Category Archives: maam

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 9

10 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.15, anye, api, bahudhaa, cha, chapter 9 verse 15, ekatvena, jnyaanayagnena, maam, prithaktvena, upaasate, vishvatomukham, yajantaha

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jnyaanayagnena chaapyanye yajanto maamupaasate |
ekatvena prithaktvena bahudhaa vishvatomukham || 15 ||
 
Others, offering the sacrifice of knowledge, worship me with oneness, separateness and also multifaceted diversity.
 
jnyaanayagnena : sacrifice of knowledge
cha : and
api : also
anye : others
yajantaha : offer
maam : me
upaasate : worship
ekatvena : oneness
prithaktvena : separateness
bahudhaa : diversity
vishvatomukham : multifaceted
 
Shri Krishna radically defines our notion of Ishvara worship in this shloka. He says that recalling and remembering the infinite nature of Ishvara throughout our lives is a form of worship called jnyaana yaganya or the sacrifice of knowledge. Unlike most forms of worship, we can perform it without any effort anytime, anywhere. All we have to do is to learn to see Ishvara in everything.
 
There are several spiritual traditions that have somewhat differing notions of Ishvara’s nature. The tradition of Adi Shankaracharya, which this book tries to follow closely, views the jeeva and Ishvara as one. Acharya Ramanuja’s tradition views jeeva as a part of Ishvara. Acharya Madhva’s tradition views the jeeva and Ishvara as separate entities. Shri Krishna enumerates all of these viewpoints in this shloka, then reconciles all three by saying that all are equally valid as sacrifices of knowledge.
 
Regardless of the tradition followed, Shri Krishna urges us to continuously perform the sacrifice of knowledge so that we weaken our individuality while strengthening our faith in Ishvara. When we see more Ishvara in everything and everyone, our likes and dislikes start thinning down as well. We also begin to realize that all our joys and sorrows are tied to our actions, and so we begin to treat everything as a “prasaada” or Ishvara’s gift.
 
Shri Krishna now begins to give us pointers on where and how to see Ishvara.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 9

09 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.14, bhaktyaa, cha, chapter 9 verse 14, dridhavrataahaa, keertayantaha, maam, namasyantaha, nityayuktaahaa, satatam, upaasate, yatantashcha

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satatam keertayanto maam yatantashcha dridhavrataahaa |
namasyantashcha maam bhaktyaa nityayuktaa upaasate || 14 ||
 
Always glorifying me with resolute effort, and venerating me devotedly, they are constantly engaged in my worship.
 
satatam : always
keertayantaha : glorifying
maam : me
yatantashcha : effort
dridhavrataahaa : resolute
namasyantaha : venerating me
cha : and
maam : me
bhaktyaa : devoted
nityayuktaahaa : constantly engaged
upaasate : worship
 
Shri Krishna begins to enumerate the qualities of those noble individuals that have gained knowledge of Ishvara’s infinite nature. We should try to bring as many qualities as we can into our lives, and not think that they are only for some select extraordinary people.
 
Firstly, Shri Krishna says that these noble individuals perform “keertan” and “bhajan”. Typically, we tend to think of keertan as singing songs in front of a deity. But here, the meaning is deeper. Keertan here means the three step process of hearing scriptures (shravanam), resolving doubts (mananam) and internalizing the knowledge (nidhidhyaasanam). It is only through this process that the true nature of Ishvara is understoood.
 
It is also imperative to perform keertan as frequently as possible. As we have seen so far, Prakriti needs no help in order to ensnare us daily with the temptation of name and form. Also, Prakriti is not just responsible for visible objects but also thoughts, feelings, emotions and memories that can lead to straying away from Ishvara. Repeated keertan is the only way to guard against such distractions.
 
Shri Krishna also emphasizes the power of “vrata” or resolution. Most spiritual traditions encourage practices like fasting or abstaining from pleasures during certain days. Observance of such vows strengthens our will power so that we can use that inner strength towards fending off Prakriti. Knowledge of Ishvara, without the will power to remain established in that knowledge, will not work. If someone cannot even remain without food for a day, it will be difficult for them to deal with the might of Prakriti.
 
