Category Archives: aham

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 7

06 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.10, aham, asmi, beejam, buddhihi, buddhimataam, chapter 10 verse 7, maam, paartha, sanaatanam, sarvabhootaanaam, tejas, tejasvinaam, viddhi

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beejam maam sarvabhootaanaam viddhi paartha sanaatanam |
buddhirbuddhimataamasmi tejastejasvinaamaham || 10 ||
 
Know me as the eternal seed of all beings, O Paartha. I am the intellect of the intelligent, the radiance of the illustrious.
 
beejam : seed
maam : me
sarvabhootaanaam : of all beings
viddhi : know
paartha : O Paartha
sanaatanam : eternal
buddhihi : intellect
buddhimataam : of the intelligent
asmi : I am
tejas : radiance
tejasvinaam: of the illustrious
aham : I am
 
Previously, Shri Krishna spoke about seeing Ishvara as earthly fragrance, brilliance in fire, life in beings and austerity in the austere. He continues to give a list of his glories in this shloka, beginning with the statement that he is the eternal seed of all beings. He also addresses Arjuna as Paartha, descendent of King Prithu.
 
Earlier, Shri Krishna asserted that Ishvara is the cause of everything in the universe. So then, why is he seemingly repeating himself by the statement “I am the eternal seed”? It is to ensure that we gain the correct understanding.
 
Normally, when any tree grows out of a seed, the seed ceases to exist. In the case of Ishvara, however, the seed is eternal. In other words, the seed is changeless, but the entire content of the universe lies in an unmanifest form in this seed. It manifests itself at various points in the universe’s life span, not just at the beginning. So therefore, we need to learn to recognize the eternal seed and not get carried away or stuck in the level of names and forms.
 
Next, Shri Krishna urges us to recognize Ishvara in intelligence. We admire intelligent people for their ability to think clearly about complex issues without getting swayed by noise. How is their way of thinking different? A glass of clear water lets through more light than a glass of water that is agitated or clouded by dirt. Similarly, an intelligent person‘s mind is less dominated by the sway of emotion, and therefore enables the brilliance of Ishvara to shine through the intellect unhindered. In this manner, Ishvara becomes the intelligence of the intelligent.
 
Finally, Shri Krishna adds tejas or radiance to his list of vibhootis. This radiance manifests in us when when we are in good physical and mental health, when we have slept well, when we are fit. Also, when someone had earned a lot of wealth through self effort, or has performed selfless service, they also have a certain kind of glow. Shri Krishna says that it is Ishvara manifesting in these illustrious individuals in the form of tejas or radiance.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 7

04 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.8, aham, apsu, asmi, chapter 7 verse 8, kaunteya, khe, nrishu, paurusham, prabhaa, pranavaha, rasaha, sarvavedeshu, shabdaha, shashihi, sooryayoho

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rasohamapsu kaunteya prabhaasmi shashisooryayoho |
pranavaha sarvavedeshu shabdaha khe paurusham nrishu || 8 ||
 
I am the taste in water, O Kaunteya. I am the light of the sun and moon, Om in all the Vedas, sound in space, valour in men.
 
rasaha : taste
aham : I
apsu : in water
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
prabhaa : light
asmi : I am
shashihi : moon
sooryayoho : sun
pranavaha : Om
sarvavedeshu : in all the Vedas
shabdaha : sound
khe : in space
paurusham : valour
nrishu : in men
 
We are exploring the topic of bhakti yoga in this chapter, where we learn to channel our thoughts towards a single ideal, which is Ishvara. Ishvara is in everything, and everything is in Ishvara – these statements were proclaimed by Shri Krishna previously. Even if we intellectually understand Ishvara as the ultimate cause, our senses do not literally “see” Ishvara. So then, how do we learn to remember Ishvara at all times?
 
Shri Krishna helps us in this regard by giving us a list of Ishvara’s vibhootis or glories. He recognizes that our mind tends to see wonder and glory in some aspects of the universe. If we can train ourselves to remember Ishvara whenever we see his glories, it will help us advance towards our goal of learning to see Ishvara everywhere.
 
