BG 05.29 bhoktaram yajna-tapasam... cited (Let)

Expressions researched:
"bhoktaram yajna-tapasam" |"jnatva mam santim rcchati" |"sarva-loka-mahesvaram" |"suhrdam sarva-bhutanam" |"the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods" |"the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities"

Notes from the compiler: VedaBase query: "5.29" or "bhoktaram yajna-tapasam" or "jnatva mam santim rcchati" or "sarva-loka-mahesvaram" or "suhrdam sarva-bhutanam" or "the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods" or "the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities"

1947 to 1965 Correspondence

Letter to Chief-Justice Sri M.C. Chagla -- Bombay 20 February, 1957:

My Lord,

I beg to inform your Lordship that on the 16th instant I was present in the meeting of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan in which your Lordship spoke something at length on the matter of equal distribution of wealth as the ultimate solution of economic problem. The subject matter dealt with in the meeting was "What is the matter with the world?", and you all respectable gentlemen tried to solve it in different angles of vision. Sri Munshiji tried very faintly to solve it by going back to Godhead and I do not know whether your Lordship agrees with him.

I may introduce hereby my humble self as the editor of a fortnightly Theistic periodical and copies of the same are sent to your Lordship for your kind perusal. I came to Bombay from Vrndavana to see Sri Munshi on the same mission of going back to Godhead, because without this there is no solution of any problem, the world is now facing.

The Bhagavad-gita is the standard book in this matter. Sri Munshi is trying to utilize this philosophy for the good of the people in general. He is spending establishment charges to the extent of Rs. 40,000/- per month for the last twenty years—but actually no tangible benefit is derived out of it up till now. I saw Sri Munshi with a view to cooperate with him for implementing the transcendental ideas of the Bhagavad-gita. But I did not receive any encouragement from him so far. I am, therefore, seeking an interview with your Lordship to discuss for a few minutes about this standard idea of solving the problems.

In the Bhagavad-gita the solution of the problems are given in the following words,

Bhoktaram yajna tapasam

Sarva loka maheshvaram

Suhrdam sarva bhutanam

Jnatva mam santim rcchati

(BG 5.29)

Yat karosi yat asnasi

Yaj juhosi dadasi yat

Yat tapasyasi kaunteya

Tat kurusva mad arpanam

(BG 9.27)

Equal distribution of wealth or knowledge, beauty, fame, energy and non-attachment etc., all these are perfectly done by the above arrangement. The matter is more explicitly understood by the example of our own bodily structure. The whole body is constituted of the senses and organs. All the senses and organs are equally supplied with energy when the stomach is fully fed up. Stomach is the central figure for distributing equal energy to the respective parts of the body as much as watering the root of the tree is the source of supplying energy to all the branches and leaves of the tree.

The human society is now running on in an illusory way, forgetting its eternal relation with the Central Cause. They will have to be reinstated in that original position in terms of the above slokas of the Bhagavad-gita. Without this no solution is possible. There are practical ways and means to do this job in accordance with the present time, situation and objective.

I have a programme for this job by the order of my spiritual master and I have come to Bombay to enlist some sympathisers with my object. Will your Lordship be kind enough to hear me for a few minutes and oblige?

Yours obediently,

A.C. Bhaktivedanta

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Sri Arjuna -- Vrindaban 5 September, 1975:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated August 31, 1975, and it is very encouraging that you have tried to understand our philosophy so quickly. As I am travelling all over the world, I see that people are not satisfied. The dissatisfaction of the whole human race is being manifested in different ways. As sometimes the root disease becomes manifest by different symptoms. So far we understand from authoritative sources the dissatisfaction of the human race can be mitigated only by the acceptance of Krishna consciousness. The Bhagavad-gita confirms this: bhoktaram yajna tapasam/ sarva loka mahesvaram/ suhrdam sarva bhutanam/ jnatva mam samtim rcchati (BG 5.29). Another example can be given that if by taking care of the cage of the bird without taking any care of the bird within the cage, certainly the bird will be restless and unhappy and create disturbances.

We require the help of many, many young men like you to understand this philosophy thoroughly and preach this movement in an organized way all over the world. Fortunately some young men cooperated with me in the USA, therefore I have been able to push on this movement in the western countries. Similarly if some of the young, educated men like you in India join this movement, we can change the present situation of poverty and restlessness all over India.

In the Bhagavad-gita the procedure is described very elaborately for acting in all fields. We have to simply understand it and accept it, then everything will be peaceful and in a happy situation. Krishna appears for this purpose. He leaves behind His instructions so that in the future people could take His help and guidance. But, if you do not accept His instructions, then how can you be happy?

