Category Archives: saha

Bhagavad Gita Verse 16, Chapter 12

25 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by in 12.16, anapekshaha, chapter 12 verse 16, dakshaha, gatavyathaha, madbhaktaha, me, priyaha, saha, sarvaarambhaparityaagee, shuchihi, udaaseenaha, yaha

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anapekshaha shuchirdaksha udaaseeno gatavyathaha |
sarvaarambhaparityaagee yo madbhaktaha sa me priyaha || 16 ||
 
One who is without expectation, pure, dextrous, unconcerned, fearless, renouncing all new initiatives, he who is such a devotee of mine, he is dear to me.
 
anapekshaha : without expectation
shuchihi : pure
dakshaha : dextrous
udaaseenaha : unconcerned
gatavyathaha : fearless
sarvaarambhaparityaagee : renouncing all new initiatives
yaha : he who
madbhaktaha : my devotee
saha : he
me : to me
priyaha : dear
 
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna explained the attitude of the perfected devotee when dealing with other people. Now, he explains the perfected devotee’s attitude towards action. It is not a surprise to us that the perfected devotee is also a perfected karma yogi. He has understood the art of performing any action, big or small, in line with Shri Krishna’s teaching on karma yoga, thereby achieving perfection in action.
 
To begin with, the perfected karma yogi is shuchihi or pure. His mind has been purged of selfish desires, leaving room only for actions pertaining to his duties or svadharma. If the action is not part of his svadharma, he doesn’t undertake new initiatives unnecessarily. Also, he dedicates the results of his actions to Ishvara. This enables him to give up apekshaa or expectations about the result, as well as concern about what happened in the past. He is udaaseenaha, unconcerned and unattached, not because he does not care about the action, but because he doesn’t get attached to the result of the action.
 
With no mental agitations caused by future expectations or past anxiety, the karma yogi performs actions with great dexterity and fearlessness. “Yogaha karmasu kaushalam” – dexterity in action is karma yoga as we saw in the second chapter. The karma yogi devotes all his attention and brings great focus to the task at hand, keeping all distractions aside. He also performs the work as an emissary of Ishvara, which removes any notion of fear, hesitation or doubt from his mind. Shri Krishna says that this type of devotee, the perfected karma yogi, is very dear to him.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 12

23 Sunday Dec 2012

Posted by in 12.14, arpita, chapter 12 verse 14, dridhanishchayaha, madbhaktaha, manobuddhihi, mayi, me, priyaha, saha, santushtaha, satatam, yaha, yataatmaa, yogee

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santushtaha satatam yogee yataatmaa dridhanishchayaha |
mayyarpitamanobuddhiryo madbhaktaha sa me priyaha || 14 ||
 
The yogi who is always contented, self controlled, with firm conviction, who has dedicated his mind and intellect to me, he who is such a devotee of mine is dear to me.
 
santushtaha : contented
satatam : always
yogee : yogi
yataatmaa : self controlled
dridhanishchayaha : firm conviction
mayi : to me
arpita : dedicated
manobuddhihi : mind and intellect
yaha : he who
madbhaktaha : my devotee
saha : he
me : me
priyaha : dear
 
Most of us derive contentment from people, objects and situations in the world, most notably after consuming a delicious meal. Contentment is a state where the mind does not want anything else from the world. But, this state is temporary because the contentment has been triggered by something that is temporary and finite, like food for example. Shri Krishna says that the yogi, the perfected devotee, derives contentment from Ishvara within himself, therefore he does not need to become a bhogi, one who runs after material objects for contentment. He is “satatam santushta”, even contented.
 
Another quality of a perfected devotee is a firm conviction that only Ishvara exists, and that the world does not exist independently of Ishvara. Most of us assume that the world has an independent existence. We attach all sorts of values to it. causing our intellect to generate innumerable goals and convictions around those values. The perfected devotee sees only Ishvara everywhere, and therefore is ever steadfast in his conviction that only Ishvara exists.
 
