Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 16

daivee sampadvimokshaaya nibandhaayaasuri mataa |
maa shuchaha sampadam daiveemabhijaatosi paandava || 5 ||
 
Divine qualities are considered conducive to liberation, devilish qualities to bondage. Do not grieve, O Paandava. You have obtained divine qualities.
 
daivee : divine
sampat : qualities
vimokshaaya : to liberation
nibandhaaya : to bondage
aasuri : devilish
mataa : considered
maa : do not
shuchaha : grieve
sampadam : qualities
daiveem : divine
abhijaataha : obtained
asi : you have
paandava : O Paandava
 
The aim of any spiritual text including the Gita is to lead the seeker onto the path of liberation. Shri Krishna now connects this chapter with the aim of the Gita. He says that we can increase the chances of our success in the spiritual path if we cultivate the divine qualities listed in this chapter, while toning down our devilish qualities. In today’s day and age, it is easy to misunderstand some of these devilish qualities as essential for our survival, that without these qualities we will not get ahead in life. but it is not so.
 
For instance, take the quality of krodha or anger. Whenever we are in a state of anger, our intellect, our power of reasoning shuts down, as described in the second chapter. Our emotional mind takes over, and makes us perform actions that may harm us in the long run. Therefore, each time we get angry, we weaken our intellect, which is the one faculty that differentiates us from animals, and can take us closer to liberation. Akrodha, the divine quality of keeping our anger in check, prevents this from happening. We have to also keep in mind that we have to conduct self analysis and not apply this teaching to judge some other person.
 
Shri Krishna also anticipates a question arising in Arjuna’s mind. Arjuna would have thought, am I in the divine qualities camp or in the other one. To this end, Shri Krishna consoles Arjuna. He asserts that Arjuna was always endowed with divine qualities, and that those qualities will most definitely lead him towards liberation. He addresses him as Paandava, to remind him that he comes from a lineage that has always demonstrated these divine qualities.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 16

dambho darpobhimaanashcha krodhaha paarushyameva cha |
ajnyaanam chaabhijaatasya paartha sampadamaasureem || 4 ||
 
Ostentation, arrogance, exaggerated self worth, and anger, insolence and also ignorance, these are found in one who has obtained devilish qualities, O Paartha.
 
dambhaha : ostentation
darpaha : arrogance
abhimaanaha : exaggerated self worth
cha : and
krodhaha : anger
paarushyam : insolence
eva : also
cha : and
ajnyaanam : ignorance
cha : and
abhijaatasya : one who has obtained
paartha : O Paartha
sampadam : qualities
aasureem : devilish
 
Having supplied a long list of divine qualities, Shri Krishna begins listing the aasuri sampatti, the devilish or diabolical qualities. Asuras are portrayed as fearsome demons with long teeth and horns in comic books and TV shows. But the word asura means one who places sense enjoyment as his highest goals. Any ordinary looking human being can be an asura, if he constantly dwells in sense pleasures.
 
Projecting an image of ourselves to be larger, to be different than what we really are dambaha. There are people who portray themselves to be smarter, wiser and accomplished than they really are. Or, there are others who cover up their misdeeds by portraying themselves as god fearing and so on. Broadly speaking, such people try to change what they have through cover-up rather than work hard and perform actions that will give them better results.
 
Darpa refers to arrogance and pride over our possessions, and the subsequent putting down of others who may not have what we have. These people not only hurt others by their insults, they hurt themselves as well. Instead of weakening their notions of me and mine, which become obstacles to spiritual growth, such people strengthen them. Krodha refers to anger. Specifically, it is the thought that gives a kind of satisfaction after having yelled at someone who has wronged us, instead of the thought that wants to solve a concern, or to help that other person.
 
Next, Shri Krishna mentions paarushyam, which means insolence or harshness, as a diabolical quality. Harshness can occur at the body and speech level. Elbowing our way to the front of a crowded line is harshness at the body level. Using bitter and taunting language is harshness at the speech level. Pointing out someone’s faults in front of everyone is harshness at the speech level.
 
The primary devilish quality is that of ajnyaanam or ignorance. From a day to day standpoint, not knowing which action is right versus which action is to be avoided, this is ignorance. Chasing momentary pleasures in the material world without regards to actions and consequences constitutes ignorances. From an absolute standpoint, it is the ignorance of our true nature as existence, awareness and joy that is the fundamental devilish quality.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 16

tejaha kshamaa dhritihi shauchamadroho naatimaanitaa |
bhavanti sampadam daiveemabhijaatasya bhaarata || 3 ||
 
Radiance, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, lack of enmity, lack of arrogance, these are found in one who has obtained divine qualities, O Bhaarata.
 
tejaha : radiance
kshamaa : forgiveness
dhritihi : fortitude
shaucham : purity
adrohaha : lack of enmity
naatimaanitaa : lack of arrogance
bhavanti : are
sampadam : qualities
daiveem : divine
abhijaatasya : one who has obtained
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
 
Shri Krishna adds more entries into the list of divine qualities. Tejaha refers to brilliance that comes to dedicated seekers. Energy that is normally wasted through relentless contact with sense objects is conserved when we control our sense organs. Tapaha, conservation of energy, results in tejaha. Even if we control our food cravings for a short period of time, we will feel an influx of additional energy that will radiate out of our body.
 
A long term vow of never to get angry in the first place is termed kshamaa, which means forgiveness. If we feel someone has hurt us in any way, we want to punish him in the future. But when we forgive someone on the spot, we do not leave room for grudges to accumulate in our mind, cutting the very root of this attitude of punishment. The way to do this is to not expect any joy or sorrow from anyone or anything.
 
Next, we come across dhritihi which means fortitude. There will be situations in our life when our mind, body and senses will reach their breaking point. We will begin to say - I cannot take it anymore. The ability to keep holding on to our goal in the face of such fatigue is called dhritihi. It can only come out of training our mind to follow the direction of the intellect. This topic is covered in great detail in the eighteenth chapter.
 
Shaucham refers purity and cleanliness. External cleanliness, which means keeping our body, our surrounding and our environment clean is a given. But shaucham also refers to internal purity, which refers to keeping our mind and intellect free of likes, dislikes and attachments. Getting rid of the most stubborn dirt of the mind, ignorance of our true nature, is the highest act of cleaning we can perform.
 
The next quality Shri Krishna mentions is that of adroha. Here, we do not have any notion of hatred or enmity towards anyone. Droha actually means betrayal. It is the feeling of revenge we harbour against someone who we believe has wronged us, has betrayed us. Adroha means not to harbour such feelings. When one’s goal is the supreme, they will never stoop to harbour feelings of revenge against anyone.
 
Maanitaa refers to the notion of always demanding respect from our peers. Atimaanitaa refers to extreme arrogance, of always demanding respect from our superiors. It comes from an inflated sense of self worth, by giving emphasis to our individuality. Naatimaanita is the opposite of atimaanitaa. As our sense of individuality merges into Ishvara through constant spiritual practice, qualities that are associated with an exaggerated ego or self worth automatically correct themselves.
 
Shri Krishna concludes the list of divine qualities in this shloka. Very few people are born with all these qualities. So even if we focus on cultivating a handful of these qualities within ourselves, we would have made a good start.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 16

ahimsaa satyamakrodhastyaagaha shaantirapaishunam |
dayaa bhooteshvaloluptvam maardavam hreerachaapalam || 2 ||
 
Non violence, truthfulness, absence of anger, renunciation, tranquility, absence of slander, compassion towards all beings, lack of covetousness, gentleness, modesty, lack of fickleness.
 
ahimsaa : non violence
satyam : truthfulness
akrodhaha : absence of anger
tyaagaha : renunciation
shaantihi : tranquility
apaishunam : absence of slander
dayaa : compassion
bhooteshu : all beings
aloluptvam : lack of covetousness
maardavam : gentleness
hreehi : modesty
achaapalam : lack of fickleness
 
Twelve additional divine qualities are listed in this shloka. Ahimsaa refers to non violence, harmlessness, to not injure anyone intentionally or unintentionally. Harm to others need not be caused by weapons all the time. Most likely, we cause the most harm to others through action and speech. Any time we harbour dvesha or resentment towards someone else, we not only cause harm to our mind but also create a barrier to access Ishvara within.
 
Next comes satyam or truthfulness. The Mundaka Upanishad says “satyam eva jayati”, truth alone prevails, which is also found on the seal of the Indian government. Speaking the truth is considered the highest dharma. But truth should also be communicated thoughtfully. It should be priyam or dear, not a harsh sounding truth. It should be hitam, which means it should benefit the other person. It should also be nitam, brief, short and sweet.
 
Akrodhaha refers to absence of anger or rage in particularly challenging situations. If someone instigates us, for example honking a horn at the traffic signal, it is difficult not to get upset. We have to learn how to keep an anger in check, especially when we know that it is our natural tendency to get upset whenever a tough situation comes up. This does not meet that we remain meek. It means that we can keep our cool while demonstrating our anger to get a certain objective done, just like a snake can hiss without actually biting anyone.
 