The first example of Ishvara’s vibooti is the taste in water. Water is an important part of everyone’s life. Over 60% of our body is made up of water. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is the taste or essence of water. In other words, Ishvara is what makes water behave like water. So whenever we have a glass of water when we are extremely thirsty, it is Ishvara that is refreshing us. This is a wonderful meditation that we can practice.
 
Similarly, whenever we are dazzled by the brilliance of the sun, or the soothing light of the moon, we should remember that it is Ishvara that is providing the brightness or the effulgence. Whenever we hear a sound, we should know that it is Ishvara that provides the ability for sound to travel through air. Moreover, when we read stories about people who selflessly protect their country or their fellow human beings, we should remember that it is Ishvara that provides valour to them.
 
Finally, Shri Krishna says that Ishvara represents the word “Om” among the Vedas. Om takes a special place in the Vedas. It symbolically represents the eternal essence out of which this entire universe is created. Meditation on the word “Om” is considered one of the highest meditations possible.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 7

31 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in 7.6, aham, bhootaani, chapter 7 verse 6, etat, iti, jagataha, kritsnasya, prabhavaha, pralayaha, sarvaani, tathaa, upadhaaraya, yoneeni

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etadyoneeni bhootaani sarvaaneetyupadhaaraya |
aham kritsnasya jagataha prabhavaha pralayastathaa || 6 ||
 
Both these are the wombs of all beings, understand this. I am the source as well as the dissolution of the entire universe.
 
etat : both these
yoneeni : wombs
bhootaani : beings
sarvaani : all
iti : this
upadhaaraya : understand
aham : I
kritsnasya : entire
jagataha : universe
prabhavaha : source
pralayaha : dissolution
tathaa : as well as
 
Having described both his lower and higher nature, Shri Krishna says both those natures combine to create everything in this universe. This creation is described poetically as the “womb” from which everything originates. The lower nature and higher nature are both needed to create this universe. Furthermore, everything that is created is also sustained and ultimately dissolved into Ishvara. In other words, Ishvara creates, maintains and dissolves the entire universe.
 
Let us now understand the deeper meaning of this shloka. But before we proceed, let us first understand what is meant by cause and effect. When we hold a piece of cloth, what do we see? We see its color, its texture, its shape and so on. But if were to go back in time, we would see that cloth come from cotton threads, which came from a cotton plant, which came from a cotton seed, which at some point came from the earth. So the cause of the cloth was the earth, and the effect is the cloth.
 
Unfortunately, our minds have been conditioned to focus on the effect, and not on the cause. We see the cloth and its attributes, but do not even think about the cause, because that requires our intellect to come into the picture. Most economic, social and political movements tend to fail because they only focus on the symptoms and not the cause. For example, imprisoning small-time drug dealers does not stop the drug trade, because the demand for drugs will push some other person into dealing drugs.
 
Now let us look at this shloka from the standpoint of cause and effect. If we were to trace the ultimate cause of anything in this universe, it eventually comes back to Ishvara’s lower and higher natures. Therefore, Shri Krishna is asserting the fact that Ishvara is everywhere. Even though our eyes cannot see the form of a deity in front of us, our intellect will tell us that the ultimate cause is Ishvara. Our eyes give us jnyaanam or knowledge of the effect, our intellect provides us with vijnyaanam, which is the vision of the cause.
 
In mythology, this intellectual vision is depicted as the “third eye” of Lord Shiva that turns everything into ashes. This eye is a metaphor for developing equanimity of vision. If we learn to behold Ishvara as the cause of every object that we see, we will automatically begin to see Ishvara everywhere. So therefore, this shloka urges us to exercise our intellect so that we can see Ishvara everywhere.
 
Seeing Ishvara in everything is a huge milestone in the spiritual path. What is the next milestone?

Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 6

08 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in aham, balavat, chanchalam, chapter 6 verse 34, drudham, hi, iva, krishna, manaha, manye, nigraham, pramaathi, sudushkaram, tasya, vaayoho

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chanchalam hi manaha krishna pramaathi balavaddrudham |
tasyaaham nigraham manye vaayoriva sudushkaram || 34 ||
 
For, the mind is fickle, rebellious, strong and stubborn, O Krishna. To control it, I think, is as arduous as the wind.
 
chanchalam : fickle
hi : for
manaha : mind is
krishna : O Krishna
pramaathi : rebellious
balavat : strong
drudham : stubborn
tasya : it
aham : I
nigraham : control
manye : think
vaayoho : the wind
iva : like
sudushkaram : arduous
 
Arjuna further elaborates on the difficulty of controlling the mind for meditation to Shri Krishna. He says that it is as difficult as trying to harness the wind. Why is that so? The mind is fickle, rebellious, strong and stubborn. It will refuse any attempt to be controlled.
 
Shri Krishna had acknowledged the fickle nature of the mind in previous shlokas. We oursleves have directly experienced how fickle our mind is. Most of the time, our mind is jumping from one thought to another. Many analogies have been offered to illustrate this fickle nature of the mind. The most common one is a drunken monkey jumping from one branch to another. We can also tell how fickle someone’s mind is by observing their eyes. If they dart around too much, that means their mind is racing through thoughts.
 
Next, Arjuna says that the mind is “pramaathi”. It is difficult to exactly translate this world. The closest word is “rebellious”. It is like a wild horse that is being tamed for the first time. it will never let the rider stay on its back for more than a few seconds. Trying to control the mind becomes a wrestling match where the opponent does not let us get a good grip on him.
 
Furthermore, Arjuna refers to the mind as strong and stubborn. In other words, once the “mind is made up”, or the mind has decided that it wants a certain thing, it is very hard to change it. It is like a child throwing a tantrum – it will cry, yell and scream till it gets its way. The mind will resist all efforts to be controlled, and will start creating a list of desires which will throw us completely off track.
 
So therefore, Arjuna sums up the difficulty of controlling the mind by comparing this endeavour to taming the wind – something that is next to impossible. Coming from Arjuna, a mighty meditator who is said to have propitiated Lord Shiva through his meditation, makes it a valid question. Shri Krishna responds to Arjuna’s question in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 30, Chapter 6

02 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by in aham, cha, chapter 6 verse 30, maam, mayi, me, na, naa, pashyati, pranashyaami, pranashyati, saha, sarvam, sarvatra, tasya, yaha

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yo maam pashyati sarvatra sarvam cha mayi pashyati |
tasyaaham na pranashyaami sa cha me naa pranashyati || 30 ||
 
One who sees me in all, and sees all in me, to him I am not lost, and he is not lost to me.
 
yaha : one who
maam : me
pashyati : sees
sarvatra : in all
sarvam : all
cha : and
mayi : in me
pashyati : sees
tasya : to him
aham : I
na : am not
pranashyaami : lost
saha : he
cha : and
me : me
naa : is not
pranashyati : lost
 
Shri Krishna now speaks to us directly as Ishvara. He says that the devotee who sees him in everything, and also sees everything in him, will have a permanent connection to him. In other words, Shri Krishna will never appear as distant or invisible to that devotee. It may seem a little confusing to hear this statement right after the previous shloka that said that one should see everything in the eternal essence. How does Ishvara fit into the picture?
 
Let us refer to our running example of the wave and the ocean. Imagine that a young child sees the ocean for the first time. Her intellect can only grasp visual, grosser objects. So her attention will immediately go towards the ocean, its colour, its size, the sounds it makes, the waves and so on. It will not be obvious to her that everything is water, because she has not reached that intellectual level yet.
 
Shri Krishna fully knows that most of us are children, even babies, on the spiritual journey. It will take a long time for our intellects to see the eternal essence everywhere. So until our perception stops operating on the level of names and forms, we have to find an easier way to see the eternal essence everywhere.
 
Therefore, Shri Krishna says that first, we should try to see everything in Ishvara and Ishvara in everything. Ishvara could be the form of Shri Krishna. It could be any other deity that we feel an affinity towards. It could also be our guru. No matter what form we choose, we should be able to view the form of Ishvara as the highest.
 
