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A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning

~ Gita Journey is a straightforward, modern, contemporary, basic explanation and commentary of the Bhagawat Gita, with Sanskrit to English word meanings. Each shloka (verse) is explained in detail. An introduction to the Bhagavad Gita along with study resources can also be found here. A summary of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is also included. It does not matter whether you are a student, a retiree, a professional, a mom, a dad or a housewife – no prior knowledge is needed.

A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning

Category Archives: nibadhyate

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 18

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by skr_2011 in 18.17, ahamkritaha, bhaavaha, buddhihi, chapter 18 verse 17, hanti, hatvaa, imaan, lipyate, nibadhyate, yasya

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yasya naahamkrito bhaavo buddhiryasya na lipyate |
hatvaapi sa imaanllokanna hanti na nibadhyate || 17 ||

 
One who does not have the notion that I am the doer, whose intellect is not tainted, he does not kill, nor is he bound, even by killing these beings.
 
yasya : one who
na : not
ahamkritaha : I am the doer
bhaavaha : notion
buddhihi : intellect
yasya : whose
na : not
lipyate : tainted
hatvaa : killing
api : even
saha : that person
imaan : these
lokanna : beings
hanti : kill
na : not
nibadhyate : bound
 
Previously, we came across the incorrect understanding of action. Whenever we think “I am performing this action”, it is incorrect, born out of ignorance, it is durmati. Shri Krishna now gives us the correct understanding. When we think that “this action is being performed by the five factors of Prakriti, not by me”, this is the correct understanding, this is sumati. And after the action is performed, we do not let the result of the action impact us. In other words, we are not attached to the reward of action.
 
The most common concern towards this kind of understanding is that it will make us weak and fatalistic, especially when we are still engaged in karma yoga. That is why it has to be combined with the idea of selfless service. A modern interpretation of this notion is : do your best, and leave the rest. As we continue our journey in karma yoga, our selfish desires and vaasanaas will slowly wither away, paving the way for the knowledge of the self in the second chapter to take root in our mind. Then we will come to the realization that only the self, the aatmaa is real or sat. Actions are in the realm of Prakriti, of Maaya, which is asat or illusory.
 
Per Shri Shankarachaarya’s commentary, this shloka embodies the sum and substance of the Gita and even of all the Vedas. We start our lives thinking that we are the body. The scriptures, the Vedas, tell us that we are not the body, we are the jeeva who has to use his body and mind to perform selfless service. Now, at the conclusion of the Vedas, Veda-anta, we are told that we are beyond the jeeva. This attitude of non-identification with the doership of actions differentiatees a sanyaasi, a monk, from a tyaagi, one who has renounced action, per the original question of Arjuna in this chapter.
 
With the words “he kills, but does not kill”, we are transported back to the second chapter, where Shri Krishna was convincing Arjuna to engage in the Mahaabhaarata war. So then, what is left? From a practical standpoint, we still have to deal with science of action. Unless we understand it fully, we will never be able to distance ourselves from the notion of doership. Shri Krishna continues his analysis of action from the standpoint of the three gunaas, since he has proven that action is in the realm of Prakriti.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 5

15 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 5.12, aapnoti, ayuktaha, chapter 5 verse 12, kaamakaarena, karmaphalam, naishtikeem, nibadhyate, phale, saktaha, shaatim, tyaktvaa, yuktaha

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yuktaha karmaphalam tyaktvaa shaantimaapnoti naishtikeem |
ayuktaha kaamakaarena phale sakto nibadhyate || 12 ||

One who is established in yoga, who has given up the result of action, attains everlasting peace. One who is not established in yoga, who has attachment to results due to desire, gets bound.

yuktaha : one established in yoga
karmaphalam : result of action
tyaktvaa : who has given up
shaantim : peace
aapnoti : attains
naishtikeem : everlasting
ayuktaha : one who is not established in yoga
kaamakaarena : due to desires
phale : results
saktaha : attachment
nibadhyate : gets bound

In this shloka, Shri Krishna compares and contrasts a karma yogi and a materialistic person. While both perform the very same action, and could very well get the same result, their attitude towards the work is different. One who follows karma yoga maintains the attitude that “I am not attached to the results”, whereas the materialistic person does not maintain this attitude.

The ignorant person does action for sake of the result. He does not find joy in work itself. If the result is favourable, he gets extremely elated. But this happiness, and in some instances, peace of mind, is temporary. The minute a result of actions becomes favourable, he gets extremely dejected and disappointed. But the karma yogi does not wait for the result of the action to give joy. He finds joy in the work. The peace that he attains is driven from within, rather than from without.

It is this mental attitude that differentiates the karma yogi from the materialistic person. The easiest way to gauge our progress towards karma yoga is to constantly monitor our state of mind. If we get agitated for long periods of time when we receive the result of our action, it is an indication that we have generated an attachment to the result, which in turn indicates that the ego is strong.

The words used to describe both types of seekers bear closer scrutiny. “Yuktaha” literally means yoked or established. In this context, yuktaha means one whose mind is yoked to the intellect. In other words, the mind is under the guidance of the intellect. In contrast, “ayuktaha” is one whose mind is not yoked to the intellect. It follows the direction of the mind and the senses. This difference in the orientation of the mind determines the fate of the seeker.

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