Category Archives: purushaha

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 17

23 Tuesday Apr 2013

Posted by in 17.3, ayam, bhaarata, bhavati, chapter 17 verse 3, purushaha, sarvasya, sattvaanuroopaa, shraddhaa, shraddhaamayaha, yacchraddhaha

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sattvaanuroopaa sarvasya shraddhaa bhavati bhaarata |
shraddhaamayoyam purusho yo yacchraddhaha sa eva saha || 3 ||
 
The faith of each is according to his nature, O Bhaarata. This human being is comprised of faith. As his faith, so is he.
 
sattvaanuroopaa : according to nature
sarvasya : of each
shraddhaa : faith
bhavati : is
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
shraddhaamayaha : comprised of faith
ayam : this
purushaha : human being
yaha : he who
yacchraddhaha : as his faith
saha : so
eva : only
saha : he
 
Shri Krishna emphasized the point made in the earlier shloka. The human being is nothing but a bundle of faiths, also known as beliefs, prejudices, customs, culture, tradition, basically everything that is ingrained into us as samskaaraas or impressions. But where do these impressions come from? Some of these impressions come from external factors, and some of these are present in us right from our birth.
 
When we see a child prodigy perform a complicated symphony, we may say that she got this skill from non stop practice since her birth, or we may say that she got it from her practice in a previous life. In any case, her actions are a product of the samskaaraas or impressions formed through countless hours of practice.
 
Shri Krishna says that faith is according to one’s sattva. Here, sattva is not used in its traditional meaning as a guna like rajas and tamas. Sattva refers to our svaabhaava, our nature, the bundle of impressions that are stored in our inner instrument, our antaha karana, which is comprised of our mind, intellect, memory and senses. This sattva, this bundle of impressions, makes us choose our actions throughout our lives. Although we think of ourselves as rational individuals, we use logic and reason to justify and rationalize our faith, in a roundabout way.
 
Now we come back to the question posed in the previous shloka. How can we assess the texture of our faith, our beliefs and our prejudices? We need to examine our actions. Our faith, our beliefs and our prejudices guide our actions. Therefore, by examining the texture of our actions, we can determine the texture of our faith. Our faith could be saatvic, raajasic or taamasic. Shri Krishna now takes each aspect of our actions and gives us guidelines on how to determine their texture.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 15

22 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.17, aavishya, anyaha, avyayaha, bibharti, chapter 15 verse 17, eeshvaraha, lokatrayam, paramaatma, purushaha, udaahyataha, uttamaha, yaha

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uttamaha purushastvanyaha paramaatmetyudaahyataha |
yo lokatrayamaavishya bibhartyavyaya eeshvaraha || 17 ||
 
But distinct is that foremost person, spoken of as the supreme self, the imperishable lord, who enters and sustains the three worlds.
 
uttamaha : foremost
purushaha : person
tu : but
anyaha : distinct
paramaatma : supreme self
iti : in this manner
udaahyataha : spoken of
yaha : who
lokatrayam : in three worlds
aavishya : enters
bibharti : sustains
avyayaha : imperishable
eeshvaraha : lord
 
As we saw earlier, a single video game program can create an infinite variety of complex worlds in the computer. Let us now pose the question – what is the core, what is the essence of these complex worlds? What is the purest state of these worlds? We need to peel the layers of an onion, as it were. The worlds are not real, they are created by a computer program. A computer program is not real, it is a series of instructions in a computer’s memory. The instructions are not real, they are modifications of electricity. Ultimately, it is electricity that is creating and sustaining all of the worlds we see in a computer game.
 
Now, what if we pose the question – what is at the core of this world? If we get rid of all the limitations, what the purest state of this world? What is the purest state of our existence? The visible world is not real, because it is created by a play of the gunaas of Prakriti, and is perishable. Prakriti or Maaya is not real, though it is relatively imperishable, because it can be destroyed upon removal of our ignorance. What remains, is the eternal essence on which Maaya projects all its limitations or upaadhis.
 
Similarly, if we mentally remove our upaadhis or limitations, it will go something like this. Our body is a play of the gunaas, it is not real. Beyond the body are the senses and the mind, and they are comprised of gunaas and therefore not real. Beyond the senses and mind lies the eternal essence, untainted by Prakriti, which is the purest form of our “I”. In other words, when we remove all of our upaadhis or limitations, we come to the same eternal essence that is reached when we remove the upaadhis of the visible world.
 
