Author Archives: skr_2011

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 14

22 Friday Feb 2013

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sattvaatsanjaayate jnyaanam rajaso lobha eva cha |
pramaadamohau tamaso bhavatojnyaanameva cha || 17 ||
 
From sattva arises wisdom, and rajas from greed. Heedlessness, error as well as ignorance arise from tamas.
 
sattvaa : from sattva
sanjaayate : arises
jnyaanam : knowledge
rajasaha : rajas
lobha : greed
eva : also
cha : and
pramaadamohau : heedlessness and error
tamasaha : tamas
bhavataha : arises
ajnyaanam : ignorance
eva : also
cha : and
 
Previously, we took the example of people who make it a habit to go to the gym everyday, and eventually make it into an integral part of their lives. If we fast forward that example a few months further, we find that these people have lost weight, they are taking care of their body, they are eating healthy, avoiding smoking and so on. Their persistence in getting over the initial pain of going to the gym has paid off. They enjoy the state being healthy and being fit. Intelligent action has shaped their physical state, and consequently, the physical state gives its result.
 
Similarly, mental states that were shaped by intelligent actions give results as well. Shri Krishna says that sattvic mental state gives us access to material and spiritual knowledge, since our intellect improves its ability to think clearly and grasp information quickly. A rajasic mental state makes us act in the world to rush after objects. We want objects we do not have, and want more of objects that we already have. A tamasic mental state has the worst possible outcome. It keeps us steeped in ignorance of the material world, and of our true nature. We do not want to act at all, and even if we do, we perform furtile actions, or perform careless actions.
 
This shloka and the prior shloka point out the self reinforcing nature of actions and gunaas. If we consciously perform sattvic actions day after day, we will generate a greater proportion of sattva in our mind, which will further spur sattvic actions. This is the logic behind karma yoga. By urging us to perform selfless actions, Shri Krishna wants us to rise from our rajasic and tamasic existence to one of greater sattva.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 16, Chapter 14

22 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by in 14.16, aahuhu, ajnyaanam, chapter 14 verse 16, duhkham, karmanaha, nirmalam, phalam, rajasaha, saattvikam, sukritasya, tamasaha, tu

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karmanaha sukritasyaahuhu saattvikam nirmalam phalam |
rajasastu phalam duhkhamajnyaanam tamasaha phalam || 16 ||
 
The result of good action is sattvik and pure, it is said, while the result of rajas is sorrow, and the result of tamas is ignorance.
 
karmanaha : action
sukritasya : good
aahuhu : is said
saattvikam : sattvik
nirmalam : pure
phalam : result
rajasaha : rajas
tu : while
phalam : result
duhkham : sorrow
ajnyaanam : ignorance
tamasaha : tamas
phalam : result
 
When new year comes around, many people make new year resolutions to lose weight. Many take a gym membership, but most end up using it only for a few days. The ones that consciously develop a habit of going to the gym everyday are the most likely to lose weight. Even if they go to the gym for ten minutes every day, they will lose weight. This is because habits are self reinforcing. A behaviour creates a habit, which pushes us to repeat the behaviour, which strengthens the habit, and so on.
 
Similarly, we can shape our mental states by choosing our actions consciously. Shri Krishna says that sattvic or selfless actions generate a sattvic state, rajasic or selfish actions generate a rajasic state, and tamasic or ignorant actions generate a tamasic state. If we are predominantly rajasic by nature, we can improve our state by emphasizing the performance of sattvic actions. If we are predominantly tamasic by nature, we can change it by emphasizing the performance of rajasic actions.
 
The law of karma holds true in every situation, including this one. If we perform rajasic actions, we will attain temporary joy, which will eventually generate sorrow. It does not take a large amount of raaga dvesha, likes or dislikes, to make us act selfishly. And if we perform tamasic actions, we will continue to live our lives in inertness and ignorance. Only through sattvic actions will we create a state of purity and serenity in our mind.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 14

21 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by in 14.15, chapter 14 verse 15, gatvaa, jaayate, karmasangishu, moodhayonishu, pralayam, praleenaha, rajasi, tamasi, tathaa

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rajasi pralayam gatvaa karmasangishu jaayate |
tathaa praleenastamasi moodhayonishu jaayate || 15 ||
 
