Chapter 4Approaching the Ultimate TruthVerse 26

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Anvaya

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Commentaries of the Four Authorized Vaisnava Sampradayas

as confirmed in the Garga Samhita Canto 10, Chapter 61, Verses 23, 24, 25, 26
Rudra Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Visnuswami

Sridhara Swami's Commentary

Lord Krishna continues stating that others like the Brahmacari's or those practising celibacy offer each particular sense as a sacrifice in the fire of self-discipline and restraining the senses lead a life of self control. The householders offer the sense objects themselves into the senses and while enjoying sense objects remain unattached. They offer the sense objects as oblations into their senses which they envision to be the fire.

Brahma Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Madhvacarya

Madhvacarya's Commentary

Lord Krishna speaks of the different grades and types of yagnas or offerings and worship and the goals desired. Although the word daivam may refer to the demigods; it can also refer exclusively to the resplendent Supreme Lord who verily is the ultimate goal of all yagnas by those exclusively devoted to Him. Thus the propitiation of the Supreme Lord is the distinctive superior attribute of performance of action. For the spiritually intelligent situated in atma tattva there exists nothing else. Every action even every breath is a yagna dedicated to the Supreme Lord. Yagna is verily the Supreme Lord so by this yagna is performed within yagna. In this way it can be understood that everything offered in yagna is of the Brahman or the spiritual substratum pervading all existence.

Now begins the summation.

One who perceives the Brahman pervading everywhere there exists nothing else for them except the personal communion with the resplendent Supreme Lord, who to reciprocate with His devotee becomes the very yagna which is being performed. In the fire of the yagna, in the offerings of havih or ghee and grainseeds, in the paraphernalia being used to perform the yagna. In the form of yagna the goal of yagna being the Supreme Lord is verily being offered to Himself. Thus everything becomes the Brahman. Through His propitiation performed according to Vedic injunctions all the sense organs like eyes and tongue are brought under control and all the sense become neutralised and passive. In the Brihadaranya Upanisad I.IV.X it is stated that the Brahman alone was in the beginning and it knew itself as the Brahman and then the Brahman manifested into the all. Whosoever amongst the demigods becomes awakened to this consciousness indeed becomes similar to this consciousness. It is the same for elevated beings and the same for sages and yogis and it is the same for humans.

Sri Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Ramanuja

Ramanuja's Commentary

Those practising celibacy offer all their senses such as hearing and seeing into the fire of their controlled mind and this is their yagna or worship to the Supreme Lord Krishna. The yagna that the grihastas or married householders perform is to symbolically offer the sense objects they enjoy into the fire of the senses that enjoy them in an attempt to appease their appetites for gratifying themselves in enjoyment.

Kumara Vaisnava Sampradaya:


Nimbaditya

Kesava Kasmiri's Commentary

Lord Krishna speaks of superior to those by the word apare meaning others. These yogis indulge in the spiritual practice of renunciation and are desirous of attaining knowledge of the Brahman or spiritual substratum pervading all existence. They keep all their senses away from sense objects and offer the senses into the fire of self-discipline. Others like the grihastas or those family orientated indulging in worldly achievements and desirous of dynasty and progeny offer sense objects into the fire of the senses during enjoyment of them of the sense objects. The senses are considered by them to be the fire and such persons indulge themselves in sense gratification as a symbol of performing yagna or worship.

Thus ends commentaries of chapter 4, verse 26 of the Srimad Bhagavad-Gita.

Verse 26


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