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A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning

~ Gita Journey is a straightforward, modern, contemporary, basic explanation and commentary of the Bhagawat Gita, with Sanskrit to English word meanings. Each shloka (verse) is explained in detail. An introduction to the Bhagavad Gita along with study resources can also be found here. A summary of each chapter of the Bhagavad Gita is also included. It does not matter whether you are a student, a retiree, a professional, a mom, a dad or a housewife – no prior knowledge is needed.

A simple, modern translation and explanation of the Bhagavad Gita with shloka (verse) meaning

Category Archives: samyak

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 8

07 Saturday Jul 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 8.10, aaveshya, achalena, bhaktyaa, bhruvoho, chapter 8 verse 10, divyam, madhye, manasa, param, praanam, prayaanakaale, purusham, samyak, upaiti, yogabalena, yuktaha

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prayaanakaale manasaachalena bhaktyaa yukto yogabalena chaiva |
bhruvormadhye praanamaaveshya samyak sa tam param purushamupaiti divyam || 10 ||

 
At the time of departure, endowed with devotion, an unwavering mind, as well as the power of yoga, fully establishing the praanaas in the centre of the eyebrows, he attains that supreme divine person.
 
prayaanakaale : at the time of departure
manasa : with mind
achalena : unwavering
bhaktyaa : with devotion
yuktaha : endowed with
yogabalena : power of yoga
cha : and
iva : also
bhruvoho : eyebrows
madhye : centre
praanam : praanaas
aaveshya : establishing
samyak : fully
saha : he
tam : that
param : supreme
purusham : person
upaiti : attains
divyam : divine
 
The puraanaas contain several stories describing how people endowed with yogic powers could control their life force or their praana and force it out of the body. At the end of the Mahabharata, many people including Yudhishthira and Draupadi left their bodies using yogic powers. If we interpret this shloka literally, it describes how one can remember Ishvara’s form while voluntarily starting the process of departing the body.
 
We, of course, do not know anything about such techniques, nor do we wish to pursue it. So therefore, let us examine the symbolic meaning of this shloka. “Prayaana kale” literally means the time of departure or death. Symbolically, it signifies the death of the ego, or the end of our notion of finitude. Therefore, when we rid ourselves of selfish desires, likes and dislikes, and in doing so slay the ego, we automatically develop firm devotion or bhakti towards Ishvara.
 
As our devotion increases, our mind’s tendency to jump from one thought to the other slows down, settling into the one thought of Ishvara. We can then meditate on the form of Ishvara as the supreme, divine person or parama purusha. All the energy that would normally have been wasted in selfish thinking and action is available to us now. We can channel this reservoir of energy towards meditation.
 
So therefore, if we use these instructions to develop the daily habit of meditating upon Ishvara, we will naturally and easily remember Ishvara when it is time for us to leave this world. The key thing, of course, is not to forcibly practice meditation, but to gradually ease into it as our level of devotion to Ishvara increases.
 
With this shloka, Shri Krishna concludes the topic of meditation on Ishvara’s form. The topic of meditation on Ishvara’s name is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 4, Chapter 5

08 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by skr_2011 in 5.4, aasthitaha, api, baalaaha, chapter 5 verse 4, ekam, na, panditaahaa, phalam, pravadanti, prithak, saankhya, samyak, ubhayoha, vindate, yogau

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saankhyayogau prithagbaalaaha pravadanti na panditaahaa |
ekamapyaasthitaha samyagubhayorvindate phalam || 4 ||

Only children say that the yoga of knowledge and the yoga of action are different, wise people do not. One who is perfectly established in one, obtains the result of both.

saankhya : yoga of knowledge
yogau : yoga of action
prithak : different
baalaaha : children
pravadanti : say
na : not
panditaahaa : wise people
ekam : one
api : also
aasthitaha : established
samyak : perfectly
ubhayoha : both
vindate : obtain
phalam : result

Shri Krishna reiterates his message from third chapter in this shloka. He says that the path to attain self-realization is one, but it has two stages. In the first stage, the seeker performs actions per his svadharma, but focuses on checking and sublimating the ego while performing his actions. This stage is called karma yoga. When the seeker has exhausted the majority of his desires, he becomes ready for the next stage.

In the second stage, the seeker minimizes actions other than those performed for gaining knowledge through the guidance of a teacher. The second stage is possible only after the ego has been sublimated through renunciation. This stage is called karma sannyaasa.

Shri Krishna then goes on to say that only people who are ignorant of the connection between these two stages say that karma-sannyaasa and karmayoga are different paths. They also think that it is possible to bypass stage one and go straight to stage two. This ability to bypass stage one is only possible for a handful of advanced seekers in this world, seekers who have already sublimated their desires.

Therefore, having known this, he urges us to become wise people and to not think of the path to self-realization as two different paths. If we become established in one stage, we will automatically get the result of self-realization that one gets from pursuing the other stage. In other words, we should follow the one path that we are qualified for, and follow it properly.

How should a wise person look at these two stages? We will see in the next shloka.

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