ashrama, are of two classes. The Mayavada sannyas are established in the study of Samkhya, while the Vaishnava sannyas are established in the study of Bhagavata, which gives a suitable commentary on the Vedanta sutras. The Mayavada sannyas also study the Vedanta sutras, but they use their own commentary, the physical commentary written by Shankaracharya. The disciples of the Bhagavata tradition are established in the service of the Lord according to the rules of the Pancharatris. That is why the Vaishnava sannyas have various kinds of activities in the divine service of the Lord. The Vaishnava sannyas have no connection with material activities. Yet they perform various kinds of activities in the divine service of the Lord. But the Mayavada sannyas, who are established in the study of Samkhya, in imagination, cannot enjoy the divine service of the Lord. Because their study is so tedious, they sometimes get tired of the idea of Brahman and resort to the Bhagavatam without proper understanding. As a result, their study of the Bhagavatam becomes difficult. Dry ideas, artificial methods, and impersonal commentaries are completely useless to the Mayavada sannyasins. Vaishnava sannyasins who are engaged in devotional service are comfortable in their transcendental activities. They are guaranteed to enter the kingdom of God. Mayavada sannyasins sometimes fall away from the word self-realization and return to material activities, to religious activities, which are nothing but material activities. Therefore, the essence is that those who are engaged in the activities of Krishna consciousness are in a better position than those sannyasins who are engaged in the vain idea of what is Brahman and what is not Brahman. Yet even these ascetics come to Krishna consciousness after many births.
The pure soul, through yoga, conquers the soul, and the soul of all beings is written in the Qurvannapi.
Yogayuktaḥ – one who is engaged in devotional service; vishuddha atma – pure soul; vijita atma – one who is self-controlled; jitendriyaḥ – one who has sense control.
Sarvabhūta – for all living beings; atma bhūtaṭma – compassionate; kurvan api
never tired is beloved by everyone, and everyone loves him.
PURPORT One who is on the path of liberation through Krishna consciousness is very dear to every living being; every living being is dear to him. This is because of his Krishna devotion. Just as the leaves and branches of a tree are not separate from the tree, so he cannot imagine any living being as separate from Krishna. He knows very well that by pouring water at the base of a tree, water is supplied to all the leaves and branches, or by giving food to the stomach, energy is spread throughout the body by that effort. A person who works in Krishna consciousness is always a slave, so he is very dear to everyone. Because everyone is satisfied with his work, his mind is pure. Because he is pure in consciousness, his mind is completely controlled. Because the mind is controlled, his senses are also controlled. Because his mind is always fixed on Krishna, there is no possibility of his straying from Krishna or of his engaging his senses in anything other than the service of the Lord. He does not want to hear anything except about Krishna; he does not want to eat anything that is not offered to Krishna; he does not want to go anywhere that is not about Krishna. Therefore his senses are restrained. A person with restrained senses does not harm anyone. “Then why did Arjuna harm others (in the war)? Was he not in Krishna consciousness?” Someone may ask. (As already explained in the Second Chapter) since the soul cannot be killed, Arjuna only harmed externally because all the people assembled on the battlefield were individually alive. That is, spiritually, no one was killed on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Only their clothes were changed at the behest of Lord Krishna, who was standing there. Therefore, while fighting on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, Arjuna did not actually fight. He simply carried out the orders of Lord Krishna in complete devotional service. Such a person is never entangled by the results of karma.
