Category Archives: asmi

Bhagavad Gita Verse 73, Chapter 18

29 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.73, achyuta, asmi, gatasandehaha, karishye, labdhaa, mayaa, mohaha, nashtaha, prasaadaan, smritihi, sthitaha, tava, vachanam

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Arjuna uvaacha:
nashto mohaha smritirlabdhaa tvatprasaadaanmayaachyuta |
sthitosmi gatasandehaha karishye vachanam tava || 73 ||
 
Arjuna said:
My delusion has been destroyed, and my memory has been restored with your grace, O infallible one. I stand with my doubts removed. I shall do as you say.
 
nashtaha : destroyed
mohaha : delusion
smritihi : memory
labdhaa : restored
tvat : your
prasaadaan : grace
mayaa : by me
achyuta : O infallible one
sthitaha : stand
asmi : I
gatasandehaha : doubts removed
karishye : I shall do
vachanam : words
tava : your
 
If we recall, the first words uttered by Arjuna in the Gita were as follows : O achyuta, O infallible one, in preparation for combat, position my chariot between the two armies. Arjuna uses the same address, achyuta, the infallible one, in this shloka. So the conversation that was initiated by Arjuna is concluded here. Arjuna says that the ignorance of his true nature is no more, since he has regained his smritihi, his memory, the knowledge of his true self. When one comes to know about their true self, there is no more delusion in this world. Everything is seen for what it really is, an illusion, a superimposition by maaya on the self.
 
There is another significance of the word achyuta. While we forget our true nature, and erroneously take maaya to be real, Ishvara is always standing firm in his position as unaffected by the superimposition of maaya. Since he is infallible, only with his grace can we overcome our delusion and come out of the cycle of birth and death, of samsaara. Removal of delusion is the aim of all spiritual teaching, as we saw earlier. All that remains is to stand firm, to be stitaha, in the knowledge of our true self.
 
From the standpoint of the world, Arjuna was convinced that performing his duty as a warrior was the right decision to make at this point. Therefore, he acknowledged that the teaching of the Gita benefitted him, and that he was ready to fight in the war. From the highest standpoint of the absolute, Arjuna’s sense of agency, his sense of doership, had gone away, once he understood that the self can neither do anything, nor can it enjoy anything. He performed actions spontaneously, in the service of Ishvara. In the words of Shri Shankaraachaarya, he had achieved the ultimate goal of life. He did not have to accomplish anything else.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 16

10 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by in 16.15, aadhaha, abhijanavaan, ajnyaanavimohitaahaa, anya, asmi, chapter 15 verse 16, daasyaami, kaha, mayaa, modishya, sadrishaha, yakshye

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aadhyobhijanavaanasmi konyosti sadrisho mayaa |
yakshye daasyaami modishya ityajnyaanavimohitaahaa || 15 ||
 
I am wealthy, I am from a good family, who else is equal to me? I will conduct sacrifice, I will enjoy. In this manner, (he is) deluded by ignorance.
 
aadhaha : I am wealthy
abhijanavaan : good family
asmi : I am
kaha : who
anya : else
asti : is
sadrishaha : equal to
mayaa : me
yakshye : I will conduct sacrifice
daasyaami : I will conduct charity
modishya : I will enjoy
iti : in this manner
ajnyaanavimohitaahaa : deluded by ignorance
 
In the last shloka, we saw the mindset of those who derive pride from their power. Here Shri Krishna describes the mindset of people who derive pride from other things such as wealth and family. An excess of wealth, especially for those who did not come from wealthy families, is the most common source of pride. Such people boast about their latest expensive toy, their net worth, their membership in elite clubs and so on. They are only interested in consumption and enjoyment.
 
Others derive pride from their ancestry and their lineage. For some, this pride comes from the fact that their ancestors were kings or landowners. For some, this pride comes from the fact that everyone in their family has always been a doctor or a lawyer. Some others even boast about the number of sacrifices they have conducted and amount of charity they have donated. Instead of charity and sacrifice leading to purification of one’s mind, such grandiose spectacles have gaining publicity and favours as their goal.
 
