One day, the king’s thumb got cut and he shared the news painfully with Birbal. Birbal, maintaining his own devotion to God, responded confidently, “Whatever God does, He does it only for good.” The king angrily threatened Birbal to punish him if he did not change his stance. However, Birbal maintained his position and as a result the king became furious. The king got so annoyed that he threw Birbal into the prison.

The next morning the king went into a dense forest for hunting. While he was chasing a deer, he got separated from his retinue. Suddenly a group of tribals attacked the king and then forcibly carried him blind-folded to a temple for offering him as a human sacrifice. The chief of the tribals took a gigantic sword ready to behead the king. All of a sudden, he stopped and noticed the bruised thumb of the king. The chief announced that the king was not fit for the offering and therefore ordered his men to release him.

The king ran for his life and came straight to the prison where Birbal was kept incarcerated. King Akbar begged for forgiveness and released Birbal. The king narrated the whole story to Birbal concluding himself that whatever God does, He does it only for good. However, the king still had one doubt that he placed before Birbal. He said, “I understand that my bruised finger saved my life today. But, how could God be good in having you thrown inside the prison?” Birbal immediately responded, “If I was not put in the prison, I would have accompanied you on the hunting excursion. Seeing you unfit for sacrifice, they would have me instead for the human sacrifice. So, by God’s grace, I was put in the prison and my life got spared.” Akbar exulted at Birbal’s remark and they both repeated the conclusion in unison, “Whatever God does, He does only for good.”

Have you ever wondered how meat reaches your dinner plate? If you did, then how did you process it? How would you feel if your pet or a close member of your family were going to get slaughtered for meat? While you are pondering upon these questions, why not we explore through the lens of some well-known facts on animal killing? I sincerely suggest that we should not eat these cute, cuddly, and harmless animals that many of us love to eat.

Health

Where did the Coronavirus come from? We do not know the exact source of the current outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but we do know based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that it originally came from eating an animal, likely a bat. CDC claims that some coronaviruses that infect animals can be spread to people and then spread between people (“COVID-19 and Animals”). Not only coronavirus, but several other life-threatening diseases such as Swine flu, Ebola, MERS, Bird flu, vCJD (a variant of mad cow disease) and SARS can all be traced back to eating animals (“Coronavirus, Swine Flu, SARS: Major Diseases Linked to Eating Animals”). So, it is logical to believe that if we continue to eat meat, we can be subjecting ourselves to many more such fatal diseases in the future.

Based on the CDC data, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. One person dies every 36 seconds in the United States from cardiovascular disease (“Heart Disease Facts”). Guess what? If you eat two or more servings of meat, it has been statistically established by CDC that it is prone to cause a 7% increase in heart disease (Heart Matters Magazine). In fact, eating red meat daily triples heart disease-related chemicals in the body. In 2016, Song and others conducted the largest and longest-running study ever performed comparing animal and plant sources of protein in the human diet consisting of 131,342 participants running for 26 years and found a positive association between animal proteins and cardiovascular death as well as all-cause mortality and an equal and opposite lower risk of death with plant protein consumption (Song et al.). Therefore, a leading nutrition researcher Dr. Charlotte Pratt says that these findings reinforce dietary recommendations that encourage all ages to follow a heart-healthy eating plan that limits red meat (“Eating red meat daily triples heart disease-related chemical”). This means eating a variety of foods, including more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and plant-based protein sources such as beans and peas.

Furthermore, according to CDC, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. It is the third most common cancer in men and in women. An increased risk for colorectal cancer has been consistently reported for long-time consumption of cooked and processed red meat. This has often been attributed to chemical carcinogens generated during the cooking process of meat. According to a Harvard Medical School survey, meat eating leads to a 28% higher risk of colon cancer (Red meat and colon cancer). Based on a paper published in the International Journal of Cancer, long-time consumption of meat increases the risk for colon cancer by 20–30% as well as being linked to an increased mortality rate for colorectal cancer (Aykan).

