Bhagwad Gita - Post 32

Verse 63

Krodhaad bhavati sammohah

Sammohaat smriti vibhramah;

Smritibhramshaad buddhinaasho

Buddhinaashaat pranashyati.

From anger comes delusion;

from delusion the loss of memory;

from loss of memory the destruction of discrimination;

from the destruction of discrimination, he perishes.

Swami Chinmayananda has described this verse beautifully. No other commentary can match his style of explaining, when it comes to this verse.

He writes,

“Like a tree emerges from a seed, the source of all evil starts from our own wrong thinking, or false imaginations.

….When we constantly think upon a sense-object, the CONSISTENCY OF THOUGHT creates in us an ATTACHMENT for the object of our thought; and, when more and more thoughts flow towards an object of attachment, they crystallize to form a BURNING DESIRE for the possession and enjoyment of the object-of-attachment. 

The same force of the motion, when directed towards obstacles that threaten the non-fulfillment of our desires, is called ANGER (Krodha). An intellect fumed with anger (Krodha) comes to experience DELUSION and, the deluded intellect has no power of discrimination, because it loses all MEMORIES OF THE PAST. 

Any one filled with anger is capable of doing acts totally forgetting himself and his relationship with all others. Sri Sankaracharya says in this connection that a deluded fool, in this mental condition, might even fight with his own teachers or parents, forgetting his indebtedness to these revered persons.

Thus, when an individual, through wrong channels of thinking, becomes ATTACHED to an object, the attachment matures into a burning DESIRE to own that object. 

Then, when an obstruction to possess that object of desire shoots him up into a fit of ANGER, the mental disturbance caused by the emotion DELUDES the intellect and makes the individual FORGET his sense of proportion and his sense of relationship with things and beings around him. 

When thus, a deluded intellect forgets its dignity of culture, it loses its discriminative capacity, which is called, in common parlance, as 'conscience' (Buddhi). 

Conscience is that knowledge enjoyed for differentiating the good from the evil, which often forms a standard in ourselves, and, whenever it can, warns the mind against its lustful sensuousness and animalism."

Let’s take an example to get more clearer on what this verse says and how the Acharya has explained the same.

A person has thoughts about sale of a most advanced laptop, and he gets attached to that laptop sale deal. He develops the desire to buy that laptop by all means. 

Now, at this point, he has purchased the laptop and is extremely attached to it.

His equanimity has already been disturbed. He is dragged back into the material world and has taken one step backwards from moksha or freedom.

So, attachment (for that laptop) has given birth to desire to own it and his equanimity is disturbed.

Let’s move forward in the sequence:

The laptop either gets conked off or it is lost. What happens then??

He is angry that it has broken down, he completely loses his equanimity, takes anger out on his wife and family environment is agitated.

Here, not only has he completely lost his equanimity, but has also caused pain to other members of his family. So, the message here is that constant pondering and thinking about objects eventually leads to moving away from equanimity, hence it is to be avoided, or at least minimized to the extent possible.

An interesting point seen here is around anger. Per the shlokas, anger is caused when one’s desire gets obstructed. Also, attachment to a concept causes continual waves of thought, anger and delusion, in other words, stress. Therefore, these shlokas provide an ancient but relevant analysis of anger and stress.

So, attachment - desire - indulgence in para dharma - anger on losing the object desired, all these have been observed so far in the above example.

From krodha arises bewilderment and delusion which is the mental condition where one is no longer cognizant of what action should be performed and what action should not be performed. One will foolishly do anything in this condition.

Thereafter comes dementia causing loss in memory of the process one began in order to constrain the senses and control the mind. From dementia comes loss of will power, one no longer has the drive and incentive to cultivate themselves towards obtaining spiritual realization of the eternal soul. 

Memory loss mentioned in this verse is not physical loss of memory, but it denotes loss of wisdom learnt and practiced all these years, which is lost due to delusion of mind caused due to anger.

When this happens then one perishes, with his spiritual opportunity being drowned again and again in samsara the endless cycle of birth and death in the material existence.

So, here perishing is not to be taken in literal sense that one dies, but the perishing is the losing of one's opportunity to go beyond the cycle of birth/death, i.e. Samsara!!!

How then a Stitaprajna exists, in contrast to the existence of a normal jiva explained in this verse?

Let us see in the next verse...

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 31

Verse 58

Yadaa samharate chaayam

Kurmo’ngaaneeva sarvashah;

Indriyaaneendriyaarthebhyas

Tasya prajnaa pratishthitaa.

When, like the tortoise which withdraws its limbs on all sides, he withdraws his senses from the sense-objects, then his wisdom becomes steady.

