BG 04.15 evam jnatva krtam karma... cited

Expressions researched:
"evam jnatva krtam karma" |"kuru karmaiva tasmat tvam" |"purvaih purvataram krtam" |"purvair api mumuksubhih"

BG Chapters 1 - 6

BG 4.15, Translation and Purport:

All the liberated souls in ancient times acted with this understanding of My transcendental nature. Therefore you should perform your duty, following in their footsteps.

There are two classes of men. Some of them are full of polluted material things within their hearts, and some of them are materially free. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is equally beneficial for both of these persons. Those who are full of dirty things can take to the line of Kṛṣṇa consciousness for a gradual cleansing process, following the regulative principles of devotional service. Those who are already cleansed of the impurities may continue to act in the same Kṛṣṇa consciousness so that others may follow their exemplary activities and thereby be benefited. Foolish persons or neophytes in Kṛṣṇa consciousness often want to retire from activities without having knowledge of Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Arjuna's desire to retire from activities on the battlefield was not approved by the Lord. One need only know how to act. To retire from the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness and to sit aloof making a show of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is less important than actually engaging in the field of activities for the sake of Kṛṣṇa. Arjuna is here advised to act in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, following in the footsteps of the Lord's previous disciples, such as the sun-god Vivasvān, as mentioned hereinbefore. The Supreme Lord knows all His past activities, as well as those of persons who acted in Kṛṣṇa consciousness in the past. Therefore He recommends the acts of the sun-god, who learned this art from the Lord some millions of years before. All such students of Lord Kṛṣṇa are mentioned here as past liberated persons, engaged in the discharge of duties allotted by Kṛṣṇa.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 4.14-19 -- New York, August 3, 1966:

Kṛṣṇa is a great science. So if we study Kṛṣṇa science with great attention, then the result will be that we shall be free from the reaction of our activities. This is clearly said here, na mam karmāṇi limpanti na me karma-phale spṛhā (BG 4.14). The Lord has nothing to do. He is full. He has nothing to do. But why He does? Just to set example. Set example. He's not bound up by the works which He is doing in the material world. This science has to be learned. Na me karma-phale spṛhā. And anyone who understands this transcendental nature of Kṛṣṇa, he is also becoming free from the reaction of karma.

evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma

pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ

kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ

pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛtam

Now, the whole spiritual process is to follow the example of the previous ācāryas who have attained, I mean to, success... (boys making noise outside) These boys, wherefrom they come? They disturb...

evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma

pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ

kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ

pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛtam

Now, there are, Arjuna... Kṛṣṇa is advising Arjuna that "If you act and follow in the footprints of the previous ācāryas and previous great devotees and kings who have done in their lives karma-yoga, acting for Kṛṣṇa, if you follow that principle, then you shall also become free from the reaction of activities." Because Arjuna was very much afraid for being entangled in the reaction of his fighting, Kṛṣṇa therefore assures that "You shall not be... If you follow, if you act, if you fight for My sake, then you will not be entangled by the reaction of karma."

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

Pradyumna: (leads chanting): Translation: All the liberated souls in ancient times acted with this understanding and so attained liberation. Therefore, as the ancients, you should perform your duty in this divine consciousness."

Prabhupāda:

evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma

pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ

kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ

pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛtam

Now, in this verse three times, four times, the word has been used, pūrvataram, pūrvatamaiḥ. Kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛtam. Pūrva, pūrvataram, pūrvatama: comparative, superlative, and positive. So this is the process that we have to follow the previous ācāryas. That is Vedic system.

In the very beginning of this chapter Kṛṣṇa said, evaṁ paramparā-prāptam imaṁ rājarṣayo viduḥ (BG 4.2). We haven't got to make any research, modern understanding. There is no question of modern understanding. We are all following the old, ancient understanding. Now, even from ordinary platform, the eating, sleeping, mating, and defending, is that modern? It is not modern. Formerly also, all living entities were eating, they were sleeping, they were having sex intercourse and they were defending. The main business is...

Nothing is modernized. You can say, "modernized," but the principle is the same, old system. Nobody can change. And people are dying also. Janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9). That is also the old system. Everyone is taking birth, everyone is growing, everyone is falling diseased, and everyone is dying. Can the modern system stop this? The modern system can say, "Now you do not require to eat, you do not require to sleep," or "You do not require to have sex,"or "You do not require to defend?" No. The same system. "The old wine in a new bottle."

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

The old system is going on, everything. The sun is also the old. The sun is rising as it was doing in olden times. The moon is also rising. The years and season are changing. Everything is going on. Why we should not accept the system of Vedic knowledge, the oldest of all in the world? There is no history. That is intelligence.

