Bhagwad Gita - Post 136

Verse 48

Na vedayajnaadhyayanairna daanair

Na cha kriyaabhirna tapobhirugraih;

Evam roopah shakya aham nriloke

Drashtum twadanyena karupraveera.

Neither by the study of the Vedas and sacrifices, nor by gifts, nor by rituals, nor by severe austerities, can I be seen in this form in the world of men by any other than thyself, O great hero of the Kurus (Arjuna)!

“This form, this Viratsvarupa, this Universal Spirit, in which form you have beheld Me — this cannot be beheld by any kind of ritual, by study of the Vedas, by teaching, by charity,

by ritualistic performances, by tapas or austerity of any kind. Whatever be the intensity and ferocity of that tapas, nothing of the kind can touch Me.”

In most cases, we see people ardently take up different techniques of worship, penance, study and so on, but tend to get so attached to those techniques that they lose sight of the real goal which is liberation. They go so far as to claim the efficacy of one technique versus the other.

Human action cannot touch Eternity, because all action is in the process of time. All action is in space and in time. This Eternal terror which was beheld by Arjuna is not in space, not in time. Therefore, our studies of the Vedas, our tapasyas, our charities, our philanthropies, our deeds — whatever their merit, they are, after all, like performances in the dream world.

When we wake up, the merits of all our good deeds in dream disappear. Similarly, in the quality of the perception of the Supreme Being, actions of the human being in the world of space and time bear no relevance. No action which is conditioned by time can take us to the Unconditioned Reality, which is not in time.

Explaining why Arjuna deserves a special congratulation for having gained this extra-ordinary experience, the Lord says that none can 'SEE' this Universal-Form merely because of one's study of the Vedas, or on the strength of one's sacrifices. Nor can one gain it by the merits gained through the distribution of  gifts, or through performing rituals, or even through constant practice of severe austerities. 

These are, no doubt, necessary and always helpful in preparing the seeker to realize the essential unity beneath the perceived plurality, but neither a mere book-study, nor empty ritualism, nor physical tapas in themselves will, as an effect of them, bring about this understanding and the Final Experience. It can come only when the mind is steady. This "Vision" can be illumined only in the clear light of an integrated 'in-turned intellect.'

In thus making light of the study of the Vedas, performance of sacrifices, distribution of gifts, practice of rituals and a life of grim penance, Lord Krishna should not be misunderstood as ridiculing these great prescriptions of the Vedas. He merely means to say that although these are means, preparatory to the final end, they are not to be confused with the goal. 

Katha Upanishad says,

“The Imperishable, Eternal Reality cannot be contacted through the instrumentality of perishable deeds.”

Actions, deeds that we perform in this world have a beginning and an end. They are not eternal. How could we have the vision of that Eternal, contact with the Eternal or attain realization of that Eternal, which is timeless, when the instruments that we are using for that purpose are in time?

Dear All,

This is in perfect sync with what was explained in last week satsangh with respect to upasana, taking the reference of a verse from Kenopanishad which says:

“That by which the eyes / ears / prana / mind / intellect are able to function, know THAT to be the real essence, not the one which you have been worshipping otherwise.”

Explaining this drastic declaration by shrutis, he said, Upasanas, ritual worships etc. are by themselves very important in the sense, they prepare us for evolving, channelizing our higher intellect to the ultimate Goal of Self-realization. 

The sadhaka must not start and end his life in Glorifying the Rama nama, roopa but he must start and proceed in his spiritual journey from Nama and Roopa of his chosen God to ultimately experience the Essence, i.e., The Tattwa of that God, within the cave of his heart.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 135

Verse 38

Twamaadidevah purushah puraanas

Twamasya vishwasya param nidhaanam;

Vettaasi vedyam cha param cha dhaama

Twayaa tatam vishwamanantaroopa.

Thou art the primal God, the ancient Purusha, the supreme refuge of this universe, the knower, the knowable and the supreme abode. By Thee is the universe pervaded, O Being of infinite forms!

After experiencing the cosmic vision in its true spirit, Arjuna prostrates and declares  this verse on the basis of his personal subjective experience. 

YOU ARE THE PRIMAL GOD - Tvam ādidevaḥ - “The Original Ancient one, the God of gods, Thou art.” 

Puruṣaḥ purāṇas: “The ancient Purusha, Purushottama, Narayana.” 

The Self or Brahman is the Supreme Creator. risen. The Self, conditioned by Its own creative urge, plays the part of the Creator.

YOU ARE THE SUPREME ABODE OF THE UNIVERSE -The entire Viswa is housed in the Lord, and therefore, it is said that the Lord is the Abode for the Universe. 

The  term Viswa includes the entire world of perceptions and the whole field of emotions and the total realms of thought that we, as intelligent individuals, experience in all our lives. This totality of the world of experience through the body, mind and intellect together is indicated by the term Vishwa.

THOU ART THE KNOWER AND THE KNOWABLE --- Vettāsi vedyaṁ ca paraṁ ca dhāma: “Thou knowest everything, whatever is to be known, because in Thy knowing Thyself, everything has already been known. 

The Supreme Abode is already attained in the vision of Thy Great Form. Thou art all things, spreading Thyself everywhere, O Visva Anantarupa, O All-formed One!” 

