Sunday, November 4, 2012

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 11

amee hi tvaam surasanghaa vishanti kechidbheetaahaa praanjalayo grinanti |
svasteetyuktvaa maharshisiddhasanghaahaa stuvanti stvaam stutibhihi pushkalaabhihi || 21 ||

 
Certainly, this host of deities enters into you. Many are scared, singing praises with folded hands, “may all be well”, saying this. Hosts of great rishis and siddhas are praising you, through sublime hymns.
 
amee : they
hi : certainly
tvaam : in you
surasanghaa : host of deities
vishanti : enter
kechit : many
bheetaahaa : scared
praanjalayaha : folded hands
grinanti : singing praises
svasti : “may all be well”
iti : this
uktvaa : saying
maharshi : great rishis
siddha : siddhas
sanghaahaa : hosts of
stuvanti : praise
tvaam : you
stutibhihi : through hymns
pushkalaabhihi : sublime
 
Arjuna’s was beginning to see the cosmic form in more detail. Previously, he had mentioned that all the three worlds were quite afraid of Ishvara’s fearful form. In one of those worlds, the heavenly world which was populated by the deities, he saw something quite amazing. The deities were arising out of Ishvara’s cosmic form and dissolving back into it, just like waves in the ocean. He indicates this by using the word “vishanti”, entering into.
 
This shloka brings out the different kinds of people with regards to their spiritual awareness. First, there are those who are completely engrossed in the material world of names and forms. They have very little to no awareness of the unity of things, of the presence of Ishvara in everything, due to extreme entanglement with their senses. Next, there are those seekers who have recognized the presence Ishvara, and are working hard to turn themselves towards the higher. Finally, there are those rare few who have transcended all names and forms, who have realized the absolute.
 
Arjuna saw all three types of people, the ignorant, the seekers, and the realized masters in this scene. The ignorant individuals and the seekers were dissolving into Ishvara, but only the seekers were singing praises of Ishvara since they knew that he was their ultimate goal. The realized masters, the sages and siddhas, stood apart from this process of creation and dissolution, singing hymns to glorify Ishvara.

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