Another aspect of the noble individuals is that they do “namaskaara” to Ishvara, which means that they offer themselves to Ishvara. When things are going well, it is easy to accept the will of Ishvara. However, many individuals begin to lose faith in Ishvara when they go through a rough period in their lives. True veneration happens when we realize that even the rough period in our life happens for a reason that we will understand in the course of time.
 
Broadly speaking, Shri Krishna wants the devotee to dedicate not just his intellect but also his mind. Unless we engage with anything at an emotional level, our pursuit will always be dry, academic and partial. It will be like a PhD student who forgets what he learned right after he receives his degree.
 
So therefore, Shri Krishna says that individuals with these qualities are the true devotees. They have understood the true method of “upanasanaa”, of worshipping Ishvara. That is why they remain “nitya yukta” or always united and connected with Ishvara, and also, Ishvara remains ever united with them.
 
Next, Shri Krishna enumerates the different ways in which these noble individuals worship Ishvara.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 9

09 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.13, aashritaahaa, ananyamanasaha, avyayam, bhajanti, bhootaadim, chapter 9 verse 13, daiveem, jnyaatvaa, maam, mahaatmaanahah, paartha, prakritim, tu

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mahaatmaanastu maam paartha daiveem prakritimaashritaahaa |
bhajantyananyamanaso jnyaatvaa bhootaadimavyayam || 13 ||
 
But, noble individuals take refuge in my divine nature, O Paartha. Knowing me as the imperishable source of all beings, they worship me single-mindedly.
 
mahaatmaanahah : noble individuals
tu : but
maam : my
paartha : O Paartha
daiveem : divine
prakritim : nature
aashritaahaa : take refuge
bhajanti : worship
ananyamanasaha : single-minded
jnyaatvaa : having known
bhootaadim : source of all beings
avyayam : imperishable
 
Shri Krishna now begins to describe those individuals who have understood the true, divine nature of Ishvara. These “mahaatmaas” or noble individuals treat Ishvara as their one and only one refuge, and worship him with unwavering devotion. With a view to instruct us in the ways of such noble individuals, Shri Krishna devotes the next few shlokas to this topic.
 
The word “aashritaha” or refuge is key to understanding this shloka. What does this word mean? It is how we answer the question “when I am in trouble, what do I turn to?”. Most of us have various sources of refuge. For some, it is their ancestral inheritance. For some, it is their academic qualifications. For some, it is their family. Whenever we are in trouble, we pursue those avenues for comfort and security.
 
However, the mahaatmaas or noble individuals do not look to any of these sources for refuge. They have understood one simple fact: anything that can change over time is under the control of Prakriti. Prakriti, the realm of name and form, is every changing and can never be relied upon for support all the time. We ourselves would have encountered several instances where money or family did not help someone in their time of need. The noble individuals know that there is only one true refuge that is universal and unchanging: it is Ishvara.
 
Knowing this, what do the noble individuals do? They are “ananya manasaha”, they are singularly devoted to Ishvara. Even though they may be tempted by Prakriti’s play and dazzle of name and form, they know that ultimately every source of joy that it gives, turns into sorrow eventually. Furthermore, their devotion for Ishvara is not for the attainment for anything else. It is solely for the attainment of Ishvara.
 
Unlike these noble individuals, most of us still rush into Prakriti for joy, comfort, security and support. But Prakriti teaches us a lesson over our lifetime when we repeatedly seek joy which turns into sorrow. How do the noble individuals remain focused in Ishvara while living in the world of Prakriti? We shall see next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 9

06 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.11, aashritam, ajaanantaha, avajaanantaha, bhaavam, bhootamaheshwaram, chapter 9 verse 11, maam, maanusheem, mama, moodhaahaa, param, tanum

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avajaananti maam moodhaa maanusheem tanumaashritam |
param bhaavamajaananto mama bhootamaheshwaram || 11 ||
 
Resorting to a human form, foolish people insult me, not knowing my supreme nature as the overlord of all beings.
 
avajaanantaha : insult
maam : me
moodhaahaa : foolish people
maanusheem : human
tanum : form
aashritam : resorting to
param : supreme
bhaavam : nature
ajaanantaha : not knowing
mama : my
bhootamaheshwaram : overlord of all beings
 
Removal of all misconceptions of Ishvara is one of the recurring themes of this chapter. Even though Shri Krishna has repeatedly defined Ishvara as infinite, many people still get stuck with one form of Ishvara or the other. In this shloka, Shri Krishna terms such people foolish, and their behaviour insulting.
 
