Category Archives: prakritim

Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 13

24 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.23, abhijaayate, bhooyaha, chapter 13 verse 23, evam, gunaih, prakritim, purusham, saha, sarvathaa, vartamaanaha, vetti, yaha

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ya evam vetti purusham prakritim cha gunaih saha |
sarvathaa vartamaanopi na sa bhooyobhijaayate || 23 ||
 
He who thus knows Purusha and Prakriti, along with the gunaas, no matter what his conduct, is never born again.
 
yaha : he who
evam : thus
vetti : knows
purusham : Purusha
prakritim : Prakriti
cha : and
gunaih : gunaas
saha : along with
sarvathaa : whatever
vartamaanaha : conduct
api : no matter
na : not
saha : he
bhooyaha : again
abhijaayate : born
 
To better understand this shloka, let us quickly take a look at the theory of karma. It says that each of us comes with three types of karmas, which are unfulfilled desires that become seeds of future actions. Total karmas or “sanchita” karmas are the entire stock of our karmas. Present life karmas or “prarabdha” karmas are those karmas that are activated in our present life. Expected karmas or “agaami” karmas are those karmas that will be generated due to the results of actions in the present life. These karmas get added to our sanchita karmas, our stock of karmas.
 
As an illustration, consider this. The arrows in an archer’s quiver are sanchita karmas, the arrows that have left his bow are prarabdha karmas, and the arrows that are loaded on the bow are agaami karmas. The Vedas assert that so long as an individual maintains a stock of karmas, he has to take on a body to exhaust those karmas. In each birth, a portion of the stock of karmas is allocated to the individual so that he can exhaust them. By generating further selfish desires, the individual adds to his stock of karmas, and the cycle of birth goes on indefinitely.
 
Shri Krishna says that the one who has properly understood the relationship between Purusha and Prakriti, one who has understood the identification of the eternal essence with Prakriti due to ignorance and the consequent rushing after the gunaas, is never born again. This means that his stock of karmas is destroyed, just like a spark of fire destroys dry hay. He does not generate any further selfish desires, because he is no longer fascinated by the play of the three gunaas. Why does this happen? When one realizes that selfish desire is created by ignorance of one’s true nature, it wipes out any notion of selfishness completely. There is no longer an urge to come into contact with Prakriti.
 
Now, this person still has to deal with his prarabdha. His present life karmas continue to be active until his body drops off, after which he does not have to take any further births. The word “api” in the shloka indicates that the individual can continue to perform his duties even if he has realized his true nature as the eternal essence, just like king Janaka continued to rule his kingdom even though he had achieved liberation.
 
Shri Krishna concludes the topic of Purusha and Prakriti with this shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 13

20 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.19, anaadi, chapter 13 verse 19, gunaan, prakritim, prakritisambhavaan, purusham, ubhau, viddhi, vikaaraan

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prakritim purusham chaiva viddhyanaadi ubhaavapi |
vikaaraanshcha gunaanshchaiva viddhi prakritisambhavaan | | 19 ||
 
Know that surely, both Prakriti and Purusha are without beginning. Also, know that in fact, all modifications and qualities are born of Prakriti.
 
prakritim : prakriti
purusham : purusha
cha : and
eva : surely
viddhi : know
anaadi : without beginning
ubhau : both
api : also
vikaaraan : modifications
cha : and
gunaan : qualities
cha : and
eva : in fact
viddhi : know
prakritisambhavaan : born of prakriti
 
Shri Krishna now describes how we fall into the trap of samsaara, the cycle of birth and death. In many respects, this topic is a continuation of the discussion of higher and lower prakriti from the seventh chapter. Let us quickly recap what we saw there. We learnt about two aspects of Ishvara, the lower and the higher. The lower nature comprises the five elements plus the mind, ego and intellect. The higher nature comprises the life-giving force which is also the experiencer, the subject. In this manner, Ishvara is established as the ultimate cause of the universe.
 
Here, the lower nature is termed “Prakriti” and the higher nature is termed “Purusha”. First, Shri Krishna says that both these aspects of Ishvara are without beginning, they are eternal. This is because Ishvara himself is eternal, so it logically follows that his aspects must also be eternal. But we also have to note that something which has no beginning can have an end. We will come back to this point later in the discussion.
 
