Category Archives: balam

Bhagavad Gita Verse 53, Chapter 18

11 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.53, ahankaaram, balam, brahmabhooyaaya, chapter 18 verse 53, darpam, kaamam, kalpate, krodham, nirmamaha, parigraham, shaantaha, vimuchya

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 53, Chapter 18

ahankaaram balam darpam kaamam krodham parigraham |
vimuchya nirmamaha shaanto brahmabhooyaaya kalpate || 53 ||
 
On who has given up egoism, force, arrogance, desire, anger, possessions, free from mineness, and serene, is fit for becoming the eternal essence.
 
ahankaaram : egoism
balam : force
darpam : arrogance
kaamam : desire
krodham : anger
parigraham : possessions
vimuchya : given up
nirmamaha : free from mineness
shaantaha : serene
brahmabhooyaaya : becoming the eternal essence
kalpate : is fit
 
When the monk has decided to focus on contemplation upon the self, he should take care to not harbour tendencies or traits that are remnants of life in the material world. Shri Krishna enumerates those traits in this shloka, beginning with ahankaara or egoism. Egoism refers to the notion of I-ness in anything that is in the realm of Prakriti. For most people, their body is their self. For some others, it is the intellect. Even if these are temporary, they will become obstacles in meditation. A similar obstacle is the sense of mine-ness or mamataa.
 
Kaama refers to desire and passion, and balam or force refers to power of desire and passion. If these is are not checked, then the mind will always rush towards some object or the other, and do so with an intensity that is hard to control. Darpam is arrogance, which makes one feel that he is above others, and therefore, can do whatever he wants. This will prevent the monk from following a strict regimen of meditation. Another obstacle in meditation is parigrah, the sense of possessing or hoarding things, which can distract the monk from pursuing his path.
 
Ultimately, when the monk has done his best to remove all notions of I and mine from his mind, ensured that his surroundings are calm and free of distractions, ensured that likes and dislikes are conquered, convinced himself that the world is nothing but a collection of names and forms, he gets the wonderful reward in the form of serenity or shaantihi. He recognizes his true self as the shuddha saakshi, the pure witness, free from identification from the mind or body. He is now ready for resting in, which is the same as becoming, the eternal essence, brahman.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 16

13 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by in 16.18, aatmaparadeheshu, abhyasooyakaahaa, ahankaaram, balam, chapter 16 verse 18, darpam, kaamam, krodham, maam, pradvishantaha, samshritaahaa

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 16

ahankaaram balam darpam kaamam krodham cha samshritaahaa |
maamaatmaparadeheshu pradvishantobhyasooyakaahaa || 18 ||
 
Taking refuge in egotism, power, arrogance, desire and anger, these resentful people hate me, who dwells in one’s own and in other’s bodies.
 
ahankaaram : egotism
balam : power
darpam : arrogance
kaamam : desire
krodham : anger
cha : and
samshritaahaa : taking refuge
maam : me
aatmaparadeheshu : dwelling in own and other’s bodies
pradvishantaha : hate
abhyasooyakaahaa : resentful people
 
Shri Krishna starts to summarize the list of aasuri sampatti or devilish qualities by highlighting the primary ones. The foremost devilish quality is egotism. Considering anything other than the eternal essence as the I is egotism. For most of us, the I is our body and mind. This incorrect understanding comes from avidyaa or ignorance of our true nature. In the Mahabhaarata, ignorance is symbolically represented by the blind king Dhritarashtra, and egotism by his first child Duryodhana, the cause of the Mahabhaarata war.
 
When egotism or the I notion is strong, one tends to impose one’s will on others. This is balam or power. One tends to disregard one’s duties, rules and norms, lose all sense of right and wrong, due to the strength of egotism. This is darpam or arrogance. Their primary aim of life becomes kaama or selfish desire, resulting in krodha or anger when these desires are not fulfilled. Other devilish tendencies such as hypocrisy, pride and ostentation are variations of these primary qualities. We should always be on the lookout for the rise of such qualities in us.
 