Now, most of us have the notion that Ishvara or God is a mysterious figure or force that is sitting far away in Kailash or Vaikuntha or somewhere us. But Shri Krishna, in the Gita, is telling us in this shloka that he is everywhere. It requires a radical shift in order to think this way. That is why in Indian culture, everything can become an object of worship, from a tree to a stone to a book, because Ishvara is present in everything. What is required is the understanding that comes through contemplation.
 
So therefore, if we truly begin to think that the whole world comprises Ishvara in our chosen form, there will never be a single moment where we are far from Ishvara.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 4

01 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by in 4.11, aham, anuvartante, bhajaami, chapter 5 verse 11, eva, maam, mama, manushyaah, paartha, prapadyante, sarvashaha, taan, tathaa, vartam, yathaa, ye

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ye yathaa maam prapadyante taanstathaiva bhajaamyaham |
mama vartmaanuvartante manushyaah paartha sarvashaha || 11 ||

In whichever manner one approaches me, in that manner I favour them. People follow my path in different ways, O Paartha.

ye : one who
yathaa : in which manner
maam : me
prapadyante : approaches me
taan : him
tatha, eva : in that manner
bhajaami : favour them
aham : I
mama : my
vartam : path
anuvartante : follow
manushyaah : people
paartha : O Paartha
sarvashaha : in different ways

Earlier, Shri Krishna said that only those who take refuge in him realize the eternal essence and are liberated. On this note, a doubt may arise: Is he partial to those who take refuge in him, compared to those who do not? He advises us to be free of desires and aversions – isn’t this an example of aversion towards those who do not take refuge in him?

Shri Krishna responds to this doubt in this shloka. First, he asserts that whenever we have a strong desire, whether it is a material one or a spiritual one, that desire reaches Ishvaraa. If we approach the world with a desire for a promotion in our career, or we want better health, that desire reaches Ishvaraa because the world is part of Ishvaraa. The world is a part of Ishvaraa, as we saw earlier.

Having learned of the desire, how does he respond to the request? He says that he treats all requests like an impersonal computer system. Whatever we input, similar will be the output. If someone truly and deeply desires a promotion, and works hard towards it, he will get it. Similarly, if someone truly and deeply desires moksha, or realization of the eternal essence, and puts in the effort, he will get it.

The power of Ishvaraa is impartial. It is without any prejudice or hatred, just like electricity. One may harness electricity to power a fan, to light a room, to watch television and so on. Electricity will never say “I do not like television, so I will not power it, but I will power the fan”. Ishvaraa’s actions are based on laws, just like the laws of nature.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 4

28 Saturday Jan 2012

Posted by in 4.7, aatmaanam, abyutthaanam, adharmasya, aham, bhaarata, bhavati, chapter 4 verse 7, dharmasya, glaanih, hi, srijaami, tadaa, yadaa

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yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya glaanirbhavati bhaarata |
abhyutthaanamadharmasya tadaatmaanam srijaamyaham || 7 || 

Whenever there is a decline in righteousness, and a rise in unrighteousness prevails, then do I manifest myself, O Bhaarata.

yadaa yadaa hi: whenever
dharmasya : righteousness
glaanih : decline
bhavati : prevails
bhaarata: O Bhaarata
abhyutthaanam : rise
adharmasya : unrighteousness
tadaa : then
aatmaanam : myself
srijaami : manifest
aham : I

Shri Krishna described the process of Ishvara’s descent or avataara in the previous shloka. Here he speaks about the reason for manifesting as an avataara. He says that whenever there is a decay in dharma, and a rise in adharma, during that time he manifests himself in a particular form in this world. Now dharma means righteousness, but it also means universal harmony. Adharma then becomes disharmony.

Again, let us take the example of our body. Every cell and organ is working for the totality of the human being. It is the spirit of “one for all and all for one”, which is nothing but the spirit of yajna that we saw earlier. Our heart keeps beating and doesn’t ask for any reward or recognition. It just works for the sake of totality.

