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Category Archives: bhedam

Bhagavad Gita Verse 29, Chapter 18

17 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.29, asheshena, bhedam, buddhehe, chapter 18 verse 29, dhananjaya, dhritehe, gunataha, prithaktvena, prochyamaanam, shrunu, trividham

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buddherbhedam dhrityeshchaiva gunatastrividham shrunu |
prochyamaanamasheshena prithaktvena dhananjaya || 29 ||
 
According to gunaas, intellect and fortitude are said to be of three types also. Listen to this, completely and with its distinctions, O Dhananjaya.
 
buddhehe : intellect
bhedam : types
dhritehe : fortitude
cha : and
eva : also
gunataha : according to gunaas
trividham : three
shrunu : listen
prochyamaanam : are said
asheshena : completely
prithaktvena : with their distinctions
dhananjaya : O Dhananjaya
 
To recap the teaching so far, Shri Krishna provided a three fold classification of knowledge, action and the doer. Jnyaanam or knowledge prompts an individual to perform an action. The kartaa or doer is the state of mind while performing the action. Now, although the knowledge or jnyaanam aspect supplies the doer with the target of action, it does not prescribe a plan of action as to how to get that object. Therefore, the buddhi, the intellect, gives the course of action.
 
Once the intellect has determined the course of action, the doer needs to hold on to that course of action, and not arbitrarily get distracted or change its tactics. The quality of holding on to something in spite of obstacles is known as dhriti or fortitude. Shri Krishna says that intellect and fortitude are part of Prakriti’s gunaas. So they also are divided into three types. He proceeds to describe them in the next six shlokas. He also emphasizes that he will give a complete description, without leaving anything out.
 
So then, jnyaanam is the goal, buddhi is the plan and dhriti is adherence to the plan. Even in our daily life we see that different people can get the same outcome through different plans. And some people fail in face of obstacles, while some people persevere. Some people see a roadblock as an opportunity to think outside the box, whereas some people are completely flummoxed. Understanding how to plan and how to stick to the plan has benefits in the material path as well as the spiritual.

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Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 17

27 Saturday Apr 2013

Posted by in 17, 7, aahaaraha, bhavati, bhedam, chapter 17 verse 7, daanam, imam, priyaha, sarvasya, shrunu, tapaha, tathaa, teshaam, trividhaha, yajnyaha

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aahaararastvapi sarvasya trividho bhavati priyaha |
yajnyastapastathaa daanam teshaam bhedamimam shrunu || 7 ||
 
Food, also, which is dear to all, is of three types, and similarly, sacrifice, penance and charity. Hear this, their distinction.
 
aahaaraha : food
tu : and
api : also
sarvasya : all
trividhaha : three types
bhavati : is
priyaha : dear
yajnyaha : sacrifice
tapaha : penance
tathaa : similarly
daanam : charity
teshaam : these
bhedam : distinction
imam : this
shrunu : hear
 
Shri Krishna now begins to explain the method by which we can analyze the texture or the nature of our faith. The principle here is to assess the attitude with which we perform actions. The type of attitude maintained while performing an action will reveal whether our faith is saatvic, raajasic or taamasic. Shri Krishna covers the entire spectrum of actions performed by us with just four categories: our intake of food, sacrifice, penance and charity. To better understand these categories, we need to understand the underlying symbolic meaning.
 
We have come across broader meaning of the term yajnya or sacrifice in karma yoga. It refers to any action or transaction with another person or object while adhering to our duty. If we are an accountant by profession, then earning a livelihood as an accountant becomes a yajyna or sacrifice. Next, tapas or penance is the means by which we conserve energy needed to perform our duties. A scientist will give up innumerable opportunities to party because he is performing an experiment in his lab in the night. This is penance. Daanam or charity refers to the donation of excess wealth accumulated while performing our duties. The act of charity helps reduce our level of lobha or greed.
 
The intake of food or aahaara is given its own category. It different than sacrifice, penance or austerity for a couple of reasons. Any action performed towards feeding the body gives its phala, its result, immediately. But any other type of action gives its result much later. Furthermore, the result of feeding our body is restricted to the body, not to anything or anyone else. That is why people who are very diligent in their duties can become lax in their dietary habits. Food is analyzed in great detail in the next three shlokas.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 3

03 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.26, ajnyaanaam, bhedam, buddhi, chapter 3 verse 26, janayet, joshayet, karmasanginaam, na, samacharan, sarvakarmaani, vidvaan

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na buddhibhedam janayedajnyaanaam karmasanginaam |
joshayetsarvakarmaani vidvaanyuktaha samacharan || 26 ||

No wise individual should create confusion in the minds of ignorant people who are attached to action. He should engage them in all actions, himself performing them diligently.

na : not to
buddhi : mind
bhedam : confusion
janayet : create
ajnyaanaam : ignorant people
karmasanginaam : attached to action
joshayet : engage
sarvakarmaani : all actions
vidvaan : wise individual
yuktaha : alert
samacharan : diligently act

In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna asked Arjuna to follow a “live and let live” approach towards other people in this world who have not yet realized the extent of their attachments. In this shloka, Shri Krishna provides the reason behind that statement. We shall first look at an example in this regard.

Consider a car going at a fast speed on a major highway. Other cars on the highway are going equally as fast. The car contains a driver and one passenger who have divided the responsibilities equally : the driver is in charge of driving, and the passenger is in charge of navigation and directions. The passenger keeps the driver informed of where to turn, how much time is left before the next food break and so on.

Now in the middle of the journey, the passenger realizes that they are on the wrong highway. What is the best course of action for the passenger? If he says to the driver “Stop! We have to turn back!” it could unsettle the driver and potentially cause a major accident on the highway. Instead he choses to gently inform the driver to take the next exit, stop for a few minutes in a safe area, and then figure out how to get back on the proper highway.

Similarly, when working with other people, the practitioner of karmayoga should continue to perform actions diligently instead of preaching to others about karmayoga, in other words, change their way of doing action. There will always be a tendency to misinterpret the message of karmayoga if we begin preaching it to others. As evidence, note that even Arjuna had incorrectly assumed that one should give up actions altogether.

Therefore, this shloka advises us to act diligently, and let others act to the best of their ability, and not to unsettle them in any way.