Category Archives: sarve

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 14

06 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by in 14.1, bhooyaha, chapter 14 verse 1, gataahaa, itaha, jnyaanaam, jnyaanamuttamam, munayaha, paraam, param, pravakshyaami, sarve, siddhim, yajnyaatvaa

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Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
param bhooyaha pravakshyaami jnyaanaam jnyaanamuttamam |
yajnyaatvaa munayaha sarve paraam siddhimito gataahaa || 1 ||
 
Shree Bhagavaan said:
I shall again speak of that highest knowledge which is superior to any other knowledge. Having known this, all the sages, (liberated) from here, have attained the highest accomplishment.
 
param : highest
bhooyaha : again
pravakshyaami : speak
jnyaanaam : knowledge
jnyaanamuttamam : superior to any knowledge
yajnyaatvaa : having known
munayaha : sages
sarve : all
paraam : highest
siddhim : accomplishment
itaha : here
gataahaa : attained
 
Shri Krishna described the fundamental ignorance of our true nature in the previous chapter. The supreme self, which is our true nature, mistakenly identifies itself with one body within Prakriti or Maaya and becomes the Purusha. It further gets trapped in Prakriti when it gets enchanted by play of the three gunaas of Prakriti. Shri Krishna uses this chapter to explain the nature of these three gunaas, their characteristics, their effects and their remedy in detail.
 
This shloka is in the form of “anubandha chatushtaya”, the four-fold curriculum covered in a text. It systematically lists the subject matter of the chapter, the student who is qualified to study this chapter, the goal of this chapter and the relationship of the subject to the goal. The subject matter is brahmavidyaa or the knowledge of brahman. One who is a muni, one who has a contemplative mind, is fit to study this chapter. The highest accomplishment one can aspire to – liberation from sorrow – is the goal of this chapter. When we know brahman as our our own self, the goal is attained. This is the prayojanam, the relationship of the subject matter to the goal of this chapter.
 
Before the topic is begun, however, we notice that Shri Krishna repeats the statement that he has made in earlier chapters about the glory of this knowledge. He does so because knowledge for us usually means academic, professional or any other type of worldly knowledge. It is always knowledge about some person, object, substance, concept, technique, something that can be accessed with the senses and mind. However, the knowledge of the self is that knowledge that reveals what the subject is, what the “I” is. In order to remove this hard conditioning, this deep programming within us, Shri Krishna has to repeat the importance of this knowledge.

Bhagavad Gite Verse 36, Chapter 11

19 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.36, anurajyate, bheetaani, cha, chapter 11 verse 36, dishaha, dravanti, hrisheekesha, jagat, namasyanti, prahrashyati, prakreertyaa, rakshaamsi, sarve, sidhhasanghaahaa, sthaane, tava

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Arjuna uvaacha:
sthaane hrisheekesha tava prakreertyaa jagatprahrashyatyanurajyate cha |
rakshaamsi bheetaani disho dravanti sarve namasyanti cha sidhhasanghaahaa || 36 ||
 
Arjuna said:
Rightly, O Hrisheekesha, the universe is elated and enamoured by your glories. Demons run in all directions out of fear, and the hosts of siddhas bow to you.
 
sthaane : rightly
hrisheekesha : O Hrisheekesha
tava : your
prakreertyaa : glories
jagat : universe
prahrashyati : elated
anurajyate : enamoured
cha : and
rakshaamsi : demons
bheetaani : out of fear
dishaha : directions
dravanti : run
sarve : all
namasyanti : bow
cha : and
sidhhasanghaahaa : hosts of siddhas
 
Having understood the workings of Ishvara’s universe, Arjuna responds with the powerful word “sthaane”, which means everything that is going on is right, everything is in its place. As we saw earlier, we tend to question Ishvara every time there is a massive calamity, either at a personal level or at a global level. Or, we sometimes ask Ishvara to let things be a certain way. But when we understand that Ishvara is behind it all, and is orchestrating events for the benefit of the entire universe and not just a subset, we too, are compelled to say “sthaane”, it is all right.
 
