Bhagavad Gita Verse 15, Chapter 6

17 Tuesday Apr 2012

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yunjannevam sadaatmaanam yogi niyatamaanasaha |
shaantim nirvaanaparamaam matsamsthaamadhigacchati || 15 ||
 
In this manner, the yogi who has subdued his mind, who always engages his self in me, attains ultimate liberation-bearing peace, established in me.
 
yunjan : engaged
evam : in this manner
sadaa : always
aatmaanam : self
yogi : yogi
niyatamaanasaha : one who has controlled his mind
shaantim : peace that leads to
nirvaanaparamaam : ultimate liberation-bearing
matsamsthaam : established in me
adhigacchati : attains
 
Previously, Shri Krishna explained the prerequisites and the method of meditation. Now, he speaks about the result or the fruit of meditation. He says that meditation, if followed as the technique prescribed here, brings us that peace that yields self-realization.
 
The journey towards this end goal obviously will take a long time. But there are intermediate results along the way. One who begins to drop attachment and fascination for material objects attains a state of ever-increasing peace. However, this peace does not lead to liberation. It is not “nirvaana paramam”.
 
Only peace gained by meditating upon the self leads to liberation. Initially, the sense of peace is only present while meditating, but slowly remains with the seeker for longer periods of time. Till the final stage is reached, the person may falter in his journey. Once the final stage is reached, he will never turn back.
 
Now, what is the source or this peace? Shri Krishna says that it is he who is the source of this peace. One of the fundamental lessons of the Gita is that only the eternal essence can give everlasting bliss and peace. Everything else gives temporary peace. Therefore, Shri Krishna urges the seeker to comprehend this fact and stop going after objects in the material world for happiness and peace.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 14, Chapter 6

16 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in aaseeta, brahmachaarivrate, chapter 6 verse 14, macchittaha, manaha, matparaha, personality, prashaantaatmaa, saiyamya, sthitaha, vigatabheehi, yuktaha

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prashaantaatmaa vigatabheerbrahmachaarivrate sthitaha |
manaha saiyamya macchitto yukta aaseeta matparaha || 14 ||
 
One whose personality is calm, fearless and established in the vow of renunciation, with a restrained mind, the seeker should sit with his mind focused on me, regarding me as supreme.
 
prashaantaatmaa : calm personality
vigatabheehi : fearless
brahmachaarivrate : vow of renunciation
sthitaha : established in
manaha : mind
saiyamya : under restraint
macchittaha : mind focused on me
yuktaha : the seeker
aaseeta : should sit
matparaha : regarding me as supreme
 
This shloka continues the topic of the method of meditation. Once we have made all the physical preparations and are ready to begin meditation, the question comes up: what do we meditate upon? What should be the object of our meditation? Shri Krishna has a simple answer. He says – meditate upon me. He asks us for two things: to focus our mind on him, and to regard him as the highest goal to be attained.
 
For beginning seekers, the notion of meditating upon the abstract aatmaa or self is difficult. To that end, he asks the seeker to choose any one form of Ishvara that the seeker takes delight in. Unless the seeker learns to take delight in one form of Ishvara, he will need a lot of effort to focus his mind on Ishvara. The seeker needs to put effort in making Ishvara his goal. This is why Shri Krishna repeatedly urges us to detach from sense pleasure and attach ourselves to something higher. Otherwise, if we love food for example, we will begin to meditate on food since it will be the first thing that pops into our mind when meditating.
 
What are the other prerequisites of a meditator? His personality or aatmaa is prashaanta. In other words, he is a calm, quiet and deep person. Only when the seeker’s mind becomes extremely quiet is meditation possible. In fact, if the mind is disturbed, even worldly things such as studying for an exam cannot be accomplished. Even though the mind is not quiet throughout the day, the meditator should take care that the mind is quiet at least during meditation time. It will take 10 minutes or so for the mind to calm all its thoughts, hence the meditator should plan on sitting for at least 15-20 minutes.
 
The next prerequisite is that the meditator should be vigatabheehi which means fearless, one from whom fear has completely gone away. The biggest fear that the meditator harbours is that he will lose his worldly identity, that he will drop his worldly life. That is why the meditator has to have prepared himself, following the instructions given so far, to give up his individuality. Another way of looking at this is that we fear of duality. We are scared to think that we are separate from other people, objects and situations. But one who has learned to see the sameness in everyone has eliminated this fear, because he sees his self in everyone.
 
