Category Archives: syaat

Bhagavad Gita Verse 40, Chapter 18

28 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.40, chapter 18 verse 40, deveshu, divi, ebhihi, gunaihe, muktam, prakritijaihi, prithvyaam, punaha, sattvam, syaat, tribhihi

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na tadasti prithvyaam vaa divi deveshu vaa punaha |
sattvam prakritijairmuktam yadebhihi syaattribhirgunaihe || 40 ||
 
There is no being on earth, or in heaven, or among the gods, or also in heaven, which can be free from the three gunaas born of Prakriti.
 
na : no
tat : that
asti : is
prithvyaam : on earth
vaa : or
divi : in heaven
deveshu : among gods
vaa : or
punaha : or also
sattvam : being
prakritijaihi : born of Prakriti
muktam : free
yat : which
ebhihi : these
syaat : there is
tribhihi : three
gunaihe : from gunaas
 
We are at the halfway mark of the eighteenth shloka, so let us recap what we have come across so far. The chapter began with Arjuna asking Shri Krishna about the difference between sanyaasa and tyaaga. Shri Krishna did not answer this question directly, but addressed the topic of karma yoga, which is the same as tyaaga. He ended this topic by declaring that the consequence or the fruit of action binds those who are attached to personal reward, and does not bind to those who are not attached. Next, he analyzed knowledge, action, agent, intellect, fortitude and happiness with the framework of the three gunaas, which is concluded with this shloka.
 
Shri Krishna summarizes this analysis by proclaiming the dominion of the three gunaas. He says that there is no being, object or entity, living or inert, that is beyond the influence of the gunaas. The gunaas work throughout the universe, and not just in a certain part of it, like the earth. We may be tempted to take this proclamation in a negative sense by accepting that there is no escape from the grip of Prakriti, no liberation. But that is not the case. The proclamation is meant to reinforce one of the central messages of the Gita, which is that Prakriti by itself is not the problem, it is our identification with Prakriti that is the problem we need to tackle.
 
The nature of this predicament was referenced in the fifteenth chapter through the illustration of the upside down tree which comprises the three gunaas. Only through the axe of detachment can this tree be destroyed. But, given that everything ultimately is under the influence of Prakriti, how can such a weapon be obtained? How can the identification with Prakriti be ended? Before this fundamental question is taken up, Shri Krishna spends a few shlokas on another preparatory topic next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 20, Chapter 15

25 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.20, anagha, bhaarata, buddhimaan, buddhvaa, chapter 15 verse 20, etat, guhyatamam, iti, kritakrityaha, mayaa, shaastram, syaat, uktam

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iti guhyatamam shaastramidamuktam mayaanagha |
etadbuddhvaa buddhimaansyaatkritakrityashcha bhaarata || 20 ||
 
Thus, this foremost secret has been taught to you by me, O sinless one. Having known this, one becomes wise and accomplishes all his duties, O Bhaarata.
 
iti : thus
guhyatamam : foremost secret
shaastram : science
idam : this
uktam : taught
mayaa : by me
anagha : O sinless one
etat : this
buddhvaa : having known
buddhimaan : wise
syaat : becomes
kritakrityaha : one who has accomplished all duties
cha : and
bhaarata : O Bhaarata
 
When you ask the question – can you stop working right now and retire, you get a couple of answers. Some people say that they have still so many desires, so many plans to fulfill, that’s why they cannot retire. Other people say that they still have so much to learn from the world, so much knowledge to acquire. Shri Krishna concludes this chapter by asserting that one who has truly understood the teaching of this chapter has accomplished whatever anyone can accomplish in this world, plus he has also known whatever can be known in this world.
 
Why does he say that whatever has to be known has been covered in this chapter? The highest knowledge to be known in this world is the understanding of three topics. What is the nature of the individual soul (who am I), what is this world and where did it come from, and what is beyond this world (is there a God). Any text that conclusively answers these three questions is termed a shaastra, a science. The fifteenth chapter of the Gita does so, and hence it is worthy of being termed a shaastra.
 
The method used to reveal Purushottama, the pure eternal essence, is to gradually move from the tangible to the intangible, from the visible to the subtle, from the visible universe to the invisible Prakriti to Purushottama who is beyond both. This method is known as Arundhati nyaaya, the technique of revealing the location of the star known as Arundhati. Here the teacher first points to a tree, then to one of its branches, then to one of its leaves, and then to the star that is right next to the tree. Without doing this step by step revelation, it would not have been possible to reveal the position of the star.
 
