Text 11

athaitad apy asakto ’si
kartum mad-yogam asritah
sarva-karma-phala-tyagam
tatah kuru yatatmavan

Translation

If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness of Me, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.

Commentary by Srila Prabhupada

It may be that one is unable even to sympathize with the activities of Krishna consciousness because of social, familial or religious considerations or because of some other impediments. If one attaches himself directly to the activities of Krishna consciousness, there may be objections from family members, or so many other difficulties. For one who has such a problem, it is advised that he sacrifice the accumulated result of his activities to some good cause. Such procedures are described in the Vedic rules. There are many descriptions of sacrifices and special functions of punya, or special work in which the result of one’s previous action may be applied. Thus one may gradually become elevated to the state of knowledge. It is also found that when one who is not even interested in the activities of Krishna consciousness gives charity to some hospital or some other social institution, he gives up the hard-earned results of his activities. That is also recommended here because by the practice of giving up the fruits of one’s activities one is sure to purify his mind gradually, and in that purified stage of mind one becomes able to understand Krishna consciousness. Of course Krishna consciousness is not dependent on any other experience, because Krishna consciousness itself can purify one’s mind, but if there are impediments to accepting Krishna consciousness, one may try to give up the results of his actions. In that respect, social service, community service, national service, sacrifice for one’s country, etc., may be accepted so that some day one may come to the stage of pure devotional service to the Supreme Lord. In Bhagavad-gita (18.46) we find it is stated, yatah pravrttir bhutanam: if one decides to sacrifice for the supreme cause, even if he does not know that the supreme cause is Krishna, he will come gradually to understand that Krishna is the supreme cause by the sacrificial method.

Commentary by Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakur

If you are unable to do this, then taking shelter of the process of offering all your actions to me (mad yogam asritah), give up all the results of your actions as described in the first six chapters.

The meaning is this. In the first six chapters, the Lord spoke of niskama karma yoga offered to the Lord, a method to attain liberation. In the second six chapters the Lord spoke of bhakti yoga, the method of gaining the Lord himself. Bhakti yoga has two types: being fixed in bhakti through internal means, and being fixed in bhakti through external means.

The first type of bhakti, using internal means, has three sub categories: smarana atmika and manana atmika (mentioned in verse 8, using mind and intellect), and for those who desire, but cannot do continual remembrance, practice of the above, abhyasa rupa (verse 9). These three are difficult for a person with poor intelligence, and easy for one with good intellect and no offenses.

The second type, relying on external means, is composed of hearing and chanting (verse 10). It is easy to perform for everyone. Those who are qualified for performing both methods are most outstanding. This was stated in the second six chapters. Those who cannot do this, who do not have faith in fixing the senses on the Lord, those who are qualified for niskama karma offered to the Lord, are in an inferior position to the devotees (verse 11).