Another prerequisite is that the meditator should be established with the vow of renunciation. Colloquially, the word brahmachaari means celibate. Here it means one who casts off all roles and dons the role of a seeker when he sits for meditation. He has no other pursuits in mind, no other roles in mind. He is not someone’s boss, employee, son, husband, brother and so on. If he associates with any of these roles, thoughts associated with that role will enter his mind during meditation. The only role to be assumed is that of a saadhaka or a seeker.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 13, Chapter 6

15 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in achalam, anavalokayan, cha, chapter 6 verse 13, dhaarayan, dishaha, greevam, kaaya, naasikaagram, samam, samprekshya, shiraha, sthiraha, svam

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samam kaayashirogreevam dhaarayannachalam sthiraha |
samprekshya naasikaagram svam dishashchaanavalokayan || 13 ||
 
Holding the trunk, head and neck firm and steady, observing the tip of one’s nose, and not looking around.
 
samam : straight
kaaya : trunk
shiraha : head
greevam : neck
dhaarayan : holding
achalam : firm
sthiraha : steady
samprekshya : observing
naasikaagram : point of the nose
svam : your
dishaha : all directions
cha : and
anavalokayan : not looking
 
Shri Krishna describes the method of achieving the perfect posture of meditation in this shloka. He says that the best posture for meditation is one where the trunk, head and neck are perfectly aligned. Then the focus of attention should be brought to one point in the body. The focus should not be allowed to wander.
 
Meditation is an inward journey into the self. The means to this journey is to slowly quieten and negate everything else but the self. The first component of the “not-self” that we have to quieten is our body. So therefore, Shri Krishna tells us to keep our body absolutely firm and steady. Good posture is the best way to achieve this firmness. In this regard, he advises us to align the head, neck and trunk of the body.
 
For most of us, sitting still in one place and in one posture for even 10-15 minutes is a challenge in itself. Our willpower gets tested. Therefore this is where we should begin. Once we can sit still for 10-15 minutes, we should gradually increase the time to at least 25-30 minutes. If we do nothing else but manage to sit still for 30 minutes, that in itself is a wonderful preparatory step to meditation. The mind will vehemently resist this, but just as we gently but firmly command a child to do their homework, so must we command the mind.
 
Having brought the body under control, we should then practice focusing our attention so that the mind can be made single-pointed. Shri Krishna says that we should observe the point of our nose and keep our attention there. What is meant here is that we should lock our eyes on a single point. When we sit in one place, our mind either rushes into past memories, or creates future scenarios. Consequently, our eyes follow the mind and start moving. So therefore, we should focus our eyes on one point so that our attention becomes focused as well.
 
Breath regulation is an important part of any meditative practice. Controlling the breath directly is an effective technique for focusing the mind, but it needs to be learned from a master otherwise it could prove dangerous. Shri Krishna suggests that we subdue our mind and thoughts instead. Since the mind and the breath are connected, the breath automatically will be regulated if the mind is controlled.
 
So far, Shri Krishna has covered the quietening of the body and breath. Next, he covers the object that is to be meditated upon.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 12, Chapter 6

14 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by in aasane, aatma, chapter 6 verse 12, ekaagram, kritvaa, manaha, purification, tatra, upavishya, vishuddhaye, yatachittendriyakriyaha, yogam, yunjyaat

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tatrekaagram manaha kritvaa yatachittendriyakriyaha |
upavishyaasane yunjyaadyogamaatmavishuddhaye || 12 ||
 
Seated on that seat, making the mind single pointed, having subdued the activities of the mind and senses, engage in the yoga for purification of the self.
 
tatra : that
ekaagram : single-pointed
manaha : mind
kritvaa : making
yatachittendriyakriyaha : subduing activities of mind and senses
upavishya : seated
aasane : seat
yunjyaat : engage
yogam : yoga
aatma : self
vishuddhaye : purification
 
In this shloka, Shri Krishna provides a comprehensive introduction to the process of meditation, and also points out the goal of meditation. He says that the goal of meditation is to purify the intellect. The process to do that is by sitting down, controlling the mind and senses, and focusing the mind, making it single pointed.
 