Food safety experts say that meat needs to be cooked for long enough and at a temperature high enough to kill harmful bacteria. However, experts also suggest that it is not good to eat meat that was cooked at a high temperature. For example, Sinha et al. in a cancer research publication warn us that high-temperature cooking methods were also associated with an increased risk of cancer by 26% per 10 g/day of grilled red meat and 15% per 10 g/day of pan-fried red meat consumption (Sinha). So, this means there is no safe temperature for cooking meat – the meat consumers end up choosing between the risk of bacterial infection and future risk of developing colon cancer. Thus far, we established based on many authorized sources that eating meat is extremely risky to human health.

Environment

The impact of eating meat actually goes much further than incurring individual health risks.

Did you know that slaughterhouses are the number one contributor to global warming? Let’s look deeper.

There are greenhouse gases (viz., carbon dioxide, methane, etc.) that form a protective layer around the earth by trapping the right amount of heat from the sun. These gases need to be at the right level to create a protective shield around the earth. We breathe out carbon dioxide, the most common greenhouse gas, and the plants help absorb the excess carbon dioxide. However, if we cause a higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere either by running a huge number of vehicles and industries, or by deforestation, that will thicken the greenhouse layer and trap more heat within the atmosphere than necessary. This would lead to increase in the average temperature of the earth causing global warming. Animal farming contributes to global warming in two ways: by adopting an industrialized system of manufacturing food based on fossil fuels and by deforestation.

Animal farming requires huge amounts of land. Forests and wetlands help absorb a lot of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But, when these ecosystems are destroyed to make way for farms, that land turns into a carbon source. An article published in Nature informs us that cattle raised on pastures created by clearing woodland are particularly emission-intensive. This article projects that by 2050, dietary changes could free up several million square kilometers of land and reduce global carbon dioxide emissions by up to eight billion tons per year. Ruth Richardson, the executive director at the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, therefore said, “We need a radical transformation, not incremental shifts, towards a global land-use and food system that serves our climate needs.” (Schiermeier) Did you know that all transportation contributes to only 13% of global warming while animal agriculture contributes to 51% of global warming (Andersen and Kuhn)? 

So, we can easily infer that if most of the world population take up a plant-based diet instead of eating meat, it would certainly help reduce global warming. Let’s take care of our health as well as our planet by cutting down on meat eating! As of now, we only have one planet – the Earth to live in – if we don’t take care of it, we would all perish.

Cruelty

Now, let’s switch gear to muse on the humane aspects of animal killing. Britannica describes how the slaughter of an animal involves three distinct stages: preslaughter handling, stunning, and slaughtering (Nolen). It is claimed there that in the United States there is humane treatment of animals during each of these stages as required by the Humane Slaughter Act. The stunning of the animal done mechanically, electrically, or using carbon dioxide is believed to have created a painless condition for animal killing. The animal killing is evidently done in an organized and industrialized manner in developed countries but if we take stock of all the processes used in producing meat around the world, one can easily conclude that there is indeed a lot of violence in the slaughterhouses. There are many places in the world where there is no such humane slaughter standard at play, animals are treated quite mercilessly. Moreover, according to Vox news (Matthews), even the US government has never really enforced these humane slaughter standards.

At this point, ask yourselves two questions: (1) Would you feel comfortable if your pet is killed with so-called humane treatment? (2) If a murderer chooses to anesthetize a human subject before murdering, would that be considered a merciful act? The answers to these questions would certainly be subjective, but it stands to reason that such selfish and willful acts of animal exploitation must have some pernicious consequences individually and collectively as it is popularly said that what goes around comes around.

The famous poet, George Bernard Shaw, therefore, very eloquently expresses himself as follows: “Animals are my friends… and I don’t eat my friends. I choose not to make a graveyard of my body with the rotting corpses of dead animals. A man of my spiritual intensity does not eat corpses. While we ourselves are the living graves of murdered beasts, how can we expect any ideal conditions on this earth?”

Meat substitutes

If you are convinced by the facts and reasoning presented thus far, and even thinking about abstaining from meat, you might be also feeling anxious about your current attachment to the taste of meat. Fortunately, there are not just valid but exciting plant-based alternatives offered by Impossible Burger and Beyond Meat patties. You can now avoid meat while retaining the same satisfaction of munching on a succulent hamburger. And Cheyenne Buckingham writes in “Eat this, not that”: “it will taste all the better knowing that you’re doing something good for the planet while you enjoy your dinner.” (Buckingham)

One may also challenge whether a vegetarian food can really serve the protein requirement of our body. Protein is a key part of any diet. The average person needs about 7 grams of protein every day for every 20 pounds of body weight. Because protein is found in an abundance of foods, many people can easily meet this goal. The Harvard school of public health recommends that we should get our protein from plants when possible. The good news is that the plant kingdom offers plenty of options to mix and match (“The Nutrition Source”). To get the most out of a vegetarian diet, one can choose healthy plant-based foods, such as whole fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, and whole grains. There are many informative sites which detail such information as well as guide one with vegetarian recipes and diet plans.

Conclusion

If you are traveling on a freeway and happen to see a dead animal lying on the road, I am sure you won’t feel like saying “It’s yummy!” That seems to indicate that we are not naturally inclined to eat dead carcasses and therefore meat is an acquired taste. Regardless of the mechanism in which meat diet has been indoctrinated within our society, the status quo is that animals and their products are consumed in abundance all around the world. According to a 2018 Gallup poll, 95% of U.S. adults subsist on a meat-based diet. According to the US Animal Kill Clock (“Animal Kill Clock”), close to four thousand animals are getting killed every second. People are so used to eating meat that they neglect to even think of what is on their plate and how it was procured. In this article, we established with various evidence that meat eating has a deleterious impact on our environment as well as health thus creating an ecological imbalance on the earth. I urge the readers to sincerely consider the presented valid alternatives in the light of the collective well-being of humanity at large. Consider becoming a vegetarian and cut down meat in your diet. If you are a little hesitant, try eating one less ounce of meat every day till you cut it off completely. You will feel good yourself that you made a sacrifice for our animals, our environment, and our health. Thank you for reading!

Bibliography

Andersen, Kip, and Keegan Kuhn. “Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret.” Wikipedia, 2014, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowspiracy.

“Animal Kill Clock.” Animal Clock, https://animalclock.org.

“Are humans supposed to eat meat?” PeTA, https://www.peta.org/features/are-humans-supposed-to-eat-meat.

Aykan, Nuri Faruk. “Red Meat and Colorectal Cancer.” Oncology Reviews, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4698595.

Buckingham, Cheyenne. “McDonald’s Is Testing Out a Beyond Meat Burger.” Eat This, Not That, 26 September 2019, https://www.eatthis.com/mcdonalds-beyond-meat-burger/.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Colorectal Cancer Statistics.” https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/colorectal/statistics/index.htm.

“Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures and Cancer Risk.” National Cancer Institute, 11 July 2017, https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/cooked-meats-fact-sheet.

“Coronavirus, Swine Flu, SARS: Major Diseases Linked to Eating Animals.” PeTA-UK, https://www.peta.org.uk/features/coronavirus-swine-flu-sars-diseases-animals.

“COVID-19 and Animals.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/animals.html.

“Eating red meat daily triples heart disease-related chemical.” NIH Research Matters, National Institutes of Health, 8 January 2019, https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/eating-red-meat-daily-triples-heart-disease-related-chemical.

Harvard Medical School. “Cutting red meat for a longer life.” Harvard Health Publishing, June 2012, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/cutting-red-meat-for-a-longer-life.

Harvard Medical School. “Red meat and colon cancer.” no. January, 2008. Harvard Health Publishing, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/red-meat-and-colon-cancer.

Harvard Medical School. “What’s the beef with red meat?” Harvard Health Publishing, February 2020, https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/whats-the-beef-with-red-meat.

“Heart Disease Facts.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8 September 2020, https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm.

Heart Matters Magazine. “Does eating meat increase your risk of heart disease?” 5 February 2020, https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/behind-the-headlines/meat-and-heart-disease.

King, Barbara J. “Humans Are ‘Meathooked’ But Not Designed For Meat-Eating.” NPR, 19 May 2016, https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2016/05/19/478645426/humans-are-meathooked-but-not-designed-for-meat-eating.

Matthews, Dylan. “The cow was lying in a large pool of blood.” Vox, 5 September 2015, https://www.vox.com/2015/9/3/9257181/usda-humane-slaughter-meat.

Nolen, Jeannette. “Livestock Slaughter Procedures.” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/technology/meat-processing/Labels-and-standards.

“The Nutrition Source.” Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/.

Riva, Adam. Humans are Herbivores: A Scientific Case for Veganism. CreateSpace Publishing, 2018.

Schiermeier, Quirin. “Eat less meat: UN climate-change report calls for change to human diet.” Nature, vol. 572, no. August, 2019, pp. 291-292, https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02409-7.

Sinha, R. “Well-done, grilled red meat increases the risk of colorectal adenomas.” National Library of Medicine Cancer Research, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10485479/.

“6 Reasons You Should Stop Eating Meat Right Now.” Eat This, Not That, 28 May 2020, https://www.eatthis.com/reasons-to-stop-eating-meat.

Song, Mingyang, et al. “Association of Animal and Plant Protein Intake With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality.” JAMA Internal Medicine, no. October, 2016, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2540540.

Talae, Mohammad, et al. “Meat, Dietary Heme Iron, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Singapore Chinese Health Study.” American Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 186, 2017, https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/186/7/824/3848997?login=true.

“O my Lord (oṁ), the Supreme Personality of Godhead (bhagavate), son of Vasudeva [Śrī Kṛṣṇa] (vāsudevāya), I offer my respectful obeisances unto You (namo). I meditate upon (dhīmahi) the Supreme Absolute Truth Lord [Śrī Kṛṣṇa] (satyaṁ paraṁ), from Whom (yato) there is the creation, sustenance and destruction (janmādy) of this [cosmic manifestation] (asya), while He is directly (anvayād) and (ca) indirectly (itarataś) cognizant (abhijñaḥ) and independent (svarāṭ) in relation to [this manifestation] (artheṣv), Who (ya) imparted (tene) the Vedic knowledge (brahma) unto the heart of (hṛdā) Lord Brahmā, the first learned being (ādi-kavaye), by Whom (yat) the demigods (sūrayaḥ) are placed into illusion (muhyanti), just as (yathā) one is bewildered by the illusory exchanges of (vinimayo) fire, water, and earth (tejo-vāri-mṛdāṁ) whereby (yatra) the temporary creation of the three modes of nature (tri-sargo) appears factual (amṛṣā), Who is eternally residing (sadā) in His own (svena) transcendental abode (dhāmnā), which is free from the illusory representations of the material world (nirasta-kuhakaṁ).” (SB 1.1.1)

For the temporary [material body] (asato), there is (vidyate) no (na) real existence (bhāvo) and for the eternal [soul] (sataḥ), there is (vidyate) no (na) cessation in existence (abhāvo). Indeed (tv), the seers of the truth (tattva-darśibhiḥ) have arrived at both (ubhayor api) of these (anayos) conclusions (antas) by their vision (dṛṣṭo). (BG 2.16) Krishna elaborates on each of these two conclusions in the following two verses – one pertaining to the eternal soul (BG 2.17) and the other pertaining to the perishing body (BG 2.18).

We should know (tu viddhi) that that (tad) which (yena) pervades (tatam) all (sarvam) this [body] (idaṁ) to be indestructible (avināśi). No one (na kaścit) can (arhati) cause (kartum) destruction (vināśam) of that (asya) imperishable soul (avyayasya). (BG 2.17) That which pervades the body is consciousness. So, the imperishable soul is the seat of our consciousness.