One who has reached his end in rajas is born among those attached to action, and one who is dying in tamas is born in the wombs of the ignorant.
 
rajasi : rajas
pralayam : end
gatvaa : one who has reached
karmasangishu : those who are attached to action
jaayate : born
tathaa : and
praleenaha : one who is dying
tamasi : tamas
moodhayonishu : ignorant wombs
jaayate : born
 
Previously, Shri Krishna explained the fate of one whose mental state is sattvic at the end of his life. Here, he says that one whose mental state is rajasic while dying is reborn in a family of action oriented individuals. Also, one whose mental state is tamasic while dying is reborn in the wombs of the ignorant and the inert. This includes plants, trees, creepers, birds, insects and other animals.
 
It is not just the mental state that determines one’s fate in the next life. Every action we perform leaves impressions in our mind, which also impacts our fate. One who has performed selfless actions throughout their life is born in a virtuous family. One who has performed selfish actions is born with a tendency to get attached to material objects. And one who has performed harmful actions is born with devilish tendencies. Such a person will not stop at anything to get their way, including physically harming others. In their current life and in their next life, it is totally up to each individual to cultivate their discrimination through selfless service, devotion and company of devotees so that they can counteract the effect of excessive rajas.
 
The Srimad Bhagavatam tells the story of the illustrious king Bharata who was one of the most sattvic individuals of his time. Through extreme attachment to his pet deer, he became steeped in tamas, and was born as a deer in his next life. But due to the selfless actions performed in his life as a king, he developed a degree of renunciation not even found in humans. He was finally born as a highly sattvic human who ultimately achieved liberation. Shri Krishna repeatedly urges us to employ rajas to perform selfless service, and cultivate sattva through reducing selfish activities.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 14

19 Tuesday Feb 2013

Posted by in 14.14, amalaan, chapter 14 verse 14, dehabhrita, lokaan, pralayam, pratipadyate, pravriddhe, sattve, tadaa, tu, uttamavidaan, yaati, yada

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yada sattve pravriddhe tu pralayam yaati dehabhrita |
tadottamavidaan lokaanamalaanpratipadyate || 14 ||
 
When sattva is predominant, and the body dweller reaches his end, then he attains the immaculate worlds of the knowers of the highest.
 
yada : when
sattve : sattva
pravriddhe : predominant
tu : and
pralayam : end
yaati : reaches
dehabhrita : body dweller
tadaa : then
uttamavidaan : knowers of the highest
lokaan : worlds
amalaan : immaculate
pratipadyate : attains
 
Now, Shri Krishna explains the effects of each gunaa from the perspective of reincarnation. He says that one whose mind is in a sattvic state during the time of death travels to realms that are subtler than the human world. These realms are termed as “Brahmaloka”, the abode of Lord Brahma. It is said that there is no room for any desire, sorrow or disease in such realms, given the complete absence of rajas or tamas. Such people, however, are still subject to the bondages caused by sattva, as discussed previously.
 
Let us revisit the example of the young child who has developed a strong identification with a television character played by the actor “ABC”. ABC’s run as an action hero in a popular TV show has ended. He has decided to play the role of a serious professor in his new TV series. The young child now has a choice. He can either continue to identify with ABC in his new role as a professor, or find another TV show with an action hero to identify with. The choice depends on the young child’s mental state. If it is heavily rajasic, he will find another action hero. If it has some sattva, he will follow ABC as a professor.
 
Similarly, our desires and thoughts, which are driven by the gunaas that influence us, will determine our fate after this physical body drops. The subtle body, which is nothing but our desires and thoughts, will attract another physical body that enables it to carry out those desires. It is almost similar to DNA shaping a body based on the programming it contains. Therefore, if our subtle body harbours sattvic thoughts, it will gain entry into a highly sattvic body after death. But if it continues to harbour rajasic or tamasic thoughts, it will obtain a different destination. This is explained in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 14

18 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by in 14.13, aprakaashaha, apravrittihi, chapter 14 verse 13, etaani, jaayante, kurunandan, mohaha, pramaadaha, tamasi, viviriddhe

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aprakaashopravrittishcha pramaado moha eva cha |
tamasyetaani jaayante viviriddhe kurunandan || 13 ||
 
Darkness, inaction, heedlessness and also error. These arise when tamas is predominant, O descendant of the Kurus.
 