Now, many of us were conditioned by our cultures to believe that Ishvara is something that is far away, and will take years and years of devotion to achieve. But Shri Krishna, through the Gita, has revealed to us the true nature of Ishvara as infinite, all-pervading and available right here and now. To ensure that we do not revert back to our old ways of thinking, Shri Krishna uses a strong term to refer to such people: foolish.
 
Even before we go to the level of Ishvara, we commit the error of thinking that our eternal essence, our self, is our human body only. Removing this erroneous notion was the message of the second chapter. In the same way, we are likely to think of Ishvara as a finite form, and in doing so, treat everything else in the world with disregard.
 
Shri Krishna says that such an attitude is personally insulting to Ishvara, who is the supreme controller of the universe. It is like introducing a Nobel peace prize winner as an ordinary citizen, or to think that a junior police officer is the be-all and end-all of a country’s government. People with such erroneous notions can cause a great deal of harm to themselves, as is pointed out in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 9

04 Saturday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.9, aaseenam, asaktam, cha, chapter 9 verse 9, dhananjaya, karmaani, karmasu, maam, na, nibandhanti, taani, teshu, udaaseenavat

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na cha maam taani karmaani nibandhanti dhananjaya |
udaaseenavadaaseenamasaktam teshu karmasu || 9 ||
 
Nor do those actions bind me, O Dhananjaya. I remain as though indifferent and unattached to those actions.
 
na : not
cha : and
maam : my
taani : those
karmaani : actions
nibandhanti : bind
dhananjaya : O Dhananjaya
udaaseenavat : as though indifferent
aaseenam : sit
asaktam : unattached
teshu : those
karmasu : in actions
 
Earlier in the chapter, Shri Krishna addressed several misconceptions that we have about Ishvara. He asserted that Ishvara cannot be contained in any one part of the universe, in any one object. He also asserted that we need to wait for a long time to Ishvara. Ishvara is accessible at this very moment. What is missing is knowledge that enables us to recognize Ishvara in everything.
 
In this shloka, Shri Krishna addresses another misconception of Ishvara, that he has a personal agenda in each and everyone’s destiny. To that end, Shri Krishna clarifies that Ishvara delegates the functioning of the universe to the laws of Prakriti. He does not personally get involved, nor does he claim credit for the creation, destruction and sustenance of billions of beings in this universe.
 
Our Puranaas contains several stories about the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva who are charged with the responsibilities of creation, sustenance and dissolution respectively. They are aided by their consorts. Saraswati provides the knowledge needed for creation. Lakshmi provides the wealth needed for sustenance. Parvati provides the power needed for dissolution. The stories may portray that these deities personally take effort to perform their duties, but at the universal level, they are all part of the fully automatic system of Prakriti.
 
Therefore, the lessons for us here is that we should follow karma yoga because it is a universal law. Like Ishvara, who runs the universe while knowing that it is Prakriti’s handiwork, we too should perform our duties in a spirit of vairagya or detachment, knowing that Prakriti is running everything. If we worry about who will get the credit for our actions, then we will get bound, taking us further away for liberation.
 
So then, how should we use this knowledge to refine our vision towards the world? This is explained next.

