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Bhagavad-gītā As It Is · Text 14.27
ब्रह्मणो हि प्रतिष्ठाहममृतस्याव्ययस्य च ।
शाश्वतस्य च धर्मस्य सुखस्यैकान्तिकस्य च ॥ २७ ॥
brahmaṇo hi pratiṣṭhāham
amṛtasyāvyayasya ca
śāśvatasya ca dharmasya
sukhasyaikāntikasya ca
And I am the basis of the impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable and eternal and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness.
Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.ioWhat this verse is saying, and where it sits in the story.
3 study points
Kṛṣṇa is the basis of impersonal Brahman, which is immortal, imperishable, eternal and the position of ultimate happiness.
Prabhupāda explains that Brahman realization is the beginning; realizing the Supreme Person is the highest stage. Devotional service includes Brahman realization and eternal happiness.
Practice hearing, chanting and remembering the Lord with devotees to weaken the desire to control material nature and grow firm in loving service.
Lord says — “And I am the basis of impersonal Brahman”
Characteristics of brahman
Immortal, Imperishable, Eternal and Constitutional position of ultimate happiness
Brahman is the first stage of realizing the Absolute Truth. Both Brahman and Paramatma are within the realization of the Supreme Person. Different stages are as follows –
Living entity gets conditioned – Lord impregnates the spiritual living entity into the material nature (Bg. 7.4 – 7.5)
How living entity elevates – When a living entity thus conditioned begins cultivating spiritual knowledge, he gradually rises up to the Brahman conception of Supreme
Brahman conception as transcendental – At this stage he is transcendental to the material position
Perfect realization – Brahman realisation is not perfect in realisation of Absolute Truth – One may stay at this position or gradually elevate to the Supreme Bhagavan realisiation e.g. Four Kumaras
Must elevate or fall down — If one does not elevate beyond impersonal conception of Brahman – “There is a risk of falldown”
Because the intelligence is not perfectly cleared
Devotional service is the safest position — It includes all the characteristics of Brahman realization
Ref. Taittiriya Upanisad mentions Supreme Personality of Godhead is the reservoir of all pleasure
And when one understands this he actually becomes transcendentally blissful
Supreme Personality of Godhead is full of six opulences, when a devotee approaches the Lord there is exchange of six opulences
Analogy: Servant of King enjoys equal opulence at the level of the King
Thus realisation of Brahman like eternity, imperishability and ultimate happiness are included in devotional service
Summary of Chapter 14
Living entity, although Brahman in nature, has the desire to lord it over material nature
Desire to enjoy makes him fall down
Association with modes makes him desire to dominate the material world in different bodies.
How devotional service helps
Krishna consciousness immediately puts one in transcendental position
His unlawful desire to control material nature is removed
Practicing nine processes of devotional service in the association of devotees and under the influence of the spiritual master, removes one’s material desire to dominate and one becomes firmly fixed in devotional service
One thus situated in Brahman conception becomes equal in quality to the Supreme Personality of Godhead
End of chapter 14
Bhagavad Gita Notes 1 Chapter 14 Appendix CHAPTER 14 Appendix Selected Texts extracted from “Surrender unto Me”
One transcends all the modes by knowing the following two points:
All within this world takes place under the modes
Krishna’s activities are transcendental to the modes
Krishna explains that one can transcend the modes by engaging unfailingly in full devotional service
One will then come to Brahman platform of which Krishna is the source
Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.
The spiritual concepts this verse connects to.
Key ideas: bhakti, śaraṇāgati.
Take one thing from this verse into your day.
What does BG 14.27 establish in Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport, and how does it connect to bhakti & surrender?
Offer one act today with devotion.
Mahābhārata episodes and stories from the purports that shed light on this verse.
Keep going: verses that carry this teaching further.
Study notes are editorial summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport.