eñä brähmé sthitiù pärtha
nainäà präpya vimuhyati
sthitväsyäm anta-käle 'pi
brahma-nirväëam åcchati

SYNONYMS

eñä-this; brähmé-spiritual; sthitiù-situation; pärtha-O son of Påthä; na-never; enäm-this; präpya-achieving; vimuhyati-one is bewildered; sthitvä-being situated; asyäm-in this; anta-käle-at the end of life; api-also; brahma-nirväëam-the spiritual kingdom of God; åcchati-one attains.

PURPORT

One can attain Kåñëa consciousness or divine life at once, within a second-or one may not attain such a state of life even after millions of births. It is only a matter of understanding and accepting the fact. Khaöväìga Mahäräja attained this state of life just a few minutes before his death, by surrendering unto Kåñëa. Nirväëa means ending the process of materialistic life. According to Buddhist philosophy, there is only void after the completion of this material life, but Bhagavad-gétä teaches differently. Actual life begins after the completion of this material life. For the gross materialist it is sufficient to know that one has to end this materialistic way of life, but for persons who are spiritually advanced, there is another life after this materialistic life. Before ending this life, if one fortunately becomes Kåñëa conscious, he at once attains the stage of brahma-nirväëa. There is no difference between the kingdom of God and the devotional service of the Lord. Since both of them are on the absolute plane, to be engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord is to have attained the spiritual kingdom. In the material world there are activities of sense gratification, whereas in the spiritual world there are activities of Kåñëa consciousness. Attainment of Kåñëa consciousness even during this life is immediate attainment of Brahman, and one who is situated in Kåñëa consciousness has certainly already entered into the kingdom of God.

Brahman is just the opposite of matter. Therefore brähmé sthiti means "not on the platform of material activities." Devotional service of the Lord is accepted in the Bhagavad-gétä as the liberated stage (sa guëän samatétyaitän brahma-bhüyäya kalpate). Therefore, brähmé sthiti is liberation from material bondage.

Çréla Bhaktivinoda Öhäkura has summarized this Second Chapter of the Bhagavad-gétä as being the contents for the whole text. In the Bhagavad-gétä, the subject matters are karma-yoga, jïäna-yoga, and bhakti-yoga. In the Second Chapter karma-yoga and jïäna-yoga have been clearly discussed, and a glimpse of bhakti-yoga has also been given, as the contents for the complete text.