Bhagwad Gita - Post 81

Verse 41

Praapya punyakritaam lokaan

Ushitwaa shaashwateeh samaah;

Shucheenaam shreemataam gehe

Yogabhrashto’bhijaayate.

Having attained to the worlds of the righteous and, having dwelt there for everlasting years, he who fell from Yoga is reborn in the house of the pure and wealthy.

Verse 42

Athavaa yoginaameva

Kule bhavati dheemataam;

Etaddhi durlabhataram

Loke janma yadeedrisham.

Or he is born in a family of even the wise Yogis; verily a birth like this is very difficult to obtain in this world.

Dear All,

With the understanding of the above 2 verses, let us get deeper into the next verse.

Verse 43

Tatra tam buddhisamyogam

Labhate paurvadehikam;

Yatate cha tato bhooyah

Samsiddhau kurunandana.

There he comes in touch with the knowledge acquired in his former body and strives more than before for perfection, O Arjuna!

God, who is seated within the heart of every living being, is perfectly just. Whatever spiritual assets we had accumulated in the past life — detachment, wisdom, devotion, faith, tolerance, determination, etc. — are known to him. 

So, at the appropriate time, he gives us the fruits of our past efforts and enhances our spirituality from within, in accordance with our previous attainments. 

This explains why some people harboring materialistic views suddenly become deeply spiritual. When their spiritual sanskaras awaken, they get the benefit of their sadhanā of previous lives.

A traveler may break journey to rest the night in a hermitage / rest house. But when he wakes up, he does not need to again tread the distance already covered. He simply moves ahead to cover the remaining distance. 

Likewise, by God’s grace, the yogi of past lives receives the previous spiritual assets accumulated, to be able to continue the journey where he had left off, like someone who has woken up from sleep. That is why such a yogi never gets lost.

This does not apply only in rebirth. Even in this lifetime, one can get second wind. If one invests all  thoughts in the spiritual field, his environment changes and life becomes easy.  

This truth is validated 100% in this very life of the Author who, having spent desire filled life up to 40+ years in this very birth, was awakened by the Lord with one glance which came as second wind, uprooting  all his  left over desires, all his left over ego from their  very roots.  

Bhagwad Gita thus revitalizes spiritual aspirant with enthusiasm, clarity and cheer. Then the sadhaka is  able to focus all  his energies on marching  towards Self-realization.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 80

Verse 40

Sri Bhagawan Uvaacha:

Paartha naiveha  naamutra

Vinaashas tasya vidyate;

Nahi kalyaanakrit kashchid

Durgatim taata gacchati.

The Blessed Lord said:

O Arjuna, neither in this world, nor in the next world is there destruction for him; none, verily, who does good, O My dear one, ever comes to grief.

Sri Chinmaya’s words of pure wisdom comes handy to explain this verse.

“At the very opening of this section, Krishna assures, with all emphasis at His command - "Neither here nor in the hereafter, is there any destruction for him, who performs right action."

The present is the product of the past, and thought by thought, action by action, knowledge by knowledge, we are creating for ourselves in the present the blue-print of our future.

Therefore, the Hindus believe in previous lives as well as in future births for all embodied souls; this is otherwise called the theory of re-incarnation. Based upon this principle, Krishna insists that no seeker is ever lost, although he may slip and fall, or even end his present manifestation; tomorrow is but today modified, but directly continued.

In addressing Arjuna as "O MY SON," Krishna has here not only followed the traditional practice of the Upanishads, but there is also a deeper significance.

However deceitful, cunning and cruel a brute one might be to everyone else in the world, one cannot ever come to advise a false philosophy to his own son. With fatherly love, Krishna is assuring Arjuna that one who is striving in the direction of evolution shall never come to suffer any real  fall. On the ladder of cultural growth, each step that is placed forward is an ascent towards the Absolute Perfection.”

Dear All,

We have to carefully parse the meaning of Shri Krishna’s words. He is in no way implying that the meditator will somehow attain material success due to his meditation. The common standard for attaining success in our world is wealth, power and fame, none of which is guaranteed as a result of meditation. 

Sri Krishna wants us to understand is that one who takes up meditation sincerely will automatically develop dispassion towards wealth, power and fame. He will not care whether he attains material success or not. So therefore, a lack of material success will not cause him distress.

 

But that does not mean that the meditator obtains a pitiable state either. In fact, by sincerely practicing mediation, the seeker will be in tune and in harmony with the world. 

Remember Sai's words of assurance - "If your thoughts / intentions are pure and noble, then Anugraha will pour in from all Navagrahas".

In essence, yoga of meditation is aligned with the good karmas done with Shraddha by the aspirant, in this verse.

