Bhagwad Gita - Post 58

Verse 39

Shraddhaavaan labhate jnaanam

Tatparah samyatendriyah;

Jnaanam labdhvaa paraam

Shaantim achirenaadhigacchati.

The man who is full of faith, who is devoted to it, and who has subdued all the senses, obtains (this) knowledge; and, having obtained the knowledge, he goes at once to the Supreme Peace.

In this verse, Sri Krishna describes the attributes we need to cultivate in order to attain knowledge of self-realization. He points out three attributes: faith, devotion and sense control.

Shraddha

The most important qualification that we should have is shraddha, or faith. 

The word Sraddhavan means a person who has faith. Faith is firmly believing. Believing is something that must have a source from where it believed in.

But what specifically should we have faith in? It is four things: faith in scriptures, in our teacher, in ourselves and in the truth of the eternal essence. 

Furthermore, this faith has to come out of utter conviction that the material world is not the be-all and end-all. 

There is a changeless eternal reality behind this ever-changing material world. Unless we are convinced that there is something beyond the material world, we will never develop true faith.

Faith is beyond fact. Fact is seeing / having evidence about something and believing in the same. Beyond this fact is faith. 

Fact says seeing in believing. Faith is Believing (in truth), pursuing in the same and Seeing (experiencing the truth) ultimately. 

Actually, faith is only a translation to a limited sense for Sraddha.  Sraddha is actually much more than “faith”, which a true disciple can only experience fully.

Devotion

In addition to faith, Shri Krishna mentions two more attributes. First is Tatparah, which is the keen intent and focus of the seeker to do what it takes to pursue the path chosen. 

In areas of ignorance you must surrender. Atman is unknown hence devotion is necessary. Consider the Self as supreme. Whatever you do, anchor one aspect of your mind on God. Then the mind is calm and available for intake of knowledge.

There must also be sincere devotion towards the spiritual master while studying the Vedic scriptures under His tutelage.

Actually total Sraddha translates / culminates into total devotion, which only a true disciple / Bhakta can  know.

Control of Senses

Second attribute required is Samyatindriyah, which is restraint and control over the senses. If sense restraint is absent, then our attention would quickly stray away from the spiritual path into the material world.

A person may acquire knowledge by themselves but here are presented all the qualities that are essential for such a person to succeed.  

But there is more, one must also avoid the association of those who are not following the Vedic injunctions, as association with them may cause one to deviate from the path of knowledge, in spite of having faith and be captivated once again by maya or illusion neglecting to study the Vedic scriptures and omitting to serve the spiritual master. 

So only one who is self-controlled attains spiritual knowledge and acquiring such knowledge one neutralizes all extraneous activities and perceives the Brahman or the spiritual substratum pervading all existence and from there achieves atma tattva or soul realization and from that platform attains moksha or liberation from material existence. 

So, a person of faith must follow the age-old process in the proper sequence to attain the coveted goal.

Now, if we develop these qualities and follow the path of knowledge, then we will know that we have gained knowledge through attainment of everlasting peace. 

As long as the ego is present, it generates noise or chatter in the form of selfish thoughts. 

Knowledge of self-realization annihilates the ego, which eliminates the ego’s noise, giving us everlasting peace.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 57

Yathaidhaamsi samiddho’gnir

Bhasmasaat kurute’rjuna;

Jnaanaagnih sarvakarmaani

Bhasmasaat kurute tathaa.

As the blazing fire reduces fuel to ashes, O Arjuna, so does the fire of knowledge reduce all actions to ashes!

One might wonder that just as crossing the ocean by boat does not destroy the ocean, how is it that the boat of spiritual knowledge can destroy all one's actions / effects or consequences of one’s actions. 

Lord Krishna states here that the boat of spiritual knowledge will destroy all reactions to actions, both those leading to merit and those leading to demerit.

Swami Chinmayananda says,

"Whatever be the quality, shape, condition, color, etc., of the fuel pieces, when all of them are taken to the fire-place and digested by the fire, they become one homogeneous mass of ash! In the samples of ash left in the hearth, we cannot recognize the ash of a particular twig as different from that of another. 

