Bhagavad-Gita Chapter 18, Verse 71

[Bhagavad Gita Slokas]

	Chapter 18: Conclusion -- The Perfection of Renunciation
	Verse: 71 sraddhavan anasuyas ca srinuyad api yo narah so 'pi muktah subhal lokan prapnuyat punya-karmanam

Translation:
And one who listens with faith and without envy becomes free from sinful reactions and attains to the auspicious planets where the pious dwell.

Explanation:
This verse describes the results of one who simply hears (but need not follow) the Bhagavad-gita. He who hears with faith, without envy, without fault-finding like "What is the purpose of reciting this work in the present times?" or "Why does he recite inaccurately or non-melodiously?" Such a person becomes free from all sins and will attain the exalted destination of those who perform several sacrifices or even attain the planets of devotees like Vaikuntha or Dhruvaloka. It is because of this reason that devotees of the Lord put themselves to so much pain so that others can benefit.

Srila Prabhupada explains, "In the sixty-seventh verse of this chapter, the Lord explicitly forbade the Gita's being spoken to those who are envious of the Lord. In other words, Bhagavad-gita is for the devotees only. But it so happens that sometimes a devotee of the Lord will hold open class, and in that class not all the students are expected to be devotees. Why do such persons hold open class? It is explained here that although not everyone is a devotee, still there are many men who are not envious of Krishna. They have faith in Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. If such persons hear from a bona fide devotee about the Lord, the result is that they become at once free from all sinful reactions and after that attain to the planetary system where all righteous persons are situated. Therefore simply by hearing Bhagavad-gita, even a person who does not try to be a pure devotee attains the result of righteous activities. Thus a pure devotee of the Lord gives everyone a chance to become free from all sinful reactions and to become a devotee of the Lord."

Please read the Sanskrit Verse and the Prabhupada's Purport.

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Sent-by: ISKCON Hare Krishna Temple of Washington DC
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