Category Archives: vakshyaami

Bhagavad Gita Verse 64, Chapter 18

22 Monday Jul 2013

Posted by in 18.64, bhooyaha, chapter 18 verse 64, dridham, hitam, ishtaha, paramam, sarvaguhyatam, shrunu, tataha, vachaha, vakshyaami

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sarvaguhyatam bhooyaha shrunu me paramam vachaha |
ishtosi me dridhamiti tato vakshyaami te hitam || 64 ||
 
Listen from me again, my supreme statement, most secret. You are my strong friend, that is why I will speak what is beneficial for you.
 
sarvaguhyatam : most secret
bhooyaha : again
shrunu : listen
me : from me
paramam : supreme
vachaha : statement
ishtaha : friend
asi : are
me : my
dridham : strong
iti : in this manner
tataha : that is why
vakshyaami : I will speak
te : you
hitam : beneficial
 
Every teacher has their own style, their own philosophy, for teaching complicated subjects. A good teacher is one who can not only impart the knowledge, but also, extract the big ideas out of the complexity and present it to the student in such a manner that it can be easily grasped. There is no point teaching a complex subject which students memorize for the sake of passing the exam, but forget it as soon as they submit their paper. Shri Krishna wanted to convey the essence of the Gita to Arjuna, so he addressed him again, after having concluded the teaching.
 
The Gita is a formidable text to understand thoroughly. It deals with karma yoga, bhakti yoga, jnyaana yoga and raaja yoga. The same word is used differently in different contexts. For example, the word “aatmaa” is used to mean body, mind, intellect and the self. The Gita makes references to individuals from Vedic and Puraanic literature which requires further effort on the part of the teacher and the student. Seekers who approach the end of the teaching will appreciate a teacher who will extract its essence.
 
Shri Krishna also expresses his motivation for summarizing the teaching. He does not want any reward from Arjuna in return for this teaching. Nor is he doing so out of fear of anyone or anything. He only has a lot of affection for Arjuna, he regards Arjuna as a staunch friend, and he also knows what is the right teaching for the situation Arjuna finds himself in. Therefore, he wants to impart the supreme statement, the param vachaha, the essence of the Gita, that will provide the most benefit to Arjuna.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 1, Chapter 10

01 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by in 10.1, aham, bhooyaha, chapter 10 verse 1, eva, hitakaamyayaa, mahaabaaho, me, paramam, preeyamaanaaya, shrunu, vachaha, vakshyaami, yat

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Shree Bhagavan uvaacha:
bhooya eva mahaabaaho shrunu me paramam vachaha |
yattaham preeyamaanaaya vakshyaami hitakaamyayaa || 1 ||
 
Shree Bhagavan said:
Again, O mighty armed warrior, listen to my supreme statements, which I will say to you filled with delight, desiring your well-being.
 
bhooyaha : again
eva : also
mahaabaaho : O mighty armed warrior
shrunu : listen
me : my
paramam : supreme
vachaha : statements
yat : that which
aham : I
preeyamaanaaya : one who is delighted
vakshyaami : I will say
hitakaamyayaa : desiring well-being
 
After concluding the ninth chapter, Shri Krishna did not wait for Arjuna to ask a question because he knew that Arjuna wanted to hear more. He continued speaking because Arjuna was taking delight in the teaching. Good teachers know when to take questions and when to continue teaching so that the student is engaged and encouraged.
 
This chapter of the Gita is known as “Vibhooti Yoga”. It continues the theme of the seventh and ninth chapters by listing several vibhootis or expressions of Ishvara. Why are expressions important? Consider electricity which is invisible to our senses but is a source of great power. If we wish to learn more about electricity by watching a power outlet or a power line, we may not be able to understand electricity that much. But if we see a bright and colourful lamp, or medical equipment that helps save people’s lives, it is easier to appreciate the glory of electricity.
 
Ishvara is infinitely powerful than electricity but is also invisible and unknown to our senses. Only through knowing his expressions can we become aware of his presence, and gradually expand our vision to see the one Ishvara in everything. Shri Krishna is concerned with Arjuna’s well-being, so in that regard he wanted to reveal Ishvara’s glories to Arjuna. He calls these glories “paramam” or supreme because they enable us to transcend this world of name and form and access Ishvara.
 