With this knowledge, we now know why people in our world are happy and unhappy at the same time. Those who view the world through Ishvara, those who have the vision of Ishvara, take delight in everything and hence they are happy. But those who view the world through their ego-driven vision fear Ishvara’s destructive process, and then become unhappy. Rakshasaas or demons run in fear, while siddhas or perfected beings salute Ishvara.
 
Furthermore, Arjuna understands a wonderful technique by which we can gain immense dispassion towards the world. A child drops his attachment to his toys when he becomes an adult and gets attached to something higher than toys, like his career for instance. So when we develop a strong attachment to Ishvara, when we are enamoured, “anurajjyate”, by Ishvara, we automatically drop our worldly attachments. All we need to do is to direct our senses to Hrisheekesha, the master of the senses.
 
This shloka and the upcoming ten shlokas are one of the most beautiful prayers to Ishvara ever written.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 32, Chapter 11

15 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.32, api, asmi, avasthitaahaa, bhavishyanti, chapter 11 verse 32, kaalaha, lokaan, lokakshayakrit, na, pratyaneekeshu, pravruddhaha, pravruttaha, rite, samaahartumiha, sarve, tvaam, ye, yodhaahaa

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Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
kaalosmi lokakshayakritpravruddho lokaansamaahartumiha pravruttaha |
ritepi tvaam na bhavishyanti sarve yevasthitaahaa pratyaneekeshu yodhaahaa || 32 ||
 
Shree Bhagavaan said:
I am time, the seasoned annihilator of the worlds, engaged in destroying all these people. Even without your (effort), all those hostile warriors will not exist in the future.
 
kaalaha : time
asmi : I am
lokakshayakrit : annihilator of the worlds
pravruddhaha : seasoned
lokaan : people
samaahartumiha : this destruction
pravruttaha : engaged
rite : without
api : even
tvaam : your
na : not
bhavishyanti : exist in the future
sarve : all
ye : those
avasthitaahaa : situated
pratyaneekeshu : hostile
yodhaahaa : warriors
 
After a long wait, Shri Krishna, as the cosmic form, spoke to Arjuna, revealing himself and his mission of destroying the universe and all the living beings residing in it. It is said that Robert Oppenheimer, creator of the atom bomb, uttered this shloka when he saw the power of his creation for the first time. Shri Krishna declared himself to be “kaala”, which means time as well as death. They mean the same thing because in time, everything dies. He also used the word “pravruddha” which means mature or seasoned, indicating that he was well versed in the task of destruction, that it wasn’t a one time thing.
 
Our mind works within the gamut of space and time, therefore it is difficult to comprehend what Arjuna saw. He probably saw the past, the present and the future happening in an instant, all at the same time. With this vision, Shri Krishna was able to show the future to Arjuna. The Mahaabhaarata war had ended, leaving few Kaurava warriors alive. In other words, Shri Krishna himself had determined that the war would be won by the Paandavas. They fought like any other army would, but the real work behind the scenes was done by Shri Krishna.
 
Many of us sometimes think, what will happen if I stop working one day? Lest we attach undue importance to our actions and puff up our ego, Shri Krishna gives us a lesson in humility. He reveals that ultimately, it is he who is running the show. If he wants to do something, he will do it with whatever means available, even if it means generating a thought in one person or in a million people.
 
Now, if we hear this, we may think, why should I do anything at all? I can retire right away since it is ultimately Ishvara who is doing everything. Arjuna probably had the same thought. He would have wondered what was the need for him to fight, reinforcing the argument he made in the first chapter when we wanted to run away from the war.
 
Anticipating this, Shri Krishna makes a bold statement in the next shloka.

