karmanaha sukritasyaahuhu saattvikam nirmalam phalam |
rajasastu phalam duhkhamajnyaanam tamasaha phalam || 16 ||
The result of good action is sattvik and pure, it is said, while the result of rajas is sorrow, and the result of tamas is ignorance.
karmanaha : action
sukritasya : good
aahuhu : is said
saattvikam : sattvik
nirmalam : pure
phalam : result
rajasaha : rajas
tu : while
phalam : result
duhkham : sorrow
ajnyaanam : ignorance
tamasaha : tamas
phalam : result
When new year comes around, many people make new year resolutions to lose weight. Many take a gym membership, but most end up using it only for a few days. The ones that consciously develop a habit of going to the gym everyday are the most likely to lose weight. Even if they go to the gym for ten minutes every day, they will lose weight. This is because habits are self reinforcing. A behaviour creates a habit, which pushes us to repeat the behaviour, which strengthens the habit, and so on.
Similarly, we can shape our mental states by choosing our actions consciously. Shri Krishna says that sattvic or selfless actions generate a sattvic state, rajasic or selfish actions generate a rajasic state, and tamasic or ignorant actions generate a tamasic state. If we are predominantly rajasic by nature, we can improve our state by emphasizing the performance of sattvic actions. If we are predominantly tamasic by nature, we can change it by emphasizing the performance of rajasic actions.
The law of karma holds true in every situation, including this one. If we perform rajasic actions, we will attain temporary joy, which will eventually generate sorrow. It does not take a large amount of raaga dvesha, likes or dislikes, to make us act selfishly. And if we perform tamasic actions, we will continue to live our lives in inertness and ignorance. Only through sattvic actions will we create a state of purity and serenity in our mind.
Showing posts with label tu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tu. Show all posts
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 14
yada sattve pravriddhe tu pralayam yaati dehabhrita |
tadottamavidaan lokaanamalaanpratipadyate || 14 ||
When sattva is predominant, and the body dweller reaches his end, then he attains the immaculate worlds of the knowers of the highest.
yada : when
sattve : sattva
pravriddhe : predominant
tu : and
pralayam : end
yaati : reaches
dehabhrita : body dweller
tadaa : then
uttamavidaan : knowers of the highest
lokaan : worlds
amalaan : immaculate
pratipadyate : attains
Now, Shri Krishna explains the effects of each gunaa from the perspective of reincarnation. He says that one whose mind is in a sattvic state during the time of death travels to realms that are subtler than the human world. These realms are termed as “Brahmaloka”, the abode of Lord Brahma. It is said that there is no room for any desire, sorrow or disease in such realms, given the complete absence of rajas or tamas. Such people, however, are still subject to the bondages caused by sattva, as discussed previously.
Let us revisit the example of the young child who has developed a strong identification with a television character played by the actor “ABC”. ABC’s run as an action hero in a popular TV show has ended. He has decided to play the role of a serious professor in his new TV series. The young child now has a choice. He can either continue to identify with ABC in his new role as a professor, or find another TV show with an action hero to identify with. The choice depends on the young child’s mental state. If it is heavily rajasic, he will find another action hero. If it has some sattva, he will follow ABC as a professor.
Similarly, our desires and thoughts, which are driven by the gunaas that influence us, will determine our fate after this physical body drops. The subtle body, which is nothing but our desires and thoughts, will attract another physical body that enables it to carry out those desires. It is almost similar to DNA shaping a body based on the programming it contains. Therefore, if our subtle body harbours sattvic thoughts, it will gain entry into a highly sattvic body after death. But if it continues to harbour rajasic or tamasic thoughts, it will obtain a different destination. This is explained in the next shloka.
tadottamavidaan lokaanamalaanpratipadyate || 14 ||
When sattva is predominant, and the body dweller reaches his end, then he attains the immaculate worlds of the knowers of the highest.
yada : when
sattve : sattva
pravriddhe : predominant
tu : and
pralayam : end
yaati : reaches
dehabhrita : body dweller
tadaa : then
uttamavidaan : knowers of the highest
lokaan : worlds
amalaan : immaculate
pratipadyate : attains
Now, Shri Krishna explains the effects of each gunaa from the perspective of reincarnation. He says that one whose mind is in a sattvic state during the time of death travels to realms that are subtler than the human world. These realms are termed as “Brahmaloka”, the abode of Lord Brahma. It is said that there is no room for any desire, sorrow or disease in such realms, given the complete absence of rajas or tamas. Such people, however, are still subject to the bondages caused by sattva, as discussed previously.
Let us revisit the example of the young child who has developed a strong identification with a television character played by the actor “ABC”. ABC’s run as an action hero in a popular TV show has ended. He has decided to play the role of a serious professor in his new TV series. The young child now has a choice. He can either continue to identify with ABC in his new role as a professor, or find another TV show with an action hero to identify with. The choice depends on the young child’s mental state. If it is heavily rajasic, he will find another action hero. If it has some sattva, he will follow ABC as a professor.
Similarly, our desires and thoughts, which are driven by the gunaas that influence us, will determine our fate after this physical body drops. The subtle body, which is nothing but our desires and thoughts, will attract another physical body that enables it to carry out those desires. It is almost similar to DNA shaping a body based on the programming it contains. Therefore, if our subtle body harbours sattvic thoughts, it will gain entry into a highly sattvic body after death. But if it continues to harbour rajasic or tamasic thoughts, it will obtain a different destination. This is explained in the next shloka.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 14
tamastvajnyaanajam viddhi mohanam sarvadehinaam |
pramaadaalasyanidraabhistannibadhnaati bhaarata || 8 ||
And, know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all the body dwellers. It binds them through heedlessness, laziness and sloth, O Bhaarata.
tamaha : tamas
tu : and
ajnyaanajam : born of ignorance
viddhi : know
mohanam : delude
sarvadehinaam : all body dwellers
pramaada : heedlessness
aalasya : laziness
nidraabhihi : through sloth
tat : it
nibadhnaati : binds
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
Tamas is our state of mind when it is dull and inert. Like a glass of dirty water cannot let light shine through, tamas prevents our mind from thinking clearly. Our mind starts to operate in moha, which means confusion or error, mistaking one thing for another. Tamas can be triggered by an overpowering emotional situation like Arjuna seeing his family members and loved ones on the opposite side of the battlefield. A tamasic state can also be triggered by abusing our sense organs through excessive drinking, smoking, watching TV and so on.
After a long and tiring day, when we want to rush to get a good night’s sleep, we get a call from a friend who wants to catch up. Try as we might, we will not be able to understand what he is saying because the mind has switched to a tamasic state due to exhaustion. Our memory does not work properly and our intellect’s logic is flawed. All we want to do is to rest our head on the pillow. When tamas reaches the height of its potency, we fall asleep.
Shri Krishna says that tamas is born out of ignorance. At its core, tamas keeps the Purusha, the jeeva, body dweller under the delusion that he is the body and not the self. When we forget our true nature as the self, the eternal essence, we assume that our body is who we are. This erroneous notion, this ignorance enables tamas to bind us, to trap us.
Tamas binds us in three ways, through heedlessness, laziness and sloth. Heedlessness is the performance of actions without intellectual focus or awareness. We either perform actions carelessly, such as dialing the wrong phone number, or perform actions that are futile, such as gambling or excessive alcohol consumption. Laziness is postponing or abstaining from our duties. Sloth is lying around in a state of stupor or sleep. Now, there is a place for resting and sleeping in our life, which is at the end of every day. But some of us derive joy from futile actions, from procrastination, from lazing around and so on. It is this joy through which tamas binds us.
pramaadaalasyanidraabhistannibadhnaati bhaarata || 8 ||
And, know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all the body dwellers. It binds them through heedlessness, laziness and sloth, O Bhaarata.
tamaha : tamas
tu : and
ajnyaanajam : born of ignorance
viddhi : know
mohanam : delude
sarvadehinaam : all body dwellers
pramaada : heedlessness
aalasya : laziness
nidraabhihi : through sloth
tat : it
nibadhnaati : binds
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
Tamas is our state of mind when it is dull and inert. Like a glass of dirty water cannot let light shine through, tamas prevents our mind from thinking clearly. Our mind starts to operate in moha, which means confusion or error, mistaking one thing for another. Tamas can be triggered by an overpowering emotional situation like Arjuna seeing his family members and loved ones on the opposite side of the battlefield. A tamasic state can also be triggered by abusing our sense organs through excessive drinking, smoking, watching TV and so on.
After a long and tiring day, when we want to rush to get a good night’s sleep, we get a call from a friend who wants to catch up. Try as we might, we will not be able to understand what he is saying because the mind has switched to a tamasic state due to exhaustion. Our memory does not work properly and our intellect’s logic is flawed. All we want to do is to rest our head on the pillow. When tamas reaches the height of its potency, we fall asleep.
Shri Krishna says that tamas is born out of ignorance. At its core, tamas keeps the Purusha, the jeeva, body dweller under the delusion that he is the body and not the self. When we forget our true nature as the self, the eternal essence, we assume that our body is who we are. This erroneous notion, this ignorance enables tamas to bind us, to trap us.
