Bhagwad Gita - Post 113

Patram pushpam phalam toyam

Yo me bhaktyaa prayacchati;

Tadaham bhaktyupahritam
Ashnaami Prayataatmanah.

Whoever offers Me with devotion and a pure mind (heart), a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water—I accept (this offering).

“I shall be easily pleased. My worship is not difficult.” We do not require large assets to please God. The samarpana or the naivedya that we have to offer to God is simple.

“You can offer a leaf; I shall be satisfied. You can offer a single flower; I shall be satisfied. You can offer Me a spoon of water with devotion to Me, I am fully satisfied with it. But it has to be offered with devotion.” What is offered is not of consequence in the eye of God.

The bhava, or the feeling, or the mode, or the attitude with which it is offered is what counts. God does not want anything from us — not large estates, not many kinds of delicacies. God has enough of these in His Vaikuntha, in His Kailasa, in His Brahmaloka. These are not going to be the means of His satisfaction. But if our heart is there, then of course He will accept it. If our heart is not there, the offering is devitalized.

Devitalized offerings are not accepted. And, finally, the vitality comes from us only. If we offer ourselves, that shall be the greatest pleasure to God. If we offer something that is dear to us, that is also a pleasure to God, but a lesser pleasure. But if we offer something that is not dear to us—an old coin or a torn note—that is not going to satisfy God because He knows our feelings, our motives. Even before we think, He knows what we are going to think. So, no deception, no trick, can be played here. “I am simple and accessible in a very, very easy manner.”

It is said that Arjuna and Bhima were worshipping Lord Siva. Arjuna was collecting tons and tons of bilva leaves and offering mountains of these leaves to Lord Siva in worship.

Bhima was also worshipping Lord Siva, but he did it only in his mind. He had no physical leaf and did not bring anything from the forest to offer to Lord Siva. One day, it seems, Arjuna and Bhima were taken to Kailasa for some reason.

They saw cartloads and cartloads of bilva leaves being brought by the ganas of Siva, and they were poured at his feet. And some people were also bringing little handfuls of leaves and throwing them.

Arjuna asked, “Who are these people who are bringing little bunches of leaves and offering them, and who are these who are offering cartloads?”

“That little bit is what has been offered by Arjuna, and the cartloads are the offerings of Bhima,” they said.

“Bhima? He never does any worship,” said Arjuna.

“He has done the worship, and Lord Siva is pleased,” they replied.

Bhima offered cartloads because his mind was there; and Arjuna offered a little bit because it was a physical offering.

Sri Hari Bhakti Vilas states:

Tulasī-dala-mātreṇa

Jalasya chulukena cha

Vikrīṇīte svam ātmānaṁ

Bhaktebhyo Bhakta-vatsalaḥ

(11.261)

“If you offer God with sincere love, just a Tulsī leaf and as much water as you can hold in your palm, He will offer Himself to you in return because He is endeared by love.”  

How wonderful it is that the Supreme Master of unlimited universes, whose glorious qualities and virtues are amazing beyond description, and by whose mere thought multitudes of universes come into existence and disappear again, accepts even the most humble offering of His devotee that is given with genuine love.  

The word used here is prayatātmanaḥ, implying, “I accept the offerings of those whose hearts are pure.” I am easily satisfied if it is offered to Me with devotion. Because you have come to Me with an utter spirit of self-surrender, I shall accept what you give — even a spoon of water or a leaf, or even a thought. I shall be happy even with the thought of your surrender to Me. Forget the leaves, etc.; even the idea is sufficient for Me. Your love for Me is enough for Me, and I know that your heart is for Me, and I shall take care of you.”

Devotees may recall author's talk on a  Samarpan bhajan “Tumhe Namaskar Baba” in which there is an expression “Prem Dakshina Sweekaaro Bhagwan”.

All other offerings are also accepted by Lord, but with a smile as though telling us, “These are all given by me to you, this entire creation has sprung out of me, so you are offering that which I have given you?”. 

But when we offer ourselves with a pure heart filled with love, Prem Dakshina, Lord is pleased and whispers, “There you are, you are offering yourselves to me and not anything other than you, for, you are Love and I am just Love and You have offered yourself as Love , in love, through love, to me, I accept and I bless you”!!

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 112

Verse 22

Ananyas cintayanto mam

Ye janaḥ paryupasate,

Teṣam nityabhiyuktanam

Yogakṣhemam vahamyaham

To those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no other, of those ever united, I secure what is not already possessed and preserve what they already possess.

