Bhagwad Gita - Post 42

Verse 9

Yajnaarthaat karmano’nyatra

loko’yam karmabandhanah;

Tadartham karma kaunteya

muktasangah samaachara.

The world is bound by actions other than those performed for the sake of sacrifice; do thou, therefore, O son of Kunti, perform action for that sake (for sacrifice) alone, free from attachment.

The statements of living entities being bound to material nature by their actions refers to actions which are contrary to divinity and righteousness as delineated in Vedic scriptures.

Lord Krishna uses the word sanga which means attachment which will be there when the action is undertaken for self-service but as an offering to the Supreme Lord one is free from such ulterior motivations. 

Everyone in the world is locked and bound to the material existence by actions. The renunciates state that since all actions lead to bondage they should not be performed.  

But refuting this Lord Krishna states “yagna-arthaat”, sacrifices done for the Supreme Lord without expectation of reward are exempt from bondage.

How does one undertake this sacrifice? This is where YAGNA enters into the picture.  

Swami has mentioned about five kinds of Yagnas.

1)                Rishi Yagna - Related to devoted study of scriptures

2)               Pitru Yagna - Related to adoration of Parents

3)               Deva Yagna - Reverential homage to God.

4)               Athithi Yagna - Adoration of Guests

5)       Bhuta Yagna  - Unselfish acts done while dealing with trees, plants, animals etc….

We can observe that in each of the above Yagnas, the spirit required is SELF LESS ness. 

Swami says, “Karma is a yoga, action dedicated to God become qualified to be called a sacrifice or Yagna. Thus, it is appropriate to replace “Yagna” with this understanding with “offering”.

Thus, performing actions for the sake of sacrifice means, performing each and every action as an offering to the supreme lord, Brahman where, the one who is offering, the one for whom it is being offered – all are but Brahman. 

All activities when done as an offering to the Supreme Lord without  anticipating any reward become consecrated through yagna or acts of worship done for the pleasure of atma-purusha, the Supreme Lord internally within the heart and externally pervading all existence. 

Continued...

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 41

Verse 3

Sri Bhagawan Uvaacha:

Lokesmin dwividhaa nishthaa

puraa proktaa mayaanagha;

Jnaana yogena saankhyaanaam

karmayogena yoginaam.

The Blessed Lord said:

In this world there is a twofold path, as I said before, O sinless one, the path of knowledge of the Sankhyas and the path of action of the Yogis!

Sankhya (Path of Knowledge) and Yoga (Path of action, as per this chapter) are something like the two wings of a bird, or like the two legs with which we walk, or the two hands with which we grab and hold.  

They are complimentary; and one being rooted in the other, or one being necessary for the other, does not imply any difference in the structure of Sankhya and yoga; it means that they are inseparable elements in the total perspective of life.

One cannot have merely an understanding of Sankhya in a theoretical sense minus involvement in the work of prakriti, or action; nor is it possible to be engaged only in action without its being rooted in the knowledge of Sankhya. 

If there is only an emphasis on Sankhya or only an emphasis on yoga, it is a one-sided emphasis in which knowledge remains a theory and action becomes blind. Unintelligent movement cannot be regarded as yoga. Yoga is an intelligently directed movement in a given fashion, with perfect understanding of Sankhya.

Verse 4

Na karmanaam anaarambhaan

Naishkarmyam purusho’shnute;

Na cha sannyasanaad

Eva siddhim samadhigacchati.

Not by the non-performance of actions does man reach action less ness, nor by mere renunciation does he attain to perfection.

In the first line, Sri Krishna says that mere abstinence from work does not result in a state of freedom from karmic reactions. The mind continues to engage in fruitive thoughts, and since mental work is also a form of karma, it binds one in karmic reactions, just as physical work does. A true karma yogi must learn to work without any attachment to the fruits of actions. This requires cultivation of knowledge in the intellect. Hence, philosophic knowledge is also necessary for success in karma yoga.

In the second line, Sri Krishna declares that the sānkhya yogi cannot attain the state of knowledge merely by renouncing the world and becoming a monk. One may give up the physical objects of the senses, but true knowledge cannot awaken as long as the mind remains impure. 

