Category Archives: mayaa

Bhagavad Gita Verse 40, Chapter 10

11 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.40, antaha, asti, chapter 10 verse 40, divyaanaam, eshaha, mama, mayaa, na, parantapa, proktaha, tu, udyeshataha, vibhooteenaam, vibhootehe, vistaraha

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aantosti mama divyaanaam vibhooteenaam parantapa |
esha toodyeshataha prokto vibhootervistaro mayaa || 40 ||
 
There is no end to my divine expressions, O scorcher of foes. For, what has been spoken of my expressions is (just) an indicator.
 
na : no
antaha : end
asti : there is
mama : my
divyaanaam : of divine
vibhooteenaam : expressions
parantapa : O scorcher of foes
eshaha : this
tu : for
udyeshataha : indicator
proktaha : has been spoken
vibhootehe : of the expressions
vistaraha : explanations
mayaa : my
 
Shri Krishna, speaking as Ishvara, began enumerating his divine expressions in the beginning of this chapter. As we have seen so far, he has highlighted the most glorious, powerful and awe-inspiring aspects of his creation. In this shloka, he admits that it is next to impossible to list every single aspect of creation. But he also asserts that every single aspect of creation is divine, since it has sprung out of Ishvara himself.
 
So if everything is divine, why should we seek only a subset of Ishvara’s creations? It is to help us move towards liberation. We tend to be drawn towards people or objects in that universe that naturally attract our senses. If we look at them as mere people or objects, we get bound to them through attachment, which will eventually result in sorrow when we get separated from them. But if we look at them as manifestations of Ishvara, we are automatically protected from further entangling ourselves in samsaara, in the desire-oriented world.
 
Let us go back to the example of Mr. X and his shiny new car. The seed of sorrow was planted the minute he started considering that “the car is mine”. Instead, if Mr. X thinks that the car is Ishvara’s creation, he will immediately drop his sense of “mine-ness” from it. Furthermore, he realizes that the car is a temporary object and will eventually cease to exist. He also comes to know that the sense of joy he derives from buying a new car is not from the car, but it is from the presence of Ishvara inside it. So if something happens to the car, he remains unaffected and unperturbed.
 
Now having gone through the list, we find that a 21st century person like us has difficulty identifying with Puraanic glories that would have been familiar to Arjuna. How should we deal with this issue? Shri Krishna gives the answer in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 39, Chapter 10

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.39, acharam, aham, api, arjuna, asti, beejam, bhootam, cha, chapter 10 verse 39, chara, mayaa, na, sarvabhootaanaam, syaat, tat, vinaa, yat

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yatchaapi sarvabhootaanaam beejam tadahamarjuna |
na tadasti vinaa yatsyaanmayaa bhootam charaacharam || 39 ||
 
And O Arjuna, whatsoever is the seed of all beings, I am that. No moving or non-moving being can exist without me.
 
yat : whatsoever
cha : and
api : also
sarvabhootaanaam : all beings
beejam : seed
tat : that
aham : I am
arjuna : Arjuna
na : it is not
tat : that
asti : there is
vinaa : without
yat: which
syaat : can exist
mayaa : me
bhootam : being
chara : moving
acharam : non-moving
 
Now Shri Krishna begins to conclude the teaching of this chapter. Having provided a long list of Ishvara’s divine expressions, he now gives us a simple formula to recognize him. He says that whatever we come across in the world, whether it is a living or a non-living entity, or whether it is moving or stationary, it has arisen from the seed that is Ishvara. In other words, Ishvara is the cause or the seed of everything in this universe.
 
One way of understanding this is as follows. When we refer to an object, let’s say it’s a book, we say : “This is a book”. There are two aspects pointed out here. First is the book, which is quite obvious. But we also use the word “is” to indicate that the book exists, that the book is visible, and it will be visible to someone else. Shri Krishna says that the very existence of the book, the “is-ness” of the book, is nothing but Ishvara.
 