First let us examine the goal of meditation which is the purification of the intellect. The shloka says “aatma-vishuddhaye” meaning “self-purification”. Note that the word self means the intellect here. But what does purification of the intellect mean exactly? To understand that, we need to take a step back and examine where meditation is placed with respect to the topics in the Gita. Meditation is the culmination of the entire curriculum of the Gita which aims at removing the three main defects of our personality: mala, vikshepa and aavarana.
 
In the third chapter of the Gita, we encountered karmayoga. It enables us to purify the first impurity of the personality known as mala or dirt. Mala causes the mind to rush out into the world of sense objects due to a sense of finitude. In other words, it causes us to act in the world. As we have seen earlier, we use karmayoga to turn this defect against itself, just like a thorn removes another thorn. Next, devotion or bhakti is used to remove the second defect known as vikshepa, which the tendency of the mind to get distracted. Chapters 7 to 12 examine bhakti in great detail.
 
After dealing with mala and vikshepa, the Gita addresses the last defect known as aavarana or covering. This covering prevents us from fully getting established in the knowledge of the eternal essence. Having gone through shravanam (reading and listening to knowledge) and mananam (removal of doubts), meditation helps us achieve the last step which is nidhidhyaasa or internalization of this knowledge.
 
So the notion that “I am not this body, I am the eternal essence” needs to be fully internalized so that it becomes second nature to us. This is the goal of meditation.
 
The process to achieve this goal is also addressed in this shloka. Shri Krishna asks us to sit down on that seat that was described in the previous shloka. He then asks us to make the mind single-pointed or focused. But this is easier said than done. Whenever we close our eyes and sit in meditation, the thoughts of the world rush in.
 
Many techniques are given in other literature in order to make this happen, including concentrating attention on a point on the wall, on a flame and so on. But the prerequisite to all of this is that we have to subdue the mind and the senses.
 
Consider the example of the person that wants to remain seated inside a room. Either he will have thoughts of objects outside the room, or someone from the outside will want him to come out of the room. Similarly, when we sit for meditation, either the mind will generate thoughts of the world, or the sense organs will pick up a scent, a touch and so on that will drag the mind out. Therefore, we have to control the mind and senses before attempting meditation.
 
There also are some secondary benefits to meditation. If we meditate on a regular basis, we will never be reactive to situations. No matter what kind of situation comes up in front of us, we will always take time to pause and then decide. This is because the mind has already been trained to slow down the thinking process. We will then not lose our balance and not always work in a reactionary mode. We will take a good look at situation and slowly approach it
meditative person will have this advantage.
 
Next, Shri Krishna delves into the specifics of meditation.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 11, Chapter 6

13 Friday Apr 2012

Posted by in aasanam, aatmanaha, ajina, ati, chaila, chapter 6 verse 11, deshe, kusha, na, neecham, pratishthaapya, shuchau, sthiram, ucchritam, uttaram

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shuchau deshe pratishthaapya sthiramaasanamaatmanaha |
naatyucchritam naatineecham chailaajinakushottaram || 11 ||
 
In a clean place, establish your stable seat that is not too high or low, with cloth, deerskin and grass.
 
shuchau : clean
deshe : place
pratishthaapya : establish
sthiram : stable
aasanam : seat
aatmanaha : your
na : not
ati : too
ucchritam : high
neecham : low
chaila : cloth
ajina : deerskin
kusha : grass
uttaram : thereafter
 
Shri Krishna now describes the actual process of meditation. In this shloka, he talks about
how to sit down and where to sit down for meditation. He says that the seat of meditation should be in a clean and pure place, it should not be too high or too low, and should have sufficient insulation such as a cloth.
 
First let us look at what is meant by “shuchau deshe” or clean place. The seat of meditation should be placed in a clean and pure location. Some places are naturally clean and pure, and some can be cleaned through one’s effort. Anything that distracts us from meditation becomes an obstacle. If something is dirty, or we are afraid that some insects are around, we cannot do meditation. Preferably, it should be a room or an area of the house where we do not have strong associations. If we meditate in the kitchen, out of habit we will start thinking about food and so on. Therefore, without a clean and pure place, meditation is not possible for beginners.
 
