Gita 2.40-41 and Vishwanath; First meeting with Lalita Prasad Thakur

On January 25, 2017 I visited Hit Kinkar Sewak Sharanji at his ashram. Unfortunately the accounts of my many visits to Sewak Sharan have been pretty much lost since the Vrindavan Today archive was lost. Though I could probably find them on the wayback machine archive. Maybe later.

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Here is Vishwanath's beautiful passage describing vyavasāyātmikā buddhi to Gītā 2.41: (Transliteration and translation below) This apparently is the passage that inspired Prabhupada to travel west to fulfill his guru's order if I recall correctly:

इह भक्तियोगे व्यवसायात्मिका बुद्धिरेकैव । "मम श्रीमद्गुरूपदिष्टं भगवत्कीर्तनस्मरणचरणपरिचरणादिकमेतदेव मम साधनम्, एतदेव मम साध्यम्, एतदेव मम जीवातुः साधनसाध्यदशयोस्त्यक्तुमशक्यम्, एतदेव मे काम्यम्, एतदेव मे कार्यम्, एतदन्यन् न मे कार्यं नाप्यभिलषणीयं स्वप्नेऽपीत्यत्र सुखमस्तु दुःखं वास्तु, संसारो नश्यतु वा न नश्यतु । तत्र मम कापि न क्षतिः" इत्येवं निश्चयात्मिका बुद्धिरकैतवभक्तावेव सम्भवेत् । तदुक्तं—"ततो भजेत मां भक्त्या श्रद्धालुर्दृढनिश्चयः" [भा.पु. ११.२०.२८] इति।

iha bhakti-yoge vyavasāyātmikā buddhir ekā eva | "mama śrīmad-gurūpadiṣṭaṁ bhagavat-kīrtana-smaraṇa-caraṇa-paricaraṇādikam etad eva mama sādhanam, etad eva mama sādhyam, etad eva mama jīvātuḥ sādhana-sādhya-daśayos tyaktum aśakyam | etad eva me kāmyam, etad eva me kāryam | etad anyan na me kāryaṁ nāpy abhilaṣaṇīyaṁ svapne’pīty | atra sukham astu duḥkhaṁ vāstu, saṁsāro naśyatu vā na naśyatu | tatra mama kāpi na kṣatir ity evaṁ niścayātmikā buddhir akaitava-bhaktāv eva sambhavet | tad uktaṁ—tato bhajeta māṁ bhaktyā śraddhālur dṛḍha-niścayaḥ [bhā.pu. 11.20.28] iti |

In this process of bhakti-yoga [the originality of VCT's commentary is that he interprets yoga to mean bhakti-yoga] the determined intelligence is one only, in the following way: "This process of hearing and chanting, remembering and serving the Lord, etc., as was instructed to me by my holy preceptor is alone my practice and it alone is my goal. This alone is my livelihood and cannot be given up whether in the stage of practice or in accomplishment. This alone is my duty and I have no other. I should desire nothing else, not even in my dreams. Whether I am happy in executing it or whether I am unhappy, whether I am liberated or not, I care not. There is no loss for me."

Such is the intelligence in conviction that is only possible in sincere and unhypocritical devotion (akaitava-bhakti). So it is said in the Bhāgavatam: "The faithful person should therefore worship me with devotion, in complete certainty." (BhP 11.20.28)

Actually I find VCT's insight to be both original and persuasive. Verses 2.40 and 41 are the first in which he has made extensive commentary. I guess I should make the videos of the classes available.

Here are the links, but the orientation of the course is towards Sanskrit students though there is some explanation, albeit somewhat confused.

Gita 2.40: This explains the verse and Shridhar commentary and begins Vishwanath. You really have to read Shridhar in order to understand the distinction between the two.  

Gita 2.40: Vishwanath commentary concluded.

Gita 2.41: Shridhar and Vishwanath's commentary. This is where the above quotation is discussed. But as intimated above you really need to understand the previous two classes.

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March 4, 1972: 3 Albert Road, Calcutta 17

My dear Srila  Prabhupada Lalita Prasad Thakur,

Kindly accept my humble obeisances at your Lotus Feet. The whole day spent at your Temple on Thursday was so pleasant and happy that all my disciples felt celestial blessings in your association. Personally, I am so much encouraged by you that I appreciate this as the blessings of Bhaktivinode Thakur through his living representative.

Now you can expedite the lease agreement immediately so that before returning to USA in about three weeks time I may advise my assistants to take up the work seriously and begin construction and other things.

Next time when I go to you I shall stay not less than one week. Hoping this will meet you in the very best health and happy mood.

Yours affectionately, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

 

Whatever the nature of the discussions with Lalita Prasad Thakur, he reneged on the deal. Prabhupada wanted to have that property for ISKCON, but Prabhu decided against it. This made Prabhupada speak rather negatively of him later. But the first paragraph is certainly good. And certainly the disciples who were with Prabhupada (Shyamasundar and Gurudas), although in many of the photographs they are seen to be falling asleep with the two elders amused themselves in conversation, were suitably impressed. 

But we heard about it because Shyamasundar wrote a dramatic report that was circulated to all the temples, so a fascination with Lalita Prasad Thakur affected some people including me. Probably one of the contributing reasons I went to Prabhu. 

That all happened three years before I came to India. But when I arrived in India in 1975, we went from Mayapur to Vrindavan for the Krishna-Balaram temple opening. Then it was decided that I would go back to Mayapur to develop the fledgling gurukula there. When I arrived at Howrah station a brahmachari came with the jeep to pick me up.

On the road back to Mayapur he decided to take a detour to Birnagar and so meeting my guru was almost one of the first things that happened to me in India. This would have been around the end of April 1975. I don't remember much except that I was in a state of suitable awe just sitting in the room with him. Despite his age (96 at the time) Prabhu was very gracious to me though his speech was barely comprehensible. More extensive conversations took place in 1978 and 1979.