Category Archives: sarvathaa

Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 13

24 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by in 13.23, abhijaayate, bhooyaha, chapter 13 verse 23, evam, gunaih, prakritim, purusham, saha, sarvathaa, vartamaanaha, vetti, yaha

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ya evam vetti purusham prakritim cha gunaih saha |
sarvathaa vartamaanopi na sa bhooyobhijaayate || 23 ||
 
He who thus knows Purusha and Prakriti, along with the gunaas, no matter what his conduct, is never born again.
 
yaha : he who
evam : thus
vetti : knows
purusham : Purusha
prakritim : Prakriti
cha : and
gunaih : gunaas
saha : along with
sarvathaa : whatever
vartamaanaha : conduct
api : no matter
na : not
saha : he
bhooyaha : again
abhijaayate : born
 
To better understand this shloka, let us quickly take a look at the theory of karma. It says that each of us comes with three types of karmas, which are unfulfilled desires that become seeds of future actions. Total karmas or “sanchita” karmas are the entire stock of our karmas. Present life karmas or “prarabdha” karmas are those karmas that are activated in our present life. Expected karmas or “agaami” karmas are those karmas that will be generated due to the results of actions in the present life. These karmas get added to our sanchita karmas, our stock of karmas.
 
As an illustration, consider this. The arrows in an archer’s quiver are sanchita karmas, the arrows that have left his bow are prarabdha karmas, and the arrows that are loaded on the bow are agaami karmas. The Vedas assert that so long as an individual maintains a stock of karmas, he has to take on a body to exhaust those karmas. In each birth, a portion of the stock of karmas is allocated to the individual so that he can exhaust them. By generating further selfish desires, the individual adds to his stock of karmas, and the cycle of birth goes on indefinitely.
 
Shri Krishna says that the one who has properly understood the relationship between Purusha and Prakriti, one who has understood the identification of the eternal essence with Prakriti due to ignorance and the consequent rushing after the gunaas, is never born again. This means that his stock of karmas is destroyed, just like a spark of fire destroys dry hay. He does not generate any further selfish desires, because he is no longer fascinated by the play of the three gunaas. Why does this happen? When one realizes that selfish desire is created by ignorance of one’s true nature, it wipes out any notion of selfishness completely. There is no longer an urge to come into contact with Prakriti.
 
Now, this person still has to deal with his prarabdha. His present life karmas continue to be active until his body drops off, after which he does not have to take any further births. The word “api” in the shloka indicates that the individual can continue to perform his duties even if he has realized his true nature as the eternal essence, just like king Janaka continued to rule his kingdom even though he had achieved liberation.
 
Shri Krishna concludes the topic of Purusha and Prakriti with this shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 31, Chapter 6

03 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in aastitaha, bhajati, chapter 6 verse 31, ekatvam, maam, maiyi, sa, sarvabhootasthitam, sarvathaa, vartamaanaha, vartate, yaha, yogi

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sarvabhootasthitam yo maam bhajatyekatvamaastitaha |
sarvathaa vartamaanopi sa yogi mayi vartate || 31 ||
 
Established in oneness with me, one who beholds me as present in all beings, that yogi resides within me, in all circumstances.
 
sarvabhootasthitam : present in all beings
yaha : one who
maam : me
bhajati : beholds
ekatvam : oneness
aastitaha : established
sarvathaa : all
vartamaanaha : circumstances
sa : that
yogi : yogi
maiyi : within me
vartate : resides
 
In order to emphasize the oneness of the individual with the absolute, Shri Krishna says that the yogi who sees him present in all beings is always residing in him, no matter what circumstance the yogi finds himself in. In other words, the devotee does not lose his connection with Ishvara in any and all worldly and spiritual pursuits.
 
First, let us refer back to our wave and ocean example to understand what is meant by “ekatvam” or oneness. If the wave sees himself as part of the ocean, and also sees the other waves as part of the ocean, it ultimately realizes that everything is the ocean. It realizes that there is no separation of wave and ocean, and in doing so, attains oneness with the ocean. Similarly, Shri Krishna says that the yogi who sees all beings in Ishvara, discards any thought of separation from Ishvara. He thus attains oneness with Ishvara.
 
Here is another example. Let us say that we attend a cricket match where India is playing against some other team. If we sit alongside the Indian team fans, there is no way we can ever forget the India team. Why? Someone will have the Indian team logo on their shirt or on their cap. Someone will be chanting the player’s names. Someone will be holding up cardboard signs. No matter where we look or what we hear, it will be something about the India team. We will see the India team spirit in everyone. There will be no thought of separation from the India team.
 
Furthermore, Shri Krishna says that the yogi never loses this oneness, it stays with him no matter what transaction he conducts in this world. Many of us have a hands-free headset that lets us stay connected on a phone call regardless of whether we are walking, climbing stairs, shopping and so on. The yogi thus maintains an “always-on” connection with Ishvara. The yogi does not need to go on a pilgrimage or visit any specific temple, because he is always connected to Ishvara.
 
Now, this does not mean that going to temples or pilgrimages is not encouraged. These places create a conducive environment for the seeker to focus his thoughts on Ishvara, which definitely accelerates the spiritual progress. But the notion that “Ishvara is in this object, and nowhere else” is incorrect, it should be discarded.
 
In his commentary, Shri Shankaraachaaryaji says that for such a yogi, there is nothing that can obstruct his liberation or moksha. He is ever-liberated or nitya-mukta, because he knows that he was never bound in the first place.