Category Archives: aham

Bhagavad Gita Verse 42, Chapter 11

25 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.42, achyuta, aham, api, aprameyam, asatkritaha, asi, athavaa, avahaasaartham, bhojaneshu, chapter 11 verse 42, ekaha, kshaamaye, tat, tatsamaksham, tvaam, vihaarashayyasanaha, yat

≈ Comments Off on 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.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 11

06 Tuesday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.23, aham, bahoodaram, bahubaahooroopaadam, bahudamshtraakaraalam, bahuvaktranetram, chapter 11 verse 23, drishtvaa, lokaahaa, mahaabaaho, mahat, pravyathitaahaa, roopam, tatha, te

≈ Comments Off on 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.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 42, Chapter 10

12 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.42, aham, arjuna, athavaa, bahunaa, chapter 10 verse 42, ekaanshena, etena, idam, jagata, jnyaatena, kim, kritsnam, sthitaha, tava, vishtabhya

≈ Comments Off on 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 ||

Bhagavad Gita Verse 39, Chapter 10

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.39, acharam, aham, api, arjuna, asti, beejam, bhootam, cha, chapter 10 verse 39, chara, mayaa, na, sarvabhootaanaam, syaat, tat, vinaa, yat

≈ Comments Off on 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.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 37, Chapter 10

07 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.37, aham, api, asmi, chapter 10 verse 37, dhananjaya, kaveenaam, kavihi, muneenaam, paandavaanaam, ushanaa, vaasudevaha, vrishneenaam, vyaasaha

≈ Comments Off on 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.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 36, Chapter 10

06 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.36, aham, asmi, chalayataam, chapter 10 verse 36, dyootam, jayaha, sattvam, sattvavataamaham, tejaha, tejasvinaam, vyavasaayaha

≈ Comments Off on 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.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 35, Chapter 10

05 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.35, aham, brihatsaama, chapter 10 verse 35, gaayatraa, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, kusumaakaraha, maasaanaam, margasheershaha, ritoonaam, saamnaa, tathaa

≈ Comments Off on 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.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 10

04 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.34, aham, bhavishyataam, cha, chapter 10 verse 34, dhritihi, keertihi, kshamaa, medhaa, mrityuhu, naareenaam, sarvaharaha, shreehi, smritihi, udbhavaha, vaak

≈ Comments Off on 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.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 33, Chapter 10

03 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.33, aham, akaaraha, aksharaanaam, akshyaha, asmi, cha, chapter 10 verse 33, dhaataaham, dvandvaha, eva, kaalaha, saamasikasya, vishvatomukhaha

≈ Comments Off on 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.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 32, Chapter 10

02 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.32, aadihi, adhyaatmavidyaa, aham, antaha, arjuna, cha, chapter 10 verse 32, eva, madhyam, pravadataam, sargaanaam, vaadaha, vidyaanaam

≈ Comments Off on 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.