So then, the teaching of this chapter is called the foremost secret. It is secret because such knowledge is not accessible to any of these sense organs. It has to be revealed through a teacher who has had direct experience of the eternal essence. Furthermore, it has to be taught to a student who is straightforward and without sin like Arjuna. Shri Shankaraachaarya goes so far as to say that this chapter summarizes the teachings of all of the Vedic scriptures.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 11

26 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by in 11.12, bhaahaa, bhaasaha, bhavet, chapter 11 verse 12, divi, mahaatmanaha, saa, sadrishee, sooryasahastrasya, syaat, tasya, utthitaa, yadi, yugapat

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divi sooryasahastrasya bhavedyugapadutthitaa |
yadi bhaahaa sadrishee saa syaadbhaasastasya mahaatmanaha || 12 ||
 
Should thousands of suns happen to rise in the sky simultaneously, their blaze would resemble the light of that magnificent one.
 
divi : in the sky
sooryasahastrasya : thousands of suns
bhavet : happen
yugapat : simultaneously
utthitaa : rise
yadi : should
bhaahaa : light
sadrishee : resemble
saa : those
syaat : happen
bhaasaha : blaze
tasya : of that
mahaatmanaha : magnificent one
 
To better give us an idea of the level of cosmic form’s brightness, Sanjaya compares to the radiance emitted by an infinite number of suns rising at the same time. Note that “sahasra” means infinite and not the literal meaning, which is thousand. Some scientists who have witnessed nuclear explosions have also used similar language to describe something that is bright beyond comparison.
 
So where does this radiance come from? Let us investigate. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad is one of the primary texts that discusses topics regarding the eternal essence. In one instance, it uses the phrase “effulgent infinite being” to describe the eternal essence. This is the source of the radiance. We never get to experience it because it is covered up by the material world. In this case, Shri Krishna enabled Arjuna to see the infinite light and radiance of the eternal essence in its pristine form.
 
We also have to remember that the comparison made by Sanjaya is helpful, but compares two things that are difficult to compare. Even the brilliance of infinite suns is still a brilliance of the material world, whereas Ishvara’s brilliance is divine, far superior that any material brilliance.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 39, Chapter 10

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in 10.39, acharam, aham, api, arjuna, asti, beejam, bhootam, cha, chapter 10 verse 39, chara, mayaa, na, sarvabhootaanaam, syaat, tat, vinaa, yat

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yatchaapi sarvabhootaanaam beejam tadahamarjuna |
na tadasti vinaa yatsyaanmayaa bhootam charaacharam || 39 ||
 
And O Arjuna, whatsoever is the seed of all beings, I am that. No moving or non-moving being can exist without me.
 
yat : whatsoever
cha : and
api : also
sarvabhootaanaam : all beings
beejam : seed
tat : that
aham : I am
arjuna : Arjuna
na : it is not
tat : that
asti : there is
vinaa : without
yat: which
syaat : can exist
mayaa : me
bhootam : being
chara : moving
acharam : non-moving
 
Now Shri Krishna begins to conclude the teaching of this chapter. Having provided a long list of Ishvara’s divine expressions, he now gives us a simple formula to recognize him. He says that whatever we come across in the world, whether it is a living or a non-living entity, or whether it is moving or stationary, it has arisen from the seed that is Ishvara. In other words, Ishvara is the cause or the seed of everything in this universe.
 
One way of understanding this is as follows. When we refer to an object, let’s say it’s a book, we say : “This is a book”. There are two aspects pointed out here. First is the book, which is quite obvious. But we also use the word “is” to indicate that the book exists, that the book is visible, and it will be visible to someone else. Shri Krishna says that the very existence of the book, the “is-ness” of the book, is nothing but Ishvara.
 
In other words, this entire universe will not exist without Ishvara. All of the names and forms in the universe use Ishvara are their basis. If we comprehend this, and develop our vision based on this knowledge, we will automatically see Ishvara everywhere, just like we automatically “see” electricity in every electrical gadget.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 17, Chapter 3

26 Monday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.17, aatma, aatmani, cha, chapter 3 verse 17, eva, kaaryam, maanavaha, na vidyate, ratih, santushtah, syaat, tasya, truptah, tu, yah

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yastvaatmaratireva syaadaatmatruptashcya maanavaha |
aatmanyeva cha santushtastasya kaaryam na vidyate || 17 ||

But, one who revels only in the eternal essence, and is content and satisfied in the eternal essence, no duty exists for him.

yah : one who
tu : but
aatma-ratih : revels in the eternal essence
eva : only
syaat : remains
aatma-truptah : content in the eternal essence
cha : and
maanavaha : individual
aatmani : in the eternal essence
eva cha : and
santushtah : satisfied
tasya : for him
kaaryam :duty
na vidyate : do not exist

While hearing Shri Krishna extol the need to act in this world, many of us – whether we admit it or not – may want to know whether there is an exception to this instruction. In other words, are there any circumstances where do not need to perform actions anymore? Shri Krishna gives the answer in this shloka and the next.

If we examine ourselves, we realize that we derive pleasure and satisfaction from external sources: material objects, people, relationships and so on. Pleasant memories, which can be considered internal to us, do give us joy but were generated from some external source in the past. But, in reality, the source of happiness is the absence of desires experienced when we finally attain a material object.

For instance, if we want to buy a new shirt, a desire is created in the mind. Till such time that we get the shirt, we will be unhappy because of that desire. But once the desire is fulfilled, we experience happiness for a brief period of time. Is that happiness caused by the shirt, or by the temporary absence of desires? The wise person knows that it is the latter.

