Category Archives: na

Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 4

12 Sunday Feb 2012

Posted by in 4.22, api, asiddhau, ateetaha, cha, chapter 4 verse 22, dvandva, kritvaa, laabha, matsaraha, na, nibhadyate, samaha, santushtah, siddhau, vi, yadriccha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 4

yadricchaalaabhasantushto dvandvaateeto vimatsaraha |
samaha sidhhavasidhhau cha kritvaapi na nibhadyate || 22 ||

Content in whatever comes of its own accord, transcending duality, free from envy, balanced in success and in failure, (he) is not bound even when performing actions.

yadricchaa-laabha-santushtaha : content in what comes of its own accord
dvandva-ateetaha : transcending duality
vimatsaraha : free from envy
samaha : balanced
sidhhau : in success
asidhhau : in failure
cha : and
kritvaa : performing actions
api : even when
na : not
nibhadyate : bound

While progressing in our project, we may encounter several situations, some of which we expected and some that we did not. Shri Krishna guides us on how to deal with these situations in this shloka.

By definition, karma yoga inspires us to work relentlessly. The output of our project may be sometimes favourable, and sometimes not. The follower of karma yoga knows that he is one of the many variables that determine the output of his work, and is therefore content with whatever comes his way. He does not let unfavourable outcomes impact his level of work. This is the “prasaada buddhi” that we say earlier.

Favourable and unfavourable, success and failure, heat and cold, praise and criticism – this is duality. It arises because our minds tends to label one aspect of nature as positive, and reject the other as negative. But the follower of karma yoga knows that nothing is absolutely good or bad. It is all part of Ishvaraa and therefore remains equanimous. This is nothing but “samatva buddhi”.

Our mind has a natural tendency to compare ourselves with others like us. If it perceives us “better” than others, it generates pride. If it perceives us “inferior” to others, it generates envy. The follower of karma yoga knows that ultimately we are all part of the same higher ideal – Ishvaraa. Any envy generated in the mind only strengthens the ego. So he never lets envy distract him  from his work. It is a quality that he does not encourage.

So the refrain here is that such a follower of karma yoga will continue to perform actions in this world, yet remain unattached because he never lets external situations destabilize his equanimity.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 4

10 Friday Feb 2012

Posted by in 4.20, abhipravrittaha, api, eva, karmani, karmaphalaasanga, karoti, kinchit, na, niraashrayaha, nityatriptah, saha, tyaktvaa, verse 20 chapter 3

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 4

tyaktvaa karmaphalaasanga nityatripto niraashrayaha |
karmanyabhipravrittopi naiva kinchitkaroti saha || 20 ||

Having given up attachment to the result of action, always content and depending on nothing, he never does anything, though engaged in action.

tyaktvaa : having given up
karma-phala-asanga : attachment to result of action
nityatriptah : always content
niraashrayaha : depending on nothing
karmani : in action
abhipravrittaha : engaged in action
api : even when
na : not
eva : ever
kinchit : any
karoti : do
saha : he

“When this project ends, will it give me everlasting happiness?” is the question that we ask, explictly or implicitly, whenever we commence any new endevour. In this shloka, Shri Krishna says that everlasting happiness and contentment is a natural byproduct of karma yoga itself, not of any one particular project. Contentment becomes part of our personality. The word used to describe this state is “nityatriptah”.

As we grow up, we are programmed and conditioned by the world to believe that happiness is something that is outside of us. This conditioning goes deep inside our psyche and causes us to run after a better job, more money, a bigger house and so on. Now, it is absolutely alright to pursue growth while performing one’s svadharma. Wealth follows naturally if one follows svadharma sincerely. But constant seeking of happiness from external objects makes us slavishly dependent upon the world.

What is so wrong about this seemingly normal tendency to look outside oneself for happiness? Because any happiness gained from the world will be finite and temporary. But Shri Krishna says here that if one dependent on the eternal essence instead, he becomes ever content. As the second chapter says: “naabhaavo vidyate sataha”. The self is infinite and eternal.

Through karmayoga, we lose our attachment to the results of our actions. In doing so, we become less dependent on external world for happiness. Shri Krishna asks us to use our discrimination to examine the source of our happiness. We should train our mind to check daily whether we have gone outside ourselves to search for happiness, or is it coming from within.

Furthermore, if we are attached to the result of our action, we generate a expectation for the future. Which means that we identify ourselves with the process of time, which is also a part of prakriti. Identification with time accumulates karma or negative reaction from the universe.