aprakaashaha : darkness
apravrittihi : inaction
cha : and
pramaadaha : heedlessness
mohaha : error
eva : also
cha : and
tamasi : of tamas
etaani : these
jaayante : arise
viviriddhe : predominant
kurunandan : O descendent of the Kurus
 
Shri Krishna addressed Arjuna as “kurunandana” when explaining the marks of tamas, but addressed him as “bharatarshabha” when explaining the marks of rajas. He was probably hinting that some members of the Kuru dynasty, the Kauravas, were under the influence of tamas. When we are under the influence of tamas, we make erroneous decisions. We become inert like a stone, resorting to inaction. Even when we act, it is out of heedlessness. Our knowledge is covered by tamas, creating darkness within us.
 
Let us go deeper into what inaction really means. When we have a lack of drive to achieve anything in the world, when we wants to escape all sense of responsibilities, when all ambitions go away, that is inaction. Moha, error or delusion is even worse. We cannot accurately judge our relationship with the world, with other people, with our family, our friends, our job and so on. We become a “good for nothing”, and will remain in that state unless someone wakes us up.
 
Nature has its own scale of tamas, rajas and sattva. It is better to crawl like an insect than lie around like a stone, better to work like an ant rather than crawl like an ant, better to pollinate flowers like a bird than simply work like an ant, better to give milk to others like a cow than pollinate flowers like a bird, and it is better to work with one’s intellect like a human than to give milk to others like a cow. So one who is steeped in tamas, should start to act, even if the actions are without any planning or thinking, just to get into a higher mental state.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 14

17 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by in 14.12, araarambhaha, ashamaha, bharatarshabha, chapter 14 verse 12, etaani, jaayante, karmanaam, lobhaha, pravrittihi, rajasi, spruhaa, vivriddhe

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lobhaha pravrittiraarambhaha karmanaamashamaha spruhaa |
rajasyetaani jaayante vivriddhe bharatarshabha || 12 ||
 
Greed, activity, commencement of actions, unrest, desire. These arise when rajas is predominant, o foremost among the Bharataas.
 
lobhaha : greed
pravrittihi : activity
araarambhaha : commencement
karmanaam : actions
ashamaha : unrest
spruhaa : desire
rajasi : of rajas
etaani : these
jaayante : arise
vivriddhe : predominance
bharatarshabha : O foremost among the Bharataas
 
Shri Krishna addressed Arjuna as “bharatarshabha”, the foremost scion of the Bharata dynasty, and enumerates the marks of a person who is under the influence of raajas. He says that whenever our mind generates thoughts of greed, selfish activity, commencement of action, unrest or uneasiness, and desire for even trivial things, we should realize that we are under the sway of rajas. In fact, we consider this to be our natural state of mind, especially during the waking hours of the day.
 
If we look at the first half of the shloka in reverse order, we start with spruha, which is a selfish desire for objects that have nothing to do with our duties, like a gold watch. Frequent thoughts for acquiring the gold watch lead to ashama or restlessness, where we are not satisfied with our present situation and want to do something else. We then begin to act, karmanaam aarambha, so that we can acquire this gold watch. Our plans may lead us to do another part time job or withdraw from our savings, which is pravritti, engaging in selfish action. Even after we acquire the gold watch, we are not satisfied and want another one. That is lobha, greed, the height of rajasic influence on our mind.
 
It is not easy to detect whether our actions are prompted by selfishness or not. Only a pure mind that has been cleansed of selfishness through karma yoga, with the aid of a guru, can recognize the subtle difference between sattvic and rajasic actions. Karma yoga teaches us to analyze our qualification and proclivity for selecting an appropriate vocation. If we are trained to become an actor, and are also passionately interested in acting, then that becomes our vocation. There is a baseline level of rajas needed to perform actions towards fulfilling the duties of our vocation, which is perfectly fine. Shri Krishna says that we need to watch for signs where rajas increases beyond that baseline level, where selfishness creeps into our actions.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 14

16 Saturday Feb 2013

Posted by in 14.11, asmin, chapter 14 verse 11, dehe, iti, jnyaanam, prakaashaha, sarvasvaareshu, sattvam, tadaa, upajaayate, uta, vidyaat, vivriddham, yadaa