Commentators have a question: Is not God kind to everybody, or is He kind only to those who resort to Him in consciousness? Does He not provide food, clothing and shelter to everybody, or does He give it only to those who resort to Him? 

Yes, it is true that everyone is taken care of by the Almighty Lord, and that even an ant that crawls is given what it needs. But it is said that in the case of ordinary individuals, the protection is granted through a series of operations. 

Their karmic bodies are associated with the Supreme Being in a very indirect manner, whereas direct action is different from indirect help that is given through accessories, agents, lesser gods, or through the fructification of karma. 

In the case of those who are perfectly united with God — like saints Tukaram, Jnanadev, Ekanath and others — God does not merely provide what they need; He becomes a kind of servant, as it were, of these bhaktas.  

(Author recalls an incident narrated  by Bro Hari where, when a devotee said to Swami, "All that I want from you as a boon is to allow me to serve you all my life, Swami replied, "You serve in My mission and I shall serve you in return")

There was a Brahmin who was fond of this shloka. He devoted himself entirely to this one verse and trusted entirely in God’s mercy and compassion and capacity to provide him everything. He was a beggar and had to go for alms every day. 

He had a family which he had to feed — children crying for food — and every day he had to go about to get enough alms for the maintenance of his family. One day it so happened that even though he had wandered throughout the streets the entire day until sunset, he could not get even one grain of rice. He came back disappointed. 

The children asked, “Father, where is our  food?” 

His wife asked, “What has happened?” 

He replied, “I do not know. God has deserted me. He has not fulfilled His promise. I tried my best by wandering throughout the day, but I could not get even one grain of cereal.” 

His children were crying, and his wife was anxious. 

“False is this promise!” the Brahmin exclaimed in anger. 

In those days, scriptures were written on palm leaves, as there was no printing on paper. So this  verse from the Bhagwad Gita was written on a palm leaf. He tore that sloka with a nail, thinking that is a false promise, and left the house in disgust. 

About an hour or so after he had left, a boy came to the house with a big bag full of cereals and grains, etc., threw it on the veranda, and loudly called to the Brahmin’s wife who was inside, “Here are the rations sent by your husband.” But the boy’s tongue was torn and bleeding. 

The wife asked, “Who sent this?”

“Your husband has sent it.” 

“My husband? I am very glad. What is the matter with you?”

“He was very angry with me because I was a little late, so he tore my tongue,” replied the boy.

“This is a horrible man! What kind of person is he? You are a servant, you brought the rations, and he has the cruelty to tear your tongue?” As she was saying this, the boy vanished.

When the Brahmin came back, his wife said to him, “What has happened to you? You are a fool. Are you out of your mind? You tore the tongue of the boy who brought the rations which you sent.” 

“I didn’t send any rations,” he said. “I didn’t tear the tongue of anybody. Where are the rations?”

She showed him the bag. “The rations are sufficient for a month,” she said, “but blood was pouring from where the boy’s tongue had been torn.”

He fell at the feet of that lady and said, “You are my Guru from today because you had darshan of the Lord. I am a sinner. Because I tore the sloka, I could not see Him.” 

The lives of saints are standing illustrations of the truth of this great statement of the Almighty, which is applicable not only to saints and sages, but to every one of us. Perhaps we are saints in the making. 

If we are undividedly united with Him in our soul, in our heart, in our spirit, thinking only That, brooding over only That, and every day there is no occupation except this, to those who are ever united in the deepest spirit of their being, to them there is no lack, no penury, no sorrow, no suffering, no fear — because it shall be seen by God that all things are put in order. 

What does this verse mean, in the path of Jnana??

Sri Chinmaya  brings about a unique interpretation for this verse and  writes, 

“Those who, with a single-pointed mind, thus meditate upon Him as the One and the Only Reality behind the entire universe, Krishna promises here that "To them ever self-controlled, I bring YOGA and KSHEMA "meaning more and more spiritual vigor (Yoga) and the final experience of Beatitude (Kshema) which is liberation resulting from the fulfilled Yoga.”

Thus, Chinmaya gives an entirely new dimension and says, 

Yoga = Our self efforts / Purushartha

and

Kshema = The result / culmination of our intense, single pointed efforts towards the only goal - 

SELF/GOD realization.

When Sri Krishna says, "To those men who worship Me alone, thinking of no other, I secure what is not already possessed", it is an assurance from Divine that if we pursue the Goal of Self-realization with single pointed focus, then we are bound to get the reward one day, for, God  only wants us to reach Him, merge with Him / The essence and exist as Him / The essence which is SELF /  ATMAN.

