Category Archives: aatmani

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 15

16 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.11, aatmani, achetasaha, akritaatmaanaha, avasthitam, chapter 15 verse 11, pashyanti, yatantaha, yoginaha

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yatanto yoginashchainam pashyantyaatmanyavasthitam |
yatantopyakritaatmaano nainam pashyantyachetasaha || 11 ||
 
Those striving yogis realize this as residing within the self. But those with an unprepared mind, though striving, do not see this, devoid of knowledge.
 
yatantaha : those who are striving
yoginaha : yogis
cha : and
enam : this
pashyanti : realize
aatmani : within the self
avasthitam : residing
yatantaha : striving
api : though
akritaatmaanaha : unprepared mind
na : not
enam : this
pashyanti : see
achetasaha : devoid of knowledge
 
In any difficult endeavour, there are three kinds of people. There are the vast majority who are not interested the least bit in striving for the goal, and blissfully accept their state as a given. There are a small number of people who are putting in great effort or dedication, but not obtaining the desired outcome. A select few, however, are able to channelize their efforts in the right direction and get what they want.
 
Shri Krishna called the vast majority of people, the first category, stuck in the cycle of Prakriti “deluded” in the last shloka. Here, he says that it is the preparation of mind that determines whether or not the efforts taken by yogis – those who are striving for liberation – have a chance of success. One without a prepared mind is termed as “akritaatmaanaha” in this shloka. So then, those of us who are aiming for liberation would not like our striving to be in vain. What should we do?
 
We need to understand what Shri Krishna means by purifying our mind. There are two aspects to this. The first aspect is the degree of selfish desires. Unless we have followed the path of karma yoga and bhakti yoga as laid out in the earlier portions of the Gita, our mind will not be able to properly absorb any scriptural teaching whatsoever. The second aspect is the type of knowledge we are trying to absorb and the method of doing so. A systematic understanding of the scriptures under the guidance of a teacher is the only way. One who does not follow a systematic process of imbibing knowledge is termed “achetasaha”, devoid of wisdom.
 
The topic of the jeeva is concluded in this shloka. with the message that only those with a pure mind and systematic study will truly understand the nature of the jeeva as the eternal essence as though limited by its upaadhis or conditionings.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 13

25 Friday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.24, aatmaanam, aatmanaa, aatmani, anye, apare, chapter 13 verse 24, dhyaanena, karmayogena, kechit, pashyanti, saankhyena, yogena

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dhyaanenaatmani pashyanti kechidaatmaanamaatmanaa |
anye saankhyena yogena karmayogena chaapare || 24 ||
 
Some behold the self in the self by the self through meditation, others through Saankhya and yoga, and others do so through karma yoga.
 
dhyaanena : through meditation
aatmani : by the self
pashyanti : behold
kechit : some
aatmaanam : the self
aatmanaa : in the self
anye : others
saankhyena : through Saankhya
yogena : yoga
karmayogena : through karma yoga
cha : and
apare : others
 
So far, it seems like we have studied two unrelated topics in our study of the Gita. One one hand, we studied techniques such as saankhya yoga, karma yoga, dhyaana yoga or meditation and bhakti yoga as techniques to access Ishvara. One the other hand, we came across the two-fold downfall of the Purusha, through ignorance of our true nature and subsequent attachment to the gunaas or qualities. In this shloka and the next, Shri Krishna methodically connects these seemingly unrelated topics.
 
Before we are ready to remove the ignorance of our true nature, we need to deal with our attachment to the three gunaas of Prakriti. In simple terms, we need to deal with our selfish desires. The technique of dealing with our selfish desires depends upon the capability of the seeker. Shri Krishna says that the most advanced seeker has mastered the technique of dhyaana yoga or meditation. They can directly contact the eternal essence “in the self through the self”, which means that they can access the eternal essence through their intellect. This topic was covered in the sixth chapter.
 
For those who do not have mastery over meditation, saankhya yoga or the yoga of discrimination is recommended. This was the topic of the second chapter. Here, the seeker has great command over their intellect. They can constantly separate the eternal essence from the three gunas, the Purusha from Prakriti, through viveka or discrimination. “The three gunaas, sattva, rajas and tamas are objects of my perception, I am their witness, eternal and distinct from them.” This is how they think all the time. Some commentators interpret the phrase “saankhya and yoga” to include “ashtanga yoga”, which is the technique of accessing Ishvara through yogic exercises and breathing.
 
