Category Archives: dharmasya

Bhagavad Gita Verse 27, Chapter 14

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by in 14.27, aham, aikaantikasya, amritasya, avyayasya, brahmanaha, chapter 14 verse 27, dharmasya, hi, pratishthaa, shaashvatasya, sukhasya

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brahmano hi pratishthaahamamritasyaavyayasya cha |
shaashvatasya cha dharmasya sukhasyaikaantikasya cha || 27 ||
 
For, I am the abode of brahman, the immortal, the imperishable, the eternal constitution, and of absolute joy.
 
brahmanaha : brahman
hi : for
pratishthaa : abode
aham : I am
amritasya : immortal
avyayasya : imperishable
cha : and
shaashvatasya : eternal
cha : and
dharmasya : constitution
sukhasya : of joy
aikaantikasya : absolute
cha : and
 
The thirteenth chapter of the Gita explained the topic of jnyaana yoga or the yoga of knowledge. One of the topics in that chapter was the description of nirguna brahman, which is the eternal essence in its purest state. Shri Krishna described the technique of mentally removing the upaadhis – the veiling of the organs, the senses and so on – to get to the eternal essence that is at the core all of us. One who attained this eternal essence through jnyaana yoga achieved liberation or moksha. Arjuna recollected this teaching, and a doubt arose in his mind. What was that doubt?
 
In the previous shloka of this chapter, Shri Krishna asserted that liberation would be attained by the one who has undivided devotion towards Ishvara. But in the previous chapter, Shri Krishna had said that the fruit of knowing the eternal essence in its purest state, nirguna brahman, also resulted in liberation. To address Arjuna’s doubt about the difference between the two approaches, Shri Krishna says here that he, as Ishvara, is the abode of the pure eternal essence, of nirguna brahman. In other words, undivided devotion to Ishvara results in the same outcome as does the yoga of knowledge. He also describes this pure eternal essence as immortal, imperishable, eternal and full of joy, just like he did in the thirteenth chapter. Furthermore, he says that the eternal essence is attained through the dharma or constitution of devotion and knowledge.
 
Shri Shankaraachaarya provides further nuances to this explanation in his commentary. He says that Prakriti or maaya is a power of nirguna brahman. Just like the strength of a strong person is inseparable from the person itself, maaya is inseparable from nirguna brahman. Therefore, it is nirguna brahman, with the power of maaya, that is speaking to Arjuna as Ishvara. This is the connection between nirguna brahman – brahman without maaya – and saguna brahman – brahman with maaya. Saguna brahman is the abode, and the power, of nirguna brahman. And the methods to attain brahman – devotion and knowledge – are two sides of the same coin. With this message, Shri Krishna concludes the fourteenth chapter.
 
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade gunatrayavibhaagayogo naama chaturdashodhyaayaha || 14 ||

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 9

29 Sunday Jul 2012

Posted by in 9.3, apraapya, ashradyadhaanaahaa, asya, chapter 9 verse 3, dharmasya, maam, mrityu, nivartante, parantapa, purushaa, samsaara, vartmani

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ashradyadhaanaahaa purushaa dharmasyaasya parantapa |
apraapya maam nivartante mrityusamsaaravartmani || 3 ||
 
People who do not have faith in this prescription, O scorcher of foes, do not attain me. They return to the path of the mortal world.
 
ashradyadhaanaahaa = not having faith in
purushaa = people
dharmasya = prescription
asya = this
parantapa = O scorcher of foes
apraapya = not attain
maam = me
nivartante = return
mrityu = mortal
samsaara = world
vartmani = path
 
Like any good teacher, Shri Krishna first glorifies the knowledge that he is about to teach, then points out the qualifications of the worthy student. Addressing Arjuna as the “scorcher of foes”, he says that they key qualification required to receive this teaching is that of faith. If we do not have faith, we continue following our old ways, only to be trapped in this endless cycle of creation and dissolution.
 
Why is there so much importance placed in faith? Without faith, we will not have the inclination to fully understand any teaching. Even in school or college, we will not take the extra effort to inquire, ask questions, read books and resolve our doubts unless we have faith in the subject and the teacher. It is even more important in this kind of knowledge.
 
So then, what happens to those that do not have faith? Shri Krishna says that such people do not attain Ishvara. They have faith in their sense organs and their corresponding sense pleasures. These people still think that feeding their senses with more food, entertainment as well as bodily and intellectual comforts will result in long-lasting happiness. This misplaced faith further ensnares them in the path of the mortal world, which that of birth, old age, disease and death, over and over again.
 
