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Category Archives: mayaa

Bhagavad Gita Verse 73, Chapter 18

29 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.73, achyuta, asmi, gatasandehaha, karishye, labdhaa, mayaa, mohaha, nashtaha, prasaadaan, smritihi, sthitaha, tava, vachanam

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Arjuna uvaacha:
nashto mohaha smritirlabdhaa tvatprasaadaanmayaachyuta |
sthitosmi gatasandehaha karishye vachanam tava || 73 ||
 
Arjuna said:
My delusion has been destroyed, and my memory has been restored with your grace, O infallible one. I stand with my doubts removed. I shall do as you say.
 
nashtaha : destroyed
mohaha : delusion
smritihi : memory
labdhaa : restored
tvat : your
prasaadaan : grace
mayaa : by me
achyuta : O infallible one
sthitaha : stand
asmi : I
gatasandehaha : doubts removed
karishye : I shall do
vachanam : words
tava : your
 
If we recall, the first words uttered by Arjuna in the Gita were as follows : O achyuta, O infallible one, in preparation for combat, position my chariot between the two armies. Arjuna uses the same address, achyuta, the infallible one, in this shloka. So the conversation that was initiated by Arjuna is concluded here. Arjuna says that the ignorance of his true nature is no more, since he has regained his smritihi, his memory, the knowledge of his true self. When one comes to know about their true self, there is no more delusion in this world. Everything is seen for what it really is, an illusion, a superimposition by maaya on the self.
 
There is another significance of the word achyuta. While we forget our true nature, and erroneously take maaya to be real, Ishvara is always standing firm in his position as unaffected by the superimposition of maaya. Since he is infallible, only with his grace can we overcome our delusion and come out of the cycle of birth and death, of samsaara. Removal of delusion is the aim of all spiritual teaching, as we saw earlier. All that remains is to stand firm, to be stitaha, in the knowledge of our true self.
 
From the standpoint of the world, Arjuna was convinced that performing his duty as a warrior was the right decision to make at this point. Therefore, he acknowledged that the teaching of the Gita benefitted him, and that he was ready to fight in the war. From the highest standpoint of the absolute, Arjuna’s sense of agency, his sense of doership, had gone away, once he understood that the self can neither do anything, nor can it enjoy anything. He performed actions spontaneously, in the service of Ishvara. In the words of Shri Shankaraachaarya, he had achieved the ultimate goal of life. He did not have to accomplish anything else.

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Bhagavad Gita Verse 63, Chapter 18

21 Sunday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.63, aakhyaatam, asheshena, chapter 18 verse 63, guhyaat, guhyaataram, ichhasi, jnaanam, kuru, mayaa, tathaa, vimrishya, yatha

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iti te jnaanamaakhyaatam guhyaadruhyaataram mayaa |
vimrishyaitadasheshena yathechhasi tathaa kuru || 63 ||
 
In this manner, I have declared that knowledge to you which is most secret among all secrets. Reflect on this fully, then do as you desire.
 
iti : in this manner
te : to you
jnaanam : knowledge
aakhyaatam : declared
guhyaat : of the secret
guhyaataram : most secret
mayaa : I have
vimrishya : reflect
etat : this
asheshena : fully
yatha : what
ichhasi : desire
tathaa : that
kuru : do
 
We have come across the word “iti” several times in the Gita discourse. It is always used to conclude a chapter, and also to conclude a major theme or topic. Here, Shri Krishna uses this word to inform Arjuna that the Gita discourse has concluded with this shloka. We have to note that the Gita is but one portion of the Mahaabhaarata epic. So the shlokas that follow this one are used to summarize the main teaching, and to link back to the conversation between Sanjaya and Dhritarashtra.
 
Shri Krishna also emphasizes the most secret aspect of this text. We have to understand the implication of the word secret here carefully. The Gita is by no means an exclusive text. There are several commentaries, including this one, that are freely available on the web. Most people will not approach the Gita due to their preconceived notions. Some think it is outdated, some think it is impractical and so on. Only a few people are interested in the Gita, and of those, fewer still are willing to understand and change their approach to life based on it.
 
