🌟Danyavadah🌟
A beautiful ritual of realisation of auspiciousness … always thankful for your sharings as sometimes I am bewildered by it all Namaskaram 🙏
This is so exciting for me as the last 5 years I have been trying to “nut” out what are the Vedas/what is Vedanta, how do I make sense of it all etc., how do I find the linkage required to enhance my personal self-growth and so on.
Now, being more relaxed after my Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikatti experience, I am so grateful, with the grace of Isvara to have found, dare I say my Guru, thank you for reaffirming my gradual (very slow understandings).
I seem to always start things backwards, or too far ahead of my qualifications. Now I feel that Taitiriya Upanishad is going to really ground me in a way to clarify the bits and pieces already pursued all the way from my 20’s … Guru Purnima blesses my 65th year.
Dear Swamini B,
Your student Rashmi with whom I learnt the 16 step puja just posted your meditation. It is outstanding. Profound. I shall go back again to assimilate the wisdom inherent in the simple words you share.
I’ve had a relapse into depressive symptoms and this seems to address those symptoms and give the most beautiful, accommodative context: abiding awareness.
My symptoms are worse in the morning.
I shall listen again then to see the effect.
Have you addressed depression exclusively in any of your previous River of Wisdom talks?
Thankyou for today’s sharing on Abiding Awareness.
Namaste
Wonderful discussion. This idea was so very insightful and helpful: ‘With a very strong karta and subjective view of the world (seeing my roles and actions as defining ‘me’ and are the source of my self worth), we will make Vedanta another achievement to be pursued’
Thanks for sharing this enlightening post. That the Ego cannot stand self-examination or self-inquiry, was the most insightful message for me. It is no wonder why most of us evade it and so avoid places and people which force us to direct our vision inwards. We would rather be busy, buried under performance and peer pressures than give ourselves moments to introspect on matters of self.
It is no wonder Vedanta hinges on relentless questioning and the relationship between the teacher and student. 🙏🏻
Hi. I do not have access to the replay. Even after signing in and giving password for replay. Looking forward to speedy resolution of the same. Thanks and regards
Sorry about that Neelu. The course can be retaken a few times. So not sure why this problem was faced. Please try and again.
Let me know if it does not work. Thanks
Dear Swamini ji, it’s still showing the same – not allowing access. Maybe my account has not been updated with the payment ? Even if i retake it the same could happen. Please do see what can be done (in my first query email i had asked also if my login account would be updated with purchase and in my courses also it does not reflect. yet) . Regards
“She was lovable and worthy of all appreciation. No conditions attached.” This says it all. 🙂 I see myself in Meena for sure. External praise and kindness from others are easily dismissed if I can’t give this to myself first. Such a simple idea but I think is the heart of the matter for so many people. Thank you Swaminiji!
Hari Om.
This is a summary of the first 10 minutes of class, including the story, for quick reference.
The king of a particular kingdom is very upset by the level of corruption in the kingdom, and is not able to find out who is really involved. He speaks to his ministers to try to find a solution. One of his ministers has a seemingly strange plan, but the king is willing to go along with this, and do whatever it takes, because the coffers are being depleted. The plan is that a tank should be constructed at the top of a hill, and an announcement is made to the villagers that on Amavasya, one representative from each home should carry a glass of milk and pour it into the tank. So on Amavasya, one member of each family walks up the hill with a covered glass, climbs the ladder on the side of the tank, opens the lid of the tank, and pour the contents of their glass into the tank. Then, at dawn on the following morning, there is a town meeting on the hill at the tank. The lead minister goes up the ladder and peers into the tank and gasps. The intrigued king decides to climb the ladder to find out what is in the tank. When the king looks into the tank, he only sees water, there is no milk. The king exclaimed that there were clear orders for each family to put milk in the tank, yet no one put milk in the tank. The king understood that the finger could not be pointed at anyone in particular. No one was willing to do what was instructed by the court/kingdom. All the villagers bowed their heads in shame, no one could meet the eyes of the king. A little boy in the crowd offered the king an explanation- Because my family thought that another family would pour milk, we did not put any milk.
So this is the sentiment- I do not need to contribute because someone else will contribute, or because I have been denied. So one does not contribute time, effort, attention, or resources. So one should do introspection and ask oneself~ What is my duty in the context of different relationships? Is there a tendency to be half-hearted? What do I need to do? Not hide behind another person.
So, one may have varied reasons why one does not do karma.
Bhagavan Shri Krishna tells that one should not hide or dodge responsibility.
I have a particular slot in the larger scheme of things. And if I do not do, who will do?
कर्म योग
कर्म is inevitable.
One may have romantic ideas about reducing कर्म, because कर्म comes with baggage and one does not want baggage.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: explains that शरीरयात्र (श्लोक ८) is not possible without कर्म |
But कर्म can feel like a burden, with a long ever-growing to-do list of pending activities/responsibilities, and only temporary solutions. So, one may feel that one has not done enough, or that one is not enough.
Everyone experiences this burden of कर्म | The fisherwoman on the bus, who has a heavy basket of fish on her head, refuses to put it down. She keeps the heavy basket on her head thinking- it is my basket of fish, and if I do not carry it, then the train will have to carry my basket. She does not consider that the train is that which is carrying her from one point to the next.
In the same way, the train is the flowing blessings of ईश्वर | And one stands with one’s basket of कर्म, thinking – I am the one who has to do it all, I am never enough, I feel so exhausted/tired.
But, really this heavy basket of कर्म that one thinks that one cannot put down, is actually fully pervaded by भगवान् | The carried basket of कर्म, the different types of कर्म performed, the laws of कर्म are all shaped by भगवान्, and the results of कर्म is also all भगवान् |
So, if one puts the basket down, the train is not going to feel the burden.
This is the transformation from कर्म to कर्म योग | It is the surrender to भगवान्, with the understanding that one is able to do कर्म thanks to भगवान्, and that one gets पुन्य or पापा, with resultant happiness/sorrow due to भगवान् |
So, one need not feel the weight of the basket, as one has learnt to put it down by understanding that the train/ईश्वर that is carrying one, will also carry the heavy basket.
But this basket/कर्म gives one an identity/sense of significance, so one holds on to it for dear life. However, this very basket/कर्म becomes बन्धन, if कर्म is not transformed to कर्म योग |
पुर – at the beginning,
प्रजापति: – Lord Brahma-ji, the creator i.e. the function of भगवान् involved in manifestation.
प्रजा: सृष्ट्वा – having created these different beings,
then Lord Brahma-ji also created यज्ञ, and then He said,
अनेन – by this, i.e. by this यज्ञ i.e. by worshipful/reverential कर्म / कर्म योग,
प्रसविष्यध्वम् – may you multiply.
May this यज्ञ be इष्टकामधुक् – something that you like and may this यज्ञ/कर्म योग be like a wish-fulfilling cow.
OR
Let this Knowledge of ब्रह्मन्, fulfill all your desires.
In the वैदिक lifestyle, there are certain संस्कार-s/rites of passage/milestones which are performed for purification/seeking blessings.
So, यज्ञ refers to all these कर्म-s presented in the कर्म काण्ड portion of the वेद |
So, if one wants something, one can do regular क्रिया and get the result.
However, by doing one’s कर्म which is enjoined by the वेद, it enhances the results of कर्म that one is already getting.
Nowadays, most do secular rituals, e.g. a birthday is incomplete without a cake being cut. So just as these rituals carry meaning, so too by understanding the significance of the वैदिक ritual, it becomes meaningful. For instance, there are rituals for the act of conception, before a mother becomes pregnant, when a child’s hair is first cut, when the child’s first solid food is eaten. Also, the child’s start of the study of वेदान्त is an important milestone, and usually occurs between 8-11years and is marked by the initiation into the Gayatri Mantra.
So, different rituals/mantras to be chanted are present in the वेद, and this was revealed along with the manifestation of this creation.
The ऋषि-s did not compose the वेद; the वेद was revealed through the ऋषि-s.
So, along with this manifestation, the वेद which was unmanifest was revealed to those who were eligible i.e. the ऋषि-s. And the rituals revealed form the कर्म काण्ड portion of the वेद |
Kamadhenu was the wish-fulfilling cow of the great ऋषि Vasishta. When King Vishvamitra came to the forest with his retinue, they became tired & hungry, so unannounced they sought the hospitality of Sage Vasishta. Due to His wish-fulfilling cow, ऋषि Vasishta was able to receive the King and his entourage graciously and serve them a bountiful platter. (अतिथिदेवो भव – treat the unannounced guest as God) The King was surprised that such a lean ऋषि living in the forest could supply such a grand meal. Upon questioning, Sage Vasishta revealed that He had a cow called Kamadhenu. Obviously, King Vishvamitra wanted the cow, but Sage Vasishta explained that the cow only yielded to ऋषि-s of his calibre. So, King Vishvamitra did a lot of तपस् and became a great ऋषि; but of course, at that point He did not care for Kamadhenu.
So too, Kamadhenu is present in the वेद | So whatever कर्मफल is desired, by doing that specific कर्म enjoined by the वेद, one can have it all.
However, with the disposition of कर्म योग, whether one gets the desired result/not, one is okay with whatever is.
So, success when performing कर्म is getting items ticked off of a to-do list, whereas success in कर्म योग is being okay with whatever the result is, knowing that it is प्रासाद from भगवान् |
Therefore, यज्ञ is an important part of one’s life-
~ converting कर्म into कर्म योग, as well as
~ the कर्म mentioned in the कर्म काण्ड portion of the वेद which helps in (i) fulfilling one’s wishes, as well as (ii) one’s rites of passage.
श्लोक ११
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु व: ।
परस्परं भावयन्त: श्रेय: परमवाप्स्यथ ॥ ११॥
भगवान् now talks of the देवता-s/presiding deities i.e. the intelligence that makes everything possible.
So, by the कर्म rituals, one is making offerings to the देवता-s.
Therefore, may one make these offerings to the देवता-s.
And, as a result of which, may those देवता-s also propitiate one.
So, the principle of reciprocity is highlighted. Reciprocity is a fundamental aspect of धर्म |
Therefore, a balance must be seen between what is given and what is received.
And so, it is not that there are inert laws of nature, rather there is an intelligent cause who is भगवान्, with different deities/heads of department responsible for different phenomena. In this way there is enforcement & application of the laws of nature.
So, may one recognize the presence of these presiding deities.
If one does not recognize these presiding deities, still water flows for one, wind blows for one etc.
But, with their recognition, one feels more connected to the entirety, and it is part of one’s sacred responsibility to acknowledge the different देवता-s for all things that one gets.
So, the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता which is the essence of the वेद, milked by भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:, tells us that which cannot be known by direct perception or inference.
Here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: tells of the presiding deities that are responsible for all various phenomena, who are to be propitiated.
And because this is a relationship of reciprocity, one will gain the greatest good by doing things for the other i.e. for the देवता-s.
The देवता-s are not demanding, but by making offerings to them, one feels connected to the total, and also gains पुन्य |
So, may one do this देव-यज्ञ |
One has the freedom to relate to any देवता, in any way that one wishes ~ as a friend, child, teacher etc.
One may have a इष्टदेवता that one prays to every day.
Then, there is a कुलदेवता, who is the deity of the family.
Also, there is a ग्रामदेवता, the deity worshipped by a community, and who blesses the community in that form.
श्लोक १२
इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविता: ।
तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव स: ॥ १२॥
By propitiating/worshipping these देवता-s by यज्ञ~ puja, prayer conversation etc., what is desired (इष्टान्भोगान्) will be given to you.
One can pray to any deity, whenever one likes. For instance, Lord Ganesha can be prayed to, for removal of obstacles. Or for योग or वेदान्त study, one can pray to Lord Shiva.
But really, one can pray to any deity, as this specific deity becomes भगवान् for one.
By praying to any देवता, one is invoking the whole i.e. all of भगवान् | E.g. touching the finger of the friend seated next to me in the cinema, invokes the attention of the entire friend.
So, the trust & devotion to the देवता that one prays to, will bless one, of course taking into account the पुन्य and पापा कर्मफल in one’s account.
So, even though praying fervently to a given deity, due to पापा कर्मफल in one’s account, one may not receive the desired result, because of one’s choices in the past.
Then,
तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते – if one enjoys what is giving by the देवता-s, but does not offer anything in return i.e. there is no acknowledgement,
then one is as good as a स्तेन (thief).
A thief takes what is not his/hers and behaves like it is his/hers.
So, living life without acknowledging the role of the देवता-s, with a presumptuous sense of entitlement, this is synonymous to me being a thief.
श्लोक १३
यज्ञशिष्टाशिन: सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषै: ।
भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥ १३॥
Because one sees the presence of ईश्वर in all of one’s activities,
then, even in the mundane action of eating-
e.g. those who eat and first offer what they are eating to भगवान्,
then they are released from किल्बिष: i.e. the suffering which comes from पापा | So, there is पुन्य because of one’s recognition of भगवान् |
Then, those who eat/experience without first making an offering/acknowledging भगवान्, they gain पापा |
So, one says grace before meals, or chants –
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ ~ ४.२४
Or the traditional brahmana-s, put aside a little food, pray/offer, and then eat.
So, these activities encourage one’s expanding awareness that everything is interconnected.
This is beyond thanking those whose effort would have gone into the prepared meal- the farmer, the grocer, the cook. This is acknowledgement of the deities who preside over the entire process, so I thank/acknowledge them, and am grateful for the meal.
This makes one aware of those contributors to one’s life, with the acknowledgement of the reciprocity of different forms/functions.
And then, if one only does for oneself i.e. one is selfish, with no concept of doing for the other, strangely, one may have feelings of hurt, thinking that why have I not received more. So, one should do introspection if this is the case.
From अन्नम् – food/rice,
भूतानि भवन्ति – living beings are borne.
Food is born of पर्जन्या – rain.
And according to वेद, rain is the product of यज्ञ |
So, the collective पुन्य of all people living in a specific location, means that a certain area is blessed with an adequate amount of rain, so that there is a good harvest and the people are nourished.
And पुन्य is borne of कर्म |
Therefore, there is no escape from कर्म |
So, doing the right कर्म in line with धर्म brings पुन्य/happiness to oneself & others.
The understanding of कर्म giving पुन्य & पापा and joy & sorrow respectively, comes from वेद |
The understanding of the different types of कर्म to be done, comes from ब्रह्म i.e. the वेद |
And the वेद comes from the one who is अक्षरम् i.e. the one who has no decline ~ ब्रह्मन् | In मुण्डक उपनिषद्, this word अक्षरम् is used to mean ब्रह्मन् |
Therefore, the वेद is a sacred & a valid means of knowledge.
तस्मात् – Therefore,
सर्वगतं ब्रह्म – the वेद abides in,
नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् – the कर्म that one does.
There can be the immediate experienced effect of कर्म i.e. दृष्ट फलम् |
Then, the unseen पुन्य or पापा that one accumulates is अदृष्ट फलम् |
One may ask, how is भगवान् present in पापा?
The law of कर्म is presided over by भगवान् |
E.g. the creator of the video game is not responsible for the choices/actions of the player of the video game.
The creator pervades the creation, just as one’s dream.
So all is भगवान् | भगवान् has created the law of कर्म, so both पुन्य and पापा, order & disorder is भगवान् |
This is because भगवान् is above order & disorder; cause & effect.
So, performance of कर्म is like eating noodles- one may try to eat one strand of noodle, but everything else on the plate comes along with that one strand. Similarly, though only doing one action, all पुन्य and पापा, सुख दु:ख come along.
Therefore, one should be more deliberate and conscious of the kind of कर्म that one does.
So, Sanatana Dharma teaches of action-consequence; there is no escape from the result of कर्म |
Story
The king of a particular kingdom is very upset by the level of corruption in the kingdom, and is not able to find out who is really involved. He speaks to his ministers to try to find a solution. One of his ministers has a seemingly strange plan, but the king is willing to go along with this, and do whatever it takes, because the coffers are being depleted. The plan is that a tank should be constructed at the top of a hill, and an announcement is made to the villagers that on Amavasya, one representative from each home should carry a glass of milk and pour it into the tank. So, on Amavasya, one member of each family walks up the hill with a covered glass, climbs the ladder on the side of the tank, opens the lid of the tank, and pours the contents of their glass into the tank. Then, at dawn on the following morning, there is a town meeting on the hill at the tank. The lead minister goes up the ladder and peers into the tank and gasps. The intrigued king decides to climb the ladder to find out what is in the tank. When the king looks into the tank, he only sees water, there is no milk. The king exclaimed that there were clear orders for each family to put milk in the tank, yet no one put milk in the tank. The king understood that the finger could not be pointed at anyone in particular. No one was willing to do what was instructed by the court/kingdom. All the villagers bowed their heads in shame, no one could meet the eyes of the king. A little boy in the crowd offered the king an explanation- Because my family thought that another family would pour milk, we did not put any milk.
So, this is the sentiment- I do not need to contribute because someone else will contribute, or because I have been denied. Therefore, one does not contribute time, effort, attention, or resources. So, one should do introspection and ask oneself~ What is my duty in the context of different relationships? Is there a tendency to be half-hearted? What do I need to do? Not hide behind another person.
So, one may have varied reasons why one does not do karma.
Bhagavan Shri Krishna tells that one should not hide or dodge responsibility.
I have a particular slot in the larger scheme of things. And if I do not do, who will do?
श्लोक १६
एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह य: ।
अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥ १६॥
चक्रं ~ wheel i.e. the cosmic wheel ~ the धर्म of things and the laws of nature.
So, these are already set in motion and moving.
For instance, day turns into night, and then again into day, and so on.
But, one never thinks- what if the planet falls off its orbit? The earth is both rotating & revolving, but one does not worry about this, one just trusts in the धर्म/laws of nature.
So, this cosmic wheel is already in motion. And if one does not follow this wheel, and one does not make their contribution in their given time slot, or scheme of things where one is, then this is अघ |
अघ = पापा i.e. bad कर्म |
So, one lives a life of पापा by not doing what is supposed to be done.
Why?
This person is इन्द्रियाराम: i.e. one who is caught up with the pleasures of the senses, and is willing to do anything for this.
E.g. for the sake of my senses, one is willing to commit injury, like wearing animal fur coats.
So, the one who does not contribute to the चक्र that is already set in motion, is living a life of पापा, only caught up in the senses, and therefore a waste of life.
What is different from this person & an animal? One eats, drinks & procreates and that is all, and then life is over. And some justify this lifestyle.
But due to the धर्म in one’s heart, one feels uncomfortable with this type of behavior. Instinctively, there is this intelligence that lets us know what is the right thing to do, though one may not always go along with it.
श्लोक १७
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानव: ।
आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥ १७॥
The person spoken of in श्लोक १७,
contrasts the person who is caught up with the senses, who does not contribute due to inertia/laziness, only wants to hide under the carpet, or likes to behave helplessly.
One can have learned helplessness, e.g. with respect to technology there is an unwillingness to learn a new platform.
One is fearful of making a mistake when learning something new & different, and this prevents one from learning.
When one is fearful, one cannot learn; one needs to be relaxed in order to learn.
So, one has their own reasons for contributing more/less in a certain situation, for dodging responsibility.
If one steps up & stretches oneself, then one’s comfort zone increases.
Otherwise, one’s comfort zone becomes a conditioned zone, and then anything other than that comfort zone becomes threatening to one.
And it is okay to feel an initial uncomfortable feeling as one expands their comfort zone.
So, this person who does not pitch in as required, is contrasted with the one who is आत्मरति: i.e. the one who recognizes oneself as limitless and delights in the आनन्द that one is. This is the description of the स्थितप्रज्ञ |
Here, आत्मरति: does not refer to the personality- one is not delighting in one’s thoughts, emotions or desires. It is the one who delights in आत्मा as myself. This brings a deep sense of contentment, and one is आत्मा तृप्त: | There is no want for anything to be different.
As the wave, one always will feel less than and pushed around, so one has to establish one’s identity and negotiate terms etc..
Even if one were to become a tsunami wave, it will cause a lot havoc, and also it is only a temporary form.
With the shift in identity to I am water, I understand that I am the basis of the entire ocean; without me there is no form called as ocean. And with this understanding there is आत्मा तृप्त: |
So, for this ज्ञानी, who knows & delights in the self, there is a sense of complete contentment, with nothing to be done.
But we see the wise person ever engaged in a lot of projects.
कर्म is done for कर्मफल |
But, for the wise person कर्म is done for लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the well-being of others.
कर्म for the wise person is done out of fullness. There is nothing to be done for the sake of fullness, because one already knows one’s fullness.
But for the otherwise person i.e. the one ignorant of my true nature, कर्म is done for the sake of fullness- for अर्थ, काम, धर्म, and erroneously for मोक्ष |
We can relate to this doing कर्म out of fullness. For instance, when one sings in the shower, there is no judging, no ulterior motive, there is no agenda. One does this कर्म only out of delight, without wanting anything.
So, the ज्ञानी does out of one’s fullness. It does not matter if one’s contribution is valued/not, or if the help is not accepted.
For the योगी, the state of mind is very important.
योग as a dualistic system based on सांख्य, there is the belief that पुरुष(I-आत्मा) and प्रकृति (अनात्मा) are mixed and so we have to separate the two. This is not the absolute teaching of वेदान्त |
Because, here one wants to be free from a second real entity i.e. अनात्मा e.g. in the form of disturbing thoughts.
So then one does कर्म turning inward and plays with the mind, e.g. by turning on music to calm the mind.
But here द्वैतम् is maintained between me & the disturbing thoughts.
Therefore, this is not a wise person.
Then, contrary to the inward योगी, the भोगी is always in pursuit of ‘external’ भोग for the sake of fullness.
And then the रोगी is the one who is always talking about what disease they have.
So, the योगी, भोगी, रोगी are not wise/आत्मरति: |
The योगी is obsessed with their internal landscape. The भोगी is obsessed with sense pleasure. And the रोगी is obsessed with health.
So, these should not be confused with a wise person / the goal of वेदान्त |
So, कार्यं न विद्यते –
For the ज्ञानी, कर्म is not done for the sake of fullness.
This is because कर्तृत्वम् (the sense of doer-ship) is recognized to be मिथ्या |
कर्मफल is only for the कर्ता, the one whose identity is that I am the doer wanting experience.
When this कर्ता identity has been falsified, because कर्तृत्वम् is recognized to not be absolutely real, only a temporary identity,
one recognizes that between thoughts/actions I am there as limitlessness,
and really, I am a limitless being in & through all thought-forms.
The one going through all stages versus the one who is constant / always there –
देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा ।
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ॥ १३॥ ~ Chapter 2
So, कार्यं न विद्यते – one does not do for the sake of fullness, but if one can contribute, why not?
So, the ज्ञानी is-
– आत्मरति: i.e. there is आत्मा तृप्त: | For this ज्ञानी who knows & delights in the self, there is a sense of complete contentment, with nothing to be done.
– This ज्ञानी does कर्म for लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the well-being of others.
– The ज्ञानी does कर्म out of fullness. There is no अर्थ, काम, धर्म, मोक्ष to pursue for the sake of fullness, because one already knows one’s fullness.
– The ज्ञानी does not really even do कर्म; because कर्म is done by the कर्ता, and the ज्ञानी understands that कर्तृत्वम् is मिथ्या |
श्लोक १८
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन ।
न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रय: ॥ १८॥
For this आत्मरति:, there is no purpose in कृतेन (doing) & अकृतेने (not doing).
And this आत्मरति:, does not depend on another being to recognize that I am full.
In life, there is a certain basic level of dependence on another. Minimal dependence is for food, clothes, shelter; for शरीरयात्रा dependence on the पञ्चमहाभूत-s is required.
So, physically one cannot live completely independently.
Emotionally one can become independent by discovering the expansiveness of my heart, through living a life of कर्म योग |
Therefore, one’s level of dependence on another behaving in a certain way is not there. One can grow to realize that what matters to me is how loving, supportive and productive I am. If the other does, or does not do, it is okay either way. There is acceptance of the other person’s behavior; not resignation. And this is not a bitterness/hurt where I do not want to depend on anyone.
It is a recognition of my fullness/completeness, so I do not need any validation/recognition.
For some time, there will be dependence on गुरु, so that one can see the Truth, so that much will be there.
So, having spoken about the glory of कर्म, and that it is not a good idea to run away from कर्म, what is the relationship of the wise person to कर्म?
तस्मात् (therefore), keep on doing कर्म, but do it असक्त:, recognizing that one can only contribute to the result, one cannot control the result.
When one has this attitude after doing one’s best, there is freedom from dependence on the result. So, one stops defining oneself based on the outcome of an event, because a lot of self-judgment is based on how events turned out. Depending on whether the outcome of an event is a failure or success, judgement is placed on oneself, and one struggles with feelings of inadequacy.
Society defines what one needs to be successful, and then when one does not meet up to this, there is self judgement and a struggle with inadequacy.
So, असक्ति: is allowing the flow of कर्मफल in one’s life and not getting too caught up with any outcome. It is समत्वम् |
So, one can go on doing because one want results, but one should understand that one is only a contributor to the result, not the controller/decider of the result.
And by doing this, the पूरुष (person) gains परम् (the highest). How?
Because of doing कर्म without being attached to or obsessed with the results, one gets a contemplative/relaxed mind.
Then, when one listens to शास्त्र, the meaning is clear to one.
When listening, the mind gets distracted, and the words trigger associations with some other memory.
With discipline, the mind is quickly brought back.
This is one benefit of practicing जप, as it helps with this bringing of the mind back to the point of focus.
श्लोक २०
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादय: ।
लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ २०॥
The example of Janaka is given. Janaka could refer to King Janaka, the father of Sita-Mata, or to King Janaka who had the dialogue with Sage Ashtavakra.
Both were wise people.
Here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: gives the example of King Janaka, saying that by कर्मणैव i.e. by कर्म alone, Janaka got सिद्धि/success.
Here success refers to परम(श्लोक १९) i.e. मोक्ष |
And what motivated King Janaka and others is लोकसंग्रह |
There is the स्वस्ति prayer, praying for the welfare of सर्वम् (all) – all beings from the creepy crawlers to Lord Brahma-ji.
Prayer is a कर्म using the कर्मेन्द्रिय of वाक्, and so it will give पुन्य |
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः । सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु । मा कश्चिद् दुःखभाग् भवेत् ॥
May all be happy.
May all be free from disease.
May all experience what is auspicious.
May all be free from sorrow.
So, because of लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the well-being of everyone, one must perform कर्म, even if one gets wisdom. As one is not seeking wisdom in order to run away from कर्म |
One is seeking wisdom because one knows what the fundamental human problem is i.e. inadequacy because I have taken myself to be a limited form.
Then because of this incorrect concept of myself, one struggles, not knowing that this is a wrong conclusion about myself due to lack of thinking- अविचार सिद्ध |
Even in the light of शास्त्र, if one gets to know the Truth, not doing कर्म is not an option.
Because one has been given a slot in the cosmic wheel, one continues to do/contribute, though knowing the Truth.
E.g. King Janaka even after gaining wisdom, did not walk away to the forest, he continued with his responsibilities/duties.
श्लोक २१
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जन: ।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥ २१॥
श्रेष्ठ: refers to the one who is a leader, the one who is respected in society.
Whatever a श्रेष्ठ: i.e. an important person does, the conduct/behavior of this person, most people will follow.
Nowadays, influencers are famous i.e. people who are famous for being famous; and whatever these people do, everyone wants to do.
Good role models are sportspeople and entrepreneurs as these people show how discipline & hard-work pay off.
And long-ago freedom fighters would be role models.
But now, anyone who is rich and famous is a role model, because this is valued.
Whatever influential people do/say, it is followed.
This is a reminder that in our respective circles, what we do is emulated.
For instance, in the leadership role as a parent, children do what they see one do, not necessarily what is told to be done.
So, all of us are leaders in some role that we play.
Once one is leading change, one is a leader, as change always begins with me.
Ironically, everyone agrees that the world should change, but no one puts their hand up to volunteer to institute change.
Leading change means that one is willing to do what is required.
So, it all starts with me and my self-mastery- how do I manage my time, effort, energy, responsibility.
Then, people will be inspired and they would want to follow what one is doing.
It is not about being a self-appointed leader looking for a title.
It is doing because no one else does, and something needs to be done/organized.
It is not about looking around to see who is going to pick up the slack, or who is going to give me responsibility.
If one is given a responsibility, one may grudge that.
Responsibility is always taken.
But if one takes responsibility, after seeing what needs to be done, one becomes better and more effective at what is taken up.
And so कर्तृत्वम् becomes कौशलम्, with the offering of कर्म to ईश्वर |
So, a person may be involved in लोकसंग्रह in order to prevent others from falling into अधर्म |
Leadership styles differ, as people try without wanting to do what needs to be done- The opportunist just wants to influence a bunch of people, and the idealist wants people to follow exactly one’s vision.
Then, there is a servant-style leader where one does what needs to be done.
So, recognizing that I am a role model for children and for others,
and recognizing the responsibility that I have,
knowing that people are watching me,
there is the understanding that I need to be accountable.
So, everything matters.
The wise person does कर्म out of fullness, though the wise person has no need to do कर्म |
But, for an other-wise person, कर्म is done because one is seeking fullness. On one’s own, one does not want to do कर्म, but because of one’s desires, that are influenced by society, one gets on the treadmill of कर्म | And if one examines one’s life, almost all कर्म (will-based action) is done for the sake of fullness.
But here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: points out that with understanding the truth, one no longer does कर्म for the sake of fullness.
In the performance of any कर्म, e.g. raising a dog/child, managing a job, managing a relationship(not limited to romantic relationships, but any relation), makes us think that a lot of work is required.
But we should have a harmonious relationship with कर्म | Because if one thinks that कर्म is a burden, then one wants to get out of कर्म at the first opportunity due to laziness, inertia or fatigue. I think~ I do not want to do this.
Or, even if I do the कर्म, I see the futility of it. E.g. We see Arjuna in battle considering that even if I win the battle, victory is not sweet for me as I remain stuck anyway. Because, what I am seeking is freedom from insecurity and complete acceptance of myself. So there is no happiness if I win or lose, I remain stuck.
Therefore, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: starts to teach Arjuna the nature of reality of I the जीव |
In Chapter ३, श्लोक २१, भगवान् explains that whatever a श्रेष्ठ person does, most will follow, e.g. celebrities are used to sell brand name products, because whatever a celebrity does, I also want the same.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: reminds Arjuna that if you want to run away from कर्म, because of the mistaken thinking that it will bring peace of mind with complete acceptance and freedom from insecurity that you have been seeking all your life, this is not going to happen.
So, भगवान् teaches-
(i) As long as one lives, कर्म is unavoidable.
(ii) How one should approach कर्म i.e. with an attitude of कर्म योग |
(iii) Who is the one who performs कर्म ~ this will-based action is performed by a human being which gives पुन्य & पापा, with respective experiences of सुखम् & दु:खम् |
Now, भगवान् personalizes the teaching-
श्लोक २२
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन ।
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥ २२॥
Here, भगवान् speaks from the standpoint of Himself as भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: indicating the relationship of a wise person with कर्म |
He addresses Arjuna as पार्था and says-
त्रिषु लोकेषु ~ in all the 3 worlds i.e. भू: (Earth), भुव:(in between), स्व:(स्वर्ग).
The वेद tells us that there are 14 लोक-s i.e. planes of experiences.
And भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: explains that He has a lot to do in order to maintain all different processes in these लोक-s.
E.g. We perceive the rising & setting of the sun due to the movement of the Earth at the same pace without fatigue.
There are so many laws of nature that are predictable and reliable that we take for granted. These are not mechanical laws of nature. There is intelligence in these laws that cannot rest in something inert, it can only rest in a conscious being.
So, भगवान् says that across all 3 लोक-s, there is nothing to be gained by me.
न अनवाप्तम् अवाप्तव्यम् ~ there is nothing possible to be gained by me in any given world, which is not yet gained.
There is nothing to be done by me.
मे ~ for me,
कर्तव्यम् ~ duty; that which must be done.
Notably भगवान् highlights that although there is no need for Him to do कर्म,
कर्मणि वर्त एव ~ I am still involved in कर्म all the time.
E.g. If we look at the manifestation of भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: we see Him playing pranks as a child, then going to the गुरुकुल in Sandeepany, ruling over the kingdom of Dwarika, his relationship with the Pandava-s, and then the Mahabharata war.
So, we see non-stop कर्म | भगवान् does not go meditate in a cave for 10-12 years. But though performing non-stop कर्म, He says कर्तव्यं न अस्ति ~ for me, there is nothing to be done.
So here भगवान् alludes to कर्म that is done for the sake of duty versus कर्म that is done for binding desires.
If कर्म is play for me, there is no seeking in order to gain for me. Rather, it is doing for the joy of doing, or in order to contribute.
It is a ridiculous notion to not have any expectation from performing कर्म |
But, I no longer define myself by the outcome of an event.
Why? Because I am aware that I am bigger than time.
Time is only for the body. For instance, does one feel 70 years old? No, even if the body is 70 years old, there is no age for the mind. It may seem that the mind/सूक्ष्मशरीर is enclosed within the body, but the सूक्ष्मशरीर actually pervades the entire physical body. For instance, we observe that while this human being sits stationary in a chair, the mind wanders all over to all galaxies, not limited by this physical manifestation.
So, one should ask oneself this question- how is it that all other activities are limited to the body, but the mind can soar all over? If the mind was only limited to the body, this would not be possible.
So, the relationship with कर्म for a wise person is that one sees that I am अकर्ता i.e. I am not a doer.
So, we see Lord कृष्ण: doing so much, with devotees all around him. And we also saw the example of the successful King Janaka who continued to manage his kingdom though having ब्रह्मविद्या, as this was his duty.
Pujya Swamiji had accompanied His गुरु, Swami Chinmayananda to Uttarkashi. There, they met with Swami Tapovan Maharaj. परम गुरु Swami Tapovan Maharaj recognized that Swami Dayananda seemed keen on वेदान्त, doing so much सेव to Swami Chinmayananda-ji, and so asked~ why are you returning to the city? At the time Pujya Swamiji (this was before he had taken संन्यास) explained that I have a lot of responsibilities e.g. mother to look after etc. To this परम गुरु Swami Tapovan Maharaj replied- you see this River Ganga, it is a नुत्य प्रवह of responsibilities i.e. a constant flow of one responsibility after the next.
This anecdote shows that one can never say that I have no more responsibilities.
So, responsibilities will keep flowing, but I have to decide when I want to see what is the reality of all of this.
But, one is so caught up with responsibility/duty.
So, when there is something to be done, there is a sense of compulsion. Therefore, it is worth asking, what for?
There may be the desire to show support for the other- one’s partner, child etc..
But one should be clear about the goal of all relationships- it is to contribute. Its purpose is not perpetual happiness. In this way one liberates the relationship from the burden of expectation. Only then there can be relaxation.
Or else one is like a hungry creature looking for crumbs of happiness in a relationship. It is unreasonable to put all of one’s expectations on one relationship/person, this will certainly create havoc for that relationship.
So, कर्तव्यत i.e. in doing, there is no escape.
But what भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: really wants us to enquire into is ~ Am I कर्ता? Am I really the doer of all कर्म ?
श्लोक २३
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रित: ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्या पार्थ सर्वश: ॥ २३॥
भगवान् also says that although for me there is nothing to be done, I am still involved in all types of कर्म |
Because, यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं ~ suppose I do not do anything, then,
मम वर्त्म ~ my path i.e. what I am doing,
मनुष्या: सर्वश: वर्तन्ते ~ people will follow.
E.g. Emperor Ashoka was a prior King of Bharata. He converted to Buddhism, which was fine. But, his withdrawal from his duty created problems with the breaking up of the kingdoms that he was in charge of. He also abandoned his army. Therefore, at that time many small battles broke out throughout India. So, ideally, when he removed himself from his duties, he should have gotten a suitable successor to fill his place.
So, this becoming passive in the name of religion is not helpful.
For instance, talks of world peace do not account for human insecurity. So, in every society, from the tribal to the advanced, there is the need for a defense force.
E.g. what can one do if another wants to take over your country territory? One can try to talk peace if the other has a similar agenda. But, if the other is all out for war then this is not possible.
So, if one were to become lazy or have inertia, or say peace & no war, and disband the army, there will be chaos.
There are always a lot of excuses to not perform कर्म |
In the name of peace, one may choose not to say anything in a given situation.
There is the illusion that I want peace at all cost, so I will stay quiet, or maybe one is afraid to say the truth.
There can be an uncomfortable silence, as things are allowed to build up without one saying anything.
Then, an outburst of accusations can begin with a small trigger, due to doubting of the other person’s intentions.
So, this staying quiet can be an excuse that one hides behind in not performing कर्म |
But really, one cannot hide behind not performing कर्म, as one cannot escape कर्मफल |
E.g. fire will burn if one places the finger in it.
In this way भगवान् explains that although I am not कर्ता, I am still involved in all kinds of कर्म, as I am aware of the responsibility of being a role model to so many people, as people will follow my actions.
श्लोक २४
उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।
सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमा: प्रजा: ॥ २४॥
चेत् ~ if,
अहम् कर्म न कुर्याम् ~ I do not do कर्म,
then all these लोक:(beings) will perish ~ the sun will not rise, the wind will not blow,
and I will then become the कर्ता of सङ्कर: | (सङ्कर् ~ confusion, versus शङ्कर् ~auspiciousness).
So, here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is saying that if I do not do कर्म, I will become the author of confusion in the world.
So भगवान् says that people look up to Me, and if I do not do, then all beings and the world will perish, so it would be like I have destroyed all these people.
Also, people want their leaders to lead.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: does not allow people to observe/think that He does not do anything despite the prevalent अधर्म in society. Or, for example. if a lot of injustice is happening in society, people would talk about why is the Prime Minister or President not doing anything about this.
People act out of रागद्वेष |
So, if there is no outlet for this, what would one do? For example, there were people who were exhausted with work prior to the pandemic. And then with the pandemic when one is isolated at home, the comfortable home becomes like a prison. So, all habits & daily rituals add value/meaning to life.
The reason for all crime is due to रागद्वेष (cravings & aversions).
The intensity of a desire can consume and lead to crime in order to make a quick buck, homicide due to jealousy, stealing due to lust. So, due to रागद्वेष, one is willing to go to any length.
So, one should try to reduce this strong subjectivity of रागद्वेष to preference.
E.g. if a preferred type of food is unavailable, one does not throw a fit, but just makes do with what the situation offers.
One’s likes & dislikes add to the richness/color of the personality. But if there is a binding desire, then रागद्वेष is in charge, and all hell breaks loose.
श्लोक २५
सक्ता: कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।
कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ॥ २५॥
अविद्वांस ~ people who are not wise,
कर्मणि सक्ता: ~ are attached to the outcome of the action, and the कर्म |
For instance, the perfectionist is so attached to how things should be done, and so ends up overworking due to the thinking that no one can do it as I do it. But instead of training another to be competent, one thinks that I am indispensable to the project. So, सक्त: is this attachment to the way that things should be done, e.g. how the house should be maintained, how the relationship should be, how the work situation should be.
So, just as the अविद्वांस does कर्म for the sake of their attachment to कर्म,
so too even the wise person does कर्म |
So, on the surface, both the unwise & the wise do कर्म |
But, the wise person does कर्म being असक्त: i.e. not having any sense of attachment to the outcome. So, one does one’s best, with the knowledge that the laws of कर्म are at work. So, there is surrender while one is doing कर्म, before doing कर्म and after doing कर्म |
And whatever the results are, it is fine; the play of life goes on. I enjoy myself regardless.
So why does the wise person do anything? चिकीर्षु: i.e. because one is desirous of doing. (चिकीर्षु: = कर्तुम् इच्छु: ; जिज्ञासा = ज्ञातुम् इच्छु:)
The wise person does कर्म for लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the protection of people. Because if धर्म is to be upheld in society, who is to be protected? धर्म lies in the धर्मी i.e. the one who practices धर्म | So, these people who uphold धर्म have to be protected. धर्म lives in the heart of the धर्मी | Because धर्म is living the right values of kindness, compassion, justice. It is not a monolithic structure to be secured.
So, with respect to भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:, we see Him ever engaged in all kinds of कर्म – from ruling his kingdom to even being Arjuna’s driver. He chooses to be there in person for Arjuna in the midst of the battle as His driver.
And He always does with a smile on His lips, often playing a flute indicating His lightheartedness- seeing everything as play/fun, with the knowledge that nothing touches me.
श्लोक २६
न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् ।
जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्त: समाचरन् ॥ २६॥
There are some people who know आत्मा/the truth, and who understand that limitless-आत्मा has never been the doer or experiencer.
These people who know, they should not create confusion amongst अज्ञानाम् (the people who are ignorant).
If one is pursuing वेदान्त, one should learn to say what is appropriate and important.
Because for the one who is ignorant of my infinite nature, कर्म is important.
So, one should not say that कर्म is मिथ्या, why are you getting so hassled.
Also, one should not be selective about certain कर्म- with acceptance of some कर्म but rejection of other कर्म, with the claim/excuse for not doing/accepting the latter since कर्म is मिथ्या |
People already have so much तमस्, with excuses/inertia/laziness not to do, so if one is told not to do, then what will happen?
If the wise person says that one should not do, it will create बुद्धि: भेदम् i.e. confusion in the other-wise.
Because one wants to do कर्म, and have experiences due to रागद्वेष |
Then what should the विद्वान् (wise person) do?
Because the विद्वान् is युक्त: i.e. together as a person; the wise person oneself does कर्म |
So, this is भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:’s advice to the wise people- that they must encourage people to do more कर्म |
कर्म is not opposed to knowledge.
One can do lots of कर्म or less कर्म |
What matters is what conclusion have I made about myself. Is it based on reality?
If one considers oneself as कर्ता, then there is a lot of self-judgement. If one did something well, then one wants to work to maintain that, or do better and derive fulfillment from that. And if one thinks that one is a loser, that I don’t want to do anything, that I don’t care, then also there is self judgement with comparison of oneself to others.
All this damning self judgement is based on the wrong conclusion that I am this much only, that I am a human being only, that I am this limited body/mind only.
The truth is that I am much more than that.
भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य, भगवान् वेदव्यास, all ऋषि-s were so involved in so many different kinds of कर्म | भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य walked all over India, and wrote so many commentaries all for लोकसंग्रह | Then, his शिष्य-s painstakingly copied his work on palm leaves for posterity.
So, what makes one do कर्म? It is प्रकृति |
श्लोक २७
प्रकृते: क्रियमाणानि गुणै: कर्माणि सर्वश: ।
अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥ २७॥
प्रकृति is माया शक्ति | It is the material cause i.e. all modifications seen around us, including this body/mind.
सर्वश: कर्माणि – All कर्म done by all beings,
is impelled by the गुण-s.
And प्रकृति/माया शक्ति is made of the 3-गुण-s.
The पञ्चमहाभूत-s are all combinations of सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् |
सत्त्व is knowledge, clarity & purity.
रजस् is intense emotion and activity.
तमस् is inertia, laziness, sleepiness, reduced activity.
These गुण-s are the constituents of माया |
गुण-s cannot be strictly translated as ‘qualities’, as a quality has to be present in something, it cannot exist independently, e.g. the color orange can be present in a cloth. Conversely माया is made of the 3-गुण-s.
अहंकार विमूढात्मा – Everyone who has a sense of self concept/individuality, is deluded by this notion and thinks अहम् कर्ता i.e. I am the doer.
इति मन्यते ~ this person thinks like this.
These गुण-s account for differences in personality. For instance one person is active wanting a lot of excitement, versus another who prefers to relax, or another who wants to explore and learn.
So, one’s personality can be innocuously seen in the way one vacations, or what someone orders/eats, and this can make one judgmental of another due to personality differences.
But here भगवान् is saying that all of this is due to प्रकृति / these गुण-s.
In some people one गुण may be dominant.
The dominant गुण may depend on one’s stage of life. E.g. since the phase of motherhood demands a lot of activity, therefore there may be more रजस् |
Also, throughout the day, गुण-s change in the individual & the environment.
So, the personality interacting with the sense objects is all the play of प्रकृति |
Judgements are made based on one’s energy level, enthusiasm, achievements. But these judgements are all based on अहंकार, but अहंकार is विमूढात्मा i.e. one is deluded due to the play of गुण-s/प्रकृति |
Sometimes, one cannot help oneself and does an action unthinkingly, e.g. open a bag of Lays potato chips and eats, and then afterwards one considers- was I really in charge of the situation? It was the गुण-s all the way.
So, one can keep shifting from judgement to judgement due to this play of प्रकृति |
So, all drama is due to personality difference due to प्रकृति / the 3-गुण-s, and we are seemingly conditioned by these…
Or are we?
श्लोक २८
तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयो: ।
गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥ २८॥
The play of the गुण-s express in the body-mind sense complex.
Everyone has सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् | All are important, no one is superior to the next.
For instance, if one works hard all day, it is good to have तमस् to go to sleep at night.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: addresses Arjuna as महाबाहो (the one who is mighty armed), and tells-
the one who knows the truth of गुण & कर्म, which is that some people are inclined to do certain कर्म due to गुण |
One can ‘feed the गुण’, e.g. by doing certain activities that one likes, it cultivates the respective गुण |
So, one can be born with certain गुण-s, and these can change depending on how they are nurtured; and even during the day गुण-s change.
So, one should not think that one is conditioned by the गुण-s, though they give one their personality.
तत्त्ववित् ~ the knower of the reality understands that,
प्रकृति or माया शक्ति is really a शक्ति of ब्रह्मन् the limitless.
I am not conditioned by the condition of the body or mind.
So, if I define myself as अहंकार, this is विमूढात्मा |
I remain as विमूढात्मा अहंकार because this कर्ता identity makes me feel so important.
E.g. The retired colonel still uses the title Colonel(retired), though he has long left the army.
Because one feels defined by that role, it lingers and stays as one’s identity.
So, it is time to drop this अहंकार identity, but because it made one feel so powerful, one holds on to it.
Therefore, with the understanding of the play of प्रकृति, one should not be too judgmental of oneself or the other.
One should know That which is present in & through all qualities, experiences, and situations of lifetimes is तत्त्व/reality, and then that person in never bound.
Sometimes I forget to see what I am struggling with is in fact the results of a contribution I made, with the best effort I could. I fail to realize whatever it is that hurt me were just the results and out of my control. So I try to pick apart the results and obsess over figuring out where I might have gone wrong in my contribution, etc trying to control what I really cannot control. I am thankful for this reminder that keeps coming from learning with you, Swaminiji. That I can stop defining myself by the outcome of an event .. it is so freeing to remember this. 🙂
We are exploring the relationship amongst कर्म, कर्मफल, and how one defines oneself.
According to शास्त्र, कर्म has nothing to do with how I define myself.
E.g. One can do one’s स्वधर्म as a butcher in the slaughterhouse, or as a पण्डित in the temple doing पूजा |
Depending on the slot that one has, the कर्म that one does gives कर्मफल in the form of पुण्य & पापा. This is where one is deluded by प्रकृति |
We define ourselves by प्रकृति, in terms of our personality being सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस्, and then struggle out of self-judgment.
When I define myself by प्रकृति, I can say that I am mix of सत्त्व & रजस् ~ I am dynamic, motivated backed by sound discrimination.
But, then, no matter how much effort is made, it is a no-win situation.
Why?
Because प्रकृति/माया शक्ति (सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस्) is always in flux at the cosmic level, at the level of society & at the level of the individual.
Any कर्म done is impelled by प्रकृति (सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस्). सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् are the गुण-s of the body-mind-senses (discussed in श्लोक २७). But according to this, I define myself as कर्ता |
Those who are सम्मूढा: i.e. confused & deluded by प्रकृति, which are the modifications of the गुण-s in oneself,
What will happen to them?
सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु – They get totally bound by this गुण & कर्म |
But, the one who knows कृत्स्न(completely) आत्मा free from all गुण-s, should not disturb the one who is मन्दान् i.e. the one deluded by these modifications.
E.g. One can observe the many crocodiles at the crocodile park close to Chennai. It is easy to mistake the crocodile for a rock as they don’t move much, only using a total of ~190 calories for all daily activities!
If one were to resist the lazy demeanor of the crocodile, saying that it should increase its activity, then who is मन्द:? The crocodile will most certainly pounce on its prey when it needs to.
So, all creatures behave according to how they are programmed by प्रकृति ~ the snake slithering, the turtle withdrawing its limbs, the cheetah running fast, the coronavirus mutating.
So, प्रकृति explains the स्वभाव of different species including human beings. Some humans may be very actively involved in a lot of projects, or others are fine with just a few to give their time & attention to. This is the personality.
But, if one defines oneself by this personality, then this is a problem.
Because, I get bound by it.
Then, I always want to push myself, thinking that I need to work harder, but really this is not the only solution to success.
If I give more focus to one aspect of life, will balance be maintained in all relationships and roles? If I delude myself into thinking that more time & effort at work will give a better result, then what happens to all other roles & family relationships? Then family relationships & friendships go down the drain, and then when one needs help, there is no one there to support.
So, how are we defining ourselves? Are we mistakenly thinking that more कर्म will give मोक्ष? E.g. more वेदान्त classes, more meditation etc. This is a sign of रजस् |
Regardless of what or how much one is doing, am I able to see the meaning of life and the meaning of limitless ब्रह्मन् as I?
If people around one are engaged in different types of work, and the wise person says that कर्म will not give मोक्ष, this will bring disturbance.
Because then one thinks that no matter how great one is at one’s job, how wonderful one’s relationships are, then it does not matter, because it will not give मोक्ष |
And this is the truth- no matter what one does, only ज्ञानम् gives मोक्ष ~ the knowledge that I was never the कर्ता nor भोक्ता | But whom this truth is shared with is important.
If there is a person trying to do one’s job, telling that person that कर्म will not give मोक्ष, brings confusion to them. As then the person wants to withdraw from कर्म | And anyhow the person did not want to do anyway, because doing was such a big effort.
But at the same time the person does not have enough अन्तःकरण शुद्धि: to pursue मोक्ष |
Therefore, as we study वेदान्त, we should be mindful of what we say to whom.
The one who knows आत्मा, should not disturb the one who does not know and does not care to know, because they are मन्द (do not have विवेक i.e. knowing what is right versus what is not right).
All pursuit & performance of कर्म, whether it is सत्त्व-based~pursuit of knowledge & clarity in any area, pursuit of धर्म, pursuit of a lot of activity, all of this comes from a sense of अपूर्णता(incompleteness).
Therefore, depending on one’s personality, one acts accordingly in a given situation. But all of this is for what?
At face value it may be to put food on the table, or to have fun.
But, the root cause is that I think that I am not enough with what is here with me.
So, what shall we do?
* श्लोक ३० *
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वर: ॥ ३०॥
Given that there are disturbances in the mind, because of what we have done, or not done, and all wishes/desires that we have, then what shall we do?
So, भगवान् says-
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि ~ all of your कर्म,
you offer it to me.
You are fascinated by संन्यास, then this is your संन्यास |
And with what kind of mind should कर्म be offered? अध्यात्मचेतसा i.e. let the चेतस्(mind) be discriminatory, with विवेक, wanting to know, a mind that learns the sweetness of surrender.
And then what happens as a result?
What disturbs one is:
~ our आशी: i.e. our hopes & fears, and
~ मम: i.e. what is mine.
So then, with this offering, one becomes free from the preoccupation with the future, and from the sense of ‘my’ness.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: addresses Arjuna, telling him,
युध्यस्व ~ fight.
He says this to Arjuna because it is Arjuna’s duty as a क्षत्रिय to fight battles in order to uphold धर्म |
And भगवान् says to do this विगत(without) ज्वर: (fever) i.e. without anger & frustration.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:’s teaching is that this is a job to be done, so just do it.
E.g. As a couple gets ready to be wedded, more emphasis is placed on the wedding day (the decor, clothes, food, guest list), than on the marriage ahead.
Before taking the leap, the couple should consider, are we good at fighting with each other? How do we resolve a disagreement? Can conflicts be resolved in such a way that no grudges & regrets are carried forward? With love, hopefully the benefit of the doubt is given to the other.
We observe ourselves/others still thinking about situations long past because the event still bothers us. Therefore, one should give the other the benefit of the doubt and trust.
One must understand that the other is not out to attack me, and also that I myself will not attack the other. Or else one gets caught up with what will happen.
Then again & again, one chews over and regurgitates the thoughts of ~ how will it be? will it be okay? what wilI I do?
If one doubts whether one can handle the situation, simply offer the कर्म to भगवान् |
So, any doubts, fears, emotions, e.g. anxiety, one should offer to भगवान् |
Offering to भगवान् means that one sees that one’s ability to do any kind of कर्म is pervaded by the laws of कर्म, and the different results that I get are as a result of कर्म |
E.g. choosing to have a relationship with a certain person, choosing to go to another city.
In this way, I see myself as a दास of भगवान् |
In the वैष्णव tradition, some people are given a surname like दास (the one who serves). It is a good reminder that I am here to serve, to do सेव |
Whatever कर्म I do, I see it pervaded by the laws of कर्म all the way~ पुण्य & पापा are shaped by भगवान् Himself.
Then, performing कर्म with this understanding, I feel so light, knowing that भगवान् will take care, trusting that I am taken care of.
When भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: tells Arjuna that you may fight, it is because Arjuna is a क्षत्रिय, and as his duty he has to fight. So, this is not a license for everyone to fight.
With respect to one’s sense of ‘my’ness, if one’s opinion is challenged, can one keep aside their opinion and still relate to the other. E.g. There can be 2 opposing opinions- one likes versus the other hates the Prime Minister. Fights can break out within families due to rigid stances on these matters. But can one keep aside their political opinion and still relate to the other?
So, a lot of disagreement is due to this ‘my’ness.
But one feels so strongly- It is my opinion; how can you go against me? It is my word. This is how I feel.
With the exploration of a disagreement, it always starts with ‘I felt like this’. But all that is felt is a reaction to what has happened.
So, it is to get out of the strong ownership of that emotion.
After an argument, if I am feeling hurt & upset, the other is also likely feeling like that way too. The other person’s feelings are equally valid, regardless of who is right and who is wrong.
But one only focuses on ‘my’ emotions, because like the child who throws a tantrum for ‘my’ toy, one does not want to part with one’s feelings.
Given all these difficulties, भगवान् says do not worry,
offer all this upset feeling to Me, recognizing and telling भगवान् ~ I am upset, I see the emotional order pervaded by You, I do not resist it, I do what I can in all my different roles.
This is भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:’s response to Arjuna on how to fight.
Whatever कर्म one is doing, I am put in a situation where only I am called upon to respond i.e. there is a manifestation of धर्म operating.
And to keep the प्रवर्तितं चक्रं (cosmic wheel) [श्लोक १६] in motion, I have to do my bit.
So, I surrender with understanding pervaded by the fact that everything is given to me, and I do what I can. कर्मफल is taking care of the present and will take care of the future.
So, I give up the associated feverishness (this preoccupation with the future and with what I think is mine), and approach all life-experiences with an attitude of कर्म योग |
How often does one have कर्म योग attitude? श्लोक ३१…
So, how often does one have कर्म योग attitude?
* श्लोक ३१ *
ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवा: ।
श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभि: ॥ ३१॥
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says – What I have said in terms of offering one’s कर्म to भगवान्, this should be done नित्यम् (always).
E.g. Some अश्रम-s have a timetable with कर्म योग scheduled for a specific time. But this slated कर्म योग is really a time-slot for collective सेव |
कर्म योग is not time-bound ~ there is no specific time to offer one’s कर्म to भगवान्, or to be accepting of others.
Collective सेव is good because depending on one’s personality/culture, the way things are done may be different, so there can be reason for disagreement, and then eventual acceptance & accommodation.
So, कर्म योग does not fit into a scheduled time slot. कर्म योग is a 365-24/7 disposition that one tries to bring into one’s life.
कर्म योग does not fit into the should/should not list that we create for ourselves. Relax. It is to see the vision, and approach with a gentleness towards oneself, but also be tough on oneself too.
So, the मानवा:(people) who follow this teaching and try to bring in कर्म योग, how are they supposed to do it?
Be equipped with श्रद्धा | श्रद्धा means trust. श्रद्धा does not mean faith.
I trust the Teacher who teaches about कर्म योग |
And अनसूयन्त: ~ I do not find fault with the teaching.
This is why giving the benefit of doubt to people is an important quality to develop.
How can one trust the Teacher if one does not trust one’s partner, children, co-workers?
We can look at 4 कृपाs(trusts)-
(i) आत्मा कृपा – Trust in oneself.
(ii) ईश्वर कृपा – Trust in भगवान्, or भगवान्’s grace.
(iii) शास्त्र कृपा – Trust in our शास्त्र |
(iv) पर कृपा – Trust in the other, whomsoever the other may be.
Everyone has faced situations where their trust has been affected.
It makes one not trust the other. One feels disconnected, isolated, lonely, always second guessing the other. There can be grounds for not trusting the other.
So, as a person, am I a trusting person?
Do I trust myself to do the right thing? When given a difficult situation, I trust myself to do my best.
And I trust the other. If someone says something, it is not that they have malice in their heart and they are out to get me; it is their प्रकृति | And similarly it is my स्वभाव that determines my hot-headed response.
श्रद्धा in Teacher is part of our needed 6-pack i.e. षट्क संपत्ति: (the 6-fold wealth) of a वेदान्त student.
श्रद्धा in शास्त्र does not come naturally, it comes from a trust in life.
This happens when one comes to terms with the कर्म in one’s life, and understands that no one deliberately gives me a tough time. I am only experiencing my own choices which have fructified. There is no one to blame.
And then, by extension one can have a working trust in the Teacher and the Teaching.
The Teacher comes with the package of the Teaching.
So, if one does not want to relate to the Teacher, then there is a problem.
Why not relate? Because all of us are rebellious, all of us struggle with authority. There are different ways that one’s rebelliousness manifests, e.g. not switching on one’s video during class. And then one makes excuses for this.
So, if I do not go along with a small, non-forceful request by the Teacher, then how am I going to listen to the words of the शास्त्र from the Teacher? Then, one will have doubts.
Or for instance if we get caught up in analyzing the personality or any idiosyncrasy (which we all have) of the Teacher, then the Teaching is lost since we were paying attention to प्रकृति instead of आत्मा |
The Teacher-student relationship is for the purpose of the Teaching, for nothing else.
Any criticism that the mind comes up with, e.g. maybe we should get a 20-point bullet point list of the class teaching etc., it is an unequipped अहंकार trying to take on the role of the teacher.
श्रद्धा वन्त: अनसूयन्त: मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभि: –
On the other hand, my trust in शास्त्र will bless me. Because I will accept the words of शास्त्र that reveal that I am limitless आत्मा, despite any कर्म that I do. I am free from all सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् | So, with श्रद्धा, one is मुच्यन्ते कर्मभि ~ one is free from the effects of कर्म, only with self-knowledge.
Because the cause of all suffering is अपूर्णता & अविद्या | So, the only solution is knowledge.
So, more or less कर्म is not the answer. It is not to withdraw from all responsibilities and meditate in a cave. It is to recognize that I am not defined by the कर्म that I do.
This is a difficult concept to come to terms with as the media’s messages tell us that we are less or more because of what we do. Often one of the first questions asked in a conversation is ~ what do you do? And it is often profession-based.
Also depending on the outcomes of different life events, e.g. divorce, one defines oneself and one may feel bad about oneself. So, one allows कर्म to define me.
But शास्त्र tells that I am not कर्ता | I am अकर्ता, I am अभोक्ता, I am चैतन्य-consciousness. To be with this vision, I have to have trust, or else in the teaching there will be a lot of apparent contradictions in one’s mind.
Because at one point, the Teacher will talk about doing a lot of कर्म, and then later on the same Teacher/Teaching will say to withdraw from कर्म |
So, one must be present for the entire journey or else one only gets little bits & pieces. शास्त्र study is not a buffet-style approach where one chooses to accept part of the teaching and not accept another part. That is one’s रागद्वेष operating. Therefore, one should have श्रद्धा to see all of it.
Therefore, in traditional वेदान्त study, meeting with the गुरु from time to time is important; this is not just necessary when one has a problem.
This is an individual journey with a definite pursuit. Therefore, relationally one needs to have trust in one’s गुरु for their own sake. One has to trust the Teacher in order to trust the words of the Teaching.
One’s own personal study e.g. listening to many videos on one’s own, creates one’s own idea of the Teaching and this does not work.
* श्लोक ३२ *
ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् ।
सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतस: ॥ ३२॥
With श्रद्धा/trust, one says that well वेदान्त says that I am limitless, however right now I feel limited, but I will enquire into this. This is a trusting & open attitude.
Whereas, those who find fault in the Teaching, will say that वेदान्त is rubbish.
Then, someone may even say things like- Swami-s are not to be trusted, that they hypnotize.
So, there are those who are critical for no reason.
For instance, some people actually start a sentence with ‘no’. It has become a part of one’s vocabulary, such that one is not even conscious of it.
E.g. if one keeps on telling a kid ‘no’, the kid will turn around and also say ‘no’ to one.
One can relate to this by trying not to say ‘no’ for one week, or even just for an hour.
This is not glorifying the word ‘yes’, but ‘no’ can indicate resistance to things, people and situations.
So, one can reflect on when to say ‘no’, as this can extend to one being critical of the Teaching.
So, what happens to such a person?
If a person does not have the विवेक to discriminate between what is eternal and what is temporary, it is likely that the person will be confused about what is the right thing to be done in a given situation i.e. धर्म versus अधर्म, e.g. speaking more or shouting less.
सर्वज्ञान ~ in all one’s interactions, in all different domains of knowledge,
नष्ट (destruction) ~ one is likely to be lost i.e. there is constant confusion about what is the right thing to be done.
E.g. should I give this person one more chance or not? etc.
Confusion in one’s mind on many things, will deplete one’s energy. This back & forth vacillating saps a lot of energy.
So, as one follows the vision, one should try to have a working trust, at least try to see if it works.
E.g. after cataract surgery, and the bandages come off, one insists on a guarantee from the doctor that one would be able to see, before one opens the eyes.
Really one just has to open one’s eyes to see.
So, similarly one has to open one’s eyes to the प्रमाण i.e. the means of knowledge that reveals the Truth. I have to allow the प्रमाण to work, so that much working trust should be there.
So, श्रद्धा is required for this learning.
The scenario is different in an academic setting. One is not asked to have श्रद्धा in the teacher.
But, in वेदान्त, the qualities of the अधिकारी are the required qualifications, not one’s secular qualifications.
So, there should be trust in life, in भगवान्, in कर्म, trust that pervades me.
So that one allows the शास्त्र to work.
Otherwise one remains lost, and cannot be freed from the hold of कर्म, and the cycle continues.
Even the ज्ञानवान्-s (i.e. the one who has ज्ञानम्) i.e. the wise person, also behaves according to प्रकृति |
So, whatever action the ज्ञानवान् does, it is because of प्रकृति |
And भूतानि (all beings) follow their own स्वभाव,
निग्रह: किं करिष्यति~ then what is the use of control?
This is not a deterministic statement.
We see different ज्ञानी-s with different life trajectories.
For instance, Pujya Swamiji Dayananda Sarasvati traveled a lot, taught classes, and initiated a lot of projects.
Whereas his गुरु, Swami Tarananda Giriji lived quietly in Haridwar and said that I will only teach the people who come to Me.
So, each has their own स्वभाव, and we cannot say that one way is right and the other is wrong i.e. traveling the world versus staying in one place. Each has their unique प्रारब्ध and they don’t resist it.
Wisdom has nothing to do with one’s lifestyle. So though there may be different personalities, the knowledge is the same. But we tend to be judgmental.
But, the question arises- if one’s behavior is due to one’s स्वभाव, then should one attempt to control it?…श्लोक ३४
The question arises- if one’s behavior is because of one’s स्वभाव, then should one attempt to control it?
So, this is an important verse-
* श्लोक ३४ *
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ ।
तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥ ३४॥
Here, राग-द्वेष is discussed-
राग ~ strong like,
द्वेष ~ strong dislike.
In this श्लोक, we see the word इन्द्रिय repeated for emphasis.
E.g. In the Indian culture to indicate that one would like a cup of very hot tea, one may ask for a cup of ‘hot, hot tea’.
So, repetition here is for emphasis.
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे ~ in different sense objects related to the sense organs,
there is the potential for राग-द्वेष |
So, तयो: (in relation to these 2) i.e. राग & द्वेष,
वशमागच्छेत् ~ do not be under their control.
Both (राग & द्वेष) are like परिपन्थिनौ (enemies) i.e. they do not wish well for me, they are not helpful to me.
One’s unique personality is due to राग & द्वेष |
But one confuses love with obedience & control, e.g. if you love me you will sit down.
Or, I want my work-environment & colleagues to be a specific way.
However, when that strong like or dislike defines & controls me, and dictates how I am with others, then it becomes inimical to me.
All conflicts in one’s life are due to great रागद्वेष |
So, one should introspect- what are my राग-द्वेष ?
One observes रागद्वेष where there is the concept that things ‘should’ be done like this, beyond something being desirable, but rather dictating one’s mood.
If राग is fulfilled, one is in a great mood, but if it is not fulfilled, one says that I had a lousy day.
So, this has to do with one’s subconscious as what one likes or does not like, clashes with what the other person wants.
So, one should engage in a dialogue with the other and determine what is okay with the other, and how best I can contribute to the situation.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: does NOT say to do नाश(destroy) of one’s राग-द्वेष, as any skill/ability that one has, e.g. music, is because of one’s राग, and it has served one well.
So, what is being said is that one should not come under the control of रागद्वेष |
Instead one should align one’s रागद्वेष with धर्म i.e. what contributes to the well-being & welfare of the other, as well as to my well-being & welfare.
E.g. A woman misunderstood this verse and thought that it was her राग that she did not want to be mistreated by her abusive partner. This is not the meaning.
And one should do कर्म in the light of कर्म योग, so that one does not come under the spell of रागद्वेष |
The problem is not with राग-द्वेष, but the level of identification with one’s रागद्वेष – it is the compulsion to act upon the रागद्वेष, e.g. ‘can’t eat just one’ Lays chips. So, people sometimes use the strategy of not keeping the item of राग in stock at home e.g. cigarettes.
If one has a strong राग, one will have a corresponding द्वेष |
E.g. if I love kind & generous people, then I will avoid selfish & manipulative people.
All of us have the capacity to be either so we should not categorize others like this.
So, I can recognize रागद्वेष as part of the order that is भगवान्, and understand that due to the repetition of different thoughts I have likes & dislikes.
I cannot remove this रागद्वेष completely, but I can reduce these to preferences.
Desire is a privilege, so I should not allow desire to bother me. If it is fulfilled great, but if it is not fulfilled, then it should not be a problem.
Because anyway I do not define myself by the outcome of an event.
I am चैतन्य | In this व्यवहार role, I work on different things – some work out, some do not.
I do what I can with my रागद्वेष in line धर्म, offering it to भगवान् with कर्म योग बुद्धि:, so I do not come under the spell of रागद्वेष |
Otherwise, one thinks that I have conflict with people, but the conflict is due to the intensity of one’s रागद्वेष projecting how one wants people/situations to be. And if they do not align with my expectations, then all hell breaks loose.
So instead one should bring in the attitude of कर्म योग |
This is an oft quoted verse especially in the context of not running away from one’s स्वधर्म |
But what is my स्वधर्म? Figuring out one’s स्वधर्म may take a lifetime…
One’s स्वधर्म is a combination of things:
(i) सामान्य धर्म ~ the practice of values like honesty, truthfulness, compassion, justice etc. with all beings.
(ii) विशेष धर्म ~ one’s responsibility related to family members, relatives, i.e. looking at all of one’s roles- partner, parent, colleague, employer/employee, citizen & my contribution to society.
Pujya Swamiji says that real growth happens when one grows from being a consumer to being a contributor.
So, I should ask myself, what is my ratio of consumption to contribution?
(iii) पञ्चमहायज्ञा ~ my responsibility to:
– पितृ ~ Parents and ancestors.
– ऋषि ~ Teachers, Knowledge and our Vedic culture.
– भूत ~ our eco-system i.e. all living beings.
– देवता-s ~ presiding deities over the cosmic forces.
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु व: ।
परस्परं भावयन्त: श्रेय: परमवाप्स्यथ ॥ ११॥ Chapter 3.
– मनुष्य ~ our fellow beings.
(For more on this one can check out Podcast #153 Panchamahayajna – the 5 sets of relationships we must honor~ https://discoveratma.com/153-panchamahayajna-the-5-sets-of-relationships-we-must-honor/)
So, we are connected to all five, so it is not a matter of choice but rather responsibility.
In one’s thinking, there is this ‘beggarly’ notion that I have to extend my arms to receive. So, one should shift to thinking that I have the power to give. Even the helpless & dependent babe can give a smile, so everyone can give something. So, what can I give?
(iv) In addition to this, there may be a cause which one resonates with, and wants to work on. E.g. If one was a victim of abuse, one may feel strongly about helping those who are survivors of abuse. Or one may want to contribute to education or healthcare etc.
Along this vein, in the build-up to Republic Day we are exploring at least 26 ways that we can contribute to Bharat. (https://www.youtube.com/c/DiscoverAtma)
So, we have to figure out our स्वधर्म |
And here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says that whatever is one’s स्वधर्म, it is better to do this, even if it is विगुण: (not perfect & a struggle), than to do someone else’s धर्म | It is okay to struggle with one’s own स्वधर्म, as this struggle will help one to grow into maturity.
Often, we are kind & compassionate about someone else’s problems, but within one’s own family it is not so. Therefore, as a minimum, we should find ways to live in harmony with one’s own family.
Only I can do what I have to do in my given role as a parent, child, sibling, partner.
My unique स्वधर्म is laid out for me.
So too Arjuna’s स्वधर्म is laid out. As a क्षत्रिय who is accomplished, and a leader amongst men, he cannot lament and say that I will do साधु धर्म and go to Rishikesh and live a life on भिक्षा |
This is not acceptable. As if one does not do their स्वधर्म, a lot of things will fall apart.
Therefore, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: makes a strong statement- that even if one dies whilst performing one’s धर्म, that is better than performing another’s धर्म |
Also, if one tries to perform the धर्म of someone else, there will always be fear.
When one tries to play the role of someone else, one makes a mess, because in so doing-
(i) I am shedding my own responsibilities,
E.g. Extra-marital affairs bloom as one tries to perform the धर्म of being another’s partner instead of figuring out how can I be a better spouse to my own marriage-partner.
(ii) Not giving the other person a chance to be capable and do what they are supposed to be doing.
And with doing another’s job, there is the fear- Am I doing this correctly? Should I be doing, or not doing?
It may seem attractive to do the work of someone else, but this is not correct.
It is about learning to be comfortable with all roles that I am assigned and performing my responsibilities in those roles.
This by itself is a huge cycle of learning, because we usually resist doing.
E.g. One may choose to escape into वेदान्त and meditate instead of having to try to relate to one’s husband/wife, and so use this as an escape method. But one loses out on the opportunity to fight & make-up with one’s partner, and to learn and grow from this encounter.
Therefore, one should be clear about what one is doing and not dodge responsibility.
Also, भगवान् is explaining that whatever be one’s slot, the purpose is not to do the best कर्म possible, as each कर्म is limited with limited results. There is no perfect कर्म |
It is to gain maturity with the performance of धर्म |
As performing धर्म is not easy; one is constantly struggling with रागद्वेष |
But, in time, the more one performs one’s स्वधर्म, one grows bigger than one’s रागद्वेष and sees oneself free from रागद्वेष, as रागद्वेष reduces to preferences.
And then there is the recognition that I am more than all different situations & experiences.
And with this, there is a tremendous courage to fight any battle of injustice, e.g. inheritance issues within families etc.
So, having spoken about रागद्वेष, doing one’s स्वधर्म, and the signs of a wise person (including not to disturb the one who is not wise),
Arjuna now asks a question-
* श्लोक ३६ *
अर्जुन उवाच ।
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुष: ।
अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजित: ॥ ३६॥
He addresses Lord कृष्ण: as वार्ष्णेय |
Duryodhana also asks a similar question in the महाभारत –
जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्ति: |
जानाम्यधर्मं न च मे निवृत्ति: ||
केनापि देवेन हृदि स्थितेन यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा करोमि ।
I know what is धर्म, but I cannot seem to engage in धर्म, and I also know what is अधर्म but I cannot seem to disengage from अधर्म | Something seems to sit in my heart which impels me, and I go along with that inner voice.
Here, Arjuna asks a similar question-
केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं ~ By what are we impelled to do पापा ?
E.g. I do not want to be rude, but the words seem to tumble out of my mouth. Or, I don’t want to cut corners, but I end up cutting corners. I want to do the right thing and contribute to taxes, but I make excuses for filing my taxes incorrectly, saying that anyway the government has not done anything for me.
So, by what are people impelled to do acts of अधर्म ?
Though there is no इच्छा (desire) to do something wrong, it seems like I am being pushed with momentum to do so.
I know all the right things to do, but I do not do this. Why?
भगवान् replies-
* श्लोक ३७ *
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भव: ॥
महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥ ३७॥
एष ~ this (which you are familiar with),
काम/desire ~ binding desire,
and the क्रोध (anger) that arises due to non-fulfillment of desire,
is borne of too much रजस् in you.
And what about this binding desire? महाशन: ~ it is a big glutton. Like a fire, it is अनल: (never enough). [अलम्-enough]
So, this fire wants more, and as a result it is महापाप्मा (great पापी), impelling one to do acts of अधर्म |
So, may you know that this is your true enemy.
भगवान् explains further with 3 metaphors-
* श्लोक ३८ *
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।
यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥ ३८॥
These metaphors illustrate how difficult it is to remove the binding nature of desire.
(i) Like the blazing वह्नि (fire) being covered by clouds of धूम (smoke). So too, knowledge is there of what is the right thing to do in a given situation, but binding desire covers it. So, one has to wait for the smoke to die down, or not stoke the fire, or allow a nice wind to blow the smoke away.
(ii) Like दर्श:(mirror) covered by a lot of मल (dust). The glass of the mirror by itself is clear & transparent. But, if it is covered by dust, then effort has to be put forth to remove the dust.
(iii) Just as a fetus is covered by the womb. Therefore, so too knowledge is covered by desire.
We have to understand that desire is not a bad thing.
E.g. wanting nice vacations, desiring desert after meals, tv watching, wanting to be validated.
But, binding desire means that it must be done, if one is not able to fulfill the desire then the result is a most unpleasant mood.
So binding desire means that this desire must be fulfilled at all costs, and one does not care about the consequences.
E.g. addictions – one may steal in order to fulfill an addiction.
These particular 3 metaphors are used to indicate the varying effort needed to remove some of these binding desires. For instance, some desires can just be easily blown away. Or another desire may require more effort, like wiping the dust off a mirror. Or some desires are so binding, that they take a long time, like an entire gestational period for the knowledge to shine forth. And like pregnancy/childbirth, this desire is also struggled with.
Now भगवान् explains for us the concept that was just illustrated-
* श्लोक ३९ *
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा ।
कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥ ३९॥
So, we know the meaning of the prior metaphors in श्लोक ३८ because भगवान् now clearly uses the words ज्ञानम् & काम in this श्लोक |
Even for the ज्ञानिन:(wise person), know that this person’s ज्ञानम् can also be covered by this नित्यवैरि (constant enemy) in the form of काम |
Any binding desire is a symptom of अपूर्णत (sense of incompleteness), and I seek to be complete by fulfilling the desire.
E.g. Only if I go on holiday, then all is well with the world.
Or, I must succeed in anything & everything that I do. But what is the definition of success?
Then, I whip myself and think less of myself if I don’t succeed. Also, I don’t want others to think less of me, so I push myself & others too.
These desires are good, but when one takes them to the extreme, saying that it must happen in this way, then the desires are binding.
Everyone wants to succeed, but when there is an insistence on success with no scope for failure or no plan B, then pressure is put on oneself, and for what?
The definition of success is that I will feel complete.
So, where is this काम present?
* श्लोक ४० *
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते ।
एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥ ४०॥
Our country’s defense forces try to figure out where the enemy is so that they can have a strategy to attack. So where is this काम?
The अधिष्ठानम्/locus is in इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धि: (my own senses, in my mind, in my intellect). Knowledge is also there. So, these binding desires are always doing आवरण (covering) of the knowledge that is there.
So, this situation is tougher than expected, as it is not an external enemy to battle, but rather an internal enemy.
So, then one may loathe/hate oneself, thinking why do I not have enough willpower to deal with my desire?
So, भगवान् continues-
* श्लोक ४१ *
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ ।
पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥ ४१॥
Therefore, knowing that all acts of अधर्म are committed due to the binding nature of desire, which is a glutton, making one commit to things that one does not want to commit to,
therefore, one should learn to have mastery over one’s senses, mind & intellect, and destroy the real enemy.
So, who is the real enemy i.e. the enemy of one’s knowledge? Binding desires.
Therefore, भगवान् is telling us that, may you have more-
(i) दम: – mastery over the way you use your body.
(ii) शम: – mastery over the resolution of the mind.
So, only I can work on this binding nature of desire, by seeing the havoc that it causes for me, and may I destroy it.
भगवान् has already spoken of कर्म योग – with the spirit of कर्म योग, may you surrender this to me.
Whatever is the nature of one’s desires, do not worry too much about it, instead offer it to भगवान् |
भगवान् Himself told us this in श्लोक ३० –
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वर: ॥ ३०॥
Then, without the sense of me & mine, do what has to be done.
So, instead of worrying- how will it be, what will happen, will it work out? One can surrender all doubts & anxieties. One can take time to make a commitment, but then once the commitment is made, one should go with it. Then, one’s धर्म should be performed in this commitment.
Along with कर्म योग बुद्धि:, may you see that you are not touched by your desire.
And so भगवान् shows us how to do दृग्-दृश्य (seer-seen) विवेक |
This is an inquiry that we do in order to understand who is the seer & what is the seen.
So, we can start with our experience. Looking at our surroundings, one sees the computer screen, and as one moves one’s gaze around the room, there is the recognition that the prior object is displaced by the current object in one’s view. So, that which is दृश्य (seen) changes. That which is unchanging is my eyes with respect to the different sights.
But then even my eyesight changes. When I go to the ophthalmologist, the lens before my eyes is adjusted until I see clearly. The ophthalmologist asks- Can you see clearly with these lenses? So, how can I see whether I see clearly or not?
This is because my eyesight is changing, and so it is also दृश्यम् | When there is smoke or fog, I cannot see.
So, the mind (दृग्) determines whether I can see clearly or not with respect to the changing eyesight (दृश्यम्).
Then, if one is asked- how do I feel, or what did I have for breakfast, how do I know the answer to this question?
I see the thoughts & emotions of the mind. I observe the mind changing with its different memories, feelings, and thoughts.
So, the mind is दृश्यम्/seen, but I-आत्मा am दृग् (the seer).
This दृग्, I-आत्मा, am untouched by what is happening in the mind.
E.g. Clay pot. Does one ask clay- how are you dealing with your binding desires? No. It is the pot with form, thinking itself to be finite/limited/अपूर्णता that has the desire to be complete. For clay there is no struggle whatsoever.
So, with respect to desire management, one can have
(i) कर्म योग बुद्धि: – go after the desire, aligning it with धर्म, and offering it to भगवान् |
and alongside this also have,
(ii) the understanding that I-आत्मा am untouched by all desire.
The mind is greater than the sense organs.
For instance, the ears within its sphere of operation, can only hear within a certain decibel level.
However, मनस् (the mind) with its function of memory & feeling/desires can have feelings/desires not limited to a specific sphere. E.g. one can desire to go to Mars.
So, the nature of the mind is pervasive, whereas the various sense organs are localized.
Then, compared to मन:, बुद्धि: (the intellect) is superior. मन: wanders all over the place, but बुद्धि: is firm & resolute. E.g. in the grocery store, मनस् thinks that I want all these things, but बुद्धि: remains firm that this is all that I need. The बुद्धि: has the function to be able to take decisions.
But that which is superior to this बुद्धि: is स:(He) i.e. I-आत्मा / the Truth.
The nature of desire could be anything.
In each experience of binding desire, if I don’t do, there is the feeling of not being productive.
But one should be able to see that desire is fleeting, it comes & goes.
Between 2 thoughts or 2 desires, there is no desire nor desirer. In deep sleep there is no desire.
Between any 2 tasks, there is no struggle with desire; what is, is me आत्मा |
And I also see that I am untouched by the nature of desire, regardless of how intense it is.
E.g. one may have the binding desire to control one’s spouse, thinking he/she should listen to me.
But one should recognize that I am untouched by all of this.
भगवान् addresses Arjuna and tells him, that though physically you are strong,
what is more superior than your बुद्धि: ?
So, knowing I-आत्मा, I recognize that I am much more than the mind/desires etc.
Once I am rooted in my strength, then desires have no sting.
Therefore, may you destroy the enemy in the form of binding desires, which is difficult to understand.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER THREE
श्लोक १- ७ ~ Introduction to कर्म & कर्म योग; the lifestyles of कर्म योग & संन्यास/ज्ञान योग |
श्लोक ८- २० ~ Elaboration on कर्म योग, particularly the fact that one cannot escape कर्म | As long as one lives, there is कर्म to be done.
श्लोक २०- २९ ~ What a wise person should avoid doing; highlighting the need for श्रद्धा |
श्लोक ३०- ३५ ~ Some nuances of कर्म योग |
श्लोक ३६- ४३ ~ The problem of binding desires, and the solution to binding desires.
Throughout, the topic of रागद्वेष was covered. One should note that रागद्वेष is not a problem by itself, but when one comes under the spell of रागद्वेष with binding desire, then this is a problem.
Therefore, may one have the mastery of this.
One can overcome binding desire with-
(i) कर्म योग बुद्धि:
(ii) साक्षी meditation.
Each chapter ends with ~ ॐ तत् सत् | ॐ is the only reality.
The conclusion of the chapter reiterates that श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is the essence of the उपनिषद्, talking of ब्रह्मविद्या i.e. the knowledge of the Reality-I, and the knowledge of योग i.e. the knowledge of how to live this life.
And this knowledge is shared through the dialogue between भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: and Arjuna, in this chapter on कर्म योग |
Notably, this chapter starts with कर्म and ends with ज्ञानम् |
This completes the third chapter.
It is noteworthy that Pujya Swamiji repeated the Brahmarpanam prayer/prayer before meals twice-
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ २४॥
The third chapter of the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता concluded with the teaching of how Arjuna and all of us can overcome binding desire. ‘Binding’ is specified, to distinguish binding desire from काम | काम is a valid pursuit according to the वेद | Binding desire is when काम debilitates one, and I must have it by hook or by crook.
The permanent solution to binding desire is understanding that I am ever दृग् (Seer), I am never दृश्यम् (seen). The seen is the desire and all that comes along in its wake.
In transaction, one can manage desires~ by prioritization, making desires goal-oriented, being process-focused, and aligning desire with धर्म | However, true independence from binding desire comes from recognizing my स्वरूप and abiding in it.
The divisions into chapters of श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is only for our sake, depending on the topic being elaborated by भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: | श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता talks of 18 योग:-s. योग: here means topic. And each chapter is titled according to the predominant topic spoken about within.
* श्लोक १ & २*
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥ १॥
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदु: ।
स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्ट: परन्तप ॥ २॥
This Chapter Four talks of ज्ञान in the form of कर्मसंन्यास |
भगवान् begins Chapter 4 by outlining the lineage of the Teaching.
Based on all that has been said so far in all verses, the two main topics we have seen are-
(i) the nature of आत्मा; ज्ञानम्,
(ii) the lifestyle that helps one to get (i).
If one is pursuing धर्म, अर्थ, काम, alongside with मोक्ष, then this lifestyle of कर्म योग is prescribed.
If we look at the time we dedicate to वेदान्त, it is about 4 hours/month for गीता अमृतम् | This does not amount to much time over the timespan of a year. If we compare this to a weekend camp immersive experience where there is ~8-10 hours of classes; this can equate to over 2 months of classes (using the above 4 hours/month).
So, one hour/week is so little. But even with this little time of one hour/week, the power of this tradition is so great, that one’s life can be changed.
Here, भगवान् is saying that all that I have told you about knowledge and the 2 lifestyles i.e. कर्म योग & संन्यास, that I have pretty much said all that I needed to say, and I have given you the Teaching.
This is what is meant by इमम् |
इमं योग ~ This योग refers to knowledge and the lifestyle (कर्म योग & संन्यास).
संन्यास is an exclusive pursuit of मोक्ष, where धर्म, अर्थ, काम are pursued to the least minimum.
We have seen in Chapter 3 that no one can live without doing कर्म |
The संन्यास does minimum कर्म alone, leaving all time & effort for learning & teaching.
Whereas with कर्म योग lifestyle, one pursues other things alongside pursuit of मोक्ष- श्रवणम् (attending classes), contemplating on what is learnt and applying it to one’s life etc. This is done with the ultimate purpose in mind, so that when one is ready, one pursues ज्ञानम् full-time.
संन्यास is both a lifestyle and it is indicative of knowledge.संन्यास means सम्यक् (well done/completely) न्यास: (giving up) i.e. giving up completely.
So, if it is a lifestyle, then it is a choice of how one wants to live one’s life. There are vows involved in accepting संन्यास | And only a select few will take it, and only a select few are ready for it.
But what is non-negotiable is the संन्यास of कर्म in the form of ज्ञानम् |
So, संन्यास लक्षणम् is कर्म संन्यास |
कर्मसंन्यास is to give up completely my notion/identity of being a limited person.
But, I cannot even give up an opinion, so how do I give up this strong notion of being a limited individual?
So here the sense of identity that I gained recognition & self-worth from and held on to,
in the light of knowledge, I give it up by seeing the Truth of it.
Also, previously भगवान् has spoken of कर्म योग as a disposition and lifestyle, and as an approach to कर्म & कर्मफल |
Here भगवान् says that, प्रोक्तवान्~ All I have said,
I have taught to विवस्वान् (सूर्य भगवान्).
विवस्वान् did not keep this knowledge to Himself, He did not get too precious about it.
He passed it on to मनु, who taught it to इक्ष्वाकु |
So, here we see भगवान् referring to important figures in the particular Teaching lineage of the सूर्य सम्प्रदाय |
*N.B.* – एवं परम्पराप्राप्तम्
The knowledge gained, has been gained through the परम्परा i.e. it is a Teaching tradition that has been handed down from one generation to another.
And was it only for the ऋषि-s? No. It was also for राज-s who were Sages, e.g. King Janaka, in addition to the ऋषि-s.
This shows that people who were highly accomplished also had a value for this knowledge. They were not consumed by धर्म, अर्थ, काम only. They also pursued मोक्ष |
But,
कालेन – since time has elapsed,
योगो नष्ट: ~ this योग (Knowledge) that I taught you, which has been going on in the lineage, It has declined in the world.
(नष्ट means destroyed, but in this context, it means that it has declined)
भगवान् is not lamenting about this, it is just a statement of fact.
Often, we initially join class with great enthusiasm. Then, life happens, and we miss class, and feel badly about it and then drop out. Instead of thinking- Oh I missed class, so I should try to catch up; this resignation is there.
And then our clever mind uses cognitive dissonance to explain away, and rationally justify either at the conscious or subconscious level why we cannot keep up so that we don’t feel badly about ourselves.
The ones who stick with it are very few in every generation.
Here on the battlefield, भगवान् is talking to Arjuna in द्वापर युग on the cusp of कलियुग, and even then there were very few takers for this knowledge.
And now in कलियुग with the complete decline of धर्म, there is even less interest.
Importantly, as भगवान्, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is highlighting the परम्परा |
परम्परा is the lineage of the flow of knowledge that takes place from one generation to another.
सम्प्रदाय is used interchangeably with परम्परा | सम्प्रदाय means that which is given completely. [सम्यक् – good, well done, completely; प्रदानम्-giving]
E.g. In academia/ “academentia”, insecurities can come up, so the secular knowledge isn’t completely shared between teacher & student.
But ब्रह्मविद्या is the only thing that can be given completely, because the knowledge is of me as completeness/पूर्ण.
So, it is सम्यक् प्रदानम् – completely given, because I am पूर्ण i.e. I am complete in & of myself.
Therefore, सम्प्रदाय reflects the lineage/teaching tradition that is the central aspect of Sanatana Dharma Hinduism.
There is no central institution in Hinduism.
The सम्प्रदाय is the lineage of knowledge which is dotted across the landscape of Bharat that has kept Sanatana Dharma alive.
The methodology is very thorough since it is immersive learning, with one cycle of learning being 12 complete years full-time.
Each सम्प्रदाय/Teaching tradition/lineage has a central deity, e.g. Lord Shiva, Ganapati Baba, Devi Mata, with different ways of worship/practices, and various dispositions on how they look at wealth, health, the world, and the relationship between the world and the individual.
However, there are a lot of commonalities, though the सम्प्रदाय-s may be different. For instance, there is agreement that everything is sacred, even if there are different ways of looking at reality.
For example, Reality may be looked at as द्वैत with two separate entities of the individual and भगवान् | Or, it can be considered that I am part of ईश्वर | So, there may be different ways of looking at Reality.
But, what is important is the culture of reverence which is present in all सम्प्रदाय-s.
So, one can travel anywhere within India and feel at home if one goes to a temple, or meets a religious person from another सम्प्रदाय |
We see this deep श्रद्धा at pilgrimage sites, e.g. at प्रयाग् we see different people of all ages praying to any form of भगवान्~ from different deities, to the river, or to the milestones on the roadside, and it is accepted by all, it is okay.
This culture of reverence that is there, is borne of the recognition that all that is here is sacred, all is ईश्वर | This culture is transmitted through the entire culture associated with every सम्प्रदाय/lineage.
So, importantly in these verses we see-
~ ब्रह्मविद्या is given completely.
~ Specific names are mentioned in श्लोक १ to highlight the role of the सम्प्रदाय for learning to take place.
~ The mention of the सम्प्रदाय also shows that this teaching is not something new, it has been around for a long time.
* श्लोक ३ *
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योग: प्रोक्त: पुरातन: ।
भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥ ३॥
अयं मया प्रोक्त:~ all this said so far, by me,
(प्रोक्त:~ said)
it is पुरातन: ~ it is old, but ever new i.e. it is ancient but ever relevant.
So, possible concerns that Arjuna may have had at this time are:
– So then is this ancient knowledge applicable to me?
– Would our friendship last after भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: teaches me?
– What does भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: think of me?
Therefore, to remove Arjuna’s probable concerns, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says-
You are my भक्त, you are my सखा (friend).
भगवान् also says that I am telling you one great secret~ उत्तमम् रहस्यम् |
This Teaching is considered a रहस्य/secret.
It is not that one wants to deny/deprive someone of this knowledge,
but at a minimum, in order for one to understand, there should be भक्ति, with trust in भगवान् |
Some relationship with भगवान् is important, or else this knowledge has no point.
Therefore, we should reclaim trust if it has been eroded in life. Otherwise, we may not trust anyone, and always be second guessing their intention, and this can translate to doubts in the relationship with the Teacher who is part of the Teaching lineage.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: assures Arjuna, telling him that you are dear to me as a भक्त/devotee and as a friend, and this is why I am sharing this Knowledge with you.
Arjuna may have also thought, why did you not tell me this earlier, when we spent 12-13 years in the forest.
So, this could also be why भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: reassures Arjuna in this way.
This highlights the relational aspect of a Teacher-student relationship.
The Truth is actually glaringly obvious. But one has been looking externally/outwardly.
E.g. Even now, though one is studying वेदान्त, if one sees or hears an ad on the secret to ultimate happiness, one will check it out since the senses are turned externally outwards and one thinks that something external will give this happiness to me. Similarly, there is an appeal to the idea of a short crash course versus 12 years of study.
But metaphorically, भगवान् has hid that which is most precious in one’s own heart. So, I am the problem, but I am also the solution.
I have looked all over, went on all pilgrimages ~ spiritual and psychedelic, but really I am that पूर्ण that the वेद talks of.
But then one asks ~ how is it possible that I am पूर्ण? Therefore, the Truth remains a secret, because even if it is revealed to me, I do not fully assimilate it..
The basis of the Teacher-student relationship is both devotion & friendship.
Friendship is one of the most under-rated & undervalued relationships, but it is the basis of all relationships as there is an emphasis on equality. One is not trying to change the other, only support.
For instance, in marriages, once friendship is there, one can weather any storm.
But, if there are too many रागद्वेष, then this can be a problem.
So, this knowledge which is a part of the Teaching lineage, this knowledge which is given completely, भगवान् is sharing now with Arjuna because he is dear to Him, he is His सखा/friend.
And this knowledge is not something new, it is present in every सम्प्रदाय/मठ |
मठ is a traditional institution of learning in India, with different teaching traditions.
In some मठ-s, the teaching tradition is relegated only to initiates.
There may be Public Teaching which is accessible to all, but then advanced level is only taught to certain people because they have gained a certain maturity for it.
Also, not all सम्प्रदाय-s will teach अद्वैत वेदान्त; others may have विशिष्टाद्वैत, द्वैत etc.
But, one is respectful to all मठ-s | For instance, though in उपनिषद् class the argument of द्वैत may be demolished, one always treats people from the द्वैत सम्प्रदाय respectfully.
We must remain united as Sanatana Dharma, with no divisions due to differing theological positions, with धर्म remaining as a framework in one’s interactions with the other.
* श्लोक ४ *
अर्जुन उवाच ।
अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वत: ।
कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ॥ ४॥
Here, Arjuna has a question.
Arjuna tells भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: that I know about your birth and life, but विवस्वान् was born a very long time ago, so Arjuna thinks, how is it possible that भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: taught विवस्वान् ?
Arjuna, may have been wondering~ is everything okay with You श्री कृष्ण:? We pray to सूर्य भगवान्, so how is this possible? Where is the proof that You indeed taught this to विवस्वान् ?
* श्लोक ५ *
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।
तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ॥ ५॥
भगवान् responds that indeed there have been many births (जन्मानि-plural for birth); that so many lives have passed for you and me. In this way भगवान् references rebirth.
भगवान् says- And I happen to know all of my lifetimes/manifestations,
but, त्वं न वेत्थ ~ you(परन्तप- Arjuna, the scorcher of all enemies) don’t know.
Our mind is so caught up dealing with memories of this lifetime, imagine how difficult life would be if we remembered all prior lifetimes?!
So here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is hinting that He is भगवान् |
* श्लोक ६ *
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ॥ ६॥
Here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says-
I am अज: ~ I was never born,
I am अव्ययात्मा ~ my knowledge does not change/reduce/decline,
I am ईश्वर: ~ ऐश्वरस्य भाव: i.e. overlordship- the one who doesn’t have a boss.
I am the causeless cause, the Lord of all भूत (beings); both the material and the intelligence is भगवान् |
My own प्रकृति I wield and use this material cause as an instrument for सम्भवामि (to come into manifestation).
आत्ममायया ~ I am not born as a result of कर्म, but by my own creative power.
So, for the Magician, there is no magic. The Magician knows the sleight of hand used in performing the trick. But to the onlooker/experiencer, it seems as if it is magic. For the Magician, he wields his own power.
In this way, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: refers to Himself as भगवान् |
So we see from श्लोक १- ८ that स्तुति/glory is done of the गीता with:
– स्तुति/glory of the परम्पर,
– reference to the manifestation called as अवतार |
So here भगवान् is leading up to why He comes on this Earth.
So, Arjuna’s question in श्लोक ४ is a valid question because in Arjuna’s mind, he knows भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: in this lifetime.
But when भगवान् says, I am भगवान्, it is not a statement of arrogance, it is a statement of Truth.
I am भगवान्, I was never born, I oversee all that happens. माया is my शक्ति and I wield it.
So the question comes- why is all this?
Arjuna may have had that question- why did भगवान्, the Lord of all beings who wields प्रकृति & माया, come here?
So, then श्लोक ७ & ८ come which are famous verses which refer to being an अवतार |
अवतार is an incarnation/manifestation of भगवान् |
So, भगवान् says-
* श्लोक ७ *
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥ ७॥
यदा यदा- Whenever,
धर्मस्य ग्लानि: भवति- there is a decline in धर्म,
भारत् ~ Arjuna (descendent of भारत्),
अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्य ~ when there is an increase in अधर्म, with wrong living everywhere,
तदा ~ then,
आत्मानं सृजामि अहम् ~ I bring myself into a particular incarnation.
श्लोक ८ further describes the purpose of अवतार –
* श्लोक ८ *
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥ ८॥
So, the purpose of अवतार is to protect the साधु-s/good people i.e. the one’s aligned with/committed to धर्म |
One’s commitment to धर्म shows as one being a धर्मी i.e. one lives धर्म |
सामान्य धर्म includes:
– अहिंसा ~ causing the least injury,
– दया ~ compassion,
– दान ~ giving what I have,
– इन्द्रियनिग्रह ~ mastery of the sense organs.
In values, there is always scope for one to improve and grow more.
– With the value of सत्यम्, people know that they can depend on me. If I give my word, they know that I will honor it, and that I will speak the Truth. This is because one is aligned to functional reality. One is focused on what is, instead of what is not and what I do not have.
– शौचम् ~ value for cleanliness both external and internal. So internally one does not nurse a lot of regret/guilt.
But, one has so much hurt/guilt. So, one should deal with it by either processing it or throwing it out, but one should not carry it forward.
So, भगवान् says that I have come as an अवतार, so people can live a good life i.e. a life of धर्म |
One should recognize that there is goodness in me, and see the goodness elsewhere, and know that I do what I can to contribute to a lot of change. And this goodness & धर्म can be the basis for the pursuit of काम & अर्थ |
So, people doing good should be protected.
What about those doing अधर्म?
दुष्कृताम् विनाशाय ~ destroy those who are following अधर्म |
This should not be taken literally.
Some people, e.g. a terrorist may not be available for any transformation, and because they are killing civilians, they have to be destroyed i.e. they have to be killed. In this way हिंसा is as important as अहिंसा | But, one should note that the धर्म of the civilian is अहिंसा; हिंसा is reserved for the defense force, if required.
अधर्म can also ‘die’ when a person has a change of heart and no longer does actions that are अधार्मिक् |
For instance, laws can cause fear in people and so prevent अधर्म |
For example, in Saudi Arabia one’s hand can be chopped off for stealing. So, the fear of the consequence is the motivating factor that keeps the person in line.
But also, one should see the value of values.
सामान्य धर्म may be presented as moral injunctions. But we are naturally rebellious and so do not want to follow.
But if I see the value of values, e.g. दानम्, then I give as a person.
But one should not give as overcompensation. E.g. Karana from the Mahabharata was very denied and deprived in childhood. He took the value of दानम् to an extreme. He was born with armor, but he gave it away when it was requested of him because he wanted to uphold the identity that he did not refuse anyone who came to him. In this way he endangered his own life.
So, one should not take a value to the extreme; one should understand the context and apply it.
With respect to दानम्, one should see what giving does for me & others too.
When one lives a life of धर्म, one feels happy about it, and rests comfortably. And this is okay to feel happy about the good I did, knowing that I am definitely contributing to the happiness of others also.
So, the reason for divine incarnation is for धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय~ the purpose of establishing धर्म | It is to-
(i) Protect the people who are धार्मिक् |
(ii) Destroy/convert the people who are अधार्मिक् |
(iii) Establish धर्म |
Through the constitution/justice system, it enforces certain behavior based on crime & punishment.
But धर्म is a self-regulating framework, where by understanding the value of धर्म, everyone regulates themselves because of the understanding of the consequences of doing wrong.
E.g. Self-regulation for Kumbha Mela- though there are kilometers of people, there is no stampede with resultant death. The police on horseback move around the crowds and due to the fear of being trampled, everyone becomes organized and self-regulated.
धर्म is like this.
When one does not follow धर्म, e.g. if one hurts another, one regrets it, and it gnaws at one.
This is because धर्म lies in one’s heart. This is भगवान्’s gift so we are able to self-regulate due to this voice of धर्म |
This voice should be loud & clear, but sometimes we subdue and pacify this voice.
The more I create division in the way I think and act, e.g. I think something but do something else, then I am not together as a person. Then, I am not available for any pursuit.
And if there is this internal conflict, there is no harmony/happiness. Then, there is no more meaning left in life.
