Category Archives: paramam

Bhagavad Gita Verse 68-69, Chapter 18

26 Friday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.68, 18.69, abhidhaasyati, asamshayaha, bhaktim, bhavitaa, bhuvi, guhyam, kaschit, madbhakteshu, manushyeshu, paramam, priyakrittamaha, priyataraha, tasmaat

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ya imam paramam guhyam madbhakteshvabhidhaasyati |
bhaktim mayi paraam kritvaa maamevaishyatyasamshayaha || 68 ||
 
na cha tasmaanmanushyeshu kaschinme priyakrittamaha |
bhavitaa na cha me tasmaadanyaha priyataro bhuvi || 69 ||
 
He who, having devotion to me, explains this supreme secret to my devotees, will reach me alone, no doubt. And compared to him, no one else among humans performs actions which are dear to me. Nor will there be anyone else on this earth dearer to me than him.
 
yaha : he who
imam : this
paramam : supreme
guhyam : secret
madbhakteshu : to my devotees
abhidhaasyati : explains
bhaktim : devotion
mayi : to me
paraam : supreme
kritvaa : having done
maam : me
eva : alone
eshyati : reach
asamshayaha : no doubt
na : no
cha : and
tasmaat : compared to him
manushyeshu : among humans
kaschit : else
me : me
priyakrittamaha : performing actions which are dear
bhavitaa : in the future
na : no
cha : and
tasmaat : to him
anyaha : anyone
priyataraha : dearer
bhuvi : on this earth
 
Previously, Shri Krishna described the tradition and method by which the Gita discourse should be handed down from the teacher to the student. He now describes the teacher who imparts this knowledge to society. He says that the foremost quality of the teacher is devotion to Ishvara, and only such a teacher can impart the real knowledge of the Gita to students, who are also devoted to Ishvara. The teacher should deliver the teaching in the spirit of karma yoga, in a spirit of service to Ishvara, not for name, fame or honour.
 
In return for their selfless service of teaching the Gita, Shri Krishna declares in no uncertain terms that the teacher will go to Ishvara, he will liberated from all sorrow. Praising the teacher, he says that there is no other person on this earth who does actions that are dearer than the action of teaching the Gita. He further says that the teacher becomes the dearest person Ishvara. It is a status so special that it spans the past, present and future. In other words, this special position transcends all time, such is its greatness.
 
Why does Ishvara love the teacher so much? The teacher assists Ishvara in the his mission to rid the world of ignorance. A teacher can assess the needs of the seeker, and give him the guidance from the Gita needed for that particular situation of the seeker. Only a qualified teacher is able to do that, as opposed to someone randomly reading shlokas from the Gita. Furthermore, very few people are able to teach the true meaning of the Gita, and convey to the student exactly what Ishvara wants to convey, without distorting anything.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 64, Chapter 18

22 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.64, bhooyaha, chapter 18 verse 64, dridham, hitam, ishtaha, paramam, sarvaguhyatam, shrunu, tataha, vachaha, vakshyaami

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sarvaguhyatam bhooyaha shrunu me paramam vachaha |
ishtosi me dridhamiti tato vakshyaami te hitam || 64 ||
 
Listen from me again, my supreme statement, most secret. You are my strong friend, that is why I will speak what is beneficial for you.
 
sarvaguhyatam : most secret
bhooyaha : again
shrunu : listen
me : from me
paramam : supreme
vachaha : statement
ishtaha : friend
asi : are
me : my
dridham : strong
iti : in this manner
tataha : that is why
vakshyaami : I will speak
te : you
hitam : beneficial
 
Every teacher has their own style, their own philosophy, for teaching complicated subjects. A good teacher is one who can not only impart the knowledge, but also, extract the big ideas out of the complexity and present it to the student in such a manner that it can be easily grasped. There is no point teaching a complex subject which students memorize for the sake of passing the exam, but forget it as soon as they submit their paper. Shri Krishna wanted to convey the essence of the Gita to Arjuna, so he addressed him again, after having concluded the teaching.
 
The Gita is a formidable text to understand thoroughly. It deals with karma yoga, bhakti yoga, jnyaana yoga and raaja yoga. The same word is used differently in different contexts. For example, the word “aatmaa” is used to mean body, mind, intellect and the self. The Gita makes references to individuals from Vedic and Puraanic literature which requires further effort on the part of the teacher and the student. Seekers who approach the end of the teaching will appreciate a teacher who will extract its essence.
 
