Category Archives: eva

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 4

01 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by in 4.11, aham, anuvartante, bhajaami, chapter 5 verse 11, eva, maam, mama, manushyaah, paartha, prapadyante, sarvashaha, taan, tathaa, vartam, yathaa, ye

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ye yathaa maam prapadyante taanstathaiva bhajaamyaham |
mama vartmaanuvartante manushyaah paartha sarvashaha || 11 ||

In whichever manner one approaches me, in that manner I favour them. People follow my path in different ways, O Paartha.

ye : one who
yathaa : in which manner
maam : me
prapadyante : approaches me
taan : him
tatha, eva : in that manner
bhajaami : favour them
aham : I
mama : my
vartam : path
anuvartante : follow
manushyaah : people
paartha : O Paartha
sarvashaha : in different ways

Earlier, Shri Krishna said that only those who take refuge in him realize the eternal essence and are liberated. On this note, a doubt may arise: Is he partial to those who take refuge in him, compared to those who do not? He advises us to be free of desires and aversions – isn’t this an example of aversion towards those who do not take refuge in him?

Shri Krishna responds to this doubt in this shloka. First, he asserts that whenever we have a strong desire, whether it is a material one or a spiritual one, that desire reaches Ishvaraa. If we approach the world with a desire for a promotion in our career, or we want better health, that desire reaches Ishvaraa because the world is part of Ishvaraa. The world is a part of Ishvaraa, as we saw earlier.

Having learned of the desire, how does he respond to the request? He says that he treats all requests like an impersonal computer system. Whatever we input, similar will be the output. If someone truly and deeply desires a promotion, and works hard towards it, he will get it. Similarly, if someone truly and deeply desires moksha, or realization of the eternal essence, and puts in the effort, he will get it.

The power of Ishvaraa is impartial. It is without any prejudice or hatred, just like electricity. One may harness electricity to power a fan, to light a room, to watch television and so on. Electricity will never say “I do not like television, so I will not power it, but I will power the fan”. Ishvaraa’s actions are based on laws, just like the laws of nature.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 4

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in 4.3, aam, adya, asi, bhaktah, cha, chapter 4 verse 3, etat, eva, hi, iti, mayaa, me, proktah, puraatanaha, sah, sakhaa, tahasyam, te, uttamam, yogah

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sa evaayam mayaa te dya yogah proktah puraatanaha |
bhaktosi me sakhaa cheti rahasyam hyetaduttamam || 3 ||

That same ancient yoga I have taught you now, for you are my devotee and my friend. This (yoga) is the ultimate secret.

sah : that
eva : same
ayam : this
mayaa : I have
te : to you
adya : now
yogah : yoga
proktah : taught
puraatanaha : ancient
bhaktah : devotee
asi : you are
me : my
sakhaa : friend
cha: and
iti : that is why
rahasyam : secret
hi : because
etat : this
uttamam : ultimate

Shri Krishna very affectionately tells Arjuna that he regards him as a devotee and a friend, and finds him fit and capable to receive this supreme knowledge. Arjuna was of course quite happy to receive it, but why was he chosen? Let us investigate this point further.

Whoever received this knowledge needed to be capable of communicating it to others. It was not enough that this person was wise. Shri Krishna also needed a capable evangelist, one who had a mix of sattva and rajas, in order to both understand and spread this knowledge. A brahmana is predominantly saattvic by nature, and may not have been able to communicate and establish this knowledge in the world. Therefore Shri Krishna revealed this knowledge to Arjuna, the ultimate kshatriya warrior.

Moreover, Arjuna was Shri Krishna’s devotee and friend. He had the best rapport with Shri Krishna, as well as profound reverence for him. So much so that Arjuna confided his fears to him in the first chapter, something that a kshatriya would hesitate to do. Arjuna also had the courage to ask any doubts without any fear of reprimand, and in doing so get a clear understanding of the teaching.