Whenever a tortoise senses danger, he withdraws his limbs into his shell. The shell is strong enough to withstand any adverse situation. And once that situation passes, he brings his limbs back into the world. 

Similarly, if we detect that an object, person or situation is about to disturb our equanimity, Sri Krishna advises us to bring our intellect into the picture, and completely withdraw our attention from that object, person or situation.

In one commentary on this topic, we learn that most animals have one sense organ as their weakness. The deer has sound, the elephant has touch, the moth has sight (fire), the fish has taste, and the bee has smell as its weakness. So, for example, if a moth sees fire, it loses all control and flies straight into the fire. 

However, human beings have all five senses as their weakness, making this technique all the more important.

Swami Rama says, 

“Very often, the senses create a serious disturbance, for it is their inherent nature to jump from one object to another, compelled by the charms and temptations of the external world. The mind is disturbed and dissipated by such input and is unable to conceive of things as they are.

Furthermore, the perceived objects are a source of distraction and dissipation; they create serious obstacles and obstructions for the sadhaka in his attempts to fathom higher levels of consciousness.

Therefore, it is important to withdraw one’s senses from the world of objects. This is not withdrawal from the world or from one’s duties. It is learning to gather one’s scattered energy. Withdrawal of the senses is an essential part of sadhana.

There is a systematic method that one can apply to purify the mind so that there is clarity in his knowing.

One can focus the mind on one single object – it can be concrete or abstract, large or small – so that the mind withdraws itself from the senses. When the mind is voluntarily isolated and under perfect control, it attains one-pointedness. And if that one-pointedness is turned inward, it becomes a useful means on one’s inward journey to another way of knowing.

The human being is a miniature world, so by turning inward and examining himself, one can examine the nature of the universe. The natural tendency of the senses is to lead the mind to the objects of the world. 

The method that we are explaining is a very beneficial and useful voluntary effort that enables one to see, examine, and verify the nature of the objects of the world.

And at the same time it makes one realize that the objects of the world do not hold any quality to charm and tempt the mind, for temptations and charms are created by the false input of the limited senses.”

Dear All,

Is it not exactly what we learnt in the Sadan talk while dealing with single pointed devotion??

1.    The whole world of objects are there before our eyes (senses) and also Krishna/ Sai is there.

2.  Both are objects in the initial stage in spiritual sadhana

3.  We have to turn away from all other objects on the world and focus exclusively on one Object- Krishna

4.  It is only possible with such a single pointed focus on Krishna that it as though all the world with its objects have come and merged into Krishna and have lost their identity.

We went further on this process which the author leaves to the readers, especially who attended the entire series of talk, to refresh their contemplation on the subsequent process in this Sadhaka- Krishna process!!!

Swami Chinmayananda says, 

“This capacity in an individual to withdraw his senses at will from the fields-of-objects is called in Yoga Shastra as Pratyahara, which the Yogin accomplishes through the control-of-breath (Pranayama). To a devotee this comes naturally, because he has eyes and ears only for the form and stories of his beloved Lord. 

To a Vedantin, again, this (Uparati) comes from his well-developed and sharpened discriminative faculty, with which his intellect makes his mind understand the futility, of licking the crumbs of joy and happiness in the wayside ditches of sensuousness, while he, in his Real Nature, is the Lord of the very store of Bliss Infinite.”

The best thing to be noted in this tortoise example is that, when danger comes to the tortoise, it does not think, it does not plan, it does not deliberate, the withdrawal of its legs to the protective shell JUST HAPPENS.

Similarly for a sadhaka, when the world with its noise and glittering temptation knocks his door, the withdrawal of his senses should happen automatically and that is why, further to the "uparati" that Chinmaya has mentioned in the above para on, in Vedanta path, the attainment of “UPARATI”, along with its other 5 virtues (sama, dama, titiksha, shraddha, samadhana) , with its preceding 2 qualifications - Viveka and Vairagya, culminating into the 4^th qualification - mumukshatva ARE PRE-REQUISITE for any spiritual aspirant even before he approaches a realized master and surrenders himself to that Master and requests the Master to teach him Brahma vidya.

These 6 virtuous qualities have been discussed in detail in the blog posts on the theme Introduction to Vedas and Vedanta. Here are the links to those posts for your reference:

Post 24

Post 25

Post 26

Post 27

Post 28

Post 29

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 30

Verse 57

Yah sarvatraanabhisnehas tattat

Praapya shubhaashubham;

Naabhinandati na dweshti

Tasya prajnaa pratishthitaa.

He who is everywhere without attachment,
on meeting with anything good or bad,
who neither rejoices nor hates,
his wisdom is fixed.

