Text 26

mam ca yo ’vyabhicarena
bhakti-yogena sevate
sa gunan samatityaitan
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate

Translation

One who engages in full devotional service, unfailing in all circumstances, at once transcends the modes of material nature and thus comes to the level of Brahman.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

This verse is a reply to Arjuna’s third question: What is the means of attaining to the transcendental position? As explained before, the material world is acting under the spell of the modes of material nature. One should not be disturbed by the activities of the modes of nature; instead of putting his consciousness into such activities, he may transfer his consciousness to Krishna activities. Krishna activities are known as bhakti-yoga—always acting for Krishna. This includes not only Krishna, but His different plenary expansions such as Rama and Narayana. He has innumerable expansions. One who is engaged in the service of any of the forms of Krishna, or of His plenary expansions, is considered to be transcendentally situated. One should also note that all the forms of Krishna are fully transcendental, blissful, full of knowledge and eternal. Such personalities of Godhead are omnipotent and omniscient, and they possess all transcendental qualities. So if one engages himself in the service of Krishna or His plenary expansions with unfailing determination, although these modes of material nature are very difficult to overcome, one can overcome them easily. This has already been explained in the Seventh Chapter. One who surrenders unto Krishna at once surmounts the influence of the modes of material nature. To be in Krishna consciousness or in devotional service means to acquire equality with Krishna. The Lord says that His nature is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge, and the living entities are part and parcel of the Supreme, as gold particles are part of a gold mine. Thus the living entity, in his spiritual position, is as good as gold, as good as Krishna in quality. The difference of individuality continues, otherwise there would be no question of bhakti-yoga. Bhakti-yoga means that the Lord is there, the devotee is there and the activity of exchange of love between the Lord and the devotee is there. Therefore the individuality of two persons is present in the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the individual person, otherwise there would be no meaning to bhakti-yoga. If one is not situated in the same transcendental position with the Lord, one cannot serve the Supreme Lord. To be a personal assistant to a king, one must acquire the qualifications. Thus the qualification is to become Brahman, or freed from all material contamination. It is said in the Vedic literature, brahmaiva san brahmapy eti. One can attain the Supreme Brahman by becoming Brahman. This means that one must qualitatively become one with Brahman. By attainment of Brahman, one does not lose his eternal Brahman identity as an individual soul.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

In this verse, the Lord answers the third question about the method of surpassing the gunas. Ca in this verse means eva: "only". He who serves only me (mama ca) in my form as Syamasundara, the Supreme Lord, by bhakti yoga, he alone is qualified for becoming brahman, or realizing brahman (brahma bhuyaya kalpate). This statement is supported by the use of the adjective ekaya in the statement bhaktyaham ekaya grahyah: I can be attained by bhakti alone. And in the statement mam eva ye prapadyante mayam etam taranti te, from use of the word eva (only), it is confirmed that without bhakti (to the Lord only), realization of brahman cannot be attained. It cannot be attained by any other method.

What type of bhakti yoga is this? It should be without deviation (avyabhicarena). That means it is without mixture of karma, jnana or other elements, because there are statements rejecting niskama karma, and statements rejecting even jnana by the jnani in his final stage, jnanam ca mayi sannyaset: One should renounce jnana to me. But there are no statements about the rejection of bhakti yoga anywhere. Thus, by bhakti yoga, after giving up even jnana yoga, just as he has given up karma yoga, even the jnani surpasses the gunas. There is no other means. However, the ananya bhakta is already beyond the gunas, as understood from the statement in the eleventh canto nirguno mad apasrayah: one who surrenders to me is beyond the gunas. SB 11.25.26

Here is the principle.

sattvikah karako 'sangi ragandho rajasah smrtah
tamasah smrti-vibhrasto nirguno mad-apasrayah

A worker free of attachment is in the mode of goodness; a worker blinded by personal desire is in the mode of passion, and a worker who has completely forgotten how to tell right from wrong is in the mode of ignorance. But a worker who has taken shelter of Me is understood to be transcendental to the modes of nature. SB 11.25.26

It is understood that those who are free from attachment are practicing either karma yoga or jnana yoga on the level of sattva. And the person, who is beyond the gunas, having taken shelter of the Lord, is practicing sadhana bhakti. The jnani, having reached the perfection of jnana, by then giving up the level of sattva, becomes transcendental to the gunas. But the devotee, even at the beginning stage as a sadhaka, is beyond the gunas. This is the meaning of the verse.

Sridhara Svami also says that ca gives the meaning of limitation, "only". Madhusudana Sarasvati says the meaning is "He who serves only me, the Lord, Narayana, by undeviating bhakti yoga as described in the twelfth chapter, qualifies for liberation."