Shri Krishna also expresses his motivation for summarizing the teaching. He does not want any reward from Arjuna in return for this teaching. Nor is he doing so out of fear of anyone or anything. He only has a lot of affection for Arjuna, he regards Arjuna as a staunch friend, and he also knows what is the right teaching for the situation Arjuna finds himself in. Therefore, he wants to impart the supreme statement, the param vachaha, the essence of the Gita, that will provide the most benefit to Arjuna.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 15

11 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.6, bhaasayate, chapter 15 verse 6, dhaamam, gatvaa, mama, nirvatante, paavakaha, paramam, shashaankaha, sooryaha, yat

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na tadbhaasayate sooryaa na shashaanko na paavakaha |
yadgatvaa na nirvatante taddhaamam paramam mama || 6 ||
 
That in which the sun does not illumine, nor the moon, nor fire, that is my supreme abode. Having attained that, there is no return.
 
na : not
tat : that
bhaasayate : illumines
sooryaha : sun
na : not
shashaankaha : moon
na : not
paavakaha : fire
yat : which
gatvaa : attained
na : not
nirvatante : return
tat : that
dhaamam : abode
paramam : supreme
mama : my
 
Shri Krishna listed the qualifications of a seeker in the prior shloka, and asserted that one who takes his refuge will attain his abode. He now provides the location, the address of that abode. He says that there is no sun, no moon, no fire, in other words, no source of light in his abode. Initially we would feel a little frightened if we take the literal meaning of this shloka. Even cavemen were able to access some light source in the form of the sun, the moon, or fire from a wooden torch. Why would anyone want to go to such a place?
 
The sun, the moon and fire have symbolic interpretations which are extremely relevant here. The sun is the presiding deity of our intellect, the moon of our mind and emotions, and fire of our physiological functions. The one who has sought refuge in Ishvara automatically gives up affinity to his body, mind, intellect, ego (which resides in the intellect) and physiological functions. If this affinity, the root of all our sorrow, is given up, such a person will never again get caught in the wheel of birth of death, in the cycle of samsaara. This is liberation.
 
So then, this is the abode of Ishvara, of self realization, of liberation. Having reached there, the liberated person does not come back to the state of ignorance. He never gets deluded again. He never identifies or develops affinity with body, mind, intellect and the world. The duality, the pairs of opposites, the dvandva that was mentioned before, is nothing but the world. For such a person, neither joy nor sorrow, neither pain nor pleasure, neither friend nor enemy, nothing can destabilize him. This is liberation.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 18, Chapter 11

01 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in 18.11, aksharam, asya, avyayaha, chapter 18 verse 11, goptaa, mataha, me, nidhaanam, param, paramam, purushaha, sanaatana, shaashvatadharma, tvam, veditavyam, vishwasya

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tvamaksharam paramam veditavyam tvamasya vishvasya param nidhaanam |
tvamavyayaha shaashvatadharmagoptaa sanaatanastvam purusho mato me || 18 ||
 
You are the imperishable, supreme (being) to be known. You are the supreme foundation of this universe. You are indivisible, the protector of the eternal law. In my opinion, you are the indivisible person.
 
tvam : you
aksharam : imperishable
paramam : supreme
veditavyam : to be known
tvam : you
asya : this
vishwasya : of this universe
param : supreme
nidhaanam : foundation
tvam : you
avyayaha : indivisible
shaashvatadharma : eternal law
goptaa : protector
sanaatana : eternal
tvam : you
purushaha : person
mataha : opinion
me : my
 
This shloka is a beautiful blend of upasaana (worship) and jnyaana (knowledge). Arjuna praises Ishvara’s cosmic form, and also reveals his understanding of the relationship between Ishvara and the eternal essence. It is similar to the relationship between the ocean and water that we have seen several times before.
 
The ocean is the foundation in which several waves are created, sustained and destroyed. Each of those waves thinks that it is separate from the ocean, and is also aware of its mortality. But the water in the ocean and the water in the wave is the same. It is indivisible, eternal, infinite and imperishable. All waves are subject to the universal laws of gravity – whatever goes up, must come down.
 
Similarly, Ishvara is the foundation which creates, sustains and dissolves this universe of names and forms. Each being thinks that it is separate from Ishvara, and is trapped in sorrow because of its finitude. It does not realize that it is the dweller or the Purusha, made up of the very same eternal essence that Ishvara is, like the ocean and the wave are made up of water. Also, all beings are subject to the universal law of karma, of actions generating results. Ishvara is praised as the protector of this law.
 