Tyaagaha refers to renunciation, it means to give up. In daanam or charity, we donate our possessions to someone else. In tyaaga, we just give up our possessions. For instance, food can be given up to someone, this is daanam. But the notion that I won’t eat food, this is tyaaga. At the highest level, we need to renounce our sense of I, our individuality. This is because all possessions, everything that we term as mine, are nothing but upaadhis or conditionings. The fewer conditionings that we identify with, the lesser will be our individuality. So we give up the sense of mine in daanam, but we give up our sense of I in tyaaga.
 
The next divine quality is that of shaantihi which means tranquility or calmness. This refers to the quietening of our antahakarana, of the mind, body and intellect. Even a tiny little thought of like and dislike can agitate our antahakarana, just like a speck of dust can agitate our eyes. So just as we are careful to not let anything enter our eyes, we should train ourselves to keep our antahakarana calm. Without calmness, progress on the spiritual path is not possible.
 
Apaishunam refers to the absence of slander, to not find faults in others, to not gossip about others. A simple policy to follow is to not agitate others, and to not be agitated by others. Unfortunately, many of us can agitate others without even knowing it. A seemingly harmless statement that we make about someone can balloon out of proportion and cause extreme distress to that person. It is usually best to not indulge in gossip.
 
Next we come across dayaa bhuteshu, which means compassion for all beings. It is the ability to relate to others when they are suffering. By being compassionate towards others, we acknowledge the unity of our self, of our I with someone else’s I. It does not mean we have to shed tears each time we encounter someone with sorrow. It means that we can put ourselves in someone else’s shoes and see their point of view.
 
Aloluptvam is the ability to check our sense organs when they are near their favourite objects. Damaha, the ability to control our sense organs, is directly related to this quality. Let’s say we have decided not to each chocolates today. This vow will be tested if someone leaves a giant box of chocolates on our desk. The power of the sense organs is so strong that we will realize that we have consumed chocolates only after the fact. So the ability to prevent triggers from breaking our self control is called aloluptvam.
 
Maardavam means mridutaa or gentleness. It is the opposite of harshness. It is a measure of how soft, how tender one’s heart it. This is why children approach their mothers for requests rather than their fathers. Hreehi refers to modesty, the ability to discern between acceptable versus unacceptable behavior, between what is right and what is wrong. Finally, achapalataa is absence of fickleness. Many of us lack the ability to sit still. Our hands and legs are always moving or twitching. Or, we tend to speak when not needed, or let our eyes wander all over. All these are signs that we are not in control of our actions

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 16

Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
abhayam sattvasamshuddirjnyaanayogavysavasthitihi |
daanam damashcha yajnyashcha svaadhyaayastapa aarjavam || 1 ||
 
Shree Bhagavaan said:
Fearlessness, purity of mind, steadfastness in the yoga of knowledge, charity, self control, worship, self study, penance and straightforwardness.
 
abhayam : fearlessness
sattvasamshuddihi : purity of mind
jnyaanayoga : yoga of knowledge
vysavasthitihi : steadfastness
daanam : charity
damaha : self control
cha : and
yajnyaha : worship
cha : and
svaadhyaayaha : self study
tapaha : penance
aarjavam : straightforwardness
 
Some commentators believe that the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth chapters of the Gita are used to clarify points that were hinted at in the prior chapters, almost like an appendix. This chapter is one of the more practical chapters in the Gita, and picks up on a statement made in the ninth chapter where three types of people - divine, devilish and evil. It describes two sets of qualities, divine and devilish, so that we can do an assessment of where we stand, to understand which qualities to tone down and which qualities to emphasize.
 
Shri Krishna says that the first divine quality is abhayam or fearlessness. Once we realize that the universe is a play of Ishvara’s Prakriti, and our role in it is to exhaust or desires, we automatically develop fearlessness. We are even able to be fearless of death, the greatest fear, because we have understood that death applies to the body, not to the self. Another source of fear is loss or harm caused to our property and our relationships. If we remove the label of mine from everything, and recognize that everything is Ishvara’s, fear automatically goes away.
 
The next quality is sattva samshuddhi, purity of mind. Sattva here refers to the antahakarana, the mind and the senses, because they are created from the sattva aspect of Prakriti. The foremost indication of a pure mind is the absence of any thought of cheating someone else, or cheating oneself. Even if we know that someone has done something wrong, we should tactfully deal with the situation, without putting them on the spot, or by making fun of them.
 
Let’s now look at what is meant by jnyaanam or knowledge. True knowledge is knowledge of our own self, the answer to the question who am I. This knowledge is passed on from teacher to student through detailed study and analysis of the scriptures. Also, yoga refers to any process that connect us to something higher. So then, the third quality of jnyaana yoga avasthithi refers to the process of internalizing this knowledge by withdrawing the sense organs and mind from the play of the world, and constantly abiding in this knowledge.
 
We have seen how the notion that something is mine or something is my property can become a hinderance in the spiritual journey. An easy way to counter this notion of mine-ness is to engage in daanam or charity, the fourth quality. Whenever we feel that our pride in our possessions is increasing, we should examine where it is coming from, and weed out the source of our pride though charity. However, charity cannot be performed haphazardly. We have to put a lot of thought into what we are giving, how we are giving, when we are giving and so on. This is covered in great detail in the seventeenth chapter.
 
Another obstacle in the spiritual journey is the importance we give to our sense organs. They are kept in check by the fifth quality which is damaha or sense control. The natural tendency of the sense organs is to demand objects that are pleasant to them, but probably not beneficial to our personality as a whole. The tongue wants unhealthy foods, for instance. But it is important to note that like anything else, moderation is prescribed rather than complete denial, which has its own problems.
 
The sixth divine quality is that of yajnya, a topic that was covered elaborately in the fourth chapter. Essentially, it means that our dealings with the world should be performed thoughtfully. We owe our daily existence to our teachers, our deities, our environment, our ancestors, our fellow human beings and to nature. The payoff of these debts gave rise to the five types of yajnyas that are prescribed in the scriptures. The culmination of the spirit of yajnya is the giving up of our sense of I, our identity, to Ishvara.
 
For most children, and even for adults, studying is a boring and dreadful exercise, something to be dispensed off quickly. But Shri Krishna says that studying of the Gita, the Vedas, the Puraanas, any spiritual text, is an essential quality of the seeker. The emphasis is on the word self, which has two implications. We should be forced to study by someone else. The inspiration should come from within. Also, we should perform introspection, and not use the teaching to analyze and improve other people.
 
Tapaha or penance and austerity is the eighth divine quality. Austerity is not to be taken literally where one retires into the jungle and shuns all worldly duties. It refers to the fulfilling of one’s duties while staying firm in the face of any obstacles, and by not wasting time and energy at the level of body, mind or intellect. Doing so requires patience and tact, but the payoff is the buildup of a reservoir of energy that can be channelized for spiritual pursuits. Further details on the various types of tapaha are found in the seventeenth chapter.
 
The ninth divine quality is aarjavam or straightforwardness. It refers to those who mean what they say and say what they mean. Their actions, speech and thought are aligned. There is no hint of crookedness or deceit in their dealings. It should be construed as being overly simple in a negative sense. Whenever we notice that we have strayed from this quality, it usually means that selfishness has entered into our system, and we need to correct it.

Summary of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 15

The fifteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is unique in several respects. It is the shortest, with only twenty shlokas. On the other hand, it summarizes the entire essence of not just the Gita but also all the Vedas in those twenty shlokas. Specifically, it covers four topics that are at the essence of any spiritual scripture: what is the world, who am I, what is God or what transcends the world and me, and what is the relationship between me, the world and God.
 
The chapter first addresses the nature of the world. Our existence in this world is illustrated using an upside down tree, similar to a family tree. The root of this tree is Ishvara wielding the power of Prakriti, the saguna brahman, the eternal essence with attributes. Samsaara, our existence on this world, is the outward growth of this tree. This growth is fueled by sense objects which are in the form of sprouts or buds. Each sense object generates desires, which generates actions, which bind us to the branches of the tree.
 
The only way to rid ourselves of this endless cycle of desire and action is to cut the tree using the weapon of dispassion. The best way to cultivate dispassion is to go straight to the source of the tree, to take refuge in Ishvara. A seeker who wants to do so needs a list of qualifications such as freedom from pride and delusion. Only then will the seeker reach the abode of Ishvara, which is the state of self realization and liberation.
 
Next, the chapter addresses the state of the jeeva, the individual soul, the “I”. From an absolute standpoint, there is one eternal essence, one consciousness, one self, one "I". But just like space seems like it is divided into many through walls, this eternal essence is as though divided into multiple "I"’s through apparent limitations or upaadhis.
 
By attaching itself to upaadhis of the mind and the sense organs, an illusory self is created that imagines itself to be the jeeva, the individual soul. It takes up a new human body to exhaust the desires in its mind, but unfortunately picks up new desires and takes up yet another human body once the old one ceases to function. Only those individuals who have the eye of wisdom, who have assimilated the teaching of the scriptures after purifying themselves with karma and bhakti yoga, recognize the non-divided nature of the self. All others are living in delusion.
 
The third topic, the nature of God or Ishvara, is taken up next. We learn that Ishvara is not some remote figure, but pervades every aspect of the universe. Ishvara provides awareness or the faculty to know. He provides energy through the sun, the moon and fire. This energy is circulated throughout the universe in the form of Soma or nectar, and also used for medicinal purposes. Metabolism, the faculty to extract energy from this food in the form of Soma, is manifested through Ishvara as the Vaishvaanara fire. Ultimately, all memory and knowledge is possible through Ishvara who is resides in the hearts (intellect) of everyone.
 
