Category Archives: yoginaha

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 15

16 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in 15.11, aatmani, achetasaha, akritaatmaanaha, avasthitam, chapter 15 verse 11, pashyanti, yatantaha, yoginaha

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yatanto yoginashchainam pashyantyaatmanyavasthitam |
yatantopyakritaatmaano nainam pashyantyachetasaha || 11 ||
 
Those striving yogis realize this as residing within the self. But those with an unprepared mind, though striving, do not see this, devoid of knowledge.
 
yatantaha : those who are striving
yoginaha : yogis
cha : and
enam : this
pashyanti : realize
aatmani : within the self
avasthitam : residing
yatantaha : striving
api : though
akritaatmaanaha : unprepared mind
na : not
enam : this
pashyanti : see
achetasaha : devoid of knowledge
 
In any difficult endeavour, there are three kinds of people. There are the vast majority who are not interested the least bit in striving for the goal, and blissfully accept their state as a given. There are a small number of people who are putting in great effort or dedication, but not obtaining the desired outcome. A select few, however, are able to channelize their efforts in the right direction and get what they want.
 
Shri Krishna called the vast majority of people, the first category, stuck in the cycle of Prakriti “deluded” in the last shloka. Here, he says that it is the preparation of mind that determines whether or not the efforts taken by yogis – those who are striving for liberation – have a chance of success. One without a prepared mind is termed as “akritaatmaanaha” in this shloka. So then, those of us who are aiming for liberation would not like our striving to be in vain. What should we do?
 
We need to understand what Shri Krishna means by purifying our mind. There are two aspects to this. The first aspect is the degree of selfish desires. Unless we have followed the path of karma yoga and bhakti yoga as laid out in the earlier portions of the Gita, our mind will not be able to properly absorb any scriptural teaching whatsoever. The second aspect is the type of knowledge we are trying to absorb and the method of doing so. A systematic understanding of the scriptures under the guidance of a teacher is the only way. One who does not follow a systematic process of imbibing knowledge is termed “achetasaha”, devoid of wisdom.
 
The topic of the jeeva is concluded in this shloka. with the message that only those with a pure mind and systematic study will truly understand the nature of the jeeva as the eternal essence as though limited by its upaadhis or conditionings.

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 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

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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 19, Chapter 6

22 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in aatmanaha, chapter 6 verse 19, deepaha, ingate, na, nivaatasthataha, saa, smritaa, upamaa, yatachittasya, yathaa, yogam, yoginaha, yunjato

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yathaa deepo nivaatasthato nengate sopamaa smritaa |
yogino yatachittasya yunjato yogamaatmanaha || 19 ||
 
Just like a lamp in a windless place does not flicker, this state is comparable to the yogi, having controlled the mind, who engages his self in yoga.
 
yathaa : just like
deepaha : lamp
nivaatasthataha : in a windless place
na : does not
ingate : flicker
saa : this (state)
upamaa : comparison
smritaa : has been said
yoginaha : of the yogi
yatachittasya : who has controlled the mind
yunjato : engages
yogam : yoga
aatmanaha : with his self
 
The state of the meditator’s mind is beautifully explained with a classic illustration or “upamaa” by Shri Krishna in this shloka. He compares the mind of a meditator to the flame of a lamp that is burning in a windless room. Just like the flame is unwavering due to absence of wind, so too is the mind of a meditator steady due to absence of desire.
 
If we compare the focused mind to a steady flame, then we need to understand how to prevent to mind from succumbing to the winds of desire. If desires exist, we may be able to temporarily stabilize the mind, but it will eventually get destabilized due to a thought generated by a desire. Presence of desire indicates absence of detachment or vairagya. The only cure is to increase our level of detachment towards the world.
 
The intense level of detachment that is needed for meditation is not an alien concept. When people get extremely absorbed in watching TV, they temporarily develop detachment towards everything else. If we call them for dinner, or if the doorbell rings and so on, these external occurences do not even register in their minds. It again depends on what we give importance to.
 
Now let us examine another aspect of the lamp illustration. According to Vedaanta, seeing an inert object is a 2 step process. First, our mind creates a mental picture of the object. Next, the aatman or self shines a light on that picture, just like a torch does. Only when this light is shined do we come to know that “this is a mango” or “this is a car” and so on.
 
But when we meditate on the self, the second step does not happen because we are not focusing our attention on an inert object. We are focusing on the self, which illuminates itself. It is like shining a torch on the sun – the torch is useless. The self is like the candle since it does not require anything else to illumine it, to shine a light on it. This is another point made in the illustration of the flame.
 
