Category Archives: aham

Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 3

01 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.24, aham, cha, chapter 3 verse 24, chet, imaah, ime, karma, kartaa, kuryaam, lokaah, na, prajaaha, samkaryasya, syaam, upahanyaam, utseedeyuh

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 3

utseedeyurime lokaa na kuryaam karma chedaham |
samkaryasya cha kartaa syaamupahanyaamimaah prajaaha || 24 ||

These people would be ruined if I stopped performing action. I would become the creator of confusion and destroy these beings.

utseedeyuh : ruined
ime : these
lokaah : people
na : not
kuryaam : perform
karma : action
chet : if
aham : I
samkaryasya : confusion
cha : and
kartaa : creator
syaam : I become
upahanyaam : destroy
imaah : these
prajaaha : beings

Shri Krishna further elaborates on the argument put forth in the last shloka. As someone who is has realized the eternal essence, he does not have any obligations towards the world. But even then, he continues to act towards the welfare of society. Here, he says that if he stopped acting, all people who look up to him would be ruined and destroyed. We saw the example of a great social activist like Baba Amte, who although having performed such selfless service, continued to act till his last day. Society would take a huge hit if someone like him abruptly stopped working.

In addition, there is a subtler meaning here. Shri Krishna’s statements have a cosmic significance. So therefore, the word “I” also refers to every law or principle that works every second of our lives and never ever takes a vacation.

For instance, we all know what happens to a society when there is a breakdown of law and order. There will be chaos, confusion and destruction all around. But civil and criminal laws are just man-made laws. Consider what would happen if the law of gravity, a universal law, stopped working. People, buildings, and every free standing object on this earth would start flying out into space to its eventual destruction. And finally, what if our breathing or pumping of the heart stopped working?

Therefore the message to Arjuna is clear. Any task, no matter how insignificant or unpleasant, should be performed selflessly and with dexterity, if it is in the service of the higher good.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 3

31 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by in aham, anuvartante, atandritaha, chapter 3 verse 23, hi, jaatu, karmani, mama, manushyaaha, na, paartha, sarvashaha, vartama, varteyam, yadi

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 3

yadi hyaham na varteyam jaatu karmanyatandritaha |
mama vartamaanuvartante manushyaaha paartha sarvashaha || 23 ||

For, if I were not to perform my duties alertly, people from everywhere will follow my path, O Paartha.

yadi : of
hi : for
aham : I
na : do not
varteyam : perform
jaatu : when
karmani : duties
atandritaha: alertness
mama : my
vartama : path
anuvartante : follow
manushyaaha : people
paartha : O Paartha
sarvashaha : from everywhere

To better understand this shloka, and make it more relatable, let us examine the life of a individual from our time who dedicated his life to the service of others – Baba Amte.

In his early years, he acted as a defense lawyer for freedom fighters imprisoned by British authorities in the 1942 Quit India movement. Later, Amte founded three ashrams for treatment and rehabilitation of leprosy patients, disabled people, and people from marginalized sections of the society in India. Today, the largest ashram named Anandwan has a university, an orphanage, and schools for the blind and the deaf, housing over 5,000 residents.

Now, imagine if someone like Baba Amte were to one day say “I think I am going to stop all my work and take it easy”. What would be the impact on the general population? People would start saying “If even Baba Amte does not work, why should I do so?”

Therefore, Shri Krishna urged Arjuna to always perform action and not give in to the tendency of the human body to become lazy. If not for Arjuna’s own sake, at least for the sake of others who considered him as a role model. And similarly, he urges us also to become role models by continually performing selfless actions, with complete attention and alertness.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 3

10 Saturday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.2, aapnuyam, aham, buddhim, chapter 3 verse 2, ekam, iva, me, mohayasi, nishchitya, shreyah, tat, vaakyen, vada, vyaamishrena, yena

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 3

vyaamishreneva vaakyen buddhim mohayaseeva me |
tadekam vada nishchitya yena shreyohamaapnuyaam || 2 ||

You are confusing my intellect with these mixed-up statements. Therefore, be certain and tell me that one statement by which I will attain the highest good. 

vyaamishrena : mixed-up
iva : these
vaakyen : statements
buddhim : intellect
mohayasi : confusing
me : my
tat : that
ekam : one
vada : tell
nishchitya : having ascertained
yena : which will
shreyah : highest good
aham : me
aapnuyaam : attain

Arjuna concludes his question to Shri Krishna in this shloka. As we saw last time, Arjuna did not fully comprehend the teaching from the second chapter. Being a military man, one who is trained in issuing and receiving terse orders in battlefield, he needed clear and simple instructions. Shri Krishna’s covered the entire essence of the Gita in the second chapter. So therefore, Arjuna asked Shri Krishna to reveal what was most appropriate for him at this point in time.

Let’s refer to the student of music from the prior example. A student who starts his formal training in classical music usually attends a “classical music 101” course which covers topics such as the types of classical music, renowned composers and their compositions, the evolution of music through several centuries and so on. But, the teaching that is most beneficial to the beginner student is simple concepts like how to locate a note on the piano and so on.

The second chapter of the Gita is just like the classical music 101 course that covers lot of topics and techniques. With his mind bewildered by all that was heard, Arjuna asked Shri Krishna to provide the one technique that was most appropriate for Arjuna at this stage in his spiritual journey.

Shri Krishna understood Arjuna’s situation and provided an answer in the next shloka.