This “dridha nishchaya” or firm conviction is demonstrated by the devotee’s submission of mind and intellect in Ishvara, and also, the control of the mind, body and senses. When the intellect is convinced that only Ishvara exists, and when the mind thinks only of Ishvara, the devotee does not need any other special yogic technique to control the organs of action and the sense organs. Selfish desires are the cause of the mind, body and senses deviating from prescribed actions. When there is only the desire for Ishvara, they can never deviate. Shri Krishna says that the perfected devotee is a “satatam yataatmaa”, one who has complete self control at all times.
 
Here Shri Krishna concludes the line of thought that he began in the previous shloka by asserting that the devotee who has inculcated these traits is very dear to Ishvara. These eight shlokas starting from the thirteenth shloka are one of the most famous and beloved shlokas in the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 55, Chapter 11

08 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by in 11.55, chapter 11 verse 55, eti, maam, madbhaktaha, matkarmakrit, matparamaha, nirvairaha, paandava, saha, sangavarjitaha, sarvabhooteshu, yaha

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matkarmakrinmatparamo madbhaktaha sangavarjitaha |
nirvairaha sarvabhooteshu yaha sa maameti paandava || 55 ||
 
One who performs actions for me, considers me as supreme, is devoted to me, is free from attachment and without enmity towards all beings, that person attains me, O Paandava.
 
matkarmakrit : performs actions for me
matparamaha : considers me as supreme
madbhaktaha : devoted to me
sangavarjitaha : free from attachment
nirvairaha : without enmity
sarvabhooteshu : towards all beings
yaha : one who
saha : that person
maam : me
eti : attains
paandava : O Paandava
 
What do we get as a reward for studying one of the longest chapters of the Gita? It is this concluding shloka of the eleventh chapter which Shankaraachaarya considers the essence of the entire Bhagavad Gita. Shri Krishna says that Isvara can be attained by following five guidelines : perform actions for the sake of Ishvara, fix Ishvara as the ultimate goal, observe single-pointed devotion to Ishvara, remain free from worldly attachments, do not harbour likes or dislikes.
 
We have come across these themes throughout the Gita, but this is the first time that Shri Krishna reveals how they come together as a logical whole. First, he advises us to follow karma yoga, to perform selfless actions by dedicating them to Ishvara. He then advises us to fix Ishvara as the ultimate goal. This is the yoga of knowledge or jnyaana yoga. But we need something that propels us from karma yoga to jnyaana yoga. That is revealed as the third step, the yoga of devotion or bhakti yoga. None of these steps can be accomplished with a mind filled with the impurities of likes and dislikes that generate material attachment. These are addressed in fourth and fifth steps which are freedom from worldly attachments as well as from likes and dislikes.
 
Furthermore, all five steps are interconnected and strengthen each other. The mind cannot fully detach itself from everything. Like a child that drops attachment to toys and is attached to higher ideals as an adult, Shri Krishna advises us to drop attachments to material things and develop attachment for Ishvara. When we begin to see everything as Ishvara, and see ourselves as part of Ishvara, we will not generate feelings of dislike towards anyone or anything, just like we do not have enmity towards any part of our own body. This is the theme of this chapter, where the individual essence sees itself as part of the universal eternal essence.
 
om tatsatiti shreematbhagavatgitasupanishadsu brahmavidyaayaam yogashaastre shreekrishnaarjunsamvade vishwaroopadarshanayogo naama ekadashodhyaayaha || 11 ||

Bhagavad Gita Verse 26, Chapter 11

09 Friday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.26, amee, api, asau, asmadeeyahi, avanipaala, bheeshmaha, chapter 11 verse 26, dhritaraashtrasya, dronaha, putraahaa, saha, sanghai, sarve, sootaputraha, tathaa, tvaam, yodhamukhyaihi

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amee cha tvaam dhritaraashtrasya putraahaa sarve sahaivaavanipaalasanghai |
bheeshmo dronaha sootaputrastathaasau sahaasmadeeyairapi yodhamukhyaihi || 26 ||
 
And all the sons of Dhritaraashtra, with bands of warrior kings, and also Bheeshma, Drona, and also that son of Soota, along with our prime warriors..
 
amee : these
cha : and
tvaam : you
dhritaraashtrasya : of Dhritaraashtra
putraahaa : sons
sarve : all
saha : with
eva : only
avanipaala : warrior kings
sanghai : bands of
bheeshmaha : Bheeshma
dronaha : Drona
sootaputraha : son of Soota
tathaa : also
asau : that
saha : with
asmadeeyahi : our
api : also
yodhamukhyaihi : prime warriors
 
Shri Krishna had a surprise in store for Arjuna, even though Arjuna wanted him to stop showing his terrible form. Among all the scenes shown on the canvas of the cosmic form, Arjuna began to see the Mahabhaarata war. However, he saw things that had not happened so far. In other words, Shri Krishna was showing him the future.
 