The Gita repeatedly urges us to discard all sectarian notions we have of Ishvara. Next time, when we prostrate in front of Ishvara in the form of a deity, we should try to think of Ishvara in the form that is described here.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 11

23 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in 11.9, aishvaram, chapter 11 verse 9, darshayaamaasa, evam, mahaayogeshvaraha, paarthaaya, paramam, raajan, roopam, tataha, uktvaa, Yogeshwara harihi

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Sanjaya uvaacha:
evamuktvaa tato raajanmahaayogeshvaro harihi |
darshayaamaasa paarthaaya paramam roopamaishvaram || 9 ||
 
Sanjaya said:
O King, then having spoken this, Hari, the great Yogeshwara, showed the supreme form of Ishvara to Paartha.
 
evam : this
uktvaa : having spoken
tataha : then
raajan : O King
mahaayogeshvaraha : great Yogeshwara
harihi : Hari
darshayaamaasa : showed
paarthaaya : to Paartha
paramam : supreme
roopam : form
aishvaram : of Ishvara
 
At this point in the Gita, neither Shri Krishna nor Arjuna could continue narrating since Shri Krishna was showing the cosmic form, and Arjuna was taking it all in. The great sage Veda Vyaasa, the compiler of the Mahaabhaarata, chose to switch the narration over to Sanjaya, who was relaying the events to Dhritraashtra, the “King” that is mentioned in this shloka.
 
We notice a subtle shift in the language used by Sanjaya. His praise of Shri Krishna is one degree higher than that used by Arjuna. For instance, he refers to Shri Krishna as “Mahaa Yogeshwara” whereas Arjuna uses “Yogeshwara”. It is because Sanjaya knew Shri Krishna more thoroughly and deeply than Arjuna did. Moreover, he was already blessed with divine vision through Vyaasa, which enabled him to see exactly what Arjuna saw.
 
Sant Jnyaneshwara’s commentary of this shloka emphasizes Arjuna’s good fortune of being able to view this cosmic form. He lists Lakshmi, Shesha and Garuda as tireless servants of Lord Vishnu who have yet to see the cosmic form that Arjuna sees, underscoring the love Shri Krishna for his devotee Arjuna. He also enumerates others who were able to see a tiny glimpse of this cosmic form including Yashoda and Dhruva.
 
So what did this form look like? The description begins in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 11

15 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in 11.1, adhyaatma, ayam, chapter 11 verse 1, guhyam, madanugrhaaya, mama, mohaha, paramam, sangitam, tena, tvayaa, uktam, vachaha, vigataha, yat

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arjuna uvaacha:
madanugrhaaya paramam guhyamadhyaatmasangitam |
yattvayoktam vachastena mohoyam vigato mama || 1 ||
 
Arjuna said:
Out of compassion for me, you have spoken about the supreme secret known as the knowledge of the self. By those statements, my delusion has been destroyed.
 
madanugrhaaya : out of compassion for me
paramam : supreme
guhyam : secret
adhyaatma : knowledge of the self
sangitam : known as
yat : that
tvayaa : you have
uktam : spoken
vachaha : statements
tena : by those
mohaha : delusion
ayam : this
vigataha : destroyed
mama : my
 
We begin the eleventh chapter with Arjuna’s words. He recalls the root cause of his panic attack from the first chapter which is moha or delusion which caused confusion between his duty as a warrior and as a family member. He now says that his delusion has been dispelled. How did that happen? It is only because Shri Krishna revealed the knowledge of the self, Adhyaatma vidyaa, to Arjuna, the answer to the question “who am I?”
 
When Arjuna understood his true nature as the self, the aatmaa, the eternal essence, he came to know that the self does not kill or be killed, it is neither the doer of action or the enjoyer of the results. He then realized that even if his body died, or his body killed another body, nothing would happen to the eternal essence in each of those bodies. Given the power of this knowledge to destroy the biggest delusion about who he was, he terms it “paramam” or supreme. And since it requires a sincere student and a rare teacher, he terms it “guhyam” or secret.
 
Now, we may think that there was something special in Arjuna that qualified him to receive this supreme knowledge. Arjuna was humble enough to acknowledge that it was purely out of compassion that Shri Krishna showered his grace upon him and gave him this knowledge. Only through the grace and compassion of Ishvara and a qualified guru can one receive this knowledge.
 