These (ime) bodies (dehā) of the indestructible (anāśino), immeasurable (prameyasya), and eternal (nityasya) embodied soul (śarīriṇaḥ) are said to (uktāḥ) surely end (antavanta). Therefore (tasmād), Arjuna (bhārata) should fight (yudhyasva). (BG 2.18) 

In summary, the perishable body cannot be saved while the eternal soul, which gives rise to consciousness within the body, cannot be destroyed. Therefore, while navigating our journey within the temporary material body and in the temporary material world, we should nurture that which is eternal. In other words, we should not neglect the needs of the soul, which is our essential nature.

Executing one’s own natural occupational duty (sva-dharmo) imperfectly (viguṇaḥ) is better (śreyān) than executing another’s occupational duty perfectly (para-dharmāt sv-anuṣṭhitāt). Performing (kurvan) an action (karma) that is set according to one’s nature (svabhāva-niyataṁ), one does not incur (nāpnoti) a sinful reaction (kilbiṣam). (BG 18.47) Krishna has previously stated this point in BG 3.35 highlighting the danger of executing someone else’s occupational duty. Here, Krishna offers His protection to those who stick to their own natural occupational duties.

Even when one sticks to one’s occupational duty, there is indeed a possibility of a fault within its execution. One should not give up (na tyajet) action (karma) born of one’s nature (saha-jaṁ), even if it is faulty (sa-doṣam api). All endeavors (sarvārambhā) are surely (hi) covered with a fault (doṣeṇa), just as (iva) fire (agnir) is covered (āvṛtāḥ) by smoke (dhūmenā). (BG 18.48) It is important to note that our actions themselves can be covered with fault but the consciousness behind can still undergo purification. So, we need not look for perfection in our actions, but in our consciousness behind those actions.

One who is self-controlled (jitātmā), carrying an unattached discernment (asakta-buddhiḥ) everywhere (sarvatra) and without material hankerings (vigata-spṛhaḥ) reaches (adhigacchati) the supreme (paramāṁ) perfectional stage of freedom from reaction (naiṣkarmya-siddhiṁ) by the spirit of renunciation (sannyāsenā). (BG 18.49) Thus, the purity of consciousness is characterized by three factors: (1) self-control, (2) unattached discernment, and (3) freedom of material hankerings. Purity in consciousness leads to perfection in action, although outwardly the actions may be filled with imperfections. The basis for perfection is freedom from all reactions to actions and a concomitant elevation of consciousness.

The mantra, oṁ tat sat (oṁ tat sad iti) is used (smṛtaḥ) to indicate (nirdeśo) Brahman [Supreme Spirit] (brahmaṇas) in three ways (tri-vidhaḥ). The brāhmaṇas (brāhmaṇās), the Vedas (vedāś), and (ca) the sacrifices (yajñāś) were created (vihitāḥ) with these sacred syllables (tena) in the beginning (purā). (BG 17.23)

Therefore (tasmād), the transcendentalists [aiming for Brahman realization] (brahma-vādinām) always (satataṁ) begin (pravartante) the performances of sacrifice, charity, and austerity (yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ) in accordance with scriptural regulations (vidhānoktāḥ) with the chanting of (udāhṛtya) the syllable (ity), oṁ (oṁ). (BG 17.24)

Those transcendentalists seeking liberation (mokṣa-kāṅkṣibhiḥ), not aiming for (anabhisandhāya) some mundane result (phalaṁ), perform (kriyante) various (vividhāḥ) acts of sacrifice, austerity (yajña-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ), and charity (dāna-kriyāś ca) with the chanting of the sound (ity), tad (tad). (BG 17.25)