Tamas binds us in three ways, through heedlessness, laziness and sloth. Heedlessness is the performance of actions without intellectual focus or awareness. We either perform actions carelessly, such as dialing the wrong phone number, or perform actions that are futile, such as gambling or excessive alcohol consumption. Laziness is postponing or abstaining from our duties. Sloth is lying around in a state of stupor or sleep. Now, there is a place for resting and sleeping in our life, which is at the end of every day. But some of us derive joy from futile actions, from procrastination, from lazing around and so on. It is this joy through which tamas binds us.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 12
ye tu dharmyaamritamidam yathoktam paryupaasate |
shradyadhaanaa matparamaa bhaktosteteeva me priyaha || 20 ||
Therefore, those who partake of this nectar of law described here, endowed with faith, keeping me as the goal, those devotees are extremely dear to me.
ye : those who
tu : therefore
dharmyaamritam : nectar of law
idam : this
yatha : here
uktam : described
paryupaasate : partake
shradyadhaanaa : endowed with faith
mat : me
paramaahaa : goal
bhaktaaha : devotees
te : those
ateeva : extremely
me : me
priyaha : dear
Shri Krishna began listing the attributes of perfected devotees starting from the thirteenth chapter. In this shloka, he concludes this topic by highlighting two key attributes of such devotees: shraddha or faith, and making Ishvara as their ultimate goal, “matparamaahaa”. He terms the teaching of this chapter as the nectar of dharma. We can interpret the word dharma to mean the universal law of nature from the ninth chapter, or also as the nine fold bhaagvat dharma of Prahlaada that was explained earlier in this chapter.
Why are faith and goal-setting given such importance in bhakti or the path of devotion? Consider a child who eventually wants to study at one of the top universities in the world. Until he reaches a stage where he can qualify to attend that university, get selected for admission and begin his coursework, he needs to have faith in the notion that graduating from that university will significantly improve his life. That faith will propel him to set the single-pointed goal of academic success, work hard, to keep aside all distractions and to not give up. Only when he actually graduates will he not need faith anymore, because he has achieved what he set out to achieve. But until them, it is only faith in the goal that keeps him going.
Therefore, Shri Krishna says that those devotees who have fixed Ishvara as the goal, and that who have unwavering faith in that goal, are extremely dear to him. Devotees who love Ishvara without having known him first are devotees of the highest caliber, since it is more difficult to love something without having first known it. Such devotees, who do not need to become monks but just diligently worship Ishvara with form, are assured of liberation by Ishvara himself. This is the concluding message of the twelfth chapter.
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade bhaktiyogo naama dvaadashodhyaayaha || 12 ||
shradyadhaanaa matparamaa bhaktosteteeva me priyaha || 20 ||
Therefore, those who partake of this nectar of law described here, endowed with faith, keeping me as the goal, those devotees are extremely dear to me.
ye : those who
tu : therefore
dharmyaamritam : nectar of law
idam : this
yatha : here
uktam : described
paryupaasate : partake
shradyadhaanaa : endowed with faith
mat : me
paramaahaa : goal
bhaktaaha : devotees
te : those
ateeva : extremely
me : me
priyaha : dear
Shri Krishna began listing the attributes of perfected devotees starting from the thirteenth chapter. In this shloka, he concludes this topic by highlighting two key attributes of such devotees: shraddha or faith, and making Ishvara as their ultimate goal, “matparamaahaa”. He terms the teaching of this chapter as the nectar of dharma. We can interpret the word dharma to mean the universal law of nature from the ninth chapter, or also as the nine fold bhaagvat dharma of Prahlaada that was explained earlier in this chapter.
Why are faith and goal-setting given such importance in bhakti or the path of devotion? Consider a child who eventually wants to study at one of the top universities in the world. Until he reaches a stage where he can qualify to attend that university, get selected for admission and begin his coursework, he needs to have faith in the notion that graduating from that university will significantly improve his life. That faith will propel him to set the single-pointed goal of academic success, work hard, to keep aside all distractions and to not give up. Only when he actually graduates will he not need faith anymore, because he has achieved what he set out to achieve. But until them, it is only faith in the goal that keeps him going.
Therefore, Shri Krishna says that those devotees who have fixed Ishvara as the goal, and that who have unwavering faith in that goal, are extremely dear to him. Devotees who love Ishvara without having known him first are devotees of the highest caliber, since it is more difficult to love something without having first known it. Such devotees, who do not need to become monks but just diligently worship Ishvara with form, are assured of liberation by Ishvara himself. This is the concluding message of the twelfth chapter.
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade bhaktiyogo naama dvaadashodhyaayaha || 12 ||
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 12
ye tu sarvaani karmaani mayi sanyasya matparaahaa |
ananyenaiva yogena maam dhyaayanta upaasate || 6 ||
But, those renounce all actions in me, intent upon me only, meditate upon me through the single-pointed yoga of worship..
ye : those
tu : but
sarvaani : all
karmaani : actions
mayi : me
sanyasya : renounce
matparaahaa : intent upon me
ananyena : single-pointed
eva : only
yogena : through yoga
maam : me
dhyaayanta : meditating
upaasate : worship
Previously, Shri Krishna compared seekers who worship the formless Ishvara to those who worship Ishvara with form, and concluded that the worshippers of the formless Ishvara have more difficulty. We used the example of a child helping his parents to understand the attitude of the formless worshipper and the example of the worker helping his CEO exemplifying the worshipper of Ishvara with form. Now Shri Krishna re-emphasizes the qualifications of the worshipper of Ishvara with form, which is the route that most of us will take.
First, we have to renounce all our actions to Ishvara, in other words, practice karma yoga. Typically, when we perform any actions, we are looking for a tangible material result (monetary profit), emotional result (happiness) or an intellectual result (satisfaction). If our actions don’t turn out as we anticipated, we may get opposite results in the form of loss, sorrow or dissatisfaction. When we perform actions for the sake of renunciation to Ishvara, we leave the outcome to Ishvara, whether it is favourable or not.
When we do this, our mind and intellect do not constantly get destabilized by life’s ups and downs, leaving them free to contemplate the higher goal of Ishvara. But this can only happen through the practice of single-pointed worship, “ananya yoga”, the yoga where there is no other goal but Ishvara. In this manner, when we constantly worship Ishvara through our body, mind and intellect, he takes care of us. How does he do that? Shri Krishna completes this thought in the next shloka.
ananyenaiva yogena maam dhyaayanta upaasate || 6 ||
But, those renounce all actions in me, intent upon me only, meditate upon me through the single-pointed yoga of worship..
ye : those
tu : but
sarvaani : all
karmaani : actions
mayi : me
sanyasya : renounce
matparaahaa : intent upon me
ananyena : single-pointed
eva : only
yogena : through yoga
maam : me
dhyaayanta : meditating
upaasate : worship
Previously, Shri Krishna compared seekers who worship the formless Ishvara to those who worship Ishvara with form, and concluded that the worshippers of the formless Ishvara have more difficulty. We used the example of a child helping his parents to understand the attitude of the formless worshipper and the example of the worker helping his CEO exemplifying the worshipper of Ishvara with form. Now Shri Krishna re-emphasizes the qualifications of the worshipper of Ishvara with form, which is the route that most of us will take.
First, we have to renounce all our actions to Ishvara, in other words, practice karma yoga. Typically, when we perform any actions, we are looking for a tangible material result (monetary profit), emotional result (happiness) or an intellectual result (satisfaction). If our actions don’t turn out as we anticipated, we may get opposite results in the form of loss, sorrow or dissatisfaction. When we perform actions for the sake of renunciation to Ishvara, we leave the outcome to Ishvara, whether it is favourable or not.
When we do this, our mind and intellect do not constantly get destabilized by life’s ups and downs, leaving them free to contemplate the higher goal of Ishvara. But this can only happen through the practice of single-pointed worship, “ananya yoga”, the yoga where there is no other goal but Ishvara. In this manner, when we constantly worship Ishvara through our body, mind and intellect, he takes care of us. How does he do that? Shri Krishna completes this thought in the next shloka.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 54, Chapter 11
bhaktyaa tvananyayaa shakya ahamevamvidhorjuna |
jnyaatum drishtum cha tattvena praveshtum cha parantapa || 54 ||
But, by single-pointed devotion, I am accessible, O Arjuna. In this manner, as my essence, I can be known, seen, and merged into, O scorcher of foes.
bhaktyaa : devotion
tu : but
ananyayaa : single-pointed
shakyaha : accessible
aham : I
evam : this
vidhihi : manner
arjuna : O Arjuna
jnyaatum : known
drishtum : seen
cha : and
tattvena : essence
praveshtum : merged
cha : and
parantapa : O scorcher of foes
So finally, Shri Krishna reveals the means by which we can access Ishvara’s cosmic form. It cannot be through any action such as rituals, study of the Vedas and so on since all of these methods are in the realm of space and time. “Ananya bhakti”, or single-pointed devotion is the only means to access Ishvara. We have come across the term “ananya” in prior chapters. It means that in which there is no “anya”, no other. We should not be devoted to Ishvara so that we can get something else. The devotion should be for obtaining Ishvara and nothing else.
We see this principle in our daily life as well. You have two friends, one who always comes to you when he needs something from you, not otherwise. Another friend comes to you just to know how you are doing, without any ulterior motive or hidden agenda. We would always prefer to deal with the second friend, and say to him "my house is your house, don't behave like a stranger, take what you want". Similarly, when we ask something materialistic from Ishvara, we treat him as different from us. Ishvara does not like this. When we want only Ishvara, we do not treat him as different from us. This is the crux of single-pointed devotion.
In the second half of the shloka, Shri Krishna outlines the process of attaining Ishvara. First, we have to know what Ishvara is, discarding all our prior notions. We have to know him as “tattvena”, in his essence, as pervading the entire world, not as someone hiding up in the sky somewhere. When we gain this knowledge and reflect upon it constantly, we begin to see Ishvara in everything, and everything as Ishvara. But the last step, of not seeing Ishvara from the outside, but of totally merging into Ishvara, can only happen through single-pointed devotion. Arjuna came to know Ishvara through Shri Krishna’s teaching, and he also saw Ishvara’s cosmic form. But he did not fully merge into it, he was standing out of it.