In other words, this entire universe will not exist without Ishvara. All of the names and forms in the universe use Ishvara are their basis. If we comprehend this, and develop our vision based on this knowledge, we will automatically see Ishvara everywhere, just like we automatically “see” electricity in every electrical gadget.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 10

17 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.17, aham, asi, bhaaveshu, bhagavan, cha, chapter 10 verse 17, chintyaha, katham, keshu, mayaa, parichintayan, sadaa, tvaam, vidyaam, yogin

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katham vidyaamaham yogimstvaam sadaa parichintayan |
keshu keshu cha bhaaveshu chintyosi bhagavanmayaa || 17 ||
 
O Yogin, how shall I know you by remaining constantly engrossed in meditation? And O Lord, by which expressions are you to be meditated upon by me?
 
katham : how
vidyaam : shall know
aham : I
yogin : O yogin
tvaam : your
sadaa : constantly
parichintayan : engrossed in meditation
keshu : by which
cha : and
bhaaveshu : expressions
chintyaha : meditated upon
asi : can
bhagavan : O lord
mayaa : by me
 
Arjuna, having heard just a sample of Ishvara’s expressions, was not satisfied with what he had heard. He wanted to know the technique by which he could constantly be reminded of Ishvara, and consequently, remain established in the contemplation of Ishvara. That is why in this shloka, Arjuna asked Shri Krishna to reveal more of his expressions.
 
When we wake up in the morning, we probably get five to ten minutes, at most, of a calm mind. Then, when our daily routine starts, our mind takes over and we are pulled into a rollercoaster ride of worry and sorrow. In the midst of all this it is difficult to bring in a divine thought for a minute, let alone contemplate on Ishvara constantly. Addressing Shri Krishna as Yogin, one who has the power of sovereignty, Arjuna asked him for a solution to overcome this predicament.
 
Furthermore, if we were told once that Ishvara is the cause of everything, and we are able to hold on to that fact, we need not have to worry about forgetting Ishvara. But because of our conditioning that has built up over a long period of time, and because of our ego – our sense that “I do everything” – is so strong, we need more support to counter that conditioning. We need a step-by-step approach, a list of Ishvara’s expressions, just like kids have to be told that a TV, a radio, a computer, all operate using electricity.
 
Now, if such a list of Ishvara’s expressions is needed, it cannot be terse and brief. It needs to be detailed. This is what Arjuna requests in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 9

05 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.19, adhyakshena, anena, chapter 9 verse 10, hetu, jagat, kaunteya, mayaa, prakritihi, sacharaacharam, sooyate, viparivartate

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mayaadhyakshena prakritihi sooyate sacharaacharam |
hetunaanena kaunteya jagadviparivartate || 10 ||
 
Under my supervision, Prakriti generates this universe of moving and motionless (beings). With that purpose, O Kaunteya, the universe revolves.
 
mayaa : my
adhyakshena : supervision
prakritihi : Prakriti
sooyate : generates
sacharaacharam : moving and motionless universe
hetu : purpose
anena : in this manner
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
jagat : universe
viparivartate : revolves
 
Shri Krishna concludes the topic of Prakriti and its mechanisms by re-asserting that Prakriti is subservient to Ishvara. He describes Ishvara as the supervisor, the “adhyaksha”. He says that Ishvara does not physically have to “do” anything in order to create, sustain and dissolve the universe. Ishvara’s mere presence enables Prakriti to function, just like electricity enables a television to function. Without his presence, Prakriti remains inert and is incapable of doing anything whatsoever.
 
From Ishvara’s standpoint, there is no notion of “doing work” or “obtaining the result”; he knows that ultimately it is Prakriti that runs the show, and therefore he remains detached. He is like the owner of a theatre that has employed a magician to perform a show. The owner is unconcerned whether the magician cuts a woman in half with a saw, or pulls a rabbit out of a hat.
 
Let us now look at the practical implication this shloka. If we substitute the word Ishvara in the previous statement with the word “jeeva” or individual, we come to the same conclusion from the previous chapters on karma yoga. Only through disassociation with the notion that “I am the doer” and “I obtain the result” can we truly be liberated from the cycle of creation and dissolution.
 