If we were to summarize the attitude in these three shlokas, it is this – no one is equal to me. I am superior to everyone else. So the net result is the strengthening, the hardening of the I notion, the ego, the aham. Each step taken towards the ego is one step taken away from self realization. There is no scope for detachment or renunciation. Attachment grows by leaps and bounds in such people. The root cause of all this is ignorance of one’s true nature.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 51, Chapter 11

04 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by in 11.51, asmi, chapter 11 verse 51, drishtvaa, gataha, idaaneem, idam, janaardana, maanusham, prakritim, roopam, sachetaahaa, samvrittaha, saumyam, tava

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Arjuna uvaacha:
drishtvedam maanusham roopam tava saumyam janaardana |
idaaneemasmi samvrittaha sachetaahaa prakritim gataha || 51 ||
 
Arjuna said:
Seeing this, your pleasant human form, O Janaardana, I have now regained my composure, and attained my true nature.
 
drishtvaa : seeing
idam : this
maanusham : human
roopam : form
tava : your
saumyam : pleasant
janaardana : O Janaardana
idaaneem : at this moment
asmi : I have
samvrittaha : become
sachetaahaa : composed
prakritim : my true nature
gataha : attained
 
The pleasing form of Shri Krishna is glorified in the Srimad Bhaagavatam repeatedly. The cowherdesses of Vrindaavan known as the gopis, elaborately praise this form in the tenth canto of the Bhaagavatam. They say: “Your beauty makes all three worlds auspicious. Even the cows, birds, trees and deer are enthralled when they see your beautiful form.” Arjuna, seeing the human form of Shri Krishna, regained his natural state, free from the fear and bewilderment resulting from the cosmic form.
 
We have come across the meaning of the term “Janaardana” earlier. “Arda” means one who moves, or makes others move. Jana means people, and therefore Janaardana means one who moves people to heaven or hell, in other words, dispenses justice to evildoers. Another meaning of Janaardana is one whom people ask for prosperity and well being. By addressing Shri Krishna as Janaardana, a term he used to address Shri Krishna prior to knowing that he was Ishvara, Arjuna recalled the glory of his human form.
 
So far, we saw Arjuna request Shri Krishna for the cosmic form, Arjuna’s description of the cosmic form and his subsequent reaction to it, followed by a request to revert back to the human form. Now, Shri Krishna summarizes the teaching of this chapter in the the four shlokas that follow.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 45, Chapter 11

28 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.45, adrishtapoorvam, asmi, bhayena, chapter 11 verse 45, darshaya, devaroopam, devesha, drishtvaa, hrishitaha, jagannivaasa, manaha, praseeda, pravyathitam, tadeva

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adrishtapoorvam hrishitosmi drishtvaa bhayena cha pravyathitam mano me |
tadeva me darshaya devaroopam praseeda devesha jagannivaasa || 45 ||
 
Seeing you form that was never seen before, I am overjoyed and (yet) fearful, my mind is disturbed. Show me that divine form. Be pleased, O Lord of lords, O abode of the universe.
 
adrishtapoorvam : prior unseen
hrishitaha : overjoyed
asmi : I am
drishtvaa : seeing
bhayena : fearful
cha : and
pravyathitam : disturbed
manaha : mind
me : my
tadeva : that
me : to me
darshaya : show
devaroopam : divine form
praseeda : be pleased
devesha : O Lord of lords
jagannivaasa : O abode of the universe
 
Fear is one of our most primal emotions. At some point or the other in our lives, we have encountered fear of losing our job, losing a loved one, fear of an angry confrontation, stage fright and so on. But we can boil all kinds of fear down to three things. First, the fear of losing something that is “ours”. This is the fear of losing our life, our job, our loved ones and so on. Next is the fear of loss of knowledge, or being duped. Third is the fear of losing joy and happiness, fear of sorrow in other words. We can sum it up in this manner: we are afraid of losing our existence, knowledge and happiness.
 
However, if we recall the teaching of the Gita so far, especially from the second chapter, we know that our true nature is the aatmaa, the eternal essence which is infinite existence, knowledge and happiness. So then, the cause of fear is the ego, the delusion that we are not the eternal essence. There is no scope for fear when we know our true nature as the infinite eternal essence. But if we assume that “I am the body”, then all the problems and fears of the body such as disease, old age, death etc become our problems. The fear of death, which is actually the fear of losing the existence of the body, becomes our fear.
 