We had seen the identity of our “I” with the eternal essence, of aatman with brahman, in the thirteenth chapter as well. That very same eternal essence, the purest brahman or shuddha brahman is referred to as the imperishable lord in this shloka by Shri Krishna. The three worlds here refer to either heaven, earth and hell, or even our waking, dreaming and sleeping states. The eternal essence enters and sustains all of them, but it is not some remote entity. It is the supreme self, the “I” residing within everyone.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 13

23 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.22, anumantaa, api, asmin, bhartaa, bhoktaa, chapter 13 verse 22, dehe, iti, maheshvaraha, paraha, paramaatmaa, purushaha, uktaha, upadrashtaa

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upadrashtaanumantaa cha bhartaa bhoktaa maheshvaraha |
paramaatmeti chaapyukto dehesmin purushaha paraha || 22 ||
 
He who is the witness, the permitter, the nourisher, the experiencer, the master and who is also spoken of as the supreme self, is the supreme Purusha in this body.
 
upadrashtaa : witness
anumantaa : permitter
cha : and
bhartaa : nourisher
bhoktaa : experiencer
maheshvaraha : master
paramaatmaa : supreme self
iti : in this manner
cha : and
api : also
uktaha : spoken
dehe : body
asmin : this
purushaha : Purusha
paraha : supreme
 
Imagine that your grandfather comes to stay in your apartment for a short vacation. Seeing a new senior citizen in the building, the apartment complex association invites him to one of their cultural programs. Your grandfather thoroughly enjoys it. Next, the association asks him permission to host their next weekly meeting in your apartment, which he readily agrees to. He is so excited about the meeting that he prepares tea and snacks for them. By the next weekly meeting, he has become so involved in the association meetings that he feels the need to vote on issues that he strongly feels about. He gets so involved that it is just a matter of time before he is elected president of the apartment complex association.
 
Your grandfather, who had nothing whatsoever to do with the building, started out as a pure witness, then become the permitter, nourisher, experiencer and subsequently the master of the building association. Similarly, Shri Krishna says that the eternal essence that has nothing whatsoever to do with Prakriti, develops a strong identification with a body. By taking various upaadhis or conditionings such as the body, the mind, the vital forces, the intellect and so on, it becomes the permitter, the nourisher, the experiencer and the master of this body, just like your grandfather took on various roles as a member of the apartment complex association.
 
Practically speaking, we don’t need to worry too much about this. All that we need to know that we don’t have to go out into the world hunting for Ishvara. Ishvara is resident in our body as the permitter, nourisher, experiencer and so on. He is the paramaatmaa, the supreme self resident as the “I” in all beings. This is how we have to understand what Purusha means. The more we pay attention to the Ishvara aspect in us, the less importance we give to the upaadhis, especially the ego. People who have reached the pinnacle of their spiritual journey eventually lose their individuality and themselves become the universal witness, the upadrashtaa, remaining unaffected by the goings on of Prakriti.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 13

22 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.21, asya, bhungkte, chapter 13 verse 21, gunaan, gunasangaha, kaaranam, prakritijaan, prakritisthaha, purushaha, sadasadyonihijanmasu

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purushaha prakritistho hi bhungkte prakritijaangunaan |
kaaranam gunasangosya sadasadyonijanmasu || 21 ||
 
Purusha, when seated in Prakriti, experiences the qualities born of Prakriti. Attachment to these qualities is the cause of his birth in good and evil wombs.
 
purushaha : Purusha
prakritisthaha : seated in Prakriti
hi : only
bhungkte : experiences
prakritijaan : born of Prakriti
gunaan : qualities
kaaranam : cause
gunasangaha : attachment to qualities
asya : his
sadasadyonihijanmasu : birth in good and evil wombs
 
Imagine that two young brothers and their grandmother are watching a boxing match on TV. One brother is a huge fan of boxer A, and the other brother of boxer B. The two brothers get so involved in the match that they feel they themselves are in the boxing ring. The brothers start throwing punches in the air, mimicking the actions of the boxers. Also, when boxer A punches boxer B, the first brother feels exhilaration whereas the second brother feels pain. All this time, their grandmother is watching the match without any of these reactions.
 