The key question is : who controls whom? If we let Prakriti control us, if we let our lower nature drag us towards sense pleasure, we can never be liberated. We should re-assert our control of our lower self through our higher self.
 
Furthermore, Shri Krishna also gives us a technique to deal with life’s ups and downs with this shloka. Whenever we encounter a sorrowful or hurtful situation, all we need to do is to know that (a) we have obtained this situation through our own actions and (b) it is yet another name and form that Prakriti has created.
 
Once we know that something is a name and form, we will immediately know that it is Prakriti’s handiwork, just like we know that something is an April fool’s joke or a magician’s trick. This will enable us to pierce through Prakriti’s pranks and to know that Ishvara the supervisor is behind everything.
 
So then, Shri Krishna has explained to us “how the universe revolves”, in other words, how the magic trick works. This is how we should develop our vision of the world. However, instead of trying to see Ishvara behind everything, many people still try to box Ishvara into a finite concept. More on this is taken up in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 9

30 Monday Jul 2012

Posted by in 9.4, aham, avasthitaha, avyakta, bhootaani, cha, chapter 9 verse 4, idam, jagat, matsthaani, mayaa, moortinaa, na, sarva, sarvam, tatam, teshu

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mayaa tatamidam sarvam jagadavyaktamoortinaa |
matsthaani sarva bhootaani na chaaham teshvavasthitaha || 4 ||
 
This entire universe is pervaded by my unmanifest state. All beings are based in me, I am not based in them.
 
mayaa : my
tatam : pervaded
idam : this
sarvam : entire
jagat : universe
avyakta : unmanifest
moortinaa : state
matsthaani : based in me
sarva : all
bhootaani : beings
na : not
cha : and
aham : I
teshu : in them
avasthitaha : based
 
This shloka and the next are the crux of the teaching in this chapter. Shri Krishna makes three core points: that the entire universe is pervaded by his unmanifest state, that all beings are based in him, and that he is not based in them. Let us first take a step back to understand the context of this teaching before we delve into these three points.
 
The eighth chapter described meditative techniques that we had to follow throughout our lives in order to attain Ishvara, so that we can be liberated from the cycle of creation and dissolution. Now, Shri Krishna reveals a secret that will enable us to immediately gain access to Ishvara 24/7. And unlike other techniques described so far, we do not have to do any action. We just have to know.
 
What is this secret knowledge? Let us start with the first point. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara is present in every living and non-living being within this universe. If that’s the case, then we do not need to put in any extra effort. Once we train ourselves to view Ishvara in everything, we will gain access to him 24/7. We will not need to do any extra physical or mental activity to make that happen. But if it were that simple, why cannot we put it into practice immediately? It is because we have been preconditioned since time immemorial to see everything but Ishvara. Removing this preconditioning is the topic of the Gita.
 
The second point made by Shri Krishna is that all beings are based in him. Let us bring up the example of the ocean and the waves to understand this point. A five year old girl sitting on the beach will look at the waves, the foam and the ripples and conclude that they are independent things. But her mother knows that all of those shapes are created because of the ocean. Also, the girl who has to inquire about where these shapes come from. The mother does not have to do anything. She just knows that everything is nothing but water in the ocean. So the mother will tell her, “that’s just the ocean”.
 
Now, let’s say the girl sees a ripple in a lake instead of the ocean. She points to it and says “that’s the ocean”. The mother will now enhance her statement slightly by saying “that is not the ocean, that is a ripple. It is just a shape taken by water, which is in the ocean and in the lake”. Water is an abstract concept which a child slowly learns by example.
 
Similarly, we may begin to think that Ishvara is resident in an idol, or a saint, or a holy place. Like the ripple, they are names and forms. Even Arjuna would have found it hard to believe that Shri Krishna, who is in front of him, can pervade the entire universe. So therefore, Shri Krishna says that no visible entity can ever contain Ishvara who is beyond name and form. The true nature of Ishvara is formless. This is the third point in this shloka.
 
