Category Archives: sama

Bhagavad Gita Verse 24, Chapter 14

01 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by in aatmasamstutihi, apriyaha, ashma, dheeraha, duhkhasukhaha, kanchanaha, loshta, nindaa, priya, sama, svastaha, tulya

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samaduhkhasukhaha svastaha samaloshtashmakanchanaha |
tulyapriyaapriyo dheerastulyanindaatmasamstuti || 24 ||
 
He to whom sorrow and joy are same, he who is established in his self, who regards mud, stone and gold as same, he who treats the dear and the detested as alike, he who is wise, he who treats insult and praise as alike.
 
sama : same
duhkhasukhaha : sorrow and joy
svastaha : established in his self
sama : same
loshta : mud
ashma : stone
kanchanaha : gold
tulya : alike
priya : dear
apriyaha : detested
dheeraha : wise
tulya : alike
nindaa : insult
aatmasamstutihi : one’s praise
 
Shri Krishna continues to explain the conduct of one who has gone beyond the gunas. He says that such a person maintains a state of balance, a state of equanimity in his dealing with objects of the world and with people. Right from the second chapter, Shri Krishna has repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining samatva or equanimity in our lives, and does so again in this shloka. Only he who has transcended the gunas can maintain this level of equanimity. Such a person is termed “dhira” or wise, and “svastha” meaning self-established or healthy by Shri Krishna.
 
Three types of objects are mentioned in this shloka : a lump of clay, a stone, and a piece of gold. The person who has transcended the gunas will understand the real-world, practical difference in value of all these three objects. He will also know that at some times, some of these objects will bring joy, and some of these objects will bring sorrow. When he has to rush to the hospital to deal with a medical emergency, no piece of gold can bring him joy. He will continually maintain the awareness that clay, stone and gold, and the subsequent joy and sorrow that they bring, are nothing but the gunas playing with themselves. With this knowledge, he will maintain his balance and equanimity.
 
Now we look at how such a person deals with people. When people praise us or act in our interest, they become dear to us. When they insult us or trouble us in any way, we begin to detest them. Just like objects, different types of people can generate different reactions in different circumstances. Friends can become rivals, relatives can become enemies, even families can fall apart within minutes. One who has learned to transcend the gunas will transact with people appropriate to the situation, but will never hold on to one person, or run away from them. Praise, insult, friend, foe, all these are interactions between gunas. His “I”, his self, has nothing to do with any of these.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 6

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.8, ashma, chapter 6 verse 8, iti, jnaana, kaanchanaha, kutasthaha, loshta, sama, triptaatmaa, uchyate, vignyaana, vijitendriyaha, yogi, yuktaha

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jnaanavignyaanatriptaatmaa kutastho vijitendriyaha |
yukta ityuchyate yogi samaloshtaashmakaanchanaha || 6 ||

One whose self is content with knowledge and wisdom, who is steady like an anvil, who has conquered the senses; such a person called an established yogi; to him, a lump of clay, a stone and gold are same.

jnaana : knowledge
vignyaana : wisdom
triptaatmaa : one whose self is content
kutasthaha : who is (steady) like an anvil
vijitendriyaha : who has conquered the senses
yuktaha : established
iti : such a
uchyate : is called
yogi : yogi
sama : same
loshta : lump of mud
ashma : stone
kaanchanaha : gold

Shri Krishna continues the explanation on the outlook of a realized meditator. In this shloka, he speaks about how such a person responds to objects. This person’s nature is complete and content with knowledge and wisdom, he has no need for anything else. This contentment and the mastery over senses gives him the quality of steadfastness. He is like an anvil in that regard. He sees sameness in a lump of clay, a stone and gold, such is his vision.

First let us look at what is meant by knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is that which is gained externally through study of texts. But wisdom comes only when this knowledge has been internalized, and when we can see its application in our life. If someone tells us that exercise is good, then it is knowledge. But if we also come to that conclusion and start exercising, it becomes wisdom. It is like a math problem, we have to work out the answer for ourselves.

Similarly, when we hear that our self is beyond the body, mind and intellect, it is knowledge. But if our body gets a disease, but we think that “I have fallen sick, not my body”, it means that our knowledge has not translated into wisdom. Once I gain wisdom, I do not get disturbed by any more diseases. The combination of knowledge and wisdom brings me to the realization that I am complete, and hence I do not get affected by what happens to the body.

Next, Shri Krishna says that this person is steady like an anvil. A favourable object does not cause excitement in him, and an unfavourable object does not cause any agitation in him. Is it because he has become like a stone? No, it is because he is content with himself. He does not need to rush out into the world of objects to fulfill himself. He knows that desire and hatred are components of sense organs, as we saw in earlier chapters. So when he knows that desire and hatred is not his, and the reactions is not his, then he remains undisturbed.

Shri Krishna then mentions that such a person has full control over mind and senses. This point repeated countless times because it is the most important thing to do for a seeker, but also the most difficult. Even if we hear it several times it does not sink in. So, such a person becomes steady like an anvil because he remains absolutely steady in his own self. He completely controls his senses, they do not move without permission. There is no restlessness in the body.

What is the vision of this person towards object? He sees sameness in gold, clay and stone. Now he is not foolish. He knows that each of these has value in life, but he does not give them undue importance. He has a rational and practical assessment of each object’s value in the grand scheme of things, but does not super-impose his values on them. These objects fail to attract and excite his mind.

So therefore, such a person is “yuktaha” or completely established in meditation. He has nothing further to do when it comes to meditation.