So Kṛṣṇa advising here, evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ. What Kṛṣṇa said? That the karma should be divided according to the quality of the person. There are three qualities—sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa—of the material world. Guṇa-mayī māyā. Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā (BG 7.14). So guṇa-mayī. Guṇa means the three qualities: sattva-guṇa, rajo-guṇa, tamo-guṇa. And guṇa, another, means rope. Just like strong rope, three, three ropes. You take three ropes and wind it, it becomes very strong. That is also guṇa-mayī. So Kṛṣṇa advised, cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ (BG 4.13). So guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ, guṇa, quality, is there. Now you act according to the quality. Don't be idle.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

That is advised here. Evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ. Evaṁ jñātvā. First of all it is the business of brāhmaṇa to understand. So if you cannot understand, then you do the business of kṣatriya. If you cannot do that, then do the business of a vaiśya. And if you cannot do that, then remain as a worker. Assist others. Assist the brāhmaṇa, the kṣatriya. So everyone will be engaged. And it is the duty of the government to see that nobody is unemployed. Then it will be devil's workshop. There will be so much movement, Communist movement, this movement, that movement, because everyone is not employed. The unemployment, devil's workshop, that is breeding so many isms and that... Otherwise, if anyone is engaged into work, his brain will not be a devil's workshop. He will work something.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, this system is being followed. We have got a very nice business. Spiritual Sky. We are making good profit, millions of dollars. Therefore our expenditure is going on. We sell our books and we sell our Spiritual Sky products. In this way, we meet not less than eight to ten lakhs of rupees expenditure per month, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement. We are not idle; neither we allow anyone to become idle. It is not this business that go to the temple and ring the bell and close the door and go to smoke gāñjā. No, it is not like that. It is not like that.

evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma

pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ

kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvaṁ

pūrvaiḥ pūrvataraṁ kṛtam

So we have to follow.

Now, follow pūrvataraiḥ. Now, we are listening Bhagavad-gītā. So Bhagavad-gītā was first heard by the Vivasvān, the sun-god. So giving aside sun-god, we can take at least Arjuna. Pūrvataraiḥ, mahadbhiḥ. Arjuna is mahat, mahat. Sa mahātmā su-dur... Because he knows Kṛṣṇa. Śiṣyas te 'haṁ śādhi māṁ tvāṁ prapannam (BG 2.7). He surrendered to Kṛṣṇa for solution of the problem, whether he was to fight or not to fight. So Kṛṣṇa instructed directly and Kṛṣṇa certified him, bhakto 'si me priyo 'si: (BG 4.3) "You are my dear friend. You are My devotee. Therefore I shall talk to you the mystery." Rahasyam etad uttamam, Bhagavad-gītā. So take the lesson from Arjuna, how he acted, how he understood Bhagavad-gītā. Then pūrvataraiḥ. You don't have to go very long, long before. You take the symbolical representation of Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna. So how did he understood? How he did understand Kṛṣṇa? He understood Kṛṣṇa: paraṁ brahma paraṁ dhāma pavitraṁ paramaṁ bhavān (BG 10.12). So you understand like that.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

You have to make your life successful by reading Bhagavad-gītā and preach the truth all over the world. Then world will be happy and you will be happy. This is required. Yāre dekha, tāre kaha 'kṛṣṇa'-upadeśa (CC Madhya 7.128). That is recommended here, evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ. This kind of business can be done by whom? Mumukṣubhiḥ, not ordinary men. Those who are aspiring after liberation. Those who are thinking of stopping this nonsense business of repetition of birth and death, for them. They are not ordinary men. Mumukṣubhiḥ.

Lecture on BG 4.15 -- Bombay, April 4, 1974:

Evam... Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭam (BG 4.13). The first of all... Unless this division is there, that is animal society. That is not human society if these four divisions are not. Varṇāśramācāravatā puruṣeṇa. Systematic human society means

varṇāśramācāravatā

puruṣeṇa paraḥ pumān

viṣṇur ārādhyate panthā

nānyat tat-toṣa-kāraṇam

(CC Madhya 8.58)

This is required, varṇāśrama. That is again confirmed here, evaṁ jñātvā kṛtaṁ karma pūrvair api mumukṣubhiḥ. Mumukṣubhiḥ. The real business is mumukṣā, how to get out of this business of repetition of birth. People do not know it. They do not know what is the aim of life. The aim of life is mumukṣā. This human life is meant for that, to get out of the cycle of birth and death. The animal cannot know this. Therefore it is called mumukṣubhiḥ, "one who wants to get rid of this business of repetition of birth and death." Mumukṣubhiḥ. Kuru karmaiva tasmāt tvam.

That is advice of Kṛṣṇa to Arjuna, that "You follow the previous ācāryas, previous personalities, authorities." Just like svayambhūr nāradaḥ śambhuḥ (SB 6.3.20). I have already described. "You follow them, and act like that, and you try to understand that what is My position. If you simply understand My position, immediately you become liberated." Janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ, tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti (BG 4.9). This is liberation. If you simply understand, try to understand Kṛṣṇa, why Kṛṣṇa comes, what is His instruction, why He says, yadā yadā hi dharma, these things, if you simply understand, then you become liberated person.