For those who cannot practise saankhya yoga or ashtanga yoga, karma yoga, the yoga of selfless action, is recommended. This was the topic of the third chapter. Most of us fit into this category. When actions are performed with the idea of dedication to Ishvara, the mind is gradually purged of selfishness. Such a pure mind becomes ready to receive and internalize the knowledge of one’s true nature described in the present chapter.
 
Now, what happens if we cannot follow any of these techniques? Shri Krishna explains the simplest technique in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 29, Chapter 6

01 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in aatmaanam, aatmani, cha, chapter 6 verse 29, eekshate, samadarshanaha, sarvabhootani, sarvabhootastham, sarvatra, yogayuktaatmaa

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sarvabhootasthamaatmaanam sarvabhootani chaatmani |
eekshate yogayuktaatmaa sarvatra samadarshanaha || 29 ||
 
One who is established in yoga, one with equanimous vision everywhere, sees his self in all beings, and all beings in his own self.
 
sarvabhootastham : present in all beings
aatmaanam : his self
sarvabhootani : all beings
cha : and
aatmani : in his own self
eekshate : sees
yogayuktaatmaa : one established in yoga
sarvatra : everywhere
samadarshanaha : equanimous vision
 
So far, Shri Krishna was talking about the process of meditation, what should be the meditator’s approach, how should he sit and so on. But having come out of meditation, what is the vision of the perfected meditator?
 
Shri Krishna says that the perfected meditator sees his self in all beings, and all beings in his self. It is difficult to comprehend what this means without actually practising meditation. We can do our best to understand it through an example.
 
We will use the illustration of the wave and the ocean as our running example. As an individual, we have a name and a form. In the same way, we can assume that each wave in the ocean has a (fictitious) name and form. If we go with this analogy, then we can consider ourself as one of those waves.
 
Meditation enables us to expand the notion of what a wave is. So first, we begin to see that although there are different kinds of waves in the ocean, in essence, they are nothing but name and form. Some waves are big, some are small. Some last for a few seconds, some last for much longer than that. Now I could be a small wave and you could be a big wave, but both of us are waves nevertheless. It is akin to realizing that we are all in the same family, company, nation and so on.
 
This stage of the perfected meditator’s vision is indicated by the words “he sees his self in all beings”.
 
As we further expand our vision, we begin to unravel the base of all these waves. We think: yes, all of us are waves, but what holds us together? We then realize that all waves no matter how big or small are contained in the ocean. The ocean is infinitely larger than all of the waves put together. None of the waves can exist without the ocean.
 
The final stage of this vision is reached when we as the wave realize that the ocean also is a name and form, even though it is infinitely larger than all of the waves put together. At its essence, it is nothing but water. I am the wave is water, other waves are water, the ocean is also water.
 
This state is indicated by the words “he sees all beings in his own self”, and such a person is called “sarvatra samadarshanaha”, one with equal vision.
 
Another point made in this shloka is that this “seeing” does not happen just with one’s eyes. This vision comes out of wisdom. Such vision is sometimes referred to as the “third eye”. This is the vision of a “sthitaprajnya” that was briefly discussed in the second chapter.
 
This topic is further elaborated upon in the next few shlokas.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 6

28 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by in aatmani, asthiram, chanchalam, chapter 6 verse 26, etat, eva, manaha, nayet, nishcharati, niyamya, tataha, vasham, yataha

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yato yato nishcharati manashchanchalamasthiram |
tatastato niyamyaitadaatmanyeva vasham nayet || 26 ||
 
Wherever the fickle and unstable mind strays, remove it from there and constantly focus it only on the self.
 
yataha : wherever
nishcharati : strays
manaha : mind
chanchalam : fickle
asthiram : unstable
tataha : from there
niyamya : remove
etat : it
aatmani : self
eva : only
vasham : focus
nayet : constantly
 
Having asked the meditator to slowly but surely practice meditation, Shri Krishna elaborates on what exactly is the aspect of meditation that needs constant practice and repetition. He urges the meditator to check the mind as soon as it strays into another thought, and bring it back to the thought of the self. The meditator has to do this again and again, each time the mind strays. It is one of the most practical shlokas about meditation.
 
As we practice meditation, we begin to appreciate the speed at which the mind moves from thought to thought. For example, let’s say that the thought of taking a one week vacation enters the mind. It then leads to a chain of thoughts. First the mind makes a list of all our favourite vacations spots. Then it calculates how much each place will cost. Then it visualizes what each of those places looks like. It might also bring up memories of past vacations. The mind has thought all of this within seconds. By the time we are aware that the mind is thinking like this, it has strayed far away from the object of meditation.
 