The second statement here states that all modifications and qualities are born out of Prakriti. Maaya and prakriti refer to the same thing. Prakriti is a power wielded by Ishvara. It is beyond the comprehension of our intellect since our intellect itself is a product of Prakriti. The only way to understand Prakriti is to think of it as a magician’s illusion. This Prakriti gives rise to five elements that produce the entire visible universe. These combinations or modifications of Prakriti are termed as “vikaaraas”. Prakriti also comprises the three “gunaas” or qualities which are sattva, rajas and tamas. These qualities manifest as mental states such as happiness, sorrow and attachment.
 
In other words, if we go back in time, if we press the rewind button, we will see that everything merges back into Prakriti, everything has come from Prakriti. Now, let us get practical. Whenever we experience emotions such as sorrow, grief, anger and so on, it is Prakriti that creates it, not the self, not the “I”. This is what was explained in the shloka. But, when anger arises in our mind, for instance, we always say “I am angry”. How do we come to the conclusion that the “I” is angry when it is Prakriti that created the anger? This is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 51, Chapter 11

04 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by in 11.51, asmi, chapter 11 verse 51, drishtvaa, gataha, idaaneem, idam, janaardana, maanusham, prakritim, roopam, sachetaahaa, samvrittaha, saumyam, tava

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Arjuna uvaacha:
drishtvedam maanusham roopam tava saumyam janaardana |
idaaneemasmi samvrittaha sachetaahaa prakritim gataha || 51 ||
 
Arjuna said:
Seeing this, your pleasant human form, O Janaardana, I have now regained my composure, and attained my true nature.
 
drishtvaa : seeing
idam : this
maanusham : human
roopam : form
tava : your
saumyam : pleasant
janaardana : O Janaardana
idaaneem : at this moment
asmi : I have
samvrittaha : become
sachetaahaa : composed
prakritim : my true nature
gataha : attained
 
The pleasing form of Shri Krishna is glorified in the Srimad Bhaagavatam repeatedly. The cowherdesses of Vrindaavan known as the gopis, elaborately praise this form in the tenth canto of the Bhaagavatam. They say: “Your beauty makes all three worlds auspicious. Even the cows, birds, trees and deer are enthralled when they see your beautiful form.” Arjuna, seeing the human form of Shri Krishna, regained his natural state, free from the fear and bewilderment resulting from the cosmic form.
 
We have come across the meaning of the term “Janaardana” earlier. “Arda” means one who moves, or makes others move. Jana means people, and therefore Janaardana means one who moves people to heaven or hell, in other words, dispenses justice to evildoers. Another meaning of Janaardana is one whom people ask for prosperity and well being. By addressing Shri Krishna as Janaardana, a term he used to address Shri Krishna prior to knowing that he was Ishvara, Arjuna recalled the glory of his human form.
 
So far, we saw Arjuna request Shri Krishna for the cosmic form, Arjuna’s description of the cosmic form and his subsequent reaction to it, followed by a request to revert back to the human form. Now, Shri Krishna summarizes the teaching of this chapter in the the four shlokas that follow.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 9

09 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.13, aashritaahaa, ananyamanasaha, avyayam, bhajanti, bhootaadim, chapter 9 verse 13, daiveem, jnyaatvaa, maam, mahaatmaanahah, paartha, prakritim, tu

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mahaatmaanastu maam paartha daiveem prakritimaashritaahaa |
bhajantyananyamanaso jnyaatvaa bhootaadimavyayam || 13 ||
 
But, noble individuals take refuge in my divine nature, O Paartha. Knowing me as the imperishable source of all beings, they worship me single-mindedly.
 
mahaatmaanahah : noble individuals
tu : but
maam : my
paartha : O Paartha
daiveem : divine
prakritim : nature
aashritaahaa : take refuge
bhajanti : worship
ananyamanasaha : single-minded
jnyaatvaa : having known
bhootaadim : source of all beings
avyayam : imperishable
 
Shri Krishna now begins to describe those individuals who have understood the true, divine nature of Ishvara. These “mahaatmaas” or noble individuals treat Ishvara as their one and only one refuge, and worship him with unwavering devotion. With a view to instruct us in the ways of such noble individuals, Shri Krishna devotes the next few shlokas to this topic.
 
