Category Archives: idam

Bhagavad Gita Verse 38, Chapter 3

15 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.39, aadarshah, aavritaha, aavritam, aavriyate, cha, chapter 3 verse 38, dhoomena, garbhaha, idam, malena, tathaa, tena, ulbena, vahinaha, yathaa

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dhoomenaavriyate vahinyarthaadarsho malena cha |
yatholbenaavrito garbhastathaa tenedamaavritam || 38 ||

Just as smoke covers fire, dirt covers a mirror, and a womb covers a foetus, so does this (desire) cover that (wisdom).

dhoomena : by smoke
aavriyate : covers
vahinaha : fire
yathaa : like
aadarshah : mirror
malena : dirt
cha : and
yathaa : like
ulbena : womb
aavritaha : covers
garbhaha : foetus
tathaa : so does
tena : that
idam : this
aavritam : cover

Earlier Shri Krishna explained that when likes and dislikes morph into desire and hatred, they increase the rajas in our system, creating a vicious cycle. So what is the end result? Here, he says that when desire and hatred arise, they shut off or conceal our wisdom.

Our wisdom, or ability to discriminate, resides in our intellect. Due to a lifetime’s worth of conditioning, this wisdom does not become our second nature. Wisdom is like a shining light, which can easily be covered if we are not careful. So desire, or anger, arise from the deeper, subconscious aspects of our mind and cover this light of wisdom. We then lose any ability to decide right from wrong, and behave foolishly. Shri Krishna says here that our wisdom can be covered in three ways.

The thickest, most dense covering occurs due to taamasic desires. These are desires that have lived inside our system for ages, and once they get activated, they totally cover the wisdom just like a womb covers a foetus. And just like there is no other way to see the foetus other than to wait for its birth, the only way to get rid of taamasic desires is to wait. They are so strong, and so in tune with our likes and dislikes, that nothing can be done once they are activated. Examples of taamasic desires are excessive drinking, drug usage, or even the overpowering desire to be “right” which can lead you into violent fights and arguments.

Less potent than taamasic desires are raajasic desires. As Shri Krishna says in this shloka, their veiling of wisdom is less thicker than taamasic desires. They are like dust on a mirror, where one stroke of the hand cleans the mirror. Raajasic desires are usually motivated by greed. Examples include buying the latest gadget, boasting of one’s accomplishments to one’s friends and so on.

Finally, saatvic desires are those that cover our wisdom very lightly. The desire to attend a satsang, or to attain moksha, is a saatvic desire. Our wisdom shines the brightest, or in other words, operates at the greatest capacity through saatvic desires.

As we progress in our journey, let us try to be alert and at least try to track the desires that we harbour. How many desires are we living with? What is the proportion between saatvic, raajasic and taamasic? Are we slowly changing the proportion in favour of saatvic desires?

In this shloka, the mysterious phrase “this covers that” was used. Although we got a sense of what that means here, Shri Krishna goes into more detail in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 31, Chapter 3

08 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.31, anasooyanto, anutishthanti, api, chapter 3 verse 31, idam, karmabhih, maanavaaha, matam, me, muchyante, nityam, shradhvavantah, te, ye

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ye me matamidam nityamanutishthanti maanavaaha |
shradhvavantonasooyanto muchyante tepi karmabhih || 31 ||

Those who always execute this teaching of mine, with faith and without objection, they too are freed from all actions.

ye : those
me : my
matam : teaching
idam : this
nityam : always
anutishthanti : execute
maanavaaha : people
shradhvavantah : faith
anasooyanto : without objection
muchyante : freed
te : those
api : too
karmabhih : actions

As we have seen so far, if we are bound to actions and objects, we will never be able to realize the eternal essence, which is the ultimate goal prescribed by the Gita. So in this shloka, Shri Krishna begins to conclude the teaching of karmayoga by reassuring us that it will free us from all bondages while we are engaged in action.

Prior to the Gita coming into existence, people heralded a misconception that spiritual realization was the domain of a select section of society, and could be achieved only through the accomplishment of extremely secret and arcane rituals. The Gita proposed a radical new method of realization where anyone regardless of their background can get the same result while performing any and all actions.