Maaya, Ishvara’s great power, creates space and time. Space and time create the sense of separateness between us and the universe. Both space and time are interrelated. The larger the space, the more time it takes to go from one corner to another. A fish can traverse a bowl much faster than it can traverse a giant aquarium tank. Only Ishvara, who is beyond the notion of space and time, could show a scene that was to occur in the future, like a movie director who solely knows the outcome of a script.
 
Earlier, Shri Krishna had destroyed all notion of space, since it appeared that everyone and everything had congealed together in his cosmic form. Now, he began eliminating the notion of time. Arjuna could see the past, present and future all at once in the cosmic form. He now saw the Paandava and the Kaurava armies in that scene. He had a special place of dislike for Karna, calling him “that son of a Suta”. Suta refers to one whose mother is a brahmin and
father is a kshatriya.
 
So then, what was happening to all these warriors? This shloka continues further.\

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 11

28 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by in 11.14, abhaashata, avishtaha, chapter 11 verse 14, devam, dhananjaya, hrishtaromaaha, kritaanjalihi, pranamya, saha, shirasaa, tataha, vismaya

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tataha sa vismayaavishto hrishtaromaa dhananjaya |
pranamya shirasaa devam kritaanjalirabhaashata || 14 ||
 
Thereafter, filled with bewilderment, his hair standing on end, Dhananjaya, with folded hands, bowed his head to the lord and began to speak.
 
tataha : thereafter
saha : he
vismaya : bewilderment
avishtaha : filled with
hrishtaromaaha : hair standing on end
dhananjaya : Dhananjaya
pranamya : bowed
shirasaa : his head
devam : to the lord
kritaanjalihi : with folded hands
abhaashata : said
 
So far, Arjuna was reeling under the shock of viewing the cosmic form of Ishvara. Sanjaya paints a wonderful picture of Arjuna’s reaction to this earth-shattering event. Filled with awe and astonishment, Arjuna’s body reacted with goose bumps. Once the extent of the shock receded to some extent, he gained back his faculties and mustered the energy to start speaking again.
 
Another aspect of this shloka is revealed by the phrase “bowed his head to the lord”. Arjuna, scion of the great Kuru dynasty was a proud warrior, one of the finest archers in the land. There were few instances in his life where he faced a situation that would have humbled him. Seeing the entire universe in one tiny corner of the cosmic form put his accomplishments in the right perspective, taking all his pride away. He realized that he was nothing, his greatness was nothing compared to the glory of that infinite Ishvara.
 
So whenever we feel we have accomplished something great, whenever our ego starts to puff up, or even when we feel our personal problems are weighing down upon us, we should do what Arjuna did: fold our hands and bow our head to Ishvara. Our feats and problems are tiny compared to the expanse and power of Ishvara’s universe.
 
Arjuna begins to describe Ishvara’s cosmic form in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 10

06 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.7, atra, avikampena, cha, chapter 10 verse 7, etaam, mama, na, saha, samshayaha, tatvataha, vetti, vibhootim, yaha, yogam, yogena, yujyate

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etaam vibhootim yogam cha mama yo vetti tatvataha |
sovikampena yogena yujyate naatra samshayaha || 7 ||
 
He who understands this, my manifestation and yoga in its essence; he becomes engaged with unperturbed yoga, without a doubt.
 
etaam : this
vibhootim : manifestation
yogam : yoga
cha : and
mama : my
yaha : he who
vetti : understands
tatvataha : in essence
saha : he
avikampena : unperturbed
yogena : with yoga
yujyate : engages
na : not
atra : any
samshayaha : doubt
 
What is the result of hearing about Ishvara’s expressions? Shri Krishna says that one who is able to perceive Ishvara as manifesting through expressions becomes established in “avikampena yoga” or a constant, unshakeable connection with Ishvara.
 