The sound (ity), sad (sad) is chanted (etat prayujyate) on the platform of Truth (sad-bhāve) and (ca) in saintly disposition (sādhu-bhāve), and (tathā) the sound, sad (sac-chabdaḥ) is chanted (yujyate) to preside over auspicious actions (praśaste karmaṇi). And (ca), being established (sthitiḥ) in sacrifice, austerity, and charity (yajñe tapasi dāne ca) is said (ucyate) to be sad (sad iti) and also the actions (karma caiva) for that purpose (tad-arthīyaṁ) is certainly (eva) called (abhidhīyate) sad (sad ity). (BG 17.26-27)

Krishna concludes this section as follows. Without faith (aśraddhayā), whatever (yat) action (kṛtaṁ) is done as a sacrifice (hutaṁ), charity (dattaṁ), and (ca) austerity (tapas taptaṁ) is said to be (ity ucyate) not sad (sad), and (ca) that is (tat) sad neither in this life (no iha) nor the next (na pretya). (BG 17.28)

In summary, faith is the most essential ingredient in making our actions transcendental.

First, Krishna establishes Himself as the external maintainer. That splendor of the sun (yad āditya-gataṁ tejo), which lights up the whole world (jagad bhāsayate ’khilam), as well as that splendor in the moon (yac candramasi) and the fire (yac cāgnau), we should know (viddhi) that (tat) to be Krishna’s (māmakam) splendor (tejo). (BG 15.12) And (ca), entering into each planet (gām āviśya), Krishna (aham) sustains (dhārayāmy) all the living beings (bhūtāni) with His strength (ojasā). And (ca), becoming (bhūtvā) the moon (somo), Krishna nourishes (puṣṇāmi) all (sarvāḥ) the herbs and the plants (auṣadhīḥ) forming their life-giving juice (rasātmakaḥ). (BG 15.13)

Now, Krishna reveals Himself as the internal maintainer. Becoming the fire of digestion (vaiśvānaro bhūtvā) situating Himself (āśritaḥ) in the bodies (deham) of the living entities (prāṇināṁ), Krishna (ahaṁ) digests (pacāmy) the four kinds of foodstuff (annaṁ catur-vidham) while keeping the balance (samāyuktaḥ) of the outgoing and incoming air of life (prāṇāpāna). (BG 15.14) Krishna’s maintenance goes even beyond the body. Krishna (ahaṁ) is furthermore (ca) situated (sanniviṣṭo) in everyone’s (sarvasya) heart (hṛdi), and from Krishna (mattaḥ) comes memory (smṛtir), knowledge (jñānam), and forgetfulness (apohanaṁ ca). Krishna is not only the source but also the object of knowledge. By all the Vedas (vedaiś ca sarvair), Krishna alone (aham eva) is to be known (vedyo). Krishna (aham) created Vedānta (vedānta-kṛd), and (ca) He alone (eva) is the knower of the Vedas (veda-vid). (BG 15.15)

Krishna is not only the maintainer of everything and everyone but His position as a maintainer is very unique. He is not to be equated with any one, either with the fallible or the infallible class. Hence, He alone is to be referred to as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. These (imau) are the two (dvāv) classes of beings (puruṣau) in existence (loke) – the fallible (kṣaraś) and the infallible (cākṣara eva ca). All living beings (sarvāṇi bhūtāni) are fallible (kṣaraḥ). However, the one in the liberated state (kūṭa-stho) is said to be (ucyate) infallible (akṣara). (BG 15.16) But (tu), the Supreme transcendental person (uttamaḥ puruṣas) is different (anyaḥ) – referred to (udāhṛtaḥ) as (iti) the Supreme Soul (paramātmā). He the inexhaustible (avyaya) Lord (īśvaraḥ), who (yo), entering the three worlds (loka-trayam āviśya) maintains them (bibharty). (BG 15.17)

Because (yasmāt) Krishna (aham) is Supreme (uttamaḥ), beyond (atīto) the fallible (kṣaram) and (ca) even (api) the infallible (akṣarād), He (asmi) is, therefore (ato) celebrated (prathitaḥ) in the world (loke) and (ca) in the Vedas (vede) as the Supreme Person (puruṣottamaḥ). (BG 15.18)