The fourth topic deals with relationship between the individual, the world, and God. If we trace the energy source of a tiny mango sapling, and of a 100 megawatt solar power plant, we reach the same source - the sun. Similarly, if we mentally remove the apparent limitations, the upaadhis, the names and forms behind the individual, the world and of Ishvara, we find the foremost person, the Purushottama, the pure unadulterated eternal essence. It is beyond the perishable visible world and the imperishable seed of the visible world which is Prakriti.
 
In other words, we learn that the "I" in us is the "I" in everyone, the self of all.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 15

iti guhyatamam shaastramidamuktam mayaanagha |
etadbuddhvaa buddhimaansyaatkritakrityashcha bhaarata || 20 ||
 
Thus, this foremost secret has been taught to you by me, O sinless one. Having known this, one becomes wise and accomplishes all his duties, O Bhaarata.
 
iti : thus
guhyatamam : foremost secret
shaastram : science
idam : this
uktam : taught
mayaa : by me
anagha : O sinless one
etat : this
buddhvaa : having known
buddhimaan : wise
syaat : becomes
kritakrityaha : one who has accomplished all duties
cha : and
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
 
When you ask the question - can you stop working right now and retire, you get a couple of answers. Some people say that they have still so many desires, so many plans to fulfill, that’s why they cannot retire. Other people say that they still have so much to learn from the world, so much knowledge to acquire. Shri Krishna concludes this chapter by asserting that one who has truly understood the teaching of this chapter has accomplished whatever anyone can accomplish in this world, plus he has also known whatever can be known in this world.
 
Why does he say that whatever has to be known has been covered in this chapter? The highest knowledge to be known in this world is the understanding of three topics. What is the nature of the individual soul (who am I), what is this world and where did it come from, and what is beyond this world (is there a God). Any text that conclusively answers these three questions is termed a shaastra, a science. The fifteenth chapter of the Gita does so, and hence it is worthy of being termed a shaastra.
 
The method used to reveal Purushottama, the pure eternal essence, is to gradually move from the tangible to the intangible, from the visible to the subtle, from the visible universe to the invisible Prakriti to Purushottama who is beyond both. This method is known as Arundhati nyaaya, the technique of revealing the location of the star known as Arundhati. Here the teacher first points to a tree, then to one of its branches, then to one of its leaves, and then to the star that is right next to the tree. Without doing this step by step revelation, it would not have been possible to reveal the position of the star.
 
So then, the teaching of this chapter is called the foremost secret. It is secret because such knowledge is not accessible to any of these sense organs. It has to be revealed through a teacher who has had direct experience of the eternal essence. Furthermore, it has to be taught to a student who is straightforward and without sin like Arjuna. Shri Shankaraachaarya goes so far as to say that this chapter summarizes the teachings of all of the Vedic scriptures.
 
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade purushottamyogo naama panchadashodhyaayaha || 15 ||

Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 15

yo maamevamasammoodho jaanaati purushottamam |
sa sarvavidbhajati maam sarvabhaavena bhaarata || 19 ||
 
One who knows me in this manner, without delusion, knows me as the foremost person, he, knowing all, worships me from all viewpoints, O Bhaarata.
 
yaha : one who
maam : me
evam : in this manner
asammoodhaha : without delusion
jaanaati : knows
purushottamam : foremost person
saha : he
sarvavit : knowing all
bhajati : worship
maam : my
sarvabhaavena : from all viewpoints
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
 
It is said that once a travelling circus came to a village with a most unique attraction known as the tent of mirrors. Anyone who entered it would see a whole army of their own selves due to the mirrors reflecting back and forth indefinitely. A dog entered this tent, saw an infinite number of dogs that looked like him, was afraid and started barking in fear. A passerby went in to see what was going on. Now when he saw himself in those infinite reflections, he thought to himself - I see myself everywhere, how nice this is!
 
Shri Krishna says that when we see our "I" as no different from anyone or anything else, when we do not pay attention to the name and form but to the self or aatmaa that is the basis of all name and form, that is the correct way of knowing Purushottama, the foremost person. Any other way of conceptualizing Purushottama or the eternal essence will involve some degree of delusion, some trace of name and form involvement. Worship of Ishvara as a deity with name and form is an essential step in the direction of realizing the Purushottama who is beyond all name and form.
 
When one reaches this conclusion of one’s spiritual journey, there is nothing else left to be known in this world. Such a person becomes sarvavit, all knowing. He will develop sarvaatma bhaava, he will see himself in everything and everyone. So then, no matter the viewpoint, whatever angle, whatever pursuit he will undertake after this knowledge, it will be in worship of this Purushottama. This is the grand message of the Bhagavad Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 15

yasmaatksharamateetohamaksharaadaapi choottamaha |
atosmi loke vede cha prathitaha purushottamaha || 18 ||
 
For, I transcend the perishable and also am superior to the imperishable. Therefore, in the world and in the Vedas, I am well known as the foremost person.
 
yasmaat : for
ksharam : perishable
ateetaha : transcend
aham : I
aksharaat : imperishable
api : also
cha : and
uttamaha : superior to
ataha : therefore
asmi : I am
loke : in the world
vede : in Vedas
cha : and
prathitaha : well known
purushottamaha : foremost person
 
Now, Shri Krishna reveals his true identity as Purushottama, the uttama Purusha, the foremost person, which is a poetic means of referring to the eternal essence, the pure brahman without any limitations. The root of the sanskrit word "uttama" is "ut" or high. This means that there is nothing higher than Purushottama. The imperishable, also known as Prakriti or Maaya, could be considered superior to the perishable world, because Prakriti is the cause and the world is its effect. Any cause is superior than its effect, just like the parents are superior to their children. Since Prakriti exists only as an adhyaasa, a projection on Purushottama, he is greater than anything else.
 
Let us also look at the significance of Purushottama by going deeper into what is meant by cause and effect. According to Vedanta, there are two types of causes. The material cause is the substance which makes the effect. A clay pot is made of clay, so its material cause, its upaadaana kaarana, is clay. But the pot did not make itself. There was an intelligence in the form of a potter that created the clay pot. This is the second type of cause is the nimitta kaarana, known as the intelligent or efficient cause.
 
Some schools of thought assert that the Purushottama is only the intelligent cause and not the material cause. He is like the potter who is distinct and separate than his creation. But in the Advaita school, the Purushottama is not only considered the intelligence behind creation, he is also the raw material behind the creation. The Mundaka Upanishad compares Purushottama to the spider who weaves the web from within himself, and eventually, pulls back the web into himself.
 
We should again not forget that this uttama Purusha, this foremost person, is nothing but our own self, our "I". In fact, uttama Purusha in Sanskrit grammatically means the first person, the "I". He is beyond the perishable tree of samsaara, and also beyond the seed of this tree in the form of Prakriti. What is the result of knowing this uttama Purusha? We will see in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 15

uttamaha purushastvanyaha paramaatmetyudaahyataha |
yo lokatrayamaavishya bibhartyavyaya eeshvaraha || 17 ||
 
But distinct is that foremost person, spoken of as the supreme self, the imperishable lord, who enters and sustains the three worlds.
 
uttamaha : foremost
purushaha : person
tu : but
anyaha : distinct
paramaatma : supreme self
iti : in this manner
udaahyataha : spoken of
yaha : who
lokatrayam : in three worlds
aavishya : enters
bibharti : sustains
avyayaha : imperishable
eeshvaraha : lord
 
As we saw earlier, a single video game program can create an infinite variety of complex worlds in the computer. Let us now pose the question - what is the core, what is the essence of these complex worlds? What is the purest state of these worlds? We need to peel the layers of an onion, as it were. The worlds are not real, they are created by a computer program. A computer program is not real, it is a series of instructions in a computer’s memory. The instructions are not real, they are modifications of electricity. Ultimately, it is electricity that is creating and sustaining all of the worlds we see in a computer game.
 
Now, what if we pose the question - what is at the core of this world? If we get rid of all the limitations, what the purest state of this world? What is the purest state of our existence? The visible world is not real, because it is created by a play of the gunaas of Prakriti, and is perishable. Prakriti or Maaya is not real, though it is relatively imperishable, because it can be destroyed upon removal of our ignorance. What remains, is the eternal essence on which Maaya projects all its limitations or upaadhis.
 
Similarly, if we mentally remove our upaadhis or limitations, it will go something like this. Our body is a play of the gunaas, it is not real. Beyond the body are the senses and the mind, and they are comprised of gunaas and therefore not real. Beyond the senses and mind lies the eternal essence, untainted by Prakriti, which is the purest form of our “I”. In other words, when we remove all of our upaadhis or limitations, we come to the same eternal essence that is reached when we remove the upaadhis of the visible world.
 