Author often quotes in spiritual sessions about a sanyasi may leave everything and settle in Himalayas, fascinated by the story of Swami Rama and so many other saints who have lived in Himalayas as realized yogis. What happens if he wants that morning filter coffee when he gets up from the cave he stays in the Himalayas? There may be no possibility of getting a coffee in a distance of 50 Km from his cave residence. All his tapas, his meditation will lose their impact as mind is now filled with desire for coffee and pain on not getting that coffee. 

Thus, realized knowledge will not appear in an impure heart by mere physical renunciation. It must be accompanied by congruent action that purifies the mind and intellect. Therefore, action is also necessary for success in sānkhya yoga.

Yoga does not mean merely performance of action in a blind manner without understanding the rationale behind it. Reason is the philosophical aspect of action, and action is the implementation of reason. Both have to go together as complimentary aspects of a daily routine of our existence. 

Human individuals alone are capable of practicing yoga. Sub-human species cannot understand Sankhya or yoga because there is a peculiar privilege, as it were, that is bestowed upon the human individual—namely, the worth of reason.

There is a kind of mind instinctively operating in the lower animals also, but logic or reason is available only in the human being. That is, human reason can draw conclusions from existing premises, but animals, which are instinctive, cannot draw such conclusions. 

The pathway to reducing desire is the Path of Action. Just as you need a thorn to remove another thorn embedded in your foot, you need to deploy action to free yourself of action. Remove action from its very root. Symptomatic relief does not cure a disease.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 40

Dear All,

The Second Chapter is pre-eminently important because the whole of the teaching is on Sankhya and yoga, whose basic principles have been explained during the past few days. 

It is a complete teaching on the highest way of spiritual living, wherein there is a rapprochement of the world, God, and the individual at the same time. 

It is a rooting of one’s consciousness in the total envisagement of values. “Therefore, O Arjuna, this knowledge that has been communicated to you up to this time is enough for you to get established in that Brahman. 

Once you are established in this, you will never have any mental confusion afterwards. Everything will be perspicacious; everything will be clear. You will see all things as if in a mirror.” 

Verse 1 and 2 

Arjuna Uvaacha:

Jyaayasee chet karmanaste

mataa buddhir janaardana;

Tat kim karmani ghore

maam niyojayasi keshava.

Arjuna said:

If it be thought by Thee that knowledge is superior to action, O Krishna, why then, O Kesava, dost Thou ask me to engage in this terrible action?

Vyaamishreneva vaakyena

buddhim mohayaseeva me;

Tadekam vada nishchitya

yena shreyo’ham aapnuyaam.

With these apparently perplexing words Thou confusest, as it were, my understanding; therefore, tell me that one way for certain by which I may attain bliss.

So, Arjuna is asking the Lord, “Sometimes You say Sankhya, sometimes You say yoga, sometimes You say, ‘do this’, sometimes You say, ‘do that’; You are confusing my mind.” 

Lord Krishna states in chapter two, verse 31 that - There is no greater good fortune for a kshatriya warrior than to engage in a war for righteousness. So, the superiority of actions has also being praised by Him. 

Due to the praising of both jnana yoga and karma yoga in a seemingly equal manner some conflict arises in Arjuna's mind and he became confused. 

But still he is clear enough to understand that the Lord being compassionate is never really perplexing to His devotees; but it may appear so because of a lack of clarity.

So Arjuna can perceive he is being seemingly bewildered and this is the underlying meaning of the verse. 

Actually, there was no confusion in what Sri Krishna said, but it had not entered the mind of Arjuna—as perhaps it has not entered the minds of many of us also. It cannot be remembered always. 

Now Sri Krishna takes up the question of the relation between Sankhya and yoga, about which enough has been said in the Second Chapter. 

After having heard all this, a question that usually arises in the minds of common people also arose in the mind of Arjuna. 

It has been mentioned again and again that all our activities have to be based on the knowledge of the Sankhya. 

But are they two different paths, or are they internally related to each other?

Lord Krishna takes over and explains in the next upcoming verses, to clear the doubt expressed in the above question.

Love.