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 111

Verse 18

Gatirbhartaa prabhuh saakshee

Nivaasah sharanam suhrit;

Prabhavah pralayah sthaanam

Nidhaanam beejamavyayam.

I am the goal, the support, the Lord, the witness, the abode, the shelter, the friend, the origin, the dissolution, the foundation, the treasure-house and the imperishable seed.

“I am the final resort of all people. When everything goes wrong, finally you have to come to Me only. I am the gati, the final abode, the final resort, the sarana, the home and the resting place of everybody. 

I am the supporter, the sustainer and the nourisher of all beings. I am the overlord of all beings; all gods are below Me, and none is equal to Me. I am the witness, and yet not involved in all this drama of creation, notwithstanding the fact that nothing can move without Me. 

I am the abode supreme—nivāsaḥ—and the friend of all beings.” 

Śaraṇaṁ suhṛt: “As I am the real friend of all created beings, the real friend of every one of you, you have to come to Me one day or the other as a final resort.” 

Prabhavaḥ: “Everything proceeds from Me.” 

Pralayaḥ: “Everything is dissolved into Me.” 

Sthānaṁ: “It rests in Me, finally.” 

Nidhānaṁ: “The very root of all things.” 

Bījam: “The essential seed of creation.” 

Avyayam: “Imperishable I am.”

Lord Krishna reveals that He is that which is attained as the ultimate goal of all existence. He is the sustainer, the nourisher, the maintainer and the controller. 

As Paramatma the Supreme Soul within all living entities, He is the witness and observer of all actions good and evil. He is the abode and resting place as He encompasses everything, everywhere. He is the refuge, the protector. He is the dear friend who always does what is beneficial. 

Verse 19

Tapaamyahamaham varsham

Nigrihnaamyutsrijaami cha;

Amritam chaiva mrityushcha

Sadasacchaahamarjuna.

(As the sun) I give heat; I withhold and send forth the rain; I am immortality and also death, existence and non-existence, O Arjuna!

“I create heat through the sun. I create rain by the force of my will. I also withdraw the rain when it is my will. I release and I withdraw the forces of nature.” 

When God releases His energy through the forces of nature, nature seems to be scintillating, smiling and raining, and everything is green and flourishing; but when He withdraws His energy, it becomes dried up, as in a drought.

“I am the final immortal seat of all souls; I am also the death of all beings. Immortality and death, both are Me. It is I Who transforms all mortal elements into the deathless eternality of My own transcendent Being. It is also I Who destroys everything by the process of the evolutionary advance of nature and the cycle of time.” The many cycles are referred to in the earlier verses. 

The Supreme Lord being completely independent in Himself solely is different from all the above mentioned things; yet He is inseparable from them all being their essence thus He is known by them. Since He is referred to as OM in Vedic yagnas, the resplendent Supreme Lord has a His own personal transcendental sound vibration known as OM.

Sad asaccāham arjuna: “I am existence and non-existence.” He has left nothing unsaid.

“I am existence and non-existence, being and non-being, this and that, here and there, now and then. There is nothing which I am not. But very few people realize this glory of Mine.” 

They go to the sacrificial yajnasalas and temples of worship and externally offer adorations and perform sacrifices for gaining joy in the heaven of Indra by employing the mantras of the Veda for yajnas like Rajasuya, Asvamedha, Somayaga, etc., as described in the Brahmana portions of the Vedas. 

They do this because they want to rejoice in heaven, and they expect this to be attained through the sacrifices that they make by means of the mantras of the Vedas. They do go to heaven, no doubt; but the merits produced by the performance of the greatest of sacrifices have a beginning and an end. As these merits originated in the sacrifice, they will also end, by the exhaustion thereof through experience. After we enjoy the glories of Indra’s heaven, we will fall headlong down to the earth. 

Therefore, there is no point in our asking for Svarga, or heavenly joys, through the performance of Vedic sacrifices or through externally motivated rituals of any kind, even if they be in the form of worship in a temple. Such people who go to Svargaloka, or heaven, enter the abode of Indra and enjoy the divine blessedness of that place. Then afterwards—kṣīṇe puṇye martyalokaṁ viśanti—when the punyas, or merits, of these people slowly diminish and finally get extinguished, they come to this world once again—evaṁ trayīdharmam.

The Svarga is here, within us, when we realize that we do not have to go from anywhere to anywhere, we do not have to aspire to reach Svarga (from where we have to come back as explained above). 

Upon realizing God / Self within us, we are complete in all respect, even if we have to clear some balance portion of our prarabdha karma!!!!

Love.