This is the disturbance in धर्म at an individual level.
Then, there is धर्म at the level of society, where what is good is rewarded. There are structures, guidelines and organizations that uphold ethics.
So, when भगवान् talks of the establishment of धर्म, He is talking of the establishment of धर्म at the level of society also.
So, in order to establish धर्म, in every युग, भगवान् takes अवतार |
Time is cyclical. One कल्प is 4 युग-s.
In the वराहपुराण, धर्म is presented metaphorically as a bull. (see Slack under Gita-amrtam channel for PDF on this)
The four legs of the bull represent सत्यम्, शौचम्, तपस् and दानम्, which are very important for धर्म |
(i) सत्ययुग – All 4 legs of the bull are present i.e. people practiced धर्म | At this time, the ऋषि-s had a lot of power so a mere utterance by Them could bring a curse or blessing.
(ii) त्रेतायुग – The bull stands on 3 legs, due to committed पापा |
(iii) द्वापरयुग – The bull stands on 2 legs, as people became more corrupt.
(iv) कलियुग – The bull stands on only 1 leg. So, there is complete decline of धर्म | There are many predictions of what is to come. Currently we are in the beginning/golden age of कलियुग, so this is not the terrible part of कलियुग |
So, भगवान् will come in every युग in order to establish धर्म |
This is not in the sense of Him being a Saviour.
It is to rekindle धर्म in one’s heart so that we self-regulate, and have ethical practices in our work & dealings with others, and so re-establish धर्म |
So far, we have looked at श्लोक-s १-८ | We saw the discussion of अवतार/divine incarnation, including the purpose of अवतार |
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says-
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥ ८॥ ~ For the establishment of धर्म, I come into being in every युग |
Time is cyclical, and consists of 4 युग-s ~ सत्ययुग, त्रेतायुग, द्वापरयुग, कलियुग | Each युग spans several 1000 years (see PDF document on this on Gita Amrtam tab on Slack).
And with the passage of time, धर्म will decline and be at its worse in कलियुग |
Generally, an अवतार comes at the end or beginning of a युग, and so भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: has come at this time i.e. at the end of द्वापरयुग |
And, what can one अवतार do? An अवतार can destroy अधर्म in the hearts of many people by the अवतार’s Teachings. And if one recognizes the value of धर्म, then our institutions will become धार्मिक् i.e. our families, schools, judiciary, executive, government. At all levels, all institutions- companies, corporates, non-profit organizations. Because a company, or a society is not an amorphous abstract entity; it is made up of people like us. Therefore, if the people who constitute and run the institutions are धार्मिक्, then it will help to promote the happiness, well-being & welfare of the cause that they serve.
People often complain about different institutions including our own companies. But who works in that company? Therefore, one should not behave helplessly, as if one can do nothing about it.
However, many times we operate out of fear. E.g. in the workplace there is a collapse of work boundaries with one expected to be available 24/7 to take calls. And one does not bring up this matter, because of the fear of the loss of my job. This lifestyle is not feasible, as then everyone gets burnt-out and then quit the position/sector/company. Or, one starts a new company, or scales down one’s lifestyle. So then who bells the cat? Because working 16-18-hour days is not sustainable in the long-run.
Even if one is a CEO with a lot of drive/passion for work, this one-dimensional focus is not conducive to a healthy family life etc.
Therefore this धर्मसंस्थापन (establishment of धर्म ) is really us recognizing the value of the value. E.g. I have to see what living the value of अहिंसा (causing the least injury) does for me. And I also have to recognize the corollaries of this. For instance, when I cause violence or violence is caused to me through words or actions, then what is the result? So, for each value we should examine what is the result of the lack of the value.
1. अहिंसा ~ What is the result of हिंसा on me and others~ family, extended community.
Group Discussion –
Physical – Bodily harm to oneself/others with loss of limb/life; loss of opportunities in life, loss of one’s livelihood.
Mental – Can affect one’s self esteem, with loss of trust in oneself, God, society, others. There is resentment towards the other person, and towards one’s own life. There may also be the feeling of intense rage with the desire for retaliation.
Spiritual – There is कर्म-bondage between the perpetrator & the recipient.
A violent episode pulls the perpetrator towards अधर्म and away from सत्त्व |
Intellectual – Then, violence distorts the recipient’s thinking. One compares oneself to others and wonders, why did this happen to me~ ‘why me’ and not someone else?
Another viewpoint on intellectual हिंसा is that one thinks it’s ‘my way or the highway’ with a missed chance for creative teamwork opportunity.
2. सत्यम् ~ What is the result of असत्यम्/lies on me and others.
Group Discussion –
The effect of lies is a loss of connection due to a lack of trust.
It leads to a loss of credibility for the person who speaks the untruth, and it affects one’s reputation in the long run.
असत्यम् leads to conflict for the victim of the untruth- external, as well as internal conflict.
There is also internal conflict for the person who speaks the untruth, due to that inner voice of धर्म, with the litmus test being a sleepless night.
3. अस्तेयम् ~ non-stealing. What is the result of stealing ideas, property, wealth.
Group Discussion –
Impact on others- One ends up hurting the other and losing relationships. Anger & resentment is created in the other person from whom one has stolen property/money/ideas. One loses respect in the other person’s eyes.
Impact on self- If the person is aware that stealing is wrong, but still does it out of habit then one loses peace of mind, and respect in one’s own eyes.
However, if one is unaware that stealing is wrong, maybe because one started at such a young age and was not corrected, then one may not have the moral compass of धर्म guiding but instead be living in an illusionary world that what one is doing is okay. E.g. Duryodhana believed that asking for the entire kingdom was right, because he was disconnected with his धर्म |
Additionally, when one steals, one robs oneself of the opportunity to gain that thing by धार्मिक् means. E.g. if one works in a team and steals another’s idea, then one loses the opportunity for oneself to gather that on one’s own.
4. शौचम् ~ external and internal cleanliness.
Group Discussion –
Physical & External & Internal –
Self-cleanliness avoids disease. External शौचम् involves keeping the environment & house clean. The impact of अशौचम् is the lack of environmental harmony and the spread of disease.
Uncleanliness comes from clutter & hoarding. This can be a symptom of incompleteness. The object has already served its purpose, but the emotional feeling associated with it is still there, so there is that attachment and so one hoards. Therefore, this external clutter is associated with cobwebs of the mind, which further drives internal अशौचम् of emotions and thoughts, e.g. greed, anger, jealousy.
Then in turn, this internal अशौचम् affects one’s external interactions in one’s relationships and reactions/responses.
Also, when one binge watches certain media, it affects one’s response to a given situation. E.g. if I watch an anxiety-provoking show, one’s immediate reaction to a situation may be anxiety.
शौचम् is in keeping with कर्म योग बुद्धि: and one’s स्वधर्म |
Overall, the cleaner the water (one’s mind), the sun shines better on it.
And so, we remember Marie Kondo’s decluttering motto ~ keep things that spark joy.
5. इन्द्रियनिग्रह (mastery/discipline over sense organs)
Group Discussion –
There is an intimate connection between इन्द्रियनिग्रह and doing what is right i.e. one’s स्वधर्म |
If one has strong likes & dislikes, and one is unable to control the senses, how does this impact me?
This can create a chaotic feeling, and lots of drama since there is the insistence that circumstances be a certain way in accordance with my likes/dislikes. Additionally, there is no inner orientation to धर्म as it is blocked by strong रागद्वेष | And so one feels disturbed with resultant anxiety & depression, because one’s happiness is tied to the fulfillment of the रागद्वेष through the sense organs, e.g. I must have my potatoes cooked a certain way, or else!
Also, depending on one’s role, इन्द्रियनिग्रह may have further import. For instance, a mother is a role model to her kids, so her lack of restraint can have an impact on her kids. In this example, the lack of fulfillment of the mother’s role due to lack of इन्द्रियनिग्रह can have further impact on the kids with resultant fragmented and unsafe feelings in the kids.
Also, at work a lack of इन्द्रियनिग्रह can have an impact with one being disorganized as one’s senses leads them outwards to check Facebook, instead of working on the task at hand.
6. स्वाध्याय (study of the शास्त्र)
Group Discussion –
Without स्वाध्याय one does not turn inwards, one continues with an external pursuit.
One would be intolerant, impatient, and have wrong perspectives that would not be corrected.
Such persons may be धार्मिक् in life, but since not pursuing वेदान्त, the understanding of one’s true nature never comes.
Important is learning under a गुरु | One will not get the correct understanding without a गुरु | For instance one may not have the कर्म योग understanding that I am a contributor and not the controller of a result.
Additionally, one may have certain limitations that one is unable to accept/overcome, and so face issues with self-acceptance. This essential problem cannot be overcome without a गुरु |
7. संतोष: (contentment). The opposite of this is that one is never satisfied. There may be the thinking that ambition is everything.
Group Discussion –
The result of a lack of संतोष: is never being satisfied with me or with others.
Work – One is never satisfied with one’s performance and feels the constant need to change. Also, the boss is never satisfied with the work done and so one is forced to do more.
Family – Despite loving family members, there seems to always be some discontentment with the need to change others.
Devoting oneself to others – There may be the feeling of personal dissatisfaction with how much I am able to give to others.
संतोष is an important value for कर्म योग, as if we always put ourselves under stress, then with an agitated/restless mind we cannot enjoy what we have. There is the feeling that I need to do more to get more, so the mind is not relaxed. And the restless mind can lead to lack of focus when one tries to do other tasks objectively, and so there is overall anxiety.
And from the कर्म योग perspective, by doing what needs to be done with a contented & satisfied mind, then the vision of ईश्वर and the acceptance of any results becomes more possible.
8. दया (compassion). The opposite of kindness is cruelty/harshness.
Group Discussion –
Compassion is a value which should be practiced by one as well as others. With the practice of compassion, there is the expectation of reciprocal compassion.
But, many times this may not be the case. So, how does one deal with this? Because one cannot force another to be compassionate to one.
Only by the practice of कर्म योग बुद्धि: can one accept this non-compassion.
An additional point was that compassion to other living beings e.g. animals & Mother Nature is needed. Compassion is not only towards human beings.
So, it is important to understand the implications of these values.
For instance, unless I see the effect of when I/another speaks a lie, and so fully grasp the value, then the value of सत्यम् remains a moralistic injunction to me, and then I tend to abstract the value and do not apply the value to myself or my situation.
So, one should see the effect of what अधर्म does to me. Only then do I implement धर्म because I recognize for myself that अधर्म is not working for me, or for the other.
So far we have seen श्लोक-s १-८ | भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: spoke of the परम्परा and how He taught विवस्वान् | This highlights that this knowledge is not something new. Also, this knowledge is to be gained live through a Teacher-student relationship.
भगवान् also said that there is a decline in the people seeking, learning and understanding this knowledge. भगवान् is making this statement at least 3000 years ago, so what to talk about our current predicament?
Access to this knowledge may be there, but one’s commitment and discipline in this pursuit is iffy.
Then, भगवान् responded to Arjuna’s question about अवतार | Arjuna thinks that I know श्री कृष्ण:’s date of birth, so how can He say that that He taught विवस्वान्?
So, then भगवान् taught what an अवतार (divine incarnation) is, and the purpose of an अवतार |
Importantly, the purpose of an अवतार is to establish धर्म | धर्म is established in our hearts as
धर्मी-s. धर्म is not something abstract, it is not an institution to be established. It is for one to be धार्मिक् and see the value of having the values of धर्म e.g. अहिंसा, शौचम्, आर्जवम् (straightforwardness), संतोष:, आत्मविनिग्रह | We looked at 8 of these values in our last class. Once we are धार्मिक्, then whatever institution we are a part of, or we run will be धार्मिक |
For short term gains, each one compromises. Then, all of us complain about corruption but we never complain that we are corrupt.
So भगवान् says- to establish धर्म, सम्भवामि युगे युगे ~ I come into being every time.
An अवतार is not a saviour coming here to rescue us. We can save ourselves. Only when there is too much decline in धर्म, then भगवान् comes. We have been blessed with enough शक्ति to know the right thing to do, and to act upon it. So, one should have the willpower and the ‘won’t-power’ to know what one should say yes to, and what one should say no to. This is an important part of self-mastery.
So, all this can be managed well, when one leads one’s life with धर्म |
Continuing alone the lines of अवतार, भगवान् shares-
*श्लोक ९*
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वत: ।
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ॥ ९॥
भगवान् helps Arjuna to shift his attention from form to the Reality through this verse.
य: वेत्ति तत्त्वत: ~ The one who knows in reality (तत्त्वत:),
मे दिव्य जन्म ~ my divine birth.
Lord कृष्ण:’s birth was not due to कर्म | Everyone else’s birth is due to कर्म ~ पुन्य & पापा |
So, the one who know the reality i.e. one’s own स्वरूप |
What happens to that person?
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म न एति ~ that person does not have a rebirth,
माम् एति ~ he gains me.
Gaining/reaching is due to the perception that I don’t have it. Therefore, understanding my स्वरूप is an ‘as though’ gain, just as when one recognizes that the missing spectacles were ever sitting so lightly on my forehead. So too, I do not recognize my nature due to अविद्या |
So वेदान्त is about shifting one’s reality of the form.
We all agree that if I am in touch with reality then I am sane.
As part of the psychological evaluation, the Mental Status Examination is done to check how oriented a person is to the reality of his/her situation with respect to time, place etc..
Now, extending this, are we in touch with the reality of ourselves?
From the perspective of the person with hallucinations/delusions, this person is in their own world, and may think that the doctor is the insane one.
प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् is one’s subjective reality. What is real to me is my रागद्वेष and how I have divided my world into the things that I like and am drawn towards, and the things that I dislike and so avoid.
Each person has their राग – cheesecake, nature, a desire to travel, punctuality etc.
E.g. If another is unpunctual, it may cause a little annoyance.
But if one’s राग is punctuality, then one has the thinking that there must be punctuality with no excuses for lack of punctuality. So, the राग for punctuality makes one unwilling to be oriented to functional reality i.e. one is so caught up with the other’s lack of tardiness that one cannot see past this to the person’s genuine reason for being late, or the other’s good qualities. These are ignored due to one’s राग |
So, one’s प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् (subjective reality) is everyone should be punctual because I am punctual, and if another is not punctual then I do not want to engage with them.
With orientation to functional reality, I understand that there are people who are habitually late, for whatever reason. Therefore, for me to work with the habitual late-comer I have to be oriented to functional reality. I understand that this person is a part of the team that I am working with for this particular project. So, I keep aside this punctuality aspect, and do what I can, working with what I have, and working together with this person.
So, if I can suspend/keep aside this रागद्वेष, and work on the larger picture, then I am awake to व्यवहारिक सत्यम् i.e. functional/empirical reality.
But, if I get caught up with my likes/dislikes, then I remain stuck at प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् |
Then, I lose the opportunity to engage with this other person who may have other skills & talents, this person who I have to anyway work with on this project.
What is in and through this subjectivity that I have?
What is it in and through all the forms? It is ‘is’-ness i.e. पारमार्थिक सत्यम् / Absolute Reality, without which there can be no form.
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूय: ।
अजो नित्य: शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ २०॥ Chapter 2.
So, the nature of the आत्मा (is-ness, consciousness) is me, as well as the person who is not punctual, the project and the company.
So, this consciousness is everything in and through all forms.
So, all 3 levels of reality are actually one ~ पारमार्थिक सत्यम् |
E.g. The ocean – there can be a boss wave and an employee wave, both operating on different wavelengths ~ one punctual and one not. Or there can be a company with all 10 like-minded waves, all moving together.
But, what is in and through all waves? Water.
What is in and through all forms, and even one’s subjectivity? Consciousness.
Therefore, one can shift attention from the form of wave, to the reality of water. So too, one can shift attention from me-the person to the reality of consciousness.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: explains that He happens to have a form and what a life~ born in a prison, an arduous journey, His own family members(Uncle Kamsa) trying to kill Him, and in the greatest battle He chooses to be a charioteer, and despite His greatness He is not able to avert the war.
So, there are 3 orders of reality.
By bringing in the disposition of कर्म योग into one’s life, one moves from subjectivity to objectivity.
So, though I have my रागद्वेष that I want to fulfill, and these रागद्वेष consume me,
I align my रागद्वेष to धर्म and make it as an offering to भगवान् , and so I do my duty.
E.g. Even if it is difficult to interact with one’s in-laws, one at least does the minimum required to do one’s duty to them.
I do not have to be best of friends with everyone in every situation, but I do my best, and do not hold on to reactions.
Or else I get affected. E.g. I am very upset by my late colleague, but my late colleague remains in ignorant bliss to my internal turmoil. Even if I say something, the other wonders- what’s the big deal, I was only a little late. So due to one’s strong subjectivity, there is a lot of internal conflict and suffering.
So, one should move from one’s subjectivity to the objectivity of this functional world.
Otherwise, one has an exhausting time which is all about managing one’s रागद्वेष |
By aligning myself with the facts and interactions/relationships of this functional reality; and not avoiding nor running away from certain aspects of life, I have balance in life.
Then, I have the space and leisure to have this मोक्ष pursuit.
Then one understands:
~ all along ईश्वर was pervading all, as the material & intelligent cause.
~ तत्त्वमसि – it was just like a dream, I-आत्मा was pervading as the material & intelligent cause, all the way.
How did भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: appear?
It was the collective पुण्य of all people who prayed for an अवतार |
What level of reality is His birth? It is not व्यवहारिक सत्यम् as He had no opening capital with an account of पुण्य or पाप to fructify into a birth.
But भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: appeared and was simultaneously available for 1000s of people.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:’s birth was a divine birth and has प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् | This does not mean that His birth was subjective. He could appear for many simultaneously, but he was not born of कर्म |
But really, the reality/basis of any form is तत्त्वत: |
For the one who knows this truth, and is not dazzled by any form, ignorance is gone, so there is no chance for rebirth.
Once one cuts the roots of अविद्या/ignorance, there is no scope for branches i.e. there is no chance for rebirth.
It is not just about reducing कर्म or काम/desire management. Because other desires will pop up, e.g. romantic spiritual desires like going to Uttarkashi and sitting by Ganga to meditate.
कर्म & काम can be managed and reduced to just a few life priorities- in this way 1000s of desires can be distilled into 5-6 priorities.
There is also scope to improvise.
Often we want to show love for someone, but this depends on how that person wants to receive love. Even if one is married for a long time, one should specify/say how one wants to receive love. E.g. All the spouse really wants is help in the kitchen.
One should not feel that the other should figure it out, or think that I am being demanding, or worry about lack of spontaneity. Sometimes, we just have to spell out what we want, and clarify our position.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is both प्रातिभासिक सत्यम्, and definitely पारमार्थिक सत्यम् since He is भगवान्’s अवतार only. So, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is all about भगवान्’s Teaching, and this is our सत्यम् also.
प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् ~ One’s subjectivity i.e. the unique likes and dislikes that make up the personality.
व्यवहारिक सत्यम् ~ One’s interaction with others i.e. one’s alignment to functional reality with harmonious relationships.
पारमार्थिक सत्यम् ~ Absolute Reality in and through all forms.
I-आत्मा am सत्यम्, all forms are मिथ्या (dependent reality)
Some erroneously think that the goal of spirituality is to have a divine vision of भगवान् | This is indeed a blessing.
But here, भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य in His भाष्य uses the words सम्यक् दर्शनम् | सम्यक् दर्शनम् is the clear and complete vision of seeing that me and भगवान् are one. Notably, this term was not used in Chapter 11 when Arjuna gained the divine vision of भगवान् in all His glory |
People especially उपासक-s have different divine visions that may be dazzling. But the important question is did the blessing of this divine vision help to reduce the separation/division between me and भगवान् ?
भगवान् delves further into the topic of तत्त्वत: in श्लोक १० | …
भगवान् delves further into the topic of तत्त्वत: in श्लोक १० |
*श्लोक १०*
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिता: ।
बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागता: ॥ १०॥
मद्भावमागता: ~ the person comes back to my nature.
How?
By freeing oneself from राग, भय & क्रोध |
राग is a consuming/binding desire.
One cannot manage anger unless one manages binding desire. The intensity of anger is related to the intensity of desire.
E.g. The intensity of rage in a parent is due to the parent wanting the child to do something that the child does not want to do.
When the desire is consuming, for instance the parent really wants the child to get married, then all one can think of is the ways in which to get the son married.
There is associated भय with the unfulfilled desire, as one worries – what will happen to my son, who will take care of my son, my son will be lonely when I am not there.
Then there can also be associated anger with passive-aggressive treatment of the son and giving the son the silent treatment.
So, how is this managed? मन्मया मामुपाश्रिता: |
So, this anger, fear and राग is there for everyone, but with the disposition of कर्म योग, I offer all best attempts to भगवान् and accept the results as प्रसाद | Then, however the situation unfolds, I see it as pervaded by भगवान् |
E.g. if I get caught up in the anger with my son for not getting married, then my relationship with him becomes one-dimensional, and I lose out on other aspects of our relationship.
By मामुपाश्रिता: i.e. by taking refuge in भगवान्, this helps one to be ready for ज्ञान तपस् i.e. this discipline of knowledge.
Because to learn anything, the mind needs to be undistracted and focused. And the mind has to have done a lot of processing of whatever has happened.
Otherwise the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता becomes a way for one to manage व्यवहार instead of for मोक्ष pursuit. Then, one becomes selective in listening, and only listens when a topic applicable to my व्यवहार is spoken of, e.g. the hurt daughter-in-law looking for pointers on how to manage the mother-in-law. There is the incorrect thinking that once I manage something, then I am fine.
But then one realizes that even if I manage this one thing, I still remain as the wanting person, there is always something desired. This is because I remain identified with this limited form. And so, one wants to become free i.e. the universal need for freedom.
बहव: ~ Many people,
have done this ज्ञान तपस् |
How did they do it?
With the attitude of surrender.
Surrender is recognizing that all that I have is given to me.
The body and mind, and their functions are all given to me, and pervaded by भगवान् |
Even if one thinks that it is my कर्म, who is responsible for the laws of कर्म that shape which पुन्य & पाप fructifies? In this way one should recognize that everything is given to me, everything comes from भगवान् |
With surrender, one recognizes that the individuality that one holds on to for dear life in order to have some sense of significance, that this isolates me from the world and especially from भगवान् |
So, मामुपाश्रिता: is the recognition that everything that I have is given to me and I make the most of it.
So, one should take refuge in भगवान् |
And taking refuge in भगवान् is not some special action. It is performing my different actions with the understanding that everything is given to me, and that everything that I do is an offering to भगवान् |
This the principle behind doing a 5-step पूजा where the पञ्चमहाभूत (the 5 great elements) i.e. the basic building blocks of this whole जगत् are used.
But what can I truly offer to you भगवान्? Because everything is already yours.
E.g. If one is given 1 million dollars, and then offers 10 dollars in return, so too what can one really offer to the one who has given everything?
So, I offer a symbol of the पञ्चमहाभूत- water, food/fruits, मन्त्र-s, incense, flame. Importantly is the भाव/attitude- whatever I have has been given to me, and this is my offering to you भगवान् |
So, one’s growing love for भगवान् is expressed in the पूजा |
Even if one does not feel like doing, one should do, as action evokes the emotion.
E.g. Cooking for one’s husband, even when one does not feel like it, evokes the pleased husband, and so there is the happy me.
So, this आश्रय/ surrender/ taking refuge,
पूता ~ It purifies one,
because one’s रागद्वेष no longer has a hold on one.
Then now, I have the discipline & commitment to stay with this pursuit of मोक्ष and contemplate on what ज्ञानम् looks like in this life.
Because वेदान्त is not an abstract concept in academics with a PowerPoint looking at the 10 concepts of वेदान्त | Otherwise there will be the tendency to consider वेदान्त as something apart from me. This is not helpful.
ज्ञान तपस् is really applying this knowledge to my life.
One cannot apply आत्मा to my life as I am already आत्मा |
But one wants to rush to the Truth – how do I see that I am सत्यम्, ज्ञानम्, अनन्तम्?
But first one should consider- am I available in all my relationships?
Do I keep my heart open for relative love and happiness?
One cannot hide behind वेदान्त | One should consider- what does ज्ञानम् look like for me in my life?
So, there is no bypassing this step. But we are scared. We swing from being overly critical of oneself to being lackadaisical.
One should strive for that dynamic balance to be firm, gentle and loving to myself.
But, instead of thinking being a glory, it seems like a burden, so one gives up and says – I don’t want to think about it…
ज्ञान तपस ~ that discipline of knowledge.
What is real in my life?
When I hear that आत्मा is me-limitless, do I see that to be true?
One thinks- but I do not ‘feel’ this way. This is due to identification with one’s emotions, so more विवेक is required.
Or I may think- I may be सत्यम् ब्रह्म, but why is there so much suffering in the world?
Therefore, one should go back to functional reality and align with धर्म, and do one’s duty but understand it as मिथ्या |
Even if I am not ready to understand it as मिथ्या, I can still focus on doing my धर्म |
* श्लोक ११ *
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्या: पार्थ सर्वश: ॥ ११॥
Of the people who worship me,
in whatever way they worship me, I bless them in the same way.
E.g. If one sees value in money, then भगवान् blesses them like this.
So, Mother Lakshmi blesses with child & house etc.
This is because there is the recognition that in all that people are seeking/worshipping, what they are really seeking is freedom.
People just want to be free from seeking, as one realizes that the object of desire just keeps on shifting from marriage to children to house etc.
Our भक्ति/ growing love for भगवान् develops through different stages-
(i) Atheist/ agnostic
One wonders – but I came here to study the भगवद्-गीता and learn about धर्म, so why all this talk about भगवान्?
It is because the intelligence & material of everything is all भगवान् | So one should realize that one’s whole life is ईश्वर-ized.
Pujya Swamiji has written a booklet about ‘Bringing ईश्वर into One’s Life’.
Already ईश्वर is in my life. But, there is a choice. Until some surrender, there is stress in my life.
With surrender, I recognize that some things I control, and some things I cannot.
By bringing ईश्वर into my life, the more & more I recognize that all that I have is ईश्वर | Otherwise there is a sense of entitlement, and I am angry and think that it is all about my rights and forget my responsibility.
Both my rights and my responsibilities have to go hand in hand.
(ii) एकरूप भक्ति
One may resonate with one particular deity i.e. one’s इष्टदेवता e.g. Lord Jesus, Lord कृष्ण:, or Ganapati Baba.
With एकरूप भक्ति there is surrender only to this form, and this form has blessed me.
But one is trying to reduce That which is so vast & expansive to one form. So, एकरूप भक्ति is still limited and has to evolve to अनेक रूप भक्ति |
(iii) अनेक रूप भक्ति
अनेक means many. So, one’s vision of ईश्वर has expanded. अनेक does not refer to just deities, but one recognizes that all forms are भगवान् | So this entire जगत् is seen as a manifestation of भगवान् |
भगवान् Ramana Maharishi explains that पूजा should be done to the 8-fold-form that are the five elements, Sun, moon and living beings.
Therefore, पूजा is best done as सेवा to the entire जगत् with my given skill set.
So, everything is sacred, and this starts with me. My body is sacred.
Sometimes we do self-sabotage in the way that we treat ourselves, and in our habits.
But one should start with the recognition that I am sacred, because I am a manifestation of भगवान् |
So as part of पूजा, there is आत्मा पूजा where one says-
देहो देवालयः प्रोक्तः जीवो देवस्सनातनः ।
त्यजेदज्ञाननिर्माल्यं सोऽहं भावेन पूजयेत् ॥
So, in आत्मा पूजा one recognizes the body as a देवालयः (temple), and the जीव is the deity.
त्यजेदज्ञाननिर्माल्यं ~ And the wilted flowers, may I give up these like ignorance.
सोऽहं भावेन पूजये ~ He is me. I am this. (सः~ He, अयम् ~this). With this भाव I do this पूजा |
So symbolically grains or flowers are placed on one’s head. Because I recognize that I am auspicious and sacred. Even if I seem dysfunctional, I am ever sacred.
Then, with the recognition that everything is sacred, I switch to अरूप भक्ति |
(iv) अरूप भक्ति – What is the nature/तत्त्वम्/reality of all of these forms?
With भक्ति/love, we recognize that one’s devotion can extend to everyone.
One’s रागद्वेष no longer inhibits the love that I feel. I no longer need the other person to do exactly as I wish. So, one’s love is not conditional.
I am free, and I allow the other person to be free.
Although one’s pursuit may be for अर्थ, काम or धर्म, भगवान् recognizes that what everyone is seeking is freedom from seeking.
So, people follow भगवान्’s path in different ways, and He blesses everyone because through these pursuits, the discipline and commitment needed for the मोक्ष pursuit is learnt.
So, the work that one does, the money that one earns, the people that one engages with are not dismissed, as these help to strengthen discipline & commitment, as well as it helps one with having a leisure/relaxation so that one can pursue मोक्ष |
* शोल्क १२ *
काङ् क्षन्त: कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवता: ।
क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा ॥ १२॥
In this मानुषे लोके (human world), whatever actions/कर्म are done, there is immediate सिद्धि (accomplishment). So, for many things, one gets the results quickly.
Many religious people are also looking for quick fixes, as one considers that भगवान् is an ally who is more powerful than me, so then I can ask भगवान् for things.
Even if I don’t ask भगवान् for anything, the things that I have, have been given to me through पुन्य, as the laws of कर्म shape all that I have.
In all पूजा-s and in the कर्म काण्ड, it is important to state what I want. This should also be done on a daily basis.
Every moment we voice what we want to whoever we encounter- family members, colleagues, strangers, but suddenly to the most powerful being, one does not ask for anything.
So, we are encouraged to ask. The पूजा does not proceed without a सङ्कल्प |
Though भगवान् may be a mind-reader, I have to state what I want in all my pursuits.
It is not about me doing anything-anyhow, as my intentionality in action is very important.
What do I want in my job or in my relationship? One should be clear with oneself about what I want, it is my इच्छा शक्ति, so I state it.
So here भगवान् says that- through all pursuits, though one may be worshipping different deities and everyone wants quick fixes, I bless them with that.
One may wonder- but why is भगवान् not blessing me with मोक्ष? This is because I am already मुक्त: | I am already free, so भगवान् cannot give me freedom.
Pujya Swamiji gives the example that one asking भगवान् for another head in order to think more clearly will be silly as I already have a head.
So भगवान् blesses one, whatever be one’s pursuits.
One should remember that prayer cannot be a replacement for action. Prayer only enhances the actions that I am doing. Prayer backs up कर्म | E.g. I cannot win the lottery without buying the lottery ticket.
Next in this chapter, we see that भगवान् shifts gears and talks of the वर्ण-system according to कर्म & गुण |
After suggesting that people may worship भगवान् and भगवान् will bless them, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: goes on to talk of the 4-fold division of society.
* श्लोक १३ * – second line
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागश: ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥ १३॥
In the second line of this श्लोक, भगवान् says ~ although I am the author/कर्ता and have created this 4-fold division, may you know that I am not the कर्ता and I am अव्ययम् (ever-changeless).
So here, भगवान् is drawing our attention to our connection with कर्म, and कर्म’s connection to अविद्या |
In one’s relationship with कर्म, there are some कर्म-s that we enjoy doing very much and have a राग for that type of कर्म, e.g. walking in nature, playing with my pet, working, ticking off tasks, being with children, listening to music, artwork etc.
Or there may be द्वेष to certain कर्म, e.g. confronting someone, unpleasant conversations, doing chores ~ dishes, laundry.
So, there is this weird, mixed relationship with कर्म- due to राग we are drawn to certain कर्म, and due to द्वेष, I want to avoid certain कर्म | So every day, in every situation, one is figuring out what to do and what not to do based on this.
So, भगवान् is telling us-
Yes, one is the कर्ता and कर्म is to be done by every being, including me.
But, my problem is not what कर्म is to be done, or not done.
It feels like this is my problem since the कर्म to be done, or not done, evokes a strong reaction in me ~ I really want to do it, or I really don’t want to do it..
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: wants me to know that the कर्म to be done is not the issue, rather what is important is the conclusion that I have made about mySelf on the basis of the कर्म that I have to do, or I am not doing.
E.g. I may have never-ending Sanskrit homework that I do not want to do.
So, I manage my mixture of emotions in the light of the कर्म that has to be done, and, although I am the कर्ता, I should know that I am really not the doer.
So, भगवान् compassionately draws attention to my स्वरूप | My nature is सत्यम्-consciousness and I am never touched by पुण्य or पापा |
* श्लोक १४ *
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा ।
इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते ॥ १४॥
कर्म does not affect me. This is not from the standpoint of emotional maturity. It is not that one is indifferent, neutral or apathetic, and so one says that कर्म does not affect me.
कर्म is borne of काम (desire), and काम is borne of अविद्या | So jokingly it is as if कर्म is the grandkid of अविद्या | So how can the grandkid affect the grandmother?
Therefore, it does not matter if one does lots/less कर्म, or avoids/goes towards कर्म |
More importantly- has the अविद्या about who I really am gone away?
Because कर्म has to be done, it cannot be avoided.
There are only 2 choices with respect to performing कर्म-
(i) If I understand my true nature, then I perform कर्म out of the fullness of me.
(ii) If I do not know my absolute nature, then I perform कर्म with कर्म योग बुद्धि: |
So, being a role model, भगवान् says ~ although as भगवान् I have created this सृष्टि together with the 4-fold division of the वर्ण system, whatever actions done by me, do not affect me. I am सत्यम् |
And, with regards to कर्मफल, there is no longing.
For instance, whatever happens to pot, clay is not bothered ~ if pot is pulverized into powder, or pot is broken into pieces, or pot has some wondrous form; none of these affect its substance clay.
So here भगवान् directs our attention to that which is सत्यम् i.e. I, my स्वरूप |
So, the person who knows this, this person is not bound by कर्म |
But, one is bound by कर्म, because if one doesn’t do feel-good कर्म, one feels incomplete, or one feels unduly bothered by not being able to avoid कर्म that one has द्वेष for.
So this is the bondage of कर्म – I must do this action to be satisfied, or I really have to avoid this circumstance at all costs.
But, the one who knows my स्वरूप, that person is not bound by कर्म |
* श्लोक १५ *
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभि: ।
कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वै: पूर्वतरं कृतम् ॥ १५॥
भगवान् goes on to say-
Even मुमुक्षु-s i.e. people seeking मोक्ष, get to know me in this manner (i.e. my स्वरूप), and they did कर्म | They did not run away from कर्म |
So one should look at their day-
~ What is the कर्म that I try to avoid doing? Or I may have some guilt about not doing something. These are indications of my द्वेष |
So, even the people seeking मोक्ष, they have sought to know me in this way, and they never ran away from the कर्म that is to be done i.e. one’s duty.
So, भगवान् tells Arjuna-
तस्मात् ~ Therefore,
you also please do कर्म |
You are not the first one who wants to avoid कर्म, nor will you be the last one.
पूर्वै: पूर्वतरं कृतम् ~ just as the previous people before you did कर्म,
and these people were मुमुक्षु-s, but they did not run away from society nor their duty, so too one should do one’s कर्म |
Because कर्म is not an indicator of one’s true identity, although society has hypnotized one into believing that the outcome of an event defines me.
E.g. One lost/quit their job- other people may be helpful or not about this circumstance, but overall one will feel lousy about oneself due to this event. So कर्मफल i.e. the event binds one.
Because my identity is shaken up by this life event.
And even so one’s identity changes based on the criteria that one judges oneself on, which is based on society’s expectations. And so, upon further contemplation, one wonders, why did I do that? E.g. Why did I get married? Why did I go to that university?
So, it is good to be honest with oneself, understanding that I felt the pressure to do so.
But, the sharp sword of honesty should be backed by gentleness, as when one cuts oneself, it takes time to heal. And already we get so many cuts from society anyway, so we don’t need to be more harsh with oneself.
So, verse 14 & 15 highlights that I should shift my attention to the सत्यम् that I am.
Or one can focus on भगवान् – though भगवान् has His role, and has done certain things, what is भगवान्’s स्वरूप? भगवान् is ever untouched by the कर्म to be done i.e. I am सत्यम् |
And all कर्म has the status of dependent reality, and though there is कर्मफल, one is not bound by it.
One is only bound by कर्म when one thinks that my identity is intertwined with the कर्म |
E.g. one thinks that I had a life of great struggle so I am exhausted. One can be physically exhausted, but the mental/emotional exhaustion is because I believe that I am just this limited form that has gone through these events.
So, भगवान् is saying that we should shift attention.
The English word ‘caste’, comes from the Spanish/Portuguese word ‘casta’ which means race, lineage or tribe. During the Spanish colonization, the word caste was used to refer to pure European, or indigenous or African descent. So, in the understanding of the word casta, there was hierarchy.
But caste is not जाति nor वर्ण |
When there is reference to the caste system, especially in the context of India, there is an uncomfortable moment/discussion.
There is no Sanskrit equivalent translation for caste.
The word used by भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is वर्ण |
भगवान् says that I have created this वर्ण system.
Therefore, we must look at वर्ण apart from our concept of caste, through a de-colonial lens.
De-coloniality refers to re-learning the knowledge of the indigenous culture, that has been pushed aside, forgotten, buried, discredited due to the different forces of modernity and colonialism. So, the historical perspective should be kept aside.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण says that He created this वर्ण system for the better functioning of society.
But in the 2nd line of this verse He explains that even though I am the author of this 4-fold division, may you know that I am अव्ययम् (not subject to change), and I am not the doer. In this way He refers to the absolute reality.
So what is this चातुर्वर्ण्यं i.e. this 4-fold grouping?
भगवान् talks about the division that He created in society based upon the criteria of-
(i) गुण
(ii) कर्म
(i) गुण
गुण is often translated as quality, but this is not an accurate translation.
गुण is 3-fold ~ सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस् |
माया शक्ति is the शक्ति of भगवान् | माया’s nature is त्रिगुणात्मिका i.e. in the form of सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस् |
So, that which is at an individual level is also at a macro-level. So, all forms are सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस् |
With respect to the grouping of individuals, there is a division of गुण-s involved.
सत्त्व stands for clarity, knowledge, balance, an emphasis on धर्म |
रजस् is activity, desire, excitement.
तमस् is inertia, inactivity, sleep, confusion. Babies or people who are ill, will have a predominance of तमस् because they are sleeping all the time. They need that.
All these 3 गुण-s are present in every person. And we strive towards having more सत्त्व, but this cannot be done without रजस् and तमस् |
Based on this गुण division, there are 4 personality groups-
1. सत्त्व > रजस् > तमस्
This is an emotionally mature person, a person given to धर्म and who thinks of values, and is inclined towards मोक्ष |
2. रजस् > सत्त्व > तमस्
Here रजस् is predominant so the person runs about doing a lot of activity, and is fired by ambition. And when that ambition is directed towards the welfare of others, then these people can become very good leaders.
3. रजस् > तमस् > सत्त्व
Here रजस् is predominant, and it is backed by तमस् | So, there is ambition, but not enough thinking, or there is some confusion. Or the person is using the power that they have to go after power & money without much consideration for others.
But because this is further backed by सत्त्व, the person does not cause too much havoc.
4. तमस् > रजस् > सत्त्व
If तमस् is predominant, then this person is not thinking very clearly. Or, has delegated thinking to others, and so only executes what is told to be done.
At its worst, these people could be criminals, because there is not much thinking involved.
Or at best, they could be simple employees who don’t have much ambition. So, they do the least minimum possible, or they do for somebody else.
These combinations of people are based on गुण-s.
If a तमस् > रजस् > सत्त्व person wants to change, they cannot immediately become सत्त्व-predominant. This combination is seen in people who are clinically depressed. The way to सत्त्व is through activity.
So, if the person is dull, reading will not help. First the person should get up and go for a walk, so that there is more circulation and movement, and then through doing one’s कर्म, and not running away from it, slowly with time the person gets to the सत्त्व > रजस् > तमस् combination.
Additionally, some गुण combinations are not possible, e.g. सत्त्व > रजस् > तमस् | Because if there is a predominance of सत्त्व with clarity on what, why & how I am doing, with an emphasis on धर्म, this cannot be followed by तमस् | Because तमस् stands in opposition, since it stands for inertia, inactivity. If one is clear, one will not duck responsibility, so the next गुण has to be रजस् | Also, तमस् > सत्त्व > रजस् is not possible, as if there is so much confusion and not thinking, inertia/laziness/apathy/indifference, then it cannot be backed by सत्त्व |
If one is going through a phase of inertia, or apathy, one should not be harsh on oneself and think that I am तामसिक् | We all have our phases, but we should not languish in that phase. We just need some movement to snap out of the phase of inertia, laziness or apathy.
In the वैदिक् society,
1. सत्त्व > रजस् > तमस् are called ब्राह्मण or brahmin.
So, whenever ब्राह्मण is praised in the शास्त्र, the group is not being praised according to the कर्म performed, but rather the शास्त्र is praising the one who is a ब्राह्मण by गुण |
That person has a lot of सत्त्व | सत्त्व does not come from eating ‘सात्त्विक् food’ – actually this focus indicates रजस् |
2. रजस् > सत्त्व > तमस् are called क्षत्रिय-s.
3. रजस् > तमस् > सत्त्व are called वैश्य-s.
4. तमस् > रजस् > सत्त्व are called शूद्र-s.
This is the division of society based on गुण-s.
So, one should recognize one’s गुण-s and where one stands. These combinations are not set in stone. There can be a lot of changes during the course of one’s life. Changes definitely happen during the course of a day- initially there is सत्त्व where one is fresh, looking forward to the day, and eager to absorb and learn. Then, there is a rise in activity with रजस् | Then by the day’s end, one winds down as तमस् sets in with good fatigue after a day’s work. So, there is a play of सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् even during the day.
(ii) कर्म
A society is divided into groups according to कर्म | There cannot be a class-less society. The communists have tried this and have failed. There must at least be a minimum of ruler-ruled classes. The divisions do not mean that there is no equality, but there is difference in terms of skill, function and duty.
1) So, the duty of the first group i.e. ब्राह्मण-s is to pursue knowledge, teach, officiate at different rituals. And much of their life is devoted to prayer for the welfare of society.
The person would have worked very hard for self-mastery i.e. शम, दम, and would have studied the वेद, and served as a purohit.
Society requires ब्राह्मण-s to officiate in different functions.
Nowadays, all educators, teachers, purohits, priests, writers, judges, would be considered as brahmins in terms of कर्म |
It required twelve (12) years of full-time study of a particular discipline to be considered a master.
2) क्षत्रिय-कर्म or the warrior class. Their job is to maintain law & order and defend the country against external aggression. Their life would be dedicated to discipline, strategy, politics, understanding and protecting धर्म and the वेद, and the rest of the population.
As a क्षत्रिय, Arjuna’s duty was to rule and protect in terms of administration, judiciary, defense etc. In any society, the warriors are required.
3) वैश्य-कर्म i.e. the business community or the entrepreneurs. They would be those involved in business, industry and farming, dealing with commerce, wealth, farms, agriculture and cargo transport. They would contribute a great deal to the economy.
4) शूद्र-कर्म are those whose duty is to serve. They provide the hands and legs, eyes and ears for the others. Without शूद्र-कर्म, nothing can be accomplished. In any society, we require शूद्र-s. शूद्र-s were not untouchables. They were those who could help set up, or work for a business/industry. They also did menial jobs. A lot of us who work in the corporate sector, who can be hired/fired, and are working for someone and serving a particular cause are doing शूद्र-कर्म |
This entire कर्म division was designed because the entire वैदिक् society was oriented to मोक्ष | There was no hierarchy. Each group/person was proud of whatever skills they had.
The pursuit of कर्म योग does not depend on the कर्म one does, but it depends on how one does the कर्म |
So, one could be a brahmin by कर्म e.g. by teaching, but one could be a वैश्य by गुण –
If one is commercial, with their eyes only on the bottom-line, and one charges a premium for the services/products rendered, and disregard those who cannot afford.
Or, one could be a brahmin by कर्म, but a शूद्र by गुण because one is very lazy, does not want to do, doing the least minimum, not answerable/accountable.
So, this 4-fold division is based on both one’s गुण and कर्म | And there can be several different combinations.
In our culture, we see that though many saints did simple jobs, they were ब्राह्मण by गुण, e.g. Sant Namdev who was a tailor, Sant Tukaram worked in the farm, Sant Kabir was a weaver, and the 63 Shaiva saints in South India.
So, though these people did शूद्र-कर्म, they are highly revered.
This 4-fold division emphasized the role of duty/कर्तव्यम् | In this way, कर्म योग was relatively easy for someone born into a structure where the duty was clearly defined, as one would just work with the spirit of ‘whatever is to be done’.
E.g. One is born into a carpenter’s family. Therefore, one starts to do carpentry at an early age. One is socialized into this work through family-life, and also inherits the genes for this work. So, even at a young age, these people are skilled craftsmen. So, one is born into this family, and one continues to do the same occupation as one’s parents. Because, the pursuit was for excellence. And, अर्थ/money was not the driving factor.
The principle of धर्म was foremost ~ whatever I am doing, how do I bring धर्म into it. And धर्म was done with the ultimate intention of aspiring for मोक्ष |
So, this may sound idealistic, but it was a good system and it worked at that point in time.
It was not a society based on competition. All groups were considered important and necessary for the functioning of society. So, looking down on a particular group, or elevating a group to a pedestal was not done.
But historically, subsequently, a lot of abuse has happened. Because people forgot what the original teaching was.
If one looks at the Mahabharata, we see Dronacharya who taught Arjuna and the others about warfare. Dronacharya was a brahmin by birth (his father was a teacher), but he was the greatest क्षत्रिय of all times, so much so that he taught क्षत्रिय-धर्म to Arjuna & the others.
Further, भगवान् वेदव्यास who we deeply revere and worship annually on Guru Poornima, he was according to today’s standards, an illegitimate son of a fisherwoman and a Rishi. He is the Guru of all Guru-s who has codified the वेद |
So, in terms of the जाति, He may have been born as a शूद्र, but by गुण, He has brahmin गुण |
Or, Rishi Valmiki was initially a robber indicating तामसिक् कर्म & गुण | But, Ratnakara, after performing many years of Raama जप went on to become a great ऋषि, and eventually wrote the Ramayana. Rishi Valmiki remains deeply revered.
So, the association of शूद्र and untouchability came in only because of the degeneration of society and the attempt by Lord Risley who tried to club 1000s of जाति-s into वर्ण-s and created a hierarchy.
Even so, the caste system is not to be blamed on the British or the Portuguese.
Due to abuse of power, there has been degeneration of this system. This should not be denied nor whitewashed.
But we should be allowed to tell our history. This system should not be articulated/reformed by other cultures. Any reform that needs to happen, should happen internally.
The idea of untouchability cannot arise in a culture where all that is here is ईश्वर, as one does not treat another human being as lowly.
So, however we allowed ourselves to be manipulated, now this वर्ण-system has been on the decline. Some people will romantically say that we must go back to the वर्ण system, but we cannot go back, because there is not enough understanding about it, and most people will not want to go back.
The takeaway point from this teaching of भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is that we recognize why the whole system was made i.e. for the smooth functioning of society. Any society that has these groups and more, will function in a harmonious way. No group is superior or inferior to the other.
E.g. The person who sanitizes the surgical instruments in the operating theatre is as important as the surgeon. There is the story of patients who went blind after they had eye surgery performed with un-sanitized instruments.
So, the work of every group is important, there is dignity of labour.
Now, there is a decline in the attitude of ‘us versus them’ in India and throughout the world, due to the rise of education, organizations, and some attempts at affirmative actions of reservations etc.
So, with this understanding of गुण & कर्म, we should reflect on what is the वर्ण that I belong to, and with respect to जाति i.e. whatever family I have been born into- what am I proud about, and what might I be embarrassed about.
Because this वर्ण or जाति identity is an important part of our धार्मिक identity.
So, we should own up what is wonderful about belonging to a particular जाति |
And we should also strive towards becoming more of a brahmin by गुण i.e. having more सत्त्व, clarity, knowledge and determination to do the right thing i.e. to follow धर्म |
One’s कर्म can be anything- one can be a doctor, lawyer, entrepreneur, but the point is- can there be more सत्त्व, with a move towards more clarity & knowledge. And one should consider, how can I use any कर्म that I perform as an offering to भगवान् | Because the कर्म that I do is my कौशलम् – it is what I excel in, it is my contribution to भगवान्’s symphony. And at the same time, I also learn to accept the different results/situations as प्रसाद/कर्मफल from भगवान् |
Although it is an important part of my identity, and I use it to function effectively, I also have to be able to see that I am free from all the गुण-s & कर्म -s. But, unless I live through this identity, and not fight shy of it, nor boast about it either, but have some balance about it, I will not be able to discover the truth.
For people belonging to other cultures, and may have grown up in another religion, it is also worth thinking about- what I am proud about, what I am embarrassed about, and what have been my reasons for moving away from what I have been born into.
Because having clarity in this is very important. Because decisions must be made after having thought through this.
Otherwise, neither will I gain what Hinduism has to offer, nor will I gain what the religion of my birth has to offer.
The purpose of this entire discussion is –
(i) One owns up their identity based on one’s वर्ण | Especially if one lives in India, there is a chance that one either feels superior or inferior depending on which वर्ण one belongs to.
And वर्ण is often confused with जाति |
(ii) The caste system is thrown at India as the worst thing ever of India. But, the truth is that we don’t know enough about the original teaching and we tend to confuse it with the historical perspective.
So, as practicing धार्मिक people, we need not whitewash nor deny this. We have to be open to seeing what happened historically, but also know the original teaching.
(iii) By knowing the combination of these गुण-s, our motivation is to move towards having more सत्त्व गुण | Because ब्राह्मण across the शास्त्र is defined as सत्त्व गुण प्रधान (predominance).
All of the Gita Amrtam students have a predominance of सत्त्व गुण because one is studying the Bhagavad Gita~ desirous of knowledge, wanting to know oneself, living a धार्मिक/fulfilling life i.e. one is clear about one’s priorities, though there may be scope for more growth.
Here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is showing us the (weak) connection between कर्म and ज्ञानम् (knowledge).
Arjuna’s dilemma is~ should I do घोर (cruel) कर्म? i.e. कर्म that will cause a lot of deaths.
And it is not that Arjuna was a pacifist- he was a warrior and he had definitely tasted blood and had fought many battles unafraid. But here there is a hesitation to fight in this particular war.
Challenging situations are a good test for me to see if I do what is required of the situation, or if I withdraw. One’s initial tendency is to withdraw. I do not want to deal with conflict or suffering. I am not sure if I will be able to handle the situation, or if the other will be able to handle it. The reasons for not wanting to do something may be many. As in Arjuna’s case, the कर्म to be done may be long overdue. However, still I procrastinate, I want to buy time.
And then there is confirmation bias, where one’s clever mind looks only for that information that confirms my point of view, so I can feel happy about myself.
After भगवान् श्री कृष्ण talks of the 4-fold division that He created in society for its smooth functioning, He then switches our attention to the स्वरूप of भगवान् i.e. one’s own nature, which can never be negated nor defined.
भगवान् had previously given the example of King Janaka- despite being a king, and being busy, dealing with all problems; he was a wise person.
So, भगवान् says that despite all कर्म that I have done in creating this जगत्, I have not really done this. And it is not that भगवान् is abdicating His responsibility, but rather He is shifting one’s attention to the consciousness that one is.
Given that this is the case, people who want मोक्ष, did not abandon their responsibility in the name of this exalted pursuit of वेदान्त | They did what they had to do. Because at some prior point in time, they had made choices, and so now they fulfill their responsibilities in accordance with those choices that were made.
So, भगवान् says that even मुमुक्षु-s perform कर्म, therefore Arjuna may you please perform कर्म |
Now भगवान् श्री कृष्ण asks a question to Arjuna. And then goes on to answer it.
* श्लोक १६ *
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिता: ।
तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥ १६॥
किं कर्म? What is कर्म?
किं अकर्म? What is अकर्म?
Even कवय: i.e. people who are very bright and intelligent.
(कवि ~ poet.)
Here कवय: refers to the one who is मेधावि i.e. the one who uses one’s memory & intelligence; the one for whom learning is there; and anger/sadness does not cloud one’s faculty of reasoning.
For instance, we are often quite good at advising others, but not so good at following our own advice.
So, कवय: i.e. even people who are very bright and intelligent, these scholars/seers,
they are मोहिता: i.e. confused,
about what is कर्म & अकर्म (actionless-ness).
Therefore, I will tell you more about what कर्म is.
Because,
यत् ज्ञात्वा ~ once you know,
मोक्ष्यसे अशुभात् ~ you will be released from that which is अशुभात् i.e. that which is inauspicious, the cycle of suffering.
N.B. – भगवान् श्री कृष्ण does not say यत् ध्यात्वा (by meditating).
भगवान् says यत् ज्ञात्वा i.e. there is an emphasis on knowledge.
So, we should understand that meditation is not the answer to all suffering.
But, by knowing more about कर्म, and all that surrounds it, one will be released from suffering.
* श्लोक १७ *
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मण: ।
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गति: ॥ १७॥
बोद्धव्यम् implies that this should be done.
The वेद, and the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता in particular, talks of the कर्म that is to be done.
If one is confused, or one wants to continue to be confused, then, one does not want to do कर्म |
This is because it seems like कर्म is painful and requires a lot of effort.
This becomes obvious to one, when one looks around and sees the responsibilities that I have- one only has to look at one’s relations~ family, friends, colleagues, in order to understand this.
E.g. At home, situations require some actions to be done i.e. there is some लौकिक कर्म to be done.
And then, there is also कर्म related to the पञ्चमहायज्ञा i.e. how I relate to भगवान् through यज्ञा, दानम्, तप: |
So, the कर्म that the वेद talks of is important- it is to be known.
And the कर्म that is to be avoided must be known as well.
Two things that the वेद says NOT to do are-
1. Do not eat meat.
2. Do not drink alcohol.
So, if I do not eat meat, nor drink alcohol, then I am okay with this, and agree with these values.
But, if I am a social drinker, then I am challenged by this statement of the वेद |
I make excuses for myself and say- Well I never overdo it. I never regret my behaviour after I drink. Or, other people are addicted to tea and coffee, so what’s so wrong with a couple of drinks?
Or with respect to meat, one justifies meat-eating by misusing the example given in class of भगवान् वेदव्यास’s mother being a fisherwoman, and so He definitely must have eaten fish as a kid. Or, one incorrectly references the Ramayana and points to Lord Raama eating meat, in order to justify one’s misdeed.
The वेद teaches us not to eat meat from the standpoint of अहिंसा | But no value is absolute, E.g. There are exceptional circumstances given in Ayurveda.
And why should one not drink alcohol? Because one’s बुद्धि: becomes compromised. No great nor noble acts follow the drinking of alcohol.
In this way action-consequence is pointed out by the वेद |
So, it is also important to know what is to be avoided.
An important line in this श्लोक is- गहना कर्मणो गति: |
Once one starts digging into कर्म, it is difficult to understand its flow.
For instance, why did I marry Person X? How did I land up with this person?
कर्म may explain it to a certain extent, but the more one digs into it, one finds that everyone’s कर्म is interrelated- my parents, my partner’s parents, my friends, and so many more relationships.
So many things are related, so whose कर्म is primarily responsible? It is difficult to say.
So कर्म is difficult to understand.
After all, कर्म is the grandchild of अविद्या |
One can go digging, and Astrology may be able to give a peek into the कर्म pattern in one’s life, but this is not deterministic. Astrology can give a hint to the likely patterns that will emerge according to one’s personality, but everything is not predetermined.
This is because my choices also play a role.
So, the question is, if I take to वेदान्त or spirituality, should I stop doing what I normally do & enjoy?
Because, one may have romantic ideas that one should stop doing certain things.
So, with ज्ञानम् & कर्म, there are some questions that we have.
Recognizing our dilemma, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण says this verse-
++**श्लोक १८**++ very important verse++
कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य: ।
स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्त: कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥ १८॥
The person who is युक्त: / a योगी / together as a person,
[ युक्त:/योग: share the same युज् धातु ].
कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ~ completely, this person can say – been there, done that.
So, this is a part of one’s journey before संन्यास i.e. all open loops are closed, there is no unfinished business; whatever one wanted to do, it is expected that one has done that before taking संन्यास |
Because prior, one thinks that all the कर्म that one does, is for the sake of one’s fulfillment.
But when one is ready for संन्यास- there are no unfulfilled desires, no more to be achieved in this world, there is no more agenda, nothing to be gained.
Why? Because the mistaken notion that कर्म will give me complete fulfillment is no longer there.
The glory of कर्म is such that I have exhausted the possibilities that कर्म will give me complete fulfillment through the different roles that I play. It is not that responsibilities end.
Ritually, responsibilities may end with संन्यास | But, with संन्यास, one recognizes that no one owes me anything, and I don’t owe anyone anything. There is no sense of entitlement.
So, what are we talking of?
That relative fulfillment that comes with bringing in कर्म योग बुद्धि: into all areas of my life, so that there are no dark corners in my life.
And what about such a person?
This person who has done everything that has to be done has a particular vision i.e. कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य: ।
But first, one has to see that in all roles that I play, that I remain as a simple person.
I relate to my mother as a daughter, to my partner as a wife, to my son as a mother. I relate to my colleagues, friends, as a citizen, as a group member.
So, I-the person am playing all these different roles, and in playing these different roles, I-the person fill the role up.
As mother, daughter, professional, I-the-person fill up the role. But, I-the-person am independent of the role.
Is there a physical distance between me-the person and me as the mother?
No- where the mother/role is, the person is.
So, how can I say that the person is independent of the role?
This is because I am not in any role 365-24/7. When I go to sleep, I am no longer the mother.
When I am interacting with my work colleague, I am not playing the role of mother.
So, I play the role of mother to my children, but not to my partner nor work colleague.
I have no confusion about this, I just relate accordingly in the different relationships, according to whatever I think is the purpose of the relationship.
But no one ever thinks about the purpose of a relationship.
Everyone marries, so I marry; everyone works, so I work; everyone has children, so I have children.
So, one should be clear about the purpose of every relationship.
In general, my role is to care for and support/contribute to the happiness of the other. And this love & support manifests differently according to the role I play. E.g. my love & support for my parent versus my child would manifest differently.
And this being so, if I have a problem with my boss at work, I should recognize that this is limited to this particular relationship only.
However, if I am not in touch with I-the-person who am filling up the role, then what happens is that though the distressing event/encounter is over, and I am out of that physical space; the suffering continues, as I continue to carry the experience with me.
A problem can travel with me all over the world, for many years if left unresolved.
But, if I recognize that this experience is only limited to this particular role, then I need not bring the foul mood into other interactions. Or else everyone gets a piece of my mind, and the whole world feels gloomy to me.
So, I should understand that this was only one experience in one of my many roles, and so this event should be isolated and kept to the role in that relationship. And so, I count my blessings of the people in my life in other relationships.
So, I recognize that I am that simple person, independent of all these roles.
The roles depend on me, but I do not depend on the role; though there may be emotional fulfillment from a role.
One should appreciate that the simple role-less neglected person fills up all roles.
If not for this person, there would be no role whatsoever.
A lot of one’s suffering is because I have confused the role to be me.
E.g. A mother describes all the wonderful meals that she prepares for each member of the family according to their preference. But, when asked- what do you like, she is at a loss for words.
So, one is so engrossed/identified with the provider/mother role, that mistakenly one may think that if that role is not there, then I am not there. I am decimated if the role is not there. I do not know who I am without the role.
And often my greatest sadness is because I have confused the role to be me.
I think that one specific role is me.
E.g. I think that I am only the work-professional, or only the partner, or only the parent.
And I move between one of these 3 roles.
And then thinking myself to be the role, there will be burn-out; and then I find myself wanting to be away from all these roles.
So, I should recognize that I am free from all roles; that the roles depend on me. The roles cannot exist without me. I fill up the roles, but I am independent of the roles.
I choose to play the roles. The roles are important to me, but they do not define me. The roles are not my defining reality.
It will take time for this understanding (that I am not the role) to sink in, because my greatest happiness & fulfillment comes from my roles.
And it is not that we are denying one’s roles. One can enjoy one’s roles. But one should also see this reality~ that I-the-person am free from all roles.
I can pick up the role, and I can drop it.
And this unnoticeably happens effortlessly for us-
E.g. If I go to a party, I interact with 4-5 different people, and I relate to each person differently. There is no confusion. I can relate to person A, and then temporarily suspend that role when I speak to person B.
The same happens when I am speaking to my partner, whilst also trying to address my son.
I pick up and drop roles effortlessly within fractions of a second.
So, in this seemingly innocuous action is a moment of great wisdom as it shows that I can relate to person A, and I do not decimate my role with person A when I relate to person B. But in my vision I have temporarily suspended my role with person A, as I relate to person B. There is no confusion. I can pick up & drop roles seamlessly.
This reveals that I am more than the role.
It is not that I am not the role. I fill up the role.
And there is no perfect role~ no perfect partner relationship, no perfect parent-child relationship, no perfect गुरु-शिष्य relationship.
If it is good enough~ okay. I enjoy and am contented with what is there.
In the different roles that I have, I do कर्म |
Who is the one who performs कर्म? The कर्ता/doer.
So, the results of the कर्म performed, and whatever is to be experienced will come to the doer. The doer/experiencer is the same person/being.
So, what is the unique vision of this युक्त: (wise person) ?
कर्मण्यकर्म ~ In action, one sees actionless-ness.
The wise person sees that I-आत्मा am अकर्ता~ I am not the doer, I never was the doer.
And likewise, I-आत्मा was never the भोक्ता/experiencer.
And this is not because I used to do a lot, and now I just sit in a cave. No. It is not a becoming of अकर्ता / अभोक्ता | It is understanding that अकर्ता & अभोक्ता is the nature of I-आत्मा |
And to recognize the nature of आत्मा, the first step is to recognize that I am independent of the roles. Because only then I will enquire into the reality of who this person is; this person who is wearing this body-mind costume.
And this is a strange uniform that the जीव has~ made up of blood, bones, muscles etc.; the dress-code for living in this world.
The कर्ता has a great sense of self-importance of how I go around doing a lot of कर्म, performing my responsibilities etc.
The wise person says that the आत्मा (अकर्ता) is the basis of this कर्ता |
अहंकार (the one with the identity of कर्ता-भोक्ता, one’s self concept, one’s sense of I)
अहम् करोति इति अहंकार | So one feels important, because one does a lot of things, and also experiences a lot of things.
The अहंकार is the individual who comes to वेदान्त, but the अहंकार does not stay at the end of the inquiry. The अहंकार commits suicide, in recognizing that all that I claimed myself to be is not independent of ईश्वर or the order. All that I claimed as I, me & mine has been given to me. So, this अहंकार now has some surrender.
Otherwise, the job of the अहंकार/जीव/individual is that one looks at what one is associated with (the body/mind) and says that this is mine. And there is self-preservation, where if there is any slight/adverse comment, then the अहंकार pounces on that person. One reacts in this way because one’s sense of self is challenged.
So, the अहंकार does a lot of कर्म, in the hopes of gaining fulfillment from कर्म |
But, the vision of the wise person is that through all अहंकार-कर्म-कर्ता / the doer, what I am is independent of the self-concept.
So, just as it was understood that I-the person am independent of the roles, I-consciousness-आत्मा am independent of the अहंकार |
And wherever I-the person is, consciousness-सत्यम् is.
It seems as if 3 words are being used –
(i) my role,
(ii) me-as-a-person,
(iii) consciousness-सत्यम् |
But, 3 words do not mean 3 entities. E.g. many endearments may be used to refer to one person by the partner- sweetheart, darling, my love.
So, wherever the role is or where my relationships are, there the person is. And wherever the person is, whilst relating or not relating, सत्यम्-consciousness is.
So, what is सत्यम्-consciousness?
It is not a property of the body, because if it were, it would be subject to increase or decrease, e.g. one’s weight.
It is not a product of कर्म | I cannot sit in meditation and consciousness will arise.
Because I am always consciousness. I am that because of which I am aware of everything. I am that because of which everything becomes evident to me. I am that self-evident being. No one’s approval is needed for me to be self-evident. It does not matter what gender I am, what age I am, what my achievements are, or which गुण is predominant (सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस्).
I am a pure being who as though feels enclosed by the boundary of this bodysuit.
E.g. All pervading space, as though feels enclosed in the pot, and thinks that I am limited.
Similarly, during the pandemic, one thinks that I am limited to staying here with this community, I cannot travel/vacation freely.
And then in one’s work situation, there is the great resignation where everyone wants to leave, because there is the recognition that work is not everything, it does not define one’s life.
And one can get consumed thinking, what कर्म can I do to make it all okay.
This is because one is so identified with this limited form ~ the shape of the pot, where the pot is in life (its age & stage), and what कर्म should one do; because I am relating to other pots, and it seems as if everything that I do is never enough.
And it will never be enough, because this is how कर्म is.
But, one can shift one’s attention to- what is the content of this pot. The content may be said to be space. But आत्मा is the cause of this subtlest of matter which is आकाश/space. So, space is really a product.
Then, when we talk of this body-mind complex, भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य & Pujya Swamiji use the term कार्य-करण-सङ्घात |
कार्यम् is a product, करण is an instrument, सङ्घात is an assemblage. So, कार्य-करण-सङ्घात means body-mind-sense complex (BMSC).
कार्य means product not cause. Where the product is, i.e. where the body is, or where the अहंकार/कर्ता/self-concept is, the Self is.
आत्मा is not a property of the BMSC, nor is it a product of any process that one may engage in, nor is it a part of me. If it were a part of me, then it could be amputated.
आत्मा is that which pervades me, that which always is in all 3 periods of time, and in fact is the basis of time.
आत्मा is that which is, even when the body falls.
And आत्मा does not have parts, so it cannot do कर्म | For कर्म, limbs are needed.
So, the wise person recognizes that in all the कर्म that I do, I am untouched by पुण्य & पापा |
But, the body & mind may be touched, E.g. One still has to eat for sustenance.
Importantly, wherever the body is, आत्मा is. But, आत्मा is ever-free.
When one looks at one’s life, one sees that what one once thought was पुण्य, now seems to be पापा, because there is now a lot of suffering as a result of that event. Or, what seemed like suffering, is now a blessing for me in disguise.
If we are able to see that all events that I have labelled as happy/sad, that depending on how my maturity levels are, my perspective changes. One does not have to force oneself to change any perspective, but when one reflects on one’s own life, with respect to how I have been as a कर्ता one recognizes this.
The कार्य-करण-सङ्घात does कर्म i.e. the body-mind assemblage.
When one questions- is this body mine? One initially thinks- yes, of course. But upon further deliberation, one recognizes that I did not create this body with its cells of inherent intelligence that know its precise functioning within this system. Even one’s abilities and achievements are because of the fortune of one’s opportunities. And even one’s intelligence if attributed to one’s parents, were not created by the parents.
So, with a closer look, one recognizes that there is nothing that I truly own- not even the body/mind.
With death, we leave this body behind. And it is interesting that after a person dies, the dead body is no longer referred to as the person, instead, one says- when is the ‘body’ going to be taken to the cremation site.
So, when one enquires into the जीव / कर्ता / अहंकार, it is recognized that it is no longer there. The अहंकार is recognized to be pervaded by the order that is भगवान् and the nature of भगवान् is consciousness-सत्यम् and that is me. So, there is no going or coming for me- no जन्म nor मृत्यु | But, the body & mind will have its own trajectory.
With कर्म योग बुद्धि:, one has grown so big, that things don’t impact one as much. One is no longer dependent on specific things to be present for me to be happy, or for certain things to be absent for me to be happy. This is because रागद्वेष has now been converted to preferences. And I have learnt to be cheerful and relatively happy because I-the-basic-person is a भक्त/devotee who is always relating to the total which is भगवान् |
When one relates to another e.g. one’s partner, one can then drop this role, and then relate to the child. But can one drop the role of being the individual relating to the total? One cannot deny the connection of how this body-mind is sustained by the पञ्चमहाभूत-s. So, the more the basic-person grows into being a devotee, then as a devotee, one can perform different roles. The role of devotee is never given up.
E.g. the devotee may have the current role of taking care of the ailing bed-ridden mother. In this role, one does the पूजा of changing the diapers and offering food to the mother. With the devotee-mindset, the tag of pleasant/unpleasant कर्म drops off, as I recognize that what I am doing is my contribution as a devotee to this order.
So, it is seeing that I-आत्मा am ever अकर्ता & अभोक्ता i.e. never the doer/experiencer, and in all the कर्म that is done, I see this Truth.
This is the vision of a wise person.
In this chapter 4, we see that श्लोक-s १८-२४ talk of the nature of knowledge.
This is the reason why the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is called as ब्रह्मविद्या, since these verses talk of the essence of the उपनिषद् i.e. the nature of आत्मा | We previously saw that Chapter 2 also discussed this topic.
So, both ब्रह्मविद्या and योग शास्त्र are the recurrent themes presented across the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |
It is beautiful that both are presented.
If it were only ब्रह्मविद्या, as in the उपनिषद्, then the situation is- I want knowledge, but I am not prepared for it.
Pujya Swamiji gives the example of the bachelor who has just moved to the city, and is trying to make a cup of chai. His apartment is bare, so he asks for some hot coals from his neighbour. But, he has no wares to carry them in. He grabs some newspaper and directs her to place the coals in there, even though this is not the appropriate पात्र | Unfortunately the coals never make it back to his next door apartment, because the newspapers are unable to support the hot coals.
The problem was that he did not have the appropriate पात्रता (capacity to receive something).
If someone is exposed to ब्रह्मविद्या, and is prepared in terms of a spontaneous कर्म योग बुद्धि:, such that one is in harmony with all relations in the world, then smooth understanding ensues.
But most of us do not have enough पात्रता |
We have enough मुमुक्षुत्वम् i.e. a desire for मोक्ष, and a willingness to work towards it in terms of preparing oneself.
Therefore, योग शास्त्र is important in order to prepare oneself in the context of one’s maturity regarding all aspects of life. For instance, I come to understand & accept my relationship with कर्म – the situations that unfold in life and how I respond to them.
And if only योग शास्त्र is presented, then one would have a calm contemplative mind, be more effective in one’s relationships, and have harmony, but sooner or later one will ask the question~ for what? If anyway I am going to die, then what is the point of being effective or productive- I came from dust, and will return to dust, so what is all this for? Then, there may seem to be no purpose…
So, this is the beauty of the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, as both ब्रह्मविद्या and योग शास्त्र go hand in hand. One always has the insight as to why I am preparing myself- so that I qualify for ब्रह्मविद्या |
And, when the goal is clear, one sees that death is just an event, and that any changes that happen are only to the body/mind. I-आत्मा remain ever-untouched. And आत्मा is who I truly am. So, all conflict & suffering fade away.
If I am not ready for ब्रह्मविद्या, it is enough to prepare oneself for a harmonious life.
So, verses १८-२४ relate the nature of आत्मा, and these verses are given from the standpoint of कर्म |
आत्मा is referred to by many words, from different standpoints:-
– In chapter 2, we saw the word स्थितप्रज्ञ(wise person) referring to the one whose प्रज्ञ(wisdom) is well-established.
– पूर्ण: refers to I-आत्मा complete in and of oneself.
– अव्ययम् means no व्यय (decline/decay). So, no facelift nor corrective surgery is required for I-आत्मा |
So, from different standpoints, depending on the conclusions made about oneself, different words are used.
Here, in these current verses, अकर्ता (not-the-doer) and अभोक्ता (not-the-experiencer) are used for आत्मा | Sometimes, भोक्ता is translated to mean enjoyer, but one can be the भोक्ता of both सुखम् & दु:खम् | Therefore, experiencer is a more apt translation.
When one looks at one’s day, there are a set of experiences & a set of कर्म, across many roles. In an experience, I can be both the कर्ता and the भोक्ता | E.g. If I try a new dish- in the preparation I am the कर्ता, and in the enjoyment, I am the भोक्ता | In attending a program- I am कर्ता through my participation, and I am भोक्ता as I listen to what others say.
So, in all our lives, on a daily basis, across all roles and relationships, what gets formed and entrenched is the identity of कर्ता (doer) and भोक्ता (experiencer). This identification is natural since one is doing so much कर्म and also having so many experiences- whether I contribute to the कर्म experienced, or it is someone’s कर्म towards me.
So, all the time one’s identity is कर्ता-भोक्ता, this is the identity of the अहंकार/ego.
And one spends all of one’s life trying to manage this identity. E.g. one uses productivity hacks to increase/decrease कर्म, change one’s experiences, and even spirituality becomes a part of one’s experiences.
And कर्ता-भोक्ता being my identity, I can go from lifetime to lifetime having different kinds of experiences and doing different kinds of कर्म |
But here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण points out that as आत्मा, I was never the doer nor the experiencer.
भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य gives the example that if 2 boats are moving at the same speed, one can feel stationary in relation to the other. So, in action one can experience actionless-ness.
Another example is- if one is on a boat, and looks at a ship in the distance, the ship does not appear to be moving. So, in the seeming actionless-ness, there is movement/action.
So, do these everyday experiences show literal actionless-ness and action? No.
Similarly, one can be doing a lot of कर्म so one seems to have the identity of कर्ता | But if one does enquiry and it is discovered that I am आत्मा who is not the कर्ता,
then, the wise person can say that I-आत्मा was never the doer.
We may see the wise person running around and doing projects, e.g. King Janaka did all kinds of projects, and was involved in all ministries and working for His subjects.
But, even through the performance of different कर्म-s, there is no more अविद्या(ignorance) because the person has discovered that I was ever आत्मा |
So, though appearing to be doing a lot of activity, the body & mind is understood as मिथ्या with a status of dependent reality. And I-आत्मा am not touched by any of this.
Just as I am the person across the different roles that I play- I am the role, the role is not me. Without me, there is no role. That role is not my entire identity.
The role is just a uniform that I wear in this particular context/situation/phase in my life.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण explains that as आत्मा (pure existence-consciousness, without any limits/boundaries), I was never the कर्ता (doer) nor भोक्ता (experiencer).
As भोक्ता, I have to come to terms with the hurt that I have experienced.
Generally, one is not able to move beyond the identity of the doer/experiencer because one does not feel fulfilled as the doer- there is always scope to do more in any role, and definitely there is scope to experience more e.g. more travel, experiencing family milestones.
So, one looks forward to these experiences and it feels as if life is incomplete without X,Y,Z experiences.
The current experience is that कर्ता & भोक्ता feel अपूर्ण(incomplete).
Will there be a time where I pile on more कर्म and then finally I will be fulfilled?
No matter how exalted the कर्म is, अपूर्णत (the sense of incompleteness) continues as there is identification with the human condition. And so, along with this human identification, existential sorrow is a given.
One can push the limits and enjoy all the glories of one’s शक्ति-s, but remaining as the कर्ता-भोक्ता, one will never be enough.
This is the humbling reality, it is not being pessimistic.
So, one can relax because the human situation is that the body-mind will have a certain lifespan and death will come as an event, sooner or later.
If this is the final conclusion, then one had better reconcile with it. But this is not the Reality.
In reality, I was never born, I will never die; I cannot be negated.
An inability to be negated is the definition of being real.
One may negate oneself on the basis of perception, e.g. the body is born, and dies.
Or one may say~ you say that I am eternal, but I don’t feel like that. So, this too is one’s perception.
So, one should talk from the standpoint of प्रमाण – वेदान्त says that I was never born, that I will never die, that I am always there.
But, the identity that I hold on to is centered around कर्तृत्वम् (doership)- I have not achieved enough, or भोक्तृत्वम् – when will these events happen; this didn’t happen to me.
If doer-ship & experiencer-ship were real, then they would NOT come and go. For instance, in deep sleep, if one is kicking someone, one is not voluntarily doing it. Because, कर्तृत्वम् & भोक्तृत्वम् are not there in deep sleep.
श्रवणम् (systematic listening to a Teacher) is not just audio perception. As I go with the words, I have no choice. I do not know what will be said next. I can close my ears, but once I am listening I cannot control the input. This is how perception works. Similarly there is no कर्तृत्वम् with seeing. One has कर्तृत्वम् up to the point of opening one’s eyes, but then there is no choice in what is seen.
So, listening to वेदान्त is not a कर्म | One can just relax, and the Teacher does the job through the use of words; and I recognize that yes, this is talking about me.
When listening there may be भोक्तृत्वम् with some emotion, or reaction being evoked.
But, when listening one is not the कर्ता |
And in between 2 thoughts, one is not the कर्ता nor the भोक्ता |
So, all of this points to that I was never the कर्ता nor the भोक्ता | And the wise person understands this.
I am the limitless, as though going through human experiences via a human medium.
This theme of कर्तृत्वम् and भोक्तृत्वम् continues in the rest of the verses.
भगवान् continues by discussing aspects on the nature of knowledge, and the wise person’s lifestyle-
For this wise person,
सर्वे समारम्भा: ~ all projects that the person undertakes,
काम सङ्कल्प वर्जिता: ~ are free from काम सङ्कल्प (binding desire i.e. the will that this should/should not be done).
But, if there is no desire/will, then why is one undertaking a project?
For लोकसंग्रह: i.e. for the benefit of everyone.
For instance, our closing prayer is a prayer for everyone, no one is excluded-
ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
So, the wise person sees the need in society and responds to it with a project.
How is this person’s lifestyle?
There is no more अविद्या(ignorance), due to ज्ञानम्(knowledge).
ज्ञानाग्नि i.e. the fire of knowledge has दग्ध (burnt away) the कर्म |
There are 2 understandings of this burning away of कर्म by ज्ञानम् –
(i) ज्ञानम् (knowledge) is opposed to अज्ञानम् (ignorance).
So, when knowledge is there, ignorance is not there. The sense of doer-ship and experiencer-ship is no longer there.
ज्ञानम् is knowledge of oneself, the nature of the world, भगवान् |
(ii) There is a connection between अविद्या, कामा and कर्म | And there is so much कर्म in one’s account.
अविद्या is that I don’t know who I am.
Therefore, there is a sense of अपूर्णता/incompleteness.
And because of incompleteness, I feel pushed/impelled to do कर्म, depending on the nature of कामा |
E.g. I must go to India, and so I cannot sit quietly with this कामा – I have to look at flights etc.
So, अविद्या leads to कामा, and then कर्म | So there is this constant sequence.
For the wise person, there is no more अविद्या |
Then, what about प्रारब्ध कर्म (कर्म that has already begun in this lifetime)?
Does the person with clarity drop dead? No, this does not happen.
Because प्रारब्ध कर्म has begun, so पुण्य & पापा continues in this lifetime, and a series of situations are encountered.
These are experienced by the wise person like a roasted seed i.e. there is experience for this lifetime, but there is no more seedling/sprout for reincarnation/rebirth.
So, in this sense कर्म is burnt away. The sense of doer-ship and experiencer-ship is no longer there.
Even if one enjoys a ripe mango, one sees that the भोक्ता is a dependent identity, and what I really am is आत्मा |
Obviously, this reasoning does not stand in a court of law.
For instance, one cannot kill another and then say that I am not the doer, I am आत्मा |
It is a given that धर्म is the framework of life. And धर्म lived by deliberate practice becomes spontaneous. Wisdom only comes after having धर्म as a solid framework foundation of this life.
काम सङ्कल्प वर्जिता – In this way, the लक्षण of the ज्ञानी becomes the साधन for the मुमुक्षु |
How does one deal with one’s binding desire?
So, first one should align one’s desire with धर्म | Then, one can fulfill the desire with कर्म योग बुद्धि: |
Then, one gains the required maturity for knowledge.
One does not have to give up one’s desires. One can have desires but distill them into priorities.
Just as with respect to exercise, there may be a variety of options- cardio yoga, zumba, running, walking, cycling. But one would not have time to do all of this. So, what is one’s priority? Is it strength, stamina, endurance, flexibility? So, one can identify one or two options, and then stick with this.
So, in all desires, I should question- what is this for? And then, one can be creative and combine things- e.g. working- out and housework.
So, desires can be distilled when one understands what is the larger need that I want to meet.
Then, the clamor of different desires/कर्म does not bother one as much.
And then, the pressure of social media or relatives do not bother one. People can suggest, but if I am clear about my priorities, then I am not bothered/pressured by their suggestions. I just understand their suggestions as an expression of their care for me.
And भगवान् uses the phrase पण्डितम् बुधा: here in this verse. The first time He used the word पण्डिता: was when He began the Teaching of ब्रह्मविद्या in 2.11.
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे ।
गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिता: ॥ ११॥
There, He told Arjuna that- you speak words of wisdom, but there is no reason to grieve.
Then, what else about the wise person who recognizes the आत्मा to be never the doer, nor the experiencer-
*श्लोक २०*
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रय: ।
कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति स: ॥ २०॥
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं ~ Giving up of the attachment to कर्मफल |
It should be noted that the verb is in its present continuous form. Therefore this ‘giving up’ should be done on a daily basis.
So, why is one doing कर्म, if it is to be given up?
My कर्म is an offering to भगवान् i.e. प्रासाद बुद्धि: |
Giving up the सङ्गं to कर्म means that I give up the notion that- once this happens, I will be fine; that the various कर्म that one is doing for one’s fulfillment, only when it happens, then I will be fine.
There is the practicality of statements like- when I wake up, I will go to work.
But, when there is the thinking that- only when there is a certain occurrence, I will be completely fulfilled, e.g. when I go on vacation, or when this relationship mends. There is that tag attached to a future situation that complete fulfillment will happen only then. But really through this event, the purpose of one’s life will not be achieved.
So, the wise person does not define oneself by the outcome of any event.
If I am not कर्ता, then I cannot define myself by कर्मफल |
Usually we define oneself by the degrees on one’s CV, one’s occupation & earnings, one’s relations.
But this कर्ता-भोक्ता identity is a dependent identity on I-आत्मा |
As a कर्मयोगी, because I am a भक्त/devotee, my कर्म stands offered; कौशलम् stands offered to भगवान् |
I recognize all results of action as प्रासाद, sanctified by the altar of भगवान् |
In this way we grow to sanctify all areas of our life, including the relationship with one’s mother-in-law, or whatever seemingly difficult situation there is. Some areas are easier than others.
So, as a कर्मयोगी, one understands that, depending on the choices made, I go through a given set of experiences~ good, bad & ugly. And that defining myself by these experiences is not helpful.
By defining myself with these limitations, I am denying the limitless that I am.
As a कर्मयोगी, I learn to be relaxed with the experiences unfolding in my life.
In the कर्म that I am involved in, I do what I can, and this is good enough.
So, my relationship with कर्म is loosening, both with respect to कर्म that is done and कर्मफल that is received- there is nothing that I have to do, and I am not attached to any result.
So, a wise person does not define oneself by कर्म nor कर्मफल |
The wise person is नित्यतृप्त: ~ One is always content since one sees myself as पूर्ण/complete.
The wise person is निराश्रय: ~ not dependent on anything.
There will always be physical dependence on the पञ्चमहाभूत (air, water, fire etc.) for शरीरयात्रा |
The bacteria depend on these 5 great elements, so what to talk of the more evolved human being?
But there can be emotional independence where I am free enough to allow the other person to be i.e. I become a more loving person.
Emotional independence is not being a cold person~ ‘I don’t need anyone’. This is actually a symptom of someone who is hurt.
I can be related to many people, and I am free to love.
I am not dependent on another following my list of should-s & shouldn’t-s in order for me to be happy.
For instance, in the beginning of a courtship, or for parents, there is the feeling that I want to be there for the other. One is willing to do whatever is required for the growth & happiness of the other, despite the other’s annoying habits. One thinks- what can I do to make the other feel cared for?
The thinking of ‘how can I contribute’ comes from a bigness of heart.
This is emotional independence.
The wise person is निराश्रय: |
Whether the other does or does not do for one, it is okay.
There is no bitterness of heart. It is not that one does not have expectations.
E.g. Elderly parents can become hurt by their children’s behavior and think- well I have learnt not to expect~ this is not the teaching of the भगवद्-गीता | One can tell one’s children about what one’s expectations are, and the children may or may not be able to fulfill this. Then, if the children are not able to do, one should make peace with this and find an alternative arrangement.
कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्त: अपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति स:
A great महात्मा in Rishikesh was asked- for how many hours do you meditate?
His response was that- why are you putting this disturbance called meditation in my mind? ~meaning that He was always meditative.
So a person may be involved and fully engaged(not detached) in a lot of projects & activities, but knows that I am not really doing anything as आत्मा |
Even as a कर्मयोगी, one can come to the understanding that कर्म happens through me, that I am an instrument of कर्म |
And this can bring one a lot of joy.
There is a description of a ‘flow state’ where when one is busy with a project- writing, singing, creating, that there is a sense that one is not really there. Even if one is appreciated for doing, one feels as if I did not really do this, that I was prompted to say/do something.
This occurs when one allows, and there is no resistance to how things should be. One is fully involved in the task with whatever skills that one has. And just by doing one’s कर्म, one recognizes that कर्म happens through me.
This ‘flow state’ is beautiful- it is a state of surrender, where I have exercised my will to such an extent that ultimately, I learn to drop it. This is the greatest lesson of the will.
Whether I am in the gym lifting weights, or pushing myself to do an assignment, or whatever situation where there is a lot of willpower required, one trains oneself that I can do this.
Then, there comes a time when one drops it~ e.g. during ‘flow state’ or in surrender.
Surrender- as a part of my भक्ति/worship, I do what I can, and it’s all because of भगवान्’s grace. And the results are fully accepted even before the results come to me, because I recognize that the results are being shaped by भगवान् | So, I don’t wait to see what the results are before deciding if I accept them or not. I may not always be happy with the results, but I will learn from it, and see what else can be done. And so, I learn to drop my resistance, because we are all resistant to so many things, including ourselves.
So, आत्मा is अकर्ता- this is what the wise person recognizes.
This श्लोक २१ refers more to a संन्यासी than to a गृहस्थ | Since, the phrase त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रह: is used, meaning the person has given up all possessions.
गृहस्थ-s/householders are referred to in श्लोक-s १९, २०, २२, २३ & २४ |
निराशी: ~ the one who is free of expectations.
Pujya Swamiji is a role model for this. At the end of the full-time teaching of a 3-year वेदान्त course, what were His expectations of His 85 students? There were no conditions set for what one should do after the course. One was free to do whatever one wanted to do- यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ~ Verse ६३, Chapter १८.
Though He was so busy with so many administrative duties, various projects, helping people; He had no expectation that His students in whom He had invested so much in would do His bidding. This shows His bigness of heart.
Or, in trees- the mother-tree never knows where the children-seeds are, for they are strewn/carried across so many lands. The प्रारब्ध is such that the mother-tree is stationary, but the seeds are scattered, and the mother just has to trust that they will be okay.
So, निराशी: is where one grows so big that one does not need other people to do X,Y,Z so that one is okay.
Along the same lines, the गुरु is asked, why does one teach?
There is very less demand for ब्रह्मविद्या | The so-called demand seems to be there, people explore and ask about वेदान्त, but there are very few people who have the commitment to see it through.
So, why does गुरु teach?
One is so used to having transactional relationships, that one cannot believe that someone can be kind without an agenda or any strings attached, yet still committed to one’s growth and happiness.
There is a profession where one goes from place to place and blows a conch.
The conch is a symbol of the sound of the वेद | Literally, it is considered as a sacred sound that dispels all negativity. And metaphorically it stands for the वेद |
So, this person had the job of going from village to village and blowing the conch in order to wake up everyone in 3-4 villages. He would wake up at 2am in order to do this, because he had to walk a few miles to get to each village. And what if the people of the village did not wake up upon hearing the conch? Well to this question he replied- I do what I have to do, which is to blow the conch; they will wake up whenever they are ready.
So, in the process of teaching वेदान्त, one is exposed to different kinds of students- some are committed, some are there for the fringe benefits e.g. to better manage one’s relationships or to be more effective at one’s job. And then at some point one enquires into the nature of आत्मा, and this is the process of waking up.
One can be very great and effective at managing one’s life, but who is the one who is managing one’s life, what is the nature of that being?
And if one wakes up to that reality, then the person has woken up to the sound of the conch. If not, the person can take his/her own time.
For the wise person who teaches, the person is निराशी: | Knowing that the person will wake up when the person wakes up, one drops one’s expectations of the other. Because everyone is on their own spiritual journey, and so we give people that time.
Additionally, the person has-
यतचित्तात्मा ~ mastery over sense organs,
and,
अपरिग्रह ~ a sense of non-possessiveness, or an absence of ownership.
अपरिग्रह is mentioned as one of the यमस् in अष्टाङ्ग योग |
So, one practices अपरिग्रह as a value- Whatever I have (including this body/mind) is given to me, and at best I am a trustee, and I take care of it for whatever pursuit.
So, in regard to everything that I have bought with my hard-earned money, I am only a temporary owner.
For instance, when one has to sell one’s property, one recognizes that I was indeed the temporary owner. Or, during a divorce/separation, one recognizes that the relationship was not for keeps. It is temporary and there is no ownership. Even if one owns a dog, the dog has to go to a dog training school in order for the dog to listen to what I want it to do. So, what to talk of a person listening to me?
So, the recognition that everything is given to me is भगवान्’s grace. My कर्मफल has fructified due to भगवान्’s grace.
So, for this संन्यासी,
शारीरं केवलं कर्म ~ i.e. कर्म is only done to sustain the body.
And the कर्म which is done, since it is not done due to binding desires, then there is no किल्बिषम्/पापा involved.
As once there is binding desire, one is impelled to do अधर्म, e.g. giving someone a piece of my mind, or regretting that I did not say something helpful in a given situation.
Also, the संन्यासी has no sense of ownership. Even though one has possessions, one is very willing to give them away. One does not define oneself by the objects around one. If certain things are there, one uses them, and that is all there is to it.
The theme of आत्मा being अकर्ता (non-doer) and अभोक्ता (non-experiencer) continues.
It is easy to gloss over आत्मा being अकर्ता (not the doer).
The additional aspect to this understanding is that even the law of कर्म is sustained by आत्मा |
So though आत्मा is अकर्ता (never the doer),
but yet I-आत्मा as though give कर्म a validity, reliability and reality that it actually does not have.
So, from the standpoint of the absolute reality, is कर्म really कर्म?
E.g.
From the Reality standpoint, some action is performed, as though, by the different waves in the ocean.
What is the reality of the waves? Water- which is सत्यम् |
So, the movement of the waves is really the movement of water.
In a given form, some कर्म is performed by the wave. But what sustains the form of the wave? All the way it is water.
आत्मा sustains the ‘individual wave’, which is water only ( i.e. the individual which is I-आत्मा-consciousness only).
AND also, all movement/ नियति/order of कर्म, I-आत्मा sustain.
Therefore, to delve into this understanding, different kinds of कर्म are mentioned.
In 4.18, we see that the vision of the wise person is revealed in the context of कर्म and अकर्म, अकर्ता and कर्ता |
Then, श्लोक १९-२४ highlight some aspects of a wise person and some aspects of the lifestyle of a wise person.
A wise person can be a गृहस्थ or a संन्यासी | The lifestyle is just where one’s life priorities are.
Importantly, regardless of one’s lifestyle, no one is denied this knowledge.
E.g. King Janaka was a successful king, who continued to manage his kingdom after gaining knowledge.
श्लोक २२ continues with another aspect of the wise person’s way of living-
* श्लोक २२ *
यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सर: ।
सम: सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ॥ २२॥
In this description of a wise person, whatever लाभ (gain) comes, one is संतोषः (happy/content).
This श्लोक makes reference to a संन्यासी going for भिक्षा |
भिक्षा generally is in the form of food, and is just enough for शरीरयात्रा |
For instance, in Rishikesh there would be क्षेत्र-s which would give simple free food of roti with watery dhal to these संन्यासी-s who study there, as भिक्षा |
So, the wise person is the one who is संतोषः with whatever comes. Whatever comes is recognized as प्रसाद | And if nothing comes, then one just makes do, e.g. drinks water from Ganga-Mata. This is यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्ट: |
So, प्रसाद बुद्धि: has to be at a high level in order for one to accept whatever comes. Some things are more easily accepted, and a lot of things one resists and struggles with- for instance the disposition/annoying habits of one’s partner, one’s colleagues, or some things about oneself.
So, समत्वम् and प्रसाद बुद्धि: are to be extended into all areas of my life. This is my साधना | It is not a forceful acceptance; it is to relax and glide into the understanding of dropping resistance.
द्वन्द्व अतीत: ~ not affected by pairs of opposites.
द्वन्द्व(dual), अतीत: (transcends).
If one has राग for one thing, one cannot avoid having द्वेष for the opposite.
E.g. If one has राग for धर्म, one’s tolerance level for those practicing अधर्म is low.
राग is anything that one gets obsessed with, or feels has to be done. It is making anything ABSOLUTE- it must be, always, at all times, places & situations.
Everyone wants to live a धार्मिक life, whether this is discerned or not.
Another example is that just because I am vegetarian, I believe that everyone should also be vegetarian. But this does not make sense because 70% of India is non-vegetarian.
So, if I have a value, and I understand the exceptions to the value, then I have understood the value of the value. E.g. In Ayurveda, allowances are made to consume meat if one lives in the mountainous cold regions, because in these places there is no other vegetation.
So, one should recognize the value of the value. And recognize that for every value, there are exceptions, only then I can be relaxed and balanced. This is not moral relativism or subjectivism. It is recognizing the reality of any value. Because every value is universal, but relative in application.
So with the attitude of द्वन्द्व अतीत:, one is not affected by opposites.
One swings to one extreme, if one position is important to me. If I define myself by my likes/dislikes because this is what makes my personality, then I will be intolerant of anything opposed to that. So, some balance is needed.
One recognizes that आत्मा sustains everything, including the opposites- hot/cold, all seasons, all values etc.
One is also विमत्सर: i.e. free from मात्सर्य (jealousy).
E.g. Jealousy consumed Duryodhana, as he had murderous feelings towards his cousins, and could not stand them being happy. He did not have the पुण्य to reach the stage of recognition that he needed help and should seek guidance from a गुरु to manage this मात्सर्य | So instead of trying to extinguish the jealousy, he justified it, and acted upon it. For him, it was unacceptable for others (the Pandavas) to be happy.
But it is easy to be happy if one revels in the happiness of others.
I-the person do not need to be happy; if another is happy then okay. But this feeling comes with seeing another happy, where one wishes I was like that.
E.g. One easily becomes jealous whilst seeing the lives of others through the filtered lens of Instagram. One thinks- I also want that; why is this not happening in my life.
मात्सर्य is one of the षड्रिपु (6 inimical forces) that exist in all of us.
These षड्रिपु are काम (binding desire), क्रोध (anger), लोभ (greed), मोह (confused thinking), मद (arrogance) and मात्सर्य (jealousy).
These are called enemies because they are not conducive to one’s happiness & growth. When one acts upon it, and it consumes one, it is likely that one will perform an act of अधर्म |
E.g. With binding desire, I must have what I want, regardless of the other.
Then, in chapter 2 we saw that thwarted/obstructed काम results in क्रोध | Therefore it is not completely effective to merely manage one’s anger by various techniques like drinking water, counting to 10 etc., because due to the intensity of काम, क्रोध arises which one is impelled to act upon.
Or, as a result of मोह (confused thinking),one does unthinkable things. E.g. if someone does something wrong, one thinks that that person is inherently bad, and on the basis of this one shames/humiliates the person, but really, I have also made mistakes.
For instance, the 3-year-old falls down and the mother is angry with this child who accidentally tripped whilst attempting to keep up with the mother’s pace. Instead of comforting the fallen child, the immediate reaction is that- it is all your fault, how can you fall down, you are not supposed to fall down.
So, these situations seem instinctual, happening in the spur of a moment, but it is a series of reactions- you fell down, it is your fault, you never listen to me etc.
So, like this one has confusion about all kinds of thinking.
षड्रिपु is part of the psychological landscape. It is synonymous to अपस्मार (the unconscious) seen in the मूर्ति of Dakshinamurthy. This षड्रिपु/अपस्मार are emotions and reactions.
To some extent, they may even be helpful. For instance, how can one have mastery, if one did not have काम or क्रोध?
All of this षड्रिपु is there due to अविद्या which leads to human insecurity. Therefore, one cannot avoid it.
In Psychology, षड्रिपु is referred to as the shadow self.
Literally, we all have a shadow when we walk out in the sun. But metaphorically, this shadow self is also there with these aspects of jealousy, hatred, being judgmental etc.. These can be managed, pushed under the carpet, minimized, or allowed to have free reign.
E.g. People who have the habit of showing anger may have grown up with the idea since childhood that if one does not assert oneself in an angry way, then no one will listen to me. So, this becomes a habitual pattern.
So, we must appreciate what happens to us when one is in the throes of any of these-काम (binding desire), क्रोध (anger), लोभ (greed), मोह (confused thinking), मद (arrogance) and मात्सर्य (jealousy).
Do I just justify it? E.g. With respect to लोभ (greed), do I justify wanting more of everything and find supportive reasons, or do I ask myself- do I really need this.
So, highlighted in this verse is that the wise person is free from jealousy.
So, one is genuinely happy when another is doing well, because one is not threatened by others doing well.
E.g. People who spend a long time on social media feel depressed since one compares oneself to others, and so it reminds oneself that I do not have what those other people have.
If someone is happy, then why can I not be equally happy for that person?
But there is the feeling that- I am not enough, I do not have enough, etc.
The wise person is free from all of this, and not just because of emotional management, but one recognizes that I-आत्मा pervade everything~ all forms.
So, if any form is my form, then if that form is doing well, then that is great because it is my form anyway.
Then with respect to सिद्धि and असिद्धि i.e. any kind of accomplishment or failure, there is समत्वम् |
कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ~ Even if the person is involved in all kinds of projects, really speaking the person is not doing any kind of कर्म |
For this ज्ञानी, सङ्ग (the sense of being attached) to objects/situations has gone away.
This is sometimes misunderstood as ‘practicing detachment’. One mistakenly thinks that ‘being detached’ will free one from all conflicts. No.
It is to understand that I-आत्मा am ever-detached.
So then, what is attached? अध्यास is the extra value that I superimpose/place on relationships/objects that- this will complete me.
All things have their utility value, but the erroneous thinking that this thing/person will complete me is not there for the wise person.
So, this wise person is free from सङ्ग /dependence. Free from Dependence is actually a better translation than detachment for गतसङ्गस्य |
This means I can relate to all people with love and support, but not be dependent on them. These people do not have to fulfill criteria on my behavior checklist manifesto, in order for me to be okay. This is great freedom for me.
So, of this person, who is free from dependence, who is मुक्त: (liberated),
the चेतस् (mind), where is it rooted/anchored? ज्ञानावस्थित ~ It is rooted in self-knowledge.
So, what does this person do? One continues to do कर्म, because it is not possible for someone to not do कर्म, but this कर्म is performed for the sake of यज्ञ i.e. it is worshipful कर्म | So, everything is an offering.
The कर्म of such a person is समग्रं प्रविलीयते |
With अविद्या gone, due to विद्या/knowledge, there is only the कर्म of this lifetime that the wise person is exhausting.
So, if this person dies, in this person’s कर्म bank account there is a bunch of कर्म; so to whom will that कर्म go to?
The one who claims the कर्म i.e. पुण्य or पापा, is the कर्ता (doer). And the कर्ता is no longer there with the death of the body of a जीवन्मुक्त i.e. with विदेहमुक्ति | But really, even before death, there is no कर्ता, since कर्तृत्वम् (sense of doer-ship) has been falsified.
कर्तृत्वम् has been seen to be मिथ्या with a status of dependent reality.
So, the wise person who is free from अविद्या, is also free from its grandchild कर्म & its effects.
So, all कर्म is to be looked upon as यज्ञ |
यज्ञ is commonly referred to as a ‘sacrifice’. But a more suitable though loose translation is a ‘fire ritual offering’.
To do a यज्ञ, the वेद is the प्रमाण (means of knowledge).
What does one do in a literal यज्ञ?
There is the होम कुण्ड (fire pit) in which different rituals are performed for different goals/ends.
In a given ritual, there will be the one performing the ritual, and in most cases because we do not know how to perform the ritual, we depute the pandit/priest/purohit, who is professionally trained, to perform the ritual on our behalf.
