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Bhagavad Gita Verse 62, Chapter 18

20 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.62, bhaarata, chapter 18 verse 62, gaccha, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, praapsyasi, sarvabhaavena, shaantim, shaashvatam, sharanam, sthaanam, tatprasaadaat

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tameva sharanam gaccha sarvabhaavena bhaarata |
tatprasaadaatparamaam shaantim sthaanam praapsyasi shaashvatam || 62 ||
 
Take refuge wholeheartedly in him only, O Bhaarata. With his grace you will attain supreme peace and the eternal abode.
 
tam : him
eva : only
sharanam : refuge
gaccha : take
sarvabhaavena : wholeheartedly
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
tatprasaadaat : with his grace
paramaam : supreme
shaantim : peace
sthaanam : abode
praapsyasi : you will attain
shaashvatam : eternal
 
Imagine that a mother is cooking in the kitchen. Her twins are playing in the hall. It is time for their next meal. One twin has learned how to walk before the other twin, and so, walks across the hall to drink his glass of milk. Frustrated at his efforts to walk, the second twin cries out to his mother. The mother immediately rushes to lift him up and give him his glass of milk. She knows that the first child does not need her help, but the second one does.
 
Shri Krishna says that for people who are still in stuck in the material world, who cannot renounce it in order to gain knowledge about the eternal essence, do have a shot at liberation. This can only happen by taking refuge in Ishvara. But this is no ordinary kind of refuge. It is sarve bhavena, it is wholehearted surrender, also known as sharanaagati. We cannot partially take refuge in Ishvara and also take refuge in material entities such as wealth, power and influence. We cannot hedge our bets in this manner. It has to be complete surrender to Ishvara.
 
So what is the result of sharanaagati? It is the grace, the prasaada, of Ishvara. It is like the mother automatically lifting the child, without any effort of the child. This grace removes all impurities from the mind, resulting in supreme peace, parama shaanti. We stop worrying about our food, clothing and shelter, since we realize it was always in the hands of Ishvara. We simply carry on performing our duty. In time, through the grace of Ishvara, the seeker attains the eternal abode, the shaashvata sthaanam of Ishvara, which is liberation from all sorrow.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 48, Chapter 18

06 Saturday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.48, aavritaahaa, agnihi, chapter 18 verse 48, doshena, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, karma, kaunteya, sadosham, sahajam, sarvaarambhaa, tyajet

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sahajam karma kaunteya sadoshamapi na tyajet |
sarvaarambhaa hi doshena dhoomenaagnirivaavritaahaa || 48 ||
 
Natural duty, even though fraught with defect, should not be abandoned. For, all undertakings are covered with defect, like fire by smoke.
 
sahajam : natural
karma : duty
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
sadosham : with defect
api : even
na : not
tyajet : abandoned
sarvaarambhaa : all undertakings
hi : for
doshena : with defect
dhoomen : by smoke
agnihi : fire
iva : like
aavritaahaa : covered
 
Some people in this world are perfectionists. Either we know such people as friends or co-workers, or we may be one ourselves. Perfectionism is a recipe for constant sorrow, because no matter who performs the actions, they will never be perfect. As we have seen earlier, an action is based on several factors, including the mental state of the performer, the instruments used, the state of the outside world and so on. It is next to impossible to expect all these factors to line up in such a manner that the action and its result will be perfect.
 
Shri Krishna says that any undertaking, any project, any action will always have some imperfection built into it, just like any fire will have some smoke covering it. So there is no point giving up our actions and our duties because they contain some imperfection or the other. Even the human body, the most intricate organism on this earth, has some minor defect in one form or the other, in the form of ill health or deformity and so on. Therefore, we have to accept this fact and continue to perform our best actions, not focus too much on the result.
 
