Category Archives: yat

Bhagavad Gita Verse 21, Chapter 3

29 Thursday Dec 2011

Posted by in 3.21, aacharati, anuvartate, chapter 3 verse 21, eva, itarah, janaha, kurute, lokah, pramaanam, sah, shreshthaha, tat, yat

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yadyadaacharati shreshthastattadevetaro janaha |
sa yatpramaanam kurute lokastadanuvartate || 21 ||

Whatever an ideal person does, so do other people (imitate him). Whatever standard he sets, other people follow.

yat yat  : just as
aacharati : a person does
shreshthaha : ideal
tat tat : in that manner
eva : only
itarah : other
janaha : people
sah : he
yat : whatever
pramaanam : standard
kurute : does
lokah : other people
tat : like him
anuvartate : they behave

In the previous verse, Shri Krishna provided the example of king Janaka who, though being a warrior king, achieved self-realization through performance of karma yoga. Here Shri Krishna puts forth yet another argument to Arjuna, knowing very well that Arjuna always put others first before himself. Shri Krishna said that whosoever looked up to Arjuna as a role model would also take to this path if Arjuna followed it.

Now, an extremely important but subtle point made by Shri Krishna is hidden in the phrase “ideal person does”. He wants us to realize that actions speak louder than words. For instance, we cannot expect our children to not drink alcohol or smoke if we preach to them, but drink and smoke ourselves. Not just children, but most people watch what we do and not what we say. Therefore, Shri Krishna urges us to practice karmayoga, and not to simply tell people that we are learning it and so on.

So in addition to urging us and Arjuna to perform karmayoga, Shri Krishna also reveals an important leadership lesson. The best way to lead is to lead by example, and not by making flowery speeches or hiring motivational speakers. This point is not just echoed in the management texts of today, but also in spiritual masterpieces such as the Dasbodh by Samarth Ramdas Swami.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 67, Chapter 2

02 Friday Dec 2011

Posted by in 2.67, anuvidheeyate, asya, charataam, harati, hi, indriyaanaam, ivam ambhasi, manah, naavam, prajnyaaam, tat, vaayuh, verse 2 chapter 67, yat

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indriyaanaam hi charataam yanmanuvidheeyate |
tadasya harati prajnyaam vaayurnaavamivaambhasi || 67 ||

For, even one of the wandering senses overpowers the mind and steals away wisdom, like wind affects a ship in water.

indriyaanaam : among the senses
hi : for
charataam : wandering
yat : the one that
manah : mind
anuvidheeyate : submitted
tat : that
asya : this
harati : steals
prajnyaam : wisdom
vaayuh : wind
naavam : ship
iva : like
ambhasi : water

A picture is worth a thousand words. So here, just like Shri Krishna painted a picture of the tortoise earlier, he uses another picture to portay an important point – that just one sense organ has the ability to destroy us. He gives us the example of a rudderless ship at sea. It will go wherever the wind takes it, and in time, eventually be destroyed.

In the same way, just one sense organ – the eye seeing something tempting, the ear hearing some gossip, the tongue tasting alcohol –  one sense organ can bring the mind under submission. In doing so, it can take away the intellect’s capacity to function. And worse still, this whole chain of events can happen in a fraction of a second, and we won’t even know it has happened unless we are eternally aware and alert.

We are nearing the end of the section on the signs of the individual of steady wisdom, and are a few shlokas away from concluding the second chapter.

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 44-45, Chapter 1

20 Tuesday Sep 2011

Posted by in aniyatam, anushushruma, bhavati, chapter 1 verse 44-45, iti, manushyaahaam, narake, udyataaha, utsanna, vaaso, vayam, vyavasitaa, yat

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utsannakuladharmaanaam manushyaanaam janaardana |
narakeniyatam vaaso bhavatityanushushruma || 44 ||
 
aho bata mahatpaapam kartum vyavasitaa vayam |
yadryaadjyasukhalobhena hantum svajanamudyataaha || 45 ||
 
 
People whose societal values have eroded, O Janaardana, reside in hell indefinitely, this I have heard.
 
Alas! It’s unfortunate that we have decided to undertake this extreme sin. Our greed towards the pleasures of the kingdom has prepared us to kill our kinsmen.
 
utsanna : delapidated, eroded
kula-dharmaanaam : societal values
manushyaanaam : those people
janaardana : O Janaardana
narake : hell
aniyatam : indefinitely
vaaso : reside
bhavati : happens
iti : this
anushushruma : I have heard
 
aho : Alas
bata : it’s unfortunate
mahat-paapam : extreme sin
kartum : undertake
vyavasitaa : decided to do
vayam : we
yat : that
raajyasukha : pleasures of kingdom
lobhena : greed
hantum : kill
svajanam : our kin
udyataaha : are prepared
 
Here, Arjuna concluded an argument that he had begun a few verses prior. According to him, a rise in lawlessness began a chain reaction which caused the entire civilization, not just the warmongers, to end up residing in hell indefinitely.
 
Let’s summarize this argument. What Arjuna is saying, in simple words, is that the Kaurava army is committing the sin of destroying the Kuru clan. Since he can see that it is a sin, he will not join them in this act, and therefore not fight.
 
Again, we see moha at work here. Duryodhana had moha for the Kauravas, whereas Arjuna had moha for the entire Kuru dynasty. Even though Arjuna was more large-hearted than Duryodhana in his moha, moha clouded his judgement the same way it clouded Duryodhana’s judgement.
 
Moreover, in verse 45, Arjuna’s demonstrates classic “victim” mindset where one cannot see oneself in control of a situation, by using words such as “alas”, “it is unfortunate”. His moha took over his mind so completely that one of the world’s foremost warriors spoke words that a weakling would use.