The word “aashritaha” or refuge is key to understanding this shloka. What does this word mean? It is how we answer the question “when I am in trouble, what do I turn to?”. Most of us have various sources of refuge. For some, it is their ancestral inheritance. For some, it is their academic qualifications. For some, it is their family. Whenever we are in trouble, we pursue those avenues for comfort and security.
 
However, the mahaatmaas or noble individuals do not look to any of these sources for refuge. They have understood one simple fact: anything that can change over time is under the control of Prakriti. Prakriti, the realm of name and form, is every changing and can never be relied upon for support all the time. We ourselves would have encountered several instances where money or family did not help someone in their time of need. The noble individuals know that there is only one true refuge that is universal and unchanging: it is Ishvara.
 
Knowing this, what do the noble individuals do? They are “ananya manasaha”, they are singularly devoted to Ishvara. Even though they may be tempted by Prakriti’s play and dazzle of name and form, they know that ultimately every source of joy that it gives, turns into sorrow eventually. Furthermore, their devotion for Ishvara is not for the attainment for anything else. It is solely for the attainment of Ishvara.
 
Unlike these noble individuals, most of us still rush into Prakriti for joy, comfort, security and support. But Prakriti teaches us a lesson over our lifetime when we repeatedly seek joy which turns into sorrow. How do the noble individuals remain focused in Ishvara while living in the world of Prakriti? We shall see next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 9

07 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.12, aasureem, cha, chapter 9 verse 12, eva, moghaashaa, moghajnyaanaa, moghakarmaanaha, mohineem, prakritim, raakshaseem, shritaahaa, vichetasaha

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moghaashaa moghakarmaano moghajnyaanaa vichetasaha |
raakshaseemaasureem chaiva prakritim mohineem shritaahaa || 12 ||
 
With useless desires, useless actions and useless knowledge, the unintelligent take refuge in delusory, devilish and evil nature.
 
moghaashaa : useless desires
moghakarmaanaha : useless actions
moghajnyaanaa : useless knowledge
vichetasaha : unintelligent
raakshaseem : devilish
aasureem : evil
cha : and
eva : also
prakritim : nature
mohineem : delusory
shritaahaa : take refuge in
 
After following this chapter so far, we may wonder why has Shri Krishna spent so much time in addressing our erroneous notion of Ishvara? He has done so because erroneous knowledge is the start of a chain of consequences that can either uplift or ruin our life, not just from a spiritual but also material perspective. He illustrates that chain in this shloka.
 
Consider a child born into a family that gives utmost important to the acquisition of money, but does not emphasize the ethical means of doing so. Such an erroneous knowledge starts a chain of consequences. The child always desires money, and all his actions are directed towards the pursuit of money.
 
Shri Krishna calls these useless desires and useless actions. All of these eventually lead to increasingly worse character traits in the child. He can undertake delusory actions (gambling), evil actions (stealing) or worse yet, devilish actions (murder), all because of the wrong notion that acquisition of money is paramount.
 
Broadly, if we start with the erroneous notion that our body and mind is everything and that Ishvara is a distant finite entity, all our desires and actions will be directed towards ensuring that our body can live comfortably. We will continue to make external adjustments such as moving to a new city or changing jobs in search of comfort and security, to continually appease our body and mind, and to gain freedom from sorrow. Since we have not acquired the knowledge of our true nature and Ishvara’s true natures, we will never understand that Ishvara is our ultimate source of security and the ultimate freedom from sorrow.
 
So we have seen that erroneous knowledge about Ishvara can lead to ultimate ruin. Who then, are those people that, having had the correct knowledge, develop the right type of relationhip with Ishvara? This is taken up next.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 9

03 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.8, avasham, avashtabhya, bhootagraam, chapter 9 verse 8, imam, kritsnam, prakritehe, prakritim, punaha, svaam, vashaat, visrijaami

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prakritim svaamavashtabhya visrijaami punaha punaha |
bhootagraamimam kritsnamavasham prakritervashaat || 8 ||
 
Commanding my Prakriti, I repeatedly project this entire world of beings, which is helpless under the control of Prakriti.
 
prakritim : Prakriti
svaam : my
avashtabhya : commanding
visrijaami : I project
punaha : repeatedly
bhootagraam : world of beings
imam : this
kritsnam : entire
avasham : helplessly
prakritehe : of Prakriti
vashaat : controlled by
 
Shri Krishna describes the workings of Prakriti in this shloka. Prakriti is Ishvara’s projector. It projects an entire universe of names and forms at the beginning of a cycle, withdraws them at the end of the cycle, only to start it all over again. We saw this in the previous shlokas. Here, we investigate the relationship between Prakriti, Ishvara and the individual.
 