There is a subtle point made here that merits attention. Why should we sit for meditation? Why cannot we stand or sleep in meditation? Meditation requires the cultivation of saattvic tendencies. It is not possible in sleeping which is a tamasic posture, or in standing which is a raajasic posture. That is why we need to sit. Sitting in one place without doing anything itself becomes difficult for many of us. Hence, that should be our first step.
 
Next, let’s look at the seat itself. Shri Krishna says that the height of the seat should not be too high so that we are scared of falling down, or too low that insects and other animals can bother us. It should be stable so that we are not distracted by the constant fear of falling down.
 
Finally, Shri Krishna asks us to put cloth, deer skin and kusha grass on the seat. What is meant here is that there should be a layer of insulation between our body and the seat. The seat could be very cold or hot, which could again become a distraction to the mind.
 
Having prepared oneself in a seating posture, what should come next? Shri Krishna covers this point in the next shloka.
 

Bhagavad Gita Verse 10, Chapter 6

12 Thursday Apr 2012

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yogi yunjeeta satatamaatmaanam rahasi sthitaha |
ekaakee yatachittaatmaa niraasheeraparigraha || 10 ||

The yogi should constantly engage in his self, establish himself alone in a solitary place, having subdued his mind and body, without expectations, giving up all possessions.

yogi : yogi
yunjeeta : should engage
satatam : constantly
aatmaanam : in his self
rahasi : in a solitary place
sthitaha : established
ekaakee : alone
yatachittaatmaa : subdued his mind and body
niraasheehi : without expectations
aparigraha : giving up all possessions

Shri Krishna gives us an introduction to the topic of meditation in this shloka. He says that the main goal of meditation is to absorb our mind into our self or aatmaa. It is not something that we “do”, but it is a state that we aspire for, just like we do not “do” sleep. We achieve this state by gaining control over the mind and the body and by dropping off all worldly identifications and expectations. One who practices meditation in such a manner is called a dhyaana yogi.

First, Shri Krishna speaks about the preparation for meditation. He says that that we should sit in a solitary place and should constantly tried to quieten the mind. Why the need for solitary place? Meditation is not a group activity, but ultimately it is an individual activity that is for the yogi alone. It has nothing to do with what other person is doing. Also, it means that we should not depend on anything or anyone for meditation. Some people think that meditation needs a special mat, furniture, tea etc. No external aids are needed.

Furthermore, the solitary place chosen for meditation has to be free from all distraction. It should not occur in a place where there is too much noise. Just like we choose a quiet place when we want to sleep, so too should be the place for meditation. The time we choose for meditation has to be conducive as well. It should not create inconvenience to anyone. If other family members are dependent on you at some time, that is not the right time for meditation.

The notion of “ekaaki” or solitude has another aspect. When we sit for meditation, we should drop all other roles and relationships that we identify with such as father, daughter, wife, boss, employee and so on. Otherwise thoughts of family, employees, meetings and so on will pop up during meditation. At least for that period of meditation, we should assume the role of a renunciate or sannyaasi. Usually, meditation is one of the few times in the day when we are not “doing” anything. If we are not careful, we will worry about things that we normally do not have time to worry about during meditation. So Shri Krishna asks us to be mindful of this.

“Yatachittaatmaa” means that the yogi thoroughly has controlled his mind and body through continuous practice of karma yoga. As we saw earlier, Shri Krishna stresses sense control in almost every chapter in the Gita so far. It is probably the biggest qualification for meditation.

Another preparation for the meditator is the quality of “niraasheehi”. It means that the meditator does have any expectations from anything or anyone. Through his own direct observation and analysis of the material world, he has concluded that external things are not going to give him what he is looking for. He has developed the quality of “vairagya” or dispassion.

“Aparigraha” is the last quality mentioned in this shloka. Parigraha is storing or hoarding things, so therefore aparigraha means giving up all notions of “mine-ness”, this is mine and so on. The meditator should drop all baggage, in other words he should be free of all thoughts of past and future. It also means that one must give up expectations of any gifts from other people.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 9, Chapter 6

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.9, api, ari, bandhushu, cha, chapter 6 verse 9, dveshya, madhyastha, mitra, paapeshu, saadhushu, samabuddhihi, suhrida, udaaseena, vishishyate

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suhrinmitraaryudaaseenamadhyasthadveshyabandhushu |
saadhushvapi cha paapeshu samabuddhirvishishyate || 9 ||