Shri Krishna goes on to say that such people hate Ishvara who dwells in everyone, including the very people who are harbouring these devilish qualities. They never listen to Ishvara who, as the voice of conscience, pleads them to not fall prey to these qualities. They do not follow the instructions of Ishvara as laid down in the scriptures. Instead, they resent him and hate him, as well as those who follow his path by cultivating divine qualities.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 7

07 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.11, aham, asmi, aviruddhaha, baalvataam, balam, bharatarshabha, bhooteshu, cha, chapter 7 verse 11, dharma, kaama, kaamaha, raaga, vivarjitam

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 7

balam baalvataam chaaham kaamaraagaavivarjitam |
dharmaaviruddho bhooteshu kaamosmi bharatarshabha || 11 ||
 
I am strength in the strong that is free from desire and attachment, and I am desire in beings that is consistent with duty, O scion of the Bharataas.
 
balam : strength
baalvataam : in the strong
cha : and
aham : I am
kaama : desire
raaga : attachment
vivarjitam : free from
dharma : duty
aviruddhaha : consistent with
bhooteshu : beings
kaamaha : desire
asmi : I am
bharatarshabha : O scion of the Bharatas
 
Shri Krishna further adds to the list of Ishvara’s vibhootis in this shloka. He says that Ishvara is the strength that is free of selfishness and attachment, and the desire that is selfless.
 
What exactly are desire and attachment? Desire is craving for something that we do not have, and attachment is holding on to something that we already have. Selfish actions generate attachment which binds us to the material world. The more selfishly we act, the further we move away from Ishvara acting through us. Only when we act selflessly does Ishvara act through us. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is that desire which is not selfish, or which is consistent with one’s duty.
 
Now, when we begin to act in a selfless manner, we develop an inner strength. Conversely, whenever we act out of selfish desire and attachment, we become weak. In the Mahabharata, the Pandavaas knew that they could not target Drona directly because he was too powerful. Instead, they targeted someone whom he was deeply attached to – his son Ashwaththaamaa. The more we turn towards Ishvara, the less we get attached to people and worldly objects.
 
It is our choice whether we act selfishly for our personal gains, or selflessly with a view to benefit a higher ideal. Any action that harmonizes or integrates brings with it the power of the entire universe. Therefore, Shri Krishna says that he is the strength that is free from selfish desire and attachment.
 
Shri Krishna concludes the topic of his vibhootis with this shloka. A much more in-depth discussion on this topic is found in chapter ten of the Gita.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 1

23 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by in abhirikshitam, abhiriksitam, aparyaaptam, asmaakam, balam, chapter 1 verse 10, eteshaam, idam, paryaptam, tu

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 1

aparyaaptam tadasmaakam balam bheeshmaabhirikshitam |
paryaaptam tvidameteshaam balam bheemaabhirikshitam || 10 ||
 
Whereas our army, defended by Bheeshma’s strength, is infinitely capable of victory, the Pandava army defended by Bheema’s strength, seems limited.
 
asmaakam tat: our army
aparyaaptam: infinitely capable (to win against the Pandavas)
balam bheeshma-abhirikshitam: defended by Bheeshma’s strength
tu: but
eteshaam: these Pandavas
idam: this
paryaptam: limited (to be victorious)
balam bheemaa-abhirikshitam: defended by Bheema’s strength
 
Duryodhana continued to boast about his army in this final comment to Drona. Note that Drona did not reply to any of Duryodhana’s statements at any point in the conversation. His silence indicated either anger, disappointment or knowing the inevitable that his army was doomed to failure.
 
If you measure Duryodhana’s comments, they tend to become increasingly arrogant and hyperbolic throughout the conversation. Anytime you have somebody making hyperbolic statements praising themselves, it usually indicates an underlying insecurity.
 

Footnote
1. In translating this verse I looked up several commentaries, and this is the first verse where I have encountered a difference in translation. Some commentators translate the Sanskrit word “aparyaptam” to mean “beyond sufficient” or “infinitely capable”. This is the meaning that I have used above. However, some commentators translate it as “less than sufficient” or “limited capability”. If that meaning is taken, that means Duryodhana’s fear has broken past the facade of arrogance and he has begun speaking what he really thinks.