Similarly, all Karmas, it is said, good, bad, or indifferent, get burnt up in the 'Fire of Knowledge' and will become something altogether different from what they were in their cause-and-effect condition. 

Solid fuel having girth, weight, smell, etc., becomes almost weightless, with no specific color except a light-greyness, when it comes to the final state of ash.

Actions leave reactions. The reactions mature at different periods of time depending upon the quality and intensity of the actions. 

From beginning less time, in our different manifestations, we have been, at every moment, acting in our ego-centric vanity and individuality. All those actions must have left their residual impressions and they have to be lived through.

This entire Karma has been scientifically considered as falling under three classifications. They are called "not yet operative" (Sanchita), "operative" (Prarabdha), and "to be operative in future" (Agami). When, in the Geeta, it is said that all Karmas are burnt down, the Lord means the entire Sanchita and Agami."

Sanchita , Prarabdha and Agami karmas have been dealt in great detail in posts under “KARMA” theme.

So, as explained above, sanchita  karmas are burnt / become ineffective like roasted seeds which cannot bear / bring forth plant / tree.

Agami karma in any way will not fetch any fresh karma as such actions are not taken up with the coloring of Ego.  

Still, even a sage has to undergo prarabdha karma, those karmas for which results have already started. 

But in his fire of knowledge, he is aware that the prarabdha karma is being cleared by the jiva in him whereas in reality, he is aware that he is not that Jiva but  the very Atman. 

Hence, those prarabdha karmas do not affect his state of existence.

When Sri Rama Krishna was suffering from acute pain due to cancer, one day, his nephew walks up to thakur and asks, "Master, I see you are having lot of pain, but I am also seeing you in joy".

Thakur smiles and replies, " The rascal you caught me".

He meant, yes, you are knowing that the physical pain is not affecting the eternal state of Joy / Bliss of Ramakrishna.

Love.

PS- Readers are requested to go through the necessary posts under “karma” theme for more clarity on Sanchita, Prarabdha and Agami Karma.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 56

Verse 24

BRAHMAARPANAM BRAHMAHAVIR

BRAHMAAGNAU BRAHMANAA HUTAM;

BRAHMAIVA TENA GANTAVYAM

BRAHMAKARMASAMAADHINAA.

(Brahman is the oblation; Brahman is the melted butter (ghee); Brahman is the oblation poured into the fire of Brahman; Brahman verily shall be reached by him who always sees Brahman in action.)

For this special verse, let us first get the translation word by word.

Brahma	Supreme Spirit. (Brahman)
Arpanam	Offering / oblation
Havih	Ghee
Agnau	In the fire of consummation
Brahmana	By the spirit soul
Ahutam	Offered
Brahma	Brahman (abode / state of Brahman)
Eva	Certainly
Tena	By Him
Gantavyam	To be reached
Brahma	Brahman
Karma	In all activities
Samadhina	By complete absorption

Brahma-arpanam, the ladle is Brahman: The knower of Brahman perceives the instrument with which he offers oblation in the fire as Brahman Itself. He perceives it as not existing separately from the Self, as one sees the non-existence of silver in nacre. 

In this verse, Brahma word is used six times. It is not the Brahma of the trinity Brahma Vishnu Maheswara. Brahma here refers to the supreme principle, pure consciousness, formless, attribute less, which was / is / will be there before creation ever came into existence / during many creations / upon involution or ceasing of creation or what we call as pralaya.

In Upanishad times or when Bhagwad Gita was composed, there was no concept of personal God. 

So, even in all the verses in Gita where Krishna refers Himself as the supreme God, to whom we have to surrender totally etc., Krishna is expressing all that not as a physical God but as the supreme principle / pure consciousness which He  refers himself as.

Now, let us go back to the verse.

Brahma-arpanam, the ladle is Brahman: The knower of Brahman perceives the instrument with which he offers oblation in the fire as Brahman Itself. He perceives it as not existing separately from the Self, as one sees the non-existence of silver in nacre. 

Apparently, the analogy used in this verse is about the Yagna /Homam performed in the ancient days when Fire used to be lit up and sacred offering used to be performed to the Agni / Fire. 

Brahma arpanam - The one to whom we offer, is Brahman. 