Another aspect of the teaching was Ishvara’s involvement with the universe. Arjuna highlights it in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 10

01 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.1, aham, bhooyaha, chapter 10 verse 1, eva, hitakaamyayaa, mahaabaaho, me, paramam, preeyamaanaaya, shrunu, vachaha, vakshyaami, yat

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Shree Bhagavan uvaacha:
bhooya eva mahaabaaho shrunu me paramam vachaha |
yattaham preeyamaanaaya vakshyaami hitakaamyayaa || 1 ||
 
Shree Bhagavan said:
Again, O mighty armed warrior, listen to my supreme statements, which I will say to you filled with delight, desiring your well-being.
 
bhooyaha : again
eva : also
mahaabaaho : O mighty armed warrior
shrunu : listen
me : my
paramam : supreme
vachaha : statements
yat : that which
aham : I
preeyamaanaaya : one who is delighted
vakshyaami : I will say
hitakaamyayaa : desiring well-being
 
After concluding the ninth chapter, Shri Krishna did not wait for Arjuna to ask a question because he knew that Arjuna wanted to hear more. He continued speaking because Arjuna was taking delight in the teaching. Good teachers know when to take questions and when to continue teaching so that the student is engaged and encouraged.
 
This chapter of the Gita is known as “Vibhooti Yoga”. It continues the theme of the seventh and ninth chapters by listing several vibhootis or expressions of Ishvara. Why are expressions important? Consider electricity which is invisible to our senses but is a source of great power. If we wish to learn more about electricity by watching a power outlet or a power line, we may not be able to understand electricity that much. But if we see a bright and colourful lamp, or medical equipment that helps save people’s lives, it is easier to appreciate the glory of electricity.
 
Ishvara is infinitely powerful than electricity but is also invisible and unknown to our senses. Only through knowing his expressions can we become aware of his presence, and gradually expand our vision to see the one Ishvara in everything. Shri Krishna is concerned with Arjuna’s well-being, so in that regard he wanted to reveal Ishvara’s glories to Arjuna. He calls these glories “paramam” or supreme because they enable us to transcend this world of name and form and access Ishvara.
 
Why is Ishvara invisible and unknown to our senses, and to other beings in the universe? This is explained next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 8

18 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.21, aahuhu, aksharaha, avyaktaha, chapter 8 verse 21, dhaama, gatim, iti, mama, na, nivartante, paramaam, paramam, praapya, tam, tat, uktaha, yam

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avyaktokshara ityuktastamaahuhu paramaam gatim |
yam praapya na nivartante taddhaama paramam mama || 21 ||
 
He who is called unmanifest and imperishable, he who has been spoken of as the supreme goal; having attained him (beings) do not return, that is my supreme abode.
 
avyaktaha : unmanifest
aksharaha : imperishable
iti : in this manner
uktaha : has been called
tam : he
aahuhu : spoken
paramaam : supreme
gatim : goal
yam : he who
praapya : having attained
na : do not
nivartante : return
tat : that
dhaama : abode
paramam : supreme
mama : my
 
Earlier in this chapter, Shri Krishna had mentioned that those who attain Ishvara are not subject to further rebirth. In this shloka, he says that the “another unmanifest” that remains unaffected by the day and night of Lord Brahma is nothing but Ishvara. He also mentions the nature of Ishvara as imperishable, unmanifest and supreme.
 
With this shloka, we come back to the main theme that began in chapter seven – Ishvara. After having explained that this universe is subject to cycles of creation and dissolution, and that unless we take effort, we are stuck in this infinite cycle, Shri Krishna reiterates the need for the pursuit of Ishvara as the means of liberation.
 
So therefore, for the seeker who performs karma yoga and upaasanaa or devotion towards Ishvara attains Ishvara after he has completed his time on earth and in the abode of Lord Brahma. Shri Krishna summarizes the means of attaining Ishvara in the next shloka, which also concludes the topic of liberation from rebirth.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 8

05 Thursday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.8, abhyaasa, anuchintayan, anyagaaminaa, chapter 8 verse 8, chetasaa, divyam, na, paartha, paramam, purusham, yaati, yoga, yuktena

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abhyaasayogayuktena chetasaa naanyagaaminaa |
paramam purusham divyam yaati paarthaanuchintayan || 8 ||
 
With the mind engaged in constant practice of yoga, not diverting from it, contemplating the supreme divine person, (one) attains (him), O Paartha.
 
abhyaasa : constance practice
yoga : yoga
yuktena : engaged in
chetasaa : mind
na : not
anyagaaminaa : diverting from
paramam : supreme
purusham : person
divyam : divine
yaati : attains
paartha : O Paartha
anuchintayan : contemplating
 
Now that we know that the ultimate goal is upaasana, or constant meditation on Ishvara, how do we actually go about doing it? Shri Krishna described three kinds of meditation in the upcoming shlokas.
 