Let’s first look at the relationship between Ishvara and Prakriti. Shri Krishna says that Ishvara fully controls Prakriti. He is the commander of Prakriti. Prakriti cannot do anything without the command of Ishvara. However, Ishvara is not a micro-manager. He does not tell Prakriti how to do its job. He just sets the rules in motion. Prakriti is a system that follows the rules, just like a computer program or the autopilot in an aircraft.
 
How does this work? We know that Prakriti, which is a synonym for maaya, comprises the three gunaas or modes. Each guna will deliver results based on its inherent property. For example, if our personality is predominantly comprised of rajas, we will always be in an agitated state, which will result in haphazard work. But if our personality is saatvic, it will result in perfect work. Notice that there is no need for Ishvara to “do” anything since Prakriti is an automatic system.
 
Next, let us look at the nature of Prakriti and the individual. Shri Krishna says that the individual is under the complete control of Prakriti. He helplessly goes through infinite cycles of birth and death due to the influence of Prakriti. In our own lives, we know so many people that are hale and hearty one moment, and are killed by an accident in the next moment. They have no say in the matter whatsoever. The only way one can get out of Prakriti’s influence is to put forth effort towards achieving liberation.
 
Now, we know that Ishvara commands Prakriti to perform creation, sustenance and dissolution. In the chapter on karma yoga, we have seen that actions have a tendency to bind us, to make us get attached to them. Does Ishvara get attached to the actions of creation, sustenance and dissolution? We shall see in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 9

02 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.7, aham, chapter 9 verse 7, kalpaadau, kalpakshaye, kaunteya, maamikaam, prakritim, punaha, sarvabhootaani, taani, visrijaami, yaanti

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sarvabhootaani kaunteya prakritim yaanti maamikaam |
kalpakshaye punastaani kalpaadau visrijaamyaham || 7 ||
 
All beings attain my Prakriti when an age ends, O Kaunteya. I project them again when (another) age begins.
 
sarvabhootaani : all beings
kaunteya : O Kaunteya
prakritim : Prakriti
yaanti : attain
maamikaam : my
kalpakshaye : end of an age
punaha : again
taani : them
kalpaadau : beginning of an age
visrijaami: project
aham : I
 
Previously, Shri Krishna compared wind in space to the multitude of beings in Ishvara. Here, he asserts that all those beings go to Ishvara’s Prakriti at the end of a “kalpa” or age. They then come back into existence when the kalpa starts all over again.
 
In the last chapter, Shri Krishna had explained the process of creation and dissolution. He spoke about the day and night of Lord Brahma. Here, he adds more detail by revealing the orchestrator of creation and dissolution. It is Prakriti. In an earlier context, this word was translated as nature. In this context, we will keep the original word since the meaning is a little different.
 
Prakriti is a system that tracks the karmas or actions of each and every being in the universe. When every being’s karma is exhausted, Shri Krishna, through the medium of Prakriti, begins the process of dissolution, just like we go to sleep when we exhaust all our actions for the day. When the time is right for the next set of actions to begin manifesting, Prakriti “wakes” up everyone and begins the process of creation.
 
Now, we notice that Shri Krishna does not use the word “create” here. Instead, he uses the word “project”. Prakriti is similar to a movie projector in that it does not create anything new, but projects names and forms on the screen, just like waves and foam in the ocean. As we saw earlier, creation and dissolution is a matter of perspective. A child only sees waves and foam. The adult, seeing the very same waves and foam, knows that it is ultimately water.
 
Similarly, creation and dissolution on a cosmic scale is “real” only if we get stuck at the level of names and forms. The jnyaani or the wise seeker sees the names and forms come and go, but knows that everything, ultimately, is only Ishvara. The difference between the jnyaani and everyone else is that the wise seeker’s perspective that comes from having the knowledge of Ishvara. This knowledge is paramount.
 
