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Category Archives: sampadam

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 16

31 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by in 16.5, aasuri, abhijaataha, asi, chapter 16 verse 5, daivee, daiveem, maa, mataa, nibandhaaya, paandava, sampadam, sampat, shuchaha, vimokshaaya

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daivee sampadvimokshaaya nibandhaayaasuri mataa |
maa shuchaha sampadam daiveemabhijaatosi paandava || 5 ||
 
Divine qualities are considered conducive to liberation, devilish qualities to bondage. Do not grieve, O Paandava. You have obtained divine qualities.
 
daivee : divine
sampat : qualities
vimokshaaya : to liberation
nibandhaaya : to bondage
aasuri : devilish
mataa : considered
maa : do not
shuchaha : grieve
sampadam : qualities
daiveem : divine
abhijaataha : obtained
asi : you have
paandava : O Paandava
 
The aim of any spiritual text including the Gita is to lead the seeker onto the path of liberation. Shri Krishna now connects this chapter with the aim of the Gita. He says that we can increase the chances of our success in the spiritual path if we cultivate the divine qualities listed in this chapter, while toning down our devilish qualities. In today’s day and age, it is easy to misunderstand some of these devilish qualities as essential for our survival, that without these qualities we will not get ahead in life. but it is not so.
 
For instance, take the quality of krodha or anger. Whenever we are in a state of anger, our intellect, our power of reasoning shuts down, as described in the second chapter. Our emotional mind takes over, and makes us perform actions that may harm us in the long run. Therefore, each time we get angry, we weaken our intellect, which is the one faculty that differentiates us from animals, and can take us closer to liberation. Akrodha, the divine quality of keeping our anger in check, prevents this from happening. We have to also keep in mind that we have to conduct self analysis and not apply this teaching to judge some other person.
 
Shri Krishna also anticipates a question arising in Arjuna’s mind. Arjuna would have thought, am I in the divine qualities camp or in the other one. To this end, Shri Krishna consoles Arjuna. He asserts that Arjuna was always endowed with divine qualities, and that those qualities will most definitely lead him towards liberation. He addresses him as Paandava, to remind him that he comes from a lineage that has always demonstrated these divine qualities.

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Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 16

30 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in 16.4, aasureem, abhijaatasya, abhimaanaha, ajnyaanam, chapter 16 verse 4, dambhaha, darpaha, krodhaha, paartha, paarushyam, sampadam

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dambho darpobhimaanashcha krodhaha paarushyameva cha |
ajnyaanam chaabhijaatasya paartha sampadamaasureem || 4 ||
 
Ostentation, arrogance, exaggerated self worth, and anger, insolence and also ignorance, these are found in one who has obtained devilish qualities, O Paartha.
 
dambhaha : ostentation
darpaha : arrogance
abhimaanaha : exaggerated self worth
cha : and
krodhaha : anger
paarushyam : insolence
eva : also
cha : and
ajnyaanam : ignorance
cha : and
abhijaatasya : one who has obtained
paartha : O Paartha
sampadam : qualities
aasureem : devilish
 
Having supplied a long list of divine qualities, Shri Krishna begins listing the aasuri sampatti, the devilish or diabolical qualities. Asuras are portrayed as fearsome demons with long teeth and horns in comic books and TV shows. But the word asura means one who places sense enjoyment as his highest goals. Any ordinary looking human being can be an asura, if he constantly dwells in sense pleasures.
 
Projecting an image of ourselves to be larger, to be different than what we really are dambaha. There are people who portray themselves to be smarter, wiser and accomplished than they really are. Or, there are others who cover up their misdeeds by portraying themselves as god fearing and so on. Broadly speaking, such people try to change what they have through cover-up rather than work hard and perform actions that will give them better results.
 
Darpa refers to arrogance and pride over our possessions, and the subsequent putting down of others who may not have what we have. These people not only hurt others by their insults, they hurt themselves as well. Instead of weakening their notions of me and mine, which become obstacles to spiritual growth, such people strengthen them. Krodha refers to anger. Specifically, it is the thought that gives a kind of satisfaction after having yelled at someone who has wronged us, instead of the thought that wants to solve a concern, or to help that other person.
 
