Friday, January 31, 2020

Bhagwad Gita - Post 158


Chapter 13
The Yoga of the Distinction Between the Field and the Knower of the Field

Verse 1

Arjuna Uvaacha:
Prakritim purusham chaiva
Kshetram kshetrajnameva cha;
Etadveditumicchaami jnaanam
Jneyam cha keshava.

Arjuna said:
I wish to learn about Nature (matter) and the Spirit (soul), the Field and the Knower of the Field, knowledge and that which ought to be known.

Verse 2

Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:
Idam shareeram kaunteya
Kshetramityabhidheeyate;
Etadyo vetti tam praahuh
Kshetrajna iti tadvidah.

The Blessed Lord said:

His body, O Arjuna, is called the Field; he who knows it is called the Knower of the Field by those who know of them, that is, by the sages.

Verse 3

Kshetrajnam chaapi maam
Viddhi sarvakshetreshu bhaarata;
Kshetrakshetrajnayor jnaanam
Yattat jnaanam matam mama.

Do thou also know Me as the Knower of the Field in all fields, O Arjuna! Knowledge of both the Field and the Knower of the Field is considered by Me to be the knowledge.

Verse 4

Tat kshetram yaccha yaadrik
Cha yadvikaari yatashcha yat;
Sa cha yo yatprabhaavashcha
Tatsamaasena me shrinu.

What the Field is and of what nature, what its modifications are and whence it is, and also who He is and what His powers are — hear all that from Me in brief.

Verse 5

Rishibhirbahudhaa geetam
Cchandobhirvividhaih prithak;
Brahmasootrapadaishchaiva
Hetumadbhirvinishchitaih.

Sages have sung in many ways, in various distinctive chants and also in the suggestive words indicative of the Absolute, full of reasoning and decisive.

Verse 6

Mahaabhootaanyahankaaro
Buddhiravyaktameva cha;
Indriyaani dashaikam cha
Pancha chendriyagocharaah.

The great elements, egoism, intellect and also unmanifested Nature, the ten senses and one, and the five objects of the senses.

Verse 7 

Icchaa dweshah sukham duhkham
Sanghaatashchetanaa dhritih;
Etat kshetram samaasena
Savikaaramudaahritam.

Desire, hatred, pleasure, pain, the aggregate (the body), fortitude and intelligence — the Field has thus been described briefly with its modifications.

Verse 8

Amaanitwam adambhitwam
Ahimsaa kshaantiraarjavam;
Aachaaryopaasanam shaucham
Sthairyamaatmavinigrahah.

Humility, unpretentiousness, non-injury, forgiveness, uprightness, service of the teacher, purity, steadfastness, self-control.

Verse 9

Indriyaartheshu vairaagyaman
Ahankaara eva cha;
Janmamrityujaraavyaadhi
Duhkhadoshaanu darshanam.

Indifference to the objects of the senses, also absence of egoism, perception of (or reflection on) the evil in birth, death, old age, sickness and pain.

Verse 10

Asaktiranabhishwangah
Putradaaragrihaadishu;
Nityam cha samachittatwam
Ishtaanishtopapattishu.

Non-attachment, non-identification of the Self with son, wife, home and the rest, and constant even-mindedness on the attainment of the desirable and the undesirable.

To be continued.

Love.



Thursday, January 30, 2020

Bhagwad Gita- Post 157

THE YOGA OF DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE FIELD & THE KNOWER OF THE FIELD

Summary of Thirteenth Chapter

In this Chapter, we have one of the most significant, most illuminating, most inspiring and most mystical portions of the Bhagwad Gita. 

The Lord gives us a wonderfully revealing insight into the human individual. It is the metaphysics of man, the unknown. The immortal Soul, with its physical embodiment, is the main theme of this discourse. 

The supreme transcendental Spirit, which is the eternal substratum beyond both, is also described in a wonderful manner. The knower of the Supreme Reality is instantly liberated.

The blessed Lord tells us that the knowledge of the Field and the Knower of the Field is the true knowledge. This highest and the best knowledge grants us divine wisdom and spiritual illumination that lead to divine beatitude. This body is the Field. The Immortal Soul (yourself), dwelling in the body is the Knower of the Field. Verily, it is the Supreme Being who has projected Himself and assumed the form of this Knower of the Field within this body. This self is none other than That. Thus, Lord Krishna explains the mystery of the individual soul dwelling within this mortal body. This knowledge constitutes the main subject matter of all the scriptures and the highest philosophical works.

The five elements, the ego, the mind, intellect and the ten organs, desire and aversion and such factors constitute the Field. Next follows a wonderful summing-up of what constitutes true knowledge. Then follows the declaration of the Supreme Soul, the knowledge of which grants us immortality. 