But sometimes, a part of the body, or the whole body, undergoes a situation when something goes wrong. Then, the intelligence of the body manifests itself to take care of the situation. If the problem is in one part of the body then special enzymes are secreted to remedy the situation, and white blood cells fight off the invaders. If the problem is in the whole body then it becomes warm under fever in order to get rid of intruders.

Similarly Ishvara comes either for short time like the Narasimha avataara, or for a long time like Shri Krishna avataar. Sometimes we find that the entire population thinks the same thought – e.g. an independence struggle or a social movement. That is also an avataara. If we go on polluting the environment with chemicals and so on, there could be a natural disaster in response. That is also an avataara .

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 4

26 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by in 4.5, aham, arjuna, bahooni, cha, chapter 5 verse 4, janmaani, me, na, parantapa, sarvaani, taani, tava, tvam, veda, vettha, vyateetaani

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Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
bahooni me vyateetaani janmaani tava chaarjuna |
taanyaham veda sarvaani na tvam vettha parantapa || 5 ||

Shree Bhagavaan said:
You and I have have undergone many births, O Arjuna. I know all of those (births), but you do not know them, O scorcher-of-foes.

bahooni : many
me : mine
vyateetaani : have happened
janmaani : births
tava : your
cha : and
arjuna : Arjuna
taani : those
aham : I
veda : know
sarvaani : all of them
na : do not
tvam : you
vettha : know
parantapa : scorcher-of-foes

In this shloka, Shri Krishna begins to reveal his divine nature to Arjuna. Previously, Arjuna raised a doubt as to how did Shri Krishna convey the Gita teaching to the sun. Shri Krishna responds by pointing out the similarity as well as the difference between his birth and Arjuna’s birth. The similarity is that both Arjuna and Shri Krishna have taken many births in the past.

However, the difference is that Shri Krishna had the knowledge and memory of all his prior births, whereas Arjuna did not. Normally, human beings have such strong identification with their body that it restricts their ability to remember what occurred in another body. We even tend to forget events associated with our own body with the passage of time, including simple things like where we kept our keys in the morning.

So if Shri Krishna could recall what happened in all his births, he did not have any identification to his body, and therefore he is not restricted by its limitations. He was speaking as an enlightened being who realized the eternal essence and has dropped identification with his body. But there is more to Shri Krishna than just this aspect. He will reveal more in the next shloka.

Footnotes
1. How does the Gita treat the topic of rebirth? Our vaasanaas force us to take a birth in a body. If we chose to use the birth to exhaust those vaasanaas, then the cycle of rebirth is broken. But if we chose to use the birth to accumulate more vaasanaas, then we will be forced to take another birth to exhause the newly acquired vaasanaas. Only by cleansing our vaasanaas can we break the cycle of rebirth or “samsaara”.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 4

22 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in 4.1, abraveet, aham, avyayam, chapter 4 verse 1, ikshvaaku, imam, manave, manuh, praaha, proktavaan, vivasvaan, vivasvate, yogam

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Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
imam vivasvate yogam proktavaanahamavyayam |
vivasvaan manave praaha manurikshvaakavebraveet || 1 ||

Shree Bhagavaan said:
I had declared this imperishable yoga to Vivasvaan. He told it to Manu, and Manu told it to Ikshvaaku.

imam : this
vivasvate : to Vivasvaan
yogam : yoga
proktavaan : declared
aham : I had
avyayam : imperishable
vivasvaan : Vivasvaan
manave : to Manu
praaha : told
manuh : Manu
ikshvaaku : to Ikshvaaku
abraveet : told

In this first shloka of the fourth chapter, Shri Krishna gives the paramparaa, or the tradition, of the knowledge of the Gita. When any ancient texts are revealed, their tradition or heritage is also revealed. However, Shri Krishna first says that this teaching is imperishable. It always existed and can never be destroyed.

Shri Krishna then begins the paramparaa. He says that had revealed the same knowledge a long time ago to Vivasvaan. Vivasvaan means the sun. The name Vivasvaan is derived from the sanskrit root vasa meaning one who resides very well, or also, one who illumines everyone. The sun can be considered the first student of karmayoga. Not only does he selflessly provide light to the world, he also never gets tired doing so.