To perform upaasana, we need the support of either name or form, since it is extremely difficult to meditate upon something that is intangible. In the following three shlokas, Shri Krishna elaborates upon the technique of meditation on form. Here, he recalls the technique that was presented to us in the sixth chapter – abhyaasa yoga. In this technique, the mind is trained to focus exclusively on one thing. If it diverts to something else, then we bring it back to our object of meditation.
 
So then, what is the form that we meditate upon? We can meditate upon any form that we have a closeness to. It could be Lord Rama, Krishna, Hanuman or any deity. The deity should come to our mind effortlessly. There is no compulsion to chose one over the other. But as discussed earlier, we should be clear that the deity is an indicator or pointer to Ishvara, the supreme divine person being the words used in this shloka. We should not get stuck at the level of the deity we have chosen.
 
For those of us who are not so familiar with these deities, we can read scriptures like the Puraanaas that have wonderful stories describing the lives and exploits of these deities. Growing up in India, our generation was fortunate to read Amar Chitra Katha comics that presented these stories in a format that appealed to us as kids. They are available all over the world now.
 
As we increase our prowess in meditation, our notion of Ishvara also grows. To help us meditate upon Ishvara in all his grandeur, Shri Krishna gives us a pointer to this type of meditation in the next shloka that describes the form of the param purusha, the supreme being.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 8

30 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by in 8.3, adhyaatmam, aksharam, bhaavaha, bhavakaraha, bhoota, brahma, chapter 8 verse 3, karma, paramam, samjnyitam, svabhaavaha, uchyate, visargaha

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Shree Bhagavan uvaacha:
aksharam brahma paramam svabhaavodhyaatmamuchyate |
bhootabhaavodbhavakaro visargaha karmasamjnyitam || 3 ||
 
Shree Bhagavan said:
“Brahman” is the imperishable supreme. “Adhyaatma” is individual nature. “Karma” is defined as the force that produces the existence of beings.
 
aksharam : imperishable
brahma : “brahman”
paramam : supreme
svabhaavaha : individual nature
adhyaatmam : “adhyaatma”
uchyate : is called
bhoota : beings
bhaavaha : existence
bhavakaraha : produce
visargaha : force
karma : “karma”
samjnyitam : defined
 
As we saw earlier, Arjuna asked seven questions to Shri Krishna. In this shloka, three questions are answered. We shall use the illustration of the animated character Tom to get an additional perspective on the answers given by Shri Krishna.
 
First, Shri Krishna answers the question “What is that brahman”. He says that brahman is the imperishable, supreme eternal essence that we encountered in the second chapter. In terms of our illustration, brahman is the light in the movie projector that illuminates the film strip. It has no specific shape, qualities or attributes. It is just light. It stands as a witness and is not affected by whatever is happening in the movie. It can exist without the movie, but the movie cannot exist without it.
 
“What is adhyaatma” is answered next. Shri Krishna says that it is svabhaava, or the set of qualities of an individual. Each person in this world has a unique combination of attributes, a unique permutation of sattva, rajas and tamas that is their own. When the universal eternal essence is conditioned or covered by an individual’s attributes, it is known as adhyaatma or aatma.
 
In the example of the movie projector, karma refers to the portion of light that illuminates the character of Tom. Suppose Tom is wearing a blue outfit and is walking on a green lawn. A portion of the movie projector’s light shines blue on the movie screen. The other portion shines blue. The portion of light that shines blue and thinks that it has its own identity – that is adhyaatma.
 
Lastly, Shri Krishna answers the question “What is karma”. He says that it is the force that brings about the creation of every entity in this universe. At one level, it is the mechanism in the projector that brings to life the story that lies hidden in the film strip. At another level, it is the animator’s act of drawing the characters in the movie. Essentially, it is the force that converts an unmanifested object into a manifested object.
 
Similarly, we can say that Ishvara set into motion this entire universe with the one original action that has resulted into the millions and millions of actions that occur in the universe every second. It was the seed of all future actions in the universe. But our ego, our false sense of individuality, comes under the delusion that it is the doer of all actions. Each such individualistic action causes us to further identify with our body, and go further from liberation. Ultimately, like the movie that eventually ends in two hours, everything that is unmanifested will be manifested and will be dissolved, only to start all over again.
 
Shri Krishna continues with his explanations in the next shloka.