That Supreme Reality is the one universal Essence present everywhere. It pervades all. It shines within the inmost chambers of our heart, it is everything, it is the one seer, the witness, the guide, sustainer, experiencer and Lord of all. One who knows this mystery is not bound by activity even in the midst of life. 

When we perceive this supreme Presence dwelling in all beings we cannot injure anyone. Krishna asks us to see and know the difference between the Field (body or Prakriti) and the Knower of the Field (Spirit or Purusha), and thus reach the Self. This is the teaching and the message of this illuminating discourse.


There is a belief among commentators of the Bhagwad Gita that the great Upanishadic statement ‘tat tvam asi’ has something to do with this threefold classification of the chapters of the Gita. The individual is tvam—‘thou’. This ‘thou’, or individual, is taken up for an intensified form of study in the first six chapters. 

Tat means ‘That’—the Supreme. The nature of ‘That’ is taken up for study in the next six chapters. Asi means ‘art’; ‘thou That art’. The unification of the ‘thou’ and the ‘That’, the methodology of attaining the unity between the individual and the Universal, in all its details, is supposed to be delineated in the coming chapters, from the Thirteenth onwards.

Love

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Bhagwad Gita- Post 156


Quality # 26
Sthiramatir                                         
Steady mind

He is not agitated, and is established in understanding. Such a devotee is the beloved of God.
Devotees have deep conviction in the supremacy of God’s position in creation and in their eternal relationship with Him.  

They are also firm in their faith that if they surrender to Him lovingly, by God’s grace they will achieve the highest realization.  

Steady mind is a rare quality to be found in Bhaktas / spiritual seekers in today's world.

We participate in satsangh, visit puttparthi, participate in bhaans and activities there, fill ourselves with firm resolve to pursue spiritual sadhana and then, even before reaching the airport, during the journey in cab itself, our mind gets drawn to Samsara!!

With Samsara pulling them strongly, they sway from here to there, they are not steady even in sticking on to one God/one Guru/one path in their spiritual sadhana.

Devotional resignation and exclusiveness will have to make the mind and intelligence resolute and stable. Like drdhaniscayatva mentioned earlier (12.14), sthira-matitva also emphasizes spiritual firmness and resolve. This means that the seeker is free of all doubts, desires, ego and possessiveness.
 
They indeed, who follow this 'Immortal DHARMA' (Law of Life) as described above, endowed with faith, regarding Me as their Supreme Goal --- such devotees are exceedingly dear to Me.

To realize the Self and live in that wisdom at all our personality levels --- physical, mental and intellectual --- is the fulfillment of the life of a true seeker. It is not sufficient that he understands this, or reads regularly his scriptures, or even explains them intelligently. 


He must be able to digest them properly, assimilate them fully, and become Perfect. Therefore, Bhagawan says that he must be "ENDOWED WITH FAITH". 

Here, the term 'faith' means "the necessary capacity to assimilate spiritual ideas into ourselves through subjective personal experience." SUCH DEVOTEES ARE SUPREMELY DEAR TO ME !!






Let us  quickly recapitulate the 26 qualities .

1
Advestha sarva bhhotanam
Hates no creature
2
Maitrah, Karuna
Friendly
3
Nirmamo
Free from attachment
4
Nir ahankarah
Free from ego
5
Sama Dukha sukha
Balanced in pleasure  and pain
6
Kshamee
Forgiving
7
Santushta   satatam
Ever content
8
Yogee
Steady in meditation
9
Yataatmaa dridhanishchayah
Possessing form conviction
10
Madbaktah
Mind and intellect dedicated to the Lord 
11
Yasmaan nodwijate loko
By whom world is not agitated
12
Lokaan nodwijate cha yah
cannot be agitated by the world
13
Harshaam arshabhyod wegair Mukto
Free from joy, fear, envy, Anxiety
14
An apekshah
Free from wants
15
Suchi
Pure 
16
Daksha
Expert
17
Udaseeno
Unconcerned
18
Gatavyatah
Untroubled
19
Sarva arambha parityagee
Renounced all undertakings and all commencements 
20
Yona hrishyati na dweshti
Neither rejoices, nor hates
21
Na sochati na kaangkshati
Neither grieves nor desires
22
Shubha Ashubha parityagee
Renouncing good and evil
23
Tulya nindaa stutir maunee
censure, praise equal                                               
24
Santushto yena kenachit
Silent, content with anything
25
Aniketah
Homeless
26
Sthiramatir
Steady mind
  
it will be  extremely useful if we make a  monthly calendar, list down these 26 on the first column, insert the 30/31 dates column after that in our diary and before retiring at night, quickly run through the list and just put a "tick"  for the qualities in which we passed that day and a " cross" for the qualities in which we failed that day and then, over the next 3 months, see how many "x" have been converted to “ ✅  ”

With this we conclude  the 12th chapter.

Love