Why is Ishvara invisible and unknown to our senses, and to other beings in the universe? This is explained next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 23, Chapter 8

20 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by in 8.23, aavrittim, anaavrittim, bharatarshabha, cha, chapter 8 verse 23, eva, kaalam, kaale, prayaataa, tam, tu, vakshyaami, yaanti, yatra, yoginaha

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yatra kaale tvanaavrittimaavrittim chaiva yoginaha |
prayaataa yaanti tam kaalam vakshyaami bharatarshabha || 23 ||
 
But, (there exists) the path of no return for a yogi who is leaving his body, and also the path of return, I shall speak about those, O scion of the Bharatas.
 
yatra : which
kaale : path
tu : but
anaavrittim : no return
aavrittim : return
cha : and
eva : also
yoginaha : a yogi
prayaataa : one who is leaving the body
yaanti : obtains
tam : that
kaalam : path
vakshyaami : I will speak
bharatarshabha : O scion of the Bharatas
 
With this shloka, Shri Krishna commences a new topic. He provides details around the journey of the jeeva after death.
 
As we have seen earlier, that journey differs from person to person. It is determined solely by two things : how we have acted and how we have thought. In other words, our actions and our thoughts in this life decide what happens in our next life. In this chapter, Shri Krishna has spoken about two kinds of people.
 
The first category of people are those who perform good actions in their lives. The second category of people are those who are solely devoted to Ishvara, in addition to performing good actions. This is Shri Krishna speaks about two paths in this shloka. Each category travels on a different path after death.
 
In the next two shlokas, each of these paths is explained in further detail. One path leads to liberation, which means that those who attain this path do not come back, they are not born again. The other path leads to rebirth or return.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 2, Chapter 7

27 Sunday May 2012

Posted by in aham.savijnyaanam, anyat, asheshataha, avashishyate, bhooyaha, chapter 7 verse 2, idam, iha, jnyaanam, jnyaatavyyam, jnyaatvaa, na, te, vakshyaami, yat

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jnyaanam teham savijnyaanamidam vakshyaamyasheshataha |
yajnyaatvaa neha bhooyonyajnyaatavyyamavashishyate || 2 ||
 
Knowledge with wisdom, I shall tell you this completely, having known that, there will be nothing else left to know.
 
jnyaanam : knowledge
te : to you
aham : I shall
savijnyaanam : with wisdom
idam : this
vakshyaami : I will tell
asheshataha : completely
yat : that which
jnyaatvaa : having known
na : not
iha : this
bhooyaha : again
anyat : anything else
jnyaatavyyam : to be known
avashishyate : left
 
Shri Krishna had begun a new topic in this chapter, which is the technique by which we can know him as Ishvara in his entirety. Here, Shri Krishna says that he will reveal not just this knowledge, but also impart us wisdom. The wisdom is such that once we know it, there will be nothing else remaining to be known.
 
We spend our lives acquiring knowledge about new things. With the pace of change in the world today, we would not be able to know everything, even if we were to spend thousands of lifetimes gaining PhDs in all the sciences, arts, humanities and so on. Shri Krishna says that the wisdom or “vijnyaana” that he is going to impart will be such that once we know it, nothing else will remain to be known.
 
Let us see how this will be possible. We had seen the example of a goldsmith earlier who is not fascinated by the artwork or shape of the gold bangles, bracelets, necklaces and other ornaments that he comes across. All he cares about is the quantity of gold that is in each ornament. In other words, because he knows the cause as gold, he knows that the effect as the ornament, may differ in shape, but is gold in its essence. Knowledge is the shape of the different ornaments, wisdom is knowledge of their essential nature.
 
What will happen once I know this? Shri Krishna says that having known this, nothing else will remain to be known. It will be knowledge that is all inclusive. Also, it is knowledge that makes up complete, unlike worldly knowledge that reveals further holes as we study it more.
 
But if this is the case, why doesn’t everyone pursue this knowledge? This is taken up next.
 
Footnotes
 
1. The second half of the shloka is taken from the Mundaka Upanishad where the question is asked “Tell me that knowledge, knowing which, nothing else will remain to be known.”