So therefore, Shri Krishna urges us to overcome any misconceptions, barriers and objections we may harbour against this teaching. Some may say, this teaching is too simplistic. Others may say, it goes against whatever preconceived notions they have about religion. Or that it is not achievable and so on. Whatever be the objection, Shri Krishna wants us to put the teaching into practice and try it out for ourselves.

Now, as he is about to conclude the teaching of karmayoga, Shri Krishna anticipates a problem. He knows that even for people who are ready and willing to take this path will run into obstacles. He covers this topic in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 2

13 Thursday Oct 2011

Posted by in 2.17, arhati, asya, avinaashi, avyayasya, chapter 2 verse 17, idam, kartum, kashchit, sarvam, tatam, viddhi, vinaasham, yena

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avinaashi tu tadviddhi yena sarvamidam tatam |
vinaashamavyayasyaasya na kashchitkartumarhati || 17 ||

But know that (eternal essence) to be indestructible by which all this is pervaded. Nothing ever can destroy that, the imperishable.

avinaashi : indestructible
tu : but
tat : that
viddhi : know
yena : which
sarvam : everything
idam : this
tatam : pervades
vinaasham : destruction
avyayasya :  of the imperishable
asya : of this
na : not
kashchit : any
kartum : do
arhati : is able

The theme of the ongoing shlokas has been understanding the nature of the eternal essence. This verse gives us two qualities that the eternal essence possesses. Note that the sanskrit word “tat” meaning “that” refers to the eternal essence in this shloka.

Firstly, the eternal essence is imperishable. It cannot be destroyed, nor is it created. In the bangle example from the prior verse, the pawn shop owner only cared about the gold content of the bangle and not its shape and form. He could melt that bangle into another ornament, melt it again and make it into another ornament, and so on. In doing so, each subsequent ornament was “created” and “destroyed”, but the gold essence was imperishable and indestructible. Similarly, the eternal essence spoken of in these verses is imperishable.

Secondly, the eternal essence pervades “all this”, which means the eternal essence pervades the entire universe. If we immerse a piece of cloth into water, water pervades each and every fibre of the cloth. There is no part of the cloth that isn’t dry. In the same way, from a rock, to plants, to animals, and to humans, the eternal essence pervades everything that is part of the universe.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 1

23 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by in abhirikshitam, abhiriksitam, aparyaaptam, asmaakam, balam, chapter 1 verse 10, eteshaam, idam, paryaptam, tu

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aparyaaptam tadasmaakam balam bheeshmaabhirikshitam |
paryaaptam tvidameteshaam balam bheemaabhirikshitam || 10 ||

Whereas our army, defended by Bheeshma’s strength, is infinitely capable of victory, the Pandava army defended by Bheema’s strength, seems limited.

asmaakam tat: our army
aparyaaptam: infinitely capable (to win against the Pandavas)
balam bheeshma-abhirikshitam: defended by Bheeshma’s strength
tu: but
eteshaam: these Pandavas
idam: this
paryaptam: limited (to be victorious)
balam bheemaa-abhirikshitam: defended by Bheema’s strength

Duryodhana continued to boast about his army in this final comment to Drona. Note that Drona did not reply to any of Duryodhana’s statements at any point in the conversation. His silence indicated either anger, disappointment or knowing the inevitable that his army was doomed to failure.

If you measure Duryodhana’s comments, they tend to become increasingly arrogant and hyperbolic throughout the conversation. Anytime you have somebody making hyperbolic statements praising themselves, it usually indicates an underlying insecurity.

Footnote
1. In translating this verse I looked up several commentaries, and this is the first verse where I have encountered a difference in translation. Some commentators translate the Sanskrit word “aparyaptam” to mean “beyond sufficient” or “infinitely capable”. This is the meaning that I have used above. However, some commentators translate it as “less than sufficient” or “limited capability”. If that meaning is taken, that means Duryodhana’s fear has broken past the facade of arrogance and he has begun speaking what he really thinks.