We had seen the identity of our “I” with the eternal essence, of aatman with brahman, in the thirteenth chapter as well. That very same eternal essence, the purest brahman or shuddha brahman is referred to as the imperishable lord in this shloka by Shri Krishna. The three worlds here refer to either heaven, earth and hell, or even our waking, dreaming and sleeping states. The eternal essence enters and sustains all of them, but it is not some remote entity. It is the supreme self, the “I” residing within everyone.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 16, Chapter 15

dvaamimau purushau loke ksharaakshara eva cha |
ksharaha sarvaani bhootaani kootasthokshara uchhyate || 16 ||
 
There are two beings in this world, the perishable and the imperishable. All beings constitute the perishable, the Kootastha is called the imperishable.
 
dvaau : two
imau : these
purushau : beings
loke : in this world
ksharaha : perishable
aksharaha : imperishable
eva : also
cha : and
ksharaha : imperishable
sarvaani : all
bhootaani : beings
kootasthaha : Kootastha
kshara : perishable
uchhyate : is called
 
Computer programmers love to create video games that can put the player in a gigantic virtual world where they can blow up aliens. What is interesting is that the same computer game can create a different world each time, with different kinds of aliens in different place. In other words, the infinitely complex virtual worlds created by the game can change, but the computer game program remains the same. Our visible universe is quite similar.
 
Shri Krishna begins to summarize the teaching of this chapter by asserting that everything in the world can be classified into two category. The first category comprises the visible world, the tangible world which comprises all living and inert beings. The second category comprises the invisible entity called Maaya. Maaya is like the computer game program that is invisible, yet has the power to create infinitely complex universes over and over again. The first category is termed kshara or perishable, because the universe has a beginning and end. The second category is termed akshara or imperishable, because it outlives the perishable.
 
So therefore, let's examine this teaching from two standpoints. From our standpoint, the standpoint of the "I" - the kshara, the perishable is our physical body. The akshara, the imperishable is the jeeva, as defined in the previous shlokas. From the standpoint of the world, the standpoint of the "that" - the kshara is the visible universe. The akshara refers to Maaya, the seed of infinite universes, present, past and future.
 
Let’s now look at some of the terms used in the shloka. Koota means illusion, and therefore kootastha means that which can create several illusions. Another clarification is around the imperishability of Maaya. If Maaya is imperishable, how can we get out of it? The answer is that Maaya is imperishable till we realize our true nature and attain liberation. Each category is called a Purusha or a being because both of them are limitations or upaadhis of Ishvara, as we shall see in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 15

sarvasya chaaham hridi sannivishto mattaha smritirjnyaanamapohanam cha |
vedaishcha sarvairahameva vedyo vedaantakridvedavideva chaaham || 15 ||
 
And I am seated in the hearts of all beings. From me arise memory, knowledge and their loss. It is only I who am to be known through the Vedas. Only I am the author of Vedanta, and the knower of the Vedas.
 
sarvasya : all beings
cha : and
aham : I
hridi : in hearts
sannivishtaha : seated
mattaha : from me
smritihi : memory
jnyaanam : knowledge
apohanam : loss of memory
vedaihi : through Vedas
cha : and
sarvaihi : all
aham : I
eva : only
vedyaha : to be known
vedaantakrit : author of Vedanta
vedavit : knower of Vedas
eva : only
cha : and
aham : I
 
As humans, it is not enough for us to spend our lives seeking out sources of food for existence. We crave knowledge in all its forms - knowledge of the material world, how things work, history, geography, sciences and the arts. We also crave that knowledge which is not tangible but is part and parcel of our lives - aspirations, values, codes of conduct and so on. Shri Krishna says that he is both the producer and consumer of knowledge in our lives. The sum total of all knowledge is referred to as the Vedas in this shloka.
 
The assimilation of knowledge goes through three steps. In the first step, we do not know anything, this is the state of apohanam, absence of memory. Next, we know something, knowledge happens, this is jnyaanam. Finally, this knowledge is stored in memory, this is smritihi. All these steps towards the acquisition of knowledge happen due to Ishvara, who is seated in our intellect, poetically referred to as hridi or intellect. So whenever we learn something new, or we recall something from our memory, we should understand that Ishvara is functioning as the subject and the object, the knower and the known, in this process of knowledge acquisition.
 
But that is not all. The ultimate knowledge, the entire theme of the Bhagavad Gita, is that knowledge which reveals the true nature of the self and its identity with Ishvara. It is handed down from a teacher to a student through tradition. It is found in the end, the conclusion, the anta of the Vedas. Therefore it is known as Vedanta. So the knowledge that reveals the true nature of the self is none other than Ishvara. In other words, only the self can know itself, a statement found in the Jnyaaneshwari’s opening statement “jaya jaya sva samvedyaa” - salutations to that which knows itself.
 
With this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes the topic of Ishvara’s manifestations which began in the twelfth shloka. The change in metre reinforces the conclusion. We learned that ultimately, it is Ishvara that provides awareness, nourishment, food, and the power to absorb food as well as knowledge to all beings on this. Not only does he produce all of this, he consumes it as well. If we truly let this statement sink in, we will realize that our false “I”, our ego, is nowhere to be found.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 15

aham vaishvaanaro bhootvaa praaninaam dehamaashritaha |
praanaapaanasamaayuktaha pachaamyannam chaturvidham || 14 ||
 
Residing in the bodies of all beings, I become Vaishvaanara. In conjunction with Praana and Apaana, I digest the four types of food.
 
aham : I
vaishvaanaraha : Vaishvaanara
bhootvaa : become
praaninaam : of all beings
deham : bodies
aashritaha : residing
praanaapaana : Praana and Apaana
samaayuktaha : in conjunction with
pachaami : digest
annam : food
chaturvidham : four types
 
Previously, we saw how Ishvara sustained and nourished all beings on this earth by providing them with nutrition in the form of plant life and vegetation. The energy stored in this food has to be absorbed and assimilated into all living beings. How does that happen? Shri Krishna says that Ishvara manifests himself as Vaishvaanara, the fire inside all living beings which represents the process of metabolism.
 
It is a wonder that we are able to eat such a large variety of food, and yet derive enough energy to keep our bodies running throughout our lives, all due to the functioning of the Vaishvaanara fire. It is supported by two vayus or forces known as the Praana and the Apaana vayus. The Praana vayu brings food towards the digestive organs. Vaishvaanara is the process of digestion and metabolism. The Apaana vayu pushes non-essential portions of the food out into the world.
 
We also come across the four types of food that are referenced in scriptures. These are : food that can be chewed such as rice, food that can be sucked such as mango nectar, food that can be drunk such as fruit juices, and food that can be licked such as pickles. The Vaishvaanara fire can convert all these types of food into energy for the body.
 
So we see that production, distribution and ultimate consumption of energy that happens in us, and happens in any other living being, is nothing but Ishvara. Ishvara is the producer, distributor and consumer. Remembering this topic is a great way to reduce our ego and see our oneness with the world. Many people in India, in fact, chant the 15th chapter before their meals in order to pray for good digestion.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 15

gaamavishya cha bhootaani dhaarayaamyahamojasaa |
pushnaami chaushadheehee sarvaahaa somo bhootvaa rasaatmakaha || 13 ||
 
Entering the earth, I sustain all beings with my energy, and having become the nectar-giving Soma, I nourish all vegetation.
 
gaam : earth
aavishya : entering
cha : and
bhootaani : all beings
dhaarayaami : sustain
aham : I
ojasaa : energy
pushnaami : nourish
cha : and
aushadheehee : vegetation
sarvaahaa : all
somaha : Soma
bhootvaa : having become
rasaatmakaha : nectar-giving
 
Physicists devote entire careers to the study of forces. Despite several advances in the field, they are yet to find the grand theory that unifies the different understandings of gravity, electromagnetism, atomic forces and so on. Shri Krishna says that it is Ishvara that enters the earth and sustains every being, every atom in it through his force. Just like there is a force holding our body together, there is a force that holds the earth as one entity. So whenever we admire the granduer and majesty of earth's natural wonders, we should not forget that the very same force holds our body together as one cohesive unit.
 
Energy requires a medium to travel from its source to its destination. In order to provide nourishment to all living beings, Ishvara resides in the form of nectar, the sap, the essence of all vegetation. A healthy plant-life in any ecosystem ensures the prosperity of animals, birds and humans that depend upon it. Many commentators including Shri Shankaraacharya have translated Soma to mean the moon. It is said that the moon's light enhances the nutrional value of all plant life. This sap, this essence within the plants that gives energy to all life also gives us energy. Moreover, many herbs have medicinal value in additional to their nutritional value, providing yet another layer of benefits to all animals and humans.
 
In this manner, whether it is energy, nourishment or healing, Ishvara is pulsating through us in the very same manner that he is pulsating through the world. Now, this energy needs to be extracted from its source and absorbed into our bodies. We shall see how Ishvara makes this happen in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 15

yadaadityagatam tejo jagadbhaasayatekhilam |
yachhandramasi yacchaagnau tattejo viddhi maamakam || 12 ||
 
That splendour which resides in the sun and illumines the entire world, that which is in the moon and in fire, know that splendour to be mine.
 
yat : that
aadityagatam : resides in sun
tejaha : splendour
jagat : world
bhaasayate : illumines
akhilam : entire
yat : that
chandramasi : in the moon
yat : that
cha : and
agnau : in fire
tat : that
tejaha : splendour
viddhi : know
maamakam : mine
 
So far we learned about the nature of the individual soul, the jeeva. But if that is all we focus on, we will have incomplete knowledge about our true nature. When we look around us, we see the world in all its beautiful yet complex glory. We need to investigate into the true nature of the world, and realize our identity and connection with that as well. With this view in mind, Shri Krishna now begins to explain his connection with the world around us.
 
