4:10 Bhagavad Gita

Context

The previous text stated that one attains liberation simply by knowing Krishna's birth and activities to be transcendental. This text explains how this happens.

Liberation comes by purification, which comes through pure thought and action. By fixing the mind on God, one's thoughts and actions become pure. There are three common obstacles to fixing the mind and heart on God: attachement, fear, and anger. In this text, Krishna says that cultivating knowledge (jnana-tapasa) of the divine nature of his birth and activities frees one from attachment, fear and anger (vita-raga-bhaya-krodha). One can then take full shelter of Krishna (man-maya mam upashrita). Thus one's thoughts and actions become pure (puta) and he can attain liberation into the association of the Supreme (mad-bhavam agatah)

Text

Raga - Attachment
Raga, the first stumbling block, refers to attachment. Attachment to sense objects, more commonly known as "materialism," is the first stumbling block to taking shelter of the Supreme.

How can one be freed from materialism? When one learns that Krishna's birth and activities are divine, he becomes aware of divine objects of pleasure, and thus forgets his attachment to material objects.

Bhaya - Fear
Fear arises in situations where one precieves danger. Practically every object, relationship, and situation in this world winds up hurting us sooner or later. Thus when some imagine paradise they envision a place vacant of individual personality, interaction, and objects; where all is one and there is no fear of encountering any external object or relationship.

Fear thus leads to "impersonalism," an obstacle to taking shelter of the Supreme Lord.

How can one be freed from impersonalism? By understanding that Krishna's birth and activies are divine, one realizes that there is personality, interaction, and objects free from the painful defects of the material world. He thus loses his fear of spiritual individuality and can fully take shelter of the personal, indivdual Personality of Godhead.

Krodha - Anger
Anger arises when one feels he has been wronged. It leads to a desire for retribution, often characterised by destruction. The myriad concocted ideas presented by psuedo-spiritualists confuse the honest seeker. Hypocrites cheat and frustrate him. Feeling wronged by such ideas and figureheads, one becomes angry. Longing for retribution, he decsides that everyone is wrong and beings to intellectually tear down and destroy everything, arriving at the conclusion that "It is all nothing."

Anger thus leads to "voidism," another obstacle in taking shelter of the Supreme.

If one understands the true nature of God, however, his frustration dissolves. Thus understanding the divine nature of Krishna's birth and activities removes the third obstacle - anger.

Bahavo - Many
Use of this word answers another doubt. Krishna said one would be liberated by understanding his true nature. One may doubt, "Are you sure?" Krishna replies that it is already proven by many. Many (bahavo) sages have already attained (agatah) liberation by cultivating knowledge (jnana-tapasa) of Krishna's identity.