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 16, Chapter 8

13 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.16, aabhramhabhuvanaat, arjuna, chapter 8 verse 16, kaunteya, lokaahaa, maam, na, punaraavartinaha, punarjanma, tu, upetya, vidyate

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aabhramhabhuvanaallokaahaa punaraavartinorjuna |
maamupetya tu kaunteya punarjanma na vidyate || 16 ||
 
O Arjuna, all worlds including the abode of Brahma (are subject to) return. But having obtained me, O Kaunteya, rebirth does not occur.
 
aabhramhabhuvanaat : including the abode of brahma
lokaahaa : all worlds
punaraavartinaha : return
arjuna : O Arjuna
maam : me
upetya : having obtained
tu : but
kaunteya : O Kaunterya
punarjanma : rebirth
na : does not
vidyate : occur
 
According to the scriptures, there exist heavens or worlds subtler than our visible universe. All beings on this earth who perform meritorious deeds go to one of those heavens after death. The abode of Lord Brahma (Brahma-loka) is considered the highest among the heavens. Shri Krishna says that all beings who end up in these heavens, including the world of Lord Brahma, do not stay there permanently. They have to return to earth at some point. Only those who attain Ishvara gain permanent liberation.
 
The first half of the shloka is applicable to seekers who perform karma yoga diligently and worship Ishvara as well. Depending upon the sincerity of their deeds and worship, they will attain the appropriate heaven. A select few attain the abode of Lord Brahma which is the highest possible heaven. Here, it is said that the residents only enjoy pleasure. There is no sorrow or suffering whatsoever.
 
Once they attain the abode of Lord Brahma, they are faced with a choice. They can continue to remain interested in pleasure seeking, or attain liberation. Attainment of Ishvara is the same as liberation. If they continue to remain interested in pleasure seeking, if they think of Brahma loka as yet another realm of space and time, they will eventually come back to earth and start life all over again. If they are interested in liberation, they will attain it when Brahma loka is dissolved along with all of the other worlds. This kind of liberation is called “krama mukti”.
 
Now, the questions arises, why do all of these worlds end? The topic of cosmic creation and dissolution is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 8

12 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.15, aapnuvanti, ashaashvatam, chapter 8 verse 15, duhkhaalayam, gataaha, maam, mahaatmaanaha, na, paramaam, punarjanma, samsiddhim, upetya

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maamupetya punarjanma duhkhaalayamashaashvatam |
naapnuvanti mahaatmaanaha samsiddhim paramaam gataaha || 15 ||
 
Having obtained me, these esteemed do not attain rebirth, the transient abode of sorrow. They attain the goal of supreme success.
 
maam : me
upetya : having obtained
punarjanma : rebirth
duhkhaalayam : abode of sorrow
ashaashvatam : transient
na : do not
aapnuvanti : they attain
mahaatmaanaha : esteemed individuals
samsiddhim : success
paramaam : supreme
gataaha : goal
 
What happens if we diligently meditate upon Ishvara while performing our duties? Shri Krishna provides the answer in this shloka. He says that such people do not attain rebirth after they die. They attain something much higher – they attain Ishvara himself.
 
First, let us examine how Shri Krishna describes our present condition. Our worldly existence is transient, which means that there is no sense of permanence. Look at our body. It grows from a small baby all the way into adulthood and old age. There is not one moment where it is the same. Similarly, all aspects of our life are impermanent. Therefore, Shri Krishna summarizes our existence in one word “duhkhaalaya” or abode of sorrow. It is a constant quest for happiness through impermanence, which is like trying to hold on to a bubble.
 
Most people are well entrenched in this pursuit thinking that it is normal. But some have figured out the fallacy in this pursuit and begun their journey towards Ishvara. They are referred to as “mahaatmaas” or esteemed individuals in this shloka. Those who sincerely pursue this path attain the supreme goal : Ishvara himself. If we get Ishvara, we will not get revisit the world ever again. It is like waking up from a dream – we will not get to go back. So if we hold on to the world, we will never get Ishvara. It is an either/or situation.
 
