Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 12

abhyaasepyasamarthosi matkarmo paramo bhava |
madarthamapi karmaani kurvansiddhimavaapsyasi || 10 ||

 
If you are incapable even to perform repeated practice, then perform actions for me. Even by doing actions for me, you shall attain success.
 
abhyaase : repeated practice
api : even
asamarthaha : incapable
asi : are
matkarmaparamaha : perform actions for me
bhava : become
madartham : for me
api : also
karmaani : actions
kurvan : doing
siddhim : success
avaapsyasi : attain
 
So far, Shri Krishna recommended jnyaana yoga, followed by abhyaasa yoga, both of which are difficult for us to follow. Our stock of desires prevents us from pursuing even a few hours of daily meditation. We cannot sit still in one place. If we do so, we get distracted every so often. And even if we are able meditate, we still need to remain attuned to Ishvara for the majority of the day when we are not meditating. How do we achieve this? It is through the yoga of devotion, bhakti yoga.
 
Prahlaada, son of the king of demons and one of the greatest devotees of Lord Vishnu, was asked by his father Hiranyakashipu about what he had learned in school. He replied that one should serve Ishvara by making every act into an act of worship. Shravana refers to the constant listening of Ishvara’s glories; kirtanam is the singing the names of Ishvara; smaranam refers to constant remembering of Ishvara; paadasevanam is adoring Ishvara’s feet; archanam is worshipping Ishvara in temples or in our own homes; vandanam is the offering prayers; daasyam is to consider ourselves as servants of Ishvara; sakhyam: considering ourselves as friends of Ishvara; and finally, aatmanivedana where we completely offer ourselves to Ishvara.
 
What happens when we lead our life this way? When every action including our work in the office, our chores at home, our studies in school and our dealings with friends and family becomes an act of worship, we slowly erode our sense of doership or agentship. Instead of acting with the notion “I am doing this”, we begin to act with the notion “Ishvara is doing everything”. We submit our ego into the altar of Ishvara. As our sense of ego dissolves, we become qualified to practice abhyaasa yoga, and ultimately, jnyaana yoga. So therefore, incorporating Ishvara into eevry aspect of our lives is bhakti yoga.

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