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sarvasvaareshu dehesminprakaasha upajaayate |
jnyaanam yadaa tadaa vidyaadvivriddham sattvamityuta || 11 ||
 
When luminous knowledge radiates through all gates of this body, then one should know that sattva has increased greatly.
 
sarvasvaareshu : in all gates
dehe : body
asmin : this
prakaashaha : luminous
upajaayate : radiates
jnyaanam : knowledge
yadaa : when
tadaa : then
vidyaat : one should know
vivriddham : increased
sattvam : sattva
iti : this
uta : definitely
 
What are the marks of sattva? Shri Krishna says that when we see radiance, or when we see knowledge radiating from a person, we should know that we are in the presence of a highly sattvic person. The word “dvaara” usually means door or gate, but here it refers to the sense organs, our doors to the world. Even though the sense organs are meant from receiving stimuli from the world, they can also convey our internal state to the world. Our eyes, especially, can give away our thoughts. If our mind is wandering, our eyes will also wander, for instance. In a sattvic person, radiance shines through the sense organs, especially the eyes.
 
Now, we should not think that a highly sattvic person will radiate beams of light from their body. But they do radiate calmness and peace. We can sense peace if we are near them, or pick up on their calmness if we are watching them on a screen. Watch Dr. Jane Goodall speak about her efforts to save gorillas in Africa, and you will be drawn to the serenity on her face instantly. Such people harbour few, if any, selfish desires in their mind. This lack of dirt in the form of selfishness lets their inner radiance, the light of their eternal essence, shine through.
 
From our perspective, whenever we notice an increase in clear thinking, we should know that sattva is predominant in our mind. If we see fried food but the intellect prevents our hand from reaching to pick up that food, we are in a sattvic state. If our thoughts are towards the well-being of the family, our city or our nation, instead of just our narrow well-being, we are in a sattvic state. If our mind is sharp and alert, if we don’t let anything drop in our personal and professional lives, we are in a sattvic state.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 14

15 Friday Feb 2013

Posted by in 14.10, abhibhooya, bhaarata, bhavati, chapter 14 verse 10, rajas, sattvam, tamas, tathaa

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rajastamaschaabhibhooya sattvam bhavati bhaarata |
rajaha sattvam tamaschaiva tamaha sattvam rajastathaa || 10 ||
 
Sattva rises, O Bhaarata, when it overpowers rajas and tamas, so does rajas overpower sattva and tamas, and also tamas overpowers sattva and rajas.
 
rajas : rajas
tamas : tamas
cha : and
abhibhooya : overpowers
sattvam : sattva
bhavati : rises
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
rajaha : rajas
sattvam : sattva
tamas : tamas
cha : and
eva : similarly
tamaha : tamas
sattvam : sattva
rajas : rajas
tathaa : similarly
 
Now that we have a basic understanding of the properties of the three gunaas, we need to go one level deeper. We know that our mind is always under the influence of the three gunaas, since it is made up of those very three gunaas. How do these three gunaas impact the mind? Do they work in parallel or do they work in sequence? Is there any one gunaa that is more powerful than the other?
 
Shri Krishna says that our mind can only be under the impact of one gunaa at a time. This happens when one gunaa assumes dominance, and consequently, asserts its authority over the others. When sattva is dominant, it dominates over rajas and tamas. Similarly, rajas dominates over the other two and tamas over the other two. All three gunaas are at war with each other in our mind. When one gunaa achieves victory, it temporarily defeats the others.
 
Having known this, we now would like to know which gunaa within us dominates more than others. This is not an easy question to answer, because we have to analyze ourselves and not anyone else. We need to look within. We need to understand what thoughts, feelings and emotions should we watch out for so that we can tie them back to a specific gunaa. If we conduct this analysis for a while, we will know which gunaa predominates. Shri Krishna expands on the topic of the marks or signs of each gunaa in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 14

14 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by in 14.9, aavritya, bhaarata, chapter 14 verse 9, jnyaanam, karmani, pramaade, rajaha, sanjayati, sattvam, sukham, tamaha, uta

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sattvam sukham sanjayati rajaha karmani bhaarata |
jnyaanamaavritya tu tamaha pramaade sanjayatyuta || 9 ||
 
Sattva binds through joy, rajas through action, O Bhaarata, while tamas cloaks knowledge and binds through heedlessness.
 
sattvam : sattva
sukham : joy
sanjayati : binds
rajaha : rajas
karmani : action
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
jnyaanam : knowledge
aavritya : cloaks
tu : while
tamaha : tamas
pramaade : heedlessness
sanjayati : binds
uta : and
 
Shri Krishna recaps the characteristics of the three gunaas in this shloka. Sattva binds by making us hold on to joy experienced after attaining a sense object. Rajas binds us by giving us joy in performing actions and obtaining their results. Tamas binds us by giving us joy in holding on to laziness and heedlessness. We now begin to look into how these three are interrelated.
 