With this shloka, the topic of karma yoga is concluded. If we recall, this topic was prompted by Arjuna in the beginning of this chapter, when he wanted to know the difference between sanyaasa and tyaaga. Tyaaga was redefined by Shri Krishna to mean karma yoga, and was analyzed in great detail. Tyaaga or karma yoga, combined with bhakti, is a process, is a means to get us to a destination. When practised properly, it lifts us from our materialistic life and places us on the path towards liberation. So then, if tyaaga is the means, what is the goal? This is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 47, Chapter 18

05 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.47, aapnoti, chapter 18 verse 47, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, karma, kilbisham, kurvann, paradharmaat, svabhaavaniyatam, svadharmaha, svanushthataat, vigunaha

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shreyansvadharmo vigunaha paradharmaatsvanushthataat |
svabhaavaniyatam karma kurvannaapnoti kilbisham || 47 ||
 
One’s duty, though devoid of merits, is superior to another’s duty well performed. Doing the duty prescribed for one’s nature, one does not incur sin.
 
shreyan : superior
svadharmaha : one’s duty
vigunaha : devoid of merits
paradharmaat : than another’s duty
svanushthataat : well performed
svabhaavaniyatam : prescribed for per one’s nature
karma : duty
kurvann : doing
na : does not
aapnoti : incur
kilbisham : sin
 
We now focus on the subject of svadharma, which is the set of actions termed as duty. As we saw earlier, our duty can only be understood by conducting self analysis to understand what our mental makeup, what our varna is. Some of us may be well suited for starting businesses, whereas some of us may be better suited for the service sector. But it is quite common to get enchanted by another person’s occupation since it generates more money, since it has glamour and fame, and so on. How should we deal with this situation?
 
Shri Krishna says that we should stick to performing our svadharma, no matter how profitable or how glamourous other occupations seem like. In the short term, if we pick up another occupation, it may seem like we are doing a great job. But in the long run, we will fall into trouble. We will run into some problem or the other on account of not being suitable for someone else’s occupation. We also will deprive society from giving it the level of service possible if we had stuck with what we are good at.
 
Harbouring likes and dislikes towards actions, preferring someone else’s occupation to ours, has the effect of strengthening the ego, and hence should be avoided. Furthermore, in karma yoga, we are only expected to perform our best actions, and to not worry about the result. By performing our svadharma, by doing the best we can, we automatically the fear of the consequence of our action, whether or not it will be a merit or a sin. To perform actions fearlessly is a blessing in itself.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 45, Chapter 18

03 Wednesday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.45, abhirataha, chapter 18 verse 45, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, karmani, labhate, naraha, samsiddhim, shrunu, siddhim, svakarmanirataha, vindanti

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sve sve karmanyabhirataha samsiddhim labhate naraha |
svakarmanirataha siddhim yathaa vindanti tachhrunu || 45 ||
 
Engaged in his own duty, each person attains the foremost accomplishment. How one can attain this accomplishment by being content in his duty, that you hear from me.
 
sve : own
karmani : through duty
abhirataha : engaged
samsiddhim : foremost accomplishment
labhate : attains
naraha : person
svakarmanirataha : content in his duty
siddhim : accomplishment
yathaa : how
vindanti : attains
tat : that
shrunu : hear from me
 
The Vedas recognized the system of varna as a means for every individual to realize their potential. They enabled everyone to contribute to society as per their mental makeup and aptitude. Every action performed in accordance with one’s duty yielded a meritorious fruit or punya, and every, and every action that went against one’s duty yielded a demerit or a paapa. The net result of punyas and paapas decided the fate of every individual. One would gain a life that was better or worse than the current one based on their actions.
 
But there is more to the performance of duty than the cycle of action, reaction and rebirth. Shri Krishna says that performance of duty can become the gateway towards liberation. As we have seen earlier, the Gita enables each and every individual, regardless of their occupation or stage in life, to pursue the path of liberation. We do not have to renounce our actions and become sadhus or monks. We just have to keep doing our duty. The result of doing our duty is samsiddhi, perfection, the foremost accomplishment.
 
The ultimate goal of karma yoga is purification of the mind. It cleans the mind of all its impurities in the form of selfish desires created by raaga and dvesha, likes and dislikes. It is this purification of the mind that becomes the foremost accomplishment, samsiddhi, for one who is performing karma yoga. But mere performance of duty will not result in samsiddhi. There is something else needed, which Shri Krishna will reveal in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 30, Chapter 18

18 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.30, bandham, bhayaabhaye, buddhihi, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, kaaryaakaarye, moksham, nivrittim, paartha, pravrittim, saattvikee, vetti

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pravrittim cha nivrittim cha kaaryaakaarye bhayaabhaye |
bandham moksham cha yaa vetti buddhihi saa paartha saattvikee || 30 ||
 