Many commentators believe that the 108 shlokas starting from shloka 11 of chapter 2 to this shloka comprise the entire message of the Gita. They say that Shri Krishna essentially completed the entire teaching and stopped speaking, having provided the paramparaa as the conclusion. The remainder of the Gita is an exposition of the teachings packed into these 108 shlokas. And it is Arjuna who helps us dig deeper into these teachings with his well-timed and thoughtful questions, like the one we will see in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 3

30 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in anavaaptam, asti, avaaptavyam, cha, chapter 3 verse 22, eva, karmani, kartavyam, kinchana, lokeshu, me, na, paartha, trishu, varte

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na me paarthasti kartavyam trishu lokeshu kinchana |
naanavaaptamavaaptavyam varta eva cha karmani || 22 ||

Neither do I have the least bit of duty in the three worlds, O Paartha, nor is there anything for me to gain or lose (through action), yet, I engage in action.

na : neither
me : I
paartha : O Paartha
asti : have
kartavyam : duties
trishu : three
lokeshu : in worlds
kinchana : even a little
na : nor
anavaaptam : not to be obtained
avaaptavyam : to be obtained
varte : engaged
eva : yet
cha : and
karmani : action

As we saw earlier, Shri Krishna wanted to provide concrete examples of individuals who had attained the eternal essence, yet continued to act selflessly in the world. Having given the example of king Janaka, Shri Krishna now spoke about himself as an example of an ideal karma yogi. He had attained a state of supreme independence where he no longer needed to act, yet, he continued to act spontaneously and joyfully in the service of humanity.

The Srimad Bhaagvatam is filled with stories describing the life of Shri Krishna, where we find that he worked tirelessly from the start to the end of his life. There was no duty that he did not perform. He became a charioteer upon Arjuna’s request. After the Mahabhaarata war, Arjuna’s brother Yudhishthira performed a yajna. There, Shri Krishna even washed the feet of guests who attended. While performing any action, his attitude was that of equanimity, and he found great joy in the work while not expecting any reward.

Shri Krishna’s attitude towards life was like that of a perfect actor in a play. In fact, his stories are also known as “leelas” or divine plays. An actor in a play will perform any role – big or small – without the slightest attachment to it, and move to the next role effortlessly. Whether it was a mischievous boy who stole butter from people’s homes, or the ruler of Dwarakaa city, Shri Krishna played his part perfectly with the attitude of a karma yogi.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 3

29 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.21, aacharati, anuvartate, chapter 3 verse 21, eva, itarah, janaha, kurute, lokah, pramaanam, sah, shreshthaha, tat, yat

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yadyadaacharati shreshthastattadevetaro janaha |
sa yatpramaanam kurute lokastadanuvartate || 21 ||

Whatever an ideal person does, so do other people (imitate him). Whatever standard he sets, other people follow.

yat yat  : just as
aacharati : a person does
shreshthaha : ideal
tat tat : in that manner
eva : only
itarah : other
janaha : people
sah : he
yat : whatever
pramaanam : standard
kurute : does
lokah : other people
tat : like him
anuvartate : they behave

In the previous verse, Shri Krishna provided the example of king Janaka who, though being a warrior king, achieved self-realization through performance of karma yoga. Here Shri Krishna puts forth yet another argument to Arjuna, knowing very well that Arjuna always put others first before himself. Shri Krishna said that whosoever looked up to Arjuna as a role model would also take to this path if Arjuna followed it.

Now, an extremely important but subtle point made by Shri Krishna is hidden in the phrase “ideal person does”. He wants us to realize that actions speak louder than words. For instance, we cannot expect our children to not drink alcohol or smoke if we preach to them, but drink and smoke ourselves. Not just children, but most people watch what we do and not what we say. Therefore, Shri Krishna urges us to practice karmayoga, and not to simply tell people that we are learning it and so on.

So in addition to urging us and Arjuna to perform karmayoga, Shri Krishna also reveals an important leadership lesson. The best way to lead is to lead by example, and not by making flowery speeches or hiring motivational speakers. This point is not just echoed in the management texts of today, but also in spiritual masterpieces such as the Dasbodh by Samarth Ramdas Swami.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 3

29 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.20, aasthitaa, api, arhasi, chapter 3 verse 20, eva, hi, janakaadayaha, karmanaa, kartum, lokasangraham, sampshyan, samsiddhim

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karmanaiva hi samsiddhimaasthitaa janakaadayaha |
lokasangrahamevaapi sampashyankartumarhasi || 20 ||

Only through action did many like king Janaka attain perfection. So, even from the viewpoint of societal welfare should you perform action.

karmanaa : through action
eva : only
hi : also
samsiddhim : perfection
aasthitaaha : attained
janakaadayaha : many like king Janaka
lokasangraham : welfare of society
eva : only
api : even
sampashyan : with a view
kartum : action
arhasi : perform

Having provided the rationale for karmayoga, Shri Krishna began to provide examples of individuals who gained liberation through karmayoga. He wanted to demonstrate that it indeed was the right path to follow. Providing an example would also eliminate any doubt in Arjuna’s mind that karmayoga was a proven methodology, not a new invention.

