Category Archives: tasya

Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 18

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in chapter 18 verse 15, ete, hetavaha, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, karma, naraha, nyaayyam, pancha, praarabhate, shareeravaangmanobhihi, tasya, vipareetam

≈ 1 Comment

shareeravaangmanobhiryatkarma praarabhate naraha |
nyaayyam vaa vipareetam vaa panchaite tasya hetavaha || 15 ||
 
Whatever action is begun by a person, with the body, speech and mind, either per scripture or the opposite, these five are its causes.
 
shareeravaangmanobhihi : with body, speech and mind
yat : whatever
karma : action
praarabhate : begun
naraha : person
nyaayyam : per scripture
vaa : either
vipareetam : opposite
vaa : or
pancha : five
ete : these
tasya : its
hetavaha : causes
 
Let us quickly recap the concepts from the previous shloka. Any action that we perform has five components behind it. The body provides the foundation for the action. The instruments comprise the five organs of sense and the five organs of action. The energy system of the body, the praana, provides the fuel needed to perform the action. The individual notion, the ego, provides the motive behind the action. The daivam, Ishvara, ensures that the universe supports the performance of the action.
 
To drive home this point, Shri Krishna adds that there is no action that is beyond the realm of these five factors. In other words, the five factors are the material cause as well as the efficient cause or intelligence behind an action. Since a robot can perform any task that it is programmed with, it is easy to understand that the five factors are the material cause of the action. But when we say that they are also the intelligence behind the action, it is a little difficult to swallow. Our true self, the eternal essence, has nothing whatsoever to do with the action. The mind generates thoughts and the body performs actions.
 
Now, another point is taken up in the shloka. It is the very same five factors that can perform an action in conformance with the universe and its laws, as well as action that goes against the universe and its laws, also termed as a sinful action. The way a person looks at the world, as well as the nature of his intelligence, determines whether he will perform an action lawfully or sinfully. The entire process of action is analyzed in detail later in the chapter. This overview of the factors behind an action is concluded here, setting us up for the most important teaching of the Gita, taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 18

27 Monday May 2013

Posted by in 18.7, chapter 18 verse 7, karmanaha, mohaat, niyatasya, parikeertitaha, parityaagaha, sannyaasaha, taamasaha, tasya, upapadyate

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 18

niyatasya tu sannyaasaha karmano nopapadyate |
mohaattasya parityaagastaamasaha parikeertitaha || 7 ||
 
Indeed, the giving up of an obligatory action is not appropriate. Giving it up out of delusion is declared to be taamasic.
 
niyatasya : obligatory
tu : indeed
sannyaasaha : giving up
karmanaha : action
na : not
upapadyate : appropriate
mohaat : out of delusion
tasya : it
parityaagaha : to give up
taamasaha : taamasic
parikeertitaha : is declared
 
Shri Krishna moved the discussion on karma yoga ahead by categorizing the three types of tyaaga, which means giving up or renunciation. He says that when we give up an obligatory action, when we do not perform an obligatory action out of delusion, out of incorrect or error prone knowledge, such renunciation is known as taamasic tyaaga or taamasic renunciation. He says that such behaviour is inappropriate and is not in line with the teachings of karma yoga. Not doing one’s duty is forbidden in karma yoga.
 
Where do one’s obligatory duties come from? They come from one’s stage in life or aashrama, and one’s profession or varna. A householder is obliged to attend to the needs of his spouse, his parents and his children. If he does not attend to his sick parents, or does not help with his child’s homework, it is termed as taamasic behaviour. A businessman should strive to generate healthy profits from his business, and donate a portion of his wealth to charity. Not doing so is also considered taamasic.
 