In the second chapter, we have come across a series of shlokas that describe how the mind can fall from sattva into rajas and tamas in a matter of seconds. We start with the mind resting in a peaceful sattvic state. A tinge of rajas comes in, causing us to think about some sense object, let’s say a sweet. This fuels rajas further, creating a strong attachment to that sweet, culminating in a strong desire to do anything to get that sweet. But it gets worse. If we cannot get that sweet, if someone or something obstructs our consumption of the sweet, anger arises in us. Rajas deteriorates into tamas. The last rung of the ladder of fall is when anger goes to such an extent that it causes us to lose our faculty of intelligence and memory.
 
Conversely, we can go from tamas to rajas to sattva, but it may take a little longer. For someone steeped in tamas, immersing themself in action will raise them to the level of rajas. When action becomes focused and directed towards the pursuit of a selfless goal, rajas is elevated to the level of sattva. Swami Vivekananda always used to say “awake, arise, stop not till the goal is reached”. When India was under British rule, many had become accustomed to this slavery and had fallen into a tamasic state. They could not find a way out of their predicament, and were clouded in ignorance. Swami Vivekananda’s message urged citizens to engage in action towards independence. That was the only way to get them out of the tamasic state of laziness.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 14

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by in 14.8, aalasya, ajnyaanajam, bhaarata, chapter 14 verse 8, mohanam, nibadhnaati, nidraabhihi, pramaada, sarvadehinaam, tamaha, tat, tu, viddhi

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tamastvajnyaanajam viddhi mohanam sarvadehinaam |
pramaadaalasyanidraabhistannibadhnaati bhaarata || 8 ||
 
And, know tamas to be born of ignorance, deluding all the body dwellers. It binds them through heedlessness, laziness and sloth, O Bhaarata.
 
tamaha : tamas
tu : and
ajnyaanajam : born of ignorance
viddhi : know
mohanam : delude
sarvadehinaam : all body dwellers
pramaada : heedlessness
aalasya : laziness
nidraabhihi : through sloth
tat : it
nibadhnaati : binds
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
 
Tamas is our state of mind when it is dull and inert. Like a glass of dirty water cannot let light shine through, tamas prevents our mind from thinking clearly. Our mind starts to operate in moha, which means confusion or error, mistaking one thing for another. Tamas can be triggered by an overpowering emotional situation like Arjuna seeing his family members and loved ones on the opposite side of the battlefield. A tamasic state can also be triggered by abusing our sense organs through excessive drinking, smoking, watching TV and so on.
 
After a long and tiring day, when we want to rush to get a good night’s sleep, we get a call from a friend who wants to catch up. Try as we might, we will not be able to understand what he is saying because the mind has switched to a tamasic state due to exhaustion. Our memory does not work properly and our intellect’s logic is flawed. All we want to do is to rest our head on the pillow. When tamas reaches the height of its potency, we fall asleep.
 
Shri Krishna says that tamas is born out of ignorance. At its core, tamas keeps the Purusha, the jeeva, body dweller under the delusion that he is the body and not the self. When we forget our true nature as the self, the eternal essence, we assume that our body is who we are. This erroneous notion, this ignorance enables tamas to bind us, to trap us.
 
Tamas binds us in three ways, through heedlessness, laziness and sloth. Heedlessness is the performance of actions without intellectual focus or awareness. We either perform actions carelessly, such as dialing the wrong phone number, or perform actions that are futile, such as gambling or excessive alcohol consumption. Laziness is postponing or abstaining from our duties. Sloth is lying around in a state of stupor or sleep. Now, there is a place for resting and sleeping in our life, which is at the end of every day. But some of us derive joy from futile actions, from procrastination, from lazing around and so on. It is this joy through which tamas binds us.