Thus, though, in the present birth, he may not attain liberation, still, his faith and his sadhana , his quietened / equipoised / tranquil / steady mind  is sure to make him engaged in  good karmas  in the present birth and the result of such good karmas may not  lead him to distress in the future birth(s) as well.

And, still, due to accumulation of some past karmas, even  if some misery strikes such a sincere aspirant, as mentioned above, "He will not care whether he attains material success or not. So therefore, a lack of material success or at worst, even utter failures in life (to clear the prarabdha of past lives)  will not cause him distress."

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 79

Verse 37

Arjuna Uvaacha:

Ayatih shraddhayopeto

Yogaacchalitamaanasah;

Apraapya yogasamsiddhim

Kaam gatim krishna gacchati.

Arjuna said:

He who is unable to control himself though he has the faith, and whose mind wanders away from Yoga, what end does he meet, having failed to attain perfection in Yoga, O Krishna?

The journey toward God-realization begins with Shraddha (faith). Many sincere souls develop faith in the divine knowledge of the scriptures by virtue of the sanskara of their past lives, or the association of saints, or reversals in the world, etc. 

There can be many reasons that create the Shraddha required to begin the journey. However, if these aspirants do not put in the necessary effort and become ayatiḥ (lax), then the mind remains chalita (restless). 

Such aspirants are unable to complete the journey in this life. Arjuna enquires into the fate of such sadhakas.

Verse 38

Kacchinnobhayavibhrashtash

Cchinnaabhramiva nashyati;

Apratishtho mahaabaaho

Vimoodho brahmanah pathi.

Fallen from both, does he not perish like a rent cloud, support less, O mighty-armed (Krishna), deluded on the path of Brahman?

  

 Chinmaya writes, 

"In summer, mushroom-shaped floating castles of clouds arise from behind the mountains to peep into the valleys below. At the touch of some strong current of wind the mass takes to flight, leaving along its trail, small bits of fleecy cloudlets. Those little ones, torn away from the parental bulk, get knocked about and are at the mercy of every puff of breeze. 

Such summer cloudlets, aimlessly kicked about according to the whims and fancies of the winds, can never fulfil the expectations of the farmers, or the clamor of the thirsty. Unfulfilling themselves, they get tossed hither and thither without any haven for themselves. "LIKE THE RENT CLOUD," Arjuna asks, "will not the aspiring self in the seeker be forced to roam about and ultimately get lost in the vast theatre of the Universe?"

Dear All, 

Firstly, an aspirant having exclusively offered all activities unto the Supreme Lord without having performed any activities for attaining the heavenly spheres does not arrive there. 

Secondly failing to obtain success in yoga or the science of the individual consciousness attaining communion with the ultimate consciousness by dhyana or meditation one does not attain moksha or liberation from the material existence either. 

Thus, not qualified for both and deluded on the path leading to the Brahman or the spiritual substratum pervading all existence and atma tattva or realization of the soul. 

Arjuna here represents the world of Spiritual aspirants in all times, past and present, when he asks this question to Sri Krishna, 

Does such a one perish or does such a one escape death? 

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 78

Verse 32

Ᾱtmaupamyena sarvatra samaṁ

Paśyati yo’rjuna,

Sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ

Sa yogī paramo mataḥ:

“Hey Arjuna!

He who beholds all things as he beholds himself…”

We love all things as we love ourselves. Even the trees and the stones will respond to our call. There are no non-living or dead elements in this world. The various levels of creation such as matter, vegetable, plant, animal, human, etc., are only various stages of the expression of consciousness, but no level is totally without consciousness.

It is present even in a stone. If that were not the case, there would be no possibility of evolution. In as much as we are able to locate our Self as the deepest reality of all things, we will be able to locate the same reality even in a stone. 

Everything in the world will shine like the light of the sun, and sparks of flame, as it were, will be seen jetting forth from every atom in the cosmos. If we see solar light emerging from every atom and every electron, only then does it become possible for us to consider outside things as beloved, as valuable as our own self.

Sukhaṁ vā yadi vā duḥkhaṁ

Sa yogī paramo mataḥ:

“Whether he is in a happy state or in an unhappy state, that great yogi is lodged in Me.”

This is a great promise, as it were, that the Lord has bequeathed to us in these four verses which tell us how great God is, how compassionate God can be, how near God is to us, and how easy it is to contact Him. All these aspects of our relationship with God are brought out in these four verses, which we should recite. They can be recited in any language.

A doubt arises in the mind. “Well, all this is very well. I practice yoga, and I am struggling to achieve perfection in this life itself. But suppose, in spite of my ardent struggle and striving, I do not attain the goal before the discarding of this body? 

Then all the effort in the direction of God-realization by way of yoga will also be destroyed. Years of practice will become futile. 