The first example that Shri Krishna provided was that of king Janaka, an apt example since he was a warrior just like Arjuna. Many of us familiar with the Ramayana epic would recognize the name Janaka as the father of Sita, and the king of the Videha kingdom. But the word Janaka here is a post or a title. It refers to any king that was appointed to the throne because of his non-attachment to all material objects, even to his body. This is apparent in the word meaning of Videha which is “one who has given up identification with his body”.

Why would a kingdom appoint a king that has given up attachments? It is because someone without any attachment would make the most fair, rational and unbiased decisions in favour of the kingdom. He would not come under the sway of emotion or prejudice of any kind. Such kings were known to be excellent administrators. In addition, they were also perfect karmayogis, i.e. they were “sthitha-prajna” or men of perfect wisdom.

With this example, Shri Krishna also assured Arjuna that it was perfectly possible to attain the ultimate goal of realization, yet be working in this world. Arjuna did not need to run away from the war or his responsibilities at all.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 3

27 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.18, akruten, apaashrayah, arthaha, arthavya, asya, cha, chapter 3 verse 18, eva, iha, kashchana, kashchit, kruten, na, sarvabhootehsu, tasya

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naiva tasya krutenaartho naakruteneha kashchana |
na chaasya sarvabhooteshu kashchidarthavyapaashrayah || 18 ||

For that (realized individual), there is nothing to be gained by action or inaction here. Also, he does not have even the slightest dependency on anyone for any object.

na : not
eva : only
tasya : that realized individual
kruten : from action
arthaha : gained
na : not
akruten : from inaction
iha : here
kashchana: any
na : not
cha : also
asya : for him
sarvabhooteshu : with anyone
kashchit : slight/even a little
arthavya : object
apaashrayah : dependency

In the last shloka, Shri Krishna explained that one who has found delight solely in the eternal essence loses all sense of doership. In other words, all his actions become selfless and spontaneous, like an artist who cares only about creating paintings without any expectation (art for art’s sake).

Shri Krishna further elaborates that point in this shloka. He says that for such a person, the concept of gain or loss does not exist, nor does the notion of dependency or support from anyone or anything.

To better understand this shloka, let us imagine a situation where one is at the end of a critical chapter in one’s life, e.g. imagine that a person has submitted his resignation and is in the last week of his job. What will be his mindset? He will suddenly become the nicest guy in the office, and the most fun guy to hang out with. Why is that? Everyone knows that he has no agenda with anyone anymore, since it does not really matter. And he can surf the web all day long, because it does not really matter whether he works or doesn’t work.

Another example could be a person who at age 65 has just retired. He has made a decent fortune with his savings, and can live comfortably till his last day. In addition, he is quite healthy and can still work if needed. But just like in the earlier example, it does not matter whether he performs any action or doesn’t. Moreover, since he does not have any dependency on anyone, his savings make him self sufficient. Therefore, for the individual that has realized the worth of the eternal essence “treasure”, any other material gain or loss does not hold any meaning.

Ultimately, these 2 shlokas reveal the state of a realized person, who by losing all sense of doership, renounces all action. Renouncing doership is renouncing action. The topic of renunciation is covered in detail in the forthcoming chapters.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 3

26 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.17, aatma, aatmani, cha, chapter 3 verse 17, eva, kaaryam, maanavaha, na vidyate, ratih, santushtah, syaat, tasya, truptah, tu, yah

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yastvaatmaratireva syaadaatmatruptashcya maanavaha |
aatmanyeva cha santushtastasya kaaryam na vidyate || 17 ||

But, one who revels only in the eternal essence, and is content and satisfied in the eternal essence, no duty exists for him.

yah : one who
tu : but
aatma-ratih : revels in the eternal essence
eva : only
syaat : remains
aatma-truptah : content in the eternal essence
cha : and
maanavaha : individual
aatmani : in the eternal essence
eva cha : and
santushtah : satisfied
tasya : for him
kaaryam :duty
na vidyate : do not exist

While hearing Shri Krishna extol the need to act in this world, many of us – whether we admit it or not – may want to know whether there is an exception to this instruction. In other words, are there any circumstances where do not need to perform actions anymore? Shri Krishna gives the answer in this shloka and the next.