So therefore, Shri Krishna urges us to be extremely vigilant and alert with regards to our thoughts during meditation. We have to cultivate this vigilance as a habit. We have vigilant habits in other parts of our life. Men, for example, check their face daily for any stray hairs just after shaving. Similarly, we should be vigilant about stray thoughts during meditation. The constant practice of removing stray thoughts is called “abhyaasa”.
 
The mind loves to stray towards thoughts about objects, people and situations that we have given importance to. Abhyaasa helps us diminish our importance towards stray thoughts. Shri Shankaraachaarya in his commentary gives us a wonderful tip with regards to abhyaasa. Each time we encounter a stray thought, we should instantly analyze it like a scientist. We should inspect each thought and say: it is nothing but name and form on top of the eternal essence. If the thought is about name and form only, then it is not real, it is does not have “satyatva”. And if it is not real, it is not important, so I should not go after it.
 
Furthermore, if the very same thought occurs the next time, we should inspect it and say : I have already determined that this thought is not important to me. If we do so each time that same thought comes, we develop dispassion or vairagya towards it. Only then will meditation work properly.
 
If we follow this technique, the mind will eventually become quiet – “prashaanta”.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 6

22 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in aatmaanam, aatmanaa, aatmani, cha, chapter 6 verse 20, chittam, eva, niruddham, pashyan, tushyati, uparamate, yatra, yogasevayaa

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yatroparamate chittam niruddham yogasevayaa |
yatra chaivaatmanaatmaanam pashyannaatmani tushyati || 20 ||
 
When the mind is quietened through restraint by engaging in yoga, and when, beholding the self in the self, the self is content.
 
yatra : when
uparamate : quietened
chittam : mind
niruddham : removal
yogasevayaa : by engaging in yoga
yatra : when
cha : and
eva : only
aatmanaa : in the self
aatmaanam : the self
pashyan : beholds
aatmani : in the self
tushyati : content
 
Shri Krishna further elaborates on the state of the perfected meditator in this shloka. He says that the perfected meditator severs all connections of his mind with material objects, and established a connection to the self or aatmaa during meditation. When the connections with the material objects are severed, he achieves a level of satisfaction never achieved with material objects. The big difference here is that the satisfaction is from within, not from without.
 
Imagine a 100 watt bulb that is connected to a generator. The generator cannot produce more than 10 watts. Moreover, the generator is defective so even the 10 watts that it produces is intermittent. The bulb will be temporarily satisfied, but will never achieve complete satisfaction. Now, imagine that the bulb finds out that it was inside a power plant all along. When it disconnects itself from the faulty generator, and connects itself to the power plant, it will immediately experience unlimited power. Moreover, this power will be consistent and long-lasting.
 
Similarly, Shri Krishna says that the satisfaction that our mind achieves from the material world is limited and temporary. The only way to gain unlimited and permanent happiness is to connect our mind to the self or aatmaa. But this happens only when we first disconnect the mind from material objects. The state of the mind when it has disconnected from material objects, and is ready to settle into the self, is called uparamate in the shloka.
 
Withdrawal from the material world is not easy. It is the outcome of following a disciplined spiritual curriculum. First, we have to develop discrimination or viveka by strengthening our intellect through reading and listening about the eternal essence through scriptures. This enables us to develop dispassion or vairagya towards the material world. Dispassion starts turning the mind away from material objects, leading to withdrawal from the material world. It is like our attitude towards toys versus a child’s attitude – we have dispassion, the child does not.
 
So therefore, when the mind has fully turned inward, and has settled into the aatmaa or the self, we experience a deep and lasting level of satisfaction and bliss. But what exactly is meant by the mind settling into the self? It is when the only thought that remains is that “I am the aatmaa” or “I am the eternal essence”. All other thoughts about the world, people, objects, situations and so on have gone away.
 
Having gained this everlasting bliss and satisfaction, what does the meditator do? Shri Krishna explains this next.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 6

20 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by in aatmani, avatishyate, chapter 6 verse 18, chittam, eva, iti, nihspruhaha, sarvakaamebhyo, tadaa, uchyate, viniyatam, yada, yuktaha

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yada viniyatam chittamaatmanyevaavatishyate |
nihspruhaha sarvakaamebhyo yukta ityuchyate tadaa || 18 ||
 
When the controlled mind, indifferent towards all objects, is established only in the self, then such a person is called a yogi.
 
yada : when
viniyatam : controlled
chittam : mind
aatmani : in the self
eva : only
avatishyate : is established
nihspruhaha : indifferent towards
sarvakaamebhyo : all objects
yuktaha : that yogi
iti : in this manner
uchyate : is called
tadaa : at that time
 
In this key shloka within the sixth chapter, Shri Krishna gives us a way to evaluate ourselves with regards to attaining perfection in meditation. He says that only when one can establish the mind in the self, and not in material objects of the world, is one fit to be called a meditator. There is a lot of depth and meaning in this shloka. The next few shlokas go deeper into its meaning.
 