So then, what is the relationship between Ishvara, Prakriti and us? This is explained in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 7

30 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by in 7.5, anyaam, aparaa, chapter 7 verse 5, dhaaryate, idam, itaha, iyam, jagat, jeevabhootam, mahaabaaho, me, paraam, prakritim, tu, viddhi, yayaa

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apareyamitastvanyaam prakritim viddhi me paraam |
jeevabhootam mahaabaaho yayedam dhaaryate jagat || 5 ||
 
But, know this lower (nature as) different than my life-giving higher nature, O mighty-armed, by which this universe is upheld.
 
aparaa : lower
iyam : this
itaha : than
tu : but
anyaam : different
prakritim : nature
viddhi : know
me : my
paraam : higher
jeevabhootam : life-giving
mahaabaaho : O mighty-armed
yayaa : by which
idam : this
dhaaryate : upheld
jagat : universe
 
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna described his nature that was made up of 8 factors: 5 physical elements and 3 subtle elements. Now, he says that those 8 factors comprise the lower, or inferior, type of nature. It is different than the higher or superior nature, that is the life force of the universe. It functions as a force that holds the universe together.
 
A house is built out of bricks, wood, iron rods and so on. But the building blocks by themselves do not make a house. There has to be an integrating or unifying principle in the form of cement that holds the house together. Shri Krishna says that his higher nature is the cohesive force that upholds the universe. By using the word “jeeva-bhootam”, he is saying that he becomes the universal jeeva or being that makes the universe as a single entity rather than a disjointed chaotic mess.
 
Furthermore, it is this higher nature that becomes the experiencer of the entire universe as a subject. What does the word “subject” mean? Whenever we see something, two things are required: the subject (one who sees) and the object (that which is seen by the subject). If I see a sofa, then I am the subject, and the sofa is the object. The sofa can never become the subject because it is an inert object. Only conscious entities can become subjects. There is a spark in us, a conscious principle, that enables us to see, hear, touch, taste and smell, in other words, to become a subject.
 
Throughout our life, we seek knowledge about the world though several sources. But those studies only cover the world of objects, which is indicated here by the term “lower nature”. Only spirituality provides us knowledge about the subject, which is nothing but our own self.
 
So then, why are we talking about subject and object here? It is because Shri Krishna’s lower nature creates the world of objects, and his higher nature creates the world of subjects. When the universe originated, it split, as it were, into two aspects: the lower and the higher nature. The lower nature or prakriti is what we generally describe as the universe that we can see with our eyes and with our telescopes, in both its visible and invisible aspects.
 
That was the lower nature. The higher nature further split itself into subsets. Each subset became a jeeva, which is the conscious principle operating within each of us. That jeeva principle within us makes us a subject, an experiencer.
 
Therefore, with these two shlokas, Shri Krishna has covered everything in the world – subject and object, inert and conscious, experiencer and experienced, building blocks and unifying force. But what is common between them? This is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 4

27 Friday Jan 2012

Posted by in 4.6, aatmamaayayaa, adhishthaaya, ajaha, api, avyayaatmaa, bhootaanaam, chapter 4 verse 6, eeshvaraah, prakritim, sambhavaami, san, svaam

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ajopi sannavyayaatmaa bhootaanaameeshvaropi san |
prakritim svaamadhishthaaya sambhavaamyaatmamaayayaa || 6 ||

Though I am beyond birth, imperishable and the controller of all beings, yet by commanding my nature, I manifest with my maaya.

ajaha : beyond birth
api : yet
san : though
avyayaatmaa : imperishable
bhootaanaam : among all beings
eeshvaraah : controller
san : though
prakritim : nature
svaam : my
adhishthaaya : commanding
sambhaavami : I manifest
aatmamaayayaa : with my maaya

This is an important shloka in the Gita, because Shri Krishna reveals himself as Ishvara, the controller of all beings. He says he is not born into this world like an ordinary human. He wills himself or manifests himself into existence by controlling prakriti, which is made up of the 3 gunaas. The power that causes this manifestation is called maaya. Let us look at two examples to understand this concept further.

Our body has billons of cells that carry our a wide range of functions. Each of these cells behave independently. But they are all working for an entity – the person – who is much larger and powerful than all of them put together.

Also consider the wave and the ocean. There are many waves, but all of them are part of a gigantic entity called the ocean. The ocean contains all the waves on the surface, as well as a vast quantity of water that lies under the surface. The wave derives its power from the ocean, but the ocean is more powerful than any one wave.