Well-wishers, friends, enemies, the unbiased, mediators, irritators, relatives, and also saints and sinners; one who views these as same is superior.

suhrida : well-wisher
mitra : friend
ari : enemy
udaaseena : unbiased
madhyastha : mediator
dveshya : irritators
bandhushu : relative
saadhushu : saint
api : also
cha : and
paapeshu : sinner
samabuddhihi : same vision
vishishyate : superior

In this shloka, the last shloka within the series of shlokas about the realized meditator’s vision, Shri Krishna speaks about how such a person views people. He says that regardless of how other people are connected to this person – they could be friends, enemies and so on – he views them as alike. Now, having this kind of attitude towards people is far difficult than maintaining such an attitude with objects and situations. So for that reason, Shri Krishna calls such a person “superior”.

There is diversity of individuals in this world, most of whom we do not deal with, but some of whom we do. By themselves, they are perfectly fine. But when we transact with them, we tend to categorize them through the lens of roles. A wide variety of such roles are provided here by Shri Krishna.

A “suhrida” is well wisher who does not expect anything in return from us, but is intent on doing actions that benefit us. Such people are rare. They do not keep a mental account of the good deeds that they have done, so that we can one day pay them back.

A “mitra” is friend, someone who cares for us. If we call him at midnight and ask for help, he will be there to help us. There is no doubt in our minds about whether or not he will help us. Consequently, we have raaga or desire towards that person.

An “ari” is our enemy. For reasons that are justified or even unjustified, we think that such a person wants to trouble us without any reason. We have dvesha or hatred towards this person. This becomes especially troublesome in meditation, because what we hate will come out as thoughts that disturb us in our meditation, not what we love.

“Udaaseena” literally means one who has lifted himself higher. He is indifferent and unbiased towards us and others. We have a neutral attitude towards such a person.

A “madhyastha” is a mediator. If there are two sets of people, he cares for both parties that could either have something in common, or are even opposed to each other. Such people are known to arrange weddings between two families, or even resolve disputes.

A “dveshya” is a person who we cannot stand. It is not necessary that such a person is our enemy or wishes ill of us. It is someone who irritates us for no reason. Either we wants to pick a fight with us, or we want to pick a fight with them.

A “bandhu” is a relative. It is someone who, whether we like it or not, has a relationship with us due to a familial tie. In fact this word is derived from the word “bandhan” which means tie or knot.

A saadhu is a totally pious and noble person whom we have utmost respect for. The opposite of such a person is a “paapi” or a sinner, one who has committed great crime.

So therefore, Shri Krishna says that the person whose mental state remains same whenever he thinks of or encounters any of these types of people, he is superior. But to get to this stage first requires a more basic level of sameness when we perform actions. That can only be achieved through karma yoga. Unless the mind is steady while performing actions, we cannot rise to the level of sameness mentioned in this shloka. Our thinking has to change from the ground up.

How does our thinking have to change? Our outlook towards people is usually in terms of gains and losses. We tend to evaluate people by the notion “what can they do for me?”. But one who has truly understood law of karma will know that whatever is happening in their life is nothing but a product of their actions. Another way of looking at people is “why does not he or she behave like I want?” But that is like asking “why is fire hot” or “why is salt salty”. People have in-built behaviour that is hard to change.

So, when someone upgrades himself to the karmayoga vision and submits all actions to Ishvara, he leaves all results to Ishvara also. He then begins to view the workings of world as Ishvara’s plan. Regardless of whether he encounters a good or bad situation, person or object, he will say “this is Ishvara’s plan” or “this is nature working through its laws”.

Once he has taken himself out of the picture, there no need to hold grudge against any one person, no room for complaint. It makes us become unperturbed and gradually, free of any worries caused by the world. This is how we develop the vision of sameness towards people.