So therefore, one who does not create expectation of a result in the future does not accumulate karma. This is what is meant by the phrase “never does anything” in the shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 4

04 Saturday Feb 2012

Posted by in 4.14, abhijaanaati, badhyate, chapter 4 verse 14, iti, karmaani, karmabhih, karmaphale, limpanti, ma, maam, na, na sah, spruhaa, yo

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 4

na maam karmaani limpanti na ma karmaphale spruhaa |
iti maam yo bhijaanaati karmabhirna sa badhyate || 14 ||

Actions do not stain me, nor do I covet fruits of action. One who knows me in this manner is never bound by actions.

na : do not
maam : me
karmaani : action
limpanti : stain
na : not
ma : I
karmaphale : fruits of action
spruhaa : covet
iti : in this manner
maam : me
yo : one who
abhijaanaati : knows in essence
karmabhih : with actions
na : not
sah : he
badhyate : bound

So far, Shri Krishna clarified and elaborated upon key topics within karmayoga. First he gave the paramparaa or tradition of the teaching. He then revealed his nature as Ishvaraa, and explained the method by which he manifests as an avataara. Finally, he explained how he responds in the exact manner that one approaches him.

As we get further into karmayoga, we slowly begin to lost our attachment to the fruits of our action, which is the first stage in karmayoga. In this chapter, Shri Krishna urges us to move to the next stage in this journey where we begin to lose the notion of doership.To highlight this point, Shri Krishna says that as Ishvaraa, even he knows that actions are happening in prakriti, and therefore he is not the doer of those actions, but he is beyond all action. He puts this poetically by saying that actions do not “stain” him.

Why is Ishvara beyond all action? At its core, any action happens when there is an imbalance or vacuum. Wind travels from high pressure areas to low pressure areas. Electric current moves when there is a difference in voltage. The mind creates a thought because of our vaasanaas. But Ishvara is all-complete and self-sufficient. Therefore, he does not need to act. He is only a witness.

If there is a reflection of the sun in a pond, and if dirt is thrown on the pond, the sun is not stained by that dirt. Similarly, since actions are performed by prakriti, there is no impact to Ishvaraa. In this and other shlokas of this chapter, Shri Krishna reminds us that just like he knows that he is not the doer or enjoyer of actions, so should we have the exact same conviction.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 4

30 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in 4.9, arjuna, cha, chapter 4 verse 9, deham, divyam, eti, evam, janma, karma, me, na, punah, sah, tattvataha, tyaktvaa, vetti, yah

≈ 1 Comment

janma karma cha me divyamevam yo vetti tattvataha |
tyaktvaa deham punarjanma naiti maameti sorjuna || 9 ||

My birth and action are divine. One who knows this in essence, having given up the body, is not born again; he obtains me, O Arjuna.

janma : birth
karma : action
cha : and
me : my
divyam : divine
evam : in this way
yah : one who
vetti : knows
tattvataha : in essence
tyaktvaa : give up
deham : body
punah, janma : rebirth
na : does not
eti : obtain
maam : me
eti : obtain
sah : he
arjuna : O Arjuna

In the last two shlokas, Shri Krishna gave the reason for his avataara. Now the question arises: how does this knowledge help the spiritual seeker? He says that once we understand the secret of Ishvaraa’s birth and action, we will understand the secret of our action as well.

What is the secret of Ishvaraa’s birth and action? It looks to us that Ishvaraa is born, and that Ishvaraa performs action. But that is not the case. Through the power of Ishvaraa’s Maaya, it only looks like Ishvaraa takes birth and performs action. It is just an illusion. As we have seen earlier, the eternal essence does not perform action, only prakriti – also called maaya – performs action.

Now, the jeeva within us is identified with the body, mind and intellect. Its birth is based on past karmaas. It performs karmaas with a sense of doership. In other words, it thinks that it is performing actions. But from the standpoint of the eternal essence, there is no doership or enjoyership. It is prakriti alone that acts. Just like Ishvaraa does not perform action, the jeeva also does not perform action. The jeeva is one with Ishvaraa.

So therefore, one who truly and completely understands this point will drop identification with his body, and begin identifying with the eternal essence. That is what is meant by the phrase “deham tvaktvaa”: the jeeva has stopped identification of the body.

Here, academic knowledge is not enough. We need a first-hand understanding that prakriti performs actions and not the eternal essence. That first-hand understanding can only be gained through meditation, which is explained later in the Gita.