In this manner, Shri Krishna slowly brings up the topic of the next chapter, which is the yoga of bhakti or devotion. He summarizes this chapter in the next and last shloka.
jnyaatum drishtum cha tattvena praveshtum cha parantapa || 54 ||
But, by single-pointed devotion, I am accessible, O Arjuna. In this manner, as my essence, I can be known, seen, and merged into, O scorcher of foes.
bhaktyaa : devotion
tu : but
ananyayaa : single-pointed
shakyaha : accessible
aham : I
evam : this
vidhihi : manner
arjuna : O Arjuna
jnyaatum : known
drishtum : seen
cha : and
tattvena : essence
praveshtum : merged
cha : and
parantapa : O scorcher of foes
So finally, Shri Krishna reveals the means by which we can access Ishvara’s cosmic form. It cannot be through any action such as rituals, study of the Vedas and so on since all of these methods are in the realm of space and time. “Ananya bhakti”, or single-pointed devotion is the only means to access Ishvara. We have come across the term “ananya” in prior chapters. It means that in which there is no “anya”, no other. We should not be devoted to Ishvara so that we can get something else. The devotion should be for obtaining Ishvara and nothing else.
We see this principle in our daily life as well. You have two friends, one who always comes to you when he needs something from you, not otherwise. Another friend comes to you just to know how you are doing, without any ulterior motive or hidden agenda. We would always prefer to deal with the second friend, and say to him "my house is your house, don't behave like a stranger, take what you want". Similarly, when we ask something materialistic from Ishvara, we treat him as different from us. Ishvara does not like this. When we want only Ishvara, we do not treat him as different from us. This is the crux of single-pointed devotion.
In the second half of the shloka, Shri Krishna outlines the process of attaining Ishvara. First, we have to know what Ishvara is, discarding all our prior notions. We have to know him as “tattvena”, in his essence, as pervading the entire world, not as someone hiding up in the sky somewhere. When we gain this knowledge and reflect upon it constantly, we begin to see Ishvara in everything, and everything as Ishvara. But the last step, of not seeing Ishvara from the outside, but of totally merging into Ishvara, can only happen through single-pointed devotion. Arjuna came to know Ishvara through Shri Krishna’s teaching, and he also saw Ishvara’s cosmic form. But he did not fully merge into it, he was standing out of it.
In this manner, Shri Krishna slowly brings up the topic of the next chapter, which is the yoga of bhakti or devotion. He summarizes this chapter in the next and last shloka.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 11
na tu maam shakyase drishtumanenaiva svachakshushaa |
divyam dadaami te chakshuhu pashya me yogaishvaram || 8 ||
But, even this you cannot see with your own eye. I give you a divine eye, (so that you can) see the majesty of my yoga.
na : not
tu : but
maam : my
shakyase : can
drishtum : you see
anena : this
eva : even
svachakshushaa : with your own eye
divyam : divine
dadaami : I give
te : you
chakshuhu : eye
pashya : see
me : my
yoga : yoga
ishvaram : majesty
Even after Shri Krishna had begun displaying his Vishwa roopa, his cosmic form, there seemed to be no response from Arjuna at all. He realized that Arjuna’s mortal eyes did not have the capability needed to view the cosmic form. So he blessed Arjuna with the “divya drishti”, the divine vision with which the yoga, the power of creating this diversity in the universe, could be seen in all its majesty.
Before we proceed with the rest of this chapter, let us pause to dig a little deeper into this shloka. Each chapter in the Gita is a “yoga”, a technique for lifting us higher from the material to the divine. Arjuna was bestowed this vision by Shri Krishna, and we will hear a description of that vision from Sanjaya and Arjuna later in the chapter. But if this chapter is meant to give us a practical technique, what are we supposed to do? What does “divine vision” mean for us?
Let us consider a person from India who is deeply attached to his state or territory. As we have seen repeatedly in the Gita, any sort of deep attachment is a recipe for creating never-ending sorrow. What technique, what yoga could be prescribed for someone in this situation? One could ask that person to get a map of India, look at his state’s border, then mentally erase that border as well as all the other state borders, and see what’s left.
What will he see? He will only see the border of India. There would be no other divisions or distinctions. All conflicts regarding one state versus another would seem meaningless. It does not mean that the sense of attachment has gone away. That is very difficult to achieve. It simply means that the sense of attachment has been raised one step from the relative to the absolute.
Similarly, Shri Krishna asks all of us to view the world with the vision that everything is in Ishvara. Our eyes, limited as they are, will always report divisions and distinctions. That is their nature. But we can always use our intelligence to look through those divisions and see that ultimately, Ishvara is in everything and everything is in Ishvara. If we learn to do this, our attachment to worldly concerns will drop, and shift towards Ishvara.
As we move to the next verse, we will find that the original narrator, Sanjaya, has taken over.
divyam dadaami te chakshuhu pashya me yogaishvaram || 8 ||
But, even this you cannot see with your own eye. I give you a divine eye, (so that you can) see the majesty of my yoga.
na : not
tu : but
maam : my
shakyase : can
drishtum : you see
anena : this
eva : even
svachakshushaa : with your own eye
divyam : divine
dadaami : I give
te : you
chakshuhu : eye
pashya : see
me : my
yoga : yoga
ishvaram : majesty
Even after Shri Krishna had begun displaying his Vishwa roopa, his cosmic form, there seemed to be no response from Arjuna at all. He realized that Arjuna’s mortal eyes did not have the capability needed to view the cosmic form. So he blessed Arjuna with the “divya drishti”, the divine vision with which the yoga, the power of creating this diversity in the universe, could be seen in all its majesty.
Before we proceed with the rest of this chapter, let us pause to dig a little deeper into this shloka. Each chapter in the Gita is a “yoga”, a technique for lifting us higher from the material to the divine. Arjuna was bestowed this vision by Shri Krishna, and we will hear a description of that vision from Sanjaya and Arjuna later in the chapter. But if this chapter is meant to give us a practical technique, what are we supposed to do? What does “divine vision” mean for us?
Let us consider a person from India who is deeply attached to his state or territory. As we have seen repeatedly in the Gita, any sort of deep attachment is a recipe for creating never-ending sorrow. What technique, what yoga could be prescribed for someone in this situation? One could ask that person to get a map of India, look at his state’s border, then mentally erase that border as well as all the other state borders, and see what’s left.
What will he see? He will only see the border of India. There would be no other divisions or distinctions. All conflicts regarding one state versus another would seem meaningless. It does not mean that the sense of attachment has gone away. That is very difficult to achieve. It simply means that the sense of attachment has been raised one step from the relative to the absolute.
Similarly, Shri Krishna asks all of us to view the world with the vision that everything is in Ishvara. Our eyes, limited as they are, will always report divisions and distinctions. That is their nature. But we can always use our intelligence to look through those divisions and see that ultimately, Ishvara is in everything and everything is in Ishvara. If we learn to do this, our attachment to worldly concerns will drop, and shift towards Ishvara.
As we move to the next verse, we will find that the original narrator, Sanjaya, has taken over.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 40, Chapter 10
aantosti mama divyaanaam vibhooteenaam parantapa |
esha toodyeshataha prokto vibhootervistaro mayaa || 40 ||
There is no end to my divine expressions, O scorcher of foes. For, what has been spoken of my expressions is (just) an indicator.
na : no
antaha : end
asti : there is
mama : my
divyaanaam : of divine
vibhooteenaam : expressions
parantapa : O scorcher of foes
eshaha : this
tu : for
udyeshataha : indicator
proktaha : has been spoken
vibhootehe : of the expressions
vistaraha : explanations
mayaa : my
Shri Krishna, speaking as Ishvara, began enumerating his divine expressions in the beginning of this chapter. As we have seen so far, he has highlighted the most glorious, powerful and awe-inspiring aspects of his creation. In this shloka, he admits that it is next to impossible to list every single aspect of creation. But he also asserts that every single aspect of creation is divine, since it has sprung out of Ishvara himself.
So if everything is divine, why should we seek only a subset of Ishvara’s creations? It is to help us move towards liberation. We tend to be drawn towards people or objects in that universe that naturally attract our senses. If we look at them as mere people or objects, we get bound to them through attachment, which will eventually result in sorrow when we get separated from them. But if we look at them as manifestations of Ishvara, we are automatically protected from further entangling ourselves in samsaara, in the desire-oriented world.
Let us go back to the example of Mr. X and his shiny new car. The seed of sorrow was planted the minute he started considering that “the car is mine”. Instead, if Mr. X thinks that the car is Ishvara’s creation, he will immediately drop his sense of “mine-ness” from it. Furthermore, he realizes that the car is a temporary object and will eventually cease to exist. He also comes to know that the sense of joy he derives from buying a new car is not from the car, but it is from the presence of Ishvara inside it. So if something happens to the car, he remains unaffected and unperturbed.
Now having gone through the list, we find that a 21st century person like us has difficulty identifying with Puraanic glories that would have been familiar to Arjuna. How should we deal with this issue? Shri Krishna gives the answer in the next shloka.
esha toodyeshataha prokto vibhootervistaro mayaa || 40 ||
There is no end to my divine expressions, O scorcher of foes. For, what has been spoken of my expressions is (just) an indicator.
na : no
antaha : end
asti : there is
mama : my
divyaanaam : of divine
vibhooteenaam : expressions
parantapa : O scorcher of foes
eshaha : this
tu : for
udyeshataha : indicator
proktaha : has been spoken
vibhootehe : of the expressions
vistaraha : explanations
mayaa : my
Shri Krishna, speaking as Ishvara, began enumerating his divine expressions in the beginning of this chapter. As we have seen so far, he has highlighted the most glorious, powerful and awe-inspiring aspects of his creation. In this shloka, he admits that it is next to impossible to list every single aspect of creation. But he also asserts that every single aspect of creation is divine, since it has sprung out of Ishvara himself.