That intellect which knows engagement and withdrawal, what is duty and what is not, fear and fearlessness, bondage and liberation, O Paartha, that is saattvic.
 
pravrittim : engagement
cha : and
nivrittim : withdrawal
cha : and
kaaryaakaarye : what is duty and what is not
bhayaabhaye : fear and fearlessness
bandham : bondage
moksham : liberation
cha : and
yaa : which
vetti : knows
buddhihi : intellect
saa : that
paartha : O Paartha
saattvikee : is saattvic
 
Our jnyaanam, our knowledge, gives us an object to pursue, person to approach, or situation to create. Now it is upto our buddhi, our intellect, to decide the course of action. Typically, for any objectve, we need to decide whether or not we want pursue the objective, and if we do, how should we go about doing it. Shri Krishna says that a saattvic intellect, a saattvic buddhi is one that is clear on those two factors. In fact, Shri Krishna breaks the two factors down into four assessments: assessing one’s stage in life and one’s svadharma first, then whether an action is one’s duty or not, then whether to be fearful or not, and lastly, whether to continue to act or not.
 
As we will see in a later topic in this chapter, the varna aashrama system, the system of aptitude and stage of life, helps us determine whether we should act at all, and if so, which actions should we perform and which we should not. A student should focus on studying, not in creating a family. A soldier should focus on protecting his country, not making money by selling his country out. The varna aashrama system helps address the first two assessments: engagement and withdrawal, and what is our duty and what is not. For example, if we get a new business proposal, we should assess whether we have the aptitude to execute it, but also, whether we are in the right stage of life. It is no use starting a new business when we are in our late sixties.
 
Once the varna aashrama system has approved the performance of an action, we need to test whether the action is motivated by personal reward, or whether it is motivated by selfless service. If we have fear in our mind while performing an action, chances are that a trace of egoism has crept into it. We may be doing the action out of the need for praise and honour. But if our mind is fearless, we can assume that our action is motivated out of selflessness. Lastly, as we perform one action after another, we should always examine whether these actions are taking us closer to liberation, or are further entrenching us in the material world. An intellect that guides us in such a manner is termed saattvic.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 18

08 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.20, avibhaktam, bhaavam, chapter 18 verse 20, eekshate, ekam, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, jnyaanam, saattvikam, sarvabhooteshu, vibhakteshu, viddhi

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sarvabhooteshu yenaikam bhaavamavyayameekshate |
avibhaktam vibhakteshu tajjnyaanam viddhi saattvikam || 20 ||
 
By which one sees a single, imperishable, indivisible entity in all diverse beings, know that knowledge to be sattvic.
 
sarvabhooteshu : in all beings
yena : by which
ekam : single
bhaavam : entity
avyayam : imperishable
eekshate : one sees
avibhaktam : indivisible
vibhakteshu : diverse
tat : that
jnyaanam :knowledge
viddhi : know
saattvikam : saattvic
 
Knowledge, the doer and action were introduced in the prior shloka. Shri Krishna now begins the analysis of knowledge. To recap, jnyaanam or knowledge here refers to the meaning given by an individual to information conveyed by the senses and the mind. The view of a large garden, for instance, could be interpreted differently by different people. A nature lover would rush towards it. A city dweller may think of it is a waste of living space. A real estate developer would imagine a resort being built on it, and all the consequent profits that follow from it.
 
Knowledge can be saattvic, raajasic or taamasic, since it is a product of Prakriti or nature. Sattvic knowledge is taken up here. The mind and the senses, by their very nature, report a diverse world. Shri Krishna says that the vision that can see unity within this diversity is called saattvic vision or knowledge. Few people have such a vision, since it is hard to fight against the normal tendency of the mind to chop up the world into fragments. Only someone with a saattvic vision like Mahatma Gandhi, for instance, could rally diverse and antagonistic states towards the idea of a united Indian nation.
 