He starts this topic by asserting that the splendour of the sun, the moon, and of fire is possible only because of Ishvara's splendour. We have tremendous awe for the sun's energy, without which life on this earth will not be possible. Shri Krishna says that the sun’s splendour is not its own. It comes from the splendour of Ishvara. Symbolically, the sun represents the organs of perception such as the eyes, ears, nose and so on. Therefore, whenever any sentient being in this world, from a single celled amoeba to a human being becomes aware of something, that awareness, that consciousness, is the power of Ishvara at work.
 
So whenever we see awareness manifest itself in any organism, we should remind ourselves that the one Ishvara giving awareness to us is the same Ishvara giving awareness to the organisms in the world. In this manner, we can realize the identity of our nature with the world through the common link of awareness.
 
Furthermore, both the moon and fire derive their energy and splendour from the sun. The moon reflects the light of the sun. Fire also is the manifestation of the sun's energy on a much smaller scale. Therefore, energy in any form, whether it is dazzling like the sun, cooling like the moon, or warm like fire, is nothing but Ishvara’s energy. How does this energy manifest itself in the world? Shri Krishna explains that in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 15

yatanto yoginashchainam pashyantyaatmanyavasthitam |
yatantopyakritaatmaano nainam pashyantyachetasaha || 11 ||
 
Those striving yogis realize this as residing within the self. But those with an unprepared mind, though striving, do not see this, devoid of knowledge.
 
yatantaha : those who are striving
yoginaha : yogis
cha : and
enam : this
pashyanti : realize
aatmani : within the self
avasthitam : residing
yatantaha : striving
api : though
akritaatmaanaha : unprepared mind
na : not
enam : this
pashyanti : see
achetasaha : devoid of knowledge
 
In any difficult endeavour, there are three kinds of people. There are the vast majority who are not interested the least bit in striving for the goal, and blissfully accept their state as a given. There are a small number of people who are putting in great effort or dedication, but not obtaining the desired outcome. A select few, however, are able to channelize their efforts in the right direction and get what they want.
 
Shri Krishna called the vast majority of people, the first category, stuck in the cycle of Prakriti "deluded" in the last shloka. Here, he says that it is the preparation of mind that determines whether or not the efforts taken by yogis - those who are striving for liberation - have a chance of success. One without a prepared mind is termed as "akritaatmaanaha" in this shloka. So then, those of us who are aiming for liberation would not like our striving to be in vain. What should we do?
 
We need to understand what Shri Krishna means by purifying our mind. There are two aspects to this. The first aspect is the degree of selfish desires. Unless we have followed the path of karma yoga and bhakti yoga as laid out in the earlier portions of the Gita, our mind will not be able to properly absorb any scriptural teaching whatsoever. The second aspect is the type of knowledge we are trying to absorb and the method of doing so. A systematic understanding of the scriptures under the guidance of a teacher is the only way. One who does not follow a systematic process of imbibing knowledge is termed "achetasaha", devoid of wisdom.
 
The topic of the jeeva is concluded in this shloka. with the message that only those with a pure mind and systematic study will truly understand the nature of the jeeva as the eternal essence as though limited by its upaadhis or conditionings.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 15

utkramaantam sthitam vaapi bhunjaanam vaa gunaanvitam |
vimoodhaa naanupashyanti pashyanti jnyaanachakshuhu || 10 ||
 
That which leaves, stays and experiences, that which is endowed with gunaas, is not recognized by the deluded. It is seen by those with the eye of wisdom.
 
utkramaantam : leaves
sthitam : stays
vaa : and
api : also
bhunjaanam : experiences
vaa : and
gunaanvitam : that which endowed with gunaas
vimoodhaa : deluded
na : not
anupashyanti : recognize
pashyanti : seen
jnyaanachakshuhu : those with the eye of wisdom
 
Let's recap our analysis of the previous shloka. We saw how a false "I" called the ego is created, by usurping the awareness or sentiency of the eternal essence. All this is possible through the illusory identification of the jeeva with the ego. Shri Krishna now wants to summarize and conclude the topic of the fall of the jeeva by distinguishing between those individuals who recognize, who know the lifecycle jeeva versus those who do not. He says that only those with the eye of wisdom can truly understand the notion of the jeeva as separate and distinct from the physical body, as well as the reason for its existence. Others cannot.
 
Most of us tend to think that the brain is sentient and self-aware, when it is inert and borrows awareness from the jeeva. Most of us think that what we our senses tell us is real, when it is actually nothing but the play of the three gunaas. Most of us derive enjoyment from the world, when our real nature is that of joy. Most of us think that the "I" is our ego, our ahankaara when it is actually the eternal essence. These incorrect beliefs are collectively termed as ajnyaana or ignorance.
 
The jnyaana chakshu, the eye of wisdom, refers to those people who have removed all of these incorrect notions. They do not hesitate to challenge any thought, idea, concept or emotion since all of this is in the plane of the three gunaas. On the other hand, most of us will not challenge the long held beliefs about the world that we are programmed with. Since we do not lost our fascination for the world even after being told several times by our scriptures, Shri Krishna addressed us as "vimoodha", completely deluded. How then, do those select few people gain the eye of wisdom? We will see in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 15

shrotram chakshuhu sparshanam cha rasanam ghraanameva cha |
adhishthaaya manashchaayam vishayaanupasevate || 9 ||
 
The ear, eye and touch, taste and smell, taking support of these and the mind, it enjoys the sense objects.
 
shrotram : ear
chakshuhu : eye
sparshanam : touch
cha : and
rasanam : taste
ghraanam : smell
eva : only
cha : and
adhishthaaya : taking support
manaha : mind
cha : and
ayam : this
vishayaan : sense objects
upasevate : enjoys
 
Shri Krishna continues explaining how the jeeva, the individual soul, takes up a human body to carry out its transactions with Prakriti. We can use the wonderful Vedantic text "Drig Drishya Viveka", or "Discrimination of the seer and the seen", to examine this process in a little more detail. It explains, with almost mathematical precision, how the eternal essence begins to think of itself as a finite human entity. There are two main players in this process. One is the eternal essence, which is of the nature of infinite awareness and existence, explained in great detail in the second chapter. Let us call it "Om" here. The second player is avidya or ignorance, which exists in the realm of the illusory Maaya.
 
When Om and ignorance come into contact with each other, a fragment of Om is reflected in ignorance, just like a fragment of the sun as though appears in the water of a pot. As we saw earlier, this fragment is called the jeeva. Ignorance creates an apparent limitation, also known an upaadhi, which imposes a sense of incompleteness or finitude upon the jeeva. The jeeva seeks the help of the upaadhi to remove its sense of completeness. The upaadhi can exist in one of many modifications or states. Let us examine these modifications. The sense organs are modifications of this upaadhi that can contact different aspects of Prakriti. The mind is a modification of this upaadhi that can take input from the sense organs, compare that input with its memory, and present a complete picture of what was contacted. The ego is another modification that thinks of itself as the "I", just like a low level manager thinks of himself as the owner of the factory in the absence of the real owner.
 
Now let us examine the content of this shloka. After the end of its journey in one body, the jeeva travels with the mind and senses, the upaadhi in other words, in search of another physical body. When the ego aspect of the upaadhi associates itself with a tiny physical body inside a womb, based on the desires its wants to exhaust, it develops the notion "I am this body". It now begins to use the body to transact with the world. The human nose, for instance, is an inert object. But due to the association of the ego with the body, we think that the physical human nose is doing the smelling. The ego then uses the mind to generate the notion "I know that this smell is that of a rose". This finally leads the ego to generate the notion "This smell it pleasant, it makes me happy".
 
In this way, the jeeva gives up its power of reality, knowledge and happiness to the ego. The ego becomes the doer and the experiencer of the world. It has to constantly transact with the world in order to chase sense objects for happiness. It forgets the fact that it was happy to begin with. It gives reality to the domain of Prakriti, the three gunas, the visible and so called tangible world. But we should not forget that behind all this is the illusory mix up of Om and ignorance, the mix up of awareness and inertness. The Raamacharitamanas describes this mix up as "jada chetan ki granthi" or the knot between awareness and inertness.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 15

shareeram yadvaapnoti yachchaapyutkraamteeshvaraha |
griheetvaitaani samyaati vaayurgandhaanivaashayaat || 8 ||
 
When the lord acquires a body, and when he leaves it, he takes them and departs, like the wind takes odours from their seats.
 
shareeram : body
yat : when
avaapnoti : acquires
yat : when
cha : again
api : also
utkraamti : leaves
eeshvaraha : lord
griheetvaitaani : takes them
samyaati : departs
vaayuhu : wind
gandhaan : odours
iva : like
aashayaat : seats
 
Earlier, we saw how the individual soul, the jeeva, wants to interact with Prakriti in order to exhaust its desires. In preparation to do so, it surrounds itself with the mind (which contains the desires) and the five senses. This collection of the jeeva, the mind and the senses is also known as the subtle body, because it is invisible. We can think of the subtle body as a computer file. Just as a computer file needs a computer to express itself, a subtle body needs a physical body to express itself. Whenever the timespan of one human body ends, the subtle body has to find another physical body to continue exhausting its desires.
 