Having sufficiently introduced the chapter, Shri Krishna delivers the main message of this chapter in the following two shlokas.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 4

28 Saturday Jan 2012

Posted by in 4.7, aatmaanam, abyutthaanam, adharmasya, aham, bhaarata, bhavati, chapter 4 verse 7, dharmasya, glaanih, hi, srijaami, tadaa, yadaa

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yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya glaanirbhavati bhaarata |
abhyutthaanamadharmasya tadaatmaanam srijaamyaham || 7 || 

Whenever there is a decline in righteousness, and a rise in unrighteousness prevails, then do I manifest myself, O Bhaarata.

yadaa yadaa hi: whenever
dharmasya : righteousness
glaanih : decline
bhavati : prevails
bhaarata: O Bhaarata
abhyutthaanam : rise
adharmasya : unrighteousness
tadaa : then
aatmaanam : myself
srijaami : manifest
aham : I

Shri Krishna described the process of Ishvara’s descent or avataara in the previous shloka. Here he speaks about the reason for manifesting as an avataara. He says that whenever there is a decay in dharma, and a rise in adharma, during that time he manifests himself in a particular form in this world. Now dharma means righteousness, but it also means universal harmony. Adharma then becomes disharmony.

Again, let us take the example of our body. Every cell and organ is working for the totality of the human being. It is the spirit of “one for all and all for one”, which is nothing but the spirit of yajna that we saw earlier. Our heart keeps beating and doesn’t ask for any reward or recognition. It just works for the sake of totality.

But sometimes, a part of the body, or the whole body, undergoes a situation when something goes wrong. Then, the intelligence of the body manifests itself to take care of the situation. If the problem is in one part of the body then special enzymes are secreted to remedy the situation, and white blood cells fight off the invaders. If the problem is in the whole body then it becomes warm under fever in order to get rid of intruders.

Similarly Ishvara comes either for short time like the Narasimha avataara, or for a long time like Shri Krishna avataar. Sometimes we find that the entire population thinks the same thought – e.g. an independence struggle or a social movement. That is also an avataara. If we go on polluting the environment with chemicals and so on, there could be a natural disaster in response. That is also an avataara .

Bhagavad Gita Verse 40, Chapter 2

07 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by in 2.40, abhikrama, api, asti, asya, bhayaat, chapter 2 verse 40, dharmasya, mahataha, na, naasha, pratyavayaha, svalpam, traayate, vidyate

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nehaabhikramanaashosti pratyavayo na vidyate |
svalpamapyasya dharmasya traayate mahato bhayaat || 40 ||

Here, there is no loss of effort, nor is there any negative result. Even a little of this knowledge protects one from the most massive fear.

na : no
iha : here
abhikramanaasha : loss of effort
na : not
asti : happens
pratyavayaha : negative result
na vidyate : does not happen
svalpam : a little
api : also
asya : this
dharmasya : this knowledge
traayate : protects from
mahataha : massive
bhayaat : fear

As mentioned before, we are all set to embark upon the practical aspects of the Gita teaching.

Now, whenever we are about to begin a project, a few doubts or fears may arise in our minds. Two of the most common fears are (a) what will happen if I don’t follow the steps exactly? and (b) what will happen if I make a minor mistake and the whole thing backfires?

Consider a student who has left the comfort of his home to pursue higher studies abroad. Now, he usually has to learn how to cook since his mom is not around to cook anymore. If he tries to prepare a meal, it will usually come out wrong because the steps were not followed correctly. Or worse still, it may totally backfire and yield a negative result – he may burn the food which will set off a fire alarm.

Moreover, for most Indians who hold the Gita in high reverence, we may harbour a notion that any teaching of the Gita needs to be followed to the letter, like a priest who recited mantras at a puja. And if we don’t do this, we will incur sin.

Shri Krishna reassures Arjuna that the teaching of buddhi yoga is absolutely risk free. It will not result in “abhikrama-naasha” or error caused by not following the steps correctly. It will also not create “pratyavaha dosha”,  i.e. yielding a negative result.

Therefore, Shri Krishna informs us that there is absolutely no excuse for holding back in implementing these teachings due to fear of any sort. Even if we practice a little bit of this teaching, it protects us from the most massive fear – the fear of death.