For any spiritual teaching to have an impact on our lives, it has to go through three steps. Shravana is actively listening to the text through a qualified teacher. Manana is reflection on the teaching, with a view to resolve all doubts or gaps in logic. Nidhidhyaasana is meditation and constant contemplation, with a view to assimilate that teaching completely. Many seekers are enthusiastic listeners, but they make the mistake of skipping the second step. In doing so, they are not able to see the value of the teaching in their own lives. Shri Krishna stresses the importance of reflection to Shri Krishna. He also gives Arjuna the freedom to apply the teaching based on this understanding born of out of reflection, instead of taking it at face value.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 16

10 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by in 16.15, aadhaha, abhijanavaan, ajnyaanavimohitaahaa, anya, asmi, chapter 15 verse 16, daasyaami, kaha, mayaa, modishya, sadrishaha, yakshye

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aadhyobhijanavaanasmi konyosti sadrisho mayaa |
yakshye daasyaami modishya ityajnyaanavimohitaahaa || 15 ||
 
I am wealthy, I am from a good family, who else is equal to me? I will conduct sacrifice, I will enjoy. In this manner, (he is) deluded by ignorance.
 
aadhaha : I am wealthy
abhijanavaan : good family
asmi : I am
kaha : who
anya : else
asti : is
sadrishaha : equal to
mayaa : me
yakshye : I will conduct sacrifice
daasyaami : I will conduct charity
modishya : I will enjoy
iti : in this manner
ajnyaanavimohitaahaa : deluded by ignorance
 
In the last shloka, we saw the mindset of those who derive pride from their power. Here Shri Krishna describes the mindset of people who derive pride from other things such as wealth and family. An excess of wealth, especially for those who did not come from wealthy families, is the most common source of pride. Such people boast about their latest expensive toy, their net worth, their membership in elite clubs and so on. They are only interested in consumption and enjoyment.
 
Others derive pride from their ancestry and their lineage. For some, this pride comes from the fact that their ancestors were kings or landowners. For some, this pride comes from the fact that everyone in their family has always been a doctor or a lawyer. Some others even boast about the number of sacrifices they have conducted and amount of charity they have donated. Instead of charity and sacrifice leading to purification of one’s mind, such grandiose spectacles have gaining publicity and favours as their goal.
 
If we were to summarize the attitude in these three shlokas, it is this – no one is equal to me. I am superior to everyone else. So the net result is the strengthening, the hardening of the I notion, the ego, the aham. Each step taken towards the ego is one step taken away from self realization. There is no scope for detachment or renunciation. Attachment grows by leaps and bounds in such people. The root cause of all this is ignorance of one’s true nature.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 16

09 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by in 16.14, aparaan, asau, balavaan, bhogee, chapter 16 verse 14, eeshvaraha, hanishye, hataha, mayaa, shatruhu, siddhaha, sukhee

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asau mayaa hataha shatrurhanishye chaaparaanapi |
eeshvarohamaham bhogee siddhoham balavaansukhee || 14 ||
 
That enemy was destroyed by me, others will also be destroyed. I am the lord, I am the enjoyer, I have accomplished everything. I am mighty and happy.
 
asau : he
mayaa : by me
hataha : destroyed
shatruhu : enemy
hanishye : will destroy
cha : and
aparaan : others
api : also
eeshvaraha : lord
aham : I am
aham : I am
bhogee : enjoyer
siddhaha : accomplished one
aham : I am
balavaan : mighty
sukhee : happy
 
If someone harbours an endless list of desires, it is impossible for all of them to be fulfilled. So then, any person who becomes an obstacle to the fulfillment of a desire automatically becomes an enemy. For instance, if another business becomes a competitor to our business, we begin to treat them as enemies instead of improving our products. That leads to all kinds of unethical and illegal ways of getting rid of our competitors, all the way upto physical harm.
 
Now, many people rise to political power by knocking off their competitors. They begin to think they are above the law. And since they do not believe in god, they think that they themselves are gods, and that only they can control the fate of people. They can take the law into their own hands, because they believe they are the lawmakers. Pleasure and enjoyment is their only goal. Such is the thinking of gangsters, military dictators and criminals. In the Raamaayana, Ravaana began to think like this, leading to his downfall.
 
Other materialistic people may not necessarily become dictators, but try to project their power and arrogance wherever possible. They say things like they can pick up the phone and call the president of the country. They have accomplished everything there is to accomplish. There is no one mightier than them. They mistake this sense of power for happiness, because they have not experienced what real happiness is. Even a simple act of name dropping indicates a deeper obsession with materialism and power.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 15

25 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.20, anagha, bhaarata, buddhimaan, buddhvaa, chapter 15 verse 20, etat, guhyatamam, iti, kritakrityaha, mayaa, shaastram, syaat, uktam

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iti guhyatamam shaastramidamuktam mayaanagha |
etadbuddhvaa buddhimaansyaatkritakrityashcha bhaarata || 20 ||
 
