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Category Archives: bhootaanaam

Bhagavad Gita Verse 46, Chapter 18

04 Thursday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.46, abhyarchya, bhootaanaam, chapter 18 verse 46, idam, maanavaha, pravrittihi, sarvam, siddhim, svakarmanaa, tatam, vindanti, yataha, yena

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yataha pravrittirbhootaanaam yena sarvamidam tatam |
svakarmanaa tambhyarchya siddhim vindanti maanavaha || 46 ||
 
From whom arises the origin of all beings, by which this entire creation is pervaded, having worshipped that through his duty, the person attains perfection.
 
yataha : from whom
pravrittihi : origin
bhootaanaam : of all beings
yena : by which
sarvam : entire creation
idam : this
tatam : is pervaded
svakarmanaa : his duty
tam : that
abhyarchya : having worshipped
siddhim : perfection
vindanti : attains
maanavaha : person
 
Shri Krishna says that we should submit the performance of our duty as an offering to Ishvara. Only then does it result in the samsiddhi, the foremost accomplishment, the perfection that was spoken of earlier. Otherwise, mere performance of our duty will result in merits and demerits, paapa and punya, which will further trap us in the cycle of samsaara. We have to inject bhakti or devotion to Ishvara into all our actions. In other words, karma yoga and bhakti yoga need to go together. Performance of duty with devotion to Ishvara reduces the ego, the gigantic bundle of likes, dislikes and fears which is an obstacle to liberation.
 
Even in our daily lives, actions performed with devotion to someone or something have a different kind of feeling. They allow us to channel energy that we never thought we had. A mother will work tirelessly, day and night, for the benefit of her children. Freedom fighters gave their lives for the service of the nation. Offering actions to Ishvara, however, has the effect of reducing the sense of enjoyership, the bhokta bhaava, the pursuit of actions driven by likes and dislikes. Selfless service reduces the sense of kartaa bhaava, the notion that the I has to perform an action to remove some incompleteness. We become instruments of Ishvara’s will, so there is no room for personal will.
 
Now, who is this Ishvara? He is the source, the origin of all beings, the intelligence cause, like the potter of a clay pot. He is also the material cause, the stuff by which everything is created, like the clay in a clay pot. When we offer our actions to the creator and sustainer of the universe, we lose all fear of the future, since we accept whatever comes our way as a prasaada, a gift from Ishvara. So there is no personal will, there is no personal preference, there is no fear. Doership, likes, dislikes and fears are nothing but the ego. It then, slowly withers away through karma yoga.

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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 2, Chapter 11

16 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in 11.2, api, avyayam, bhavaapyayau, bhootaanaam, cha, chapter 11 verse 2, hi, kamalapatraaksha, maahaatmyam, mayaa, shrutau, tvattaha, vistarashaha

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bhavaapyayau hi bhootaanaam shrutau vistarasho mayaa |
tvattaha kamalapatraaksha maahaatmyamapi chaavyayam || 2 ||
 
For, I have heard about the creation and dissolution of all beings, elaborately, from you O lotus-eyed one, and also about your imperishable glory.
 
bhavaapyayau : creation and dissolution
hi : for
bhootaanaam : all beings
shrutau : have heard
vistarashaha : elaborately
mayaa : I have
tvattaha : from you
kamalapatraaksha : O lotus-eyed
maahaatmyam : glory
api : also
cha : and
avyayam : imperishable
 
Arjuna, ever the good student, uses this shloka to summarize Shri Krishna’s teaching. He acknowledges that he has understood the essence of the teaching, which asserts Ishvara as the creator, maintainer and dissolution of the entire universe. In other words, there is no other cause of the universe besides Ishvara. He is both the raw material and the intelligence behind the universe. This “mahaatmyam” or glory was further reinforced in Arjuna’s mind by hearing the divine expressions of Ishvara from Shri Krishna.
 