If we examine ourselves, we realize that we derive pleasure and satisfaction from external sources: material objects, people, relationships and so on. Pleasant memories, which can be considered internal to us, do give us joy but were generated from some external source in the past. But, in reality, the source of happiness is the absence of desires experienced when we finally attain a material object.

For instance, if we want to buy a new shirt, a desire is created in the mind. Till such time that we get the shirt, we will be unhappy because of that desire. But once the desire is fulfilled, we experience happiness for a brief period of time. Is that happiness caused by the shirt, or by the temporary absence of desires? The wise person knows that it is the latter.

So in this shloka Shri Krishna makes a bold statement. He says that till we derive pleasure and satisfaction from things external to us, we have to act in this world. Conversely, one who no longer derives pleasure and satisfaction from external sources does not need to act in this world. He “revels” in the eternal essence which he has learned to recognize within himself. He no longer has to look outside for happiness.

Is there a contradiction here? Earlier it was mentioned that if one is human, one has to act. But here, it is mentioned that the realized individual does not need to act? The answer is that once that individual has understood the true source of happiness, he loses the sense of doership. In other words, the notion that “I am doing this action” goes away, and all his actions become natural and spontaneous.

As an example, if you truly love painting, and have mastered all the skills, then your painting becomes effortless and spontaneous. You experience a feeling that some people call “being in the zone”. In fact, there may come a stage where you will feel that the hand is moving by itself, and the painting is happening on its own.

Similarly, all the actions of this wise individual become like that spontaneous painting.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 2

20 Tuesday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.12, apradaaya, bhaavitaah, bhogaan, bhumgte, chapter 3 verse 12, daasyante, dattaan, devaah, ebhyah, eva, hi, ishtaan, sah, stenah, taih, vah, yah, yajna

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ishtaanbhogaanhi vo devaa daasyante yajnabhaavitaah |
tairdattaanapradaayaibhyo yo bhumgte stena eva sah || 12 ||

The deities, nourished by yajna, will also provide you the objects you desire. One who consumes these objects without offering them to others, he is a thief.

ishtaan : desired
bhogaan : objects
hi : also
vah : your
devaah : deities
daasyante : give you
yajna-bhaavitaah : nourished by yajna
taih : they
dattaan : objects
apradaaya : without offering to them
ebhyah : to others
yah : one who
bhumgte : consumes
stenah : thief
eva : is
sah : he

So far, Shri Krishna spoke about the need for karmayoga, the actions to perform under karmayoga, and the attitude with which those actions should be performed. He also emphasized the notion of yajna or selfless dedication. Now Shri Krishna gives three levels of action that a person can operate under.

In this shloka, Shri Krishna points out the lowest level of action. This is when an individual consumes objects without making any contribution whatsoever. Shri Krishna uses a strong word to describe such an individual : a “thief”. Such a selfish person does not care about anyone but himself due to his large ego.

An obvious example is someone who is part of a project team. He does not do any work in team but claims all the credit. In today’s language we would call such a person a freeloader. Such people are never held in good standing by anyone.

In traditions all over the world, we see evidence that we are encouraged to give back something each time we take something. In Indian culture, it is customary that before one eats a meal, one offers it to the less fortunate, the wise and learned, and to animals. In most cultures, when you cut down a tree, you are encouraged to plant few more. Even in the corporate world, when a company earns profits, it invests a portion back into the business before handing out the dividends.