This involvement with the boxers doesn’t end with the match. Boxer A always likes to wear a headband, so the first brother starts to wear headbands in the house. Boxer B always snaps his fingers at the end of every sentence, so the second brother begins to do that as well, much to the annoyance of his parents. Both the brothers have become so infatuated with their boxers that they take on their likes and dislikes. We may think that such behaviour only happens with children and teenagers, but something similar has happened to all of us, causing us to get trapped in samsaara.
 
We are stuck twice in samsaaraa. First, Shri Krishna says that the eternal essence has mistakenly identified itself with one body due to avidyaa or ignorance, just like the brother identified himself with boxer A. Instead of watching the IMAX movie of the universe like the grandmother, we get stuck to one character in that movie. When the eternal essence as though gets deluded with ignorance, it becomes the Purusha, and becomes “seated in Prakriti”. It forgets it real nature as infinite, indivisible and blissful. It assumes the properties of our body and thinks itself to be finite, divisible and sorrowful.
 
Second, having identified with a finite body, having taken the “upaadhi” or conditioning of a body, we get attached to the play of Prakriti, the play of the three gunaas or qualities. We get so attached to the forms of Prakriti that we generate selfish desires in order to repeatedly contact these forms, which are nothing but objects and people. Seeking a shinier car is a mistaken attempt to find joy in the car instead of understanding our true nature as joy itself. We become the brother who starts wearing a headband to feel happy, just because boxer A does so, when the brother was happy even before he know what boxing was.
 
So then, how do we get out of this two step problem of samsaara which causes us to “take birth in good and evil wombs”? We solve step one – attachment to gunaas – through vairaagya or dispassion, we learn to slowly wean ourselves off the influence of the three gunaas. We then solve step two – ignorance of our true nature – through jnyaana or knowlege, when we learn of our real nature as the eternal essence and internalize it through meditation.
 
An illustration of Purusha getting entangled in Prakriti is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 13

21 Monday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.20, bhoktritve, chapter 13 verse 20, hetuhu, kaarya, karana, kartritve, prakriti, purushaha, sukhaduhkhaanaam, uchyate

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kaaryakaranakartritve hetuhu prakritiruchyate |
purushaha sukhaduhkhaanaam bhoktritve heturuchyate || 20 ||
 
With regard to the source of actions in the body and its instruments, Prakriti is said to be the cause. With regard to experiencing joy and sorrow, Purusha is said to be the cause.
 
kaarya : body
karana : instruments
kartritve : source of actions
hetuhu : cause
prakriti : Prakriti
uchyate : it is said
purushaha : Purusha
sukhaduhkhaanaam : joy and sorrow
bhoktritve : experience
hetuhu : cause
uchyate : it is said
 
Let us bring back the example of the movie projector from the seventh chapter so that we can better understand this shloka. Imagine a gigantic IMAX screen on which Prakriti or nature projects the life of every human being in the world. Think of it as the world’s largest soap opera. We can now examine the first half of this shloka. It shows what Prakriti can create through its projections. It can project “kaarya”, the body of a person. It can project “karana”, the instruments of the body which include the five organs of sense, five organs of actions, the mind, the intellect and the ego. It can not just project one body, but every body in the world.
 
Now, here comes an important point. Shri Krishna says that Prakriti is the source of all actions in this world, not the Purusha. We are now coming back to the topic that was hinted upon in the karma yoga chapter. Typically, most of us attribute the agency, or the doership of our actions, to our own self. We say “I did this”, “I did not do that” and so on. Shri Krishna makes it perfectly clear that the intellect, the ego and the mind in our body receive input from our senses, filter it through our vaasanaas, and send instructions to our organs of action. All this is going on within the realm of Prakriti, that continues projecting the IMAX movie of the world. In other words, the “I” does not do anything, but Prakriti does everything.
 
Next, the role of the Purusha is described. The Purusha is the awareness principle, the knowledge principle present in the body. From our perspective, he is concerned with the experience of only one body out of the millions of bodies in that IMAX movie – our body. What is his role? His role is to know. If we put a drop of a bitter liquid on our tongue, it sends an electrical current to the mind based on the chemical makeup of the bitter liquid. But ultimately, it is only the Purusha that has the capacity to come up with the knowledge that “this liquid is bitter”. On one level, Purusha knows what the senses and the mind report. Without the Purusha, there will be nothing to know what Prakriti has projected. It would be like projecting a movie without an audience to see it.
 