However, by addressing Shri Krishna as “lotus-eyed”, Arjuna also reveals his understanding of another aspect of Ishvara. Like the lotus that does not get affected by the attributes of its pond, Ishvara does not get personally involved in the workings of the universe. He is impartial to everyone in the granting of results, liberation and bondage. He remains as the “avyayam” or imperishable foundation upon which the mechanical Prakriti projects the multitude of names and forms.
 
Now, there is a hint of dissatisfaction expressed by Arjuna in this shloka. Even though he has understood the teaching from Ishvara himself, resolved his doubts, and also learnt the techniques of karma yoga and dhyana yoga or meditation, he needs one more thing. What is that? He divulges it in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 10

22 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.22, asmi, bhootaanaam, cha, chapter 10 verse 22, chetanaa, devaanaam, indriyaanaam, manaha, saamavedaha, vaasavaha, vedaanaam

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vedaanaam saamavedosmi devaanaamasmi vaasavaha |
indriyaanaam manaschaasmi bhootaanaamasmi chetanaa || 22 ||
 
Among the Vedaas I am the Saama Veda, among the deities I am Vaasava, among the senses I am the mind and among the beings, I am the intellect.
 
vedaanaam : among the Vedas
saamavedaha : Saama Veda
asmi : I am
devaanaam : among the deities
asmi : I am
vaasavaha : Vaasava
indriyaanaam : among the senses
manaha : mind
cha : and
asmi : I am
bhootaanaam : among the beings
asmi : I am
chetanaa : intellect
 
Shri Krishna, elaborating on Ishvara’s expressions, says that Ishvara is the Saama Veda among all the Vedas. Each Veda has a unique characteristic. The Yajur Veda contains prose, the Rig Veda contains metric hymns, the Saama Veda contains songs and the Atharva Veda contains incantations. Of these, the Saama Veda is Ishvara’s expression, indicating his preference for music.
 
Among all the deities, Ishvara is the king of all deities known as Vaasava, also known as Indra. While our attention usually falls on the excesses of wealth and power that kings demonstrate, this was not the case traditionally. A king is supposed to spend every minute of his life serving his subjects, sacrificing everything. Such a rules of deities is a true expressions of Ishvara.
 
As we have seen earlier, we transact or interact with the world with our body, our senses, our organs of action, our mind and our intellect. The five senses and the five organs of action would be useless if not for the mind, that collects information from the senses and pulls together a complete picture of the world for us. It also instructs our organs to move, based on the inputs it receives. Shri Krishna says that this mind is an expression of Ishvara.
 
If we were to be born as a plant, animal or human, we would undoubtedly prefer to be born as a human. The key difference between a human and a plant or animal is the capacity of intelligence that lets us think logically, display compassion towards others, plan for the future and most importantly, pursue the path of the higher self. This wonderful intelligence in is is also Ishvara’s expression.
 
So therefore, if our mind generates thoughts of compassion or service, if our intellect makes us acts upon these thoughts so that we can serve others, we should remember that it is not the “I” in us that is causing everything to happen. It is all happening through Ishvara and his expressions.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 10

20 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.20, aadihi, aashaya, aatmaa, aham, anta, bhootaanaam, cha, chapter 10 verse 20, eva, gudaakesha, madhyam, sarvabhoota, stithaha

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ahamaatmaa gudaakesha sarvabhootaashayastithaha |
ahamaadishcha madhyam cha bhootaanaamanta eva cha || 20 ||
 
I am the self, established in the hearts of all beings, O Gudakesha. I am the beginning, middle and also the end of all beings.
 
aham : I
aatmaa : self
gudaakesha : O Gudakesha
sarvabhoota : all beings
aashaya : heart
stithaha : established
aham : I
aadihi : beginning
madhyam : middle
cha : and
bhootaanaam : of the beings
anta : end
eva : also
 
Addressing Arjuna as Gudaakesha, the conqueror of sleep, Shri Krishna begins to describe the 72 expressions of vibhootis of Ishvara from this shloka onwards. He lists the two most important ones first. He says that Ishvara is the self, the “I” that is in the hearts of every being in the universe. Ishvara is also the start, middle and end of all beings in the universe.
 