So therefore, once we decide that our goal is Ishvara, and develop dispassion or vairagya towards the world, we should diligently pursue karma yoga combined with meditation as prescribed by Shri Krishna in the Gita. Here, Shri Krishna concludes the topic of attainment of Ishvara through meditation. The next topic around creation and dissolution of the universe is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 8

11 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.14, aham, ananyachetaahaa, chapter 8 verse 14, maam, nityashaha, nityayuktasya, paartha, satatam, smarati, sulabhaha, tasya, yaha, yoginaha

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ananyachetaahaa satatam yo maam smarati nityashaha |
tasyaaham sulabhaha paartha nityayuktasya yoginaha || 14 ||
 
One who thinks of me with a focused mind, without interruption, I become effortlessly available to that yogi that is constantly engaged (in me).
 
ananyachetaahaa : focused mind
satatam : always
yaha : one who
maam : me
smarati : remembers
nityashaha : without interruption
tasya : he
aham : I
sulabhaha : effortless
paartha : O Paartha
nityayuktasya : constantly engaged
yoginaha : yogi
 
Shri Krishna provides us with the simplest method of gaining access to Ishvara in this shloka. He says that no special technique is required. All that is needed is that the seeker focus his mind on Ishvara, perform duties as per his svadharma but think about Ishvara all the time, without interruption.
 
The key point, however, is the phrase “without interruption”. We had seen earlier that there is one thought that all of us have in the back of our minds. For some it is family, for some it is career and so on. It is like the drone of a “taanpura” in Indian classical music. Shri Krishna says that unless we make Ishvara that constant background thought, we will not attain him. Just performing a 30 minute meditation on Ishvara will not yield anything.
 
Ishvara is very well aware that most of us do not give him top priority. This is famously depicted in the image of Lord Vitthala, a deity of Lord Vishnu from Maharashtra. He is portrayed as standing with hands on his waist as if to say “I have been waiting here for a long time, when will you come?” This is due to our preoccupation with worldly matters. A deep-seated attraction towards spiritual knowledge, combined with blows from the world, will slowly but surely move the seeker towards constant meditation upon Ishvara.
 
So therefore, Shri Krishna has provided a simple and straightforward method to attain Ishvara : keep Ishvara as the constant thought but do your duty. It not require us to perform any kind of specialized yogic meditation. What happens when we follow this path? This is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 8

10 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.13, anusmaran, brahma, chapter 8 verse 13, deham, ekaaksharam, gatim, iti, maam, om, paramaam, prayaati, saha, tyajan, vyaaharan, yaati, yaha

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omityekaaksharam brahma vyaaharanmaamnusmaran |
yaha prayaati tyajandeham sa yaati paramaam gatim || 13 ||
 
He who departs the body while chanting Om, which is the one-syllable (name of) brahman, and also remembers me, he attains the supreme state.
 
om : Om
iti : this
ekaaksharam : one-syllable
brahma : brahman
vyaaharan : chanting
maam : my
anusmaran : rememberance
yaha : he who
prayaati : departs
tyajan : leaving
deham : body
saha : he
yaati : attains
paramaam : supreme
gatim : state
 
The sound “Om” has been praised in the scriptures as an indicator of brahman, the eternal essence. Shri Krishna concludes the second technique of meditation, meditation on the name of Ishvara, by saying that one who performs meditation on the sound of Om attains Ishvara during the time of departure.
 
Like we saw in the previous instance, the symbolic meaning of this shloka also uses death as a metaphor to indicate death of the ego. Therefore, meditation on the sound of Om helps the seeker sever his connection to the finite ego and take him towards the infinite eternal essence.
 
The key thing, however, is to associate the sound “Om” to our understanding of Ishvara. In other words, meditation on the sound of Om without associating it to our favourite deity will not yield any result. In fact, Adi Shankaraachaarya in his commentary says that meditation on Om should only be performed by one who has diligently heard (“shravana”) and analyzed (“mananam”) the knowledge of the eternal essence. This is why Shri Krishna adds “remember me as Ishvara” to the instruction that we chant Om.
 
To recap, the first technique was meditation upon the grand cosmic form of Ishvara, and the second technique was meditation upon Om. However, both techniques require us to develop control of our praanaas. Recognizing this, Shri Krishna provides an easier third technique in the next shloka.