This shloka uses an interesting word “anabhisneha”, which means without affection. The root of this word is “sniha” which means “to stick”. 

Most of us tend to get stuck to objects, people and situations that we encounter in our lives. And it is that stickiness which gets us into trouble.

Lord Krishna explains here that one devoid of attachment to everything, when exposed to that which is good does not rejoice, neither does such a one lament when exposed to that which is not good.

If one remains unattached and works towards a goal, he gains the objectivity to remain the same whether he succeeds or fails in accomplishing that goal. 

When exposed to sources of pleasure, such a one does not rejoice at receiving these things nor give praise to those who have bequeathed these things. 

Similarly, when exposed to sources of unpleasantness, such a one does not show disdain and is indifferent to statements made by people to criticize him such as being called a pseudo yogi or a hypocrite. 

Thus, the essence is such a one uses his words sparsely, praises no one and blames no one and because he possesses neither love nor hatred for any living being benefits all. Such a one is situated in transcendent consciousness.

He knows that he was there before that success or failure happened, he was there during it, and he will be there after it as well. Therefore, whatever happened can be easily dealt with. In no way does he let any adverse outcome demotivate him.

(The above expression, if understood at the highest level, would mean - "He as SELF, exists before anything happened, before even this creation happened (emerged) and will remain even after everything gets over (even the creation ends). A stitaprajna exists thus, rooted in his super conscious state!!).

Sankara describes the state of such a man of wisdom in Viveka Chudamani thus:

“He who, through desire for liberation, has attained perfect freedom from desires is able to abide in the Self and get rid of all attachments, inner as well as outer, and he alone achieves inner and outer renunciation. 

Moreover, it is only he who is without desires, who has perfect non-attachment and so obtains samadhi and through samadhi the certainty that he has won to tattva jnana, which brings liberation.

He who has attained liberation has attained Eternal bliss. Therefore complete non attachment is the only path for him who aspires to the bliss of union with the bride of liberation”.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 29

Verse 56

Duhkheshwanudwignamanaah

Sukheshu vigatasprihah;

Veetaraagabhayakrodhah

Sthitadheer munir uchyate.

He whose mind is not shaken by adversity, who does not hanker after pleasures, and who is free from attachment, fear and anger, is called a sage of steady wisdom.

In this verse, Sri Krishna describes sages of steady wisdom as: 

1) Those who have given up craving for pleasure, 

2) Those who remain free from fear, 

3) Those who are devoid of anger.

When the mind craves external pleasures, it runs to the objects of enjoyment, and is again diverted from divine contemplation. So, a sage of steady wisdom is one who does not allow the mind to hanker for pleasure or lament for miseries.

Further, such a sage does not permit the mind to succumb to the urges of fear and anger. In this way, the mind becomes situated on the transcendental level.

Fear is worrying for prospective sorrow which may be caused by bereavement of what is cherished and the projection of the coming of unwanted things. One must learn to be free from this. 

Anger is that disturbed state of mind and irritated feelings produced of pain from others causing separation from what is cherished or giving the experience of things not cherished. One must learn to be free from this. 

As the Stitaprajna was described in a verse earlier, here too Krishna uses only one verse to describe the Stita-Dhi in this verse (sthitadheer munir uchyate). 

Dhi denotes intelligence, buddhi. Intelligence is always given to knowing or understanding. Buddhi can remain active with its role even when one remains bodily active. 

When buddhi acquires its spiritual steadiness and composure, one becomes a sthita-dhi.

Krishna makes this point very clear in the first half of the verse: the sthita-dhi will remain unruffled in duhkhas (miseries) and un-yearning in sukhas.

It is not that he has no duhkha. The duhkha-producing events or involvements will be there, no doubt, as they are unavoidable whenever senses come in contact with their objects.

But these duhkha producing events and situations will not be able to ruffle his mind and dislodge him from his deeper moorings bestowed by sthita-prajnata. 

Likewise, in sukha, the sukha-producing events and episodes, his mind will not have any sense of yearning or hankering. He will not long for any sukha or sukha-producing events or situations. 

Whatever yearning was there would have left because of the sthita-prajnata. 

Sthitaprajnata acts like fire in burning the dry leaves of desires and lingering.

Both sukha and duhkha steep the sthita-dhi in the unchanging and ever-full Consciousness. 

Thus, Arjuna’s question “What will the sthita-dhi speak” has a conclusive answer in Krishna’s words. In the Knower, the Knowledge will remain pronounced. 