Shri Krishna says that in such a situation, the subtle body, the jeeva with the mind and senses, ejects itself from the physical body and finds another body to settle in. It is similar to a international diplomat who goes from one assignment to another, taking his staff with him wherever he goes. Since the mind and senses follow the jeeva, it is referred to as Ishvara or the lord here, not to be confused with the meaning of Ishvara that has been used throughout the Gita. Once the jeeva finds a new home, it slowly starts unpacking its belongings, the mind and senses, in sequence. It is fascinating to see time-lapse videos of an embryo growing inside a mother's womb. This is the jeeva slowly gaining its faculties, which are nothing but accumulations of additional upaadhis.
 
Imagine that a small wooden box contains a strong perfume. If the box - the seat of the perfume - is opened, the fragrance will slowly start leaving the box and fill the room. Shri Krishna uses this analogy to explain the transfer of the jeeva from one physical body to another. If we bring in the analogy of the eternal essence as space, and combine it with this analogy, we will find that they fit together perfectly. Walls, fragrance, wind, boxes - all these limitations of space are apparent, not real. They are upaadhis, apparent limitations. Space does not care whether we build 2 walls or 2 million walls. No one or nothing can limit space. There is no coming and going of the perfume in space. It is only from a worldly standpoint that the fragrance is moving from the box to the room.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 15

mamaivaansho jeevaloke jeevabhootaha sanaatanaha |
manahashashthaaneendriyaani prakritisthaani karshati || 7 ||
 
My eternal fragment, in this world of souls, becomes the individual soul. It draws itself to the mind and five senses, established in Prakriti.
 
mama : my
eva : only
anshaha : fragment
jeevaloke : in this world of souls
jeevabhootaha : becomes the individual soul
sanaatanaha : eternal
manahashashthaani : mind and five
indriyaani : senses
prakritisthaani : established in Prakriti
karshati : draws itself
 
So far, we saw the state of the select few individuals who strive for liberation. Now Shri Krishna summarizes the state of the jeevas, the individual souls who are stuck in the cycle of samsaara, of birth and death. The jeeva, ignorant of its true nature which is infinite, harbours selfish desires with the aim of removing its finitude. In order to do so, it needs to be able to contact and transact with Prakriti. The equipment needed to transact with Prakriti comprises the mind and the five senses. Therefore, the jeeva attracts or pulls these six aspects of Prakriti unto itself.
 
Before we proceed, we need to clarify one point here. The word fragment implies that the eternal essence, speaking as Ishvara, can be broken or divided into pieces. Yet, we know that the eternal essence is indivisible. To solve this confusion, we need to remind ourselves of the examples provided in the thirteenth chapter. We can try to divide space using walls, but space is indivisible. Also, we can lose the sun's reflection when we break a pot filled with water, but nothing happens to the sun. There is no coming or going of space or of the sun. The limitations, the upaadhis such as walls and pots "as though" try to divide, but cannot do so in essence.
 
The Jnyaaneshwari provides yet another example. It describes an ascetic monk who has taken up a contemplative and solitary life in the jungle. One night he dreams that he is a householder with a wife and kids. In order to provide for his family, he has to work hard at his job to make ends meet. His job causes a great deal of stress to him. But when he wakes up from his dream, he remains the same monk, unaffected by the apparent ties of family life. The dream world is yet another upaadhi or limitation caused by ignorance of his real nature.
 
So then, the jeeva draws a mind and five senses in order to exhaust its desires. However, it still needs a physical body to transact with Prakriti. How does all this happen? We see this in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 15

na tadbhaasayate sooryaa na shashaanko na paavakaha |
yadgatvaa na nirvatante taddhaamam paramam mama || 6 ||
 
That in which the sun does not illumine, nor the moon, nor fire, that is my supreme abode. Having attained that, there is no return.
 
na : not
tat : that
bhaasayate : illumines
sooryaha : sun
na : not
shashaankaha : moon
na : not
paavakaha : fire
yat : which
gatvaa : attained
na : not
nirvatante : return
tat : that
dhaamam : abode
paramam : supreme
mama : my
 
Shri Krishna listed the qualifications of a seeker in the prior shloka, and asserted that one who takes his refuge will attain his abode. He now provides the location, the address of that abode. He says that there is no sun, no moon, no fire, in other words, no source of light in his abode. Initially we would feel a little frightened if we take the literal meaning of this shloka. Even cavemen were able to access some light source in the form of the sun, the moon, or fire from a wooden torch. Why would anyone want to go to such a place?
 
The sun, the moon and fire have symbolic interpretations which are extremely relevant here. The sun is the presiding deity of our intellect, the moon of our mind and emotions, and fire of our physiological functions. The one who has sought refuge in Ishvara automatically gives up affinity to his body, mind, intellect, ego (which resides in the intellect) and physiological functions. If this affinity, the root of all our sorrow, is given up, such a person will never again get caught in the wheel of birth of death, in the cycle of samsaara. This is liberation.
 
So then, this is the abode of Ishvara, of self realization, of liberation. Having reached there, the liberated person does not come back to the state of ignorance. He never gets deluded again. He never identifies or develops affinity with body, mind, intellect and the world. The duality, the pairs of opposites, the dvandva that was mentioned before, is nothing but the world. For such a person, neither joy nor sorrow, neither pain nor pleasure, neither friend nor enemy, nothing can destabilize him. This is liberation.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 15

nirmaanamohaa jitasangadoshaa adhyaatmanityaa vinivrittakaamaahaa |
dvandvairvimuktaahaa sukhaduhkhasangnairgachhantyamoodhaahaa padamavyayam tat || 5 ||
 
Free from pride and delusion, with the defect of attachment conquered, always dwelling in the self, liberated from the pairs of opposites known as joy and sorrow, ignorance-free individuals attain that imperishable goal.
 
nirmaanamohaa : free from pride and delusion
jitasangadoshaa : conquered the defect of attachment
adhyaatmanityaa : always dwelling in the self
vinivrittakaamaahaa : abandoned all desires
dvandvaihi : from pairs of opposites
vimuktaahaa : liberated
sukhaduhkhasangnaihi : known as joy and sorrow
gachhanti : attain
amoodhaahaa : ignorance-free individuals
padam : goal
avyayam : imperishable
tat : that
 
If one has to seek refuge in Ishvara, per the previous shloka, what should be the qualifications of such a seeker? This complex and elaborate topic has been very nicely packed into one shloka by Shri Krishna. The first qualification of a seeker is the absence, or at least, reduction of the sense of I and mine. Candidates who are interviewing for a new position frequently pass off an entire team’s effort as their own. It is very easy to spot the inflated sense of pride in them. And even if they spent a few minutes contributing to a project, they still have the notion that it is their project, nobody else's. Shri Krishna says that this I and mine notion, this pride and delusion has to go away in a seeker.
 
Once the I and mine notion has diminished to some extent, the seeker has to focus on where is he stuck, where is his attachment in this world. Some may be attached to their profession, some may be attached to their family, some may be perversely attached to their enemies also. But, if we slowly unwind the attachments towards their source, we will find that the seeker is attached to his body. The attachment to the body, and the consequent fear of death, is the toughest attachment for the seeker to tackle. A certain level of dispassion towards the body, accomplished through control of the mind and senses, is a prerequisite to worship of Ishvara. When this happens, desires that are a by product of attachment, also diminish.
 
So, two qualifications are covered so far: absence of I and mine notion, and conquering one’s attachments. Only then will we be able to focus on the main goal, which is daily absorption in the self, adhyaatma nitya. But how do we remain in this state constantly? By being vigilant of labelling the two pairs of opposites - likes and dislikes, joy and sorrow, praise and censure and so on and so forth. Even a whiff of wind on either side of a tightrope walker is sufficient to bring him down. Likes and dislikes have the ability to distract us from our goal. We should not pay too much attention to them, just observe them silently as they come and go. This is forbearance or titkshaa. This will enable us to completely remove ignorance of the true nature of our self, and to reach the abode of Ishvara, described in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 15

tataha padam tatparimaargatavyam yasmingataa na nivartanti bhooyaha |
tameva chaadyam purusham prapadye yataha pravrittihi prasritaa puraanee || 4 ||
 
Then that goal should be sought, having attained which, none return again. I seek refuge in that original Purusha from which has sprung this ancient sprout.
 
tataha : then
padam : goal
tat : that
parimaargatavyam : sought
yasmin : by which
gataaha : having attained
na : not
nivartanti : return
bhooyaha : again
tam : that
eva : only
cha : and
aadyam : original
purusham : Purusha
prapadye : seek refuge
yataha : from whom
pravrittihi : sprung
prasritaa : sprout
puraanee : ancient
 
A family of tourists is driving around in a new city without the help of a map or a GPS device. A left turn here, a right turn there, and they are utterly lost. The wife asks the husband to stop the car and ask a shopkeeper for directions. The husband says no, and continues driving in circles for an hour. The wife yells at the husband who finally agrees to ask a shopkeeper for directions. This is an all too common occurrence. Unless the ego is surrendered, even material knowledge is far from reach.
 