To this, a great consoling reply comes from the great Lord. There is no perishing of effort. The body may be discarded, but the force that is generated by our concentration, by our practice of yoga, will come with us because in death the body perishes but the mind / the effect of our actions/ sadhana,  does not perish. 

Since all effort in yoga is a mental effort, a conscious operation, our yoga practice will not be futile or a waste because the mind will take with it all its assets in the form of the great work that it has done in meditation. The power of meditation which is impregnated into the very structure of the mind will be carried with it even if we take another birth. So, we should not be afraid that if we die in the midst of the practice of yoga there will be a loss of effort. No such thing will take place. 

Because of the power of our practice, we may be born in a highly conducive atmosphere in which there is no kind of disturbance to us. Now we have a lot of disturbances—political disturbance, social disturbance, personal disturbance, communal disturbance, and all kinds of things. Due to difficulties of this kind, we cannot easily practice yoga in this world. No such difficulty will be there afterwards. 

All factors will be conducive to our practice. We will be born into such a noble family, into a royal family, as it were, due to the great practice that we have carried on in this present life. Or we may even become the son or daughter of a great yogi such as Vasishtha or Vyasa. Then what else would we require? Such blessedness is difficult to attain, but it is possible to attain it. 

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 77

Verse 30

Yo maam pashyati sarvatra sarvam

cha mayi pashyati;

Tasyaaham na pranashyaami

sa cha me na pranashyati.

He who sees Me everywhere and sees everything in Me, he does not become separated from Me nor do I become separated from him.

Verse 31

Sarvabhootasthitam yo maam

bhajatyekatwamaasthitah;

Sarvathaa vartamaano’pi 

sa yogee mayi vartate.

He who, being established in unity, worships Me who dwells in all beings,—that Yogi abides in Me, whatever may be his mode of living.

Verse 32

Aatmaupamyena sarvatra samam

pashyati yo’rjuna;

Sukham vaa yadi vaa duhkham sa 

yogee paramo matah.

He who, through the likeness of the Self, O Arjuna, sees equality everywhere, be it pleasure or pain, he is regarded as the highest Yogi!

Verse 30

Yo māṁ paśyati sarvatra: “He who beholds Me everywhere”; sarvaṁ ca mayi paśyati: “and beholds all things in Myself.” Therefore, “He who beholds Me in all things sees My presence in everything, and also sees all things located in Me.” 

I shall not lose him, and he shall not lose Me.” God will not desert us. We will never be disconnected from God. All things shall be provided to us by this Great Being, provided that we are able to convince ourselves in the heart of our hearts that all things are located in the Absolute and the Absolute is located in all things. 

We are dear to God and God is dear to us in such an intensive manner that we are perpetually inseparable. That state of life is the attainment of great godliness .

In the blog post as well as in a talk several years before in Sai centre, the author has dealt with Loving God outside , Loving God within and then Loving all ( which has to culminate into serve all)

The essence of that talk is given below, which echoes the same essence as this verse.

Once and Only when we have  realized God within the cave of our heart, then seeing the same essence in all, in everything happens on its own. We cannot possibly see each and every one as a form of God, whichever form it may be. 

Either we realize God as LOVE in the path of Bhakti or as SELF in the path of wisdom. It is only then, that we verily exist as LOVE/ SELF and each being, each object, everything outside us come, touch us and take the essence of LOVE/ SELF that we are, with them and return happily.

Verse 31

Sarvabhūtasthitaṁ yo māṁ bhajatyekatvam āsthitaḥ: “One who adores Me as residing in all things, as the Atman, or the Self, or the essence of all things; one who worships Me in this way—locating Me everywhere, worshipping Me in all things, beholding Me in every little form and name—whoever does this is able to achieve this great unity with Me.” 

Ekatvam āsthitaḥ means he who has attained to a unity of perception in the midst of the diversity of things. Whatever be the mode of that person’s life, that person is one with God.

Sarvathā vartamānopi sa yogī mayi vartate: Such a person, irrespective of his occupations, location and circumstances, is rooted in God because of the great concentration that he has practiced on the deepest Self in him as the Self of all beings.

This again is echoed in the easence of the talk, quoted in the  earlier verse. 

Continued...

Love

Bhagwad Gita - Post 76

Dear All,

From verse 10 onwards, few verses go on to prescribe the posture, the method, the seating etc.,  for meditation. Readers are advised to go through the verses with the literal translation for these verses.

And then, Sri Krishna goes on to describe the state of the one who has succeeded in the process of meditation in these verses.

Verse 19

Yathaa deepo nivaatastho 

Nengate sopamaa smritaa;

Yogino yatachittasya 

Yunjato yogamaatmanah.