Moha or delusion can create all kinds of negative tendencies in us, as we have seen in prior chapters. It can cause heedlessness and carelessness where we do not pay proper attention to the task at hand. It can cause laziness and idleness where our body becomes inert and dull, where we do not want to get up from bed. It is hard to get oneself out of a state of moha. Unless someone who is not taamasic intervenes, we will remain in a state of tamas for a long time.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 15

07 Thursday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.2, adhaha, anusantataani, chapter 15 verse 2, gunapravriddha, karmaanubandheeni, manushyaloke, moolani, oordhvam, prasritaahaa, shaakhaa, tasya, vishayapravaalaahaa

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 15

adhashchordhvam prasritaastasya shaakhaa gunapravriddha vishayapravaalaahaa |
adhashcha moolanyanusantataani karmaanubandheeni manushyaloke || 2 ||
 
Its branches are spread below and above, nourished by the gunas. Sense objects are its sprouts, and, below in the human realm, stretch its roots that bind through actions.
 
adhaha : below
cha : and
oordhvam : above
prasritaahaa : spread
tasya : of that
shaakhaa : branches
gunapravriddha : nourished by gunas
vishayapravaalaahaa : sprouts are sense objects
adhaha : below
cha : and
moolani : roots
anusantataani : stretching
karmaanubandheeni : binding due to actions
manushyaloke : human realm
 
Shri Krishna began describing an upside-down tree as a metaphor for the material world in the prior shloka. Here, he continues to describe it in more detail. When its buds or sprouts grown into branches and touch the ground, they turn into roots that embed firmly into the ground, and then grow into several additional trunks around the main tree. Such gigantic tree structures are common in the Banyan tree family. Over a period of time, a small tree with one trunk becomes a mini forest in itself.
 
Our lives are no different. For many people, the American dream comprises owning a large house, two cars, good schools for children, a big screen TV and so on. First, the newly married family takes out a big loan to buy a house. The house is empty, so it needs furniture and appliances. The garage is empty, so two cars need to be purchased. The living room is empty, so a large screen TV is needed. The TV requires a cable connection, a DVD player, a Playstation and so on endlessly. The one purchase of a house led to other purchases, which led to other purchases and so on. This is nothing but the upside down tree of samsaara playing out in our lives.
 
So this tree of samsaara, made up of the three gunas of Prakriti, grows and expands through repetitive chasing of sense objects. Each sense object generates desires, desires generate actions to get those sense objects, and attainment of sense objects creates further desires. Actions bind us by making us giving importance to the branches of the tree, by making us run away from Ishvara, who is at the root of the tree. How do we tackle this problem? Shri Krishna gives the solution in the next shloka.
 
Notes
1. Computer scientists will recognize the tree of samsaara as a recursive process.

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

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 11

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 14, Chapter 8

11 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.14, aham, ananyachetaahaa, chapter 8 verse 14, maam, nityashaha, nityayuktasya, paartha, satatam, smarati, sulabhaha, tasya, yaha, yoginaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 8

ananyachetaahaa satatam yo maam smarati nityashaha |
tasyaaham sulabhaha paartha nityayuktasya yoginaha || 14 ||
 
One who thinks of me with a focused mind, without interruption, I become effortlessly available to that yogi that is constantly engaged (in me).
 
ananyachetaahaa : focused mind
satatam : always
yaha : one who
maam : me
smarati : remembers
nityashaha : without interruption
tasya : he
aham : I
sulabhaha : effortless
paartha : O Paartha
nityayuktasya : constantly engaged
yoginaha : yogi
 
Shri Krishna provides us with the simplest method of gaining access to Ishvara in this shloka. He says that no special technique is required. All that is needed is that the seeker focus his mind on Ishvara, perform duties as per his svadharma but think about Ishvara all the time, without interruption.
 
The key point, however, is the phrase “without interruption”. We had seen earlier that there is one thought that all of us have in the back of our minds. For some it is family, for some it is career and so on. It is like the drone of a “taanpura” in Indian classical music. Shri Krishna says that unless we make Ishvara that constant background thought, we will not attain him. Just performing a 30 minute meditation on Ishvara will not yield anything.
 
