Category Archives: avashaha

Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 8

16 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.19, aharaagame, avashaha, ayam, bhootagraamaha, bhootvaa, chapter 8 verse 19, eva, paartha, prabhavati, praleeyate, raatryaagame, saha

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bhootagraamaha sa evaayam bhootvaa bhootvaa praleeyate |
raatryaagamevashaha paartha prabhavatyaharaagame || 19 ||
 
That (same) collection of beings, which was created repeatedly, helplessly dissolves during the night, O Paartha, and is (again) created during the day.
 
bhootagraamaha : community of beings
saha : that
eva : only
ayam : this
bhootvaa : having been created repeatedly
praleeyate : dissolves
raatryaagame : during the night
avashaha : helplessly
paartha : O Paartha
prabhavati : created
aharaagame : during the day
 
Previously, we learned about the process of cosmic creation, where all the living and non-living beings in the universe become manifest at the beginning of the day of Brahma. Now, Shri Krishna elaborates on the dissolution aspect. He says that all those beings go into an unmanifest or “frozen” state during the night of Lord Brahma. The very same beings become manifest or “un-frozen” again, when the day of Lord Brahma begins.
 
As we saw earlier, nothing is ever created or destroyed. The very same set of beings becomes manifest and unmanifest. The total number of “beings” in the universe remains the same. Those who die are “born” into a different form. Forms change but the total amount of universal “stuff” remains the same. It is said that there are 8.4 million species, which are nothing but forms. The movie ends, the reel is rewound, and it begins all over again, on and on, without any end in sight.
 
Now, here is one word in this shloka that deserves further attention. It is “avashaha” which means helplessly. Shri Krishna says that all beings, even if they are plants, animals, minerals or humans are helplessly stuck in this wheel of birth and rebirth, otherwise known as the wheel of samsaara. If they do not actively pursue a spiritual path, whatever that path may be, they will never come out of this cycle.
 
Most of us get frustrated if we get stuck in an elevator for more than a few minutes. Imagine how frustrated we should get if we find out that we are stuck somewhere for an infinite amount of time. So how exactly do we escape from this situation? We shall see in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 44, Chapter 6

21 Monday May 2012

Posted by in api, ativartate, avashaha, chapter 6 verse 44, eva, hi, hriyate, jigyaasuhu, poorvabhyaasena, saha, shabdabrahma, tena, yogasya

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poorvabhyaasena tenaiva hriyate hyaavashoopi saha |
jigyaasurapi yogasya shabdabrahmaativartate || 44 ||
 
Though helpless, he is pushed due to his prior effort, because even the seeker of yoga transcends the words of brahman.
 
poorvabhyaasena : due to prior effort
tena : that
eva : only
hriyate : pushed
hi : because
avashaha : helplessly
api : though
saha : he
jigyaasuhu : seeker
api : even
yogasya : yoga
shabdabrahma : words of brahman
ativartate : transcends
 
Previously, Shri Krishna described the fate of the unfulfilled meditator who is born into a family of yogis. Here, he describes the fate of the other type of unfulfilled meditator who is born into a prosperous family. Shri Krishna says that even though such a person will indulge in sense pleasures, his previous efforts will push him towards rekindling his spiritual journey. This attraction or push towards spirituality will give him the potential of transcending his material pleasures.
 
Karma yoga teaches us how to conduct our life without gathering impressions or samskaaraas that give rise to further selfish desires. These impressions, if not destroyed, are carried over from one life into the next, and result in activation of further selfish desires. The unfulfilled meditator who is born into a prosperous family is compelled to fulfill all of his desires because this family has enough wealth for him to do so. He is “avashaha” or helpless in this regard ,due to his propensity for desires.
 
However, in addition to his propensities being carried forward into his new life, his spiritual efforts are also carried forward. At some point in his life, these propensities will manifest in the form of an involuntary push or attraction towards spirituality. Just like the seeker born into a yogic family is pulled, this seeker will also find himself pulled, as it were, towards satsangs, discourses and gurus. But unlike the other type of seeker who knows exactly what to do in this situation, this seeker may not know what or why this attraction happens.
 
Shri Krishna further says that this pull towards spiritual has the potential to take him out of his current state of indulgence in material pleasures. We have seen that engaging selfishly in the material world further ensnares us in the cycle of karma or action and reaction, which is given in the Vedas, referred here as “shabda-brahman” or the words of brahman. But it is only through determination and effort that this seeker can transcend the cycle of karma. However, if he indulges in selfish desires, he will stray from the spiritual path.
 
So therefore, it is incumbent upon all spiritual seekers to continuously strive towards attaining their spiritual goals, no matter what their history is. Shri Krishna speaks more about this determination and effort in the next shloka.