So therefore, when our focus and concentration reaches its peak, and when the target of meditation becomes our own aatmaa or self, it is the culmination of meditation. It is the state of samaadhi. This state is further elaborated upon in the forthcoming shlokas.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 5

14 Wednesday Mar 2012

Posted by in 5.11, aatmashuddhaye, api, buddhyaa, chapter 5 verse 11, indriyaihi, kaayena, karma, kavalaih, kurvanti, manasaa, sangam, tyaktvaa, yoginaha

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kaayena manasaa buddhyaa kevalairindriyairapi |
yoginaha karma kurvanti sangam tyakvaatmashuddhaye || 11 ||

Solely with body, mind, intellect and senses does the seeker perform actions, casting off all attachment, for the purification of the self.

kaayena : with body
manasaa : mind
buddhyaa : intellect
kevalaih : solely (without a sense of mine)
indriyaihi : senses
api : only
yoginaha : seeker
karma : actions
kurvanti : perform
sangam : attachment
tyakvaa : cast off
aatmashuddhaye : purification of self

In the previous shloka, Shri Krishna explained how a karma yogi offers his actions to Ishvara. But how exactly does he do that? Shri Krishna in this shloka says that the karma yogi continuously keeps the thought that the body, mind, intellect and senses – all these are the property of Ishvara, given by Ishvara. Therefore, all the work done is for the benefit for Ishvara, and not for the ego.

The Gita teaches that the body, mind, intellect and senses are not really “ours”. But due to our conditioning, we come to think that they are ours. We then begin to do things for their benefit. For example, the tongue likes sweet food, so we undertake actions to satisfy it by eating things that may not be healthy from a long term perspective. When actions are done for the satisfaction of body, mind, intellect and senses, the sense of “mine-ness” develops and the ego gets strengthened. We then begin to serve the ego.

In this regard, let us recall example of the CFO we had encountered a while ago. As long as the CFO thinks that she is working for company, things will go smoothly. But if she begins to think that working for herself, starts misusing the company’s funds as her own funds, she gets into trouble. Similarly, a karma yogi treats his body, mind, intellect and senses as instruments of Ishvara. When that attitude comes, all actions and their results also get offered to Ishvara. In this manner, the seeker detaches himself from the body, mind, intellect and senses from the ego,  and attaches them to Ishvara. This is what is meant by “casting off all attachment”.

Now, let’s examine the second part of shloka where Shri Krishna talks about purification of self. What happens when karma yogi continues to dedicate actions to Ishvara? His mind gets cleared of all selfish desire, and his ego begins to lose its power. The end result is that the mind is purified of all vaasanaas – which is what is meant by “self” in the shloka. Purification of mind brings the karmayogi closer to self-realization.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 25, Chapter 4

15 Wednesday Feb 2012

Posted by in 4.25, apare, brahmaagnau, chapter 4 verse 25, daivam, paryupaasate, upajuhyati, yajnena, yajnyam, yoginaha

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daivamevaapare yajnyam yoginaha paryupaasate |
brahmaagnauvapare yajnyam yajnenaivopajuhyati || 25 ||

Some yogis also worship deities through devotion, other yogis engage in worship by offering the self into the sacrificial flame of the self.

daivam : deities
eva : also
apare : some
yajnyam : devotion
yoginaha : yogis
paryupaasate : worship
brahmaagnau : self in the form of sacrificial flame
apare : others
yajnyam : worship
yajnena : self
upajuhyati : engage

In the last shloka, Shri Krishna gave us the ultimate vision of a karma yogi. This person thinks of brahman in everything and every action that he performs; it is 24/7, every second. For seekers who have just begin their journey, such a grand vision is difficult to consistently maintain. So in the following shlokas, Shri Krishna gives us simpler forms of worship for practice, so that we can ultimately build ourselves up to this grand vision.

For most of us it is difficult to comprehend the formless brahman. Therefore, many yogis worship a deity, in other words they invoke Ishvaraa in a particular idol or photograph. This offering of services to Ishvaraa is called “pooja”. Now in pooja, imagination plays an important role. Just like children play the house house game – the better the imagination, better they enjoy it. The process of pooja helps us develop rapport with Ishvaraa.

Once we get into the habit of pooja, we then imagine Ishvaraa in every action that we perform. We can even imagine Ishvaraa in the form of our friend, brother, parents and so on. It helps us to purify our mind and reduce fear caused by our attachments. As our trust in Ishvaraa increases, our fear decreases and we become calmer.

In addition to seekers who worship Ishvaraa, there is another group of seekers that are more thought oriented and more contemplative. They strive to realize the formless brahman through inquiry, contemplation, meditation, and by understanding their oneness with brahman. This form of worship is called jnyaana saadhanaa or spiritual practice through knowledge. It is like the wave surrendering completely to the ocean to realize its oneness with the ocean.

As we study the different forms of yagnyas that we can practice, it is easy to get carried away by the variety and the details. But the key point to remember is this. Any action we perform as part of a yagnya must not ever have even a tinge of expectation of result. If that happens, the yagnya becomes an ordinary, selfish action. The goal is to get better at these practice yagnyas so that we can bring that yagnya spirit into all actions in our daily life.