So in this shloka Shri Krishna makes a bold statement. He says that till we derive pleasure and satisfaction from things external to us, we have to act in this world. Conversely, one who no longer derives pleasure and satisfaction from external sources does not need to act in this world. He “revels” in the eternal essence which he has learned to recognize within himself. He no longer has to look outside for happiness.

Is there a contradiction here? Earlier it was mentioned that if one is human, one has to act. But here, it is mentioned that the realized individual does not need to act? The answer is that once that individual has understood the true source of happiness, he loses the sense of doership. In other words, the notion that “I am doing this action” goes away, and all his actions become natural and spontaneous.

As an example, if you truly love painting, and have mastered all the skills, then your painting becomes effortless and spontaneous. You experience a feeling that some people call “being in the zone”. In fact, there may come a stage where you will feel that the hand is moving by itself, and the painting is happening on its own.

Similarly, all the actions of this wise individual become like that spontaneous painting.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 2

02 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by in 2.7, broohi, chapter 2 verse 7, dosho, kaarpanya, nischitam, prapannam, pricchaami, sammoodha, shaadhi, svabhaava, syaat, upahata, yat

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kaarpanyadoshopahatasvabhaavaha pricchaami
tvaam dharmasammoodhachetaaha |
yachchreyaha syaannishchitam broohi tanme 
shishyasteham shaadhi maam tvaam prapannam || 7 ||

This error of cowardice has damaged my personality, and my deluded intellect cannot decide what is right or wrong. Tell me what is definitely appropriate. Guide me, I am your disciple and take refuge in you.

kaarpanya : cowardly
dosho : error
upahata : damaged
svabhaavaha : inherent nature
pricchaami : I ask
tvaam : you
dharma : right and wrong
sammoodha : deluded
cheta : intellect
yat : what
shreyaha : appropriate
syaat : may be
nishchitam : definitely
broohi : tell me
tat : that
me : for me
shishyaha : disciple
te aham : I’m your
shaadhi : guide
maam : me
tvaam : your
prapannam : refuge

This verse is a milestone in the Gita, because it reflects a change in Arjuna’s thinking.

Arjuna finally gained enough of his reasoning capacity back to realize that his mind had been thrown off balance by cowardice, which he rightly labelled as an error. In the first chapter, he could never have come to this conclusion because he was experiencing an extremely negative emotional state. He was able to put a degree of objectivity towards his thinking, some space between his thoughts and himself. And in doing so, he realized that his intellect was totally deluded.

In addition, he also realized that because of this cowardice, he was in no position to make a decision about whether to fight or not. This was a high-stakes decision, a decision that could impact the course of history. He quickly needed to find some other way of coming to a decision. The only way he could do so is to give up any pretense of knowing what was the correct thing to do, and give that decision to a trusted friend and guide, Shri Krishna.

For many of us, especially in youth, we never feel the need to look beyond the material world. All our goals and aspirations are material, and once we achieve a certain goal, we strive for a higher goal. And as long as everything goes our way, we are fine. But sooner or later, something happens in our lives that shakes things up and makes us think whether we are missing something. We all have to pass through a earth-shattering stage in life that makes us question things, and makes us revisit our assumptions and beliefs. That stage was indicated in chapter 1 of the Gita, when Arjuna saw his entire world and belief system collapse.

When this shattering happens, we have two choices. We can continue operating in the material world in the same way as we did before. We can also use this collapse to search for something higher. The choice made by a seeker is indicated by the words “Tell me what is definitely appropriate. Guide me, I am your disciple and take refuge in you” uttered by Arjuna.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 36, Chapter 1

13 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by in aashrayet, aatataayinaha, chapter 1 verse 36, nihatya, syaat

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nihatya dhaartaraashtraanaha ka preetihi syaajjanaardana |
paapmevaashrayedasmaan hatvaitaanaatataayinaha || 36 ||
 
What pleasure will we derive by killing these relatives of Dhritraashtra, O Janaardana? We will only incur sin by killing these felons.
 
nihatya : kill
dhaartaraashtraan : relatives of dhritaraashtra
ka : what
preetihi : pleasure
syaat : derive
janaardana : O Janaardana
paapam : sin
eva : definitely
aashrayet : incur
asmaan : us
hatvaa : by killing
aatataayinaha : felons
 
As Arjuna built up a case in favour of not fighting the war, he added another point – that this endeavour will incur sin.
 
This is a critical point in understanding the message of the Gita. Let us examine what is meant by “sin” here. Since the word “sin” has several interpretations, let us first take something that we can define more precisely, which is the word “crime”.
 
What is a crime? A crime is defined as an act conducted in opposition to a certain law enshrined in a country’s legal system. So then, what is a sin? A sin is also defined as an act committed in opposition to a certain law. But what is that law? Who has written that law? Is that law defined by a certain religion? or by certain societal traditions? Which law did Arjuna use to come to the conclusion that his was about to commit a sin?
 
If Shri Krishna agreed that Arjuna’s act was a sin, he would have said something. But as we see, Shri Krishna did not say anything even after hearing this statement.
 
All this boils down to a simple point: when faced with a situation in life, how should we act? As the Gita unfolds, we will get to the heart of this question.