Whoever (yo) knows (jānāti) Krishna (mām) thus (evam) as the Supreme Person (puruṣottamam), without any doubt (asammūḍho), knows everything (sa sarva-vid) and whole-heartedly (sarva-bhāvena) engages in devotional service (bhajati) of Krishna (māṁ). (BG 15.19) Thus (iti), this is (idam) the most confidential (guhya-tamaṁ) scriptural injunction (śāstram), as spoken by Krishna (uktaṁ mayā). Understanding this (etad buddhvā), one becomes (syāt) intelligent (buddhimān), and accomplished (kṛta-kṛtyaś). (BG 15.20)

Neither (na) the sun (sūryo) nor the moon (na śaśāṅko) nor the fire (na pāvakaḥ) lights up (bhāsayate) that place (tad). Those who reach there (yad gatvā) never return (na nivartante) back [to this material world]. That place (tad) is Krishna’s own (mama) supreme (paramaṁ) abode (dhāma). (BG 15.6) That is also our eternal home because we are in fact a part and parcel of Krishna as confirmed next.

Every living being (jīva-bhūtaḥ) in this world (jīva-loke) is eternally (sanātanaḥ) a part and parcel (āṁśo) of Krishna alone (mamaiva). Being situated within the material nature (prakṛti-sthāni), the living being is struggling (karṣati) with the mind (manaḥ) as the leader among the six senses (ṣaṣṭhānīndriyāṇi). (BG 15.7) How does this struggle in the material world look like?

Acquiring these senses (gṛhītvaitāni), as (yad) the living being wanders (saṁyāti) acting as the master of the body (īśvaraḥ) accepts (avāpnoti) the body (śarīraṁ), and (ca) as (yac) it also (api) gives up (utkrāmati) the body, it appears just like (iva) the air (vāyur) carrying aromas (gandhān) from its source (āśayāt). (BG 15.8) Taking possession over (adhiṣṭhāya) the sense of hearing (śrotraṁ), the sense of sight (cakṣuḥ), and the sense of touch (sparśanaṁ ca), the sense of taste (rasanaṁ), and the sense of smell (ghrāṇam) as well (eva ca), along with the mind (manaś ca), the living being (ayaṁ) immerses into (upasevate) the sense objects (viṣayān). (BG 15.9)

The bewildered (vimūḍhā) does not perceive (nānupaśyanti) the living being quitting [the body] (utkrāmantaṁ), or even (api) being situated [in the body] (sthitaṁ vā), or while enjoying (bhuñjānaṁ vā) under the spell of the modes of material nature (guṇānvitam). Those seeing through the eyes of knowledge (jñāna-cakṣuṣaḥ) perceive (paśyanti) all these. (BG 15.10) The endeavoring yogis (yatanto yoginaś) being situated on the platform of the self (ātmany avasthitam) also (ca) perceive (paśyanti) this (enaṁ). But the uncontrolled [not acting on the platform of the soul] (akṛtātmāno) and the unmindful [not aware] (acetasaḥ) cannot perceive these facts however hard they may try (yatanto ’py). (BG 15.11)

Thus, we belong to the spiritual world but we are currently suffering owing to our perpetual ignorance of this point and our ongoing affinity for the matter.

(i) What are the symptoms (kair liṅgais) by which one is known to be (bhavati) transcendental (atīto) to these three modes (trīn guṇān etān)?

(ii) What is the conduct (kim-ācāraḥ) of such a successful transcendentalist?