So then, when this knowledge of bitterness is filtered through our vaasanaas or our “programming”, it can result in either joy or sorrow. Some of us like bitter taste, some of us don’t. This difference comes from the variety in our vaasanaas, our individual programming. So whenever external objects are arranged by Prakriti in a pattern that is conducive to our vaasanaas, the Purusha experiences joy. In other words, whenever we say “I am happy”, it is the Purusha experiencing happiness. Similarly, sorrow is also experienced when objects are undesirable.
 
Here, encapsulated in these two lines of this shloka, is the state of our lives. Our body with its organs interacts with other bodies in this world. It performs actions whose results are experienced by the Purusha as joy and sorrow. The cycle of joy and sorrow continues from one action to another action, from one experience to another experience. This is “samsaara”.
 
Now, there seems to be a problem. Right from the second chapter, we have been told that our true nature is the eternal essence. It pervades the entire universe. It is eternal, indestructible and indivisible. We have also been told that Prakriti, through some inexplicable magic, projects the entire universe of names and forms. How then, does the third entity called Purusha come into being? And also, how does it take on one body out of all the bodies in the world as its own, and experience only that body’s joy and sorrow?
 
Shri Krishna reveals the root cause of samsaara, of our repeated experience of joy and sorrow, in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 38, Chapter 11

21 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.28, aadidevaha, anantaroopam, asi, asya, chapter 11 verse 38, dhaama, nidhaanam, param, puraanaaha, purushaha, tatam, tvam, tvayaa, vedyam, vettaa, vishvam, vishvasya

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tvam aadidevaha purushaha puraanastvamasya vishvasya param nidhaanam |
vettaasi vedyam cha param cha dhaama tvayaa tatam vishvamanantaroopam || 38 ||
 
You are the primal lord, the ancient person. This universe is your supreme abode. You are the knower, the knowable and the supreme abode. By you is this universe pervaded, O one with infinite forms.
 
tvam : you
aadidevaha : primal lord
purushaha : person
puraanaaha : ancient
tvam : you
asya : this
vishvasya : universe
param : supreme
nidhaanam : abode
vettaa : knower
asi : are
vedyam : knowable
cha : and
param : supreme
cha : and
dhaama : abode
tvayaa : by you
tatam : pervaded
vishvam : universe
anantaroopam : having infinite forms
 
Arjuna’s understanding of Ishvara becomes clearer and clearer as this chapter unfolds. He acknowledges Ishvara’s creative power by addressing him as “aadideva”, the primal or first lord, the one who created Brahmaa, the creator. He also acknowledges that Ishvara has the power to create “anantaroopam”, an infinite number of forms, which is what we experience as “vishwam”, this magnificent universe. The first name of Ishvara in the Vishnu Sahasranaama, the thousand names of Vishnu, is vishwam.
 
Ishvara has not created the universe and stepped aside from it. He dwells in it as the ancient “purusha” or person, just like we dwell as the person in our body, the “city of nine gates” from the fifth chapter. Also, Ishvara is not located in just one specific area or corner of this universe. He is present everywhere. He is the “tatam” in the phrase “yenam sarvam idam tatam” from the second chapter. He pervades this entire creation, just like water pervades all ocean waves.
 
We know that even an inert object like a TV screen can conjure up an infinite number of names and forms. But Ishvara is far from inert. He is of the nature of awareness, of knowledge. He is the knower of everything that is to be known, all the forms that he has created. And when all these forms are dissolved, they end up in him, the final resting place, the “parama dhaama” or supreme abode.

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 22, Chapter 8

20 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.22, ananyayaa, antahasthaani, bhaktyaam, bhootaani, chapter 8 verse 22, idam, labhyaha, paartha, paraha, purushaha, saha, sarvam, tatam, yasya, yena

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purushaha sa paraha paartha bhaktyaa labhyastvananyayaa |
yasyaantahasthaani bhootaani yena sarvamidam tatam || 22 ||
 
That supreme person, in whom all beings are included, by whom all this is pervaded, O Paartha, is obtained through single-pointed devotion.
 
purushaha : person
saha : that
paraha : supreme
paartha : O Paartha
bhaktyaa : with devotion
labhyaha : obtained
ananyayaa : single pointed
yasya : in whom
antahasthaani : are included
bhootaani : all beings
yena : by whom
sarvam : all
idam : this
tatam : pervaded
 
With this shloka, Shri Krishna summarizes the topic of liberation. The detail around the creation and dissolution of the universe was meant to highlight the notion that only through liberation can we rise above that endless cycle. Shri Krishna gives us the means for liberation as well as the attributes of the goal which is Ishvara.
 
