Category Archives: yayaa

Bhagavad Gita Verse 35, Chapter 18

23 Sunday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.35, bhayam, chapter 18 verse 35, dhritihi, durmedhaa, madam, mataa, shokam, svapnam, taamasee, vimunchati, vishaadam, yayaa

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yayaa svapnam bhayam shokam vishaadam madameva cha |
na vimunchati durmedhaa dhritihi saa taamasee mataa || 35 ||
 
That by which one with an inferior intellect does not give up sleep, fear, sorrow, dismay and intoxication, that fortitude is considered taamasic.
 
yayaa : by which
svapnam : sleep
bhayam : fear
shokam : sorrow
vishaadam : dismay
madam : intoxication
eva : also
cha : and
na : not
vimunchati : one gives up
durmedhaa : inferior intellect
dhritihi : fortitude
saa : that
taamasee : taamasic
mataa : considered
 
Fortitude is the quality of the intellect by which it holds on to certain thoughts, and rejects others. From the start of a task to its end, our intellect is confronted with a barrage of thoughts. If it drops the thought of completing the task and starts holding on to other tasks, it will never be able to take the task to its conclusion. Sattvic fortitude is active for all tasks, raajasic fortitude is active only for tasks motivated by selfishness and sense enjoyment. The third kind of dhriti or fortitude, one which holds on to everything but the task at hand, is taamasic.
 
While performing any task, it is natural to expect obstacles, and some fear as well. There are moments when our body and mind is tired, and we need to take some rest. If some things do not go as planned, we feel sorrow. If things do not go as planned repeatedly, we may also feel depressed or dejected. Conversely, if we experience some temporary successes, we may get intoxicated with the mental high, with the pride generated by those successes. Shri Krishna says that the fortitude that drops the thought of completing the task and holds on to any of these temporary thoughts is taamasic.
 
What causes someone to develop such a negative kind of fortitude? It is the degree of discrimination inherent in the intellect. One with a moderate level of discrimination has raajasic fortitude. But one in which there is little to no discrimination has no clue that he is choosing to hold on to thoughts that will ultimately lead him to ruin. Or to put it another way, one who has perversely high level of attachment to a certain object, person or situation will lose whatever level of discrimination he has left, due to the pursuit of that object of desire.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 34, Chapter 18

22 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.34, arjuna, chapter 18 verse 34, dhaarayate, dharmakaamaarthaan, dhritihi, dhrityaa, paartha, phalaakaankshee, prasangena, raajasee, yayaa

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yayaa tu dharmakaamaarthaandhrityaa dhaarayaterjuna |
prasangena phalaakaankshee dhritihi saa paartha raajasee || 34 ||
 
But, that fortitude by which one holds on to duty, sensual pleasure and wealth, O Arjuna, desiring reward as their occasion arises, that fortitude is raajasic, O Paartha.
 
yayaa : by which
tu : but
dharmakaamaarthaan : duty, sensual pleasure and wealth
dhrityaa : fortitude
dhaarayate : one holds on
arjuna : O Arjuna
prasangena : as the occasion arises
phalaakaankshee : desiring reward
dhritihi : fortitude
saa : that
paartha : O Paartha
raajasee : raajasic
 
Pursuit of duty, sensual pleasure, wealth and liberation, dharma, artha, kaama and moksha, are considered the four goals, the four purushaarthas, of a human life. Over time, the importance and even awareness of liberation as a goal was lost. Most of us pursue the first three goals only. Shri Krishna says that the fortitude or the will power that enables us to pursue these three goals is termed as raajasic dhriti, raajasic fortitude. It is termed raajasic because it is oriented around the attainment of the goal, and also, the personal reward that comes to us when that goal is accomplished.
 
On college campuses, we always know of a few people that spend the entire day in the canteen, and do not attend even a single class. But somehow, many of them study for a few days prior to their exams, just enough so that they pass their tests. Some of them get very good at playing the guitar so that they can impress others. Yet others are spending their time buying and selling shares online. In all these cases, they seem to have a will power that only works when there is an occasion for pwesonal reward that is in line with their world view, their raajasic jnyaanam. The will power, the fortitude does not work all the time, especially for anything selfless or altruistic.
 
Another way to look at fortitude is to assess the type of thoughts that our intellect holds on to, and the type of thoughts it rejects. In the prior example, all three types of students know that a lecture is going on daily. Such a thought will arise in their mind every day, like it arises for every other student in the campus. However, the intellect chooses not to act upon that thought, and conequently, no action follows from a discarded thought. Instead, thoughts about sensual pleasure and accumulation of wealth are held on to, and are acted upon. Everything happens at the level of the mind and the intellect, and that is why the mind is given so much importance in the Gita.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 33, Chapter 18

21 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.33, avyabhichaarinyaa, chapter 18 verse 33, dhaarayate, dhritihi, dhrityaa, manahapraanendriyakriyaahaa, paartha, saattvikee, yayaa, yogena

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dhrityaa yayaa dhaarayate manahapraanendriyakriyaahaa |
yogenaavyabhichaarinyaa dhritihi saa paartha saattvikee || 33 ||
 