Vibhooti refers to the multiple or pluralistic manifestation of Ishvara, the presence of Ishvara in all forms present in the universe. Yoga, also known as yoga-maaya, is the power that makes this pluralistic manifestation possible. Shri Krishna says that one who knows this vibhooti and yoga as arising from Ishvara is constantly united with Ishvara.
 
The key here is to develop a vision that goes into the essence of any object or person or situation instead of getting distracted by the form, just like a scrap metal dealer’s vision goes straight into the metal, and not the shape.
 
How do we develop this vision? Let us bring back the concept of material cause and intelligent cause that we saw earlier. A pot is created by two aspects: the material cause which is clay, and the intelligent cause which is the potter. So for instance, when Shri Krishna said that the seven sages were created by Ishvara, it means that Ishvara is both the “stuff” and the “sculptor”. He is both the material and intelligent cause of those sages. The Mundaka Upanishad illustrates this concept with the example of a spider who creates a web from his own body, using no other external raw material. The spider becomes the material cause and the intelligent cause of the web.
 
So if our thoughts are made of Ishvara, objects are made of Ishvara, situations are made of Ishvara, if we develop this vision, what will happen to us? We will get established in an unshakeable, unwavering connection with Ishvara. In other words, if we know that Ishvara is present in everything, we will never be disconnected from Ishvara, just like our cell phones are never disconnected from their network no matter which part of the country we visit. We will we able to encounter every situation in life with poise and equanimity, without being shaken up, because everything is ultimately Ishvara.
 
This state of unwavering yoga is elaborated upon in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 10

02 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.3, ajam, anaadim, asammoodhaha, cha, chapter 10 verse 3, lokamaheshwaram, maam, martyeshu, pramuchhyate, saha, sarvapaapaihi, vetti, yaha

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yo maamajamanaadim cha vetti lokamaheshwaram |
asammoodhaha sa martyeshu sarvapaapaihi pramuchhyate || 3 ||
 
One who knows me as birthless, causeless and lord of the universe, he is wise among all humans and is freed from all sins.
 
yaha : one who
maam : me
ajam : birthless
anaadim : causeless
cha : and
vetti : knows
lokamaheshwaram : lord of the universe
asammoodhaha : wise
saha : he is
martyeshu : among humans
sarvapaapaihi : all sins
pramuchhyate : freed from
 
In this shloka, Shri Krishna says that one whose devotion in Ishvara has reached its pinnacle, one who understands Ishvara as the eternal lord of the universe, automatically develops this capacity of discrimination and becomes wise. Also, he is freed from all his sins. This is the end result of devotion.
 
The Gita places special emphasis on the quality of viveka or discrimination. It is the ability to differentiate between what is real and what is unreal. For some people, this comes easily but for most of us, it does not. Devotion is the solution. When we begin to hear about Ishvara’s glories, our vision and understanding about his true nature increases. We begin to realize that while everything in the world has a beginning and end, Ishvara is beyond time. We begin to see that he is everywhere, he is not confined to a certain space or location.
 
So when we see that Ishvara is present everywhere and everytime, beyond the realm of time and space, we automatically begin to understand that everything else is finite and transient. Our reactions to situations become calmer. If we come across a tough situation, we know that the timeless ever present Ishvara is in there, and so therefore the situation will be temporary and will not bother us anymore. We become “assammodaha” or wise, beyond all delusion.
 
Also, by hearing these glories, we realize that Ishvara is the one who is running the universe. When we identify ourselves with the controller of the universe, our ego, sense of doership and enjoyership automatically drops because we know that we are doing nothing, it is all Ishvara’s doing. When the sinner, which is nothing the sense of doership and enjoyership, is dropped, all our sins are destroyed in an instant.
 