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 22, Chapter 11

05 Monday Nov 2012

Posted by in 11.22, ashvinau, asura, chapter 11 verse 22, gandharva, marutaha, rudraaditya, saadhyaa, sanghaa, sarve, siddha, ushmapaahaa, vasavaha, veekshante, vishve, vismitaahaa, yaksha

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rudraaditya vasavo ye cha saadhyaa vishveshvinau marutashchoshmapaascha |
gandharvayakshaasurasiddhasanghaa veekshante tvaam vismitaashchaiva sarve || 22 ||
 
The hosts of Rudraas and Adityaas, the Vasus, the Saadhyaas, the Vishwadevaas, the Ashwini Kumaaraas, the Maruts, the Ushmapaas, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Asuras and the Siddhas, all of them are amazed, observing you.
 
rudraaditya : the Rudraas and Adityaas
vasavaha : the Vasus
ye : those
cha : and
saadhyaa : the Saadhyaas
vishve : the Vishwadevaas
ashvinau : the Ashwini Kumaraas
marutaha : the Maruts
cha : and
ushmapaahaa : the Ushmapaas
cha : and
gandharva : the Gandharvas
yaksha : the Yakshas
asura : the Asuras
siddha : the Siddhas
sanghaa : hosts of
veekshante : are observing
tvaam : you
vismitaahaa : amazed
cha : and
eva : only
sarve : all
 
Previously, Arjuna had heard about Ishvara manifesting as deities in the universe. Now, in the cosmic form, he is able to see them clearly enough to recognize who they are. For most people during Arjuna’s time, deities were worshipped but were inaccessible, they were invisible. Arjuna was clearly delighted to see those deities that were only invoked and worshipped in rituals. Even though these deities may have had meaning to Arjuna, they may not have meaning to many of us. So let’s look more closely at these deities from our standpoint.
 
We may not worship the Vedic and Puraanic deities mentioned in this shloka, but we do worship material deities. If we want a telephone connection, we approach the telephone company. If we want an internet connection, we approach the internet service provider. If we want to admit a child into school, we approach the principal of that school. Broadly speaking, when we want to access something that is beyond our reach, we approach a deity and convince them to give us access to what we desire.
 
In all these cases, there are three aspects – the individual, the object of desire, and the deity that connects the individual to the object of desire. In many ancient texts, it is said that the universe split into 3 parts during the process of creation. The individual is known as the “adhyaatma”, the world of objects known as the “adhibhoota” and the presiding deity that connects the two, the “adhidaiva”.
 
It is said that we should worship a deity if we are seeking to acquire certain traits. If one wants to acquire strength and power, he should appease that adhidaiva who presides over a storehouse of strength. So we see that seekers of power worship Lord Hanumaan. Seekers of dispassion worship Lord Shiva. Seekers of knowledge worship Sarasvati and so on.
 
So when we begin practicing meditation, we can choose a deity that we have a particular attraction to. Some people love to worship Shri Krishna in his childhood for, whereas some people worship Lord Shiva in his serene form. It does not matter which deity we choose as long as we use the deity to ultimately take our meditation all the way up to Ishvara.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 10

13 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.13, aahuhu, asitaha, braveeshi, cha, chapter 10 verse 13, devalaha, devarshihi, eva, me, naaradasha, rishayaha, sarve, svyayam, tathaa, tvaam, vyaasaha

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aahustvaamrishayaha sarve devarshinaaradastathaa |
asito devalo vyaasaha svyayam chaiva braveeshi me || 13 ||
 
All the great sages and royal sages such as Naarada, Asita, Devala and Vyaasa speak this, and also you have said it to me.
 
aahuhu : speak
tvaam : to you
rishayaha : sages
sarve : all
devarshihi : divine sages
naaradasha : Naarada
tathaa : also
asitaha : Asita
devalaha : Devala
vyaasaha : Vyaasa
svyayam : yourself
cha : and
eva : also
braveeshi : said
me : to me
 
Further praising Ishvara, Arjuna added that several eminent individuals, over the course of history, have also praised Ishvara. He listed the names of the renowned sages Naarada, Asita, Devala and Vyaasa in this regard.
 
The Srimad Bhagavatam speaks of Naarada as the son of a maid-servant who served several priests. He grew up in an environment of spirituality and decided to seek the absolute truth in a forests after his mother passed away. His meditation bore fruit when he had a vision of Ishvara. After his death, he was reborn as the sage Naarada that many of us are familiar with. Naarada was learned in all the arts and sciences. He could travel anywhere in the universe, and talk to any deity that he wished.
 
