The question of mental speculation as to how karma-yoga can give liberation is answered herewith. To work in Kṛṣṇa consciousness is to work with the complete knowledge of the Lord as the predominator. Such work is not different from transcendental knowledge. Direct Kṛṣṇa consciousness is bhakti-yoga, and jṣāna-yoga is a path leading to bhakti-yoga. Kṛṣṇa consciousness means to work in full knowledge of one’s relationship with the Supreme Absolute, and the perfection of this consciousness is full knowledge of Kṛṣṇa, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead. A pure soul is the eternal servant of God as His fragmental part and parcel. He comes into contact with māyā (illusion) due to the desire to lord it over māyā, and that is the cause of his many sufferings. As long as he is in contact with matter, he has to execute work in terms of material necessities. Kṛṣṇa consciousness, however, brings one into spiritual life even while one is within the jurisdiction of matter, for it is an arousing of spiritual existence by practice in the material world. The more one is advanced, the more he is freed from the clutches of matter. The Lord is not partial toward anyone. Everything depends on one’s practical performance of duties in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, which helps one control the senses in every respect and conquer the influence of desire and anger. And one who stands fast in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, controlling the abovementioned passions, remains factually in the transcendental stage, or brahma-nirvāṇa. The eightfold yoga mysticism is automatically practiced in Kṛṣṇa consciousness because the ultimate purpose is served. There is a gradual process of elevation in the practice of yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna and samādhi. But these only preface perfection by devotional service, which alone can award peace to the human being. It is the highest perfection of life. Thus end the Bhaktivedanta Purports to the Fifth Chapter of the Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā in the matter of Karma-yoga, or Action in Kṛṣṇa Consciousness.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

This verse explains that yogīs who act in this way, by obtaining knowledge of Paramātmā through bhakti, like the jṣānīs, attain liberation. I am the guardian (bhoktāram) of the yajṣa of the karma-yogīs and the austerities (tapasām) of the jṣānīs. That means that I am the object of worship of the karma-yogīs and jṣānīs. I am the great controller of all people (sarva-loka-maheśvaram), the Paramātmā: the object of worship of the aṣṭāṅga-yogīs. I am the friend of all entities: I am the person who gives benefit to all living entities by instructions about bhakti, through the medium of My devotees, out of My mercy. I am the object of worship for the devotees. One cannot attain realization of Me, who am beyond the modes, by sattva-guṇa-jṣāna. I have said that I am attainable only by bhakti: bhaktyāham ekayā grahyaḥ. In the same way, the yogī, only by bhakti which is beyond the modes, by realizing Me as Paramātmā (jṣātvā mām), the object of his worship, attains liberation (śāntim). This chapter explains that the jṣānī and the yogī, by niṣkāma-karma-yoga, attain liberation, after realizing both ātmā and Paramātmā. Thus ends the commentary on the fifth chapter of the Gītā for the joy of the devotees, through the mercy of the ācāryas.

Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

This verse explains that such a person, situated in samādhi, having accomplished a vision of his own ātmā, and then worshipping paramātmā, becomes liberated. That paramātmā is the guardian of yajṣa and tapas (bhoktāram). He is the great lord (maheśvaram) of all beings, even of Brahmā and Śiva (sarva loka), for as the śruti says tam īśvarāṇāṁ paramaṁ maheśvaraṁ: He is the great, supreme master of all controllers. (Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad 6.7) He is the unprejudiced assister of all beings (suhrḍam sarva bhūtānām). Knowing Me as such, realizing Me as the object of worship with those qualities, the person attains the cessation of saṁsāra (śantim). Satisfying the lord of all beings and the benefactor of all beings indeed brings about happiness. By niṣkāma karma yoga, the most prominent yoga, which has within it jṣāna, the saniṣtha attains liberation. This is the meaning of the fifth chapter. Chapter 6

Surrender Unto Me

'Jnatva‑mam' ‑ here is the knowledge, what is to be known. It is not just that we are not our body, but knowledge of Krsna who is these three things: beneficiary, master, and friend. That brings real peace, because it brings liberation. Let us see these things that Krsna listed: 'Bhoktaram' ‑ "I am the enjoyer of 'jnana' and 'tapah'". In the 3rd Chapter so much was talked about sacrifices (yajna); in the 4th Chapter, Section D (describing the different 'tapasyas' and mystic yogas,'yajnas' resulting in transcendental knowledge). Here Krsna is saying that He is the enjoyer of all yajnas and tapasyas. The result of those yajnas and tapasyas is just to please Krsna. Then, 'sarva‑loka mahesvaram' ‑ The Supreme Lord of all the planets and all the demigods. Because one is worshiping the demigods through the yajnas. But Krsna says:"I am the Lord of the demigods and their planets, so it is Me whom the yajnas are directed to." And, 'suhrdam sarva‑bhutanam' ‑ "I am the well‑wishing friend of all living entities". And how? (1) He is the Lord in the heart, travelling with the living entities at all times, and, (2) through His devotees. Even though, here it is related with the Supersoul, we understand that ultimately is related with Krsna Himself. THUS ENDS THE STUDY OF CHAPTER FIVE.