Category Archives: madbhaktaha

Bhagavad Gita Verse 65, Chapter 18

23 Tuesday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.64, bhava, chapter 64, ishyasi, madbhaktaha, maddyaajee, manmanaahaa, namaskuru, pratijaane, priyaha, satyam

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 65, Chapter 18

manmanaa bhava madbhakto maddyaajee maam namaskuru |
maamevaishyasi satyam te pratijaane priyosi me || 65 ||
 
Fix your mind on me, become devoted to me, worship me, bow to me. You will reach me. This truth I declare to you, for you are dear to me.
 
manmanaahaa : fix your mind on me
bhava : become
madbhaktaha : devoted to me
maddyaajee : worship me
maam : me
namaskuru : bow
maam : me
eva : only
ishyasi : reach
satyam : truth
te : you
pratijaane : declare
priyaha : dear
asi : are
me : me
 
Shri Krishna now reveals the supreme statement, the essence of the Gita, in this shloka. The whole of the Gita comprises a comprehensive curriculum of spirituality. It is applicable for all kinds of seekers at all stages in their spiritual pursuit. A detailed study of the Gita requires several lifetimes. But, from a practical standpoint, is that aspect of the Gita that will benefit the majority of seekers who are stuck in the trappings of material world, not knowing how to take the first step. With this in mind, Shri Krishna provides a four point summary of the Gita.
 
The first point, and the main point, is that the seeker should fix their mind on Ishvara. How can this happen? The second point states that the seeker should become devoted to Ishvara. Devotion here means that the seeker’s actions and speech should support the mind in its attempt to fix itself on Ishvara. This will only happen when the entire day is filled with worship of Ishvara through one’s actions, which is the third point. If no actions are being performed, then the seeker can simply bow to Ishvara in reverence, which is the fourth point.
 
In the Srimad Bhaagavatam, when the great devotee Prahlad was asked by his father, the demon Hiranyakashipu, to reveal what he had learned in his school, Prahlad listed the nine fold aspects of bhakti, which is in line with this shloka. The nine forms of bhakti are hearing the name of Ishvara, repeating the name of Ishvara, remembering Ishvara, serving the feet of Isvhara, worshipping Ishvara, praising Ishvara, looking upon Ishvara as a master, treating Ishvara as a friend, and surrendering to Ishvara wholeheartedly.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 13

19 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.18, chapter 13 verse 18, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, jneyam, jnyaanam, kshetram, madbhaavaaya, madbhaktaha, tathaa, uktam, upapadyate, vijnyaaya

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 13

iti kshetram tathaa jnyaanam jneyam choktam samaasataha |
madbhakta etadvijnyaaya madbhaavaayopapadyate || 18 ||
 
In this manner, the field, as well as knowledge, and that which is to be known, has been described in brief. By understanding this, my devotee becomes qualified to attain my state.
 
iti : in this manner
kshetram : the field
tathaa : as well as
jnyaanam : knowledge
jneyam : which is to be known
cha : and
uktam : has been described
samaasataha : in brief
madbhaktaha : my devotee
etat : this
vijnyaaya : understanding
madbhaavaaya : my state
upapadyate : qualified
 
Shri Krishna concludes the current topic in this shloka. He spoke about “kshetra”, the field, in shlokas five and six. The field comprises twenty four aspects which are the building blocks of the universe. This includes the five great elements, the intellect and others. The field also comprises seven modifications by which the individual comes into contact with the world. These include desire, hatred and others. The field works like a machine, but is devoid of awareness in itself and is inert. It need to borrow awareness from some other source. This source is the eternal essence, it is “jneyam”, that which is to be known. The field acts as an upaadhi, something which as though limits and conditions the eternal essence.
 
If we are attracted by the dance of an ocean’s waves, we will never be able to appreciate the grandeur and beauty of the entire ocean, because our attention will be on the waves which are upaadhis that as though limit our understanding of the ocean. Similarly, if we need to understand the eternal essence, we have to learn how to gradually minimize the impact of the upaadhis of the field, and shift our attention to the eternal essence. “Jnyaanam”, the means of knowledge that enables us to mentally remove these upaadhis, is elaborated in shlokas seven to eleven.
 
Once we have learnt how to mentally remove upaadhis, we are ready to understand the eternal essence. From shlokas twelve to seventeen, Shri Krishna uses paradoxes and contradictions to explain the nature of the eternal essence. Our intellect is a product of the field, and will never grasp what the eternal essence is. Paradoxical statements like “it is near, yet it is far” are used so that our intellect doesn’t mistakenly turn the eternal essence into yet another concept.
 
Shri Krishna says that those who have inquired into the eternal essence in the manner prescribed above are qualified to attain the state of Ishvara, which is liberation. But this state cannot be attained unless we become devotees of Ishvara. A devotee means one who knows that whatever he sees, hears or touches is nothing but Ishvara, and that Ishvara is residing in him as his self. Only one who has such a firm conviction through meditation that everything, including himself, is ultimately Ishvara, will attain liberation.
 
