Bhagwad Gita - Post 197

Verse 3

  

Vigor, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride — these belong to one born in a divine state, O Arjuna!

Tejaḥ is vigor, energy, strength, and not a drooping spirit. This is the quality of tejas, or energy, vigor, capacity to work. 

An indefatigable frame of the body and mind will automatically come to us as a consequence of following the other qualities mentioned earlier. 

Kṣama is fortitude. We do not try to wreak vengeance on someone who has committed some mistake, and do not go on thinking of one mistake that a person has committed even though that person may have hundreds of good qualities. 

Generally, the evil that men do, lives after them; the good is often buried with their bones. This is not to be our attitude.

A hundred sacrifices a person has made, and for twenty years that person has served us, but one day he does something which is very displeasing and we remember only that, and not the twenty years of service. 

We must have a forgiving attitude, because who has absolutely no fault? “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those that trespass against us” is a very touching line in the Lord’s Prayer. 

Dhṛtiḥ is determination to achieve our goal, and never slacken our effort, and be decided in our mind that, “Perhaps this is the last birth of mine. Why should it not be the last birth, when I have put forth all my energy and I honestly strive for the attainment of God Almighty? 

I have no defect in my mind. I have no greed. I don’t harm anybody. To my mind, there is nothing wrong. Therefore, God should be kind to me. I shall realize God in this birth.”

If this kind of determination is there, something really worthwhile may take place one day, perhaps in this life itself. 

Śaucam is purity. We know much about it—external purity and internal purity. I need not go on harping on this subject. 

It refers to both internal and external purity. Virtuous people believe in maintaining external cleanliness because it is conducive to internal purity.

Or can we say that their internal purity gets manifested in external purity sustained by them in the environment they are in?? 

Adrohaḥ is never committing blunders in respect of ourselves or of others. This blundering and floundering habit is due to the preponderance of rajoguna, which keeps us restless always and never allows us to concentrate on anything. 

Nātimānitā is never expecting too much regard and respect from people. 

It is said that Sri Rama respected other people first; and if other people did not speak, he would speak first. He would not have the attitude: “Why should I speak first? Let the other person speak first.” Rama would speak first. 

Swami Krishnananda ji recalls that his master Swami

Sivanandaji Maharaj was like that. If a person did not touch his feet, he would touch that man’s feet. People would be horrified. “Maharaj! You are touching the feet of that person?” 

He would speak first. “How are you? Acche hain maharaj? Theek hai?” (Sivanandaji used to address all beings as Maharaj or such names with reverence).

Even if that person did not speak a word, he would

immediately start a conversation: “How are you?” That man would be very highly pleased, and start speaking to him. So do not ask for respect. Give respect to others. 

We are fit to take the name of God only if we give respect to everybody and do not expect any respect for our own self. 

“These are the great qualities, O Arjuna, that may be called divine, gracious, noble, superb.”

Love.

Bhagwad Gita - Post 196

Verse 2

Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion towards beings, un-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickleness.

Ahiṁsa is the extending of harmlessness and fearlessness to all living beings. No injury can come from us, and no living being need fear us. We are a source of fearlessness, harmlessness; this is ahiṁsa. 

It does not consist so much in not causing bodily injury to beings in the physical world, as in not harming any living creature in the world around from the realm of thought. 

Real Ahimsa means, even in unavoidable disturbances around ourselves, if our motives are pure and clean, any of our actions taken in such a situation which is required, then we are still practicing Ahimsa.

As the Head of Organization, when someone had to take strict action of dismissing a staff who had indulged in activity in the organization which was against the interest of the organization and proved absence of integrity,  that staff has to be  dismissed, no doubt, but  the head of the organization calls the staff  to his private chamber  when the staff was about to leave, and much to the surprise of that staff,  the staff was hugged and was advised to take to the correct path in future!! 

Thus, the action is strict, befitting the circumstances but the inner heart is full of Love.