Shri Krishna says : All of you are thoroughly lost in the cycle of action and reaction, the tree of samsaara. So take refuge in me. I am the original Purusha, the root from which this tree of samsaara has sprung up. I have created this universe like a magician creates his illusion. Don’t get lost in the branches of the tree which are fueled by the three gunas of Prakriti. Come straight to the source, which is me. I am giving you a hand to save you from drowning in samsaara. Hold it tightly and do not let it go. This is the meaning of the word prapatti, which had also come up in the seventh chapter.
 
This prapatti, this seeking of refuge in Ishvara will help us cultivate dispassion towards samsaara. But this dispassion will not come overnight, it will come gradually. First, karma yoga has to be practised as prescribed by Shri Krishna. We should reduce selfish actions, increase selfless actions, then drop our attitude of doership. We cannot have it both ways - we cannot love Ishvara and love the material world at the same time. If we cannot control our mind and senses, we have yet to cultivate real devotion for Ishvara. Devotion, coupled with dispassion towards the world, will result in our liberation, the goal from which we will not have to return back to the material world.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 15

na roopamasyeha tathaapalabhyate naanto na chaadirna cha sampratishthaa |
ashvatthamenam suviroodhamoolamsangashastrena dridhena chhittvaa || 3 ||
 
Its form is not available here, neither its beginning nor its end, not its existence. Having cut this firm-rooted Ashvattha tree using the robust weapon of dispassion.
 
na : not
roopam : form
asya : this
iha : here
tathaa : like
upalabhyate : available
na : no
antaha : end
na : not
cha : and
aadihi : beginning
na : not
cha : and
sampratishthaa : existence
ashvattham : ashvattha tree
suviroodhamoolam : with firm roots
asangashastrena : weapon of dispassion
dridhena : robust
chittvaa : having cut
 
Most of us love to see the image of planet earth from space. The majesty of that image captured by countless satellites over the years never fails to attract us. But without those satellites, we would never know that the earth looks like it does, because we did not have the means to see the big picture by oursleves. Or take a factory worker employed in a multi billion dollar multinational. All he gets to see is his machine for eight to ten hours a day. Except the CEO and a few other senior people, no one has the big picture view of the complex organization available.
 
Similarly, Shri Krishna says that most of us do not have the big picture view of our existence in this world. We simply live out our lives in the endless chain of attraction to sense objects, desire, action, result and further desire. To lift us out of this narrow view of life, he very compassionately gives us the illustration of the tree of samsaara in the previous two shlokas.
 
He very clearly states that no matter who we are, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, fit or sick, we are all entangled in this upside down tree of samsaara. We never see our existence as it really is. We do not see its beginning, middle or end. It is in fact, a gigantic illusion that has been given reality due to the long standing ignorance of our true nature.
 
The message of this shloka carries over into the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 15

adhashchordhvam prasritaastasya shaakhaa gunapravriddha vishayapravaalaahaa |
adhashcha moolanyanusantataani karmaanubandheeni manushyaloke || 2 ||
 
Its branches are spread below and above, nourished by the gunas. Sense objects are its sprouts, and, below in the human realm, stretch its roots that bind through actions.
 
adhaha : below
cha : and
oordhvam : above
prasritaahaa : spread
tasya : of that
shaakhaa : branches
gunapravriddha : nourished by gunas
vishayapravaalaahaa : sprouts are sense objects
adhaha : below
cha : and
moolani : roots
anusantataani : stretching
karmaanubandheeni : binding due to actions
manushyaloke : human realm
 
Shri Krishna began describing an upside-down tree as a metaphor for the material world in the prior shloka. Here, he continues to describe it in more detail. When its buds or sprouts grown into branches and touch the ground, they turn into roots that embed firmly into the ground, and then grow into several additional trunks around the main tree. Such gigantic tree structures are common in the Banyan tree family. Over a period of time, a small tree with one trunk becomes a mini forest in itself.
 
Our lives are no different. For many people, the American dream comprises owning a large house, two cars, good schools for children, a big screen TV and so on. First, the newly married family takes out a big loan to buy a house. The house is empty, so it needs furniture and appliances. The garage is empty, so two cars need to be purchased. The living room is empty, so a large screen TV is needed. The TV requires a cable connection, a DVD player, a Playstation and so on endlessly. The one purchase of a house led to other purchases, which led to other purchases and so on. This is nothing but the upside down tree of samsaara playing out in our lives.
 
So this tree of samsaara, made up of the three gunas of Prakriti, grows and expands through repetitive chasing of sense objects. Each sense object generates desires, desires generate actions to get those sense objects, and attainment of sense objects creates further desires. Actions bind us by making us giving importance to the branches of the tree, by making us run away from Ishvara, who is at the root of the tree. How do we tackle this problem? Shri Krishna gives the solution in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 15

Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
oordhvamoolamadhahashaakhamashvattham praahuravyayam |
chhandaamsi yasya parnaani yastam veda sa vedavita || 1 ||
 
Shree Bhagavaan said:
With roots above and branches below, the Ashvattha tree is said to be imperishable, with the Vedas as its leaves. He who knows this, knows the Vedas.
 
oordhvamoolam : roots above
adhahashaakham : branches below
ashvattham : Ashvattha tree
praahuhu : is said
avyayam : imperishable
chhandaamsi : Vedas
yasya : of whose
parnaani : leaves
yaha : who
tam : that
veda : knows
sahe : he
vedavita : Vedas
 
Shri Krishna begins the fifteenth chapter describing an unusual sort of tree. It is "oordhvamoolam adhahashaakham". It is upside down, with roots above and branches below. It is not as unusual as it sounds, because we encounter several trees that are inverted in our lives. A family tree, the map of an organization with the CEO on top, a decision tree in management sciences, all of these trees are upside down, with their root on top and branches below.
 
Such inverted trees have some interesting characteristics. The farther away one goes from the root, the greater is the loss of the substance or the essence. A junior employee has far less power than the CEO in an org chart, for instance. Also, these trees are never static. They keep changing. Hence, the tree described in this illustration is called "ashvattha", which means not lasting for long. This is also the name of the tree known as ficus religiosa, or the Peepul tree in India.
 
Now, let us examine the metaphors used in this illustration. The root of this tree is Ishvara, the saguna brahman, the eternal essence with form. Its branches have evolved from Ishvara, and are nothing but the hardening of Prakriti, the hardening of the three gunas due to their permutations and combinations. The process of the creation of the universe has been explained in detail in prior chapters. It is similar to a tender, subtle sapling hardening into a robust tree as it grows over time. It is termed as avyayam or imperishable because it is permanent after its reality has been ascertained, like the illusion of the blue sky. Even when we come to know that the sky is not really blue, but just looks that way, we still perceive the illusion.
 
In any complex system, there are rules that tell how what to do and what not to do. The Vedas are the rules of this universe, and are metaphorically represented as the leaves of this ashvattha tree. Just like there are rules on how to get promoted in a corporation, there are rules in the Vedas that give us instructions on how to act in life, and how not to commit sins or errors. They are the storehouse of knowledge and actions needed to thrive in this world. One who knows the functioning of the universe in this manner, one who knows how to get to the source which is Ishvara, needs to know nothing else.
 
We now come to the fundamental question. Why has Shri Krishna started talking about this tree now? It is to cultivate dispassion or vairagya in us. Even a tinge of attachment to the world can derail our spiritual progress. Over the next few shlokas, we will learn more about this tree so that we can understand our entanglement in it, and consequently, learn how to release ourselves from it through dispassion.

Summary of Bhagavad Gita Chapter 14

In the thirteenth chapter, we leaned that our existence in this world is the result of a two-step problem. First, ignorance of our real nature creates this illusory but distinct entity called the Purusha or the jeeva. The jeeva gets trapped as a result of its attachment to the three gunas of Prakriti. In order to provide the means by which we can detach ourselves from the three gunas, Shri Krishna reveals this teaching in the fourteenth chapter.
 
He begins by glorifying this knowledge, and by revealing its fruit as fruit as liberation or moksha. He reiterates that the combination of the awareness aspect and the material aspect of Ishvara gives rise to this entire universe. The jeeva, the awareness aspect of Ishvara present in each of us, identifies with Prakriti, the material aspect. This identification, a product of ignorance, ensnares us in the endless cycle of birth and death in various kinds of wombs.
 
Next, we are led through a detailed analysis of Prakriti. Like the driver who erroneously identifies with someone else's car and bears the consequences of that identification, we identify with the three gunas erroneously and are bound by their characteristics. Sattva binds through attachment to joy and knowledge. Rajas binds through attachment to action. Tamas binds through attachment to heedlessness, laziness and sloth. Only one guna dominates at one time. When one guna is strong, it overpowers the others.
 
Shri Krishna gives us the effects of each guna so that we can look within to understand the proportion of gunas within us. If we are full of radiance and knowledge, sattva prevails. If we are greedy all the time, and it results in desire and action, rajas prevails. If we are full of ignorance, heedlessness and error - tamas prevails.
 
Our fate after death is also determined by our predominant mental state at the time of death. A sattvic state leads a jeeva to come into a family of knowledge and improve its chance of liberation. A rajasic state leads it into a materialistic and action oriented family. A tamasic state leads a jeeva to take birth as animals or plants, hurting its chances of liberation. But to achieve liberation, we need to transcend all the three gunas.
 