Therefore, taking without giving back is the lowest level of action. The next shloka illustrates the two higher levels of action. We need to gauge which level we belong to, so that we can start moving to the highest level of selflessness.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 3

12 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.4, anaarambhaatm, ashrute, cha, chapter 3 verse 4, eva, karmanaam, na, naishkarmyam, prushah, samadhigachchati, sannyasanaat, siddhim

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na karmanaamanaarmbhaannaishkarmyam purushoshrute |
na cha sannyasanaadeva siddhim samadhigacchati || 4 ||

Neither does an individual attain actionlessness by not initiating action, nor by mere renunciation does he attain perfection.

na : neither
karmanaam : action
anaarmbhaat : not initiating
naishkarmyam : actionlessness
purushah : individual
ashrute : attains
na : nor
cha : and
sannyasanaat : renunciation of action
eva : mere
siddhim : perfection
samadhigacchati : attain

In the prior shloka, Shri Krishna dispelled Arjuna’s notion that the yoga of knowledge was superior to the yoga of wisdom. But there was another aspect to Arjuna’s question. He still was not convinced that he should fight the war, and was searching for pointers in Shri Krishna’s teaching that supported his desire to give up all action and flee the war. We saw this in the first chapter where he went to the extent of suggesting that he become a monk. Shri Krishna wanted to address that issue in this shloka.

First, let us understand what is meant by the word “actionlessness” in this shloka. Like many words in scriptures, it is not meant to be taken literally. The word “actionlessness” points to the ultimate state of the “sthithaprajnya” from the previous chapter. In this state, the vaasanaas have been so thoroughly eliminated that all action becomes completely selfless. There is absolutely no trace of selfishness. The word “Siddhim” or the state of perfection in the second half of the shloka, also refers to this state.

So therefore, Shri Krishna warned Arjuna that “actionlessness” cannot be attained by not starting a new action, nor by giving up actions that have already started. It would be similar to cutting off a plant without plucking its roots. Until our vaasanaas have been completely eradicated, they will keep generating desires which will lead us to selfish actions. But once vasanaas have been eradicated, only selfless actions will remain.

Now, some of us who are not fully convinced by this argument could still say: “I will renounce all actions right now and move to a quiet solitary place. If I just sit still for a long time, my desires will automatically melt away”. Shri Krishna addresses this point in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 55, Chapter 2

22 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by in 2.55, aatmanaa, chapter 2 verse 55, eva, kaaman, manogataan, paartha, prajahaati, sarvaan, sthitaprajnya, tada, tushtah, ucchyate, yadaa

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Shri Bhagavaan uvaacha:
prajahaati yadaa kaamaansarvaanpaartha manogataan |
aatmanyevaatmanaa tushthah sthitaprajnastadocchyate || 55 ||

Shri Bhagavaan said:
When an individual gives up all desires that enter the mind, O Paartha, and is self-satisfied in his own self, that individual is called a person of steady wisdom.

prajahaati : gives up
yadaa : when
kaamaan : desires
sarvaan : all
paartha : O Paartha
manogataan : that enter the mind
aatmanaaa : self
eva : only
aatmani : by his own self
tushthah : self-satisfied
sthitaprajna : person of steady wisdom
tada : then
ucchyate : called

Just before entering a forest when hiking, there usually are signs posted at the entrance that say “beware of these poisonous plants”. Similarly, from this shloka onwards, Shri Krishna lists all the factors that can destabilize our state of equanimity. If we keep track of these factors, and remain alert and aware when we encounter them, then we will never lose our mental balance and equanimity. This portion of the chapter is a very practical summary of the entire teaching of the Gita.

In this shloka, Shri Krishna advises us to monitor our material desires, i.e. track how many are arising, how many we have fulfilled, and so on. As we saw earlier, continual harbouring of material desires has the effect of destablizing our mental balance, and takes us further away from state of equanimity. Therefore, a man of steady wisdom is one who has learned to give up all such desires.

Now this is especially true when we have predisposition to some object, situation or person. This predisposition is also known as “vaasana”. Predispositions are the seeds of thought and desire. For instance, let’s say we have a sweet tooth. Then, anytime we see a piece of chocolate, that desire will enter the mind, and we will begin thinking of how we can acquire that chocolate. If we are performing some work, the constant thinking of the chocolate will destabilize our mind and prevent us from focusing on the task at hand. So this shloka asks us to closely examine our predispositions as well as our desires.

Since this person of steady wisdom has extinguished all his desires, he is always content and does not need to rush out into the world of material objects. This is because he has realized his association with the eternal essence, which pervades the entire universe and therefore is always complete and content. Therefore, he will be “self-satisfied in his own self”, as this shloka points out.