For most of us, it is the thoughts about the material world that become the major obstacle in meditation. These thoughts are generated by vaasanaas, which are latent desires and cravings. When we experience or entertain materials object in the mind, we create subtle impressions or vaasanaas in our mind, like a camera, that “this object/person/situation is good”. The mind then regurgitates these impressions in the form of thoughts. The part of the mind that stores these impressions is also known as the “chitta”.
 
A desire is a thought that says “I have not experienced something, I want to experience it”. A craving is a thought that says “I already had a good experience, but I want it to experience it again”. It is these 2 types of thoughts that do not allow us to sit down in meditation, because they take the mind outward. Depending on the proclivities of our sense organs, impressions are recorded deeply or superficially. Stronger impressions generate stronger thoughts, pulling the mind outward forcefully.
 
Shri Krishna says that when the mind has gone beyond generating desires and cravings, only then does proper meditation happen. When the mind gets established in the self, at that time, this person is considered as perfected, integrated and established in meditation. He is fit to be called a yogi. It will only happen with a very well firmly controlled mind, which is pure and free from all kinds of cravings and desires.
 
Next, let us examine the question of where should the mind be established once it has stopped turning outward. Shri Krishna says that the mind should get established in the aatmaa or the self. But, in an earlier shloka, he had asked us to meditate on his form. What does this mean?
 
Shri Krishna says that there is no difference. He is our self. In fact, he is the self of all beings. This is the great revelation of the scriptures. If we choose to meditate on his form, that is fine. If we choose to meditate on the formless brahman, the eternal essence, that is fine too. It is usually easier to meditate on the form for beginner seekers. But it is extremely important that we have extreme regard and love towards the Ishta Devata, the form of Ishvara that we chose to meditate on. It could be Vitthala, Rama, Krishna – any deity. Meditation is not a mechanical activity, it needs uncompromising support from the body, mind and intellect. If the mind does not take pleasure in meditation, it will not happen.
 
Furthermore, the mind will settle in the self only when we make meditation our top priority. In other words, all other activities in the world should take lower priority. Otherwise, they will show up in meditation. Our job is to do just that. The mind will settle in the self automatically once we do so. It is like a youngster in the house trying to study for an exam while the TV, internet and music system are on. His attention will never go to studying because it is being dragged in several directions. He needs to first switch all the other things off.
 
Next, Shri Krishna explains the state of a perfect meditator through an illustration.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 5

24 Saturday Mar 2012

Posted by in 5.21, aatmani, akshayam, asaktaatmaa, ashrute, baahyasparsheshu, brahmayogayuktaatmaa, chapter 5 verse 21, saha, sukham, vindati, yat

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baahyasparsheshvasaktaatmaa vindatyaatmani yatsukham |
sa brahmayogayuktaatmaa sukhamakshayamashrute || 21 ||

One who is not attached to external sense-contacts finds inner bliss. Such a person, established in contemplation of the eternal essence, experiences inexhaustible joy.

baahyasparsheshu : external sense contacts
asaktaatmaa : person without attachment
vindati : finds
aatmani : inner
yat : one who
sukham : bliss
saha : that person
brahmayogayuktaatmaa : established in contemplation of the eternal essence
sukham : joy
akshayam : inexhaustible
ashrute : experiences

So far, Shri Krishna explained the vision of a realized seeker. From this shloka onwards, he starts turning us towards the topic of meditation. Turning oneself inwards, away from the sense objects of the world, is the first step towards meditation. To this end, he explains the reason for turning inward.

Our entire life is geared towards the pursuit of happiness. However, if we introspect, we realize that the happiness we get from sense objects such as tasty food or a visually appealing movie is instantaneous, but fleeting. Sense objects are finite, and so it the happiness that they can provide. Moreover, if we are not careful, we get attached to whatever gives us instant happiness so that we can repeat that experience. This also leads to sorrow, which comes from constant commentary and judgement from intellect when we lose access to sense objects.