So what exactly does “self” mean? Let us try to understand its opposite meaning first. When we treat a thing or a person as something different from us, something external to us, then we are creating a subject-object relationship where the subject is our “I” and the object is “him” or “her”.
 
For instance, if we take an acquaintance out to dinner, for example, we may ask him to pay his bill separately. There is a sense of separateness between us and the acquaintance. Separating, externalizing, objectifying – all this is the opposite of self-hood.
 
But if we take our spouse or our child to dinner, we don’t even think twice to pay for their dinner. This is because we do not consider a spouse or a child different or external to us. The sense of self-hood is greater here than with a stranger or with an acquaintance. Shri Krishna says that when this sense of selfhood expresses itself in our hearts, we should know that it is Ishvara’s primary expression. If we can remember this constantly, if we can treat everything and every one as no different than ourselves, we do not have to remember any other expression of Ishvara. We are done.
 
So what is the practical implication of understanding Ishvara in this manner? Our sense of I-ness and my-ness automatically drops. There will be nothing in us that asserts “my will”, “my plan”, “my thinking”, “I am going to do this” and so on. It will all become Ishvara’s will, Ishvara’s plan, Ishvara’s thinking, Ishvara’s doing. All worries and anxieties will disappear because the “I” who worries is no longer present.
 
If we are not able to comprehend Ishvara as our own self, then Shri Krishna provides another expression of Ishvara. He says that we should think of Ishvara as the one who creates, sustains and dissolves all the names and forms in the universe, just like the ocean creates, sustains and dissolves all waves. If we can think in this manner, Ishvara becomes all-pervading, ever present at all times.
 
Now, thinking Ishvara as the self, or as the beginning, middle and end of all beings, is difficult when we are beginners. For most of us, it is easier to see Ishvara in tangible people and objects. We will see those types of expressions in the following shlokas.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 10

04 Tuesday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.5, ahimsaa, ayashaha, bhaavaaha, bhavanti, bhootaanaam, chapter 10 verse 5, daanam, eva, mattaha, prithagvidhaahaa, samataa, tapaha, tushtihi, yashaha

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ahimsaa samataa tushtistapo daanam yashoyashaha |
bhavanti bhaavaa bhootaanaam matta eva prithagvidhaahaa || 5 ||
 
Non-injury, equanimity, contentment, penance, charity, fame and infamy, these various states of living beings arise from me only.
 
ahimsaa : non-injury
samataa : equanimity
tushtihi : contentment
tapaha : penance
daanam : charity
yashaha : fame
ayashaha : infamy
bhavanti : occur
bhaavaaha : arise
bhootaanaam : of living beings
mattaha : from me
eva : only
prithagvidhaahaa : various
 
Shri Krishna continues to describe Ishvara’s subtle expressions in this shloka. He begins with the description of “ahimsaa” or non-injury. Non-injury typically is understood as refraining from physically hurting a living being. But more broadly, it means refraining from depriving someone else of happiness, knowledge and finitude. For instance, if we cheat someone or we insult someone, we are not practising non-injury.
 
Next is “samataa” or equanimity. The second chapter speaks elaborately on the quality of equanimity or balance as paramount to the performance of karma yoga. If external factors such as heat, cold, praise and censure destabilize our mind, it means that our ego is attached to those factors and disturbs the balance of our mind. Maintaining equanimity in such situations is a sign of healthy detachment and dispassion.
 
“Tushtihi” or contentment refers to “prasaada buddhi”, or the ability to accept everything in life, good or bad, joyful or sorrowful, as a gift from Ishvara. If we are constantly unhappy with what life gives us, we are failing to recognize the infinitude of our eternal essence, and are instead attached to our limited, finite ego.
 
“Tapaha” or penance refers to the energy that builds up in our body when we practice restraint of our sense organs. For example, if we refrain for talking for a day, that energy is conserved within our body and generates heat which is known as “tapas”. “Daanam” or charity refers to donating or distributing our wealth so that we do not get into the practice of hoarding.
 