So if everything is divine, why should we seek only a subset of Ishvara’s creations? It is to help us move towards liberation. We tend to be drawn towards people or objects in that universe that naturally attract our senses. If we look at them as mere people or objects, we get bound to them through attachment, which will eventually result in sorrow when we get separated from them. But if we look at them as manifestations of Ishvara, we are automatically protected from further entangling ourselves in samsaara, in the desire-oriented world.
Let us go back to the example of Mr. X and his shiny new car. The seed of sorrow was planted the minute he started considering that “the car is mine”. Instead, if Mr. X thinks that the car is Ishvara’s creation, he will immediately drop his sense of “mine-ness” from it. Furthermore, he realizes that the car is a temporary object and will eventually cease to exist. He also comes to know that the sense of joy he derives from buying a new car is not from the car, but it is from the presence of Ishvara inside it. So if something happens to the car, he remains unaffected and unperturbed.
Now having gone through the list, we find that a 21st century person like us has difficulty identifying with Puraanic glories that would have been familiar to Arjuna. How should we deal with this issue? Shri Krishna gives the answer in the next shloka.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 29, Chapter 9
samoham sarvabhooteshu na me dveshyati na priyaha |
ye bhajanti tu maam bhaktyaa mayi te teshu chaapyaham || 29 ||
I am the same to all beings, I do not hate nor favour any one. But, those who worship me faithfully, they are in me and I am in them.
samaha : same
aham : I am
sarvabhooteshu : to all beings
na : no one
me : my
dveshyaha : hate
na : nor
priyaha : favour
ye : one who
bhajanti : worships
tu : but
maam : me
bhaktyaa : faithfully
mayi : in me
te : those
teshu : in them
cha : and
api : also
Following the argument so far, one may have a doubt that Ishvara is somewhat partial to his devotees since he offers them liberation, not to others. Shri Krishna addresses this doubt by saying that he is absolutely impartial and that he does not hate or favour anyone. The difference in the result obtained is entirely up to the effort and qualification of the seeker.
Consider a mother who has to feed two sons. One is a wrestler, and one is an invalid. She will give a lot of heavy food to the wrestler, and easy to digest food to the invalid. She cannot be accused of favouring the wrestler because she is giving food based on his efforts and his constitution. Or consider the sun who provides the same heat and light to everyone. If you build a solar power plant, you can generate electricity. If you don’t, you will not be able to do so.
Similarly, Ishvara is same and equal to everyone. In the Mahabharata, Shri Krishna gave Arjuna and Duryodhana. They could either use him or his powerful army for the war. Arjuna chose Shri Krishna and Duryodhana chose the army. It is the person who makes the right or wrong choice. We can either put a plug in the electrical socket or our finger. Electricity does not care, but the results will be different.
Now, if we truly devoted to our family for example, we do not see any barrier, difference, separation between our family and ourselves. Whatever do for them, it is as if we do it for us. Whatever they do for us, they do it as if they were doing it for themselves. Similarly, if we are truly devoted to Ishvara, we see him in us, and he sees us in him.
Here, the topic of sakaama and nishkaama is concluded (desire-oriented and desireless devotion). The topic of the glory of devotion is taken up next.
Footnotes
1. Earlier Shri Krishna had said that Ishvara is not in anyone. This contradiction is resolved if we consider that each statement is made based on one’s perspective. If we are a devotee, Ishvara is in us and we are in Ishvara. If we a materialistic, Ishvara is not in us.
ye bhajanti tu maam bhaktyaa mayi te teshu chaapyaham || 29 ||
I am the same to all beings, I do not hate nor favour any one. But, those who worship me faithfully, they are in me and I am in them.
samaha : same
aham : I am
sarvabhooteshu : to all beings
na : no one
me : my
dveshyaha : hate
na : nor
priyaha : favour
ye : one who
bhajanti : worships
tu : but
maam : me
bhaktyaa : faithfully
mayi : in me
te : those
teshu : in them
cha : and
api : also
Following the argument so far, one may have a doubt that Ishvara is somewhat partial to his devotees since he offers them liberation, not to others. Shri Krishna addresses this doubt by saying that he is absolutely impartial and that he does not hate or favour anyone. The difference in the result obtained is entirely up to the effort and qualification of the seeker.
Consider a mother who has to feed two sons. One is a wrestler, and one is an invalid. She will give a lot of heavy food to the wrestler, and easy to digest food to the invalid. She cannot be accused of favouring the wrestler because she is giving food based on his efforts and his constitution. Or consider the sun who provides the same heat and light to everyone. If you build a solar power plant, you can generate electricity. If you don’t, you will not be able to do so.
Similarly, Ishvara is same and equal to everyone. In the Mahabharata, Shri Krishna gave Arjuna and Duryodhana. They could either use him or his powerful army for the war. Arjuna chose Shri Krishna and Duryodhana chose the army. It is the person who makes the right or wrong choice. We can either put a plug in the electrical socket or our finger. Electricity does not care, but the results will be different.
Now, if we truly devoted to our family for example, we do not see any barrier, difference, separation between our family and ourselves. Whatever do for them, it is as if we do it for us. Whatever they do for us, they do it as if they were doing it for themselves. Similarly, if we are truly devoted to Ishvara, we see him in us, and he sees us in him.
Here, the topic of sakaama and nishkaama is concluded (desire-oriented and desireless devotion). The topic of the glory of devotion is taken up next.
Footnotes
1. Earlier Shri Krishna had said that Ishvara is not in anyone. This contradiction is resolved if we consider that each statement is made based on one’s perspective. If we are a devotee, Ishvara is in us and we are in Ishvara. If we a materialistic, Ishvara is not in us.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 9
aham hi sarvayajnyaanaam bhoktaa cha prabhureva cha |
na tu maamabhijaananti tattvenaatashchyavanti te || 24 ||
For I am the recipient and also the lord of all sacrificial rituals, but they do not know me in essence. That is why they fall.
aham : I
hi : for
sarvayajnyaanaam : all sacrificial rituals
bhoktaa : recipient
cha : and
prabhuhu : lord
eva : also
cha : and
na : not
tu : but
maam : me
abhijaananti : know
tattvena : in essence
ataha : that is why
chyavanti : fall
te : they
Earlier, Shri Krishna asserted that most people worship finite deities with the expectation of finite rewards, but ultimately, all their prayers reach the infinite Ishvara. This type of worship in itself is ok, but the result obtained through this worship can only be finite. Shri Krishna says that the reason most devotees commit this error because they do not recognize Ishvara in essence, they do not comprehend the real nature of Ishvara.
Imagine that people from a remote village visit a city. They may mistake a minister’s office for the nation’s government. They may mistake a computer for the Internet. They may mistake a power outlet for the electric grid. Just like such people will commit grave errors unless they understand the presence of the larger in the small, we also will commit errors in our worship unless we understand the real infinite nature of Ishvara.
So therefore, when we act in this world, we should always bear in mind that the recipient of any action is Ishvara. When we feed someone, care for someone, help someone in need, we should know that ultimately we are feeding, caring for and helping Ishvara. This will reduce our sense of ego or I-ness.
Furthermore, emotions such as pride, greed and jealousy are caused because we think we own something, or we covet something that others own. If we know that the ultimate owner of everything is Ishvara, it reduces our sense of attachment and "mine-ness". Ego and attachment are great obstacles in the path of liberation, and this knowledge cuts them down.
What is the fate of such faulty worship? This is taken up next.
na tu maamabhijaananti tattvenaatashchyavanti te || 24 ||
For I am the recipient and also the lord of all sacrificial rituals, but they do not know me in essence. That is why they fall.
aham : I
hi : for
sarvayajnyaanaam : all sacrificial rituals
bhoktaa : recipient
cha : and
prabhuhu : lord
eva : also
cha : and
na : not
tu : but
maam : me
abhijaananti : know
tattvena : in essence
ataha : that is why
chyavanti : fall
te : they
Earlier, Shri Krishna asserted that most people worship finite deities with the expectation of finite rewards, but ultimately, all their prayers reach the infinite Ishvara. This type of worship in itself is ok, but the result obtained through this worship can only be finite. Shri Krishna says that the reason most devotees commit this error because they do not recognize Ishvara in essence, they do not comprehend the real nature of Ishvara.
Imagine that people from a remote village visit a city. They may mistake a minister’s office for the nation’s government. They may mistake a computer for the Internet. They may mistake a power outlet for the electric grid. Just like such people will commit grave errors unless they understand the presence of the larger in the small, we also will commit errors in our worship unless we understand the real infinite nature of Ishvara.
So therefore, when we act in this world, we should always bear in mind that the recipient of any action is Ishvara. When we feed someone, care for someone, help someone in need, we should know that ultimately we are feeding, caring for and helping Ishvara. This will reduce our sense of ego or I-ness.
Furthermore, emotions such as pride, greed and jealousy are caused because we think we own something, or we covet something that others own. If we know that the ultimate owner of everything is Ishvara, it reduces our sense of attachment and "mine-ness". Ego and attachment are great obstacles in the path of liberation, and this knowledge cuts them down.