I am here in Vrindaban for some time. If you conveniently come and stay with me along with some of your interested friends, I shall be happy to convince you how this Krishna consciousness movement is so needed all over the world.

Letter to Tulsi -- Bombay 18 December, 1975:

Thank you very much for your nice letter. I can understand from your letter that you are very intelligent. Generally India people are not taking up this movement, although it is their original culture, they are now in favor of economic development and technological advancement which can never do any good to the people in general, neither material nor spiritual. After all a living being lives by the grace of God. He cannot eat nuts and bolts, however nicely they may be manufactured. We live by food grains, vegetables and milk products as it is stated in the Bhagavad gita "All living bodies subsist on food grains which are due to rains come by proper proformance of sacrifice" Human life is meant for sacrifice to please Visnu. Bhoktaram yajna-tapasam, sarva-loka-mahesvaram (BG 5.29), "The sages knowing me to be the ultimate purpose of all sacrifices, the Supreme Lord of all planets, and the well wishing friend of all living entities, attain peace from the pangs of material miseries"

So if we want to be happy in this life and the next we have to worship Visnu. But Gandhi did to satisfy Visnu? He was trying to satisfy his country, and his country killed him. He manufactured so many things which were never found in Bhagavad-gita. Throughout the Bhagavad-gita Krishna is encouraging Arjuna to fight, and Gandhi manufactured non-violence from Bhagavad-gita. Everyone in India knows the Mahabharata, the great battle of Kuruksetra, 640,000,000 soldiers gave up their life in that battle, and Krishna was personally instructing Arjuna to fight, and Gandhi took Bhagavad-gita and preached non-violence. So what was his understanding. At the end of his life he frankly said, "I don't believe there was ever such a historical person as Krishna". So what did Gandhi know about Bhagavad-gita?

My only credit is that I have presented Bhagavad-gita as it is, without any speculation, or interpretation, therefore for the first time in the history of the world people are accepting it and living practically according to the principles of Bhagavad-gita.

I understand that you are translating Bhagavad-gita as it is into Malayalam language. Hamsaduta has spoken to me about you. Please send me a sample, and we will see about it's publication and distribution in India. Maybe in the future you will like to come to India and help preach this message to your countrymen.

1976 Correspondence

Letter to Dr. Chittaranjan Mohapatra -- Mayapur 21 March, 1976:

Concerning your question as to why we should sacrifice everything to Him; because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is the Proprietor and Enjoyer of everything; Bhoktaram yajna tapasam sarva loka mahesvaram . . . (BG 5.29). Everything belongs to Him. We have unlawfully encroached upon His property this is mine, that is mine . . . Krishna comes down to teach us real knowledge, therefore He tells you to give up encroaching on His property. Better to deliver it to Him. Therefore, perfection of life is when we deliver or return everything to Him, and He tells us this for our benefit! The sooner we return everything to Him, the better it is for us. Our Krishna Consciousness Movement is teaching this fact all over the world.

One should not think that Krishna is an ordinary man. If you think like that then you do not know anything about Krishna. Avajananti man mudha manusim tanum asritah . . . (BG 9.11). "Fools deride Me when I descend in the human form. They do not know My transcendental nature and My supreme dominion over all that be." All the mudhas or rascals consider Krishna to be an ordinary man, but He is not ordinary, He is the Supreme Being. Where do you get this information that Krishna is an ordinary man like us? In no Vedic Literature is it said that Krishna is an ordinary human being. In the Brahma-Samhita it is said: Isvara Parama Krishna . . . He is described as the Supreme Being. I do not know on what authority you can say that Krishna is an ordinary human being like you or me?

Sacrifice does not mean murdering. The real work is yajna. Yajna means Visnu. In the Bhagavad-gita, yajna is prescribed. Yajnarthat karmano 'nyatra loko 'yam Karma-bandhanah . . . (BG 3.9). "Work done as a sacrifice for Visnu has to be performed, otherwise work binds one to this world." Yajna is prescribed in Vedic literature. Yajna means satisfying Lord Visnu. Lord Visnu's another name is Yajna-purusa. One must satisfy Him anyway that He likes. "Patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati . . . (BG 9.26). If one offers Me in devotion a leaf, flower, fruit or water, I will accept it." Not that whimsically offer.

You also mentioned that how can I give up attraction for woman; when you learn to love Krishna, then you can forget your lusty desires for women. Krishna's another name is Madan-Mohan. When Krishna is within the heart, then the Madan or lusty desires become defeated. If we learn to love Krishna, our lusty desires will be finished, otherwise not.