Chapter 12: Devotional Service
Bg 12.11
TEXT 11
athaitad apy asakto 'si
kartum mad-yogam asritah
sarva-karma-phala-tyagam
tatah kuru yatatmavan
SYNONYMS
atha—even though; etat—this; api—also; asaktah—unable; asi—you are; kartum—to perform; mat—unto Me; yogam—devotional service; asritah—refuge; sarva-karma—all activities; phala—result; tyagam—for renunciation; tatah—therefore; kuru—do; yata-atmavan—self-situated.
TRANSLATION
If, however, you are unable to work in this consciousness, then try to act giving up all results of your work and try to be self-situated.
PURPORT
It may be that one is unable to even sympathize with the activities of Krsna consciousness because of social, familial or religious considerations or because of some other impediments. If one attaches himself directly to the activities of Krsna consciousness, there may be objection 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 the pumundi 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 Krsna 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 Krsna consciousness. Of course Krsna consciousness is not dependant on any other experience because Krsna consciousness itself can purify one's mind, but if there are impediments to Krsna consciousness, one may try to give up the result of his action. 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 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 Krsna, he will come gradually to understand that Krsna is the supreme cause by the sacrificial method.