What is the fate of such faulty worship? This is taken up next.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 9
mahaatmaanastu maam paartha daiveem prakritimaashritaahaa |
bhajantyananyamanaso jnyaatvaa bhootaadimavyayam || 13 ||
But, noble individuals take refuge in my divine nature, O Paartha. Knowing me as the imperishable source of all beings, they worship me single-mindedly.
mahaatmaanahah : noble individuals
tu : but
maam : my
paartha : O Paartha
daiveem : divine
prakritim : nature
aashritaahaa : take refuge
bhajanti : worship
ananyamanasaha : single-minded
jnyaatvaa : having known
bhootaadim : source of all beings
avyayam : imperishable
Shri Krishna now begins to describe those individuals who have understood the true, divine nature of Ishvara. These “mahaatmaas” or noble individuals treat Ishvara as their one and only one refuge, and worship him with unwavering devotion. With a view to instruct us in the ways of such noble individuals, Shri Krishna devotes the next few shlokas to this topic.
The word “aashritaha” or refuge is key to understanding this shloka. What does this word mean? It is how we answer the question “when I am in trouble, what do I turn to?”. Most of us have various sources of refuge. For some, it is their ancestral inheritance. For some, it is their academic qualifications. For some, it is their family. Whenever we are in trouble, we pursue those avenues for comfort and security.
However, the mahaatmaas or noble individuals do not look to any of these sources for refuge. They have understood one simple fact: anything that can change over time is under the control of Prakriti. Prakriti, the realm of name and form, is every changing and can never be relied upon for support all the time. We ourselves would have encountered several instances where money or family did not help someone in their time of need. The noble individuals know that there is only one true refuge that is universal and unchanging: it is Ishvara.
Knowing this, what do the noble individuals do? They are “ananya manasaha”, they are singularly devoted to Ishvara. Even though they may be tempted by Prakriti’s play and dazzle of name and form, they know that ultimately every source of joy that it gives, turns into sorrow eventually. Furthermore, their devotion for Ishvara is not for the attainment for anything else. It is solely for the attainment of Ishvara.
Unlike these noble individuals, most of us still rush into Prakriti for joy, comfort, security and support. But Prakriti teaches us a lesson over our lifetime when we repeatedly seek joy which turns into sorrow. How do the noble individuals remain focused in Ishvara while living in the world of Prakriti? We shall see next.
bhajantyananyamanaso jnyaatvaa bhootaadimavyayam || 13 ||
But, noble individuals take refuge in my divine nature, O Paartha. Knowing me as the imperishable source of all beings, they worship me single-mindedly.
mahaatmaanahah : noble individuals
tu : but
maam : my
paartha : O Paartha
daiveem : divine
prakritim : nature
aashritaahaa : take refuge
bhajanti : worship
ananyamanasaha : single-minded
jnyaatvaa : having known
bhootaadim : source of all beings
avyayam : imperishable
Shri Krishna now begins to describe those individuals who have understood the true, divine nature of Ishvara. These “mahaatmaas” or noble individuals treat Ishvara as their one and only one refuge, and worship him with unwavering devotion. With a view to instruct us in the ways of such noble individuals, Shri Krishna devotes the next few shlokas to this topic.
The word “aashritaha” or refuge is key to understanding this shloka. What does this word mean? It is how we answer the question “when I am in trouble, what do I turn to?”. Most of us have various sources of refuge. For some, it is their ancestral inheritance. For some, it is their academic qualifications. For some, it is their family. Whenever we are in trouble, we pursue those avenues for comfort and security.
However, the mahaatmaas or noble individuals do not look to any of these sources for refuge. They have understood one simple fact: anything that can change over time is under the control of Prakriti. Prakriti, the realm of name and form, is every changing and can never be relied upon for support all the time. We ourselves would have encountered several instances where money or family did not help someone in their time of need. The noble individuals know that there is only one true refuge that is universal and unchanging: it is Ishvara.
Knowing this, what do the noble individuals do? They are “ananya manasaha”, they are singularly devoted to Ishvara. Even though they may be tempted by Prakriti’s play and dazzle of name and form, they know that ultimately every source of joy that it gives, turns into sorrow eventually. Furthermore, their devotion for Ishvara is not for the attainment for anything else. It is solely for the attainment of Ishvara.
Unlike these noble individuals, most of us still rush into Prakriti for joy, comfort, security and support. But Prakriti teaches us a lesson over our lifetime when we repeatedly seek joy which turns into sorrow. How do the noble individuals remain focused in Ishvara while living in the world of Prakriti? We shall see next.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 9
Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
idam tu te guhyatamam pravakshyaamyanasooyave |
jnyaanam vijnyaanasahitam yajnyaatvaa mokshayaseshubhaat || 1 ||
Shree Bhagavaan said:
However, to you who is without fault, I will teach this extremely secret knowledge along with wisdom, having known which, you will be liberated from the inauspicious.
idam : this
tu : however
te : to you
guhyatamam : extremely secret
pravakshyaami : I will teach
anasooyave : faultless
jnyaanam : knowledge
vijnyaana : wisdom
sahitam : along with
yat : which
jnyaatvaa : having known
mokshayase : you will be liberated
ashubhaat : inauspicious
Shri Krishna uses this chapter to progress the theme of the seventh chapter, which was the infinite nature of Ishvara and the finite nature of maaya. He begins the chapter by asserting that the knowledge of Ishvara’s infinite nature will result in liberation. He addresses Arjuna as “anasooya” which means without fault, doubt or prejudice, indicating that those who have begun the process of purification of their minds through karma yoga and devoted meditation will understand this knowledge completely.
First, let us understand the result of knowledge that Shri Krishna is glorifying in this shloka. It is going to give us freedom or liberation from the inauspicious. The word inauspicious in this shloka refers to samsaara or the endless cycle of creation and dissolution that all of us are trapped in.
Next, let us look at what makes this knowledge unique. Shri Krishna says that he is going to reveal not just "jnyaana" or knowledge, but also “vijnyana” or wisdom that we can internalize in our lives. Also, unlike other knowledge that requires action to give a result, this knowledge gives us the result of liberation all by itself. As an example, if we come to know that a mirage in a desert is false, we don’t have to do anything further.
What makes this knowledge even more special is that it is extremely subtle. It is hard for someone to figure out on their own. We need a competent teacher like Shri Krishna to reveal this knowledge to us, as well as a competent student who is ready and unprejudiced. Shri Krishna, urging us to learn this knowledge in the right way through a teacher, calls it secret knowledge. It also shows the level of trust that Arjuna built with Shri Krishna in order to qualify for this knowledge.
Shri Krishna further glorifies this special knowledge in the next shloka.
Footnotes
1. Four things comprise ignorance or incorrect knowledge about our self. Doership, enjoyership, the notion of birth, death and rebirth, and the notion that the "I" in me has a different identity than the universe; all this is ignorance or avidya.
2. This ignorance is driven away by knowledge, which is the true nature of our self.
idam tu te guhyatamam pravakshyaamyanasooyave |
jnyaanam vijnyaanasahitam yajnyaatvaa mokshayaseshubhaat || 1 ||
Shree Bhagavaan said:
However, to you who is without fault, I will teach this extremely secret knowledge along with wisdom, having known which, you will be liberated from the inauspicious.
idam : this
tu : however
te : to you
guhyatamam : extremely secret
pravakshyaami : I will teach
anasooyave : faultless
jnyaanam : knowledge
vijnyaana : wisdom
sahitam : along with
yat : which
jnyaatvaa : having known
mokshayase : you will be liberated
ashubhaat : inauspicious
Shri Krishna uses this chapter to progress the theme of the seventh chapter, which was the infinite nature of Ishvara and the finite nature of maaya. He begins the chapter by asserting that the knowledge of Ishvara’s infinite nature will result in liberation. He addresses Arjuna as “anasooya” which means without fault, doubt or prejudice, indicating that those who have begun the process of purification of their minds through karma yoga and devoted meditation will understand this knowledge completely.
First, let us understand the result of knowledge that Shri Krishna is glorifying in this shloka. It is going to give us freedom or liberation from the inauspicious. The word inauspicious in this shloka refers to samsaara or the endless cycle of creation and dissolution that all of us are trapped in.
Next, let us look at what makes this knowledge unique. Shri Krishna says that he is going to reveal not just "jnyaana" or knowledge, but also “vijnyana” or wisdom that we can internalize in our lives. Also, unlike other knowledge that requires action to give a result, this knowledge gives us the result of liberation all by itself. As an example, if we come to know that a mirage in a desert is false, we don’t have to do anything further.
What makes this knowledge even more special is that it is extremely subtle. It is hard for someone to figure out on their own. We need a competent teacher like Shri Krishna to reveal this knowledge to us, as well as a competent student who is ready and unprejudiced. Shri Krishna, urging us to learn this knowledge in the right way through a teacher, calls it secret knowledge. It also shows the level of trust that Arjuna built with Shri Krishna in order to qualify for this knowledge.
Shri Krishna further glorifies this special knowledge in the next shloka.
Footnotes
1. Four things comprise ignorance or incorrect knowledge about our self. Doership, enjoyership, the notion of birth, death and rebirth, and the notion that the "I" in me has a different identity than the universe; all this is ignorance or avidya.
2. This ignorance is driven away by knowledge, which is the true nature of our self.
Friday, July 20, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 8
yatra kaale tvanaavrittimaavrittim chaiva yoginaha |
prayaataa yaanti tam kaalam vakshyaami bharatarshabha || 23 ||
But, (there exists) the path of no return for a yogi who is leaving his body, and also the path of return, I shall speak about those, O scion of the Bharatas.
yatra : which
kaale : path
tu : but
anaavrittim : no return
aavrittim : return
cha : and
eva : also
yoginaha : a yogi
prayaataa : one who is leaving the body
yaanti : obtains
tam : that
kaalam : path
vakshyaami : I will speak
bharatarshabha : O scion of the Bharatas
With this shloka, Shri Krishna commences a new topic. He provides details around the journey of the jeeva after death.
