http://seminary.bhaktivedantaacademy.com/classes/bhagavad-gita-seriatim/

Given in Bhaktivedanta Academy, Sridham Mayapur, September 2010-April 2011

The following are lecture notes briefly delineating its contents.

• All the primary nouns are connected to the verb, all secondary nouns to the primary nouns.
• The verb is the action itself. Action has to be done with knowledge
• Knowledge of self- instrumental case, assists in the activity.
• Object of knowledge - the accusative, action is projected at something
• The doer - nominative.

• Krishna is the true doer, subject, His internal potency - object, we - the instrumental
• All starts with knowledge. Knowledge + activity = the Cit potency
• Jiva is expanded from the Cit potency
• Any work can be improved with knowledge, but we have to fully understand how we fit into the picture
• 14:30 Modern has the concept that we will simply engage the senses and be inspired - without any knowledge. Education tries to generate inspiration without intelligence.
• By thinking about knowledge we get a feeling about it, then willingness to do. But we contemplate the 3 factors of action and the 3 factors of motivation.
• We go through this process any time we do anything.
• All the constituents of action are also under the modes of material nature.
• We should understand the different conditioned natures, but we do not attribute them to the soul.
• 40:00 In ignorance work is everything, "ends justify means", so we harm others
• "If you are focusing on those things which make you happy for a few moments, there is a good chance that you are kind-of in ignorance. Because goodness means, you are satisfied. Whatever is there, that's what you are comfortable with. Because you have knowledge, you are doing this because you are supposed to be doing it. Means, one is always happy knowing what he is supposed to do."
• Never finishing a work means the mode of passion
• Devotee wants the success for Krishna, but he does not get distressed by failure, he tries again.
• 86:00 Omens just show us what's happening
• Thinking in the mode of passion ends up in the mode of ignorance. We think 'Unless I get the result I want I will not do anything,' - but we are supposed to be working according to our duty, according to scripture.