The fire is kindled in order to invoke the grace of अग्निदेवत |
अग्निदेवत is the best courier service to all the देवत-s, as whatever oblations are offered, faithfully and totally it is taken to the appropriate देवत | We know this because the वेद tells us so.
As a part of the ritual, a 5-fold offering is made. The principle is that 5 symbols of the पञ्चमहाभूत (5 great elements) are used, since the entire world is made up of these पञ्चमहाभूत |
These are-
(i) पृथिवी- food/fruits are offered.
(ii) आप – water is offered.
(iii) अग्नि – fire is present, since all offerings are made to अग्नि |
(iv) वायु – मंत्र-s are chanted; fragrance is used.
(v) आकाश – flowers are offered.
So, this 5-fold offering indicates that all that I can offer to You is made up of the पञ्चमहाभूत, and I am symbolically offering this to You.
So then, can anything be offered? No. A यज्ञ has a protocol with stipulations. There are many do-s & don’t-s. For instance- how big the fire should be, when you need to offer. The materials that are used for यज्ञ should be clean & pure, and are especially put aside for use in the यज्ञ |
The वेद tells that if I perform a certain ritual, then I will get the specific results.
From the standpoint of perception, a यज्ञ may seem like a weird action with a few people seated around a hot fire, offering things into the fire which become ash at the end of the ritual, and there is chanting going on. So, an onlooker may think that this looks crazy.
But from the Vedic standpoint, it is awe-inspiring.
The difference between these 2 reactions is only श्रद्धा, because in the latter case one understands the principle behind the ritual, and comprehends that I am able to offer all this and that I trust that-
(i) this ritual will help,
(ii) this ritual is a powerful one because it has been revealed to me by the वेद,
(iii) the ritual tells me things that I do not know,
(iv) I am invoking the देवत/देवत-s. And when I invoke the देवत, the देवत will come,
(v) I invoke the देवत’s grace, and the देवत will bless me because I do the यज्ञ sincerely with devotion.
Towards the end of the ritual, the priest will say “न इदम् मम” ~ meaning that I give You totally, that I fully surrender all materials to You. This statement is needed because we all have a tendency to hold on to things.
So, the offering is made to the different देवत-s.
A long ladle is used to make the offerings of ghee etc. And there are stipulations- for instance only when certain मंत्र-s or words are uttered, then the offering can be made. Also, one looks closely at the kind of flame created (there are 7 kinds of flame). And it is also said that the form of the देवत appears in अग्नि i.e. the fire takes the form of that which is there in the ध्यान श्लोक | E.g. Just before ललित सहस्रनाम or विष्णु सहस्रनाम, there are contemplative verses that helps one to have a form to arrest the mind.
In कर्म, there can be a lot of variables, e.g. how the materials are procured, how they are offered, the level of devotion etc.) So, even in यज्ञ, there is no perfect कर्म, which is why we ask for forgiveness at the end of the यज्ञ | Because though we do it with the right intention, it is possible to commit an error/omission, so we ask that this कर्म done completely with our full heart be accepted.
And then in order to complete the ritual, दक्षिणा is given to whomsoever performed the ritual on one’s behalf.
So, this is the वैदिक ritual/ यज्ञ |
Now, this same metaphor of यज्ञ is being used for the next verse.
* श्लोक २४ *~ Beautiful verse on यज्ञ
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ २४॥
This verse is chanted before we eat, like grace before meals.
For any कर्म, there are different कारक-s involved.
Here, the vision of the wise person is that all that is here is ब्रह्मन्-the limitless and that is me.
So, how will the कर्म of that person be?
ब्रह्म अर्पणम्(ladle/मंत्र-s) – the ladle used for the कर्म is ब्रह्मन्; the मंत्र-s chanted as offering is ब्रह्मन् |
Because if one is saying that all that is here is ईश्वर, then is there a place where ईश्वर is not? Or is there a time when ईश्वर is not there?
In one’s dream, is there any part of the dream that I do not touch? The whole dream has come from me- the entire intelligence & material of the way that things are in the dream has all come from me. E.g. If I dream of a safari in Tanzania- the various animals, the safari jeep, the grasslands – all are me, I am there everywhere.
So, this vision of the wise person is that the instrument that I am using, or the मंत्र-s that I am chanting are ब्रह्मन् |
ब्रह्म हवि: – हविस् are the oblations that are offered, e.g. barley or rice. So, what is offered is also ब्रह्मन् |
Where is this being offered? ब्रह्माग्नौ (7th case) – It is being offered into the अग्नि/fire. This is also ब्रह्मन् |
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यम् – This sincere seeker who wants to ‘reach’ ब्रह्मन्; this seeker is also ब्रह्मन् |
ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना – This person sees that all the कर्म resolves in ब्रह्मन् |
The law of कर्म is sustained by ईश्वर | The स्वरूप of ईश्वर is ब्रह्मन्- the limitless being.
ईश्वर is just the name given to that function which helps different things to manifest.
So, all the way, the कारक-s- the कर्ता (doer), the कर्म performed, the instrument used, the purpose for which the person is doing (e.g. to have a child, or to have harmony between husband & wife, or appeasing a particular planet) – all of them are ब्रह्मन् |
So, ब्रह्मन् is not missed in day to day living.
There is no learning of the theory of वेदान्त, and then this is followed by practice. There is no divide like this.
In other disciplines of knowledge this is possible. E.g. in कर्मकाण्ड there is this divide. Also, when one is learning Sanskrit, just श्रवणम् is not enough, one has to practice a lot. Also, just by knowing the recipes in a cookbook, the food is not produced.
So, there are some things to be understood, and some things to be done on the basis of the knowledge that one has.
But the person gets confused and thinks- okay, I get what वेदान्त is saying, so now what should I do? If this question is asked, then one has not gotten what वेदान्त is saying.
If by doing the कर्म which one is supposed to do, one feels good, then the person should do this कर्म |
So, the vision of the wise person is that everything is ब्रह्मन् |
It is easy to say that everything is ब्रह्मन् and gloss over it.
OR, in the context of this metaphor provided we recognize that each though different is seen as ब्रह्मन् – the form is different, the purpose is different; but all of it is sustained by ‘is’-ness. This is ब्रह्मन्, This is me.
The कर्म which is performed, whether it be a यज्ञ as mentioned in this श्लोक, or otherwise is ब्रह्मन् |
So, in the upcoming verses, we will see a series of कर्म that one performs, that one can relate to.
The theme to take away from this श्लोक is that in the offering/surrender, there is knowledge, and all the factors are ब्रह्मन् |
The more we see this, the more is our attitude of surrender.
These योगिन: i.e. these different people who are given to कर्म योग, what do they do?
They perform यज्ञ, and in that they invoke दैवम् i.e. grace, the different deities. And so, this is their form of worship.
And what do the others do? Others refer to the संन्यासी-s.
So, two lifestyles are being mentioned continuously in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता –
(i) कर्म योग is where one is pursuing धर्म, अर्थ, काम, along with मोक्ष. So right now, one has a lot of life priorities that are very important to one, e.g. I want my kids to be married, and I want to be a grandparent etc.
In कर्म, there are a lot of variables that one has no idea about. One is working hard on a project, and has made all the effort, and somehow things do not work out. So then, what should one do?
So then one should acknowledge the grace of भगवान् |
This is objectivity; this is not being religious. One recognizes that I am not controlling the law of कर्म – I do not know what पुण्य or पापा is going to fructify, and so I make an attempt to gain some पुण्य, and also learn to be okay with knowing that I have done my best. I have done this कर्म, and may I have the strength to deal with whatever I get.
Because a lot of our conflict is because of our resistance- we do not want things to be in a particular way.
So, this is what the कर्मयोगी does i.e. performs a lot of rituals.
Nowadays, very few people perform अग्निहोत्र | अग्निहोत्र used to be a very important part of the Hindu lifestyle.
अग्निहोत्र is a ritual that is performed in the morning and in the evening, and is for the well-being of the family. But there are stipulations there. Once one decides to perform अग्निहोत्र, then it is a commitment until one’s death. So, people don’t take up this कर्म due to concerns about not being able to perform if I am travelling etc. So, what has happened now is that people perform पूजा | And even so, people have hesitation about पूजा |
So, the कर्मयोगी-s perform these.
Because the कर्मयोगी wants धर्म, अर्थ, काम, then taking care of the invisible variable is a good thing to ask.
E.g. If one goes to a coffee chain and orders coffee, one does not hesitate in telling the barista about what kind of coffee one wants. So, if one does not hesitate to tell the coffee-guy, then why is there this great hesitation to tell भगवान् what I want? This difference in standard in asking for what I want is incomprehensible.
But one has the thinking that I must not ask भगवान् for anything. So then why is it okay to ask Amazon to deliver things to me? One asks everyone specifically for what one wants, but the being who can help me and sustains all of me from the form standpoint, one does not ask. There need not be any hesitation to ask. Whom else should one ask? One should ask the one who is more powerful than me, who continues to bless me every moment.
So as a कर्मयोगी one should ask.
If one is blessed with so much पुण्य, that everything worked out well, and one is very hardworking and has never really had to ask, then okay. But if one has to ask, then one should not hesitate to ask.
So, the कर्मयोगी can perform all these different rituals.
(ii) संन्यासी
The last ritual that is done by a संन्यासी is the one to become a संन्यासी | In this ritual, one thanks all the देवत-s, saying that you have blessed me with so much, and that I no longer need all these different things that you have blessed me with, and also I am not vying for your position. देवत is also a position/role, and one can aim for a देवत’s position if one does elaborate मंत्र साधना over many lifetimes.
After this last ritual, the संन्यासी no longer has a relationship with अग्नि, in the sense that one no longer wants things in terms of धर्म, अर्थ, काम |
So whatever minimum is gotten for शरीरयात्रा is enough.
In order to reach this level of maturity, one would have been there, done that, and realized that I can manage without all of this.
So, what does the संन्यासी do?
To do any कर्म is expensive- one needs the material and the दक्षिणा for the pandit/purohit.
So, the संन्यासी offers oneself. This is not सती with offering oneself into the fire.
It is ब्रह्माग्नि i.e. the fire of knowledge.
So, what is offered? अहंकार |
This ज्ञान यज्ञ i.e. this ritual of knowledge is spoken of here. And later on, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण will talk of this ज्ञान यज्ञ being more superior to any other कर्म, because all other कर्म-s strengthen the identity of being कर्ता |
The कर्ता(doer) cannot help but be affected, as the कर्ता is the भोक्ता, so what is done affects one. If one is doing- one may get, or not get, or get different from what is expected, so one is always affected. This is the drama of the life of the कर्ता-भोक्ता |
But, for the one who starts the enquiry, the अहंकार commits suicide and is no longer there. Because in the recognition that everything is ब्रह्मन् / ईश्वर, there is nothing left to be offered.
But, initially there is an offering.
So, all wrong/false/मिथ्या notions which can be negated and so do not have absolute reality, are offered into the fire of Self-knowledge.
So, two lifestyles are given, and the way in which the यज्ञ should be performed in each lifestyle is given.
Arjuna is on the battlefield, so what is भगवान् श्री कृष्ण talking to him about यज्ञ ?
So, He does not literally mean यज्ञ, as all the यज्ञ-s that would have been needed to be performed to help secure victory would have previously been performed, so what यज्ञ is भगवान् speaking of?
So, He is talking of the whole understanding of offering/surrender and what that means because in the vision there is surrender, and also in the surrender, there is vision. Both ways one can look at this.
Then further, He talks about self-mastery.
If one cannot do these rituals, still everyday one is listening, watching, speaking, eating/drinking. So, one can make these activities into यज्ञ |
This we shall see more of in the next class…
There are people who offer different द्रव्य (substances). In this case, द्रव्य means धनम् |
धनम्/giving is an integral part of one’s life in सनातनधर्म |
Even if this is not the case at this point in time, one should try to grow into a person who contributes more than consuming.
द्रव्य could be helping someone with their education, or working on some innovation. In earlier times द्रव्य would be the giving of cows, gold, land etc. द्रव्य is considered as an offering unto ईश्वर, because there is a certain discipline which comes with it.
One may have standing instructions with the bank so that a certain amount of money is deducted from one’s account on a monthly basis for the charitable causes that one supports. The intention is that I want to be able to give every month depending on the शक्ति that I have. So, for the ones who share their wealth, one can also have mastery in this.
It can be considered as an ordinary act of giving, but here I am learning to give and be free of my रागद्वेष of hoarding and collecting, and it is an offering unto ईश्वर |
भगवान् Ramana Maharishi in his Upadesha Sara explains how to do सेवा to भगवान् –
जगत ईशधी युक्तसेवनम् ।
अष्टमूर्तिभृद्देवपूजनम् ॥ ५॥
He describes this as अष्टमूर्तिभृद्देवपूजनम् | The entire world that is there is in the form of अष्टमूर्ति (8-fold form) i.e. the पञ्चमहाभूत (the 5 great elements), the Sun & the moon (both representing all luminaries in the sky), and चैतन्य (consciousness). [N.B. it is not that चैतन्य is the 8th, because it is not at the same level of reality; it is considered the 8th with respect to the other 7].
So, one can make an offering to any of these manifestations, based on one’s talents & skillsets. This is one’s यज्ञ |
तपोयज्ञ is the next form of यज्ञ that is spoken of as an offering to भगवान् | तपस् is an important part of सनातनधर्म | It is a religious discipline that includes fasting (not necessarily followed by feasting), or going on तीर्थयात्रा | तीर्थयात्रा is not a 5-star luxury trip, there must be some discomfort, and despite this discomfort, one is prayerful. When a religious discipline is involved, there has to be some denial of comfort. Why? Because I am extending my sense of ‘I’. Otherwise, I remain in my comfort zone. For instance, I stay in my comfort zone so I do not interact with others, because I find that when I interact with others, it is too disturbing. So, this is not the right way of thinking.
Another तपस् is व्रत (vow) of doing मंत्र |
There is an elaborate साधना called पुरश्चरण | If the मंत्र that one has received has 5 letters, e.g. ॐ नमःशिवाय, then as a part of पुरश्चरण, one chants this मंत्र for 500, 000 times spread out over 1-2years. But there are a lot of stipulations, so not everyone can do it. For instance, the time when one does this is fixed, the place where one does this is fixed, a certain शुद्धि/cleanliness should be there, etc.
So, it is a religious discipline, and one does it though one does not feel like doing it, and even though the mind is going all over the place, and one keeps on wondering- when is my माला going to end, that this feels so mechanical, I am not doing this meaningfully, do others feel the same, I keep on thinking of my to-do list etc. So, this happens to all of us, and this is all offered. This is the discipline- that my mind can go all over the place, but I bring it back again & again.
योग यज्ञ refers to all the people who practise अष्टाङ्ग योग | अष्टाङ्ग योग is a very deep and sophisticated body of knowledge that starts with an ethical basis of यम and नियम | For instance, we have a natural tendency to hurt people so we should restrain oneself i.e. अहिंसा | So, there is no specific अहिंसा-action, but the restraint in wanting to hurt, insult or humiliate another is exercised and this is अहिंसा |
So अष्टाङ्ग योग includes यम, नियम, आसन, प्राणायाम, प्रत्याहार, ध्यान, धारणा, समाधि |
So, one may look upon these practices as a यज्ञ | In the earlier practice of all the आसन-s, the chanting of मंत्र-s for each of the 12 postures would be included. But unfortunately, some of this knowledge has been lost.
आसन practice is important with huge benefits – good health, it prepares one for वेदान्त | Importantly, it helps one to focus on one’s sensations and alignment, and one becomes more aware of oneself and one’s surroundings.
And because there is discipline and mastery involved, this योग can be offered to भगवान् |
Otherwise, one can get into a competitive spirit in this practice. E.g. one compares oneself to others and feels bad about oneself because I am not as flexible as the other.
So, both संतोष (contentment) and तपस् should go hand in hand. One should be content with what one’s body can do, but at the same time, one should push one’s body. If there is too much तपस्, then one will have injuries. But, if one is too lackadaisical, then one thinks that one did a lot of work, though doing very little. So, getting that dynamism is important.
So, one’s योग practice can be offered to भगवान्; it is a यज्ञ |
स्वाध्याय यज्ञ – स्वाध्याय is an important part of नियम | स्वाध्याय means that one studies the scriptures. But this is not an academic study. It is स्व i.e. one is studying oneself in the light of the scriptures- योगसूत्र, or श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |
So, it is not about knowing the definition of कर्म योग or कौशलम् | It is understanding how समत्वम् & कौशलम् are reflected in my life. This self-reflection is a यज्ञ | One is not saying that X & Y have to change so that I am happy. Instead one reflects on me- where I am, what am I doing in my life, how am I using my time, effort and energy, how am I aligning with धर्म, how am I offering my actions to भगवान्, my surrender. Reflection does not mean criticism, this breeding द्वेष towards oneself is not objectivity.
So स्वाध्याय is a यज्ञ |
ज्ञान यज्ञ is the offering of my ignorance into the ज्ञानम् that is me. This is an activity that one takes regularly, e.g. weekly गीता अमृतम् class. And because there is an element of surrender, one is not too worried about फल | I make my offering and trust that the परंपरा blesses me, and I seek their blessings also, so I have no doubt that I will get the understanding that I seek in this lifetime. This is श्रद्धा | One makes the adequate effort for learning वेदान्त and trusts that I will be rewarded.
Otherwise if one thinks that I am in charge of my self-study i.e. I will decide what text I am going to do, when I am going to do etc., then there is no room for भगवान्, because one is so full of me, I & myself. Then, whatever understanding I have, I keep questioning it, and criticizing myself in the light of that understanding. So, this is not helpful at all.
So, this ज्ञान यज्ञ is an offering to भगवान् |
Then, there may also be the thinking that I did not attend class for many weeks, so I think that it is time to drop out. But really in any pursuit, there are phases. For instance, in one’s profession, there may be phases of excitement and phases of stagnation, and then one also takes leave- privilege leave, casual leave etc. So, in the pursuit of wealth, there are many phases, and the phases are all different from each other. Therefore, if this is acceptable to one, then the मोक्ष pursuit and the different phases that are there in it should also be acceptable to one. There will be moments where one wonders- what am I doing, am I really progressing? Or, I have heard this so many times, I am really bored, maybe I should try something new. Or, I want to take some time off. All of this is okay. As, if it is a commitment, one will come back to it. Maybe right now, one doesn’t feel up to it, or maybe one is going through a fragile phase, e.g. dealing with the death of someone. But this is actually more of a reason to attend class. So, one should not worry about what the Teacher will think or that I have let myself down. There is no need to create such drama for oneself. One should just attend when one can. Just as one shows up to work when one can- but this commitment because it has external accountability is much more higher, and then there is also the factor of one’s salary being involved.
But, we try to show up. This is ज्ञान यज्ञ | Despite one’s mood, one stays with it. As one recognizes it as a very important pursuit with different phases. So, one is not too hard on oneself.
स्वाध्याय also involves the recitation of the वेद | वेदान्त is an oral tradition and a lot of the knowledge was preserved by chanting, memorizing, retaining, reproducing anytime and anywhere. A book is not needed. Traditionally also, chanting was not taught with a book, though now we have the स्वर marks. One is just supposed to listen and repeat many times. For instance, one can make it into a discipline to repeat a word 108 times, and so this goes very deep into one’s cellular memory, with increase in neural pathways through this repetition. The Sanskrit effect is also seen with the study of the structure of the brain of people who did Vedic chanting for many hours per day.
The uniqueness about Hinduism is that there is no library that has all the treasure of Hinduism. So, it is not that- if the library is destroyed, then Hinduism is destroyed. It is not like this. The knowledge is all there with people, and available to them whenever.
Traditionally, if one has not memorized a text, then it is not taught to one. E.g. in मठ-s, the verses are repeated for hours with the intention to memorize, and this repetition is offered.
Then, when one has the verses with one, then the way in which one understands the verses also changes. Then, one does not have to keep looking at one’s notes.
So, this repetition and recitation is very important. Chanting & singing practice is recommended for everyone. It is a beautiful aspect of music- everyone must sing as it is an important aspect of self-expression.
यतय: is the संन्यासी-s. They are totally devoted to ज्ञान यज्ञ | Their lifestyle is such that most of their waking hours is spent in reading, learning, chanting, assimilating, contemplating etc.
So, all of our कर्म can be made an offering, and we learn about surrender as we do this, and our mind expands in the understanding of भगवान् |
Upcoming, verse 29 speaks elaborately about प्राणायाम, so प्राणायाम is also a यज्ञ | Then, in verse 30, we see moderation in eating- this आहार नियम also can become a religious discipline. So, all of one’s activities can be made into a religious discipline, with the understanding of धर्म, and with the understanding of ईश्वर |
So, one makes an offering, which is my कौशलम् i.e. competence in the कर्म and समत्वम् i.e. acceptance of the different kinds of results.
Summary of यज्ञ-s discussed so far-
1. दैव यज्ञ ~ offering unto deities.
2. विषय-भोग यज्ञ ~ offering of one’s pleasure & sense pursuits.
3. दम यज्ञ ~ restraint of sense organs, and organs of action.
4. शम यज्ञ ~ being centered, alert and mindful in terms of what one consumes.
5. द्रव्य यज्ञ ~ धनम् and सेवा to अष्टमूर्ति i.e. the entire world.
6. तपोयज्ञ ~ तपस् including fasting, going on तीर्थयात्रा, व्रत of doing मंत्र |
7. योग यज्ञ ~ अष्टाङ्ग योग practices.
8. स्वाध्याय यज्ञ ~ studying oneself in the light of the scriptures; the recitation of the वेद |
9. ज्ञान यज्ञ ~ offering of my ignorance into the ज्ञानम् that is me through the study of the scriptures.
वसुदॆव सुतं दॆवं कंस चाणूर मर्दनम् ।
दॆवकी परमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दॆ जगद्गुरुम् I
We seek the grace of जगद्गुरु, the गुरु for the entire universe, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: in every class.
There are 2 streams that flow alongside each other in वेदान्त | These are:
(i) Self-mastery ~ कौशलम्, संयम |
(ii) Self-discovery ~ enquiry into आत्मा i.e. आत्मा विचार |
The stream of self-mastery has many साधना-s. Self-mastery is so that we can use the mind and body as our instruments for our many pursuits, with the one major pursuit being मोक्ष |
So, for how long should one pursue self-mastery? Until one understands the Truth.
If one already understands the Truth, a lot of self-mastery would have been spontaneous in one’s life.
If one has a strong achiever identity i.e. there is the strong identity of कर्ता (the doer) and भोक्ता (the experiencer), one can take on this self-mastery as a lifelong साधना & challenge, thinking that I will be the master of my destiny.
Now, the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता offers us a more expansive understanding of mastery i.e. that mastery is achieved in the larger framework of धर्म |
Because one can be a master cyber-criminal, but this is not good for the people at the receiving end of this.
So, mastery includes the understanding of भगवान् ~ nothing that I can perform and no results that I get are untouched by the order that is भगवान् |
How or what shall I surrender?
So, now we see a series of verses from श्लोक २५-३० that are giving us different options for different kinds of साधना-s. Because we may be partial to one साधना, or one of our राग-s may be this particular activity, and so how can I convert my whole life into a साधना? How can I convert my whole life into a surrender unto भगवान् ?
In श्लोक २५ we saw that the कर्मयोगी can perform rituals/यज्ञ unto the deity for different ends, e.g. for a child, for harmony in a marriage, for removal of obstacles, for success in a business venture etc.
And the संन्यासी-s offer themselves- all conclusions/notions that one has about oneself, one questions, and stands purified in the fire of knowledge.
Here we see a helpful imagery from the कठोपनिषद्, which uses the chariot. There are five elements in this chariot-
(i) the Chariot.
(ii) Five horses –
Each of the five horses represents a sense organ, and each has their respective area of exploration as they move into the world. The horses are wild and just go all out in their sphere of operation.
– the sense organ of sound is attracted to music,
– the sense organ of sight is stimulated by all that one must watch and read,
– the sense organ of touch is attracted to comforting touch,
– the sense organ of smell is attracted to pleasant fragrances,
– the sense organ of taste is stimulated by food. We all go to great lengths in order to plan for and procure our meals; a lot of events can be dictated by food.
So, all of these are important for all of us. The horses of the sense organs can be let wild into the world- for instance, whatever is one’s fancy, one can go all out towards that. Or, the reins of how the sense organs need to move in the world can be decided by the mind.
(iii) Reins – is the अंतःकरण with the function of the mind i.e. that which throws up different kinds of desires, e.g. I am pondering over lunch ~ should I have Thai, or Japanese?
So, the outward going horse can drag one along as one ponders over the menu, and the reins will throw up the different desires. But who makes the decision? The charioteer.
(iv) Charioteer – is the deciding function i.e. the बुद्धि: of the अंतःकरण | The बुद्धि: will decide that today I will have Thai food. The options are many, so the बुद्धि: stays firm and sticks with one based on all the desires that are thrown up.
For whom does the बुद्धि: decide? The master of the chariot.
(v) The master of the chariot i.e. the one for whom the chariot is being driven.
This is the one who is illumining all the shenanigans of the sense organs, and desires/pursuits. All of this is happening for the master of the chariot i.e. आत्मा |
So, in our regular pursuits which are श्रोत्रादि i.e. all that one can hear etc.(see, smell, taste, touch),
are offered into संयम अग्नि i.e. the अग्नि of self-mastery. [संयम has another meaning in योग शास्त्र ]
So, does one pluck out the ears and throw them into the fire? Obviously, no.
In the activities of the different sense pursuits, there is both restraint and some movement in that direction.
1) If the reins of the horses are too tight, such that the horses cannot move, then one will suffer. Because one will keep having desires but because the controls are very tight, one is not able to enjoy anything. One feels guilty for every enjoyment. So, this is not appropriate.
2) If the reins of the horses are too loose, then the horses will decide what one needs to do. One is pulled in all different directions, as the sense organs decide what one does, instead of the mind/intellect.
We live in this multi-sensory world where there in constant sensory input i.e. constant knowledge from these ज्ञानेन्द्रिय | ज्ञानेन्द्रिय are the sense organs of knowledge, but what we decide to do with the knowledge received may vary. E.g. If something tastes nice, one can choose to indulge in more, or just enjoy a small serving.
The sense organs do not decide. In the light of one’s pursuits, one decides how much to pursue, what to do in any kind of pursuit etc.
The purpose of any pursuit that one has is self-mastery. We get to enjoy wonderful fragrances, beautiful sights, charming/harmonious sounds, delectable tastes, but one does not get carried away with it, because all of it is meant to serve me. It is meant to bring me some enjoyment, but at the same time I am not conditioned by the enjoyment.
For instance, if one has very particular taste, then even as one travels the world, one must have one’s rice & lentils. So, one misses out on the wonderful cuisine offered in all the different cultures. When one corners/limits oneself, then the scope of enjoyment also gets limited.
So, enjoyment is good, but one should offer one’s enjoyment into self-mastery, with some framework of धर्म |
E.g. With respect to vegetarianism, for the sake of 2.5 inches of tongue, one does not kill an animal for meat. For the few seconds that the food is on the tongue, is it really worth it? So, this is an extension of अहिंसा |
So, in all of one’s pursuits, may one offer it into the अग्नि of self-mastery.
Then, there is another अग्नि~ इन्द्रिय अग्नि i.e. the fire of the senses. Here the metaphor is that each of the senses is like the हवन् कुण्ड् with offerings to be made. How does one decide what to offer?
Whatever is appropriate one should offer- how much to see, how much to listen etc. are the decisions to be made. Even if it is वेदान्त or योगासन, one cannot spend 8-12 hours or more, per day on this. Also, excessive मंत्र chanting without guidance can produce a lot of heat in the body. So, all these activities must be guided, because it is not necessary that more of a good thing is a good thing. There must be appropriateness.
So, here the teaching is that may we be alert, deliberate and conscious with what we are consuming. This is not just limited to scrutinizing what one eats, but this discernment should be applied to all sensory input (see, hear, taste, touch).
Discernment does not mean that one swings to an extreme, e.g. one thinks that when I watch news, I become very disturbed, therefore I am not going to watch any news. One is a part of this system, so one cannot ignore the news, one should at least look at the headlines. But one thinks that the news is too toxic- this topic of toxicity makes us into soft creatures who cannot handle toughness.
It is easy to say that a person or situation is toxic, so I will run away from this- this is one’s द्वेष masquerading as the seeming toxicity of the other person. There may be people who seem to be always whining and complaining, having negative things to say, so one can try to contribute some positivity to this situation. But running away from what I perceive as toxic under the guise of controlling oneself is not self-mastery.
For instance, one may think that when I talk to people I get disturbed because I think over what I should have said and what I should not have said etc., so then one avoids talking to people. So, it seems as if people have become a source of disturbance for me, but really is it that one’s own thoughts about people have become a source of disturbance for me. So, this need not be so.
So, with respect to the mastery of the sense organs, given the nature of one’s pursuits, and where one is in one’s current age and stage of life,
being deliberate, conscious and alert about what do I see, what do I consume, what do I hear is very important as one has limited attention, and one does not want it to be scattered. So, there are management and productivity books that one can read to help with building these good habits.
So, we exercise discipline in the use of our sense organs and offer this unto संयम (self-mastery) i.e. ईश्वर-izing & spiritualizing all of our pursuits. It is not to say that this is a pleasure pursuit and so it is not spiritual.
Everything is made spiritual by recognizing that everything is touched by the order that is ईश्वर |
So, there is no reason to feel guilty with moderation and the framework of धर्म, as all the pursuits of pleasure of the sense organs, I offer it unto ईश्वर | It is all a यज्ञ – whatever I eat, see, smell, taste, touch.
Then, it also helps with शम: and दम: for अधिकारित्वम् i.e. the preparedness for वेदान्त |
One can get disturbed when one sees certain things, so how do we resolve it?
So, one may see news of the Ukraine-Russia situation or about the Kashmir fights, so this will naturally evoke a reaction.
So then does one immediately go into a binary type of thinking that those are the bad guys who I hate, and then feel very righteous about myself. Or, do I sit with the discomfort and recognize that maybe I do not fully understand all of it- yes, this does not seem right, and maybe I need to learn more. I can pray, I can educate myself, I can have another perspective. So, various options are there. In this way I am not disturbed, or I do not continue to be disturbed by the goings-on of the world. Because there is already enough to disturb one, and this disturbance will impinge on my pursuits.
So, right at the beginning the reins are in my hands as to how much I consume.
Mastery does not mean denial. If the reins/controls are too tight, then one cannot enjoy this world which is such a blessing, but if the reins are too loose, then one is all over the place. So, it should be just adequate. And this balance is dynamic~ we master it by mastering it. So, effort is required so that the mind and body are fully available for my pursuits.
For instance, if one is a social media analyst then one would need to spend many hours per day on social media because this is one’s job. But even if this is not my job, it is so easy to spend a lot of time on social media as one gets pulled into the rabbit-hole of the offerings of social media. So self-mastery is to remember that the reins are in my hands.
This talks about संन्यासी-s since सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि i.e. all sense pursuits(ज्ञानेन्द्रिय-s/organs of knowledge), and the कर्मेन्द्रिय-s/organs of action are both being offered unto आत्मसंयम अग्नि |
आत्मसंयम अग्नि is self-mastery that has been stoked by ज्ञानदीपिते |
Especially for a संन्यासी, the pursuit of अर्थ & कामा is at its least minimum, therefore a lot of time is spent in meditation, contemplation and learning. Therefore, one needs to be fully available for this pursuit.
Therefore, there is a certain वैरग्य/objectivity that I have been there and done that. It is not that one has द्वेष, but whatever sight/sound/travel etc. has served its purpose for me. My mind does not get carried away all the time by what I am feeling, or what I am thinking, or what I should/should not be doing. The mind has resolved, and one is fully available, borne out of विवेक/clear thinking about what is important to me at this time and stage in life, having made the commitment to मोक्ष |
With self-mastery, one can use the mind to master the body. And one can also use the body to master the mind.
This is not a dualism.
E.g. in school, one may think that when I am in the right mood, I will study. However, the right mood never happens, and one stays distracted. Then, after a few hours pass, one feels even worse about oneself because then time has also passed.
So, instead one compels oneself to do the desired action. In this way one gets going on the project, even if one does not feel like it, and then one finds that the mind will align.
So, sometimes there is शम: i.e. in the light of different pursuits, I am also resolving psychologically my mental status, centering myself despite the disturbance.
And then, one can also take the help of physically getting into the activity, and as one starts doing the activity, one gets into the right mood.
So, both शम: & दम: is needed.
दम: is mastery at the level of the body which contributes to a more centered mental status, and शम: is centering oneself and resolving issues that may have disturbed one and then one is in the right frame of mind for action.
Then, there are many more यज्ञ-s(prayerful offering/ritual) mentioned. These are used as a metaphor for different activities of our lives.
For this practice, first-
(i) Sit comfortably,
(ii) Straight back,
(iii) Gently close eyes.
प्राणायाम is an attempt to regulate the प्राण that keeps us alive. So, in a simple way by using my breath which is always with me physically, I can attempt to regulate it.
Different types of प्राणायाम have different types of results.
We recognize that the प्राण in the body is the same वायु that is outside the body. So, really speaking, inside & outside is just a point of reference. It is really वायु presided over by वायु देवता that is energizing my body, even though breathing is involuntary.
So, with deliberate conscious attention, one takes a deep breath in, holds the breath and then exhales to different counts.
Inhalation should be done fully, and exhalation should be done fully.
Different variations-
1) Inhale deeply to a count of 8, hold for a count of 2, exhale fully to a count of 4.
2) Inhale deeply to a count of 4, hold for a count of 2, exhale fully to a count of 8.
3) Inhale deeply to a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale fully to a count of 4.
Each of these can be repeated, with a few normal breaths in between.
By प्राणायाम, we understand that the process of breathing is governed by the laws of भगवान्, and in our attempt to regulate there is effort involved and that effort we offer unto Him. Really speaking, what is His, we offer unto Him. The effort then becomes a यज्ञ | Because, in the recognition that the प्राण that energizes my entire system is indeed वायु (air) presided over by वायु देवता, I see that I am ever connected to भगवान् through this simple act of प्राणायाम |
To end, one can bring one’s palms together and rub them, and then gently palm the eyes and open them.
The next verse explains how प्राणायाम can be a यज्ञ –
* श्लोक २९ *
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे ।
प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणा: ॥ २९॥
This chapter is called ज्ञान-कर्म-संन्यास-योग: | So, the topic is ज्ञानम् which is in the form of कर्म-संन्यास and कर्म-संन्यास is not actually giving up कर्म, but giving up the sense of doer-ship i.e. कर्तृत्वम् that is associated with कर्म | Because कर्म is not opposed to ज्ञानम् | We have to really assimilate this. Therefore, one is free to do any कर्म that is in line with धर्म | So, instead of thinking that I will do lots of कर्म, or I will do little कर्म, one should do whatever one needs to do, according to the धर्म of the situation, because कर्म is not opposed to ज्ञानम् |
And so, as a result of this teaching of आत्मा being अकर्ता-अभोक्ता i.e. never the doer, never the experiencer, so then how do we relate to कर्म? How can कर्म serve us? NOT we serve कर्म |
So therefore, to look upon all कारक-s (the factors of कर्म) as ब्रह्मन्, we have to ईश्वर-ize all aspects of our life. And to be able to do this, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is not encouraging block thinking or any glossing over, as if one does not know how to do यज्ञ (the fire ritual), then one can look at all one’s activities as यज्ञ-
1. दैव यज्ञ ~ offering unto the deities that pervade the different laws of nature.
2. विषय-भोग यज्ञ ~ offering of one’s pleasure pursuits, e.g. eating/drinking, dancing, music etc. So, these can be looked upon as a यज्ञ and therefore one can have moderation in it.
3. दम यज्ञ ~ the way in which we use our organs of action, may be looked upon as worship and therefore accordingly regulated.
4. शम यज्ञ ~ the resolution that is required in response to different situations, because we build up a lot of reaction. So, may one resolve whatever comes up.
5. द्रव्य यज्ञ ~ the offering of धनम्, any kind of giving.
6. तपोयज्ञ ~ any तपस् i.e. any religious discipline that one takes on.
7. योग यज्ञ ~ अष्टाङ्ग योग practices, particularly आसन-s because the ethical basis of योग is यम and नियम, which is धर्म, so everything is involved, but here definitely आसन can also be an offering. Generally now we only consider सूर्यनमस्कार as an offering, but earlier आसन-s had a lot of मंत्र-s associated with them.
8. स्वाध्याय यज्ञ ~ having that discipline in one’s life, in terms of looking at one’s life in the light of the शास्त्र | But, one needs to know a little bit of the शास्त्र in order to look at one’s life. Otherwise, in the name of स्वाध्याय, we will just be observing body sensations, and some people even define स्वाध्याय like this also.
9. ज्ञान यज्ञ ~ a commitment to ज्ञानम् |
10. प्राणायाम यज्ञ ~ This is spoken of here in श्लोक २९ |
So, even this act of प्राणायाम can be a यज्ञ | प्राणायाम is a very important part of अष्टाङ्ग योग, and classically it is taught much later as there needs to be दम i.e. some regulation of the body first before one can get into प्राणायाम |
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं –
There are five aspects of प्राण- प्राण, अपान, व्यान, उदान, समान |
So, for different physiological functions of the body, प्राण plays an important role and takes on different manifestations. Here, what is being referred to is प्राण and अपान | अपान generally refers to that aspect of प्राण that is responsible for evacuation. But here in this verse, there is a slightly different meeting- अपान is the activity of inhalation and प्राण is the exhalation.
प्राणायामपरायणा: –
Those who are committed to this practice of प्राणायाम, we can take a leaf from their book and commit to doing प्राणायाम every day, because one does not need any material for it, nor does one have to be in a particular mood for it. It is an important aspect that one can integrate into one’s lifestyle.
The beautiful part about प्राणायाम is that it is a part of the सूक्ष्मशरीर |
The capacity for the five types of प्राणा is a part of the सूक्ष्मशरीर which includes one’s mind/अहंकार |
The सूक्ष्मशरीर consists of 17 factors- 5 कर्मेन्द्रिय (organs of action), 5 ज्ञानेन्द्रिय (sense organs; organs of knowledge), 5 प्राण-s, and then अंतःकरण-अहंकार |
So, the capacity for the 5 प्राण-s is there with the सूक्ष्मशरीर |
And so, the beauty is that you can tug one, and then the सूक्ष्मशरीर quietens down. That’s why प्राणायाम has this magical effect. It’s not like all the problems in one’s life have suddenly disappeared, because after doing प्राणायाम they are still there. But, definitely one is more calm and more composed after प्राणायाम, because प्राण is interrelated with the सूक्ष्मशरीर | One observes that when one is disturbed, the breath becomes fast and shallow. But if one just shifts one’s attention to one’s breath/प्राण and just breathes, one recognizes that just simple deep breathing is enough to calm one down and is enough to clear the mind. Why? Because it is a part of सूक्ष्मशरीर |
So, this is an important practice, and the people who are committed to it, they take it to the level of यज्ञ and what do they do? So they do something similar to the प्राणायाम exercise that we did at the beginning of class i.e. the अपान (the inhalation) they offer to the exhalation. Because the meeting point between inhalation and exhalation is a fraction of a second and in this breath regulation one is looking at it as an offering, not as a mechanical process.
So, the अपान/inhalation, when it is more than the प्राण/exhalation, this is what one is offering. And then one also makes the connection with वायु देवता and भगवान्, so it is an offering. And on the other hand, प्राणे अपानं – so when the exhalation is more than the inhalation, e.g. the exhalation is to a count of eight, and inhalation is to a count of four, then the exhalation is much more and so that is as though being offered onto the inhalation.
So what changes a simple activity or a process is one’s attitude behind it. One can do it mechanically also and reap the benefits. But when one sees that every breath that one takes is ईश्वर only, then one cannot say that I don’t feel connected. If one says so, then, the problem is with one’s feeling, as there is no other problem.
So when one is too caught up with one’s mind, one can just see that प्राण is वायु देवता or the laws of nature, and that they are pervaded by भगवान् |
Then there is also प्राण अपानगती रुद्ध्वा i.e. there are also different प्राणायाम-s where one holds the breath. So, one inhales and holds the breath, so there’s no exhalation or any more inhalation. And then, one completely exhales and also holds the breath again for a count of a few seconds.
With this breath regulation one can feel like I’m running out of breath, especially when one does it for the first time to a number of many counts. And so in this breath regulation, there is discipline involved, and so for the people who are committed to प्राणायाम as a यज्ञ, then they can offer this कर्म in the spirit of surrender.
The मंत्र सोहम् is meant to be understood. That स: (He) is अहम् (me).
There is a particular organization that uses this मंत्र while breathing in and breathing out. Traditionally though, this is not done; it is just something to be understood. Because otherwise what will happen is this association will only be with breathing, as the mind is so subtle, that conditioning happens this way. So then one thinks that सोहम् means breathing, but really it is the महावाक्य | So we don’t treat it lightly in this way.
So now one of our favorite topics i.e. food. So how do we regulate our food intake and how that can be a यज्ञ is being pointed out.
So, one does not really have an excuse. Even if one does not know how to do पूजा, one is not exempt from यज्ञ, as all major activities of one’s life have been taken into consideration. This also highlights that the spirit of surrender is really about recognizing the truth that one is pervaded by ईश्वर from a manifestation standpoint.
आहार generally means that which you consume. But here आहार specifically means food.
And how does one regulate food intake? Because there is so much research that is being thrown at us every day- from eight meals, to intermittent fasting, to three meals a day, to liquid fasting, to fruit fasting, to grain fasting and feasting. There’s so much, so how does one know?
So, Ayurveda has one thing to offer- Imagine that the size of one’s stomach is divided into four parts. So अर्धम् (half of it) must be filled by food, in keeping with whatever is one’s culture. Then one quarter is filled by उदक (water) or water-related juices etc. And the remaining quarter, what shall we do? It is for वायु to move around and have a little space to digest. This means that one never fills up the stomach and says that I can’t eat anymore. This is not what is recommended. One must always feel like I can have one more helping but stop, and that is the discipline involved.
There is a Sanskrit श्लोक that describes this ration-
पुरयेदशनेनार्धं तृतीयमुदकेन तु
वायोः संचरणार्थं तु चतुर्थमवषेशयेत्
पुरयेदशनेनार्धं ~ this अर्धम् should be filled i.e. fill up the stomach 50% with food,
तृतीयमुदकेन ~ one quarter should be filled up with water,
वायोः संचरणार्थं ~ for the संचरणम् of वायु i.e. for the circulation of वायु/air, please keep some space,
so, चतुर्थमवषेशयेत् ~ the last quarter you keep it empty. Basically, you don’t stuff yourself.
So, in the simple action of eating, one offers one’s desire to eat more unto वैश्वानर अग्नि |
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा- I am that वैश्वानर अग्नि | ~ Chapter 15, Verse 14, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |
Yes, there are digestive juices that digest, but from the प्राण standpoint there is अग्नि present because it is cooking one’s food twice. So, regardless of what one eats, some cooking happens outside e.g. in the preparation of salad or, overcooked food. Then, partly cooking happens in one’s mouth. This is why since childhood one is told to chew one’s food properly. Then, there is the final cooking that happens in the stomach. This is really how we look at it because there is अग्नि involved. So, अग्नि has different manifestations- जठराग्नि/ वैश्वानर अग्नि is present very much in the stomach. But one should not think that there is a literal fire in the stomach, even though with enthusiasm some people may illustrate a literal fire with flames in the stomach.
Ayurveda places a lot of emphasis on the capacity of the stomach to digest. If one goes to a traditional Ayurvedic practitioner, they ask many details about one’s toilet habits. And it’s surprising but a lot of people are constipated across the world. Everybody has some problem with the stomach. And a lot of health issues are seen related to the capacity to digest food~ over-digestion, indigestion etc.
So, this verse points to वैश्वानर अग्नि | And so through the regulation of food, one can even convert a simple action of eating to a discipline, to a यज्ञ, and offer it in that way.
सर्वे अपि एते यज्ञ-विद: ~ All the different religious disciplines that were mentioned here, what happens to these people?
यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषा: ~ the different kinds of impurities such as रागद्वेष which color our thinking, color our life, color our behavior, and definitely color our mind and our mood, all of that is destroyed.
Why? Because when one looks at any of these कर्म-s~ whether it is about eating, or it is about giving, or it is about any kind of sense pursuit, pleasure pursuit; there are राग-s and द्वेष-s involved. And then, one is bringing in an element of regulation and discipline, and as a result of which one becomes bigger than the राग/ द्वेष |
For instance, earlier if one didn’t have that cup of coffee in the morning, one’s whole day would go for a toss. But after converting it into a यज्ञ, one may deliberately go for days where one postpones the time when one has coffee, or reduces the quantity, or one skips that cup of coffee, without which one couldn’t function earlier. So, we play with this.
Basically, any kind of discipline is an attempt to understand for oneself that I am bigger than the thing that I think that I am dependent on- whether it is a cup of coffee, or food, or an addiction to work, any hobby, Netflix binge watching, or anything really. So, there is some regulation.
Nowhere in any of these verses does भगवान् श्री कृष्ण say to stop what you’re doing and only pray to Me. No, not at all. He said whatever you’re doing just convert it into a यज्ञ | And in the process of this, what happens is that one’s रागद्वेष-s are left by the wayside and one has a deeper appreciation of भगवान् pervading my entire world, including me.
यज्ञशिष्टामृत – अमृत is nectar. शिष्ट is what is left over at the end of the यज्ञ, for instance in a proper fire ritual offering, there will only be भस्म (sacred ash) left. And of course, there is the नैवेद्यम् that is offered, i.e. some food that is offered, which is received as प्रासाद |
So, it can be that kind of प्रासाद, or the कर्म that we’re doing and therefore the कर्मफल that we are getting as प्रासाद |
So, those who partake of that, i.e. those who look upon it as प्रासाद, what happens to them?
यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् – they gain ब्रह्मन्, That is eternal.
So, the attitude of प्रासाद बुद्धि: is the attitude that कर्म is done with. And there is no secular कर्म, as all कर्म is sacred. It’s up to me whether I recognize it or not.
Why is it sacred? Because it is pervaded by भगवान् | And, if one has a problem with भगवान्, then one should get over it, or resolve it.
So, throughout the day one is involved in all kinds of कर्म – the people I am meeting, the situations that are in front of me, whatever be the nature of my work, my interactions with people, and in terms of दम, how I am using my sense organs. So, it is to recognize that this is a यज्ञ- there is discipline involved, so therefore all of धर्म comes into the picture.
So, all that is leftover i.e. a cultural representation meaning कर्मफल after the कर्म is over; one gains this.
Because of looking at one’s different kinds of कर्म as कर्मफल प्रासाद, so then what happens is that one’s resistance to people, to situations, and to oneself reduces. One does whatever one can, and then one is in the right frame of mind to undertake the inquiry into ब्रह्मन् | So, it is really referring to अंतःकरण शुद्धि, because this कल्मषा: i.e. the impurities that are mentioned, are really रागद्वेष | So, even just performing one’s कर्म with the attitude of surrender and that whatever I am experiencing is प्रासाद, including my breath, that helps me to gain ब्रह्मन् through अधिकारित्वम्/preparedness.
Now, one of the things we note in the शास्त्र, i.e. including the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, is that there is स्तुति (praise) and therefore there might be an element of exaggeration. And there is also निन्दा (criticism) i.e. something is criticized or the limitations of something is pointed out, so that we can decide accordingly.
So here in the first line of this verse #31, it is not that you do कर्म, and you gain knowledge. Rather, it is highlighting that you gain the अंतःकरण शुद्धि so that you have the right mind to inquire into ब्रह्मन् |
Otherwise, one can be stuck, and for instance say- how do I deal with the hurt that I experienced 20 years ago? That can be the constant theme for some. So then one needs some other techniques, and there are a lot of techniques to help oneself.
So, contrasting the first line with the second one- so for the one who does not ~ अयम् न यज्ञ: i.e. for the one who does not perform कर्म with this attitude of यज्ञ/surrender, this person does not gain much in this world.
And कुत: अन्य:?~ And so what will the person gain in some other world? (rhetorical question). Because, in this world you are not able to make the most of it, so in another world, what are you going to gain?
It’s like this- So if somebody is dying, this dying person very rarely says that I’m ready to go now. So, suppose Lord Yama comes, and Lord Yama can come to anyone at any time, one does not have to be at the ripe old age of 95 years for Lord Yama to come. So, Lord Yama comes and says- Come with me. Then, the dying person says- No, no, no, please, I don’t want to die. So, Lord Yama can very well say- Why not? Your time is up. Whatever you wanted to do, if you’ve not done it in the past 50 years, what are you going to do in another one year of your life?
So really, what are we waiting for? One thinks- I will do this on one fine day, so we have our reasons for it. But all the people who are struggling, who don’t want to die, well what is one going to do tomorrow, which one was not able to do today?
So, this living a complete life i.e. living your life by your priorities is not necessarily about achieving X Y Z in the context of कर्मफल | It’s about making the adequate effort towards one’s priorities.
Because, is there really a time when something is done? Only one’s cake can be done, nothing else can be really done.
What can be done? Only cake. That’s it.
So, one says- Oh, I wanted to have a child. Well the कर्म related to this is never really done, until the child is no more (i.e. dies). So, there will always be something which will preoccupy one.
Any venture is like this. For instance, even if one sold off one’s company, from time to time you’d like to know what’s happening and then you realize- oh no, these people are making a mess of it. So then of course, you will appoint yourself as advisor, and then they don’t bother about any of your advice. So now what shall one do?
So, this ‘whatever could have been gained in this world’, if we don’t have an element of acceptance, then there is a constant restlessness because nothing is enough- what people do for one is not enough, one is ever dissatisfied with all of one’s relationships because they don’t understand me, and one doesn’t understand them etc.
And then in terms of one’s कर्म, because there is not acceptance- one thinks I must strive for more, and I’m ambitious etc., so the कर्म that I’m doing is never enough. One can’t sleep peacefully, one is just lengthening this to-do list, and then day after day there is restlessness, it’s not enough, it’s never enough.
So, even the satisfaction of having pursued धर्म, अर्थ, काम in this world, and enjoying the results of it is not available to one because there is no acceptance, there is no element of surrender.
Then, what shall we say? Even if one goes to some tourist destination like Mauritius, there also one finds fault- there are some who are like this, anywhere they go, they will always find fault, from the airport to the driveway. Now it’s a different thing if you’re in the business of hotels, but at least one will appreciate something that is nice.
This constant fault finding in everything and everyone, it helps one to sink into depression.
So that’s what is being referred to- that there’s nothing there if we are not able to have a value for acceptance or for surrender.
एवं – in this manner,
all these different यज्ञ-s,
बहुविधा यज्ञ:- different and various यज्ञ were elaborately mentioned.
And it is not that भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is saying this on His own, as these are mentioned in the वेद – ब्रह्मणो मुखे | So these are all the words of the वेद | The other word for वेद is ब्रह्म |
विद्धि कर्मजान् – may you realize that all of these are born of कर्म,
and,
तान्सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा – knowing these,
you will be free- विमोक्ष्यसे ~ you will be liberated, you will be free.
So, referring to the nature of all कर्म, with respect to any kind of कर्म- whether one is taking care of one’s child, or going to work, or signing a check for some contribution, whatever be the nature of कर्म, it is dependent on me, i.e. me as in the कर्ता |
But is the कर्ता an independent entity- self-existing, self-revealing, self-illumining entity? No.
The कर्ता(doer) is really the आत्मा | The कर्ता is a being who is performing कर्म and has the sense that I am performing कर्म |
Then, how is कर्म performed? With करण i.e. with different kinds of instruments- the अंतःकरण (mind) and बाह्यकरण (body).
भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य has a very nice word referring to this body-mind instrument i.e. कार्य-करण-सङ्घात |
सङ्घात is something that’s been put together, like an assemblage. कार्य means effect. करण means instrument.
So, this assemblage, which is an effect (effect means there’s a cause), and has these different instruments i.e. body mind, etc. So, the word itself reveals that it cannot exist on its own.
The कर्ता/doer, has a great sense of pride- inflated or deflated, depending on who acknowledged all the work that I have done, or who has deflated my ego, etc.
For this कर्ता, the कर्तृत्वम् i.e. the sense of doer-ship, does it exist on its own?
कर्ता does not exist on its own. It needs all this करण for all the कर्म to be performed.
Then, what is there between one कर्म and the other? Although it may be in a fraction of a second, what is there? It is me-चैतन्य-consciousness-आत्मा | Between 2 thoughts I am there, between two कर्म I am there. When I sleep, कर्ता is not there- even if I am kicking someone in bed during sleep, I am not aware of it.
So, what is always there? आत्मा | And आत्मा is ever अकर्ता i.e. never the doer.
So आत्मा is not touched by कर्म- पुण्य, पापा etc. i.e. कर्मफल |
आत्मा is the very basis of all कर्म, and even this entity called the कर्ता |
So, the कर्ता is the आत्मा | But आत्मा is not कर्ता. This has to be understood well.
कर्ता (doer) is the आत्मा | When one really starts to define the कर्ता- am I my mind? No, I am there in and through the different thoughts of the mind. Am I my body? There are times when I’m in the zone, when I’m dancing to trance music, then I don’t think that I have a body, although I’m dancing, what a unique experience. Okay, so I don’t really feel that I have a body. So, am I the body? Because when we ask this question, we are attempting to arrive at something that defines me, without which I cannot exist.
So, without the mind, I still sleep very soundly- metaphorically and literally also, as everybody can hear when I am sleeping so soundly. So, I am very much there.
So, neither the mind can define me, nor the body can define me.
Are we then doing a process of reductionism? It seems like it, but we are just negating what we thought is our identity. So, really speaking, the doer is आत्मा, because when we keep going in the inquiry, what is it that defines me? Thoughts don’t define me. Experiences don’t define me, because they come and go. One’s relationships don’t define me because they’re not always there, or they are not there in the same intensity, as sometimes we come together and then we drift apart. So, it’s not a constant. For instance, in no way is my relationship with my parents a constant, because it changes over a period of time.
Everything is changing- my body is changing, my mind is changing, what is it that is not changing? So, it is the आत्मा, That which illumines the body, mind etc.
Therefore, we can say आत्मा is not the doer, but the doer is आत्मा |
If I say I am not the doer, then there will be some indifference. And this is what happens in modern वेदान्त | In the modern teachings of non-duality, one says that I am not the doer. So, there is a temporary relief and it’s a great thing. But then if one keeps on repeating it, without understanding that आत्मा is not the doer, but the doer is आत्मा, if one doesn’t get the entire equation, then one will want to run away from all कर्म | Then, in the name of non-duality teachings, one is only furthering one’s राग and द्वेष |
So, one thinks- I am not the doer, I’m not going to do. But anyway, कर्म doesn’t define me. So then, what is wrong with doing any kind of कर्म?
So, understanding that the nature of the कर्ता, irrespective of the nature of the कर्म that one does, that is indeed the आत्मा so,
अकर्मणि कर्म य: पश्येत् – ४.१८
The vision of the wise person is that though the person may be doing lots of कर्म, the truth is that आत्मा is अकर्ता i.e. never the doer. And there might be somebody who’s not doing any कर्म but has a very strong identity of the fact that I gave up all my कर्म as a संन्यासी | But, this is of no use. Why? Because the sense of कर्तृत्वम् i.e. the sense of doer-ship, which is just notional, which is just an idea, it’s a story that we tell ourselves in order to feel significant. That story, if that continues in my life, then there is no wisdom. So, whether one is performing lots of कर्म, less कर्म, the truth is that आत्मा was never the doer. And आत्मा is That which illumines all doing and even the sense of doer-ship.
In this श्लोक, भगवान् speaks about how ज्ञान यज्ञ i.e. this religious discipline of knowledge, is superior to all these disciplines/यज्ञ-s that were just mentioned.
Really? Even better than giving दानम् and all? Yes, ज्ञान यज्ञ is better than all of this. Why? Because, for any other कर्म, there is- कर्ता/doer, कर्म and कर्मफल | And, we are subject to कर्मफल i.e. the results of कर्म which is limited- there can be less than expected, more than expected, or completely different to what we want, and so on. So, then there’s always a struggle.
But this ज्ञान यज्ञ is so unique, because everything is swallowed in it. So, the कर्ता is swallowed, कर्म is also swallowed, and the कर्मफल is also swallowed, in the sense that when I abide in the nature of the आत्मा, then I am free from the sense of bondage that is experienced because of my identity as कर्ता |
With the कर्ता identity, when days are good, one can thump the chest and say like He-man that I’m the master of the universe. But, then when everything is not so good, one says- what a lousy day, I’m not happy with the way this day has gone, I should have done more, and then I beat myself up about why didn’t I do etc.
So, with this कर्ता identity one cannot win- one wins some, one loses some, and we kind of manage with it.
But in ज्ञान यज्ञ, the reality of the कर्ता is being pointed out- that I am the आत्मा, I am the limitless being that happens to have this कर्ता role. It’s just a role, so one should not take it too seriously, one should walk lightly with it.
सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ- So all the कर्म, any kind of कर्म, what happens to it? Everything dissolves in knowledge. In the sense that the आत्मा that is me, is the basis of the त्रिपुटी/triad- आत्मा illumines the कर्ता(doer), आत्मा illumines कर्म, and आत्मा illumines the कर्मफल. So any triad that is taken~ knower-known-knowledge, or कर्ता-कर्म-कर्मफल, all of it is swallowed/resolved in knowledge.
Knowledge of what? Not knowledge of Ethereum, rather knowledge of आत्मा |
So, I-आत्मा am the very basis of all the identities.
Therefore, attention should be shifted to who I really am. And then all the other things drop away i.e. the worry, and the build-up drops away.
Then, the next verse which we will look at next time, talks about the attitude towards knowledge and therefore, the attitude towards the Teacher.
In the fourth chapter, the vision of the wise person has been mentioned of seeing the आत्मा as never the doer, never the experiencer-
कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य: ।
स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्त: कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥ १८॥
In order to prepare oneself to see this vision, how might one be able to convert one’s कर्म into a यज्ञ (a reverential worshipful offering)? And so, the varieties of यज्ञ were mentioned.
At the beginning also, भगवान् had mentioned that ज्ञान यज्ञ is the most superior.
He also gave these instances of the other यज्ञ-s to help us see that all our कर्म can be sanctified by our attitude. It’s the same attitude with which we receive an object and it becomes प्रसाद for us.
So, all कर्म- with no division between secular and sacred, because all कर्म is sacred.
So, even in the verse-
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ २४॥
the entire metaphor of a यज्ञ is taken.
So, the means of offering, the one who is offering, what is offered etc., everything is ब्रह्मन् |
After भगवान् spoke about the different यज्ञ-s, He concludes that section by saying that ज्ञान यज्ञ is the most superior, and what is very unique about the ज्ञान यज्ञ is-
(i) There aren’t too many rules. Conversely, if anybody does a पूजा or यज्ञ, there are different factors to be considered- What are the kind of offerings that are to be collected? How are they to be collected? What is the right time when the offerings have to be made into अग्नि? Then, what should be the height of the flames? What are the मंत्र-s that have to be chanted? What is the साधना that is to be done by the pundit who does it? Even before the pundit gets to the यज्ञ, he has to do अनुष्ठानम् i.e. an entire discipline of chanting certain मंत्र-s before he actually goes to perform the यज्ञ | So there are many such stipulations.
And of course, if we’re talking about the कर्म that we set up for our work situation, again there are many things to be looked into. And, if there is a weak link in your team, or even in your work cycle, then we all know that things can go for a toss.
But in this ज्ञान यज्ञ, there are no rules nor stipulations, and no materials are required. Only oneself and the teacher are required.
(ii) And in any कर्म, the notion of कर्ता is very strong. If any कर्म is done, it is done because the कर्ता wants certain things. But in ज्ञान यज्ञ, the कर्ता is exposing himself or herself to the knowledge such that I want to know the reality of me. So, the कर्ता, कर्म, करण, everything is swallowed up by ज्ञानम् | It’s a very different kind of यज्ञ |
And having spoken about its glories i.e. आत्मा विचार, भगवान् then says how one can go about this ज्ञान यज्ञ –
* श्लोक ३४ *
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: ॥ ३४॥
This is an important verse in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता about the approach to knowledge.
तत् विद्धि – may you know, may you understand.
What? Three things-
1. प्रणिपात: – the right attitude of surrender.
2. परिप्रश्न: – asking the right kind of questions.
3. सेव – being of service to the teacher.
So, who is this teacher?
ज्ञानिन: – the one who has ज्ञानम् |
तत्त्वदर्शिन: – What is the uniqueness of this knowledge? The teacher/ज्ञानिन:/the wise person sees the reality i.e. तत्त्वदर्शि |
One will note that the word दर्शनम् is used very often in the शास्त्र | दर्शनम् really means direct immediate seeing.
And even culturally when we go to a temple, if somebody knows you’ve gone to some famous temple, people don’t ask you what प्रसाद you got, nor will they ask how many people were there, nor how was the gathering. People will ask- did you have दर्शन्? Did you see the deity ~ this is the most important part of going to the temple. One can sit and chat, or can meditate, or admire the architecture etc., but the most important thing is- did you see?
And then when we look at our other customs of doing the प्रदक्षिणा (circumambulation of the deity), the principle is that may I see all of you.
Or even when we do the आरति(waving of the camphor/lamp), the understanding is that I am that consciousness in the light of which I am able to see you. And the traditional pundit/पुरोहित् will take the आरति plate from the feet of the deity, to the face of the deity. And that sanctum sanctorum is not meant to be lit up, it is supposed to be dark. And so, with that camphor light, one is able to see.
So, there is a lot of symbolism in every aspect of this आगम शास्त्र, and also what is there in the living culture.
So, may I see all of you~ तत्त्वदर्शि – the one to whom the reality is direct, it’s immediate, it’s me. I am the आत्मा – This is not a statement of arrogance. I am the आत्मा, the limitless, in which there are no borders, there are no boundaries, and all forms exist in me. I am the reality within which the world, me-the-जीव/individual/body-mind and ईश्वर; all of these functions are all swallowed up in I-the आत्मा |
So, this Reality, the one who knows That i.e. the wise person, how should one approach this person for this ज्ञान यज्ञ?
1. प्रणिपात: – the willingness to admit that I don’t know, and I cannot figure this out on my own.
This willingness is very difficult especially because in the name of globalization, our cultures are becoming very individualistic, and we think that there’s something wrong with us if we were to admit that I don’t know something~ How come you don’t know, figure it out, you better figure it out…
And then of course, there is an abundance of information. So for any other knowledge, one can enroll in a course- online nowadays since so much is online. And we can read, understand, assimilate, learn enough, and one can teach others also. So, this is so for any other discipline of knowledge. But, people make the same mistake with वेदान्त also- some people listen to a particular Teacher’s talks and make copious notes. Then, they will pick and choose and find somebody maybe in their management circles or leadership circles, and then they will try to teach. It’s a different matter when you’re so inspired by the knowledge, and it’s helping you a lot and you weave in some of the things because you can’t help it~ you are changing, you’re transforming, it’s benefiting you. And so, one weaves certain things into what one does. That’s a different matter.
But here, for some people the pressure to be a गुरु, or to be someone that people look up to, can be very high- I want people to look up to me. So why don’t you take any other subject matter? But no, this वेदान्त is the subject matter of interest to me and so I will teach.
So traditionally, one cannot teach वेदान्त unless one’s गुरु says that you are eligible. But who follows this? Everybody decides that they are eligible, and that they can teach. And then one says that- you know what, my गुरु does not know how to simplify, and so I will simplify more, and I will teach.
So anyway, this प्रणिपात / surrender is not because one is wanting to be obedient.
There is a strange relationship between a गुरु and a student, such that the गुरु wants the student to be independent of him or her.
Contrastingly, as a parent one may want one’s child to be independent of one, but still, it feels nice when one’s children come back and say- I can’t do this without you, or what would I do without you, etc. And sometimes parents try to control their children’s lives because they cannot handle the fact that the children are independent and doing very well on their own.
So, the relationship between a गुरु and a student is a very strange one, because it’s unlike any others. In most relationships, there is some level of reciprocity, but in a गुरु-student relationship, the गुरु honestly doesn’t need much from the student. So that’s not easy to deal with. And also, that the गुरु is committed to the student’s growth completely, and so is willing to do whatever is required for the student- now that itself is not easy to stomach for a student. Because one always wonders- there must be a hidden agenda. Why is this person always available for me? Saying nice things to me? Why is this person teaching? etc. It’s very difficult to fathom that there could be someone who didn’t quite know you, initially at least, or even if the person has not even interacted with you, but still can be committed to your growth. So anyway, we struggle with trust. As adults we have been wounded enough, and so to regain our trust, is not easy. That is one constant issue that we are struggling with in our life. And then to add to it, trusting भगवान्, and now to trust another adult. It is easier to trust my dog, but trusting an adult is too much because one is concerned that I will be hurt or be let down etc.
In the eastern cultures, particularly in India, culturally प्रणिपात is expressed as touching the feet or doing a strict साष्टाङ्ग नमस्कार, that looks like a collapse on the floor. There is a verse that explains that- with one’s feet, hands, thighs, chest, head, words, mind, one says that I surrender to You- the Reality, That which is being taught.
The one who is teaching is a mouthpiece for this Teaching.
So, प्रणिपात is expressed in this way.
With some of the Japanese friends in the आश्रम, initially they were always bowing every time they see you. Or traditionally, the Indians would put their palms together when saying नमस्ते | In Nepal in particular, the people really make the effort to bring the hands together in the अञ्जलिमुद्रा and say नमस्ते |
If you do this अञ्जलिमुद्रा, and you stay like this for a few minutes, you will find something changing in you. If one stays like this, there is a settling and there is certain natural humility that creeps in.
So, this प्रणिपात ~ I don’t know, and I want to know the Truth, or I want to learn and so I am open, I am receptive. That’s all that surrender is. So, one doesn’t have to be afraid. But, we are all afraid of the word surrender- what would I be asked to surrender? So, I better be careful. One doesn’t have to surrender anything. The teacher doesn’t need anything.
2. परिप्रश्न ~ Questions.
So, this is a tradition of understanding of the Truth, and then when truth is involved, then there’s no scope for beliefs. Because beliefs are statements that are there, which have to be verified and confirmed.
If the teacher says~ 2+5=8. But one wonders if the teacher forgot their Maths, or what kind of a test is that? Because one’s experience of basic Math tells otherwise. So, then the teacher says that if you do not believe, then you will rot in hell.
So, it is not that if one does not believe, then they will rot in hell.
परिप्रश्न is that one has the freedom to ask questions. It is expected that one asks questions.
But also, one should not worry, if too many questions do not come to the mind.
Some people tell~ you know, in the rest of the class, some people ask such intelligent questions, but no question comes to me.
But really, one should not worry about this.
Or, someone says~ I ask too many questions in class, is it okay?
So, whether you ask less or more, one should feel free, as it is one’s right to ask a question.
And obviously, the attempt of the question is to understand. It’s not to prove how brilliant one is by asking such a nice question; it is to ask with the right intention.
Also, it is not just प्रश्न, it is परिप्रश्न by any person, emphasizing that the appropriate kind of questions should be asked.
One can ask- What आसन do you sit on while meditating? Which school did you go to? Did you study this language? Did you have friends in school?
One can ask all these questions, but these are not परिप्रश्न |
भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य in His भाष्य says that one can ask questions like~ What is बन्ध/bondage? What is मोक्ष? So those questions when you are seeking to know the Truth, those are good questions to ask.
One can ask other questions also, so one should not feel guilty. One is welcome to ask any questions. But ultimately one’s questioning must also culminate in asking परिप्रश्न questions because the purpose of the गुरु-student relationship is knowledge.
Yes, there can be mentorship, guidance, validation, acceptance. But ultimately, the purpose is knowledge.
Sometimes, people mistake closeness to the teacher for knowledge. For instance, people may say that I have known Pujya Swamiji for 40 years. Or, I have done this for so many years. It’s good. But, the person still behaves in an insecure way. So, closeness to a person, or just because a person is an assistant and is helping with different things, doesn’t necessarily mean that the person has the attitude of surrender for knowledge. Because surrender involves dropping one’s रागद्वेष | In other words, one is very aligned with reality. So, it is not about- Oh, this is how I want this to be, or this is how it should not be etc.
So, sooner or later one’s रागद्वेष will be projected on the Teacher also- it may have happened for some, it’s not yet happened for the others. For instance, one thinks- I don’t think the teacher should be talking like this. Or, I think that the teacher should be doing XYZ. One is free to express one’s preference & opinion, but when that view starts to block what is being said, then one should understand that रागद्वेष are interfering with one’s reception
of that knowledge. No more is one open and receptive.
3. सेव – This is very big in the culture.
सेव or service to the Teacher, is really for the sake of the student. It may appear like it is for the Teacher, because certain tasks need to be done, and then the Teacher assigns. Or some proactive students say that you know what- I think that I can do this for you, is it okay? Shall I do it? Great, fantastic.
But what happens with सेव is that it is an opportunity for the Teacher to see how you are handling your रागद्वेष in performing a कर्म |
And generally, for सेव some task will be given that one is not comfortable with. Sometimes of course a task will be given that is one’s competence and therefore, it’s something that comes to one effortlessly. So, both ways are there.
So, it’s all good to talk about प्रसाद बुद्धि: or कौशलम् | But then, sooner or later if there are a few people working on a project, then complaints will begin- she didn’t do this, he didn’t do that etc. And I didn’t like the way she spoke to me and so those long complaints will come. And then one decides- I’m not going to work with this person. If you want me to do some work for you, I will not work with this person. So, it becomes like bickering children.
So here the purpose of सेव is to work through your रागद्वेष and to be of service to the teacher. Why?
Because in most cases, especially for संन्यासी-s who are not earning a living, so in order to make the teaching available, some basics are required, so that the time of the teacher, may be spent more for teaching and sharing the knowledge and therefore the student thinks- what can I do to make that person’s life comfortable such that the person is not spending time in admin or repetitive tasks.
So, this is what we try to do with our family members also- so what can I do to make your life more comfortable? So, in the way in which you try and take on some of the tasks of your family members and say- I will do it for you. It’s coming out of a certain care. Or suppose one is not proactive enough, then the person will say- oh, please help me with this and then you say okay, fine, I will do that. And you can see that the person’s time has been freed up to do whatever is important to that person and so on. We do this with our children, with our partners, with people at work.
If you have people you delegate your work to then you know you’re focused more on strategy and analysis and then somebody else is doing some of the more routine day to day work for you. It’s not that you can’t do it, you’re capable of doing it, but we all have a very limited amount of time and we want to use it in the most effective way possible.
And so, the number of wise people in this world are very few, and the ones who can teach are fewer.
So then, it is out of care for this knowledge, care for the tradition, which also extends to care for the Teacher. What can I do to make this Teaching available and to make that person’s life a little more comfortable? Comfortable, not in terms of creature comforts, but so that time will be taken away from the usual tasks.
So, these three things (प्रणिपात:, परिप्रश्न:, सेव) are important in one’s attitude in the way in which one approaches a Teacher, and then what happens is that the ज्ञानिन:/तत्त्वदर्शि will Teach.
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति- will give you knowledge, will reveal what is the Truth.
Not give you one set of advice- you must do this, you should not do that. Some teachers do this; maybe the students require it.
But the vision of the Teaching is that of freedom and therefore if at all there is any guidance to be given, then this also needs to promote the freedom of the person.
The way one lives, one lives in freedom, one promotes that. And the vision is also of freedom. So, it’s freedom all the way.
So, these wise people will Teach.
If you don’t ask questions, then the Teacher will ask you questions. And surrender is what one needs to do. And सेव also. If you ask any Teacher, they will all have stories about the nature of सेव that they have done for their Teachers. It’s a part of the relationship, especially if one is living with a Teacher, or even if one is not, then there are a lot of things to be done and so one pitches in.
On the confidence of the शास्त्र, we consistently see that once you have a Teacher then you will Know, there’s no other way because that’s the beauty, that the tradition carries you.
One might say~ Oh, I don’t think I’m worthy, I don’t know if I will be able to know completely, etc. No worries. Once you have a Teacher you will Know.
So, this is what भगवान् says.
This is assuming that you have found a Teacher that you can relate to.
Then, the knowledge that you gain as a result of this relationship,
यत् ज्ञात्वा ~ Knowing this Truth i.e. The knowledge of this reality of what the तत्त्वदर्शि is sharing, so gaining that,
यास्यसि न पुन: मोहम् ~ So knowing this truth, you’re not going to be confused again.
The confusion/मोह is because of self-ignorance.
So not knowing what I am, therefore making conclusions about myself and then struggling with my self-judgments~ Why am I like these? I should not be like this, and then when will I be fine, etc.
So, the person is not going to have this मोह/confusion.
And what is the result of this knowledge?
येन भूतानि ~ by this knowledge, in all these beings,
अशेषेण द्रक्ष्यसि ~ you will see completely,
What?
आत्मनि मयि ~ you will see भूतानि(all these beings) in oneself(आत्मनि) and in Me(मयि) .
Here, आत्मनि does not mean सच्चिदानन्द आत्मा, but means in me-the person.
So, it’s not that me-the person will see the आत्मा | That is not how it is.
I am the आत्मा in which all forms are present – that’s the understanding.
It’s like pot space.
One can say- So I finally I stopped identifying with the shape of this pot and the mind. I am the pot space. I am now liberated. No, this is not the understanding, as I am still functioning according to a sense of being bound and enclosed, I just got relief from thinking that I am only this body/mind.
The vision is that I am the आत्मा in which this body-mind is. I am the आत्मा means no boundaries, no limits. So, this body-mind, all body-minds, everything is in this आत्मा |
So, I am that space in which this pot, including the pot belly, and all these other pots, they are all in me.
When I say me- do I think of myself with the name, and the person, and the form etc. Or is it more than that?
मयि means in me, and in me means in the आत्मा |
So, then it’s like this- if you remember when we would paint with watercolors, suppose you put a little drop of blue(रागद्वेष) in a glass of water. So, if you think of yourself as very small, very little, then all of it in this little glass is colored by this blue(रागद्वेष). But when you are this vast expansive bucket of water- if you put the little blue drop, I am so vast and expansive, that I can accommodate one राग/द्वेष and say what’s the big deal?
So, I am this vast expansive consciousness. Expansive is used in the sense of the metaphor of space, but I-आत्मा cannot be described as expansive because there is no more place where I can expand because I am the limitless.
So, if some little irritation/upset is there, then it’s okay, no problem.
But if you’re enclosed in your mind and your patterns and you’re managing and you’re trying to struggle with it, then we all know what happens right?
So, we go into loop thinking- thinking the same thing, and we don’t even tire of it.
If somebody else were to say one statement three times, one would say- You know what, you actually already said it three times. But in our mind, we go on and on and on. Even with no resolution in sight, one doesn’t even get bored of it. And we are excited about it- Oh, let me look at it this way, I think that’s the real reason etc. It’s all entertainment for ourselves.
आत्मनि भूतानि मयि ~ All these- all these different forms, including thought forms(thoughts, emotions, etc.).
All that is seen in me, and that’s the knowledge.
So, this knowledge that you gain from relating to a Teacher with the right attitude i.e. surrender, with the right kind of questions and सेव, then you are not going to be deluded again.
And further talking about the glory of this knowledge, He says-
* श्लोक ३६ *
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्य: सर्वेभ्य: पापकृत्तम: ।
सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ॥ ३६॥
अपि चेत् – just in case; let’s assume.
What?
Suppose you are the greatest पापी | पापी means the one who has committed all kinds of पाप |
So, let’s assume you have committed all kinds of crimes, and maybe you have served your time, or you may not as you were never caught. But still, you have committed all these different kinds of पाप ~ you’ve hurt lots of people, etc. Then, what? Is there any hope?
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण says- Yes.
So, what will happen? Even if you are like that?
The worst of the lot i.e. पापकृत्तम:,
सर्वं ज्ञान प्लवेन |
प्लव is like a raft/boat.
So, assuming that you are a पापी and you’re floating on this ocean of पाप as you’ve done all kinds of wrong things.
Still, by just one raft of ज्ञानम्/Knowledge,
सन्तरिष्यसि ~ you will cross over all the पाप |
Oh, so that means that I will not be liable, and not have to face the consequences? No.
But what it does is that the one who suffers the effects of one’s कर्म i.e. the कर्ता; the कर्ता’s reality is seen.
I see that I was never the कर्ता | And by extension, I see that I was never the भोक्ता also.
So as my true reality आत्मा, I was never the experiencer.
If one commits any पाप i.e. some wrong action and therefore you are suffering the results of it, that can be neutralized by some more कर्म – you either do something to minimize the suffering, or you do prayers, or you increase your strength to handle the difficult times, or you share it with people who are close to you and ask them for options/ ideas/ solutions as to how to get over this. Or, just knowing that my family is with me through this difficult time, I will be able to make it. So, we have all these different ways in which we can go through difficult phases in our life.
Now, it may minimize the impact, but the suffering is still there.
So, the suffering is for who? It’s for the भोक्ता i.e. the experiencer because one thinks that I’m the one who’s struggling and suffering and all that.
So then भगवान् gives a metaphor-
Just like the different twigs of wood in a well-lit fire.
What does it do? Once this fire is lit up well, it reduces एधांसि (the wood) to ashes. And this could be any kind of wood- teak wood, or any kind of fine wood etc. But once it’s lit up well, and we all know about forest fires, everything is reduced to ashes.
So too ज्ञानाग्नि: i.e. the fire of knowledge, what does it do?
सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते – it destroys/reduces all your कर्म to भस्म/ash.
In other words, everything is resolved in knowledge.
So, then you say- Oh, but I worked so hard. What do you mean it reduces all actions to ashes? Does it mean that I will not experience anything? No.
The कर्म that is necessary for you to be born again, it destroys that.
The प्रारब्ध कर्म i.e. the कर्म because of which you were born and then you went through whatever X number of years of life, that will continue, but the the rest of your life will no longer be suffering, or the struggle of becoming. You will be free from the constant restlessness, the dissatisfaction- I’m not enough, no matter what I do it’s not enough.
And all of us have to reach this phase. Like alcoholics, you have to hit rock bottom. Now, people may be dissuaded by this, but you have to hit that existential angst that I have tried different things to deal with this dissatisfaction and sense of incompleteness. And it’s not because I have an inferiority complex, or my चक्र-s are not balanced, or I don’t know how to breathe properly (प्राणायाम).
People will say- why don’t you do प्राणायाम, you’ll get मोक्ष |
So, there is a tendency to reduce, and to exaggerate the benefit of one method and say- oh, you know, you just do this one thing. That’s it, you know, and you are free. So, these are all tall claims so we have to be careful.
So then, by extension, one will say- Oh, how can you say then that by knowledge it’s fine?
So, one should test it for yourself, as some great claim is not being made, only what भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is saying is being shared. So, you try- be exposed to वेदान्त and see what it does for you and then you can figure it out.
So here the reality of the कर्ता-भोक्ता is seen.
You see it as मिथ्या, that it has a status of dependent reality, and that it doesn’t define you.
This is important because on the one hand we use a limited definition to define ourselves- I am so and so, with this designation etc. Then we are not happy with it.
So, you stop the game and recognize that all these- whether it’s related to a relationship or a designation is मिथ्या i.e. it has a status of dependent reality, and that it doesn’t define you.
Promotion time is coming up. So, a lot of stress levels are going up and down. The doctors report that a lot of people come in just before a promotion, or just before bonuses are declared.
And then you might be happy with the bonus you receive of $20,000, as it wasn’t expected in pandemic times. Then, you find out somebody else got $21,000 in bonus. So then one wonders- How could that person get more, and that fellow didn’t even do anything? In fact, I had to pitch in and help this person.
So, a little comparison and that’s it- if you want to be miserable, just compare yourself. It is the best cause for misery. You don’t have to look around, memory is enough to compare and then that’s it, or it will trigger- Oh, in childhood I was compared and I thought in adulthood I would be free but no, no freedom there.
So, this ज्ञानाग्नि: is a waking up to the fact that I was in a dream.
And in the dream, I took everything very seriously. And I really suffered.
In fact, in my hurry, I signed certain documents. And then I realized that the house was being mortgaged and I got into some legal wrangle. Then, I never thought that I would go to the police station. I was marched to the police station for inquiry. So, all these things I’ve seen~ what a life of suffering. And then nobody understands me. And I’m struggling to explain myself and suddenly all these people who showed great trust in me and had confidence in me, this is gone. Now I know in these tough times, who my real friends are. So, it’s very sad.
Then suddenly you wake up. And say- Oh, where’s the police station? What am I doing in my bed? No police station, and no summons, and no suffering.
I recognize that I was the intelligence and the material for this entire dream.
And I was the one who gave reality to myself and all these different entities. It felt real to me and therefore the suffering was also real to me.
So I wake up to the fact that all this was just an identity, it was not real.
And it was negated by me.
So you have actually destroyed the reality that you gave the identity of being the कर्ता-भोक्ता |
You were seeking all fulfillment from being the कर्ता-भोक्ता (doer-experiencer).
And now you see- well actually that’s dependent on me the आत्मा, I-the-consciousness that is limitless.
And this body has to go through some कर्म and that’s okay, it’s not a big deal.
So, there is a lightness of being because of this knowledge.
* श्लोक ३८ *
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते ।
तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्ध: कालेनात्मनि विन्दति ॥ ३८॥
So, there can be fire as a purifier for certain metals and so on. But, there is nothing like knowledge that can purify you.
For अंतःकरणशुद्धि we look at the role of यज्ञ – all this offering, and giving, and तपस् i.e. any kind of religious discipline whereby you grow out of your comfort zone.
So, यज्ञ, दान, तप: are very important for अंतःकरणशुद्धि / पुण्य |
But there’s something even greater than that.
Knowledge is greater than all of this.
And having said this, कालेन आत्मनि विन्दति |
So, in time with योगसंसिद्ध: – one who attained some सिद्ध: | सिद्धि is not some supernatural powers. सिद्धि is an accomplishment, so some सिद्ध: through योग |
So, generally in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, when योग is mentioned in the verses, it means कर्म योग, or in some cases there may be a reference to ज्ञान योग |
So, through this कर्म योग i.e. through the right kind of attitude regarding your कर्म and the कर्मफल, the one who attains this preparedness in the mind, that person gains the knowledge.
So this ज्ञान यज्ञ that will purify you, that is the greatest purifier, that is the best यज्ञ, all that has been mentioned.
So for that, the preparation that is required is कर्म योग in all areas of our lives.
कालेन – so, in time… how much time? how much time will it take?
Can we finish the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता in a crash course of one week?
We can finish, but the point is will you receive? Because, there is an aspect of applying it to different areas of your life; not the knowledge, but applying the कर्म योग |
The knowledge cannot be applied because it is me.
It is not a theory, it is not a system that one can apply elsewhere.
One cannot say- I will practice being the आत्मा | No, you can’t.
I am already the आत्मा |
But if I’m not able to see it, then for that we have to clear the mind because the mind is full of all these other things. So, we can do that, with the right attitude i.e. कर्म योग |
So, the ‘in time’, it really depends on people’s maturity. And this maturity is not age dependent. We see very young people who are very mature. And then we see 85-year-olds who are not, so there is quite a range.
The maturity that life brings, and a certain duty orientation- because you work on your रागद्वेष-s, you are still open, you are receptive, you are cheerful. All that comes from living a good life, living a life of धर्म |
Not constantly annoyed, irritated, disgusted. If so, then you better do something about it.
So, because there’s enough to get flustered about in this world, but you have taken charge of your body, your mind, and there is some level of mastery.
So, one always asks- how much mastery? Well, just enough for you to understand the truth.
Do you understand it now? – Oh, it’s not so clear.
Okay, then please keep working on the mastery aspect.
Because it is just about seeing the truth, seeing that I am the आत्मा in which all forms exist.
So, one of the things we have to be clear about is that वेदान्त is not an escape for the problems in my life.
That I could see the reality of the कर्ता, but there are things to be managed- maybe I’ve been laid off, or maybe I have to figure out where I am, what do I want to do with my work, etc.
And so I cannot escape into the vision of वेदान्त and it will all take care of itself.
If I have that attitude of surrender, and I’m willing for the consequences of that, which has its implications on the family and so on, then that’s fine, that’s great.
Then that’s surrender all the way.
And maybe it may be helpful, but it may not be helpful either.
Because the rules of the game in कर्म are different.
What does it mean that the rules of the game in कर्म are different?
Suppose my work involves me to network with people. Suppose my work involves that I am constantly churning out certain things. Then, that’s exactly my स्वकर्म, my स्वधर्म |
I cannot say- Oh, but you know, this कर्ता is all मिथ्या |
I may do, I may not do, it’s okay though – No.
कौशलम् is very important- there is no compromise in this.
And so indeed, if the vision is clear for you, you are free enough to apply कौशलम्, what’s wrong?
You can work hard, and play by the rules of the game, whatever is the game~ whatever be the nature of your work.
Maybe you can tweak the rules also, maybe you can add a few more rules of your own.
But you can’t say- Oh, but I wish everybody had वेदान्त knowledge and I wish we didn’t fight at our workplace. People will think you’re crazy. And maybe you are, because this is not to be applied here.
So, it’s not that we need to have two parallel tracks i.e. it is not that what you do at your work is different from what you do in the वेदान्त class.
No, but just understand that in व्यवहार, there are alternatives always. With respect to कर्म- you can do, you need not do, you can do differently, you can use your imagination, you can play and figure it out- figure out what works for you and so on.
But don’t escape into वेदान्त and neglect the कर्म that is to be done.
Because that is your धर्मक्षेत्र i.e. your battlefield. That’s where you need to grow. You need to deal with your रागद्वेष, you need to be applying your कौशलम् and your समत्वम् and so on.
If you say- no, I just can’t do this anymore. Really, if you have reached that stage where you feel that you have completed your कर्म journey, then maybe you take time off and immerse yourself in वेदान्त, or anything else for that matter. But until you feel that sense of relative completion, you are not ready.
So, it’s very important to be honest with oneself that I’m not ready, and that’s okay.
कालेन आत्मनि विन्दति –
In time you are preparing yourself, you are maturing, you are ripening and the more you work on your maturity, then the vision is a cakewalk. But otherwise you’re exposed to the vision but the preparedness and maturity is not there. And, so you feel that neither can you enjoy all the things with your earlier friends, nor can you really enjoy this वेदान्त because you’re sort of in between.
So, you can have it all.
And so, we can bless ourselves with the right kind of attitude and apply the knowledge that we have appropriately.
So these are the last few verses of chapter four~ ज्ञान-कर्मसंन्यास-योग: | The topic of this chapter has been संन्यास i.e. giving up completely.
Of what? Not ज्ञानम्; but giving up of कर्म through ज्ञानम् |
Otherwise in giving up, I may give up वेदान्त, but stick on to my कर्म because I’m obsessed with doing and deriving my identity from doing.
So anyway, संन्यास is completely giving up of कर्म through ज्ञानम् |
How is this possible? By recognizing the nature of the आत्मा~ as ever the non-doer, ever the non-experiencer.
So, the nature of the आत्मा that we have looked at is oneself, so one shouldn’t imagine something floating around that is आत्मा |
भगवान् has spoken of the different ways in which we can transform कर्म into कर्म योग with the attitude of surrender, with the attitude of offering which is born of understanding the reality- the reality is that whatever is around me, including this body-mind, is not really mine. All that I have, all that I see, all that I experience is given to me. Even the effort that I am able to put in i.e. the capacity to make the effort to make things possible, all that is given to me. So, कर्म योग is the disposition towards my कर्म, कर्मफल (the results of my कर्म) which is born from objectivity- that all that is here is given to me, and I make the most of it.
So, we looked at different ways in which कर्म can be transformed into कर्म योग | And why कर्म योग? Because we want to be awake to the reality. What is the reality? That I-आत्मा was never the कर्ता nor the भोक्ता |
So, to see this vision of the wise person/तत्त्वदर्शि spoken of in 4.18, we go through a certain process of preparing ourselves such that we gain the शुद्धि i.e. the freedom from my रागद्वेष, freedom from wanting to experience certain things, freedom from the addiction of wanting to feel good. Wanting to feel good is a big addiction, which all of us have- the भोक्ता/experiencer identity is very strong, so I want to feel good all the time, and cannot deal with discomfort of any kind, as one has become a slave of comfort. Comfort creatures/सुख-जीवी-s means that one needs some great infrastructure wherever one is going, because otherwise one may not be in a good mood, because a lot of things are required to make one’s mood okay.
So, we can imagine how much we are enslaved. And what is the altar? The great altar of our worship is our रागद्वेष- whatever I can do in service of my रागद्वेष(cravings & aversions) and then I am fine.
The greatest purifier is ज्ञानम्/knowledge.
भगवान् concluded 4.38 by saying that through this disposition of कर्म योग, in time you gain this ज्ञानम्/knowledge.
Now, भगवान् also mentions a very important qualification for ज्ञानम्/knowledge, which is श्रद्धा | This is an often-quoted verse similar to a मंत्र in छान्दोग्योपनिषद् – आचार्यवान् पुरुषो वेद |
The one who has an आचार्य, knows the truth. This is the declaration of the श्रुति |
So, you have an आचार्य/Teacher, then you know the truth.
If you are floundering around seeking, reading books, trying to understand, then you won’t know. Not that it’s a curse, but the method is such that you need to have a Teacher. So, what shall we do? This is how it is.
* श्लोक ३९ *
श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानं तत्पर: संयतेन्द्रिय: ।
ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥ ३९॥
वान् or मान् ~ whenever it is attached to a word, means ‘the one who has’.
श्रद्धावान् – the one who has श्रद्धा |
What happens to this person?
That person, ज्ञानं लभते (gains the knowledge).
When?
तत्पर: संयतेन्द्रिय: अचिरेणाधिगच्छति |
अचिरेण- Immediately, quickly, no waiting.
What else does this person gain?
With that ज्ञानम् comes an absolute शान्ति: |
What else?
Along with श्रद्धा, तत्परत्वम् is important | तत्पर: is commitment.
And also, the person needs to be संयतेन्द्रिय: i.e. a master of his or her senses- how you are using your senses organs in terms of your eyes, nose etc.? Are you overwhelmed by what is being bombarded at you, or are you the master where you decide how you want to use, for what, how much and so on.
So ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा – gaining that knowledge,
परां शान्तिम् – absolute peace is gained.
So now this word श्रद्धा – people translate it as faith, but there is no accurate translation for श्रद्धा, so we stick to the word श्रद्धा | The closest English word for श्रद्धा is ‘trust’.
What do you trust? You trust the one who shares the knowledge/ज्ञानम् |
In तत्त्वबोधः which is a book of definitions of terms used in वेदान्त, श्रद्धा is defined as- गुरुवेदान्तवाक्यादिषु विश्वासः इति श्रद्धा । So, विश्वासः in the गुरु and वेदान्त |
गुरु is the one who is able to remove your ignorance. This is the true definition of a गुरु |
Then, trusting that that person will reveal the truth to me and I will understand, this is श्रद्धा |
But why should you have trust in a person? Nowadays we trust our dogs more, because trusting a person is very difficult.
All of us have to develop some trust in life. Because we start off very beautifully with complete trust. You completely trust your parents.
And we see the pictures of how we have been thrown up in the air and then held- You fully trust that whoever is throwing you up in the air, will hold you. So, imagine if at that time you started to think- I don’t know if this person is going to hold me, then from that time onwards you get a heart attack. It’s a blessing we have been given, which is also called the unconscious, which has its own method and madness within the context of modern psychology.
So, this ability to trust is there because of our sense of helplessness. Because as a child, for everything one is depending on adults (parents or caregivers). So, if one looks at this ईश्वर लीला- because there is helplessness, there is complete trust.
Imagine if there was helplessness, but you could not trust anyone, then you’ll just be crying all day and night, and be dead by now you know.
Then, slowly we realize that the people we trust, who we thought were perfect, they have some faults- sometimes minor, sometimes major. And, you can’t help it- that’s the process of growing up. You realize that your mother, who was always available to you, now has to run errands and cannot pay attention to you, or has to go to the toilet- and how dare she, how dare she leave me alone? But that is how it is. Or, I thought that my mother could take care of everything, but then when she saw a lizard on the wall, she started shouting, and so she also acted helpless. So, she cannot protect me from lizards. And my father is a very brave and courageous man, but the moment his boss calls, his voice changes, and he behaves very meek. So, I don’t know if I can trust. Generally, I can trust but I see a few limitations in the people around me.
Then, there are some small betrayals that all of us go through in childhood- your secret was revealed, your best friend did or did not do something, then boyfriend/girlfriend, partner, children, work…You thought that somebody had your back at work, but then that person betrayed you.
So, in the process of living, even if you’re 20 years old, you would have had enough heartbreak, not necessarily romantically, but someone who has let you down.
Now it’s another story- were you right in putting your trust in that person? We’re not going there. Whether you are right or not, your trust has been broken.
Some of us will still say- no, no, I can still trust a few others. But some of us withdraw into a shell and we become bitter and think that the world cannot be trusted, and so we are angry and sad, and so on.
And so now, it is this person in कलियुग who now wants to learn वेदान्त, and has read lots of books, and has done a lot of exploration, and then is told that वेद says- you need a Teacher. So, this person thinks- what rubbish, everything I figure out on my own. I can read books, I can figure it out.
But, the वेद that reveals the reality, also reveals the method. The method is that you have to be exposed to the one who is wielding the प्रमाण |
What does that mean? And why should I have श्रद्धा?
So here is where some of the talk about प्रमाण is important.
Now, whatever the Teacher says, the Teacher is not giving you information. This is unlike any other knowledge. Why? Because the Teacher is only scraping away ignorance. One already stands revealed. It’s really like the job of a sculptor. So, the sculptor is not creating, though on the face of it, the sculptor is creating. There is a big granite stone. And then with whatever tools the sculptor has, the sculptor will bang/chip away. For example, David by Michelangelo, was sculpted out of the softer stone of white marble, which would be easier to sculpt that granite. And so, suppose somebody is sculpting and banging away- you are already the आत्मा, so what does the Teacher have to do? The Teacher has to do some banging. What kind of banging? In order to take away the ignorance that is there.
Because of अविद्या/ignorance, there are a lot of mistakes we have made regarding our identity, and the कर्म and काम – So, I feel incomplete-> therefore I have to do. Then, no matter how much I do it is not enough. And then I’m on this hedonic treadmill- running & running, but still not okay.
So, to shift attention and say that all this incompleteness that you are feeling is not because you have not tried methods, techniques and processes. All of that is okay to manage life.
– But, what is your true identity?
~ Well of course, I am a human being.
– No, you are not a human being. You are the limitless having a human experience.
~ Oh, come on, don’t talk rubbish. Are you on some substance or something?
– No, that’s the truth. That’s what वेद says. Because it’s true the वेद says it.
So, this श्रद्धा ~ गुरुवेदान्तवाक्यादिषु विश्वासः इति श्रद्धा – how will you have trust in the Teacher?
You have to try, that’s the only way. And you see that what the Teacher is saying sounds
True, so maybe it’s true. So, you start entertaining the possibility.
Even my partner never says that I am the limitless. The Teacher is saying this and does not seem to have an agenda, so maybe it’s true.
So, then your working trust is good enough.
It’s like you sign up for any course. Let’s say you sign up for a course on ‘cryptocurrency decoded’. How do you know whether to sign up or not? You look at the credentials of the person giving the course. Then, you say- okay maybe I’ll give it a shot.
So, similarly, you look at the credentials of the गुरु | Does the person belong to a संप्रदाय? Is the person claiming to teach something that was revealed to him/her in one big dream? Is there a cult? Then all these things one has to watch out for. Does the गुरु have an agenda? Does the गुरु want to gain something from me, and so on and so forth. These are all alarm bells that will start ringing.
So, if this is no, and the Teacher is doing His/Her job, and you are welcome to join- then good.
So now it takes me some time to have working trust, because you remember, I’ve been betrayed in life. I don’t know if I can trust, and all the horrible stories that I have heard about गुरु-s – it’s like rotten apples in any place. So, any group of people who are doing similar things, it would be so very difficult to trust.
But what is the गुरु doing? Just sculpting away what you are not. And that’s only from the point of view of understanding.
How come the गुरु is able to do this? Because He/She had another गुरु | And what was being wielded? What was being wielded is the शास्त्र | Why do we need the शास्त्र? Because it is the sixth means of knowledge.
What do you mean ‘means of knowledge’?
Earlier Priya would painstakingly transcribe. Now she uses otter.ai which is a great transcription software and manages to get 95-98% accuracy.
The Sanskrit words may need to be entered in.
One can easily play the video on the laptop and switch on Otter while going about one’s errands and
return to the video the second time to fill up the Sanskrit words.
What do you mean ‘means of knowledge’?
That ‘means’ which helps you to know something.
What do you mean by that?
* Six means of knowledge *
1. प्रत्यक्षम्/perception
Like your eyes.
So, you want to see what is in front of you, whether it is some scenery, or a loved one, or you are just seeing what you are putting while cooking. So, how do you know what you are seeing? Because of your eyes.
Suppose your eyes are closed, and then we ask- Can you see? No, no, but I trust that if I open my eyes I’ll be able to see.
If you go to the salon, and then they put cucumber pieces on our eyes. Then you say- Oh no wait, I cannot see, I’ll open my eyes and then I will see okay.
So, you have श्रद्धा in your eyes as a means of knowledge.
Of course, we don’t use this language when we are talking about it. Instead we say- I saw it, that means it’s true, it’s my experience. We thump our chest. It’s my experience, therefore it is true.
Anyway, that is perception- whatever you experience. We call them ज्ञानेन्द्रिय- the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the skin. They receive knowledge, and then we do a lot of things based on that knowledge.
So प्रत्यक्षम्/perception is one means of knowledge, which is required for us to function in this world.
Can perception reveal the reality of the fact that you are the आत्मा? No. Why? Because the आत्मा that is you, is not an object of perception.
So, the limitless, how can you understand with the eyes? The eyes have a very limited range- 20/20 is considered perfect vision. Other animals have better vision than us. The abilities of human beings, besides our mind, are very limited compared to animals.
So, with perception there are certain things that you figure out. Just because you cannot see Pluto nor Neptune, it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. No- you need special equipment to be able to see it. So, perception/प्रत्यक्षम् is one means of knowledge by which we figure out this world. It has its limitations, like everything else.
2. Inference
There are some things that we cannot directly perceive- see, hear, taste, etc. Then what shall we do? Oh, there is another piece of knowledge that we depend on, which is called inference.
So, inference means that there is a proposition, e.g. your house faces some mountains, and every morning you like to sit with a cup of tea and you are gazing at the mountains and then suddenly you see smoke from one of the mountains. So, you guess and you’re almost sure- I think there is a fire on that mountain. Let me just call emergency services so that somebody can do something about this forest fire or whatever. Did you see the fire? No. How do you know there is a fire? You are sure that there is a fire because wherever there is fire, there is smoke.
You are not seeing the fire, but by the presence of the smoke, you infer that there has to be fire. Why? Because you have seen many cases- whether it is a campfire, or a fire in the kitchen if you’re cooking conventionally, that where there is fire there is smoke.
So, a lot of our inferences we reach on the basis of this second means of knowledge.
3. Comparison
The third means of knowledge is comparison.
Suppose you are going on a safari to Africa and you are told that if you’re going on safari, you must see the wildebeest. Huh? The wildebeest, I have never heard of such a term. Is it an animal? Yes. What does it look like? Oh, it looks a little bit like deer. I have seen deer, but I have not seen wildebeest.
Then, when I am on safari, and as we are driving in the jeep, I see some animals which look like deer and I think okay- that’s what I was told, this must be wildebeest.
So, there was no प्रत्यक्षम्- I have not seen wildebeest, not even seen pictures of it.
But I am able to understand that there is something similar to this and so comparison becomes our means of knowledge.
So, if we say that आत्मा is like space, you can appreciate it, but it is not a means of knowledge. Because space also seems to be limitless in the sense that it doesn’t have boundaries, but we cannot say it is limitless. And there are a lot of other things. So, space is not touched by the air that blows through it, or fire, or water. आत्मा, the limitless that I am, is like that.
But one feels enclosed because of the skin-boundary, but actually one is not bound ever, I was never bound.