(iii) Most importantly, what is the process (kathaṁ caitāṁs) by which one can transcend the three modes of nature (trīn guṇān ativartate)? (BG 14.21)

Krishna gives a clear and concise response. One who does not hate (na dveṣṭi) illumination (prakāśaṁ), endeavor (pravṛttiṁ ca), and even delusion (moham eva ca) when they grow (sampravṛttāni) or long for them when they disappear (na nivṛttāni kāṅkṣati), who is situated (āsīno) as if indifferent (udāsīna-vad), who is unmoved by the modes (guṇair yo na vicālyate) knowing that the modes alone are active (guṇā vartanta ity evaṁ), who is firmly situated without wavering (yo ’vatiṣṭhati neṅgate), who is situated in the self (sva-sthaḥ), equally disposed toward happiness and distress (sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ), equally disposed toward stone and gold (sama-loṣṭāśma-kāñcanaḥ), who is steady (dhīras) in the face of desirable and undesirable events (tulya-priyāpriyo), equally disposed toward praise and blame (tulya-nindātma-saṁstutiḥ), equally disposed toward honor and dishonor (mānāpamānayos tulyas), equally disposed toward friends and enemies alike (tulyo mitrāri-pakṣayoḥ), and who is a renouncer in all material endeavors (sarvārambha-parityāgī) – such a person is said to have transcended the modes of nature (guṇātītaḥ sa ucyate). (BG 14.22-25)

And (ca), how does one develop these aforementioned qualities? One (yo) who serves (sevate) Krishna (māṁ) with unadulterated (avyabhicāreṇa) bhakti yoga (bhakti-yogena) transcends the modes of material nature completely (sa guṇān samatītyaitān) and comes (kalpate) to the stage of Brahman [spiritual perfection] (brahma-bhūyāya). (BG 14.26) But, what is the relationship between Brahman and Krishna because of which pure devotional service to Krishna awards one the qualities of Brahman realization? Krishna points out that He is, in fact, the basis and shelter for Brahman.

Krishna (aham) is indeed (hi) the foundation (pratiṣṭhā) of the immortal and imperishable (amṛtasyāvyayasya ca) Brahman (brahmaṇo), as well as (ca), of the eternal dharma (śāśvatasya ca dharmasya) and ultimate happiness (sukhasyaikāntikasya). (BG 14.27)

The Great Brahman (mahad brahma) acts as Krishna’s womb (mama yonir). In this womb (tasmin), Krishna (aham) places (dadhāmy) the embryo (garbhaṁ) in the form of the living entities. Thus (tato) happens (bhavati) the creation (sambhavaḥ) of all the living forms (sarva-bhūtānāṁ). (BG 14.3) The Great Brahman refers to the totality of Krishna’s material energy or mahat-tattva. Whatever (yāḥ) forms (mūrtayaḥ) are created (sambhavanti) spanning all species of life (sarva-yoniṣu), for all of them (tāsāṁ), this Great Brahman (brahma mahad) serves as the womb (yonir) and Krishna (ahaṁ) is their seed-giving (bīja-pradaḥ) Father (pitā). (BG 14.4)

Goodness, passion, and darkness (sattvaṁ rajas tama iti) are the modes (guṇāḥ) born of material nature (prakṛti-sambhavāḥ). They bind (nibadhnanti) the eternal (avyayam) embodied spirit soul (dehinam) that is dwelling in the body (dehe). (BG 14.5) Among them (tatra), the mode of goodness (sattvaṁ), being pure (nirmalatvāt), is illuminating (prakāśakam), and free from affliction (anāmayam). It binds (badhnāti) with attachment to happiness (sukha-saṅgena) and (ca) knowledge (jñāna-saṅgena). (BG 14.6)

We should know (viddhi) the mode of passion (rajo) to be the very self (ātmakaṁ) of material affinity (rāga). It is born (samudbhavam) from the thirst (tṛṣṇā) for material association (saṅga). It binds (tan nibadhnāti) the embodied soul (dehinam) with attachment to material fruitive actions (karma-saṅgena). (BG 14.7)

However (tu), we should know (viddhi) that the mode of darkness (tamas), born of ignorance (ajñāna-jaṁ), deludes (mohanaṁ) all embodied souls (sarva-dehinām). It binds (nibadhnāti) the soul (tan) with madness (pramāda), lethargy (alasya) and sleep (nidrābhis). (BG 14.8)