That fortitude which is accomplished through yoga, which regulates the activities of the mind, life forces and that senses, such unwavering fortitude is saattvic.
 
dhrityaa : by fortitude
yayaa : by which
dhaarayate : regulates
manahapraanendriyakriyaahaa : activities of mind, life forces and senses
yogena : accomplished through yoga
avyabhichaarinyaa : unwavering
dhritihi : fortitude
saa : such
paartha : O Paartha
saattvikee : is saattvic
 
To recap, Shri Krishna classified several components of action into three categories: saattvic, raajasic and taamasic. First we looked at jnyaanam or knowledge, followed by karma or the action itself, the doer or kartaa, and buddhi or intellect. We also saw that jnyaanam gives us a target or a goal to act upon, and the intellect creates a plan to attain the goal. Now fortitude, another aspect of action, is examined in three shlokas, and is classified in the same manner as the other aspects of action.
 
Fortitude is an essential quality of the intellect which is useful in both material and spiritual endeavours. A seemingly simple action like going to the market to buy fruits requires a certain degree of fortitude. Some people will finish that task within no time. Some people will start heading to the market, but get distracted and go to a restaurant instead. Some other people may not want to get up from the bed, and in doing so, either procrastinate or forget the task entirely.
 
Shri Krishna says that the fortitude which is able to focus the mind on the task at hand, and also, is able to restrain the mind, energy and senses from straying away from the task, is saattvic. The task will be conducive to liberation, since it has been prompted by sattvic knowledge. The key quality of such fortitude is that it is avyabhichaarini, which means never wandering, never wavering, never flitting from one thing to another. Ultimately, we have to learn how to master our mind by mastering our thoughts.
 
Now, such immense fortitude can only be accomplished through yoga, which refers to the consistent, repeated practice of keeping our mind engaged in the self. Such strength can only be gained by daily studying of scriptures, daily worship of our deity, maintaining a good diet and so on. If we cannot even restrain our senses for dietary reasons, we will never be able to get to a state where the mind is constantly engaged in the self.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 31, Chapter 18

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by in 18.31, adharmam, akaaryam, ayathaavat, buddhihi, chapter 18 verse 31, dharmam, kaaryam, paartha, prajaanaati, raajasee, yayaa

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yayaa dharmamadharmam cha kaaryam chaakaaryameva cha |
ayathaavatprajaanaati buddhihi saa paartha raajasee || 31 ||
 
That by which one improperly understands the difference between dharma and adharma, what should be done and what should not be done, O Paartha, that intellect is raajasic.
 
yayaa : by which
dharmam : dharma
adharmam : adharma
cha : and
kaaryam : what should be done
cha : and
akaaryam : what should not be done
eva : also
cha : and
ayathaavat : improperly
prajaanaati : one understands
buddhihi : intellect
saa : that
paartha : O Paartha
raajasee : raajasic
 
A soldier goes through weeks of bootcamp training. A chef takes decades to hone her craft. Surgeons are in their thirties before they perform their first official operation. A musician can take a lifetime, and still have room to grow. In all these cases, we see that it takes years to fully understand what and how to perform actions in one’s career. Unless such knowledge is gained through a competent teacher, and years of one’s life are put in, the quality of our work output will never reach perfection.
 
Shri Krishna says that the science of action, the karma yoga, needs to be studied with similar dedication and guidance. Unless we learn what is our dharma, what is our duty towards this world, we will be swimming in an ocean of ignorance. Are our actions ethical? Are they carried out for selfish ends or are they performed selflessly? Are they entangling us further in worldly affairs, or are they taking us closer to liberation? We need to understand karma yoga, the science of action, to clearly understand all this.
 
Therefore, one who has not received this knowledge will always be unclear about what is dharma and what is not. Consequently, they will always be confused whether to act or not. Confusion will creep in if we forget our dharma and get swayed by egoism and attachment. Arjuna’s attachment to his family members, the Kauravas, triggered this confusion with regards to his duty as a warrior. Shri Krishna had to teach him the science of karma yoga to remove this confusion. So then, whenever our intellect gets confused about whether to act or not, we can assume that it is raajasic, tinged with selfishness.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 5, Chapter 7

30 Wednesday May 2012

Posted by in 7.5, anyaam, aparaa, chapter 7 verse 5, dhaaryate, idam, itaha, iyam, jagat, jeevabhootam, mahaabaaho, me, paraam, prakritim, tu, viddhi, yayaa

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apareyamitastvanyaam prakritim viddhi me paraam |
jeevabhootam mahaabaaho yayedam dhaaryate jagat || 5 ||
 
But, know this lower (nature as) different than my life-giving higher nature, O mighty-armed, by which this universe is upheld.
 
aparaa : lower
iyam : this
itaha : than
tu : but
anyaam : different
prakritim : nature
viddhi : know
me : my
paraam : higher
jeevabhootam : life-giving
mahaabaaho : O mighty-armed
yayaa : by which
idam : this
dhaaryate : upheld
jagat : universe
 
In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna described his nature that was made up of 8 factors: 5 physical elements and 3 subtle elements. Now, he says that those 8 factors comprise the lower, or inferior, type of nature. It is different than the higher or superior nature, that is the life force of the universe. It functions as a force that holds the universe together.
 