So, through comparison, one can appreciate, and get a sense of the आत्मा, but you will not know the truth. But it can be used, as supportive reasons can be given.
4. Double inference or presumption
For example, you see this person who is fasting all day, yet still putting on weight. So, you ask about hormonal issues like hypothyroidism, or PCOD which can make a person put on weight even if the person is eating very less. So hormonally the person says that everything is okay. Then how come you’re putting on weight? Oh, then you realize this person is nocturnal. So, this person raids the refrigerator in the night and therefore that explains why the person is gaining weight though not eating throughout the day.
So, though you’re not spying on the person to see if the person is really raiding the fridge, you figure that this data doesn’t match, and for the person to put on weight, definitely what is being ingested is more than what is being expended energy wise.
So, then this is another way for us to understand our world.
5. अनुपलब्धि/Cognition of absence.
What does that mean? For example- Is Eric here in the class today? You look around. No.
How do you know that he is not there? Is there some reflection from his absence? No.
It’s a direct means of knowledge. You don’t see him. You have not inferred- it’s not that there is no one looking like Eric, maybe he’s not there. No.
You just look around and know that he’s not here. That’s it.
And it’s not perception either, because for perception light has to reflect from the object, and that forms an image on your retina, and so on and so forth.
So here, there is no perception involved. Also, there is no inference- one does not say, nobody is looking like him, so that means that he is not there.
So, it’s another 5th means of knowledge.
6. शब्द/शास्त्र
Then, how do we know that there is a place called स्वर्ग? How do we know that if you do a ritual, there will be some results? How do you know that if you chant a मंत्र that there will be some results? How do you know the rituals to be done to honor your ancestors? How do you know that these are the rituals to be done for देवता-s? How do you know that the performance of कर्म leads to invisible results called पुण्य and पाप | Visible results of course that we all know and that’s fine. Why do good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people? How do you explain it? There’s no way. If you’re going by perception, there is no way you can explain it. I’ve been such a good person, then why did I have to suffer? That is perception. The only way you can explain it is through शास्त्र- the law of कर्म |
So how do we figure out things that we cannot figure out through all these 5 means of knowledge? It is by the 6th means called as शब्द/शास्त्र. Here particularly वेद is being referred to i.e. the revealed knowledge. So, whatever is there in the वेद is not something you can figure out on your own. It is other than you and somebody has to be there to wield it.
No, no, I will learn enough Sanskrit and I will be able to read it. But, you are the one that is suffering from ignorance. And when you are reading something, because the knowledge is talking about you the subject, so you cannot wield the प्रमाण (the means of knowledge). The प्रमाण has to be wielded by someone other than you. Therefore, the गुरु enters the picture.
If you try to do it, then we make big mistakes.
Even if you try to read, you can’t understand. Why? Because to understand the vision of the entire श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, you have to finish the 700 verses/18 chapters. And in order to understand a verse, you need to have the vision of the whole. To have the vision of the whole, you need to go through all the verses. It’s a bit of a catch-22 situation.
And then we all have our blind spots. There’s no way that you will figure out the truth of the identity that you thought is real i.e. कर्ता-भोक्ता ~ I am the doer and the experiencer, therefore I am the sufferer of whatever are my great sorrows, because my great expectations were not fulfilled.
So, to all that, the शास्त्र raises a question mark. Really, you really think it’s true? Come on, actually, you are not touched by any of this.
So, this vision of the reality that is you, that is limitless, is wielded by a person who happens to be the गुरु | Therefore, you need to have working trust. We are not saying that you please trust the person with your life. No, and therefore we will remember that a few verses before, भगवान् has already spoken about three things that are important-
(i) प्रणिपात: – Some level of surrender, meaning you are willing to see the truth, you are willing to align yourself to reality.
(ii) सेव to the गुरु – whatever help is required; there are different kinds of help required depending on what the गुरु is involved with.
(iii) परिप्रश्न: – asking the right kind of questions, so that you are free from the sense of bondage that you experience.
So, all this is important. श्रद्धा is not blind surrender, and it is not obedience either. This is not expected at all.
And in a few years’ time, it is expected that the student will rebel. And some students rebel early. It is the typical rebellion of a child with a parent. It is invariable, it has to happen. It happens in therapy. It happens as a child, between child and parent. And it definitely happens between शिष्य and गुरु | So, initially there is a honeymoon phase- you think that all that the गुरु says and does is fantastic. Then, slowly you will start finding some faults. There are times that you’re able to dismiss it. Then, if you have a good rapport with the गुरु, and you better have a good rapport for your own sake, not for the गुरु’s sake, then, you can experience a freedom to ask the गुरु- but you know, I’m not able to reconcile this discrepancy. It’s important you do that because you may not understand the गुरु’s behavior and so on. But sometimes we don’t- we don’t feel safe enough, we don’t feel free enough, we are the ones who withdraw, and then what happens is that I start projecting a lot, and then only my ideas are there- How the गुरु should be, and how my गुरु really is. And there’s such a big difference, so I have problems with that. Then, I start to analyze the personality. Now any personality has its limitations. So, then you say- Oh, forget it. You know, this person is a woman, this person doesn’t have a clean-shaven head. This person should have been 75 years. And so, some weird things one entertains. So, these ideas will pass through everybody’s head. But if you entertain them too much, then you are not available for the knowledge. All your time is spent in some other kinds of analysis, you are actually dodging reality.
So, there are different ways in which resistance comes up. And you have to work through that resistance just like a child also works through the resistance with a parent. Why? Because the child after some time doesn’t want to feel dependent on the parent.
The शिष्य/student is never dependent on the गुरु | A little bit of dependence is there until the vision is clear.
So, at times you’re not comfortable with the fact that I cannot figure this out on my own- I should be able to figure it out. There’s a lot of resistance there. Everybody goes through some of this resistance. So, that श्रद्धा is such that despite my resistance, I have working trust.
Of course, if I have been exposed and I have read enough of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and I’m very familiar with the culture of this land, in terms of the living culture, and also I’m able to look up to role models who were able to exemplify a certain श्रद्धा for elders, for द्विज:(twice-born), for Brahmins, for elderly people, etc. then it’s something that might come naturally to me.
So here a bold declaration is made by भगवान् श्री कृष्ण that if you have श्रद्धा i.e. if you trust, then you will gain this knowledge. And trust is seeing the words that are being revealed. Sometimes the गुरु says a word, then the mind gets carried away, gets hijacked. For instance, the word ‘trauma’ is said. Now, all of us have had some form of trauma, but because I said it in a particular context, it’s possible that my mind will go somewhere else. Then, whatever has been said for the next few minutes is gone, because my mind has gone on a world tour. Then, when I come back, I don’t know what is happening.
So, trusting the गुरु, trusting that the गुरु will deliver the goods, trusting that this reality that the गुरु is pointing out is possibly true, so I have to try it out.
So, suppose I say- You know what? I am very insecure. I can’t handle uncertainty. You give me a guarantee that I will be able to see.
Suppose I have had cataract surgery and my eyes are bandaged, and then I tell the doctor- doctor, you have to give the guarantee that I will see. So, what will the doctor say? Hey, you know your operation was very successful, you please open your eyes then you’ll be able to see. But I say- No, no, no doctor, you are the world class doctor, until you give me a guarantee, I will not open my eyes. Now this is a little ridiculous on my part. I have to trust, so what will the doctor say? Well given all the facts, and given that the operation was successful, I believe that if you open your eyes that you will be able to see. Okay, so little by little I open- first it’s a little blurry, but then I realize that what the doctor said was right.
So, I have to open my eyes to the शास्त्र | How? By listening to the शास्त्र | That’s the only way, that’s the traditional way. And then I say maybe it’s true. Yeah, I think so. Oh, definitely it’s true. It’s true and therefore the शास्त्र is saying it. So, you will reach such a stage, if you haven’t already.
So, the value of श्रद्धा has been emphasized very much in this verse. And, because there is a commitment to knowing the truth, you are done with exploring.
You know we have a fear of commitment, all of us have it, more so nowadays. We like the idea of options, and we’re not talking stocks. So, optionality options- I want to keep exploring, as something new, something better will come along.
A lot of people are now regretting- why didn’t they marry such a person before? Because they thought someone better will come along. So anyway, this fear to commit that is there, is there because we delude ourselves that the grass might be greener on the other side.
Now, but if you have commitment, with your विवेक you have looked at your life. You have seen what things and relationships do for you, and what they do not. Both are important.
And then you say that it’s not that I’m unhappy, but that sense of incompleteness that I experience, nothing can complete it. It’s an existential sorrow that is wept or unwept in every human heart. Why? Because one is identified with the human condition, which is a limited human condition ultimately ending in a funeral/cremation.
So, you feel the futility of some of the things, you feel the meaningless-ness as after all this is done, ultimately, I die and not take anything with me including this body, which I have to leave behind. So, what is this? It is so totally unfair.
So, if there is a commitment that I think I have found something, and I want to see it through, some sort of completion, then both श्रद्धा and commitment can go hand in hand.
Because I have श्रद्धा in the Teaching and therefore the गुरु, then my commitment will increase. If my commitment is there to this exploration- I will see the limitations, I will try different methods, I will see what’s working, and what’s not working, as I’m committed to discovering the truth, whatever that is~ I don’t know some people call it non-duality etc.
Then because of that commitment I will explore thoroughly. So that commitment can also help me to increase my श्रद्धा, because, there are certain things that I feel very uncomfortable about.
The गुरु’s job is a destructive job. Why? Because all the notions that you are holding on to very dearly- So, you think that’s real? Then, the saw is out, so that is also hacked.
For instance, I’ve been a vegan for 20 years. And then let’s say- in the context of some teaching, that’s just an identity. What? You dismissed my identity, you don’t know what it means to be a vegan. It is the greatest thing in this world, etc. Then gone- this गुरु is out of my list, because my identity was attacked. One thinks- Does the गुरु know about veganism? Wow, it’s so insensitive. And all this talk about अहिंसा is all rubbish.
So, you can see how destructive the job of a गुरु is. This is not because the person has anything personal against you, but what you are holding on to, we are doing an inquiry into the reality of it.
So, if there is commitment, then you will continue with the inquiry. A lot of people are आरम्भशूर: – they are very valiant when it comes to आरम्भ/beginnings. With great enthusiasm people sign up. For all courses, with respect to the number of people who sign up in great enthusiasm, the number of people who turn up, and the number of people who continue, there is a great difference in it. It’s the case for a lot of courses, especially online courses, even offline also.
So now, if you’re committed to the inquiry, then you will gain knowledge. You don’t have to remove your special identity. We are just asking you to inquire into it. You only do the enquiry, the गुरु does not do it. The गुरु just shares what the शास्त्र is saying. And we are not dismissing the identity- this is very important to understand. The गुरु is just saying that this could be a functional identity, but it’s not your reality. And, with your functional identity, whatever you need to do, please do- align it with धर्म and go ahead and have as many identities as you want. No problem with it.
श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानं तत्पर: –
So, the one who has श्रद्धा,
naturally that person is committed,
and is a master of one’s senses because of the bringing of कर्म योग into your life,
and so शान्ति is gained.
I-आत्मा am also referred to as शान्ति: | Now, शान्ति generally we refer to in the context of peace of mind. When you ask a Zen teacher- My mind is very disturbed. What should I do? The Zen master says- show me your mind. So, what will you do? I don’t know, I’m very disturbed, but I don’t have the mind. So, how can it disturb you? Well, it is in my head. Okay, if it’s in your head, it is an object, it’s something you are aware of. That means that you are different from what you are aware of. So, if you are aware of disturbance, are you really disturbed? No, but I’m really disturbed. Why? Because the state of mind is my identity. This is what we call as मनोमय कोश i.e. I define myself by whatever is happening in my mind.
Now, in the context of language of course we will say- I’m excited, I’m happy, I’m thinking, I’m confused. All that is okay because ‘I am …(can put any quality/activity in this space)…’, but is it true?
For instance, some people are referred to as blonde. The person is blonde- what does that mean? The person is the color of the hair? But, we all agree to this madness. You define a person by one thing. And hair is also not even a live part of you. It’s inert, you can color it, you can cut it and so on. It’s not alive. It’s not really an integral part of you. But, still you will say- Oh, but that person is a blonde So, this is the collective madness that we use in our language.
So, if I am the state of my mind, then if there is conflict, that means that I am disturbed.
But the शान्ति that भगवान् is talking about here is not an absence of conflict.
Generally, when we say that I want peace of mind, this means that all the conflicts in my life should be resolved. Now, there will never be a time when all the conflicts in your life will be resolved. There will always be something or the other. The only place where all conflicts are resolved is the cemetery- there are no problems for that person whatsoever, but until then, there will be problems.
So, we can have शान्ति/peace, despite our many problems, just like the deep part of the ocean is very quiet and peaceful.
So, with all the conflict that is there, you can still have some शान्ति/peace of mind.
Here, we are talking about recognizing the आत्मा as untouched, as being absolute peace, which is not touched by any conflict. Conflict will happen to the body, it can happen to the mind and so on and so forth.
But the आत्मा that illumines and is aware of the body and whatever is happening in the body and the mind is untouched, always untouched.
So, शान्तिम् अचिरेणाधिगच्छति ~ so one gains that.
Then, to contrast what not having श्रद्धा can do for you-
* श्लोक ४० *
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति ।
नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मन: ॥ ४०॥
The one who does not have श्रद्धा, and also who is अज्ञ i.e. does not even have the discerning ability of what is true, what is not true, विवेक is not there.
And further, संशयात्मा- what is referred to as doubting Thomas. There are some of us who will doubt everything in the name of knowing the right information, or whatever that is.
So, what happens to this संशयात्मा (the one who doubts)?
विनश्यति- this person is destroyed.
So, this is a very big thing, what do you mean? Because for such a person, anything that is said, they question- really, is it true?
So, typically when it comes up- if somebody says I really love you. Really? No. I don’t believe you. Why would you love someone like me? Or, you don’t believe it, so you need to hear it like 10x per day- you have not told me you love me, it has been a while, you really love me?
Because there is a little insecurity, संशय is there.
But anything, you have to always double check. You locked the door- again you check repeatedly. Anybody says anything to you- you don’t trust. I don’t know if what the person is saying is true. And this ‘what if’ game, is a game we love to play. (there is a podcast on this ‘what if’). What if I die? What if the loved ones around me die? What if I lose a limb? etc. So, we are very good at it.
The power of imagination, which is a great blessing which has been given to us, we use it in this way. It is helpful to some extent because it helps us to prepare for the worst possible consequence. It’s a helpful habit, but it stops being helpful after some time. Why? Because we are always thinking of the worst possible consequence. Therefore, we cannot take a decision. Should I take this job- should I, should I not? Should I marry, or should I not? Should I commit? Should I buy this? All the time there is doubt.
And here what भगवान् is saying is- अयं लोक: नास्ति | So this world, where you can enjoy काम, अर्थ, धर्म, that is also not there for the person.
Because you know in all your relationships you doubt about whether they really care for you, whatever they do is not enough for you, and so on.
Then, you doubt your own abilities.
And as a result of which you can’t stick with any job because again you’re doubting them. So, they’re all out to cheat me, exploit me, manipulate me, and so on.
Then, what can you trust? Nothing because everything is doubted.
So, this world of धर्म, अर्थ, काम is not available for me. So, even that relative happiness is not available for me.
Then, what about being exposed to वेदान्त, and having this commitment? Well that is also not. Why? Because I doubt everything- Really? How is it possible that the शास्त्र was an oral tradition once upon a time? I can barely remember 10 phone numbers. How is it possible that people remember 20,000 verses i.e. one वेद? It is not possible.
So, you can’t actually evaluate a particular era on the basis of your current situation, but we do that all the time – No, no, I don’t think that’s possible, that’s not possible. गुरु and all these people, they are just crazy for money, and power, and fame, that’s why they’re insisting that you need a गुरु | But, I don’t think so.
So, anything anyone tells you- doubt. Whether you are pursuing the शास्त्र- you cannot gain the joy of the ज्ञानफलम् because you are doubting all the time. Nor can you gain धर्म, अर्थ, काम |
So, मोक्ष pursuit is not available for you- संशयात्मा, and neither is this धर्म, अर्थ, काम |
So, we have to recognize that the problem does not lie with the world outside.
It is not that all the problems lie with us. It is possible that we have come across situations where our trust was betrayed, and if we are being a bit alert and cautious, that’s fine. It may be required in this phase.
But, if you are so alert and so cautious that you don’t move you, and you withdraw completely into a shell, you’re not available to transact with anyone, and nor can a possibility be available to you that you can change your mind.
So that’s what भगवान् is saying- सुखं अयं लोक: नास्ति ~ this world is not available for this person. Nor the world पर: – So because I don’t have श्रद्धा in the वेद, I don’t believe that there is स्वर्ग ~ That I’ll do good things, contribute/give, I will do some rituals and gain स्वर्ग | But I don’t trust, I don’t think it’s true. So, स्वर्ग- no chance.
So, there is no सुख for such a person.
So, basically, भगवान् is contrasting the one who has श्रद्धा and the one who does not have श्रद्धा, and what happens to such a person.
So, referring to Arjuna as धनञ्जय,
कर्माणि न निबध्नन्ति ~ कर्म does not bind.
Whom?
The one who has done संन्यास i.e. the one who has given up कर्म through योग.
But, what आसन did I do of giving up?
Here, we are talking of both ज्ञान योग and कर्म योग |
So, with the attitude of कर्म योग, recognizing that all is given to me, and I make the most of it. I have a recognition of भगवान्, and I am preparing myself so that I can see the truth that भगवान् and me are one. This is ज्ञान योग i.e. the reality of all the forms.
So, the one who has renounced कर्म, but who remains busier than the busiest bee with lots of projects, but is very clear that आत्मा was never the कर्ता |
कर्म is what you do with your body-mind. I am more than this body-mind. I am the one that illumines this body-mind. And कर्म does not define me.
When we meet people, one of the first questions asked is- what do you do?
Then, we don’t say- I do this…It is very interesting. What do you do? I am a finance professional, or I am an architect. Very interesting. Of course, we want to shorten it, we don’t want to go on and on.
So, suppose the person continues and says- you know nowadays it’s so difficult to find the right architect. Now you’re getting angry, though the person is talking about generally, and the person has a right to make a comment on architects. Well, I don’t think you found the right architect, you didn’t find me, that’s why.
So, with respect to one’s identity, immediately I get provoked, and then I will react. That happens all the time.
So, for the one who has recognized that आत्मा is अकर्ता- never the doer, never the experiencer, and from that standpoint the person has given up कर्म, then also the संशयम् i.e. all the doubts that were there are destroyed.
It’s very natural to have a doubt, but resolve the doubt. Don’t hold on to it, and put it in the museum of doubts as an heirloom or antique piece – I had a doubt 20 years ago and also now, I still have the doubt. And this happens very often. People ask a question in class, and it is answered and then they are satisfied with the answer, and it is clear to them. Then, again it will come up for five years, seven years. Why? Because you have nurtured the doubt so much, now it has become a part of your identity~ संशयात्मा |
So, for this person, all the doubts- I am the doer and I’m affected, I have sorrow etc. So, all these doubts about identities, all that has been destroyed. How, by what? By ज्ञानम्/knowledge.
And the one who is together i.e. आत्मवन्तं – the one who is very integrated, not much fragmentation.
So, you work to be integrated- in the sense that what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling, what you’re saying, they are not three personalities. You may not have personality disorder, but we are like this. We might be thinking that we want to strangle someone, but all the sweetest words are coming out of the mouth, and then you’re feeling something quite different.
So, we’re not talking about appropriateness in behavior- that is there, in line with धर्म, but one is together, together as a person. So, for that particular person, कर्म does not bind because the person has recognized the truth about oneself.
तस्मात् ~ Therefore,
What should you do Arjuna?
The doubts that have emerged, that had been borne from अज्ञानम्/अविद्या | अविद्या is ignorance of who you are. So, because of अज्ञानम्, I think that whatever I’m associated with, that must be me. So, the one who was knocked on the stage in the garb of a beggar, and has temporary amnesia, and wakes up in the hospital, and asks the fundamental questions- where am I? who am I? Then looks around and recognizes that I’m dressed in tatters, so I must be a beggar.
So, I look around and see that I have this costume of a human being, and so think that I must be a human being. So therefore, then a human being is incomplete, so I have to strive, and do a lot so that I am complete.
So, जीवत्वम् (the sense of being a जीव only) is because of अविद्या |
जीव is defined as- ब्रह्मसन् (although being ब्रह्मन्), जीवम् इति उच्यते/मन्यते- says/thinks that I am this limited body-mind.
So, संशयं छित्त्व ~ destroying all possible doubt that is born of अविद्या |
So, all kinds of doubts, e.g. related to the nature of desire- I must not have desire, desire creates suffering. And I must not get involved with life, etc. So, all these weird ideas we have which is all stemming from अविद्या i.e. the ignorance of oneself.
So, what should you do Arjuna?
योगम् आतिष्ठ उत्तिष्ठ ~ you please take to कर्म योग, take to ज्ञान योग, and get up.
Of course, He’s referring to get up and fight.
But here, get up in the sense of- wake up to the reality of who you are.
And if that’s not very clear, then spiritualize your life by making कर्म into कर्म योग | Learn to see that all that is here is ईश्वर | Then, of course, you will be blessed.
So, don’t take away this thing- that I shouldn’t have doubts. Please have doubts, but resolve the doubts. And that’s what भगवान् is saying- that you slay this संशय/doubt.
Doubt can also be in the form of vagueness, or an error that you repeatedly make.
So, you slay this संशय/doubt, with knowledge again and again.
And then, you just get up.
So, the fourth chapter, the name of which was ज्ञान-कर्म-संन्यास-योग: | The topic of संन्यास (completely giving up) कर्म through ज्ञानम् of the आत्मा i.e. the one who is अकर्ता- never the doer. How did we know this? Through the संवाद/dialogue between भगवान् श्री कृष्ण and Arjuna.
And what was the dialogue about? Where do you get the best pizza? No. It was about ब्रह्मविद्या and योगशास्त्र – so the knowledge of the reality, and how should I live my life?
But is this a figment of somebody’s imagination? No, no- श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, so this dialogue is happening in the भगवद्-गीता | And what the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is talking about is really the essence of the उपनिषद् which is revealed knowledge by भगवान् |
So, with that- ॐ तत् सत् ~ ॐ is the only reality.
And, so we close the fourth chapter.
This is similar to how a child may jokingly tell a story~ once upon a time, the end.
So, we start with the prayer~ सदाशिव समारम्भाम्,
and then the prayer that we generally say at the end~ पूर्णमदः, we say at the beginning.
Because the शान्तिपाठ of this उपनिषद् is पूर्णमदः |
So, we see how we can get conditioned- if people were coming for an offline class, they would put their books back in the bag, because when they hear पूर्णमदः, they think that class is over. No, actually the class is just beginning.
So, पूर्णमदः is the शान्तिपाठ- we will say it at the beginning, and we will say it at the end also.
It is also similar to the conditioning that people get whenever ब्रह्मार्पणम् is chanted. One thinks that ब्रह्मार्पणम् means now food, as it is often said as the prayer before meals.
Now ईशा उपनिषद्, like many उपनिषद्-s, the first word is ईशा-वास्यम् | And therefore the उपनिषद् is called as ईशावास्य उपनिषद्, also referred to as ईशा उपनिषद् |
The उपनिषद् is positionally the last part of the वेद | It is not like the bibliography at the end which you can ignore. You have to qualify for the last part.
And we have looked at the definition of the word उपनिषद् | We translate it very simply as Self- knowledge. The whole word उपनिषद् comprises of 3 smaller words-
(i) उप – Close, nearby.
What is near to you? Near to you~ One just came back from the शाङ्कर मठम् for the रामनवमी पूजा | For a person who lives in Bengaluru, शाङ्कर मठम् is near~ उप | But, for somebody who lives in Matunga, like a lot of students, it is relatively nearer for them- it’s just really a hop, skip and jump.
So, उप/near is a relative word.
Then, what are we talking about? We’re talking about That which is the nearest to you.
In fact, it is so near it is you. So, what about it?
(ii) नि is another प्रत्यय meaning निश्चयात्मिक ज्ञानम् |
So, well-ascertained knowledge of That which is the nearest, That which is you.
(iii) षद् –
So, what will this knowledge do for me? What’s in it for me? What will I get?
I get that which ‘wears out’. Wears out my shoes? No. It wears out all that is अनर्थ in my life- all that causes me sorrow and puts me on the cycle of becoming and becoming, the endless cycle that is अनर्थ | So, it just wears out, and विशरणे also i.e. it disintegrates.
So that knowledge, निश्चयात्मिक ज्ञानम्, which is about you, which removes all that is not you, that is उपनिषद् |
There are many उपनिषद्-s, 10 of them were commented upon by भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य |
And each of these उपनिषद्-s is all revealed knowledge by different ऋषि-s.
And out of these 10 उपनिषद्-s that भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य commented on, ईशा is one of them.
So, generally when the sequence is asked- which were the उपनिषद्-s that भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य commented on? So, people will rattle off the 10- ईशा, केन, कठ, प्रश्न, मुण्ड, माण्डूक्य, तैत्तिरीय, ऐतरेय, छान्दोग्य, बृहदारण्यक तथा |
In this class we have already done- कठ उपनिषद्, केन उपनिषद् |
मुण्डक उपनिषद् some have done.
And तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद् was just concluded.
छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् (6th & 7th chapters) some have done in camps.
So, in some places ईशावास्य उपनिषद् is taught as the first उपनिषद्, and it’s not necessarily because of the order. Some people do it, but we generally won’t do it. Why? Because it has some मंत्र-s which can be a bit confusing.
The first मंत्र is the famous one- ईशा वास्यम् इदं सर्वं |
But, there are some other मंत्र-s which you cannot take the literal meaning of. So, a lot of Sanskrit words, especially in the वेद-s, they have a वैदिक् meaning.
So, this thinking that if I know Sanskrit I will figure out the वेद- No, you can’t. You can enjoy कालिदास, रामायण, महाभारत as these don’t need to be taught by a Teacher unless there are doubts or contradictions, then yes, you can always consult.
So, all those texts i.e. काव्य you can delight in and enjoy on your own also.
But उपनिषद् has to be learnt from a Teacher.
Now, ईशा उपनिषद् belongs to the यजुर्वेद and we refer to it as शुक्लयजुर्वेद |
So, we spend some time on the शान्ति मंत्र |
It’s a very beautiful शान्ति मंत्र, and a very unusual one because in this मंत्र, you are not praying for something. It is similar to अहं वृक्षस्य रेरिवा, which is a declaration of the Truth by Trishanku. This is also- you are just expressing a reality.
It is not like- आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि, where one prays that my वाक् & चक्षु should be okay, that for all my pursuits, the body-mind should be okay.
So, you’re not really praying for that in this शान्तिपाठ | So this is a very, very beautiful opening prayer.
And to understand it better, we are going to be using three pronouns and you have to be well versed with these Sanskrit pronouns.
(i) अहम् which means I. But there is no अहम् in this मंत्र |
There is only अदः and इदं |
(ii) अदः means That. Similar to how we have ‘तत्’ शब्द |
(iii) इदं means This.
पूर्णम् is a word that is there a lot in the मंत्र |
What is this पूर्णम्? पूर्णम् is a word for completeness, fullness, wholeness (not like hole in the bucket).
ॐ is a word for ईश्वर | ॐ is a word for both सगुण & निर्गुण ब्रह्मन् | And most मंत्र-s begin with ॐ |
पूर्णम् अदः – अदः (That) is पूर्णम् |
पूर्णम् इदं – इदं (This) is पूर्णम् |
Now what is That? What is this अदः?
Generally, we use ‘that’/अदः for something that is far away.
That something which is remote in time & space.
So, ‘that tree’, ‘that gate’ refer to those things that are far away from you. Or in ‘that time’ is used when you’re talking about the past. For instance- in ‘that time’, I was like this.
So ‘that’/अदः refers to something far away from you, something remote.
So, अदः is पूर्णम् |
What is अदः referring to? Generally, whenever we use a pronoun, we have to qualify it earlier by a noun.
Suppose you say- ‘Rama’ went to the forest. Then you can continue by saying- ‘He’ ate fruits & roots. You can’t begin saying- ‘He’ ate fruits & roots. Then, one will ask- Who is this he? We don’t know, as you have not spelt it out.
But this पूर्णम् (fullness), actually it has been spelt out.
अदः पूर्णम् – That is पूर्णम् |
So, our focus is now on That/अदः |
But, उपनिषद्’s focus is on पूर्णम् is That |
So, what you think is remote from you i.e. ईश्वर, Oneself, That is fullness.
Fullness means that there is no lack. There is nothing that can be added, nothing that can be taken away.
This will be further explained later.
So okay, fine. You spoke about- पूर्णम् is That/अदः, and पूर्णम् is this/इदं.
But, where am I/अहम् in this whole equation? You forgot me? How could you do this? How could you ignore me?
Well, इदं is This. What is ‘This’?
‘This’ means something that is close to me in time and space.
For instance- I am attending ‘this’ class.
So, body & mind are इदं |
E.g. इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय ~ १३.२, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता
So, इदं you will see everywhere. इदं refers to the जगत् |
जगत् or in other words, That which is an object of your awareness.
And it is also not so remote- It’s here, it’s now, it’s इदम् |
So, all that is दृश्यम् i.e. all that is known, including the sights and sounds in front of me, different experiences, body, mind is इदं/this. Some things that are not yet known, i.e. all that we can see is इदं/this.
Then, it’s also possible that what was अदः became इदं |
For instance, you fancied a particular job, you never thought you were going to get it, it was very remote, or a particular opportunity that seemed very far away. And then now you’ve got a very senior position in the company. So, it became इदं for you. What was अदः became इदं for you because of time and space, again object of your awareness, of your experience.
So then when अदः becomes इदं; That becomes This,
then the remoteness, the quality of it being far away from you, is now destroyed. So, it is no longer so far away.
Earlier, ईश्वर was very far away, and now- not far away at all. Why? Because you have spent some time in inquiry, and now ईश्वर is a very intimate experience/understanding for you.
Now, let’s look at पूर्णम् | पूर्णम् as fullness, as limitlessness, can it have boundaries?
Because what पूर्णम् is referring to is consciousness, is ब्रह्मन् |
Then where am I in the picture?
I’m coming back to me, I’ve not forgotten myself, I. Where is I? Where do I fit in?
Do I fit in अदः? Do I fit in इदं?
What are you referring to as ‘I’ by the way?
If you are referring to body-mind, that is इदम् |
My thoughts, my desires, my wishes, my memory, my feelings – What is all that? It is an object of your awareness, it is इदम् |
Hmm…then I don’t know, then that means there’s nothing?
No. The शास्त्र reveals that you are the limitless.
So actually, you have considered yourself to be far away, to be remote.
Because अदः i.e. consciousness is remote from you in your understanding.
But, अदः includes अहम् | That includes I.
Oh, thank God I got included, otherwise I was feeling very left out.
Okay, so therefore the understanding of अहम्/ ब्रह्मन्/ consciousness, if I was trying to objectify it, it won’t work- make it third person, external to me- No.
अदः includes अहम्/I.
अदः/That includes I is to be understood, because it seems remote.
Then, पूर्णम् इदं, am I included? इदं- body/mind, दृश्यम्, object of my awareness?
So, when I’m talking about I, then, am I an object? The body is an object. It can be perceived, it has some dimensions, it is changing.
What about I-the subject, is it changing?
If you say that I is the mind, then of course it is changing, mind is still the object, mind is not the subject.
The one who is aware of all this/इदं, i.e. all that is changing, is the subject.
Subject of course is a referential word.
I~ is it then subject or object?
एकं वद निश्चित्य (३.२, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता) – tell me one thing definitely,
don’t sit on the fence, don’t say neither subject nor object, or both subject and object. No, take a stand.
How I can take a stand? अहम्/I is the only thing that is Self-evident, Self-revealing, illumining everything including my ignorance. I exist, I am Self-evident.
Yes, I use a mouth to express myself.
And we also say- I know I exist.
But you ask any amoeba also, if they were able to talk, they have a sense of themselves. If you ask the amoeba- do you exist? Of course, I exist, for generations I have existed in your stomach, and I will keep proliferating also. There is a sense- I am what I am, whatever shapeless organism, and then I can engulf some other bacteria.
So, this rudimentary understanding of ‘I am’ is there for a cockroach, a lizard, and definitely for a human being. And it is not a product of your thinking.
The baby also has this understanding- just observe a baby how in great wonder just trying to discover what my boundaries are. So then, the baby will be sucking the thumb, which is a part of the reflexes, and is so very pleasurable to the child as it reminds of the mother. So, then I am this- that’s what the baby is figuring out.
So, this इदं is different from अहम् | That which illumines, that which is awareness, which is aware of everything is अहम्, using different instruments- अंतःकरण, बाह्यकरण etc.
This अहम्, is it ever remote/faraway? Even if you go to far off lands, even by chance, let’s say 10 years down the line, you do space travel, you go अदः |
Still, I will be the one traveling, I am Self-evident. So, I am never remote.
Then, am I not available in time sometimes? I may be lost- my memory may carry me away somewhere and so on. But am I away in terms of time, or in terms of place? Never. Always here.
अहम्- Here and now.
अदः/that includes अहम् |
Because अहम्, the limitlessness that is me, is not known and seems remote, therefore included.
So, पूर्णम् अदः, पूर्णम् इदं |
So, That is पूर्णम्/consciousness/fullness. That referring to ईश्वर, that referring to I.
And इदं पूर्णम् | इदं is this जगत्, all that is changing, all the effects, all the way that is also पूर्णम् |
Now, I think this statement might be a little defective. Why?
Because अदः does not include इदम् | That does not include This. This does not include That.
But the word पूर्णम् is there flashing. So, we have to shift our attention to पूर्णम् |
If you are looking at पूर्णम्, from the standpoint of That, or from the standpoint of This, then it seems like one excludes the other.
But if you look at these statements from the standpoint of पूर्णम्,
then पूर्णम् can swallow That and This, and everything else.
So, this पूर्णम्- that is completeness, that is limitlessness, that doesn’t have any boundaries, that is always present, that is never changing, that is you, that is also the nature of ईश्वर |
So, for it to be पूर्णम्, if you’re just looking grammatically, it cannot have a boundary, it cannot have an internal-external, it cannot have near and far away.
शास्त्र reveals what is पूर्णम् is ब्रह्मन्/ आनन्द/ fullness.
So पूर्णम् is ब्रह्मन् |
All that is here is पूर्णम् |
Then what?
Because, this is not like this. It sounds all nice, but my experience is that I feel incomplete, and that has been the experience for most of my life. So, in trying to compete with my peers in school because the teacher generally praises the one who is doing well academically, to competing in sports, then college, work-life, etc. I tried to find ways that will make me feel complete.
Even as a वेदान्त student, I will struggle with this- I have not learnt other उपनिषद्-s, I don’t know enough Sanskrit, I don’t know enough chanting etc.
So, we find ways to feel incomplete. Mark my words- we find ways to feel incomplete. Actually, we can’t help it. Why? Because of अविद्या, the standing theme is that I am incomplete. How? Because I erroneously think that this body-mind is really what I am. There is this strong identity.
Now we’re slowly going to start having offline events, not everything online.
Let’s say that somebody is asked to come to the stage. Most of us will adjust ourselves~ self- conscious, you feel like that. And suppose we ask in a class also- any volunteers? It is not easy to volunteer. Why should I? Let me give others a chance, I’m very generous. Or, I don’t know what people will say. I don’t want anyone to laugh. I don’t want anyone to think less of me.
And, we’re talking of in a वेदान्त class, where we’re talking of पूर्णम्-consciousness etc.
So, there are different ways in which the entrenched notion that I am body-mind comes up.
Or some identity is challenged. So, the experience of limitation, all beings have, and actually that’s fine. But we take experience as reality. That’s where the problem is. You can have 10,000 experiences, what’s wrong with it? And have some more~ 20,000 experiences. Because it does not change the reality. But for us, experience is the reality. It is अविचार सिद्ध: |
This is my प्रतिज्ञा/proposition/hypothesis, which is concluded without great experimentation,
but just by the process of living, and looking at how society, i.e. different people, interact with each other, and I think that what I experience is real. And in those experiences, in most experiences, I feel incomplete. There are a few experiences, here and there where I feel complete- I had आम्रस् today, so mango season- fantastic. Or I heard very nice मृदङ्ग- super. So, these are moments of completeness.
So how to make sense of this शान्तिपाठ? Because it seems like what उपनिषद् is saying is one thing, and my experience is quite another.
Because, when we look at the form itself~ the body, mind and so on, there is limitation. For instance, if you are here, you can’t be there. And there are lots of things that we don’t know, that we want to know. So, परिच्छेद/limitation is experienced by us often.
But, पूर्णम् does not have any limitation- neither in terms of time, or place, or knowledge. So, पूर्णम् is only referring to that which is free from duality i.e. अद्वैत | द्वैत is duality ~ two. अद्वैत(non-dual) is पूर्णम् |
Then, one clever Math student will say that if it’s one, it can be divided. So, that’s why we have to add one other line stating- one without a second. Because we have studied fractions in school, and we can divide that one into many- one by two, one by three. For instance, you split the serving when you go to a restaurant- one by two. E.g. you can split Chai one by two. So, everything can be divided, we experience it.
But here पूर्णम् is one without a second, cannot be divided.
All परिच्छेद/limitation is really- me and the other.
One may say that this is not duality, it is plurality- me and then the laptop, and then the book, and then the phone, and the glass of water- so many things.
So, the शास्त्र very intelligently puts it into one category- the other, whatever it is. All of it can be put in one category- the other.
Now the more I experience difference, the more isolated I feel, the more lonely I feel, so I want to bridge the difference. And we do have moments when we do bridge the difference, moments that are happy moments.
शान्तिपाठ recognizes this difference we experience.
So, while पूर्णम् appears to be अदः/that, इदम्/this is also पूर्णम् |
So, what the शास्त्र is saying is that- you have divided this world into I, and XYZ whatever that is, but that division does not make sense. Why? Because that division is only on the basis of name and form~ नामरूप |
Really, if you look at it, like in the vast ocean, there are all kinds of waves- the waves near the shore, and then deeper waves, tsunami waves. If you talk to surfers, they have many words for the different kinds of waves & winds. So different names are there for these forms, but all of it, at all times, is only water. The surfer may say- Oh today I don’t think it is a good idea, I cannot surf the waves. The weather doesn’t seem nice, so I don’t think we can. Or, today the waves look really good, so today I will surf. So, however you choose to interact with the form, the form does it have a reality of its own? Can the surfer say- I will surf the surf which doesn’t have water? Then the surfer will go straight to the hospital.
So, the (wave)form for the surfer, does it exist on its own? No, it cannot. In fact, what is there is only water. It just appears as a form, worthy enough for me to be able to surf.
So, we look at all the forms in this world including body-mind etc. Then, does it have a reality of its own? This is the question, because I have decided by अविचार सिद्ध: that I am different from the other.
On what basis did you decide? On the basis of my experience. What is the meaning of experience? Sense data- what you feel, what you touch, what you hear, what you smell, what you taste. That’s all. Of course, it will have an emotional component to it- I love sunsets. Or, I hate sunsets, because my life is going down like the sunset, so I don’t like sunsets. So, there is a special, unique emotional take~ it’s a take on your sense data.
But any experience, if you evaluate it and you break it down- what are the building blocks of any experience? It is sense data plus your emotional response.
No, my Kundalini is rising- very good, so for that also some sensation is there. And then you will have an emotional take on it- Oh, very nice.
Or, somebody writes saying- Oh my God, my back hurts, it’s very painful because I did something once upon a time.
So, all these experiences that we have, what is the reality of it? Why this question/inquiry? Because, I cannot reconcile to feeling limited. I cannot say it’s okay~ I feel happy- that’s fine, I feel limited- that’s also okay. I cannot reconcile to it.
You can say water flows. Well, it is the nature of water to flow.
So then suppose it is my nature to feel limited. Can I reconcile with this? No chance. It is a struggle from childhood onwards.
For instance, sometimes with children you’re helping them, but the three-year-old fellow says- no, I will do it myself. Then, when the child is trying to walk, and then after some time, being the great supportive adult that you are, you are still holding the child. So, the child will leave your hand and run, enjoying that sense of independence.
So, always trying to break free. If you look at all our pursuits, what are we trying
to do? We’re trying to break free from whatever limitations we perceive. Whether I have put a limitation on myself- I don’t think I can wake up before seven o’clock. No, I have to wake up for whatever reason. So, I try to break free from that.
Or, I can only walk 10 steps because I had a fall. No, I will push myself a little more.
Or, I can only focus in a class for a certain time, then my mind goes all over. So, I make a little effort.
So, we tend to make effort, we like to keep pushing the limits of the body and mind, because this form is a limited form and we feel kind of trapped in it.
If we were truly limited, there is no way you can feel trapped. There would be no reason.
Why do you want to fly from one place to another? Stay put. No, I want to go there, I want to travel, I want to meet people etc.
So, I am not okay. In a lot of our pursuits, we are trying to break free. So, this Queen song, ‘I want to break free’ is iconic as it taps into the universal theme, as everyone wants to break free. And it’s not just about a teenager, because people thought that only teenagers of that time loved that song. But the teenagers now are in their 40s and 50s. They will also go to a rock concert and sing loudly- I want to break free. And you can ask an 85-year-old also~ I want to break free.
Some people will say- Oh, I want to break free from this life.
So, this limitation is not acceptable to us, because it doesn’t feel like our nature. It is not our स्वरुप, and so we struggle against it.
पूर्णात् पूर्णम् उदच्यते ।
Now, a relationship is being described-
पूर्णात् ~ from पूर्णम्,
पूर्णम् उदच्यते ।
What is this?
Logically it does not make any sense. From पूर्णम्, पूर्णम् has only come.
So, a little modification must have happened? No, no modification whatsoever.
There has been no intrinsic change in पूर्णम् |
पूर्णम् – that is consciousness, that is you, that is ईश्वर, appears in different ways. These are names & forms, they don’t have their own reality.
पूर्णम् उदच्यते – उदच्यते means ‘comes forth’.
So certain things that are known or knowable i.e. effect/कार्यम् |
So far, we have seen-
पूर्णम् is That, पूर्णम् is This, and from that पूर्णम् comes पूर्णम् |
So, completeness all the way.
So then if you’re saying that पूर्णम् came from पूर्णम्,
then that means that one is the cause, and the other is the effect.
Suppose you say- the lovely gold necklace came from this lump of gold.
Did gold intrinsically undergo change? No, some nice designing has been done and it appears very beautiful. You can now wear it, you cannot wear a lump of gold. The lump of gold does not have व्यवहारिक सत्यम् |
But this effect/कार्यम् i.e. the necklace- of course you can wear it.
So, that is also पूर्णम् |
But it underwent a modification?
So, the body-mind is a modification. So, the पञ्चमहाभूत-s, we have seen in तैत्तिरीय – it seems to have undergone modification.
What has undergone modification? Only that which can be perceived with your senses.
Can ‘is’-ness/consciousness ever undergo modification?
Consciousness sometimes seems remote. So, let’s use the word ‘is’-ness.
So, this is a pencil, video battery, phone. So, your focus will be on the form.
When one is asked- what do you see? One can see pencil, and whatever other object you can observe in the room. But also, there is light. It’s very rare for one to say- oh you know there is light. But in that light, all of this is seen.
So, that light could be a good metaphor for ‘is’-ness ~ that which always is.
So, whether it is a pencil, or a video battery, or spectacles, or this human-form, ‘is’-ness is never displaced. Always is. Never displaced. Forms get displaced. And the truth of this form, if you really do a reduction in terms of what it is made up of~ molecules, atoms etc. What is the defining particle of any object? We will call it formless existence.
So, this is-ness, can it be modified? No. It cannot be displaced, it cannot be modified. Then, maybe we can add something to it ~ पूर्णम् आदाय |
You can add to it, maybe you can take away – you can attempt.
Even if you attempt- पूर्णम् एव अवशिष्यते | All that is left behind as you is पूर्णम्- it is you, it is चैतन्यम् |
So then are there 2 पूर्णम्-s? One is formless पूर्णम्, and the other is different forms? No.
Because- पूर्णस्य पूर्णम् आदाय पूर्णम् एव अवशिष्यते |
There is only one पूर्णम्, and whatever change it might have undergone is really an appearance.
So, it’s very much like saying- स्वर्णात्, स्वर्णम् | स्वर्ण is gold. So, from स्वर्ण came स्वर्ण i.e. from formless gold came some form. Really speaking gold never underwent any change.
So, पूर्णम्- that is completeness, that is fullness, that is you, never really underwent any change. It as though has a form, as though you can interact with the world, as though you can do a lot of things.
Let’s say we will try to enhance and embellish पूर्णम् |
Is that possible? पूर्णम् आदाय | No, you can’t. Because to embellish, add, or enhance, you need something other than पूर्णम्, but all that is here is पूर्णम्/’is’-ness.
Then, what will you add, and what will you take away from it? Not possible.
So, when we say that all these names and forms i.e. इदम् is पूर्णम्, what we are being encouraged to do is what we thought was अपूर्णम्, to actually look upon it as पूर्णम्-ब्रह्मन् |
Transactionally, we are not asking you to make everything a melting pot. Everything is पूर्णम्, so let all of us jump into a ball of fire, so that all of us will be one. No.
So, we don’t need to have this experiential, and it is never possible also. We don’t have to reduce all forms experientially into one. All that is required is for us to see that what we are referring to as experience depends on something else- which is you, which is consciousness. The experience is some sort of name, some sort of form you have given it, and you are projecting onto the experience your own स्वरूप |
So, if there are moments of आनन्द, don’t dismiss it. We tend to do that sometimes in the name of वैरग्य | Oh, I want real आनन्द, I want absolute आनन्द, this आनन्द from eating mango is very short-lived, how many mangoes I will eat? So, it is very limited.
Singing a song- very limited आनन्द | No, whatever आनन्द manifests, it is only your स्वरूप only. Sometimes manifest, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s okay.
पूर्णम् एव अवशिष्यते –
‘Is’-ness is all that is. ‘Is’-ness means fullness.
So, what is your true nature, is the only thing that is. Everything else will go into इदं or अदः |
What I originally thought to be अहम्, actually turned out to be इदम् |
Yes- So I am so and so, I have this profession, I have all these achievements, or I don’t have any achievements, I feel lousy about myself, I am proud about myself, whatever it is whichever extreme you’re swinging to. All that got attached with ‘I’/अहम् actually is इदम् |
But इदम् is also पूर्णम् |
The inquiry was required for me to see what अहम् truly is, step by step.
So, श्रुति as प्रमाण does not require you to stop having experiences, because sometimes people can misunderstand.
So, you say- okay, I have an unpleasant thought, पूर्णम् आदाय, पूर्णम् एव अवशिष्यते | So, even if I have an unpleasant thought, I am still पूर्णम् |
Or, I have a very elevated thought~ रामनवमी and Rama appears in blessing. Still I am पूर्णम्, I continue to be पूर्णम् |
So, the reconciling of our experience to reality is what is required by us and the inquiry has to be persistent, firm, and gentle. It should be done with love. One should not dismiss, as then you are just cutting yourself, and this is not helpful at all.
One should be consistent with the inquiry.
So, this experience that I’m having, what is the reality of this experience? Me. Because, I-the experiencer is very much there. Experiences come and go.
What is the स्वरूप of the experiencer? पूर्णम्, all the way.
So, through this शान्तिपाठ, what we are seeing is that the divisions that we make i.e. subject & object, they are not valid. Experientially they are valid, but from the standpoint of reality, they are not valid at all.
The difference we make between जीव and परमात्मा-
Suppose you say अदः is ईश्वर, and इदं is जीव | This is not valid. Why? Because both are पूर्णम् |
Then, what seems to be the कार्य,
पूर्णात् पूर्णम् उदच्यते (पूर्णम् comes about from पूर्णम्),
it seems like they have a cause-effect relationship.
So, पूर्णम् is ब्रह्मन्, and from that ब्रह्मन् came this जगत् |
This जगत् also is पूर्णम् |
Oh…but so much global warming, everywhere the temperature is increasing…How are we going to handle it? Whatever we are handling, at the moment fretting and fuming- all that is पूर्णम् |
No, it cannot be पूर्णम्, we have to switch on the AC. Please, you can continue doing that, or you can wear your woolens depending on where you are in the world.
What is पूर्णम्? Not the form. There can be no form that is पूर्णम्, from the standpoint of the form. But every form has ‘is’-ness which cannot be taken away, which cannot be displaced.
But because of the पञ्चमहाभूत, it appears as something. But, every form is पूर्णम् |
So, you can remember the open eye meditation that we have done. You look around- it is very easy to do when you are going for a walk~ birds are chirping, how beautiful, so nice.
Then, daughter-in-law is chirping – No, I wish she would just shut up, you know. She’s chirping a little bit too much. But she is also पूर्णम् | The bird is पूर्णम्, chirping daughter/mother-in-law etc. is also पूर्णम् | Transactionally, one may find it a little difficult to get along, but we have some working arrangement, but all the way पूर्णम् |
So, the form is not in opposition to me. I have to see that again and again.
For that, कर्म योग is very important. Because, then we can minimize our reactions- रागद्वेष, buildup, reaction after reaction to what is.
So, one becomes more in line with व्यवहारिक सत्यम् i.e. transactional reality. Then there’s not so much reaction. We are more open, we are available. We are receptive to what reality is, which is you- पूर्णम् |
पूर्णस्य पूर्णम् आदाय पूर्णम् एव अवशिष्यते | So nothing can take away from the truth of who you are, from the standpoint of your possessions, personality, qualities, age.
Age- so my youth has been robbed, now I am in middle-age. So that will apply, but the truth of who you are, the reality of who you are, that nobody can take away from you. And nobody can enhance you either.
Last class we had looked at the पूर्णमदः मंत्र which is the शान्तिपाठ of this उपनिषद् | It is a very beautiful and profound मंत्र | If this मंत्र is understood, we don’t need to proceed
with the rest of the उपनिषद् | But, of course we will proceed slowly, slowly.
So, the first मंत्र of ईशावास्य उपनिषद् is an often quoted मंत्र | Many people know only this मंत्र and it’s very popular-
* मंत्र १ *
ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किं च जगत्यां जगत् ।
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् ॥ १ ॥
The first मंत्र is really the teaching of the उपनिषद्, and the rest of the 17 मंत्र-s (because there are a total of 18 मंत्र-s), they are an elaboration of this first मंत्र |
So, a part of मंत्र १ and a part of मंत्र २ refer to the lifestyle that one can adopt if you are seeking this knowledge.
Then what is the knowledge?
The उपनिषद् is asking us to change our दृष्टि i.e. to change how we look at the world, and there’s enough reasoning given for that.
ईशा वास्यम् इदं सर्वम् |
One should note this ‘इदं सर्वम्’, as it is a phrase repeated everywhere, for instance we will see it in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |
इदं ~ refers almost always to the world, or ‘This’ i.e. what you are experiencing around you, everything you are experiencing around you.
So, the question is before we really look at the उपनिषद्- what is our दृष्टि of ‘इदं सर्वम्?
Because although we may not have come up with a philosophy of life and we may not have come up with a framework, but each of us have some thoughts about what life is about, what our day is about. So, if life seems a little too big, then what is one’s day about? What is my ‘इदं सर्वम्’ about i.e. what is this ‘all this’?
For a lot of us, all this i.e. ‘इदं सर्वम्’ may be a list of our to-do tasks. So, I have to move from one task to another, then another. And then there is great joy in ticking off your task.
So, ‘इदं सर्वम्’ may be a sense of accomplishment by fulfilling my to-do tasks.
Or, ‘इदं सर्वम्’ may be my world divided according to रागद्वेष – the things I like, the people I like, the things I like to do, the things I don’t like to do, the kind of people I don’t like, etcetera.
And then, with my own रागद्वेष-s, life is okay. But, what might be my द्वेष, might be someone else’s राग | For instance, now a lot of people are going on vacation because a lot of restrictions have eased up. So now there are the big decisions about where to go, and what to do on the holiday. So, supposed you’re going with another person, then your राग may be that I just want to go to a resort and relax. Whereas, this is the other person’s द्वेष and this person thinks- What do you mean, you don’t have a house? You can’t be spending all this money going flying from one location to another and just crashing out in some other bed. What kind of a holiday is that? We have to have a full detailed itinerary from 6am in the morning to 10pm in the night. We have to make the maximum use of our time. So, one’s द्वेष can be someone else’s राग |
Then, ‘इदं सर्वम्’ becomes all about managing our relationships. That’s what often preoccupies most of us. So, then there is the struggle of having harmony in relationships. So, some days it’s okay, some days it’s not, and then there are misunderstandings. So, if you’re too quiet- people think that something is wrong, then if you’re too talkative then people want you to shut up. So, then what shall we do?
So, this ‘इदं सर्वम्’, for a lot of people it will be about experiences.
Or, ‘इदं सर्वम्’ may be about कर्म | So, my कर्म, पुण्य, पाप etc.- situations & experiences I have to deal with.
So, depending on our personalities, we have all these different views of what the day is about, what life is about. So, this idea of what the day is about is इदं सर्वम् |
Then, what is the उपनिषद् saying?
ईशा वास्यम् –
ईशा is परमात्मा | सर्वस्य परमात्मा according to भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य | He also beautifully adds- प्रत्यग्-आत्मा | So, one should not think that प्रत्यग्-आत्मा means अदः i.e. remote. No.
प्रत्यक् means innermost, indweller.
So, सर्वस्य परमात्मा / सर्वस्य प्रत्यग्-आत्मा – the indweller of all beings.
ईशा वास्यम् –
सर्वस्य परमात्मा – ईशा/परमात्मा/पारमेश्वर,
वास्यम् means cover.
So, one has to cover whatever दृष्टि one has of इदं सर्वम् with ईशा |
This is the teaching.
This इदं सर्वम् ~ is it just my little home, managing groceries, vendors etc.?
No.
जगत्, जगत् याम् – all that is this जगत्/world, and all that moves on this earth. So, this includes animate and inanimate things.
इदं सर्वम् जगत् जगत् याम् ईशा वास्यम् |
So, in and through all my experiences, all the forms that are there, e.g. at work one is banging off some emails to some people, meeting some people, you are avoiding some people, and then relatives have to be met suddenly Also so many people are calling now because it’s almost coming back to pre-pandemic times. So now there is so much interaction, and we are not used to so much interaction after 2 years. So, so much suddenly.
So, this जगत् जगत् याम्, one should see it as ईशा/ईश्वर, or the स्वरूप of ईश्वर i.e. प्रत्यग्-आत्मा, so ईशा वास्यम् |
But, the different names and forms, one has to deal with differently.
So, if one has to figure out what to make for food at home- whether one has to instruct a cook, or one is making oneself, nowadays everyone is on some diet, so there are so many dietary restrictions/preferences that people have. So different names and forms in the household are being managed differently according to dietary preference.
And then even at work, someone wants an early morning meeting, whereas another wants a late evening meeting. So, you are trying to manage all expectations i.e. सर्वम् इदं |
So, this जगत् that is there and the people that are there on this जगत्, they invariably cause stress- either they cause stress, or I take on stress, or both.
सर्वम् इदं is the कर्ता/doer and भोक्ता |
So, in this interaction of the कर्ता- trying to manage everybody’s expectations and keeping everyone happy. Who has given you this great responsibility?
So, fear is there. What will happen? What I want should happen. What I don’t want should definitely not happen.
And then, when things are good, it is all great, then when things are not so good e.g. loss of income or some diagnosis of a health issue, so then, a lot of reactions are there.
Then, when we look at the world, i.e. our experiences, what do I feel? When we think about all our roles, our responsibilities, things that have to be managed, etc. The general feeling is what? Feeling overwhelmed is often the general feeling.
And this same orientation, we can bring to वेदान्त also. The same orientation that we hold in response to the world we bring to वेदान्त also. E.g. so many texts, Sanskrit, chanting. Then, with some Teachers, there will be homework also. So, so much stress.
So, we feel that we are being rewarded, or being punished and this is our सर्वम् इदं |
But, उपनिषद् is saying- No. This सर्वम् इदं जगत् that causes so much reaction in you as soon as you wake up. This जगत् is ईशा |
But, how to see this जगत् as ईशा?
All the नामरूप (names & forms) – things around me, people in my life etc., they are always changing.
And our definition of reality is that which is never changing. This is प्रत्यग्-आत्मा, it is me.
So, ईशा is नित्य | Everything else is अनित्य | The जगत् is अनित्य i.e. changing.
There is नित्य that pervades the अनित्य |
So, form is changing but what is not changing? We always lose sight of what is any substance made up of- which is actually existence, it is formless existence.
E.g. A pencil is made of wood, which would have come from part of a tree. So, what is a pencil? Suppose you attempt to define it. We generally will define it with some function- that which helps you to write. Really, it’s the lead and not the wood that helps you to write.
But, this is just the function. How do you really define the pencil?
Then you’ll say- okay, wooden particle. Is that what makes up the pencil? Or, you may say an assemblage of wood & lead in a particular shape and form. But, what is the defining particle? If you keep breaking it down, in our understanding we will say molecules, atoms. Then what shape does the atom have? You will be forced to say formless.
So, the defining reality of this pencil is formless. We cannot say formless wood. Because if we are using a term like wood, it has to have some form. Then, what is it? The defining reality of each and every object is formless existence. Existence- that which always is.
If you ask the quantum physics people, they will say- what are you talking about, there is nothing that is solid in this world. We are all swimming in energy. You are energy, and everything is energy. And actually what you think is solid, is actually not. So, everything (atoms, molecules etc.) is moving, and there’s only space.
So, then all these objects that are moving, and even the ones that seem stationary, they are changing all the time, they are अनित्य | Our relationships, although we wish for a happily ever after, we project our own nature i.e. नित्य unto it. Even the refrigerator, we project our nature of नित्य unto it, thinking that it should have longevity- long ago the refrigerators used to last 30-40 years, nowadays there is no point in discussing warranty/guarantee of any product you buy, as after a few years it is gone. So, shelf-life is disappointing.
Everything is changing, relationships are ever changing. Somedays are good, sometimes drifting apart. But, in all of this ईशा is, and ईशा is नित्य |
So, ईशा is one without a second, cannot be divided into fractions.
But, जगत् is many forms, and many names. Even our देवता-s also are so many, but they are really one being only i.e. ईशा | But, people who are external to this understanding may think that there are so many देवता-s, I don’t know who to pray to.
The names and forms, did they come about on their own?
No. They are कार्य(effect).
So, all the पञ्चमहाभूत have come from सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं ब्रह्म, that is ईशा |
So, even this pencil- hydrocarbons, atoms, molecules etc., all that you see, and then look at it as just formless existence; it is a कार्य(effect). But what is the cause? We will say wood related to पृथिवी related to पञ्चमहाभूत |
But, what is the कारणम् of पञ्चमहाभूत? Oh, that is सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं ब्रह्म i.e. ईशा |
So then, are we really dealing with 2 separate distinct objects- कार्यम् & कारणम्? They feel like it, but actually not.
Because wherever the कार्यम्/effect is, e.g. where the pencil is, there ब्रह्म is. Any object you take, let’s say a wastepaper basket, it is पञ्चमहाभूत from सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं ब्रह्म | So there is no blasphemy in saying that the object, whatever it is, is ब्रह्मन् |
So then where the pencil is, there कारणम् is.
You cannot say that कारणम् is sitting in one corner, and कार्यम् is doing its own thing. They are not determined by different laws of nature.
E.g. because of gravity, we are able to hold a pencil and write, otherwise everything will be floating around. There are laws that help us to function. So, what about those laws? The intelligence of those laws is सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं ब्रह्म | And the material पञ्चमहाभूत that is the pencil is also सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं ब्रह्म |
So, this जगत् याम्, and all that is on this जगत् that is कार्यम् /effect, cannot exist without the कारणम्/cause. As where कार्यम् /effect is, there कारणम्/cause is.
So, only कारणम् is. There is no independent कार्यम् |
E.g. You try to sell some gold and see what happens. You may have some sentimental value for your gold jewelry, but the goldsmith will not have any sentimental value. Every 2 years you can have the gold melted and change the design of your jewelry to have a new, different piece to be worn.
And, though you say that you paid so much to get the intricate design, the goldsmith pays attention only to the value of the gold itself. So, what I am seeing in the sentimental value of that beautiful temple jewelry that I bought from Tamil Nadu~ very beautiful, very intricate, that which is my सर्वम् इदं दृष्टि, because I have sentimental value for this jewelry. But the jeweler only has कारणम् दृष्टि | He only sees the gold, he has nothing to do with my sentimental value or with the intricate design.
So, like that we resist our different experiences because we lose sight of the कारणम् in the experience. So, some unpleasant experience- I made such a feast for our New Year celebration and nobody appreciated it. Or, I work so hard, and nobody cares. Ultimately, everybody is very selfish. So, like that we say different things, depending on the experience.
Each and every experience, can we look at it as नामरूप? Because the tendency is that when we say नामरूप(name & form), we think of objects. So, we say yes of course, I totally understand- clay & pot, gold & ornaments, water & wave – yes, सत्यम्-मिथ्या is very clear.
Okay, then what about your experiences of life? Well, actually, life has been tough, I have had a very tough life. But is that not नामरूप? No but I was there, and I went through all these very difficult situations and I’ve managed to deal with it; and it’s okay, I have now प्रसाद बुद्धि:, and I am trying to approach things with कर्म योग attitude. So, it’s okay, I realize that I have to use प्रसाद बुद्धि:, then I’m okay.
So, I have converted the teaching into ‘I have to’ but you don’t have to do anything. But still…
So, what is this body-mind? Because it’s a part of the जगत्, नामरूप means this body-mind. So, this body-mind is also कार्यम् | That’s why we are able to return to the elements- whether you are being immersed in the Ganga, or भू समाधि – they will bury you somewhere, or they will burn you. It is all biodegradable, composed of the पञ्चमहाभूत |
So, my experience is it नामरूप? And then if it is नामरूप, that means that it is changing, that means that it is कार्यम् | That means that कारणम् is very much there which is ईशा |
So, my experience means this body, this mind, my reaction to whatever it is- I like, I don’t like, whatever it is. That reaction which is in the form of a subtle thought- it may be a feeling, it may be a cognition, some response is there. Is that thought a form, or not? Because it’s moving. You know your thoughts- sometimes memory is there, sometimes imagination is there.
So, nowadays children make excuses to watch YouTube, e.g. watching this YouTube video, we will draw. No, you please use your imagination- look around and get inspired.
So, imagination means that your thoughts are moving, and you are getting new ideas. So, the form is so subtle, but it is a form nevertheless ~ it’s moving.
So, that’s how we learn anything, that’s the glory of the mind.
So, thoughts keep moving, and I am the one who objectifies all thoughts.
So, when we come to you the experiencer/भोक्ता, even your thought, whatever it is- great, elevating, exalted thought or, even the horrible thought.
Even in that thought/form, you called it horrible or exalting i.e. नाम |
Who is there? ईशा | That is the vision.
So, ईशा has always been present. प्रत्यग्-आत्मा ~ I am ईशा ~ सर्वस्य आत्मा ~ सर्व-भूतानाम् ~ the आत्मा of all beings.
So ईशा is in and through every experience. BUT, you know इदम् सर्वम् – but my life etc. Yes, whatever is your life, whatever age you are in life, whatever stage you are in life.
That जगत्, जगत् याम्, इदम् सर्वम्, ईशा वास्यम् |
Again and again, you see around, and you look at your own life and see the presence of ईशा |
But, why I’m not able to see? Because of अविद्या | Because this नामरूप, I have taken to be ईशा |
So, I think that this is real, so anything that happens to it- my God, I cannot tolerate. And then how I feel significant because I take this body-mind i.e. नामरूप to be absolute सत्यम् | Then, I have to prove myself to the world. I am कर्ता, and a very accomplished कर्ता at that. So, I am always improving and trying to work harder, and I look for feedback.
One of the students that took the course on स्वधर्म was a very accomplished physician. And he has a wonderful story of how he is managing his workplace and serving patients. And the धार्मिक् base that he has managed to establish in his setup is really wonderful. And always trying to do better, to see what is better for the patients etc.
So, this कर्तृत्वम् that is there, whom does it belong to? Does it belong to नामरूप? Does it belong to आत्मा?
कर्तृत्वम् is based on what? Suppose you were like amoeba, and of course in the larger scheme of things we are like this only, though we like to think that we have a great sense of importance.
So, let’s just say- without the body and mind, can you have कर्तृत्वम् i.e. a sense of doership? No. You need to have some medium, and it happens to be body-mind in human form.
And then even the experiences, is it happening to आत्मा, or is it happening to body-mind?
So, one experience of body-mind/नामरूप interacting with another body-mind/ नामरूप ~ they are changing, so I think that I am changing.
I means what? नामरूप is changing – this is जगत् |
This कर्ता identity that is there, and of course with कर्ता identity comes भोक्ता identity. And for all of us, भोक्ता identity is really strong i.e. the experiencer.
So, can I see that my identity as कर्ता is all the way ईशा?
So, the capacities that I have been given, what I do with my body-mind are नामरूप | So, the नामरूप that creates another नामरूप – whether you make a mess of your room, or you create a wonderful project, so there is one more नामरूप- all the time नामरूप, कार्यम्, अनित्य, but all the way is ईशा |
So, is this सत्यम्?
But, the कर्ता-भोक्ता identity is very strong. So, all day we are switching between कर्ता and भोक्ता |
E.g. You were going to take a flight last weekend, but you could not take the flight because the queues were so long. So, then you said- Oh, I don’t think I will make it, and so you call to postpone the flight. So, initially with great enthusiasm, bags were packed. But what did the भोक्ता experience? Disappointment.
So, all the time this happens. E.g. I was very elated since I went to गङ्गा-जी. With great enthusiasm, I wanted to have a dip. But then, when I look around, there’s one big gang nearby for पूर्णिमा. So, I still go, but I have conditioned my mind that when I am there, I want the place to be quiet and I will do some chanting. But instead there are people gossiping. And this listening to gossip cannot be helped because it’s not like you can close the ears. So, भोक्ता was hoping for a nice experience, but this is gone.
So, in this कर्ता-भोक्ता, what is it that is not changing ever? It is ईशा | But, कर्ता-भोक्ता/ अहंकार/ notional identity is very strong.
So, then a lot of things belong to me. And even the outcome of my actions belongs to me. So, when the outcome doesn’t go well, then of course there is suffering.
I want to control everything. We are all control freaks, right? It is either overtly expressed or we have learnt to be diplomatic about it. You want things to be in a particular way, you want people around you to be in a particular way, etc.
So, this प्रत्यग्-आत्मा that I am that is ईशा, but I cannot have this दृष्टि of सर्वम् इदं ईशा | Why? Because, कर्ता-भोक्ता is there standing almost as though in opposition. So then, what shall we do? So, कर्ता-भोक्ता we have to review.
And for that, you have two options. What are your options? Either you take संन्यास ~
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् | – 2nd line, मंत्र १
Or the second verse that is coming- that you do कर्म, and assuming that you have a good optimum lifespan of 100 years, all you do is कर्म, basically bringing in कर्म योग, which is the other lifestyle.
So now,
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा
So, त्यक्तेन – you do त्याग |
So, this is referring to the संन्यास lifestyle. So, you have to do त्याग | Of what?
Keeping aside the संन्यास lifestyle for a moment, the लक्षण of संन्यास is ज्ञानम् irrespective of your lifestyle. Why ज्ञानम्? Because, all the things that I was holding on to, particularly the notion of being कर्ता and भोक्ता, that त्याग is to be done.
A lot of people consider त्याग in terms of physical objects. That is also important. So, a lot of त्याग we do with giving up as we grow out of our shoes, our jeans, or whatever we used to use a few years ago. You don’t care for it much, you’ve grown out of it. Or sometimes it may happen with some relationships also- your best friend in school without whom you will not do anything, now you don’t know where that best friend is. So, this kind of change keeps happening.
Then, the अहंकार is holding on to a lot of notions, which also translates to acquiring possessions- this is mine, I feel significant because all of this is mine~ सर्वम् इदं ममकार अहंकार | This is my जगत् okay.
So now naturally there is anxiety because I cannot trust what भगवान् श्री कृष्ण says- ‘योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्’ | Though Lord Krshna said it that time, I don’t know given how difficult situations are, if I can trust. So, I will take care Lord Krshna, don’t worry. So योगक्षेम is acquiring and maintaining what I have acquired. And everybody’s अहंकार is like this.
Even for the साधु holding on to the कमण्डलु and to whatever small personal possessions, this is important. E.g. How will I manage otherwise? My bicycle got stolen away, so how will I go to Kailash Ashram now? Ten kilometers? I have to start walking at four o’clock to reach there by six o’clock etc.
So, for this अहंकार, ultimately त्याग in the form of ज्ञानम् is to see that this अहंकार i.e. this idea of who I am was just a notion- that is त्याग, that is real त्याग |
That’s why दानम् is encouraged. There is a podcast on this- ‘giving before giving up’.
It’s very important to give दानम् | Our culture talks about it- यज्ञ, दान, तप: | Because in giving, you are extending your अहंकार- it’s not just about me and my family, I am reaching out to X Y Z and I’m extending my care to that person in whatever way, then my sense of अहम् is expanding.
This अहंकार can expand to include the whole world, then of course it is ईशा only.
But, this me and the other which creates division and separation and so on, I mitigate that by giving. And then I realize that without this, I am fine. Or I give X amount, and life is good, and I’m happy that the other is happy etc.
So, giving is a prerequisite to giving up, because giving up/त्याग may be with some objects here and there. But in the context of the संन्यास lifestyle, that all the things that I was dependent on emotionally, I now say that I don’t need this, or I can manage without this.
Why is the word emotional dependence used? Because, as long as you live, you will be physically dependent. There is no life form, which doesn’t have some dependence. Why? Because you are made of पञ्चमहाभूत, so you need food, water, air to survive.
So, when we are talking about independence, it’s only emotional independence, as physical dependence is there for all forms.
So, then the एषणा that is there, i.e. the deep desires that are there for most people, the second part of the मंत्र is saying मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् ~ do not seek the other’s wealth.
So, either-
(i) Do not seek wealth for the sake of enhancing oneself, or
(ii) Whose wealth is it anyway? This is a rhetorical question.
So, you do त्याग all the way- the least minimum for शरीरयात्रा as part of the संन्यास lifestyle, and the त्याग is really recognizing the reality and not holding to notions of कर्तृत्वम् & भोक्तृत्वम् which seem to define one.
That’s why we get offended so easily. Why do we get offended? Whatever be the compliments or brickbats, because it is attacking अहंकार, and अहंकार is सत्यम् to me.
Or if I can see that अहंकार is all the way नामरूप, and my experiences are नामरूप, my relationships are नामरूप |
Oh my god, you reduced my great love story to नामरूप- How could you be so insensitive? This is not being insensitive; only talking about the reality of the relationship. We are not denying your great relationship and this great beautiful नामरूप that is there, but what is presently in and through is ईशा all the way.
So, when you see अहंकार pervaded by ईशा, then what happens is that there is a natural surrender. So, what I thought was I, and what I thought was my, is now shaken.
So, then I see- whatever is there is given to me, it is not mine. So, this is in terms of the त्याग |
Of course, in a संन्यास lifestyle, people will say- oh, I gave up the world, I gave up my career- and those are ways of describing. But, it’s a choice, depending on where the person is. And
the giving up of a lot of these different things- career relationship etc., is all for the sake of ज्ञानम्, for ज्ञान निष्ठा |
But the good news is that, in the second मंत्र, which we will see next time, which is referring to-
कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि – you have to keep doing कर्म, and it brings in कर्म योग बुद्धि: |
So, then ज्ञानम् is not negotiable. Whatever be the lifestyle, depending on your प्रारब्ध of this lifetime, the lifestyle could be anything. So, we have seen that भगवान् श्री कृष्ण had a unique lifestyle, and so did Arjuna. They were both गृहस्थ-s. भगवान् वेदव्यास, other great ऋषि-s, King Janaka were all गृहस्थ-s, and they were never denied knowledge.
ज्ञानम् is the first line of the मंत्र- ईशा वास्यम् इदं सर्वम् | This understanding is not negotiable. The lifestyle can be different. And here भगवान् शङ्कराचार्य gives an example- we rub the chandan stick so that we make a paste. The wet paste stays on the chandan stick, and after some time it starts to smell. But then again you rub it, and then again the fragrance of sandalwood chandan will come about. In the same way, whatever you might find unpleasant, or whatever moves around which you think is worth rejecting/ abandoning, the moment you just look at it, do something with it, then you see that all the way it is ईशा |
So, the way to go about त्याग which is non-negotiable, is ज्ञानम् |
त्याग of subtler things is more difficult. त्याग of big objects one can do, it’s not such a big deal. But त्याग of my opinions, of who I think I really am, and how dare you offend me like this, etc., that is very difficult. So many arguments, so many fights, so many relationships break up because of one thought. Somebody thought something of you which is not okay with you. It really boils down to this only.
So, all the time अहंकार is getting affected, and अहंकार is जगत्, and जगत् is ईशा |
बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् beautifully clubs the एषणा that is there into three-
(i) पुत्रेषणा – Deep desire to have a child.
(ii) वित्तेषणा –
You cannot stop at just having a child, then वित्तेषणा will come along. वित्तम् is money/ wealth.
You can’t say that I’m learning वेदान्त, so you please cut down all your needs. The child will say but I am not learning वेदान्त, so what is all this back to basics? If we live a very simple lifestyle, then the child will feel very deprived. And like most parents, you will say no it’s okay, I will suffer but I want to give the best to my child. So वित्तेषणा will be there.
So, there is some objectivity that वित्तम् is a means to an end.
But, we seek to enhance ourselves through the money we have and the display of money through the things we use, the things we buy and so on.
For instance, this can happen in corporate boot camps, or it can happen in आश्रम-s also. We are told to experiment- today, you are not given any money, and you are dropped in one particular place, maybe 10 kilometers away from the आश्रम | And you are told to come back only in the night. You have no money nor phone, and obviously you don’t have an ATM card. There, as you start thinking about this, anxiety will start that there is no money. How will I manage without money? So, then you have to depend on the goodwill of people. So, then some people will cheat and put money in their socks or something.
So how will I manage without money? And here we’re just talking about basics. Then, what shall we say about वित्तेषणा?
So, to have a good lifestyle, because also it matters what my peers say. So, everyone went and got married in Italy and other destination weddings, but you are getting married in your balcony, what will people say? Of course, it did not matter to a certain Bollywood couple. But it can matter. These people are having a destination wedding, we must also have a destination wedding. For the sake of the world, we think- what will they say? We say- I’m not running away from this समाज, I have to take care of all these things only. So, we may hide behind different kinds of excuses.
(iii) लोकेषणा – the deep desire for a better लोक | So, it may be a desire for a better लोक here- E.g. I think that the US is the place for me as I will have a better quality of life with better roads, better electricity. So, nothing is wrong with this. Or maybe Europe or Canada is better. Or even here in Mumbai, one may say that Navi Mumbai is better as everything is so organized in terms of sectors etc.
So, with that desire for a better quality of life, people move continents. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But if that is the desire, then there are a whole host of desires that come along with it.
Then, for the संन्यासी, these desires have to be given up. That, for the sake of ज्ञानम्, I have grown out of all this. I don’t have a great desire for a better quality of life i.e. लोकेषणा is not there.
लोक can also refer to स्वर्ग | संन्यास is a formal वैदिक ritual that liberates you from all other rituals, such that you are free from doing वैदिक कर्म | So वैदिक कर्म is what helps you to get to स्वर्ग, and there there are different comforts, and you will never get old.
So whether इह/here, or अमुत्र/somewhere else, लोकेषणा is not there for the person who takes संन्यास |
So, पुत्रेषणा, वित्तेषणा and लोकेषणा are not there. Just enough for शरीरयात्रा |
So that is the lifestyle.
But even through the भिक्षा, and गङ्गा-जी, some people will treat you like a beggar. So even if you wear साधु clothes, don’t think people give you much respect, they may look at you with great suspicion especially in cities. So, that can be generally unpleasant.
So, through all of that, whether one is a संन्यासी, or one is a गृहस्थ, or ब्रह्मचारी, the lifestyle does not matter, ज्ञानम् is what is most important.
So, the त्याग for a संन्यासी is of all these three एषणा-s, which are very deep desires for most people.
And then, for those who have these desires, don’t worry about it, you can take to कर्म, and do lots of कर्म | At the same time, one should not lose sight of ज्ञानम् | That is the vision of ईशा |
So, we can reflect that all that I have is given to me, it is not mine, it was never mine ~ objects/possessions, relationships, status, intelligence, thoughts/emotions, being this person with this set of life events.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण concluded Chapter 4 asking Arjuna to ज्ञानासिनात्मन: (Verse 42) ~ slay with the sword of knowledge, whatever doubts you have about yourself which is borne of अविद्या/ignorance, and take to कर्म योग |
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मन: ।
छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ॥ ४२॥
And now Arjuna will have a similar question as he had in Chapter 2, and so this is how Chapter 5, संन्यास-योग: begins. संन्यास-योग: is the topic of सम्यक् न्यास | न्यास is giving up. न्यास also has other meanings, but for now this is what should be understood. And सम्यक् न्यास is completely giving up i.e. संन्यास | So we will understand what संन्यास is all about.
*श्लोक १*
अर्जुन उवाच ।
संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि ।
यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥ १॥
Since भगवान् श्री कृष्ण has said- that you please destroy अविद्या/ignorance and take to कर्म, Arjuna is confused again. And so that is what Arjuna is saying –
शंससि ~ You are praising,
संन्यास AND कर्म योग |
So, what is this? You say be rooted in knowledge, slay with the sword of knowledge the ignorance, but then You say to take to कर्म, so what is this?
So,
तन्मे ~ please tell me,
सुनिश्चितम् ~ definitely, well-ascertained,
between the two i.e. कर्म योग and संन्यास,
एतयो: एकं यत् श्रेय: ~ which one is better?
भगवान् replies-
* श्लोक २ *
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
संन्यास: कर्मयोगश्च नि:श्रेयसकरावुभौ ।
तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥ २॥
This is a very important teaching throughout the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता – both कर्म योग and संन्यास lead to नि:श्रेयस् / श्रेयस् | श्रेयस् we have previously seen (Chapter 2, verse 7). श्रेयस् is that which is good for everyone, that which is मोक्ष | This is seen in कठोपनिषद् where the 2 words प्रेयस् and श्रेयस् are used. प्रेयस् is short term, instant gratification i.e. आनन्द सुख which is अनित्य ~ coming & going. श्रेयस् on the other hand is my very nature, not coming and going, आत्मा the limitless. And to discover this, there is the pursuit of मोक्ष |
So here भगवान् is very clearly saying that both कर्म योग and संन्यास lead to मोक्ष | And He is going to elaborate on this.
There is a need for repetition because our patterns are entrenched. Our रागद्वेष-s i.e. what you like, what you crave for, what you long for, and what you dislike, what you want to avoid, what you want to keep away. Our whole day is full of रागद्वेष | One sees this if you look at the kinds of choices that we make. And sometimes we are not even conscious that we’re making this choice, just mechanically रागद्वेष are playing out. And one of our द्वेष-s is that we want to avoid कर्म that seems unpleasant in the short term.
And of course, a lot of us want to avoid कर्म | Left to ourselves, we would have retired a long time ago, perhaps. But then for whatever reason one has to go through the motions, and make a living, and so on.
So, there is something that we are not comfortable with, perhaps, about working professionally. Or, we’re happy working professionally, but we’re not happy with where we are working. Or we are okay with where we are working, but we don’t like the team, and we wish this team resigns. Or we are not comfortable with the fact that new people have joined, and I’m still here. My peers and colleagues came and went- they’ve gone on to more senior positions and I’m still here- So things around one’s professional कर्म | Then, there are things within the job that we really like doing, and there are some things that we just don’t like.
So, we are swinging between रागद्वेष very often. And that’s why भगवान् has to repeat this again and again- That ज्ञानम्/knowledge of the reality has nothing to do with कर्म | In fact, it has to do with understanding the erroneous notion that you are the कर्ता and that you are the भोक्ता i.e. that you are affected by all that is happening around you. It is that conclusion where we consider ‘feeling’ as reality, which is being shaken up in the inquiry.
There are some historical figures in India, like Lokmanya Tilak and a few others, who said that the भगवद्-गीता is all about कर्म योग – that this is the तात्पर्य/ main theme. And we can consider that they had a larger role to play in society as one of the freedom fighters. They wanted to mobilize people on the basis of something that is close to their heart, and they would have said something like this. There are some संन्यासी-s who might say- भगवद्-गीता is all about संन्यास |
So, there is a bit of confirmation bias which we all have; we see what we want to see.
But here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण very clearly says that both these lifestyles- कर्म योग and संन्यास lead to नि:श्रेयस् / मोक्ष |
Then, in response to Arjuna’s original question~ which of them is better-
Between कर्म संन्यास (giving up कर्म) and transforming कर्म into कर्म योग, definitely कर्म योग is better. So, कर्म योग is better than संन्यास |
But why does भगवान् say this? Especially since the chapter is called संन्यास-योग: | So if He wants to praise कर्म योग then the chapter should also be called कर्म योग again. So why संन्यास?
But, both the lifestyles- whether it is कर्म योग or संन्यास, ज्ञानम् is non-negotiable. Because, why do you want to transform कर्म into कर्म योग? Ordinarily it is not necessary, but we do it because these other priorities are very important in my life- I want धर्म, I want अर्थ, I want काम, I want wealth, I want security, I want pleasure, and I also want मोक्ष | The value of all of this is very important to me.
And if I’m just doing कर्म, I cannot help but be stressed out. Because-
How much is enough? Can we ever draw that line? Never. Am I enough on the basis of the कर्म that I do? How will I draw that line? Because no matter what I do, the constant refrain is that I’m not enough. Even if I feel enough for a moment, I just have to look at my neighbour and see- oh my neighbour is driving a better car, or looks quite happy, and I despite attending भगवद्-गीता class, I feel sad from time to time. So, there is the feeling- I am not enough, I don’t have enough.
If you expect कर्म to give it to you, it doesn’t work. So then recognizing that through all the कर्म that I’m engaged in, what I am seeking is नित्य आनन्द, That which does not have any diminishing, there is no lack and That actually happens to be myself. So that आनन्द which I seek, which is also called मोक्ष, That is what the कर्म योगी wants. And for that, I have to align myself with reality.
Reality includes aligning yourself with functional reality- recognizing धर्म as the framework of all our interactions and aligning oneself again and again. It’s like a compass- again and again you have to keep looking at the compass, because you don’t know where you’re headed. So you align yourself with धर्म again and again, ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि:~ offering your कर्म unto ईश्वर, and receiving the results as प्रसाद | This helps us to align with reality, we no longer resist and fight reality. Otherwise, reality stands like this big monster that I have to deal with all the time. But, with ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: and प्रसाद बुद्धि:, then there is nothing that is opposing me, I’m in harmony, then I can see what the वेद tells. If I bypass this functional reality, then I am not able to see what the वेद says. I can try, but it doesn’t work.
The संन्यास lifestyle is really taking of the robes and minimizing धर्म, अर्थ, काम | Minimizing in the sense that the time and the attention and the energy that gets invested in all these other pursuits, they are kept to a least minimum. So that all your time, effort, attention is focused on knowledge, teaching, learning, etc.
For the one who takes संन्यास, if the person doesn’t yet know the truth, this is called as विविदिषा संन्यास | संन्यास which is taken by a wise person to validate the tradition is called as विद्वत् संन्यास |
So here if we’re talking about विविदिषा संन्यास i.e. the lifestyle that has been taken so that I free myself from the obligatory कर्म and duties, so that I can focus on this pursuit of मोक्ष | And of course this person has to still deal with functional reality. Wise or otherwise, one has to deal with functional reality. But the संन्यास has ritually given up roles and duties. So, anything that the person does is a bonus, as the वेद has ritually sanctioned that you don’t owe anyone any duty anymore.
Of course you still have to eat and drink, so functional reality you have to engage in, but that is kept to a least minimum.
So now, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is saying that कर्म योग is much better. Here, we have to add one clause- कर्म योग is better than giving up कर्म (संन्यास कर्म) for the one who doesn’t have the required preparation.
So, the lifestyle can be different, but ज्ञानम् cannot be compromised upon.
Then, He explains what He is saying about this संन्यासी –
* श्लोक ३ *
ज्ञेय: स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ् क्षति ।
निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ ३॥
May you know that ~ ज्ञेय: स: ,
य: न द्वेष्टि न काङ् क्षति ~ this person who is a संन्यासी, neither has द्वेष/hatred/aversion for anything, nor आकाङ्क्ष i.e. does not long for something, doesn’t have any craving for anything.
Does this द्वेष and राग come and go? No. It is नित्य, not कदाचित्(sometimes it comes, sometimes it goes). Is it occasional? No, no, no, this is नित्य | So the person has grown so much in his or her maturity that an object or a situation does not define you, and neither are you dependent on it- that’s what happens when you have a राग or a द्वेष |
Each person would give different examples of राग / द्वेष – cheese, coffee, hikes, family, wanting things to go my way. So, our सुख gets disturbed like this. We are all very moody people. Why? Because of राग, not because of our moods. E.g. I ordered for ice-cream but because of this hot summer weather, it came as a milkshake. So, then what happens? The anticipation of the ice cream in this sweltering heat, the looking forward to it is now replaced by disappointment.
Or, everybody should be as organized as I am. This is a perennial source of stress. And one thinks-it’s so simple, why don’t people just get it? If they were just organized, and if they would declutter, life would be so simple. Why don’t people get it? So, you offer to do it for them, then they will dump all the responsibilities on you etc.
So now your mood is affected because people around you are not organized. And you are absolutely right in wanting to be organized, because you say this is धर्म | If we are not organized, how will we find things, so you make sense.
But, it becomes a binding like and therefore keeps me stressed all the time. Because I define myself or I depend on that particular condition to be fulfilled. Of course it’s a good principle- let all of us be more organized than we already are. But when we place it as a condition that must be fulfilled, then our happiness depends on it. Then, we find we are unhappy very often. We can’t help it. Because all of us have our unique रागद्वेष-s.
And so this नित्य संन्यासी is not just the one who wears the ochre robes. The disposition of a संन्यासी is that you are not defining yourself by a situation, or a condition, or a person. Because suppose I have a राग towards my family, and actually everyone has a certain dependence on the family. Now, the range of emotional dependence is quite wide. When there is extreme emotional dependence, everything revolves around the family, you can’t think without them, what would you do without them etc. i.e. extreme dependence. Then, naturally something threatens the family- financially, health-wise, or there are disagreements, then we get very deeply affected- some of us can go into depression because of that.
So, there are lots of difficulties. And भगवद्-गीता very simply presents it as actually all a problem of रागद्वेष | The intensity of your desire for that particular thing, or for that particular person, and the extreme dependence on that person or object creates राग, because you have put on that object or person an extra value that it doesn’t have. It has an objective value, we’re not denying this. But the thinking that- this is it for me, and without this my life is destroyed- that is the extra.
Following धर्म, can it be a राग? This is a good question. Following धर्म is something very natural to us. We fight when there is no धर्म, or whatever we perceive is not धर्म | So in that sense, it cannot be a राग | But when you insist that everyone must follow in the way that you envision, then it becomes a राग | Or having a sense of superiority because I am the one who follows धर्म and you don’t, then there are problems.
So, the नित्य संन्यासी is the one who has brought the disposition of कर्म योग in his or her life- not once, not twice, but 365×24/7 which means on a regular basis, and has grown out of situations and the dependence on different objects. There is वैरग्य, where you have a dispassion towards things, you don’t have a sense of dependence on things and situations. This is something that is natural to us. We are all संन्यासी-s in some way, in the sense that there are a lot of things that we have given up through the course of our life. Because we have outgrown playing with the doll or the Lego blocks. So you don’t have द्वेष- Oh, just look at those people, they are playing with Lego, how low society- No. Nor do you crave for it- Oh, there was a time I used to play with Lego blocks, and those were the days, those were the best days of my life. No- you played with those blocks, you had a good time, and you outgrew them. You don’t have द्वेष for the ones who play with Lego. Nor do you have राग that- oh, now I’m living a very disciplined life, I’m not going to play any more with LEGO blocks – this is not required.
So – oh that person was married, relationships are to be detested. So there is no reason for द्वेष | So just because you have chosen to not be in a romantic relationship, you don’t look down on people who are romantically relating. Nor do you have a secret राग- actually I really want to be involved, but nobody wants to be with me, what shall I do. So longing, longing longing, then do something about it- go meet people, etc. Oh, but you don’t know how things are these days in the time of dating apps. You never know who is a fraud and who is genuine. Then play with other options- get friends to introduce you and so on. I don’t know if that will work. You have a राग, you want to have a partner, then do something about it. Don’t just sit there. So, that राग that is there, neither are you trying to fulfill it- No if somebody is there for me, that person will come along. So, we play with all these things.
What is being emphasized is that the one who has grown to be a संन्यासी is the one who no longer emotionally depends on, nor defines oneself by an object or a situation, which means that you have grown so big that none of these things define you. That’s important just as a sign of maturity. Because whatever we choose to define us is limited. Why would you want to limit the limitless that is you?
Then we find that we outgrow it- okay, that’s great.
And then as a result of that the person is also निर्द्वन्द्व: | So doesn’t swing between the opposites, the polarities.
So no, what polarity are you talking about? I am only focused on success. Oh, well really- then you are afraid of failure. It comes along with the territory.
I am obsessed about धर्म | Everyone must follow धर्म | Oh, then I’m intolerant of people who are given to अधर्म | So, you cannot avoid.
The so-called good things of life i.e. principles, high values, you will have the opposite, it just comes along with the territory, what is also referred to as black and white thinking.
So, this नित्य संन्यासी is free from this रागद्वेष that has been referred to and,
सुखं बन्धात् प्रमुच्यते ~ effortlessly released from बन्ध |
So, बन्ध/bondage is not real. This is very important to note. We only have a sense of bondage. The sense of bondage is referring to our sense of feeling stuck, of feeling that I can’t move ahead without certain conditions going my way. So, bondage is when one depends on something or a particular situation. That means that I am not free. So, if it is asked- are you happy now? One has to think…Then one will respond- I will be happy when _______ . So whatever one fills the blank in with, that is what binds me. Because until that situation is fulfilled, I am not.
Who is preventing me from being happy? Just relax, be happy with life. But no, what do you mean, don’t you see what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine? So, it is not that this conflict is something to ignore. But, one should just introspect on what you will fill that blank space up with. I will be happy when _______ . Something will be there, that’s what’s binding you.
But one may say that all that I have said is very reasonable, that I will be happy when my son gets into a good college, what’s wrong with that? Yes, that is to happen in the course of things. But, your happiness is held hostage by a condition. And if it was not your son getting into university, it would be you going on vacation, or something else.
All the time there are conditions that we place on ourselves, and definitely on others. Simply put, that is बन्ध |
Because often when we think bondage, we think well I’m free, I live in a democratic country, I’m free to do what I want, when I want, how I want. Then, how about being happy? I don’t know…maybe someday? There is a Hindi song that says~ I will be happy एक दिन (ek din). And when the एक दिन (Ek din) part of the song comes along, the words are elongated, as we don’t know when that one fine day will come along. But the lyrics are upbeat, so one feels hopeful that maybe not now, but one fine day I will be successful. So, this very बन्ध, the नित्य संन्यासी is free from. How? Because the person brought in कर्म योग into one’s life.
* श्लोक ४ *
साङ्ख्ययोगौ पृथग्बाला: प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिता: ।
एकमप्यास्थित: सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम् ॥ ४॥
पृथक् बाला: – Different children i.e. the polite way of saying people who don’t know.
People who don’t know, what do they say?
साङ्ख्य/ज्ञानम् and कर्म योग, they are different.
The ones who say – प्रवदन्ति,
i.e. these पृथक् बाला: , they are न पण्डिता: i.e. they are not the wise people.
They have learnt the words, they have learnt certain things, but they don’t know that both साङ्ख्य and कर्म योग are not different.
एकम् अपि, उभयो: विन्दते फलम् – the person who follows even one of these i.e. either the person takes to संन्यास as a lifestyle, or the person takes to कर्म योग as a lifestyle.
If the person does it properly (सम्यक्) then,
विन्दते फलम् – gains the result of both.
What is the result of both? मोक्ष, which is my true nature, आत्मा as अकर्ता-अभोक्ता |
There were some parrots who were being trained by this family in the village. The family was very proud that they had these parrots in the house.
So the parrots would stay caged, and they would also roam around free. So, they had trained the parrots to speak so the parrots were able to say a few words. Then the head of the family also said that the parrots sometimes when they fly and they go into the forest, they should be taught that hunters are around and so they have to be careful. So, they made the parrots repeat- ‘The Hunter is coming. Be careful. The Hunter is coming. Be careful. The Hunter is coming. Be careful.’ The parrots learnt this very well. Then, the head of the family was quite satisfied, quite relieved. Okay if the parrots go out into the forest, they will be able to protect themselves. And as it so happened, they went out in the morning. Then in the evening there was no sign of the parrots returning home. So, the head of the family and a few others, they ventured into the forest. What do they see? There is a net that has covered and snared the parrots, and in fact the parrots are going on repeating this- ‘The Hunter is coming. Be careful. The Hunter is coming. Be careful.’
So, we may learn the words, but the meaning doesn’t sink in. So, the words were meant to free the person. In this particular case- to free the parrots. But just memorizing and repeating it to yourself without actually applying it into one’s life, this did not help the parrots.
So, पृथक् बाला: प्रवदन्ति – people will say,
Oh संन्यास is a lot more superior, कर्म योग is inferior. They make differences between the two. But they are not wise – न पण्डिता: | They argue that they are different.
But here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is saying that the person who follows even one of these lifestyles properly gains the result- फलम् विन्दते |
And therefore, there is no need to feel less about oneself because I am following this lifestyle of कर्म योग, because you can be a संन्यासी i.e. you can be rooted in ज्ञानम्/knowledge, and who can take that away from you? No one. There’s nothing to prove to anyone.
Even wanting to prove something to someone shows signs of dependence. So it’s okay, maybe we feel we have a need to prove ourselves, so we can continue doing that with कर्म योग बुद्धि: | That’s fine, it will be taken care of.
So, as we grow in our emotional maturity, we find that we are a भक्त and situations don’t affect us too much. You are relating to ईश्वर through your कर्म, through all the situations which are seen as प्रसाद | And so the intensity of the रागद्वेष, that definitely reduces. It will not happen automatically, you have to keep at it.
And the way to do it is- yes, I have a राग, and yes I align it with धर्म, and I offer it to ईश्वर | So you stop defining yourself by conditions- by conditions of your body-mind, by conditions that are around you, by the condition of your wealth or health, or whatever it is. Yes, these are important things to be taken care of. It is all given to you- ईश्वर विभूति, and so you take care of it, but you are free. Relative freedom is very important before we can appreciate absolute freedom.
ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किं च जगत्यां जगत् ।
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् ॥ १ ॥
So, in this ईशावास्य उपनिषद्, ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किं च जगत्यां जगत् ।
इदं सर्वम् is our दृष्टि i.e. everything other than ईश्वर, may that be seen; may all of this including body-mind (इदं सर्वम्), may all of this be seen as ईश्वर |
Then, the second line of the first मंत्र is referring to the संन्यास lifestyle. So, all of you who think that why is this being said, because anyway everything is ईश्वर, you’re absolutely right.
So, कस्य स्विद्धनम् ~ whose is this wealth? It’s almost a rhetorical question because all that is here is ईश्वर | Whatever is there I just happen to be a trustee- of what is there in the bank account. So the bank account’s name it will be different, it will not be ईश्वर, you are the trustee of that money, whatever that wealth is. But all that wealth has been possible because of the abundance of blessings that are available to all of us.
But still what is it that prevents us from seeing इदं सर्वम् ईशा? What is that? It is the sense of I, me, mine. अहम् where अहम् is considered as distinct and separate from ईश्वर | And therefore, everything associated with अहम्- so what is mine is also considered distinct. Then there are almost two parallel tracks- What is ‘I’ and what is ईश्वर | Really there is no two, but the sense of the experience and our conclusion based on that experience is that these are mine, this is me. And therefore, if we are the kind of people who get hurt easily, it’s not because we are oversensitive. And, some of us will carry it as a badge of honor- You know, I’m so sensitive, that’s why I get hurt, maybe I’m touchy, I don’t know. But if I get offended easily, this means this अहंकार is very fragile. This does not mean to invite criticism, insult and humiliation. No. But at the drop of a hat if I’m getting upset, then what a fragile अहंकार, so distinct from ईश्वर | And also, that one little word, one little frown, one something- gone, mood is gone- upset, upset, upset, etc, etc.
So, the wealth that we hold on to which is ours, as a result of ईश्वर दृष्टि, मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् | So do not grab, do not long for the wealth which anyway belongs to ईश्वर | Here of course, संन्यास lifestyle is being referred to.
Then in the second मंत्र, the lifestyle of कर्म योग will be discussed.
The त्याग or न्यास i.e. the giving up,
सम्यक् न्यास – completely giving up.
What is the giving up of?
If we are referring to the lifestyle then it is talking about the duties, the responsibilities that the वेद officially sanctions you – that you will not get any पापा, if you do not fulfill your responsibilities any more. Otherwise, if you’re not fulfilling your responsibilities, if you’re not doing your धर्म, then there is पापा involved. But the वेद sanctions you, the very वेद that offers the different rituals that can be done for धर्म, अर्थ, काम also tells you that you are free now, need not do.
So that is in terms of the external, but संन्यास in the meaning of the term, is something that is non-negotiable for all of us. It is not that someone is going to drag you to take संन्यास |
संन्यास is non-negotiable means ज्ञानेन एव संन्यास i.e. complete giving up of the sense of कर्तृत्वम् and भोक्तृत्वम्, giving up of the fact that I thought I was a human being, I was subject to limitation. On आत्मा विचार I see that this is not real. But for the sense of significance, I held on to this notion for dear life. So, I give that up in the light of knowledge. So that is completely giving up.
The other meaning of संन्यास is the lifestyle. So in the lifestyle, there is no acquisition of wealth and not too much effort in that direction. Because acquisition of wealth requires time, effort, attention. And therefore in the context of the संन्यास lifestyle, in the name of building things, don’t have that अध्यास on wealth. When you say- I don’t have enough, I want more, there is a practical angle to it. But when I say I want more because I will feel good about it, I will feel more elevated, I will be more enhanced. Then, very clearly there is अध्यास on that thing, or that situation, which will give me a certain value that I don’t already have. So no अध्यास on wealth, because that is a weak spot for most people. We all know how many family disputes land up in the court- the child is fighting the parents, or the brothers and sisters, very ugly disputes all over wealth.
So that is in terms of everyday living, but even in the संन्यास lifestyle, who’s going to offer the checks and balances? You are a free person, so who will do it? So maximum only a गुरु, if the गुरु is alive. Who else can tell you anything? So therefore, this is a word of caution also, that don’t have अध्यास on wealth; recognize ईश्वर दृष्टि – may it pervade your entire दृष्टि, and therefore all that you see, all that you experience, इदं सर्वम्- that indeed is ईश्वर |
Then, after talking about this निवृत्ति मार्ग,
निवृत्ति मार्ग is you are focused only on one pursuit of मोक्ष with an exclusion of other pursuits. Exclusion does not mean we do not eat and drink, of course you will, but it is the least minimum. So, least minimum effort, time and energy for धर्म, अर्थ, काम |
Imagine that the वेद frees you even from धर्म | And it is not that you have become अधार्मिक्, but धर्म has become spontaneous for you. But you are not considered useless if you are not involved in any धार्मिक् activities. Because this is one big criticism by people who claim to have a strong Hindu identity. So they say- oh, what is it that the मठ-s and the संप्रदाय-s are doing – nothing. We are suffering, because they have not done anything, etcetera, etcetera. So, obviously there’s not enough understanding, and somehow Hindu identity has got associated with historicity. So yes, the historical perspective is important. We’re not denying it. Yet, unlike Christians, for whom historical events are very important, e.g. the birth of Jesus Christ and so on, being a Hindu is not tied up with historical events. But people get confused about it. And then they say- Oh, see, what a waste, what a dropout, संन्यासी dropped out of life, doing nothing, not helping the world etc, etc., what a waste. So, there’s not enough understanding.