Next, Shri Krishna mentions paarushyam, which means insolence or harshness, as a diabolical quality. Harshness can occur at the body and speech level. Elbowing our way to the front of a crowded line is harshness at the body level. Using bitter and taunting language is harshness at the speech level. Pointing out someone’s faults in front of everyone is harshness at the speech level.
 
The primary devilish quality is that of ajnyaanam or ignorance. From a day to day standpoint, not knowing which action is right versus which action is to be avoided, this is ignorance. Chasing momentary pleasures in the material world without regards to actions and consequences constitutes ignorances. From an absolute standpoint, it is the ignorance of our true nature as existence, awareness and joy that is the fundamental devilish quality.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 3, Chapter 16

29 Friday Mar 2013

Posted by in 16.3, abhijaatasya, adrohaha, bhaarata, bhavanti, chapter 16 verse 3, daiveem, dhritihi, kshamaa, naatimaanitaa, sampadam, shaucham, tejaha

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tejaha kshamaa dhritihi shauchamadroho naatimaanitaa |
bhavanti sampadam daiveemabhijaatasya bhaarata || 3 ||
 
Radiance, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, lack of enmity, lack of arrogance, these are found in one who has obtained divine qualities, O Bhaarata.
 
tejaha : radiance
kshamaa : forgiveness
dhritihi : fortitude
shaucham : purity
adrohaha : lack of enmity
naatimaanitaa : lack of arrogance
bhavanti : are
sampadam : qualities
daiveem : divine
abhijaatasya : one who has obtained
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
 
Shri Krishna adds more entries into the list of divine qualities. Tejaha refers to brilliance that comes to dedicated seekers. Energy that is normally wasted through relentless contact with sense objects is conserved when we control our sense organs. Tapaha, conservation of energy, results in tejaha. Even if we control our food cravings for a short period of time, we will feel an influx of additional energy that will radiate out of our body.
 
A long term vow of never to get angry in the first place is termed kshamaa, which means forgiveness. If we feel someone has hurt us in any way, we want to punish him in the future. But when we forgive someone on the spot, we do not leave room for grudges to accumulate in our mind, cutting the very root of this attitude of punishment. The way to do this is to not expect any joy or sorrow from anyone or anything.
 
Next, we come across dhritihi which means fortitude. There will be situations in our life when our mind, body and senses will reach their breaking point. We will begin to say – I cannot take it anymore. The ability to keep holding on to our goal in the face of such fatigue is called dhritihi. It can only come out of training our mind to follow the direction of the intellect. This topic is covered in great detail in the eighteenth chapter.
 
Shaucham refers purity and cleanliness. External cleanliness, which means keeping our body, our surrounding and our environment clean is a given. But shaucham also refers to internal purity, which refers to keeping our mind and intellect free of likes, dislikes and attachments. Getting rid of the most stubborn dirt of the mind, ignorance of our true nature, is the highest act of cleaning we can perform.
 
The next quality Shri Krishna mentions is that of adroha. Here, we do not have any notion of hatred or enmity towards anyone. Droha actually means betrayal. It is the feeling of revenge we harbour against someone who we believe has wronged us, has betrayed us. Adroha means not to harbour such feelings. When one’s goal is the supreme, they will never stoop to harbour feelings of revenge against anyone.
 
Maanitaa refers to the notion of always demanding respect from our peers. Atimaanitaa refers to extreme arrogance, of always demanding respect from our superiors. It comes from an inflated sense of self worth, by giving emphasis to our individuality. Naatimaanita is the opposite of atimaanitaa. As our sense of individuality merges into Ishvara through constant spiritual practice, qualities that are associated with an exaggerated ego or self worth automatically correct themselves.
 
Shri Krishna concludes the list of divine qualities in this shloka. Very few people are born with all these qualities. So even if we focus on cultivating a handful of these qualities within ourselves, we would have made a good start.