Ishvara is very well aware that most of us do not give him top priority. This is famously depicted in the image of Lord Vitthala, a deity of Lord Vishnu from Maharashtra. He is portrayed as standing with hands on his waist as if to say “I have been waiting here for a long time, when will you come?” This is due to our preoccupation with worldly matters. A deep-seated attraction towards spiritual knowledge, combined with blows from the world, will slowly but surely move the seeker towards constant meditation upon Ishvara.
 
So therefore, Shri Krishna has provided a simple and straightforward method to attain Ishvara : keep Ishvara as the constant thought but do your duty. It not require us to perform any kind of specialized yogic meditation. What happens when we follow this path? This is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 7

18 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.22, araadhanam, cha, chapter 7 verse 22, eehate, eva, hi, kaamaan, labhate, mayaa, saha, shraddhayaa, taan, tasya, tataha, tayaa, vihitaan, yuktaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 22, Chapter 7

sa tayaa shraddhayaa yuktastasyaaraadhanameehate |
labhate cha tataha kaamaanmayaiva vihitaanhi taan || 22 ||
 
Engaged with faith, that person worships that (deity) and his desire is fulfilled, but that (desire fulfillment) is delivered only through me.
 
saha : that person
tayaa : that
shraddhayaa : with faith
yuktaha : engaged
tasya : that (deity)
araadhanam : worship
eehate : performs
labhate : fulfilled
cha : and
tataha : his
kaamaan : desire
mayaa : through me
eva : only
vihitaan : delivered
hi : but
taan : that (desire fulfillment)
 
When someone chooses to pursue a finite or a worldly goal, they run towards a finite deity instead of going towards Ishvara. We saw this in the previous shlokas. Shri Krishna continues that point here by saying that Ishvara does not object when devotee seeks a finite goal from a finite deity. In fact, he strengthens that devotee’s faith by delivering what the devotee asks of the deity.
 
Faith is a process that most of us do not fully comprehend. But it is a reality. Even in the medical profession, placebos or pills made of inactive ingredients such as sugar are known to cure patients by sheer power of faith.
 
So Shri Krishna says that even if a devotee approaches a deity with a finite goal, Ishvara is ready to deliver that goal as long as the devotee’s faith in the deity is strong. By fulfilling finite desires through the lower deities, Ishvara hopes that the devotee will learn to further subdue his ego. One cannot have an increase in faith without a decrease in ego.
 
As desires are sought with greater and greater faith, and the corresponding desires are fulfilled, the devotee’s faith increases. This process has the potential to result in the spiritual evolution of that devotee. He will evolve from seeking finite goals to seeking the infinite – Ishvara himself.
 
This is the ideal state, but it is totally up to the devotee to make that transition. Unfortunately, most devotees get stuck in the pursuit of finite goals, as we shall see in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 7

17 Sunday Jun 2012

Posted by in 7.21, achalaam, aham, architum, bhaktaha, chapter 7 verse 21, eva, icchati, shraddhaam, shraddhaya, taam, tanum, tasya, vidadhaami, yaam, yaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 7

yo yo yaam yaam tanum bhaktaha shraddhayaarchitumicchati |
tasya tasyaachalaam shraddhaam taameva vidadhaamyaham || 21 ||
 
Whichever devotee desires to faithfully worship a particular form, I fortify his faith in exactly that (form).
 
yaha, yaha : whosoever
yaam, yaam : whichever
tanum : form
bhaktaha : devotee
shraddhaya : faithfully
architum : worship
icchati : desires
tasya,tasya : that
achalaam : firm
shraddhaam : faith
taam : in that
eva : exactly
vidadhaami : make
aham : I
 
The chapter so far dealt with the notion of the infinite Ishvara’s ability to bless us with infinitude. But Shri Krishna recognized that not all devotees have the vision of pursuing that infinite Ishvara. That is why they worship finite, localized forms of Ishvara in the form of deities such as Ganesha, Saraswati and so on.
 
So in this shloka, Shri Krishna offers a ray of hope for such devotees. Even if we worship a finite deity with a finite goal, Ishvara will ensure that our finite goals are awarded to us. In doing so, Ishvara will strengthen our faith in that deity.
 