“Yasha” is the fame that comes through pursuit of dharma or lawful conduct, and “ayashaha” is the infamy that results through the pursuit of adharma or unlawful conduct.
 
Shri Krishna concludes this topic by asserting that all of these qualities are generated in us by none other than Ishvara. However, there is a set of rules that govern the creation of these qualities. It does not happen randomly or in an ad-hoc manner. It is our karma or actions that determine which qualities or states will arise within us. If we constantly surround ourselves with good company, we will automatically imbibe good qualities and vice versa.
 
So far, Shri Krishna has described Ishvara’s subtle expressions. We now will being to see Ishvara’s tangible, visible expressions starting from the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 4

27 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by in 4.6, aatmamaayayaa, adhishthaaya, ajaha, api, avyayaatmaa, bhootaanaam, chapter 4 verse 6, eeshvaraah, prakritim, sambhavaami, san, svaam

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ajopi sannavyayaatmaa bhootaanaameeshvaropi san |
prakritim svaamadhishthaaya sambhavaamyaatmamaayayaa || 6 ||

Though I am beyond birth, imperishable and the controller of all beings, yet by commanding my nature, I manifest with my maaya.

ajaha : beyond birth
api : yet
san : though
avyayaatmaa : imperishable
bhootaanaam : among all beings
eeshvaraah : controller
san : though
prakritim : nature
svaam : my
adhishthaaya : commanding
sambhaavami : I manifest
aatmamaayayaa : with my maaya

This is an important shloka in the Gita, because Shri Krishna reveals himself as Ishvara, the controller of all beings. He says he is not born into this world like an ordinary human. He wills himself or manifests himself into existence by controlling prakriti, which is made up of the 3 gunaas. The power that causes this manifestation is called maaya. Let us look at two examples to understand this concept further.

Our body has billons of cells that carry our a wide range of functions. Each of these cells behave independently. But they are all working for an entity – the person – who is much larger and powerful than all of them put together.

Also consider the wave and the ocean. There are many waves, but all of them are part of a gigantic entity called the ocean. The ocean contains all the waves on the surface, as well as a vast quantity of water that lies under the surface. The wave derives its power from the ocean, but the ocean is more powerful than any one wave.

Similarly, the entire universe is the body of the supreme person known as Ishvara, who is the controller of the universe and the most powerful entity in existence. We are like waves that derive our power from the ocean called Ishvara. The power of Ishvara can be seen in the laws of nature, especially when we see cosmic phenomenon like a supernova explosion. The intelligence of Ishvara can be seen in the harmony of the universe, when we see the vast cosmos with stars, planets, the sun and so on.

Prakriti is related to both us and Ishvara but in different ways. While we are usually under the control of prakriti (the 3 gunaas), it is Ishvara that controls prakriti. It is like a wild horse controlling its rider versus an experienced jockey controlling a race horse. But both Ishvara and us are nothing but the eternal essence, just like the wave and ocean are made up of water. When the eternal essence identifies with a finite body, it is a jeeva. When it identifies with the entire universe, it is Ishvara.

Having grasped the concept of Ishvara, let us know look at the concept of “avataar” or manifestation. Let’s say a small rat tries to invade a large ant colony. Immediately, the entire ant colony springs into action. It is as if there is an “ant colony intelligence” that commands ants to collectively attack the rat in order to protect the ant colony. There was no “birth” of that collective attack, it manifested in response to a situation, and ended as soon as the situation was dealt with.

Similarly, Ishvara has the ability to manifest in the universe. The manifestation could be a short-lived one, like one thought in a person’s mind. It could also be long-living manifestation like a human being in the form of Shri Krishna. Our Puraanic literature describes several avataaras in great detail, but these are only a subset of the countless avataaras that take place over time. An avataara is like a rain-bearing cloud: it materializes out of thin air, does its work, and quietly disappears.

So why does Ishvara need to take an avataara? Shri Krishna covers this topic in the next two oft-quoted shlokas of the Gita.