Thus, this foremost secret has been taught to you by me, O sinless one. Having known this, one becomes wise and accomplishes all his duties, O Bhaarata.
 
iti : thus
guhyatamam : foremost secret
shaastram : science
idam : this
uktam : taught
mayaa : by me
anagha : O sinless one
etat : this
buddhvaa : having known
buddhimaan : wise
syaat : becomes
kritakrityaha : one who has accomplished all duties
cha : and
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
 
When you ask the question – can you stop working right now and retire, you get a couple of answers. Some people say that they have still so many desires, so many plans to fulfill, that’s why they cannot retire. Other people say that they still have so much to learn from the world, so much knowledge to acquire. Shri Krishna concludes this chapter by asserting that one who has truly understood the teaching of this chapter has accomplished whatever anyone can accomplish in this world, plus he has also known whatever can be known in this world.
 
Why does he say that whatever has to be known has been covered in this chapter? The highest knowledge to be known in this world is the understanding of three topics. What is the nature of the individual soul (who am I), what is this world and where did it come from, and what is beyond this world (is there a God). Any text that conclusively answers these three questions is termed a shaastra, a science. The fifteenth chapter of the Gita does so, and hence it is worthy of being termed a shaastra.
 
The method used to reveal Purushottama, the pure eternal essence, is to gradually move from the tangible to the intangible, from the visible to the subtle, from the visible universe to the invisible Prakriti to Purushottama who is beyond both. This method is known as Arundhati nyaaya, the technique of revealing the location of the star known as Arundhati. Here the teacher first points to a tree, then to one of its branches, then to one of its leaves, and then to the star that is right next to the tree. Without doing this step by step revelation, it would not have been possible to reveal the position of the star.
 
So then, the teaching of this chapter is called the foremost secret. It is secret because such knowledge is not accessible to any of these sense organs. It has to be revealed through a teacher who has had direct experience of the eternal essence. Furthermore, it has to be taught to a student who is straightforward and without sin like Arjuna. Shri Shankaraachaarya goes so far as to say that this chapter summarizes the teachings of all of the Vedic scriptures.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 41, Chapter 11

24 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.41, api, chapter 11 verse 41, he, idam, iti, krishna, mahimaanam, matvaa, mayaa, pramaadaat, pranayena, prasabham, sakhaa, tava, uktam, vaa, yaadava ajaanataa, yat

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sakheti matvaa prasabham yaduktam he krishna he yaadava he sakheti |
ajaanataa mahimaanam tavedam mayaa praamadaatpranayena vaapi || 41 ||
 
Thinking of you as a friend, I addressed you rashly as O Krishna, O Yaadava, O friend. Not knowing your greatness, I said it in this manner out of carelessness or also out of affection.
 
sakhaa : friend
iti : in this manner
matvaa : thinking
prasabham : rashly
yat : whatever
uktam : said
he : O
krishna : Krishna
yaadava : Yaadava
ajaanataa : not knowing
mahimaanam : greatness
tava : your
idam : this
mayaa : I
pramaadaat : in carelessness
pranayena : in affection
vaa : or
api : also
 
Arjuna and Shri Krishna were childhood friends. Growing up together, Arjuna never realized the divine nature of Shri Krishna’s birth. He had treated him as he would treat any other friend of his. Now, having understood his divine nature having viewed the cosmic form, he wanted to acknowledge his ill-treatment of Shri Krishna, and beg for forgiveness for all the times he had acted imprudently. After all he was Arjuna, whose name meant “one who is extremely straight-forward”.
 
In Arjuna’s time, just like in the present time, insults with respect to people’s skin colour or caste were quite popular. Arjuna recounts his insults to Shri Krishna where he used to call him dark-skinned, refer to his caste, or call him a friend instead of a more respectable title. And like any of us, his intellect knew that insulting anyone was not the right thing to do, but he did it anyway. Knowing this well, Arjuna owned up to his ignorance, carelessness and rash behaviour.
 