A simple way to understand the teaching so far is as follows. The individual jeeva is like a wave in the ocean. Ishvaraa is like the ocean. The eternal essence or brahman is water. Once the wave realizes that it is the same water as Ishvaraa, it is free from the limitations of its tiny form.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 4

26 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by in 4.5, aham, arjuna, bahooni, cha, chapter 5 verse 4, janmaani, me, na, parantapa, sarvaani, taani, tava, tvam, veda, vettha, vyateetaani

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 4

Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
bahooni me vyateetaani janmaani tava chaarjuna |
taanyaham veda sarvaani na tvam vettha parantapa || 5 ||

Shree Bhagavaan said:
You and I have have undergone many births, O Arjuna. I know all of those (births), but you do not know them, O scorcher-of-foes.

bahooni : many
me : mine
vyateetaani : have happened
janmaani : births
tava : your
cha : and
arjuna : Arjuna
taani : those
aham : I
veda : know
sarvaani : all of them
na : do not
tvam : you
vettha : know
parantapa : scorcher-of-foes

In this shloka, Shri Krishna begins to reveal his divine nature to Arjuna. Previously, Arjuna raised a doubt as to how did Shri Krishna convey the Gita teaching to the sun. Shri Krishna responds by pointing out the similarity as well as the difference between his birth and Arjuna’s birth. The similarity is that both Arjuna and Shri Krishna have taken many births in the past.

However, the difference is that Shri Krishna had the knowledge and memory of all his prior births, whereas Arjuna did not. Normally, human beings have such strong identification with their body that it restricts their ability to remember what occurred in another body. We even tend to forget events associated with our own body with the passage of time, including simple things like where we kept our keys in the morning.

So if Shri Krishna could recall what happened in all his births, he did not have any identification to his body, and therefore he is not restricted by its limitations. He was speaking as an enlightened being who realized the eternal essence and has dropped identification with his body. But there is more to Shri Krishna than just this aspect. He will reveal more in the next shloka.

Footnotes
1. How does the Gita treat the topic of rebirth? Our vaasanaas force us to take a birth in a body. If we chose to use the birth to exhaust those vaasanaas, then the cycle of rebirth is broken. But if we chose to use the birth to accumulate more vaasanaas, then we will be forced to take another birth to exhause the newly acquired vaasanaas. Only by cleansing our vaasanaas can we break the cycle of rebirth or “samsaara”.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 3

11 Wednesday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.34, aagacchet, arthe, asya, chapter 3 verse 34, dveshau, hi, indriyasya, na, paripanthinau, raaga, tau, tayoh, vasham, vyavasthitau

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 3

indriyasyendriyasyaarthe raagadveshau vyavasthitau |
tayorna vashamaagacchettau hyaasya paripanthinau || 34 ||

Likes and dislikes for sense objects reside in the senses. One should not come under their sway, for they are highway robbers.

indriyasya : in the sense organs
indriyasya : in each and every
arthe : for the sense objects
raaga-dveshau : like and dislike
vyavasthitau : lie, reside, situated
tayoh : both
na : should not
vasham : under their control
aagacchet : one should not come
tau : both of them
hi : for
asya : in this
paripanthinau : highway robbers

Having explained that our inherent tendencies are the biggest obstacle in karmayoga, Shri Krishna points out their precise location. He says that the tendencies manifest as likes and dislikes for material objects. These tendencies reside in our senses: the eyes, ears, skin, tongue and nose.

First let’s look at likes and dislikes. The only way we can truly understand the shape of our inherent tendencies is through a deep examination of our likes and dislikes. Every human being harbours likes and dislikes. It is so strange that two children having grown up in the exact same home and family environment reveal such different likes and dislikes, even as toddlers.

So where are the likes and dislikes stored? They reside in our sense organs. The tongue is attracted to the taste of fries, and is repelled by the taste of spinach. The eye likes a certain kind of form and is repelled by another and so on. In his commentary on the Gita, Sant Jnyaneshwar compares the sense organs to dangerous animals and asks : does one befriend a snake, or maintain the company of tigers?

So therefore, what is the solution? We should not come under the sway of likes and dislikes by being aware of them especially when they strike, by using our intellect to guide us, and by continually reminding ourself of the higher ideal we have set for ourselves in karmayoga. We should not let them create a roadblock in our path. Like an elephant that moves on its path even though dogs bark at it, we should keep likes and dislikes at bay and never lose sight of our path and goal.

The first chapter of the Gita provides the best example for this shloka. Arjuna loved warfare, but he did not like the Mahabhaarata war simply because his relatives were on the other side. Shri Krishna, representing the intellect, guided him towards the right path. Another example is when a doctor prescribes us bitter medicine – we may not like but we take it nevertheless.