The sun then gave this knowledge to Manu. Manu is the original ancestor, and is considered to be the first human being from whom all humans originated, like Adam in the Bible. Hence humans are called manu-shya.

Manu then gave this knowledge to Ikshvaaku, who was the first king in the solar dynasty or the “soorya-vansh”. All these kings were kshatriyas or warriors. Shri Krishna highlights this point in order to make Arjuna, a warrior himself, better appreciate the teaching.

Now, Arjuna had a doubt. How could Shri Krishna, his best friend, have provided this knowledge to the sun? Arjuna will ask this question shortly. But first, Shri Krishna explained the need to resurrect this very ancient knowledge in the next shloka.

Footnotes
1. The symbolic interpretation of this shloka could be taken as follows: Vivasvaan is the light or the eternal essence that shines thought the intellect. Manu is the mind. Ikshvaaku is the senses. Therefore, the eternal essence pervades the body, mind and intellect.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 27, Chapter 3

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.27, aham, ahamkaara, chapter 3 verse 27, gunaih, iti, karmaani, kartaa, kriyamaanaani, manyate, prakruteh, sarvhashah, vimoodhaatmaa

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prakruteh kriyamaanaani gunaih karmaani sarvashah |
ahamkaaravimoodhaatmaa kartaahamiti manyate || 27 ||

All actions, in all situations, are performed by the gunaas of prakriti. He who is completely deluded by the ego thinks “I am the doer”.

prakruteh : of prakriti
kriyamaanaani : act upon
gunaih : by the gunaas
karmaani : all actions
sarvashah : in all situations
ahamkaara : ego
vimoodhaatmaa : one who is complete deluded
kartaa : doer
aham : I
iti : in this way
manyate : thinks

We saw earlier that an ignorant person is attached to action while a wise person is not. But what exactly does it mean to be attached to action? Shri Krishna clarifies that point in this shloka, which is yet another deep shloka with layers and layers of meaning. We shall approach it step by step to grasp its essentials.

First, let us take the example of someone who has accomplished a great thing, for example, won a Grammy award for outstanding singing. If that singer truly examines her accomplishment, she will realize that there were so many people and situations that were responsible for her accomplishment.

To begin with, her parents probably encouraged her to pursue music seriously. Her music teacher taught her the theoretical aspects of music. She met other musicians who helped hone her craft. She came across a situation that inspired her to write her award-winning song. Her accomplishment was a product of all these factors.

Compare that singer to some other award-winning singer who thinks that it was he who did it all, and does not even acknowledge the contribution of others. The notion that “I am the doer” is called “ahamkaara” or the ego, and creates an “us-vs-them” attitude. Someone who is under the influence of the ego is called deluded in this shloka.

Let us now look at what is meant by gunaas and prakriti so that we can better understand the shloka. Just like our scientists have discovered that all of matter is made up of fundamental particles known as atoms, ancient rishis postulated that all matter or prakriti is made up of combinations of three essential forces: an inert force, an active force, and a harmonizing force. These three forces or gunas are known as tamoguna, rajoguna and sattvaguna respectively.

Now here comes a statement which is a little difficult to swallow. Like the singer whose accomplishments had very little to do with her “own” efforts, every action that we perform is in reality performed by prakriti that is comprised of the gunas.

So then who are “we”? We go back to the second chapter to remember that we are the eternal essence that is everlasting and all-pervading. Like the sun that enlivens the earth but does not itself do anything, the eternal essence does not perform any action. It only enlivens prakriti which is performing the action. Most of us that do not realize this truth, unfortunately, fall in the “ignorant” category. The next shloka shows us the goal : how to become wiser.

Footnotes

1. Prakriti is further subdivided into the following 24 components:
– 5 elements : space, air, fire, water, earth
– 5 mediums : sound, touch, form, taste, smell
– 5 sense organs : ear, skin, eye, tongue, nose
– 5 organs of actions : speech, grasp, movement, generation, excretion
– 4 internal organs : mind, intellect, memory, ego

2. Prakriti is also known as Maya