But Arjuna also gave another side of the story. Although he did insult Shri Krishna out of carelessness in some instances, there were other instances when he did it out of sheer affection for his friend. When there is affection from both sides between friends, it is totally acceptable to insult each other. Arjuna was going to ask for forgiveness very soon, and hoped that Shri Krishna would keep this side of the story in his mind.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 11

17 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.34, anyaan, bheeshmam, chapter 11 verse 34, dronam, hataan, jahi, jayadratham, jetosi, karnam, mayaa, rane, sapatnaan, vyathishthaa, yodhaveeraan, yudhyasva

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dronam cha bheeshmam cha jayadratham cha karnam tathaanyaanapi yodhaveeraan |
mayaa hataanstvam jahi maa vyathishthaa yudhyasva jetosi rane sapatnaan || 34 ||
 
Drona, Bheeshma and Jayadratha, Karna and other brave warriors have also been slain by me. So you kill them, do not be disturbed. Fight, and you will conquer your enemies in battle.
 
dronam : Drona
cha : and
bheeshmam : Bheeshma
jayadratham : Jayadratha
karnam : Karna
tathaa : also
anyaan : other
api : as well
yodhaveeraan : brave warriors
mayaa : by me
hataan : slain
tvam : you
jahi : kill
maa : do not
vyathishthaa : disturbed
yudhyasva : fight
jetosi : you will conquer
rane : in battle
sapatnaan : enemies
 
By this time, Arjuna’s mind had lost all sense of composure. Never in his life had he gane through so many unimaginable visions in such a short span of time. First he saw Ishvara’s pleasant cosmic form, then the fearful cosmic form, then he came to know the real nature of Ishvara’s destructive power, and finally he came to know that every action in the universe was determined by Ishvara. Shri Krishna recognized this state of mind and gave clear, simple and precise instructions to Arjuna : do not worry, just fight.
 
What was the source of Arjuna’s worry? Even since the war began, Arjuna was fearful of facing the most prominent warriors in the Kaurava army. Shri Krishna pointed them out here, maintaining the hierarchy of seniority: their guru Drona, the grandsire Bheeshma, Jayadratha who was protected by a divine boon, and Karna who was equal to Arjuna in prowess. He mentioned each of their names, implying that their fate was already sealed. There was no point in Arjuna worrying any more.
 
So then, what could Arjuna do? Shri Krishna said : just fight. Since all these mighty warriors have already killed by me, you kill them, not out of a sense of enmity or superiority, but out of a sense of performing your duty as a karma yogi. You be just be an instrument of Ishvara, that is the idea. Put the teaching of the Geeta into practice. If you perform actions in this manner, you will vanquish your enemies.
 
Sanjaya stepped in to describe Arjuna’s reaction in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 33, Chapter 11

16 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.33, bhava, bhungakshva, chapter 11 verse 33, ete, eva, jitvaa, labhasva, mayaa, nihataaha, nimttamaatram, pooravam, raajyam, samriddham, savyasaachin, shatroon, tasmaat, tvam, uttishtha : arise yashaha

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tasmaattvamuttishtha yasho labhasva jitvaa shatroonbhungakshva raajyam samriddham |
mayaivaite nihataaha pooravameva nimttamaatram bhava savyasaachin || 33 ||
 
Therefore, you arise, obtain valour by conquering your enemies, and enjoy the prosperity of your kingdom. All these (warriors) have been previously killed by me, so you become just an instrument, O Savyasaachin.
 
tasmaat : therefore
tvam : you
uttishtha : arise
yashaha : valour
labhasva : obtain
jitvaa : by conquering
shatroon : enemies
bhungakshva : enjoy
raajyam : kingdom
samriddham : prosperous
mayaa : by me
eva : only
ete : these
nihataaha : killed
pooravam : previously
nimttamaatram : just an instrument
bhava : become
savyasaachin : O Savyasaachin
 
When we buy a ticket to any Bollywood blockbuster, we know that no matter what happens, the hero will save the heroine from the clutches of the villain. But even though the ending is no surprise to anyone, we still want to sit for over two hours in a movie theatre. Why is that? We enjoy the drama, the emotional ups and downs, the fight sequences, the songs and so on. We want the movie to entertain us. Just because we know the ending, we don’t stop watching movies.
 
Ishvara’s grand spectacle, his “leela”, works in similar ways. Shri Krishna had pre-planned the ending of the war, and had orchestrated the events in such a manner that it would result in the destruction of the Kauravaas. Knowing this, Arjuna would have liked very much to flee the war. Addressing Arjuna as Savyasaachin, one who could use both his hands in archery, Shri Krishna encouraged him to fight with all his might, defeat his enemies and enjoy the result of his actions. This is because Arjuna, like all of us, had a role to play in Ishvara’s grand play of the universe, his “leela”.
 
