BG4.38

Sri Krishna preached the elixir of Gita from His lotus hued lips. We have been witnessing many of the spots where He played. Today's [ 6th November, 2007] lecture is from a famous place called Barsana. In olden days it was known as Bruhatsana, which got mutilated to Barsana. This is about 10 miles from Nandgaon. This is praised as the place where Sri Radha Rani grew, though She was born in Radhan. There is a temple on a small hillock, where Sri Krishna and Sri Radha grace the devotees. On one side of the temple is the palace. From the temple if we look down we can see a place called Mayursthithi, where Sri Krishna used to delight His friends with Peacock [Mayur] feathers. There is a place called Sanket, where Sri Krishna used to chat and delight gopikas and Sri Radha. Also there is a place where Sri Krishna used to collect tax from the gopikas as they carried milk and curd in pots for sale. In the Bhakti sampradata or tradition, Sri Radha is considered as one of His queens. But in Srimad Bhagavatam or in Alwars' works, there is no evidence for Sri Radha. She is regarded important here and in entire North India. All gopikas had immense love for Sri Krishna. Sri Radha is a personification of that immeasurable love for Sri Krishna. Bhakti [ devotion] and love are regarded as feminine just as a country or river. We will with the blessings of Sri Radha and Sri Krishna , see 36th sloka. Three aspects were spellt out in the 33rd, 34th and 35th slokas. They are, Gyana in yagna is more important than the dravya part, this Gyana has to mature and yield result for which a Guru is required and one who has acquired this Gyana is not confused by thinking body and soul are same and considers all atman are equal and equal to Paramatman. Slokas 36 and 37 tell the power of atman gyana. This Gyana is needed to cut off our ages old sins accumulated over many births. Sri Krishna illustrates this with two examples in the two slokas. Now 36th sloka:

api ced asi papebhyah
sarvebhyah papa-krt-tamah
sarvam jnana-plavenaiva
vrjinam santarisyasi

"Even if you are considered to be the most sinful of all sinners, when you are situated in the boat of transcendental knowledge you will be able to cross over the ocean of miseries."

He personifies the sins [papa] as an ocean. Api ced asi = even if you are, sarvebhya = among all, papebya = sinners [papi], papa krt tamah= committed more sins. That is most sinned among sinners. The Gyana would navigate him from this ocean of sins. Sarvam = all, vrijinam = ocean of papa or sins, even if it is unsurmountable, plavana = the boat of, Gyana = knowledge, santarisyasi = navigate and reach ashore. So with the atman gyana boat one could cross the ocean of papa and reach to safety. Thus the majesty or greatness of atman gyana is illustrated. This Gyana - atman is different from body, atman is an embodiment of knowledge, all atman are same with no difference, differences arise from the bodies, atman is dependent on Paramatman and is destined to serve Him, all such sublime thoughts- once acquired would help to cross the ocean of papa. Arjuna also is in the midst of oceans of troops on either side in Kurukshetra. With the Gyana that he can not kill atman but only the body and he is fighting not for cheap royal pleasures but for upholding Dharma, he can cross this ocean also. We commit papa because of considering some as enemies. But with the Gyana that all atman are equal, such enmity will never arise.