Thus, the sthita-dhi will always highlight the sthita-prajna state and how it changes one’s perception and interactional attitude and response so thoroughly.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 28

Dear All,

From now on, Arjuna becomes curious to know what sort of a person the Self-realized soul is. Krishna satisfied Arjuna’s curiosity in the upcoming verses and in the process, introduces an important expression namely STITHAPRAJNA.

Stithaprajna is described as a person with a steady mind. But when that state is experienced, then actually, the mind is transcended, so, it is not about a person who just has a steadfast mind but taking the clue from the Upanishad declaration “Prajnanam Brahma”, Stithaprajna is to be expressed as the one who is Rooted (stitha), is Consciousness (Prajna).

Verse 54

Arjuna Uvaacha:

Sthitaprajnasya kaa bhaashaa

Samaadhisthasya keshava;

Sthitadheeh kim prabhaasheta

Kimaaseeta vrajeta kim.

Arjuna said (asked):

What, O Krishna, is the description of him who has steady wisdom and is merged in the Superconscious State? How does one of steady wisdom speak? How does he sit? How does he walk?

The style of the scriptures is such that when they refer to one organ, they include all of them collectively. So, the question is how do the organs of action function. 

A realized Person is one who has reached the state of Infinity and yet is living in the world. How does the Infinite express itself in the finite? 

  

Sthita means steady, prajna means one of wisdom. 

Kaa bhaasha means what is his nature, his description. 

Prabhaasheta means how does he speak. Speech is one of the five organs of action. So, the question is How he acts when He is in the world?

Kimaaseeta means how does he sit? When you sit, you are with yourself, not contacting the world. So, the question is about his inner nature. 

And the last, ‘vrajeta kim’, how does he walk? When you walk you interact with the world. So how does such a person meet the external world?

Hence it is a complete question – a word painting of a person of Excellence, where, the painting is veiled and is to be unveiled by the Lord through His answer to the above question in the next few verses.

Verse 55

Sri Bhagawan Uvaacha:

Prajahaati yadaa kaamaan

Sarvaan paartha manogataan;

Aatmanyevaatmanaa tushtah Sthitaprajnastadochyate.

The Blessed Lord said:

When a man completely casts off, O Arjuna, all the desires of the mind and is satisfied in the Self by the Self, then is he said to be one of steady wisdom.

Lord Krishna explains that such a being (Stithaprajna) is immersed in the soul and is completely satisfied by the soul. 

The stability of one’s mind can be known when one becomes pleased and satisfied by the resultant purity of the mind after completely abandoning all desires and lust. 

Swami says,

“The Stithaprajna will be free from all desire and ever engaged in the contemplation of the Atma.  

To give up the promptings of the desire in the mind is a negative process. The negative process is to remove the seedlings of wrong and evil from the mind. 

But here, the positive process to grow the crop of attachment to God (SELF) in the field cleansed thus is portrayed”.

(Extract from the book - Message of the Lord)

The Garuḍa Purāṇa states:

Chakradharo ’pi suratvaṁ

Suratvalābhe sakalasurapatitvam

Bhavtirum surapatirūrdhvagatitvaṁ

Tathāpi nanivartate tṛiṣhṇā 

(2.12.14) [v47]

“A king wishes to be the emperor of the whole world; the emperor aspires to be a celestial god; a celestial god seeks to be Indra, the king of heaven; and Indra desires to be Brahma, the secondary creator. Yet the thirst for material enjoyment does not get satiated.”

But when one learns to turn the mind away from material allurements and renounces the desires of the senses, such a person comes in touch with the inner bliss of the soul and becomes transcendentally situated. 

The Kaṭhopaniṣhad goes to the extent of saying that one who has renounced desires becomes like God:

yadā sarve pramuchyante

kāmā ye ’sya hṛidi śhritaḥ

atha martyo ’mṛito

bhavatyatra brahma samaśhnute

(2.3.14)[v48]

“When one eliminates all selfish desires from the heart, then the materially fettered jīvātmā (soul) attains freedom from birth and death, and becomes God like in virtue.” 

Sri Krishna states in the above verse that a transcendentally situated person is one who has given up selfish desires and cravings of the senses and is satisfied in the self.

The above Kathopanishad verse says, "....... He attains freedom from birth and death".

For attaining this freedom, one need not have to die physically. The freedom is not physical freedom from anything but the eternal freedom from one's identity with one's BMI equipment. So, a Stithaprajna does not have / own a body at all. Then who is there in Him, to think about the birth or death of his body, which is not his own any more. 

If one has a glimpse of this freedom for a fraction of a minute in his nidhidhysana, then, he can never (mentally) return to this world of bondage, world of noise, world of Ego!!!!

Contemplate...

Love.