Still, a question remains. Just like we still see waves in the ocean even after knowing that they are water, we still come across thousands of names and forms everyday. Many of those names and forms are people that we interact with, speak with, work with and so on. Aren’t those people “real”? How do we reconcile this? Shri Krishna addresses this confusion in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 7

18 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.22, araadhanam, cha, chapter 7 verse 22, eehate, eva, hi, kaamaan, labhate, mayaa, saha, shraddhayaa, taan, tasya, tataha, tayaa, vihitaan, yuktaha

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sa tayaa shraddhayaa yuktastasyaaraadhanameehate |
labhate cha tataha kaamaanmayaiva vihitaanhi taan || 22 ||
 
Engaged with faith, that person worships that (deity) and his desire is fulfilled, but that (desire fulfillment) is delivered only through me.
 
saha : that person
tayaa : that
shraddhayaa : with faith
yuktaha : engaged
tasya : that (deity)
araadhanam : worship
eehate : performs
labhate : fulfilled
cha : and
tataha : his
kaamaan : desire
mayaa : through me
eva : only
vihitaan : delivered
hi : but
taan : that (desire fulfillment)
 
When someone chooses to pursue a finite or a worldly goal, they run towards a finite deity instead of going towards Ishvara. We saw this in the previous shlokas. Shri Krishna continues that point here by saying that Ishvara does not object when devotee seeks a finite goal from a finite deity. In fact, he strengthens that devotee’s faith by delivering what the devotee asks of the deity.
 
Faith is a process that most of us do not fully comprehend. But it is a reality. Even in the medical profession, placebos or pills made of inactive ingredients such as sugar are known to cure patients by sheer power of faith.
 
So Shri Krishna says that even if a devotee approaches a deity with a finite goal, Ishvara is ready to deliver that goal as long as the devotee’s faith in the deity is strong. By fulfilling finite desires through the lower deities, Ishvara hopes that the devotee will learn to further subdue his ego. One cannot have an increase in faith without a decrease in ego.
 
As desires are sought with greater and greater faith, and the corresponding desires are fulfilled, the devotee’s faith increases. This process has the potential to result in the spiritual evolution of that devotee. He will evolve from seeking finite goals to seeking the infinite – Ishvara himself.
 
This is the ideal state, but it is totally up to the devotee to make that transition. Unfortunately, most devotees get stuck in the pursuit of finite goals, as we shall see in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 4

03 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in 4.13, akartaaram, api, avyayam, chaatur, guna, karma, kartaaram, maam, mayaa, srishtam, tasya, varnyam, vibhaagashaha, viddhi

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chaaturvarnyam mayaa srishtam gunakarmavibhaagashaha |
tasya kartaaramapi maam viddhyakartaaramavyayam || 13 ||

Four classes have been created by me, based on the division of guna and action. Even though I created them, know me as the non-doer and imperishable.

chaatur : four
varnyam : classes
mayaa : by me
srishtam : created
guna : guna
karma : action
vibhaagashaha : division
tasya : that
kartaaram : being the doer
api : even though
maam : me
viddhi : know
akartaaram : non-doer
avyayam : imperishable

Earlier, Shri Krishna mentioned that humans cannot avoid action at any cost. So how can we achieve liberation from bondage while still performing action? To that end, Shri Krishna advises us to act per our svadharma. By efficiently performing svadharma, we can liberate ourselves while performing actions. This is the “why” of karmayoga.

Knowing that one should perform one’s svadharma or duty in this world is core to karmayoga. But how does one know what is one’s svadharma? Shri Krishna addresses this point briefly in this shloka. He says that human beings are categorized into four classes or varnaas. These classes are based on the 3 gunaas, and the corresponding action that each guna prompts us to do.

The three gunas and their corresponding actions are as follows. Rajas is expressed as as activity or agitation. Tamas is expressed as lethargy or laziness. Sattva is expressed as knowledge and peace. So we have to perform self-analysis in order to understand how the gunaas behave within us and in what proportion to each other.