As we have seen earlier, that journey differs from person to person. It is determined solely by two things : how we have acted and how we have thought. In other words, our actions and our thoughts in this life decide what happens in our next life. In this chapter, Shri Krishna has spoken about two kinds of people.
The first category of people are those who perform good actions in their lives. The second category of people are those who are solely devoted to Ishvara, in addition to performing good actions. This is Shri Krishna speaks about two paths in this shloka. Each category travels on a different path after death.
In the next two shlokas, each of these paths is explained in further detail. One path leads to liberation, which means that those who attain this path do not come back, they are not born again. The other path leads to rebirth or return.
prayaataa yaanti tam kaalam vakshyaami bharatarshabha || 23 ||
But, (there exists) the path of no return for a yogi who is leaving his body, and also the path of return, I shall speak about those, O scion of the Bharatas.
yatra : which
kaale : path
tu : but
anaavrittim : no return
aavrittim : return
cha : and
eva : also
yoginaha : a yogi
prayaataa : one who is leaving the body
yaanti : obtains
tam : that
kaalam : path
vakshyaami : I will speak
bharatarshabha : O scion of the Bharatas
With this shloka, Shri Krishna commences a new topic. He provides details around the journey of the jeeva after death.
As we have seen earlier, that journey differs from person to person. It is determined solely by two things : how we have acted and how we have thought. In other words, our actions and our thoughts in this life decide what happens in our next life. In this chapter, Shri Krishna has spoken about two kinds of people.
The first category of people are those who perform good actions in their lives. The second category of people are those who are solely devoted to Ishvara, in addition to performing good actions. This is Shri Krishna speaks about two paths in this shloka. Each category travels on a different path after death.
In the next two shlokas, each of these paths is explained in further detail. One path leads to liberation, which means that those who attain this path do not come back, they are not born again. The other path leads to rebirth or return.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 8
parastasmaattu bhaavonyovyaktovyaktaatsanaatanaha |
yaha sa sarveshu bhooteshu nashyatsu na vinashyati || 20 ||
But, there exists another supreme, timeless unmanifest, beyond that (other) unmanifest, which, after destruction of all beings, is not destroyed.
paraha : supreme
tasmaat : that
tu : but
bhaavaha : exists
anyaha : another
avyaktaha : unmanifest
avyaktaat : unmanifest
sanaatanaha : timeless
yaha : that
saha : which
sarveshu : all
bhooteshu : beings
nashyatsu : after destruction
na : does not
vinashyati : destroyed
Previously, Shri Krishna spoke about the endless cycle of creation and dissolution of the universe. All living and non-living beings go into a state of suspended animation for 4.32 billion years, after which they come back into manifest mode for another 4.32 billion years. But there is one more thing. There are a select few beings that escape this endless cycle. They are the ones who are liberated.
Let us go back to our example of the movie projector where the light that illuminates the film strip identified itself with a character in the movie. How does that piece of light get liberated? By knowing that the identification with the movie character is false, and the identification with the light is real. The light in the projector remains constant regardless of how many times the movie is shown and rewound. It transcends the movie.
Similarly, Shri Krishna informs us that there is something beyond this cycle of creation and dissolution, something that transcends time and space. In other words, everything in this world is transitory and will eventually lead to sorrow. Unless we realize that everything that we think will give us happiness is subject to destruction sooner or later, we will never become aware that there is something beyond our materialistic pursuits.
So, what exactly is this “another unmanifest”? This is taken up next.
yaha sa sarveshu bhooteshu nashyatsu na vinashyati || 20 ||
But, there exists another supreme, timeless unmanifest, beyond that (other) unmanifest, which, after destruction of all beings, is not destroyed.
paraha : supreme
tasmaat : that
tu : but
bhaavaha : exists
anyaha : another
avyaktaha : unmanifest
avyaktaat : unmanifest
sanaatanaha : timeless
yaha : that
saha : which
sarveshu : all
bhooteshu : beings
nashyatsu : after destruction
na : does not
vinashyati : destroyed
Previously, Shri Krishna spoke about the endless cycle of creation and dissolution of the universe. All living and non-living beings go into a state of suspended animation for 4.32 billion years, after which they come back into manifest mode for another 4.32 billion years. But there is one more thing. There are a select few beings that escape this endless cycle. They are the ones who are liberated.
Let us go back to our example of the movie projector where the light that illuminates the film strip identified itself with a character in the movie. How does that piece of light get liberated? By knowing that the identification with the movie character is false, and the identification with the light is real. The light in the projector remains constant regardless of how many times the movie is shown and rewound. It transcends the movie.
Similarly, Shri Krishna informs us that there is something beyond this cycle of creation and dissolution, something that transcends time and space. In other words, everything in this world is transitory and will eventually lead to sorrow. Unless we realize that everything that we think will give us happiness is subject to destruction sooner or later, we will never become aware that there is something beyond our materialistic pursuits.
So, what exactly is this “another unmanifest”? This is taken up next.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 16, Chapter 8
aabhramhabhuvanaallokaahaa punaraavartinorjuna |
maamupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate || 16 ||
O Arjuna, all worlds including the abode of Brahma (are subject to) return. But having obtained me, O Kaunteya, rebirth does not occur.
aabhramhabhuvanaat : including the abode of brahma
lokaahaa : all worlds
punaraavartinaha : return
arjuna : O Arjuna
maam : me
upetya : having obtained
tu : but
kaunteya : O Kaunterya
punarjanma : rebirth
na : does not
vidyate : occur
According to the scriptures, there exist heavens or worlds subtler than our visible universe. All beings on this earth who perform meritorious deeds go to one of those heavens after death. The abode of Lord Brahma (Brahma-loka) is considered the highest among the heavens. Shri Krishna says that all beings who end up in these heavens, including the world of Lord Brahma, do not stay there permanently. They have to return to earth at some point. Only those who attain Ishvara gain permanent liberation.
The first half of the shloka is applicable to seekers who perform karma yoga diligently and worship Ishvara as well. Depending upon the sincerity of their deeds and worship, they will attain the appropriate heaven. A select few attain the abode of Lord Brahma which is the highest possible heaven. Here, it is said that the residents only enjoy pleasure. There is no sorrow or suffering whatsoever.
Once they attain the abode of Lord Brahma, they are faced with a choice. They can continue to remain interested in pleasure seeking, or attain liberation. Attainment of Ishvara is the same as liberation. If they continue to remain interested in pleasure seeking, if they think of Brahma loka as yet another realm of space and time, they will eventually come back to earth and start life all over again. If they are interested in liberation, they will attain it when Brahma loka is dissolved along with all of the other worlds. This kind of liberation is called “krama mukti”.
Now, the questions arises, why do all of these worlds end? The topic of cosmic creation and dissolution is taken up next.
maamupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate || 16 ||
O Arjuna, all worlds including the abode of Brahma (are subject to) return. But having obtained me, O Kaunteya, rebirth does not occur.
aabhramhabhuvanaat : including the abode of brahma
lokaahaa : all worlds
punaraavartinaha : return
arjuna : O Arjuna
maam : me
upetya : having obtained
tu : but
kaunteya : O Kaunterya
punarjanma : rebirth
na : does not
vidyate : occur
According to the scriptures, there exist heavens or worlds subtler than our visible universe. All beings on this earth who perform meritorious deeds go to one of those heavens after death. The abode of Lord Brahma (Brahma-loka) is considered the highest among the heavens. Shri Krishna says that all beings who end up in these heavens, including the world of Lord Brahma, do not stay there permanently. They have to return to earth at some point. Only those who attain Ishvara gain permanent liberation.
The first half of the shloka is applicable to seekers who perform karma yoga diligently and worship Ishvara as well. Depending upon the sincerity of their deeds and worship, they will attain the appropriate heaven. A select few attain the abode of Lord Brahma which is the highest possible heaven. Here, it is said that the residents only enjoy pleasure. There is no sorrow or suffering whatsoever.
Once they attain the abode of Lord Brahma, they are faced with a choice. They can continue to remain interested in pleasure seeking, or attain liberation. Attainment of Ishvara is the same as liberation. If they continue to remain interested in pleasure seeking, if they think of Brahma loka as yet another realm of space and time, they will eventually come back to earth and start life all over again. If they are interested in liberation, they will attain it when Brahma loka is dissolved along with all of the other worlds. This kind of liberation is called “krama mukti”.
Now, the questions arises, why do all of these worlds end? The topic of cosmic creation and dissolution is taken up next.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 28, Chapter 7
yesham tvantagatam paapam janaanaam punyakarmanaam |
te dvandvamohanirmuktaa bhajante maam dridhavrataahaa || 28 ||
But, those people of meritorious actions whose sins have been exhausted, they, freed from the delusion of duality, worship me with firm determination.
yesham : those who
tu : but
antagatam : exhausted
paapam : sin
janaanaam : people
punyakarmanaam : meritorious actions
te : they
dvandvamoha : delusion of duality
nirmuktaa : freed
bhajante : worship
maam : me
dridhavrataahaa : firm determination
The delusion of duality, as we saw earlier, is a condition that we are cast into right from birth. This delusion further strengthens maaya that prevents us from accessing Ishvara. Having explained the condition of most people who are trapped in this situation, Shri Krishna now describes the people who have come out of maaya. He says that only those who have conducted enough meritorious acts and wiped out their sins acquire the firm resolution to directly access Ishvara.