Another sage mentioned here is Devalaha who was the son of a great sage named Asita, who was born as a result of Asita’s prayer to Lord Shiva. It is said that Devalaha was cursed by a celestial maiden named Rambha for not agreeing to marry her. He was reborn as Sage Ashtavakra, who is famous for writing the Ashtavakra Gita. And of course, Sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vyaasa is the author of the great Indian epic Mahabhaarata.
 
So therefore, Arjuna accepted the authority of Shri Krishna to convey the true nature of Ishvara. But did he have any doubts or objections?

Bhagavad Gita Verse 30, Chapter 4

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in 4.30, apare, api, chapter 4 verse 30, ete, juhvati, kalmashaaha, nityaahaaraaha, praanaan, praaneshu, sarve, yajnyavidaha, yajynakshapita

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apare niyataahaaraaha praanaanpraaneshu juhvati |
sarvepyete yajnyavido yajnyakshapitakalmashaaha || 30 ||

Others regulate their diet, offering the life force into the life force. All these (seekers) destroy sin through sacrifice, who are the knowers of sacrifice.

apare : others
niyataahaaraaha : regulate diet
praanaan-praaneshu :  life force into the life force
juhvati: offer
sarve : all
api : also
ete : these
yajnyavidaha : knowers of sacrifice
yajnyakshapita : destroy through sacrifice
kalmashaaha : sins

In an earlier shloka, Shri Krishna spoke about the yajnya of regulating the quality of sensory intake. In this shloka, he describes a yajnya where one not only controls the quality of sensory intake but also the quantity. Although this is applicable to all senses such as smell, taste, sight and so on, let us consider one which is the simplest to understand: taste. Dieting becomes a form of yajnya.

By controlling or regulating the intake of food, we can control our mind. Our body and mind is ultimately made up of the food we consume. Later in the seventeenth chapter, Shri Krishna describes different types of food. For now, let us consider three main types. Saatvic food is that which is conducive to mind, which creates harmony in our system. Raajasic food makes us more active. It is usually spicy to taste. Taamasic food makes us dull, sleepy and sometimes intoxicated as well. It is food that has lost all its nutritional value, and is usually stale. It is also known as junk food.

On a subtler level, food also acquires the characteristics of how it has been prepared. At some level, we can always tell whether the food we eat has been mass produced, or has been made with care and attention. That is why many serious students of meditation will usually prepare their own food.

So therefore, Shri Krishna says here that we can perform yajnya by restricting our sensory intake. Now, let’s look at the deeper meaning of this shloka. By regulating the intake of our senses, we reduce our dependence on the senses and in doing so, offer them senses back to the universe. In parallel, our life forces also do not need to work hard in order to digest and process all this sensory “food” that we consume. Therefore, we also offer our life force back to the universal or cosmic life force. In other words, we say “Here, please take these senses and life force back. It is your property to begin with. It is not mine.”

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 2

07 Friday Oct 2011

Posted by in 2.12, aasam, atahaa, bhavishyaanaha, chapter 2 verse 12, eva, ime, jaatu, janaadhipaaha, param, sarve, vayam

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na tvevaaham jaatu naasam na tvam neme janaadhipaaha |
na chaiva na bhavishyaamaha sarve vayamataha param || 12 ||

In fact, there was never a time when I did not exist, nor did you, nor did these kings; and never shall we all cease to exist hereafter.

tu  : in fact
na eva : certainly never
jaatu : any time
aham : I
na : did not
aasam : exist
na : nor
tvam : you
no : nor
ime : these
janaadhipaaha : kings

cha : and
na eva : certainly never
na : will not
bhavishyaamaha : exist
sarve : all
vayam : of us
ataha param : hereafter

The Gita uses a lot of poetic techniques, including using double negatives like the ones in this verse. If you cancel the double negatives, a simpler version of this verse will be “All of us are timeless and eternal. We always existed in the past, and we will always exist in the future”.

This statement, at first glance, does not seem to make sense. So let’s look at an example. Let’s imagine a huge lake with deep waters. The surface of the lake is usually quiet. Once in a while, a wind blows across the lake causing a wave to appear for a few seconds, then disappear soon after.

If we apply the logic of this verse and examine it from the perspective of a wave, the lake always existed before the wave came into existence. And the lake will remain long after any wave has disappeared.