We will find that we will fall into one of these four categories. A brahmana who is predisposed to gaining knowledge, faith, sharing knowledge will usually have a prominence of sattva. A kshatriya who demonstrates courage, likes to organize and protect people, face challenges, take risks, try new things will have a prominence of sattva and rajas. A vaishya who likes to be creative and produce something will have a prominence of rajas and tamas. A shudra who likes to execute tasks but requires a lot of motivation will have prominence of tamas.

As we can tell, this shloka was heavily misinterpreted to support the incorrect notion that varna is determined by birth. There is no such thing. Just like we have career counselling in modern times, the Gita offered a scientific manner of selecting a career that is suitable for oneself both from a practical perspective, and also from a karma yoga perspective.

In the second part of the shloka, Shri Krishna reminds us that although he has set up this classification of varnaa, he is not the doer even in this act. It is maayaa alone that is acting in this world, whereas he is only the witness to its actions. We can think of ourselves as playing different parts in a cosmic play. Each part is different based on our svadharma.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 4

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in 4.3, aam, adya, asi, bhaktah, cha, chapter 4 verse 3, etat, eva, hi, iti, mayaa, me, proktah, puraatanaha, sah, sakhaa, tahasyam, te, uttamam, yogah

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sa evaayam mayaa te dya yogah proktah puraatanaha |
bhaktosi me sakhaa cheti rahasyam hyetaduttamam || 3 ||

That same ancient yoga I have taught you now, for you are my devotee and my friend. This (yoga) is the ultimate secret.

sah : that
eva : same
ayam : this
mayaa : I have
te : to you
adya : now
yogah : yoga
proktah : taught
puraatanaha : ancient
bhaktah : devotee
asi : you are
me : my
sakhaa : friend
cha: and
iti : that is why
rahasyam : secret
hi : because
etat : this
uttamam : ultimate

Shri Krishna very affectionately tells Arjuna that he regards him as a devotee and a friend, and finds him fit and capable to receive this supreme knowledge. Arjuna was of course quite happy to receive it, but why was he chosen? Let us investigate this point further.

Whoever received this knowledge needed to be capable of communicating it to others. It was not enough that this person was wise. Shri Krishna also needed a capable evangelist, one who had a mix of sattva and rajas, in order to both understand and spread this knowledge. A brahmana is predominantly saattvic by nature, and may not have been able to communicate and establish this knowledge in the world. Therefore Shri Krishna revealed this knowledge to Arjuna, the ultimate kshatriya warrior.

Moreover, Arjuna was Shri Krishna’s devotee and friend. He had the best rapport with Shri Krishna, as well as profound reverence for him. So much so that Arjuna confided his fears to him in the first chapter, something that a kshatriya would hesitate to do. Arjuna also had the courage to ask any doubts without any fear of reprimand, and in doing so get a clear understanding of the teaching.

Many commentators believe that the 108 shlokas starting from shloka 11 of chapter 2 to this shloka comprise the entire message of the Gita. They say that Shri Krishna essentially completed the entire teaching and stopped speaking, having provided the paramparaa as the conclusion. The remainder of the Gita is an exposition of the teachings packed into these 108 shlokas. And it is Arjuna who helps us dig deeper into these teachings with his well-timed and thoughtful questions, like the one we will see in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 3

11 Sunday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.3, anagha, asmin, chapter 3 verse 3, dvividhaa, jnyaanayoga, karmayoga, loke, mayaa, naam, nishthaa, proktaa, puraa, saankhyaa, yogi

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Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
lokesmindvividhaa nishthaa puraa proktaa mayaanagha |
jnyaanayogena saankhyaanaam karmayogena yoginaam || 3 ||

Shri Bhagavaan said:
In this world, since time immemorial, I have created a two-fold path, O sinless one; the yoga of knowledge for contemplative individuals, and the yoga of action for yogis.

loke : world
asmin : this
dvividhaa : two-fold
nishthaa : path
puraa : since time immemorial
proktaa : spoken
mayaa : by me
anagha : O sinless one
jnyaanayogena : the yoga of knowledge
saankhyaanaam : for contemplative individuals
karmayogena : the yoga of action
yoginaam : for yogis

Earlier, we saw that Arjuna wanted to know which of the two paths, i.e. the yoga of action and the yoga of knowledge, is superior. Shri Krishna addresses that question here. According to him, none of the two is either superior or inferior.