Akrodhaḥ is freedom from anger. We should not become enraged over small things. 

What can be the root cause for anger? When we are attached to a thing and we want that thing/human being to give us in a particular way and it does not happen, then we get angry.

When we are averse to a thing/being and we have to come face to face with that thing/being, we get angry.

Thus, the root cause for anger is attachment/aversion, which are colourings of the main ego, avidya.

Tyāgaḥ is living a simple, frugal life; as it is generally said, simple living and high thinking. That may be said to be tyāgaḥ. We do not accumulate property, treasure, wealth etc., more than what is essential for our minimal comfortable existence, and we renounce all other things. 

Śāntiḥ is being always inwardly calm, composed, serene. If a seeker is capable of living, conscious of Truth harming none, keeping an even temper, in a spirit of renunciation, inspite of all disturbing environments and happenings around, then he is the one who shall come to experience peace and quietude in himself. Even in the midst of a stormy life and outrageous circumstances, such an individual can successfully keep his inward balance and intellectual poise.

Apaiśunam is the absence of crookedness and cunningness in speech or expression, in respect of other people. 

Chinmaya writes, 

“…A seeker who is trying to reach a fuller and more exhaustive self-expression should develop such an inward harmony that his speech should echo the fragrance of his soul. 

A speech with softness of tone, clarity of expression, honesty of conviction, power of bringing a clear picture in the listener's mind with no veiled meaning, overflowing with sincerity, devotion and love, becomes the very quality of the autobiography of the speaker's personality. 

To develop, therefore, a habit of such speech would be unconsciously training many aspects in ourselves which are all necessary for the perfect disciplining of the inner equipment.”

Dayā means to be compassionate. When we see suffering, we feel within ourselves “What will happen if we are in that condition?” When we identify ourselves with that miserable state in which living beings exist, we will feel a tenderness of approach and we will cast an eye of compassion, and to the extent of our capacity we will do something to redress that sorrow. Dayā bhūteṣu is mercy in respect of all living beings. 

Aloluptvaṁ is absence of greed. We should never say that we want this or we want that. Whatever comes is okay. Yadṛcchālābhasaṁtuṣaḥ (4.22): Be contented, satisfied with whatever comes of its own accord or without too much of strenuous effort. If for the sake of ten percent of happiness we have to put forth ninety percent effort, then that happiness is not worth anything because the sorrow of struggle is much more than the little jot of joy that ensues.

Mārdavaṁ is softness—soft speech, soft behaviour, soft conduct, soft movements. Everything is very soft, mild and subdued, not irritable. 

Hrīḥ is shame in the presence of things which are forbidden. It is an automatic repulsion from actions and even thoughts that are contrary to an elevated form of spiritual life. 

Acāpalam is steadfastness, freedom from fickleness. Thinking something now, thinking another thing after some time and a third thing tomorrow, and with no concept of the final aim of life, no clarity of perception in regard to what is to be done now and what is the actual program of one’s life, having everything in chaos—that would be chapalata. 

The absence of it is acāpalam—steadfastness and a clear perception of the values of life, right from now till the end of our life. 

Where the purpose/ goal is clear and the actions pursued for the fulfillment of the Goal have the background of all the earlier values, then there is no possibility of fickleness in such a meaning. Wherever a human being has one goal and keeps thinking of various other things other than the goal, then there is fickleness in taking up action for the fulfillment of the goal to such an extent that the goal itself is forgotten and the being ends up taking all petty actions not befitting the attainment of goal. 

Love.

Bhagwad Gita- Post 195

Verse 1

  

The Blessed Lord said:

Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in Yoga and knowledge, alms-giving, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of scriptures, austerity and straightforwardness.

Abhayaṁ is an inward feeling of fearlessness born of inner contentment. People with wants of every kind are afraid of so many things. Fearlessness is a quality of desirelessness. 