So, the vision has been pointed out. Now the two lifestyles.
The second lifestyle, which is प्रवृत्तिमार्ग, we have seen in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता-
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ ।
ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ॥ ३॥ ~ Chapter 3.
निष्ठा is a singular word, it is not निष्ठौ | This is a very important grammatical point.
The purpose of the lifestyle is really for ज्ञानम् | On the face of it, the lifestyle looks different.
With respect to the कर्म योगी lifestyle, one is all into प्रवृत्ति- going towards achieving, means and ends, deeply involved with धर्म, अर्थ, काम, and of course bringing in कर्म योग disposition into your whole life. So you’re really steeped in and involved in society, doing a lot and so on.
Then, with the संन्यास lifestyle, it seems like there is a withdrawal from society, not too involved in धर्म, अर्थ, काम, and all time, effort, attention is spent in either learning or teaching, all in the service of मोक्ष pursuit.
So indeed, if one is not going to adopt a संन्यास lifestyle, then what shall we do? Am I going to be denied by this ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं, this दृष्टि?
No, no, don’t worry. You have recourse to कर्म |
So, the second मंत्र-
*मंत्र २*
कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः ।
एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥ २ ॥
कुर्वन् एव इह – here only, because we are not talking about going to स्वर्ग yet.
So here itself,
जिजीविषेत् ~ should you wish to live,
शतम् समाः ~ 100 years.
So, you want to have a long life well, you can enjoy your life by doing,
कर्माणि ~ lots and lots of कर्म – वैदिक कर्म, लौकिक कर्म, all of that.
Can I drop out of कर्म, can I retire from कर्म? No, no, retirement is not possible.
एवं त्वयि न अन्यथ अस्ति – There is no other way to be free from कर्म |
The only way to be free from कर्म is by doing कर्म | What a contradiction, but that’s the only way it is. You do so much that you don’t define yourself by your कर्म | It’s no more about what do you do?
One of our typical questions when you meet a person- what do you do? I do this_____, and so we exchange some notes. Then we have judgments also, depending on what the other person says, doesn’t say and so on.
न कर्म न लिप्यते नरे- the कर्म does not touch this person,
Even if the person chooses to perform कर्म, and live all the way for 100 years i.e. a full life.
So, this conflict, that even Arjuna had, it seemed like a conflict between कर्म and ज्ञानम् |
But that has never been the conflict.
We don’t even realize that अविद्या is our problem. Only when you come to the शास्त्र you realize- oh, the reason why I am so inclined for this kind of कर्म, or I want to avoid, and therefore काम with deep binding desires~ रागद्वेष | Then you get it- Oh, it’s all because I don’t know who I am. That’s the diagnosis of the problem.
So, we don’t experience अविद्या, we experience the effect of अविद्या | So our problem is not that I don’t know; but I don’t want to do this कर्म | On a daily basis, certain कर्म is all very desirable, certain कर्म if I could avoid, I would avoid, I would want to get out of it.
So now with the restrictions easing up, a lot of people are meeting each other. And then let’s say you had invited one family. Now they feel obligated to invite you also home for dinner. So like that, we are a part of so many groups. So your own family group, maybe your in-laws group, maybe a friends group, and then the building complex or wherever you live kind of group. So people inviting each other, you going across etc, etc. And then invariably it so happens that some people will get upset. Either you needed to do something, you did not do properly. Or they were expecting you to invite them, it didn’t happen.
So during the pandemic, when people got married or had some heavy duty celebrations, because of restrictions on the guest list, a lot of people got offended. So that’s the thing with कर्म, that despite what you do, despite your best efforts, there will be a situation where you will feel wanting in your कर्म |
Or, you did your best. It’s a situation that is faced by a lot of parents, especially when the children are rebelling. Children can rebel either in teenage years or much later. And, after all that you have done, some will turn around, especially in a fit of anger and say- what did you do? Or that decision that you took, it was totally not appropriate. Or because you forced me into this Engineering, then I missed out on something else that I really wanted to do. Of course your intentions were fine and all that was okay. But I will never forgive you. Oh my God, your heart broke down in 1000 pieces. So much कर्म was done. You made so many sacrifices, but this is what you get to hear. So that’s the thing with कर्म- कर्म is limited and we try to seek fulfillment through कर्म, but we all know that that fulfillment is अनित्य आनन्द | It comes and goes, it’s temporary, it’s limited, it changes.
So now given that धर्म, अर्थ, काम are very important to me as a part of my life priorities, I will do कर्म, that’s what the उपनिषद् is saying. You want to be free from कर्म, but you’re not yet ready for a संन्यास lifestyle. No worries. You please keep doing lots of कर्म | And as you are doing this कर्म, recognize ईश्वर दृष्टि all the way.
So that you are able to do कर्म, this is even before ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: | So for any कर्म, the eye-hand coordination- minimum required, is all given. And then of course, whatever be the कर्म, whether you are raising a child, or doing a पूजा, or typing away on an email, or working on any project, all the way everything has been given to you.
If you’re doing a यज्ञ, all the द्रव्य-s that are offered, the मंत्र-s that have to be chanted, the order in which the ritual has to be performed, when the ghee has to be poured into अग्नि, all those details are also given by ईश्वर only through the वेद | The results are all the way shaped by ईश्वर |
So, offering all your कर्म –
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वर: ॥ ~ ३.३०, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता
So, you offer all your कर्म unto me(भगवान्) with अध्यात्म चेतसा | So with a mind that is beginning to discover what is real, not real.
And, निराशी: निर्मम: भूत्वा – that this is not mine.
इदम् न मम we are asked to say.
Even if one says- No, no, I just poured one kg of ghee into the fire. Oh so much ghee, we could have made gulab jamun with it. But anyway, it’s okay, it’s a passing thought- so much ghee did we put. So the pundit will tell you to say- इदम् न मम~ this is no more mine, it is not mine.
So निराशी: is not dropping expectations, of course we have some or the other expectation, but that all the results are being shaped by ईश्वर |
And before I am even doing the कर्म, I have प्रसाद बुद्धि: – this is important.
Okay, well we will wait. प्रसाद is not coming. I have done the project, but प्रसाद is in the form of delays, some difficulty, five more steps got added to the process. So all these things keep happening.
When the प्रसाद will come, then I will have प्रसाद बुद्धि: – No.
प्रसाद बुद्धि: is the attitude of even before the प्रसाद comes. And it’s not selective that- oh, this is nice and sweet, and therefore I like, so it’s okay. Then, this is very bitter, with all the fights that we had, I wish I could forget. But that’s a part of your life, related to your कर्म, related to your choices. So this bitter fruit is available for you in the form of प्रसाद- but that I cannot have प्रसाद बुद्धि: for. It’s difficult, it’s not easy. Still, whatever be the situation, the result of your वैदिक or लौकिक कर्म- delays, disappointments, no results, or at least it seems like there is no result, or a lot of abundant blessings, all the way ईश्वर, ईशा दृष्टि |
So with that the शुद्धि that we require, the freedom from रागद्वेष is available to us, otherwise everything is offered only to the altar of रागद्वेष |
So suppose I am अर्थ: भक्त or अर्थार्थी भक्त – I want certain things and that’s why I pray and that’s it. So, it’s transactional. Then, how is my day? My day is all about whatever I like should happen, whatever I dislike, I should be able to avoid, or whoever it is I dislike I should be able to avoid.
Suppose you work in a situation where there are some new people who have joined, and maybe you are a little efficient, and you’re good at your work, so you get impatient with the others. Now they are on a really steep learning curve, but I don’t have the patience for them. So now you want to avoid them. Let the others take care of them. Let the HR take care of them. I don’t want to deal with them.
Anyway, whatever is unfolding during the day, all the way, you may not be doing पूजा, but actually you do पूजा to रागद्वेष |
So रागद्वेष पूजा is going on- I hope I’m able to avoid someone, I hope I’m able to get what I want. So this is generally what we do.
But if you’re really doing पूजा, then रागद्वेष whatever it is, we will deal with it, and because I have रागद्वेष, I offer it to ईश्वर, aligned with धर्म I offer it to ईश्वर |
So a lot of us also struggle with overthinking. I can’t stop myself from overthinking, so this overthinking problem is because we are control freaks. We want to control the outcome, but we know we cannot control the outcome, so we want to be prepared for all possible consequences, or we want to be prepared at all costs. And therefore there is furious thinking about the same thing- you don’t get bored. Same thing again and again. So that I am ever-ready, ever prepared for everything. Really, we will never be ready for everything, but still we can handle it.
So this furious involvement in कर्म brings stress along. You can’t avoid it. Why? Because you want certain results, or you are frustrated at the capacities of the different people involved. Suppose you’re working on a project, then there are different capacities so everybody’s pitching in. Maybe it’s not progressing at the pace you would like etc, etc.
So वैदिक कर्म, लौकिक कर्म, whatever it is, it will fine tune रागद्वेष | This रागद्वेष is something that really filters our world view. And it’s really insidious. Even as a वेदान्त student, we will have रागद्वेष – I will interact with such kind of people, people who chant are a little…, people who know Sanskrit are…, people who know उपनिषद्… so there also there will be some categorization and some रागद्वेष |
Or रागद्वेष related to oneself. So, I don’t like the fact that I am not able to wake up at 4am in the morning. I’m very angry about it. I’m upset about this. Why I can’t do it? The whole world is able to do, but I’m not able to do it. So, whatever be the reason there is द्वेष | Or that some people are able to express themselves better than me. So, these are passing observations, they are okay. But the build-up of reactions on these observations, resulting in some राग or द्वेष, then how best to deal with it? The only way is to focus on कर्म and not allow yourself to be defined by रागद्वेष | This is a very important learning.
In scrapbooks in college we would have written that these are a list of my favorite things. That’s okay. But when you live life like this- very distinct रागद्वेष, then we have a lot of resistance. So we do enough कर्म that we are free from कर्म | Basically free from कर्म means free from the sense of कर्तृत्वम्- I did, or I didn’t do, I should have done, why I didn’t do. If we are looking at most of our ruminations, it’s got to do with कर्म done during the day- Oh, why/how did I miss saying this in the meeting? This was so important, but how did I miss saying it. Or I somehow got so carried away I only went on and on talking then the other people they said- Oh, you didn’t allow me to make the points during the presentation etc.
So often, in the name of I will introspect at the end of the day, what is the criteria for it? In many families, people are encouraged to think about what you did during the day, so is that framework- what you did during the day? Or what you learnt during the day? What you did well, what you did not do well? So, again कर्म & कर्ता orientation.
Of course introspection is helpful. But we have to be alert as to how we reinforce the कर्ता orientation. And naturally with कर्ता orientation, भोक्ता is not very far away- Today, I had a great day. Great day is भोक्ता speaking. Or today my day was lousy- of course भोक्ता speaking. I wish I had done more- कर्ता | I wish I had not done so much- कर्ता |
So कर्ता-भोक्ता-कर्ता-भोक्ता orientation. So, given that this is the orientation, offer the sense of कर्तृत्वम्-भोक्तृत्वम् unto ईश्वर, ईश्वर दृष्ट्या |
*मंत्र ३*
असुर्या नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसावृताः ।तांस्ते प्रेत्याभिगच्छन्ति ये के चात्महनो जनाः ॥ ३ ॥
So there are about five verses- verses three to eight which are talking about the nature of the आत्मा and also to a great extent, the निवृत्ति lifestyle or संन्यास lifestyle.
असुर्या: लोका: – असु is इन्द्रियाणि/sense organs. So असुर्या: are the ones who revel in sense pleasures. Enjoying is one thing, but revel is where one only wants to listen to good music, and smell sweet fragrances, and eat very fine food, all the time obsessed with that~ असुर |So it’s very funny as we realize that we are असुर-s in many ways, or maybe we used to be.In popular culture what is emphasized? Pleasure. Wealth is highlighted. So now that Akshaya Tritiya is coming, ads in the newspaper and magazine are flooded with ‘buy’- buy something, buy gold, etc, etc. And there’s always a nice hook~ Akshaya Tritiya, you buy something auspicious, something auspicious will happen. Or some pleasure is highlighted. On popular media, where is धर्म highlighted? What will anyone gain by saying- oh please donate to this cause etc. In fact you will have to pay for that ad or newspaper space to say please contribute, please donate, etc, etc. So काम & अर्थ seem to be the driving force in popular culture. And असुर is also like this.
So in this obsession with कर्म- given that you want to live a really long life, then what? What shall you do? Well, please recognize that by doing all this, so much कर्म, you will go to स्वर्ग but still,असुर्या लोका: – that even if you go to these different लोक-s because of the पुण्य you have gained, still,अन्धेन तमसावृताः – you are blinded by तमस् or rather अविद्या/ignorance. That covers your vision.
But what’s wrong with doing good things? Well, even if you are, you are just going from मृत्यु to मृत्यु ~ from one lifetime to another to another to another. And this is what is apparently shocking about this मंत्र- that ते i.e. all these people who do this, go from one लोक to another, even if they’re going to स्वर्ग, what are they going to स्वर्ग for? It’s like you go abroad, either for a vacation, or you are going to work, because where you are, you find that there are not enough opportunities. So you move for more अर्थ, more काम, better lifestyle. Same thing applies to स्वर्ग also. You go there, you’re not going to age, so you can eat and drink and definitely make merry, and you’re not going to put on weight. Wow, what a place. And nobody’s going to stop you, no late night problems. You can just have a very, very good time. Enjoy all kinds of music and dance. So it’s all the way party-time. Who would not like such a place? Very clean, no mosquitoes, no bugs, no Corona, no masking etc etc. So wow, what a lovely place.
So even if the rest of the वेद talks about going to स्वर्ग, actually these people they are आत्म-हन:, ये जनाः – these people, they are as though slayers of the आत्मा |How can anyone slay the आत्मा? आत्मा is eternal. No, no. They slay the आत्मा in the sense that they refuse to do any आत्मा विचार | They don’t care for this. What kind of a pursuit is that? You know, you just have a good time. Well, what is this? What’s wrong with you? On a weekend you attend some class? What do you do, you listen? Then you see some vision or whatever. And otherwise you could be doing some very interesting things over the weekend. What are you escaping from? What’s wrong with you? So maybe there are people in our lives who still say this, or maybe they have been silenced, or they used to say this. They can’t figure out what are you doing all this आत्मा विचार and वेदान्त | This is for when you are 80+, not now. You are giving up precious hours of your life every weekend, whatever one or two hours for this? It’s okay, I will help you, what big secret sorrow you have? This आत्मा विचार don’t bother about it. This is not the time for it. You just have fun.
In the name of पुण्य people will go to स्वर्ग | Anxiety- I will secure my place in स्वर्ग by doing all these rituals/कर्म, or I do lots of दानम् etc. Nothing wrong with it. But that very वेद which has taught us rituals, also talks about आत्मा विचार, that is the greatest पुण्य actually. So, ज्ञानम् is the way ahead. What is the meaning of life? Who is the one that is going from one lifetime to another? Some thinking. The prompt could be anything. It could be the loss of a person, or some angst or curiosity. It could be any prompt that we all get in life.
But these people who go to स्वर्ग and are having a good lifestyle, they are आत्महन-s, as they have ignored..In other words the fact that I am that आत्मा, but is that going to give me more money, more pleasure? Even if I know I’m the आत्मा, it has no transactional value and so it is useless. So, आत्मा विचार is very easy to dismiss when one is pleasure-centered, or wealth-centered. So with all the effort that they have made for कर्म, they are not interested in आत्मा विचार |
When Swami Visharadananda was asked- What would be the kind of साधन-s that you would suggest to your students, earlier? So He said that I used to suggest some things, but later on I found that the only साधन is आत्मा विचार, that is the greatest पुण्य | This is very true. Initially, because it’s good for the mind to settle down, some साधन-s and all are okay~ मंत्र साधन and all that, but again and again you do विचार on the nature of the आत्मा, that itself is purifying. That itself gives you शुद्धि, it gives you नैश्चल्यम्(steadiness). We are not denying the importance of other साधन-s, and everybody in terms of their personality is different. So for some people martial arts works, for some people पूजा, जप, दानम् | All these are important, they work. But ultimately, with all the पुण्य that one has, with the wealth that one has, because wealth really buys us time, and time is the only resource that we cannot gain. You can only free up time with the money that you have, so you outsource- you get people to do X Y Zed for you. But no matter how intelligent, or even whatever prayers you do, you’re not going to get the lost time right. Once gone, gone, that’s it over.
So to be able to use the limited time that one has on this earth, even if you go to स्वर्ग लोक,
ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं
क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति ।
एवं त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना
गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते ॥ ९.२१, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता
So, once theपुण्य is over, then back, and hopefully back to the earth where you can pick up the thread. So this श्लोक recalls an incident in the ashram- People would really compete initially to sit in the first or the second row, so that Pujya Swamiji is looking directly at them and teaching. And then the person who was sitting in the first row had to go away for a few days for some work. So he went and then he gave that responsibility of doing the video recording to one of the batchmates. And the batchmate was very happy that Pujya Swamiji was sitting right there in front of him and teaching, so this is स्वर्ग | Then a few days later, that person who actually sits on that first row arrived and so this batchmate says- क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति । So my पुण्य is over of sitting here in this first row.
So your पुण्य is over of being in स्वर्ग- now back. There also is the pursuit of धर्म, अर्थ, काम | Actually more of अर्थ and काम | Because if one is inclined to धर्म, or is very involved in धार्मिक् activities, then sooner or later one will question- Why do good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people, sooner or later you will question- What is this law of कर्म etc. So, it will take you to ईश्वर विचार | But if all the attention is focused on अर्थ & काम, and the same thing applies with wanting to go to स्वर्ग, then all the way it is आत्महन: |
आत्म-हन:~ you just ignore anything to do with the आत्मा, you just shut your ears. And why? Because- तमसावृताः अन्धेन ~ this darkness that is there in the form of अविद्या, it covers your vision. So of course, अविद्या is अनादि – we are born with अविद्या | But to stay with अविद्या, to stay ignorant is a greater mistake- We can’t do anything, this is our working capital, we are born with अविद्या, okay fine. But then what about it? People have so many opportunities to learn, to be exposed to the Vedic vision, to recognize what the whole purpose of life is all about. But really they are killers of the आत्मा in the sense that they just totally ignore anything to do with the आत्मा |So these are common जनाः and so प्रेत्य- they go from birth to birth or death to death. And they are happy with कर्म |
Maybe some of us now also, not recognizing that more कर्म will not solve the problem of संसार- the sense of becoming, or the struggle of I am not enough. You can do as much कर्म as you want. Bonus got declared, you got $20,000, you’re very happy, unexpected in pandemic time, and you’re just about to call home to share this great news. Then you hear your colleague saying- oh, I got $25,000. What? No, no, definitely not deserving. I did all the work, you got more. My $20,000 is like zero for me now. So, it just takes a few moments to disturb our peace of mind, because our focus is on अनित्य results. And then we say- oh, I have to deal with my stress. I have so much stress at work. But what for, so that I can work more. Right? No, no, I’m so stressed out with family, so many things to take care of. So this one is not well, then that one is in the hospital and then so many invitations I have to respond to, and the house is leaking, so that’s another thing to look at, and then who’s going to come in this hot summer so I’m chasing all the plumbers, electricians, they’re taking their own time etc. etc. So much to be done. Then, where is the leisure for आत्मा विचार? Because moving from one कर्म to another either in the realm of काम or अर्थ, trying to manage/juggle all the balls in the air, and then say- oh I am अकर्ता, I am अभोक्ता | It requires some time, some leisure. So that’s not available.Unless we make the time for it.
And that little नैश्चल्यम् that might be there, a certain steadiness that comes from कर्म योग बुद्धि:, that comes from some साधना; so with this शुद्धि and नैश्चल्यम्, then a little space is there, like the window opens up a little allowing one stream of light in this darkness, so some विचार is possible. But what is the विचार about? It is the nature of the आत्मा |
In our normal interactions there have been instances in the past where we have been ignored in interactions. E.g. you walk into a party and maybe somebody ignores you. Now, for many people this is very upsetting. Why? Because when you are ignored it means you don’t exist. You know, your presence is not considered, it is diminished. In fact, it is obliterated. For a lot of us, before we began to recognize ईश्वर in our lives, we have ignored ईश्वर | Everything is possible because of ईश्वर only, but it’s like the elephant in the room. What elephant? No, no, I only did everything. And I am the one who is struggling. You know I am the one who is affected~ भोक्ता, and I’m also the one who is struggling. But for the sake of significance, how I hold on to कर्ता-भोक्ता and ignore ईश्वर | Ignore means- you don’t exist for me, whether I made the active effort to ignore, or you don’t feature in my grand scheme of things. So for these people, even though on the face of it, they are very noble, they are performing lots of rituals, they have contributed a lot of gold to theगोपुरम् in the temple- my god for that person to contribute so much then the person would have made huge money. Or the person has said that for world peace we will perform different होम-s. Or anything that is grand that is done. Our role models are those people.
If you look at popular culture, who are the role models? So the influencers who are famous for the sake of being famous, they have something to contribute for sure. Not denying that. But whoever gets called a celebrity, or whoever we look up to for different things, it’s all धर्म-अर्थ based. Even the newspapers will highlight the one who has more धर्म, more अर्थ | In fact there are lists for it- Forbes list and so on. Is there a list for the one who does maximum दानम्? So some social pressure is there- so you please contribute, Warren Buffett initiated, so we must contribute etc, etc.
So it’s no wonder that the obsession with काम & अर्थ is so much that it continues to स्वर्ग, and also one ignores That which illumines everything. Because if only one knew, then all the wealth is yours anyway. The world is in you, you are not in the world. But that is how it is. And so the उपनिषद् is almost striking a word of caution, that in all your कर्म, don’t get carried away with धर्म, अर्थ and ignore आत्मा विचार |
When it comes to spending time on वेदान्त, or suppose one is told you please do one माला of this मंत्र, then
some negotiation begins- Can I do twenty-four times? Can I do three times? I don’t have the time. Would you say this to your boss? Would you say- today I can’t do 12 hours, can I work for 11 hours instead? You will die but those words will not come out of the mouth. Because how can I negotiate on this अर्थ pursuit? How can I negotiate on काम? So all those excuses we have- I am busy, everyone is busy, of course. But the way we negotiate for things to do with साधना or for the विचार related to वेदान्त, it is good to juxtapose that with how we negotiate our time and attention for अर्थ and काम |
So you have to stand in the queue to deposit in the bank, 2 hours it will take. You will grumble but will stand. Then there is some time needed for वेदान्त, but our standards are not the same, which is just to show how important it is even for the ones who are in the वेदान्त pursuit. How easily it gets compromised- the time and attention because you know, every time I can’t fight with my family. The family says- what is this, you’re always busy in the weekend, and what is this, it is not fair to us. Yes. So, you have to think of creative ways to make up for it or rather, have some decent understanding. Please don’t fight with your family because you are pursuing वेदान्त | But the time and attention that I give वेदान्त, आत्मा विचार, do I hide behind~ Oh, I’m so busy. I don’t have the time etc etc. I will not say the same thing in relation to work. Then is it because it is an issue of accountability to an external person? Or what will they think of me, and therefore I have to toe the line, or is it my sense of prioritization?
So it’s not only about the ones who are स्वर्ग काम, wanting to go there. But even here for the ones who are pursuing आत्मा विचार, are we killing the आत्मा ?But whatever attention, time this pursuit requires depending on the age and stage of life that I am in, do I do that and if not, there’s nothing to feel bad about. Just align, maybe make a little more time for it. Or if I’m escaping into वेदान्त from life, then please, I have to stop that. Then I have to engage more with people. So, all of us are at different levels. So we have to be honest with ourselves and decide.
All the way आत्मा विचार can definitely liberate you, but if the mind is preoccupied with काम & अर्थ, then the time and leisure that we need, we are denying ourselves that. So that’s the whole purpose. Now, we will see the nature of आत्मा, from मंत्र ४ onwards.
Q&A- Whilst the rest of the वेद will talk of the glory of going to स्वर्ग, this मंत्र particularly talks of the limitations of that aspiration, in the absence of आत्मा विचार |
If we ask people, even amongst वेदान्त students, what is your spiritual goal? In Gita Amrtam class we recently had the exercise of articulating one’s life priorities. And one of the dimensions is- what is your goal in spirituality? Because we’re looking at other dimensions also- intellectual, emotional, social, financial, physical etc. And what people say about their spiritual goal is actually not मोक्ष |
E.g.- A student asked- What साधना do you think I need to do? She was not very clear about why she attends the वेदान्त class, though she gets a benefit for sure. So Swaminiji replied- tell me what is your goal spiritually? And she said- Oh, I want harmony amongst all my family members.
So, that’s a goal that everyone wants, but that will come under धर्म-काम | Having harmony amongst everybody at work and family and so on, if you are doing it by hook or by crook, then it is काम | But, you say no, I align with धर्म, so then~ धर्म-काम |
I want peace of mind- a lot of people say this. Is that मोक्ष? In some ways, it is धर्म | One wants to align yourself with the ways of the mind such that it does not disturb you.
Then what else? I want to go within etc.
So, it’s a very interesting exercise and a question to ask- that what we are really aspiring for on a daily basis, or on a regular basis, if it is not मोक्ष, then there will be less motivation and even commitment to वेदान्त |
The human condition has to be very clearly discerned.
And the third मंत्र that we saw which talks about going to असुर्या लोका: – all opportunities for pleasure, for काम, for relating, for intimacy, for great music, for dance, for great experiences, that is a part of spirituality from the entire वेद standpoint~ धर्म, अर्थ, काम | But in the name of seeking pleasure i.e. काम, am I ignoring the आत्मा?
So, if my spiritual goal is relationship management, then any talk about आत्मा/ब्रह्मन् is like, can we skip this part, can we go to the more juicy part? Let’s talk about how we can communicate better, understand each other better. Suddenly, the ears perk up when there is talk about relationships. We’re not denying it- it’s very, very important and only when one is in harmony in terms of पञ्चमहायज्ञा, only then some insight happens. Insight can also happen otherwise, but you see the need for relating, staying connected, acknowledging one’s own connections and so on.
So the आत्महन:~ that as if आत्मा does not exist. Even if anything is spoken about the आत्मा- one is like okay, okay, we’ll see some time or the other, we’ll get to it. Because one is so consumed by being obsessed, either with family or with work, that’s generally our obsession. And it’s nice to hide behind duty, we do this.
At one level, it’s very good that there is a duty orientation, but in the name of duty, we tend to postpone things, we tend to deny certain aspects of our own lives. Ask a lot of the mothers, right? It’s not that things can’t be worked out, whatever it is that one wants to do. And this is not necessarily about professional work, professional or non-professional work. Ultimately, besides the mother role, one wants to have a sense of productivity. Everyone wants that, everyone wants to make a difference, whatever you decide whatever is your sphere. But we can hide behind duty, behind responsibility. And say- Oh, all this आत्मा stuff, this is not my cup of tea.
So, they are आत्महन: ~ slayers of the आत्मा |
So, then what is the आत्मा?
*मंत्र ४*
अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत् ।
तद्धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठ—त्तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥ ४ ॥
In this मंत्र ४, you will find that there are some words which do not have a direct translation, especially the word अप: ~ अपो, it comes a little later, is not referring to the waters. So, there are a lot of Sanskrit enthusiasts, who say that once you know Sanskrit, you can approach the scriptures by yourself.
But, Do NOT inquire into the scriptures independently.
Even if you are a शास्त्र-ज्ञ:, even if you are a व्याकरणम्-ज्ञ: i.e. even if you know grammar very well, you please do not independently inquire, then you will make a mess of things. Why? Because a lot of the words in the वेद, also have a छन्दस्-प्रयोजनम् ~ they have a specific use, and a specific meaning as used in the वेद, though colloquially, literally, they may have a different meaning.
You know this आत्महन:, the one who was referred to in the prior मंत्र? Oh, what is the आत्मा then?
अनेजत् एकम् –
आत्मा is-
एक: ~ One.
अनेजत् ~ not moving.
It’s unmoving, yet-
मनस: जवीय: – faster than the mind.
And what else?
देवा ~ the इन्द्रियाणि/sense organs,
न आप्नुवन् पूर्वम् अर्षत् ~ they (the देवा:/sense organs) cannot overtake,
एनत् ~ This i.e. The Reality of the आत्मा |
Why? Because before the senses go to some object, आत्मा is already there.
पूर्वम् अर्षत्~ has already reached.
The उपनिषद् uses the language of paradox often, because we have a tendency to categorize everything, and so it will stun us. Because whatever is said about the आत्मा, you will fit it into some category. Much of learning takes place in that way, and that’s fine.
For all other conceptual learning, we may need to put things into categories because all learning takes place and is built upon what is known. So, to know of a coyote, i.e. the animal in the US, this animal is very new to us in India. So, coyote- is that bird, animal, insect? But I have some idea of the animal. Then, you say coyote, then you describe, then you say- Oh, it’s one of those animals. Okay, fine. So the word is unknown to me. And then you say something, and then it gets added to what is my known understanding of animals.
So, the आत्मा is faster than the mind, and it precedes the movement of the senses.
But, it is अनेजत् i.e. it is not moving.
How to understand?
In Zen, they use koans, which are very short sentences which stun you. They stun you to see the truth. They have their own methodology.
Here, are we using the language of paradox to confuse you? No, no, no, not at all. We’re using the language of paradox to show that you cannot categorize the आत्मा into any kind of object that you might be aware of, or even an object that you are not aware of. You cannot categorize it. Because the mind will push to categorize.
We can categorize objects, but to feel safe, we also categorize people as a self-protective mechanism. So this one is like this, that one is like this. Then, suppose the person behaves a little differently, you know readily you thought this person is a very nice person, then suddenly the person was very rude to you. When you give the person the benefit of doubt, saying the person was angry or hangry(hungry & angry). Maybe not. You will think of the worst possible consequence. Or say that actually this person is like this only, everything else was just an act. So, we want to fit the person into some category because if you don’t put the person in a category, then you don’t know how to deal with the person. This is how we relate. Should I be equally nice to the person, should I be withdrawn? How do I behave? I don’t know. Of course, if you rely on धर्म then you will know, but we think that our बुद्धि: is even greater than धर्म, then we try to imagine things.
So, people are put nicely into categories. Then what should we do about आत्मा? It is not moving, and at the same time, it’s faster than the mind, because of course the mind is the fastest. So, if your child asks- which is the fastest vehicle? One child asked his father- which is the best vehicle? Because he saw that all the other kids were coming in all very fancy cars. And this child was being dropped in an auto-rickshaw. But, very innocently the child asks the father- which is the best way of transport? He replies- your legs are the best way. So suddenly the child is stunned- yeah, that’s true. I can go anywhere. Some places even the car doesn’t go, but I can go.
Which is faster than your feet? Your mind. Which is faster than the mind? आत्मा |
So faster, but anyway आत्मा is not in any race. There has to be two to determine any comparative degree of faster or not.
So, when we are talking about the nature of any object, or rather the nature of the mind, we have to see the distinction between आत्मा and the mind. So here, the mind as we call it, it seems very solid, tangible- it’s not. It is दृश्यम् |
All the time we are aware of what is happening- if we pay attention, or we may be lost in something, whatever it is. So all our ideas, our excitement, our feelings, some memory of the mango milkshake. All that is दृश्यम् i.e. seen. Whatever is happening in the mind, you see.
So, I the साक्षी-दृग्, ever दृग्, I see what’s happening in the mind.
So, whatever is happening in the mind is दृश्यम्, therefore the mind is दृश्यम् | I am the दृग्, the subject.
Then, in छान्दोग्योपनिषद् Chapter 6, there is a mention of how the subtlest part of matter/food forms the mind. So the mind is still the subtlest form of matter. Because even if we say ‘a thought’, it is a subtlest form. You cannot see it with your naked eyes, but it is a form nevertheless. Different forms are there, and the form is a product of the पञ्चमहाभूत | So you may eat veg-biryani, but the subtlest part of that veg-biryani forms your mind, and it keeps nourishing it and so on and so forth.
So some carbs are important for the growth of the brain, but of course the mind is not the brain, but it serves as a medium for some of the functions.
So what is दृश्यम्, what is an object? It is भौतिकम् | It is made up of a bunch of पञ्चमहाभूत |
So the mind is-
(i) दृश्यम्
(ii) भौतिकम् – made up of पञ्चमहाभूत |
(iii) It is ever changing – विकारी all the time, and even if it’s not changing, we make it change.
Suppose you’re quiet, or suppose you are reflecting on your growth in the light of वेदान्त.
So, you feel you have some amount of समत्वम् with respect to a particular person. Then, you are now thinking more about it. But still, you know some things really disturb me about this person. And I hope and wish that when this person is around, I don’t get agitated. But thinking thinking thinking, building on it- Now I’m getting agitated. So, I cannot accept that I accept. I cannot accept that I cannot accept.
So, a part of reducing your agitation is that I accept that I’m agitated, and that it is the psychological order that is ईश्वर |
But, self-mastery calls- I have to master my mind.
Relax. That’s all that is required, don’t give extra fuel. But, no, why it is like this, it should not be like this, but they are like this… So, विकार- a lot of change.
So आत्मा is अविकारी – no change whatsoever. Mind is विकारी – changing all the time.
Then the mind has, not independently of course, the गुण-s of सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस् | So depending on the nature of one’s mind, it reflects in your behavior, your personality, etc, etc. Whereas आत्मा is निर्गुण | निर्गुण does not mean the absence of गुण | आत्मा is the basis of all गुण-s, free from गुण-s.
Because गुण is विकारी, गुण is subject to change- little more सत्त्व, little more रजस्, little more तमस् etc.
So, this mind that really moves so fast, with which we have a really deep identification, because we want to control the world. We don’t say it in so many words, but really we want to control what is happening around us.
That’s why there is this furious chatter- This is not okay. That is okay. Oh, that’s okay, fine- Oh, now I can relax. Or, now I’m in a safe place- nice. Or now I’m not in a safe place, I better be careful, I better watch what I say because this person is going to pounce on me, and then point out some faults.
So we have developed this relationship with the mind that- of course, it’s an instrument, but so identified with it, and trying to deal with the world by having a constant chatter. I cannot control the external environment, so I try to calm myself down. No, it’s okay, it’s okay, you can handle it. Or, oh my God, how could you have made such a fool of yourself? So, some chatter is going on non- stop.
So, let things be, you be.
What do you mean? How to be? What does that mean? What do I have to do? What साधना do I have to do to be?
So this is the mind. Because the mind is like- Okay, I will fix things, I will fix people, I will fix my life. You have to know when you have to stop fixing also.
Suppose you are tottering around, it’s like something or the other you are doing. But how much- What will you do? What more can you do?
So this आत्मा and the mind, seeing the clear distinction-
1. While the mind has गुण-s of सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस्; आत्मा is निर्गुण | आत्मा that is I is निर्गुण |
2. The mind has विकार/changes, आत्मा-I is अविकारी/unchanging.
3. The mind is made of पञ्चमहाभूत, I-आत्मा am the very basis of all the पञ्चमहाभूत |
4. The mind comes and goes.
So, you wake up and the alarm is ringing. You hit the snooze button, again the mind is gone. Then, the mind kicks in, you here it ringing.
आगम – अपायि ~ comes and goes in deep sleep.
Dream- comes, is there. Then, deep sleep- goes. Goes meaning that it becomes dormant.
Whereas I-आत्मा am not coming and going. There is no race between आत्मा and the mind.
5. Anyway the mind is really कार्यम् i.e. it is a product.
So, by saying that, first of all that आत्मा is एक:, it is not moving, and at the same time it is faster than the mind. It has reached even when the senses haven’t reached.
So we have a very unique model of perception. Modern science will tell us that the light has to hit the retina and then we are able to see something.
Our(वेदान्त) model of perception is that the mind goes outward, encloses the object, and that’s how you perceive something. Perception/प्रत्यक्षम् includes sight, sound/hearing, smelling, tasting, touching.
The exception to the modern theory of perception are those moments when your eyes are open, you are looking out in front, but your mind is elsewhere. And then somebody is waving out to you furiously, but you can’t perceive, you’re lost in thought. Then the person comes in front of you, shakes you up, and says- hello, what is this? Then you say- oh, sorry, I didn’t see you. But your eyes were open. Yes, your eyes are open. Your eyes are fine. But the mind was not behind the eyes. That’s why I didn’t see you, because the mind was elsewhere.
So I-आत्मा am unmoving, yet faster than everything, in the sense that all that is here is आत्मा – all pervasive आत्मा |
6. And mind is जडम्, senses are जडम्/inert, by themselves they cannot function, whether it is कर्मेन्द्रिय or ज्ञानेन्द्रिय (organs of action, organs of knowledge).
Once the Arsha Vidya Teachers were in Rishikesh, so a couple of them said – let’s go to Iskcon’s Govinda restaurant to eat. So, some said- Oh, you all please go ahead, when you reach there, we would already have reached there. So this is an आत्मा joke- wherever you think the senses are going somewhere, or you want to know something, foreground is that knowledge, but actually आत्मा has already reached there. Why? Because आत्मा is all-pervasive.
So आत्मा is not subject to any modification, ever the witness of all. And witness we use in a referential, specific context only; that non-changing witness that is always there.
So the mind, the senses, they don’t have an existence of their own.
The आत्मा is all pervading, it is you; wherever the mind wants to go, आत्मा is there. If the mind doesn’t want to go, आत्मा is still there.
So where can the mind go, where आत्मा is not there? Where can your senses go?
Elon Musk is working on Neuralink- so these will be some chips, maybe five years down the line or earlier, where we can put some chips in our brain, and we may get some additional powers. It might be good for people who are suffering from dementia, or some neurological disorders, so certain functions that they were not able to perform, maybe this can help.
So, whatever it be, wherever your senses go, आत्मा blesses- आत्मा that is you, who is always present.
न एनत् देवा:, आप्नुवन् पूर्वम् अर्षत् |
So, first of all our इन्द्रिय-s/sense organs are presided over by देवता-s.
That which illumines- that’s the beauty of the sense organs, especially ज्ञानेन्द्रिय | ज्ञानेन्द्रिय itself is such a revealing word, that the sense organs/इन्द्रिय-s, they are for ज्ञानम् | So, different sights, different sounds, different tastes. A lot of women do non-stop watching of cookery shows. This is good & creative, but how can you watch for hours and hours cookery shows? The mother says- you all enjoy good food because of me watching cookery shows. So, this is ज्ञानम् in terms of the different types of cuisines. So, then you see, and then you imagine how it will taste, then you try it out- all ज्ञानम्, ज्ञानेन्द्रिय |
So पूर्वम् अर्षत् – the इन्द्रियाणि, they cannot overtake the आत्मा | That which illumines the इन्द्रियाणि/sense organs, That is the आत्मा |
So in तत्त्वबोध, we see that the ज्ञानेन्द्रिय-s are made from सत्त्व, whereas all the कर्मेन्द्रिय/organs of action are all based on रजस्-predominant, of course the other गुण-s are also there.
It’s just fascinating how everything has come about in terms of पञ्चीकरणम् |
So, what this first line is really telling us is that आत्मा is all pervasive. There is not a place nor a time that it is not; That it is you.
And It is अप्रमेय | अप्रमेय word is used in the second chapter of the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |
अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ता: शरीरिण: ।
अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत ॥ १८॥
आत्मा is not an object of any प्रमाण |
Oh, but you say that वेदान्त is a प्रमाण? Yes, because you the आत्मा are अप्रमेय, therefore you can wield a प्रमाण |
You are not the आत्मा because the वेद tells you. You are the आत्मा, mistaken, not quite understood.
And the वेद will just remove the error, that’s all. The वेद is actually not telling you anything new, just removing layers of ignorance.
So आत्मा is अप्रमेय, cannot be known. Cannot be known means that it is me, it is not an object. Because object means all those things will come in- विकारी, गुणत्वम्, भौतिकत्वम् etc.
तत् धावत: अन्यान् अत्येति तिष्ठ –
While remaining stationary/not moving i.e. not changing,
तत् धावत: अन्यान् अत्येति – it outruns all the ones who are running i.e. basically mind, speech, senses, which are distinct from the आत्मा |
So, this emphasizes that आत्मा is ‘faster’ than all of this, while it remains unchanging, निर्गुण and free from the पञ्चमहाभूत-s.
तस्मिन् अपो मातरिश्वा दधाति –
So, while being there,
मातरिश्वा referring to वायु | मातरि- that which sustains all life, which is वायु | So that which moves freely in space/आकाश |
So just like वायु sustains all life forms; which really brings in the different laws of nature.
That which sustains समष्टि, or we can refer to it as सूत्रात्मा, हिरण्यगर्भ |
हिरण्यगर्भ, simply we can say is the cosmic mind, but obviously not limited in that sense. So all aspects which include प्राण |
Our definition of सूक्ष्मशरीर includes प्राण | Sometimes we say- oh सूक्ष्मशरीर = mind, just if we’re progressing in the explanation.
But सूत्रात्मा/सूक्ष्मशरीर/subtle body is not only just your thoughts and emotions, etc., that’s one tiny part of it. The पञ्चप्राणा is very much there.
How else will the mind go, wherever it has to go.
So दधाति,
these different अप: ~ अप: is not referring to the waters, but it is referring to all different कर्म-s.
So yes मातरिश्वा/वायु दधाति supports everything, sustains all life, activities and so on.
And the further implied meaning is that कर्मणि ~ so all कर्म-s which start with the ritualistic use of water, etc. During पूजा, everything we are using water all the time. And it’s a very important aspect of वैदिक कर्म, sustaining life too. So, these laws of nature that support all life, That basis of all of these activities is indeed the आत्मा, That is me.
So in some ways, this is a little लक्षण वाक्य, not exactly महावाक्य, but sort of tending in that direction.
Why? Because व्यष्टि and समष्टि, both are spoken of.
In the first part of the मंत्र, there is a reference to दृग्-दृश्यम् in the context of the mind and the senses, that is at a व्यष्टि level.
Then, all the various activities, or what we refer to as laws of nature. So the आत्मा is the very basis of मातरिश्वा that supports all activities at a समष्टि level.
So when we look at animals, insects, reptiles, everybody has different capacities- in terms of hearing, sensing. For instance, the snake doesn’t have legs. No. But it’s so fast. The entire organ of the skin is alive, so the snake moves with the help of the skin.
So like that if you see all beings are being sustained by that आत्मा, which is the basis of the mind and the senses, and that आत्मा which is the basis of all activities, all कर्मणि of all beings.
So that is a sort of indication that the basis of both the व्यष्टि (individual) and समष्टि (all of this, the total) is indeed the आत्मा |
Then, in some sort of repetition but not exactly, is the next मंत्र-
*मंत्र ५*
तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तद्वन्तिके ।
तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः ॥ ५ ॥
तत् एजति- आत्मा moves.
How do you say आत्मा, and आत्मा word is not there?
तत् शब्द is there and the topic under discussion is the आत्मा |
How you know it is the आत्मा? ~ आत्महन: (मंत्र ३).
So, on your own it will be difficult, one would say suddenly the उपनिषद् is talking about the आत्मा | Previously उपनिषद् was talking about कर्म & लोक, now suddenly आत्मा |
So, never try to understand any मंत्र or श्लोक in isolation. That is why the षट्-लिङ्ग विचार is so important. Of course, the Teacher does it for you initially, and then once you are more proficient and you’ve been exposed for a while, then you can also use षट्-लिङ्ग विचार | So that means after the भगवद्-गीता, and at least 7 or 8 उपनिषद्-s, and the ब्रह्मसूत्र-s, when you are studying on your own- then yes, you can apply षट्-लिङ्ग विचार |
So, उपक्रम-उपसंहार ~ what has gone before, what is coming towards the end, you have to pay attention to it. You cannot just look at a मंत्र in isolation. And that is why we are so grateful to भगवान् शङ्कराचार्य, because that’s what He did for us. How do we know what is there in बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्? But, He will show one reference. Or what is there in तैत्तिरीय-उपनिषद्?
So here I can barely spell उपनिषद्, how do I make sense of the whole thing? Thanks to Him.
तत् एजति- आत्मा moves.
Then, तत् न एजति- आत्मा doesn’t move at all.
So this is saying that आत्मा is all-pervasive.
Then, it is far away. Yet it is near. Again, the language of paradox is being used.
When all that is here is I-the-आत्मा, then where will it move?
This example is a little politically incorrect. But still, suppose if there’s a really obese person sitting in the chair on a flight next to you, and half of that person is just falling on you. And you say- Please move, please adjust. But where? There’s no place to adjust, because fully one chair is not enough, then what shall we say?
So, there has to be some place to move. So, you’re saying आत्मा is obese? No. All that is here is the आत्मा, so where will it move? It doesn’t move. Because it is all-pervading, it is me.
But उपनिषद् is saying that आत्मा moves. What does that mean?
Well, from the नामरूप standpoint, you went from India to the US. So, you are the आत्मा; reflected-आत्मा-consciousness is not any less. But as though आत्मा-अनात्म is mixed up.
So yes, आत्मा is all-pervasive and therefore cannot move, does not move, yet it moves.
Oh, I will go on यात्रा | आत्मा is going from Mumbai to Kedarnath. There also the person is still आत्मा only. So no, no, I want to come back to India after 10 years abroad- still आत्मा only. This movement of नामरूप, all the way it is still आत्मा | So therefore we can account for the fact that आत्मा moves, but it is still unmoving.
Then,
दूरम् ~ आत्मा is very far away.
So for the ones who don’t understand, आत्मा is very far away.
It’s like when people fight with each other. You are probably at three feet distance from the person, but some argument is there so you start shouting. Why? Because for you that person has become very far away, you’re not able to get through to that person. Despite three feet distance, so the person can hear you whisper also, you start shouting.
Or sometimes we say that although we live in the same family, I feel distant, far away. Why? Because not understood, or harmony is not there, or whatever it is.
So how आत्मा can be दूरम् if you have already said that आत्मा is all-pervasive. How it is far away? Oh, it is far away because you have considered आत्मा as an object.
Or, when will I be happy? And we postpone our happiness, we actually deny our own happiness. I will be happy when I get मोक्ष | But you’re already मुक्त, you’re already free. Oh, but I don’t know it, you know? Why don’t you know it? No, I’m very identified. Why are you identified so much, that what is मिथ्या is taken as सत्यम्? Well, what to do, I’m so attached. Why are you so attached? It’s so nice, I don’t want to give up attachment. Nobody asked you to give up attachment, you please relate in all your roles, do it with as much love and whatever you want to bring to the table, please go ahead and do that. आत्मा is not opposed to you relating to anyone. Well, I have to think more about it. So, this is how we procrastinate.
So, दूरम् (far away), because some ideas we have that- oh if I have a lot of समत्वम्, or if I do X Y Zed only then, or if I do full time course, only then it will all become very clear to me. All that will happen is whatever is obstructing your thinking, in terms of अंतःकरण शुद्धि: that will be sorted, to a great extent.
But we often condition ourselves. We limit ourselves by our own ideas- once this happens, if and when, when and then, if this happens then that will happen.
Once I have time, I will be able to devote to वेदान्त | That will never happen. Once I retire- nope. Everything will happen simultaneously. Once I get X amount of money, it will be fine; there will be more demands, don’t think it will be any less.
So आत्मा is far away because I want it to be far away. We have some fears- they may be articulated, they may not be articulated. Suppose I know the truth, will things change for me? How will I live my life? What if I want to walk away from everything? What if- the what if game continues here also. Then what will happen, what will happen? There is no substance to your ‘what if’, but of course the mind has to be given something to do…Because I have figured out my life, I have self-mastery.
So, once I know the truth, then this will happen, that will not happen, etc. How will people treat me? People will think you’re foolish. Is that okay with you?
So, you will only think that you were foolish- What, that’s all? How I took everything to be so real? How did I consider all this? How come I was suffering so much? So, forget about what others think, you will only think how foolish you were.
So, आत्मा दूरम् ~ आत्मा seems remote, just like भगवान् seems remote for those who have not discovered भगवान् | So therefore remote for the one who doesn’t understand.
And at the same time, अन्तिके |
So, it is very far away, yet it is अन्तिके i.e. it is within.
Within means- People will say~ oh आत्मा is there in everyone.
In everyone- for a start, this understanding is okay. But for instance, the heart is in everyone. So, you have again located the all-pervasive आत्मा |
अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धय: ।
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ॥ ७.२४, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता
So what is not a व्यक्ति, you have reduced भगवान् to a व्यक्ति | So, reduced आत्मा also- as localized in time and place.
So अन्तिके- that which is within, that which is closest to you, in fact it can’t be any closer; it is you.
So our level of closeness generally we consider in the form of distance or closeness/near.
But here आत्मा is neither too far away, nor is it very close. Why? Because it is me.
So what is the difference between I and I?
If I am so identified with अहंकार, then there is a distance, as though, between अहंकार and आत्मा | Because I’m not quite understanding that आत्मा is the one that pervades the अहंकार |
So~ आत्मा दूरे |
अहम् आत्मा – I am the आत्मा |
So, is it like how Ganapati-Baba has his पाश, so basically for the devotees he brings/attracts. So like that you have done something to the आत्मा, you have drawn the आत्मा close? No, no, it is you. आत्मा is me. So the question of near and close does not really arise.
तत् अन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तत् सर्वस्य बाह्यतः च आत्मा ।
So, this inside and outside is again a referential point.
Initially some people say that आत्मा is inside everyone. But this localizes आत्मा in terms of time and place.
Then what do you mean, suppose you say yes, आत्मा is indeed in everyone, then is it inside like the lungs and the heart and the kidney? आत्मा is a part of the body? No, no, it’s not. Then is it? Because if you’re saying it is in you and when we say ‘you’, ‘you’ referring to the body mind, then you have to progress in that inquiry…inside what?
So, like some sort of structure is there- then it’s not a body part, otherwise it can be amputated, and you are अनात्मा now, no आत्मा for you. Or it can develop tumor also, any part of the body can get cancer also, but this does not apply.
Then how you can say आत्मा is inside you? Oh no, no, no, it is like a property of the body. But property also- it can come, it can go, always subject to विकार, आत्मा is not like that.
No, no, like how we eat and then food gets converted into energy, then more you meditate, then you become the आत्मा – No. आत्मा is not a process, it is not a product of any process you undertake.
No, no, I will do lot of मंत्र जप and I will become the आत्मा- No, no such thing. आत्मा is not a product of any process you undertake. Because I am very much there, आत्मा is very much there.
Then is it limited by the boundary of the body? No, because as I-the आत्मा, I see what is happening to this human being called whatever name has been given by the parents or the गुरु | I see what’s happening.
Sometimes we may experience that we are almost physically a little above the person, and you’re watching and you’re saying- Who is this, it feels a little familiar. As you look at your activities, your experiences, your life situations and so on, never touched आत्मा, never touched. Of course, the mind can be touched, the body etc. can go through lots of changes etc., but never, ever touch आत्मा |
So we can mistake the understanding of I am the साक्षी of my body-mind-senses, and then say- yes, okay fine, I get it. You’re saying आत्मा is not within, okay I see all of this. Then I am आत्मा, you are आत्मा, we are all आत्मा, so many आत्मा-s ~ millions, billions, zillions of आत्मा-s.
Then what? Earlier I was struggling, अज्ञ/ignorant person. Now you gave me one new name called आत्मा | Okay, you gave me new name? What do I do with it? My struggle in life of insignificance, or the fact that I don’t want to die, I don’t want to experience limitation, I don’t want people around me to die, etc. How will that go if I’m called the आत्मा ?
No no, because body-mind is in me.
So it is बाह्यतः |
It is within, and at the same time it is also outside.
सर्वस्य अस्य बाह्यतः | This means that I am the आत्मा, the body-mind is in me. This is important. I am the witness- okay, all of us can get to that. You can get to it with some absorption, लय, music, dance, arts. You can see- okay, I am the witness.
The body and mind- my body and mind, other bodies etc., all of it is in me-the-आत्मा | So, you totally shift. That is आत्मा-बाह्य |
This doesn’t mean that आत्मा is outside me so I am अनात्मा – No.
So आत्मा is अन्तिके and बाह्य – how it can be both?
You can either say I am sitting in this room, you cannot say the room is in me. If you say like this, people will think you’re crazy. ‘Room is in me’ means what? No, no, it’s possible to say both with respect to the आत्मा |
If you’re talking about pot space- The space is in the pot. But where is the pot? The pot is in space. So, both are possible.
Then, with respect to the आत्मा, what?
When we say आत्मा अन्तिके, you see everyone as sacred, everyone as divine.
बाह्य ~ this body-mind is in me. So this नामरूप(name and form), I am the one that illumines this. So this is really, truly out of body experience- That body-mind is in me, All body-minds are in me.
Can I see that? I-the-आत्मा-consciousness-चैतन्यम्, always present-सत्यम्, never any lack, never any boundary. I-आत्मा am the limitless, everything is in me. All that is here is me. Everything means नामरूप |
So how can you say everything, you said आत्मा is one. But no, everything is with reference to नामरूप(name and form). So all नामरूप is in me. All my lifetimes.
So you see how quickly standpoints are shifted.
So I say ‘my’. The moment I said ‘my’, then I shifted to body-mind. There cannot be any ‘my’ for I-आत्मा |
Why? Because if saying- you are mine, there has to be two~ you are my dog, or you are the love of my life. Whatever it is, there have to be two people.
Then, who is whose? This is also one बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् मंत्र |
So, the point is that- stay with this. The body-mind is in me.
Because what is it that gives us a sense of boundary? It is the sensation of the skin. The skin is not saying you are this much only. Luckily, we have this blessing of the skin all over the body- It protects all, otherwise your blood & everything will be spilling out. So just imagine what a protective function it plays besides many other things- besides sweating, keeping the body temperature optimal, and all of that. And besides that, the joy of touch. So, so many beautiful functions the skin plays.
But the skin is not declaring to you every day – You are this much only, you are this much only. Don’t think you are all expansive आत्मा, you are this only – No.
This is the mind. On the basis of the sensations I am experiencing, the mind has concluded that- oh you are separate from me.
Oh, then we will burn away the skin. No, no, we don’t need to do all that. We don’t have to break the wood, to say touch wood, we don’t have to do that. We can only see that it is protective, but it does not declare I am separate from you. So I-the-आत्मा can accommodate all नामरूप, all names and forms, including this body-mind, whatever has been given to me, in trust.
So as a trustee of this body and mind, whatever needs to be done I do with it, and that’s it. So whatever it is, it is all okay.
So then where is birth and where is death? Because as आत्मा, then all names-forms are in me.
Whose birth are you talking about, whose death? So something happens- some date of birth happens, some manifestation happens depending on कर्म | Then, that much प्रारब्ध over. Then, lots of कर्म still left. So, one more manifestation. So, all names and forms, all our lifetimes, I am the आत्मा in whom all these lifetimes have come and gone. And hopefully, it may not come again. But even if it comes it’s okay. It’s all just नामरूप | I am not touched by नामरूप | I illumine all नामरूप |
What have people written as their spiritual goal?
– I want to have a clear understanding of my true nature. So at this point in time in order to achieve that, I work on अंतःकरणशुद्धि | So I approach all the different activities in my life with कर्म योग बुद्धि:, while also pursuing the study of वेदान्त |
– I need more time to inquire about myself and learn about वेदान्त/ भगवद्-गीता | And moreover Swaminiji’s podcast has been very helpful, as one thing has become very clear i.e. until I can do my studies on वेदान्त, I need to perform धर्म- my duty towards family, my parents and everyone. So that is my spiritual goal for now.
– To have more emotional maturity and grow in that aspect. As well as not get too carried away with my senses. And make new boundaries for me, as well as people around me~ outwards & inwards. And also bring in a little more balance in all my roles; not being in one role too much, so being able to balance that out. As well as taking out more time for self reflection and self contemplation. And also giving more thought towards what I’m reading, to be able to revisit these again, and in so doing hopefully grow more.
– To have reduced wants, and to have a mindset of an acceptance of all the events as ईश्वर प्रसादम् | And to have समत्वम् and कौशलम् as a lifestyle, and not just on hindsight or else I still end up being very reactive, and then in hindsight I feel like this is how I could have handled it better. So I really want to reach a state where there is equilibrium in acceptance of all the circumstances. How I intend on achieving it is by being a more ardent student of वेदान्त and by ensuring that I dive into this more deeply than what I am doing currently.
So, it is important to have clarity about the nature of the spiritual goal and also where I am at. There should be honesty, one is not deluding oneself, and that is most important.
There are the two lifestyles of कर्मयोग and साङ्ख्ययोग (lifestyle of a संन्यासी). And because of popular media and conditioning, we may think and believe wrongly that I am less because I am following the कर्मयोग lifestyle i.e. I am not able to have the maturity that is required. Then, from time to time I have this romantic fantasy called संन्यास | Or, sometimes I may think- Oh, I’m so glad I never went in that direction, because it’s possible that I may have been disillusioned by some of the संन्यासी-s that I have met. And so this कर्मयोग lifestyle works for me. So either way, we may have a view/certain position.
What is भगवान् श्री कृष्ण saying? And this is an important verse for anyone to refute the belief that कर्मयोग is less-
* श्लोक ५ *
यत्साङ्ख्यै: प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते ।
एकं साङ्ख्यं च योगं च य: पश्यति स पश्यति ॥ ५॥
य: पश्यति – the one who sees,
साङ्ख्यम् & योगम् – साङ्ख्य referring to संन्यास and योग referring to कर्मयोग |
साङ्ख्यं च योगं च एकं – they are one.
With respect to what? With respect to स्थानं प्राप्यते |
So, the goal for a कर्मयोगी, and the goal for a संन्यासी is एकं/one |
Earlier you will remember that भगवान् said(श्लोक ४) that people who think that they are different, they are बाला:, they are childlike i.e. the prattling of an infantile mind. So, they don’t know, but they say that it’s different.
So that which is attained by साङ्ख्य/संन्यासी is that which is प्राप्तस्य प्राप्ति: i.e. it is a प्राप्ति (gain) of what is प्राप्तस्य (already gained). You are accomplishing what is already accomplished. But it is ‘gained’ little faster only because time, effort, energy spent in this pursuit exclusively is greater, perhaps, than for a कर्मयोगी |
But the same goal, तत् योगै: अपि गम्यते ~ so by कर्मयोग also, the same goal is attained.
What is the goal?
स्थानम् – generally, literally translated means place, but स्थानं can also refer to the goal/परमम्/पदम्, so different words are used.
So this same thing is reached by कर्मयोगी-s also. So when we use the word कर्मयोग, we mean it as-
(i) a lifestyle where we are pursuing धर्म, अर्थ, काम along with मोक्ष |
(ii) The second usage of कर्मयोग is in the context of the disposition i.e. what we bring to every कर्म that we do. So we transform our कर्म into कर्मयोग by the attitude of ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: and प्रसाद बुद्धि: i.e. offering all our actions to ईश्वर, and being cheerful and graceful and gracious about receiving our कर्म |
(iii) The third usage of कर्मयोग is in the context of the purpose being अंतःकरणशुद्धि | अंतःकरणशुद्धि is not a goal in and of itself~ that I have emotional maturity, that I am free of रागद्वेष | And so what about it? Fine, you’re emotionally mature, so what? I am still a कर्ता, I am still a doer. I’ve learnt to manage my life well- I have कौशलम् & समत्वम्, so what about it?
समत्वम् is in terms of being a better भोका | So, earlier I had भोक्तृत्वम्~ I am the experiencer. Now, that भोक्तृत्वम् has been transformed into प्रसाद बुद्धि: i.e. I am being gracious, learning to accept. But who is the one who is doing this? You will say it is a भक्त/devotee- fine. Does a devotee experience प्रसाद? Yes. What does that make the devotee? भोका/experiencer. So still limited.
Therefore the goal of अंतःकरणशुद्धि is only preparation for मोक्ष |
अंतःकरणशुद्धि is not an end in itself. If it is an end in itself, there are two struggles that will happen-
1) If I am not a sufficient भक्त, I will whip myself black and blue, thinking- I don’t have freedom from रागद्वेष | I am still buffeted by the winds of what I must have, and what I should not have in my life, and the struggle/battle in my mind is just too much.
But when you see that all that is here is given, even the psychological order that is there, the influencing factors that have played a role in my life, it is all ईश्वर | Then the resistance reduces. Still, I am a भोका/experiencer.
So the शुद्धि is such that I am so free from रागद्वेष that when the गुरु is teaching the शास्त्र, my mind goes along with the words and I am able to say- yes, अहम् ब्रह्म अस्मि, yes that’s true.
Because understand that- when we listen, we are reacting often. Very rarely we are able to just listen without any sense of threat. Because sometimes you’re like- okay, I have to defend myself, or if I perceive some attack, then again we close up. So the heart is opening-closing, opening-closing. And often it’s closed only. And then I’m saying- no, no, this is not right, or it should not be said, or I want to hear more of this. So reaction, lots of reaction.
So in other parts of life, as I reduce the reactivity, by ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: and प्रसाद बुद्धि:, then that same mind is available to me and वेदान्त | So, don’t think something radical is going to happen in वेदान्त class but it is not going to happen in the rest of your life. But of course, in वेदान्त class, you have the advantage that you don’t have to really do much. You just have to listen. Oh, but this just listen, is not just listen, it’s very difficult to listen without reactivity, to listen with surrender; That what is being wielded is the शास्त्र, I go along with it.
So you can see the kind of maturity that is required to listen to the शास्त्र | Because at a very subtle level we are reacting, and at a gross level definitely.
2)Then the कर्तृत्वम्- earlier I was a कर्ता ~ struggle struggle struggle. Because I’m always evaluating myself- did I do enough? Did I not do enough etc., all the time. Now that कर्तृत्वम्, that sense of doership is replaced by ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: – that whatever is given to me, I make the most of it. A lot changes when you make this shift. Because you see~ body is given to me, mind is given to me, senses are given to me, so I make the most of what is possible. Then the anxiety, the stress, the constant hindsight thinking- should I have done, should I not have done; the furious mental activity reduces. But still ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: means that still little कर्तृत्वम् is there. So that कर्तृत्वम् I am able to see that- that also is sustained by me the आत्मा |
So the lifestyle of a कर्मयोगी is to be able to have अंतःकरणशुद्धि, but the goal is very clear- it is मोक्ष | मोक्ष is the ultimate goal, it may not be my immediate goal, and that’s fine. But ultimate goal it is, so when there is little time, leisure etc. I pursue. So I am pursuing मोक्ष alongside other things.
And for such a person, anyway it is प्राप्तस्य प्राप्ति:, the goal is already reached- you are already the आत्मा, अकर्ता-अभोक्ता |
So, both the संन्यासी and the कर्मयोगी will definitely attain मोक्ष | This must be clear for everyone. And this is the verse you want to go back to. Because you will come across readings and translations, because remember we have FOMO (fear of missing out), so we will read this, we will read that, then somebody will say something, and then you say- oh, maybe I don’t have the maturity, etcetera, etcetera. No.
So right now, bringing up my child is very, very important. Yes, it is काम, but काम is a valid pursuit. And I do it as धार्मिक-ly as possible. And that is what will give me the maturity, because in being a भक्ता, you are worshipping at the altar of धर्म. That’s your worship- that every कर्म is offered to धर्म which is a manifestation of ईश्वर |
So you may not be doing a पूजा every moment, but through your कर्म, symbolically you are doing as in a typical puja- offering your flowers, waving the incense, and lighting the lamp.
So look at it- your life is blessed.
And the goal of मोक्ष is really recognizing that you were never away from yourself, you were always the आत्मा, just not recognized.
Then य: पश्यति स पश्यति – the one who sees that both कर्म योग and संन्यास are एकम् |
The lifestyles are geared towards one goal only, which is मोक्ष |
य: पश्यति स पश्यति – that is the person who really sees.
Otherwise you are just indicating your राग for one lifestyle.
Still, it feels like कर्म is a burden for most of us, or some types of कर्म feel like a burden~ I don’t feel like doing, I don’t want to do, I wish I didn’t have to do etc., etc. So whether it is taking tough decisions on medical aspects for aging parents- I wish I didn’t have to do it, I wish someone would do it for me. Or decisions about which college/school the child needs to go to, how to bring up the child. And of course decisions at work, etcetera, etcetera. They feel like a burden, not all the time, sometimes. But surely संन्यास is easier…
But, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण sounds a word of caution. What is that? संन्यास is very difficult.
संन्यास: तु दु:खम् आप्तुम् अयोगत: – संन्यास will give you दु:ख/sorrow. If you ever choose this lifestyle, अयोगत: i.e. without having a life that is immersed in कर्म योग, it will only cause you दु:ख/sorrow.
Because ritually you have been absolved of all duties and responsibilities. The वेद that tells you how to live your life in the context of धर्म, अर्थ, काम, also says now you are free. You are not going to incur पापा if you don’t perform your responsibility. So one thinks- Wow, so this is great, I can choose whether I want to do certain things, or if I don’t, पापा doesn’t affect me. Therefore no suffering for me. No problem. Sounds wonderful.
But, do I have the maturity for संन्यास? In many ways, these two years of the pandemic have given us a glimpse of one aspect of what a संन्यास lifestyle might be like, because one’s activities were restricted. Of course, it was an external imposition because of the pandemic, but activities were restricted, engagement was restricted. Of course, at home depending on the numbers of people in your family, the activity may have just shot up, so that’s possible also. Still, you know the great dream we have- I will do nothing, I will be by myself, solitude here I come. Not everyone takes to it nicely. We all know how distracted we are. Because we can’t be with ourselves.
Now things have changed in terms of the customer care people calling us, but there used to be a time, maybe 10 years ago, and maybe even now it applies, that the wait is long, so they will say- you have to wait for one minute, somebody’s going to attend to you shortly etc. And they will play music, because they know that we can’t be with ourselves.
Or once upon a time when there used to be telephone booths, you would see all the doodles in the telephone booth. People enter the telephone booth and obviously nobody goes into it to draw, but distraction and fidgetiness is so much, there is so much buildup of energy and you have to do something so you draw.
Or like even now in this mistaken notion of multitasking, to just stay with something, even when just watching a movie- we are eating, we are drinking, we are talking – so maybe we are multitasking. That’s okay. But that बुद्धि: that I have to make the most of my time, and I have limited time on earth, so I have to do do do etc. What can I do? Maybe I can have two or three windows open when I’m even listening to वेदान्त class, maybe I can get notifications. So for certain things I do multitasking because it’s all routine, mechanical and I can manage two tasks, perhaps. But I’m talking about the orientation that then filters into all areas of life. That unless I’m multitasking, I’m wasting time. Look at what our modern living has done to us, we have become slaves.
So संन्यास, what do you have to do? Morning, afternoon, evening with the शास्त्र and that’s it.
So same thing? There is no innovation? ब्रह्मन् is the same, I am ब्रह्म that’s it. So you are reading, you are talking, you are discussing, you are teaching, all the way same.
So when we have retreats, after the third day, people start to get a little restless. This is an observation. Then we will introduce a different activity. Or if it’s in a place like Rishikesh, then we will say- okay, why don’t you go to this place, and of course there are some beautiful places to see also. So one is advised to do this different activity, for a change. Because the intensity is actually just an exclusive pursuit. But it may get too intense- my God, it’s too much to handle.
So this is संन्यास life- there is no scope for achievement. So if today I just did जप, okay great. But what did you achieve? So, if you are the kind of person who asks that question- what did you achieve, are you closer to your goal? Always evaluating, evaluating, then you can imagine you will go crazy in this lifestyle. Everything is relaxed.
Maybe one is not teaching either. There are a lot of संन्यासी-s who don’t teach. On the banks of Ganga they do some जप, some तपस and that’s it. Nothing more. What more is there to achieve in this life? Nothing. So we can see that just hearing all this makes us feel a little awkward.
What do you mean there is nothing to achieve? Look at world poverty, look at what is happening in Ukraine, etcetera, etcetera.
So a complete harmony that is born of कर्म योग | If I am immersed in that, only then I am suitable for a संन्यास lifestyle. Because ritually I have given up responsibilities. And therefore you’re not even earning for a living. So you have to be dependent on society for whatever they provide, if they provide that is.
So I have always lived a strong independent life. But now? In some ways, I am at the mercy of whatever society wants to provide for me. Not easy.
We define ourselves by how productive we are, right? What do you do? I do this ________. That same orientation comes as a वेदान्त student also. What are the texts that you have done? How many years you’ve been studying? It’s still about the pursuit- what you have done. And so to have a lifestyle where there is not even scope for increasing your maturity.
Some tasks can be given, but generally a संन्यासी is an independent person. So unless there is a setup like in Ramakrishna Mission or even Sivananda ashram, where a lot of संन्यासी-s have different designations, they have different positions in these well organized setups. So there you will be given something to do, whatever सेव is there in the ashram. So that much scope is there that you can work through your रागद्वेष-s. But scope is very limited. Your opportunities for learning, and for growing in the context of अंतःकरणशुद्धि are limited because there is decreased interaction with society.
You can’t go partying, and you can learn a lot when you go dancing. You’re not going to work as such. You’re not earning for a living. You’re not struggling with what’s my relationship with my parents, my relationship with money, my relationship with my body-mind, my relationship with children, my relationship with the fact that I didn’t make the most of certain opportunities. So all that is a part of अंतःकरणशुद्धि that comes with the कर्म योग lifestyle.
So if at all people have any romantic ideas of संन्यास, then भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is saying- please, it’s very difficult to accomplish without कर्म योग | So a lot of immersion in a कर्म योग lifestyle is required.
Whereas, the one who is योगयुक्त: i.e. the one who is immersed in this कर्म योग, that person is a मुनि |
So, मुनि ~ मनन शील: | मननम्- being able to think through different perspectives, raising doubts, answering them, holding a particular topic in your mind. That is a कर्म योगी |
Because with all that’s going on in one’s life, and there’s a lot that’s going on, there is enough time and leisure to think about the big questions of life, to do the inquiry that is required, to not be satisfied with false ends.
So that’s the problem with logic. We think we’re very logical- so the ‘what if’ game we play~ what if I make a presentation and everybody laughs at my face? I have not answered this question. The question itself is a false end. Okay, people laughed. So, do people have the freedom to laugh? Yes, but they should not laugh at me. So, what if they laugh at you? Are you still going to have your coffee and tea? Are you still going to live? Are you still going to go about doing your routine, whatever is a part of your lifestyle? Yes. Are you still going to go to work? Yes. Are you still going to interact with those colleagues? Yes. Are you still going to have happy moments in life? Definitely, yes. So, it’s a false end that we make a conclusion about. Actually, there is no need for this overwhelm.
Immersion in कर्म योग means that there is no disenchantment with life. That you see life as a blessing. Earlier you saw life as a burden- Oh my God, new day, same old, when is this going to end? When am I going to get some relief etc., etc.
So, you have converted the burden into a blessing. Not by positive thinking, but by being a भक्त | Why you are a भक्त? Because you recognize the connection that was always there. Earlier you just ignored it, that’s all.
So you are living a busy life, मोक्ष is an important goal, along with other things, and you are capable of doing विचार/ inquiry. It’s not like you start thinking about something, then there is a notification on your phone, then you go with the phone. So if you are not committed to one thing, you will be distracted by everything, mark my words. If you are not committed to one thing, whatever that one thing is at that time, you will be distracted by everything. And we complain of distraction, but we don’t question whether we are really committed to what we are doing. Because it’s so easy to get distracted if you’re not committed. It applies in a committed relationship also as you can be distracted by whoever else is passing by. Or you fantasize- oh, it might be a little nicer to be with that person, compared to this nagging person next to me, etcetera.
So the capacity to reason, we are not talking about some rocket science logic, just the time and the leisure to think about one’s life, to think about what I really am in the light of the शास्त्र |
And so continuing on from verse #5, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण in verse #6 says-
न चिरेण अधिगच्छति ~ so this person who is immersed in a कर्म योग lifestyle, gains ब्रह्म quickly. So there’s a double negative- it does not take the person too long to gain ब्रह्मन् i.e. to see the Truth.
* श्लोक ७ *
योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रिय: ।
सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥ ७॥
This word योगयुक्त: is used very often in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता | So the one who is together, the one who is committed to this life of कर्मयोग |
What about such a person? The person is विशुद्धात्मा | The word आत्मा is used differently here. आत्मा is anyway शुद्ध:, so what is the meaning of विशुद्धात्मा? So here आत्मा is referring to the mind. So the one who has a mind that is relatively free from रागद्वेष |
So our goal need not be that I should not have रागद्वेष | Our goal can be that I will not come under the spell of रागद्वेष | Because रागद्वेष, or what we like or dislike, they’re very unique to our personalities. Therefore, I make धर्म my altar instead of रागद्वेष | So रागद्वेष, I could have many, it doesn’t matter, but I align myself to धर्म |
So I have a राग for my child, and I am very dependent on my child. Then what shall we do? No मोक्ष for me? No, definitely मोक्ष for you. Why? Because you are aligning your कर्म to धर्म | And from the time the umbilical cord is cut, you are learning to let go of so much, e.g. your own ideas of parenting. Even if you were a parenting specialist, everything you have to throw out of the window because some things work with some children and some things don’t work. Maybe it’s a combination of different things.
So, so much maturity happened as a parent, as a partner. It makes you योगयुक्त: | So, there is purification of the mind. Relatively one is free from रागद्वेष and therefore विशुद्धात्मा |
Since रागद्वेष don’t have a hold over me, विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रिय: | So there is a certain mastery over the sense organs. How much mastery is good enough? Are you able to pursue all your pursuits? Like when you’re at work, can you focus and get the job done? This may mean collaborating with people, making some improvisations etc., more or less are you able to focus? Great, you have so much mastery. If you have mastery in one area of your life, what does that say about you? You are a master of that area. You can use the available resources, you can be creative, you can collaborate, you can seek support, and you can further your goals professionally. How are you able to do that? Because you are using your willpower and won’t power. What you have to do, you are using certain will. And also using will with respect to what you have to avoid, e.g. a lot of scrolling on social media. Unless you’re a digital social media expert, then that’s your job and that’s really what you need to do.
Or maybe you are spending so much time on the phone, calling your parents in India, 7-10 times a day. Are you okay? What is happening? Are you wearing a mask? So some children who live abroad, they drive their parents crazy, and the parents come and complain about this perfect role reversal. So what to do? Obviously 40-50 year old children are concerned about their 75-80 year old parents. But still, she can’t focus on work because all this furious thinking is going on. Of course when some medical emergency is there, then that’s important.
So if you are a master in one area of your life, then what are the supportive factors that are contributing to you being a master? You have to recognize that, yes, the external framework is very helpful. Yes, the money you get or gets credited to the bank is super helpful. Okay, so I can recognize that- that yes, for me the external framework of accountability is a big driving factor. It’s good to be honest with oneself. So then, since I don’t have so much motivation in another area of my life, maybe that principle of accountability, I could shift. I could have what is called an accountability buddy, etc., who doesn’t nag me. But, you tell the person- you have to remind me. Or I will tell you how I’m working on this particular habit, etc, etc.
So what is being highlighted is that- if I have mastery in one area, then I am furthering goals in a particular area of my life- it could be financial, it could be physical, in terms of my discipline regarding health and exercise, or whatever it is. So, I can translate/cross-pollinate i.e. apply the same attitude, the same determination, the same skill set that I have there, to another area of my life. It’s doable. We do it all the time. But there will be one area of my life where I struggle. And it’s possibly because I am not committed to that goal ~ spiritual goal, financial goal etc.
Financial goal is not articulated in terms of having peace of mind. Financial goal means you please put numbers to your goal. That this is what I need to have, or investing, or saving. Those are all activities related to my financial goal. That accounting for inflation, and cost of living, this is what I need to have, if and when I retire or whatever plans, at that particular age.
So the कर्मयोगी has worked on one’s self mastery and has also recognized that the relationship of cause and effect between how I apply certain skills to one area, to the other area, all of it is pervaded by भगवान्, I always have support. If you try to do this on your own, you will struggle. But recognizing that yes, I’m struggling with this area of my life. Yes, I’m reactive. Yes, I just fly off the handle, etc, etc. But I always have help. This is जितेन्द्रिय: | Self Mastery involves a recognition of ईश्वर in your life.
Because of the word ‘self’, one may think that only the individual is involved. No, what you call as an individual is pervaded by भगवान् anyway.
So this person who is a जितेन्द्रिय:, the vision is clear.
In Hindi, भूत means ghost. So one would wonder- this सर्वभूत:, what is this? In Sanskrit, भूत means living beings.
सर्वभूत: – all living beings, from all देवता-s to a blade of grass.
So, we are considering not only the ones who are living on this earth, but all beings across dimensions, galaxies.
सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा – For those people who are learning Sanskrit this is a बहुव्रीहि समास i.e. a compound.
This compound सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा refers to a person who knows that the आत्मा that pervades सर्वभूत: is one; that I am that आत्मा that pervades everyone.
So, the vision is clear for this कर्मयोगी |
And given this vision,
कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते – despite doing a lot of कर्म, is not affected by the कर्म |
Why? Because भोक्तृत्वम् and कर्तृत्वम् has been seen as मिथ्या, has been seen as not a defining aspect of you as a person. If you have any doubt, then think about what happens in deep sleep; neither are you the कर्ता, nor the भोक्ता, you are neither the doer nor the experiencer. But still there is no drop in self esteem. So for a few hours I am living every day, and I’m not doing anything, I’m not experiencing anything. In fact, I long to go into deep sleep. So, I am not defined by my sense of doer-ship or experiencer-ship. So deep sleep gives us a window of exploration- oh there is such a period in my day, every day, that I am not the कर्ता, I am not the भोक्ता and it’s great.
Then verse 8 & 9 further elaborates that कर्म is not opposed to ज्ञानम् | You can do lots of कर्म, less कर्म, but you can be unaffected by it-
This युक्त: i.e. the one who is together, the one who is integrated, the one who is not too fragmented.
You’re thinking something, you’re feeling something, you know something else. We take some time to be integrated. What is meant by this is- the things that we know, often we don’t act upon it. So I may know of ways to focus, I may know of all the habits that are good for me, that I have tried, but I don’t want to do that. And I look for the grass that is greener on the other side.
E.g. can you give me some साधना for _____? But the साधना that you got, did you do that? Ahh, I did little bit.
So, what we already know, are we acting on it? Because then what happens is, if we are not acting on a lot of what we know, in terms of what works for us in our life, then we are creating a split. What I know is different, what I feel is different, what I do is totally different.
So, it’s very simple, but it takes a lot of determination to be consistent. All of us struggle with consistency, in some area of life. But again and again, you bring yourself back on track and make the effort, without complaining, without looking down on yourself, without looking for an escape from monotony.
Oh no, let’s come up with something better. You know that better shiny new object is always waiting, calling out to you. So without giving into all that, the simple things that we know, how can I bring that into my life? That is being युक्त: | Otherwise I am creating too many splits.
Because we are addicted to information, I want more information. So, the same orientation comes to वेदान्त also, e.g. I want to learn उपनिषद् also. But hey, भगवद्-गीता, is it fully assimilated? People have to go through 2,3,4 rounds to fully assimilate the भगवद्-गीता, it’s not a joke. But, oh no I want something. First, assimilate what you have already.
And so here we struggle with ourselves. First of all I have to recognize the struggle that I have. I am looking for a way to dodge. I don’t want to take responsibility for doing this, for integration, युक्त:, योग |
So this is a continuation of the कर्मयोगी | The one who is together, who knows the truth of what has been pointed out about आत्मा pervading all beings. And what we call all beings, is only from the standpoint of नामरूप i.e. name and form only.
So it’s like space that pervades everything, e.g. galaxies etc. Space is in and through the galaxies, and the galaxies are accommodated in space. So I the आत्मा, am in and through all the beings, and I-आत्मा accommodate this name and form, and all other names and forms.
So ‘आत्मा is in me’ is not being said. आत्मा is not being localized- आत्मा is in my heart. So, what about your kidneys? No, that is अनात्मा | What about your knees? No, no, that is further down, so आत्मा is very far away.
So no, आत्मा accommodates space, limitless, so all names and forms are in me, I am the आत्मा |
With respect to the पञ्चमहाभूत, if I am referring to this mind-body,
– there is space outside, there is space inside,
– there is moisture/humidity outside, there is water in this body,
– पृथिवी/food we consume from outside, and this body is dense पृथिवी/matter,
– वायु is there outside, and प्राण inside,
– अग्नि ~ then when you go to a really cold place, your body is working furiously to keep your body temperature warm; and if you go to a really hot place, furiously there is so much sweating just to maintain your body temperature.
So outside is all पञ्चमहाभूत, and inside or whatever we call this mind-body is पञ्चमहाभूत, so where is the difference? There is no difference between समष्टि(total) and व्यष्टि(individual).
No, but I feel different. So there we started again. I feel different… but the skin did not declare you are separate, skin only protected you. But conditioning is there- I am separate from the other, therefore I need to connect etc…
So the one who recognizes that I am that आत्मा that pervades all beings, that pervades the पञ्चमहाभूत, inside-outside, in fact there is no inside or outside. Inside and outside, are only referential standpoints.
For such a person, न एव किञ्चित् करोमि – I don’t do anything.
To do something, you need limbs, and you need to get from place A to place B. Now when all that is here is you, what will you do? How can you do?
So whether you are doing the simplest of actions, not some great exalted साधना | And the simple actions that everyone does-
– पश्यन् ~ seeing,
– शृण्वन् ~ hearing,
– स्पृशन् ~ touching,
– जिघ्रन् ~ smelling,
– अश्नन् ~ eating,
– गच्छन् ~ walking,
– स्वपन् ~ sleeping,
– श्वसन् ~ breathing,
– प्रलपन् ~ talking.
So, whatever you are doing, you may be doing all these activities, but you are really not doing anything.
Then,
विसृजन् ~ releasing,
गृह्ण्न् ~ grasping
उन्मिषन् (open eyes), निमिषन् (close eyes)~ blinking
So, whether you are a कर्मयोगी or a संन्यासी, all these कर्म-s we are doing on a regular basis.
And with these kinds of कर्म, what is happening?
The various इन्द्रियाणि i.e. the various sense organs~ कर्मेन्द्रिय (organs of action) and ज्ञानेन्द्रिय (organs of knowledge). What do they do? They interact with different sense objects. That’s प्रकृति, that’s the material cause pervaded by the intelligent cause, so when something is interacting with something. Because of प्रकृति, you are interacting with your partner and people at work and so on, so lots of कर्म happening, very busy time of the year.
So whether it is a busy time of the year, or not so busy, you are not affected by कर्म |
Oh but the venture you started did not work. Oh, okay. The venture may not work, but I work. The venture does not define me. So we really have to dwell on this- that कर्मफल, the outcome of an action, what we might consider as success or failure, is an event in time, it does not define me. We have to dwell on this. Because we do define ourselves by some key events that have happened in our lives, and however that event worked out. So it could be the job, it could be the relationship, it could be the academic accolade, so whatever, something will be there. And that’s good to describe oneself. Not define. There is a difference. What you are defined by is something that is intrinsic to you. No matter what happens, this is how you are. Description can change- now you are with Company A, then you are with Company B. Or you too have joined the great resignation. So, whatever it is, it’s just an event.
So,
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त – sense organs are interacting with the world.
But the person knows very clearly,
इति धारयन् – fully understood, grasped, assimilated,
What does the person understand? That, I don’t do anything.
So though व्यवहारिक-ly/functionally one does, I know that I am the आत्मा, which was never the कर्ता, never the भोक्ता | The nature of the आत्मा is clear.
Then what did the कर्म, who did the कर्म?
So this name & form that is interacting with other names and forms, some play/drama is going on. And I make a drama of the existing drama, and I enjoy it.
So sometimes more activity, sometimes less activity, either way I am free.
We want to be free from कर्म because कर्म affects us.
So by replacing our कर्तृत्वम् with ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि:, I take the sting off of कर्म |
By replacing my भोक्तृत्वम्, my sense of experiencing~ good bad ugly, with प्रसाद बुद्धि:, a greater sense of acceptance, or an acceptance of the resistance that I have etc. is there. Then what? Then the sting of- ‘it affects me’, and ‘why me’ etc., that also eases.
Then reality becomes more clear to me. A lot of the work in वेदान्त is really the lifestyle of कर्मयोग | Otherwise, the Truth is very, very simple.
The work is not something that you signed up for- I wanted सच्चिदानन्द, so what is all this अंतःकरणशुद्धि ?
So I didn’t know that I had to work so hard on this. Well, that’s what it is. It’s easy, it may be difficult also. But anyway the good news is that I am the आत्मा | So, कर्म I may struggle a little bit with, and then in time, it’s a breeze.
Situations and people that we feel closely connected to-
– Swaminiji, गुरुपरम्परा, शास्त्र-study, वेदान्त, spiritual growth, Self
– देवता-s, ऋषि-s
– people who have a similar pursuit
– family~ husband/wife, children, parents, siblings
– money, income
– career
– learning
– friends
– ईश्वर
– environment; living in a sustainable way
– music
– places
– house
– duties
– health~ working towards improving one’s health, and taking care of one’s body
– values~ धर्म
What is connection?
– That which is important to me.
– There is involvement/attachment in that particular area.
– I spend time & effort to sustain the involvement.
– There is a sense of seamlessness/effortlessness.
– I am emotionally involved i.e. it preoccupies my mind & energy.
So also, it can bring disturbance if I experience disconnection.
– Similarity/oneness, e.g. I feel connected to nature (plants/trees) as I understand that they are also made of the same पञ्चमहाभूत-s as me, so I see similarity; though I express चैतन्य more than they do.
– Cause & effect ~ the effect of being impelled to do something; a cause that brings the inclination to do something, e.g. to take care of my parents. It may not be the natural order, but there is some cause causing the inclination/effect.
– When you are connected with your heart to something.
You are devoted so there is no limit, one will do everything.
You don’t see any difference between oneself and the object of connection, because one’s heart is so much in it. In that devotion, there is no difference.
– It is fulfillment. It is to fulfill that part~ person, situation, event, which I feel is not complete.
Time & effort is a by-product of connection.
One thinks that that person, object, situation completes one. Through that connection, one is seeking oneness.
– Connection is a means/ साधना for fulfillment.
– Recognition of the oneness of all names & forms as a manifestation of चैतन्य | The interconnectedness/interdependence of all beings. The underlying reality is that oneness which is all-pervading, नित्यम्, शुद्धम् |
– The sense of gratitude makes you connected to everybody- parents, friends, गुरु | Because they have given you something that gives you inner pleasure, there is connection/gratitude.
E.g. At work, one’s sense of gratitude of being paid keeps one connected, even if one dislikes the boss,
or parents have given birth to you and taken care of you, so there is connection/gratitude.
Also, e.g. when one is connected with nature, at that moment neither am I giving to nature, nor is nature giving. There is only the pleasure of seeing and recognizing that God has created everything- blowing winds, showering clouds, flowering & fruit-giving trees. So at that time gratitude is expressed, and that is how one is connected.
Also through this exercise, one insight was on the changing nature and impermanence of our connections.
One can recognize that one cannot depend on any connection upon seeing the changing nature of the connection, as the connection will change according to whatever is happening.
What one feels most connected to changes with time, e.g. in the exercise, the thickness of the line drawn to a given connection changes with time.
In the last two मंत्र-s (४ & ५), we have looked at the nature of the आत्मा that is I, and the words that were used were as though contradictory.
Now in मंत्र ६ & ७, the सर्वात्मा भाव, or rather the ज्ञानफल is being mentioned.
It’s very similar to a familiar श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता verse.
* मंत्र ६ *
यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मन्येवानुपश्यति ।
सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते ॥ ६॥
अनुपश्यति – the wise person sees.
Here, ‘sees’ is not just पश्यति | भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य explains अनु-पश्यति~ शास्त्र आचार्य उपदेशात् |
So because of the शास्त्र and the teachings within the शास्त्र that are rendered by the गुरु,
आत्मनि एव सर्वाणि भूतानि |
So, the आत्मा that was defined in the last two मंत्र-s,
all beings- सर्वाणि भूतानि |
This ‘सर्वाणि भूतानि’ is always explained as ब्रह्म-स्तम्ब-पर्यन्तम् |
So ‘ब्रह्म’ means from ब्रह्म-जी onwards. So ब्रह्म-जी is still a function and a manifestation.
‘स्तम्ब-पर्यन्तम्’ ~ to a blade of grass.
So, the wise person sees that all the way, all beings are in the आत्मा |
Then further, सर्वभूतेषु आत्मानम् – आत्मा is present in all the beings.
So, again, just in case we tried to localize the आत्मा, and say that- oh, in all the beings आत्मा is present, then how about outside of the beings?
Oh, well- सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मनि एव |
So I-the आत्मा include all names and forms.
And what is the result of that?
न विजुगुप्सते – there is no hatred for anyone. The person does not hate.
One will not hate a stranger. If we look back into our own lives, if at all we have hated anyone or had an intense dislike towards someone, it is because at some point in time we really liked that person. Or we expected some validation, some approval, some respect from that person, but it didn’t come. And then that person became an object of me not being pleased with the situation, and then I projected dislike onto that person.
So here all beings, referring to all names and forms, they are present in the आत्मा |
It’s similar to this verse from श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता-
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शन: ॥ – ६.२९
So this language of apparent contradiction is being used.
कारणम्-कार्यम् is being referred to here.
See, is there a need to really talk about आत्मा and सर्वभूता: ?
There is.
Because our connection- strong connection, mild connection, or disconnection, is to all the beings. And our experience very often is our reality.
So what is inherent in this connection? That सर्वभूतानि (all beings), they are नामरूप |
Oh, you have reduced my connection to नामरूप ? It has not been reduced, that’s what it is.
And that नामरूप is a कार्यम्, it is an effect.
So all the beings have come from आत्मा |
In this context, आत्मा becomes the कारणम् | Everything else is कार्यम् |
Then what is this great connection between सर्वभूतानि and आत्मा ?
We will say- oh, it is cause-effect. Cause-effect means cause and effect.
So, gold and ornaments have an equal status of reality. There are two things and they are connected.
Then if we look at only the ornaments~ only the जगत्, only all the भूत-s,
where the कार्यम्(effect) is, there the cause is.
Is the cause sitting independently of the effect? Never.
सर्वभूतानि-आत्मा – where the नामरूप/कार्यम्/effect is, the cause is.
In fact the कार्यम्/the ornaments/all the भूतानि-s, they cannot exist without कारणम् i.e. the आत्मा |
So really, are we talking about a cause and effect relationship? Because when you inquire into the cause-effect relationship, the effect falls apart. The effect falls apart means it resolves in the cause.
Ornaments resolve in gold. In fact, there is nothing really called ornament from the standpoint of gold.
There is nothing really substantial about all these moving bodies of matter/energy/modification, or whatever you may call them.
What are all these bodies of matter? – is the आत्मा i.e. कारणम् |
So from the standpoint of the आत्मा, there are no भूतानि-s whatsoever.
The भूत-s(beings) can manifest, they need not manifest, some continue to remain unmanifest.
Gold continues to be gold, whether it is made into a necklace, or a bangle, or it is a biscuit.
And if it gets made/manifested into many, many, many forms, still it’s fine. Gold remains as gold.
आत्मा continues to be what it is, what I am.
So all the beings, सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मनि,
without the आत्मा, all the beings have no substantiality.
Then, where are they? Where are all the beings?
We say in the आत्मा, or आत्मा is the आधार of everything.
So the entire जगत् is कार्यम्/product/effect, आत्मा is कारणम् – I.
Even for स्वप्न, even for my dream, I am the कारणम् for it, whatever the intelligence and material that is there.
And we have to look at it both ways.
आत्मा that pervades all the beings, and आत्मा that accommodates all the beings, that is me.
So the disconnection that I experience, as well as the connection that I experience with people, what is that related to? I have to inquire into this.
So the exercise we did before also highlights for me the contributing factors to the connections that I have.
It’s all laws of कर्म | And of course it’s the play of प्रकृति | The गुण-s are there, so we feel more connected to certain activities, to certain people, to certain objects.
Again, at different phases of life, we have been differently connected, differently involved with all of these things.
So my connections with things, situations, people, does it exclude the rest of the जगत् ? Hypothetically, suppose I had more connections i.e. I felt more connected with a few more things, would the peace and happiness I experience, would that be more?
Because as mentioned previously, with connection/involvement, there is also certain upset that comes along. If there are moments of disconnection, despite my best effort, time, energy, there is not enough harmony.
So, for अनुपश्यति i.e. the one who sees,
that I am present as आत्मा in all beings and all beings are in me,
the question of hatred does not arise.
There is no one to hate actually.
This fifth chapter of संन्यास-योग: is a further elaboration on Chapter Four where the nature of the आत्मा is unfolded and we understand that ज्ञानेन कर्म संन्यास |
So, कर्म is really not a problem, although it feels like a problem for a lot of us- to do, or not to do, or to do differently continues to be a perennial question. But that’s going to be the struggle as long as I identify myself as the कर्ता/doer.
So this identity as a doer, is what the विचार is into. Actually, it is आत्मा विचार |
But this doer who seeks to be significant, who seeks to have the need for approval met, who wants to achieve X-Y-Zed in life, this doer believes that by doing कर्म, different kinds of कर्म~ वैदिक कर्म (enjoined by the वेदस्), लौकिक कर्म, any kind of other exalted karma, that I will be okay, that my sense of inadequacy will go away. And that’s why we are furiously thinking about how to refine our कर्म | And then if you have a self-critic who is very much there for most people particularly वेदान्त students, so you will convert all knowledge into criticism of oneself. So that’s not helpful at all.
So recognizing the nature of the आत्मा, while doing कर्म also, one is free from कर्तृत्वम् | Free from कर्तृत्वम् means that one was always free from कर्तृत्वम् | It is not that you evolve with your साधना, that after doing a lot, then you finally retire. Then somebody will say only fools retire, what retirement? There is no retirement for me, I’m always involved in something or the other.
So generally how we look at कर्म~ Oh, at the end of the day, now relax, it’s been so hectic, so hectic. End of career, retirement, a reduction in कर्म | So our orientation is that a reduction in कर्म may be a reduction in कर्तृत्वम् (sense of doer-ship). But here again and again भगवान् emphasizes that कर्म is not opposed to ज्ञानम् | What is opposed to ज्ञानम् is the sense of कर्तृत्वम् that is born of अविद्या | If the sense of कर्तृत्वम् was real, then let us not struggle against it, let us reconcile with it. Okay, I have to do, it’s okay, I will struggle with my inadequacy, I will work on my self-esteem, all those things we can do, for lifetime to lifetime to lifetime, we can do. But कर्तृत्वम् is a temporary, temporal identity that is based on taking oneself as the body-mind-sense-complex only.
And so we get a glimpse of the fact that I am not the कर्ता because of the experience of deep sleep. I’m absolutely fine. No problem. A lot of us think we are indispensable. You really want to know how indispensable you are? You put your finger in a bucket of water and take it out. That’s how indispensable we are.
But without me nothing will happen etcetera, etcetera. Really, things may suffer a little bit here and there, but nothing much.
So, continuing with the theme of आत्मा being अकर्ता (never the doer), He speaks about what comes with कर्तृत्वम्-भोक्तृत्वम्, which is पुण्य & पाप, and that one is not affected by it. So he’s giving an example also, so that we are able to assimilate it better.
* श्लोक १० *
ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति य: ।
लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ॥ १०॥
ब्रह्मणि आधाय कर्माणि – all कर्म-s that are offered unto ब्रह्मन्,
How?
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा – giving up your सङ्ग i.e. रागद्वेष |
य: करोति – the one who,
gives up सङ्गं, and offers कर्म unto ब्रह्मन्,
न लिप्यते – is not affected.
But, first of all, I have very limited things and now you are asking me to offer, what shall I offer?
Also, I will offer something to someone who doesn’t have it.
So let’s say I have extra clothes, and maybe I want to dispose of it, because new ones have to come in. Or, I say- Oh, somebody will benefit, so I will give it away. So then that person doesn’t have the clothes that the person needs, and I offer it, I give it away. So, because of somebody else’s lack I make an offering.
Now what is the offering to be made unto ब्रह्मन्? Has ब्रह्मन्/ईश्वर asked me- Give me your wealth, surrender unto me, all that you have you please give me. No. Then what is the surrender we are talking about? What is this offering that we are talking about? Why to offer? What to offer?
When we do कर्म, we generally will offer it unto the altar of रागद्वेष | I want this outcome, whatever be the outcome. Therefore I am doing the कर्म | Fine. Thankfully at least you are clear about what you want, and that itself is quite something. Very good. Go for it.
Then, I rub against the order. Because suppose the result is not according to what I want.
Then I am frustrated. Then I go into a spiral of why this happened to me, why it did not happen to me. Why am I being denied despite all my effort, despite me being such a good person? Etcetera, etcetera.
So, the कर्मफल that I got in the form of a situation, a person’s reaction to me, or my own reaction to myself, I am not okay with it. I am resisting the order.
Suppose I’m looking for a partner. And then I did not get the kind of response I was hoping for. कर्मफल not up to expectation. What shall we do now? So there might be many reasons why the response did not come. One way is saying- oh what is deficient in me, what more I could have done etcetera, etcetera. Or you say, dump this person. Forget it. I am not worth this person. Something, however you deal with it. If my reaction to this situation persists for a very, very, very long time and I am repeating and regurgitating what could have happened, why it happened, why it should not have happened, etcetera, etcetera, then, on the face of it, I’m not happy with the result.
But the laws of कर्म that shape the result, that is what I am really resisting. Why? Because everything should be according to what I want. And there are 7 billion of us at least on this earth, and therefore, our matrix of कर्म interconnects and very often it might be in opposition.
For example- the child wants to play, but the mother wants the child to do homework. Look at the wonderful clash that happens on a day to day basis in some households. I want my daughter to keep the room clean, that’s the least I can expect after all that we do for you, and when I walk into the setup, it is stinking, etc, etc. So everything I’ve tried- I’ve persuaded, I’ve cajoled, I’ve threatened and complained, everything I’ve tried but nothing works. What shall we do? Reaction, build up.
So whatever be the कर्म, सर्वाणि कर्माणि in all your roles, you focus on what you need to do and offer it to भगवान्/ब्रह्मणि/ईश्वर/ब्रह्मन् with प्रासाद बुद्धि: | Because one way of talking about giving up results is that you’re fine with whatever results come your way. Fine means that you will not be absolutely fine. More or less okay. You are not defining yourself by the outcome of a situation. You see different situations, different results, they come and go and that’s okay. That’s all laws of कर्म and laws of कर्म are really भगवान् | Or, laws of कर्म are धर्म, and for us धर्म is not a mandate that is to be imposed upon us externally. Although there could be do’s and don’ts, the voice of धर्म is in your heart. That’s why the satisfaction of doing the right thing is there for all of us, irrespective of cultures, irrespective of age and stage in life. That we naturally want to do what is right. We feel we are integrated, we are okay, when we have done what is right. Although it may not be very popular sometimes, but it’s okay.
So, the offering is a recognition that all कर्म is possible because of धर्म, and धर्म includes the ability to do the कर्म, because you’re talking about laws. E.g. in the simple action of raising your arm, in that itself there is the धर्म of the hand, with so many muscles and organs of the body involved to make this action possible. And then there is the result- I wanted to raise it only so much, so only that much it has raised. But you ask people who are undergoing physiotherapy for a frozen shoulder. The person is saying- Lift, lift, lift. But the person can’t lift. What do you mean lift? No, I just cannot.
So the offering is unto धर्म, and धर्म is ईश्वर | So every कर्म is your worship. Naturally, you’re not going to offer anything rotten. You are going to offer something which involves your कौशलम् | You try your best, no half hearted attempts.
So because you don’t have सङ्ग to your रागद्वेष, you’re not nurturing your रागद्वेष | रागद्वेष is there, and भगवान् श्री कृष्ण never says do not have रागद्वेष | He doesn’t say that you are doomed if you have रागद्वेष | There is a recognition that everyone has some or the other रागद्वेष, no problem. And so we need not judge ourselves on the basis of our रागद्वेष | We tend to do that. This is why this is being emphasized.
E.g. I still want to have a successful career, or I want to have a child, or I want to marry, or I want to remarry, or I want the promotion, or whatever it is. You have the राग | Great. Fantastic. It’s all धर्म, अर्थ, काम | Then you work for it with सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा |
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा is not giving up attachment.
Because I wanted it, therefore I’m working for it. E.g. so much effort to get a job and despite the effort, jobs are not coming by easily these days.
So the सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा is giving up this attachment to the रागद्वेष |
Yes, the राग is there, and I work for it, I align it to धर्म and I trust that this offering of mine will be accepted. So then, so much of the resistance has dropped. Because a lot of our conflicts are because of resistance. We don’t want things to be how they are, situations to be how they are, people to be how they are. And closer home, I don’t want myself to be the way I am, I wish I was different etc. etc.
So this is the सङ्ग to रागद्वेष – This is how it should be. Why is it different? I don’t want it to be different etc., etc.
Because all the way you start with रागद्वेष; the biggest राग is that I am a कर्ता – see what all I achieved etc. etc.
So, in giving up कर्तृत्वम्, so you offer your कर्म, in other words you surrender, and therefore you are not affected by any पाप or पुण्य |
पुण्य is not specifically mentioned here, but you are not affected by पाप i.e. any kind of suffering.
Now another very beautiful metaphor is given. So the leaf of a lotus, when you try sprinkling water on it, these very beautiful translucent drops are perfectly formed. And then you can see the reflection of the surroundings in those drops if you look really closely~ very beautiful.
So the lotus continues to be in the water, in the pond, in the muck. At the same time it is untouched. The leaves are untouched.
And this is a very popular metaphor to indicate that one can be in the world but be untouched by the world. One need not go away, or one need not be so steeped in it that you drown, but you can be untouched. Untouched means not affected by whatever situations one faces because that is really पुण्य-पाप that is unfolding.
Some aches and pains- suddenly one fall, some fracture, some sprain. Or some attempt at hacking your account. Some little दु:ख/पाप, the person is not affected.
Basically the person is not affected by कर्मफल is what is being highlighted here.
So, do not convert this into saying that from now onwards, success or failure will not affect me. No. Don’t do that.
That you, however you interact and receive whatever you think is success and failure, learn to be compassionate to yourself. This is a very important lesson we all have to learn.
And actually, the good news is that we are supremely compassionate to our tongue. If accidentally, you sipped a very hot cup of coffee, or accidentally while biting into a chakli you bit your tongue. So chomp, chomp, chomp, and then you bit your tongue. What do you do?
How dare my tongue come in between, it should not have come in between. It has been moving around in my mouth for so many years, has it not learned the lessons of how it has to behave? Etc. Do you do such drama? No. You just say- oh, I better be more careful next time. That’s all. Are you going to dwell on it? Oh, you know, five years ago, my tongue came in between my teeth, and my teeth thankfully are sharp. And I was hurt. My tongue was hurt and I should not be hurt, and so much hurt was caused.
So, the mind is also part of you. Sometimes it will move in certain directions, you may not be happy with it. Maybe some course correction is required. It’s okay, relax. If you can be compassionate to your tongue, which is so brilliant in the way it works- just look at it, when you’re singing, when you’re eating, when you’re talking, when you’re breathing, or doing प्राणायाम and all that, it moves very differently at different times. It just obeys the master, and it’s not like you’re consciously thinking of how you want to move the tongue when you are sipping coffee vis-à-vis eat
0 Comments
thanks….ganpati smiles by removing all obstacles and difficulties from our path and assist us to deal with experiences good, bad ugly.
Thanks
As a Newbie, I am continuously browsing online for articles that can benefit me. Thank you!
Pranams at your lotus feet Swaminiji 🙌🙏🥰 Wonderful!
Thanks for the wonderful information
HarihOm
Bhagvan Ram was Maryada purushottam. His entire life he stood by what he said and never did anything against dharma.
🌟Danyavadah🌟
A beautiful ritual of realisation of auspiciousness … always thankful for your sharings as sometimes I am bewildered by it all Namaskaram 🙏
Pranams Swaminji B 🙏
This is so exciting for me as the last 5 years I have been trying to “nut” out what are the Vedas/what is Vedanta, how do I make sense of it all etc., how do I find the linkage required to enhance my personal self-growth and so on.
Now, being more relaxed after my Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Anaikatti experience, I am so grateful, with the grace of Isvara to have found, dare I say my Guru, thank you for reaffirming my gradual (very slow understandings).
I seem to always start things backwards, or too far ahead of my qualifications. Now I feel that Taitiriya Upanishad is going to really ground me in a way to clarify the bits and pieces already pursued all the way from my 20’s … Guru Purnima blesses my 65th year.
I find this lay out to be exceptional by the way.
Harih Om
Dhanyavadah
With love
Renate
Thank you for being the first to offer comments 🙂
Renate, you are blessed in so many ways.
I am happy that you like the layout
good intentions are always needed while starting something a fresh
with prayers
sudhakar
Yes. Well said!
Wow! I used to chant this in school (Chinmaya Mission) This has taken me back to my childhood. Lovely
Wonderful
Namaste! Kindly add me to the GIta-Amrtam channel. Look forward to being assigned a group for the completion of the exercise. Thank you
How do I join the slack channel?
You ‘ve been added
Definition is limiting in a way
Awesome presentation Swamini! Thank you!
Dear Swamini B,
Your student Rashmi with whom I learnt the 16 step puja just posted your meditation. It is outstanding. Profound. I shall go back again to assimilate the wisdom inherent in the simple words you share.
I’ve had a relapse into depressive symptoms and this seems to address those symptoms and give the most beautiful, accommodative context: abiding awareness.
My symptoms are worse in the morning.
I shall listen again then to see the effect.
Have you addressed depression exclusively in any of your previous River of Wisdom talks?
Thankyou for today’s sharing on Abiding Awareness.
Namaste
Philip
philipgatt@yahoo.com.au
Thank you Phil. I am sure it is a phase and we can deal with it.
Writing to you by email.
Outstanding!
“There is nothing to reject” A very powerful reminder. Thank you Swamini.
Wonderful discussion. This idea was so very insightful and helpful: ‘With a very strong karta and subjective view of the world (seeing my roles and actions as defining ‘me’ and are the source of my self worth), we will make Vedanta another achievement to be pursued’
‘Awareness has no experience. All experience exists in awareness.’
🙏
Harih Om … Namaskaram Swaminiji B … no matter how many times I chant/listen these openings prayers I feel so blessed …
Wonderful..you are blessed
Thanks for sharing this enlightening post. That the Ego cannot stand self-examination or self-inquiry, was the most insightful message for me. It is no wonder why most of us evade it and so avoid places and people which force us to direct our vision inwards. We would rather be busy, buried under performance and peer pressures than give ourselves moments to introspect on matters of self.
It is no wonder Vedanta hinges on relentless questioning and the relationship between the teacher and student. 🙏🏻
Hi. I do not have access to the replay. Even after signing in and giving password for replay. Looking forward to speedy resolution of the same. Thanks and regards
Sorry about that Neelu. The course can be retaken a few times. So not sure why this problem was faced. Please try and again.
Let me know if it does not work. Thanks
Dear Swamini ji, it’s still showing the same – not allowing access. Maybe my account has not been updated with the payment ? Even if i retake it the same could happen. Please do see what can be done (in my first query email i had asked also if my login account would be updated with purchase and in my courses also it does not reflect. yet) . Regards
Things have become such that the site is not even asking for access password but getting it here only. And itis not reflecting in my orders either
Thank you so much Swamini Ji! With the second solution provided i am now able to access the replays.
“She was lovable and worthy of all appreciation. No conditions attached.” This says it all. 🙂 I see myself in Meena for sure. External praise and kindness from others are easily dismissed if I can’t give this to myself first. Such a simple idea but I think is the heart of the matter for so many people. Thank you Swaminiji!
What a gift it is – not only listen to the gem on Podcast and also get the transcripts.
Hari Om.
This is a summary of the first 10 minutes of class, including the story, for quick reference.
The king of a particular kingdom is very upset by the level of corruption in the kingdom, and is not able to find out who is really involved. He speaks to his ministers to try to find a solution. One of his ministers has a seemingly strange plan, but the king is willing to go along with this, and do whatever it takes, because the coffers are being depleted. The plan is that a tank should be constructed at the top of a hill, and an announcement is made to the villagers that on Amavasya, one representative from each home should carry a glass of milk and pour it into the tank. So on Amavasya, one member of each family walks up the hill with a covered glass, climbs the ladder on the side of the tank, opens the lid of the tank, and pour the contents of their glass into the tank. Then, at dawn on the following morning, there is a town meeting on the hill at the tank. The lead minister goes up the ladder and peers into the tank and gasps. The intrigued king decides to climb the ladder to find out what is in the tank. When the king looks into the tank, he only sees water, there is no milk. The king exclaimed that there were clear orders for each family to put milk in the tank, yet no one put milk in the tank. The king understood that the finger could not be pointed at anyone in particular. No one was willing to do what was instructed by the court/kingdom. All the villagers bowed their heads in shame, no one could meet the eyes of the king. A little boy in the crowd offered the king an explanation- Because my family thought that another family would pour milk, we did not put any milk.
So this is the sentiment- I do not need to contribute because someone else will contribute, or because I have been denied. So one does not contribute time, effort, attention, or resources. So one should do introspection and ask oneself~ What is my duty in the context of different relationships? Is there a tendency to be half-hearted? What do I need to do? Not hide behind another person.
So, one may have varied reasons why one does not do karma.
Bhagavan Shri Krishna tells that one should not hide or dodge responsibility.
I have a particular slot in the larger scheme of things. And if I do not do, who will do?
ॐ
कर्म योग is a wonderful साधन for a happy mind and a productive & fulfilling व्यवहार experience.
Thank you for गीता अमृतम् Swaminiji 🙂
कर्म योग
कर्म is inevitable.
One may have romantic ideas about reducing कर्म, because कर्म comes with baggage and one does not want baggage.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: explains that शरीरयात्र (श्लोक ८) is not possible without कर्म |
But कर्म can feel like a burden, with a long ever-growing to-do list of pending activities/responsibilities, and only temporary solutions. So, one may feel that one has not done enough, or that one is not enough.
Everyone experiences this burden of कर्म | The fisherwoman on the bus, who has a heavy basket of fish on her head, refuses to put it down. She keeps the heavy basket on her head thinking- it is my basket of fish, and if I do not carry it, then the train will have to carry my basket. She does not consider that the train is that which is carrying her from one point to the next.
In the same way, the train is the flowing blessings of ईश्वर | And one stands with one’s basket of कर्म, thinking – I am the one who has to do it all, I am never enough, I feel so exhausted/tired.
But, really this heavy basket of कर्म that one thinks that one cannot put down, is actually fully pervaded by भगवान् | The carried basket of कर्म, the different types of कर्म performed, the laws of कर्म are all shaped by भगवान्, and the results of कर्म is also all भगवान् |
So, if one puts the basket down, the train is not going to feel the burden.
This is the transformation from कर्म to कर्म योग | It is the surrender to भगवान्, with the understanding that one is able to do कर्म thanks to भगवान्, and that one gets पुन्य or पापा, with resultant happiness/sorrow due to भगवान् |
So, one need not feel the weight of the basket, as one has learnt to put it down by understanding that the train/ईश्वर that is carrying one, will also carry the heavy basket.
But this basket/कर्म gives one an identity/sense of significance, so one holds on to it for dear life. However, this very basket/कर्म becomes बन्धन, if कर्म is not transformed to कर्म योग |
श्लोक १०
सहयज्ञा: प्रजा: सृष्ट्वा पुरोवाच प्रजापति: ।
अनेन प्रसविष्यध्वमेष वोऽस्त्विष्टकामधुक् ॥ १०॥
यज्ञ in this श्लोक is another word for कर्म योग |
पुर – at the beginning,
प्रजापति: – Lord Brahma-ji, the creator i.e. the function of भगवान् involved in manifestation.
प्रजा: सृष्ट्वा – having created these different beings,
then Lord Brahma-ji also created यज्ञ, and then He said,
अनेन – by this, i.e. by this यज्ञ i.e. by worshipful/reverential कर्म / कर्म योग,
प्रसविष्यध्वम् – may you multiply.
May this यज्ञ be इष्टकामधुक् – something that you like and may this यज्ञ/कर्म योग be like a wish-fulfilling cow.
OR
Let this Knowledge of ब्रह्मन्, fulfill all your desires.
In the वैदिक lifestyle, there are certain संस्कार-s/rites of passage/milestones which are performed for purification/seeking blessings.
So, यज्ञ refers to all these कर्म-s presented in the कर्म काण्ड portion of the वेद |
So, if one wants something, one can do regular क्रिया and get the result.
However, by doing one’s कर्म which is enjoined by the वेद, it enhances the results of कर्म that one is already getting.
Nowadays, most do secular rituals, e.g. a birthday is incomplete without a cake being cut. So just as these rituals carry meaning, so too by understanding the significance of the वैदिक ritual, it becomes meaningful. For instance, there are rituals for the act of conception, before a mother becomes pregnant, when a child’s hair is first cut, when the child’s first solid food is eaten. Also, the child’s start of the study of वेदान्त is an important milestone, and usually occurs between 8-11years and is marked by the initiation into the Gayatri Mantra.
So, different rituals/mantras to be chanted are present in the वेद, and this was revealed along with the manifestation of this creation.
The ऋषि-s did not compose the वेद; the वेद was revealed through the ऋषि-s.
So, along with this manifestation, the वेद which was unmanifest was revealed to those who were eligible i.e. the ऋषि-s. And the rituals revealed form the कर्म काण्ड portion of the वेद |
Kamadhenu was the wish-fulfilling cow of the great ऋषि Vasishta. When King Vishvamitra came to the forest with his retinue, they became tired & hungry, so unannounced they sought the hospitality of Sage Vasishta. Due to His wish-fulfilling cow, ऋषि Vasishta was able to receive the King and his entourage graciously and serve them a bountiful platter. (अतिथिदेवो भव – treat the unannounced guest as God) The King was surprised that such a lean ऋषि living in the forest could supply such a grand meal. Upon questioning, Sage Vasishta revealed that He had a cow called Kamadhenu. Obviously, King Vishvamitra wanted the cow, but Sage Vasishta explained that the cow only yielded to ऋषि-s of his calibre. So, King Vishvamitra did a lot of तपस् and became a great ऋषि; but of course, at that point He did not care for Kamadhenu.
So too, Kamadhenu is present in the वेद | So whatever कर्मफल is desired, by doing that specific कर्म enjoined by the वेद, one can have it all.
However, with the disposition of कर्म योग, whether one gets the desired result/not, one is okay with whatever is.
So, success when performing कर्म is getting items ticked off of a to-do list, whereas success in कर्म योग is being okay with whatever the result is, knowing that it is प्रासाद from भगवान् |
Therefore, यज्ञ is an important part of one’s life-
~ converting कर्म into कर्म योग, as well as
~ the कर्म mentioned in the कर्म काण्ड portion of the वेद which helps in (i) fulfilling one’s wishes, as well as (ii) one’s rites of passage.
श्लोक ११
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु व: ।
परस्परं भावयन्त: श्रेय: परमवाप्स्यथ ॥ ११॥
भगवान् now talks of the देवता-s/presiding deities i.e. the intelligence that makes everything possible.
So, by the कर्म rituals, one is making offerings to the देवता-s.
Therefore, may one make these offerings to the देवता-s.
And, as a result of which, may those देवता-s also propitiate one.
So, the principle of reciprocity is highlighted. Reciprocity is a fundamental aspect of धर्म |
Therefore, a balance must be seen between what is given and what is received.
And so, it is not that there are inert laws of nature, rather there is an intelligent cause who is भगवान्, with different deities/heads of department responsible for different phenomena. In this way there is enforcement & application of the laws of nature.
So, may one recognize the presence of these presiding deities.
If one does not recognize these presiding deities, still water flows for one, wind blows for one etc.
But, with their recognition, one feels more connected to the entirety, and it is part of one’s sacred responsibility to acknowledge the different देवता-s for all things that one gets.
So, the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता which is the essence of the वेद, milked by भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:, tells us that which cannot be known by direct perception or inference.
Here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: tells of the presiding deities that are responsible for all various phenomena, who are to be propitiated.
And because this is a relationship of reciprocity, one will gain the greatest good by doing things for the other i.e. for the देवता-s.
The देवता-s are not demanding, but by making offerings to them, one feels connected to the total, and also gains पुन्य |
So, may one do this देव-यज्ञ |
One has the freedom to relate to any देवता, in any way that one wishes ~ as a friend, child, teacher etc.
One may have a इष्टदेवता that one prays to every day.
Then, there is a कुलदेवता, who is the deity of the family.
Also, there is a ग्रामदेवता, the deity worshipped by a community, and who blesses the community in that form.
श्लोक १२
इष्टान्भोगान्हि वो देवा दास्यन्ते यज्ञभाविता: ।
तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते स्तेन एव स: ॥ १२॥
By propitiating/worshipping these देवता-s by यज्ञ~ puja, prayer conversation etc., what is desired (इष्टान्भोगान्) will be given to you.
One can pray to any deity, whenever one likes. For instance, Lord Ganesha can be prayed to, for removal of obstacles. Or for योग or वेदान्त study, one can pray to Lord Shiva.
But really, one can pray to any deity, as this specific deity becomes भगवान् for one.
By praying to any देवता, one is invoking the whole i.e. all of भगवान् | E.g. touching the finger of the friend seated next to me in the cinema, invokes the attention of the entire friend.
So, the trust & devotion to the देवता that one prays to, will bless one, of course taking into account the पुन्य and पापा कर्मफल in one’s account.
So, even though praying fervently to a given deity, due to पापा कर्मफल in one’s account, one may not receive the desired result, because of one’s choices in the past.
Then,
तैर्दत्तानप्रदायैभ्यो यो भुङ्क्ते – if one enjoys what is giving by the देवता-s, but does not offer anything in return i.e. there is no acknowledgement,
then one is as good as a स्तेन (thief).
A thief takes what is not his/hers and behaves like it is his/hers.
So, living life without acknowledging the role of the देवता-s, with a presumptuous sense of entitlement, this is synonymous to me being a thief.
श्लोक १३
यज्ञशिष्टाशिन: सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषै: ।
भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात् ॥ १३॥
Because one sees the presence of ईश्वर in all of one’s activities,
then, even in the mundane action of eating-
e.g. those who eat and first offer what they are eating to भगवान्,
then they are released from किल्बिष: i.e. the suffering which comes from पापा | So, there is पुन्य because of one’s recognition of भगवान् |
Then, those who eat/experience without first making an offering/acknowledging भगवान्, they gain पापा |
So, one says grace before meals, or chants –
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ ~ ४.२४
Or the traditional brahmana-s, put aside a little food, pray/offer, and then eat.
So, these activities encourage one’s expanding awareness that everything is interconnected.
This is beyond thanking those whose effort would have gone into the prepared meal- the farmer, the grocer, the cook. This is acknowledgement of the deities who preside over the entire process, so I thank/acknowledge them, and am grateful for the meal.
This makes one aware of those contributors to one’s life, with the acknowledgement of the reciprocity of different forms/functions.
And then, if one only does for oneself i.e. one is selfish, with no concept of doing for the other, strangely, one may have feelings of hurt, thinking that why have I not received more. So, one should do introspection if this is the case.
श्लोक १४
अन्नाद्भवन्ति भूतानि पर्जन्यादन्नसम्भव: ।
यज्ञाद्भवति पर्जन्यो यज्ञ: कर्मसमुद्भव: ॥ १४॥
From अन्नम् – food/rice,
भूतानि भवन्ति – living beings are borne.
Food is born of पर्जन्या – rain.
And according to वेद, rain is the product of यज्ञ |
So, the collective पुन्य of all people living in a specific location, means that a certain area is blessed with an adequate amount of rain, so that there is a good harvest and the people are nourished.
And पुन्य is borne of कर्म |
Therefore, there is no escape from कर्म |
So, doing the right कर्म in line with धर्म brings पुन्य/happiness to oneself & others.
श्लोक १५
कर्म ब्रह्मोद्भवं विद्धि ब्रह्माक्षरसमुद्भवम् ।
तस्मात्सर्वगतं ब्रह्म नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥ १५॥
The understanding of कर्म giving पुन्य & पापा and joy & sorrow respectively, comes from वेद |
The understanding of the different types of कर्म to be done, comes from ब्रह्म i.e. the वेद |
And the वेद comes from the one who is अक्षरम् i.e. the one who has no decline ~ ब्रह्मन् | In मुण्डक उपनिषद्, this word अक्षरम् is used to mean ब्रह्मन् |
Therefore, the वेद is a sacred & a valid means of knowledge.
तस्मात् – Therefore,
सर्वगतं ब्रह्म – the वेद abides in,
नित्यं यज्ञे प्रतिष्ठितम् – the कर्म that one does.
There can be the immediate experienced effect of कर्म i.e. दृष्ट फलम् |
Then, the unseen पुन्य or पापा that one accumulates is अदृष्ट फलम् |
One may ask, how is भगवान् present in पापा?
The law of कर्म is presided over by भगवान् |
E.g. the creator of the video game is not responsible for the choices/actions of the player of the video game.
The creator pervades the creation, just as one’s dream.
So all is भगवान् | भगवान् has created the law of कर्म, so both पुन्य and पापा, order & disorder is भगवान् |
This is because भगवान् is above order & disorder; cause & effect.
So, performance of कर्म is like eating noodles- one may try to eat one strand of noodle, but everything else on the plate comes along with that one strand. Similarly, though only doing one action, all पुन्य and पापा, सुख दु:ख come along.
Therefore, one should be more deliberate and conscious of the kind of कर्म that one does.
So, Sanatana Dharma teaches of action-consequence; there is no escape from the result of कर्म |
ॐ
Story
The king of a particular kingdom is very upset by the level of corruption in the kingdom, and is not able to find out who is really involved. He speaks to his ministers to try to find a solution. One of his ministers has a seemingly strange plan, but the king is willing to go along with this, and do whatever it takes, because the coffers are being depleted. The plan is that a tank should be constructed at the top of a hill, and an announcement is made to the villagers that on Amavasya, one representative from each home should carry a glass of milk and pour it into the tank. So, on Amavasya, one member of each family walks up the hill with a covered glass, climbs the ladder on the side of the tank, opens the lid of the tank, and pours the contents of their glass into the tank. Then, at dawn on the following morning, there is a town meeting on the hill at the tank. The lead minister goes up the ladder and peers into the tank and gasps. The intrigued king decides to climb the ladder to find out what is in the tank. When the king looks into the tank, he only sees water, there is no milk. The king exclaimed that there were clear orders for each family to put milk in the tank, yet no one put milk in the tank. The king understood that the finger could not be pointed at anyone in particular. No one was willing to do what was instructed by the court/kingdom. All the villagers bowed their heads in shame, no one could meet the eyes of the king. A little boy in the crowd offered the king an explanation- Because my family thought that another family would pour milk, we did not put any milk.
So, this is the sentiment- I do not need to contribute because someone else will contribute, or because I have been denied. Therefore, one does not contribute time, effort, attention, or resources. So, one should do introspection and ask oneself~ What is my duty in the context of different relationships? Is there a tendency to be half-hearted? What do I need to do? Not hide behind another person.
So, one may have varied reasons why one does not do karma.
Bhagavan Shri Krishna tells that one should not hide or dodge responsibility.
I have a particular slot in the larger scheme of things. And if I do not do, who will do?
श्लोक १६
एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं नानुवर्तयतीह य: ।
अघायुरिन्द्रियारामो मोघं पार्थ स जीवति ॥ १६॥
चक्रं ~ wheel i.e. the cosmic wheel ~ the धर्म of things and the laws of nature.
So, these are already set in motion and moving.
For instance, day turns into night, and then again into day, and so on.
But, one never thinks- what if the planet falls off its orbit? The earth is both rotating & revolving, but one does not worry about this, one just trusts in the धर्म/laws of nature.
So, this cosmic wheel is already in motion. And if one does not follow this wheel, and one does not make their contribution in their given time slot, or scheme of things where one is, then this is अघ |
अघ = पापा i.e. bad कर्म |
So, one lives a life of पापा by not doing what is supposed to be done.
Why?
This person is इन्द्रियाराम: i.e. one who is caught up with the pleasures of the senses, and is willing to do anything for this.
E.g. for the sake of my senses, one is willing to commit injury, like wearing animal fur coats.
So, the one who does not contribute to the चक्र that is already set in motion, is living a life of पापा, only caught up in the senses, and therefore a waste of life.
What is different from this person & an animal? One eats, drinks & procreates and that is all, and then life is over. And some justify this lifestyle.
But due to the धर्म in one’s heart, one feels uncomfortable with this type of behavior. Instinctively, there is this intelligence that lets us know what is the right thing to do, though one may not always go along with it.
श्लोक १७
यस्त्वात्मरतिरेव स्यादात्मतृप्तश्च मानव: ।
आत्मन्येव च सन्तुष्टस्तस्य कार्यं न विद्यते ॥ १७॥
The person spoken of in श्लोक १७,
contrasts the person who is caught up with the senses, who does not contribute due to inertia/laziness, only wants to hide under the carpet, or likes to behave helplessly.
One can have learned helplessness, e.g. with respect to technology there is an unwillingness to learn a new platform.
One is fearful of making a mistake when learning something new & different, and this prevents one from learning.
When one is fearful, one cannot learn; one needs to be relaxed in order to learn.
So, one has their own reasons for contributing more/less in a certain situation, for dodging responsibility.
If one steps up & stretches oneself, then one’s comfort zone increases.
Otherwise, one’s comfort zone becomes a conditioned zone, and then anything other than that comfort zone becomes threatening to one.
And it is okay to feel an initial uncomfortable feeling as one expands their comfort zone.
So, this person who does not pitch in as required, is contrasted with the one who is आत्मरति: i.e. the one who recognizes oneself as limitless and delights in the आनन्द that one is. This is the description of the स्थितप्रज्ञ |
Here, आत्मरति: does not refer to the personality- one is not delighting in one’s thoughts, emotions or desires. It is the one who delights in आत्मा as myself. This brings a deep sense of contentment, and one is आत्मा तृप्त: | There is no want for anything to be different.
As the wave, one always will feel less than and pushed around, so one has to establish one’s identity and negotiate terms etc..
Even if one were to become a tsunami wave, it will cause a lot havoc, and also it is only a temporary form.
With the shift in identity to I am water, I understand that I am the basis of the entire ocean; without me there is no form called as ocean. And with this understanding there is आत्मा तृप्त: |
So, for this ज्ञानी, who knows & delights in the self, there is a sense of complete contentment, with nothing to be done.
But we see the wise person ever engaged in a lot of projects.
कर्म is done for कर्मफल |
But, for the wise person कर्म is done for लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the well-being of others.
कर्म for the wise person is done out of fullness. There is nothing to be done for the sake of fullness, because one already knows one’s fullness.
But for the otherwise person i.e. the one ignorant of my true nature, कर्म is done for the sake of fullness- for अर्थ, काम, धर्म, and erroneously for मोक्ष |
We can relate to this doing कर्म out of fullness. For instance, when one sings in the shower, there is no judging, no ulterior motive, there is no agenda. One does this कर्म only out of delight, without wanting anything.
So, the ज्ञानी does out of one’s fullness. It does not matter if one’s contribution is valued/not, or if the help is not accepted.
For the योगी, the state of mind is very important.
योग as a dualistic system based on सांख्य, there is the belief that पुरुष(I-आत्मा) and प्रकृति (अनात्मा) are mixed and so we have to separate the two. This is not the absolute teaching of वेदान्त |
Because, here one wants to be free from a second real entity i.e. अनात्मा e.g. in the form of disturbing thoughts.
So then one does कर्म turning inward and plays with the mind, e.g. by turning on music to calm the mind.
But here द्वैतम् is maintained between me & the disturbing thoughts.
Therefore, this is not a wise person.
Then, contrary to the inward योगी, the भोगी is always in pursuit of ‘external’ भोग for the sake of fullness.
And then the रोगी is the one who is always talking about what disease they have.
So, the योगी, भोगी, रोगी are not wise/आत्मरति: |
The योगी is obsessed with their internal landscape. The भोगी is obsessed with sense pleasure. And the रोगी is obsessed with health.
So, these should not be confused with a wise person / the goal of वेदान्त |
So, कार्यं न विद्यते –
For the ज्ञानी, कर्म is not done for the sake of fullness.
This is because कर्तृत्वम् (the sense of doer-ship) is recognized to be मिथ्या |
कर्मफल is only for the कर्ता, the one whose identity is that I am the doer wanting experience.
When this कर्ता identity has been falsified, because कर्तृत्वम् is recognized to not be absolutely real, only a temporary identity,
one recognizes that between thoughts/actions I am there as limitlessness,
and really, I am a limitless being in & through all thought-forms.
The one going through all stages versus the one who is constant / always there –
देहिनोऽस्मिन्यथा देहे कौमारं यौवनं जरा ।
तथा देहान्तरप्राप्तिर्धीरस्तत्र न मुह्यति ॥ १३॥ ~ Chapter 2
So, कार्यं न विद्यते – one does not do for the sake of fullness, but if one can contribute, why not?
So, the ज्ञानी is-
– आत्मरति: i.e. there is आत्मा तृप्त: | For this ज्ञानी who knows & delights in the self, there is a sense of complete contentment, with nothing to be done.
– This ज्ञानी does कर्म for लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the well-being of others.
– The ज्ञानी does कर्म out of fullness. There is no अर्थ, काम, धर्म, मोक्ष to pursue for the sake of fullness, because one already knows one’s fullness.
– The ज्ञानी does not really even do कर्म; because कर्म is done by the कर्ता, and the ज्ञानी understands that कर्तृत्वम् is मिथ्या |
श्लोक १८
नैव तस्य कृतेनार्थो नाकृतेनेह कश्चन ।
न चास्य सर्वभूतेषु कश्चिदर्थव्यपाश्रय: ॥ १८॥
For this आत्मरति:, there is no purpose in कृतेन (doing) & अकृतेने (not doing).
And this आत्मरति:, does not depend on another being to recognize that I am full.
In life, there is a certain basic level of dependence on another. Minimal dependence is for food, clothes, shelter; for शरीरयात्रा dependence on the पञ्चमहाभूत-s is required.
So, physically one cannot live completely independently.
Emotionally one can become independent by discovering the expansiveness of my heart, through living a life of कर्म योग |
Therefore, one’s level of dependence on another behaving in a certain way is not there. One can grow to realize that what matters to me is how loving, supportive and productive I am. If the other does, or does not do, it is okay either way. There is acceptance of the other person’s behavior; not resignation. And this is not a bitterness/hurt where I do not want to depend on anyone.
It is a recognition of my fullness/completeness, so I do not need any validation/recognition.
For some time, there will be dependence on गुरु, so that one can see the Truth, so that much will be there.
श्लोक १९
तस्मादसक्त: सततं कार्यं कर्म समाचर ।
असक्तो ह्याचरन्कर्म परमाप्नोति पूरुष: ॥ १९॥
So, having spoken about the glory of कर्म, and that it is not a good idea to run away from कर्म, what is the relationship of the wise person to कर्म?
तस्मात् (therefore), keep on doing कर्म, but do it असक्त:, recognizing that one can only contribute to the result, one cannot control the result.
When one has this attitude after doing one’s best, there is freedom from dependence on the result. So, one stops defining oneself based on the outcome of an event, because a lot of self-judgment is based on how events turned out. Depending on whether the outcome of an event is a failure or success, judgement is placed on oneself, and one struggles with feelings of inadequacy.
Society defines what one needs to be successful, and then when one does not meet up to this, there is self judgement and a struggle with inadequacy.
So, असक्ति: is allowing the flow of कर्मफल in one’s life and not getting too caught up with any outcome. It is समत्वम् |
So, one can go on doing because one want results, but one should understand that one is only a contributor to the result, not the controller/decider of the result.
And by doing this, the पूरुष (person) gains परम् (the highest). How?
Because of doing कर्म without being attached to or obsessed with the results, one gets a contemplative/relaxed mind.
Then, when one listens to शास्त्र, the meaning is clear to one.
When listening, the mind gets distracted, and the words trigger associations with some other memory.
With discipline, the mind is quickly brought back.
This is one benefit of practicing जप, as it helps with this bringing of the mind back to the point of focus.
श्लोक २०
कर्मणैव हि संसिद्धिमास्थिता जनकादय: ।
लोकसंग्रहमेवापि सम्पश्यन्कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ २०॥
The example of Janaka is given. Janaka could refer to King Janaka, the father of Sita-Mata, or to King Janaka who had the dialogue with Sage Ashtavakra.
Both were wise people.
Here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: gives the example of King Janaka, saying that by कर्मणैव i.e. by कर्म alone, Janaka got सिद्धि/success.
Here success refers to परम(श्लोक १९) i.e. मोक्ष |
And what motivated King Janaka and others is लोकसंग्रह |
There is the स्वस्ति prayer, praying for the welfare of सर्वम् (all) – all beings from the creepy crawlers to Lord Brahma-ji.
Prayer is a कर्म using the कर्मेन्द्रिय of वाक्, and so it will give पुन्य |
सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः । सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु । मा कश्चिद् दुःखभाग् भवेत् ॥
May all be happy.
May all be free from disease.
May all experience what is auspicious.
May all be free from sorrow.
So, because of लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the well-being of everyone, one must perform कर्म, even if one gets wisdom. As one is not seeking wisdom in order to run away from कर्म |
One is seeking wisdom because one knows what the fundamental human problem is i.e. inadequacy because I have taken myself to be a limited form.
Then because of this incorrect concept of myself, one struggles, not knowing that this is a wrong conclusion about myself due to lack of thinking- अविचार सिद्ध |
Even in the light of शास्त्र, if one gets to know the Truth, not doing कर्म is not an option.
Because one has been given a slot in the cosmic wheel, one continues to do/contribute, though knowing the Truth.
E.g. King Janaka even after gaining wisdom, did not walk away to the forest, he continued with his responsibilities/duties.
श्लोक २१
यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जन: ।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥ २१॥
श्रेष्ठ: refers to the one who is a leader, the one who is respected in society.
Whatever a श्रेष्ठ: i.e. an important person does, the conduct/behavior of this person, most people will follow.
Nowadays, influencers are famous i.e. people who are famous for being famous; and whatever these people do, everyone wants to do.
Good role models are sportspeople and entrepreneurs as these people show how discipline & hard-work pay off.
And long-ago freedom fighters would be role models.
But now, anyone who is rich and famous is a role model, because this is valued.
Whatever influential people do/say, it is followed.
This is a reminder that in our respective circles, what we do is emulated.
For instance, in the leadership role as a parent, children do what they see one do, not necessarily what is told to be done.
So, all of us are leaders in some role that we play.
Once one is leading change, one is a leader, as change always begins with me.
Ironically, everyone agrees that the world should change, but no one puts their hand up to volunteer to institute change.
Leading change means that one is willing to do what is required.
So, it all starts with me and my self-mastery- how do I manage my time, effort, energy, responsibility.
Then, people will be inspired and they would want to follow what one is doing.
It is not about being a self-appointed leader looking for a title.
It is doing because no one else does, and something needs to be done/organized.
It is not about looking around to see who is going to pick up the slack, or who is going to give me responsibility.
If one is given a responsibility, one may grudge that.
Responsibility is always taken.
But if one takes responsibility, after seeing what needs to be done, one becomes better and more effective at what is taken up.
And so कर्तृत्वम् becomes कौशलम्, with the offering of कर्म to ईश्वर |
So, a person may be involved in लोकसंग्रह in order to prevent others from falling into अधर्म |
Leadership styles differ, as people try without wanting to do what needs to be done- The opportunist just wants to influence a bunch of people, and the idealist wants people to follow exactly one’s vision.
Then, there is a servant-style leader where one does what needs to be done.
So, recognizing that I am a role model for children and for others,
and recognizing the responsibility that I have,
knowing that people are watching me,
there is the understanding that I need to be accountable.
So, everything matters.
ॐ
The wise person does कर्म out of fullness, though the wise person has no need to do कर्म |
But, for an other-wise person, कर्म is done because one is seeking fullness. On one’s own, one does not want to do कर्म, but because of one’s desires, that are influenced by society, one gets on the treadmill of कर्म | And if one examines one’s life, almost all कर्म (will-based action) is done for the sake of fullness.
But here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: points out that with understanding the truth, one no longer does कर्म for the sake of fullness.
In the performance of any कर्म, e.g. raising a dog/child, managing a job, managing a relationship(not limited to romantic relationships, but any relation), makes us think that a lot of work is required.
But we should have a harmonious relationship with कर्म | Because if one thinks that कर्म is a burden, then one wants to get out of कर्म at the first opportunity due to laziness, inertia or fatigue. I think~ I do not want to do this.
Or, even if I do the कर्म, I see the futility of it. E.g. We see Arjuna in battle considering that even if I win the battle, victory is not sweet for me as I remain stuck anyway. Because, what I am seeking is freedom from insecurity and complete acceptance of myself. So there is no happiness if I win or lose, I remain stuck.
Therefore, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: starts to teach Arjuna the nature of reality of I the जीव |
In Chapter ३, श्लोक २१, भगवान् explains that whatever a श्रेष्ठ person does, most will follow, e.g. celebrities are used to sell brand name products, because whatever a celebrity does, I also want the same.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: reminds Arjuna that if you want to run away from कर्म, because of the mistaken thinking that it will bring peace of mind with complete acceptance and freedom from insecurity that you have been seeking all your life, this is not going to happen.
So, भगवान् teaches-
(i) As long as one lives, कर्म is unavoidable.
(ii) How one should approach कर्म i.e. with an attitude of कर्म योग |
(iii) Who is the one who performs कर्म ~ this will-based action is performed by a human being which gives पुन्य & पापा, with respective experiences of सुखम् & दु:खम् |
Now, भगवान् personalizes the teaching-
श्लोक २२
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन ।
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥ २२॥
Here, भगवान् speaks from the standpoint of Himself as भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: indicating the relationship of a wise person with कर्म |
He addresses Arjuna as पार्था and says-
त्रिषु लोकेषु ~ in all the 3 worlds i.e. भू: (Earth), भुव:(in between), स्व:(स्वर्ग).
The वेद tells us that there are 14 लोक-s i.e. planes of experiences.
And भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: explains that He has a lot to do in order to maintain all different processes in these लोक-s.
E.g. We perceive the rising & setting of the sun due to the movement of the Earth at the same pace without fatigue.
There are so many laws of nature that are predictable and reliable that we take for granted. These are not mechanical laws of nature. There is intelligence in these laws that cannot rest in something inert, it can only rest in a conscious being.
So, भगवान् says that across all 3 लोक-s, there is nothing to be gained by me.
न अनवाप्तम् अवाप्तव्यम् ~ there is nothing possible to be gained by me in any given world, which is not yet gained.
There is nothing to be done by me.
मे ~ for me,
कर्तव्यम् ~ duty; that which must be done.
Notably भगवान् highlights that although there is no need for Him to do कर्म,
कर्मणि वर्त एव ~ I am still involved in कर्म all the time.
E.g. If we look at the manifestation of भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: we see Him playing pranks as a child, then going to the गुरुकुल in Sandeepany, ruling over the kingdom of Dwarika, his relationship with the Pandava-s, and then the Mahabharata war.
So, we see non-stop कर्म | भगवान् does not go meditate in a cave for 10-12 years. But though performing non-stop कर्म, He says कर्तव्यं न अस्ति ~ for me, there is nothing to be done.
So here भगवान् alludes to कर्म that is done for the sake of duty versus कर्म that is done for binding desires.
If कर्म is play for me, there is no seeking in order to gain for me. Rather, it is doing for the joy of doing, or in order to contribute.
It is a ridiculous notion to not have any expectation from performing कर्म |
But, I no longer define myself by the outcome of an event.
Why? Because I am aware that I am bigger than time.
Time is only for the body. For instance, does one feel 70 years old? No, even if the body is 70 years old, there is no age for the mind. It may seem that the mind/सूक्ष्मशरीर is enclosed within the body, but the सूक्ष्मशरीर actually pervades the entire physical body. For instance, we observe that while this human being sits stationary in a chair, the mind wanders all over to all galaxies, not limited by this physical manifestation.
So, one should ask oneself this question- how is it that all other activities are limited to the body, but the mind can soar all over? If the mind was only limited to the body, this would not be possible.
So, the relationship with कर्म for a wise person is that one sees that I am अकर्ता i.e. I am not a doer.
So, we see Lord कृष्ण: doing so much, with devotees all around him. And we also saw the example of the successful King Janaka who continued to manage his kingdom though having ब्रह्मविद्या, as this was his duty.
Pujya Swamiji had accompanied His गुरु, Swami Chinmayananda to Uttarkashi. There, they met with Swami Tapovan Maharaj. परम गुरु Swami Tapovan Maharaj recognized that Swami Dayananda seemed keen on वेदान्त, doing so much सेव to Swami Chinmayananda-ji, and so asked~ why are you returning to the city? At the time Pujya Swamiji (this was before he had taken संन्यास) explained that I have a lot of responsibilities e.g. mother to look after etc. To this परम गुरु Swami Tapovan Maharaj replied- you see this River Ganga, it is a नुत्य प्रवह of responsibilities i.e. a constant flow of one responsibility after the next.
This anecdote shows that one can never say that I have no more responsibilities.
So, responsibilities will keep flowing, but I have to decide when I want to see what is the reality of all of this.
But, one is so caught up with responsibility/duty.
So, when there is something to be done, there is a sense of compulsion. Therefore, it is worth asking, what for?
There may be the desire to show support for the other- one’s partner, child etc..
But one should be clear about the goal of all relationships- it is to contribute. Its purpose is not perpetual happiness. In this way one liberates the relationship from the burden of expectation. Only then there can be relaxation.
Or else one is like a hungry creature looking for crumbs of happiness in a relationship. It is unreasonable to put all of one’s expectations on one relationship/person, this will certainly create havoc for that relationship.
So, कर्तव्यत i.e. in doing, there is no escape.
But what भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: really wants us to enquire into is ~ Am I कर्ता? Am I really the doer of all कर्म ?
श्लोक २३
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रित: ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्या पार्थ सर्वश: ॥ २३॥
भगवान् also says that although for me there is nothing to be done, I am still involved in all types of कर्म |
Because, यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं ~ suppose I do not do anything, then,
मम वर्त्म ~ my path i.e. what I am doing,
मनुष्या: सर्वश: वर्तन्ते ~ people will follow.
E.g. Emperor Ashoka was a prior King of Bharata. He converted to Buddhism, which was fine. But, his withdrawal from his duty created problems with the breaking up of the kingdoms that he was in charge of. He also abandoned his army. Therefore, at that time many small battles broke out throughout India. So, ideally, when he removed himself from his duties, he should have gotten a suitable successor to fill his place.
So, this becoming passive in the name of religion is not helpful.
For instance, talks of world peace do not account for human insecurity. So, in every society, from the tribal to the advanced, there is the need for a defense force.
E.g. what can one do if another wants to take over your country territory? One can try to talk peace if the other has a similar agenda. But, if the other is all out for war then this is not possible.
So, if one were to become lazy or have inertia, or say peace & no war, and disband the army, there will be chaos.
There are always a lot of excuses to not perform कर्म |
In the name of peace, one may choose not to say anything in a given situation.
There is the illusion that I want peace at all cost, so I will stay quiet, or maybe one is afraid to say the truth.
There can be an uncomfortable silence, as things are allowed to build up without one saying anything.
Then, an outburst of accusations can begin with a small trigger, due to doubting of the other person’s intentions.
So, this staying quiet can be an excuse that one hides behind in not performing कर्म |
But really, one cannot hide behind not performing कर्म, as one cannot escape कर्मफल |
E.g. fire will burn if one places the finger in it.
In this way भगवान् explains that although I am not कर्ता, I am still involved in all kinds of कर्म, as I am aware of the responsibility of being a role model to so many people, as people will follow my actions.
श्लोक २४
उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।
सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमा: प्रजा: ॥ २४॥
चेत् ~ if,
अहम् कर्म न कुर्याम् ~ I do not do कर्म,
then all these लोक:(beings) will perish ~ the sun will not rise, the wind will not blow,
and I will then become the कर्ता of सङ्कर: | (सङ्कर् ~ confusion, versus शङ्कर् ~auspiciousness).
So, here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is saying that if I do not do कर्म, I will become the author of confusion in the world.
So भगवान् says that people look up to Me, and if I do not do, then all beings and the world will perish, so it would be like I have destroyed all these people.
Also, people want their leaders to lead.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: does not allow people to observe/think that He does not do anything despite the prevalent अधर्म in society. Or, for example. if a lot of injustice is happening in society, people would talk about why is the Prime Minister or President not doing anything about this.
People act out of रागद्वेष |
So, if there is no outlet for this, what would one do? For example, there were people who were exhausted with work prior to the pandemic. And then with the pandemic when one is isolated at home, the comfortable home becomes like a prison. So, all habits & daily rituals add value/meaning to life.
The reason for all crime is due to रागद्वेष (cravings & aversions).
The intensity of a desire can consume and lead to crime in order to make a quick buck, homicide due to jealousy, stealing due to lust. So, due to रागद्वेष, one is willing to go to any length.
So, one should try to reduce this strong subjectivity of रागद्वेष to preference.
E.g. if a preferred type of food is unavailable, one does not throw a fit, but just makes do with what the situation offers.
One’s likes & dislikes add to the richness/color of the personality. But if there is a binding desire, then रागद्वेष is in charge, and all hell breaks loose.
श्लोक २५
सक्ता: कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।
कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसंग्रहम् ॥ २५॥
अविद्वांस ~ people who are not wise,
कर्मणि सक्ता: ~ are attached to the outcome of the action, and the कर्म |
For instance, the perfectionist is so attached to how things should be done, and so ends up overworking due to the thinking that no one can do it as I do it. But instead of training another to be competent, one thinks that I am indispensable to the project. So, सक्त: is this attachment to the way that things should be done, e.g. how the house should be maintained, how the relationship should be, how the work situation should be.
So, just as the अविद्वांस does कर्म for the sake of their attachment to कर्म,
so too even the wise person does कर्म |
So, on the surface, both the unwise & the wise do कर्म |
But, the wise person does कर्म being असक्त: i.e. not having any sense of attachment to the outcome. So, one does one’s best, with the knowledge that the laws of कर्म are at work. So, there is surrender while one is doing कर्म, before doing कर्म and after doing कर्म |
And whatever the results are, it is fine; the play of life goes on. I enjoy myself regardless.
So why does the wise person do anything? चिकीर्षु: i.e. because one is desirous of doing. (चिकीर्षु: = कर्तुम् इच्छु: ; जिज्ञासा = ज्ञातुम् इच्छु:)
The wise person does कर्म for लोकसंग्रह i.e. for the protection of people. Because if धर्म is to be upheld in society, who is to be protected? धर्म lies in the धर्मी i.e. the one who practices धर्म | So, these people who uphold धर्म have to be protected. धर्म lives in the heart of the धर्मी | Because धर्म is living the right values of kindness, compassion, justice. It is not a monolithic structure to be secured.
So, with respect to भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:, we see Him ever engaged in all kinds of कर्म – from ruling his kingdom to even being Arjuna’s driver. He chooses to be there in person for Arjuna in the midst of the battle as His driver.
And He always does with a smile on His lips, often playing a flute indicating His lightheartedness- seeing everything as play/fun, with the knowledge that nothing touches me.
श्लोक २६
न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् ।
जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्त: समाचरन् ॥ २६॥
There are some people who know आत्मा/the truth, and who understand that limitless-आत्मा has never been the doer or experiencer.
These people who know, they should not create confusion amongst अज्ञानाम् (the people who are ignorant).
If one is pursuing वेदान्त, one should learn to say what is appropriate and important.
Because for the one who is ignorant of my infinite nature, कर्म is important.
So, one should not say that कर्म is मिथ्या, why are you getting so hassled.
Also, one should not be selective about certain कर्म- with acceptance of some कर्म but rejection of other कर्म, with the claim/excuse for not doing/accepting the latter since कर्म is मिथ्या |
People already have so much तमस्, with excuses/inertia/laziness not to do, so if one is told not to do, then what will happen?
If the wise person says that one should not do, it will create बुद्धि: भेदम् i.e. confusion in the other-wise.
Because one wants to do कर्म, and have experiences due to रागद्वेष |
Then what should the विद्वान् (wise person) do?
Because the विद्वान् is युक्त: i.e. together as a person; the wise person oneself does कर्म |
So, this is भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:’s advice to the wise people- that they must encourage people to do more कर्म |
कर्म is not opposed to knowledge.
One can do lots of कर्म or less कर्म |
What matters is what conclusion have I made about myself. Is it based on reality?
If one considers oneself as कर्ता, then there is a lot of self-judgement. If one did something well, then one wants to work to maintain that, or do better and derive fulfillment from that. And if one thinks that one is a loser, that I don’t want to do anything, that I don’t care, then also there is self judgement with comparison of oneself to others.
All this damning self judgement is based on the wrong conclusion that I am this much only, that I am a human being only, that I am this limited body/mind only.
The truth is that I am much more than that.
भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य, भगवान् वेदव्यास, all ऋषि-s were so involved in so many different kinds of कर्म | भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य walked all over India, and wrote so many commentaries all for लोकसंग्रह | Then, his शिष्य-s painstakingly copied his work on palm leaves for posterity.
So, what makes one do कर्म? It is प्रकृति |
श्लोक २७
प्रकृते: क्रियमाणानि गुणै: कर्माणि सर्वश: ।
अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥ २७॥
प्रकृति is माया शक्ति | It is the material cause i.e. all modifications seen around us, including this body/mind.
सर्वश: कर्माणि – All कर्म done by all beings,
is impelled by the गुण-s.
And प्रकृति/माया शक्ति is made of the 3-गुण-s.
The पञ्चमहाभूत-s are all combinations of सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् |
सत्त्व is knowledge, clarity & purity.
रजस् is intense emotion and activity.
तमस् is inertia, laziness, sleepiness, reduced activity.
These गुण-s are the constituents of माया |
गुण-s cannot be strictly translated as ‘qualities’, as a quality has to be present in something, it cannot exist independently, e.g. the color orange can be present in a cloth. Conversely माया is made of the 3-गुण-s.
अहंकार विमूढात्मा – Everyone who has a sense of self concept/individuality, is deluded by this notion and thinks अहम् कर्ता i.e. I am the doer.
इति मन्यते ~ this person thinks like this.
These गुण-s account for differences in personality. For instance one person is active wanting a lot of excitement, versus another who prefers to relax, or another who wants to explore and learn.
So, one’s personality can be innocuously seen in the way one vacations, or what someone orders/eats, and this can make one judgmental of another due to personality differences.
But here भगवान् is saying that all of this is due to प्रकृति / these गुण-s.
In some people one गुण may be dominant.
The dominant गुण may depend on one’s stage of life. E.g. since the phase of motherhood demands a lot of activity, therefore there may be more रजस् |
Also, throughout the day, गुण-s change in the individual & the environment.
So, the personality interacting with the sense objects is all the play of प्रकृति |
Judgements are made based on one’s energy level, enthusiasm, achievements. But these judgements are all based on अहंकार, but अहंकार is विमूढात्मा i.e. one is deluded due to the play of गुण-s/प्रकृति |
Sometimes, one cannot help oneself and does an action unthinkingly, e.g. open a bag of Lays potato chips and eats, and then afterwards one considers- was I really in charge of the situation? It was the गुण-s all the way.
So, one can keep shifting from judgement to judgement due to this play of प्रकृति |
So, all drama is due to personality difference due to प्रकृति / the 3-गुण-s, and we are seemingly conditioned by these…
Or are we?
श्लोक २८
तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्मविभागयो: ।
गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥ २८॥
The play of the गुण-s express in the body-mind sense complex.
Everyone has सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् | All are important, no one is superior to the next.
For instance, if one works hard all day, it is good to have तमस् to go to sleep at night.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: addresses Arjuna as महाबाहो (the one who is mighty armed), and tells-
the one who knows the truth of गुण & कर्म, which is that some people are inclined to do certain कर्म due to गुण |
One can ‘feed the गुण’, e.g. by doing certain activities that one likes, it cultivates the respective गुण |
So, one can be born with certain गुण-s, and these can change depending on how they are nurtured; and even during the day गुण-s change.
So, one should not think that one is conditioned by the गुण-s, though they give one their personality.
तत्त्ववित् ~ the knower of the reality understands that,
प्रकृति or माया शक्ति is really a शक्ति of ब्रह्मन् the limitless.
I am not conditioned by the condition of the body or mind.
So, if I define myself as अहंकार, this is विमूढात्मा |
I remain as विमूढात्मा अहंकार because this कर्ता identity makes me feel so important.
E.g. The retired colonel still uses the title Colonel(retired), though he has long left the army.
Because one feels defined by that role, it lingers and stays as one’s identity.
So, it is time to drop this अहंकार identity, but because it made one feel so powerful, one holds on to it.
Therefore, with the understanding of the play of प्रकृति, one should not be too judgmental of oneself or the other.
One should know That which is present in & through all qualities, experiences, and situations of lifetimes is तत्त्व/reality, and then that person in never bound.
ॐ
Sometimes I forget to see what I am struggling with is in fact the results of a contribution I made, with the best effort I could. I fail to realize whatever it is that hurt me were just the results and out of my control. So I try to pick apart the results and obsess over figuring out where I might have gone wrong in my contribution, etc trying to control what I really cannot control. I am thankful for this reminder that keeps coming from learning with you, Swaminiji. That I can stop defining myself by the outcome of an event .. it is so freeing to remember this. 🙂
We are exploring the relationship amongst कर्म, कर्मफल, and how one defines oneself.
According to शास्त्र, कर्म has nothing to do with how I define myself.
E.g. One can do one’s स्वधर्म as a butcher in the slaughterhouse, or as a पण्डित in the temple doing पूजा |
Depending on the slot that one has, the कर्म that one does gives कर्मफल in the form of पुण्य & पापा. This is where one is deluded by प्रकृति |
We define ourselves by प्रकृति, in terms of our personality being सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस्, and then struggle out of self-judgment.
When I define myself by प्रकृति, I can say that I am mix of सत्त्व & रजस् ~ I am dynamic, motivated backed by sound discrimination.
But, then, no matter how much effort is made, it is a no-win situation.
Why?
Because प्रकृति/माया शक्ति (सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस्) is always in flux at the cosmic level, at the level of society & at the level of the individual.
*श्लोक २९*
प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढा: सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु ।
तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ॥ २९॥
Any कर्म done is impelled by प्रकृति (सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस्). सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् are the गुण-s of the body-mind-senses (discussed in श्लोक २७). But according to this, I define myself as कर्ता |
Those who are सम्मूढा: i.e. confused & deluded by प्रकृति, which are the modifications of the गुण-s in oneself,
What will happen to them?
सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु – They get totally bound by this गुण & कर्म |
But, the one who knows कृत्स्न(completely) आत्मा free from all गुण-s, should not disturb the one who is मन्दान् i.e. the one deluded by these modifications.
E.g. One can observe the many crocodiles at the crocodile park close to Chennai. It is easy to mistake the crocodile for a rock as they don’t move much, only using a total of ~190 calories for all daily activities!
If one were to resist the lazy demeanor of the crocodile, saying that it should increase its activity, then who is मन्द:? The crocodile will most certainly pounce on its prey when it needs to.
So, all creatures behave according to how they are programmed by प्रकृति ~ the snake slithering, the turtle withdrawing its limbs, the cheetah running fast, the coronavirus mutating.
So, प्रकृति explains the स्वभाव of different species including human beings. Some humans may be very actively involved in a lot of projects, or others are fine with just a few to give their time & attention to. This is the personality.
But, if one defines oneself by this personality, then this is a problem.
Because, I get bound by it.
Then, I always want to push myself, thinking that I need to work harder, but really this is not the only solution to success.
If I give more focus to one aspect of life, will balance be maintained in all relationships and roles? If I delude myself into thinking that more time & effort at work will give a better result, then what happens to all other roles & family relationships? Then family relationships & friendships go down the drain, and then when one needs help, there is no one there to support.
So, how are we defining ourselves? Are we mistakenly thinking that more कर्म will give मोक्ष? E.g. more वेदान्त classes, more meditation etc. This is a sign of रजस् |
Regardless of what or how much one is doing, am I able to see the meaning of life and the meaning of limitless ब्रह्मन् as I?
If people around one are engaged in different types of work, and the wise person says that कर्म will not give मोक्ष, this will bring disturbance.
Because then one thinks that no matter how great one is at one’s job, how wonderful one’s relationships are, then it does not matter, because it will not give मोक्ष |
And this is the truth- no matter what one does, only ज्ञानम् gives मोक्ष ~ the knowledge that I was never the कर्ता nor भोक्ता | But whom this truth is shared with is important.
If there is a person trying to do one’s job, telling that person that कर्म will not give मोक्ष, brings confusion to them. As then the person wants to withdraw from कर्म | And anyhow the person did not want to do anyway, because doing was such a big effort.
But at the same time the person does not have enough अन्तःकरण शुद्धि: to pursue मोक्ष |
Therefore, as we study वेदान्त, we should be mindful of what we say to whom.
The one who knows आत्मा, should not disturb the one who does not know and does not care to know, because they are मन्द (do not have विवेक i.e. knowing what is right versus what is not right).
All pursuit & performance of कर्म, whether it is सत्त्व-based~pursuit of knowledge & clarity in any area, pursuit of धर्म, pursuit of a lot of activity, all of this comes from a sense of अपूर्णता(incompleteness).
Therefore, depending on one’s personality, one acts accordingly in a given situation. But all of this is for what?
At face value it may be to put food on the table, or to have fun.
But, the root cause is that I think that I am not enough with what is here with me.
So, what shall we do?
* श्लोक ३० *
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वर: ॥ ३०॥
Given that there are disturbances in the mind, because of what we have done, or not done, and all wishes/desires that we have, then what shall we do?
So, भगवान् says-
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि ~ all of your कर्म,
you offer it to me.
You are fascinated by संन्यास, then this is your संन्यास |
And with what kind of mind should कर्म be offered? अध्यात्मचेतसा i.e. let the चेतस्(mind) be discriminatory, with विवेक, wanting to know, a mind that learns the sweetness of surrender.
And then what happens as a result?
What disturbs one is:
~ our आशी: i.e. our hopes & fears, and
~ मम: i.e. what is mine.
So then, with this offering, one becomes free from the preoccupation with the future, and from the sense of ‘my’ness.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: addresses Arjuna, telling him,
युध्यस्व ~ fight.
He says this to Arjuna because it is Arjuna’s duty as a क्षत्रिय to fight battles in order to uphold धर्म |
And भगवान् says to do this विगत(without) ज्वर: (fever) i.e. without anger & frustration.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:’s teaching is that this is a job to be done, so just do it.
E.g. As a couple gets ready to be wedded, more emphasis is placed on the wedding day (the decor, clothes, food, guest list), than on the marriage ahead.
Before taking the leap, the couple should consider, are we good at fighting with each other? How do we resolve a disagreement? Can conflicts be resolved in such a way that no grudges & regrets are carried forward? With love, hopefully the benefit of the doubt is given to the other.
We observe ourselves/others still thinking about situations long past because the event still bothers us. Therefore, one should give the other the benefit of the doubt and trust.
One must understand that the other is not out to attack me, and also that I myself will not attack the other. Or else one gets caught up with what will happen.
Then again & again, one chews over and regurgitates the thoughts of ~ how will it be? will it be okay? what wilI I do?
If one doubts whether one can handle the situation, simply offer the कर्म to भगवान् |
So, any doubts, fears, emotions, e.g. anxiety, one should offer to भगवान् |
Offering to भगवान् means that one sees that one’s ability to do any kind of कर्म is pervaded by the laws of कर्म, and the different results that I get are as a result of कर्म |
E.g. choosing to have a relationship with a certain person, choosing to go to another city.
In this way, I see myself as a दास of भगवान् |
In the वैष्णव tradition, some people are given a surname like दास (the one who serves). It is a good reminder that I am here to serve, to do सेव |
Whatever कर्म I do, I see it pervaded by the laws of कर्म all the way~ पुण्य & पापा are shaped by भगवान् Himself.
Then, performing कर्म with this understanding, I feel so light, knowing that भगवान् will take care, trusting that I am taken care of.
When भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: tells Arjuna that you may fight, it is because Arjuna is a क्षत्रिय, and as his duty he has to fight. So, this is not a license for everyone to fight.
With respect to one’s sense of ‘my’ness, if one’s opinion is challenged, can one keep aside their opinion and still relate to the other. E.g. There can be 2 opposing opinions- one likes versus the other hates the Prime Minister. Fights can break out within families due to rigid stances on these matters. But can one keep aside their political opinion and still relate to the other?
So, a lot of disagreement is due to this ‘my’ness.
But one feels so strongly- It is my opinion; how can you go against me? It is my word. This is how I feel.
With the exploration of a disagreement, it always starts with ‘I felt like this’. But all that is felt is a reaction to what has happened.
So, it is to get out of the strong ownership of that emotion.
After an argument, if I am feeling hurt & upset, the other is also likely feeling like that way too. The other person’s feelings are equally valid, regardless of who is right and who is wrong.
But one only focuses on ‘my’ emotions, because like the child who throws a tantrum for ‘my’ toy, one does not want to part with one’s feelings.
Given all these difficulties, भगवान् says do not worry,
offer all this upset feeling to Me, recognizing and telling भगवान् ~ I am upset, I see the emotional order pervaded by You, I do not resist it, I do what I can in all my different roles.
This is भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:’s response to Arjuna on how to fight.
Whatever कर्म one is doing, I am put in a situation where only I am called upon to respond i.e. there is a manifestation of धर्म operating.
And to keep the प्रवर्तितं चक्रं (cosmic wheel) [श्लोक १६] in motion, I have to do my bit.
So, I surrender with understanding pervaded by the fact that everything is given to me, and I do what I can. कर्मफल is taking care of the present and will take care of the future.
So, I give up the associated feverishness (this preoccupation with the future and with what I think is mine), and approach all life-experiences with an attitude of कर्म योग |
How often does one have कर्म योग attitude? श्लोक ३१…
So, how often does one have कर्म योग attitude?
* श्लोक ३१ *
ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवा: ।
श्रद्धावन्तोऽनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभि: ॥ ३१॥
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says – What I have said in terms of offering one’s कर्म to भगवान्, this should be done नित्यम् (always).
E.g. Some अश्रम-s have a timetable with कर्म योग scheduled for a specific time. But this slated कर्म योग is really a time-slot for collective सेव |
कर्म योग is not time-bound ~ there is no specific time to offer one’s कर्म to भगवान्, or to be accepting of others.
Collective सेव is good because depending on one’s personality/culture, the way things are done may be different, so there can be reason for disagreement, and then eventual acceptance & accommodation.
So, कर्म योग does not fit into a scheduled time slot. कर्म योग is a 365-24/7 disposition that one tries to bring into one’s life.
कर्म योग does not fit into the should/should not list that we create for ourselves. Relax. It is to see the vision, and approach with a gentleness towards oneself, but also be tough on oneself too.
So, the मानवा:(people) who follow this teaching and try to bring in कर्म योग, how are they supposed to do it?
Be equipped with श्रद्धा | श्रद्धा means trust. श्रद्धा does not mean faith.
I trust the Teacher who teaches about कर्म योग |
And अनसूयन्त: ~ I do not find fault with the teaching.
This is why giving the benefit of doubt to people is an important quality to develop.
How can one trust the Teacher if one does not trust one’s partner, children, co-workers?
We can look at 4 कृपाs(trusts)-
(i) आत्मा कृपा – Trust in oneself.
(ii) ईश्वर कृपा – Trust in भगवान्, or भगवान्’s grace.
(iii) शास्त्र कृपा – Trust in our शास्त्र |
(iv) पर कृपा – Trust in the other, whomsoever the other may be.
Everyone has faced situations where their trust has been affected.
It makes one not trust the other. One feels disconnected, isolated, lonely, always second guessing the other. There can be grounds for not trusting the other.
So, as a person, am I a trusting person?
Do I trust myself to do the right thing? When given a difficult situation, I trust myself to do my best.
And I trust the other. If someone says something, it is not that they have malice in their heart and they are out to get me; it is their प्रकृति | And similarly it is my स्वभाव that determines my hot-headed response.
श्रद्धा in Teacher is part of our needed 6-pack i.e. षट्क संपत्ति: (the 6-fold wealth) of a वेदान्त student.
श्रद्धा in शास्त्र does not come naturally, it comes from a trust in life.
This happens when one comes to terms with the कर्म in one’s life, and understands that no one deliberately gives me a tough time. I am only experiencing my own choices which have fructified. There is no one to blame.
And then, by extension one can have a working trust in the Teacher and the Teaching.
The Teacher comes with the package of the Teaching.
So, if one does not want to relate to the Teacher, then there is a problem.
Why not relate? Because all of us are rebellious, all of us struggle with authority. There are different ways that one’s rebelliousness manifests, e.g. not switching on one’s video during class. And then one makes excuses for this.
So, if I do not go along with a small, non-forceful request by the Teacher, then how am I going to listen to the words of the शास्त्र from the Teacher? Then, one will have doubts.
Or for instance if we get caught up in analyzing the personality or any idiosyncrasy (which we all have) of the Teacher, then the Teaching is lost since we were paying attention to प्रकृति instead of आत्मा |
The Teacher-student relationship is for the purpose of the Teaching, for nothing else.
Any criticism that the mind comes up with, e.g. maybe we should get a 20-point bullet point list of the class teaching etc., it is an unequipped अहंकार trying to take on the role of the teacher.
श्रद्धा वन्त: अनसूयन्त: मुच्यन्ते तेऽपि कर्मभि: –
On the other hand, my trust in शास्त्र will bless me. Because I will accept the words of शास्त्र that reveal that I am limitless आत्मा, despite any कर्म that I do. I am free from all सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् | So, with श्रद्धा, one is मुच्यन्ते कर्मभि ~ one is free from the effects of कर्म, only with self-knowledge.
Because the cause of all suffering is अपूर्णता & अविद्या | So, the only solution is knowledge.
So, more or less कर्म is not the answer. It is not to withdraw from all responsibilities and meditate in a cave. It is to recognize that I am not defined by the कर्म that I do.
This is a difficult concept to come to terms with as the media’s messages tell us that we are less or more because of what we do. Often one of the first questions asked in a conversation is ~ what do you do? And it is often profession-based.
Also depending on the outcomes of different life events, e.g. divorce, one defines oneself and one may feel bad about oneself. So, one allows कर्म to define me.
But शास्त्र tells that I am not कर्ता | I am अकर्ता, I am अभोक्ता, I am चैतन्य-consciousness. To be with this vision, I have to have trust, or else in the teaching there will be a lot of apparent contradictions in one’s mind.
Because at one point, the Teacher will talk about doing a lot of कर्म, and then later on the same Teacher/Teaching will say to withdraw from कर्म |
So, one must be present for the entire journey or else one only gets little bits & pieces. शास्त्र study is not a buffet-style approach where one chooses to accept part of the teaching and not accept another part. That is one’s रागद्वेष operating. Therefore, one should have श्रद्धा to see all of it.
Therefore, in traditional वेदान्त study, meeting with the गुरु from time to time is important; this is not just necessary when one has a problem.
This is an individual journey with a definite pursuit. Therefore, relationally one needs to have trust in one’s गुरु for their own sake. One has to trust the Teacher in order to trust the words of the Teaching.
One’s own personal study e.g. listening to many videos on one’s own, creates one’s own idea of the Teaching and this does not work.
* श्लोक ३२ *
ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् ।
सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतस: ॥ ३२॥
With श्रद्धा/trust, one says that well वेदान्त says that I am limitless, however right now I feel limited, but I will enquire into this. This is a trusting & open attitude.
Whereas, those who find fault in the Teaching, will say that वेदान्त is rubbish.
Then, someone may even say things like- Swami-s are not to be trusted, that they hypnotize.
So, there are those who are critical for no reason.
For instance, some people actually start a sentence with ‘no’. It has become a part of one’s vocabulary, such that one is not even conscious of it.
E.g. if one keeps on telling a kid ‘no’, the kid will turn around and also say ‘no’ to one.
One can relate to this by trying not to say ‘no’ for one week, or even just for an hour.
This is not glorifying the word ‘yes’, but ‘no’ can indicate resistance to things, people and situations.
So, one can reflect on when to say ‘no’, as this can extend to one being critical of the Teaching.
So, what happens to such a person?
If a person does not have the विवेक to discriminate between what is eternal and what is temporary, it is likely that the person will be confused about what is the right thing to be done in a given situation i.e. धर्म versus अधर्म, e.g. speaking more or shouting less.
सर्वज्ञान ~ in all one’s interactions, in all different domains of knowledge,
नष्ट (destruction) ~ one is likely to be lost i.e. there is constant confusion about what is the right thing to be done.
E.g. should I give this person one more chance or not? etc.
Confusion in one’s mind on many things, will deplete one’s energy. This back & forth vacillating saps a lot of energy.
So, as one follows the vision, one should try to have a working trust, at least try to see if it works.
E.g. after cataract surgery, and the bandages come off, one insists on a guarantee from the doctor that one would be able to see, before one opens the eyes.
Really one just has to open one’s eyes to see.
So, similarly one has to open one’s eyes to the प्रमाण i.e. the means of knowledge that reveals the Truth. I have to allow the प्रमाण to work, so that much working trust should be there.
So, श्रद्धा is required for this learning.
The scenario is different in an academic setting. One is not asked to have श्रद्धा in the teacher.
But, in वेदान्त, the qualities of the अधिकारी are the required qualifications, not one’s secular qualifications.
So, there should be trust in life, in भगवान्, in कर्म, trust that pervades me.
So that one allows the शास्त्र to work.
Otherwise one remains lost, and cannot be freed from the hold of कर्म, and the cycle continues.
* श्लोक ३३ *
सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्या: प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि ।
प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रह: किं करिष्यति ॥ ३३॥
Even the ज्ञानवान्-s (i.e. the one who has ज्ञानम्) i.e. the wise person, also behaves according to प्रकृति |
So, whatever action the ज्ञानवान् does, it is because of प्रकृति |
And भूतानि (all beings) follow their own स्वभाव,
निग्रह: किं करिष्यति~ then what is the use of control?
This is not a deterministic statement.
We see different ज्ञानी-s with different life trajectories.
For instance, Pujya Swamiji Dayananda Sarasvati traveled a lot, taught classes, and initiated a lot of projects.
Whereas his गुरु, Swami Tarananda Giriji lived quietly in Haridwar and said that I will only teach the people who come to Me.
So, each has their own स्वभाव, and we cannot say that one way is right and the other is wrong i.e. traveling the world versus staying in one place. Each has their unique प्रारब्ध and they don’t resist it.
Wisdom has nothing to do with one’s lifestyle. So though there may be different personalities, the knowledge is the same. But we tend to be judgmental.
But, the question arises- if one’s behavior is due to one’s स्वभाव, then should one attempt to control it?…श्लोक ३४
The question arises- if one’s behavior is because of one’s स्वभाव, then should one attempt to control it?
So, this is an important verse-
* श्लोक ३४ *
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ ।
तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥ ३४॥
Here, राग-द्वेष is discussed-
राग ~ strong like,
द्वेष ~ strong dislike.
In this श्लोक, we see the word इन्द्रिय repeated for emphasis.
E.g. In the Indian culture to indicate that one would like a cup of very hot tea, one may ask for a cup of ‘hot, hot tea’.
So, repetition here is for emphasis.
इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे ~ in different sense objects related to the sense organs,
there is the potential for राग-द्वेष |
So, तयो: (in relation to these 2) i.e. राग & द्वेष,
वशमागच्छेत् ~ do not be under their control.
Both (राग & द्वेष) are like परिपन्थिनौ (enemies) i.e. they do not wish well for me, they are not helpful to me.
One’s unique personality is due to राग & द्वेष |
But one confuses love with obedience & control, e.g. if you love me you will sit down.
Or, I want my work-environment & colleagues to be a specific way.
However, when that strong like or dislike defines & controls me, and dictates how I am with others, then it becomes inimical to me.
All conflicts in one’s life are due to great रागद्वेष |
So, one should introspect- what are my राग-द्वेष ?
One observes रागद्वेष where there is the concept that things ‘should’ be done like this, beyond something being desirable, but rather dictating one’s mood.
If राग is fulfilled, one is in a great mood, but if it is not fulfilled, one says that I had a lousy day.
So, this has to do with one’s subconscious as what one likes or does not like, clashes with what the other person wants.
So, one should engage in a dialogue with the other and determine what is okay with the other, and how best I can contribute to the situation.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: does NOT say to do नाश(destroy) of one’s राग-द्वेष, as any skill/ability that one has, e.g. music, is because of one’s राग, and it has served one well.
So, what is being said is that one should not come under the control of रागद्वेष |
Instead one should align one’s रागद्वेष with धर्म i.e. what contributes to the well-being & welfare of the other, as well as to my well-being & welfare.
E.g. A woman misunderstood this verse and thought that it was her राग that she did not want to be mistreated by her abusive partner. This is not the meaning.
And one should do कर्म in the light of कर्म योग, so that one does not come under the spell of रागद्वेष |
The problem is not with राग-द्वेष, but the level of identification with one’s रागद्वेष – it is the compulsion to act upon the रागद्वेष, e.g. ‘can’t eat just one’ Lays chips. So, people sometimes use the strategy of not keeping the item of राग in stock at home e.g. cigarettes.
If one has a strong राग, one will have a corresponding द्वेष |
E.g. if I love kind & generous people, then I will avoid selfish & manipulative people.
All of us have the capacity to be either so we should not categorize others like this.
So, I can recognize रागद्वेष as part of the order that is भगवान्, and understand that due to the repetition of different thoughts I have likes & dislikes.
I cannot remove this रागद्वेष completely, but I can reduce these to preferences.
Desire is a privilege, so I should not allow desire to bother me. If it is fulfilled great, but if it is not fulfilled, then it should not be a problem.
Because anyway I do not define myself by the outcome of an event.
I am चैतन्य | In this व्यवहार role, I work on different things – some work out, some do not.
I do what I can with my रागद्वेष in line धर्म, offering it to भगवान् with कर्म योग बुद्धि:, so I do not come under the spell of रागद्वेष |
Otherwise, one thinks that I have conflict with people, but the conflict is due to the intensity of one’s रागद्वेष projecting how one wants people/situations to be. And if they do not align with my expectations, then all hell breaks loose.
So instead one should bring in the attitude of कर्म योग |
ॐ
* श्लोक ३५ *
श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुण: परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेय: परधर्मो भयावह: ॥ ३५॥
This is an oft quoted verse especially in the context of not running away from one’s स्वधर्म |
But what is my स्वधर्म? Figuring out one’s स्वधर्म may take a lifetime…
One’s स्वधर्म is a combination of things:
(i) सामान्य धर्म ~ the practice of values like honesty, truthfulness, compassion, justice etc. with all beings.
(ii) विशेष धर्म ~ one’s responsibility related to family members, relatives, i.e. looking at all of one’s roles- partner, parent, colleague, employer/employee, citizen & my contribution to society.
Pujya Swamiji says that real growth happens when one grows from being a consumer to being a contributor.
So, I should ask myself, what is my ratio of consumption to contribution?
(iii) पञ्चमहायज्ञा ~ my responsibility to:
– पितृ ~ Parents and ancestors.
– ऋषि ~ Teachers, Knowledge and our Vedic culture.
– भूत ~ our eco-system i.e. all living beings.
– देवता-s ~ presiding deities over the cosmic forces.
देवान्भावयतानेन ते देवा भावयन्तु व: ।
परस्परं भावयन्त: श्रेय: परमवाप्स्यथ ॥ ११॥ Chapter 3.
– मनुष्य ~ our fellow beings.
(For more on this one can check out Podcast #153 Panchamahayajna – the 5 sets of relationships we must honor~ https://discoveratma.com/153-panchamahayajna-the-5-sets-of-relationships-we-must-honor/)
So, we are connected to all five, so it is not a matter of choice but rather responsibility.
In one’s thinking, there is this ‘beggarly’ notion that I have to extend my arms to receive. So, one should shift to thinking that I have the power to give. Even the helpless & dependent babe can give a smile, so everyone can give something. So, what can I give?
(iv) In addition to this, there may be a cause which one resonates with, and wants to work on. E.g. If one was a victim of abuse, one may feel strongly about helping those who are survivors of abuse. Or one may want to contribute to education or healthcare etc.
Along this vein, in the build-up to Republic Day we are exploring at least 26 ways that we can contribute to Bharat. (https://www.youtube.com/c/DiscoverAtma)
So, we have to figure out our स्वधर्म |
And here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says that whatever is one’s स्वधर्म, it is better to do this, even if it is विगुण: (not perfect & a struggle), than to do someone else’s धर्म | It is okay to struggle with one’s own स्वधर्म, as this struggle will help one to grow into maturity.
Often, we are kind & compassionate about someone else’s problems, but within one’s own family it is not so. Therefore, as a minimum, we should find ways to live in harmony with one’s own family.
Only I can do what I have to do in my given role as a parent, child, sibling, partner.
My unique स्वधर्म is laid out for me.
So too Arjuna’s स्वधर्म is laid out. As a क्षत्रिय who is accomplished, and a leader amongst men, he cannot lament and say that I will do साधु धर्म and go to Rishikesh and live a life on भिक्षा |
This is not acceptable. As if one does not do their स्वधर्म, a lot of things will fall apart.
Therefore, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: makes a strong statement- that even if one dies whilst performing one’s धर्म, that is better than performing another’s धर्म |
Also, if one tries to perform the धर्म of someone else, there will always be fear.
When one tries to play the role of someone else, one makes a mess, because in so doing-
(i) I am shedding my own responsibilities,
E.g. Extra-marital affairs bloom as one tries to perform the धर्म of being another’s partner instead of figuring out how can I be a better spouse to my own marriage-partner.
(ii) Not giving the other person a chance to be capable and do what they are supposed to be doing.
And with doing another’s job, there is the fear- Am I doing this correctly? Should I be doing, or not doing?
It may seem attractive to do the work of someone else, but this is not correct.
It is about learning to be comfortable with all roles that I am assigned and performing my responsibilities in those roles.
This by itself is a huge cycle of learning, because we usually resist doing.
E.g. One may choose to escape into वेदान्त and meditate instead of having to try to relate to one’s husband/wife, and so use this as an escape method. But one loses out on the opportunity to fight & make-up with one’s partner, and to learn and grow from this encounter.
Therefore, one should be clear about what one is doing and not dodge responsibility.
Also, भगवान् is explaining that whatever be one’s slot, the purpose is not to do the best कर्म possible, as each कर्म is limited with limited results. There is no perfect कर्म |
It is to gain maturity with the performance of धर्म |
As performing धर्म is not easy; one is constantly struggling with रागद्वेष |
But, in time, the more one performs one’s स्वधर्म, one grows bigger than one’s रागद्वेष and sees oneself free from रागद्वेष, as रागद्वेष reduces to preferences.
And then there is the recognition that I am more than all different situations & experiences.
And with this, there is a tremendous courage to fight any battle of injustice, e.g. inheritance issues within families etc.
So, having spoken about रागद्वेष, doing one’s स्वधर्म, and the signs of a wise person (including not to disturb the one who is not wise),
Arjuna now asks a question-
* श्लोक ३६ *
अर्जुन उवाच ।
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं चरति पूरुष: ।
अनिच्छन्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजित: ॥ ३६॥
He addresses Lord कृष्ण: as वार्ष्णेय |
Duryodhana also asks a similar question in the महाभारत –
जानामि धर्मं न च मे प्रवृत्ति: |
जानाम्यधर्मं न च मे निवृत्ति: ||
केनापि देवेन हृदि स्थितेन यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा करोमि ।
I know what is धर्म, but I cannot seem to engage in धर्म, and I also know what is अधर्म but I cannot seem to disengage from अधर्म | Something seems to sit in my heart which impels me, and I go along with that inner voice.
Here, Arjuna asks a similar question-
केन प्रयुक्तोऽयं पापं ~ By what are we impelled to do पापा ?
E.g. I do not want to be rude, but the words seem to tumble out of my mouth. Or, I don’t want to cut corners, but I end up cutting corners. I want to do the right thing and contribute to taxes, but I make excuses for filing my taxes incorrectly, saying that anyway the government has not done anything for me.
So, by what are people impelled to do acts of अधर्म ?
Though there is no इच्छा (desire) to do something wrong, it seems like I am being pushed with momentum to do so.
I know all the right things to do, but I do not do this. Why?
भगवान् replies-
* श्लोक ३७ *
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भव: ॥
महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥ ३७॥
एष ~ this (which you are familiar with),
काम/desire ~ binding desire,
and the क्रोध (anger) that arises due to non-fulfillment of desire,
is borne of too much रजस् in you.
And what about this binding desire? महाशन: ~ it is a big glutton. Like a fire, it is अनल: (never enough). [अलम्-enough]
So, this fire wants more, and as a result it is महापाप्मा (great पापी), impelling one to do acts of अधर्म |
So, may you know that this is your true enemy.
भगवान् explains further with 3 metaphors-
* श्लोक ३८ *
धूमेनाव्रियते वह्निर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।
यथोल्बेनावृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥ ३८॥
These metaphors illustrate how difficult it is to remove the binding nature of desire.
(i) Like the blazing वह्नि (fire) being covered by clouds of धूम (smoke). So too, knowledge is there of what is the right thing to do in a given situation, but binding desire covers it. So, one has to wait for the smoke to die down, or not stoke the fire, or allow a nice wind to blow the smoke away.
(ii) Like दर्श:(mirror) covered by a lot of मल (dust). The glass of the mirror by itself is clear & transparent. But, if it is covered by dust, then effort has to be put forth to remove the dust.
(iii) Just as a fetus is covered by the womb. Therefore, so too knowledge is covered by desire.
We have to understand that desire is not a bad thing.
E.g. wanting nice vacations, desiring desert after meals, tv watching, wanting to be validated.
But, binding desire means that it must be done, if one is not able to fulfill the desire then the result is a most unpleasant mood.
So binding desire means that this desire must be fulfilled at all costs, and one does not care about the consequences.
E.g. addictions – one may steal in order to fulfill an addiction.
These particular 3 metaphors are used to indicate the varying effort needed to remove some of these binding desires. For instance, some desires can just be easily blown away. Or another desire may require more effort, like wiping the dust off a mirror. Or some desires are so binding, that they take a long time, like an entire gestational period for the knowledge to shine forth. And like pregnancy/childbirth, this desire is also struggled with.
Now भगवान् explains for us the concept that was just illustrated-
* श्लोक ३९ *
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा ।
कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥ ३९॥
So, we know the meaning of the prior metaphors in श्लोक ३८ because भगवान् now clearly uses the words ज्ञानम् & काम in this श्लोक |
Even for the ज्ञानिन:(wise person), know that this person’s ज्ञानम् can also be covered by this नित्यवैरि (constant enemy) in the form of काम |
Any binding desire is a symptom of अपूर्णत (sense of incompleteness), and I seek to be complete by fulfilling the desire.
E.g. Only if I go on holiday, then all is well with the world.
Or, I must succeed in anything & everything that I do. But what is the definition of success?
Then, I whip myself and think less of myself if I don’t succeed. Also, I don’t want others to think less of me, so I push myself & others too.
These desires are good, but when one takes them to the extreme, saying that it must happen in this way, then the desires are binding.
Everyone wants to succeed, but when there is an insistence on success with no scope for failure or no plan B, then pressure is put on oneself, and for what?
The definition of success is that I will feel complete.
So, where is this काम present?
* श्लोक ४० *
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते ।
एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥ ४०॥
Our country’s defense forces try to figure out where the enemy is so that they can have a strategy to attack. So where is this काम?
The अधिष्ठानम्/locus is in इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धि: (my own senses, in my mind, in my intellect). Knowledge is also there. So, these binding desires are always doing आवरण (covering) of the knowledge that is there.
So, this situation is tougher than expected, as it is not an external enemy to battle, but rather an internal enemy.
So, then one may loathe/hate oneself, thinking why do I not have enough willpower to deal with my desire?
So, भगवान् continues-
* श्लोक ४१ *
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ ।
पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञाननाशनम् ॥ ४१॥
Therefore, knowing that all acts of अधर्म are committed due to the binding nature of desire, which is a glutton, making one commit to things that one does not want to commit to,
therefore, one should learn to have mastery over one’s senses, mind & intellect, and destroy the real enemy.
So, who is the real enemy i.e. the enemy of one’s knowledge? Binding desires.
Therefore, भगवान् is telling us that, may you have more-
(i) दम: – mastery over the way you use your body.
(ii) शम: – mastery over the resolution of the mind.
So, only I can work on this binding nature of desire, by seeing the havoc that it causes for me, and may I destroy it.
भगवान् has already spoken of कर्म योग – with the spirit of कर्म योग, may you surrender this to me.
Whatever is the nature of one’s desires, do not worry too much about it, instead offer it to भगवान् |
भगवान् Himself told us this in श्लोक ३० –
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वर: ॥ ३०॥
Then, without the sense of me & mine, do what has to be done.
So, instead of worrying- how will it be, what will happen, will it work out? One can surrender all doubts & anxieties. One can take time to make a commitment, but then once the commitment is made, one should go with it. Then, one’s धर्म should be performed in this commitment.
* श्लोक ४२ *
इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्य: परं मन: ।
मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धे: परतस्तु स: ॥ ४२॥
Along with कर्म योग बुद्धि:, may you see that you are not touched by your desire.
And so भगवान् shows us how to do दृग्-दृश्य (seer-seen) विवेक |
This is an inquiry that we do in order to understand who is the seer & what is the seen.
So, we can start with our experience. Looking at our surroundings, one sees the computer screen, and as one moves one’s gaze around the room, there is the recognition that the prior object is displaced by the current object in one’s view. So, that which is दृश्य (seen) changes. That which is unchanging is my eyes with respect to the different sights.
But then even my eyesight changes. When I go to the ophthalmologist, the lens before my eyes is adjusted until I see clearly. The ophthalmologist asks- Can you see clearly with these lenses? So, how can I see whether I see clearly or not?
This is because my eyesight is changing, and so it is also दृश्यम् | When there is smoke or fog, I cannot see.
So, the mind (दृग्) determines whether I can see clearly or not with respect to the changing eyesight (दृश्यम्).
Then, if one is asked- how do I feel, or what did I have for breakfast, how do I know the answer to this question?
I see the thoughts & emotions of the mind. I observe the mind changing with its different memories, feelings, and thoughts.
So, the mind is दृश्यम्/seen, but I-आत्मा am दृग् (the seer).
This दृग्, I-आत्मा, am untouched by what is happening in the mind.
E.g. Clay pot. Does one ask clay- how are you dealing with your binding desires? No. It is the pot with form, thinking itself to be finite/limited/अपूर्णता that has the desire to be complete. For clay there is no struggle whatsoever.
So, with respect to desire management, one can have
(i) कर्म योग बुद्धि: – go after the desire, aligning it with धर्म, and offering it to भगवान् |
and alongside this also have,
(ii) the understanding that I-आत्मा am untouched by all desire.
The mind is greater than the sense organs.
For instance, the ears within its sphere of operation, can only hear within a certain decibel level.
However, मनस् (the mind) with its function of memory & feeling/desires can have feelings/desires not limited to a specific sphere. E.g. one can desire to go to Mars.
So, the nature of the mind is pervasive, whereas the various sense organs are localized.
Then, compared to मन:, बुद्धि: (the intellect) is superior. मन: wanders all over the place, but बुद्धि: is firm & resolute. E.g. in the grocery store, मनस् thinks that I want all these things, but बुद्धि: remains firm that this is all that I need. The बुद्धि: has the function to be able to take decisions.
But that which is superior to this बुद्धि: is स:(He) i.e. I-आत्मा / the Truth.
The nature of desire could be anything.
In each experience of binding desire, if I don’t do, there is the feeling of not being productive.
But one should be able to see that desire is fleeting, it comes & goes.
Between 2 thoughts or 2 desires, there is no desire nor desirer. In deep sleep there is no desire.
Between any 2 tasks, there is no struggle with desire; what is, is me आत्मा |
And I also see that I am untouched by the nature of desire, regardless of how intense it is.
E.g. one may have the binding desire to control one’s spouse, thinking he/she should listen to me.
But one should recognize that I am untouched by all of this.
* श्लोक ४३ *
एवं बुद्धे: परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।
जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥ ४३॥
भगवान् addresses Arjuna and tells him, that though physically you are strong,
what is more superior than your बुद्धि: ?
So, knowing I-आत्मा, I recognize that I am much more than the mind/desires etc.
Once I am rooted in my strength, then desires have no sting.
Therefore, may you destroy the enemy in the form of binding desires, which is difficult to understand.
SUMMARY OF CHAPTER THREE
श्लोक १- ७ ~ Introduction to कर्म & कर्म योग; the lifestyles of कर्म योग & संन्यास/ज्ञान योग |
श्लोक ८- २० ~ Elaboration on कर्म योग, particularly the fact that one cannot escape कर्म | As long as one lives, there is कर्म to be done.
श्लोक २०- २९ ~ What a wise person should avoid doing; highlighting the need for श्रद्धा |
श्लोक ३०- ३५ ~ Some nuances of कर्म योग |
श्लोक ३६- ४३ ~ The problem of binding desires, and the solution to binding desires.
Throughout, the topic of रागद्वेष was covered. One should note that रागद्वेष is not a problem by itself, but when one comes under the spell of रागद्वेष with binding desire, then this is a problem.
Therefore, may one have the mastery of this.
One can overcome binding desire with-
(i) कर्म योग बुद्धि:
(ii) साक्षी meditation.
Each chapter ends with ~ ॐ तत् सत् | ॐ is the only reality.
The conclusion of the chapter reiterates that श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is the essence of the उपनिषद्, talking of ब्रह्मविद्या i.e. the knowledge of the Reality-I, and the knowledge of योग i.e. the knowledge of how to live this life.
And this knowledge is shared through the dialogue between भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: and Arjuna, in this chapter on कर्म योग |
Notably, this chapter starts with कर्म and ends with ज्ञानम् |
This completes the third chapter.
ॐ
Great discussion of sloka 3.17 on the duality of Samkhya. That clarification was very useful to me.
It is noteworthy that Pujya Swamiji repeated the Brahmarpanam prayer/prayer before meals twice-
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ २४॥
The third chapter of the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता concluded with the teaching of how Arjuna and all of us can overcome binding desire. ‘Binding’ is specified, to distinguish binding desire from काम | काम is a valid pursuit according to the वेद | Binding desire is when काम debilitates one, and I must have it by hook or by crook.
The permanent solution to binding desire is understanding that I am ever दृग् (Seer), I am never दृश्यम् (seen). The seen is the desire and all that comes along in its wake.
In transaction, one can manage desires~ by prioritization, making desires goal-oriented, being process-focused, and aligning desire with धर्म | However, true independence from binding desire comes from recognizing my स्वरूप and abiding in it.
The divisions into chapters of श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is only for our sake, depending on the topic being elaborated by भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: | श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता talks of 18 योग:-s. योग: here means topic. And each chapter is titled according to the predominant topic spoken about within.
* श्लोक १ & २*
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
इमं विवस्वते योगं प्रोक्तवानहमव्ययम् ।
विवस्वान्मनवे प्राह मनुरिक्ष्वाकवेऽब्रवीत् ॥ १॥
एवं परम्पराप्राप्तमिमं राजर्षयो विदु: ।
स कालेनेह महता योगो नष्ट: परन्तप ॥ २॥
This Chapter Four talks of ज्ञान in the form of कर्मसंन्यास |
भगवान् begins Chapter 4 by outlining the lineage of the Teaching.
Based on all that has been said so far in all verses, the two main topics we have seen are-
(i) the nature of आत्मा; ज्ञानम्,
(ii) the lifestyle that helps one to get (i).
If one is pursuing धर्म, अर्थ, काम, alongside with मोक्ष, then this lifestyle of कर्म योग is prescribed.
If we look at the time we dedicate to वेदान्त, it is about 4 hours/month for गीता अमृतम् | This does not amount to much time over the timespan of a year. If we compare this to a weekend camp immersive experience where there is ~8-10 hours of classes; this can equate to over 2 months of classes (using the above 4 hours/month).
So, one hour/week is so little. But even with this little time of one hour/week, the power of this tradition is so great, that one’s life can be changed.
Here, भगवान् is saying that all that I have told you about knowledge and the 2 lifestyles i.e. कर्म योग & संन्यास, that I have pretty much said all that I needed to say, and I have given you the Teaching.
This is what is meant by इमम् |
इमं योग ~ This योग refers to knowledge and the lifestyle (कर्म योग & संन्यास).
संन्यास is an exclusive pursuit of मोक्ष, where धर्म, अर्थ, काम are pursued to the least minimum.
We have seen in Chapter 3 that no one can live without doing कर्म |
The संन्यास does minimum कर्म alone, leaving all time & effort for learning & teaching.
Whereas with कर्म योग lifestyle, one pursues other things alongside pursuit of मोक्ष- श्रवणम् (attending classes), contemplating on what is learnt and applying it to one’s life etc. This is done with the ultimate purpose in mind, so that when one is ready, one pursues ज्ञानम् full-time.
संन्यास is both a lifestyle and it is indicative of knowledge.संन्यास means सम्यक् (well done/completely) न्यास: (giving up) i.e. giving up completely.
So, if it is a lifestyle, then it is a choice of how one wants to live one’s life. There are vows involved in accepting संन्यास | And only a select few will take it, and only a select few are ready for it.
But what is non-negotiable is the संन्यास of कर्म in the form of ज्ञानम् |
So, संन्यास लक्षणम् is कर्म संन्यास |
कर्मसंन्यास is to give up completely my notion/identity of being a limited person.
But, I cannot even give up an opinion, so how do I give up this strong notion of being a limited individual?
So here the sense of identity that I gained recognition & self-worth from and held on to,
in the light of knowledge, I give it up by seeing the Truth of it.
Also, previously भगवान् has spoken of कर्म योग as a disposition and lifestyle, and as an approach to कर्म & कर्मफल |
Here भगवान् says that, प्रोक्तवान्~ All I have said,
I have taught to विवस्वान् (सूर्य भगवान्).
विवस्वान् did not keep this knowledge to Himself, He did not get too precious about it.
He passed it on to मनु, who taught it to इक्ष्वाकु |
So, here we see भगवान् referring to important figures in the particular Teaching lineage of the सूर्य सम्प्रदाय |
*N.B.* – एवं परम्पराप्राप्तम्
The knowledge gained, has been gained through the परम्परा i.e. it is a Teaching tradition that has been handed down from one generation to another.
And was it only for the ऋषि-s? No. It was also for राज-s who were Sages, e.g. King Janaka, in addition to the ऋषि-s.
This shows that people who were highly accomplished also had a value for this knowledge. They were not consumed by धर्म, अर्थ, काम only. They also pursued मोक्ष |
But,
कालेन – since time has elapsed,
योगो नष्ट: ~ this योग (Knowledge) that I taught you, which has been going on in the lineage, It has declined in the world.
(नष्ट means destroyed, but in this context, it means that it has declined)
भगवान् is not lamenting about this, it is just a statement of fact.
Often, we initially join class with great enthusiasm. Then, life happens, and we miss class, and feel badly about it and then drop out. Instead of thinking- Oh I missed class, so I should try to catch up; this resignation is there.
And then our clever mind uses cognitive dissonance to explain away, and rationally justify either at the conscious or subconscious level why we cannot keep up so that we don’t feel badly about ourselves.
The ones who stick with it are very few in every generation.
Here on the battlefield, भगवान् is talking to Arjuna in द्वापर युग on the cusp of कलियुग, and even then there were very few takers for this knowledge.
And now in कलियुग with the complete decline of धर्म, there is even less interest.
Importantly, as भगवान्, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is highlighting the परम्परा |
परम्परा is the lineage of the flow of knowledge that takes place from one generation to another.
सम्प्रदाय is used interchangeably with परम्परा | सम्प्रदाय means that which is given completely. [सम्यक् – good, well done, completely; प्रदानम्-giving]
E.g. In academia/ “academentia”, insecurities can come up, so the secular knowledge isn’t completely shared between teacher & student.
But ब्रह्मविद्या is the only thing that can be given completely, because the knowledge is of me as completeness/पूर्ण.
So, it is सम्यक् प्रदानम् – completely given, because I am पूर्ण i.e. I am complete in & of myself.
Therefore, सम्प्रदाय reflects the lineage/teaching tradition that is the central aspect of Sanatana Dharma Hinduism.
There is no central institution in Hinduism.
The सम्प्रदाय is the lineage of knowledge which is dotted across the landscape of Bharat that has kept Sanatana Dharma alive.
The methodology is very thorough since it is immersive learning, with one cycle of learning being 12 complete years full-time.
Each सम्प्रदाय/Teaching tradition/lineage has a central deity, e.g. Lord Shiva, Ganapati Baba, Devi Mata, with different ways of worship/practices, and various dispositions on how they look at wealth, health, the world, and the relationship between the world and the individual.
However, there are a lot of commonalities, though the सम्प्रदाय-s may be different. For instance, there is agreement that everything is sacred, even if there are different ways of looking at reality.
For example, Reality may be looked at as द्वैत with two separate entities of the individual and भगवान् | Or, it can be considered that I am part of ईश्वर | So, there may be different ways of looking at Reality.
But, what is important is the culture of reverence which is present in all सम्प्रदाय-s.
So, one can travel anywhere within India and feel at home if one goes to a temple, or meets a religious person from another सम्प्रदाय |
We see this deep श्रद्धा at pilgrimage sites, e.g. at प्रयाग् we see different people of all ages praying to any form of भगवान्~ from different deities, to the river, or to the milestones on the roadside, and it is accepted by all, it is okay.
This culture of reverence that is there, is borne of the recognition that all that is here is sacred, all is ईश्वर | This culture is transmitted through the entire culture associated with every सम्प्रदाय/lineage.
So, importantly in these verses we see-
~ ब्रह्मविद्या is given completely.
~ Specific names are mentioned in श्लोक १ to highlight the role of the सम्प्रदाय for learning to take place.
~ The mention of the सम्प्रदाय also shows that this teaching is not something new, it has been around for a long time.
* श्लोक ३ *
स एवायं मया तेऽद्य योग: प्रोक्त: पुरातन: ।
भक्तोऽसि मे सखा चेति रहस्यं ह्येतदुत्तमम् ॥ ३॥
अयं मया प्रोक्त:~ all this said so far, by me,
(प्रोक्त:~ said)
it is पुरातन: ~ it is old, but ever new i.e. it is ancient but ever relevant.
So, possible concerns that Arjuna may have had at this time are:
– So then is this ancient knowledge applicable to me?
– Would our friendship last after भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: teaches me?
– What does भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: think of me?
Therefore, to remove Arjuna’s probable concerns, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says-
You are my भक्त, you are my सखा (friend).
भगवान् also says that I am telling you one great secret~ उत्तमम् रहस्यम् |
This Teaching is considered a रहस्य/secret.
It is not that one wants to deny/deprive someone of this knowledge,
but at a minimum, in order for one to understand, there should be भक्ति, with trust in भगवान् |
Some relationship with भगवान् is important, or else this knowledge has no point.
Therefore, we should reclaim trust if it has been eroded in life. Otherwise, we may not trust anyone, and always be second guessing their intention, and this can translate to doubts in the relationship with the Teacher who is part of the Teaching lineage.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: assures Arjuna, telling him that you are dear to me as a भक्त/devotee and as a friend, and this is why I am sharing this Knowledge with you.
Arjuna may have also thought, why did you not tell me this earlier, when we spent 12-13 years in the forest.
So, this could also be why भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: reassures Arjuna in this way.
This highlights the relational aspect of a Teacher-student relationship.
The Truth is actually glaringly obvious. But one has been looking externally/outwardly.
