Bhagavad gita 2.41 – 2.46 Lord Krsna compares faithful persons working in buddhi-yoga and non followers

Lord Krsna explains that followers who work in buddhi-yoga are resolute in purpose and have single aim of being in Krsna consciousness. They have strong faith and unflinching trust that Krsna consciousness will elevate them to the highest perfection of life. Such persons possess vyavasayatmika intelligence.

When one is engaged in the duties of Krsna consciousness, one need not bear any obligation to family traditions, society, humanity or nationality. Such persons also need not aspire for good results of their own activities. While functioning in Krsna consciousness, one is situated in a subtle and absolute plane and hence one is not subject to dualities of good or bad.

A person in Krsna consciousness is in samadhi or fixed mind and has perfect knowledge that Vasudeva or Krsna is the root of all causes. By watering the root of a tree one automatically distributes water to the leaves and branches. Similarly, if Krsna is satisfied by one’s actions, then everyone including self, family, society, country, humanity will be satisfied. Highest transcendental position is attained when one is fully dependent on the goodwill of Krsna.

Service in Krsna consciousness is best practiced under the able guidance of a spiritual master who is a bona fide representative of Krsna, who knows the nature of the student and who can guide him to act in Krsna consciousness. To further progress in Krsna consciousness, one has to act firmly and obey the instructions of the spiritual master as one’s life mission.

Persons who do not have faith in Krsna consciousness are men of small knowledge and are not firmly fixed in mind. They are diverted by various types of fruitive activities. As explained in the Vedas, all material activities involve actions and reactions in the three modes of material nature – goodness, passion and ignorance. Fruitive results of such activities cause bondage in the material world.

Such unintelligent persons desire sense gratification and opulent life.  They even follow the karma-kanda rituals of the Vedas since they are attracted to enjoying life in heavenly planets with soma-rasa wine and angelic, beautiful apsaras. They also seek resultant good birth and power for gain and safety.

However, the ultimate goal of the Vedas is to gradually elevate on the transcendental plane or nistrai-gunyah which is transcendental to the three modes of material nature. Lord Krsna therefore advises Arjuna to start inquiring about the Supreme (brahma-jijnasa) and enter into transcendental life of working in buddhi-yoga.

Lord Krishna compares a small well and a great reservoir of water, both of which serve the same purpose although varying in dimension. Similarly all the purposes of the Vedas are served if one realizes that Lord Krsna is the author and knower of the Vedanta philosophy and best purpose of Vedic culture is served by chanting of the holy name of the Lord.

Bhagavad-gita 2.39 - 2.40 Lord Krsna begins explaining working process in buddhi-yoga or karma-yoga

Working process in buddhi-yoga or karma-yoga is the practice of devotional service only for the pleasure of the senses of the Lord. 

Buddhi-yoga or bhakti-yoga is the direct communion with the Lord, who is sitting as Paramatma in everyone’s heart. Communion with the Lord does not take place without devotional service or transcendental loving service to the Lord. The stage of buddhi-yoga is attained by the special grace of the Lord only to those who are always engaged in devotional service of transcendental love. He awards such devotees the pure knowledge of devotion in love to enable them to reach Him easily in the ever-blissful kingdom of God.

In other words buddhi-yoga means to work in Krsna consciousness in the full bliss and knowledge of devotional service. One who works for the satisfaction of Lord Krsna automatically finds himself in full transcendental bliss and knowledge by the grace of the Lord. He achieves complete liberation.

In the endeavour to act for the benefit of Krsna, there is no loss or diminution. Any work begun in Krsna consciousness has a permanent effect even though not finished. Even one per cent devotional service has everlasting result such that the next beginning is from the point of two per cent. Ajamila performed specific duty in Krsna consciousness in his earlier days. In spite of leading a degraded life thereafter, he enjoyed total success at the end of life by the grace of the Lord. This is unlike material activity that requires to be 100% complete to be called successful.  

A little advancement on this path of devotional service can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear. Work in Krsna consciousness carries a person again to Krsna consciousness even after loss of body. At least one is sure to attain a human life in next birth. Such knowledge can also free one from the bondage of material activities.