Shri Krishna says that liberation is obtained through single-pointed devotion to Ishvara. Single-pointed devotion was covered in chapter six. However, here it is meant to include not just devotion but also karma yoga. If the karma yoga aspect is missing, our vaasanaas or latent desires will remain unfulfilled, pulling us back into the cycle of rebirth so that they will be fulfilled.
 
Now, what is Ishvara’s connection to creation and dissolution? Ultimately, Ishvara is the cause of all creation. But he is not someone who stands outside his creation. The classic example referenced in this context is that of the potter and the pot. The potter creates the pot out of clay, but remains outside the pot, distinct from the pot. Ishvara is not like that. He is like the ocean that creates waves. The waves are pervaded by the ocean and are also included in the ocean. So is the case with Ishvara. Therefore, Ishvara is everywhere (beyond space) and
ever present (beyond time).
 
Having conclude the topic of liberation, Shri Krishna begins the last topic of this chapter in the next shloka. He describes the two paths that seekers have to travel through after they pass away.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 19, Chapter 3

28 Wednesday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.19, aacharan, aapnoti, asakthah, Chapter 3 Verse 19, hi, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, kaaryam, karma, param, purushaha, satatam, tasmaat

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tasmaadasaktah satatam kaaryam karma samaachara |
asakto hyaacharan karma paramaapnoti purushaha || 19 ||

Therefore, always perform prescribed actions diligently without attachment; for, by performing action without attachment, an individual attains the supreme.

tasmaat : therefore
asaktah : without attachment
satatam : always
kaaryam : prescribed
karma : actions
samaachara : diligently
asaktah : without attachment
hi : because
aacharan : perform
karma : action
param : highest
aapnoti : attain
purushaha : an individual

In this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes his answer to Arjuna’s question from the first verse in this chapter. Arjuna had asked Shri Krishna as to why he should commit the act of war, which in his opinion was a ghastly act. Let us recap Shri Krishna’s answer.

Shri Krishna replied by explaining that no one can flee from action, that one should perform selfless rather than selfish actions, that selfless actions in the service of a higher ideal do not create bondage, and that performance of selfless action or yajna is the key to participating in the evolution of oneself and of the universe.

Another point emphasized in this shloka is that karmayoga should not be something that is restricted to only a few aspects of life. The karmayoga mindset should eventually become second nature, in other words, it should be embedded in each and every action that we perform. So therefore, in each and every action that we perform, from writing an email to eating our meals, we should remember to derive joy from the action itself rather than in the result. Only then will we begin to drop attachment to the action and to the result.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 2

19 Wednesday Oct 2011

Posted by in 2.21, ajam, avinaashi, avyayam, chapter 2 verse 21, enam, ghaatayati, hanti, kam, katham, nityam, paartha, purushaha, saha, veda, yaha

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vedaavinaashinam nityam ya enamajamavyayam |
katham sa purushaha paartha kam ghaatayati hanti kam || 21 ||

Whosoever knows this (eternal essence) to be imperishable, eternal, birthless and changeless, how can that individual, O Paartha, slay or cause anyone to be slain?

veda : knows
avinaashinam : imperishable
nityam : eternal
yaha : whosoever
enam : this
ajam : birthless
avyayam: changeless
katham : how
saha : that
purushaha : individual
paartha : O Paartha
kam : who
ghaatayati  : cause to be slain
hanti : kill
kam : who

Imagine that you are operating a laptop that is connected to a printer. You open a document on the laptop and click the print button. The laptop sends a signal to the printer, and the document gets printed.

Now imagine that the laptop and the printer have egos and can think for themselves. The laptop will say “I initiated the printing action” whereas the printer will say “I was the receiver of the printing action”.

But in reality, an electric current went from the laptop to the printer, which then caused the printing to happen. So, an engineer would never say “the laptop caused the printing to happen”. It was all a play of electricity.

So here, what Shri Krishna is trying to say is that “this”, the eternal essence does not act and nor does it get impacted by any action, just like electricity does not really act. It empowers material objects to act without actually acting. Therefore a wise person will never think that the eternal essence can slay or kill or act at all. It is like the sun.

The refrain is clear: “You are the eternal essence – birthless, changeless, eternal and imperishable. The eternal essence does not slay, nor does it get slain.” It is repeated throughout the Gita because it will take a significant effort on our part to truly understand and internalize this message.