Friday, April 10, 2020

Bhagwad Gita - Post 197


Verse 3

  


Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride — these belong to one born in a divine state, O Arjuna!


Teja is vigor, energy, strength, and not a drooping spirit. This is the quality of tejas, or energy, vigor, capacity to work. 

An indefatigable frame of the body and mind will automatically come to us as a consequence of following the other qualities mentioned earlier. 

Kama is fortitude. We do not try to wreak vengeance on someone who has committed some mistake, and do not go on thinking of one mistake that a person has committed even though that person may have hundreds of good qualities. 

Generally, the evil that men do, lives after them; the good is often buried with their bones. This is not to be our attitude.

A hundred sacrifices a person has made, and for twenty years that person has served us, but one day he does something which is very displeasing and we remember only that, and not the twenty years of service. 

We must have a forgiving attitude, because who has absolutely no fault? “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us” is a very touching line in the Lord’s Prayer. 

Dhti is determination to achieve our goal, and never slacken our effort, and be decided in our mind that, “Perhaps this is the last birth of mine. Why should it not be the last birth, when I have put forth all my energy and I honestly strive for the attainment of God Almighty? 

I have no defect in my mind. I have no greed. I don’t harm anybody. To my mind, there is nothing wrong. Therefore, God should be kind to me. I shall realize God in this birth.”

If this kind of determination is there, something really worthwhile may take place one day, perhaps in this life itself. 

Śaucam is purity. We know much about it—external purity and internal purity. I need not go on harping on this subject. 

It refers to both internal and external purity. Virtuous people believe in maintaining external cleanliness because it is conducive to internal purity.

Or can we say that their internal purity gets manifested in external purity sustained by them in the environment they are in?? 

Adroha is never committing blunders in respect of ourselves or of others. This blundering and floundering habit is due to the preponderance of rajoguna, which keeps us restless always and never allows us to concentrate on anything. 

Nātimānitā is never expecting too much regard and respect from people. 

It is said that Sri Rama respected other people first; and if other people did not speak, he would speak first. He would not have the attitude: “Why should I speak first? Let the other person speak first.” Rama would speak first. 

Swami Krishnananda ji recalls that his master Swami
Sivanandaji Maharaj was like that. If a person did not touch his feet, he would touch that man’s feet. People would be horrified. “Maharaj! You are touching the feet of that person?” 

He would speak first. “How are you? Acche hain maharaj? Theek hai?” (Sivanandaji used to address all beings as Maharaj or such names with reverence).

Even if that person did not speak a word, he would
immediately start a conversation: “How are you?” That man would be very highly pleased, and start speaking to him. So do not ask for respect. Give respect to others. 

We are fit to take the name of God only if we give respect to everybody and do not expect any respect for our own self. 

“These are the great qualities, O Arjuna, that may be called divine, gracious, noble, superb.”


Love.





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