There is nothing wrong in asking for something finite. All notions of spirituality, no matter how finite the goal, are equally valid. They have the power to lift us from our egoic centre towards the universal.
 
For example, if we ask Saraswati for success in our exams, it is Ishvara who delivers that success through Saraswati. Saraswati becomes the channel through which Ishvara works. He is the running the whole show, as it were. But more important than the delivery of our desire is faith. Ishvara ensures that our faith in Saraswati is strengthened. It is because there will come a when that faith will be eventually turned towards Ishvara. More about this faith is mentioned next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 40, Chapter 6

17 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in amutra, chapter 6 verse 40, durgatim, eva, gachchati, hi, iha, kalyaanakrit, kaschit, na, paartha, taata, tasya, vidyate, vinaashaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 40, Chapter 6

Shree Bhagavaan uvaacha:
paartha naiveha naamutra vinaashastasya vidyate |
na hi kalyaanakritkashchiddurgatim taata gachchati || 40 ||
 
Shree Bhagavan says:
O Paartha, neither here nor there does his destruction ever happen, for whoever performs virtuous acts does not go into distress, my dear.
 
paartha : O Paartha
na : neither
iha : here
eva : ever
na : nor
amutra : there
vinaashaha : destruction
tasya : his
vidyate : happen
na : does not
hi : for
kalyaanakrit : performs virtuous acts
kashchit : whoever
durgatim : distress
taata : my dear
gachchati : go to
 
Arjuna had posed a question about the fate of a meditator who does not attain perfection before death. Shri Krishna responds by unequivocally asserting that nothing harmful or distressful will happen to the meditator while he is in this world, or in any other world. In fact, he will attain a better state, both from a material as well as spiritual standpoint.
 
We have to carefully parse the meaning of Shri Krishna’s words. He is in no way implying that the meditator will somehow attain material success due to his meditation. The common standard for attaining success in our world is wealth, power and fame, none of which is guaranteed as a result of meditation. Shri Krishna wants us to understand is that one who takes up meditation sincerely will automatically develop dispassion towards wealth, power and fame. He will not care whether he attains material success or not. So therefore, a lack of material success will not cause him distress.
 
But that does not mean that the meditator obtains a pitiable state. In fact, by sincerely practicing mediation, the seeker will be in tune and in harmony with the world. Then the world itself will take care of all the seeker’s needs. This is not an alien concept. When someone is in tune with any organization like one’s family, workplace or school, when that person puts the needs of the organization above his personal and selfish needs, the organization ensures that such a person receives whatever he wants, and also ensures that he does not get into any distress.
 
Here, Shri Krishna affectionately refers to Arjuna as “taata”. Usually this word refers to a father or a son. Here, the meaning is in line with the word “dear student”. By using this word, Shri Krishna shows his encouragement and appreciation for the frank and honest question posed by Arjuna.
 
Next, Shri Krishna addresses the second part of Arjuna’s question, which is : what happens to the meditator when he dies before gaining perfection in meditation?

Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 6

08 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in aham, balavat, chanchalam, chapter 6 verse 34, drudham, hi, iva, krishna, manaha, manye, nigraham, pramaathi, sudushkaram, tasya, vaayoho

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 6

chanchalam hi manaha krishna pramaathi balavaddrudham |
tasyaaham nigraham manye vaayoriva sudushkaram || 34 ||
 
For, the mind is fickle, rebellious, strong and stubborn, O Krishna. To control it, I think, is as arduous as the wind.
 
chanchalam : fickle
hi : for
manaha : mind is
krishna : O Krishna
pramaathi : rebellious
balavat : strong
drudham : stubborn
tasya : it
aham : I
nigraham : control
manye : think
vaayoho : the wind
iva : like
sudushkaram : arduous
 
Arjuna further elaborates on the difficulty of controlling the mind for meditation to Shri Krishna. He says that it is as difficult as trying to harness the wind. Why is that so? The mind is fickle, rebellious, strong and stubborn. It will refuse any attempt to be controlled.
 