But Shri Krishna gives us a better alternative. When we slowly move away from sense objects and turn inward to contemplate on the eternal essence, we can tap into a source of happiness that is much greater than any happiness produced by sense objects. Moreover, this happiness is never-ending, it is inexhaustible, because it is derived out of the eternal essence which is infinite.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 35, Chapter 4

25 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by in 4.35, aatmani, asheshena, atho, bhootaani, chapter 4 verse 35, drakshasi, evam, jnyaatvaa, mayi, moham, na, paandava, punar, yaasyasi, yat, yena

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yajnyaatvaa na punarmohamevam yaasyasi paandava |
yena bhootaanyasheshena drakshasyaatmanyatho mayi || 35 ||

Having realized that knowledge, never again will you be subjected to delusion in this manner, O Paandava. By that (knowledge), you will view all beings completely in you, and likewise, in me.

yat : that
jnyaatvaa : having realized
na : not
punar : again
moham : delusion
evam : in this manner
yaasyasi : subjected
paandava : O Paandava
yena : by that
bhootaani : all beings
asheshena : completely
drakshasi : view
aatmani : in you
atho : and likewise
mayi : in me

Having explained the method of acquiring knowledge from a teacher, Shri Krishna praises this knowledge in the following shlokas. In this shloka, he provides a test by which we know whether we have truly gained this knowledge or not. He says that this knowledge totally transforms our vision. It gives us whole new way to view the world.

Imagine we are at a social gathering. We are introduced to a new person, someone whom we have never met before. At that point, we try to size up that person and are not quite sure how the conversation will go. But when we find out that both of us went to the same school for 8 years, we instantly connect with that person. The sense of separation between us and that person diminishes just a little.

Now, take this destruction of separation to its logical extreme where we see all things – plants, rocks, animals, humans – as a part of our own self. Everything is connected to each other. Furthermore, we realize that in essence, distinct entities such as plants and animals are not really distinct. There is only one Ishvaraa but appearing as many forms. This is the grand vision after having obtained this knowledge.

So therefore, having gained this knowledge, our moha or delusion with regards to who we are, what is our correct relationship with the world, what are our duties, what is good and bad – all these questions are answered with this vision of the world. After having this vision, our actions in the wold continue, but they do not accumulate any further karmaas because we are in tune with the world.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 3

26 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.17, aatma, aatmani, cha, chapter 3 verse 17, eva, kaaryam, maanavaha, na vidyate, ratih, santushtah, syaat, tasya, truptah, tu, yah

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yastvaatmaratireva syaadaatmatruptashcya maanavaha |
aatmanyeva cha santushtastasya kaaryam na vidyate || 17 ||

But, one who revels only in the eternal essence, and is content and satisfied in the eternal essence, no duty exists for him.

yah : one who
tu : but
aatma-ratih : revels in the eternal essence
eva : only
syaat : remains
aatma-truptah : content in the eternal essence
cha : and
maanavaha : individual
aatmani : in the eternal essence
eva cha : and
santushtah : satisfied
tasya : for him
kaaryam :duty
na vidyate : do not exist

While hearing Shri Krishna extol the need to act in this world, many of us – whether we admit it or not – may want to know whether there is an exception to this instruction. In other words, are there any circumstances where do not need to perform actions anymore? Shri Krishna gives the answer in this shloka and the next.

If we examine ourselves, we realize that we derive pleasure and satisfaction from external sources: material objects, people, relationships and so on. Pleasant memories, which can be considered internal to us, do give us joy but were generated from some external source in the past. But, in reality, the source of happiness is the absence of desires experienced when we finally attain a material object.

For instance, if we want to buy a new shirt, a desire is created in the mind. Till such time that we get the shirt, we will be unhappy because of that desire. But once the desire is fulfilled, we experience happiness for a brief period of time. Is that happiness caused by the shirt, or by the temporary absence of desires? The wise person knows that it is the latter.

So in this shloka Shri Krishna makes a bold statement. He says that till we derive pleasure and satisfaction from things external to us, we have to act in this world. Conversely, one who no longer derives pleasure and satisfaction from external sources does not need to act in this world. He “revels” in the eternal essence which he has learned to recognize within himself. He no longer has to look outside for happiness.

Is there a contradiction here? Earlier it was mentioned that if one is human, one has to act. But here, it is mentioned that the realized individual does not need to act? The answer is that once that individual has understood the true source of happiness, he loses the sense of doership. In other words, the notion that “I am doing this action” goes away, and all his actions become natural and spontaneous.

As an example, if you truly love painting, and have mastered all the skills, then your painting becomes effortless and spontaneous. You experience a feeling that some people call “being in the zone”. In fact, there may come a stage where you will feel that the hand is moving by itself, and the painting is happening on its own.

Similarly, all the actions of this wise individual become like that spontaneous painting.