Let us revisit what exactly is meant here by merits and sins. What is a sin? Any time that our mind and senses drag us into the world, and force us to conduct actions born out of selfish desire, we commit a sin. When this happens again and again, it adds to the moha or delusion that blocks our discrimination or viveka.
Conversely, whenever we perform an unselfish action that is in line with our svadharma or duty, we commit a merit. In doing so, we do not add to the stock of delusion, but in fact purify our mind.
Therefore, Shri Krishna says that only those who perform unselfish actions are fit to approach Ishvara. The message is clear: do your duty because it is the only way to contact Ishvara. Karma yoga, seen from this vantage point, reasserts its importance.
Next, Shri Krishna begins to conclude this chapter by planting the seed of the next chapter in two shlokas. They deal with the fundamental question of our ultimate liberation.
te dvandvamohanirmuktaa bhajante maam dridhavrataahaa || 28 ||
But, those people of meritorious actions whose sins have been exhausted, they, freed from the delusion of duality, worship me with firm determination.
yesham : those who
tu : but
antagatam : exhausted
paapam : sin
janaanaam : people
punyakarmanaam : meritorious actions
te : they
dvandvamoha : delusion of duality
nirmuktaa : freed
bhajante : worship
maam : me
dridhavrataahaa : firm determination
The delusion of duality, as we saw earlier, is a condition that we are cast into right from birth. This delusion further strengthens maaya that prevents us from accessing Ishvara. Having explained the condition of most people who are trapped in this situation, Shri Krishna now describes the people who have come out of maaya. He says that only those who have conducted enough meritorious acts and wiped out their sins acquire the firm resolution to directly access Ishvara.
Let us revisit what exactly is meant here by merits and sins. What is a sin? Any time that our mind and senses drag us into the world, and force us to conduct actions born out of selfish desire, we commit a sin. When this happens again and again, it adds to the moha or delusion that blocks our discrimination or viveka.
Conversely, whenever we perform an unselfish action that is in line with our svadharma or duty, we commit a merit. In doing so, we do not add to the stock of delusion, but in fact purify our mind.
Therefore, Shri Krishna says that only those who perform unselfish actions are fit to approach Ishvara. The message is clear: do your duty because it is the only way to contact Ishvara. Karma yoga, seen from this vantage point, reasserts its importance.
Next, Shri Krishna begins to conclude this chapter by planting the seed of the next chapter in two shlokas. They deal with the fundamental question of our ultimate liberation.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 7
vedaaham samateetaani vartamaanaani chaarjuna |
bhavishyaani cha bhootaani maam tu veda na kashchana || 26 ||
I know those beings who used to exist, who exist now, and who will exist in the future, O Arjuna, but no one knows me.
veda : know
aham : I
samateetaani : those who have existed
vartamaanaani : those that exist
cha : and
arjuna : O Arjuna
bhavishyaani : those who will exist
cha : and
bhootaani : beings
maam : I
tu : but
veda : know
na : not
kashchana : anyone
In continuing the topic of maaya, Shri Krishna makes it very clear that maaya or the limitations of space and time do not have any impact on Ishvara. He says that Ishvara does not identify with any one form, therefore he has knowledge of all forms in the past, present or future. In other words, Ishvara transcends time.
Earlier, Shri Krishna had said that Ishvara is like a string that goes through all the beads in a necklace, which is a poetic way of saying that Ishvara is beyond space. So therefore, we can conclude that Ishvara is beyond space and time.
Looking at it differently, we who inhabit the world of three dimensions cannot understand the dimensionless Ishvara. When viewing a live broadcast, we are conscious of the time aspect because we cannot know how the broadcast will end. But if we are viewing a recorded program, we have the ability to go backwards and forwards in time and see all the events regardless of when they took place. Time as a concept ceases to exist if we have that ability.
Similarly, from Ishvara’s standpoint, there is no such thing as the past, present or future, because the concept of time does not exist for him. That is how he can have knowledge of everyone that was alive, is alive and will be alive.
What is the implication for us? The only way to know Ishvara completely is to surrender to him and take refuge in him. This means knowing that we do not have an independent existence or power apart from Ishvara. We need to lose our identity in Ishvara, become one with Ishvara.
Now, if we know that Ishvara alone is the truth, that alone is going to give infinite happiness, why don’t we really strive to know that Ishvara? Why is it that we get stuck here and there?This is answered in the next shloka.
bhavishyaani cha bhootaani maam tu veda na kashchana || 26 ||
I know those beings who used to exist, who exist now, and who will exist in the future, O Arjuna, but no one knows me.
veda : know
aham : I
samateetaani : those who have existed
vartamaanaani : those that exist
cha : and
arjuna : O Arjuna
bhavishyaani : those who will exist
cha : and
bhootaani : beings
maam : I
tu : but
veda : know
na : not
kashchana : anyone
In continuing the topic of maaya, Shri Krishna makes it very clear that maaya or the limitations of space and time do not have any impact on Ishvara. He says that Ishvara does not identify with any one form, therefore he has knowledge of all forms in the past, present or future. In other words, Ishvara transcends time.
Earlier, Shri Krishna had said that Ishvara is like a string that goes through all the beads in a necklace, which is a poetic way of saying that Ishvara is beyond space. So therefore, we can conclude that Ishvara is beyond space and time.
Looking at it differently, we who inhabit the world of three dimensions cannot understand the dimensionless Ishvara. When viewing a live broadcast, we are conscious of the time aspect because we cannot know how the broadcast will end. But if we are viewing a recorded program, we have the ability to go backwards and forwards in time and see all the events regardless of when they took place. Time as a concept ceases to exist if we have that ability.
Similarly, from Ishvara’s standpoint, there is no such thing as the past, present or future, because the concept of time does not exist for him. That is how he can have knowledge of everyone that was alive, is alive and will be alive.
What is the implication for us? The only way to know Ishvara completely is to surrender to him and take refuge in him. This means knowing that we do not have an independent existence or power apart from Ishvara. We need to lose our identity in Ishvara, become one with Ishvara.
Now, if we know that Ishvara alone is the truth, that alone is going to give infinite happiness, why don’t we really strive to know that Ishvara? Why is it that we get stuck here and there?This is answered in the next shloka.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 7
antavattu phalam teshaam tadbhavatyalpamedhasaam |
devaandevayajo yaanti madbhaktaa yaanti maamapi || 23 ||
But, those with finite intellect obtain a perishable result. Worshippers of deities obtain those deities, (and) my devotees obtain me alone.
antavat : perishable
tu : but
phalam : result
teshaam : of those
tat : that
bhavati : obtain
alpamedhasaam : people of finite intellect
devaan : deities
devayajaha : those who worship
yaanti : obtain
madbhaktaaha : my devotee
yaanti : obtain
maam : me
api : alone
We saw that there were two kinds of devotees - those who pursue finite goals and those who pursue the infinite. Earlier, Shri Krishna said that there was nothing wrong with pursuing finite goals as long as such devotees eventually involve towards pursuing the infinite.
Why do most devotees contact a deity, someone or something that is higher than them? It is to acquire or obtain a goal that will relieve them of their finitude. Let’s say they worship a deity and manage to obtain the object that they desire. Shri Krishna says that no matter what object is acquired, it will perish at some point. In other words, that object will be time-bound or space-bound. It will make the person happy for a short amount of time, after which he will begin to feel finite and consequently unhappy. The cycle of seeking another finite goal will start all over again.
Devotees who do not see the folly of repeatedly acquiring finite things are termed “alpa-medhasaa” or finite-minded by Shri Krishna. They will never be free of sorrow but will manage to suppress it temporarily. They are deprived of the knowledge which indicates the true nature of Ishvara. That is why we should never stop enquiring into the reality of things, and try to look beyond the material world for the real answers to our problems.
Shri Krishna goes on to say that those who worship deities may eventually obtain the favour of the deity, who will shower them with his grace. Though commendable, this outcome will still be futile, because the deity is still a finite entity. Only those who seek the infinite Ishvara will gain infinitude by which their sense of finitude or incompleteness will be taken care of once and for all.
So then, there has to be reason why most people do not seek infinitude. This is taken up next.
devaandevayajo yaanti madbhaktaa yaanti maamapi || 23 ||
But, those with finite intellect obtain a perishable result. Worshippers of deities obtain those deities, (and) my devotees obtain me alone.
antavat : perishable
tu : but
phalam : result
teshaam : of those
tat : that
bhavati : obtain
alpamedhasaam : people of finite intellect
devaan : deities
devayajaha : those who worship
yaanti : obtain
madbhaktaaha : my devotee
yaanti : obtain
maam : me
api : alone
We saw that there were two kinds of devotees - those who pursue finite goals and those who pursue the infinite. Earlier, Shri Krishna said that there was nothing wrong with pursuing finite goals as long as such devotees eventually involve towards pursuing the infinite.
Why do most devotees contact a deity, someone or something that is higher than them? It is to acquire or obtain a goal that will relieve them of their finitude. Let’s say they worship a deity and manage to obtain the object that they desire. Shri Krishna says that no matter what object is acquired, it will perish at some point. In other words, that object will be time-bound or space-bound. It will make the person happy for a short amount of time, after which he will begin to feel finite and consequently unhappy. The cycle of seeking another finite goal will start all over again.
Devotees who do not see the folly of repeatedly acquiring finite things are termed “alpa-medhasaa” or finite-minded by Shri Krishna. They will never be free of sorrow but will manage to suppress it temporarily. They are deprived of the knowledge which indicates the true nature of Ishvara. That is why we should never stop enquiring into the reality of things, and try to look beyond the material world for the real answers to our problems.
