Now, there are two classes of transcendentalists. One class of transcendentalists, just like the impersonalists, they want to stop activities. They think like that, that when one becomes one with the Transcendence, then their activities stop. But actually, from the Bhagavad-gītā we find that te kṛtsnam adhyātmaṁ karma cākhilam. Their activities are not stopped, but the quality of the activity is changed. Brahman. The quality of activities becomes transcendental. Karma cākhilam. Akhila. Whatever he does in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, whatever he does, that becomes Brahman, or transcendental. That means free from the contamination of the three modes of material nature. Therefore, as he becomes free from the contamination of the three modes of material nature, therefore he's not going to have next body of this material nature. Next body he's not going to have material... The same example: just the, if you put iron rod into the fire, it becomes gradually the fire. The nature of fire the iron rod attains. So when it is red-hot, there is no possibility of its being the iron, but it is fire.
So by our activities in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we become free from the contamination of these three modes of material nature, and thus, at the end, we become purely, purely spiritual, transcendental. Here it is stated:
- sādhibhūtādhidaivaṁ māṁ
- sādhiyajñaṁ ca ye viduḥ
- prayāṇa-kāle 'pi ca māṁ
- te vidur yukta-cetasaḥ
"One who understands this science of Kṛṣṇa consciousness," sa-adhibhūtam adhidaivam, "so even at the time of his death, he remains steady in that Kṛṣṇa consciousness." And therefore his next birth is not in this material world, but in the spiritual world.
Now next chapter, Kṛṣṇa inquires, er, Arjuna inquires, "What is this adhibhūtam, adhidaivam, adhiyajñam?" These three questions are being put by Arjuna.
- arjuna uvāca
- kiṁ tad-brahma kim adhyātmaṁ
- kiṁ karma puruṣottama
- adhibhūtaṁ ca kiṁ proktam
- adhidaivaṁ kim ucyate
Now, this, these are technical terms. What are these technical terms? First technical term is "brahma." What is Brahman? Arjuna's question is first: "What is Brahman?" Then next question is: "What is adhyātmā? What is adhyātmā, spirit?" Then next question is: adhibhūtam. Adhibhūtam means "What is these material elements?" And adhiyajña: "What is Supersoul?" And "At the time of death, what are the perception of these three things?" Very complicated questions. Very complicated question. Adhyātma-brahma, adhyātmā, adhibhūta and adhiyajña and adhidaiva.
So Kṛṣṇa is answering one and each gradually. Śrī bhagavān uvāca. Bhagavān uvāca means Lord Kṛṣṇa, He's the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He's replying. Śrī bhagavān uvāca. What is that? Now, akṣaraṁ paramaṁ brahma svabhāvo 'dhyātmam ucyate. Akṣaraṁ paramaṁ brahma. Now, akṣaram means infallible. Infallible. And paramam means supreme. And brahma means indestructible, Brahman. Indestructible or which is eternal, that is called Brahman. Now, akṣaraṁ paramaṁ brahma. Paramaṁ brahma. Now, eternal, we are eternal. This has been explained in the Second Chapter of Bhagavad-gītā. Na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre (BG 2.20). We do not die even after the destruction of this body. So we are Brahman. Brahman means indestructible and eternal. Some, some matter may be indestructible sometimes, but not eternal. Matter is not eternal. Therefore two things are to be understood about Brahman: indestructible and eternal.