sarvasya chaaham hridi sannivishto mattaha smritirjnyaanamapohanam cha |
vedaishcha sarvairahameva vedyo vedaantakridvedavideva chaaham || 15 ||
And I am seated in the hearts of all beings. From me arise memory, knowledge and their loss. It is only I who am to be known through the Vedas. Only I am the author of Vedanta, and the knower of the Vedas.
sarvasya : all beings
cha : and
aham : I
hridi : in hearts
sannivishtaha : seated
mattaha : from me
smritihi : memory
jnyaanam : knowledge
apohanam : loss of memory
vedaihi : through Vedas
cha : and
sarvaihi : all
aham : I
eva : only
vedyaha : to be known
vedaantakrit : author of Vedanta
vedavit : knower of Vedas
eva : only
cha : and
aham : I
As humans, it is not enough for us to spend our lives seeking out sources of food for existence. We crave knowledge in all its forms - knowledge of the material world, how things work, history, geography, sciences and the arts. We also crave that knowledge which is not tangible but is part and parcel of our lives - aspirations, values, codes of conduct and so on. Shri Krishna says that he is both the producer and consumer of knowledge in our lives. The sum total of all knowledge is referred to as the Vedas in this shloka.
The assimilation of knowledge goes through three steps. In the first step, we do not know anything, this is the state of apohanam, absence of memory. Next, we know something, knowledge happens, this is jnyaanam. Finally, this knowledge is stored in memory, this is smritihi. All these steps towards the acquisition of knowledge happen due to Ishvara, who is seated in our intellect, poetically referred to as hridi or intellect. So whenever we learn something new, or we recall something from our memory, we should understand that Ishvara is functioning as the subject and the object, the knower and the known, in this process of knowledge acquisition.
But that is not all. The ultimate knowledge, the entire theme of the Bhagavad Gita, is that knowledge which reveals the true nature of the self and its identity with Ishvara. It is handed down from a teacher to a student through tradition. It is found in the end, the conclusion, the anta of the Vedas. Therefore it is known as Vedanta. So the knowledge that reveals the true nature of the self is none other than Ishvara. In other words, only the self can know itself, a statement found in the Jnyaaneshwari’s opening statement “jaya jaya sva samvedyaa” - salutations to that which knows itself.
With this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes the topic of Ishvara’s manifestations which began in the twelfth shloka. The change in metre reinforces the conclusion. We learned that ultimately, it is Ishvara that provides awareness, nourishment, food, and the power to absorb food as well as knowledge to all beings on this. Not only does he produce all of this, he consumes it as well. If we truly let this statement sink in, we will realize that our false “I”, our ego, is nowhere to be found.
Showing posts with label aham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label aham. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 15
aham vaishvaanaro bhootvaa praaninaam dehamaashritaha |
praanaapaanasamaayuktaha pachaamyannam chaturvidham || 14 ||
Residing in the bodies of all beings, I become Vaishvaanara. In conjunction with Praana and Apaana, I digest the four types of food.
aham : I
vaishvaanaraha : Vaishvaanara
bhootvaa : become
praaninaam : of all beings
deham : bodies
aashritaha : residing
praanaapaana : Praana and Apaana
samaayuktaha : in conjunction with
pachaami : digest
annam : food
chaturvidham : four types
Previously, we saw how Ishvara sustained and nourished all beings on this earth by providing them with nutrition in the form of plant life and vegetation. The energy stored in this food has to be absorbed and assimilated into all living beings. How does that happen? Shri Krishna says that Ishvara manifests himself as Vaishvaanara, the fire inside all living beings which represents the process of metabolism.
It is a wonder that we are able to eat such a large variety of food, and yet derive enough energy to keep our bodies running throughout our lives, all due to the functioning of the Vaishvaanara fire. It is supported by two vayus or forces known as the Praana and the Apaana vayus. The Praana vayu brings food towards the digestive organs. Vaishvaanara is the process of digestion and metabolism. The Apaana vayu pushes non-essential portions of the food out into the world.
We also come across the four types of food that are referenced in scriptures. These are : food that can be chewed such as rice, food that can be sucked such as mango nectar, food that can be drunk such as fruit juices, and food that can be licked such as pickles. The Vaishvaanara fire can convert all these types of food into energy for the body.
So we see that production, distribution and ultimate consumption of energy that happens in us, and happens in any other living being, is nothing but Ishvara. Ishvara is the producer, distributor and consumer. Remembering this topic is a great way to reduce our ego and see our oneness with the world. Many people in India, in fact, chant the 15th chapter before their meals in order to pray for good digestion.
praanaapaanasamaayuktaha pachaamyannam chaturvidham || 14 ||
Residing in the bodies of all beings, I become Vaishvaanara. In conjunction with Praana and Apaana, I digest the four types of food.
aham : I
vaishvaanaraha : Vaishvaanara
bhootvaa : become
praaninaam : of all beings
deham : bodies
aashritaha : residing
praanaapaana : Praana and Apaana
samaayuktaha : in conjunction with
pachaami : digest
annam : food
chaturvidham : four types
Previously, we saw how Ishvara sustained and nourished all beings on this earth by providing them with nutrition in the form of plant life and vegetation. The energy stored in this food has to be absorbed and assimilated into all living beings. How does that happen? Shri Krishna says that Ishvara manifests himself as Vaishvaanara, the fire inside all living beings which represents the process of metabolism.
It is a wonder that we are able to eat such a large variety of food, and yet derive enough energy to keep our bodies running throughout our lives, all due to the functioning of the Vaishvaanara fire. It is supported by two vayus or forces known as the Praana and the Apaana vayus. The Praana vayu brings food towards the digestive organs. Vaishvaanara is the process of digestion and metabolism. The Apaana vayu pushes non-essential portions of the food out into the world.
We also come across the four types of food that are referenced in scriptures. These are : food that can be chewed such as rice, food that can be sucked such as mango nectar, food that can be drunk such as fruit juices, and food that can be licked such as pickles. The Vaishvaanara fire can convert all these types of food into energy for the body.
So we see that production, distribution and ultimate consumption of energy that happens in us, and happens in any other living being, is nothing but Ishvara. Ishvara is the producer, distributor and consumer. Remembering this topic is a great way to reduce our ego and see our oneness with the world. Many people in India, in fact, chant the 15th chapter before their meals in order to pray for good digestion.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Bhagavad Gita Verse 27, Chapter 14
brahmano hi pratishthaahamamritasyaavyayasya cha |
shaashvatasya cha dharmasya sukhasyaikaantikasya cha || 27 ||
For, I am the abode of brahman, the immortal, the imperishable, the eternal constitution, and of absolute joy.
brahmanaha : brahman
hi : for
pratishthaa : abode
aham : I am
amritasya : immortal
avyayasya : imperishable
cha : and
shaashvatasya : eternal
cha : and
dharmasya : constitution
sukhasya : of joy
aikaantikasya : absolute
cha : and
The thirteenth chapter of the Gita explained the topic of jnyaana yoga or the yoga of knowledge. One of the topics in that chapter was the description of nirguna brahman, which is the eternal essence in its purest state. Shri Krishna described the technique of mentally removing the upaadhis - the veiling of the organs, the senses and so on - to get to the eternal essence that is at the core all of us. One who attained this eternal essence through jnyaana yoga achieved liberation or moksha. Arjuna recollected this teaching, and a doubt arose in his mind. What was that doubt?
In the previous shloka of this chapter, Shri Krishna asserted that liberation would be attained by the one who has undivided devotion towards Ishvara. But in the previous chapter, Shri Krishna had said that the fruit of knowing the eternal essence in its purest state, nirguna brahman, also resulted in liberation. To address Arjuna's doubt about the difference between the two approaches, Shri Krishna says here that he, as Ishvara, is the abode of the pure eternal essence, of nirguna brahman. In other words, undivided devotion to Ishvara results in the same outcome as does the yoga of knowledge. He also describes this pure eternal essence as immortal, imperishable, eternal and full of joy, just like he did in the thirteenth chapter. Furthermore, he says that the eternal essence is attained through the dharma or constitution of devotion and knowledge.
Shri Shankaraachaarya provides further nuances to this explanation in his commentary. He says that Prakriti or maaya is a power of nirguna brahman. Just like the strength of a strong person is inseparable from the person itself, maaya is inseparable from nirguna brahman. Therefore, it is nirguna brahman, with the power of maaya, that is speaking to Arjuna as Ishvara. This is the connection between nirguna brahman - brahman without maaya - and saguna brahman - brahman with maaya. Saguna brahman is the abode, and the power, of nirguna brahman. And the methods to attain brahman - devotion and knowledge - are two sides of the same coin. With this message, Shri Krishna concludes the fourteenth chapter.
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade gunatrayavibhaagayogo naama chaturdashodhyaayaha || 14 ||
shaashvatasya cha dharmasya sukhasyaikaantikasya cha || 27 ||
For, I am the abode of brahman, the immortal, the imperishable, the eternal constitution, and of absolute joy.
brahmanaha : brahman
hi : for
pratishthaa : abode
aham : I am
amritasya : immortal
avyayasya : imperishable
cha : and
shaashvatasya : eternal
cha : and
dharmasya : constitution
sukhasya : of joy
aikaantikasya : absolute
cha : and
The thirteenth chapter of the Gita explained the topic of jnyaana yoga or the yoga of knowledge. One of the topics in that chapter was the description of nirguna brahman, which is the eternal essence in its purest state. Shri Krishna described the technique of mentally removing the upaadhis - the veiling of the organs, the senses and so on - to get to the eternal essence that is at the core all of us. One who attained this eternal essence through jnyaana yoga achieved liberation or moksha. Arjuna recollected this teaching, and a doubt arose in his mind. What was that doubt?
In the previous shloka of this chapter, Shri Krishna asserted that liberation would be attained by the one who has undivided devotion towards Ishvara. But in the previous chapter, Shri Krishna had said that the fruit of knowing the eternal essence in its purest state, nirguna brahman, also resulted in liberation. To address Arjuna's doubt about the difference between the two approaches, Shri Krishna says here that he, as Ishvara, is the abode of the pure eternal essence, of nirguna brahman. In other words, undivided devotion to Ishvara results in the same outcome as does the yoga of knowledge. He also describes this pure eternal essence as immortal, imperishable, eternal and full of joy, just like he did in the thirteenth chapter. Furthermore, he says that the eternal essence is attained through the dharma or constitution of devotion and knowledge.
Shri Shankaraachaarya provides further nuances to this explanation in his commentary. He says that Prakriti or maaya is a power of nirguna brahman. Just like the strength of a strong person is inseparable from the person itself, maaya is inseparable from nirguna brahman. Therefore, it is nirguna brahman, with the power of maaya, that is speaking to Arjuna as Ishvara. This is the connection between nirguna brahman - brahman without maaya - and saguna brahman - brahman with maaya. Saguna brahman is the abode, and the power, of nirguna brahman. And the methods to attain brahman - devotion and knowledge - are two sides of the same coin. With this message, Shri Krishna concludes the fourteenth chapter.
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade gunatrayavibhaagayogo naama chaturdashodhyaayaha || 14 ||
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 14
sarvayonishu kaunteya moortayaha sambhavantiyaahaa |
taasaam brahma mahadyoniraham beejapradaha pitaa || 4 ||
Of the many forms that are born from all wombs, O Kaunteya, the great brahman is their womb, I their seed-giving father.
sarvayonishu : all wombs
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
moortayaha : forms
sambhavanti : born
yaahaa : many
taasaam : of those
brahma : brahman
mahat : great
yonihi : womb
aham : I am
beejapradaha : seed giving
pitaa : father
We may be wondering, how does Ishvara split himself into his two aspects of awareness and matter or Prakriti? Doesn’t it sound far fetched? Something quite similar happens to us every night. When we dream, our minds splits, as it were, into two. One aspect becomes the watcher, and the other aspect projects our dreams. In other words, the mind watches its own show. The Mandukya upanishad provides a detailed comparison of our waking, dreaming and deep sleep states.
Shri Krishna says that Ishvara, having divided himself into his two aspects, is both the mother and father of every thing and every living being in the universe. After he deposits the seeds or the jeevas into Prakriti, he creates the state of Hiranyagarbha. This state contains the potential to generate an entire sequence of creation, sustenance and dissolution of several universes. It is comparable to a DVD that contains within it the potential to create an entire two hour movie with several characters and locations.
Also, the ultimate womb, the ultimate source of the birth of all beings is the great brahman or Prakriti, which is nothing but the three gunaas. If we have to remove the impact and influence that the three gunaas exert upon us, we need to study what they are, how they impact us, how we fall under their sway, and how does one remain unaffected by them. Shri Krishna, having summarized the relevance of the three gunaas, proceeds to analyze the three gunaas in significant detail from the next shloka.
taasaam brahma mahadyoniraham beejapradaha pitaa || 4 ||
Of the many forms that are born from all wombs, O Kaunteya, the great brahman is their womb, I their seed-giving father.
sarvayonishu : all wombs
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
moortayaha : forms
sambhavanti : born
yaahaa : many
taasaam : of those
brahma : brahman
mahat : great
yonihi : womb
aham : I am
beejapradaha : seed giving
pitaa : father
We may be wondering, how does Ishvara split himself into his two aspects of awareness and matter or Prakriti? Doesn’t it sound far fetched? Something quite similar happens to us every night. When we dream, our minds splits, as it were, into two. One aspect becomes the watcher, and the other aspect projects our dreams. In other words, the mind watches its own show. The Mandukya upanishad provides a detailed comparison of our waking, dreaming and deep sleep states.
Shri Krishna says that Ishvara, having divided himself into his two aspects, is both the mother and father of every thing and every living being in the universe. After he deposits the seeds or the jeevas into Prakriti, he creates the state of Hiranyagarbha. This state contains the potential to generate an entire sequence of creation, sustenance and dissolution of several universes. It is comparable to a DVD that contains within it the potential to create an entire two hour movie with several characters and locations.
Also, the ultimate womb, the ultimate source of the birth of all beings is the great brahman or Prakriti, which is nothing but the three gunaas. If we have to remove the impact and influence that the three gunaas exert upon us, we need to study what they are, how they impact us, how we fall under their sway, and how does one remain unaffected by them. Shri Krishna, having summarized the relevance of the three gunaas, proceeds to analyze the three gunaas in significant detail from the next shloka.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 14
mama yonirmahadbrahma tasmingarbham dadhaamyaham |
sambhavaha sarvabhootaanaam tato bhavati bhaarata || 3 ||
My womb is the great brahman. In it, I place the seed. From that, O Bharaata, is the birth of all beings.
mama : my
yonihi : womb
mahadbrahma : great brahman
tasmin : in it
garbham : seed
dadhaami : place
aham : I
sambhavaha : birth
sarvabhootaanaam : all beings
tataha : from that
bhavati : happens
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
According to the theory of karma, each jeeva or individual soul generates new unfulfilled desires or vaasanaas. These vaasanaas are created as a result of karma phala or fruits of action. Each action of eating a sweet creates a new desire to eat a sweet later, for instance. One lifetime is not enough to exhaust these vaasanaas, causing the jeeva to continuously take birth in the world to fulfill its desires. This is the explanation of birth and rebirth of jeevas. But how does the universe itself begin? Shri Krishna describes this topic in extremely poetic language in two shlokas.
Ishvara, at the beginning of creation, splits himself into his two aspects. One aspect is Prakriti, referred to here as the "great brahman", which comprises three gunaas or qualities. Prakriti has the power to generate an infinite variety of forms through innumerable permutations and combinations of its three gunaas. But it is inert. It cannot create the universe by itself. The awareness aspect of Ishvara, the kshetrajnya, is needed to infuse Prakriti with life. This happens when Ishvara places all of the jeevas into Prakriti, just like seeds are placed into soil.
Let’s examine this in more detail. How exactly does the jeeva come into contact with Prakriti? It is due to avidyaa or ignorance. Each jeeva’s vaasanaas or unfulfilled desires are caused by its ignorance of its true nature which is infinite. Instead, the jeeva, also known as the Purusha, thinks that it is incomplete, and mistakenly rushes out into Prakriti to make itself complete again. This illusory link between the Purusha and Prakriti becomes the source of its birth and rebirth in the cycle of samsaara.
sambhavaha sarvabhootaanaam tato bhavati bhaarata || 3 ||
My womb is the great brahman. In it, I place the seed. From that, O Bharaata, is the birth of all beings.
mama : my
yonihi : womb
mahadbrahma : great brahman
tasmin : in it
garbham : seed
dadhaami : place
aham : I
sambhavaha : birth
sarvabhootaanaam : all beings
tataha : from that
bhavati : happens
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
According to the theory of karma, each jeeva or individual soul generates new unfulfilled desires or vaasanaas. These vaasanaas are created as a result of karma phala or fruits of action. Each action of eating a sweet creates a new desire to eat a sweet later, for instance. One lifetime is not enough to exhaust these vaasanaas, causing the jeeva to continuously take birth in the world to fulfill its desires. This is the explanation of birth and rebirth of jeevas. But how does the universe itself begin? Shri Krishna describes this topic in extremely poetic language in two shlokas.
Ishvara, at the beginning of creation, splits himself into his two aspects. One aspect is Prakriti, referred to here as the "great brahman", which comprises three gunaas or qualities. Prakriti has the power to generate an infinite variety of forms through innumerable permutations and combinations of its three gunaas. But it is inert. It cannot create the universe by itself. The awareness aspect of Ishvara, the kshetrajnya, is needed to infuse Prakriti with life. This happens when Ishvara places all of the jeevas into Prakriti, just like seeds are placed into soil.
Let’s examine this in more detail. How exactly does the jeeva come into contact with Prakriti? It is due to avidyaa or ignorance. Each jeeva’s vaasanaas or unfulfilled desires are caused by its ignorance of its true nature which is infinite. Instead, the jeeva, also known as the Purusha, thinks that it is incomplete, and mistakenly rushes out into Prakriti to make itself complete again. This illusory link between the Purusha and Prakriti becomes the source of its birth and rebirth in the cycle of samsaara.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 12
teshaamaham samuddhartaa mrityusansaarasaagaraat |
bhavaami nachiraatpaartha mayyaaveshitachetasaam || 7 ||
For them, whose minds are fixed in me, I immediately become their uplifter from samsaara, the ocean of death, O Paartha.
teshaam : for them
aham : I
samuddhartaa : uplifter
mrityusansaarasaagaraat : the ocean of death samsaara
bhavaami : become
nachiraat : immediately
paartha : O Paartha
mayi : in me
aaveshita : fixed
chetasaam : mind
As a result of losing a wager, the eagle-winged Garuda and his mother Vinata were forced into enslavement by the Kadru, mother of serpents. Garuda promised to bring the nectar of immortality from heaven and give it to the serpents in exchange for his mother’s freedom. Once the nectar was delivered, Lord Indra took it back to heaven, but spilt a few drops on a kind of grass known as dharba. The serpents tried to lick the nectar on the grass, but spilt their tongue doing so. As a result, all serpents have forked tongues even to this day.
Let us now look into the symbolic meaning of this story from the Puraanaas. The world comprises of objects that are a two things at once: naamaroopa (name and form) and Ishvara. The Ishvara in us wants to contact the Ishvara in those objects, but we make the mistake of letting our senses rush after the name and form aspects of the objects. We are like the serpents that really want nectar, but chase the dharba grass and cut ourselves in the process. Chasing of objects in the belief that they will give us joy, and receiving sorrow instead of joy, this is samsaara. Repeatedly chasing objects ensures that the cycle of birth and death continues.
In the Indian tradition, samsaara is referred to as an ocean in which most people are stuck until their death, only to be reborn again. Shri Krishna says that those devotees who worship Ishvara with form and meet the qualifications listed in the previous shloka are saved from samsaara by Ishvara himself. Unlike most material endeavours that take a long time, this process is “nachiraat” or swift. The key condition is that we have to think of Ishvara as the ultimate goal and nothing else. This is “saguna upasaana”, worship of Ishvara with form, in a nutshell.
Now, Shri Krishna enumerates the types of yogas or practices through which we can attain Ishvara.
bhavaami nachiraatpaartha mayyaaveshitachetasaam || 7 ||
For them, whose minds are fixed in me, I immediately become their uplifter from samsaara, the ocean of death, O Paartha.
teshaam : for them
aham : I
samuddhartaa : uplifter
mrityusansaarasaagaraat : the ocean of death samsaara
bhavaami : become
nachiraat : immediately
paartha : O Paartha
mayi : in me
aaveshita : fixed
chetasaam : mind
As a result of losing a wager, the eagle-winged Garuda and his mother Vinata were forced into enslavement by the Kadru, mother of serpents. Garuda promised to bring the nectar of immortality from heaven and give it to the serpents in exchange for his mother’s freedom. Once the nectar was delivered, Lord Indra took it back to heaven, but spilt a few drops on a kind of grass known as dharba. The serpents tried to lick the nectar on the grass, but spilt their tongue doing so. As a result, all serpents have forked tongues even to this day.
Let us now look into the symbolic meaning of this story from the Puraanaas. The world comprises of objects that are a two things at once: naamaroopa (name and form) and Ishvara. The Ishvara in us wants to contact the Ishvara in those objects, but we make the mistake of letting our senses rush after the name and form aspects of the objects. We are like the serpents that really want nectar, but chase the dharba grass and cut ourselves in the process. Chasing of objects in the belief that they will give us joy, and receiving sorrow instead of joy, this is samsaara. Repeatedly chasing objects ensures that the cycle of birth and death continues.
In the Indian tradition, samsaara is referred to as an ocean in which most people are stuck until their death, only to be reborn again. Shri Krishna says that those devotees who worship Ishvara with form and meet the qualifications listed in the previous shloka are saved from samsaara by Ishvara himself. Unlike most material endeavours that take a long time, this process is “nachiraat” or swift. The key condition is that we have to think of Ishvara as the ultimate goal and nothing else. This is “saguna upasaana”, worship of Ishvara with form, in a nutshell.
Now, Shri Krishna enumerates the types of yogas or practices through which we can attain Ishvara.
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.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 53, Chapter 11
naaham vedairna tapasaa na daanena na chejyayaa |
shakya evamvidho drishtum drishtvaanasi maam yathaa || 53 ||
Not through the Vedas, penance, charity, nor through worship can I be seen, in the manner in which you have seen me.
na: not
aham : I
vedaihi : through Vedas
na : not
tapasaa : through penance
na : not
daanena : through charity
na : not
cha : and
ijyayaa : through worship
shakyaha : possible
evam : this
vidhaha : manner
drishtum : seen
drishtvaan : you seen
asi : have
maam : me
yathaa : like
In this shloka, Shri Krishna lists tools that help us lead a fruitful life. First, he lists the Vedas, which refer to material and spiritual teachings, give us knowledge to lead a purposeful and ethical life. By encouraging action in life’s early stages, then emphasizing renunciation in the later stages, they get us from harbouring selfish desires to desirelessness. Austerity and charity further reduce our ego, and penance strengthens us internally and externally. Worship invokes Ishvara’s grace and blessings.
However, Shri Krishna reminds us that none of these methods will give us attainment of Ishvara as their result. This point is of such importance that he brings it up for the second time in the same chapter. Each of the means outlined above have their own results which are valid in life’s various stages, but they can only purify us, not give us Ishvara directly. If we don’t understand this, we are like the child who wants to go to a dentist not to take care of a tooth issue, but to get the lollipop at the end of the visit.
Attainment of Ishvara is purely in the hands of Ishvara himself, as we saw earlier. It is his choice as to whom he will bestow his grace upon. But so far, Shri Krishna himself has described that there is no bias in the way he has set up the machinery of the universe. This leads us to believe that Ishvara will not arbitrarily bestow his grace upon anyone randomly. There has to be a logic to it. Shri Krishna reveals this answer next.
shakya evamvidho drishtum drishtvaanasi maam yathaa || 53 ||
Not through the Vedas, penance, charity, nor through worship can I be seen, in the manner in which you have seen me.
na: not
aham : I
vedaihi : through Vedas
na : not
tapasaa : through penance
na : not
daanena : through charity
na : not
cha : and
ijyayaa : through worship
shakyaha : possible
evam : this
vidhaha : manner
drishtum : seen
drishtvaan : you seen
asi : have
maam : me
yathaa : like
In this shloka, Shri Krishna lists tools that help us lead a fruitful life. First, he lists the Vedas, which refer to material and spiritual teachings, give us knowledge to lead a purposeful and ethical life. By encouraging action in life’s early stages, then emphasizing renunciation in the later stages, they get us from harbouring selfish desires to desirelessness. Austerity and charity further reduce our ego, and penance strengthens us internally and externally. Worship invokes Ishvara’s grace and blessings.
However, Shri Krishna reminds us that none of these methods will give us attainment of Ishvara as their result. This point is of such importance that he brings it up for the second time in the same chapter. Each of the means outlined above have their own results which are valid in life’s various stages, but they can only purify us, not give us Ishvara directly. If we don’t understand this, we are like the child who wants to go to a dentist not to take care of a tooth issue, but to get the lollipop at the end of the visit.
Attainment of Ishvara is purely in the hands of Ishvara himself, as we saw earlier. It is his choice as to whom he will bestow his grace upon. But so far, Shri Krishna himself has described that there is no bias in the way he has set up the machinery of the universe. This leads us to believe that Ishvara will not arbitrarily bestow his grace upon anyone randomly. There has to be a logic to it. Shri Krishna reveals this answer next.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 48, Chapter 11
na vedayajnyaadhyayanairna danairna cha kriyaabhirna tapobhirugraihi |
evamroopaha shakya aham nruloke drishtum tvadanyena kurupraveera || 48 ||
Not through Vedic studies, rituals, charity, actions nor severe penance can I be seen in this form in the human world by anyone than yourself, O foremost of the Kurus.
na : not
vedayajnyaadhyayanaihi : rituals and study of Vedas
na : not
danaihi : charity
na : not
cha : and
kriyaabhihi : with actions
na : not
tapobhihi : with penance
ugraihi : severe
evam : this
roopaha : form
shakyaha : possible
aham : I
nruloke : human world
drishtum : seen
tvadanyena : anyone but you
kurupraveera : foremost among the Kurus
Shri Krishna taught the Gita to Arjuna during a time when most people confused the means with the end with regards to all things spiritual. We see this during our lifetime in the present day. To understand this, let us look at our pre-sleep rituals. We make the bed, we turn off the light, we lie down and close our eyes. Some of us read a book or listen to music afterwards. We know, however, that these are mere aids to encouraging sleep. If our body isn’t ready to sleep, none of these aids will work.
Similarly, Shri Krishna says that moksha or liberation cannot be attained simply by studying the scriptures, or by performing elaborate rituals, charity or severe penance. All these prescriptions are helpful in purifying our mind, in purging it of selfishness and individuality. When our mind is immaculate through the disciplined observance of these prescriptions, it becomes fit to receive knowledge about the eternal essence through a qualified teacher. That is the only way by which we will realize the true nature of Ishvara and the eternal essence.
In most cases, we see people ardently take up different techniques of worship, penance, study and so on, but tend to get so attached to those techniques that they lose sight of the real goal which is liberation. They go so far as to claim the efficacy of one technique versus the other. Also, the eternal essence is our true nature and beyond the realm of action, as we saw in the second chapter. Nothing eternal can arise from action, as action always creates impermanent effects. Nothing that we create, or that nature has created, is eternal. Even the earth that outlives all of us will one day be destroyed. Therefore, Shri Krishna congratulates Arjuna by reminding him that it was only due to compassion that Arjuna could behold the universal form.
evamroopaha shakya aham nruloke drishtum tvadanyena kurupraveera || 48 ||
Not through Vedic studies, rituals, charity, actions nor severe penance can I be seen in this form in the human world by anyone than yourself, O foremost of the Kurus.
na : not
vedayajnyaadhyayanaihi : rituals and study of Vedas
na : not
danaihi : charity
na : not
cha : and
kriyaabhihi : with actions
na : not
tapobhihi : with penance
ugraihi : severe
evam : this
roopaha : form
shakyaha : possible
aham : I
nruloke : human world
drishtum : seen
tvadanyena : anyone but you
kurupraveera : foremost among the Kurus
Shri Krishna taught the Gita to Arjuna during a time when most people confused the means with the end with regards to all things spiritual. We see this during our lifetime in the present day. To understand this, let us look at our pre-sleep rituals. We make the bed, we turn off the light, we lie down and close our eyes. Some of us read a book or listen to music afterwards. We know, however, that these are mere aids to encouraging sleep. If our body isn’t ready to sleep, none of these aids will work.
Similarly, Shri Krishna says that moksha or liberation cannot be attained simply by studying the scriptures, or by performing elaborate rituals, charity or severe penance. All these prescriptions are helpful in purifying our mind, in purging it of selfishness and individuality. When our mind is immaculate through the disciplined observance of these prescriptions, it becomes fit to receive knowledge about the eternal essence through a qualified teacher. That is the only way by which we will realize the true nature of Ishvara and the eternal essence.
In most cases, we see people ardently take up different techniques of worship, penance, study and so on, but tend to get so attached to those techniques that they lose sight of the real goal which is liberation. They go so far as to claim the efficacy of one technique versus the other. Also, the eternal essence is our true nature and beyond the realm of action, as we saw in the second chapter. Nothing eternal can arise from action, as action always creates impermanent effects. Nothing that we create, or that nature has created, is eternal. Even the earth that outlives all of us will one day be destroyed. Therefore, Shri Krishna congratulates Arjuna by reminding him that it was only due to compassion that Arjuna could behold the universal form.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 46, Chapter 11
kireetinam gadinam chakrahastamicchhaami tvaam drishtumaham tathaiva |
tenaiva roopena chaturbhujena sahastrabaaho bhava vishvamoorte || 46 ||
Wearing a crown, holding a mace, disc in hand, in that four-armed form do I wish to see you. O one with infinite arms, be that very form, O universal form.
kireetinam : wearing a crown
gadinam : holding a mace
chakrahastam : disc in hand
icchhaami : I wish
tvaam : you
drishtum : see
aham : I
tathaiva : like that
tenaiva : that very
roopena : form
chaturbhujena : with four arms
sahastrabaaho : O one with infinite arms
bhava : be
vishvamoorte : O universal form
Fearing Shri Krishna’s terrible form, Arjuna begged Shri Krishna to transform back into his normal form. Terming a four-armed figure as a normal form may seem strange. We need to dig deeper into the symbolic aspect of the number four to understand this request properly. The number four has a deep significance in the scriptures, since it represents the four Vedas, the four Varnas or classes, the four aashramas or stages, and the four purushaarthaas or aims of life. As an example, let us explore the four aashramas.
A person is supposed to pass through four aashramas or stages during their life. They begin life under the instruction of a guru or teacher, with the sole aim of seeking knowledge. This stage is called brahmacharya. After graduating from their school, they then lead the life of a householder in the grihastha stage. When that is fulfilled, they enter into a stage where they begin to gradually renounce all material attachments. This is known as vaanaprastha. After complete renunciation, a person’s life culminates in the sanyaasa stage where there sole aim is spiritual pursuits.
In this manner, we can uncover the significance behind several aspects of the number four. But what Arjuna really meant to convey to Shri Krishna was a request to assume the form that his admirers and devotees loved the most, the form that was the object of their meditation. This was Shri Krishna’s form as Lord Naaraayana, which was the embodiment of peace and serenity, and a polar opposite of his rudra or terrible form that Arjuna wanted to go away.
tenaiva roopena chaturbhujena sahastrabaaho bhava vishvamoorte || 46 ||
Wearing a crown, holding a mace, disc in hand, in that four-armed form do I wish to see you. O one with infinite arms, be that very form, O universal form.
kireetinam : wearing a crown
gadinam : holding a mace
chakrahastam : disc in hand
icchhaami : I wish
tvaam : you
drishtum : see
aham : I
tathaiva : like that
tenaiva : that very
roopena : form
chaturbhujena : with four arms
sahastrabaaho : O one with infinite arms
bhava : be
vishvamoorte : O universal form
Fearing Shri Krishna’s terrible form, Arjuna begged Shri Krishna to transform back into his normal form. Terming a four-armed figure as a normal form may seem strange. We need to dig deeper into the symbolic aspect of the number four to understand this request properly. The number four has a deep significance in the scriptures, since it represents the four Vedas, the four Varnas or classes, the four aashramas or stages, and the four purushaarthaas or aims of life. As an example, let us explore the four aashramas.
A person is supposed to pass through four aashramas or stages during their life. They begin life under the instruction of a guru or teacher, with the sole aim of seeking knowledge. This stage is called brahmacharya. After graduating from their school, they then lead the life of a householder in the grihastha stage. When that is fulfilled, they enter into a stage where they begin to gradually renounce all material attachments. This is known as vaanaprastha. After complete renunciation, a person’s life culminates in the sanyaasa stage where there sole aim is spiritual pursuits.
In this manner, we can uncover the significance behind several aspects of the number four. But what Arjuna really meant to convey to Shri Krishna was a request to assume the form that his admirers and devotees loved the most, the form that was the object of their meditation. This was Shri Krishna’s form as Lord Naaraayana, which was the embodiment of peace and serenity, and a polar opposite of his rudra or terrible form that Arjuna wanted to go away.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 42, Chapter 11
yacchaavahaasaarthamasatkritosi vihaarashayyasanabhojaneshu |
ekothavaapyachyuta tatsamaksham tatkshaamaye tvaamahamaprameyam || 42 ||
Whatever insults were said to you in jest, while resting, sleeping, sitting, dining, O resolute one, while in solitude or in front of others, for all that, I ask your forgiveness, O immeasureable one.
yat : whatever
cha : and
avahaasaartham : said in jest
asatkritaha : insults
asi : happened
vihaarashayyasanaha : resting, sleeping or sitting
bhojaneshu : dining
ekaha : in solitude
athavaa: or
api : also
achyuta : O resolute one
tatsamaksham : in front of others
tat : that
kshaamaye : forgiveness
tvaam : your
aham : I
aprameyam : O immeasureable one
Throughout the Gita, Shri Krishna repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining an attitude of equanimity, of sameness, to objects, situations and people that we encounter. He used phrases like “do not view a brahmin different that an outcaste”, “view gold and clay as the same”, “one who views friends, enemies and well wishers with the same vision is superior”. But when Arjuna examined his past treatment of Krishna, he found that he did not live up to that standard.
Now that he had received the knowledge of equanimity from Shri Krishna, Arjuna wanted to confess his misbehaviour and ask for forgiveness from Shri Krishna. He acknowledged that his behaviour was purely driven by ignorance and jest. It is said in the Mahaabhaarata that Arjuna was fond of pulling pranks on Shri Krishna during their childhood days. He once pulled a chair on which Shri Krishna was about to sit. He wanted to reassure Shri Krishna that in all those pranks, he meant no malice whatsoever.
As he implored for forgiveness, Arjuna addressed Shri Krishna as “achyuta”, one who never falls from his position, asserting that Shri Krishna’s conduct was beyond reproach, that he practised what he preached. He also addressed him as “aprameyam”, one who is so infinite that he cannot be measured. Forgiveness can only come from one who has a large heart. Confessing his wrongdoings to Shri Krishna enabled Arjuna to start with a clean slate and begin to follow his teachings.
ekothavaapyachyuta tatsamaksham tatkshaamaye tvaamahamaprameyam || 42 ||
Whatever insults were said to you in jest, while resting, sleeping, sitting, dining, O resolute one, while in solitude or in front of others, for all that, I ask your forgiveness, O immeasureable one.
yat : whatever
cha : and
avahaasaartham : said in jest
asatkritaha : insults
asi : happened
vihaarashayyasanaha : resting, sleeping or sitting
bhojaneshu : dining
ekaha : in solitude
athavaa: or
api : also
achyuta : O resolute one
tatsamaksham : in front of others
tat : that
kshaamaye : forgiveness
tvaam : your
aham : I
aprameyam : O immeasureable one
Throughout the Gita, Shri Krishna repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining an attitude of equanimity, of sameness, to objects, situations and people that we encounter. He used phrases like “do not view a brahmin different that an outcaste”, “view gold and clay as the same”, “one who views friends, enemies and well wishers with the same vision is superior”. But when Arjuna examined his past treatment of Krishna, he found that he did not live up to that standard.
Now that he had received the knowledge of equanimity from Shri Krishna, Arjuna wanted to confess his misbehaviour and ask for forgiveness from Shri Krishna. He acknowledged that his behaviour was purely driven by ignorance and jest. It is said in the Mahaabhaarata that Arjuna was fond of pulling pranks on Shri Krishna during their childhood days. He once pulled a chair on which Shri Krishna was about to sit. He wanted to reassure Shri Krishna that in all those pranks, he meant no malice whatsoever.
As he implored for forgiveness, Arjuna addressed Shri Krishna as “achyuta”, one who never falls from his position, asserting that Shri Krishna’s conduct was beyond reproach, that he practised what he preached. He also addressed him as “aprameyam”, one who is so infinite that he cannot be measured. Forgiveness can only come from one who has a large heart. Confessing his wrongdoings to Shri Krishna enabled Arjuna to start with a clean slate and begin to follow his teachings.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 11
roopam mahatte bahuvaktranetram mahaabaaho bahubaahooroopaadam |
bahoodaram bahudamshtraakaraalam drishtvaa lokaahaa pravyathitaastathaaham || 23 ||
Seeing your grand form with several mouths and eyes, O mighty armed, with several arms, thighs, feet and bellies, with fearful fangs, all beings are disturbed, and (so too am) I.
roopam : form
mahat : grand
te : your
bahuvaktranetram : with several mouths and eyes
mahaabaaho : O mighty armed
bahubaahooroopaadam : with several arms, thighs and feet
bahoodaram : with several bellies
bahudamshtraakaraalam : with fearful fangs
drishtvaa : seeing
lokaahaa : beings
pravyathitaahaa : disturbed
tatha : and
aham : I
Arjuna’s amazement turned into fear as he witnessed the transformation of Ishvara’s cosmic form. The “soumya roopa” or the pleasant form morphed into into the “ugra roopa”, the fear-inducing form. Shri Krishna’s kind, shining face was no more visible. It now was the face of a monster, with long sharp teeth that were “kaarala”, ready to take a bite.
When we see someone who has power but is benevolent and kind, we feel at peace. But when someone with power is clearly intent on causing destruction, we are afraid. When a general of a country army is disciplined and respects civilian authority, people are happy, otherwise he becomes a dictator and scares people. So therefore, seeing this terrible form of Ishvara, Arjuna saw that all beings in all of the worlds were cowering in fear of this form.
Why did Ishvara show this form to Arjuna? Didn’t Shri Krishna want everyone to remember his pleasant form only? There is a reason to this. Earlier, we learned about the tendency of our mind to demarcate certain aspect of the world as “good” or “bad”. But if we use the cosmic form as a means to meditate upon Ishvara, we need think like Ishvara. Ishvara comprises the entire creation where everything is necessary and everything has its place. We cannot demarcate anything good or bad. Only by discarding our prior conceptions of good and bad can we truly understand this terrible form of Ishvara.
What else about the form scared Arjuna? He continues in the next shloka.
bahoodaram bahudamshtraakaraalam drishtvaa lokaahaa pravyathitaastathaaham || 23 ||
Seeing your grand form with several mouths and eyes, O mighty armed, with several arms, thighs, feet and bellies, with fearful fangs, all beings are disturbed, and (so too am) I.
roopam : form
mahat : grand
te : your
bahuvaktranetram : with several mouths and eyes
mahaabaaho : O mighty armed
bahubaahooroopaadam : with several arms, thighs and feet
bahoodaram : with several bellies
bahudamshtraakaraalam : with fearful fangs
drishtvaa : seeing
lokaahaa : beings
pravyathitaahaa : disturbed
tatha : and
aham : I
Arjuna’s amazement turned into fear as he witnessed the transformation of Ishvara’s cosmic form. The “soumya roopa” or the pleasant form morphed into into the “ugra roopa”, the fear-inducing form. Shri Krishna’s kind, shining face was no more visible. It now was the face of a monster, with long sharp teeth that were “kaarala”, ready to take a bite.
When we see someone who has power but is benevolent and kind, we feel at peace. But when someone with power is clearly intent on causing destruction, we are afraid. When a general of a country army is disciplined and respects civilian authority, people are happy, otherwise he becomes a dictator and scares people. So therefore, seeing this terrible form of Ishvara, Arjuna saw that all beings in all of the worlds were cowering in fear of this form.
Why did Ishvara show this form to Arjuna? Didn’t Shri Krishna want everyone to remember his pleasant form only? There is a reason to this. Earlier, we learned about the tendency of our mind to demarcate certain aspect of the world as “good” or “bad”. But if we use the cosmic form as a means to meditate upon Ishvara, we need think like Ishvara. Ishvara comprises the entire creation where everything is necessary and everything has its place. We cannot demarcate anything good or bad. Only by discarding our prior conceptions of good and bad can we truly understand this terrible form of Ishvara.
What else about the form scared Arjuna? He continues in the next shloka.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 42, Chapter 10
athavaa bahunaitena kim jnyaatena tavaarjuna |
vishtabhyaahamidam kritsnamekaanshena sthito jagata || 42 ||
Now, what is the need for you to know these details, O Arjuna? With a fraction of myself, sustaining this entire universe, I am established.
athavaa : now
bahunaa : details
etena : these
kim : what
jnyaatena : to know
tava : for you
arjuna : O Arjuna
vishtabhya : sustaining
aham : I
idam : this
kritsnam : entire
ekaanshena : with a fraction
sthitaha : established
jagata : universe
In the days when we would stay employed with the same firm for a majority of their career, we would start with an entry level job as a junior accountant, let us say, and work our way up the corporate ladder. Over a period of fifteen or twenty years, that junior accountant could end up being promoted to chief financial officer. At that point, he would no longer be concerned with trivial details such as checking receipts against journal entries and so on. He would focus on bigger issues such as the financial health of the entire company.
Similarly, when Shri Krishna provided a long list of Ishvara’s expressions, he wanted to ensure that Arjuna did not get stuck at the level of knowing more and more expressions. He wanted Arjuna to stop asking more questions, take a step back and ask himself a very basic question.
If Ishvara is present in everything in the universe, and Ishvara is also present in me, is there anything else in the universe besides Ishvara? In other words, if Ishvara is in everything, isn’t everything in Ishvara ultimately? It is like asking: If there is space in everything including me and including every atom, isn’t everything in space?
With this intriguing thought, Shri Krishna concludes the tenth chapter and sets the stage for the eleventh chapter. While the tenth chapter was about how the one Ishvara was in all, the eleventh chapter is about how all is in the one Ishvara.
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade vibhootiyogo naama dashamodhyaayaha || 10 ||
vishtabhyaahamidam kritsnamekaanshena sthito jagata || 42 ||
Now, what is the need for you to know these details, O Arjuna? With a fraction of myself, sustaining this entire universe, I am established.
athavaa : now
bahunaa : details
etena : these
kim : what
jnyaatena : to know
tava : for you
arjuna : O Arjuna
vishtabhya : sustaining
aham : I
idam : this
kritsnam : entire
ekaanshena : with a fraction
sthitaha : established
jagata : universe
In the days when we would stay employed with the same firm for a majority of their career, we would start with an entry level job as a junior accountant, let us say, and work our way up the corporate ladder. Over a period of fifteen or twenty years, that junior accountant could end up being promoted to chief financial officer. At that point, he would no longer be concerned with trivial details such as checking receipts against journal entries and so on. He would focus on bigger issues such as the financial health of the entire company.
Similarly, when Shri Krishna provided a long list of Ishvara’s expressions, he wanted to ensure that Arjuna did not get stuck at the level of knowing more and more expressions. He wanted Arjuna to stop asking more questions, take a step back and ask himself a very basic question.
If Ishvara is present in everything in the universe, and Ishvara is also present in me, is there anything else in the universe besides Ishvara? In other words, if Ishvara is in everything, isn’t everything in Ishvara ultimately? It is like asking: If there is space in everything including me and including every atom, isn’t everything in space?
With this intriguing thought, Shri Krishna concludes the tenth chapter and sets the stage for the eleventh chapter. While the tenth chapter was about how the one Ishvara was in all, the eleventh chapter is about how all is in the one Ishvara.
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade vibhootiyogo naama dashamodhyaayaha || 10 ||
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 39, Chapter 10
yatchaapi sarvabhootaanaam beejam tadahamarjuna |
na tadasti vinaa yatsyaanmayaa bhootam charaacharam || 39 ||
And O Arjuna, whatsoever is the seed of all beings, I am that. No moving or non-moving being can exist without me.
yat : whatsoever
cha : and
api : also
sarvabhootaanaam : all beings
beejam : seed
tat : that
aham : I am
arjuna : Arjuna
na : it is not
tat : that
asti : there is
vinaa : without
yat: which
syaat : can exist
mayaa : me
bhootam : being
chara : moving
acharam : non-moving
Now Shri Krishna begins to conclude the teaching of this chapter. Having provided a long list of Ishvara's divine expressions, he now gives us a simple formula to recognize him. He says that whatever we come across in the world, whether it is a living or a non-living entity, or whether it is moving or stationary, it has arisen from the seed that is Ishvara. In other words, Ishvara is the cause or the seed of everything in this universe.
One way of understanding this is as follows. When we refer to an object, let’s say it’s a book, we say : “This is a book”. There are two aspects pointed out here. First is the book, which is quite obvious. But we also use the word “is” to indicate that the book exists, that the book is visible, and it will be visible to someone else. Shri Krishna says that the very existence of the book, the “is-ness” of the book, is nothing but Ishvara.
In other words, this entire universe will not exist without Ishvara. All of the names and forms in the universe use Ishvara are their basis. If we comprehend this, and develop our vision based on this knowledge, we will automatically see Ishvara everywhere, just like we automatically “see” electricity in every electrical gadget.
na tadasti vinaa yatsyaanmayaa bhootam charaacharam || 39 ||
And O Arjuna, whatsoever is the seed of all beings, I am that. No moving or non-moving being can exist without me.
yat : whatsoever
cha : and
api : also
sarvabhootaanaam : all beings
beejam : seed
tat : that
aham : I am
arjuna : Arjuna
na : it is not
tat : that
asti : there is
vinaa : without
yat: which
syaat : can exist
mayaa : me
bhootam : being
chara : moving
acharam : non-moving
Now Shri Krishna begins to conclude the teaching of this chapter. Having provided a long list of Ishvara's divine expressions, he now gives us a simple formula to recognize him. He says that whatever we come across in the world, whether it is a living or a non-living entity, or whether it is moving or stationary, it has arisen from the seed that is Ishvara. In other words, Ishvara is the cause or the seed of everything in this universe.
One way of understanding this is as follows. When we refer to an object, let’s say it’s a book, we say : “This is a book”. There are two aspects pointed out here. First is the book, which is quite obvious. But we also use the word “is” to indicate that the book exists, that the book is visible, and it will be visible to someone else. Shri Krishna says that the very existence of the book, the “is-ness” of the book, is nothing but Ishvara.
In other words, this entire universe will not exist without Ishvara. All of the names and forms in the universe use Ishvara are their basis. If we comprehend this, and develop our vision based on this knowledge, we will automatically see Ishvara everywhere, just like we automatically “see” electricity in every electrical gadget.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 37, Chapter 10
vrishneenaam vaasudevosmi paandavaanaam dhananjaya |
muneenaamapyaham vyaasaha kaveenaamushanaa kavihi || 37 ||
Among the Vrishnis, I am Vaasudeva and among the Paandavas, I am Dhananjaya. Also, among the sages I am Vyaasa and among the seers I am Ushanaa the seer.
vrishneenaam : among the Vrishnis
vaasudevaha : Vaasudeva
asmi : I am
paandavaanaam : among the Paandavas
dhananjaya : I am Dhananjaya
muneenaam : among the sages
api : also
aham : I am
vyaasaha : Vyaasa
kaveenaam : among the seers
ushanaa : Ushanaa
kavihi : the seer
One of the many names of Shri Krishna is Vaarshaneya, which means one who is born in the clan of Vrishni. The Vrishnis are said to have descended from king Yadu who started the major branch of the Chandravanshis, the lunar dynasty. Being the most prominent of the Vrishni clan, Shri Krishna declares himself as Ishvara’s manifestation.
The Bhagavad Gita could never have been possible without Arjuna asking the questions, and without Sage Vyaasa writing the Mahaabhaarata epic. In that regard, Shri Krishna declares both of them as Ishvara’s divine manifestations. Furthermore, both Arjuna and Vyaasa were prominent in their own right. Arjuna was the only undefeated warrior in the Mahaabhaarata war, and also the greatest archer of his time. Sage Vyaasa is credited with having divided the Vedas into four branches, and also with writing the major Puraanaas and the Brahma Sutra.
The word “Kavi” means one who is a visionary, one who can foresee what is coming due to the mastery of his academic prowess. Ushana, also known as Shukraachaarya, is revered in the Indian tradition as one of the foremost gurus or teachers. He learnt the technique of reviving the dead from Lord Shiva, also known as Sanjeevani vidya. He later became the guru of the asuraas or demons, but never inherited any of their traits. Shukra-vaar, the day of his birth, is the name used for Friday in India. Shri Krishna declares Shukraachaarya as Ishvara’s expression.
muneenaamapyaham vyaasaha kaveenaamushanaa kavihi || 37 ||
Among the Vrishnis, I am Vaasudeva and among the Paandavas, I am Dhananjaya. Also, among the sages I am Vyaasa and among the seers I am Ushanaa the seer.
vrishneenaam : among the Vrishnis
vaasudevaha : Vaasudeva
asmi : I am
paandavaanaam : among the Paandavas
dhananjaya : I am Dhananjaya
muneenaam : among the sages
api : also
aham : I am
vyaasaha : Vyaasa
kaveenaam : among the seers
ushanaa : Ushanaa
kavihi : the seer
One of the many names of Shri Krishna is Vaarshaneya, which means one who is born in the clan of Vrishni. The Vrishnis are said to have descended from king Yadu who started the major branch of the Chandravanshis, the lunar dynasty. Being the most prominent of the Vrishni clan, Shri Krishna declares himself as Ishvara’s manifestation.
The Bhagavad Gita could never have been possible without Arjuna asking the questions, and without Sage Vyaasa writing the Mahaabhaarata epic. In that regard, Shri Krishna declares both of them as Ishvara’s divine manifestations. Furthermore, both Arjuna and Vyaasa were prominent in their own right. Arjuna was the only undefeated warrior in the Mahaabhaarata war, and also the greatest archer of his time. Sage Vyaasa is credited with having divided the Vedas into four branches, and also with writing the major Puraanaas and the Brahma Sutra.
The word “Kavi” means one who is a visionary, one who can foresee what is coming due to the mastery of his academic prowess. Ushana, also known as Shukraachaarya, is revered in the Indian tradition as one of the foremost gurus or teachers. He learnt the technique of reviving the dead from Lord Shiva, also known as Sanjeevani vidya. He later became the guru of the asuraas or demons, but never inherited any of their traits. Shukra-vaar, the day of his birth, is the name used for Friday in India. Shri Krishna declares Shukraachaarya as Ishvara’s expression.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 36, Chapter 10
dyootam chalayataamasmi tejastejasvinaamaham |
jayosmi vyavasaayosmi sattvam sattvavataamaham || 36 ||
Among deceitful pursuits, I am gambling. I am the splendour in the brilliant and I am victory and determination. I am the Sattva of Saatvic individuals.
dyootam : gambling
chalayataam : among the deceitful
asmi : I am
tejaha : splendour
tejasvinaam : brilliant
aham : I am
jayaha : victory
asmi : I am
vyavasaayaha : determination
asmi : I am
sattvam : Sattva
sattvavataamaham : Saatvic individuals
As we have seen throughout the Gita, Ishvara uses the power of his maaya to create this universe of duality. So if everything that we consider “good” is Ishvara, its polar opposite is also Ishvara. To underscore this point, Shri Krishna brings forward gambling as Ishvara’s manifestation.
Most of us are under the sway of maaya. If we let maaya have her way, she can steal our faculty of discrimination, our intellect that can distinguish right from wrong. Of all the possible ways of deluding and deceiving us, gambling is the strongest form of maaya. Like any addiction, it can cause great attachment and ultimately result in great sorrow. In the Srimad Bhaagavatam, the demon Kali was asked to reside wherever there is gambling.
Conversely, there are those among us who are endowed with a sharp intellect, one that never loses its power of discrimination. Nobel prize winners, freedom fighters, scientists, the list goes on. Shri Krishna says that it is Ishvara who is shining as the brilliance of such luminaries. Whenever we come across such individuals, we may feel inferior against their prowess. But there is no need to do so, because it is Ishvara that is giving them their brilliance.
Even if most of us are not endowed with such intellectual faculties, we can accomplish great things if we are hardworking, industrious and focused. People with very little mental and financial resources, through blood, sweat and tears, have shown that it is possible to succeed in spite of their limitations. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara manifests as their hard work, and also as the victory that comes as a result of this effort.
Sattva, along with rajas and tamas, comprise the three basic building blocks of maaya or prakriti. When any system is working in perfect harmony, without any fluctuations or disturbances, we can say that the Sattva quality has manifested. So when our intellect is functioning without any agitations, when we see things clearly, it indicates that sattva has dominated over rajas and tamas. Ishvara manifests as this sattva in people who demonstrate virtues such as modesty, calmness, sobriety and goodness.
jayosmi vyavasaayosmi sattvam sattvavataamaham || 36 ||
Among deceitful pursuits, I am gambling. I am the splendour in the brilliant and I am victory and determination. I am the Sattva of Saatvic individuals.
dyootam : gambling
chalayataam : among the deceitful
asmi : I am
tejaha : splendour
tejasvinaam : brilliant
aham : I am
jayaha : victory
asmi : I am
vyavasaayaha : determination
asmi : I am
sattvam : Sattva
sattvavataamaham : Saatvic individuals
As we have seen throughout the Gita, Ishvara uses the power of his maaya to create this universe of duality. So if everything that we consider “good” is Ishvara, its polar opposite is also Ishvara. To underscore this point, Shri Krishna brings forward gambling as Ishvara’s manifestation.
Most of us are under the sway of maaya. If we let maaya have her way, she can steal our faculty of discrimination, our intellect that can distinguish right from wrong. Of all the possible ways of deluding and deceiving us, gambling is the strongest form of maaya. Like any addiction, it can cause great attachment and ultimately result in great sorrow. In the Srimad Bhaagavatam, the demon Kali was asked to reside wherever there is gambling.
Conversely, there are those among us who are endowed with a sharp intellect, one that never loses its power of discrimination. Nobel prize winners, freedom fighters, scientists, the list goes on. Shri Krishna says that it is Ishvara who is shining as the brilliance of such luminaries. Whenever we come across such individuals, we may feel inferior against their prowess. But there is no need to do so, because it is Ishvara that is giving them their brilliance.
Even if most of us are not endowed with such intellectual faculties, we can accomplish great things if we are hardworking, industrious and focused. People with very little mental and financial resources, through blood, sweat and tears, have shown that it is possible to succeed in spite of their limitations. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara manifests as their hard work, and also as the victory that comes as a result of this effort.
Sattva, along with rajas and tamas, comprise the three basic building blocks of maaya or prakriti. When any system is working in perfect harmony, without any fluctuations or disturbances, we can say that the Sattva quality has manifested. So when our intellect is functioning without any agitations, when we see things clearly, it indicates that sattva has dominated over rajas and tamas. Ishvara manifests as this sattva in people who demonstrate virtues such as modesty, calmness, sobriety and goodness.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 35, Chapter 10
brihatsaama tathaa saamnaa gaayatraa chandasaamaham |
maasaanaam margasheershohamritoonaam kusumaakaraha || 35 ||
Among the Saamas I am Brihat-saama, also, among the poetic metres I am Gaayatri. Among the months I am Maargasheersha, and among the seasons I am spring.
brihatsaama : Brihat-saama
tathaa : also
saamnaa : among the Saamas
gaayatraa : Gaayatri
chandasaam : among the lyrical metres
aham : I am
maasaanaam : among the months
margasheershaha : Maargasheersha
aham : I am
ritoonaam : among the seasons
kusumaakaraha : spring
Previously, we came across the Saama Veda as one of Ishvara’s manifestations. Within the Saama Veda, there is a chant called the Brihat-Saama mantra, an invocation that is sung for praising Lord Indra. Since it is Brihat, the most potent and powerful among the Saama Veda mantras, Shri Krishna terms it as a foremost expression of Ishvara.
In prior chapters of the, we have seen the use of the poetic metre as a tool to emphasize the change in topic. Let us delve deeper into this. The Gita is composed in the “Anushtup chandas” . Chandas means metre. It is made up of 4 lines or padas, each comprising 8 syllables. For example, let us see a famous shloka: “ya-da-ya-da-hi-dharm-as-ya”. It contains 8 syllables. There are 3 more lines like this. So we get 8 times 4 equals 32 syllables.
The Gaayatri mantra is considered to be the root and essence of all Vedic mantras. It is composed in a metre of the same name. The Gaayatri metre is made up of 4 lines each comprising 6 syllables. The first line is “tat-sa-vi-tur-vareni-yam”. Therefore the Gaayatri mantra as well as the associated metre, foremost among all the mantras, are Ishvara’s expression.
Next, Shri Krishna elaborates upon weather and seasons. He says that among all the months, Ishvara is the month of Maargasheersha of the Indian calendar. It corresponds to the November-December time period and culminates in the festival of Makara Sankranti. He then goes on to say that among the seasons, Ishvara is Kusumaakara, which refers to spring, the flower-bearing season. Both Margasheersha and Kusumaakara are not too hot and not too cold. They are conducive to generating serenity in the mind, and that is why they are considered foremost expressions of Ishvara.
maasaanaam margasheershohamritoonaam kusumaakaraha || 35 ||
Among the Saamas I am Brihat-saama, also, among the poetic metres I am Gaayatri. Among the months I am Maargasheersha, and among the seasons I am spring.
brihatsaama : Brihat-saama
tathaa : also
saamnaa : among the Saamas
gaayatraa : Gaayatri
chandasaam : among the lyrical metres
aham : I am
maasaanaam : among the months
margasheershaha : Maargasheersha
aham : I am
ritoonaam : among the seasons
kusumaakaraha : spring
Previously, we came across the Saama Veda as one of Ishvara’s manifestations. Within the Saama Veda, there is a chant called the Brihat-Saama mantra, an invocation that is sung for praising Lord Indra. Since it is Brihat, the most potent and powerful among the Saama Veda mantras, Shri Krishna terms it as a foremost expression of Ishvara.
In prior chapters of the, we have seen the use of the poetic metre as a tool to emphasize the change in topic. Let us delve deeper into this. The Gita is composed in the “Anushtup chandas” . Chandas means metre. It is made up of 4 lines or padas, each comprising 8 syllables. For example, let us see a famous shloka: “ya-da-ya-da-hi-dharm-as-ya”. It contains 8 syllables. There are 3 more lines like this. So we get 8 times 4 equals 32 syllables.
The Gaayatri mantra is considered to be the root and essence of all Vedic mantras. It is composed in a metre of the same name. The Gaayatri metre is made up of 4 lines each comprising 6 syllables. The first line is “tat-sa-vi-tur-vareni-yam”. Therefore the Gaayatri mantra as well as the associated metre, foremost among all the mantras, are Ishvara’s expression.
Next, Shri Krishna elaborates upon weather and seasons. He says that among all the months, Ishvara is the month of Maargasheersha of the Indian calendar. It corresponds to the November-December time period and culminates in the festival of Makara Sankranti. He then goes on to say that among the seasons, Ishvara is Kusumaakara, which refers to spring, the flower-bearing season. Both Margasheersha and Kusumaakara are not too hot and not too cold. They are conducive to generating serenity in the mind, and that is why they are considered foremost expressions of Ishvara.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 10
mrityuhu sarvaharashchaahamudbhavashcha bhavishyataam |
keertihi shreervaakcha naareenaam smritirmedhaa dhritihi kshamaa || 34 ||
I am death, destroyer of all. I am what emerges in the future. Among women I am fame, wealth, speech, memory, retention, fortitude and forgiveness.
mrityuhu : death
sarvaharaha : destroyer of all
cha : and
aham : I am
udbhavaha : emerges
cha : and
bhavishyataam : future
keertihi : fame
shreehi : wealth
vaak : speech
cha : and
naareenaam : among women
smritihi : memory
medhaa : retention
dhritihi : fortitude
kshamaa : forgiveness
We continue our journey through the manifestations of Ishvara. In order to remind us of the ephemeral nature of life, Shri Krishna says that among those forces that destroy things, Ishvara is death, the ultimate destroyer. Death is closely intertwined with time since everything is destroyed in the course of time.
In the Puranaas, Lord Shiva commences the act of dissolution by performing a dance called “taandava nritya”, his drum called “damru” in hand. After dissolution is complete, Ishvara then emerges as the creative principle to begin the next round of creation. Ishvara is the “stuff” of the universe, as well as the energy pervading it.
So far, we have come across several manifestations of Ishvara. At times, we may find hard to connect some of these manifestations because we are not familiar with them. Shri Krishna is careful to not alienate us. He now provides a list of qualities that we see in ourselves and in others every day.
These qualities are : keerti (name and fame on account of performing virtuous deeds), shree (beauty and wealth), vaak (refined speech), smiriti (memory of events), medhaa (ability to retain information that was read), dhriti (fortitude in the face of exhaustion) and kshama (forgiveness in the face of sorrow). In Sanskrit grammar these words are feminine nouns. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara manifests himself as one or all of these qualities in people.
keertihi shreervaakcha naareenaam smritirmedhaa dhritihi kshamaa || 34 ||
I am death, destroyer of all. I am what emerges in the future. Among women I am fame, wealth, speech, memory, retention, fortitude and forgiveness.
mrityuhu : death
sarvaharaha : destroyer of all
cha : and
aham : I am
udbhavaha : emerges
cha : and
bhavishyataam : future
keertihi : fame
shreehi : wealth
vaak : speech
cha : and
naareenaam : among women
smritihi : memory
medhaa : retention
dhritihi : fortitude
kshamaa : forgiveness
We continue our journey through the manifestations of Ishvara. In order to remind us of the ephemeral nature of life, Shri Krishna says that among those forces that destroy things, Ishvara is death, the ultimate destroyer. Death is closely intertwined with time since everything is destroyed in the course of time.
In the Puranaas, Lord Shiva commences the act of dissolution by performing a dance called “taandava nritya”, his drum called “damru” in hand. After dissolution is complete, Ishvara then emerges as the creative principle to begin the next round of creation. Ishvara is the “stuff” of the universe, as well as the energy pervading it.
So far, we have come across several manifestations of Ishvara. At times, we may find hard to connect some of these manifestations because we are not familiar with them. Shri Krishna is careful to not alienate us. He now provides a list of qualities that we see in ourselves and in others every day.
These qualities are : keerti (name and fame on account of performing virtuous deeds), shree (beauty and wealth), vaak (refined speech), smiriti (memory of events), medhaa (ability to retain information that was read), dhriti (fortitude in the face of exhaustion) and kshama (forgiveness in the face of sorrow). In Sanskrit grammar these words are feminine nouns. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara manifests himself as one or all of these qualities in people.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 33, Chapter 10
aksharaanaamakaarosmi dvandvaha saamasikasya cha |
ahamevaakshyaha kaalo dhaataaham vishvatomukham || 33 ||
Among the alphabets I am “A” and among grammatical compounds I am Dvandva. I only am the inexhaustible time. I am the provider facing all directions.
aksharaanaam : among the alphabets
akaaraha : “a”
asmi : I am
dvandvaha : Dvandva
saamasikasya : among grammatical compounds
cha : and
aham : I am
eva : only
akshyaha : inexhaustible
kaalaha : time
dhaataaham : provider
vishvatomukhaha : facing all directions
The word “akshara” means letter, but also means imperishable. Shri Krishna says that among the aksharas, the imperishable letters, Ishvara is manifested foremost in the letter “a”. No letter can be pronounced without the support of “a”. For example, the consonant “k” cannot be pronounced without adding an “a” to make it “ka”. It is said that each letter has a presiding deity, and Lord Brahma is the presiding deity of “a”. Given its importance, it is Ishvara’s manifestation.
Next, we delve into Sanskrit grammar. It has four types of compounds called avyavi, tatpurusha, bahuvreehee and dvandva. A compound joins two words. The dvandva compound gives equal importance to both words that are joined. For example: Raamalakshmanau is a dvandva compound. The other three compounds assign different levels of importance to the words that are joined. Since Dvandva, like Ishvara, maintains sameness between two objects, it is the foremost expression of Ishvara.
Previously, time was mentioned as the ultimate counter. Here, time is taken up in its infinite nature. It is that infinite time, “kaala”, which is prevalent before, during and after the creation of the universe. Ishvara, as the manifestation of infinite time, is the controller of Prakriti who is the provider of fruits of everyone’s action. His omnipresence and omniscience, indicated by the phrase “facing all directions”, ensures that everyone gets exactly what they deserve.
So whenever we read literature in both prose and poetry form, or when we contemplate the results of our actions, we should always realize that it is Ishvara working through all of them.
ahamevaakshyaha kaalo dhaataaham vishvatomukham || 33 ||
Among the alphabets I am “A” and among grammatical compounds I am Dvandva. I only am the inexhaustible time. I am the provider facing all directions.
aksharaanaam : among the alphabets
akaaraha : “a”
asmi : I am
dvandvaha : Dvandva
saamasikasya : among grammatical compounds
cha : and
aham : I am
eva : only
akshyaha : inexhaustible
kaalaha : time
dhaataaham : provider
vishvatomukhaha : facing all directions
The word “akshara” means letter, but also means imperishable. Shri Krishna says that among the aksharas, the imperishable letters, Ishvara is manifested foremost in the letter “a”. No letter can be pronounced without the support of “a”. For example, the consonant “k” cannot be pronounced without adding an “a” to make it “ka”. It is said that each letter has a presiding deity, and Lord Brahma is the presiding deity of “a”. Given its importance, it is Ishvara’s manifestation.
Next, we delve into Sanskrit grammar. It has four types of compounds called avyavi, tatpurusha, bahuvreehee and dvandva. A compound joins two words. The dvandva compound gives equal importance to both words that are joined. For example: Raamalakshmanau is a dvandva compound. The other three compounds assign different levels of importance to the words that are joined. Since Dvandva, like Ishvara, maintains sameness between two objects, it is the foremost expression of Ishvara.
Previously, time was mentioned as the ultimate counter. Here, time is taken up in its infinite nature. It is that infinite time, “kaala”, which is prevalent before, during and after the creation of the universe. Ishvara, as the manifestation of infinite time, is the controller of Prakriti who is the provider of fruits of everyone’s action. His omnipresence and omniscience, indicated by the phrase “facing all directions”, ensures that everyone gets exactly what they deserve.
So whenever we read literature in both prose and poetry form, or when we contemplate the results of our actions, we should always realize that it is Ishvara working through all of them.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Bhagavad Gita Verse 32, Chapter 10
sargaanaamaadirantashcha madhyam chaivaahamarjuna |
adhyaatmavidyaa vidyaanaam vaadaha pravadataamaham || 32 ||
Among the creations, I only am the beginning, end and middle, O Arjuna. Among the sciences I am spiritual science and among the debates I am Vaada.
sargaanaam : among the creations
aadihi : beginning
antaha : end
cha : and
madhyam : middle
cha : and
eva : only
aham : I am
arjuna : O Arjuna
adhyaatmavidyaa : spiritual science
vidyaanaam : among the sciences
vaadaha : Vaada
pravadataam : among the debates
aham : I am
To ensure that we do not get carried away by getting stuck in specific manifestations of Ishvara, Shri Krishna addresses Arjuna and reiterates that Ishvara is in everything and at all times. As Brahma, he creates the universe, as Vishnu he sustains the universe and as Shiva, he dissolves the universe. But Ishvara is ever present, he does not go away during any of these activities.
Next, Shri Krishna takes up the subject of knowledge. For most of us, knowledge refers either to academic knowledge, career-enhancing knowledge or knowledge about something we enjoy doing such as arts or literature. Although such knowledge has its place in our life, it is secondary or lower knowledge. It is “aparaa vidyaa”.
Why is it secondary? Such knowledge keeps us engaged in the material world, in Prakriti or in Maaya. We tend to correct, change and rearrange our life situations, but none of these yield lasting happiness. We do not look to correcting the real problem, which is our understanding of our own self. Only spiritual knowledge, knowledge of our own self, has the power to take us out of the material world and towards Ishvara. This is why Shri Krishna praises “adhyaatma vidyaa”, spiritual knowledge among all types of knowledge.
We now come to the topic of debates. In all spheres of life, a conversation between two people where one is trying to influence other is extremely important. In the US, debates between two presidential candidates can make or break their chances of winning. In general, there are three kinds of debates.
In “Jalpa”, the speaker wants to prove his point and bring down his opponent, no matter how sound or logical the opponent’s argument. In “Vitanda”, the speaker does not have any point to make, he just wants to bring down his opponent. Only in “Vaada” do both speakers listen to each other and push each other to ensure that the most logical argument prevails, not that one or the other speaker wins. Shri Krishna says that such a debate that places logic above ego is Ishvara’s foremost expression.
adhyaatmavidyaa vidyaanaam vaadaha pravadataamaham || 32 ||
Among the creations, I only am the beginning, end and middle, O Arjuna. Among the sciences I am spiritual science and among the debates I am Vaada.
sargaanaam : among the creations
aadihi : beginning
antaha : end
cha : and
madhyam : middle
cha : and
eva : only
aham : I am
arjuna : O Arjuna
adhyaatmavidyaa : spiritual science
vidyaanaam : among the sciences
vaadaha : Vaada
pravadataam : among the debates
aham : I am
To ensure that we do not get carried away by getting stuck in specific manifestations of Ishvara, Shri Krishna addresses Arjuna and reiterates that Ishvara is in everything and at all times. As Brahma, he creates the universe, as Vishnu he sustains the universe and as Shiva, he dissolves the universe. But Ishvara is ever present, he does not go away during any of these activities.
Next, Shri Krishna takes up the subject of knowledge. For most of us, knowledge refers either to academic knowledge, career-enhancing knowledge or knowledge about something we enjoy doing such as arts or literature. Although such knowledge has its place in our life, it is secondary or lower knowledge. It is “aparaa vidyaa”.
Why is it secondary? Such knowledge keeps us engaged in the material world, in Prakriti or in Maaya. We tend to correct, change and rearrange our life situations, but none of these yield lasting happiness. We do not look to correcting the real problem, which is our understanding of our own self. Only spiritual knowledge, knowledge of our own self, has the power to take us out of the material world and towards Ishvara. This is why Shri Krishna praises “adhyaatma vidyaa”, spiritual knowledge among all types of knowledge.
We now come to the topic of debates. In all spheres of life, a conversation between two people where one is trying to influence other is extremely important. In the US, debates between two presidential candidates can make or break their chances of winning. In general, there are three kinds of debates.
In “Jalpa”, the speaker wants to prove his point and bring down his opponent, no matter how sound or logical the opponent’s argument. In “Vitanda”, the speaker does not have any point to make, he just wants to bring down his opponent. Only in “Vaada” do both speakers listen to each other and push each other to ensure that the most logical argument prevails, not that one or the other speaker wins. Shri Krishna says that such a debate that places logic above ego is Ishvara’s foremost expression.
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