BG 03.17 yas tv atma-ratir eva syad... cited

Expressions researched:
"atma-trptas ca manavah" |"atmany eva ca santustas" |"for him there is no duty" |"for one who takes pleasure in the self" |"tasya karyam na vidyate" |"who is satisfied in the self only" |"whose human life is one of self-realization" |"yas tv atma-ratir eva syad"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "3.17" or "atma-trptas ca manavah" or "atmany eva ca santustas" or "for him there is no duty" or "for one who takes pleasure in the self" or "tasya karyam na vidyate" or "who is satisfied in the self only" or "whose human life is one of self-realization" or "yas tv atma-ratir eva syad"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 3.17, Translation and Purport:

But for one who takes pleasure in the self, whose human life is one of self-realization, and who is satisfied in the self only, fully satiated—for him there is no duty.

A person who is fully Kṛṣṇa conscious, and is fully satisfied by his acts in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, no longer has any duty to perform. Due to his being Kṛṣṇa conscious, all impiety within is instantly cleansed, an effect of many, many thousands of yajña performances. By such clearing of consciousness, one becomes fully confident of his eternal position in relationship with the Supreme. His duty thus becomes self-illuminated by the grace of the Lord, and therefore he no longer has any obligations to the Vedic injunctions. Such a Kṛṣṇa conscious person is no longer interested in material activities and no longer takes pleasure in material arrangements like wine, women and similar infatuations.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 3.11-19 -- Los Angeles, December 27, 1968:

Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Seventeen: "One who is, however, taking pleasure in the self, who is illumined in the self, who rejoices in and is satisfied with the self only, fully satiated, for him there is no duty (BG 3.17)."

Prabhupāda: Here it is plainly said by Lord Kṛṣṇa, "the self, one who is taking pleasure in self." How we can take pleasure in self? As soon as we engage ourself with the Supreme Self. That is enjoyment. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). The Supreme Lord is joyful. Just like if you mix with a joyful society or joyful person, then automatically you become joyful. There is no necessity of becoming joyful separately. That association will make you joyful. If you mix with a society criminal, automatically you become criminal. There is no necessity of learning criminality separately. By association, you'll do that.

Lecture on BG 3.16-17 -- New York, May 25, 1966:

So one who does not know this mission of human life. So according to Bhagavad-gītā, he is living uselessly. His purpose of life, he has no. Just like a ship without a rudder, a man without aim, you have no aim or purpose of life. This is the purpose of life. So we have to perform yajña. So those who are engaged in activities, by the result of his activities...

(Aside: You are going? Going? Going? All right.)

So anyone who does not move on this circle, according to Bhagavad-gītā, he is passing on his life uselessly. Then the next.

yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād

ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ

ātmany eva ca santuṣṭas

tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate

(BG 3.17)

This is a... This yajña is prescribed for the general mass of people, that they must work sincerely according to their prescribed duties, and by the result of that duty or result of their action, they should offer sacrifices to the Lord.

Now, at the present moment the best sacrifice is recommended in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, the sacrifice of chanting the holy name of Lord. Yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ (SB 11.5.32). So now you come here and sit down here for sometimes and chant the holy name of the Lord. That is also sacrifice. That is also sacrifice. This is recommended for this age especially.

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

Prabhupāda: All glories to the assembled devotees. All glories to the assembled devotees. Thank you very much.

yas tv ātma-ratir eva syād

ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ

ātmany eva ca santuṣṭas

tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate

(BG 3.17)

Now, so far yajña, offering sacrifice for the satisfaction of the Supreme Lord, as we were discussing for the last few days, now here, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that for a person who is already situated in the spiritual platform and is satisfied with his own self, he hasn't got to do anything. He has surpassed that stages of offering sacrifice, worship, prayers, everything—one who is situated in self-satisfied state.

Just like Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He was, as the other day we were narrating the story of Śukadeva Gosvāmī, he was passing on naked, sixteen-years-old boy, young boy, and very nice feature of the body, peaceful. And he was passing naked, and the girls who were taking bath, naked on the river, they saw that innocent person, so they did not cover their body. But when the father was passing, such a learned sage, old man, Vyāsadeva, who is the author of all Vedic literatures—he is not an ordinary man. But because he was a worldly man, a householder, the girls, after seeing him, covered their body. That story the other day we have narrated before you. So the stage of Śukadeva Gosvāmī is ātma-rati, self-satisfied, doesn't care for anything of the world. He is aloof from the world. We should not imitate Śukadeva Gosvāmī and become naked. (chuckles)

Lecture on BG 3.17-20 -- New York, May 27, 1966:

So there is no difficulty to understand Kṛṣṇa. And if you understand Kṛṣṇa, your life is perfectly, I mean to say, all right. Then you get your life, complete perfection of your life. That is the whole literature. So here the Lord says, yas tu ātma-ratir eva syāt. Ātma-rati, one whose focus of life is simply for self-understanding... Ātma-ratiḥ, syād ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ. He is simply satisfied with his self-understanding, that "I am pure consciousness. My relation with Kṛṣṇa is such and such. My relation with this world is temporary. My real relation with Kṛṣṇa because Kṛṣṇa is permanent and I am permanent. I am His part and parcel," these simple things. So one who has understood these things nicely and he is satisfied in himself...

Just like Śukadeva Gosvāmī. He didn't care for anything, who is naked dancing, or naked bathing. No. He has no care. He is going on in the street. Yas tu ātma-ratir eva syād ātma-tṛptaś ca mānavaḥ ātmany eva ca santuṣṭaḥ. He is satisfied in himself and with Kṛṣṇa. Tasya kāryaṁ na vidyate: "He has nothing to do." Bas. He is free. Now, if you are not in that stage, then you have to perform sacrifice, as recommended in the Bhagavad-gītā. Yajñārthe karmaṇo 'nyatra loko 'yaṁ karma-bandhanaḥ (BG 3.9). You have to work in such a way that your work will be purified gradually and you will come to this stage of ātma-rati. But if you, from the very beginning, you are satisfied with your self-understanding, then you have nothing to do. You have nothing to do.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- November 16, 1975, Bombay:

Dr. Patel: It is very difficult for us to understand the divya-bhāva of Kṛṣṇa. That is why people are asking these questions because divya-bhāva is very difficult to be understood.

Prabhupāda: Therefore it is said,

matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā

mitho 'bhipadyeta gṛha-vratānām

adānta-gobhir viśatāṁ tamisraṁ

punaḥ punaś carvita-carvaṇānām

(SB 7.5.30)

Those who are simply chewing the chewed, they cannot understand Kṛṣṇa. Naisaṁ matis tavad urukramāṅghrīm (SB 7.5.32).

Yaśomatīnandana: Niskiñcananam...

Prabhupāda: Ah. Niskiñcananaṁ mahiyasam. It has to be understood from the same thing, tattva-darśinam. Otherwise it is not possible. You cannot speculate. If you say, as Gandhi said, "My Kṛṣṇa is of my imagination," that kind of knowledge has no value. What you are, your imagination? Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ svato vā. Parataḥ svato vā. Vidya-bhāgavatavadhiḥ. If one reads Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, then he gets the ultimate knowledge of everything. That is the ultimate end, limit of knowledge.

Dr. Patel: Tasya karyaṁ na vidyate.

Prabhupāda: Matir na kṛṣṇe parataḥ... Nobody can understand Kṛṣṇa, and they are thinking, "In my imagination, Kṛṣṇa is like this." What is the value of this imagination?