Shri Krishna compares likes and dislikes to highway robbers who target travellers that are unprepared and not alert. The robbers will come out of nowhere, and distract travellers from their path. Similarly, the likes make us run towards them and dislikes make us run away, but ultimately both take us away from our path. By being constantly alert that likes and dislikes can arise, we can reduce their influence.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 32, Chapter 3

09 Monday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.32, abhyasooyantah, achetasaha, anutishtanti, chapter 3 verse 32, etad, matam, me, na, nashtaan, sarvajnyaana, taan, tu, viddhi, vimoodhaan, ye

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 32, Chapter 3

ye tvetadabhyasooyanto naanutishthanti me matam |
sarvajnyaanavimoodhaamstaanviddhi nashtaanachetasaha || 32 ||

But those who object to this teaching and do not follow it, they are confused in all of their knowledge. Know those people who are devoid of discrimination to be ruined.

ye : those
tu : but
etad : this
abhyasooyantah : with objection
na : do not
anutishthanti : follow
me : my
matam : teaching
sarvajnyaana : in all knowledge
vimoodhaan : confused
taan : those
viddhi : know
nashtaan : to be ruined
achetasaha : devoid of discrimination

Shri Krishna urged us to resolve all our objections to the teaching so that we may be able to incorporate it into our lives. But even if we overcome our philosophical objections, most of us will still find it difficult to follow the practice of karmayoga. Shri Krishna therefore begins to explain what prevents us from adopting karmayoga, and consequently, how should we tackle those obstacles.

The primary obstacle to karmayoga are our vaasanaas. Once a person is under the influence of vaasanaas, their actions will be prompted by selfish motives. These motives are expressed as negative emotions such as jealousy: “I will do things to make others jealous”, or out of anger: “I will destroy this person”, or greed: “I will earn so much even if it means I compromise on ethics”. Some people even pass on negative motives to their children, e.g. “I was not able to destroy this family, so you go ahead and do it, my son”.

Now, when we dwell in negative emotions such as jealousy, anger, greed etc., our intellect knows that what we are doing is wrong. But since our vaasanaas have overpowered the intellect, it does not function and so we follow a wrong path. We are then ruined because we are going against the laws of nature. What would happen if we disregarded the law of gravity? We would perish. A similar fate exists if we do not pursue karmayoga.

So the question is : how exactly do vaasanaas cause us not follow karmayoga? Shri Krishna covers this topic next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 28, Chapter 3

05 Thursday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.28, chapter 3 verse 28, guna, gunesh, iti, karma, mahaabaaho, matvaa, na, sajjate, tattvavit, tu, vartanta, vibhagayoh

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 28, Chapter 3

tattvavittu mahaabaaho gunakarmavibhaagayoh |
gunaa guneshu vartanta iti matvaa na sajjate || 28 ||

But he who knows the truth, O mighty-armed, about the divisions of gunaas as well as their functions, recognizes the interplay of gunaas (everywhere). Having known this, he does not get attached.

tattvavit : knower of truth
tu : but
mahaabaaho : O mighty-armed
gunaa : gunas
karma : functions
vibhaagayoh : distinction
gunaa : gunas
guneshu : in gunas
vartanta : act
iti : this
matvaa : having known
na : does not
sajjate : get attached

Previously, we learned about the ignorant individual who is deluded by the notion that he is the doer. But then, what does the wise person know that the ignorant one does not? Shri Krishna explains that point here.

The wise person is termed a “tattva-vit” – one who knows the truth – by Shri Krishna. The truth, as we saw earlier, is that all actions in this world are performed by prakiriti. And prakriti is comprised of the three gunaas and their respective functions, termed in this shloka as “guna-karma-vibhaaga”. But how exactly do we know that prakriti causes the actions, not the “I”?

Our sense organs are like agents that send messages to the mind when they perceive an object. For instance, if you hold a rose in your hand, the eyes, skin and nose send different signals to the mind. The mind creates a holistic picture from all those signals – “this is a red rose” – and sends it to the intellect. The intellect analyzes that information and makes a decision – “buy this rose”, having consulted its memory of past experiences with roses.

This means that perception, thinking, decision-making – all these functions are part of prakriti, operating based on laws set by prakriti. The “I” is the eternal essence, different from prakriti.

