Bhagwad Gita - Post 60

Chapter 5

Verse 1        

Arjuna Uvaacha:

Sannyaasam karmanaam krishna

Punar yogam cha shamsasi;

Yacchreya etayorekam tanme

Broohi sunishchitam.

Arjuna said:         

Renunciation of actions, O Krishna, Thou praisest, and again Yoga! Tell me conclusively which is the better of the two.              

               

Verse 2        

Sri Bhagavaan Uvaacha:

Sannyaasah karmayogashcha

Nihshreyasakaraa vubhau;

Tayostu karmasannyaasaat

Karmayogo vishishyate.

The Blessed Lord said:               

Renunciation and the Yoga of action both lead to the highest bliss; but of the two, the Yoga of action is superior to the renunciation of action.           

Verse 3        

Jneyah sa nityasannyaasi

Yo na dweshti na kaangkshati;

Nirdwandwo hi mahaabaaho

Sukham bandhaat pramuchyate.

He should be known as a perpetual Sannyasin who neither hates nor desires; for, free from the pairs of opposites, O mighty-armed Arjuna, he is easily set free from bondage!             

               

Verse 4        

Saankhyayogau prithagbaalaah

Pravadanti na panditaah;

Ekam apyaasthitah samyag

Ubhayor vindate phalam.

       

Children, not the wise, speak of knowledge and the Yoga of action or the performance of action as though they are distinct and different; he who is truly established in one obtains the fruits of both.              

               

Verse 5

       

Yatsaankhyaih praapyate sthaanam

Tad yogair api gamyate;

Ekam saankhyam cha yogam

Cha yah pashyati sa pashyati.

That place which is reached by the Sankhyas or the Jnanis is reached by the (Karma) Yogis. He sees who sees knowledge and the performance of action (Karma Yoga) as one.         

               

Verse 6

       

Sannyaasastu mahaabaaho

Duhkham aaptuma yogatah;

Yogayukto munir brahma

Na chirenaadhigacchati.

But renunciation, O mighty-armed Arjuna, is hard to attain without Yoga; the Yoga-harmonized sage proceeds quickly to Brahman!        

               

Verse 7

       

Yogayukto vishuddhaatmaa

Vijitaatmaa jitendriyah;

Sarvabhootaatmabhootaatmaa

Kurvannapi na lipyate.

He who is devoted to the path of action, whose mind is quite pure, who has conquered the self, who has subdued his senses and who has realised his Self as the Self in all beings, though acting, he is not tainted.         

               

Verse 8

Naiva kinchit karomeeti

Yukto manyeta tattwavit;

Pashyan shrunvan sprishan jighran

Nashnan gacchan swapan shwasan.

“I do nothing at all”—thus will the harmonised knower of Truth think—seeing, hearing, touching, smelling, eating, going, sleeping, breathing,             

               

Verse 9

       

Pralapan visrijan grihnan

Nunmishan nimishannapi;

Indriyaaneendriyaartheshu

Vartanta iti dhaarayan.

       

Speaking, letting go, seizing, opening and closing the eyes—convinced that the senses   move among the sense-objects.       

               

Verse 10

               

Brahmanyaadhaaya karmaani

Sangam tyaktwaa karoti yah;

Lipyate na sa paapena

Padmapatram ivaambhasaa.

       

He who performs actions, offering them to Brahman and abandoning attachment, is not tainted by sin as a lotus leaf by water.               

               

Verse 11              

Kaayena manasaa buddhyaa

Kevalair indriyair api;

Yoginah karma kurvanti

Sangam tyaktwaatmashuddhaye.

Yogis, having abandoned attachment, perform actions only by the body, mind, intellect and also by the senses, for the purification of the self.         

               

Verse 12

               

Yuktah karmaphalam tyaktwaa

Shaantim aapnoti naishthikeem;

Ayuktah kaamakaarena

Phale sakto nibadhyate.

       

The united one (the well poised or the harmonised), having abandoned the fruit of action, attains to the eternal peace; the non-united only (the unsteady or the unbalanced), impelled       by desire and attached to the fruit, is bound.              

               

Verse 13              

Navadwaare pure dehee

Naiva kurvan na kaarayan.

       

Mentally renouncing all actions and self-controlled, the embodied one rests happily in the nine-gated city, neither acting nor causing others (body and senses) to act.       

               

Verse 14

               

Na kartritwam na karmaani

Lokasya srijati prabhuh;

Na karmaphala samyogam

Swabhaavas tu pravartate.

       

Neither agency nor actions does the Lord create for the world, nor union with the fruits of actions; it is Nature that acts.          

               

Verse 15

               

Naadatte kasyachit paapam

Na chaiva sukritam vibhuh;

Ajnaanenaavritam jnaanam

Tena muhyanti jantavah.

               

The Lord accepts neither the demerit nor even the merit of any; knowledge is enveloped by ignorance, thereby beings are deluded.   

Continued...             

Bhagwad Gita - Post 59

CHAPTER 5

THE YOGA OF RENUNCIATION OF ACTION

In spite of Sri Krishna’s clear instructions, Arjuna still seems to be bewildered. He wants to know conclusively which is superior, the path of action or the path of renunciation of action.

The Lord says that both the paths lead to the highest goal of God-realization. In both cases, the final realization of the Atman is the aim, but the path of Karma Yoga is superior. Actually, there is no real difference between the two.

This universe was considered as the ground on which we based our consciousness of our duty in life. We can know what we ought to do only if we know where we are actually located in this world. 

Unless we know our circumstances – where we are standing, internally as well as externally, at any given moment of time – we will not be able to take even one step forward in any direction.

So, duty as an action incumbent upon people is based on the consciousness of one’s own being in relation to the circumstances of existence in this world. 

That is to say, Karma Yoga is based on Buddhi Yoga, as told in the language of the Bhagwad Gita. When karma is based not on buddhi, proper understanding, then karma, action, becomes a meandering movement with no proper direction. You can move anywhere, in any direction, and do whatever you like, but that cannot be called right action.

Krishna further asserts that perfection can be attained and one can be established in the Atman only after the mind has been purified through the performance of selfless action. 

The Karma Yogi who is aware of the Atman and who is constantly engaged in action knows that although the intellect, mind and senses are active, he does not do anything. 

The sage who has realized Brahman and is always absorbed in It does not have any rebirth. Such a sage sees Brahman within and without — within as the static and transcendent Brahman, and without as the entire universe. 

He sees the one Self in all beings and creatures — in a cow, an elephant, and even in a dog and an outcaste. He is ever free from joy and grief and enjoys eternal peace and happiness. He does not depend upon the senses for his satisfaction. 

On the other hand, the enjoyments of the senses are generators of pain. They are impermanent. Sri Krishna reminds Arjuna that desire is the main cause of pain and suffering. It is the cause of anger. Therefore, the aspirant should try to eradicate desire and anger if he is to reach the Supreme.

The Lord concludes by describing how to control the senses, mind and intellect by concentrating between the eyebrows and practicing Pranayama. 

One who has achieved perfect control of the outgoing senses and is freed from desire, anger and fear attains liberation and enjoys perfect peace.

Love.

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.