Shri Krishna now beings to speak of Ishvara’s expressions, which is the main theme of this chapter. He first speaks about Ishvara’s inner, subtle expressions in the next few shlokas. He later speaks about his external, more visible expressions.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 30, Chapter 9

26 Sunday Aug 2012

Posted by in 9.30, ananyabhaak, api, bhajate, chapter 9 verse 30, chet, hi, maam, mantavyaha, saadhuhu, saha, suduraachaaraha, vyavasitaha

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api chetsuduraachaaro bhajate maamananyabhaak |
saadhureva sa mantavyaha samyagvyavasito hi saha || 30 ||
 
Also, even if someone of extremely poor conduct worships me with wholehearted devotion, consider him a saint, for he has resolved very well.
 
api : also
chet : even if
suduraachaaraha : someone of extreme poor conduct
bhajate : worships
maam : me
ananyabhaak : wholehearted devotion
saadhuhu : saint
saha : him
mantavyaha : consider
samyak : very well
vyavasitaha : resolved
hi : for
saha : he has
 
Shri Krishna begins to explain the glory of bhakti or devotion with this shloka. He says that devotion is the easiest means of obtaining access to Ishvara. It is so easy that even a criminal, a sinner in the world can be considered a saint if he worships Ishvara with wholehearted devotion.
 
Why is bhakti so great as a means of accessing Ishvara? Bhakti has no prerequisites. It can be practiced by anyone at any stage in their life. There is financial, ancestral or intellectual requirement. Moreover, it is not alien to most of us. Many of us who grew up in the Indian tradition are already used to performing worship, even if it is for a minute in front of the deity in our living room. All we have to do is to expand this notion of worship to include everything we do.
 
Here, Shri Krishna says that if there is an individual that has extremely bad conduct, if he is the worst among sinners, if he starts worshipping Ishvara with single pointed devotion, this resolve is enough to uplift him to the status of a saint. The word “ananyabhaak” is very important in this shloka. It means that this person has shifted his attention from all worldly pursuits including name, fame, money and power. His only goal is Ishvara.
 
So this person may not look like a saint outwardly, but he should be considered a saint, just like one who has checked into a flight is considered to have already reached the destination, even if it will take some more time. Such a saint has begun to shift his identification or sense of “I-ness” from his body to the infinite Ishvara. But his resolve or his commitment to this path is most important. He should be “samyak vyavasitaha” which means well determined, and be able to absolutely understand as to what is the right thing for him.
 
If this resolve is so important, how does one go about it? How long does it take? We shall see this next.

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 20, Chapter 8

17 Tuesday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.20, anyaha, avyaktaat, avyaktaha, bhaavaha, bhooteshu, chapter 8 verse 20, na, nashyatsu, paraha, saha, sanaatanaha, sarveshu, tasmaat, tu, vinashyati, yaha

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parastasmaattu bhaavonyovyaktovyaktaatsanaatanaha |
yaha sa sarveshu bhooteshu nashyatsu na vinashyati || 20 ||
 
But, there exists another supreme, timeless unmanifest, beyond that (other) unmanifest, which, after destruction of all beings, is not destroyed.
 
paraha : supreme
tasmaat : that
tu : but
bhaavaha : exists
anyaha : another
avyaktaha : unmanifest
avyaktaat : unmanifest
sanaatanaha : timeless
yaha : that
saha : which
sarveshu : all
bhooteshu : beings
nashyatsu : after destruction
na : does not
vinashyati : destroyed
 
Previously, Shri Krishna spoke about the endless cycle of creation and dissolution of the universe. All living and non-living beings go into a state of suspended animation for 4.32 billion years, after which they come back into manifest mode for another 4.32 billion years. But there is one more thing. There are a select few beings that escape this endless cycle. They are the ones who are liberated.
 
Let us go back to our example of the movie projector where the light that illuminates the film strip identified itself with a character in the movie. How does that piece of light get liberated? By knowing that the identification with the movie character is false, and the identification with the light is real. The light in the projector remains constant regardless of how many times the movie is shown and rewound. It transcends the movie.
 
Similarly, Shri Krishna informs us that there is something beyond this cycle of creation and dissolution, something that transcends time and space. In other words, everything in this world is transitory and will eventually lead to sorrow. Unless we realize that everything that we think will give us happiness is subject to destruction sooner or later, we will never become aware that there is something beyond our materialistic pursuits.
 
So, what exactly is this “another unmanifest”? This is taken up next.