Similarly, the entire universe is the body of the supreme person known as Ishvara, who is the controller of the universe and the most powerful entity in existence. We are like waves that derive our power from the ocean called Ishvara. The power of Ishvara can be seen in the laws of nature, especially when we see cosmic phenomenon like a supernova explosion. The intelligence of Ishvara can be seen in the harmony of the universe, when we see the vast cosmos with stars, planets, the sun and so on.

Prakriti is related to both us and Ishvara but in different ways. While we are usually under the control of prakriti (the 3 gunaas), it is Ishvara that controls prakriti. It is like a wild horse controlling its rider versus an experienced jockey controlling a race horse. But both Ishvara and us are nothing but the eternal essence, just like the wave and ocean are made up of water. When the eternal essence identifies with a finite body, it is a jeeva. When it identifies with the entire universe, it is Ishvara.

Having grasped the concept of Ishvara, let us know look at the concept of “avataar” or manifestation. Let’s say a small rat tries to invade a large ant colony. Immediately, the entire ant colony springs into action. It is as if there is an “ant colony intelligence” that commands ants to collectively attack the rat in order to protect the ant colony. There was no “birth” of that collective attack, it manifested in response to a situation, and ended as soon as the situation was dealt with.

Similarly, Ishvara has the ability to manifest in the universe. The manifestation could be a short-lived one, like one thought in a person’s mind. It could also be long-living manifestation like a human being in the form of Shri Krishna. Our Puraanic literature describes several avataaras in great detail, but these are only a subset of the countless avataaras that take place over time. An avataara is like a rain-bearing cloud: it materializes out of thin air, does its work, and quietly disappears.

So why does Ishvara need to take an avataara? Shri Krishna covers this topic in the next two oft-quoted shlokas of the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 33, Chapter 3

10 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in 3.33, api, bhootani, chapter 3 verse 33, cheshtate, jnyaanavaan, karishyati, kim, nirgraha, prakriteh, prakritim, sadrisham, svasyaaha, yaanti

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sadrisham cheshtate svasyaaha prakritejnyaanavaanapi |
prakritim yaanti bhootaani nigraha kim karishyati || 33 ||

Even a wise person will behave according to his own nature. All beings follow their own nature. What can restraint do?

sadrisham : according to
cheshtate : behave
svasyaaha : one’s own
prakriteh : of nature
jnyaanavaan : wise person
api: even
prakritim : nature
yaanti : follow
bhootaani : all beings
nigraha : restraint
kim : what
karishyati : will do

Shri Krishna here addresses a critical point, which is that even the most well-read and educated person will find it difficult to practice karmayoga. Why is this so? It is because inbuilt tendencies and urges inside us compel us to act against our will. These tendencies comprise our lower nature. Note that the lower nature is also called “prakriti” here, which is different than the prakriti that we saw earlier.

All beings – plants, animals and humans – are born with an innate set of traits. In humans, these traits are manifested in the body, mind and intellect. These traits are a product of our vaasanaas, which are impressions created by past actions.

It does not matter whether one is wise or foolish, rich or poor etc. All human beings are born with vaasanaas. These vaasanaas are “thought generators”. They cause thoughts about the material world to arise in our mind. And once a thought arises, it results into desire and action as we saw in the second chapter.

Therefore, Shri Krishna says that mere restraint of actions will not result in eradication of desires, since the vaasanaas will continue to generate more and more thoughts. And direct suppression of thoughts is next to impossible. Many people try to repress thoughts and desires in the hope of progressing spiritually, but like a spring that is pushed down, that strategy backfires very easily.

But then, should we give up our efforts altogether? That is not the case. For example, you cannot teach tiger to be non-violent and eat grass. But you can change his behaviour to a certain extent through repeated training. Similarly, the vaasanaas can be channeled in the service of society. Like judo uses the opponent’s strength to subdue the opponent, karmayoga uses the energy of vaasanaas to extinguish themselves.

So therefore, Shri Krishna gives us a way out. Even though all of us have tendencies that can drag us lower, we can analyze those tendencies and overcome them through the technique of karmayoga. Having explained this, Shri Krishna gives us the exact location of our enemies, these lower tendencies, in the next shloka.