So then, why did Arjuna fear Shri Krishna’s cosmic form? For a brief moment, Arjuna’s ego had vanished when he considered himself part and parcel of the cosmic form. When his ego came back, it brought with it all the incorrect associations with the body, mind and so on. Arjuna then saw the cosmic form as something outside of himself, something that could destroy him. He acknowledged his fear to Shri Krishna, begging him to go back to his original form.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 32, Chapter 11

15 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.32, api, asmi, avasthitaahaa, bhavishyanti, chapter 11 verse 32, kaalaha, lokaan, lokakshayakrit, na, pratyaneekeshu, pravruddhaha, pravruttaha, rite, samaahartumiha, sarve, tvaam, ye, yodhaahaa

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Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
kaalosmi lokakshayakritpravruddho lokaansamaahartumiha pravruttaha |
ritepi tvaam na bhavishyanti sarve yevasthitaahaa pratyaneekeshu yodhaahaa || 32 ||
 
Shree Bhagavaan said:
I am time, the seasoned annihilator of the worlds, engaged in destroying all these people. Even without your (effort), all those hostile warriors will not exist in the future.
 
kaalaha : time
asmi : I am
lokakshayakrit : annihilator of the worlds
pravruddhaha : seasoned
lokaan : people
samaahartumiha : this destruction
pravruttaha : engaged
rite : without
api : even
tvaam : your
na : not
bhavishyanti : exist in the future
sarve : all
ye : those
avasthitaahaa : situated
pratyaneekeshu : hostile
yodhaahaa : warriors
 
After a long wait, Shri Krishna, as the cosmic form, spoke to Arjuna, revealing himself and his mission of destroying the universe and all the living beings residing in it. It is said that Robert Oppenheimer, creator of the atom bomb, uttered this shloka when he saw the power of his creation for the first time. Shri Krishna declared himself to be “kaala”, which means time as well as death. They mean the same thing because in time, everything dies. He also used the word “pravruddha” which means mature or seasoned, indicating that he was well versed in the task of destruction, that it wasn’t a one time thing.
 
Our mind works within the gamut of space and time, therefore it is difficult to comprehend what Arjuna saw. He probably saw the past, the present and the future happening in an instant, all at the same time. With this vision, Shri Krishna was able to show the future to Arjuna. The Mahaabhaarata war had ended, leaving few Kaurava warriors alive. In other words, Shri Krishna himself had determined that the war would be won by the Paandavas. They fought like any other army would, but the real work behind the scenes was done by Shri Krishna.
 
Many of us sometimes think, what will happen if I stop working one day? Lest we attach undue importance to our actions and puff up our ego, Shri Krishna gives us a lesson in humility. He reveals that ultimately, it is he who is running the show. If he wants to do something, he will do it with whatever means available, even if it means generating a thought in one person or in a million people.
 
Now, if we hear this, we may think, why should I do anything at all? I can retire right away since it is ultimately Ishvara who is doing everything. Arjuna probably had the same thought. He would have wondered what was the need for him to fight, reinforcing the argument he made in the first chapter when we wanted to run away from the war.
 
Anticipating this, Shri Krishna makes a bold statement in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 38, Chapter 10

08 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.38, asmi, cha, chapter 10 verse 38, damayataam, dandaha, eva, guhyaanaam, jigeeshataam, jnyaanam, jnyaanavataam, maunam, neetihi

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dando damayataamasmi neetirasmi jigeeshataam |
maunam chaivaasmi guhyaanaam jnyaanam jnyaanavataamaham || 38 ||
 
Among means of subjugation, I am punishment and among seekers of victory, I am strategy. Also, among the secrets I am silence and among the wise, I am knowledge.
 
dandaha : punishment
damayataam : among means of subjugation
asmi : I am
neetihi : strategy
asmi : I am
jigeeshataam : among seekers of victory
maunam : silence
cha : and
eva : also
asmi : I am
guhyaanaam : among the secrets
jnyaanam : knowledge
jnyaanavataam : among the wise
aham : I am
 
In this shloka, Shri Krishna declares punishment as foremost among Ishvara’s expressions that restrain or subdue others. As we have seen in the second chapter, dwelling on sense objects can very easily lead to loss of even a wise person’s wisdom and discrimination, which may result in unlawful behaviour. A society without methods to punish criminals is impractical, and will result in anarchy and chaos. From our standpoint, we need to watch our mind and our sense organs constantly, lest they lead us astray.
 