Ultimately, a sattvic vision of seeing unity in diversity paves the way to understanding that the entire universe is pervaded by one single, imperishable, undivided entity. Initially, this entity is the eternal essence with attributes, the saguna brahman, also known as Ishvara. At the conclusion of the spiritual journey, the understanding evolves to recognize this entity as the nirguna brahman, the pure eternal essence, which is our own self. We can develop such a unified vision, this samyak darshana, through karma yoga. Instead of serving ourselves, we serve our family, then our community, our company, our state, our nation and eventually, Ishvara.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 18

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.19, chapter 18 verse 19, gunabhedataha, gunasankhyaane, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, jnyaanam, karma, kartaa, prochyate, shrunu, tridhaiva, yathaavat

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jnyaanam karma cha kartaa cha tridhaiva gunabhedataha |
prochyate gunasankhyaane yathaavacchrunu taanyapi || 19 ||
 
Knowledge and action and the doer are said to be of three types only in the science of gunaas, per the difference in gunaas. Listen properly to them.
 
jnyaanam : knowledge
karma : action
cha : and
kartaa : doer
cha : and
tridhaiva : three types
gunabhedataha : per difference in gunaas
prochyate : are said
gunasankhyaane : science of gunaas
yathaavat : properly
shrunu : listen
taani : them
api : only
 
A lot of ground was covered in the prior shloka, so let us recap. Jnyaanam or knowledge provides meaning to perception of an object, the jnyeyam. This perception, along with the meaning is provided to the jeeva, the individual soul, by the intellect. If the jeeva decides to be indifferent to this object, the matter ends there. If the jeeva decides to pursue that object, it commands the body to do whatever actions are necessary to obtain that object. While issuing the instructions, the jeeva becomes a doer or kartaa, and while experiencing the object, it becomes the experiencer of bhogtaa.
 
So why is this important? Each time we become the kartaa or the bhogtaa, we reinforce the notion that “I am the jeeva”, and forget our true nature as the eternal essence, who is the saakshi or witness to all thoughts and action. The spiritual journey start from our present situation, and raises us higher step by step, away from our entanglement in action and experience, and closer towards our true nature as the unattached eternal essence. Shri Krishna says, do not worry, there is a way out. Anything that is asat, anything that is not the eternal essence, is in the realm of Prakriti. And we have seen in the fourteenth chapter that Prakriti is nothing but the play of the three gunaas. If we truly understand how the process of action works from the standpoint of gunaas, we can begin to extricate ourselves from its tendency to entangle us.
 
The great sage Kapila Muni created the Saankhya school of philosophy. The science of the gunaas is part of the Saankhya school. By analyzing the nature of the three main components of action, jnyaanam, karma and kartaa, which means knowledge, action and the doer, we can check whether they are sattvic, raajasic or taamasic as pertaining to us. This shloka begins a new section within the eighteenth chapter that categorizes these three components and some other related factors as demonstrating the quality one of the three gunaas. It is extremely practical and also summarizes many key concepts from the first five chapters of the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 18

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in chapter 18 verse 15, ete, hetavaha, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, karma, naraha, nyaayyam, pancha, praarabhate, shareeravaangmanobhihi, tasya, vipareetam

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shareeravaangmanobhiryatkarma praarabhate naraha |
nyaayyam vaa vipareetam vaa panchaite tasya hetavaha || 15 ||
 
Whatever action is begun by a person, with the body, speech and mind, either per scripture or the opposite, these five are its causes.
 
shareeravaangmanobhihi : with body, speech and mind
yat : whatever
karma : action
praarabhate : begun
naraha : person
nyaayyam : per scripture
vaa : either
vipareetam : opposite
vaa : or
pancha : five
ete : these
tasya : its
hetavaha : causes
 
Let us quickly recap the concepts from the previous shloka. Any action that we perform has five components behind it. The body provides the foundation for the action. The instruments comprise the five organs of sense and the five organs of action. The energy system of the body, the praana, provides the fuel needed to perform the action. The individual notion, the ego, provides the motive behind the action. The daivam, Ishvara, ensures that the universe supports the performance of the action.
 
To drive home this point, Shri Krishna adds that there is no action that is beyond the realm of these five factors. In other words, the five factors are the material cause as well as the efficient cause or intelligence behind an action. Since a robot can perform any task that it is programmed with, it is easy to understand that the five factors are the material cause of the action. But when we say that they are also the intelligence behind the action, it is a little difficult to swallow. Our true self, the eternal essence, has nothing whatsoever to do with the action. The mind generates thoughts and the body performs actions.
 
