Category Archives: antaha

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 15

08 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.2, aadihi, antaha, asangashastre, ashvattham, chapter 15 verse 2, chittvaa, dridhena, iha, na : not roopam : form asya, sampratishthaa, suviroodhamoolam, tathaa, upalabhyate

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na roopamasyeha tathaapalabhyate naanto na chaadirna cha sampratishthaa |
ashvatthamenam suviroodhamoolamsangashastrena dridhena chhittvaa || 3 ||
 
Its form is not available here, neither its beginning nor its end, not its existence. Having cut this firm-rooted Ashvattha tree using the robust weapon of dispassion.
 
na : not
roopam : form
asya : this
iha : here
tathaa : like
upalabhyate : available
na : no
antaha : end
na : not
cha : and
aadihi : beginning
na : not
cha : and
sampratishthaa : existence
ashvattham : ashvattha tree
suviroodhamoolam : with firm roots
asangashastrena : weapon of dispassion
dridhena : robust
chittvaa : having cut
 
Most of us love to see the image of planet earth from space. The majesty of that image captured by countless satellites over the years never fails to attract us. But without those satellites, we would never know that the earth looks like it does, because we did not have the means to see the big picture by oursleves. Or take a factory worker employed in a multi billion dollar multinational. All he gets to see is his machine for eight to ten hours a day. Except the CEO and a few other senior people, no one has the big picture view of the complex organization available.
 
Similarly, Shri Krishna says that most of us do not have the big picture view of our existence in this world. We simply live out our lives in the endless chain of attraction to sense objects, desire, action, result and further desire. To lift us out of this narrow view of life, he very compassionately gives us the illustration of the tree of samsaara in the previous two shlokas.
 
He very clearly states that no matter who we are, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, fit or sick, we are all entangled in this upside down tree of samsaara. We never see our existence as it really is. We do not see its beginning, middle or end. It is in fact, a gigantic illusion that has been given reality due to the long standing ignorance of our true nature.
 
The message of this shloka carries over into the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 13

16 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.15, acharam, antaha, antike, avijnyeyam, bahihi, bhootaanaam, chapter 13 verse 15, charam, doorastham, sookshmatvaat, tat

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bahirantashcha bhootaanaamacharam charameva cha |
sookshmatvaattadavijnyeyam doorastham chaantike cha tat || 15 ||
 
Existing outside and inside all beings, moving as well as non-moving. It is very subtle, so it is beyond comprehension. It is distant, yet it is near.
 
bahihi : outside
antaha : inside
cha : and
bhootaanaam : all beings
acharam : non-moving
charam : moving
eva : also
cha : and
sookshmatvaat : very subtle
tat : it
avijnyeyam : beyond comprehension
doorastham : distant
cha : and
antike : near
cha : and
tat : it
 
As Shri Krishna lists the indicators of the eternal essence, we may be tempted to start looking for it with our eyes, just like we look for a lost object in the house. However, we need to continuously remind ourselves that the eternal essence is neither an object nor a concept that can be grasped by the mind. Shri Krishna uses the Upanishadic style of describing the eterna essence through contradictions and paradoxes in this sequence of shlokas, and especially in the current shloka.
 
The first contradiction mentioned is that the eternal essence is both inside and outside all inert and living entities. This point cautions us against conceptualizing the eternal essence as limited by space, as if it is only available in one location and not the other. A somewhat crude analogy is mobile phone signals, which are essentially radio waves. Radio waves are all-pervasive and they penetrate all solid objects, enabling us to make phone calls from inside as well as outside buildings.
 
The second contradiction is that the eternal essence is to be known as the ultimate knowledge, yet it is beyond comprehension, due to its subtle nature. Using the radio waves analogy, we can say that none of our senses can detect radio waves. But if we know how to build a device that can access radio waves, we can harness their power to our advantage. Similarly, the eternal essence remains beyond the comprehension of those who have not purified their mind. But for those who have purified their mind, and followed a systematic method of enquiry under the guidance of scriptures and a teacher, it is ever accessible.
 
This leads us to the third contradiction. For those who have enquired about the nature of the eternal essence systematically, it is immediately available at all times as the self, the “I” within us. But for those who are ignorant, it is far away. Shankaraachaarya says that it is unattainable even in millions of years for such people. Whenever we focus on names and forms, we lose sight of the self. But when we remove the upaadhis of names and forms, we come back to the self, the “I”, that is behind all the names and forms, just like the movie screen.
 
Note that any time we use analogies such as radio waves, we are trying to conceptualize the eternal essence which is beyond all conception. We need to consider such analogies as helpful pointers, and nothing more.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 40, Chapter 10

11 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.40, antaha, asti, chapter 10 verse 40, divyaanaam, eshaha, mama, mayaa, na, parantapa, proktaha, tu, udyeshataha, vibhooteenaam, vibhootehe, vistaraha

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aantosti mama divyaanaam vibhooteenaam parantapa |
esha toodyeshataha prokto vibhootervistaro mayaa || 40 ||
 
There is no end to my divine expressions, O scorcher of foes. For, what has been spoken of my expressions is (just) an indicator.
 
na : no
antaha : end
asti : there is
mama : my
divyaanaam : of divine
vibhooteenaam : expressions
parantapa : O scorcher of foes
eshaha : this
tu : for
udyeshataha : indicator
proktaha : has been spoken
vibhootehe : of the expressions
vistaraha : explanations
mayaa : my
 
Shri Krishna, speaking as Ishvara, began enumerating his divine expressions in the beginning of this chapter. As we have seen so far, he has highlighted the most glorious, powerful and awe-inspiring aspects of his creation. In this shloka, he admits that it is next to impossible to list every single aspect of creation. But he also asserts that every single aspect of creation is divine, since it has sprung out of Ishvara himself.
 