Next, we look at neeti or strategy. In the Mahabhaarata, Arjuna needed to finish Jayadratha in order to move closer to a victory. But the powerful Jayadratha had obtained a boon from his father. Whoever caused Jayadratha’s head to fall to the ground, their head would split into a hundred pieces. This was a tough situation and needed a smart solution.
 
Upon Shri Krishna’s advice, Arjuna dispatched an arrow that would sever Jayadratha’s head and deposited it into the lap of his father. When Jayadratha’s father got up, he dropped the head and became the target of his own curse. Shri Krishna, the ultimate strategist, declares strategy as Ishvara’s foremost expression among seekers of victory. Strategy enables us to deal with different people and circumstances, and to devise a plan to win every time.
 
“Silence is golden” is a proverb that has stood the test of time. In a business negotiation, we may be put in situations where others try to insult us in some way. We face a choice in such situations: we can either snap back at that person or we can stay silent. If we respond, we may say something that may come back to haunt us later. Worse still, we could reveal a secret that puts us in jeopardy.
 
To that end, Shri Krishna advises us to follow the “silence is golden” proverb by declaring silence as Ishvara’s foremost manifestation among secrets. And those wise people who follow Ishvara’s recommendations also receive their wisdom through Ishvara’s as his divine manifestation.

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

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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

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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 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

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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 31, Chapter 10

01 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.31, aham, asmi, cha, chapter 10 verse 31, jaahnavee, jhashaanaam, makaraha, pavanaha, pavataam, raamaha, shashtrabhritaam, strotasaam

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pavanaha pavataamasmi raamaha shashtrabhritaamaham |
jhashaanaam makarashachaasmi strotasaamasmi jaahnavee || 31 ||
 
Among the purifiers I am the wind and among the weapon wielders I am Raama. Among the sea creatures I am the crocodile and among the rivers I am Gangaa.
 
pavanaha : wind
pavataam : among the purifiers
asmi : I am
raamaha : Raama
shashtrabhritaam : among the weapon wielders
aham : I am
jhashaanaam : sea creatures
makaraha : crocodile
cha : and
asmi : I am
strotasaam : among the rivers
asmi : I am
jaahnavee : Gangaa
 
Shri Krishna begins this shloka with the topic of purification. He says that wind is the foremost expression of Ishvara among all of the purifiers in the world. We know this from experience. Deep inhalation and exhalation removes several toxins from the body. If a room has been locked for a long time, the first thing we do is to open the window.
 
Lord Raama is also known as “Kodanda Paani”, the wielder of weapons. Among all of the weapon wielders in the world, Lord Raama is the foremost. This is because although he was adept at wielding several types of weapons, he only used them as a last resort when no other methods of diplomacy worked. In the Raamayana, we can see numerous instances when he killed Rakshasaas after they did not heed his warning.
 
Now, just like we saw power and majesty in the Lion, we see power and majesty in the giant whale and the crocodile. “Makara” refers either to crocodile or the giant whale. Both of these are powerful sea creatures. Shri Krishna says that among the sea creatures, Ishvara’s foremost expression is the Makara.
 
Among the rivers, Ishvara is Jaahnavi or Gangaa. Jaahnavi refers to the daughter of sage Jahnu. It is said that the Gangaa’s turbulent waters disturbed the meditation of sage Jahnu. Angered, he drank her, and only released her when the gods prayed to him. Furthermore, knowledge, just like the river Gangaa, flows from a higher plane to a lower plane, and is perennial. Also, knowledge purifies, just like a river purifies.
 
So whenever we feel the wind, when we see weapons used justly, when we behold the giant whale or the mighty river, we should know that all these are Ishvara’s manifestations.