Now, does all this explanation help me understand what ultimately causes me to experience sorrow in my life? In the next shloka, Shri Krishna begins a new topic to explain this issue in detail.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 16, Chapter 12

25 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by in 12.16, anapekshaha, chapter 12 verse 16, dakshaha, gatavyathaha, madbhaktaha, me, priyaha, saha, sarvaarambhaparityaagee, shuchihi, udaaseenaha, yaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 16, Chapter 12

anapekshaha shuchirdaksha udaaseeno gatavyathaha |
sarvaarambhaparityaagee yo madbhaktaha sa me priyaha || 16 ||
 
One who is without expectation, pure, dextrous, unconcerned, fearless, renouncing all new initiatives, he who is such a devotee of mine, he is dear to me.
 
anapekshaha : without expectation
shuchihi : pure
dakshaha : dextrous
udaaseenaha : unconcerned
gatavyathaha : fearless
sarvaarambhaparityaagee : renouncing all new initiatives
yaha : he who
madbhaktaha : my devotee
saha : he
me : to me
priyaha : dear
 
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna explained the attitude of the perfected devotee when dealing with other people. Now, he explains the perfected devotee’s attitude towards action. It is not a surprise to us that the perfected devotee is also a perfected karma yogi. He has understood the art of performing any action, big or small, in line with Shri Krishna’s teaching on karma yoga, thereby achieving perfection in action.
 
To begin with, the perfected karma yogi is shuchihi or pure. His mind has been purged of selfish desires, leaving room only for actions pertaining to his duties or svadharma. If the action is not part of his svadharma, he doesn’t undertake new initiatives unnecessarily. Also, he dedicates the results of his actions to Ishvara. This enables him to give up apekshaa or expectations about the result, as well as concern about what happened in the past. He is udaaseenaha, unconcerned and unattached, not because he does not care about the action, but because he doesn’t get attached to the result of the action.
 
With no mental agitations caused by future expectations or past anxiety, the karma yogi performs actions with great dexterity and fearlessness. “Yogaha karmasu kaushalam” – dexterity in action is karma yoga as we saw in the second chapter. The karma yogi devotes all his attention and brings great focus to the task at hand, keeping all distractions aside. He also performs the work as an emissary of Ishvara, which removes any notion of fear, hesitation or doubt from his mind. Shri Krishna says that this type of devotee, the perfected karma yogi, is very dear to him.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 12

23 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by in 12.14, arpita, chapter 12 verse 14, dridhanishchayaha, madbhaktaha, manobuddhihi, mayi, me, priyaha, saha, santushtaha, satatam, yaha, yataatmaa, yogee

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 12

santushtaha satatam yogee yataatmaa dridhanishchayaha |
mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaha sa me priyaha || 14 ||
 
The yogi who is always contented, self controlled, with firm conviction, who has dedicated his mind and intellect to me, he who is such a devotee of mine is dear to me.
 
santushtaha : contented
satatam : always
yogee : yogi
yataatmaa : self controlled
dridhanishchayaha : firm conviction
mayi : to me
arpita : dedicated
manobuddhihi : mind and intellect
yaha : he who
madbhaktaha : my devotee
saha : he
me : me
priyaha : dear
 
Most of us derive contentment from people, objects and situations in the world, most notably after consuming a delicious meal. Contentment is a state where the mind does not want anything else from the world. But, this state is temporary because the contentment has been triggered by something that is temporary and finite, like food for example. Shri Krishna says that the yogi, the perfected devotee, derives contentment from Ishvara within himself, therefore he does not need to become a bhogi, one who runs after material objects for contentment. He is “satatam santushta”, even contented.
 
Another quality of a perfected devotee is a firm conviction that only Ishvara exists, and that the world does not exist independently of Ishvara. Most of us assume that the world has an independent existence. We attach all sorts of values to it. causing our intellect to generate innumerable goals and convictions around those values. The perfected devotee sees only Ishvara everywhere, and therefore is ever steadfast in his conviction that only Ishvara exists.
 
This “dridha nishchaya” or firm conviction is demonstrated by the devotee’s submission of mind and intellect in Ishvara, and also, the control of the mind, body and senses. When the intellect is convinced that only Ishvara exists, and when the mind thinks only of Ishvara, the devotee does not need any other special yogic technique to control the organs of action and the sense organs. Selfish desires are the cause of the mind, body and senses deviating from prescribed actions. When there is only the desire for Ishvara, they can never deviate. Shri Krishna says that the perfected devotee is a “satatam yataatmaa”, one who has complete self control at all times.
 
