brahmabhootaha prasannaatmaa nashochati na kaankshati |
samaha sarveshu bhooteshu madbhaktim labhate paraam || 54 ||
One who has become the eternal essence, who has attained the joyful self, does not grieve nor desire. Equanimous towards all beings, he attains supreme devotion to me.
brahmabhootaha : one who has become the eternal essence
prasannaatmaa : attained the joyful self
na : not
shochati : grieve
na : not
kaankshati : desire
samaha : equanimous
sarveshu : towards all
bhooteshu : beings
madbhaktim : devotion to me
labhate : attains
paraam : supreme
Having described the duties of a monk or a sanyaasi in the previous three shlokas, Shri Krishna explains the result of assiduously following those duties. The monk develops supreme devotion, paraa bhakti, towards Ishvara. As the monk decreases his involvement in the material world, makes his mind pure, his devotion towards Ishvara starts to increase. The culmination of this devotion is complete equanimity towards everyone and everything. He sees everyone’s joy as his joy, and everyone’s sorrow as his sorrow. He feels fulfilled in himself, therefore he has no desire for anything new, or no grief for anything that he does not have. Only joy remains.
From the standpoint of Vedanta, the first six chapters of the Gita covered the analysis of "tvam", the individual. Starting with karma yoga, then the purification of mind, then the study of scriptures, followed by taking up renunciation of all actions or monkhood, the seeker comes to know himself as the pure self, as distinct from his body and mind, which are products of maaya. But so long as he sees even a tinge of difference between his self and the world, that tinge of difference will eventually bring back raaga and dvesha, like and dislike. Therefore, he also needs to conduct analysis on the "tat", which is Ishvara.
Analysis of Ishvara, knowing Ishvara in essence, was the topic of the chapters seven to twelve in the Gita. The seeker realizes that Ishvara creates, supports and destroys the world, through his power known as maaya. Maaya has the power to cover the true nature of Ishvara, and project a world of dazzling name and form. But, by listing Ishvara’s vibhootis, and by eventually describing his universal form, Shri Krishna informs the seeker that Ishvara also, like the self, is distinct from the universal body and the universal mind. All that the seeker needs to do is to see the oneness between his pure self and Ishvara’s pure self, distinct from all effects of maaya.
Showing posts with label shochati. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shochati. Show all posts
Friday, July 12, 2013
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 12
yo na hrishyati na dveshti na shochati na kaanshati |
shubhaashubhaparityaagee bhaktimaanhyaha sa me priyaha || 17 ||
He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither rejoices nor grieves, he who has given up good and bad, he who is (such a) devoted person, he is dear to me.
yaha : he who
na : not
hrishyati : rejoices
na : not
dveshti : hates
na : not
shochati : grieves
na : not
kaanshati : desires
shubhaashubhaparityaagee : given up good and bad
bhaktimaan : devoted person
yaha : he who
saha : he
me : me
priyaha : dear
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna described the attitude of a perfected devotee towards the performance of actions. He now elaborates upon the attitude of a perfected devotee towards situations, objects, thoughts and emotions that he encounters. These may come to him either as a result of his actions or as a matter of course in his daily life.
When we usually encounter a situation or obtain an object, we are either attracted to it, repulsed by it or are indifferent to it. Attraction generates desires that are stored in our mind, and repulsion generates negative desires, a list of things we would like to stay away from. If we eventually get the favourable object, or hold on to the favourable situation long enough, we become "harshita", we rejoice. But if we lose that object or situation, which is bound to happen sometime, we become "shochita", we grieve. Attraction, revulsion, desire, hatred, joy, grief - this is how most of us usually operate.
The perfected devotee, however, has tackled this problem at its root. He has stopped labelling any object, person, situation or thought as either good or bad, because it is exactly this labelling that starts the chain reaction of attraction, desire, joy and sorrow. He is like the model student who does not label his teacher's feedback as good or bad, whether it be praise or criticism, because he has the utmost faith in his teacher. The perfected devotee accepts all objects and situations as Ishvara's blessings, does what he has to do, and moves on. Shri Krishna says that one who accepts whatever comes with way due to his faith and devotion to Ishvara, is dear to him.
shubhaashubhaparityaagee bhaktimaanhyaha sa me priyaha || 17 ||
He who neither rejoices nor hates, neither rejoices nor grieves, he who has given up good and bad, he who is (such a) devoted person, he is dear to me.
yaha : he who
na : not
hrishyati : rejoices
na : not
dveshti : hates
na : not
shochati : grieves
na : not
kaanshati : desires
shubhaashubhaparityaagee : given up good and bad
bhaktimaan : devoted person
yaha : he who
saha : he
me : me
priyaha : dear
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna described the attitude of a perfected devotee towards the performance of actions. He now elaborates upon the attitude of a perfected devotee towards situations, objects, thoughts and emotions that he encounters. These may come to him either as a result of his actions or as a matter of course in his daily life.
When we usually encounter a situation or obtain an object, we are either attracted to it, repulsed by it or are indifferent to it. Attraction generates desires that are stored in our mind, and repulsion generates negative desires, a list of things we would like to stay away from. If we eventually get the favourable object, or hold on to the favourable situation long enough, we become "harshita", we rejoice. But if we lose that object or situation, which is bound to happen sometime, we become "shochita", we grieve. Attraction, revulsion, desire, hatred, joy, grief - this is how most of us usually operate.
The perfected devotee, however, has tackled this problem at its root. He has stopped labelling any object, person, situation or thought as either good or bad, because it is exactly this labelling that starts the chain reaction of attraction, desire, joy and sorrow. He is like the model student who does not label his teacher's feedback as good or bad, whether it be praise or criticism, because he has the utmost faith in his teacher. The perfected devotee accepts all objects and situations as Ishvara's blessings, does what he has to do, and moves on. Shri Krishna says that one who accepts whatever comes with way due to his faith and devotion to Ishvara, is dear to him.
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