Sant Jnyaneshwar provides an example to show that none of these paths are superior or inferior: like a west-flowing river and an east-flowing river that both meet the same ocean, both paths are same.

Now, even thought the paths are complementary, there is a subtle difference between them. Let us explore this difference. Consider a child who is in the first grade. Even if he wants to, he cannot jump straight to a masters degree. He would have to finish high school, then college, and only then will he be ready for his masters degree.

In the same way, most of us are at a stage in life where we are active and want to make a contribution to the world. For such yogis or active individuals, the path of action is the most appropriate. Once we reach a stage where we exhaust all of our desires, we can transcend the path of action to pursue the path of knowledge, just like we transcend college education to pursue our masters degree.

I used to know a classmate from school that was a math prodigy. He could solve advanced calculus equations in sixth grade. The teachers used to check with him whether they were teaching sixth grade math correctly, such was his prowess. He did not need to go through elementary math, he was ready for his math PhD even at that young age.

Similarly, there are a few rare individuals who are at an advanced stage of their spiritual journey. They have eliminated most of their desires. Only such rare contemplative individuals can directly pursue the path of knowledge. For most of us, the path of action is the way to go. And karmayoga, or the path of action, is the main subject covered in this chapter.

On a different note, we see that Shri Krishna is hinting that he is something more that the cowherd son of Vasudeva here. We know this because he mentions that he himself has created this two-fold path for realizing the eternal essence. This has not slipped past Arjuna, he will ask this question at the right time.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21-22, Chapter 1

02 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by in achyuta, asmin, avasthitaan, chapter 1 verse 21-22, etaan, kaamaan, kaiha, mayaa, nireeksheham, rama, ratham, saha, samudyame, sthaapaya, yaavat, yoddhu, yodhdhavyam

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Arjuna uvaacha
senyorubhyormadhye ratham sthaapaya mechyuta | 21 |

yaavadetaannireeksheham yoddhukaamaanvasthitaan |
kairmayaa saha yodhdhavyamasminranasamudyame || 22 || 

Arjuna said: O infallible one, in preparation for combat, position my chariot between the two armies till I have surveyed those battle-hungry warriors with whom I have to fight.
 
senyor-ubhyor-madhye : between both armies
ratham : chariot
sthaapaya : place
achyuta : infallible
yaavat:  till I
etaan : those warriors
nireeksheham : I can observe/survey
yoddhu-kaamaan-avasthitaan : organized for battle
kaiha-mayaa : whom I have to
saha : with
yodhdhavyam : fight
asmin rana-samudyame : in preparation for combat
 
And so begins the conversation between Arjuna and Shri Krishna. At this point, Arjuna was firmly in control of the situation, and like any determined warrior, he commanded his charioteer to carry out his instructions.
 
Similar to the analysis of Duryodhana’s emotional state from the previous verses, let us analyze Arjuna’s state. Here, it is clear that he was charged up for war, his warrior instincts had kicked into high gear, and he was bursting with self-confidence.
 
Another point to consider here is how much, like Arjuna, we rely on our sense organs to deliver the right information to our brain so that we can take the right decision and carry out the necessary action that a situation demands. Our sense organs comprise our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. Any information that we process must necessarily come from one of these organs. Arjuna was located at some distance from the opposing army, so he knew that he needed to get a better look at the opposing army, and therefore have all the information he needs to make his battle plans.
 
Sense organs and understanding how they function is a topic that will be discussed at great length in the rest of the Gita.