Now, another point is taken up in the shloka. It is the very same five factors that can perform an action in conformance with the universe and its laws, as well as action that goes against the universe and its laws, also termed as a sinful action. The way a person looks at the world, as well as the nature of his intelligence, determines whether he will perform an action lawfully or sinfully. The entire process of action is analyzed in detail later in the chapter. This overview of the factors behind an action is concluded here, setting us up for the most important teaching of the Gita, taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 18

01 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.13, chapter 18 verse 13, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, kaaranaani, kritaante, mahaabaaho, nibodha, pancha, proktaani, saankhye, sarvakarmanaam, siddhaye

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panchaimaani mahaabaaho kaaranaani nibodha me |
saankhye kritaante proktaani siddhaye sarvakarmanaam || 13 ||
 
Learn these five factors for the accomplishment of all actions, O mighty armed, which are spoken of in the Saankhya in which actions culminate.
 
pancha : five
imaani : these
mahaabaaho : O mighty armed
kaaranaani : factors
nibodha : learn
me : from me
saankhye : Saankhya
kritaante : culmination of actions
proktaani : said
siddhaye : accomplishment
sarvakarmanaam : all actions
 
Shri Krishna begins describing the true nature of action with this shloka. Typically we tend to think we are responsible for initiating, executing and completing every action, from the simplest action like drinking a cup of tea, to a complex action like planning the construction of a 100 storey building. He says that there are other factors are play which are responsible for the accomplishment of all actions, as denoted by the Saankhya or Vedaanta. He also conveys to Arjuna that a new topic has started, by calling out his name.
 
In the fourth chapter, we came across a shloka which stated that all actions in their totality culminate in knowledge. There are two components to this knowledge. The first is that the self, the eternal essence, the aatmaa, is actionless, since there is no possibility of change or modification in something that is changeless. This leads us to the second component of knowledge, which is as follows. If I, the self, am not performing action, something else must be doing so. As long as we are not fully convinced that something else is performing actions, we will hold on to the notion that we are doing so.
 
A naive person sits in a bus and thinks that he is driving it. You have to convince him that he is not driving it, but it is the bus driver that is driving it. In the same way, Shri Krishna gives us a detailed analysis of action and its components, such that we may come to the right conclusion. We are naive in thinking that the I, the self performs action when the Saankhya, the Vedaanta tells us that we do not. Once we come to this conclusion, we will automatically renounce the doership of action, and consequently, free ourselves from the chain of action and reaction.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 17

10 Friday May 2013

Posted by in 17.20, anupakaarine, daanam, daatavyam, deeyate, deshe, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, kaale, paatre, saattvikam, smritam, tat

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daatavyamiti yaddaanam deeyatenupakaarine |
deshe kaale cha paatre cha taddaanam saattvikam smritam || 20 ||
 
That which is donated knowing that charity is duty, to whom one is not obliged, in the right place and time, to a worthy person, that charity is called saattvic.
 
daatavyam : charity is duty
iti : in this manner
yat : that
daanam : charity
deeyate : is donated
anupakaarine : to one without obligation
deshe : place
kaale : time
cha : and
paatre : person
cha : and
tat : that
daanam : charity
saattvikam : saattvic
smritam : is called
 
So far, Shri Krishna described the three types of food, sacrifice and penance. Food gives us energy to serve the world, to perform sacrifice. Penance enables us to conserve and channel that energy towards sacrifice. Sacrifice results in a result that is received by the recipient of the sacrifice as well as to us, the performers of the sacrifice. Accumulating results beyond what we need to support ourselves and our family can result in greed. To check this greed, we need to perform daanam or charity.
 
Now, even the attitude towards charity can reveal a lot about the texture of our faith. Shri Krishna described the characteristics or conditions of charity performed with a saattvic attitude. Conducting charity out of a sense of duty is the first condition. It should come naturally to us, and not because someone has asked us to do it. Charity should never be treated as a business deal. For instance, if someone has done us a favour, we should not give him something in the guise of charity. Furthermore, we should not donate something expecting something in return.
 
Charity is a sacred act, therefore it has to be performed thoughtfully. Tossing a coin to a beggar on the street may be a noble act, but it does not quality as an act of saattvic charity. It has to be done at the right place and during an auspicious occasion. It also has to be directed towards a worthy person. Shri Shankaraachaarya in his commentary gives the example of the occasion of Sankraanti, the beginning of the month, as an auspicious occasion. He also gives the example of a learned teacher as one who is worthy of receiving a charitable donation.