It is the state of freedom from concern for present and future miseries. Inordinate attachment of any kind causes fear. Attachment to wealth leads to dread of impoverishment, attachment to social prestige causes fear of infamy, attachment to vice leads to anxiety about the consequences of sin, attachment to bodily comfort causes the fear of ill-health, and so on. Detachment and surrender to God vanquish all fear from the heart.

The author used to teach few:

“Total surrender=Total fearlessness=Self realized state"

Sattva saṁśuddhiḥ is the manifestation of the sattva guna, resulting in clarity of perception, radiance in the face, and inward satiety.

This is the state of inner cleanliness. The mind generates and harbors thoughts, sentiments, feelings, emotions, etc. When these are ethical, wholesome, positive, and uplifting, the mind is considered pure.

Jñāna yoga vyavasthitiḥ is an intense aspiration to get established in the yoga of the wisdom of God. 

It is said: tattva vismaraṇāt bhekivat. “When human beings forget what is right and what is wrong they become like animals.” Thus, the path of virtue is forged by remaining steadfast in the awareness of spiritual principles.

Dānaṁ is a charitable nature, a giving nature, large-heartedness, not a selfish nature. 

Material charity, done for the welfare of the body, helps others temporarily. Spiritual charity, done at the platform of the soul, helps eliminate the cause of all suffering, which is separation from God. Consequently, it is considered higher than material charity.

Damaḥ is the restraint of the organs of knowledge as well as the organs of action.

The senses are notorious in their ability to drag the mind deeper into material illusion. They tempt the living being to seek immediate gratification. However, walking the path of virtue requires forsaking the lower sensual pleasures for achieving the higher goal. Thus, restraint of the senses is an essential virtue for treading the path to God.

This is one of the 6 virtues (shad sampat) taught to all aspirants in the initial stage, in the Sadhana Chatushtaya session by the author. 

                               

Yajñaḥ ca is a daily consciousness of it being necessary for us to adore gods, the divinities superintending over the cosmos, by external ritualistic sacrifice as well as internal sacrifice that is described in the Fourth Chapter, to which you may revert for brushing up your memory. 

Svādhyāyaḥ is daily sacred study of the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Gita or any holy scripture in order to enable lofty thoughts in the mind—without which, the mind will think of dirt and stink and very low things of the world on account of the strength of the activity of the sense organs. To prevent one’s subjection to sensory demands and the evaluation of things in terms of the sense organs, the study of sacred scriptures—which are the words of the saints, sages, prophets and incarnations—will be of great assistance. 

Tapaḥ means austerity. It also means mental and sensory control—the ability not to allow the energy of the system to leak out through the apertures of the sense organs, and conservation of energy in oneself. This, essentially, is tapaḥ.

Ᾱrjavam is straightforwardness. We should not say something, do another thing, and think a third thing altogether; that is crookedness. Actually, we should speak what we think, and behave in that manner. That is what is called straightforwardness—ārjava. 

Simplicity in speech and conduct unclutters the mind and engenders the sprouting of noble thoughts.

For those who have been fortunate to be in Sai fold, to visit Puttaparthi, to see Swami, to read about Swami’s stories, only they would know, even as Lord, when He descended in human form, how simple, how straight forward Swami was, to teach the lesson to all His devotees, this unique quality.

Out of personal experience, the author can say, this quality cannot be planned, pursued and got. 

This is a virtue which a true Bhakta/Sadhaka gets as a grace, when he takes up sadhana sincerely and follows the instructions of Lord/ Master to the minutest level. 

Straight forwardness is a reward, a grace which an aspirant gets when his thoughts, words and deeds are perfectly aligned.

When a master teaches something, when the same is not taken as it is without bringing in any past vasanas, any unnecessary intellect, when the thoughts are filled with the teachings, when the lips utter only the truth in the teachings, when all actions are in alignment with the teachings, then the gift a sadhaka gets is straight forwardness. When one of the three explained here is missed, then Straight forwardness is not achieved.  

Love.