Here Shri Krishna concludes the line of thought that he began in the previous shloka by asserting that the devotee who has inculcated these traits is very dear to Ishvara. These eight shlokas starting from the thirteenth shloka are one of the most famous and beloved shlokas in the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 55, Chapter 11

08 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by in 11.55, chapter 11 verse 55, eti, maam, madbhaktaha, matkarmakrit, matparamaha, nirvairaha, paandava, saha, sangavarjitaha, sarvabhooteshu, yaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 55, Chapter 11

matkarmakrinmatparamo madbhaktaha sangavarjitaha |
nirvairaha sarvabhooteshu yaha sa maameti paandava || 55 ||
 
One who performs actions for me, considers me as supreme, is devoted to me, is free from attachment and without enmity towards all beings, that person attains me, O Paandava.
 
matkarmakrit : performs actions for me
matparamaha : considers me as supreme
madbhaktaha : devoted to me
sangavarjitaha : free from attachment
nirvairaha : without enmity
sarvabhooteshu : towards all beings
yaha : one who
saha : that person
maam : me
eti : attains
paandava : O Paandava
 
What do we get as a reward for studying one of the longest chapters of the Gita? It is this concluding shloka of the eleventh chapter which Shankaraachaarya considers the essence of the entire Bhagavad Gita. Shri Krishna says that Isvara can be attained by following five guidelines : perform actions for the sake of Ishvara, fix Ishvara as the ultimate goal, observe single-pointed devotion to Ishvara, remain free from worldly attachments, do not harbour likes or dislikes.
 
We have come across these themes throughout the Gita, but this is the first time that Shri Krishna reveals how they come together as a logical whole. First, he advises us to follow karma yoga, to perform selfless actions by dedicating them to Ishvara. He then advises us to fix Ishvara as the ultimate goal. This is the yoga of knowledge or jnyaana yoga. But we need something that propels us from karma yoga to jnyaana yoga. That is revealed as the third step, the yoga of devotion or bhakti yoga. None of these steps can be accomplished with a mind filled with the impurities of likes and dislikes that generate material attachment. These are addressed in fourth and fifth steps which are freedom from worldly attachments as well as from likes and dislikes.
 
Furthermore, all five steps are interconnected and strengthen each other. The mind cannot fully detach itself from everything. Like a child that drops attachment to toys and is attached to higher ideals as an adult, Shri Krishna advises us to drop attachments to material things and develop attachment for Ishvara. When we begin to see everything as Ishvara, and see ourselves as part of Ishvara, we will not generate feelings of dislike towards anyone or anything, just like we do not have enmity towards any part of our own body. This is the theme of this chapter, where the individual essence sees itself as part of the universal eternal essence.
 
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade vishwaroopadarshanayogo naama ekadashodhyaayaha || 11 ||

Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 9

29 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.34, aatmaanam, bhava, chapter 9 verse 34, eshyasi, eva, evam, maam, maama, madbhaktaha, madyaajee, manmanaahaa, matparaayanaha, namaskuru, yuktvaa

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 9

manmanaa bhava madbhakto madyaajee maama namaskuru |
maamevaishyasi yuktvaivamaatmaanam matparaayanaha || 34 ||
 
Keep your mind in me, become my devotee, perform actions for me, surrender to me. In this manner, engage yourself in me. By making me your goal, you will attain only me.
 
manmanaahaa : keep your mind in me
bhava : do
madbhaktaha : become my devotee
madyaajee : perform actions for me
maam : me
namaskuru : surrender to
maama : me
eva : only
eshyasi : attain
yuktvaa : engaged in
evam : in this manner
aatmaanam : yourself
matparaayanaha : make me your goal
 
Shri Krishna concludes the ninth chapter with a “take home message”. He gives us specific, tangible and practical instructions to bring the teachings of this chapter into our life. Having declared that this world is impermanent and devoid of joy, he wants us to follow a new way of life that orients us towards Ishvara and away from the world.
 
Let’s look at the most important instruction first. Shri Krishna wants us to make Ishvara as our sole goal in life. How does this work in practice? If for instance, we are ready to go to college, it should be in line with our svadharma so that we get skilled in performing our work. If we want to get married, it should be with the intention of serving our family and our parents. Any time we serve someone else, we are serving Ishvara.
 
Now once this goal is set, everything else falls into place. Shri Krishna wants us to keep on contemplating Ishvara and perform all our actions for Ishvara. The more we do this, the more will our ego get subdued, and this is how we will convert ourselves into a true devotee. We may encounter people and situations that are unpleasant, disagreeable and not to our liking. Even in the midst of this we should bow down and surrender to Ishvara, knowing that it is our past actions that are manifesting as unpleasant but temporary situations.
 
What is the end result? If we are ever engaged with Ishvara throughout our lives, if we make Ishvara our goal and refuge, we will certainly attain him. This attainment is explained in the sixth chapter as “Yo maam pashyati sarvatra sarvam cha mayi pashyati”. We will not view the world as different from us. We will see Ishvara in all, and all in Ishavara.
 
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade raajavidyaaraajaguhyayogo naama navamodhyaayaha || 9 ||