A house is built out of bricks, wood, iron rods and so on. But the building blocks by themselves do not make a house. There has to be an integrating or unifying principle in the form of cement that holds the house together. Shri Krishna says that his higher nature is the cohesive force that upholds the universe. By using the word “jeeva-bhootam”, he is saying that he becomes the universal jeeva or being that makes the universe as a single entity rather than a disjointed chaotic mess.
 
Furthermore, it is this higher nature that becomes the experiencer of the entire universe as a subject. What does the word “subject” mean? Whenever we see something, two things are required: the subject (one who sees) and the object (that which is seen by the subject). If I see a sofa, then I am the subject, and the sofa is the object. The sofa can never become the subject because it is an inert object. Only conscious entities can become subjects. There is a spark in us, a conscious principle, that enables us to see, hear, touch, taste and smell, in other words, to become a subject.
 
Throughout our life, we seek knowledge about the world though several sources. But those studies only cover the world of objects, which is indicated here by the term “lower nature”. Only spirituality provides us knowledge about the subject, which is nothing but our own self.
 
So then, why are we talking about subject and object here? It is because Shri Krishna’s lower nature creates the world of objects, and his higher nature creates the world of subjects. When the universe originated, it split, as it were, into two aspects: the lower and the higher nature. The lower nature or prakriti is what we generally describe as the universe that we can see with our eyes and with our telescopes, in both its visible and invisible aspects.
 
That was the lower nature. The higher nature further split itself into subsets. Each subset became a jeeva, which is the conscious principle operating within each of us. That jeeva principle within us makes us a subject, an experiencer.
 
Therefore, with these two shlokas, Shri Krishna has covered everything in the world – subject and object, inert and conscious, experiencer and experienced, building blocks and unifying force. But what is common between them? This is taken up next.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 39, Chapter 2

07 Monday Nov 2011

Posted by in 2.39, abhihitaa, buddhiryoge, buddhya, Chapter 2 Verse 39, eshaa, imaam, karmabandham, paartha, prahaasyasi, saankhye, shrunoo, te, yayaa, yuktaha

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eshaa tebhihitaa saankhye buddhiryoge tvimaam shrunoo |
buddhyaa yukto yayaa paartha karmabandham prahaasyasi || 39 ||

This discipline of knowledge has been stated to you. Now, listen to the discipline of action. Having equipped yourself with this understanding, O Paartha, you will cast of your bonds-of-action.

eshaa : this
te : for you
abhihitaa : has been stated
saankhye : Sankhya (discipline of knowledge)
buddhiryoge : discipline of action
tu : you
imaam : this
shrunoo : listen to
buddhyaa : understanding
yuktaha : equipped
yayaa : which
paartha : O Paartha
karmabandham : bonds of action
prahaasyasi : cast off

Shri Krishna uses this shloka to conclude the theoretical topic of correct logic and reasoning, and transition on to the means of attaining that knowledge. The remaining shlokas in the second chapter are extremely practical and can be immediately used in our daily lives. They will enable us to conduct our svadharma while always keeping the attitude specified in the prior shloka : treat any situation, joyful or sorrowful, with equanimity.

The word yoga comes twice in this shloka, so let’s examine it more closely. Usually, we think of yoga as an ancient art of physical exercise. However, the word yoga in the Bhagavad Gita has a different meaning. Translated into English, the meaning is a mix between the words technique and discipline. In fact, as we saw earlier, each chapter of the Gita is a yoga, or a technique and discipline, unto itself.

There is an interesting word in the last part of this shloka – “bonds of action”. It almost seems like a thick rope exists, one end tied to our leg and the other end tied to the action. What does is bondage?

An action that increases extreme attachment or hatred towards anything – an object, person or situation – “binds” us to that thing. It is similar to addiction. We may smoke a cigarette once, but unless we have high self control, we want to experience it again. This desire to repeat the experience eventually results in an addiction and we cannot live without it.

The important point here is that no action or object cannot bind us; it is the thought behind it that binds. For a non-smoker, a pack of cigarettes does not cause bondage. Conversely, for a smoker, just the mere sight of the pack of cigarettes prompts him to smoke. For things subtler than addiction, we can tell whether or not an action will cause bondage by checking whether it is for the service of one’s selfish ego or not.

Consider an executive making a presentation to her management team. One scenario could be that she makes the presentation with the motive of getting a promotion. Another scenario could be that she makes the presentation with the motive of increasing the sales of the corporation so that it benefits all the stakeholders. In the first case, the action binds her. In the second case, it doesn’t.

Alternatively, consider a musician performing on stage. If he performs with the sole motive to get applause and get nominated for an award, the action will bind him. But if he performs with the sole motive of entertaining the audience and honouring his craft, the action will not bind him.

Shri Krishna gently reveals the technique of cutting off these bindings in the rest of the chapter.