So if everything is divine, why should we seek only a subset of Ishvara’s creations? It is to help us move towards liberation. We tend to be drawn towards people or objects in that universe that naturally attract our senses. If we look at them as mere people or objects, we get bound to them through attachment, which will eventually result in sorrow when we get separated from them. But if we look at them as manifestations of Ishvara, we are automatically protected from further entangling ourselves in samsaara, in the desire-oriented world.
 
Let us go back to the example of Mr. X and his shiny new car. The seed of sorrow was planted the minute he started considering that “the car is mine”. Instead, if Mr. X thinks that the car is Ishvara’s creation, he will immediately drop his sense of “mine-ness” from it. Furthermore, he realizes that the car is a temporary object and will eventually cease to exist. He also comes to know that the sense of joy he derives from buying a new car is not from the car, but it is from the presence of Ishvara inside it. So if something happens to the car, he remains unaffected and unperturbed.
 
Now having gone through the list, we find that a 21st century person like us has difficulty identifying with Puraanic glories that would have been familiar to Arjuna. How should we deal with this issue? Shri Krishna gives the answer in the next shloka.

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

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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.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 10

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.19, aatma, antaha, asti, chapter 10 verse 19, divyaahaa, hanta, hi, kathayishyaami, kurushreshtha, me, na, praadhaanyataha, te, vibhootayaha, vistarasya

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Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
hanta te kathayishyaami divyaa hyaatmavibhootayaha |
praadhaanyataha kurushreshtha naastyanto vistarasya me || 19 ||
 
Shree Bhagavaan said:
Of course. I will tell you my most significant divine expressions, O best of the Kurus. For there is no end to the extent (of my expressions).
 
hanta : Of course
te : you
kathayishyaami : I will tell
divyaahaa : divine
hi : for
aatma : my
vibhootayaha : expressions
praadhaanyataha : significant
kurushreshtha : O best of the Kurus
na : no
asti : is
antaha : end
vistarasya : extent
me : my
 
So far, Arjuna expressed interest and enthusiasm for hearing Ishvara’s manifestations and expressions in detail. Shri Krishna, delighted with Arjuna’s request, replied by saying “hanta”. The word hanta has three meanings. It is used to express excitement, wonder or dejection. In this context, Shri Krishna was happy and eager to speak about Ishvara’s glories, so the meaning here is with regards to excitement.
 
Let us go back to our electricity example. There are thousands upon thousands of objects that use electricity. It is impossible to enumerate all of them. But it is possible to list those objects that are mighty, powerful, or have the capacity to elicit wonder and awe. Similarly, Shri Krishna admitted that though it would not be possible to list all of Ishvara’s glories and expressions because they are infinite. However, he would be able to list the most significant ones.
 
As we go through the list of Ishvara’s expressions in the upcoming shlokas, we may tend to get carried away by the richness of the stories, the mythology, the history and so on. While that is good and has its place, let us not forget the main point, which is to keep our mind established in the thought that “Ishvara is in everything”.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 16, Chapter 2

12 Wednesday Oct 2011

Posted by in 2.16, abhaavaha, anayoha, antaha, api, asataha, bhaavaha, chapter 2 verse 16, datshibhihi, drishtaha, na vidyate, sataha, tattva, tu, ubhayoha

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naasato vidyate bhaavo naabhaavo vidyate sataha |
ubhayoropi drishtontastvanayostattvadarshibhihi || 16 ||

The unreal has no existence, and there is no non-existence of the real; the truth about both of these has been experienced by seers of the essence.

asataha : unreal
bhaavaha : existence
vidyate : situation
na : no
tu : and
sataha : real
abhaavaha : non-existence
tattva : truth
darshibhihi : seers of
anayoha : of these two
ubhayoha : both
api : also
antaha : essence
drishtontaha : experienced

Here we encounter one of the most profound shlokas of the Gita, with layers and layers of meaning. It begins to lead us into understanding this thing called the eternal essence, and how we can experience it. At present, we may not have the capability to go too deep into it, but we can try to get its gist.

The best example I heard in connection with this verse is the animal cookie example. We may have come across animal cookies. They are a brand of children’s cookies shaped like tigers, elephant etc. Now, some children will only want to eat the tiger shaped cookie and not the others, whereas other children may only want to eat the elephant shaped ones and not the others. But, most adults would not care about the shape of the cookie, they will eat any shape.

Why is this so? The adult has the wisdom to go straight to the essence of the cookie. He or she does not care about the name or the form taken by the cookie. And this wisdom has come by maturity, by knowing that the animals were “un-real” and they did not have “existence”. Only the cookie dough was “real”, just like this verse indicates.

Another example is about the newly married wife who has just received a beautiful gold bangle from her husband. Although she cares about the shape and ornamentation of the bangle, a pawn shop owner would not not really care about those things. He only cares about the weight of the bangle.

The prior verse indicated that a wise person is one who stays balanced in joy and sorrow. This verse explains that the balanced person will slowly achieve wisdom and reach a state where any object or situation will begin to lose its “real-ness”. Only the eternal essence will remain as the common element behind every object or situation. This vision is called “tattva-drishti” or “vision of the essence”.

Moreover, the word “bhaava” has another meaning: finitude. So it means that the real is infinite, and the unreal is finite. Therefore, the wise person does not go on chasing material objects that have a finite existence and give only finite happiness.

Footnotes
1. The Jnyaneshwari has several examples to illustrate this verse, for further reference.