As a lamp placed in a windless spot does not flicker—to such is compared the Yogi of controlled mind, practising Yoga in the Self (or absorbed in the Yoga of the Self).

Verse 20

Yatroparamate chittam 

Niruddham yogasevayaa;

Yatra chaivaatmanaa’tmaanam 

Pashyannaatmani tushyati.

When the mind, restrained by the practice of Yoga, attains to quietude, and when, seeing the Self by the Self, he is satisfied in his own Self.

Verse 21

Sukhamaatyantikam yattad

Buddhi graahyamateendriyam;

Vetti yatra na chaivaayam

Sthitashchalati tattwatah.

When he (the Yogi) feels that infinite bliss which can be grasped by the (pure) intellect and which transcends the senses, and, established wherein he never moves from the Reality,

Verse 22

Yam labdhwaa chaaparam

Laabham manyate naadhikam tatah;

Yasmin sthito na duhkhena

Gurunaapi vichaalyate.

Which, having obtained, he thinks there is no other gain superior to it; wherein established, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow.

These are some illustrations of the condition of intense concentration of the mind. It flickers not. The mind is not any more distracted, because the steadiness of the Atman is reflected here in this highly concentrated mind. Joy manifests itself from within. The mind ceases. 

We will contemplate on the above verses together in today’s post.

Verse 19

As a flame, say a candle flame, flickers not when it is burning in a windless place, so will be the mind concentrating, as it were, at the height of absorption in the Atman. Yathā dīpo nivātasthaḥ: That which is located in a windless place. Neṅgate: Does not flicker. Sopamā smṛtā: That is the illustration that is used here. Yuñjato yogam ātmanaḥ: The Atman reflects itself as an immense steadiness in the mind that is concentrating. The fickleness of the mind, which is otherwise a form of distraction, ceases on account of the entire Atman reflecting itself in this condition of intense concentration.

Verse 20

Uparamate cittaṁ: It melts into the Self, as it were. Niruddhaṁ yogasevayā: Because of the restraint continually exercised on the mind, it melts into the Atman itself. Yatra caivātmanātmānaṁ paśyannātmani tuṣyati: Where beholding the Self in the self, one delights within oneself. There is no delight that is equal to this delight.

Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad: This happiness is absolute happiness. It is not a relative happiness that we gain by the contact of the mind with the objects of desire, because when the object of desire vanishes there is no happiness and, therefore, it is not actual happiness. It is a relatively tantalizing form of joy.

Buddhigrāhyam: This happiness can be experienced only by the higher purified reason, and not by the sense organs. The higher purified reason can reflect the highest reality within itself in the same way as it can infer the existence of God Almighty, though usually such a perception is not possible through the sense organs. 

We will not be able to arrive at God by an inductive logic of collecting particulars to arrive at generals. Any extent  of particulars that we collect in this world will not make God. Therefore, inductive logic does not help us here. The ancient masters took resort to an intuitive perception by which they started with the Universal first, and not with the particular first.

The existence of the Universal Reality is established by pure logic, and once this is established as the consequence of the work of the higher reason, everything follows. All creation can be explained in terms of this Universal Reality. It is infinite happiness. All other happiness in this world is relative. 

Verse 21

Sukham ātyantikaṁ yat tad buddhigrāhyam atīndriyam, vetti yatra na caivāyaṁ sthitaś calati tattvataḥ: In that state, we will never be shaken even by the winds of the world. 

Verse 22

Yasmin sthito na duḥkhena guruṇāpi vicālyate: Even the heaviest sorrow cannot shake us from that happiness. Even if the earth cracks and the sun does fall  on our head, even if such a thing can be imagined, we will not be shaken at that time, because of our entry into the very substance of all things.

A monk writes, 

“In the material realm, no extent of attainment satiates a person totally. A poor person strives hard to become rich and feels satisfied if he or she is able to become a millionaire. 

But when that same millionaire looks at a billionaire, discontentment sets in again.

The billionaire is also discontented by looking at an even richer person. No matter what happiness we get, when we perceive a higher state of happiness, the feeling of non-fulfillment lingers.

But happiness achieved from the state of Yoga is the infinite bliss of God. Since there is nothing higher than that, on experiencing that infinite bliss, the soul naturally perceives that it has reached its goal.

God’s divine bliss is also eternal, and it can never be snatched away from the yogi who has attained it once. Such a God-realized soul, though residing in the material body, remains in the state of divine consciousness. 

Sometimes, externally, it seems that the Saint is facing tribulations in the form of illness, antagonistic people, and oppressive environment, but internally the Saint retains divine consciousness and continues to relish the bliss of God. 

Thus, even the biggest difficulty cannot shake such a Saint. Established in union with God, the Saint rises above bodily consciousness and is thus not affected by bodily harm.”

Love.