Similarly, an LCD television has thousands of pixels, or dots of light, on its screen. These pixels turn on and off, due to which a moving image is created on the screen. We can enjoy a movie on the screen that will begin and end, characters and situations will come and go, but the screen will remain as a constant.

Now, according to physics, matter can never be created or destroyed, it can only undergo change from one state to another. So therefore, this shloka reiterates this physical law by saying that the atoms and molecules that comprise us always existed in the universe in some shape or forms.

But, just like the surface of the lake is a constant that lets the play of waves happen on it, there is a timeless, eternal, constant surface or “essence” that is present in the entire universe, which is the backdrop on which the play of matter happens.

At this point, what is being spoken of here may seem abstract and somewhat hard to conceptualize, but it is similar to algebra where we denote unknown quantities by variables like x and y, till such time as we deduce the right value.

Ok. So what exactly is this eternal essence? How do we see it? If it is present in us, which part of the body does it reside in?

Footnotes
1. The wave and lake example is from the Jnyaneshwari, which is filled with tons of examples to explain complex concepts such as this one.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 1

24 Wednesday Aug 2011

Posted by in abhirakshantu, avasthitaaha, bhaagam, bhavaytaha, chapter 1 verse 11, eva, hi, sarvaeshu, sarve, yathaa

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Ayaneshu cha sarveshu yathaabhaagamavastithaaha |
Bheeshmamevaabhirakshantu bhavantaha sarva eva hi || 11 ||
 
All of you should completely protect Bheeshma at all points, situated in each of your various formations.
 
bhavavtaha: all of you
eva hi: must certainly
abhirakshantu: completely protect
bheeshman: Bheeshma
eva: foremost
sarveshu ayaneshu ca: at all points
avasthitaaha: situated
sarve: respectively
yathaa-bhaagam: in your various formations
 
Duryodhana instructed his main warriors to ensure Bheesma’s safety since the Mahabharata war was about to begin.
 
Let’s do a quick recap. The first chapter opened with Dhristrashtra asking Sanjaya to elaborate on the progress of the war, and that led to Duryodhana’s monologue to Drona. After the statement Duryodhana makes in the current verse, he no longer has a “speaking part” in the Gita anywhere.
 
After this verse, we will encounter a series of verses that get us closer to the start of the battle, and closer to the core of the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 1

22 Monday Aug 2011

Posted by in anye, arthe, bahavaha, cha, chapter 1 verse 9, jeevitaaha, mad, naanaa, prahaaranaaha, sarve, shastra, shooraha, tyakta, vishaaradaaha, yuddha

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anye cha bahavaha shoora madarthe tyaktkajeevitaaha |
naanaashastrapraharanaaha sarve yuddhavishaaradaaha || 9 ||
 
In addition to our commanders, we also have several other brave warriors who have vowed to give up their life for me. These warriors are well versed in deploying weapons, and are proficient in the art of battle.
 
anye: besides these
bahavaha: several
shooraha: brave warriors (who have)
mad-arthe: for me
tyakta-jeevitaaha: giving up their desire to live
cha: and
naanaa-shastra-prahaaranaaha: versed in the deployment of many weapons
sarve: (also) all of them
yuddha-vishaaradaaha: proficient in the art of war
 
Duryodhana naively tried to impress Drona by glorifying his army. In doing so, his ego resurfaced again, which is evidenced by his self-aggrandizing statements like “they will give up their life for me”. He probably was trying to convince (or delude) himself that his army is poised to win the battle.
 
The tendency of the ego to consider something “mine” is called mamataa in Sanskrit. Mamataa literally means “mine-making” or “mine-ness”. This is yet another means for the ego to strengthen itself through possessions.
 
Here’s an interesting exercise. Take something that you know for sure is “yours”. Now deeply examine it. Is it really yours? For example, say you own a house. On what basis do you consider it yours? Most probably, it’s a legal document that the government issues to you. Well, what happens if that government no longer exists? Or, more likely, what happens if the government grabs that land from you because it possesses some precious natural resources? Is the relationship between you and the house “real”?
 
Footnotes
1. Astra denotes weapons that are thrown, and shastra denotes weapons that are hand-held