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.