E.g. Even now, though one is studying वेदान्त, if one sees or hears an ad on the secret to ultimate happiness, one will check it out since the senses are turned externally outwards and one thinks that something external will give this happiness to me. Similarly, there is an appeal to the idea of a short crash course versus 12 years of study.
But metaphorically, भगवान् has hid that which is most precious in one’s own heart. So, I am the problem, but I am also the solution.
I have looked all over, went on all pilgrimages ~ spiritual and psychedelic, but really I am that पूर्ण that the वेद talks of.
But then one asks ~ how is it possible that I am पूर्ण? Therefore, the Truth remains a secret, because even if it is revealed to me, I do not fully assimilate it..
The basis of the Teacher-student relationship is both devotion & friendship.
Friendship is one of the most under-rated & undervalued relationships, but it is the basis of all relationships as there is an emphasis on equality. One is not trying to change the other, only support.
For instance, in marriages, once friendship is there, one can weather any storm.
But, if there are too many रागद्वेष, then this can be a problem.
So, this knowledge which is a part of the Teaching lineage, this knowledge which is given completely, भगवान् is sharing now with Arjuna because he is dear to Him, he is His सखा/friend.
And this knowledge is not something new, it is present in every सम्प्रदाय/मठ |
मठ is a traditional institution of learning in India, with different teaching traditions.
In some मठ-s, the teaching tradition is relegated only to initiates.
There may be Public Teaching which is accessible to all, but then advanced level is only taught to certain people because they have gained a certain maturity for it.
Also, not all सम्प्रदाय-s will teach अद्वैत वेदान्त; others may have विशिष्टाद्वैत, द्वैत etc.
But, one is respectful to all मठ-s | For instance, though in उपनिषद् class the argument of द्वैत may be demolished, one always treats people from the द्वैत सम्प्रदाय respectfully.
We must remain united as Sanatana Dharma, with no divisions due to differing theological positions, with धर्म remaining as a framework in one’s interactions with the other.
* श्लोक ४ *
अर्जुन उवाच ।
अपरं भवतो जन्म परं जन्म विवस्वत: ।
कथमेतद्विजानीयां त्वमादौ प्रोक्तवानिति ॥ ४॥
Here, Arjuna has a question.
Arjuna tells भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: that I know about your birth and life, but विवस्वान् was born a very long time ago, so Arjuna thinks, how is it possible that भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: taught विवस्वान् ?
Arjuna, may have been wondering~ is everything okay with You श्री कृष्ण:? We pray to सूर्य भगवान्, so how is this possible? Where is the proof that You indeed taught this to विवस्वान् ?
* श्लोक ५ *
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि जन्मानि तव चार्जुन ।
तान्यहं वेद सर्वाणि न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप ॥ ५॥
भगवान् responds that indeed there have been many births (जन्मानि-plural for birth); that so many lives have passed for you and me. In this way भगवान् references rebirth.
भगवान् says- And I happen to know all of my lifetimes/manifestations,
but, त्वं न वेत्थ ~ you(परन्तप- Arjuna, the scorcher of all enemies) don’t know.
Our mind is so caught up dealing with memories of this lifetime, imagine how difficult life would be if we remembered all prior lifetimes?!
So here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is hinting that He is भगवान् |
* श्लोक ६ *
अजोऽपि सन्नव्ययात्मा भूतानामीश्वरोऽपि सन् ।
प्रकृतिं स्वामधिष्ठाय सम्भवाम्यात्ममायया ॥ ६॥
Here, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says-
I am अज: ~ I was never born,
I am अव्ययात्मा ~ my knowledge does not change/reduce/decline,
I am ईश्वर: ~ ऐश्वरस्य भाव: i.e. overlordship- the one who doesn’t have a boss.
I am the causeless cause, the Lord of all भूत (beings); both the material and the intelligence is भगवान् |
My own प्रकृति I wield and use this material cause as an instrument for सम्भवामि (to come into manifestation).
आत्ममायया ~ I am not born as a result of कर्म, but by my own creative power.
So, for the Magician, there is no magic. The Magician knows the sleight of hand used in performing the trick. But to the onlooker/experiencer, it seems as if it is magic. For the Magician, he wields his own power.
In this way, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: refers to Himself as भगवान् |
So we see from श्लोक १- ८ that स्तुति/glory is done of the गीता with:
– स्तुति/glory of the परम्पर,
– reference to the manifestation called as अवतार |
So here भगवान् is leading up to why He comes on this Earth.
So, Arjuna’s question in श्लोक ४ is a valid question because in Arjuna’s mind, he knows भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: in this lifetime.
But when भगवान् says, I am भगवान्, it is not a statement of arrogance, it is a statement of Truth.
I am भगवान्, I was never born, I oversee all that happens. माया is my शक्ति and I wield it.
So the question comes- why is all this?
Arjuna may have had that question- why did भगवान्, the Lord of all beings who wields प्रकृति & माया, come here?
So, then श्लोक ७ & ८ come which are famous verses which refer to being an अवतार |
अवतार is an incarnation/manifestation of भगवान् |
So, भगवान् says-
* श्लोक ७ *
यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत ।
अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम् ॥ ७॥
यदा यदा- Whenever,
धर्मस्य ग्लानि: भवति- there is a decline in धर्म,
भारत् ~ Arjuna (descendent of भारत्),
अभ्युत्थानम् अधर्मस्य ~ when there is an increase in अधर्म, with wrong living everywhere,
तदा ~ then,
आत्मानं सृजामि अहम् ~ I bring myself into a particular incarnation.
श्लोक ८ further describes the purpose of अवतार –
* श्लोक ८ *
परित्राणाय साधूनां विनाशाय च दुष्कृताम् ।
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥ ८॥
So, the purpose of अवतार is to protect the साधु-s/good people i.e. the one’s aligned with/committed to धर्म |
One’s commitment to धर्म shows as one being a धर्मी i.e. one lives धर्म |
सामान्य धर्म includes:
– अहिंसा ~ causing the least injury,
– दया ~ compassion,
– दान ~ giving what I have,
– इन्द्रियनिग्रह ~ mastery of the sense organs.
In values, there is always scope for one to improve and grow more.
– With the value of सत्यम्, people know that they can depend on me. If I give my word, they know that I will honor it, and that I will speak the Truth. This is because one is aligned to functional reality. One is focused on what is, instead of what is not and what I do not have.
– शौचम् ~ value for cleanliness both external and internal. So internally one does not nurse a lot of regret/guilt.
But, one has so much hurt/guilt. So, one should deal with it by either processing it or throwing it out, but one should not carry it forward.
So, भगवान् says that I have come as an अवतार, so people can live a good life i.e. a life of धर्म |
One should recognize that there is goodness in me, and see the goodness elsewhere, and know that I do what I can to contribute to a lot of change. And this goodness & धर्म can be the basis for the pursuit of काम & अर्थ |
So, people doing good should be protected.
What about those doing अधर्म?
दुष्कृताम् विनाशाय ~ destroy those who are following अधर्म |
This should not be taken literally.
Some people, e.g. a terrorist may not be available for any transformation, and because they are killing civilians, they have to be destroyed i.e. they have to be killed. In this way हिंसा is as important as अहिंसा | But, one should note that the धर्म of the civilian is अहिंसा; हिंसा is reserved for the defense force, if required.
अधर्म can also ‘die’ when a person has a change of heart and no longer does actions that are अधार्मिक् |
For instance, laws can cause fear in people and so prevent अधर्म |
For example, in Saudi Arabia one’s hand can be chopped off for stealing. So, the fear of the consequence is the motivating factor that keeps the person in line.
But also, one should see the value of values.
सामान्य धर्म may be presented as moral injunctions. But we are naturally rebellious and so do not want to follow.
But if I see the value of values, e.g. दानम्, then I give as a person.
But one should not give as overcompensation. E.g. Karana from the Mahabharata was very denied and deprived in childhood. He took the value of दानम् to an extreme. He was born with armor, but he gave it away when it was requested of him because he wanted to uphold the identity that he did not refuse anyone who came to him. In this way he endangered his own life.
So, one should not take a value to the extreme; one should understand the context and apply it.
With respect to दानम्, one should see what giving does for me & others too.
When one lives a life of धर्म, one feels happy about it, and rests comfortably. And this is okay to feel happy about the good I did, knowing that I am definitely contributing to the happiness of others also.
So, the reason for divine incarnation is for धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय~ the purpose of establishing धर्म | It is to-
(i) Protect the people who are धार्मिक् |
(ii) Destroy/convert the people who are अधार्मिक् |
(iii) Establish धर्म |
Through the constitution/justice system, it enforces certain behavior based on crime & punishment.
But धर्म is a self-regulating framework, where by understanding the value of धर्म, everyone regulates themselves because of the understanding of the consequences of doing wrong.
E.g. Self-regulation for Kumbha Mela- though there are kilometers of people, there is no stampede with resultant death. The police on horseback move around the crowds and due to the fear of being trampled, everyone becomes organized and self-regulated.
धर्म is like this.
When one does not follow धर्म, e.g. if one hurts another, one regrets it, and it gnaws at one.
This is because धर्म lies in one’s heart. This is भगवान्’s gift so we are able to self-regulate due to this voice of धर्म |
This voice should be loud & clear, but sometimes we subdue and pacify this voice.
The more I create division in the way I think and act, e.g. I think something but do something else, then I am not together as a person. Then, I am not available for any pursuit.
And if there is this internal conflict, there is no harmony/happiness. Then, there is no more meaning left in life.
This is the disturbance in धर्म at an individual level.
Then, there is धर्म at the level of society, where what is good is rewarded. There are structures, guidelines and organizations that uphold ethics.
So, when भगवान् talks of the establishment of धर्म, He is talking of the establishment of धर्म at the level of society also.
So, in order to establish धर्म, in every युग, भगवान् takes अवतार |
Time is cyclical. One कल्प is 4 युग-s.
In the वराहपुराण, धर्म is presented metaphorically as a bull. (see Slack under Gita-amrtam channel for PDF on this)
The four legs of the bull represent सत्यम्, शौचम्, तपस् and दानम्, which are very important for धर्म |
(i) सत्ययुग – All 4 legs of the bull are present i.e. people practiced धर्म | At this time, the ऋषि-s had a lot of power so a mere utterance by Them could bring a curse or blessing.
(ii) त्रेतायुग – The bull stands on 3 legs, due to committed पापा |
(iii) द्वापरयुग – The bull stands on 2 legs, as people became more corrupt.
(iv) कलियुग – The bull stands on only 1 leg. So, there is complete decline of धर्म | There are many predictions of what is to come. Currently we are in the beginning/golden age of कलियुग, so this is not the terrible part of कलियुग |
So, भगवान् will come in every युग in order to establish धर्म |
This is not in the sense of Him being a Saviour.
It is to rekindle धर्म in one’s heart so that we self-regulate, and have ethical practices in our work & dealings with others, and so re-establish धर्म |
ॐ
So far, we have looked at श्लोक-s १-८ | We saw the discussion of अवतार/divine incarnation, including the purpose of अवतार |
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: says-
धर्मसंस्थापनार्थाय सम्भवामि युगे युगे ॥ ८॥ ~ For the establishment of धर्म, I come into being in every युग |
Time is cyclical, and consists of 4 युग-s ~ सत्ययुग, त्रेतायुग, द्वापरयुग, कलियुग | Each युग spans several 1000 years (see PDF document on this on Gita Amrtam tab on Slack).
And with the passage of time, धर्म will decline and be at its worse in कलियुग |
Generally, an अवतार comes at the end or beginning of a युग, and so भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: has come at this time i.e. at the end of द्वापरयुग |
And, what can one अवतार do? An अवतार can destroy अधर्म in the hearts of many people by the अवतार’s Teachings. And if one recognizes the value of धर्म, then our institutions will become धार्मिक् i.e. our families, schools, judiciary, executive, government. At all levels, all institutions- companies, corporates, non-profit organizations. Because a company, or a society is not an amorphous abstract entity; it is made up of people like us. Therefore, if the people who constitute and run the institutions are धार्मिक्, then it will help to promote the happiness, well-being & welfare of the cause that they serve.
People often complain about different institutions including our own companies. But who works in that company? Therefore, one should not behave helplessly, as if one can do nothing about it.
However, many times we operate out of fear. E.g. in the workplace there is a collapse of work boundaries with one expected to be available 24/7 to take calls. And one does not bring up this matter, because of the fear of the loss of my job. This lifestyle is not feasible, as then everyone gets burnt-out and then quit the position/sector/company. Or, one starts a new company, or scales down one’s lifestyle. So then who bells the cat? Because working 16-18-hour days is not sustainable in the long-run.
Even if one is a CEO with a lot of drive/passion for work, this one-dimensional focus is not conducive to a healthy family life etc.
Therefore this धर्मसंस्थापन (establishment of धर्म ) is really us recognizing the value of the value. E.g. I have to see what living the value of अहिंसा (causing the least injury) does for me. And I also have to recognize the corollaries of this. For instance, when I cause violence or violence is caused to me through words or actions, then what is the result? So, for each value we should examine what is the result of the lack of the value.
1. अहिंसा ~ What is the result of हिंसा on me and others~ family, extended community.
Group Discussion –
Physical – Bodily harm to oneself/others with loss of limb/life; loss of opportunities in life, loss of one’s livelihood.
Mental – Can affect one’s self esteem, with loss of trust in oneself, God, society, others. There is resentment towards the other person, and towards one’s own life. There may also be the feeling of intense rage with the desire for retaliation.
Spiritual – There is कर्म-bondage between the perpetrator & the recipient.
A violent episode pulls the perpetrator towards अधर्म and away from सत्त्व |
Intellectual – Then, violence distorts the recipient’s thinking. One compares oneself to others and wonders, why did this happen to me~ ‘why me’ and not someone else?
Another viewpoint on intellectual हिंसा is that one thinks it’s ‘my way or the highway’ with a missed chance for creative teamwork opportunity.
2. सत्यम् ~ What is the result of असत्यम्/lies on me and others.
Group Discussion –
The effect of lies is a loss of connection due to a lack of trust.
It leads to a loss of credibility for the person who speaks the untruth, and it affects one’s reputation in the long run.
असत्यम् leads to conflict for the victim of the untruth- external, as well as internal conflict.
There is also internal conflict for the person who speaks the untruth, due to that inner voice of धर्म, with the litmus test being a sleepless night.
3. अस्तेयम् ~ non-stealing. What is the result of stealing ideas, property, wealth.
Group Discussion –
Impact on others- One ends up hurting the other and losing relationships. Anger & resentment is created in the other person from whom one has stolen property/money/ideas. One loses respect in the other person’s eyes.
Impact on self- If the person is aware that stealing is wrong, but still does it out of habit then one loses peace of mind, and respect in one’s own eyes.
However, if one is unaware that stealing is wrong, maybe because one started at such a young age and was not corrected, then one may not have the moral compass of धर्म guiding but instead be living in an illusionary world that what one is doing is okay. E.g. Duryodhana believed that asking for the entire kingdom was right, because he was disconnected with his धर्म |
Additionally, when one steals, one robs oneself of the opportunity to gain that thing by धार्मिक् means. E.g. if one works in a team and steals another’s idea, then one loses the opportunity for oneself to gather that on one’s own.
4. शौचम् ~ external and internal cleanliness.
Group Discussion –
Physical & External & Internal –
Self-cleanliness avoids disease. External शौचम् involves keeping the environment & house clean. The impact of अशौचम् is the lack of environmental harmony and the spread of disease.
Uncleanliness comes from clutter & hoarding. This can be a symptom of incompleteness. The object has already served its purpose, but the emotional feeling associated with it is still there, so there is that attachment and so one hoards. Therefore, this external clutter is associated with cobwebs of the mind, which further drives internal अशौचम् of emotions and thoughts, e.g. greed, anger, jealousy.
Then in turn, this internal अशौचम् affects one’s external interactions in one’s relationships and reactions/responses.
Also, when one binge watches certain media, it affects one’s response to a given situation. E.g. if I watch an anxiety-provoking show, one’s immediate reaction to a situation may be anxiety.
शौचम् is in keeping with कर्म योग बुद्धि: and one’s स्वधर्म |
Overall, the cleaner the water (one’s mind), the sun shines better on it.
And so, we remember Marie Kondo’s decluttering motto ~ keep things that spark joy.
5. इन्द्रियनिग्रह (mastery/discipline over sense organs)
Group Discussion –
There is an intimate connection between इन्द्रियनिग्रह and doing what is right i.e. one’s स्वधर्म |
If one has strong likes & dislikes, and one is unable to control the senses, how does this impact me?
This can create a chaotic feeling, and lots of drama since there is the insistence that circumstances be a certain way in accordance with my likes/dislikes. Additionally, there is no inner orientation to धर्म as it is blocked by strong रागद्वेष | And so one feels disturbed with resultant anxiety & depression, because one’s happiness is tied to the fulfillment of the रागद्वेष through the sense organs, e.g. I must have my potatoes cooked a certain way, or else!
Also, depending on one’s role, इन्द्रियनिग्रह may have further import. For instance, a mother is a role model to her kids, so her lack of restraint can have an impact on her kids. In this example, the lack of fulfillment of the mother’s role due to lack of इन्द्रियनिग्रह can have further impact on the kids with resultant fragmented and unsafe feelings in the kids.
Also, at work a lack of इन्द्रियनिग्रह can have an impact with one being disorganized as one’s senses leads them outwards to check Facebook, instead of working on the task at hand.
6. स्वाध्याय (study of the शास्त्र)
Group Discussion –
Without स्वाध्याय one does not turn inwards, one continues with an external pursuit.
One would be intolerant, impatient, and have wrong perspectives that would not be corrected.
Such persons may be धार्मिक् in life, but since not pursuing वेदान्त, the understanding of one’s true nature never comes.
Important is learning under a गुरु | One will not get the correct understanding without a गुरु | For instance one may not have the कर्म योग understanding that I am a contributor and not the controller of a result.
Additionally, one may have certain limitations that one is unable to accept/overcome, and so face issues with self-acceptance. This essential problem cannot be overcome without a गुरु |
7. संतोष: (contentment). The opposite of this is that one is never satisfied. There may be the thinking that ambition is everything.
Group Discussion –
The result of a lack of संतोष: is never being satisfied with me or with others.
Work – One is never satisfied with one’s performance and feels the constant need to change. Also, the boss is never satisfied with the work done and so one is forced to do more.
Family – Despite loving family members, there seems to always be some discontentment with the need to change others.
Devoting oneself to others – There may be the feeling of personal dissatisfaction with how much I am able to give to others.
संतोष is an important value for कर्म योग, as if we always put ourselves under stress, then with an agitated/restless mind we cannot enjoy what we have. There is the feeling that I need to do more to get more, so the mind is not relaxed. And the restless mind can lead to lack of focus when one tries to do other tasks objectively, and so there is overall anxiety.
And from the कर्म योग perspective, by doing what needs to be done with a contented & satisfied mind, then the vision of ईश्वर and the acceptance of any results becomes more possible.
8. दया (compassion). The opposite of kindness is cruelty/harshness.
Group Discussion –
Compassion is a value which should be practiced by one as well as others. With the practice of compassion, there is the expectation of reciprocal compassion.
But, many times this may not be the case. So, how does one deal with this? Because one cannot force another to be compassionate to one.
Only by the practice of कर्म योग बुद्धि: can one accept this non-compassion.
An additional point was that compassion to other living beings e.g. animals & Mother Nature is needed. Compassion is not only towards human beings.
So, it is important to understand the implications of these values.
For instance, unless I see the effect of when I/another speaks a lie, and so fully grasp the value, then the value of सत्यम् remains a moralistic injunction to me, and then I tend to abstract the value and do not apply the value to myself or my situation.
So, one should see the effect of what अधर्म does to me. Only then do I implement धर्म because I recognize for myself that अधर्म is not working for me, or for the other.
ॐ
So far we have seen श्लोक-s १-८ | भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: spoke of the परम्परा and how He taught विवस्वान् | This highlights that this knowledge is not something new. Also, this knowledge is to be gained live through a Teacher-student relationship.
भगवान् also said that there is a decline in the people seeking, learning and understanding this knowledge. भगवान् is making this statement at least 3000 years ago, so what to talk about our current predicament?
Access to this knowledge may be there, but one’s commitment and discipline in this pursuit is iffy.
Then, भगवान् responded to Arjuna’s question about अवतार | Arjuna thinks that I know श्री कृष्ण:’s date of birth, so how can He say that that He taught विवस्वान्?
So, then भगवान् taught what an अवतार (divine incarnation) is, and the purpose of an अवतार |
Importantly, the purpose of an अवतार is to establish धर्म | धर्म is established in our hearts as
धर्मी-s. धर्म is not something abstract, it is not an institution to be established. It is for one to be धार्मिक् and see the value of having the values of धर्म e.g. अहिंसा, शौचम्, आर्जवम् (straightforwardness), संतोष:, आत्मविनिग्रह | We looked at 8 of these values in our last class. Once we are धार्मिक्, then whatever institution we are a part of, or we run will be धार्मिक |
For short term gains, each one compromises. Then, all of us complain about corruption but we never complain that we are corrupt.
So भगवान् says- to establish धर्म, सम्भवामि युगे युगे ~ I come into being every time.
An अवतार is not a saviour coming here to rescue us. We can save ourselves. Only when there is too much decline in धर्म, then भगवान् comes. We have been blessed with enough शक्ति to know the right thing to do, and to act upon it. So, one should have the willpower and the ‘won’t-power’ to know what one should say yes to, and what one should say no to. This is an important part of self-mastery.
So, all this can be managed well, when one leads one’s life with धर्म |
Continuing alone the lines of अवतार, भगवान् shares-
*श्लोक ९*
जन्म कर्म च मे दिव्यमेवं यो वेत्ति तत्त्वत: ।
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म नैति मामेति सोऽर्जुन ॥ ९॥
भगवान् helps Arjuna to shift his attention from form to the Reality through this verse.
य: वेत्ति तत्त्वत: ~ The one who knows in reality (तत्त्वत:),
मे दिव्य जन्म ~ my divine birth.
Lord कृष्ण:’s birth was not due to कर्म | Everyone else’s birth is due to कर्म ~ पुन्य & पापा |
So, the one who know the reality i.e. one’s own स्वरूप |
What happens to that person?
त्यक्त्वा देहं पुनर्जन्म न एति ~ that person does not have a rebirth,
माम् एति ~ he gains me.
Gaining/reaching is due to the perception that I don’t have it. Therefore, understanding my स्वरूप is an ‘as though’ gain, just as when one recognizes that the missing spectacles were ever sitting so lightly on my forehead. So too, I do not recognize my nature due to अविद्या |
So वेदान्त is about shifting one’s reality of the form.
We all agree that if I am in touch with reality then I am sane.
As part of the psychological evaluation, the Mental Status Examination is done to check how oriented a person is to the reality of his/her situation with respect to time, place etc..
Now, extending this, are we in touch with the reality of ourselves?
From the perspective of the person with hallucinations/delusions, this person is in their own world, and may think that the doctor is the insane one.
प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् is one’s subjective reality. What is real to me is my रागद्वेष and how I have divided my world into the things that I like and am drawn towards, and the things that I dislike and so avoid.
Each person has their राग – cheesecake, nature, a desire to travel, punctuality etc.
E.g. If another is unpunctual, it may cause a little annoyance.
But if one’s राग is punctuality, then one has the thinking that there must be punctuality with no excuses for lack of punctuality. So, the राग for punctuality makes one unwilling to be oriented to functional reality i.e. one is so caught up with the other’s lack of tardiness that one cannot see past this to the person’s genuine reason for being late, or the other’s good qualities. These are ignored due to one’s राग |
So, one’s प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् (subjective reality) is everyone should be punctual because I am punctual, and if another is not punctual then I do not want to engage with them.
With orientation to functional reality, I understand that there are people who are habitually late, for whatever reason. Therefore, for me to work with the habitual late-comer I have to be oriented to functional reality. I understand that this person is a part of the team that I am working with for this particular project. So, I keep aside this punctuality aspect, and do what I can, working with what I have, and working together with this person.
So, if I can suspend/keep aside this रागद्वेष, and work on the larger picture, then I am awake to व्यवहारिक सत्यम् i.e. functional/empirical reality.
But, if I get caught up with my likes/dislikes, then I remain stuck at प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् |
Then, I lose the opportunity to engage with this other person who may have other skills & talents, this person who I have to anyway work with on this project.
What is in and through this subjectivity that I have?
What is it in and through all the forms? It is ‘is’-ness i.e. पारमार्थिक सत्यम् / Absolute Reality, without which there can be no form.
न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचि
नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूय: ।
अजो नित्य: शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो
न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ॥ २०॥ Chapter 2.
So, the nature of the आत्मा (is-ness, consciousness) is me, as well as the person who is not punctual, the project and the company.
So, this consciousness is everything in and through all forms.
So, all 3 levels of reality are actually one ~ पारमार्थिक सत्यम् |
E.g. The ocean – there can be a boss wave and an employee wave, both operating on different wavelengths ~ one punctual and one not. Or there can be a company with all 10 like-minded waves, all moving together.
But, what is in and through all waves? Water.
What is in and through all forms, and even one’s subjectivity? Consciousness.
Therefore, one can shift attention from the form of wave, to the reality of water. So too, one can shift attention from me-the person to the reality of consciousness.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: explains that He happens to have a form and what a life~ born in a prison, an arduous journey, His own family members(Uncle Kamsa) trying to kill Him, and in the greatest battle He chooses to be a charioteer, and despite His greatness He is not able to avert the war.
So, there are 3 orders of reality.
By bringing in the disposition of कर्म योग into one’s life, one moves from subjectivity to objectivity.
So, though I have my रागद्वेष that I want to fulfill, and these रागद्वेष consume me,
I align my रागद्वेष to धर्म and make it as an offering to भगवान् , and so I do my duty.
E.g. Even if it is difficult to interact with one’s in-laws, one at least does the minimum required to do one’s duty to them.
I do not have to be best of friends with everyone in every situation, but I do my best, and do not hold on to reactions.
Or else I get affected. E.g. I am very upset by my late colleague, but my late colleague remains in ignorant bliss to my internal turmoil. Even if I say something, the other wonders- what’s the big deal, I was only a little late. So due to one’s strong subjectivity, there is a lot of internal conflict and suffering.
So, one should move from one’s subjectivity to the objectivity of this functional world.
Otherwise, one has an exhausting time which is all about managing one’s रागद्वेष |
By aligning myself with the facts and interactions/relationships of this functional reality; and not avoiding nor running away from certain aspects of life, I have balance in life.
Then, I have the space and leisure to have this मोक्ष pursuit.
Then one understands:
~ all along ईश्वर was pervading all, as the material & intelligent cause.
~ तत्त्वमसि – it was just like a dream, I-आत्मा was pervading as the material & intelligent cause, all the way.
How did भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: appear?
It was the collective पुण्य of all people who prayed for an अवतार |
What level of reality is His birth? It is not व्यवहारिक सत्यम् as He had no opening capital with an account of पुण्य or पाप to fructify into a birth.
But भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: appeared and was simultaneously available for 1000s of people.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण:’s birth was a divine birth and has प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् | This does not mean that His birth was subjective. He could appear for many simultaneously, but he was not born of कर्म |
But really, the reality/basis of any form is तत्त्वत: |
For the one who knows this truth, and is not dazzled by any form, ignorance is gone, so there is no chance for rebirth.
Once one cuts the roots of अविद्या/ignorance, there is no scope for branches i.e. there is no chance for rebirth.
It is not just about reducing कर्म or काम/desire management. Because other desires will pop up, e.g. romantic spiritual desires like going to Uttarkashi and sitting by Ganga to meditate.
कर्म & काम can be managed and reduced to just a few life priorities- in this way 1000s of desires can be distilled into 5-6 priorities.
There is also scope to improvise.
Often we want to show love for someone, but this depends on how that person wants to receive love. Even if one is married for a long time, one should specify/say how one wants to receive love. E.g. All the spouse really wants is help in the kitchen.
One should not feel that the other should figure it out, or think that I am being demanding, or worry about lack of spontaneity. Sometimes, we just have to spell out what we want, and clarify our position.
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: is both प्रातिभासिक सत्यम्, and definitely पारमार्थिक सत्यम् since He is भगवान्’s अवतार only. So, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is all about भगवान्’s Teaching, and this is our सत्यम् also.
प्रातिभासिक सत्यम् ~ One’s subjectivity i.e. the unique likes and dislikes that make up the personality.
व्यवहारिक सत्यम् ~ One’s interaction with others i.e. one’s alignment to functional reality with harmonious relationships.
पारमार्थिक सत्यम् ~ Absolute Reality in and through all forms.
I-आत्मा am सत्यम्, all forms are मिथ्या (dependent reality)
Some erroneously think that the goal of spirituality is to have a divine vision of भगवान् | This is indeed a blessing.
But here, भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य in His भाष्य uses the words सम्यक् दर्शनम् | सम्यक् दर्शनम् is the clear and complete vision of seeing that me and भगवान् are one. Notably, this term was not used in Chapter 11 when Arjuna gained the divine vision of भगवान् in all His glory |
People especially उपासक-s have different divine visions that may be dazzling. But the important question is did the blessing of this divine vision help to reduce the separation/division between me and भगवान् ?
भगवान् delves further into the topic of तत्त्वत: in श्लोक १० | …
भगवान् delves further into the topic of तत्त्वत: in श्लोक १० |
*श्लोक १०*
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिता: ।
बहवो ज्ञानतपसा पूता मद्भावमागता: ॥ १०॥
मद्भावमागता: ~ the person comes back to my nature.
How?
By freeing oneself from राग, भय & क्रोध |
राग is a consuming/binding desire.
One cannot manage anger unless one manages binding desire. The intensity of anger is related to the intensity of desire.
E.g. The intensity of rage in a parent is due to the parent wanting the child to do something that the child does not want to do.
When the desire is consuming, for instance the parent really wants the child to get married, then all one can think of is the ways in which to get the son married.
There is associated भय with the unfulfilled desire, as one worries – what will happen to my son, who will take care of my son, my son will be lonely when I am not there.
Then there can also be associated anger with passive-aggressive treatment of the son and giving the son the silent treatment.
So, how is this managed? मन्मया मामुपाश्रिता: |
So, this anger, fear and राग is there for everyone, but with the disposition of कर्म योग, I offer all best attempts to भगवान् and accept the results as प्रसाद | Then, however the situation unfolds, I see it as pervaded by भगवान् |
E.g. if I get caught up in the anger with my son for not getting married, then my relationship with him becomes one-dimensional, and I lose out on other aspects of our relationship.
By मामुपाश्रिता: i.e. by taking refuge in भगवान्, this helps one to be ready for ज्ञान तपस् i.e. this discipline of knowledge.
Because to learn anything, the mind needs to be undistracted and focused. And the mind has to have done a lot of processing of whatever has happened.
Otherwise the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता becomes a way for one to manage व्यवहार instead of for मोक्ष pursuit. Then, one becomes selective in listening, and only listens when a topic applicable to my व्यवहार is spoken of, e.g. the hurt daughter-in-law looking for pointers on how to manage the mother-in-law. There is the incorrect thinking that once I manage something, then I am fine.
But then one realizes that even if I manage this one thing, I still remain as the wanting person, there is always something desired. This is because I remain identified with this limited form. And so, one wants to become free i.e. the universal need for freedom.
बहव: ~ Many people,
have done this ज्ञान तपस् |
How did they do it?
With the attitude of surrender.
Surrender is recognizing that all that I have is given to me.
The body and mind, and their functions are all given to me, and pervaded by भगवान् |
Even if one thinks that it is my कर्म, who is responsible for the laws of कर्म that shape which पुन्य & पाप fructifies? In this way one should recognize that everything is given to me, everything comes from भगवान् |
With surrender, one recognizes that the individuality that one holds on to for dear life in order to have some sense of significance, that this isolates me from the world and especially from भगवान् |
So, मामुपाश्रिता: is the recognition that everything that I have is given to me and I make the most of it.
So, one should take refuge in भगवान् |
And taking refuge in भगवान् is not some special action. It is performing my different actions with the understanding that everything is given to me, and that everything that I do is an offering to भगवान् |
This the principle behind doing a 5-step पूजा where the पञ्चमहाभूत (the 5 great elements) i.e. the basic building blocks of this whole जगत् are used.
But what can I truly offer to you भगवान्? Because everything is already yours.
E.g. If one is given 1 million dollars, and then offers 10 dollars in return, so too what can one really offer to the one who has given everything?
So, I offer a symbol of the पञ्चमहाभूत- water, food/fruits, मन्त्र-s, incense, flame. Importantly is the भाव/attitude- whatever I have has been given to me, and this is my offering to you भगवान् |
So, one’s growing love for भगवान् is expressed in the पूजा |
Even if one does not feel like doing, one should do, as action evokes the emotion.
E.g. Cooking for one’s husband, even when one does not feel like it, evokes the pleased husband, and so there is the happy me.
So, this आश्रय/ surrender/ taking refuge,
पूता ~ It purifies one,
because one’s रागद्वेष no longer has a hold on one.
Then now, I have the discipline & commitment to stay with this pursuit of मोक्ष and contemplate on what ज्ञानम् looks like in this life.
Because वेदान्त is not an abstract concept in academics with a PowerPoint looking at the 10 concepts of वेदान्त | Otherwise there will be the tendency to consider वेदान्त as something apart from me. This is not helpful.
ज्ञान तपस् is really applying this knowledge to my life.
One cannot apply आत्मा to my life as I am already आत्मा |
But one wants to rush to the Truth – how do I see that I am सत्यम्, ज्ञानम्, अनन्तम्?
But first one should consider- am I available in all my relationships?
Do I keep my heart open for relative love and happiness?
One cannot hide behind वेदान्त | One should consider- what does ज्ञानम् look like for me in my life?
So, there is no bypassing this step. But we are scared. We swing from being overly critical of oneself to being lackadaisical.
One should strive for that dynamic balance to be firm, gentle and loving to myself.
But, instead of thinking being a glory, it seems like a burden, so one gives up and says – I don’t want to think about it…
ज्ञान तपस ~ that discipline of knowledge.
What is real in my life?
When I hear that आत्मा is me-limitless, do I see that to be true?
One thinks- but I do not ‘feel’ this way. This is due to identification with one’s emotions, so more विवेक is required.
Or I may think- I may be सत्यम् ब्रह्म, but why is there so much suffering in the world?
Therefore, one should go back to functional reality and align with धर्म, and do one’s duty but understand it as मिथ्या |
Even if I am not ready to understand it as मिथ्या, I can still focus on doing my धर्म |
* श्लोक ११ *
ये यथा मां प्रपद्यन्ते तांस्तथैव भजाम्यहम् ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्या: पार्थ सर्वश: ॥ ११॥
Of the people who worship me,
in whatever way they worship me, I bless them in the same way.
E.g. If one sees value in money, then भगवान् blesses them like this.
So, Mother Lakshmi blesses with child & house etc.
This is because there is the recognition that in all that people are seeking/worshipping, what they are really seeking is freedom.
People just want to be free from seeking, as one realizes that the object of desire just keeps on shifting from marriage to children to house etc.
Our भक्ति/ growing love for भगवान् develops through different stages-
(i) Atheist/ agnostic
One wonders – but I came here to study the भगवद्-गीता and learn about धर्म, so why all this talk about भगवान्?
It is because the intelligence & material of everything is all भगवान् | So one should realize that one’s whole life is ईश्वर-ized.
Pujya Swamiji has written a booklet about ‘Bringing ईश्वर into One’s Life’.
Already ईश्वर is in my life. But, there is a choice. Until some surrender, there is stress in my life.
With surrender, I recognize that some things I control, and some things I cannot.
By bringing ईश्वर into my life, the more & more I recognize that all that I have is ईश्वर | Otherwise there is a sense of entitlement, and I am angry and think that it is all about my rights and forget my responsibility.
Both my rights and my responsibilities have to go hand in hand.
(ii) एकरूप भक्ति
One may resonate with one particular deity i.e. one’s इष्टदेवता e.g. Lord Jesus, Lord कृष्ण:, or Ganapati Baba.
With एकरूप भक्ति there is surrender only to this form, and this form has blessed me.
But one is trying to reduce That which is so vast & expansive to one form. So, एकरूप भक्ति is still limited and has to evolve to अनेक रूप भक्ति |
(iii) अनेक रूप भक्ति
अनेक means many. So, one’s vision of ईश्वर has expanded. अनेक does not refer to just deities, but one recognizes that all forms are भगवान् | So this entire जगत् is seen as a manifestation of भगवान् |
भगवान् Ramana Maharishi explains that पूजा should be done to the 8-fold-form that are the five elements, Sun, moon and living beings.
Therefore, पूजा is best done as सेवा to the entire जगत् with my given skill set.
So, everything is sacred, and this starts with me. My body is sacred.
Sometimes we do self-sabotage in the way that we treat ourselves, and in our habits.
But one should start with the recognition that I am sacred, because I am a manifestation of भगवान् |
So as part of पूजा, there is आत्मा पूजा where one says-
देहो देवालयः प्रोक्तः जीवो देवस्सनातनः ।
त्यजेदज्ञाननिर्माल्यं सोऽहं भावेन पूजयेत् ॥
So, in आत्मा पूजा one recognizes the body as a देवालयः (temple), and the जीव is the deity.
त्यजेदज्ञाननिर्माल्यं ~ And the wilted flowers, may I give up these like ignorance.
सोऽहं भावेन पूजये ~ He is me. I am this. (सः~ He, अयम् ~this). With this भाव I do this पूजा |
So symbolically grains or flowers are placed on one’s head. Because I recognize that I am auspicious and sacred. Even if I seem dysfunctional, I am ever sacred.
Then, with the recognition that everything is sacred, I switch to अरूप भक्ति |
(iv) अरूप भक्ति – What is the nature/तत्त्वम्/reality of all of these forms?
With भक्ति/love, we recognize that one’s devotion can extend to everyone.
One’s रागद्वेष no longer inhibits the love that I feel. I no longer need the other person to do exactly as I wish. So, one’s love is not conditional.
I am free, and I allow the other person to be free.
Although one’s pursuit may be for अर्थ, काम or धर्म, भगवान् recognizes that what everyone is seeking is freedom from seeking.
So, people follow भगवान्’s path in different ways, and He blesses everyone because through these pursuits, the discipline and commitment needed for the मोक्ष pursuit is learnt.
So, the work that one does, the money that one earns, the people that one engages with are not dismissed, as these help to strengthen discipline & commitment, as well as it helps one with having a leisure/relaxation so that one can pursue मोक्ष |
* शोल्क १२ *
काङ् क्षन्त: कर्मणां सिद्धिं यजन्त इह देवता: ।
क्षिप्रं हि मानुषे लोके सिद्धिर्भवति कर्मजा ॥ १२॥
In this मानुषे लोके (human world), whatever actions/कर्म are done, there is immediate सिद्धि (accomplishment). So, for many things, one gets the results quickly.
Many religious people are also looking for quick fixes, as one considers that भगवान् is an ally who is more powerful than me, so then I can ask भगवान् for things.
Even if I don’t ask भगवान् for anything, the things that I have, have been given to me through पुन्य, as the laws of कर्म shape all that I have.
In all पूजा-s and in the कर्म काण्ड, it is important to state what I want. This should also be done on a daily basis.
Every moment we voice what we want to whoever we encounter- family members, colleagues, strangers, but suddenly to the most powerful being, one does not ask for anything.
So, we are encouraged to ask. The पूजा does not proceed without a सङ्कल्प |
Though भगवान् may be a mind-reader, I have to state what I want in all my pursuits.
It is not about me doing anything-anyhow, as my intentionality in action is very important.
What do I want in my job or in my relationship? One should be clear with oneself about what I want, it is my इच्छा शक्ति, so I state it.
So here भगवान् says that- through all pursuits, though one may be worshipping different deities and everyone wants quick fixes, I bless them with that.
One may wonder- but why is भगवान् not blessing me with मोक्ष? This is because I am already मुक्त: | I am already free, so भगवान् cannot give me freedom.
Pujya Swamiji gives the example that one asking भगवान् for another head in order to think more clearly will be silly as I already have a head.
So भगवान् blesses one, whatever be one’s pursuits.
One should remember that prayer cannot be a replacement for action. Prayer only enhances the actions that I am doing. Prayer backs up कर्म | E.g. I cannot win the lottery without buying the lottery ticket.
Next in this chapter, we see that भगवान् shifts gears and talks of the वर्ण-system according to कर्म & गुण |
ॐ
After suggesting that people may worship भगवान् and भगवान् will bless them, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: goes on to talk of the 4-fold division of society.
* श्लोक १३ * – second line
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागश: ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥ १३॥
In the second line of this श्लोक, भगवान् says ~ although I am the author/कर्ता and have created this 4-fold division, may you know that I am not the कर्ता and I am अव्ययम् (ever-changeless).
So here, भगवान् is drawing our attention to our connection with कर्म, and कर्म’s connection to अविद्या |
In one’s relationship with कर्म, there are some कर्म-s that we enjoy doing very much and have a राग for that type of कर्म, e.g. walking in nature, playing with my pet, working, ticking off tasks, being with children, listening to music, artwork etc.
Or there may be द्वेष to certain कर्म, e.g. confronting someone, unpleasant conversations, doing chores ~ dishes, laundry.
So, there is this weird, mixed relationship with कर्म- due to राग we are drawn to certain कर्म, and due to द्वेष, I want to avoid certain कर्म | So every day, in every situation, one is figuring out what to do and what not to do based on this.
So, भगवान् is telling us-
Yes, one is the कर्ता and कर्म is to be done by every being, including me.
But, my problem is not what कर्म is to be done, or not done.
It feels like this is my problem since the कर्म to be done, or not done, evokes a strong reaction in me ~ I really want to do it, or I really don’t want to do it..
So, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: wants me to know that the कर्म to be done is not the issue, rather what is important is the conclusion that I have made about mySelf on the basis of the कर्म that I have to do, or I am not doing.
E.g. I may have never-ending Sanskrit homework that I do not want to do.
So, I manage my mixture of emotions in the light of the कर्म that has to be done, and, although I am the कर्ता, I should know that I am really not the doer.
So, भगवान् compassionately draws attention to my स्वरूप | My nature is सत्यम्-consciousness and I am never touched by पुण्य or पापा |
* श्लोक १४ *
न मां कर्माणि लिम्पन्ति न मे कर्मफले स्पृहा ।
इति मां योऽभिजानाति कर्मभिर्न स बध्यते ॥ १४॥
कर्म does not affect me. This is not from the standpoint of emotional maturity. It is not that one is indifferent, neutral or apathetic, and so one says that कर्म does not affect me.
कर्म is borne of काम (desire), and काम is borne of अविद्या | So jokingly it is as if कर्म is the grandkid of अविद्या | So how can the grandkid affect the grandmother?
Therefore, it does not matter if one does lots/less कर्म, or avoids/goes towards कर्म |
More importantly- has the अविद्या about who I really am gone away?
Because कर्म has to be done, it cannot be avoided.
There are only 2 choices with respect to performing कर्म-
(i) If I understand my true nature, then I perform कर्म out of the fullness of me.
(ii) If I do not know my absolute nature, then I perform कर्म with कर्म योग बुद्धि: |
So, being a role model, भगवान् says ~ although as भगवान् I have created this सृष्टि together with the 4-fold division of the वर्ण system, whatever actions done by me, do not affect me. I am सत्यम् |
And, with regards to कर्मफल, there is no longing.
For instance, whatever happens to pot, clay is not bothered ~ if pot is pulverized into powder, or pot is broken into pieces, or pot has some wondrous form; none of these affect its substance clay.
So here भगवान् directs our attention to that which is सत्यम् i.e. I, my स्वरूप |
So, the person who knows this, this person is not bound by कर्म |
But, one is bound by कर्म, because if one doesn’t do feel-good कर्म, one feels incomplete, or one feels unduly bothered by not being able to avoid कर्म that one has द्वेष for.
So this is the bondage of कर्म – I must do this action to be satisfied, or I really have to avoid this circumstance at all costs.
But, the one who knows my स्वरूप, that person is not bound by कर्म |
* श्लोक १५ *
एवं ज्ञात्वा कृतं कर्म पूर्वैरपि मुमुक्षुभि: ।
कुरु कर्मैव तस्मात्त्वं पूर्वै: पूर्वतरं कृतम् ॥ १५॥
भगवान् goes on to say-
Even मुमुक्षु-s i.e. people seeking मोक्ष, get to know me in this manner (i.e. my स्वरूप), and they did कर्म | They did not run away from कर्म |
So one should look at their day-
~ What is the कर्म that I try to avoid doing? Or I may have some guilt about not doing something. These are indications of my द्वेष |
So, even the people seeking मोक्ष, they have sought to know me in this way, and they never ran away from the कर्म that is to be done i.e. one’s duty.
So, भगवान् tells Arjuna-
तस्मात् ~ Therefore,
you also please do कर्म |
You are not the first one who wants to avoid कर्म, nor will you be the last one.
पूर्वै: पूर्वतरं कृतम् ~ just as the previous people before you did कर्म,
and these people were मुमुक्षु-s, but they did not run away from society nor their duty, so too one should do one’s कर्म |
Because कर्म is not an indicator of one’s true identity, although society has hypnotized one into believing that the outcome of an event defines me.
E.g. One lost/quit their job- other people may be helpful or not about this circumstance, but overall one will feel lousy about oneself due to this event. So कर्मफल i.e. the event binds one.
Because my identity is shaken up by this life event.
And even so one’s identity changes based on the criteria that one judges oneself on, which is based on society’s expectations. And so, upon further contemplation, one wonders, why did I do that? E.g. Why did I get married? Why did I go to that university?
So, it is good to be honest with oneself, understanding that I felt the pressure to do so.
But, the sharp sword of honesty should be backed by gentleness, as when one cuts oneself, it takes time to heal. And already we get so many cuts from society anyway, so we don’t need to be more harsh with oneself.
So, verse 14 & 15 highlights that I should shift my attention to the सत्यम् that I am.
Or one can focus on भगवान् – though भगवान् has His role, and has done certain things, what is भगवान्’s स्वरूप? भगवान् is ever untouched by the कर्म to be done i.e. I am सत्यम् |
And all कर्म has the status of dependent reality, and though there is कर्मफल, one is not bound by it.
One is only bound by कर्म when one thinks that my identity is intertwined with the कर्म |
E.g. one thinks that I had a life of great struggle so I am exhausted. One can be physically exhausted, but the mental/emotional exhaustion is because I believe that I am just this limited form that has gone through these events.
So, भगवान् is saying that we should shift attention.
ॐ
* श्लोक १३ *
चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागश: ।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम् ॥ १३॥
The English word ‘caste’, comes from the Spanish/Portuguese word ‘casta’ which means race, lineage or tribe. During the Spanish colonization, the word caste was used to refer to pure European, or indigenous or African descent. So, in the understanding of the word casta, there was hierarchy.
But caste is not जाति nor वर्ण |
When there is reference to the caste system, especially in the context of India, there is an uncomfortable moment/discussion.
There is no Sanskrit equivalent translation for caste.
The word used by भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is वर्ण |
भगवान् says that I have created this वर्ण system.
Therefore, we must look at वर्ण apart from our concept of caste, through a de-colonial lens.
De-coloniality refers to re-learning the knowledge of the indigenous culture, that has been pushed aside, forgotten, buried, discredited due to the different forces of modernity and colonialism. So, the historical perspective should be kept aside.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण says that He created this वर्ण system for the better functioning of society.
But in the 2nd line of this verse He explains that even though I am the author of this 4-fold division, may you know that I am अव्ययम् (not subject to change), and I am not the doer. In this way He refers to the absolute reality.
So what is this चातुर्वर्ण्यं i.e. this 4-fold grouping?
भगवान् talks about the division that He created in society based upon the criteria of-
(i) गुण
(ii) कर्म
(i) गुण
गुण is often translated as quality, but this is not an accurate translation.
गुण is 3-fold ~ सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस् |
माया शक्ति is the शक्ति of भगवान् | माया’s nature is त्रिगुणात्मिका i.e. in the form of सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस् |
So, that which is at an individual level is also at a macro-level. So, all forms are सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस् |
With respect to the grouping of individuals, there is a division of गुण-s involved.
सत्त्व stands for clarity, knowledge, balance, an emphasis on धर्म |
रजस् is activity, desire, excitement.
तमस् is inertia, inactivity, sleep, confusion. Babies or people who are ill, will have a predominance of तमस् because they are sleeping all the time. They need that.
All these 3 गुण-s are present in every person. And we strive towards having more सत्त्व, but this cannot be done without रजस् and तमस् |
Based on this गुण division, there are 4 personality groups-
1. सत्त्व > रजस् > तमस्
This is an emotionally mature person, a person given to धर्म and who thinks of values, and is inclined towards मोक्ष |
2. रजस् > सत्त्व > तमस्
Here रजस् is predominant so the person runs about doing a lot of activity, and is fired by ambition. And when that ambition is directed towards the welfare of others, then these people can become very good leaders.
3. रजस् > तमस् > सत्त्व
Here रजस् is predominant, and it is backed by तमस् | So, there is ambition, but not enough thinking, or there is some confusion. Or the person is using the power that they have to go after power & money without much consideration for others.
But because this is further backed by सत्त्व, the person does not cause too much havoc.
4. तमस् > रजस् > सत्त्व
If तमस् is predominant, then this person is not thinking very clearly. Or, has delegated thinking to others, and so only executes what is told to be done.
At its worst, these people could be criminals, because there is not much thinking involved.
Or at best, they could be simple employees who don’t have much ambition. So, they do the least minimum possible, or they do for somebody else.
These combinations of people are based on गुण-s.
If a तमस् > रजस् > सत्त्व person wants to change, they cannot immediately become सत्त्व-predominant. This combination is seen in people who are clinically depressed. The way to सत्त्व is through activity.
So, if the person is dull, reading will not help. First the person should get up and go for a walk, so that there is more circulation and movement, and then through doing one’s कर्म, and not running away from it, slowly with time the person gets to the सत्त्व > रजस् > तमस् combination.
Additionally, some गुण combinations are not possible, e.g. सत्त्व > रजस् > तमस् | Because if there is a predominance of सत्त्व with clarity on what, why & how I am doing, with an emphasis on धर्म, this cannot be followed by तमस् | Because तमस् stands in opposition, since it stands for inertia, inactivity. If one is clear, one will not duck responsibility, so the next गुण has to be रजस् | Also, तमस् > सत्त्व > रजस् is not possible, as if there is so much confusion and not thinking, inertia/laziness/apathy/indifference, then it cannot be backed by सत्त्व |
If one is going through a phase of inertia, or apathy, one should not be harsh on oneself and think that I am तामसिक् | We all have our phases, but we should not languish in that phase. We just need some movement to snap out of the phase of inertia, laziness or apathy.
In the वैदिक् society,
1. सत्त्व > रजस् > तमस् are called ब्राह्मण or brahmin.
So, whenever ब्राह्मण is praised in the शास्त्र, the group is not being praised according to the कर्म performed, but rather the शास्त्र is praising the one who is a ब्राह्मण by गुण |
That person has a lot of सत्त्व | सत्त्व does not come from eating ‘सात्त्विक् food’ – actually this focus indicates रजस् |
2. रजस् > सत्त्व > तमस् are called क्षत्रिय-s.
3. रजस् > तमस् > सत्त्व are called वैश्य-s.
4. तमस् > रजस् > सत्त्व are called शूद्र-s.
This is the division of society based on गुण-s.
So, one should recognize one’s गुण-s and where one stands. These combinations are not set in stone. There can be a lot of changes during the course of one’s life. Changes definitely happen during the course of a day- initially there is सत्त्व where one is fresh, looking forward to the day, and eager to absorb and learn. Then, there is a rise in activity with रजस् | Then by the day’s end, one winds down as तमस् sets in with good fatigue after a day’s work. So, there is a play of सत्त्व, रजस् & तमस् even during the day.
(ii) कर्म
A society is divided into groups according to कर्म | There cannot be a class-less society. The communists have tried this and have failed. There must at least be a minimum of ruler-ruled classes. The divisions do not mean that there is no equality, but there is difference in terms of skill, function and duty.
1) So, the duty of the first group i.e. ब्राह्मण-s is to pursue knowledge, teach, officiate at different rituals. And much of their life is devoted to prayer for the welfare of society.
The person would have worked very hard for self-mastery i.e. शम, दम, and would have studied the वेद, and served as a purohit.
Society requires ब्राह्मण-s to officiate in different functions.
Nowadays, all educators, teachers, purohits, priests, writers, judges, would be considered as brahmins in terms of कर्म |
It required twelve (12) years of full-time study of a particular discipline to be considered a master.
2) क्षत्रिय-कर्म or the warrior class. Their job is to maintain law & order and defend the country against external aggression. Their life would be dedicated to discipline, strategy, politics, understanding and protecting धर्म and the वेद, and the rest of the population.
As a क्षत्रिय, Arjuna’s duty was to rule and protect in terms of administration, judiciary, defense etc. In any society, the warriors are required.
3) वैश्य-कर्म i.e. the business community or the entrepreneurs. They would be those involved in business, industry and farming, dealing with commerce, wealth, farms, agriculture and cargo transport. They would contribute a great deal to the economy.
4) शूद्र-कर्म are those whose duty is to serve. They provide the hands and legs, eyes and ears for the others. Without शूद्र-कर्म, nothing can be accomplished. In any society, we require शूद्र-s. शूद्र-s were not untouchables. They were those who could help set up, or work for a business/industry. They also did menial jobs. A lot of us who work in the corporate sector, who can be hired/fired, and are working for someone and serving a particular cause are doing शूद्र-कर्म |
This entire कर्म division was designed because the entire वैदिक् society was oriented to मोक्ष | There was no hierarchy. Each group/person was proud of whatever skills they had.
The pursuit of कर्म योग does not depend on the कर्म one does, but it depends on how one does the कर्म |
So, one could be a brahmin by कर्म e.g. by teaching, but one could be a वैश्य by गुण –
If one is commercial, with their eyes only on the bottom-line, and one charges a premium for the services/products rendered, and disregard those who cannot afford.
Or, one could be a brahmin by कर्म, but a शूद्र by गुण because one is very lazy, does not want to do, doing the least minimum, not answerable/accountable.
So, this 4-fold division is based on both one’s गुण and कर्म | And there can be several different combinations.
In our culture, we see that though many saints did simple jobs, they were ब्राह्मण by गुण, e.g. Sant Namdev who was a tailor, Sant Tukaram worked in the farm, Sant Kabir was a weaver, and the 63 Shaiva saints in South India.
So, though these people did शूद्र-कर्म, they are highly revered.
This 4-fold division emphasized the role of duty/कर्तव्यम् | In this way, कर्म योग was relatively easy for someone born into a structure where the duty was clearly defined, as one would just work with the spirit of ‘whatever is to be done’.
E.g. One is born into a carpenter’s family. Therefore, one starts to do carpentry at an early age. One is socialized into this work through family-life, and also inherits the genes for this work. So, even at a young age, these people are skilled craftsmen. So, one is born into this family, and one continues to do the same occupation as one’s parents. Because, the pursuit was for excellence. And, अर्थ/money was not the driving factor.
The principle of धर्म was foremost ~ whatever I am doing, how do I bring धर्म into it. And धर्म was done with the ultimate intention of aspiring for मोक्ष |
So, this may sound idealistic, but it was a good system and it worked at that point in time.
It was not a society based on competition. All groups were considered important and necessary for the functioning of society. So, looking down on a particular group, or elevating a group to a pedestal was not done.
But historically, subsequently, a lot of abuse has happened. Because people forgot what the original teaching was.
If one looks at the Mahabharata, we see Dronacharya who taught Arjuna and the others about warfare. Dronacharya was a brahmin by birth (his father was a teacher), but he was the greatest क्षत्रिय of all times, so much so that he taught क्षत्रिय-धर्म to Arjuna & the others.
Further, भगवान् वेदव्यास who we deeply revere and worship annually on Guru Poornima, he was according to today’s standards, an illegitimate son of a fisherwoman and a Rishi. He is the Guru of all Guru-s who has codified the वेद |
So, in terms of the जाति, He may have been born as a शूद्र, but by गुण, He has brahmin गुण |
Or, Rishi Valmiki was initially a robber indicating तामसिक् कर्म & गुण | But, Ratnakara, after performing many years of Raama जप went on to become a great ऋषि, and eventually wrote the Ramayana. Rishi Valmiki remains deeply revered.
So, the association of शूद्र and untouchability came in only because of the degeneration of society and the attempt by Lord Risley who tried to club 1000s of जाति-s into वर्ण-s and created a hierarchy.
Even so, the caste system is not to be blamed on the British or the Portuguese.
Due to abuse of power, there has been degeneration of this system. This should not be denied nor whitewashed.
But we should be allowed to tell our history. This system should not be articulated/reformed by other cultures. Any reform that needs to happen, should happen internally.
The idea of untouchability cannot arise in a culture where all that is here is ईश्वर, as one does not treat another human being as lowly.
So, however we allowed ourselves to be manipulated, now this वर्ण-system has been on the decline. Some people will romantically say that we must go back to the वर्ण system, but we cannot go back, because there is not enough understanding about it, and most people will not want to go back.
The takeaway point from this teaching of भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is that we recognize why the whole system was made i.e. for the smooth functioning of society. Any society that has these groups and more, will function in a harmonious way. No group is superior or inferior to the other.
E.g. The person who sanitizes the surgical instruments in the operating theatre is as important as the surgeon. There is the story of patients who went blind after they had eye surgery performed with un-sanitized instruments.
So, the work of every group is important, there is dignity of labour.
Now, there is a decline in the attitude of ‘us versus them’ in India and throughout the world, due to the rise of education, organizations, and some attempts at affirmative actions of reservations etc.
So, with this understanding of गुण & कर्म, we should reflect on what is the वर्ण that I belong to, and with respect to जाति i.e. whatever family I have been born into- what am I proud about, and what might I be embarrassed about.
Because this वर्ण or जाति identity is an important part of our धार्मिक identity.
So, we should own up what is wonderful about belonging to a particular जाति |
And we should also strive towards becoming more of a brahmin by गुण i.e. having more सत्त्व, clarity, knowledge and determination to do the right thing i.e. to follow धर्म |
One’s कर्म can be anything- one can be a doctor, lawyer, entrepreneur, but the point is- can there be more सत्त्व, with a move towards more clarity & knowledge. And one should consider, how can I use any कर्म that I perform as an offering to भगवान् | Because the कर्म that I do is my कौशलम् – it is what I excel in, it is my contribution to भगवान्’s symphony. And at the same time, I also learn to accept the different results/situations as प्रसाद/कर्मफल from भगवान् |
Although it is an important part of my identity, and I use it to function effectively, I also have to be able to see that I am free from all the गुण-s & कर्म -s. But, unless I live through this identity, and not fight shy of it, nor boast about it either, but have some balance about it, I will not be able to discover the truth.
For people belonging to other cultures, and may have grown up in another religion, it is also worth thinking about- what I am proud about, what I am embarrassed about, and what have been my reasons for moving away from what I have been born into.
Because having clarity in this is very important. Because decisions must be made after having thought through this.
Otherwise, neither will I gain what Hinduism has to offer, nor will I gain what the religion of my birth has to offer.
The purpose of this entire discussion is –
(i) One owns up their identity based on one’s वर्ण | Especially if one lives in India, there is a chance that one either feels superior or inferior depending on which वर्ण one belongs to.
And वर्ण is often confused with जाति |
(ii) The caste system is thrown at India as the worst thing ever of India. But, the truth is that we don’t know enough about the original teaching and we tend to confuse it with the historical perspective.
So, as practicing धार्मिक people, we need not whitewash nor deny this. We have to be open to seeing what happened historically, but also know the original teaching.
(iii) By knowing the combination of these गुण-s, our motivation is to move towards having more सत्त्व गुण | Because ब्राह्मण across the शास्त्र is defined as सत्त्व गुण प्रधान (predominance).
All of the Gita Amrtam students have a predominance of सत्त्व गुण because one is studying the Bhagavad Gita~ desirous of knowledge, wanting to know oneself, living a धार्मिक/fulfilling life i.e. one is clear about one’s priorities, though there may be scope for more growth.
ॐ
Here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is showing us the (weak) connection between कर्म and ज्ञानम् (knowledge).
Arjuna’s dilemma is~ should I do घोर (cruel) कर्म? i.e. कर्म that will cause a lot of deaths.
And it is not that Arjuna was a pacifist- he was a warrior and he had definitely tasted blood and had fought many battles unafraid. But here there is a hesitation to fight in this particular war.
Challenging situations are a good test for me to see if I do what is required of the situation, or if I withdraw. One’s initial tendency is to withdraw. I do not want to deal with conflict or suffering. I am not sure if I will be able to handle the situation, or if the other will be able to handle it. The reasons for not wanting to do something may be many. As in Arjuna’s case, the कर्म to be done may be long overdue. However, still I procrastinate, I want to buy time.
And then there is confirmation bias, where one’s clever mind looks only for that information that confirms my point of view, so I can feel happy about myself.
After भगवान् श्री कृष्ण talks of the 4-fold division that He created in society for its smooth functioning, He then switches our attention to the स्वरूप of भगवान् i.e. one’s own nature, which can never be negated nor defined.
भगवान् had previously given the example of King Janaka- despite being a king, and being busy, dealing with all problems; he was a wise person.
So, भगवान् says that despite all कर्म that I have done in creating this जगत्, I have not really done this. And it is not that भगवान् is abdicating His responsibility, but rather He is shifting one’s attention to the consciousness that one is.
Given that this is the case, people who want मोक्ष, did not abandon their responsibility in the name of this exalted pursuit of वेदान्त | They did what they had to do. Because at some prior point in time, they had made choices, and so now they fulfill their responsibilities in accordance with those choices that were made.
So, भगवान् says that even मुमुक्षु-s perform कर्म, therefore Arjuna may you please perform कर्म |
Now भगवान् श्री कृष्ण asks a question to Arjuna. And then goes on to answer it.
* श्लोक १६ *
किं कर्म किमकर्मेति कवयोऽप्यत्र मोहिता: ।
तत्ते कर्म प्रवक्ष्यामि यज्ज्ञात्वा मोक्ष्यसेऽशुभात् ॥ १६॥
किं कर्म? What is कर्म?
किं अकर्म? What is अकर्म?
Even कवय: i.e. people who are very bright and intelligent.
(कवि ~ poet.)
Here कवय: refers to the one who is मेधावि i.e. the one who uses one’s memory & intelligence; the one for whom learning is there; and anger/sadness does not cloud one’s faculty of reasoning.
For instance, we are often quite good at advising others, but not so good at following our own advice.
So, कवय: i.e. even people who are very bright and intelligent, these scholars/seers,
they are मोहिता: i.e. confused,
about what is कर्म & अकर्म (actionless-ness).
Therefore, I will tell you more about what कर्म is.
Because,
यत् ज्ञात्वा ~ once you know,
मोक्ष्यसे अशुभात् ~ you will be released from that which is अशुभात् i.e. that which is inauspicious, the cycle of suffering.
N.B. – भगवान् श्री कृष्ण does not say यत् ध्यात्वा (by meditating).
भगवान् says यत् ज्ञात्वा i.e. there is an emphasis on knowledge.
So, we should understand that meditation is not the answer to all suffering.
But, by knowing more about कर्म, and all that surrounds it, one will be released from suffering.
* श्लोक १७ *
कर्मणो ह्यपि बोद्धव्यं बोद्धव्यं च विकर्मण: ।
अकर्मणश्च बोद्धव्यं गहना कर्मणो गति: ॥ १७॥
बोद्धव्यम् implies that this should be done.
The वेद, and the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता in particular, talks of the कर्म that is to be done.
If one is confused, or one wants to continue to be confused, then, one does not want to do कर्म |
This is because it seems like कर्म is painful and requires a lot of effort.
This becomes obvious to one, when one looks around and sees the responsibilities that I have- one only has to look at one’s relations~ family, friends, colleagues, in order to understand this.
E.g. At home, situations require some actions to be done i.e. there is some लौकिक कर्म to be done.
And then, there is also कर्म related to the पञ्चमहायज्ञा i.e. how I relate to भगवान् through यज्ञा, दानम्, तप: |
So, the कर्म that the वेद talks of is important- it is to be known.
And the कर्म that is to be avoided must be known as well.
Two things that the वेद says NOT to do are-
1. Do not eat meat.
2. Do not drink alcohol.
So, if I do not eat meat, nor drink alcohol, then I am okay with this, and agree with these values.
But, if I am a social drinker, then I am challenged by this statement of the वेद |
I make excuses for myself and say- Well I never overdo it. I never regret my behaviour after I drink. Or, other people are addicted to tea and coffee, so what’s so wrong with a couple of drinks?
Or with respect to meat, one justifies meat-eating by misusing the example given in class of भगवान् वेदव्यास’s mother being a fisherwoman, and so He definitely must have eaten fish as a kid. Or, one incorrectly references the Ramayana and points to Lord Raama eating meat, in order to justify one’s misdeed.
The वेद teaches us not to eat meat from the standpoint of अहिंसा | But no value is absolute, E.g. There are exceptional circumstances given in Ayurveda.
And why should one not drink alcohol? Because one’s बुद्धि: becomes compromised. No great nor noble acts follow the drinking of alcohol.
In this way action-consequence is pointed out by the वेद |
So, it is also important to know what is to be avoided.
An important line in this श्लोक is- गहना कर्मणो गति: |
Once one starts digging into कर्म, it is difficult to understand its flow.
For instance, why did I marry Person X? How did I land up with this person?
कर्म may explain it to a certain extent, but the more one digs into it, one finds that everyone’s कर्म is interrelated- my parents, my partner’s parents, my friends, and so many more relationships.
So many things are related, so whose कर्म is primarily responsible? It is difficult to say.
So कर्म is difficult to understand.
After all, कर्म is the grandchild of अविद्या |
One can go digging, and Astrology may be able to give a peek into the कर्म pattern in one’s life, but this is not deterministic. Astrology can give a hint to the likely patterns that will emerge according to one’s personality, but everything is not predetermined.
This is because my choices also play a role.
So, the question is, if I take to वेदान्त or spirituality, should I stop doing what I normally do & enjoy?
Because, one may have romantic ideas that one should stop doing certain things.
So, with ज्ञानम् & कर्म, there are some questions that we have.
Recognizing our dilemma, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण says this verse-
++**श्लोक १८**++ very important verse++
कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य: ।
स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्त: कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥ १८॥
The person who is युक्त: / a योगी / together as a person,
[ युक्त:/योग: share the same युज् धातु ].
कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ~ completely, this person can say – been there, done that.
So, this is a part of one’s journey before संन्यास i.e. all open loops are closed, there is no unfinished business; whatever one wanted to do, it is expected that one has done that before taking संन्यास |
Because prior, one thinks that all the कर्म that one does, is for the sake of one’s fulfillment.
But when one is ready for संन्यास- there are no unfulfilled desires, no more to be achieved in this world, there is no more agenda, nothing to be gained.
Why? Because the mistaken notion that कर्म will give me complete fulfillment is no longer there.
The glory of कर्म is such that I have exhausted the possibilities that कर्म will give me complete fulfillment through the different roles that I play. It is not that responsibilities end.
Ritually, responsibilities may end with संन्यास | But, with संन्यास, one recognizes that no one owes me anything, and I don’t owe anyone anything. There is no sense of entitlement.
So, what are we talking of?
That relative fulfillment that comes with bringing in कर्म योग बुद्धि: into all areas of my life, so that there are no dark corners in my life.
And what about such a person?
This person who has done everything that has to be done has a particular vision i.e. कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य: ।
But first, one has to see that in all roles that I play, that I remain as a simple person.
I relate to my mother as a daughter, to my partner as a wife, to my son as a mother. I relate to my colleagues, friends, as a citizen, as a group member.
So, I-the person am playing all these different roles, and in playing these different roles, I-the person fill the role up.
As mother, daughter, professional, I-the-person fill up the role. But, I-the-person am independent of the role.
Is there a physical distance between me-the person and me as the mother?
No- where the mother/role is, the person is.
So, how can I say that the person is independent of the role?
This is because I am not in any role 365-24/7. When I go to sleep, I am no longer the mother.
When I am interacting with my work colleague, I am not playing the role of mother.
So, I play the role of mother to my children, but not to my partner nor work colleague.
I have no confusion about this, I just relate accordingly in the different relationships, according to whatever I think is the purpose of the relationship.
But no one ever thinks about the purpose of a relationship.
Everyone marries, so I marry; everyone works, so I work; everyone has children, so I have children.
So, one should be clear about the purpose of every relationship.
In general, my role is to care for and support/contribute to the happiness of the other. And this love & support manifests differently according to the role I play. E.g. my love & support for my parent versus my child would manifest differently.
And this being so, if I have a problem with my boss at work, I should recognize that this is limited to this particular relationship only.
However, if I am not in touch with I-the-person who am filling up the role, then what happens is that though the distressing event/encounter is over, and I am out of that physical space; the suffering continues, as I continue to carry the experience with me.
A problem can travel with me all over the world, for many years if left unresolved.
But, if I recognize that this experience is only limited to this particular role, then I need not bring the foul mood into other interactions. Or else everyone gets a piece of my mind, and the whole world feels gloomy to me.
So, I should understand that this was only one experience in one of my many roles, and so this event should be isolated and kept to the role in that relationship. And so, I count my blessings of the people in my life in other relationships.
So, I recognize that I am that simple person, independent of all these roles.
The roles depend on me, but I do not depend on the role; though there may be emotional fulfillment from a role.
One should appreciate that the simple role-less neglected person fills up all roles.
If not for this person, there would be no role whatsoever.
A lot of one’s suffering is because I have confused the role to be me.
E.g. A mother describes all the wonderful meals that she prepares for each member of the family according to their preference. But, when asked- what do you like, she is at a loss for words.
So, one is so engrossed/identified with the provider/mother role, that mistakenly one may think that if that role is not there, then I am not there. I am decimated if the role is not there. I do not know who I am without the role.
And often my greatest sadness is because I have confused the role to be me.
I think that one specific role is me.
E.g. I think that I am only the work-professional, or only the partner, or only the parent.
And I move between one of these 3 roles.
And then thinking myself to be the role, there will be burn-out; and then I find myself wanting to be away from all these roles.
So, I should recognize that I am free from all roles; that the roles depend on me. The roles cannot exist without me. I fill up the roles, but I am independent of the roles.
I choose to play the roles. The roles are important to me, but they do not define me. The roles are not my defining reality.
It will take time for this understanding (that I am not the role) to sink in, because my greatest happiness & fulfillment comes from my roles.
And it is not that we are denying one’s roles. One can enjoy one’s roles. But one should also see this reality~ that I-the-person am free from all roles.
I can pick up the role, and I can drop it.
And this unnoticeably happens effortlessly for us-
E.g. If I go to a party, I interact with 4-5 different people, and I relate to each person differently. There is no confusion. I can relate to person A, and then temporarily suspend that role when I speak to person B.
The same happens when I am speaking to my partner, whilst also trying to address my son.
I pick up and drop roles effortlessly within fractions of a second.
So, in this seemingly innocuous action is a moment of great wisdom as it shows that I can relate to person A, and I do not decimate my role with person A when I relate to person B. But in my vision I have temporarily suspended my role with person A, as I relate to person B. There is no confusion. I can pick up & drop roles seamlessly.
This reveals that I am more than the role.
It is not that I am not the role. I fill up the role.
And there is no perfect role~ no perfect partner relationship, no perfect parent-child relationship, no perfect गुरु-शिष्य relationship.
If it is good enough~ okay. I enjoy and am contented with what is there.
In the different roles that I have, I do कर्म |
Who is the one who performs कर्म? The कर्ता/doer.
So, the results of the कर्म performed, and whatever is to be experienced will come to the doer. The doer/experiencer is the same person/being.
So, what is the unique vision of this युक्त: (wise person) ?
कर्मण्यकर्म ~ In action, one sees actionless-ness.
The wise person sees that I-आत्मा am अकर्ता~ I am not the doer, I never was the doer.
And likewise, I-आत्मा was never the भोक्ता/experiencer.
And this is not because I used to do a lot, and now I just sit in a cave. No. It is not a becoming of अकर्ता / अभोक्ता | It is understanding that अकर्ता & अभोक्ता is the nature of I-आत्मा |
And to recognize the nature of आत्मा, the first step is to recognize that I am independent of the roles. Because only then I will enquire into the reality of who this person is; this person who is wearing this body-mind costume.
And this is a strange uniform that the जीव has~ made up of blood, bones, muscles etc.; the dress-code for living in this world.
The कर्ता has a great sense of self-importance of how I go around doing a lot of कर्म, performing my responsibilities etc.
The wise person says that the आत्मा (अकर्ता) is the basis of this कर्ता |
अहंकार (the one with the identity of कर्ता-भोक्ता, one’s self concept, one’s sense of I)
अहम् करोति इति अहंकार | So one feels important, because one does a lot of things, and also experiences a lot of things.
The अहंकार is the individual who comes to वेदान्त, but the अहंकार does not stay at the end of the inquiry. The अहंकार commits suicide, in recognizing that all that I claimed myself to be is not independent of ईश्वर or the order. All that I claimed as I, me & mine has been given to me. So, this अहंकार now has some surrender.
Otherwise, the job of the अहंकार/जीव/individual is that one looks at what one is associated with (the body/mind) and says that this is mine. And there is self-preservation, where if there is any slight/adverse comment, then the अहंकार pounces on that person. One reacts in this way because one’s sense of self is challenged.
So, the अहंकार does a lot of कर्म, in the hopes of gaining fulfillment from कर्म |
But, the vision of the wise person is that through all अहंकार-कर्म-कर्ता / the doer, what I am is independent of the self-concept.
So, just as it was understood that I-the person am independent of the roles, I-consciousness-आत्मा am independent of the अहंकार |
And wherever I-the person is, consciousness-सत्यम् is.
It seems as if 3 words are being used –
(i) my role,
(ii) me-as-a-person,
(iii) consciousness-सत्यम् |
But, 3 words do not mean 3 entities. E.g. many endearments may be used to refer to one person by the partner- sweetheart, darling, my love.
So, wherever the role is or where my relationships are, there the person is. And wherever the person is, whilst relating or not relating, सत्यम्-consciousness is.
So, what is सत्यम्-consciousness?
It is not a property of the body, because if it were, it would be subject to increase or decrease, e.g. one’s weight.
It is not a product of कर्म | I cannot sit in meditation and consciousness will arise.
Because I am always consciousness. I am that because of which I am aware of everything. I am that because of which everything becomes evident to me. I am that self-evident being. No one’s approval is needed for me to be self-evident. It does not matter what gender I am, what age I am, what my achievements are, or which गुण is predominant (सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस्).
I am a pure being who as though feels enclosed by the boundary of this bodysuit.
E.g. All pervading space, as though feels enclosed in the pot, and thinks that I am limited.
Similarly, during the pandemic, one thinks that I am limited to staying here with this community, I cannot travel/vacation freely.
And then in one’s work situation, there is the great resignation where everyone wants to leave, because there is the recognition that work is not everything, it does not define one’s life.
And one can get consumed thinking, what कर्म can I do to make it all okay.
This is because one is so identified with this limited form ~ the shape of the pot, where the pot is in life (its age & stage), and what कर्म should one do; because I am relating to other pots, and it seems as if everything that I do is never enough.
And it will never be enough, because this is how कर्म is.
But, one can shift one’s attention to- what is the content of this pot. The content may be said to be space. But आत्मा is the cause of this subtlest of matter which is आकाश/space. So, space is really a product.
Then, when we talk of this body-mind complex, भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य & Pujya Swamiji use the term कार्य-करण-सङ्घात |
कार्यम् is a product, करण is an instrument, सङ्घात is an assemblage. So, कार्य-करण-सङ्घात means body-mind-sense complex (BMSC).
कार्य means product not cause. Where the product is, i.e. where the body is, or where the अहंकार/कर्ता/self-concept is, the Self is.
आत्मा is not a property of the BMSC, nor is it a product of any process that one may engage in, nor is it a part of me. If it were a part of me, then it could be amputated.
आत्मा is that which pervades me, that which always is in all 3 periods of time, and in fact is the basis of time.
आत्मा is that which is, even when the body falls.
And आत्मा does not have parts, so it cannot do कर्म | For कर्म, limbs are needed.
So, the wise person recognizes that in all the कर्म that I do, I am untouched by पुण्य & पापा |
But, the body & mind may be touched, E.g. One still has to eat for sustenance.
Importantly, wherever the body is, आत्मा is. But, आत्मा is ever-free.
When one looks at one’s life, one sees that what one once thought was पुण्य, now seems to be पापा, because there is now a lot of suffering as a result of that event. Or, what seemed like suffering, is now a blessing for me in disguise.
If we are able to see that all events that I have labelled as happy/sad, that depending on how my maturity levels are, my perspective changes. One does not have to force oneself to change any perspective, but when one reflects on one’s own life, with respect to how I have been as a कर्ता one recognizes this.
The कार्य-करण-सङ्घात does कर्म i.e. the body-mind assemblage.
When one questions- is this body mine? One initially thinks- yes, of course. But upon further deliberation, one recognizes that I did not create this body with its cells of inherent intelligence that know its precise functioning within this system. Even one’s abilities and achievements are because of the fortune of one’s opportunities. And even one’s intelligence if attributed to one’s parents, were not created by the parents.
So, with a closer look, one recognizes that there is nothing that I truly own- not even the body/mind.
With death, we leave this body behind. And it is interesting that after a person dies, the dead body is no longer referred to as the person, instead, one says- when is the ‘body’ going to be taken to the cremation site.
So, when one enquires into the जीव / कर्ता / अहंकार, it is recognized that it is no longer there. The अहंकार is recognized to be pervaded by the order that is भगवान् and the nature of भगवान् is consciousness-सत्यम् and that is me. So, there is no going or coming for me- no जन्म nor मृत्यु | But, the body & mind will have its own trajectory.
With कर्म योग बुद्धि:, one has grown so big, that things don’t impact one as much. One is no longer dependent on specific things to be present for me to be happy, or for certain things to be absent for me to be happy. This is because रागद्वेष has now been converted to preferences. And I have learnt to be cheerful and relatively happy because I-the-basic-person is a भक्त/devotee who is always relating to the total which is भगवान् |
When one relates to another e.g. one’s partner, one can then drop this role, and then relate to the child. But can one drop the role of being the individual relating to the total? One cannot deny the connection of how this body-mind is sustained by the पञ्चमहाभूत-s. So, the more the basic-person grows into being a devotee, then as a devotee, one can perform different roles. The role of devotee is never given up.
E.g. the devotee may have the current role of taking care of the ailing bed-ridden mother. In this role, one does the पूजा of changing the diapers and offering food to the mother. With the devotee-mindset, the tag of pleasant/unpleasant कर्म drops off, as I recognize that what I am doing is my contribution as a devotee to this order.
So, it is seeing that I-आत्मा am ever अकर्ता & अभोक्ता i.e. never the doer/experiencer, and in all the कर्म that is done, I see this Truth.
This is the vision of a wise person.
ॐ
In this chapter 4, we see that श्लोक-s १८-२४ talk of the nature of knowledge.
This is the reason why the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is called as ब्रह्मविद्या, since these verses talk of the essence of the उपनिषद् i.e. the nature of आत्मा | We previously saw that Chapter 2 also discussed this topic.
So, both ब्रह्मविद्या and योग शास्त्र are the recurrent themes presented across the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |
It is beautiful that both are presented.
If it were only ब्रह्मविद्या, as in the उपनिषद्, then the situation is- I want knowledge, but I am not prepared for it.
Pujya Swamiji gives the example of the bachelor who has just moved to the city, and is trying to make a cup of chai. His apartment is bare, so he asks for some hot coals from his neighbour. But, he has no wares to carry them in. He grabs some newspaper and directs her to place the coals in there, even though this is not the appropriate पात्र | Unfortunately the coals never make it back to his next door apartment, because the newspapers are unable to support the hot coals.
The problem was that he did not have the appropriate पात्रता (capacity to receive something).
If someone is exposed to ब्रह्मविद्या, and is prepared in terms of a spontaneous कर्म योग बुद्धि:, such that one is in harmony with all relations in the world, then smooth understanding ensues.
But most of us do not have enough पात्रता |
We have enough मुमुक्षुत्वम् i.e. a desire for मोक्ष, and a willingness to work towards it in terms of preparing oneself.
Therefore, योग शास्त्र is important in order to prepare oneself in the context of one’s maturity regarding all aspects of life. For instance, I come to understand & accept my relationship with कर्म – the situations that unfold in life and how I respond to them.
And if only योग शास्त्र is presented, then one would have a calm contemplative mind, be more effective in one’s relationships, and have harmony, but sooner or later one will ask the question~ for what? If anyway I am going to die, then what is the point of being effective or productive- I came from dust, and will return to dust, so what is all this for? Then, there may seem to be no purpose…
So, this is the beauty of the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, as both ब्रह्मविद्या and योग शास्त्र go hand in hand. One always has the insight as to why I am preparing myself- so that I qualify for ब्रह्मविद्या |
And, when the goal is clear, one sees that death is just an event, and that any changes that happen are only to the body/mind. I-आत्मा remain ever-untouched. And आत्मा is who I truly am. So, all conflict & suffering fade away.
If I am not ready for ब्रह्मविद्या, it is enough to prepare oneself for a harmonious life.
So, verses १८-२४ relate the nature of आत्मा, and these verses are given from the standpoint of कर्म |
आत्मा is referred to by many words, from different standpoints:-
– In chapter 2, we saw the word स्थितप्रज्ञ(wise person) referring to the one whose प्रज्ञ(wisdom) is well-established.
– पूर्ण: refers to I-आत्मा complete in and of oneself.
– अव्ययम् means no व्यय (decline/decay). So, no facelift nor corrective surgery is required for I-आत्मा |
So, from different standpoints, depending on the conclusions made about oneself, different words are used.
Here, in these current verses, अकर्ता (not-the-doer) and अभोक्ता (not-the-experiencer) are used for आत्मा | Sometimes, भोक्ता is translated to mean enjoyer, but one can be the भोक्ता of both सुखम् & दु:खम् | Therefore, experiencer is a more apt translation.
When one looks at one’s day, there are a set of experiences & a set of कर्म, across many roles. In an experience, I can be both the कर्ता and the भोक्ता | E.g. If I try a new dish- in the preparation I am the कर्ता, and in the enjoyment, I am the भोक्ता | In attending a program- I am कर्ता through my participation, and I am भोक्ता as I listen to what others say.
So, in all our lives, on a daily basis, across all roles and relationships, what gets formed and entrenched is the identity of कर्ता (doer) and भोक्ता (experiencer). This identification is natural since one is doing so much कर्म and also having so many experiences- whether I contribute to the कर्म experienced, or it is someone’s कर्म towards me.
So, all the time one’s identity is कर्ता-भोक्ता, this is the identity of the अहंकार/ego.
And one spends all of one’s life trying to manage this identity. E.g. one uses productivity hacks to increase/decrease कर्म, change one’s experiences, and even spirituality becomes a part of one’s experiences.
And कर्ता-भोक्ता being my identity, I can go from lifetime to lifetime having different kinds of experiences and doing different kinds of कर्म |
But here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण points out that as आत्मा, I was never the doer nor the experiencer.
भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य gives the example that if 2 boats are moving at the same speed, one can feel stationary in relation to the other. So, in action one can experience actionless-ness.
Another example is- if one is on a boat, and looks at a ship in the distance, the ship does not appear to be moving. So, in the seeming actionless-ness, there is movement/action.
So, do these everyday experiences show literal actionless-ness and action? No.
Similarly, one can be doing a lot of कर्म so one seems to have the identity of कर्ता | But if one does enquiry and it is discovered that I am आत्मा who is not the कर्ता,
then, the wise person can say that I-आत्मा was never the doer.
We may see the wise person running around and doing projects, e.g. King Janaka did all kinds of projects, and was involved in all ministries and working for His subjects.
But, even through the performance of different कर्म-s, there is no more अविद्या(ignorance) because the person has discovered that I was ever आत्मा |
So, though appearing to be doing a lot of activity, the body & mind is understood as मिथ्या with a status of dependent reality. And I-आत्मा am not touched by any of this.
Just as I am the person across the different roles that I play- I am the role, the role is not me. Without me, there is no role. That role is not my entire identity.
The role is just a uniform that I wear in this particular context/situation/phase in my life.
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण explains that as आत्मा (pure existence-consciousness, without any limits/boundaries), I was never the कर्ता (doer) nor भोक्ता (experiencer).
As भोक्ता, I have to come to terms with the hurt that I have experienced.
Generally, one is not able to move beyond the identity of the doer/experiencer because one does not feel fulfilled as the doer- there is always scope to do more in any role, and definitely there is scope to experience more e.g. more travel, experiencing family milestones.
So, one looks forward to these experiences and it feels as if life is incomplete without X,Y,Z experiences.
The current experience is that कर्ता & भोक्ता feel अपूर्ण(incomplete).
Will there be a time where I pile on more कर्म and then finally I will be fulfilled?
No matter how exalted the कर्म is, अपूर्णत (the sense of incompleteness) continues as there is identification with the human condition. And so, along with this human identification, existential sorrow is a given.
One can push the limits and enjoy all the glories of one’s शक्ति-s, but remaining as the कर्ता-भोक्ता, one will never be enough.
This is the humbling reality, it is not being pessimistic.
So, one can relax because the human situation is that the body-mind will have a certain lifespan and death will come as an event, sooner or later.
If this is the final conclusion, then one had better reconcile with it. But this is not the Reality.
In reality, I was never born, I will never die; I cannot be negated.
An inability to be negated is the definition of being real.
One may negate oneself on the basis of perception, e.g. the body is born, and dies.
Or one may say~ you say that I am eternal, but I don’t feel like that. So, this too is one’s perception.
So, one should talk from the standpoint of प्रमाण – वेदान्त says that I was never born, that I will never die, that I am always there.
But, the identity that I hold on to is centered around कर्तृत्वम् (doership)- I have not achieved enough, or भोक्तृत्वम् – when will these events happen; this didn’t happen to me.
If doer-ship & experiencer-ship were real, then they would NOT come and go. For instance, in deep sleep, if one is kicking someone, one is not voluntarily doing it. Because, कर्तृत्वम् & भोक्तृत्वम् are not there in deep sleep.
श्रवणम् (systematic listening to a Teacher) is not just audio perception. As I go with the words, I have no choice. I do not know what will be said next. I can close my ears, but once I am listening I cannot control the input. This is how perception works. Similarly there is no कर्तृत्वम् with seeing. One has कर्तृत्वम् up to the point of opening one’s eyes, but then there is no choice in what is seen.
So, listening to वेदान्त is not a कर्म | One can just relax, and the Teacher does the job through the use of words; and I recognize that yes, this is talking about me.
When listening there may be भोक्तृत्वम् with some emotion, or reaction being evoked.
But, when listening one is not the कर्ता |
And in between 2 thoughts, one is not the कर्ता nor the भोक्ता |
So, all of this points to that I was never the कर्ता nor the भोक्ता | And the wise person understands this.
I am the limitless, as though going through human experiences via a human medium.
This theme of कर्तृत्वम् and भोक्तृत्वम् continues in the rest of the verses.
भगवान् continues by discussing aspects on the nature of knowledge, and the wise person’s lifestyle-
* श्लोक १९ *
यस्य सर्वे समारम्भा: कामसङ्कल्पवर्जिता: ।
ज्ञानाग्निदग्धकर्माणं तमाहु: पण्डितं बुधा: ॥ १९॥
For this wise person,
सर्वे समारम्भा: ~ all projects that the person undertakes,
काम सङ्कल्प वर्जिता: ~ are free from काम सङ्कल्प (binding desire i.e. the will that this should/should not be done).
But, if there is no desire/will, then why is one undertaking a project?
For लोकसंग्रह: i.e. for the benefit of everyone.
For instance, our closing prayer is a prayer for everyone, no one is excluded-
ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
So, the wise person sees the need in society and responds to it with a project.
How is this person’s lifestyle?
There is no more अविद्या(ignorance), due to ज्ञानम्(knowledge).
ज्ञानाग्नि i.e. the fire of knowledge has दग्ध (burnt away) the कर्म |
There are 2 understandings of this burning away of कर्म by ज्ञानम् –
(i) ज्ञानम् (knowledge) is opposed to अज्ञानम् (ignorance).
So, when knowledge is there, ignorance is not there. The sense of doer-ship and experiencer-ship is no longer there.
ज्ञानम् is knowledge of oneself, the nature of the world, भगवान् |
(ii) There is a connection between अविद्या, कामा and कर्म | And there is so much कर्म in one’s account.
अविद्या is that I don’t know who I am.
Therefore, there is a sense of अपूर्णता/incompleteness.
And because of incompleteness, I feel pushed/impelled to do कर्म, depending on the nature of कामा |
E.g. I must go to India, and so I cannot sit quietly with this कामा – I have to look at flights etc.
So, अविद्या leads to कामा, and then कर्म | So there is this constant sequence.
For the wise person, there is no more अविद्या |
Then, what about प्रारब्ध कर्म (कर्म that has already begun in this lifetime)?
Does the person with clarity drop dead? No, this does not happen.
Because प्रारब्ध कर्म has begun, so पुण्य & पापा continues in this lifetime, and a series of situations are encountered.
These are experienced by the wise person like a roasted seed i.e. there is experience for this lifetime, but there is no more seedling/sprout for reincarnation/rebirth.
So, in this sense कर्म is burnt away. The sense of doer-ship and experiencer-ship is no longer there.
Even if one enjoys a ripe mango, one sees that the भोक्ता is a dependent identity, and what I really am is आत्मा |
Obviously, this reasoning does not stand in a court of law.
For instance, one cannot kill another and then say that I am not the doer, I am आत्मा |
It is a given that धर्म is the framework of life. And धर्म lived by deliberate practice becomes spontaneous. Wisdom only comes after having धर्म as a solid framework foundation of this life.
काम सङ्कल्प वर्जिता – In this way, the लक्षण of the ज्ञानी becomes the साधन for the मुमुक्षु |
How does one deal with one’s binding desire?
So, first one should align one’s desire with धर्म | Then, one can fulfill the desire with कर्म योग बुद्धि: |
Then, one gains the required maturity for knowledge.
One does not have to give up one’s desires. One can have desires but distill them into priorities.
Just as with respect to exercise, there may be a variety of options- cardio yoga, zumba, running, walking, cycling. But one would not have time to do all of this. So, what is one’s priority? Is it strength, stamina, endurance, flexibility? So, one can identify one or two options, and then stick with this.
So, in all desires, I should question- what is this for? And then, one can be creative and combine things- e.g. working- out and housework.
So, desires can be distilled when one understands what is the larger need that I want to meet.
Then, the clamor of different desires/कर्म does not bother one as much.
And then, the pressure of social media or relatives do not bother one. People can suggest, but if I am clear about my priorities, then I am not bothered/pressured by their suggestions. I just understand their suggestions as an expression of their care for me.
And भगवान् uses the phrase पण्डितम् बुधा: here in this verse. The first time He used the word पण्डिता: was when He began the Teaching of ब्रह्मविद्या in 2.11.
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
अशोच्यानन्वशोचस्त्वं प्रज्ञावादांश्च भाषसे ।
गतासूनगतासूंश्च नानुशोचन्ति पण्डिता: ॥ ११॥
There, He told Arjuna that- you speak words of wisdom, but there is no reason to grieve.
Then, what else about the wise person who recognizes the आत्मा to be never the doer, nor the experiencer-
*श्लोक २०*
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं नित्यतृप्तो निराश्रय: ।
कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्तोऽपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति स: ॥ २०॥
त्यक्त्वा कर्मफलासङ्गं ~ Giving up of the attachment to कर्मफल |
It should be noted that the verb is in its present continuous form. Therefore this ‘giving up’ should be done on a daily basis.
So, why is one doing कर्म, if it is to be given up?
My कर्म is an offering to भगवान् i.e. प्रासाद बुद्धि: |
Giving up the सङ्गं to कर्म means that I give up the notion that- once this happens, I will be fine; that the various कर्म that one is doing for one’s fulfillment, only when it happens, then I will be fine.
There is the practicality of statements like- when I wake up, I will go to work.
But, when there is the thinking that- only when there is a certain occurrence, I will be completely fulfilled, e.g. when I go on vacation, or when this relationship mends. There is that tag attached to a future situation that complete fulfillment will happen only then. But really through this event, the purpose of one’s life will not be achieved.
So, the wise person does not define oneself by the outcome of any event.
If I am not कर्ता, then I cannot define myself by कर्मफल |
Usually we define oneself by the degrees on one’s CV, one’s occupation & earnings, one’s relations.
But this कर्ता-भोक्ता identity is a dependent identity on I-आत्मा |
As a कर्मयोगी, because I am a भक्त/devotee, my कर्म stands offered; कौशलम् stands offered to भगवान् |
I recognize all results of action as प्रासाद, sanctified by the altar of भगवान् |
In this way we grow to sanctify all areas of our life, including the relationship with one’s mother-in-law, or whatever seemingly difficult situation there is. Some areas are easier than others.
So, as a कर्मयोगी, one understands that, depending on the choices made, I go through a given set of experiences~ good, bad & ugly. And that defining myself by these experiences is not helpful.
By defining myself with these limitations, I am denying the limitless that I am.
As a कर्मयोगी, I learn to be relaxed with the experiences unfolding in my life.
In the कर्म that I am involved in, I do what I can, and this is good enough.
So, my relationship with कर्म is loosening, both with respect to कर्म that is done and कर्मफल that is received- there is nothing that I have to do, and I am not attached to any result.
So, a wise person does not define oneself by कर्म nor कर्मफल |
The wise person is नित्यतृप्त: ~ One is always content since one sees myself as पूर्ण/complete.
The wise person is निराश्रय: ~ not dependent on anything.
There will always be physical dependence on the पञ्चमहाभूत (air, water, fire etc.) for शरीरयात्रा |
The bacteria depend on these 5 great elements, so what to talk of the more evolved human being?
But there can be emotional independence where I am free enough to allow the other person to be i.e. I become a more loving person.
Emotional independence is not being a cold person~ ‘I don’t need anyone’. This is actually a symptom of someone who is hurt.
I can be related to many people, and I am free to love.
I am not dependent on another following my list of should-s & shouldn’t-s in order for me to be happy.
For instance, in the beginning of a courtship, or for parents, there is the feeling that I want to be there for the other. One is willing to do whatever is required for the growth & happiness of the other, despite the other’s annoying habits. One thinks- what can I do to make the other feel cared for?
The thinking of ‘how can I contribute’ comes from a bigness of heart.
This is emotional independence.
The wise person is निराश्रय: |
Whether the other does or does not do for one, it is okay.
There is no bitterness of heart. It is not that one does not have expectations.
E.g. Elderly parents can become hurt by their children’s behavior and think- well I have learnt not to expect~ this is not the teaching of the भगवद्-गीता | One can tell one’s children about what one’s expectations are, and the children may or may not be able to fulfill this. Then, if the children are not able to do, one should make peace with this and find an alternative arrangement.
कर्मण्यभिप्रवृत्त: अपि नैव किञ्चित्करोति स:
A great महात्मा in Rishikesh was asked- for how many hours do you meditate?
His response was that- why are you putting this disturbance called meditation in my mind? ~meaning that He was always meditative.
So a person may be involved and fully engaged(not detached) in a lot of projects & activities, but knows that I am not really doing anything as आत्मा |
Even as a कर्मयोगी, one can come to the understanding that कर्म happens through me, that I am an instrument of कर्म |
And this can bring one a lot of joy.
There is a description of a ‘flow state’ where when one is busy with a project- writing, singing, creating, that there is a sense that one is not really there. Even if one is appreciated for doing, one feels as if I did not really do this, that I was prompted to say/do something.
This occurs when one allows, and there is no resistance to how things should be. One is fully involved in the task with whatever skills that one has. And just by doing one’s कर्म, one recognizes that कर्म happens through me.
This ‘flow state’ is beautiful- it is a state of surrender, where I have exercised my will to such an extent that ultimately, I learn to drop it. This is the greatest lesson of the will.
Whether I am in the gym lifting weights, or pushing myself to do an assignment, or whatever situation where there is a lot of willpower required, one trains oneself that I can do this.
Then, there comes a time when one drops it~ e.g. during ‘flow state’ or in surrender.
Surrender- as a part of my भक्ति/worship, I do what I can, and it’s all because of भगवान्’s grace. And the results are fully accepted even before the results come to me, because I recognize that the results are being shaped by भगवान् | So, I don’t wait to see what the results are before deciding if I accept them or not. I may not always be happy with the results, but I will learn from it, and see what else can be done. And so, I learn to drop my resistance, because we are all resistant to so many things, including ourselves.
So, आत्मा is अकर्ता- this is what the wise person recognizes.
* श्लोक २१ *
निराशीर्यतचित्तात्मा त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रह: ।
शारीरं केवलं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ॥ २१॥
This श्लोक २१ refers more to a संन्यासी than to a गृहस्थ | Since, the phrase त्यक्तसर्वपरिग्रह: is used, meaning the person has given up all possessions.
गृहस्थ-s/householders are referred to in श्लोक-s १९, २०, २२, २३ & २४ |
निराशी: ~ the one who is free of expectations.
Pujya Swamiji is a role model for this. At the end of the full-time teaching of a 3-year वेदान्त course, what were His expectations of His 85 students? There were no conditions set for what one should do after the course. One was free to do whatever one wanted to do- यथेच्छसि तथा कुरु ~ Verse ६३, Chapter १८.
Though He was so busy with so many administrative duties, various projects, helping people; He had no expectation that His students in whom He had invested so much in would do His bidding. This shows His bigness of heart.
Or, in trees- the mother-tree never knows where the children-seeds are, for they are strewn/carried across so many lands. The प्रारब्ध is such that the mother-tree is stationary, but the seeds are scattered, and the mother just has to trust that they will be okay.
So, निराशी: is where one grows so big that one does not need other people to do X,Y,Z so that one is okay.
Along the same lines, the गुरु is asked, why does one teach?
There is very less demand for ब्रह्मविद्या | The so-called demand seems to be there, people explore and ask about वेदान्त, but there are very few people who have the commitment to see it through.
So, why does गुरु teach?
One is so used to having transactional relationships, that one cannot believe that someone can be kind without an agenda or any strings attached, yet still committed to one’s growth and happiness.
There is a profession where one goes from place to place and blows a conch.
The conch is a symbol of the sound of the वेद | Literally, it is considered as a sacred sound that dispels all negativity. And metaphorically it stands for the वेद |
So, this person had the job of going from village to village and blowing the conch in order to wake up everyone in 3-4 villages. He would wake up at 2am in order to do this, because he had to walk a few miles to get to each village. And what if the people of the village did not wake up upon hearing the conch? Well to this question he replied- I do what I have to do, which is to blow the conch; they will wake up whenever they are ready.
So, in the process of teaching वेदान्त, one is exposed to different kinds of students- some are committed, some are there for the fringe benefits e.g. to better manage one’s relationships or to be more effective at one’s job. And then at some point one enquires into the nature of आत्मा, and this is the process of waking up.
One can be very great and effective at managing one’s life, but who is the one who is managing one’s life, what is the nature of that being?
And if one wakes up to that reality, then the person has woken up to the sound of the conch. If not, the person can take his/her own time.
For the wise person who teaches, the person is निराशी: | Knowing that the person will wake up when the person wakes up, one drops one’s expectations of the other. Because everyone is on their own spiritual journey, and so we give people that time.
Additionally, the person has-
यतचित्तात्मा ~ mastery over sense organs,
and,
अपरिग्रह ~ a sense of non-possessiveness, or an absence of ownership.
अपरिग्रह is mentioned as one of the यमस् in अष्टाङ्ग योग |
So, one practices अपरिग्रह as a value- Whatever I have (including this body/mind) is given to me, and at best I am a trustee, and I take care of it for whatever pursuit.
So, in regard to everything that I have bought with my hard-earned money, I am only a temporary owner.
For instance, when one has to sell one’s property, one recognizes that I was indeed the temporary owner. Or, during a divorce/separation, one recognizes that the relationship was not for keeps. It is temporary and there is no ownership. Even if one owns a dog, the dog has to go to a dog training school in order for the dog to listen to what I want it to do. So, what to talk of a person listening to me?