Shri Krishna goes on to say that those who worship deities may eventually obtain the favour of the deity, who will shower them with his grace. Though commendable, this outcome will still be futile, because the deity is still a finite entity. Only those who seek the infinite Ishvara will gain infinitude by which their sense of finitude or incompleteness will be taken care of once and for all.
So then, there has to be reason why most people do not seek infinitude. This is taken up next.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 7
udaaraaha sarva evaite jnyaanee tvaatmaiva me matam |
aasthitaha sa hi yuktaatmaa maamevaanuttamaam gatim || 18 ||
All those are certainly sincere, but only the wise one is my own self, in my opinion. For, he engages to become established in me only as the ultimate goal.
udaaraaha : sincere
sarva : all
eva : certainly
ite : those
jnyaanee : the wise one
tu : but
aatmaa : self
eva : only
me : my
matam : opinion
aasthitaha : established
saha : he
hi : for
yuktaatmaa : he engages
maam : me
eva : only
anuttamaam : ultimate
gatim : goal
So far, Shri Krishna enumerated four types of devotees and singled out one of them, the wise one, as the most special type of devotee. This is because the wise devotee does not approach Ishvara for something else. He approaches Ishvara to gain only Ishvara and nothing else. Here, Shri Krishna adds another reason for singling out the wise devotee as special. The wise devotee considers Ishvara as his own self and not as another object.
First, let us look at the sense of oneness aspect. What is different between a good friend and an acquaintance? There is always a sense of “otherness” between ourselves and the acquaintance, but there is a sense of oneness with the good friend. We see this in a lot of proverbs: “a friend in need is a friend indeed”, “my house is your house” on so on. The ultimate closeness with a friend is when we do not see any difference between doing something for ourselves, and doing something for our friend. In other words, we see our friend as our own self.
Similarly, whenever we expect something from God, we are by definition treating him as someone different from our own self. Shri Krishna says that he prefers if we treat him as our own self. Such kind of devotion, where the seeker plants himself in Ishvara day in and day out, and melts his existence into Ishvara’s cosmic existence, is the greatest kind of devotion. This is also known as ekabhakti or advaita, where there is no duality between devotee and Ishvara.
However, the reality is different. Most of us consider Ishvara as different than ourselves. One colourful illustration of this is found in the Hindi phrase “bhee aur hee siddhanta” which means “also philosophy” vs “only philosophy”. In other words, we love material objects and Ishvara “also”. Shri Krishna says that we should love Ishvara “only” and not “also”.
Now, this does not mean that Ishvara gives second class treatment to the other three types of devotees. Shri Krishna says that those other devotees are “udaaraha” or sincere. Ishvara is affectionate towards all of them.
Having pointed out the unique aspects of the wise devotee, Shri Krishna highlights the scarcity of wise devotees in the next shloka.
aasthitaha sa hi yuktaatmaa maamevaanuttamaam gatim || 18 ||
All those are certainly sincere, but only the wise one is my own self, in my opinion. For, he engages to become established in me only as the ultimate goal.
udaaraaha : sincere
sarva : all
eva : certainly
ite : those
jnyaanee : the wise one
tu : but
aatmaa : self
eva : only
me : my
matam : opinion
aasthitaha : established
saha : he
hi : for
yuktaatmaa : he engages
maam : me
eva : only
anuttamaam : ultimate
gatim : goal
So far, Shri Krishna enumerated four types of devotees and singled out one of them, the wise one, as the most special type of devotee. This is because the wise devotee does not approach Ishvara for something else. He approaches Ishvara to gain only Ishvara and nothing else. Here, Shri Krishna adds another reason for singling out the wise devotee as special. The wise devotee considers Ishvara as his own self and not as another object.
First, let us look at the sense of oneness aspect. What is different between a good friend and an acquaintance? There is always a sense of “otherness” between ourselves and the acquaintance, but there is a sense of oneness with the good friend. We see this in a lot of proverbs: “a friend in need is a friend indeed”, “my house is your house” on so on. The ultimate closeness with a friend is when we do not see any difference between doing something for ourselves, and doing something for our friend. In other words, we see our friend as our own self.
Similarly, whenever we expect something from God, we are by definition treating him as someone different from our own self. Shri Krishna says that he prefers if we treat him as our own self. Such kind of devotion, where the seeker plants himself in Ishvara day in and day out, and melts his existence into Ishvara’s cosmic existence, is the greatest kind of devotion. This is also known as ekabhakti or advaita, where there is no duality between devotee and Ishvara.
However, the reality is different. Most of us consider Ishvara as different than ourselves. One colourful illustration of this is found in the Hindi phrase “bhee aur hee siddhanta” which means “also philosophy” vs “only philosophy”. In other words, we love material objects and Ishvara “also”. Shri Krishna says that we should love Ishvara “only” and not “also”.
Now, this does not mean that Ishvara gives second class treatment to the other three types of devotees. Shri Krishna says that those other devotees are “udaaraha” or sincere. Ishvara is affectionate towards all of them.
Having pointed out the unique aspects of the wise devotee, Shri Krishna highlights the scarcity of wise devotees in the next shloka.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 7
ye chaiva saatvikaa bhaavaa rajasaastaamasaashcha ye |
matta evati taanviddhi na tvaham teshu te mayi || 12 ||
And indeed, all saatvik qualities, and all raajasic and taamsic qualities, know those to be only from me. Know that I am not in them, but they are in me.
ye : all
cha : and
eva : indeed
saatvikaaha : saatvik
bhaavaaha : qualities
rajasaaha : raajasic
taamasaaha : taamasic
cha : and
ye : all
mattaha : from me
eva: only
iti : this
taan : those
viddhi : know
na : not
tu : but
aham : I am
teshu : in them
te : they
mayi : are in me
Shri Krishna began this chapter by indicating that Ishvara is the essence of everything. He also provided a short list containing tangible examples of his glories, which he concluded in the previous shloka. In this shloka, he summarizes this point by saying that the three fundamental aspects of prakriti or nature arise from Ishvara, but are subservient to Ishvara.
Sattva, rajas and tamas are the three aspects of prakriti or nature. A more detailed explanation of these three gunaas or aspects is provided in the 18th chapter. At the internal level, these aspects are the moods of our mind. A taamasic mind is dull, a raajasic mind is active and a saatvic mind is serene. Moreover, a saatvic object or thought is tied to knowledge, a raajasic object or thought is tied to activity and a taamasic thought or object is tied to ignorance, sloth or procrastination.
We see all these three aspects in our personality. The body is taamasic. It likes to be in stasis, it does not like to move. A lot of energy is required to move our bodies. Our limbs and our praanas or physiological processes are raajasic because they embody action and movement. Our mind and intellect are saatvic because they embody knowledge. Later in the Gita, Shri Krishna will classify everything, including desire and faith, into these three classications.
Now, all three aspects of prakriti cannot exist by themselves. Nothing can exist without a base or a support. Shri Krishna says that it is Ishvara who provides existence to these three aspects of prakriti. However, he qualifies that statement by pointing out that they are in Ishvara, but Ishvara is not in them. In other words, Ishvara can exist without the gunaas, but the gunaas cannot exist without Ishvara because they need his support.
What is the implication of this statement? Every object, person or situation that we encounter in this universe is comprised of a permutation of the three gunaas. All three gunaas are supported by Ishvara. Therefore, Ishvara is everywhere, behind every object, person and situation in this universe.
So then, what prevents us from knowing Ishvara? Shri Krishna covers this topic next.
matta evati taanviddhi na tvaham teshu te mayi || 12 ||
And indeed, all saatvik qualities, and all raajasic and taamsic qualities, know those to be only from me. Know that I am not in them, but they are in me.
ye : all
cha : and
eva : indeed
saatvikaaha : saatvik
bhaavaaha : qualities
rajasaaha : raajasic
taamasaaha : taamasic
cha : and
ye : all
mattaha : from me
eva: only
iti : this
taan : those
viddhi : know
na : not
tu : but
aham : I am
teshu : in them
te : they
mayi : are in me
Shri Krishna began this chapter by indicating that Ishvara is the essence of everything. He also provided a short list containing tangible examples of his glories, which he concluded in the previous shloka. In this shloka, he summarizes this point by saying that the three fundamental aspects of prakriti or nature arise from Ishvara, but are subservient to Ishvara.
Sattva, rajas and tamas are the three aspects of prakriti or nature. A more detailed explanation of these three gunaas or aspects is provided in the 18th chapter. At the internal level, these aspects are the moods of our mind. A taamasic mind is dull, a raajasic mind is active and a saatvic mind is serene. Moreover, a saatvic object or thought is tied to knowledge, a raajasic object or thought is tied to activity and a taamasic thought or object is tied to ignorance, sloth or procrastination.
We see all these three aspects in our personality. The body is taamasic. It likes to be in stasis, it does not like to move. A lot of energy is required to move our bodies. Our limbs and our praanas or physiological processes are raajasic because they embody action and movement. Our mind and intellect are saatvic because they embody knowledge. Later in the Gita, Shri Krishna will classify everything, including desire and faith, into these three classications.
Now, all three aspects of prakriti cannot exist by themselves. Nothing can exist without a base or a support. Shri Krishna says that it is Ishvara who provides existence to these three aspects of prakriti. However, he qualifies that statement by pointing out that they are in Ishvara, but Ishvara is not in them. In other words, Ishvara can exist without the gunaas, but the gunaas cannot exist without Ishvara because they need his support.
What is the implication of this statement? Every object, person or situation that we encounter in this universe is comprised of a permutation of the three gunaas. All three gunaas are supported by Ishvara. Therefore, Ishvara is everywhere, behind every object, person and situation in this universe.
So then, what prevents us from knowing Ishvara? Shri Krishna covers this topic next.
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