Bhagavad Gita Chapter 12, Verse 4 (BG 12.4) — Meaning, Translation & Commentary

# BG 12.4 — Commentary Translation After describing in the preceding verses the essential qualities required for devotees who worship the Divine with attributes, Lord Sri Krishna now describes in the two verses above those who worship the attributeless, formless Absolute. All things possessing form and qualities are substances, and all substances are perishable, subject to decay and dissolution. Knowledge of these substances alone is possible through the senses. Thus, the word "perishable" indicates that knowledge of the Supreme Reality is never possible through the senses alone. That which cannot be defined is called indefinable. All definitions can only be given in reference to visible objects. Therefore, that which is not perceived by the senses cannot be defined, nor can it be distinguished from other objects through knowledge. The infinite Reality, being devoid of qualities and therefore not manifest, and for this very reason indefinable, must necessarily be omnipresent. If any space were empty of the Supreme Self, then the Supreme would acquire a particular form, and whatever possesses form is subject to destruction. That which the mind can contemplate is a visible object and therefore perishable. Hence, the indestructible Reality must certainly be inconceivable, beyond the grasp of the mind, and unthinkable. Although consciousness, in the form of the Self, is the substratum upon which all modifications and changes occur, it itself remains unchanging and unmodified. The word "kuta" means an anvil. In a blacksmith's shop, iron pieces are placed upon the anvil and struck to give them various shapes, yet the anvil itself remains unchanged. Similarly, through association with consciousness, modifications occur in the limiting adjuncts and personalities, but consciousness itself, like the anvil, remains unmodified. Movement means a thing's change of position in space and time. Nothing can move within itself; movement is possible only where that thing did not previously exist. At this moment, I sit upon a chair. In the next moment, I may occupy another place. But here and now, while sitting upon my chair, I cannot move within myself, for I completely pervade myself. The Supreme Self is omnipresent, and therefore there is no place or moment in space or time where He does not exist. Thus He is called immovable. He is here, there, and everywhere; in Him alone exist the past, present, and future. That which is subject to modification is limited by space and time. But the Supreme Self, being the very substratum of space and time, cannot be limited by either. The infinite consciousness of the Self is one and the same everywhere, in all times. In childhood, youth, and old age, in all places, in all times, and amid all circumstances of pleasure and pain, gain and loss, the Self remains ever the same. Only when we descend to the level of body, mind, and intellect do we enter the world of relativity of space and time as described by Einstein. The Supreme Self is not limited by time; He is the very Lord of time. He is eternal. It is noteworthy that the terms used in these two verses are drawn from the Upanishads. Through these words, that Supreme Self is indicated who is the sole eternal substratum of this ever-changing world of names and forms, of actions and events, of sense perceptions and emotions, of thoughts and experiences. All seekers must possess the following three essential qualities: **Mastery of the senses:** To dissipate one's vital energies through the senses is the work of thoughtless and base-minded people. The seeker who aspires to reach the pinnacle of perfection and experience supreme bliss should curtail this wastage and, through the energies thus conserved, engage in meditation to attain Self-realization. The five senses of knowledge are the very gates through which the objects of the external world, which disturb the mind, stealthily enter and destroy our inner peace. Then the mind rushes through the organs of action to express its reactions in the external world. Thus, this pattern of sense perception and reaction destroys the harmony and balance of the mind. Therefore, Sri Krishna's emphasis on mastery of the senses is most appropriate, for the success of the path of meditation depends upon it. **Equanimity of intellect in all circumstances:** This is the second quality necessary for success. The intellect should maintain equanimity amid all types of circumstances and experiences. To hope for and await a state free from external disturbances is a mark of foolishness. Such ideal circumstances cannot exist. The things of the world are constantly changing in themselves and in their particular structures. Therefore, to expect in this ever-changing world some desired condition that would remain eternally constant for the benefit of the seeker's meditation practice is truly unwise and utterly impossible. Therefore, in such a changing world, the seeker should wisely regulate his intellectual judgments, the mind's attachments, and his contacts with the external world, thereby maintaining equanimity of intellect and balance of mind. One who does not lose his balance even when confronted with objects or circumstances that create disturbance or agitation in the mind is called equanimous. The seeker who has developed the power of discrimination can easily perceive and recognize that golden thread which runs through all the beautiful and attractive as well as the ugly and repulsive things of this world. Such a seeker, endowed with this capacity, is here called equanimous. A man's young son is sometimes dirty, sometimes extremely restless and crying, sometimes laughing at noon, troublesome in the evening, and wild at night. Yet in all these states, his father sees only his son, and therefore loves him equally in all his different forms. This is the equanimity of that loving father. Similarly, a true seeker learns to recognize his chosen deity in the heart amid both the terrible sorrows and joyful pleasures of life, amid unprecedented successes and disappointing failures. Therefore, he attains equanimity of intellect. **Devoted to the welfare of all beings:** In describing the third quality necessary for success, the Lord says that the seeker should always, with the spirit of dedication, remain engaged in serving all creatures to the best of his ability. As long as a person lives embodied in this body, it is entirely impossible for him to keep his mind and intellect constantly fixed in Self-contemplation at every moment. He must conduct normal dealings with the world. In such interactions, he should make continuous, tireless effort to serve all beings. This itself is the nature of that knowledge. To love all creatures is his very dharma. Thus, those seekers endowed with these three qualities who worship the perishable and the unmanifest also attain Me. This is the proclamation of Lord Sri Krishna. The question asked by Arjuna is indeed debatable, whereas the answer given by the Lord is a proclamation of an indisputable truth. Here, the great philosopher Lord Sri Krishna reveals how both types of worshippers attain the same goal. What common qualities are necessary for success in both. By faithfully and completely following the spiritual practices described here, whether through worship of the Divine with form and attributes or through meditation on the formless, attributeless Absolute, one attains the same Supreme Self. However, generally speaking, regarding the majority of seekers, He says: