Monthly Archives: April 2012

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 6

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.8, ashma, chapter 6 verse 8, iti, jnaana, kaanchanaha, kutasthaha, loshta, sama, triptaatmaa, uchyate, vignyaana, vijitendriyaha, yogi, yuktaha

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jnaanavignyaanatriptaatmaa kutastho vijitendriyaha |
yukta ityuchyate yogi samaloshtaashmakaanchanaha || 6 ||

One whose self is content with knowledge and wisdom, who is steady like an anvil, who has conquered the senses; such a person called an established yogi; to him, a lump of clay, a stone and gold are same.

jnaana : knowledge
vignyaana : wisdom
triptaatmaa : one whose self is content
kutasthaha : who is (steady) like an anvil
vijitendriyaha : who has conquered the senses
yuktaha : established
iti : such a
uchyate : is called
yogi : yogi
sama : same
loshta : lump of mud
ashma : stone
kaanchanaha : gold

Shri Krishna continues the explanation on the outlook of a realized meditator. In this shloka, he speaks about how such a person responds to objects. This person’s nature is complete and content with knowledge and wisdom, he has no need for anything else. This contentment and the mastery over senses gives him the quality of steadfastness. He is like an anvil in that regard. He sees sameness in a lump of clay, a stone and gold, such is his vision.

First let us look at what is meant by knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is that which is gained externally through study of texts. But wisdom comes only when this knowledge has been internalized, and when we can see its application in our life. If someone tells us that exercise is good, then it is knowledge. But if we also come to that conclusion and start exercising, it becomes wisdom. It is like a math problem, we have to work out the answer for ourselves.

Similarly, when we hear that our self is beyond the body, mind and intellect, it is knowledge. But if our body gets a disease, but we think that “I have fallen sick, not my body”, it means that our knowledge has not translated into wisdom. Once I gain wisdom, I do not get disturbed by any more diseases. The combination of knowledge and wisdom brings me to the realization that I am complete, and hence I do not get affected by what happens to the body.

Next, Shri Krishna says that this person is steady like an anvil. A favourable object does not cause excitement in him, and an unfavourable object does not cause any agitation in him. Is it because he has become like a stone? No, it is because he is content with himself. He does not need to rush out into the world of objects to fulfill himself. He knows that desire and hatred are components of sense organs, as we saw in earlier chapters. So when he knows that desire and hatred is not his, and the reactions is not his, then he remains undisturbed.

Shri Krishna then mentions that such a person has full control over mind and senses. This point repeated countless times because it is the most important thing to do for a seeker, but also the most difficult. Even if we hear it several times it does not sink in. So, such a person becomes steady like an anvil because he remains absolutely steady in his own self. He completely controls his senses, they do not move without permission. There is no restlessness in the body.

What is the vision of this person towards object? He sees sameness in gold, clay and stone. Now he is not foolish. He knows that each of these has value in life, but he does not give them undue importance. He has a rational and practical assessment of each object’s value in the grand scheme of things, but does not super-impose his values on them. These objects fail to attract and excite his mind.

So therefore, such a person is “yuktaha” or completely established in meditation. He has nothing further to do when it comes to meditation.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 6

09 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.7, apamaanayoho, chapter 6 verse 7, dukheshu, jitaatmanaha, maana, paramaatmaa, prashaantasya, samaahitaha, sheeta, sukha, tathaa, ushna

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jitaatmanaha prashaantasya paramaatmaa samaahitaha |
sheetoshnasukhadukheshu tathaa maanaapamaanayoho || 7 ||

One who has conquered himself, that serene person is steadfast in the supreme self, in cold and heat, in joy and sorrow, in praise and insult.

jitaatmanaha : one who has conquered himself
prashaantasya : serene person
paramaatmaa : supreme self
samaahitaha : steadfast
sheeta : cold
ushna : heat
sukha : joy
dukheshu : in sorrow
tathaa : and
maana : praise
apamaanayoho : in insult

In the following three shlokas, Shri Krishna paints a picture of one who has realized the eternal essence through meditation, specifically with his outlook towards situations, objects and people. In this shloka, Shri Krishna tackles the meditator’s outlook towards situations. He says that the meditator who has won over his senses and mind, won over his lower nature, his mind remains well established in the eternal essence all the time. No matter what situation he finds himself in, his mind remains even calm and peaceful – “prashaantaha”.

Now, what does it mean to remain same in all situations? Let us take each aspect of the shloka one by one. Remaining same in cold and heat refers to pleasant and unpleasant situations experienced at the physical body level. Joy and sorrow and experienced as emotions at the mind level. Praise and insult are experienced either as boosters or blows to the ego. They are experienced at the intellect level. The body, mind and intellect are part of nature or prakriti. They react to situational changes, which also happen in prakriti.

We have been conditioned to respond to some situations favourably and some situations unfavourably. Our normal response to an unfavourable situation is to impose our will upon it, to change it. But in most cases, it never works. It is like the story of the king wanting to put a carpet on top of his entire kingdom’s land, rather than wear a pair of slippers.

Moreover, two people respond to the same situation differently. A child may not take a scolding from his parents as an insult, because his ego is not fully developed yet. But a teenager will, because his ego is especially sensitive towards insults from his parents.

So therefore, one who knows that situations can only impact the body, mind and intellect, but not his self, he remains peaceful in all situations. If something good or bad happens to a person whom we have no connection with, do we feel any joy or sorrow? We do not. That is the kind of understanding a realized meditator has towards his own body, mind and intellect. He does not feel the need to enter the realm of prakriti to change anything. He remains a witness of all these changes.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 6

08 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.6, aatmaa, aatmanaa, anaatmanaha, banduhu, chapter 6 verse 6, eva, jitaha, shatrutve, shatruvat, tasya, yena

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banduraatmaatmanastasya yenatmaivaatmanaa jitaha |
anaatmanastu shatrutve vartetaatmaiva shatruvat || 6 ||

For one who has conquered oneself by oneself, only his own self is his friend. But for one who has not conquered oneself, it is only his own self that behaves in animosity, like an enemy.

banduhu : is a friend
aatmaa : oneself
aatmanaa : by oneself
tasya : for him
yena : who has
aatmaa : oneself
eva : only
aatmanaa : oneself
jitaha : conquered
anaatmanaha : for one who has not conquered oneself
tu : but
shatrutve : in a spirit of animosity
varteta : behaves
aatmaa : his own self
eva : only
shatruvat : like an enemy

As further elaboration on the previous shloka, Shri Krishna explains exactly what he means by the statement “we are our own friend and we are our own enemy”. He says that for the person that has used his intellect to conquer the mind and senses, he becomes his own friend. But for one who is unable to conquer the mind and senses, he becomes his own enemy. Note the repeated use of the word “aatmaa” or self in this shloka and the prior shloka to mean different things.

Now, what exactly is a “shatru” or enemy? It is someone who constantly creates trouble for us – a trouble maker. The mind, if not under our control, can be the world’s most creative and impactful trouble maker. We tend to think it is our boss, our mother-in-law, our neighbour and so on to be our enemy, the troublemaker. But nothing beats that mind when it comes to creating problems for us.

Consider an example. Let’s say the doctor has told us that sweets are bad for us. Now, imagine that we are at a social gathering and someone offers us a sweet. The intellect instantly knows what is the right thing to do. But the mind is different from the intellect. If the mind is not under control, it will say “go ahead, there is no harm in taking one piece of the sweet”.

At this point, we fall prey to the lower self and eat the sweet. The mind now says, “this is a very tasty sweet. I think I will have this again tomorrow, first thing in the morning”. Again we succumb to the lower self on the next day and eat the sweet again. Now, having eaten the sweet twice, the mind says “why did I eat this sweet twice? The doctor had said that it is bad for me. I hope this does not impact my health. I absolutely hate myself”.

Here is someone who caused us trouble three times – before, during and after eating the sweet. But it was not someone from the outside. It was something within – our own mind. This is why Shri Krishna calls the uncontrolled mind to be the worst enemy possible in regards to our growth. The sweet is a small example of how the uncontrolled mind creates trouble for us day in and day out. Through conditioning by the sense organs, it repeatedly reinforces our likes and dislikes without regard to what is rational.

So the message is clear: progress towards meditation is not possible unless we use karmayoga to bring our mind under control and eliminate as many desires as possible.

In the shlokas so far, Shri Krishna gave an introduction to the topic of meditation. In the rest of this chapter, he will cover all aspects of meditation including: what is meditation, what is the process, what do we have to do internally and externally, what are the obstacles and how do we remove them, and how does such an individual that is established in meditation live in this world, which is the topic he takes up next.

The world for us comprises three aspects: situations that we encounter, objects that we use, and people that we interact with. In the next three shlokas, Shri Krishna takes up each aspect and paints a picture of the meditator’s attitude towards each of these aspects.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 6

07 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.5, aatmaanam, aatmanaa, avasaadayet, bandhuhu, chapter 6 verse 5, eva, hi, na, ripuhu, uddharet

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uddharedaatmanaatmaanam naatmaanamavasaadayet |
aatmaiva hyaatmano bandhuraatmaiva ripuraatmanaha || 6 ||

Uplift yourself by yourself, do not deprecate yourself. For only you are your friend, and only you are your enemy.

uddharet : uplift
aatmanaa : by yourself
aatmaanam : yourself
na : do not let
aatmaanam : yourself
avasaadayet : deprecate
aatmaa : you
eva : only
hi : for
aatmanaha : your
bandhuhu : friend
aatmaa : you
eva : only
ripuhu : enemy
aatmanaha : your

Shri Krishna gives us a powerful message in this shloka. He says that in order to progress in the spiritual path, in fact, any undertaking, we have to lift ourselves by our own efforts. We are our own friend if we do so, and if we don’t, we become our own enemy. In other words, our success and failure is entirely in our hands. No other person can help or hurt us.

In previous chapters we encountered the hierarchy of our personality. At the lowest level exist the body and the sense organs. They have the tendency to go out into the world and seek the objects they desire. The eyes desire pleasant images, the tongue desires pleasant tastes and so on. This is our “lower self”. Higher than the body and the senses lies the mind. It is the seat of our thoughts and desires. Higher than the mind is the intellect that can make rational decisions. The eternal essence, our higher self, is at the very highest level.

Now, the sense organs are very powerful. Usually, for most of us, the senses forcefully drag the mind out into the world in order to encounter one sense pleasure after another. This is what Shri Krishna calls “deprecation” in the shloka. It means the tendency of the mind to go lower. But in the intellect that has cultivated discrimination through study of right knowledge, the mind encounters a struggle. It has to choose between being dragged forcefully into the senses, or uplifting itself towards the intellect, and then ultimately towards the eternal essence.

So Shri Krishna asks us to to forcibly uplift our mind by the intellect. How do we do this? Whenever we have the urge to indulge in a sense pleasure, we give focus to our intellect. The intellect will then guide us in the right direction. We have to do this repeatedly and train the mind to go in the right direction.

However, we have to train our mind in the right manner. If we treat it forcefully it will rebel. The mind has got its own tricks, so we should control it by becoming friends with it. All of our saadhanaas, our efforts, should be done intelligently, slowly and steadily. Only then does the journey become easy.

Furthermore, we also have to ensure that we do not fall any further, even if we are not able to raise the level of our mind. When climbing a mountain, mountaineers hammer nails into the rock and secure themselves with rope. This protects the mountaineers against falling down in case they slip. Similarly, when we look back at this stage a few years from now, we should see spiritual progress, not further degradation in our life.

Now, this is a tough task. Who will help us? Shri Krishna says that you yourself are your friend, you only can help yourself. When we are hungry, it does not help us if someone else eats our food. Similarly, our upliftment is in our own hands. If we can prevent ourselves from falling prey to the lower self, our higher self becomes our best friend. For instance, if we are reading the Gita and the mind gets distracted, we should bring our higher self into the picture. But if our minds continually succumb to the lower self, it becomes our worst enemy.

Therefore, Shri Krishna urges us to gently but firmly bring our mind into control, and orient it towards the intellect and our higher self.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 6

06 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.3, anushajjate, chapter 6 verse 4, hi, indruyaartheshu, karmasu, na, sankalpa, sannyaasi, sarva, tadaa, uchyate, yada, yogaaroodha

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yada hi nendriyaartheshu na karmasvanushajjate |
sarvasankalpasannyaasi yogaaroodhastadochyate || 4 ||

When one does not find attachment in sense objects and in actions, when one has renounced all projections, at that time one is said to have been established in yoga.

yada : when
hi : for
na : not
indriyaartheshu : in sense objects
na : not
karmasu : in actions
anushajjate : attached to
sarva : all
sankalpa : projections, urge to go outward
sannyaasi : one who has renounced
yogaaroodhaha : established in yoga
tadaa : at that time
uchyate : is called

Having introduced the qualification of a meditator to be “yogaaroodha”, Shri Krishna now explains what that term really means. He says that it refers to a person who no longer gets attracted or attached to sense objects and actions. This happens because that person finds contentment within himself and does not need to rush out into the world, in other words, he does not have sankalpas.

So far we have understood sankalpa to mean desire. Now, let us understand the deeper meaning of sankalpa. As we have seen throughout the Gita, ignorance of our true self is the root cause of all our sorrows. Ignorance makes us think that we are incomplete. It causes desires that push the mind to go outward to seek happiness. This outward projection is called sankalpa. Typically, sankalpa is seen in the urge to give undue importance to objects, and to actions.

No matter how much we want to deny it, each one of us has a weakness for certain material objects. We think that those objects will give us happiness, peace, security, stability and so on. But if we follow path of karmayoga diligently, the undue importance we place on objects slowly diminishes.

As an example, compare the experience of a child walking in a toystore to that of an adult doing the same thing. The minute the child enters into the store, each object pulls the child towards itself, as it were. The pull is so strong that the child thinks that he cannot live without these toys. A multitude of desires get generated in his mind. He gets excited and restless. But if an adult walks into the toy store, he may very well appreciate the toys, but there is no urge or force that compels him to get attached to any toy. Once our outlook towards all objects of the world is like that adult in a toy store, we are fit for meditation.

Similarly, we have a fascination towards performance of actions. But when we deeply examine our actions, we realize that most of these are performed due to a herd mentality, in other words, because everyone else is doing it, and because we think we will be left out of a group if we do not perform those actions. Many of us pursue educational and career paths by emulating what someone else had done.

Another reason that we perform actions is for strengthening our ego (asmita). Our ego puffs up when we say “I did this”. We forget that actions are part of nature, that they are happening of their own accord. For instance, we do not boast when we have taken a shower or when one of our hands puts a bandage on another hand. So it is only when we have a similar attitude towards all actions that we perform, that we become fit for meditation.

A child eventually stops putting his finger in the fire, having burned it each time. Similarly our sankalpa, our need to act for gaining objects diminishes as the wisdom gained through contemplation increases. When this wisdom dawns and we diminish our attachment to action and objects, we become yogaroodha or established in dhyaana yoga. In other words, we become qualified for meditation.

This journey to meditation seems arduous. How can we get some support? Who can help us? The next shloka goes into this topic.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 6

05 Thursday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.3, aarurkshoho, chapter 6 verse 3, eva, kaaranam, munehe, shamah, tasya, uchayte, uchyate, yogam, yogaroodhasya

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aarurukshormuneryogam karma kaaranamuchyate |
yogaroodhasya tasyaiva shamah kaaranamuchyate || 3 ||

For that contemplative person who desires to ascend to yoga, action is said to be the means. For one who is established in yoga, tranquility is said to be the means.

aarurukshoho : one who desires to ascend
munehe : contemplative person
yogam : yoga
karma : action
kaaranam : means
uchyate : is said to be
yogaroodhasya : one who is established in yoga
tasya : that person
eva : only
shamah : tranquility
kaaranam : means
uchyate : is said to be

In the shlokas so far, Shri Krishna has pointed out the similarity between a karmayogi and a monk in regards to their suitability for practicing meditation. Now, he begins to go one level deeper and tell us where we stand, and how should we prepare ourselves for meditation.

Let’s first understand what is meant by a muni or a contemplative person. Most people in this world harbour the notion that worldly objects, people and situations yield happiness. The contemplative person is one who has spent enough time observing the world and understood that notion to be false. He need not have retreated to the forest to contemplate on this. He knows from his daily life experience that the world cannot give joy. Such a muni, who has the desire to go higher, ascend above the material world, is called “aarurkshoho”.

So for such a muni, there are two possibilities. One is that he is not established in dhyaana yoga or meditation. His mind still harbours desires. His proportion of sattva guna is lower compared to rajas and tamas. For such a seeker, the only means to get established in meditation is karmayoga. Diligent observance of karmayoga will develop the qualities of discrimination and dispassion (viveka and vairagya), which will ultimately purge desires from the mind.

The second possibility is the muni who has achieved a high level of viveka and vairagya. His mind does not harbour desires due to the predominance of sattva. He only performs the bare minimum of actions that are in line with his obligatory duties. Such a person is “aarudha” or elevated. For such a person, meditation will come naturally. All he has to is to follow the instructions given later in this chapter towards “shamaha”, which is quietening the mind.

Consider this illustration. When a child wants to ride a heavy bicycle, he usually cannot climb it directly. He has to put one foot on the pedal and kick the ground with the other foot till the bicycle gathers speed. Only then can he climb the bicycle. So in the initial stage, the child is “aarurkshoho” and has to kick the ground until the bike gathers speed. Then when he ascends the bicycle, he becomes “aarudha”.

Now, when exactly does the seeker become ready to meditate? This is tackled in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 6

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.2, asannyasta, bhavati, chapter 6 verse 2, hi, iti, kashchana, na, paandava, praahuhu, sanyaasam, tam, viddhi, yam, yogam, yogi

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yam sannyaasamiti praahuryogam tam viddhi paandava |
na hyasannyastasankalpo yogi bhavati kashchana | |2||

In this manner, that which is called renunciation, know that to be the same as yoga, O Paandava. For without renunciation of desires, one cannot become a yogi.

yam : that which
sannyaasam : renunciation
iti : in this manner
praahuhu : call
yogam : yoga
tam : that same thing
viddhi : know that
paandava : O Paandava
na : not
hi : for
asannyasta : without renouncing
sankalpo : desires
yogi : yogi
bhavati : become
kashchana : cannot|

Shri Krishna further elaborates on the definition of a sannyaasi or a monk in this shlokla. He says that the karmayogi and sannyaasi are, at their core, one and the same. One need not renounce the world in order to become a dhyaana yogi or a meditator. All one needs to do is to follow the path of karmayoga diligently. Only when the tendency to create new desires or sankalpa goes away can one become a meditator.

How can the action-oriented karmayogi and the actionless-oriented monk be the same? Let us investigate. It is only when the mind of the seeker is free of sankalpa does he become ready for meditation. Meditation can occur only when the mind is tranquil. Tranquility only occurs when the mind is rid of all desires. Now the question arises that how do we know whether such tranquility exists? Have we experienced it? Yes we have. Once we finally get an object that we were craving for a long time, our mind experiences tranquility for a fraction of a second. This is caused due to a temporary cessation of desires, and ends when new desires start agitating the mind again.

If one has reached an advanced stage in the spiritual journey where desires have gone down to a minimum, one becomes actionless automatically. We saw this in the fifth chapter. But if one still harbours desires, karmayoga is the means to slowly diminish desires through renouncing the results of action. So what needs to be renounced is attachment to results of action, not action itself. This recurring message drives home the point that action-orientation and actionless-orientation are the same, as long as the attachment to results is renounced. They both have the same effect: tranquility of mind.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 6

03 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.1, akriyaha, anaashritaha, cha, chapter 6 verse 1, ha, kaaryam, karma, karmaphalam, karoti, na, niragnirana, saha, sannyaasi, yaha, yogi

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Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
anaashritaha karmaphalam kaaryam karma karoti yaha |
sa sannyaasi cha yogi cha na niragnirana chaakriyaha || 1 ||

One who performs obligatory action, without reliance upon results of action, that person is a monk as well as a yogi; not one who has renounced fire or action.

anaashritaha : without reliance upon
karmaphalam : results of action
kaaryam : obligatory
karma : actions
karoti : performing
yaha : one who
saha : that person
sannyaasi : is a monk
cha : and
yogi : is a yogi
cha : also
na : not
niragnirana : one who has renounced fire
cha : and
akriyaha : one who has renounced action

Shri Krishna begins the sixth chapter titled “Dhyaana Yoga” or yoga of meditation by redefining what is meant by a monk and a dhyaana yogi or meditator. He says that one who performs actions in the spirit of karmayoga, per his definition, is both a monk and a meditator. The meditator is not one who has given up his duties or actions, who has run away from the world.

Meditation is a topic that fascinates everyone. We like the idea of going to a retreat, away from all our troubles, and sit in a tranquil place to meditate. But as we shall see in the rest of this chapter, Shri Krishna has a unique viewpoint about the process of meditation, and of who is qualified to become a meditator. He first says that only one who is engaged in the expression of his desires through karmayoga, through the performance of svadharma, is a good meditator.

As long as our vaasanaas or our impressions exist, they will continue to generate desires that will propel us away from the inner self and out into the world. They will make us restless and agitated. So the karmayogi intelligently channels these desires and expresses these desires. The key point is that the results of actions generated by these desires are submitted to a higher ideal, so that the results lose their power to create further selfish desires. As our attachment to results drops, the mental restlessness and agitations diminish, making us fit to pursue meditation.

Shri Krishna drives home the point with two examples. First, he says that one does not have to renounce fire in order to perform meditation. In the olden days, householders would maintain a sacrificial fire in their homes. Absence of the fire indicated renouncing the duties of a householder. In other words, Shri Krishna says that one does not have to give up their household duties for pursuing meditation. Second, one does not have to physically renounce action and retire to a monastery to meditate. The culmination of karmayoga is the loss of sense of doership. This is the qualification of a meditator.

Summary Of Chapter 5

02 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

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The fifth chapter titled “Karma Sanyaasa Yoga” began with Arjuna’s question to Shri Krishna. The question was : what was better, renouncing all actions and becoming a monk, or performing actions as a karma yogi? Shri Krishna addressed this question by reiterating a nuance that Arjuna had missed.
 
Renouncing of actions did not mean giving up the physical performance of actions, it meant renouncing the sense of doership, the sense that “I am doing something”. In order to get to this stage, one has to have purified one’s mind completely of desires. In that regards, performing actions in the spirit of karmayoga was the correct course of action for Arjuna, since he still harboured desires. As one continues to dedicate the result of actions to Ishvara, one’s sense of enjoyership and doership automatically diminishes.
 
Next, Shri Krishna expounded upon the vision of realized seeker. He provided a detailed illustration of body, mind and intellect functioning on their own, including the acts of perception, cognition and intellect’s response to stimuli. All these acts in reality happen without the involvement of “I”. The illustration that the “I” resides in a city of nine gates was given to further drive home the point.
 
Another aspect of the realized seeker’s vision is his “sama drishti” or the sameness of vision. The realized seeker sees the same eternal essence in a human, elephant, dog, dog eater. Not only that, he also sees the same eternal essence in positive and negative experiences. He holds the convictions that these “defects” or modifications are part of prakriti. He does not view these defects as part of the eternal essence since the eternal essence is ever perfect.
 
Then Shri Krishna explained that just like the eternal essence in the body does not cause action, so too does the eternal essence at the cosmic level not cause action. Neither does the eternal essence connect results to actions, nor does it dole out sin and merit. All these transaction happen inside prakriti or nature. The example of the Pac Man video game was given in order to illustrate that prakriti is an automated system that works just like a video game. It rewards and punishes actions based on well-defined rules, without the need for external intervention.
 
In the closing shlokas of the fifth chapter, Shri Krishna slowly begins pointing us toward meditation. Meditation is the only way for the seeker to get fully established in the eternal essence. The primary goal has to be the realization of eternal essence and nothing else, this thirst is needed. Next, Shri Krishna informs us that it is the sense contacts that are obstacles to meditation. Our mind rushes our due to the urges generated desire and anger. Only by controlling this urge can we progress towards meditation.
 
Lastly, Shri Krishna elaborates on the state of a liberated seeker. Such a seeker has discovered the infinite joy within himself. He finds no need to rush outside into the world for joy and bliss.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 29, Chapter 5

01 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in 5.29, bhoktaram, chapter 5 verse 29, jnyaatvaa, maam, maheshwaram, richhati, sarvabhootaanaam, sarvaloka, shaantim, suhridam, yajnyatapasaam

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bhoktaram yajnyatapasaam sarvalokamaheshwaram
suhridam sarvabhootaanaam jnyaatvaa maam shaantimrichhati || 29 ||

Having known me as the recipient of sacrifices and austerities, as the controller of all worlds, and as the well-wisher of all beings, (he) will attain peace.

bhoktaram : recepient
yajnyatapasaam : of sacrifices and austerities
sarvalokamaheshwaram : controller of all worlds
suhridam : well-wisher
sarvabhootaanaam : of all beings
jnyaatvaa : having known
maam : me
shaantim : peace
richhati : attain

In the prior two shlokas, Shri Krishna provided a preview of meditation. In this shloka, he gives us the objective of meditation. In other words, this shloka tells us what one comes to know in the state of meditation. This shloka is a preview of the topic covered in the seventh chapter to the twelfth chapter, which is the elaboration of Ishvara.

The goal of meditation is to realize the eternal essence. It is akin to a wave that realizes its identity with water. In this manner, the wave realizes that it is no longer the finite entity that it once was. It is one wave but also it is many waves. It is the entire ocean. Similarly, once the meditator realizes oneness with brahman or the eternal essence (water) , he attains Ishvara (ocean).

Who exactly is Ishvara is covered in the chapters seven through twelve. Only few of his attributes are covered here. First, he is the cosmic enjoyer or the cosmic recipient. Any work that is performed for the welfare of society is automatically dedicated to Ishvara. This was the theme of the third chapter on karmayoga where we are advised to act in a selfless manner, and dedicate the results of our actions to a higher ideal. Ishvara is the highest ideal possible because he encompasses the entire cosmos.

Next, Ishvara is called the controller of all beings. Through prakriti or maaya, Ishvara manifests as the laws or rules by which our lives as well as the lives of plants, animals and inert objects are governed. We saw earlier that the universe functions through inherent laws such as gravity and electromagnetism. In that regard, Ishvara through these laws controls us.

Finally, Ishvara’s laws are fair. They treat everyone equally. They work without any expectation or ulterior motive. They also work non-stop, just like our heart beats and our breath functions all the time. In this manner, Ishvara is the highest well-wisher and friend of all beings. If we too make friends with Ishvara, which is another way of saying that we work in the best interest of the world, we do not have to worry about our well-being. Ishvara takes care of us.

So therefore, one who comes to know the eternal essence, and realizes his unity with Ishvara during meditation, attains peace. This is the concluding message of the fifth chapter of the Gita.

om tatsatiti shrimadbhagavadgitasu upanishadsu brahmavidyayaam yogashastre shrikrishnaarjunasamvade
karmasanyaasayogonaamo panchamodhyaahaha || 5 ||