Arjuna asks the question - what are signs of one who has transcended the three gunas? Shri Krishna replies - it is one who is not impacted, affected or attached to any of the gunas. Such a person views the entire universe, including his body, as gunas acting upon gunas. How does such a person behave in the world? He shows complete and utter equanimity towards objects, situations and people at all times. And how does one transcend the gunas in practice? Only through single pointed devotion to Ishvara, since Ishvara is the abode of nirguna brahman, the unconditioned and pure eternal essence. We need to detach from Prakriti and attach ourselves to Ishvara.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 27, Chapter 14

brahmano hi pratishthaahamamritasyaavyayasya cha |
shaashvatasya cha dharmasya sukhasyaikaantikasya cha || 27 ||
 
For, I am the abode of brahman, the immortal, the imperishable, the eternal constitution, and of absolute joy.
 
brahmanaha : brahman
hi : for
pratishthaa : abode
aham : I am
amritasya : immortal
avyayasya : imperishable
cha : and
shaashvatasya : eternal
cha : and
dharmasya : constitution
sukhasya : of joy
aikaantikasya : absolute
cha : and
 
The thirteenth chapter of the Gita explained the topic of jnyaana yoga or the yoga of knowledge. One of the topics in that chapter was the description of nirguna brahman, which is the eternal essence in its purest state. Shri Krishna described the technique of mentally removing the upaadhis - the veiling of the organs, the senses and so on - to get to the eternal essence that is at the core all of us. One who attained this eternal essence through jnyaana yoga achieved liberation or moksha. Arjuna recollected this teaching, and a doubt arose in his mind. What was that doubt?
 
In the previous shloka of this chapter, Shri Krishna asserted that liberation would be attained by the one who has undivided devotion towards Ishvara. But in the previous chapter, Shri Krishna had said that the fruit of knowing the eternal essence in its purest state, nirguna brahman, also resulted in liberation. To address Arjuna's doubt about the difference between the two approaches, Shri Krishna says here that he, as Ishvara, is the abode of the pure eternal essence, of nirguna brahman. In other words, undivided devotion to Ishvara results in the same outcome as does the yoga of knowledge. He also describes this pure eternal essence as immortal, imperishable, eternal and full of joy, just like he did in the thirteenth chapter. Furthermore, he says that the eternal essence is attained through the dharma or constitution of devotion and knowledge.
 
Shri Shankaraachaarya provides further nuances to this explanation in his commentary. He says that Prakriti or maaya is a power of nirguna brahman. Just like the strength of a strong person is inseparable from the person itself, maaya is inseparable from nirguna brahman. Therefore, it is nirguna brahman, with the power of maaya, that is speaking to Arjuna as Ishvara. This is the connection between nirguna brahman - brahman without maaya - and saguna brahman - brahman with maaya. Saguna brahman is the abode, and the power, of nirguna brahman. And the methods to attain brahman - devotion and knowledge - are two sides of the same coin. With this message, Shri Krishna concludes the fourteenth chapter.
 
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade gunatrayavibhaagayogo naama chaturdashodhyaayaha || 14 ||

Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 14

maam cha yovyabhichaarena bhaktiyogena sevate |
sa gunaansamateetyaitaanbrahmabhooyaaya kalpate || 26 ||
 
And he who worships me with the unwavering yoga of devotion, having gone beyond these gunas, becomes fit for attaining brahman.
 
maam : my
cha : and
yaha : he who
avyabhichaarena : unwavering
bhakti : devotion
yogena : with yoga
sevate : worship
saha : he
gunaan : gunas
samateetya : gone beyond
etaan : these
brahmabhooyaaya : attaining Brahman
kalpate : fit
 
Since this chapter is coming to an end, let us do a quick recap. We learned that this entire universe, including our mind and body, is nothing but the play of the three gunas of Prakriti - sattva, rajas and tamas. Only when we learn to stand apart from the gunas, when we separate ourselves from the gunas, can we attain liberation from the endless cycle of sorrow known as samsaara. For most of us, such a high degree of discrimination is extremely difficult. Moreover, such discrimination needs to be combined with dispassion as well as total control of the mind and the sense organs.
 
Knowing the impediments of fulfilling all these requirements, Arjuna wanted to know whether there was a straightforward way of releasing oneself from the influence of the gunas. Shri Krishna says that yes, it is possible. The answer is the yoga of unwavering devotion, which was the topic of chapters seven to twelve. In a nutshell, we detach ourselves from the gunas by attaching ourselves to something higher, which is Ishvara. It is like the child who gives up his toys because he loves poetry now that he is a teenager.
 
This yoga of devotion is not completely without effort, however. Shri Krishna adds an adjective that we need to bear in mind - avyabhichaarena or unwavering. We cannot keep Ishvara as our goal from 7 am to 8 am and then start thinking about how to demolish our competitors from 8 am to 11 am. The one and only goal should be Ishvara. If all our goals are within the scope of our svadharma, our prescribed role in this world, they very naturally are part and parcel of our devotion towards Ishvara.
 
Having made Ishvara our only goal, and having maintained such an awareness throughout our life, we become fit to attain brahman. How does that happen? The next and last shloka of this chapter addresses this topic.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 25, Chapter 14

maanaapamaanayostulyastulyo mitraaripakshayoho |
sarvaarambhaparityaagee gunaateetaha sa ucchyate || 25 ||
 
Alike in honour and in dishonour, alike towards friend or foe, abandoning all activities, such a person is called one who has transcended the gunas.
 
maanaapamaanayoho : in honour and dishonour
tulyaha : alike
mitraaripakshayoho : towards friend or foe
sarvaarambhaparityaagee : abandoning all activities
gunaateetaha : transcended the gunas
saha : such a person
ucchyate : called
 
Imagine that you are watching a stage production of Shakespeare’s King Lear. Suddenly, in the middle of the play, the actor playing King Lear starts speaking his own dialogue instead of following the script. After a few minutes of commotion, the curtain is lowered. Later, when asked as to why he spoke his own lines, the actor asserted that he thought his own lines were better than Shakespeare’s. It will be quite difficult for such an actor to get any more roles, or keep his existing roles, if he were to force his own views onto the script.
 
Shri Krishna says that the one who has truly renounced all activities, given all up notions such as "I am doing this, I am doing that", such a person can be called the one who has gone beyond the three gunas. Like actors in a play, all activities in the world are nothing but the gunas interacting with the gunas. If we harbour the notion that our "I" is somehow involved in these activities, we have identified ourselves with our body, which is nothing but a product of the gunas. Through discrimination and detachment, we can see ourselves as distinct and separate from the gunas.
 
Such a person who can maintain this detachment from the gunas is indifferent to what the world thinks of him. Honour and dishonour are the same to him. If a friend helps him, he does not get elated. If a foe troubles him, he sees it as an opportunity to further increase his vairagya or dispassion towards the world. Any time the thought that "I did this" or "I earned this" enters his mind, he immediately discards it and brings back the awareness that everything is happening in Prakriti, the three gunas.
 
So, with this shloka and the previous one, Shri Krishna answers the question, what is the conduct of one who has transcended the gunas.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 14

samaduhkhasukhaha svastaha samaloshtashmakanchanaha |
tulyapriyaapriyo dheerastulyanindaatmasamstuti || 24 ||
 
He to whom sorrow and joy are same, he who is established in his self, who regards mud, stone and gold as same, he who treats the dear and the detested as alike, he who is wise, he who treats insult and praise as alike.
 
sama : same
duhkhasukhaha : sorrow and joy
svastaha : established in his self
sama : same
loshta : mud
ashma : stone
kanchanaha : gold
tulya : alike
priya : dear
apriyaha : detested
dheeraha : wise
tulya : alike
nindaa : insult
aatmasamstutihi : self praise
 
Shri Krishna continues to explain the conduct of one who has gone beyond the gunas. He says that such a person maintains a state of balance, a state of equanimity in his dealing with objects of the world and with people. Right from the second chapter, Shri Krishna has repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining samatva or equanimity in our lives, and does so again in this shloka. Only he who has transcended the gunas can maintain this level of equanimity. Such a person is termed "dhira" or wise, and "svastha" meaning self-established or healthy by Shri Krishna.
 
Three types of objects are mentioned in this shloka : a lump of clay, a stone, and a piece of gold. The person who has transcended the gunas will understand the real-world, practical difference in value of all these three objects. He will also know that at some times, some of these objects will bring joy, and some of these objects will bring sorrow. When he has to rush to the hospital to deal with a medical emergency, no piece of gold can bring him joy. He will continually maintain the awareness that clay, stone and gold, and the subsequent joy and sorrow that they bring, are nothing but the gunas playing with themselves. With this knowledge, he will maintain his balance and equanimity.
 
Now we look at how such a person deals with people. When people praise us or act in our interest, they become dear to us. When they insult us or trouble us in any way, we begin to detest them. Just like objects, different types of people can generate different reactions in different circumstances. Friends can become rivals, relatives can become enemies, even families can fall apart within minutes. One who has learned to transcend the gunas will transact with people appropriate to the situation, but will never hold on to one person, or run away from them. Praise, insult, friend, foe, all these are interactions between gunas. His "I", his self, has nothing to do with any of these.