Similarly, brahma-havih, the oblation (ghee) is Brahman: What is seen as oblations to Him  is nothing but Brahman. 

In the same way, brahma-agnau, (this is a compound word), the fire into which oblation is hutam, poured by the brahmana, (by Brahman) is Brahman Itself. 

The meaning is that Brahman Itself is the agent (of the offering). The act of offering - that is also Brahman.

And the result that is gantavyam, to be reached by him; that also is brahma eva, surely Brahman. 

Brahma-karma-samadhina, by him who has focus/full concentration   on Brahman as the only objective.

Brahman Itself is the objective (karma); he who has concentration (samadhi) on That is brahma-karma-samdhih. The goal to be reached by him is Brahman alone. 

Dear All,

Till now, all that we (most  of us if not all of us) knew about this verse is that we recite this verse along with another verse “aham vaisvanaro...” before partaking food so that the food gets purified. 

Bhagawan has explained about the significance of this verse in the context of partaking food, which is available in net and therefore it is not being taken up here in detail.

However, when we read the above explanation of this verse and contemplate, the implication, the result of our absorption is far beyond food aspect. 

Even if we start from the food aspect, then it directly goes and aligns with the Pujari- Prasad analogy which was covered in an earlier post and also given by way of talk to a few.  

When we offer prasad to God and in turn partake the same prasad after offering to God and receiving as prasad, do we ever analyze / think about the quality of such a prasad?

This also has to draw our mind to a very important aspect. What should be our frame of mind/our thoughts when we offer the prasad or when we partake the prasad (let us take the food that we partake daily as prasad for this purpose).

Only when the mind is pure, devoid of violent / disturbing / immoral thoughts, only when our mind is at rest / peace, the food that we partake serves the real purpose and it provides us the required physical strength and it also gets digested properly.

Are we not aware of the story where, intoxicated with / in God consciousness, when Mira was given poison and she took it, did that poison itself not turn out to be pure food (amrtha) for her instead of killing her??

That was about the “food” aspect related to this verse.

Extending the essence of the above commentary, it turns out that not only food, in fact each and every act of  ours have to be understood as under:

·       The one who is offering (all actions / thoughts),

·       The one to whom they are offered

·       The act of offering,

All are the same one supreme principle – BRAHMAN. 

Taking the implied subtler yet deeper essence of the above, let us consider the following aspects:

·      The one who is experiencing

·      The one who is the object of experience and,

·      The process of experiencing.

The difference in the above three things get erased / transcended upon realization of Brahman / SELF and one exists verily as Brahman (Brahmaiva tena gantavyam Brahma Karma Samadhina).

SO, THERE IS NOTHING APART FROM THE ESSENCE BRAHMAN, THE PURE CONSCIOUSNESS.  

Actually, when all the above three are transcended, the state of existence is such that there is no one to even think or be aware that He/ She is Brahman. 

This transcendental, ultimate state is " beyond awareness of awareness".

What a revelation through a verse which we were just chanting before partaking prasad till now!!!!

Thus, even the action undertaken by one who desires to prevent mankind from going astray is in reality inaction, for it has been illumined by the realization of Brahman. This being so, in the case of the monk from whom action has dropped off, who has renounced all activity, viewing his Knowledge as a (kind of) sacrifice, too, becomes all the more justifiable from the point of view of praising full realization. 

Śrīmad Bhāgavatam states:

Sarva-bhūteṣhu yaḥ paśhyed

bhagavad-bhāvam ātmanaḥ

bhūtāni bhagavatyātmanyeṣha

bhāgavatottamaḥ

(11.2.45) [v20]

“One who sees God everywhere and in all beings is the highest spiritualist.” 

For such advanced spiritualists whose minds are completely absorbed in God-consciousness, the person making the sacrifice , the object of the sacrifice, the instruments of the sacrifice, the sacrificial fire, and the act of sacrifice, are all perceived as non-different from God (Essence or Tatwa of God / Brahman).

Referring / taking " sacrifice" referred in the above para as dhyana or meditation for a deeper understanding, it turns out that the meditator, the object of meditation, the one who is meditated upon, the process of meditation- all of these ultimately reach and merge in one essence which the sadhaka now exists as!!!

Love.