So here, Shri Krishna concludes the topic of the realized meditator’s vision of the world. Next, he introduces the main topic of meditation.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 8, Chapter 6

10 Tuesday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.8, ashma, chapter 6 verse 8, iti, jnaana, kaanchanaha, kutasthaha, loshta, sama, triptaatmaa, uchyate, vignyaana, vijitendriyaha, yogi, yuktaha

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jnaanavignyaanatriptaatmaa kutastho vijitendriyaha |
yukta ityuchyate yogi samaloshtaashmakaanchanaha || 6 ||

One whose self is content with knowledge and wisdom, who is steady like an anvil, who has conquered the senses; such a person called an established yogi; to him, a lump of clay, a stone and gold are same.

jnaana : knowledge
vignyaana : wisdom
triptaatmaa : one whose self is content
kutasthaha : who is (steady) like an anvil
vijitendriyaha : who has conquered the senses
yuktaha : established
iti : such a
uchyate : is called
yogi : yogi
sama : same
loshta : lump of mud
ashma : stone
kaanchanaha : gold

Shri Krishna continues the explanation on the outlook of a realized meditator. In this shloka, he speaks about how such a person responds to objects. This person’s nature is complete and content with knowledge and wisdom, he has no need for anything else. This contentment and the mastery over senses gives him the quality of steadfastness. He is like an anvil in that regard. He sees sameness in a lump of clay, a stone and gold, such is his vision.

First let us look at what is meant by knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is that which is gained externally through study of texts. But wisdom comes only when this knowledge has been internalized, and when we can see its application in our life. If someone tells us that exercise is good, then it is knowledge. But if we also come to that conclusion and start exercising, it becomes wisdom. It is like a math problem, we have to work out the answer for ourselves.

Similarly, when we hear that our self is beyond the body, mind and intellect, it is knowledge. But if our body gets a disease, but we think that “I have fallen sick, not my body”, it means that our knowledge has not translated into wisdom. Once I gain wisdom, I do not get disturbed by any more diseases. The combination of knowledge and wisdom brings me to the realization that I am complete, and hence I do not get affected by what happens to the body.

Next, Shri Krishna says that this person is steady like an anvil. A favourable object does not cause excitement in him, and an unfavourable object does not cause any agitation in him. Is it because he has become like a stone? No, it is because he is content with himself. He does not need to rush out into the world of objects to fulfill himself. He knows that desire and hatred are components of sense organs, as we saw in earlier chapters. So when he knows that desire and hatred is not his, and the reactions is not his, then he remains undisturbed.

Shri Krishna then mentions that such a person has full control over mind and senses. This point repeated countless times because it is the most important thing to do for a seeker, but also the most difficult. Even if we hear it several times it does not sink in. So, such a person becomes steady like an anvil because he remains absolutely steady in his own self. He completely controls his senses, they do not move without permission. There is no restlessness in the body.

What is the vision of this person towards object? He sees sameness in gold, clay and stone. Now he is not foolish. He knows that each of these has value in life, but he does not give them undue importance. He has a rational and practical assessment of each object’s value in the grand scheme of things, but does not super-impose his values on them. These objects fail to attract and excite his mind.

So therefore, such a person is “yuktaha” or completely established in meditation. He has nothing further to do when it comes to meditation.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 7, Chapter 6

09 Monday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.7, apamaanayoho, chapter 6 verse 7, dukheshu, jitaatmanaha, maana, paramaatmaa, prashaantasya, samaahitaha, sheeta, sukha, tathaa, ushna

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jitaatmanaha prashaantasya paramaatmaa samaahitaha |
sheetoshnasukhadukheshu tathaa maanaapamaanayoho || 7 ||

One who has conquered himself, that serene person is steadfast in the supreme self, in cold and heat, in joy and sorrow, in praise and insult.

jitaatmanaha : one who has conquered himself
prashaantasya : serene person
paramaatmaa : supreme self
samaahitaha : steadfast
sheeta : cold
ushna : heat
sukha : joy
dukheshu : in sorrow
tathaa : and
maana : praise
apamaanayoho : in insult

In the following three shlokas, Shri Krishna paints a picture of one who has realized the eternal essence through meditation, specifically with his outlook towards situations, objects and people. In this shloka, Shri Krishna tackles the meditator’s outlook towards situations. He says that the meditator who has won over his senses and mind, won over his lower nature, his mind remains well established in the eternal essence all the time. No matter what situation he finds himself in, his mind remains even calm and peaceful – “prashaantaha”.

Now, what does it mean to remain same in all situations? Let us take each aspect of the shloka one by one. Remaining same in cold and heat refers to pleasant and unpleasant situations experienced at the physical body level. Joy and sorrow and experienced as emotions at the mind level. Praise and insult are experienced either as boosters or blows to the ego. They are experienced at the intellect level. The body, mind and intellect are part of nature or prakriti. They react to situational changes, which also happen in prakriti.