Here is the crux of karma yoga. If we fulfill our duties with a spirit of detachment, we align ourselves with Ishvara’s vision. We become a “nimitta” or an instrument of Ishvara. But if we assert our selfish desires and our will, we only entrap ourselves in the material world and set ourselves up for a painful existence. Furthermore, Shri Krishna, in his generosity, was more than happy to let Arjuna take credit for his work. In fact, he encouraged him to do so. And in the midst of all this, there is no favouritism. The Kauravaas were annihilated as a result of their actions, not because of Shri Krishna’s partiality towards the Pandavaas.
 
So now, who are the people who would be killed in the war? We shall see in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 11

18 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in 11.4, aatmaanam, avyayam, chapter 11 verse 4, darshaya, drishtum, iti, manyase, mayaa, me, prabho, shakayam, tat, tataha, tvam, yadi, yogeshvara

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manyase yadi tachchakayam mayaa drishtumiti prabho |
yogeshvara tato me tvam darshayaatmaanamavyayam || 4 ||
 
O Lord, if you think that it is possible for this to be seen by me, then O Yogeshvara, you show me your undivided form.
 
manyase : you think
yadi : if
tat : that
shakayam : possible
mayaa : by me
drishtum : seen
iti : this
prabho : O Lord
yogeshvara : O Yogeshvara
tataha : then
me : me
tvam : you
darshaya : show
aatmaanam : your
avyayam : undivided form
 
We come across another aspect of Arjuna’s request in this shloka. Imagine the plight of an movie actor who is absolutely devoted to his craft. He has worked day and nights for a whole year in a movie as a supporting actor. After the shooting ends, he is filled with a burning desire to see the entire movie. Why so? It is because he has only seen the bits and pieces of the movie that he was involved with, and he is not satisfied unless he sees it as a single story, end to end.
 
Likewise, Arjuna is no longer content with seeing bits and pieces of Ishvara’s expressions. He wants to see how it all comes together as one undivided entity. This is indicated by Arjuna’s use of the word “avyayam” which means undivided, without any discontinuity. And like the only person who can reveal the whole movie is the director, the only person that can reveal the undivided nature of the universe is the “prabhu”, the governor, master and controller.
 
Now, Arjuna knows that he has to approach Shri Krishna with humility. That’s why he politely says: “show me that form only if you think that I am qualified to see it”. Morever, Arjuna does not want to imagine it or dream it up, he wants to see it with his eyes, with his “drishti”. He also refers to Shri Krishna as “yogeshwara”, the teacher of several yogas in the Gita such as karma yoga, dhyana yoga, jnyana yoga and bhakti yoga. The yoga in “Vibhooti yoga” is the power that creates variety in the one undivided Ishvara.
 
So, does Shri Krishna agree to this request? We shall see next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 11

16 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in 11.2, api, avyayam, bhavaapyayau, bhootaanaam, cha, chapter 11 verse 2, hi, kamalapatraaksha, maahaatmyam, mayaa, shrutau, tvattaha, vistarashaha

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bhavaapyayau hi bhootaanaam shrutau vistarasho mayaa |
tvattaha kamalapatraaksha maahaatmyamapi chaavyayam || 2 ||
 
For, I have heard about the creation and dissolution of all beings, elaborately, from you O lotus-eyed one, and also about your imperishable glory.
 
bhavaapyayau : creation and dissolution
hi : for
bhootaanaam : all beings
shrutau : have heard
vistarashaha : elaborately
mayaa : I have
tvattaha : from you
kamalapatraaksha : O lotus-eyed
maahaatmyam : glory
api : also
cha : and
avyayam : imperishable
 
Arjuna, ever the good student, uses this shloka to summarize Shri Krishna’s teaching. He acknowledges that he has understood the essence of the teaching, which asserts Ishvara as the creator, maintainer and dissolution of the entire universe. In other words, there is no other cause of the universe besides Ishvara. He is both the raw material and the intelligence behind the universe. This “mahaatmyam” or glory was further reinforced in Arjuna’s mind by hearing the divine expressions of Ishvara from Shri Krishna.
 
However, by addressing Shri Krishna as “lotus-eyed”, Arjuna also reveals his understanding of another aspect of Ishvara. Like the lotus that does not get affected by the attributes of its pond, Ishvara does not get personally involved in the workings of the universe. He is impartial to everyone in the granting of results, liberation and bondage. He remains as the “avyayam” or imperishable foundation upon which the mechanical Prakriti projects the multitude of names and forms.
 
Now, there is a hint of dissatisfaction expressed by Arjuna in this shloka. Even though he has understood the teaching from Ishvara himself, resolved his doubts, and also learnt the techniques of karma yoga and dhyana yoga or meditation, he needs one more thing. What is that? He divulges it in the next shloka.