So therefore, if one knows that he is not the doer, and that things are happening of their own accord, he does not get attached to anything in this world. He becomes a witness or a “saakshi”, just like someone watching a play does not get attached to one actor or another. Another example is the process of digestion. We are not attached to it because we know that we are not the doer in that instance. The notion that everything is an interplay of gunaas may seem abstract and theoretical. One can only gain a first-hand experience of this truth in deep stages of meditation.

This teaching is beneficial in our day-to-day lives as well. If we contemplate on this teaching, it has the effect of thinning our ego. Once that happens, it makes us very humble and reduces several negative emotions like fear, anger, stress and so on. Now, we may fear that this teaching makes us lackadaisical. On the contrary, it makes thinking clear and actions more efficient by getting rid of negative emotions that drain our mental energy.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 3

03 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.26, ajnyaanaam, bhedam, buddhi, chapter 3 verse 26, janayet, joshayet, karmasanginaam, na, samacharan, sarvakarmaani, vidvaan

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 3

na buddhibhedam janayedajnyaanaam karmasanginaam |
joshayetsarvakarmaani vidvaanyuktaha samacharan || 26 ||

No wise individual should create confusion in the minds of ignorant people who are attached to action. He should engage them in all actions, himself performing them diligently.

na : not to
buddhi : mind
bhedam : confusion
janayet : create
ajnyaanaam : ignorant people
karmasanginaam : attached to action
joshayet : engage
sarvakarmaani : all actions
vidvaan : wise individual
yuktaha : alert
samacharan : diligently act

In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna asked Arjuna to follow a “live and let live” approach towards other people in this world who have not yet realized the extent of their attachments. In this shloka, Shri Krishna provides the reason behind that statement. We shall first look at an example in this regard.

Consider a car going at a fast speed on a major highway. Other cars on the highway are going equally as fast. The car contains a driver and one passenger who have divided the responsibilities equally : the driver is in charge of driving, and the passenger is in charge of navigation and directions. The passenger keeps the driver informed of where to turn, how much time is left before the next food break and so on.

Now in the middle of the journey, the passenger realizes that they are on the wrong highway. What is the best course of action for the passenger? If he says to the driver “Stop! We have to turn back!” it could unsettle the driver and potentially cause a major accident on the highway. Instead he choses to gently inform the driver to take the next exit, stop for a few minutes in a safe area, and then figure out how to get back on the proper highway.

Similarly, when working with other people, the practitioner of karmayoga should continue to perform actions diligently instead of preaching to others about karmayoga, in other words, change their way of doing action. There will always be a tendency to misinterpret the message of karmayoga if we begin preaching it to others. As evidence, note that even Arjuna had incorrectly assumed that one should give up actions altogether.

Therefore, this shloka advises us to act diligently, and let others act to the best of their ability, and not to unsettle them in any way.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 3

01 Sunday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.24, aham, cha, chapter 3 verse 24, chet, imaah, ime, karma, kartaa, kuryaam, lokaah, na, prajaaha, samkaryasya, syaam, upahanyaam, utseedeyuh

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 3

utseedeyurime lokaa na kuryaam karma chedaham |
samkaryasya cha kartaa syaamupahanyaamimaah prajaaha || 24 ||

These people would be ruined if I stopped performing action. I would become the creator of confusion and destroy these beings.

utseedeyuh : ruined
ime : these
lokaah : people
na : not
kuryaam : perform
karma : action
chet : if
aham : I
samkaryasya : confusion
cha : and
kartaa : creator
syaam : I become
upahanyaam : destroy
imaah : these
prajaaha : beings

Shri Krishna further elaborates on the argument put forth in the last shloka. As someone who is has realized the eternal essence, he does not have any obligations towards the world. But even then, he continues to act towards the welfare of society. Here, he says that if he stopped acting, all people who look up to him would be ruined and destroyed. We saw the example of a great social activist like Baba Amte, who although having performed such selfless service, continued to act till his last day. Society would take a huge hit if someone like him abruptly stopped working.

In addition, there is a subtler meaning here. Shri Krishna’s statements have a cosmic significance. So therefore, the word “I” also refers to every law or principle that works every second of our lives and never ever takes a vacation.

For instance, we all know what happens to a society when there is a breakdown of law and order. There will be chaos, confusion and destruction all around. But civil and criminal laws are just man-made laws. Consider what would happen if the law of gravity, a universal law, stopped working. People, buildings, and every free standing object on this earth would start flying out into space to its eventual destruction. And finally, what if our breathing or pumping of the heart stopped working?

Therefore the message to Arjuna is clear. Any task, no matter how insignificant or unpleasant, should be performed selflessly and with dexterity, if it is in the service of the higher good.