Bhagwad Gita - Post 242

Verse 66

Abandoning all duties, take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate thee from all sins; grieve not.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba writes on this verse,

Note that the Lord said, “Abandon all dharmas (sarva dharmaan parithyajya)”, not “abandon all actions (sarva karmaan parithyajya)”. What then is the meaning of this statement? It means, “Perform all acts enjoined by the Lord for His glorification, without getting involved and lost in discussions of dharma and non-dharma.”

Although you know that there is nothing for you to acquire, for you have placed complete trust in the Lord and live only as an offering to the Lord, still, like Janaka and others, you have to engage in activity for the well-being of the world. 

The soul immanent in every being is not distinct from the Atma or soul that is in you. So, be eager to promote the well-being of all beings. Perform all acts enjoined by the scriptures for this sake, in the spirit of dedication, with no eye on the fruits thereof. This is true renunciation of the fruit of action (nish-kama-karma).

Understand the Gita well and, observing its injunctions, establish yourselves in the attitude of renunciation of the fruit of action. Do all duties as acts of worship, offerings to God. That is the sole task. Leave the rest to Him: the fruit, the consequence, the result. Then, you receive the grace of Hari and your life on earth is sanctified and becomes worthwhile.

(Gita Vahini)

Swami Sivananda writes,

This is the answer given by the Lord to the question put by Arjuna in chapter II verse 7, 

"I ask Thee which may be the better tell me that decidedly. I am Thy disciple, Suppliant to Thee teach me. All Dharmas, all action- righteous or unrighteous."

As per Vedanta 

Absolute freedom from all actions is intended to be taught here. Taking refuge in Me alone implies the knowledge of unity without any thought of duality knowing that there is nothing else except Me, the Self of all, dwelling the same in all. If thou art established in this faith, I shall liberate thee from all sins, from all bonds of Dharma and Adharma by manifesting Myself as thy own Self.

To behold forms is the Dharma of the eye. The support or substratum of all forms is Brahman. When you look at an object behold Brahman, Which is the one essence and abandon the form as it is illusory and unreal. 

Have the same attitude towards the other objects which pertain to the other senses. Give up the Jiva Dharma (the notions - I am the doer of actions, I enjoy. I am a Brahmana, I am a Brahmachari, I am endowed with a little knowledge and power, etc. and get yourself established in Brahma Bhavana (the understanding or knowledge I am Brahman). This is what is meant by taking refuge in Lord Krishna, according to the Vedantins.

In the path of devotion

Work ceaselessly for the Lord but surrender the fruits of all actions to the Lord. Take the Lord as your sole refuge. Live for Him. Work for Him. Serve Him in all forms. Think of Him only. Meditate on Him alone. See Him in all forms. 

Think of Him only. Meditate on Him alone. See Him everywhere. Worship Him in your heart. Consecrate your life, all actions, feelings and thoughts to the Lord. You will rest in Him. You will attain union with Him. You will attain immortal supreme peace and eternal bliss. This is the view of another school of thought.

Sankara's views on karma 

Sri Sankara very strongly refutes the idea that knowledge in conjunction with Karma (action) produces or leads to liberation. He says that Karma and knowledge may not go together in the same man, that karma helps the man to get purification of the heart, and that right knowledge of the Self alone will give him absolute freedom from Samsara. 

He says that work and knowledge are like darkness and light; that action is possible only in this universe of illusory phenomena which is the projection of ignorance and knowledge dispels this ignorance. 

We will continue contemplating on this verse in the next post as well and arrive at some conclusion after knowing what few other Masters have said on this unique verse.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 241

Verse 62

 

Fly unto Him for refuge with all thy being, O Arjuna! By His Grace thou shalt obtain supreme peace and the eternal abode.

Such a Being exists; such a Lord is ruling the whole universe. Resort to Him. Surrender yourself to Him. Seek refuge in Him. 

Tam eva saranam gaccha sarvabhavena bharata

From the whole of your being, from all sides of your being, go and surrender yourself to that Almighty. Do not surrender only some part of your nature; do not reserve something to not be offered to God. 

Sarvabhāvena: Every aspect of your being has to be offered. Every aspect, every facet, and in every way is this surrender to be effected,  total surrender is called for, and seek refuge in Him.

Tat prasaadaat paraam shaantim sthaanam praapsyasi shaashvatam: By the grace of this compassionate Almighty Lord, Ishvara, you shall attain to the peace that surpasses understanding—that supreme peace which is eternal and untarnished by the process of spatial and temporal history. His grace, please seek it.

Verse 65

Fix thy mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me, bow down to Me. Thou shalt come even to Me; truly do I promise unto thee, (for) thou art dear to Me.

Srimad Bhagavatam describes:

(Ambarish absorbed his mind on the lotus feet of Sri Krishna; 

he used his speech in glorifying the qualities of God, 

his hands in cleaning the temple, and 

his ears in hearing the divine pastimes of the Lord. 

He engaged his eyes in seeing the deities; 

he used his limbs in touching the bodies of the devotees, 

his nose in smelling the fragrance of the Tulsī (holy basil) leaves offered at the feet of the Lord, and 

his tongue in tasting prasād (food sanctified by offering to God). 

He utilized his feet for walking to the holy abodes,  his head in offering obeisance to the lotus feet of God. 

He offered all paraphernalia, such as garlands and sandalwood, in the service of God. 

He did all this, not with some selfish motive, but only to attain the selfless service of Lord Krishna, through purification.)

Lord says, “Develop one pointedness of mind. Fix thy thought on Me. If the mind wanders bring it again and again to the centre or point or object of meditation through constant practice. Offer all thy actions to Me. Let thy tongue utter My name. Let thy hands work for Me. Let thy feet move for Me. Let all thy actions be for Me. Give up hatred towards any living creature. Bow down to Me. 

Then thou wilt attain Me. The Lord gives Arjuna His definite word of promise or solemn declaration. Having received My grace thou wilt gain complete knowledge of Me and that in itself will indeed lead to thy absorption into My Being.

O Arjuna looking up to Me alone as thy aim and the sole refuge, thou shalt assuredly come to Me. Have faith in the words of the Lord and make a solemn promise. 

The Lord proceeds to teach further higher secret of Self Surrender in the next verse.

Love.

Anandamayi Ma

SADHANA

Who can tell at what moment the flame of illumination will blaze forth? For this reason, continue your efforts steadily without flagging. Gradually you will get more and more deeply absorbed in Him—He and He alone will preoccupy your thoughts and feelings. 

For the mind ever seeks that which gives it proper sustenance, and this cannot be provided by anything save the Supreme Being Himself. 

Then you will be carried away by the current that leads to your Self. You will discover that the more you delight in the inner life, the less you feel drawn to external things. 

In consequence, the mind becomes so well nourished with the right kind of food that at any moment the realization of its identity with the Self may occur. 

(Anandamayi Ma)