The Awareness in us is the Factor that completes all our experiences as realities. If the Light of Awareness were not to illumine the inert world-of-matter, no knowledge would have been possible, and therefore, the Principle of Consciousness, represented here as Lord Krishna, the Charioteer --- is described here as the Knower. 

The knower referred here is that pure consciousness which illumines the entire creation

The knowable referred here is not any object to be known but the supreme goal of human birth, the realization of SELF.

Hence, in this context, it is explained that the Lord / SELF is that which illumines the creation as much as it illumines a jiva, to proceed in the path of Spiritual Sadhana to ultimately realize that the goal which had to be attained, the knowable, is He himself (He the pure self, not He the body mind ego).

YOU PERVADE THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE OF FORMS --- Tvam asya viśvasya paraṁ nidhānam: “The very support and life-breath of this universe, Thou art. Who can know You except Yourself?” 

The superimpositions cannot exist apart from the Substratum upon which they are being perceived. 

A post or a pillar mistaken as  ghost, but the truth is that without the substratum Post, no one has the possibility to mistake it as a ghost. 

Waves, when they rise, may be taken as real, but for the waves to rise, stay and recede and die, the  substratum is water / ocean.

The Self is the Substratum on which the multitude of the world-of-plurality is visualized, and therefore, it is rightly said that "HE PERVADES ALL." 

This is only a repetition of the great Upanishadic Truth that "the Infinite pervades all, and nothing pervades It."

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 134

Dear All,

After witnessing all that Sri Krishna reveals to Arjuna after gracing him with  divine vision, Arjuna says: 

 Verse 31

Aakhyaahi me ko bhavaanugraroopo

Namo’stu te devavara praseeda;

Vijnaatumicchaami bhavantamaadyam

Na hi prajaanaami tava pravrittim.

Tell me, who Thou art, so fierce in form. Salutations to Thee, O God Supreme! Have mercy; I desire to know Thee, the original Being. I know not indeed Thy doing.

Ᾱkhyāhi me ko bhavān ugrarūpo (11.31): “Who are You? I cannot understand. I thought this is Krishna, my friend, but I am seeing something here that I cannot recognize. 

Would You kindly tell me who You are? O Mighty Being, are You Krishna? I cannot see Krishna here; I see something else.

I would like to know who this is that is standing before me and  with this Universal Form (formless form)?

Namostu te: “Prostrations to you. In humble submission I  plead  Thee to tell me who You are.”

Devavara prasīda, vijñātum icchāmi bhavantam ādyaṁ: “O God of gods, I would like to know Your beginning, Your middle and Your end—who You are. I cannot know what it is that is in front of me, from where it has come, how it is sustained, and what its intention is.”

Verse 32

Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:

Kaalo’smi lokakshayakrit pravriddho

Lokaan samaahartumiha pravrittah;

Rite’pi twaam na bhavishyanti sarve

Ye’wasthitaah pratyaneekeshu yodhaah.

The Blessed Lord said:

I am the mighty world-destroying Time, now engaged in destroying the worlds. Even without thee, none of the warriors arrayed in the hostile armies shall live.

Therefore, stand up and obtain fame. Conquer the enemies and enjoy the unrivalled kingdom. Verily, they have already been slain by Me; be thou a mere instrument, O Arjuna!

Kālo’smi lokakṣayakṛt pravṛddho (11.32): “I am the all-destroying Time.” The very Spirit of Time is speaking. “I am here in this form for the destruction of the world through this war that is going to take place, to see that everything is put an end to.” 

The avatar of Sri Krishna was for the destruction of all evil and wickedness in the world, and in that Universal Form he did it in one instant—in a timeless instantaneity, as it were.

Kālo’smi lokakṣayakṛt pravṛddho lokān samāhartum iha pravṛttaḥ: “I am here to withdraw everything into Myself. Even if you do not raise a finger, the Kauravas are not going to survive”.

                                                    

Ṛte’pi tvāṁ na bhaviṣyanti sarve ye’vasthitāḥ pratyanīkeṣu yodhāḥ: “None in this entire army is going to survive. You may say that you will not take up arms. You have your own flimsy arguments not to do anything and keep quiet. Even if you  don’t do anything.

But they shall not survive whether you take up arms or not, because their destruction has been already predetermined.

They have been doomed by My will (due to their wicked acts). So why do you consider yourself as a great instrument in bloodshed? You are nothing of the kind.

They have already gone to the other world, and you are under the impression that you are going to do something which is not very pleasant.

Therefore, wake up! Do not be weak-hearted. I have already done the work that you are expected to do. Why are you unnecessarily talking to Me?”

Krishna clearly says, "EVEN WITHOUT YOU" none of the warriors manning the secular folly of sheer materialism shall survive the war of the imminent cultural upheaval.

Many of us sometimes think, what will happen if I stop working one day? (We think like this with respect to our family, our work-place and even in Sai Organization, If I don't do that, then how it is going to be done, no one else is there to do what I can do). We have to be sure that God has his own ways and He makes sure whatever is required is done through someone or the other. 

Lest we attach undue importance to our actions and puff up our ego, Sri Krishna gives us a lesson in humility. He reveals that ultimately, it is he who is running the show. 

If He wants to do something, He will do it with whatever means available, even if it means generating a thought in one person or in a million people.

It does not mean that we leave all actions, believing that He will do whatever is required on his own and we are nothing. 

We must renounce, but not renounce the action, but renounce the expectation out of the actions with a firm conviction that HIS WILL BE DONE.

Love.