Shri Krishna had acknowledged the fickle nature of the mind in previous shlokas. We oursleves have directly experienced how fickle our mind is. Most of the time, our mind is jumping from one thought to another. Many analogies have been offered to illustrate this fickle nature of the mind. The most common one is a drunken monkey jumping from one branch to another. We can also tell how fickle someone’s mind is by observing their eyes. If they dart around too much, that means their mind is racing through thoughts.
 
Next, Arjuna says that the mind is “pramaathi”. It is difficult to exactly translate this world. The closest word is “rebellious”. It is like a wild horse that is being tamed for the first time. it will never let the rider stay on its back for more than a few seconds. Trying to control the mind becomes a wrestling match where the opponent does not let us get a good grip on him.
 
Furthermore, Arjuna refers to the mind as strong and stubborn. In other words, once the “mind is made up”, or the mind has decided that it wants a certain thing, it is very hard to change it. It is like a child throwing a tantrum – it will cry, yell and scream till it gets its way. The mind will resist all efforts to be controlled, and will start creating a list of desires which will throw us completely off track.
 
So therefore, Arjuna sums up the difficulty of controlling the mind by comparing this endeavour to taming the wind – something that is next to impossible. Coming from Arjuna, a mighty meditator who is said to have propitiated Lord Shiva through his meditation, makes it a valid question. Shri Krishna responds to Arjuna’s question in the next shloka.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 30, Chapter 6

02 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by in aham, cha, chapter 6 verse 30, maam, mayi, me, na, naa, pashyati, pranashyaami, pranashyati, saha, sarvam, sarvatra, tasya, yaha

≈ Comments Off on Bhagavad Gita Verse 30, Chapter 6

yo maam pashyati sarvatra sarvam cha mayi pashyati |
tasyaaham na pranashyaami sa cha me naa pranashyati || 30 ||
 
One who sees me in all, and sees all in me, to him I am not lost, and he is not lost to me.
 
yaha : one who
maam : me
pashyati : sees
sarvatra : in all
sarvam : all
cha : and
mayi : in me
pashyati : sees
tasya : to him
aham : I
na : am not
pranashyaami : lost
saha : he
cha : and
me : me
naa : is not
pranashyati : lost
 
Shri Krishna now speaks to us directly as Ishvara. He says that the devotee who sees him in everything, and also sees everything in him, will have a permanent connection to him. In other words, Shri Krishna will never appear as distant or invisible to that devotee. It may seem a little confusing to hear this statement right after the previous shloka that said that one should see everything in the eternal essence. How does Ishvara fit into the picture?
 
Let us refer to our running example of the wave and the ocean. Imagine that a young child sees the ocean for the first time. Her intellect can only grasp visual, grosser objects. So her attention will immediately go towards the ocean, its colour, its size, the sounds it makes, the waves and so on. It will not be obvious to her that everything is water, because she has not reached that intellectual level yet.
 
Shri Krishna fully knows that most of us are children, even babies, on the spiritual journey. It will take a long time for our intellects to see the eternal essence everywhere. So until our perception stops operating on the level of names and forms, we have to find an easier way to see the eternal essence everywhere.
 
Therefore, Shri Krishna says that first, we should try to see everything in Ishvara and Ishvara in everything. Ishvara could be the form of Shri Krishna. It could be any other deity that we feel an affinity towards. It could also be our guru. No matter what form we choose, we should be able to view the form of Ishvara as the highest.
 
Now, most of us have the notion that Ishvara or God is a mysterious figure or force that is sitting far away in Kailash or Vaikuntha or somewhere us. But Shri Krishna, in the Gita, is telling us in this shloka that he is everywhere. It requires a radical shift in order to think this way. That is why in Indian culture, everything can become an object of worship, from a tree to a stone to a book, because Ishvara is present in everything. What is required is the understanding that comes through contemplation.
 
So therefore, if we truly begin to think that the whole world comprises Ishvara in our chosen form, there will never be a single moment where we are far from Ishvara.