We have been conditioned to respond to some situations favourably and some situations unfavourably. Our normal response to an unfavourable situation is to impose our will upon it, to change it. But in most cases, it never works. It is like the story of the king wanting to put a carpet on top of his entire kingdom’s land, rather than wear a pair of slippers.

Moreover, two people respond to the same situation differently. A child may not take a scolding from his parents as an insult, because his ego is not fully developed yet. But a teenager will, because his ego is especially sensitive towards insults from his parents.

So therefore, one who knows that situations can only impact the body, mind and intellect, but not his self, he remains peaceful in all situations. If something good or bad happens to a person whom we have no connection with, do we feel any joy or sorrow? We do not. That is the kind of understanding a realized meditator has towards his own body, mind and intellect. He does not feel the need to enter the realm of prakriti to change anything. He remains a witness of all these changes.

Bhagavad Gita Verse 6, Chapter 6

08 Sunday Apr 2012

Posted by in 6.6, aatmaa, aatmanaa, anaatmanaha, banduhu, chapter 6 verse 6, eva, jitaha, shatrutve, shatruvat, tasya, yena

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banduraatmaatmanastasya yenatmaivaatmanaa jitaha |
anaatmanastu shatrutve vartetaatmaiva shatruvat || 6 ||

For one who has conquered oneself by oneself, only his own self is his friend. But for one who has not conquered oneself, it is only his own self that behaves in animosity, like an enemy.

banduhu : is a friend
aatmaa : oneself
aatmanaa : by oneself
tasya : for him
yena : who has
aatmaa : oneself
eva : only
aatmanaa : oneself
jitaha : conquered
anaatmanaha : for one who has not conquered oneself
tu : but
shatrutve : in a spirit of animosity
varteta : behaves
aatmaa : his own self
eva : only
shatruvat : like an enemy

As further elaboration on the previous shloka, Shri Krishna explains exactly what he means by the statement “we are our own friend and we are our own enemy”. He says that for the person that has used his intellect to conquer the mind and senses, he becomes his own friend. But for one who is unable to conquer the mind and senses, he becomes his own enemy. Note the repeated use of the word “aatmaa” or self in this shloka and the prior shloka to mean different things.

Now, what exactly is a “shatru” or enemy? It is someone who constantly creates trouble for us – a trouble maker. The mind, if not under our control, can be the world’s most creative and impactful trouble maker. We tend to think it is our boss, our mother-in-law, our neighbour and so on to be our enemy, the troublemaker. But nothing beats that mind when it comes to creating problems for us.

Consider an example. Let’s say the doctor has told us that sweets are bad for us. Now, imagine that we are at a social gathering and someone offers us a sweet. The intellect instantly knows what is the right thing to do. But the mind is different from the intellect. If the mind is not under control, it will say “go ahead, there is no harm in taking one piece of the sweet”.

At this point, we fall prey to the lower self and eat the sweet. The mind now says, “this is a very tasty sweet. I think I will have this again tomorrow, first thing in the morning”. Again we succumb to the lower self on the next day and eat the sweet again. Now, having eaten the sweet twice, the mind says “why did I eat this sweet twice? The doctor had said that it is bad for me. I hope this does not impact my health. I absolutely hate myself”.

Here is someone who caused us trouble three times – before, during and after eating the sweet. But it was not someone from the outside. It was something within – our own mind. This is why Shri Krishna calls the uncontrolled mind to be the worst enemy possible in regards to our growth. The sweet is a small example of how the uncontrolled mind creates trouble for us day in and day out. Through conditioning by the sense organs, it repeatedly reinforces our likes and dislikes without regard to what is rational.

So the message is clear: progress towards meditation is not possible unless we use karmayoga to bring our mind under control and eliminate as many desires as possible.

In the shlokas so far, Shri Krishna gave an introduction to the topic of meditation. In the rest of this chapter, he will cover all aspects of meditation including: what is meditation, what is the process, what do we have to do internally and externally, what are the obstacles and how do we remove them, and how does such an individual that is established in meditation live in this world, which is the topic he takes up next.

The world for us comprises three aspects: situations that we encounter, objects that we use, and people that we interact with. In the next three shlokas, Shri Krishna takes up each aspect and paints a picture of the meditator’s attitude towards each of these aspects.