So, the recognition that everything is given to me is भगवान्’s grace. My कर्मफल has fructified due to भगवान्’s grace.
So, for this संन्यासी,
शारीरं केवलं कर्म ~ i.e. कर्म is only done to sustain the body.
And the कर्म which is done, since it is not done due to binding desires, then there is no किल्बिषम्/पापा involved.
As once there is binding desire, one is impelled to do अधर्म, e.g. giving someone a piece of my mind, or regretting that I did not say something helpful in a given situation.
Also, the संन्यासी has no sense of ownership. Even though one has possessions, one is very willing to give them away. One does not define oneself by the objects around one. If certain things are there, one uses them, and that is all there is to it.
ॐ
The theme of आत्मा being अकर्ता (non-doer) and अभोक्ता (non-experiencer) continues.
It is easy to gloss over आत्मा being अकर्ता (not the doer).
The additional aspect to this understanding is that even the law of कर्म is sustained by आत्मा |
So though आत्मा is अकर्ता (never the doer),
but yet I-आत्मा as though give कर्म a validity, reliability and reality that it actually does not have.
So, from the standpoint of the absolute reality, is कर्म really कर्म?
E.g.
From the Reality standpoint, some action is performed, as though, by the different waves in the ocean.
What is the reality of the waves? Water- which is सत्यम् |
So, the movement of the waves is really the movement of water.
In a given form, some कर्म is performed by the wave. But what sustains the form of the wave? All the way it is water.
आत्मा sustains the ‘individual wave’, which is water only ( i.e. the individual which is I-आत्मा-consciousness only).
AND also, all movement/ नियति/order of कर्म, I-आत्मा sustain.
Therefore, to delve into this understanding, different kinds of कर्म are mentioned.
In 4.18, we see that the vision of the wise person is revealed in the context of कर्म and अकर्म, अकर्ता and कर्ता |
Then, श्लोक १९-२४ highlight some aspects of a wise person and some aspects of the lifestyle of a wise person.
A wise person can be a गृहस्थ or a संन्यासी | The lifestyle is just where one’s life priorities are.
Importantly, regardless of one’s lifestyle, no one is denied this knowledge.
E.g. King Janaka was a successful king, who continued to manage his kingdom after gaining knowledge.
श्लोक २२ continues with another aspect of the wise person’s way of living-
* श्लोक २२ *
यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सर: ।
सम: सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ॥ २२॥
In this description of a wise person, whatever लाभ (gain) comes, one is संतोषः (happy/content).
This श्लोक makes reference to a संन्यासी going for भिक्षा |
भिक्षा generally is in the form of food, and is just enough for शरीरयात्रा |
For instance, in Rishikesh there would be क्षेत्र-s which would give simple free food of roti with watery dhal to these संन्यासी-s who study there, as भिक्षा |
So, the wise person is the one who is संतोषः with whatever comes. Whatever comes is recognized as प्रसाद | And if nothing comes, then one just makes do, e.g. drinks water from Ganga-Mata. This is यदृच्छालाभसन्तुष्ट: |
So, प्रसाद बुद्धि: has to be at a high level in order for one to accept whatever comes. Some things are more easily accepted, and a lot of things one resists and struggles with- for instance the disposition/annoying habits of one’s partner, one’s colleagues, or some things about oneself.
So, समत्वम् and प्रसाद बुद्धि: are to be extended into all areas of my life. This is my साधना | It is not a forceful acceptance; it is to relax and glide into the understanding of dropping resistance.
द्वन्द्व अतीत: ~ not affected by pairs of opposites.
द्वन्द्व(dual), अतीत: (transcends).
If one has राग for one thing, one cannot avoid having द्वेष for the opposite.
E.g. If one has राग for धर्म, one’s tolerance level for those practicing अधर्म is low.
राग is anything that one gets obsessed with, or feels has to be done. It is making anything ABSOLUTE- it must be, always, at all times, places & situations.
Everyone wants to live a धार्मिक life, whether this is discerned or not.
Another example is that just because I am vegetarian, I believe that everyone should also be vegetarian. But this does not make sense because 70% of India is non-vegetarian.
So, if I have a value, and I understand the exceptions to the value, then I have understood the value of the value. E.g. In Ayurveda, allowances are made to consume meat if one lives in the mountainous cold regions, because in these places there is no other vegetation.
So, one should recognize the value of the value. And recognize that for every value, there are exceptions, only then I can be relaxed and balanced. This is not moral relativism or subjectivism. It is recognizing the reality of any value. Because every value is universal, but relative in application.
So with the attitude of द्वन्द्व अतीत:, one is not affected by opposites.
One swings to one extreme, if one position is important to me. If I define myself by my likes/dislikes because this is what makes my personality, then I will be intolerant of anything opposed to that. So, some balance is needed.
One recognizes that आत्मा sustains everything, including the opposites- hot/cold, all seasons, all values etc.
One is also विमत्सर: i.e. free from मात्सर्य (jealousy).
E.g. Jealousy consumed Duryodhana, as he had murderous feelings towards his cousins, and could not stand them being happy. He did not have the पुण्य to reach the stage of recognition that he needed help and should seek guidance from a गुरु to manage this मात्सर्य | So instead of trying to extinguish the jealousy, he justified it, and acted upon it. For him, it was unacceptable for others (the Pandavas) to be happy.
But it is easy to be happy if one revels in the happiness of others.
I-the person do not need to be happy; if another is happy then okay. But this feeling comes with seeing another happy, where one wishes I was like that.
E.g. One easily becomes jealous whilst seeing the lives of others through the filtered lens of Instagram. One thinks- I also want that; why is this not happening in my life.
मात्सर्य is one of the षड्रिपु (6 inimical forces) that exist in all of us.
These षड्रिपु are काम (binding desire), क्रोध (anger), लोभ (greed), मोह (confused thinking), मद (arrogance) and मात्सर्य (jealousy).
These are called enemies because they are not conducive to one’s happiness & growth. When one acts upon it, and it consumes one, it is likely that one will perform an act of अधर्म |
E.g. With binding desire, I must have what I want, regardless of the other.
Then, in chapter 2 we saw that thwarted/obstructed काम results in क्रोध | Therefore it is not completely effective to merely manage one’s anger by various techniques like drinking water, counting to 10 etc., because due to the intensity of काम, क्रोध arises which one is impelled to act upon.
Or, as a result of मोह (confused thinking),one does unthinkable things. E.g. if someone does something wrong, one thinks that that person is inherently bad, and on the basis of this one shames/humiliates the person, but really, I have also made mistakes.
For instance, the 3-year-old falls down and the mother is angry with this child who accidentally tripped whilst attempting to keep up with the mother’s pace. Instead of comforting the fallen child, the immediate reaction is that- it is all your fault, how can you fall down, you are not supposed to fall down.
So, these situations seem instinctual, happening in the spur of a moment, but it is a series of reactions- you fell down, it is your fault, you never listen to me etc.
So, like this one has confusion about all kinds of thinking.
षड्रिपु is part of the psychological landscape. It is synonymous to अपस्मार (the unconscious) seen in the मूर्ति of Dakshinamurthy. This षड्रिपु/अपस्मार are emotions and reactions.
To some extent, they may even be helpful. For instance, how can one have mastery, if one did not have काम or क्रोध?
All of this षड्रिपु is there due to अविद्या which leads to human insecurity. Therefore, one cannot avoid it.
In Psychology, षड्रिपु is referred to as the shadow self.
Literally, we all have a shadow when we walk out in the sun. But metaphorically, this shadow self is also there with these aspects of jealousy, hatred, being judgmental etc.. These can be managed, pushed under the carpet, minimized, or allowed to have free reign.
E.g. People who have the habit of showing anger may have grown up with the idea since childhood that if one does not assert oneself in an angry way, then no one will listen to me. So, this becomes a habitual pattern.
So, we must appreciate what happens to us when one is in the throes of any of these-काम (binding desire), क्रोध (anger), लोभ (greed), मोह (confused thinking), मद (arrogance) and मात्सर्य (jealousy).
Do I just justify it? E.g. With respect to लोभ (greed), do I justify wanting more of everything and find supportive reasons, or do I ask myself- do I really need this.
So, highlighted in this verse is that the wise person is free from jealousy.
So, one is genuinely happy when another is doing well, because one is not threatened by others doing well.
E.g. People who spend a long time on social media feel depressed since one compares oneself to others, and so it reminds oneself that I do not have what those other people have.
If someone is happy, then why can I not be equally happy for that person?
But there is the feeling that- I am not enough, I do not have enough, etc.
The wise person is free from all of this, and not just because of emotional management, but one recognizes that I-आत्मा pervade everything~ all forms.
So, if any form is my form, then if that form is doing well, then that is great because it is my form anyway.
Then with respect to सिद्धि and असिद्धि i.e. any kind of accomplishment or failure, there is समत्वम् |
कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ~ Even if the person is involved in all kinds of projects, really speaking the person is not doing any kind of कर्म |
* श्लोक २३ *
गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतस: ।
यज्ञायाचरत: कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते ॥ २३॥
For this ज्ञानी, सङ्ग (the sense of being attached) to objects/situations has gone away.
This is sometimes misunderstood as ‘practicing detachment’. One mistakenly thinks that ‘being detached’ will free one from all conflicts. No.
It is to understand that I-आत्मा am ever-detached.
So then, what is attached? अध्यास is the extra value that I superimpose/place on relationships/objects that- this will complete me.
All things have their utility value, but the erroneous thinking that this thing/person will complete me is not there for the wise person.
So, this wise person is free from सङ्ग /dependence. Free from Dependence is actually a better translation than detachment for गतसङ्गस्य |
This means I can relate to all people with love and support, but not be dependent on them. These people do not have to fulfill criteria on my behavior checklist manifesto, in order for me to be okay. This is great freedom for me.
So, of this person, who is free from dependence, who is मुक्त: (liberated),
the चेतस् (mind), where is it rooted/anchored? ज्ञानावस्थित ~ It is rooted in self-knowledge.
So, what does this person do? One continues to do कर्म, because it is not possible for someone to not do कर्म, but this कर्म is performed for the sake of यज्ञ i.e. it is worshipful कर्म | So, everything is an offering.
The कर्म of such a person is समग्रं प्रविलीयते |
With अविद्या gone, due to विद्या/knowledge, there is only the कर्म of this lifetime that the wise person is exhausting.
So, if this person dies, in this person’s कर्म bank account there is a bunch of कर्म; so to whom will that कर्म go to?
The one who claims the कर्म i.e. पुण्य or पापा, is the कर्ता (doer). And the कर्ता is no longer there with the death of the body of a जीवन्मुक्त i.e. with विदेहमुक्ति | But really, even before death, there is no कर्ता, since कर्तृत्वम् (sense of doer-ship) has been falsified.
कर्तृत्वम् has been seen to be मिथ्या with a status of dependent reality.
So, the wise person who is free from अविद्या, is also free from its grandchild कर्म & its effects.
So, all कर्म is to be looked upon as यज्ञ |
यज्ञ is commonly referred to as a ‘sacrifice’. But a more suitable though loose translation is a ‘fire ritual offering’.
To do a यज्ञ, the वेद is the प्रमाण (means of knowledge).
What does one do in a literal यज्ञ?
There is the होम कुण्ड (fire pit) in which different rituals are performed for different goals/ends.
In a given ritual, there will be the one performing the ritual, and in most cases because we do not know how to perform the ritual, we depute the pandit/priest/purohit, who is professionally trained, to perform the ritual on our behalf.
The fire is kindled in order to invoke the grace of अग्निदेवत |
अग्निदेवत is the best courier service to all the देवत-s, as whatever oblations are offered, faithfully and totally it is taken to the appropriate देवत | We know this because the वेद tells us so.
As a part of the ritual, a 5-fold offering is made. The principle is that 5 symbols of the पञ्चमहाभूत (5 great elements) are used, since the entire world is made up of these पञ्चमहाभूत |
These are-
(i) पृथिवी- food/fruits are offered.
(ii) आप – water is offered.
(iii) अग्नि – fire is present, since all offerings are made to अग्नि |
(iv) वायु – मंत्र-s are chanted; fragrance is used.
(v) आकाश – flowers are offered.
So, this 5-fold offering indicates that all that I can offer to You is made up of the पञ्चमहाभूत, and I am symbolically offering this to You.
So then, can anything be offered? No. A यज्ञ has a protocol with stipulations. There are many do-s & don’t-s. For instance- how big the fire should be, when you need to offer. The materials that are used for यज्ञ should be clean & pure, and are especially put aside for use in the यज्ञ |
The वेद tells that if I perform a certain ritual, then I will get the specific results.
From the standpoint of perception, a यज्ञ may seem like a weird action with a few people seated around a hot fire, offering things into the fire which become ash at the end of the ritual, and there is chanting going on. So, an onlooker may think that this looks crazy.
But from the Vedic standpoint, it is awe-inspiring.
The difference between these 2 reactions is only श्रद्धा, because in the latter case one understands the principle behind the ritual, and comprehends that I am able to offer all this and that I trust that-
(i) this ritual will help,
(ii) this ritual is a powerful one because it has been revealed to me by the वेद,
(iii) the ritual tells me things that I do not know,
(iv) I am invoking the देवत/देवत-s. And when I invoke the देवत, the देवत will come,
(v) I invoke the देवत’s grace, and the देवत will bless me because I do the यज्ञ sincerely with devotion.
Towards the end of the ritual, the priest will say “न इदम् मम” ~ meaning that I give You totally, that I fully surrender all materials to You. This statement is needed because we all have a tendency to hold on to things.
So, the offering is made to the different देवत-s.
A long ladle is used to make the offerings of ghee etc. And there are stipulations- for instance only when certain मंत्र-s or words are uttered, then the offering can be made. Also, one looks closely at the kind of flame created (there are 7 kinds of flame). And it is also said that the form of the देवत appears in अग्नि i.e. the fire takes the form of that which is there in the ध्यान श्लोक | E.g. Just before ललित सहस्रनाम or विष्णु सहस्रनाम, there are contemplative verses that helps one to have a form to arrest the mind.
In कर्म, there can be a lot of variables, e.g. how the materials are procured, how they are offered, the level of devotion etc.) So, even in यज्ञ, there is no perfect कर्म, which is why we ask for forgiveness at the end of the यज्ञ | Because though we do it with the right intention, it is possible to commit an error/omission, so we ask that this कर्म done completely with our full heart be accepted.
And then in order to complete the ritual, दक्षिणा is given to whomsoever performed the ritual on one’s behalf.
So, this is the वैदिक ritual/ यज्ञ |
Now, this same metaphor of यज्ञ is being used for the next verse.
* श्लोक २४ *~ Beautiful verse on यज्ञ
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ २४॥
This verse is chanted before we eat, like grace before meals.
For any कर्म, there are different कारक-s involved.
Here, the vision of the wise person is that all that is here is ब्रह्मन्-the limitless and that is me.
So, how will the कर्म of that person be?
ब्रह्म अर्पणम्(ladle/मंत्र-s) – the ladle used for the कर्म is ब्रह्मन्; the मंत्र-s chanted as offering is ब्रह्मन् |
Because if one is saying that all that is here is ईश्वर, then is there a place where ईश्वर is not? Or is there a time when ईश्वर is not there?
In one’s dream, is there any part of the dream that I do not touch? The whole dream has come from me- the entire intelligence & material of the way that things are in the dream has all come from me. E.g. If I dream of a safari in Tanzania- the various animals, the safari jeep, the grasslands – all are me, I am there everywhere.
So, this vision of the wise person is that the instrument that I am using, or the मंत्र-s that I am chanting are ब्रह्मन् |
ब्रह्म हवि: – हविस् are the oblations that are offered, e.g. barley or rice. So, what is offered is also ब्रह्मन् |
Where is this being offered? ब्रह्माग्नौ (7th case) – It is being offered into the अग्नि/fire. This is also ब्रह्मन् |
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यम् – This sincere seeker who wants to ‘reach’ ब्रह्मन्; this seeker is also ब्रह्मन् |
ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना – This person sees that all the कर्म resolves in ब्रह्मन् |
The law of कर्म is sustained by ईश्वर | The स्वरूप of ईश्वर is ब्रह्मन्- the limitless being.
ईश्वर is just the name given to that function which helps different things to manifest.
So, all the way, the कारक-s- the कर्ता (doer), the कर्म performed, the instrument used, the purpose for which the person is doing (e.g. to have a child, or to have harmony between husband & wife, or appeasing a particular planet) – all of them are ब्रह्मन् |
So, ब्रह्मन् is not missed in day to day living.
There is no learning of the theory of वेदान्त, and then this is followed by practice. There is no divide like this.
In other disciplines of knowledge this is possible. E.g. in कर्मकाण्ड there is this divide. Also, when one is learning Sanskrit, just श्रवणम् is not enough, one has to practice a lot. Also, just by knowing the recipes in a cookbook, the food is not produced.
So, there are some things to be understood, and some things to be done on the basis of the knowledge that one has.
But the person gets confused and thinks- okay, I get what वेदान्त is saying, so now what should I do? If this question is asked, then one has not gotten what वेदान्त is saying.
If by doing the कर्म which one is supposed to do, one feels good, then the person should do this कर्म |
So, the vision of the wise person is that everything is ब्रह्मन् |
It is easy to say that everything is ब्रह्मन् and gloss over it.
OR, in the context of this metaphor provided we recognize that each though different is seen as ब्रह्मन् – the form is different, the purpose is different; but all of it is sustained by ‘is’-ness. This is ब्रह्मन्, This is me.
The कर्म which is performed, whether it be a यज्ञ as mentioned in this श्लोक, or otherwise is ब्रह्मन् |
So, in the upcoming verses, we will see a series of कर्म that one performs, that one can relate to.
The theme to take away from this श्लोक is that in the offering/surrender, there is knowledge, and all the factors are ब्रह्मन् |
The more we see this, the more is our attitude of surrender.
* श्लोक २५ *
दैवमेवापरे यज्ञं योगिन: पर्युपासते ।
ब्रह्माग्नावपरे यज्ञं यज्ञेनैवोपजुह्वति ॥ २५॥
These योगिन: i.e. these different people who are given to कर्म योग, what do they do?
They perform यज्ञ, and in that they invoke दैवम् i.e. grace, the different deities. And so, this is their form of worship.
And what do the others do? Others refer to the संन्यासी-s.
So, two lifestyles are being mentioned continuously in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता –
(i) कर्म योग is where one is pursuing धर्म, अर्थ, काम, along with मोक्ष. So right now, one has a lot of life priorities that are very important to one, e.g. I want my kids to be married, and I want to be a grandparent etc.
In कर्म, there are a lot of variables that one has no idea about. One is working hard on a project, and has made all the effort, and somehow things do not work out. So then, what should one do?
So then one should acknowledge the grace of भगवान् |
This is objectivity; this is not being religious. One recognizes that I am not controlling the law of कर्म – I do not know what पुण्य or पापा is going to fructify, and so I make an attempt to gain some पुण्य, and also learn to be okay with knowing that I have done my best. I have done this कर्म, and may I have the strength to deal with whatever I get.
Because a lot of our conflict is because of our resistance- we do not want things to be in a particular way.
So, this is what the कर्मयोगी does i.e. performs a lot of rituals.
Nowadays, very few people perform अग्निहोत्र | अग्निहोत्र used to be a very important part of the Hindu lifestyle.
अग्निहोत्र is a ritual that is performed in the morning and in the evening, and is for the well-being of the family. But there are stipulations there. Once one decides to perform अग्निहोत्र, then it is a commitment until one’s death. So, people don’t take up this कर्म due to concerns about not being able to perform if I am travelling etc. So, what has happened now is that people perform पूजा | And even so, people have hesitation about पूजा |
So, the कर्मयोगी-s perform these.
Because the कर्मयोगी wants धर्म, अर्थ, काम, then taking care of the invisible variable is a good thing to ask.
E.g. If one goes to a coffee chain and orders coffee, one does not hesitate in telling the barista about what kind of coffee one wants. So, if one does not hesitate to tell the coffee-guy, then why is there this great hesitation to tell भगवान् what I want? This difference in standard in asking for what I want is incomprehensible.
But one has the thinking that I must not ask भगवान् for anything. So then why is it okay to ask Amazon to deliver things to me? One asks everyone specifically for what one wants, but the being who can help me and sustains all of me from the form standpoint, one does not ask. There need not be any hesitation to ask. Whom else should one ask? One should ask the one who is more powerful than me, who continues to bless me every moment.
So as a कर्मयोगी one should ask.
If one is blessed with so much पुण्य, that everything worked out well, and one is very hardworking and has never really had to ask, then okay. But if one has to ask, then one should not hesitate to ask.
So, the कर्मयोगी can perform all these different rituals.
(ii) संन्यासी
The last ritual that is done by a संन्यासी is the one to become a संन्यासी | In this ritual, one thanks all the देवत-s, saying that you have blessed me with so much, and that I no longer need all these different things that you have blessed me with, and also I am not vying for your position. देवत is also a position/role, and one can aim for a देवत’s position if one does elaborate मंत्र साधना over many lifetimes.
After this last ritual, the संन्यासी no longer has a relationship with अग्नि, in the sense that one no longer wants things in terms of धर्म, अर्थ, काम |
So whatever minimum is gotten for शरीरयात्रा is enough.
In order to reach this level of maturity, one would have been there, done that, and realized that I can manage without all of this.
So, what does the संन्यासी do?
To do any कर्म is expensive- one needs the material and the दक्षिणा for the pandit/purohit.
So, the संन्यासी offers oneself. This is not सती with offering oneself into the fire.
It is ब्रह्माग्नि i.e. the fire of knowledge.
So, what is offered? अहंकार |
This ज्ञान यज्ञ i.e. this ritual of knowledge is spoken of here. And later on, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण will talk of this ज्ञान यज्ञ being more superior to any other कर्म, because all other कर्म-s strengthen the identity of being कर्ता |
The कर्ता(doer) cannot help but be affected, as the कर्ता is the भोक्ता, so what is done affects one. If one is doing- one may get, or not get, or get different from what is expected, so one is always affected. This is the drama of the life of the कर्ता-भोक्ता |
But, for the one who starts the enquiry, the अहंकार commits suicide and is no longer there. Because in the recognition that everything is ब्रह्मन् / ईश्वर, there is nothing left to be offered.
But, initially there is an offering.
So, all wrong/false/मिथ्या notions which can be negated and so do not have absolute reality, are offered into the fire of Self-knowledge.
So, two lifestyles are given, and the way in which the यज्ञ should be performed in each lifestyle is given.
Arjuna is on the battlefield, so what is भगवान् श्री कृष्ण talking to him about यज्ञ ?
So, He does not literally mean यज्ञ, as all the यज्ञ-s that would have been needed to be performed to help secure victory would have previously been performed, so what यज्ञ is भगवान् speaking of?
So, He is talking of the whole understanding of offering/surrender and what that means because in the vision there is surrender, and also in the surrender, there is vision. Both ways one can look at this.
Then further, He talks about self-mastery.
If one cannot do these rituals, still everyday one is listening, watching, speaking, eating/drinking. So, one can make these activities into यज्ञ |
This we shall see more of in the next class…
ॐ
Then, there are many more यज्ञ-s(prayerful offerings/rituals) mentioned. These are used as a metaphor for different activities of our lives-
* श्लोक २८ *
द्रव्ययज्ञास्तपोयज्ञा योगयज्ञास्तथापरे ।
स्वाध्यायज्ञानयज्ञाश्च यतय: संशितव्रता: ॥ २८॥
There are people who offer different द्रव्य (substances). In this case, द्रव्य means धनम् |
धनम्/giving is an integral part of one’s life in सनातनधर्म |
Even if this is not the case at this point in time, one should try to grow into a person who contributes more than consuming.
द्रव्य could be helping someone with their education, or working on some innovation. In earlier times द्रव्य would be the giving of cows, gold, land etc. द्रव्य is considered as an offering unto ईश्वर, because there is a certain discipline which comes with it.
One may have standing instructions with the bank so that a certain amount of money is deducted from one’s account on a monthly basis for the charitable causes that one supports. The intention is that I want to be able to give every month depending on the शक्ति that I have. So, for the ones who share their wealth, one can also have mastery in this.
It can be considered as an ordinary act of giving, but here I am learning to give and be free of my रागद्वेष of hoarding and collecting, and it is an offering unto ईश्वर |
भगवान् Ramana Maharishi in his Upadesha Sara explains how to do सेवा to भगवान् –
जगत ईशधी युक्तसेवनम् ।
अष्टमूर्तिभृद्देवपूजनम् ॥ ५॥
He describes this as अष्टमूर्तिभृद्देवपूजनम् | The entire world that is there is in the form of अष्टमूर्ति (8-fold form) i.e. the पञ्चमहाभूत (the 5 great elements), the Sun & the moon (both representing all luminaries in the sky), and चैतन्य (consciousness). [N.B. it is not that चैतन्य is the 8th, because it is not at the same level of reality; it is considered the 8th with respect to the other 7].
So, one can make an offering to any of these manifestations, based on one’s talents & skillsets. This is one’s यज्ञ |
तपोयज्ञ is the next form of यज्ञ that is spoken of as an offering to भगवान् | तपस् is an important part of सनातनधर्म | It is a religious discipline that includes fasting (not necessarily followed by feasting), or going on तीर्थयात्रा | तीर्थयात्रा is not a 5-star luxury trip, there must be some discomfort, and despite this discomfort, one is prayerful. When a religious discipline is involved, there has to be some denial of comfort. Why? Because I am extending my sense of ‘I’. Otherwise, I remain in my comfort zone. For instance, I stay in my comfort zone so I do not interact with others, because I find that when I interact with others, it is too disturbing. So, this is not the right way of thinking.
Another तपस् is व्रत (vow) of doing मंत्र |
There is an elaborate साधना called पुरश्चरण | If the मंत्र that one has received has 5 letters, e.g. ॐ नमःशिवाय, then as a part of पुरश्चरण, one chants this मंत्र for 500, 000 times spread out over 1-2years. But there are a lot of stipulations, so not everyone can do it. For instance, the time when one does this is fixed, the place where one does this is fixed, a certain शुद्धि/cleanliness should be there, etc.
So, it is a religious discipline, and one does it though one does not feel like doing it, and even though the mind is going all over the place, and one keeps on wondering- when is my माला going to end, that this feels so mechanical, I am not doing this meaningfully, do others feel the same, I keep on thinking of my to-do list etc. So, this happens to all of us, and this is all offered. This is the discipline- that my mind can go all over the place, but I bring it back again & again.
योग यज्ञ refers to all the people who practise अष्टाङ्ग योग | अष्टाङ्ग योग is a very deep and sophisticated body of knowledge that starts with an ethical basis of यम and नियम | For instance, we have a natural tendency to hurt people so we should restrain oneself i.e. अहिंसा | So, there is no specific अहिंसा-action, but the restraint in wanting to hurt, insult or humiliate another is exercised and this is अहिंसा |
So अष्टाङ्ग योग includes यम, नियम, आसन, प्राणायाम, प्रत्याहार, ध्यान, धारणा, समाधि |
So, one may look upon these practices as a यज्ञ | In the earlier practice of all the आसन-s, the chanting of मंत्र-s for each of the 12 postures would be included. But unfortunately, some of this knowledge has been lost.
आसन practice is important with huge benefits – good health, it prepares one for वेदान्त | Importantly, it helps one to focus on one’s sensations and alignment, and one becomes more aware of oneself and one’s surroundings.
And because there is discipline and mastery involved, this योग can be offered to भगवान् |
Otherwise, one can get into a competitive spirit in this practice. E.g. one compares oneself to others and feels bad about oneself because I am not as flexible as the other.
So, both संतोष (contentment) and तपस् should go hand in hand. One should be content with what one’s body can do, but at the same time, one should push one’s body. If there is too much तपस्, then one will have injuries. But, if one is too lackadaisical, then one thinks that one did a lot of work, though doing very little. So, getting that dynamism is important.
So, one’s योग practice can be offered to भगवान्; it is a यज्ञ |
स्वाध्याय यज्ञ – स्वाध्याय is an important part of नियम | स्वाध्याय means that one studies the scriptures. But this is not an academic study. It is स्व i.e. one is studying oneself in the light of the scriptures- योगसूत्र, or श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |
So, it is not about knowing the definition of कर्म योग or कौशलम् | It is understanding how समत्वम् & कौशलम् are reflected in my life. This self-reflection is a यज्ञ | One is not saying that X & Y have to change so that I am happy. Instead one reflects on me- where I am, what am I doing in my life, how am I using my time, effort and energy, how am I aligning with धर्म, how am I offering my actions to भगवान्, my surrender. Reflection does not mean criticism, this breeding द्वेष towards oneself is not objectivity.
So स्वाध्याय is a यज्ञ |
ज्ञान यज्ञ is the offering of my ignorance into the ज्ञानम् that is me. This is an activity that one takes regularly, e.g. weekly गीता अमृतम् class. And because there is an element of surrender, one is not too worried about फल | I make my offering and trust that the परंपरा blesses me, and I seek their blessings also, so I have no doubt that I will get the understanding that I seek in this lifetime. This is श्रद्धा | One makes the adequate effort for learning वेदान्त and trusts that I will be rewarded.
Otherwise if one thinks that I am in charge of my self-study i.e. I will decide what text I am going to do, when I am going to do etc., then there is no room for भगवान्, because one is so full of me, I & myself. Then, whatever understanding I have, I keep questioning it, and criticizing myself in the light of that understanding. So, this is not helpful at all.
So, this ज्ञान यज्ञ is an offering to भगवान् |
Then, there may also be the thinking that I did not attend class for many weeks, so I think that it is time to drop out. But really in any pursuit, there are phases. For instance, in one’s profession, there may be phases of excitement and phases of stagnation, and then one also takes leave- privilege leave, casual leave etc. So, in the pursuit of wealth, there are many phases, and the phases are all different from each other. Therefore, if this is acceptable to one, then the मोक्ष pursuit and the different phases that are there in it should also be acceptable to one. There will be moments where one wonders- what am I doing, am I really progressing? Or, I have heard this so many times, I am really bored, maybe I should try something new. Or, I want to take some time off. All of this is okay. As, if it is a commitment, one will come back to it. Maybe right now, one doesn’t feel up to it, or maybe one is going through a fragile phase, e.g. dealing with the death of someone. But this is actually more of a reason to attend class. So, one should not worry about what the Teacher will think or that I have let myself down. There is no need to create such drama for oneself. One should just attend when one can. Just as one shows up to work when one can- but this commitment because it has external accountability is much more higher, and then there is also the factor of one’s salary being involved.
But, we try to show up. This is ज्ञान यज्ञ | Despite one’s mood, one stays with it. As one recognizes it as a very important pursuit with different phases. So, one is not too hard on oneself.
स्वाध्याय also involves the recitation of the वेद | वेदान्त is an oral tradition and a lot of the knowledge was preserved by chanting, memorizing, retaining, reproducing anytime and anywhere. A book is not needed. Traditionally also, chanting was not taught with a book, though now we have the स्वर marks. One is just supposed to listen and repeat many times. For instance, one can make it into a discipline to repeat a word 108 times, and so this goes very deep into one’s cellular memory, with increase in neural pathways through this repetition. The Sanskrit effect is also seen with the study of the structure of the brain of people who did Vedic chanting for many hours per day.
The uniqueness about Hinduism is that there is no library that has all the treasure of Hinduism. So, it is not that- if the library is destroyed, then Hinduism is destroyed. It is not like this. The knowledge is all there with people, and available to them whenever.
Traditionally, if one has not memorized a text, then it is not taught to one. E.g. in मठ-s, the verses are repeated for hours with the intention to memorize, and this repetition is offered.
Then, when one has the verses with one, then the way in which one understands the verses also changes. Then, one does not have to keep looking at one’s notes.
So, this repetition and recitation is very important. Chanting & singing practice is recommended for everyone. It is a beautiful aspect of music- everyone must sing as it is an important aspect of self-expression.
यतय: is the संन्यासी-s. They are totally devoted to ज्ञान यज्ञ | Their lifestyle is such that most of their waking hours is spent in reading, learning, chanting, assimilating, contemplating etc.
So, all of our कर्म can be made an offering, and we learn about surrender as we do this, and our mind expands in the understanding of भगवान् |
Upcoming, verse 29 speaks elaborately about प्राणायाम, so प्राणायाम is also a यज्ञ | Then, in verse 30, we see moderation in eating- this आहार नियम also can become a religious discipline. So, all of one’s activities can be made into a religious discipline, with the understanding of धर्म, and with the understanding of ईश्वर |
So, one makes an offering, which is my कौशलम् i.e. competence in the कर्म and समत्वम् i.e. acceptance of the different kinds of results.
Summary of यज्ञ-s discussed so far-
1. दैव यज्ञ ~ offering unto deities.
2. विषय-भोग यज्ञ ~ offering of one’s pleasure & sense pursuits.
3. दम यज्ञ ~ restraint of sense organs, and organs of action.
4. शम यज्ञ ~ being centered, alert and mindful in terms of what one consumes.
5. द्रव्य यज्ञ ~ धनम् and सेवा to अष्टमूर्ति i.e. the entire world.
6. तपोयज्ञ ~ तपस् including fasting, going on तीर्थयात्रा, व्रत of doing मंत्र |
7. योग यज्ञ ~ अष्टाङ्ग योग practices.
8. स्वाध्याय यज्ञ ~ studying oneself in the light of the scriptures; the recitation of the वेद |
9. ज्ञान यज्ञ ~ offering of my ignorance into the ज्ञानम् that is me through the study of the scriptures.
ॐ
वसुदॆव सुतं दॆवं कंस चाणूर मर्दनम् ।
दॆवकी परमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दॆ जगद्गुरुम् I
We seek the grace of जगद्गुरु, the गुरु for the entire universe, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण: in every class.
There are 2 streams that flow alongside each other in वेदान्त | These are:
(i) Self-mastery ~ कौशलम्, संयम |
(ii) Self-discovery ~ enquiry into आत्मा i.e. आत्मा विचार |
The stream of self-mastery has many साधना-s. Self-mastery is so that we can use the mind and body as our instruments for our many pursuits, with the one major pursuit being मोक्ष |
So, for how long should one pursue self-mastery? Until one understands the Truth.
If one already understands the Truth, a lot of self-mastery would have been spontaneous in one’s life.
If one has a strong achiever identity i.e. there is the strong identity of कर्ता (the doer) and भोक्ता (the experiencer), one can take on this self-mastery as a lifelong साधना & challenge, thinking that I will be the master of my destiny.
Now, the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता offers us a more expansive understanding of mastery i.e. that mastery is achieved in the larger framework of धर्म |
Because one can be a master cyber-criminal, but this is not good for the people at the receiving end of this.
So, mastery includes the understanding of भगवान् ~ nothing that I can perform and no results that I get are untouched by the order that is भगवान् |
How or what shall I surrender?
So, now we see a series of verses from श्लोक २५-३० that are giving us different options for different kinds of साधना-s. Because we may be partial to one साधना, or one of our राग-s may be this particular activity, and so how can I convert my whole life into a साधना? How can I convert my whole life into a surrender unto भगवान् ?
In श्लोक २५ we saw that the कर्मयोगी can perform rituals/यज्ञ unto the deity for different ends, e.g. for a child, for harmony in a marriage, for removal of obstacles, for success in a business venture etc.
And the संन्यासी-s offer themselves- all conclusions/notions that one has about oneself, one questions, and stands purified in the fire of knowledge.
* श्लोओक २६ *
श्रोत्रादीनीन्द्रियाण्यन्ये संयमाग्निषु जुह्वति ।
शब्दादीन्विषयानन्य इन्द्रियाग्निषु जुह्वति ॥ २६॥
Here we see a helpful imagery from the कठोपनिषद्, which uses the chariot. There are five elements in this chariot-
(i) the Chariot.
(ii) Five horses –
Each of the five horses represents a sense organ, and each has their respective area of exploration as they move into the world. The horses are wild and just go all out in their sphere of operation.
– the sense organ of sound is attracted to music,
– the sense organ of sight is stimulated by all that one must watch and read,
– the sense organ of touch is attracted to comforting touch,
– the sense organ of smell is attracted to pleasant fragrances,
– the sense organ of taste is stimulated by food. We all go to great lengths in order to plan for and procure our meals; a lot of events can be dictated by food.
So, all of these are important for all of us. The horses of the sense organs can be let wild into the world- for instance, whatever is one’s fancy, one can go all out towards that. Or, the reins of how the sense organs need to move in the world can be decided by the mind.
(iii) Reins – is the अंतःकरण with the function of the mind i.e. that which throws up different kinds of desires, e.g. I am pondering over lunch ~ should I have Thai, or Japanese?
So, the outward going horse can drag one along as one ponders over the menu, and the reins will throw up the different desires. But who makes the decision? The charioteer.
(iv) Charioteer – is the deciding function i.e. the बुद्धि: of the अंतःकरण | The बुद्धि: will decide that today I will have Thai food. The options are many, so the बुद्धि: stays firm and sticks with one based on all the desires that are thrown up.
For whom does the बुद्धि: decide? The master of the chariot.
(v) The master of the chariot i.e. the one for whom the chariot is being driven.
This is the one who is illumining all the shenanigans of the sense organs, and desires/pursuits. All of this is happening for the master of the chariot i.e. आत्मा |
So, in our regular pursuits which are श्रोत्रादि i.e. all that one can hear etc.(see, smell, taste, touch),
are offered into संयम अग्नि i.e. the अग्नि of self-mastery. [संयम has another meaning in योग शास्त्र ]
So, does one pluck out the ears and throw them into the fire? Obviously, no.
In the activities of the different sense pursuits, there is both restraint and some movement in that direction.
1) If the reins of the horses are too tight, such that the horses cannot move, then one will suffer. Because one will keep having desires but because the controls are very tight, one is not able to enjoy anything. One feels guilty for every enjoyment. So, this is not appropriate.
2) If the reins of the horses are too loose, then the horses will decide what one needs to do. One is pulled in all different directions, as the sense organs decide what one does, instead of the mind/intellect.
We live in this multi-sensory world where there in constant sensory input i.e. constant knowledge from these ज्ञानेन्द्रिय | ज्ञानेन्द्रिय are the sense organs of knowledge, but what we decide to do with the knowledge received may vary. E.g. If something tastes nice, one can choose to indulge in more, or just enjoy a small serving.
The sense organs do not decide. In the light of one’s pursuits, one decides how much to pursue, what to do in any kind of pursuit etc.
The purpose of any pursuit that one has is self-mastery. We get to enjoy wonderful fragrances, beautiful sights, charming/harmonious sounds, delectable tastes, but one does not get carried away with it, because all of it is meant to serve me. It is meant to bring me some enjoyment, but at the same time I am not conditioned by the enjoyment.
For instance, if one has very particular taste, then even as one travels the world, one must have one’s rice & lentils. So, one misses out on the wonderful cuisine offered in all the different cultures. When one corners/limits oneself, then the scope of enjoyment also gets limited.
So, enjoyment is good, but one should offer one’s enjoyment into self-mastery, with some framework of धर्म |
E.g. With respect to vegetarianism, for the sake of 2.5 inches of tongue, one does not kill an animal for meat. For the few seconds that the food is on the tongue, is it really worth it? So, this is an extension of अहिंसा |
So, in all of one’s pursuits, may one offer it into the अग्नि of self-mastery.
Then, there is another अग्नि~ इन्द्रिय अग्नि i.e. the fire of the senses. Here the metaphor is that each of the senses is like the हवन् कुण्ड् with offerings to be made. How does one decide what to offer?
Whatever is appropriate one should offer- how much to see, how much to listen etc. are the decisions to be made. Even if it is वेदान्त or योगासन, one cannot spend 8-12 hours or more, per day on this. Also, excessive मंत्र chanting without guidance can produce a lot of heat in the body. So, all these activities must be guided, because it is not necessary that more of a good thing is a good thing. There must be appropriateness.
So, here the teaching is that may we be alert, deliberate and conscious with what we are consuming. This is not just limited to scrutinizing what one eats, but this discernment should be applied to all sensory input (see, hear, taste, touch).
Discernment does not mean that one swings to an extreme, e.g. one thinks that when I watch news, I become very disturbed, therefore I am not going to watch any news. One is a part of this system, so one cannot ignore the news, one should at least look at the headlines. But one thinks that the news is too toxic- this topic of toxicity makes us into soft creatures who cannot handle toughness.
It is easy to say that a person or situation is toxic, so I will run away from this- this is one’s द्वेष masquerading as the seeming toxicity of the other person. There may be people who seem to be always whining and complaining, having negative things to say, so one can try to contribute some positivity to this situation. But running away from what I perceive as toxic under the guise of controlling oneself is not self-mastery.
For instance, one may think that when I talk to people I get disturbed because I think over what I should have said and what I should not have said etc., so then one avoids talking to people. So, it seems as if people have become a source of disturbance for me, but really is it that one’s own thoughts about people have become a source of disturbance for me. So, this need not be so.
So, with respect to the mastery of the sense organs, given the nature of one’s pursuits, and where one is in one’s current age and stage of life,
being deliberate, conscious and alert about what do I see, what do I consume, what do I hear is very important as one has limited attention, and one does not want it to be scattered. So, there are management and productivity books that one can read to help with building these good habits.
So, we exercise discipline in the use of our sense organs and offer this unto संयम (self-mastery) i.e. ईश्वर-izing & spiritualizing all of our pursuits. It is not to say that this is a pleasure pursuit and so it is not spiritual.
Everything is made spiritual by recognizing that everything is touched by the order that is ईश्वर |
So, there is no reason to feel guilty with moderation and the framework of धर्म, as all the pursuits of pleasure of the sense organs, I offer it unto ईश्वर | It is all a यज्ञ – whatever I eat, see, smell, taste, touch.
Then, it also helps with शम: and दम: for अधिकारित्वम् i.e. the preparedness for वेदान्त |
One can get disturbed when one sees certain things, so how do we resolve it?
So, one may see news of the Ukraine-Russia situation or about the Kashmir fights, so this will naturally evoke a reaction.
So then does one immediately go into a binary type of thinking that those are the bad guys who I hate, and then feel very righteous about myself. Or, do I sit with the discomfort and recognize that maybe I do not fully understand all of it- yes, this does not seem right, and maybe I need to learn more. I can pray, I can educate myself, I can have another perspective. So, various options are there. In this way I am not disturbed, or I do not continue to be disturbed by the goings-on of the world. Because there is already enough to disturb one, and this disturbance will impinge on my pursuits.
So, right at the beginning the reins are in my hands as to how much I consume.
Mastery does not mean denial. If the reins/controls are too tight, then one cannot enjoy this world which is such a blessing, but if the reins are too loose, then one is all over the place. So, it should be just adequate. And this balance is dynamic~ we master it by mastering it. So, effort is required so that the mind and body are fully available for my pursuits.
For instance, if one is a social media analyst then one would need to spend many hours per day on social media because this is one’s job. But even if this is not my job, it is so easy to spend a lot of time on social media as one gets pulled into the rabbit-hole of the offerings of social media. So self-mastery is to remember that the reins are in my hands.
* श्लोक २७ *
सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि प्राणकर्माणि चापरे ।
आत्मसंयमयोगाग्नौ जुह्वति ज्ञानदीपिते ॥ २७॥
This talks about संन्यासी-s since सर्वाणीन्द्रियकर्माणि i.e. all sense pursuits(ज्ञानेन्द्रिय-s/organs of knowledge), and the कर्मेन्द्रिय-s/organs of action are both being offered unto आत्मसंयम अग्नि |
आत्मसंयम अग्नि is self-mastery that has been stoked by ज्ञानदीपिते |
Especially for a संन्यासी, the pursuit of अर्थ & कामा is at its least minimum, therefore a lot of time is spent in meditation, contemplation and learning. Therefore, one needs to be fully available for this pursuit.
Therefore, there is a certain वैरग्य/objectivity that I have been there and done that. It is not that one has द्वेष, but whatever sight/sound/travel etc. has served its purpose for me. My mind does not get carried away all the time by what I am feeling, or what I am thinking, or what I should/should not be doing. The mind has resolved, and one is fully available, borne out of विवेक/clear thinking about what is important to me at this time and stage in life, having made the commitment to मोक्ष |
With self-mastery, one can use the mind to master the body. And one can also use the body to master the mind.
This is not a dualism.
E.g. in school, one may think that when I am in the right mood, I will study. However, the right mood never happens, and one stays distracted. Then, after a few hours pass, one feels even worse about oneself because then time has also passed.
So, instead one compels oneself to do the desired action. In this way one gets going on the project, even if one does not feel like it, and then one finds that the mind will align.
So, sometimes there is शम: i.e. in the light of different pursuits, I am also resolving psychologically my mental status, centering myself despite the disturbance.
And then, one can also take the help of physically getting into the activity, and as one starts doing the activity, one gets into the right mood.
So, both शम: & दम: is needed.
दम: is mastery at the level of the body which contributes to a more centered mental status, and शम: is centering oneself and resolving issues that may have disturbed one and then one is in the right frame of mind for action.
Then, there are many more यज्ञ-s(prayerful offering/ritual) mentioned. These are used as a metaphor for different activities of our lives.
This class begun with प्राणायाम |
For this practice, first-
(i) Sit comfortably,
(ii) Straight back,
(iii) Gently close eyes.
प्राणायाम is an attempt to regulate the प्राण that keeps us alive. So, in a simple way by using my breath which is always with me physically, I can attempt to regulate it.
Different types of प्राणायाम have different types of results.
We recognize that the प्राण in the body is the same वायु that is outside the body. So, really speaking, inside & outside is just a point of reference. It is really वायु presided over by वायु देवता that is energizing my body, even though breathing is involuntary.
So, with deliberate conscious attention, one takes a deep breath in, holds the breath and then exhales to different counts.
Inhalation should be done fully, and exhalation should be done fully.
Different variations-
1) Inhale deeply to a count of 8, hold for a count of 2, exhale fully to a count of 4.
2) Inhale deeply to a count of 4, hold for a count of 2, exhale fully to a count of 8.
3) Inhale deeply to a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale fully to a count of 4.
Each of these can be repeated, with a few normal breaths in between.
By प्राणायाम, we understand that the process of breathing is governed by the laws of भगवान्, and in our attempt to regulate there is effort involved and that effort we offer unto Him. Really speaking, what is His, we offer unto Him. The effort then becomes a यज्ञ | Because, in the recognition that the प्राण that energizes my entire system is indeed वायु (air) presided over by वायु देवता, I see that I am ever connected to भगवान् through this simple act of प्राणायाम |
To end, one can bring one’s palms together and rub them, and then gently palm the eyes and open them.
The next verse explains how प्राणायाम can be a यज्ञ –
* श्लोक २९ *
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं प्राणेऽपानं तथापरे ।
प्राणापानगती रुद्ध्वा प्राणायामपरायणा: ॥ २९॥
This chapter is called ज्ञान-कर्म-संन्यास-योग: | So, the topic is ज्ञानम् which is in the form of कर्म-संन्यास and कर्म-संन्यास is not actually giving up कर्म, but giving up the sense of doer-ship i.e. कर्तृत्वम् that is associated with कर्म | Because कर्म is not opposed to ज्ञानम् | We have to really assimilate this. Therefore, one is free to do any कर्म that is in line with धर्म | So, instead of thinking that I will do lots of कर्म, or I will do little कर्म, one should do whatever one needs to do, according to the धर्म of the situation, because कर्म is not opposed to ज्ञानम् |
And so, as a result of this teaching of आत्मा being अकर्ता-अभोक्ता i.e. never the doer, never the experiencer, so then how do we relate to कर्म? How can कर्म serve us? NOT we serve कर्म |
So therefore, to look upon all कारक-s (the factors of कर्म) as ब्रह्मन्, we have to ईश्वर-ize all aspects of our life. And to be able to do this, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is not encouraging block thinking or any glossing over, as if one does not know how to do यज्ञ (the fire ritual), then one can look at all one’s activities as यज्ञ-
1. दैव यज्ञ ~ offering unto the deities that pervade the different laws of nature.
2. विषय-भोग यज्ञ ~ offering of one’s pleasure pursuits, e.g. eating/drinking, dancing, music etc. So, these can be looked upon as a यज्ञ and therefore one can have moderation in it.
3. दम यज्ञ ~ the way in which we use our organs of action, may be looked upon as worship and therefore accordingly regulated.
4. शम यज्ञ ~ the resolution that is required in response to different situations, because we build up a lot of reaction. So, may one resolve whatever comes up.
5. द्रव्य यज्ञ ~ the offering of धनम्, any kind of giving.
6. तपोयज्ञ ~ any तपस् i.e. any religious discipline that one takes on.
7. योग यज्ञ ~ अष्टाङ्ग योग practices, particularly आसन-s because the ethical basis of योग is यम and नियम, which is धर्म, so everything is involved, but here definitely आसन can also be an offering. Generally now we only consider सूर्यनमस्कार as an offering, but earlier आसन-s had a lot of मंत्र-s associated with them.
8. स्वाध्याय यज्ञ ~ having that discipline in one’s life, in terms of looking at one’s life in the light of the शास्त्र | But, one needs to know a little bit of the शास्त्र in order to look at one’s life. Otherwise, in the name of स्वाध्याय, we will just be observing body sensations, and some people even define स्वाध्याय like this also.
9. ज्ञान यज्ञ ~ a commitment to ज्ञानम् |
10. प्राणायाम यज्ञ ~ This is spoken of here in श्लोक २९ |
So, even this act of प्राणायाम can be a यज्ञ | प्राणायाम is a very important part of अष्टाङ्ग योग, and classically it is taught much later as there needs to be दम i.e. some regulation of the body first before one can get into प्राणायाम |
अपाने जुह्वति प्राणं –
There are five aspects of प्राण- प्राण, अपान, व्यान, उदान, समान |
So, for different physiological functions of the body, प्राण plays an important role and takes on different manifestations. Here, what is being referred to is प्राण and अपान | अपान generally refers to that aspect of प्राण that is responsible for evacuation. But here in this verse, there is a slightly different meeting- अपान is the activity of inhalation and प्राण is the exhalation.
प्राणायामपरायणा: –
Those who are committed to this practice of प्राणायाम, we can take a leaf from their book and commit to doing प्राणायाम every day, because one does not need any material for it, nor does one have to be in a particular mood for it. It is an important aspect that one can integrate into one’s lifestyle.
The beautiful part about प्राणायाम is that it is a part of the सूक्ष्मशरीर |
The capacity for the five types of प्राणा is a part of the सूक्ष्मशरीर which includes one’s mind/अहंकार |
The सूक्ष्मशरीर consists of 17 factors- 5 कर्मेन्द्रिय (organs of action), 5 ज्ञानेन्द्रिय (sense organs; organs of knowledge), 5 प्राण-s, and then अंतःकरण-अहंकार |
So, the capacity for the 5 प्राण-s is there with the सूक्ष्मशरीर |
And so, the beauty is that you can tug one, and then the सूक्ष्मशरीर quietens down. That’s why प्राणायाम has this magical effect. It’s not like all the problems in one’s life have suddenly disappeared, because after doing प्राणायाम they are still there. But, definitely one is more calm and more composed after प्राणायाम, because प्राण is interrelated with the सूक्ष्मशरीर | One observes that when one is disturbed, the breath becomes fast and shallow. But if one just shifts one’s attention to one’s breath/प्राण and just breathes, one recognizes that just simple deep breathing is enough to calm one down and is enough to clear the mind. Why? Because it is a part of सूक्ष्मशरीर |
So, this is an important practice, and the people who are committed to it, they take it to the level of यज्ञ and what do they do? So they do something similar to the प्राणायाम exercise that we did at the beginning of class i.e. the अपान (the inhalation) they offer to the exhalation. Because the meeting point between inhalation and exhalation is a fraction of a second and in this breath regulation one is looking at it as an offering, not as a mechanical process.
So, the अपान/inhalation, when it is more than the प्राण/exhalation, this is what one is offering. And then one also makes the connection with वायु देवता and भगवान्, so it is an offering. And on the other hand, प्राणे अपानं – so when the exhalation is more than the inhalation, e.g. the exhalation is to a count of eight, and inhalation is to a count of four, then the exhalation is much more and so that is as though being offered onto the inhalation.
So what changes a simple activity or a process is one’s attitude behind it. One can do it mechanically also and reap the benefits. But when one sees that every breath that one takes is ईश्वर only, then one cannot say that I don’t feel connected. If one says so, then, the problem is with one’s feeling, as there is no other problem.
So when one is too caught up with one’s mind, one can just see that प्राण is वायु देवता or the laws of nature, and that they are pervaded by भगवान् |
Then there is also प्राण अपानगती रुद्ध्वा i.e. there are also different प्राणायाम-s where one holds the breath. So, one inhales and holds the breath, so there’s no exhalation or any more inhalation. And then, one completely exhales and also holds the breath again for a count of a few seconds.
With this breath regulation one can feel like I’m running out of breath, especially when one does it for the first time to a number of many counts. And so in this breath regulation, there is discipline involved, and so for the people who are committed to प्राणायाम as a यज्ञ, then they can offer this कर्म in the spirit of surrender.
The मंत्र सोहम् is meant to be understood. That स: (He) is अहम् (me).
There is a particular organization that uses this मंत्र while breathing in and breathing out. Traditionally though, this is not done; it is just something to be understood. Because otherwise what will happen is this association will only be with breathing, as the mind is so subtle, that conditioning happens this way. So then one thinks that सोहम् means breathing, but really it is the महावाक्य | So we don’t treat it lightly in this way.
* श्लोक ३० *
अपरे नियताहारा: प्राणान्प्राणेषु जुह्वति ।
सर्वेऽप्येते यज्ञविदो यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषा: ॥ ३०॥
So now one of our favorite topics i.e. food. So how do we regulate our food intake and how that can be a यज्ञ is being pointed out.
So, one does not really have an excuse. Even if one does not know how to do पूजा, one is not exempt from यज्ञ, as all major activities of one’s life have been taken into consideration. This also highlights that the spirit of surrender is really about recognizing the truth that one is pervaded by ईश्वर from a manifestation standpoint.
आहार generally means that which you consume. But here आहार specifically means food.
And how does one regulate food intake? Because there is so much research that is being thrown at us every day- from eight meals, to intermittent fasting, to three meals a day, to liquid fasting, to fruit fasting, to grain fasting and feasting. There’s so much, so how does one know?
So, Ayurveda has one thing to offer- Imagine that the size of one’s stomach is divided into four parts. So अर्धम् (half of it) must be filled by food, in keeping with whatever is one’s culture. Then one quarter is filled by उदक (water) or water-related juices etc. And the remaining quarter, what shall we do? It is for वायु to move around and have a little space to digest. This means that one never fills up the stomach and says that I can’t eat anymore. This is not what is recommended. One must always feel like I can have one more helping but stop, and that is the discipline involved.
There is a Sanskrit श्लोक that describes this ration-
पुरयेदशनेनार्धं तृतीयमुदकेन तु
वायोः संचरणार्थं तु चतुर्थमवषेशयेत्
पुरयेदशनेनार्धं ~ this अर्धम् should be filled i.e. fill up the stomach 50% with food,
तृतीयमुदकेन ~ one quarter should be filled up with water,
वायोः संचरणार्थं ~ for the संचरणम् of वायु i.e. for the circulation of वायु/air, please keep some space,
so, चतुर्थमवषेशयेत् ~ the last quarter you keep it empty. Basically, you don’t stuff yourself.
So, in the simple action of eating, one offers one’s desire to eat more unto वैश्वानर अग्नि |
अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा- I am that वैश्वानर अग्नि | ~ Chapter 15, Verse 14, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |
Yes, there are digestive juices that digest, but from the प्राण standpoint there is अग्नि present because it is cooking one’s food twice. So, regardless of what one eats, some cooking happens outside e.g. in the preparation of salad or, overcooked food. Then, partly cooking happens in one’s mouth. This is why since childhood one is told to chew one’s food properly. Then, there is the final cooking that happens in the stomach. This is really how we look at it because there is अग्नि involved. So, अग्नि has different manifestations- जठराग्नि/ वैश्वानर अग्नि is present very much in the stomach. But one should not think that there is a literal fire in the stomach, even though with enthusiasm some people may illustrate a literal fire with flames in the stomach.
Ayurveda places a lot of emphasis on the capacity of the stomach to digest. If one goes to a traditional Ayurvedic practitioner, they ask many details about one’s toilet habits. And it’s surprising but a lot of people are constipated across the world. Everybody has some problem with the stomach. And a lot of health issues are seen related to the capacity to digest food~ over-digestion, indigestion etc.
So, this verse points to वैश्वानर अग्नि | And so through the regulation of food, one can even convert a simple action of eating to a discipline, to a यज्ञ, and offer it in that way.
सर्वे अपि एते यज्ञ-विद: ~ All the different religious disciplines that were mentioned here, what happens to these people?
यज्ञक्षपितकल्मषा: ~ the different kinds of impurities such as रागद्वेष which color our thinking, color our life, color our behavior, and definitely color our mind and our mood, all of that is destroyed.
Why? Because when one looks at any of these कर्म-s~ whether it is about eating, or it is about giving, or it is about any kind of sense pursuit, pleasure pursuit; there are राग-s and द्वेष-s involved. And then, one is bringing in an element of regulation and discipline, and as a result of which one becomes bigger than the राग/ द्वेष |
For instance, earlier if one didn’t have that cup of coffee in the morning, one’s whole day would go for a toss. But after converting it into a यज्ञ, one may deliberately go for days where one postpones the time when one has coffee, or reduces the quantity, or one skips that cup of coffee, without which one couldn’t function earlier. So, we play with this.
Basically, any kind of discipline is an attempt to understand for oneself that I am bigger than the thing that I think that I am dependent on- whether it is a cup of coffee, or food, or an addiction to work, any hobby, Netflix binge watching, or anything really. So, there is some regulation.
Nowhere in any of these verses does भगवान् श्री कृष्ण say to stop what you’re doing and only pray to Me. No, not at all. He said whatever you’re doing just convert it into a यज्ञ | And in the process of this, what happens is that one’s रागद्वेष-s are left by the wayside and one has a deeper appreciation of भगवान् pervading my entire world, including me.
* श्लोक ३१ *
यज्ञशिष्टामृतभुजो यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् ।
नायं लोकोऽस्त्ययज्ञस्य कुतोऽन्य: कुरुसत्तम ॥ ३१॥
यज्ञशिष्टामृत – अमृत is nectar. शिष्ट is what is left over at the end of the यज्ञ, for instance in a proper fire ritual offering, there will only be भस्म (sacred ash) left. And of course, there is the नैवेद्यम् that is offered, i.e. some food that is offered, which is received as प्रासाद |
So, it can be that kind of प्रासाद, or the कर्म that we’re doing and therefore the कर्मफल that we are getting as प्रासाद |
So, those who partake of that, i.e. those who look upon it as प्रासाद, what happens to them?
यान्ति ब्रह्म सनातनम् – they gain ब्रह्मन्, That is eternal.
So, the attitude of प्रासाद बुद्धि: is the attitude that कर्म is done with. And there is no secular कर्म, as all कर्म is sacred. It’s up to me whether I recognize it or not.
Why is it sacred? Because it is pervaded by भगवान् | And, if one has a problem with भगवान्, then one should get over it, or resolve it.
So, throughout the day one is involved in all kinds of कर्म – the people I am meeting, the situations that are in front of me, whatever be the nature of my work, my interactions with people, and in terms of दम, how I am using my sense organs. So, it is to recognize that this is a यज्ञ- there is discipline involved, so therefore all of धर्म comes into the picture.
So, all that is leftover i.e. a cultural representation meaning कर्मफल after the कर्म is over; one gains this.
Because of looking at one’s different kinds of कर्म as कर्मफल प्रासाद, so then what happens is that one’s resistance to people, to situations, and to oneself reduces. One does whatever one can, and then one is in the right frame of mind to undertake the inquiry into ब्रह्मन् | So, it is really referring to अंतःकरण शुद्धि, because this कल्मषा: i.e. the impurities that are mentioned, are really रागद्वेष | So, even just performing one’s कर्म with the attitude of surrender and that whatever I am experiencing is प्रासाद, including my breath, that helps me to gain ब्रह्मन् through अधिकारित्वम्/preparedness.
Now, one of the things we note in the शास्त्र, i.e. including the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, is that there is स्तुति (praise) and therefore there might be an element of exaggeration. And there is also निन्दा (criticism) i.e. something is criticized or the limitations of something is pointed out, so that we can decide accordingly.
So here in the first line of this verse #31, it is not that you do कर्म, and you gain knowledge. Rather, it is highlighting that you gain the अंतःकरण शुद्धि so that you have the right mind to inquire into ब्रह्मन् |
Otherwise, one can be stuck, and for instance say- how do I deal with the hurt that I experienced 20 years ago? That can be the constant theme for some. So then one needs some other techniques, and there are a lot of techniques to help oneself.
So, contrasting the first line with the second one- so for the one who does not ~ अयम् न यज्ञ: i.e. for the one who does not perform कर्म with this attitude of यज्ञ/surrender, this person does not gain much in this world.
And कुत: अन्य:?~ And so what will the person gain in some other world? (rhetorical question). Because, in this world you are not able to make the most of it, so in another world, what are you going to gain?
It’s like this- So if somebody is dying, this dying person very rarely says that I’m ready to go now. So, suppose Lord Yama comes, and Lord Yama can come to anyone at any time, one does not have to be at the ripe old age of 95 years for Lord Yama to come. So, Lord Yama comes and says- Come with me. Then, the dying person says- No, no, no, please, I don’t want to die. So, Lord Yama can very well say- Why not? Your time is up. Whatever you wanted to do, if you’ve not done it in the past 50 years, what are you going to do in another one year of your life?
So really, what are we waiting for? One thinks- I will do this on one fine day, so we have our reasons for it. But all the people who are struggling, who don’t want to die, well what is one going to do tomorrow, which one was not able to do today?
So, this living a complete life i.e. living your life by your priorities is not necessarily about achieving X Y Z in the context of कर्मफल | It’s about making the adequate effort towards one’s priorities.
Because, is there really a time when something is done? Only one’s cake can be done, nothing else can be really done.
What can be done? Only cake. That’s it.
So, one says- Oh, I wanted to have a child. Well the कर्म related to this is never really done, until the child is no more (i.e. dies). So, there will always be something which will preoccupy one.
Any venture is like this. For instance, even if one sold off one’s company, from time to time you’d like to know what’s happening and then you realize- oh no, these people are making a mess of it. So then of course, you will appoint yourself as advisor, and then they don’t bother about any of your advice. So now what shall one do?
So, this ‘whatever could have been gained in this world’, if we don’t have an element of acceptance, then there is a constant restlessness because nothing is enough- what people do for one is not enough, one is ever dissatisfied with all of one’s relationships because they don’t understand me, and one doesn’t understand them etc.
And then in terms of one’s कर्म, because there is not acceptance- one thinks I must strive for more, and I’m ambitious etc., so the कर्म that I’m doing is never enough. One can’t sleep peacefully, one is just lengthening this to-do list, and then day after day there is restlessness, it’s not enough, it’s never enough.
So, even the satisfaction of having pursued धर्म, अर्थ, काम in this world, and enjoying the results of it is not available to one because there is no acceptance, there is no element of surrender.
Then, what shall we say? Even if one goes to some tourist destination like Mauritius, there also one finds fault- there are some who are like this, anywhere they go, they will always find fault, from the airport to the driveway. Now it’s a different thing if you’re in the business of hotels, but at least one will appreciate something that is nice.
This constant fault finding in everything and everyone, it helps one to sink into depression.
So that’s what is being referred to- that there’s nothing there if we are not able to have a value for acceptance or for surrender.
Then,
* श्लोक ३२ *
एवं बहुविधा यज्ञा वितता ब्रह्मणो मुखे ।
कर्मजान्विद्धि तान्सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा विमोक्ष्यसे ॥ ३२॥
एवं – in this manner,
all these different यज्ञ-s,
बहुविधा यज्ञ:- different and various यज्ञ were elaborately mentioned.
And it is not that भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is saying this on His own, as these are mentioned in the वेद – ब्रह्मणो मुखे | So these are all the words of the वेद | The other word for वेद is ब्रह्म |
विद्धि कर्मजान् – may you realize that all of these are born of कर्म,
and,
तान्सर्वानेवं ज्ञात्वा – knowing these,
you will be free- विमोक्ष्यसे ~ you will be liberated, you will be free.
So, referring to the nature of all कर्म, with respect to any kind of कर्म- whether one is taking care of one’s child, or going to work, or signing a check for some contribution, whatever be the nature of कर्म, it is dependent on me, i.e. me as in the कर्ता |
But is the कर्ता an independent entity- self-existing, self-revealing, self-illumining entity? No.
The कर्ता(doer) is really the आत्मा | The कर्ता is a being who is performing कर्म and has the sense that I am performing कर्म |
Then, how is कर्म performed? With करण i.e. with different kinds of instruments- the अंतःकरण (mind) and बाह्यकरण (body).
भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य has a very nice word referring to this body-mind instrument i.e. कार्य-करण-सङ्घात |
सङ्घात is something that’s been put together, like an assemblage. कार्य means effect. करण means instrument.
So, this assemblage, which is an effect (effect means there’s a cause), and has these different instruments i.e. body mind, etc. So, the word itself reveals that it cannot exist on its own.
The कर्ता/doer, has a great sense of pride- inflated or deflated, depending on who acknowledged all the work that I have done, or who has deflated my ego, etc.
For this कर्ता, the कर्तृत्वम् i.e. the sense of doer-ship, does it exist on its own?
कर्ता does not exist on its own. It needs all this करण for all the कर्म to be performed.
Then, what is there between one कर्म and the other? Although it may be in a fraction of a second, what is there? It is me-चैतन्य-consciousness-आत्मा | Between 2 thoughts I am there, between two कर्म I am there. When I sleep, कर्ता is not there- even if I am kicking someone in bed during sleep, I am not aware of it.
So, what is always there? आत्मा | And आत्मा is ever अकर्ता i.e. never the doer.
So आत्मा is not touched by कर्म- पुण्य, पापा etc. i.e. कर्मफल |
आत्मा is the very basis of all कर्म, and even this entity called the कर्ता |
So, the कर्ता is the आत्मा | But आत्मा is not कर्ता. This has to be understood well.
कर्ता (doer) is the आत्मा | When one really starts to define the कर्ता- am I my mind? No, I am there in and through the different thoughts of the mind. Am I my body? There are times when I’m in the zone, when I’m dancing to trance music, then I don’t think that I have a body, although I’m dancing, what a unique experience. Okay, so I don’t really feel that I have a body. So, am I the body? Because when we ask this question, we are attempting to arrive at something that defines me, without which I cannot exist.
So, without the mind, I still sleep very soundly- metaphorically and literally also, as everybody can hear when I am sleeping so soundly. So, I am very much there.
So, neither the mind can define me, nor the body can define me.
Are we then doing a process of reductionism? It seems like it, but we are just negating what we thought is our identity. So, really speaking, the doer is आत्मा, because when we keep going in the inquiry, what is it that defines me? Thoughts don’t define me. Experiences don’t define me, because they come and go. One’s relationships don’t define me because they’re not always there, or they are not there in the same intensity, as sometimes we come together and then we drift apart. So, it’s not a constant. For instance, in no way is my relationship with my parents a constant, because it changes over a period of time.
Everything is changing- my body is changing, my mind is changing, what is it that is not changing? So, it is the आत्मा, That which illumines the body, mind etc.
Therefore, we can say आत्मा is not the doer, but the doer is आत्मा |
If I say I am not the doer, then there will be some indifference. And this is what happens in modern वेदान्त | In the modern teachings of non-duality, one says that I am not the doer. So, there is a temporary relief and it’s a great thing. But then if one keeps on repeating it, without understanding that आत्मा is not the doer, but the doer is आत्मा, if one doesn’t get the entire equation, then one will want to run away from all कर्म | Then, in the name of non-duality teachings, one is only furthering one’s राग and द्वेष |
So, one thinks- I am not the doer, I’m not going to do. But anyway, कर्म doesn’t define me. So then, what is wrong with doing any kind of कर्म?
So, understanding that the nature of the कर्ता, irrespective of the nature of the कर्म that one does, that is indeed the आत्मा so,
अकर्मणि कर्म य: पश्येत् – ४.१८
The vision of the wise person is that though the person may be doing lots of कर्म, the truth is that आत्मा is अकर्ता i.e. never the doer. And there might be somebody who’s not doing any कर्म but has a very strong identity of the fact that I gave up all my कर्म as a संन्यासी | But, this is of no use. Why? Because the sense of कर्तृत्वम् i.e. the sense of doer-ship, which is just notional, which is just an idea, it’s a story that we tell ourselves in order to feel significant. That story, if that continues in my life, then there is no wisdom. So, whether one is performing lots of कर्म, less कर्म, the truth is that आत्मा was never the doer. And आत्मा is That which illumines all doing and even the sense of doer-ship.
* श्लोक ३३ *
श्रेयान्द्रव्यमयाद्यज्ञाज्ज्ञानयज्ञ: परन्तप ।
सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ ज्ञाने परिसमाप्यते ॥ ३३॥
In this श्लोक, भगवान् speaks about how ज्ञान यज्ञ i.e. this religious discipline of knowledge, is superior to all these disciplines/यज्ञ-s that were just mentioned.
Really? Even better than giving दानम् and all? Yes, ज्ञान यज्ञ is better than all of this. Why? Because, for any other कर्म, there is- कर्ता/doer, कर्म and कर्मफल | And, we are subject to कर्मफल i.e. the results of कर्म which is limited- there can be less than expected, more than expected, or completely different to what we want, and so on. So, then there’s always a struggle.
But this ज्ञान यज्ञ is so unique, because everything is swallowed in it. So, the कर्ता is swallowed, कर्म is also swallowed, and the कर्मफल is also swallowed, in the sense that when I abide in the nature of the आत्मा, then I am free from the sense of bondage that is experienced because of my identity as कर्ता |
With the कर्ता identity, when days are good, one can thump the chest and say like He-man that I’m the master of the universe. But, then when everything is not so good, one says- what a lousy day, I’m not happy with the way this day has gone, I should have done more, and then I beat myself up about why didn’t I do etc.
So, with this कर्ता identity one cannot win- one wins some, one loses some, and we kind of manage with it.
But in ज्ञान यज्ञ, the reality of the कर्ता is being pointed out- that I am the आत्मा, I am the limitless being that happens to have this कर्ता role. It’s just a role, so one should not take it too seriously, one should walk lightly with it.
सर्वं कर्माखिलं पार्थ- So all the कर्म, any kind of कर्म, what happens to it? Everything dissolves in knowledge. In the sense that the आत्मा that is me, is the basis of the त्रिपुटी/triad- आत्मा illumines the कर्ता(doer), आत्मा illumines कर्म, and आत्मा illumines the कर्मफल. So any triad that is taken~ knower-known-knowledge, or कर्ता-कर्म-कर्मफल, all of it is swallowed/resolved in knowledge.
Knowledge of what? Not knowledge of Ethereum, rather knowledge of आत्मा |
So, I-आत्मा am the very basis of all the identities.
Therefore, attention should be shifted to who I really am. And then all the other things drop away i.e. the worry, and the build-up drops away.
Then, the next verse which we will look at next time, talks about the attitude towards knowledge and therefore, the attitude towards the Teacher.
ॐ
All sorted. Much gratitude Swamini ji
In the fourth chapter, the vision of the wise person has been mentioned of seeing the आत्मा as never the doer, never the experiencer-
कर्मण्यकर्म य: पश्येदकर्मणि च कर्म य: ।
स बुद्धिमान्मनुष्येषु स युक्त: कृत्स्नकर्मकृत् ॥ १८॥
In order to prepare oneself to see this vision, how might one be able to convert one’s कर्म into a यज्ञ (a reverential worshipful offering)? And so, the varieties of यज्ञ were mentioned.
At the beginning also, भगवान् had mentioned that ज्ञान यज्ञ is the most superior.
He also gave these instances of the other यज्ञ-s to help us see that all our कर्म can be sanctified by our attitude. It’s the same attitude with which we receive an object and it becomes प्रसाद for us.
So, all कर्म- with no division between secular and sacred, because all कर्म is sacred.
So, even in the verse-
ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् ।
ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ॥ २४॥
the entire metaphor of a यज्ञ is taken.
So, the means of offering, the one who is offering, what is offered etc., everything is ब्रह्मन् |
After भगवान् spoke about the different यज्ञ-s, He concludes that section by saying that ज्ञान यज्ञ is the most superior, and what is very unique about the ज्ञान यज्ञ is-
(i) There aren’t too many rules. Conversely, if anybody does a पूजा or यज्ञ, there are different factors to be considered- What are the kind of offerings that are to be collected? How are they to be collected? What is the right time when the offerings have to be made into अग्नि? Then, what should be the height of the flames? What are the मंत्र-s that have to be chanted? What is the साधना that is to be done by the pundit who does it? Even before the pundit gets to the यज्ञ, he has to do अनुष्ठानम् i.e. an entire discipline of chanting certain मंत्र-s before he actually goes to perform the यज्ञ | So there are many such stipulations.
And of course, if we’re talking about the कर्म that we set up for our work situation, again there are many things to be looked into. And, if there is a weak link in your team, or even in your work cycle, then we all know that things can go for a toss.
But in this ज्ञान यज्ञ, there are no rules nor stipulations, and no materials are required. Only oneself and the teacher are required.
(ii) And in any कर्म, the notion of कर्ता is very strong. If any कर्म is done, it is done because the कर्ता wants certain things. But in ज्ञान यज्ञ, the कर्ता is exposing himself or herself to the knowledge such that I want to know the reality of me. So, the कर्ता, कर्म, करण, everything is swallowed up by ज्ञानम् | It’s a very different kind of यज्ञ |
And having spoken about its glories i.e. आत्मा विचार, भगवान् then says how one can go about this ज्ञान यज्ञ –
* श्लोक ३४ *
तद्विद्धि प्रणिपातेन परिप्रश्नेन सेवया ।
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति ते ज्ञानं ज्ञानिनस्तत्त्वदर्शिन: ॥ ३४॥
This is an important verse in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता about the approach to knowledge.
तत् विद्धि – may you know, may you understand.
What? Three things-
1. प्रणिपात: – the right attitude of surrender.
2. परिप्रश्न: – asking the right kind of questions.
3. सेव – being of service to the teacher.
So, who is this teacher?
ज्ञानिन: – the one who has ज्ञानम् |
तत्त्वदर्शिन: – What is the uniqueness of this knowledge? The teacher/ज्ञानिन:/the wise person sees the reality i.e. तत्त्वदर्शि |
One will note that the word दर्शनम् is used very often in the शास्त्र | दर्शनम् really means direct immediate seeing.
And even culturally when we go to a temple, if somebody knows you’ve gone to some famous temple, people don’t ask you what प्रसाद you got, nor will they ask how many people were there, nor how was the gathering. People will ask- did you have दर्शन्? Did you see the deity ~ this is the most important part of going to the temple. One can sit and chat, or can meditate, or admire the architecture etc., but the most important thing is- did you see?
And then when we look at our other customs of doing the प्रदक्षिणा (circumambulation of the deity), the principle is that may I see all of you.
Or even when we do the आरति(waving of the camphor/lamp), the understanding is that I am that consciousness in the light of which I am able to see you. And the traditional pundit/पुरोहित् will take the आरति plate from the feet of the deity, to the face of the deity. And that sanctum sanctorum is not meant to be lit up, it is supposed to be dark. And so, with that camphor light, one is able to see.
So, there is a lot of symbolism in every aspect of this आगम शास्त्र, and also what is there in the living culture.
So, may I see all of you~ तत्त्वदर्शि – the one to whom the reality is direct, it’s immediate, it’s me. I am the आत्मा – This is not a statement of arrogance. I am the आत्मा, the limitless, in which there are no borders, there are no boundaries, and all forms exist in me. I am the reality within which the world, me-the-जीव/individual/body-mind and ईश्वर; all of these functions are all swallowed up in I-the आत्मा |
So, this Reality, the one who knows That i.e. the wise person, how should one approach this person for this ज्ञान यज्ञ?
1. प्रणिपात: – the willingness to admit that I don’t know, and I cannot figure this out on my own.
This willingness is very difficult especially because in the name of globalization, our cultures are becoming very individualistic, and we think that there’s something wrong with us if we were to admit that I don’t know something~ How come you don’t know, figure it out, you better figure it out…
And then of course, there is an abundance of information. So for any other knowledge, one can enroll in a course- online nowadays since so much is online. And we can read, understand, assimilate, learn enough, and one can teach others also. So, this is so for any other discipline of knowledge. But, people make the same mistake with वेदान्त also- some people listen to a particular Teacher’s talks and make copious notes. Then, they will pick and choose and find somebody maybe in their management circles or leadership circles, and then they will try to teach. It’s a different matter when you’re so inspired by the knowledge, and it’s helping you a lot and you weave in some of the things because you can’t help it~ you are changing, you’re transforming, it’s benefiting you. And so, one weaves certain things into what one does. That’s a different matter.
But here, for some people the pressure to be a गुरु, or to be someone that people look up to, can be very high- I want people to look up to me. So why don’t you take any other subject matter? But no, this वेदान्त is the subject matter of interest to me and so I will teach.
So traditionally, one cannot teach वेदान्त unless one’s गुरु says that you are eligible. But who follows this? Everybody decides that they are eligible, and that they can teach. And then one says that- you know what, my गुरु does not know how to simplify, and so I will simplify more, and I will teach.
So anyway, this प्रणिपात / surrender is not because one is wanting to be obedient.
There is a strange relationship between a गुरु and a student, such that the गुरु wants the student to be independent of him or her.
Contrastingly, as a parent one may want one’s child to be independent of one, but still, it feels nice when one’s children come back and say- I can’t do this without you, or what would I do without you, etc. And sometimes parents try to control their children’s lives because they cannot handle the fact that the children are independent and doing very well on their own.
So, the relationship between a गुरु and a student is a very strange one, because it’s unlike any others. In most relationships, there is some level of reciprocity, but in a गुरु-student relationship, the गुरु honestly doesn’t need much from the student. So that’s not easy to deal with. And also, that the गुरु is committed to the student’s growth completely, and so is willing to do whatever is required for the student- now that itself is not easy to stomach for a student. Because one always wonders- there must be a hidden agenda. Why is this person always available for me? Saying nice things to me? Why is this person teaching? etc. It’s very difficult to fathom that there could be someone who didn’t quite know you, initially at least, or even if the person has not even interacted with you, but still can be committed to your growth. So anyway, we struggle with trust. As adults we have been wounded enough, and so to regain our trust, is not easy. That is one constant issue that we are struggling with in our life. And then to add to it, trusting भगवान्, and now to trust another adult. It is easier to trust my dog, but trusting an adult is too much because one is concerned that I will be hurt or be let down etc.
In the eastern cultures, particularly in India, culturally प्रणिपात is expressed as touching the feet or doing a strict साष्टाङ्ग नमस्कार, that looks like a collapse on the floor. There is a verse that explains that- with one’s feet, hands, thighs, chest, head, words, mind, one says that I surrender to You- the Reality, That which is being taught.
The one who is teaching is a mouthpiece for this Teaching.
So, प्रणिपात is expressed in this way.
With some of the Japanese friends in the आश्रम, initially they were always bowing every time they see you. Or traditionally, the Indians would put their palms together when saying नमस्ते | In Nepal in particular, the people really make the effort to bring the hands together in the अञ्जलिमुद्रा and say नमस्ते |
If you do this अञ्जलिमुद्रा, and you stay like this for a few minutes, you will find something changing in you. If one stays like this, there is a settling and there is certain natural humility that creeps in.
So, this प्रणिपात ~ I don’t know, and I want to know the Truth, or I want to learn and so I am open, I am receptive. That’s all that surrender is. So, one doesn’t have to be afraid. But, we are all afraid of the word surrender- what would I be asked to surrender? So, I better be careful. One doesn’t have to surrender anything. The teacher doesn’t need anything.
2. परिप्रश्न ~ Questions.
So, this is a tradition of understanding of the Truth, and then when truth is involved, then there’s no scope for beliefs. Because beliefs are statements that are there, which have to be verified and confirmed.
If the teacher says~ 2+5=8. But one wonders if the teacher forgot their Maths, or what kind of a test is that? Because one’s experience of basic Math tells otherwise. So, then the teacher says that if you do not believe, then you will rot in hell.
So, it is not that if one does not believe, then they will rot in hell.
परिप्रश्न is that one has the freedom to ask questions. It is expected that one asks questions.
But also, one should not worry, if too many questions do not come to the mind.
Some people tell~ you know, in the rest of the class, some people ask such intelligent questions, but no question comes to me.
But really, one should not worry about this.
Or, someone says~ I ask too many questions in class, is it okay?
So, whether you ask less or more, one should feel free, as it is one’s right to ask a question.
And obviously, the attempt of the question is to understand. It’s not to prove how brilliant one is by asking such a nice question; it is to ask with the right intention.
Also, it is not just प्रश्न, it is परिप्रश्न by any person, emphasizing that the appropriate kind of questions should be asked.
One can ask- What आसन do you sit on while meditating? Which school did you go to? Did you study this language? Did you have friends in school?
One can ask all these questions, but these are not परिप्रश्न |
भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य in His भाष्य says that one can ask questions like~ What is बन्ध/bondage? What is मोक्ष? So those questions when you are seeking to know the Truth, those are good questions to ask.
One can ask other questions also, so one should not feel guilty. One is welcome to ask any questions. But ultimately one’s questioning must also culminate in asking परिप्रश्न questions because the purpose of the गुरु-student relationship is knowledge.
Yes, there can be mentorship, guidance, validation, acceptance. But ultimately, the purpose is knowledge.
Sometimes, people mistake closeness to the teacher for knowledge. For instance, people may say that I have known Pujya Swamiji for 40 years. Or, I have done this for so many years. It’s good. But, the person still behaves in an insecure way. So, closeness to a person, or just because a person is an assistant and is helping with different things, doesn’t necessarily mean that the person has the attitude of surrender for knowledge. Because surrender involves dropping one’s रागद्वेष | In other words, one is very aligned with reality. So, it is not about- Oh, this is how I want this to be, or this is how it should not be etc.
So, sooner or later one’s रागद्वेष will be projected on the Teacher also- it may have happened for some, it’s not yet happened for the others. For instance, one thinks- I don’t think the teacher should be talking like this. Or, I think that the teacher should be doing XYZ. One is free to express one’s preference & opinion, but when that view starts to block what is being said, then one should understand that रागद्वेष are interfering with one’s reception
of that knowledge. No more is one open and receptive.
3. सेव – This is very big in the culture.
सेव or service to the Teacher, is really for the sake of the student. It may appear like it is for the Teacher, because certain tasks need to be done, and then the Teacher assigns. Or some proactive students say that you know what- I think that I can do this for you, is it okay? Shall I do it? Great, fantastic.
But what happens with सेव is that it is an opportunity for the Teacher to see how you are handling your रागद्वेष in performing a कर्म |
And generally, for सेव some task will be given that one is not comfortable with. Sometimes of course a task will be given that is one’s competence and therefore, it’s something that comes to one effortlessly. So, both ways are there.
So, it’s all good to talk about प्रसाद बुद्धि: or कौशलम् | But then, sooner or later if there are a few people working on a project, then complaints will begin- she didn’t do this, he didn’t do that etc. And I didn’t like the way she spoke to me and so those long complaints will come. And then one decides- I’m not going to work with this person. If you want me to do some work for you, I will not work with this person. So, it becomes like bickering children.
So here the purpose of सेव is to work through your रागद्वेष and to be of service to the teacher. Why?
Because in most cases, especially for संन्यासी-s who are not earning a living, so in order to make the teaching available, some basics are required, so that the time of the teacher, may be spent more for teaching and sharing the knowledge and therefore the student thinks- what can I do to make that person’s life comfortable such that the person is not spending time in admin or repetitive tasks.
So, this is what we try to do with our family members also- so what can I do to make your life more comfortable? So, in the way in which you try and take on some of the tasks of your family members and say- I will do it for you. It’s coming out of a certain care. Or suppose one is not proactive enough, then the person will say- oh, please help me with this and then you say okay, fine, I will do that. And you can see that the person’s time has been freed up to do whatever is important to that person and so on. We do this with our children, with our partners, with people at work.
If you have people you delegate your work to then you know you’re focused more on strategy and analysis and then somebody else is doing some of the more routine day to day work for you. It’s not that you can’t do it, you’re capable of doing it, but we all have a very limited amount of time and we want to use it in the most effective way possible.
And so, the number of wise people in this world are very few, and the ones who can teach are fewer.
So then, it is out of care for this knowledge, care for the tradition, which also extends to care for the Teacher. What can I do to make this Teaching available and to make that person’s life a little more comfortable? Comfortable, not in terms of creature comforts, but so that time will be taken away from the usual tasks.
So, these three things (प्रणिपात:, परिप्रश्न:, सेव) are important in one’s attitude in the way in which one approaches a Teacher, and then what happens is that the ज्ञानिन:/तत्त्वदर्शि will Teach.
उपदेक्ष्यन्ति- will give you knowledge, will reveal what is the Truth.
Not give you one set of advice- you must do this, you should not do that. Some teachers do this; maybe the students require it.
But the vision of the Teaching is that of freedom and therefore if at all there is any guidance to be given, then this also needs to promote the freedom of the person.
The way one lives, one lives in freedom, one promotes that. And the vision is also of freedom. So, it’s freedom all the way.
So, these wise people will Teach.
If you don’t ask questions, then the Teacher will ask you questions. And surrender is what one needs to do. And सेव also. If you ask any Teacher, they will all have stories about the nature of सेव that they have done for their Teachers. It’s a part of the relationship, especially if one is living with a Teacher, or even if one is not, then there are a lot of things to be done and so one pitches in.
* श्लोक ३५ *
यज्ज्ञात्वा न पुनर्मोहमेवं यास्यसि पाण्डव ।
येन भूतान्यशेषेण द्रक्ष्यस्यात्मन्यथो मयि ॥ ३५॥
On the confidence of the शास्त्र, we consistently see that once you have a Teacher then you will Know, there’s no other way because that’s the beauty, that the tradition carries you.
One might say~ Oh, I don’t think I’m worthy, I don’t know if I will be able to know completely, etc. No worries. Once you have a Teacher you will Know.
So, this is what भगवान् says.
This is assuming that you have found a Teacher that you can relate to.
Then, the knowledge that you gain as a result of this relationship,
यत् ज्ञात्वा ~ Knowing this Truth i.e. The knowledge of this reality of what the तत्त्वदर्शि is sharing, so gaining that,
यास्यसि न पुन: मोहम् ~ So knowing this truth, you’re not going to be confused again.
The confusion/मोह is because of self-ignorance.
So not knowing what I am, therefore making conclusions about myself and then struggling with my self-judgments~ Why am I like these? I should not be like this, and then when will I be fine, etc.
So, the person is not going to have this मोह/confusion.
And what is the result of this knowledge?
येन भूतानि ~ by this knowledge, in all these beings,
अशेषेण द्रक्ष्यसि ~ you will see completely,
What?
आत्मनि मयि ~ you will see भूतानि(all these beings) in oneself(आत्मनि) and in Me(मयि) .
Here, आत्मनि does not mean सच्चिदानन्द आत्मा, but means in me-the person.
So, it’s not that me-the person will see the आत्मा | That is not how it is.
I am the आत्मा in which all forms are present – that’s the understanding.
It’s like pot space.
One can say- So I finally I stopped identifying with the shape of this pot and the mind. I am the pot space. I am now liberated. No, this is not the understanding, as I am still functioning according to a sense of being bound and enclosed, I just got relief from thinking that I am only this body/mind.
The vision is that I am the आत्मा in which this body-mind is. I am the आत्मा means no boundaries, no limits. So, this body-mind, all body-minds, everything is in this आत्मा |
So, I am that space in which this pot, including the pot belly, and all these other pots, they are all in me.
When I say me- do I think of myself with the name, and the person, and the form etc. Or is it more than that?
मयि means in me, and in me means in the आत्मा |
So, then it’s like this- if you remember when we would paint with watercolors, suppose you put a little drop of blue(रागद्वेष) in a glass of water. So, if you think of yourself as very small, very little, then all of it in this little glass is colored by this blue(रागद्वेष). But when you are this vast expansive bucket of water- if you put the little blue drop, I am so vast and expansive, that I can accommodate one राग/द्वेष and say what’s the big deal?
So, I am this vast expansive consciousness. Expansive is used in the sense of the metaphor of space, but I-आत्मा cannot be described as expansive because there is no more place where I can expand because I am the limitless.
So, if some little irritation/upset is there, then it’s okay, no problem.
But if you’re enclosed in your mind and your patterns and you’re managing and you’re trying to struggle with it, then we all know what happens right?
So, we go into loop thinking- thinking the same thing, and we don’t even tire of it.
If somebody else were to say one statement three times, one would say- You know what, you actually already said it three times. But in our mind, we go on and on and on. Even with no resolution in sight, one doesn’t even get bored of it. And we are excited about it- Oh, let me look at it this way, I think that’s the real reason etc. It’s all entertainment for ourselves.
आत्मनि भूतानि मयि ~ All these- all these different forms, including thought forms(thoughts, emotions, etc.).
All that is seen in me, and that’s the knowledge.
So, this knowledge that you gain from relating to a Teacher with the right attitude i.e. surrender, with the right kind of questions and सेव, then you are not going to be deluded again.
And further talking about the glory of this knowledge, He says-
* श्लोक ३६ *
अपि चेदसि पापेभ्य: सर्वेभ्य: पापकृत्तम: ।
सर्वं ज्ञानप्लवेनैव वृजिनं सन्तरिष्यसि ॥ ३६॥
अपि चेत् – just in case; let’s assume.
What?
Suppose you are the greatest पापी | पापी means the one who has committed all kinds of पाप |
So, let’s assume you have committed all kinds of crimes, and maybe you have served your time, or you may not as you were never caught. But still, you have committed all these different kinds of पाप ~ you’ve hurt lots of people, etc. Then, what? Is there any hope?
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण says- Yes.
So, what will happen? Even if you are like that?
The worst of the lot i.e. पापकृत्तम:,
सर्वं ज्ञान प्लवेन |
प्लव is like a raft/boat.
So, assuming that you are a पापी and you’re floating on this ocean of पाप as you’ve done all kinds of wrong things.
Still, by just one raft of ज्ञानम्/Knowledge,
सन्तरिष्यसि ~ you will cross over all the पाप |
Oh, so that means that I will not be liable, and not have to face the consequences? No.
But what it does is that the one who suffers the effects of one’s कर्म i.e. the कर्ता; the कर्ता’s reality is seen.
I see that I was never the कर्ता | And by extension, I see that I was never the भोक्ता also.
So as my true reality आत्मा, I was never the experiencer.
* श्लोक ३७ *
यथैधांसि समिद्धोऽग्निर्भस्मसात्कुरुतेऽर्जुन ।
ज्ञानाग्नि: सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते तथा ॥ ३७॥
If one commits any पाप i.e. some wrong action and therefore you are suffering the results of it, that can be neutralized by some more कर्म – you either do something to minimize the suffering, or you do prayers, or you increase your strength to handle the difficult times, or you share it with people who are close to you and ask them for options/ ideas/ solutions as to how to get over this. Or, just knowing that my family is with me through this difficult time, I will be able to make it. So, we have all these different ways in which we can go through difficult phases in our life.
Now, it may minimize the impact, but the suffering is still there.
So, the suffering is for who? It’s for the भोक्ता i.e. the experiencer because one thinks that I’m the one who’s struggling and suffering and all that.
So then भगवान् gives a metaphor-
Just like the different twigs of wood in a well-lit fire.
What does it do? Once this fire is lit up well, it reduces एधांसि (the wood) to ashes. And this could be any kind of wood- teak wood, or any kind of fine wood etc. But once it’s lit up well, and we all know about forest fires, everything is reduced to ashes.
So too ज्ञानाग्नि: i.e. the fire of knowledge, what does it do?
सर्वकर्माणि भस्मसात्कुरुते – it destroys/reduces all your कर्म to भस्म/ash.
In other words, everything is resolved in knowledge.
So, then you say- Oh, but I worked so hard. What do you mean it reduces all actions to ashes? Does it mean that I will not experience anything? No.
The कर्म that is necessary for you to be born again, it destroys that.
The प्रारब्ध कर्म i.e. the कर्म because of which you were born and then you went through whatever X number of years of life, that will continue, but the the rest of your life will no longer be suffering, or the struggle of becoming. You will be free from the constant restlessness, the dissatisfaction- I’m not enough, no matter what I do it’s not enough.
And all of us have to reach this phase. Like alcoholics, you have to hit rock bottom. Now, people may be dissuaded by this, but you have to hit that existential angst that I have tried different things to deal with this dissatisfaction and sense of incompleteness. And it’s not because I have an inferiority complex, or my चक्र-s are not balanced, or I don’t know how to breathe properly (प्राणायाम).
People will say- why don’t you do प्राणायाम, you’ll get मोक्ष |
So, there is a tendency to reduce, and to exaggerate the benefit of one method and say- oh, you know, you just do this one thing. That’s it, you know, and you are free. So, these are all tall claims so we have to be careful.
So then, by extension, one will say- Oh, how can you say then that by knowledge it’s fine?
So, one should test it for yourself, as some great claim is not being made, only what भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is saying is being shared. So, you try- be exposed to वेदान्त and see what it does for you and then you can figure it out.
So here the reality of the कर्ता-भोक्ता is seen.
You see it as मिथ्या, that it has a status of dependent reality, and that it doesn’t define you.
This is important because on the one hand we use a limited definition to define ourselves- I am so and so, with this designation etc. Then we are not happy with it.
So, you stop the game and recognize that all these- whether it’s related to a relationship or a designation is मिथ्या i.e. it has a status of dependent reality, and that it doesn’t define you.
Promotion time is coming up. So, a lot of stress levels are going up and down. The doctors report that a lot of people come in just before a promotion, or just before bonuses are declared.
And then you might be happy with the bonus you receive of $20,000, as it wasn’t expected in pandemic times. Then, you find out somebody else got $21,000 in bonus. So then one wonders- How could that person get more, and that fellow didn’t even do anything? In fact, I had to pitch in and help this person.
So, a little comparison and that’s it- if you want to be miserable, just compare yourself. It is the best cause for misery. You don’t have to look around, memory is enough to compare and then that’s it, or it will trigger- Oh, in childhood I was compared and I thought in adulthood I would be free but no, no freedom there.
So, this ज्ञानाग्नि: is a waking up to the fact that I was in a dream.
And in the dream, I took everything very seriously. And I really suffered.
In fact, in my hurry, I signed certain documents. And then I realized that the house was being mortgaged and I got into some legal wrangle. Then, I never thought that I would go to the police station. I was marched to the police station for inquiry. So, all these things I’ve seen~ what a life of suffering. And then nobody understands me. And I’m struggling to explain myself and suddenly all these people who showed great trust in me and had confidence in me, this is gone. Now I know in these tough times, who my real friends are. So, it’s very sad.
Then suddenly you wake up. And say- Oh, where’s the police station? What am I doing in my bed? No police station, and no summons, and no suffering.
I recognize that I was the intelligence and the material for this entire dream.
And I was the one who gave reality to myself and all these different entities. It felt real to me and therefore the suffering was also real to me.
So I wake up to the fact that all this was just an identity, it was not real.
And it was negated by me.
So you have actually destroyed the reality that you gave the identity of being the कर्ता-भोक्ता |
You were seeking all fulfillment from being the कर्ता-भोक्ता (doer-experiencer).
And now you see- well actually that’s dependent on me the आत्मा, I-the-consciousness that is limitless.
And this body has to go through some कर्म and that’s okay, it’s not a big deal.
So, there is a lightness of being because of this knowledge.
* श्लोक ३८ *
न हि ज्ञानेन सदृशं पवित्रमिह विद्यते ।
तत्स्वयं योगसंसिद्ध: कालेनात्मनि विन्दति ॥ ३८॥
So, there can be fire as a purifier for certain metals and so on. But, there is nothing like knowledge that can purify you.
For अंतःकरणशुद्धि we look at the role of यज्ञ – all this offering, and giving, and तपस् i.e. any kind of religious discipline whereby you grow out of your comfort zone.
So, यज्ञ, दान, तप: are very important for अंतःकरणशुद्धि / पुण्य |
But there’s something even greater than that.
Knowledge is greater than all of this.
And having said this, कालेन आत्मनि विन्दति |
So, in time with योगसंसिद्ध: – one who attained some सिद्ध: | सिद्धि is not some supernatural powers. सिद्धि is an accomplishment, so some सिद्ध: through योग |
So, generally in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, when योग is mentioned in the verses, it means कर्म योग, or in some cases there may be a reference to ज्ञान योग |
So, through this कर्म योग i.e. through the right kind of attitude regarding your कर्म and the कर्मफल, the one who attains this preparedness in the mind, that person gains the knowledge.
So this ज्ञान यज्ञ that will purify you, that is the greatest purifier, that is the best यज्ञ, all that has been mentioned.
So for that, the preparation that is required is कर्म योग in all areas of our lives.
कालेन – so, in time… how much time? how much time will it take?
Can we finish the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता in a crash course of one week?
We can finish, but the point is will you receive? Because, there is an aspect of applying it to different areas of your life; not the knowledge, but applying the कर्म योग |
The knowledge cannot be applied because it is me.
It is not a theory, it is not a system that one can apply elsewhere.
One cannot say- I will practice being the आत्मा | No, you can’t.
I am already the आत्मा |
But if I’m not able to see it, then for that we have to clear the mind because the mind is full of all these other things. So, we can do that, with the right attitude i.e. कर्म योग |
So, the ‘in time’, it really depends on people’s maturity. And this maturity is not age dependent. We see very young people who are very mature. And then we see 85-year-olds who are not, so there is quite a range.
The maturity that life brings, and a certain duty orientation- because you work on your रागद्वेष-s, you are still open, you are receptive, you are cheerful. All that comes from living a good life, living a life of धर्म |
Not constantly annoyed, irritated, disgusted. If so, then you better do something about it.
So, because there’s enough to get flustered about in this world, but you have taken charge of your body, your mind, and there is some level of mastery.
So, one always asks- how much mastery? Well, just enough for you to understand the truth.
Do you understand it now? – Oh, it’s not so clear.
Okay, then please keep working on the mastery aspect.
Because it is just about seeing the truth, seeing that I am the आत्मा in which all forms exist.
So, one of the things we have to be clear about is that वेदान्त is not an escape for the problems in my life.
That I could see the reality of the कर्ता, but there are things to be managed- maybe I’ve been laid off, or maybe I have to figure out where I am, what do I want to do with my work, etc.
And so I cannot escape into the vision of वेदान्त and it will all take care of itself.
If I have that attitude of surrender, and I’m willing for the consequences of that, which has its implications on the family and so on, then that’s fine, that’s great.
Then that’s surrender all the way.
And maybe it may be helpful, but it may not be helpful either.
Because the rules of the game in कर्म are different.
What does it mean that the rules of the game in कर्म are different?
Suppose my work involves me to network with people. Suppose my work involves that I am constantly churning out certain things. Then, that’s exactly my स्वकर्म, my स्वधर्म |
I cannot say- Oh, but you know, this कर्ता is all मिथ्या |
I may do, I may not do, it’s okay though – No.
कौशलम् is very important- there is no compromise in this.
And so indeed, if the vision is clear for you, you are free enough to apply कौशलम्, what’s wrong?
You can work hard, and play by the rules of the game, whatever is the game~ whatever be the nature of your work.
Maybe you can tweak the rules also, maybe you can add a few more rules of your own.
But you can’t say- Oh, but I wish everybody had वेदान्त knowledge and I wish we didn’t fight at our workplace. People will think you’re crazy. And maybe you are, because this is not to be applied here.
So, it’s not that we need to have two parallel tracks i.e. it is not that what you do at your work is different from what you do in the वेदान्त class.
No, but just understand that in व्यवहार, there are alternatives always. With respect to कर्म- you can do, you need not do, you can do differently, you can use your imagination, you can play and figure it out- figure out what works for you and so on.
But don’t escape into वेदान्त and neglect the कर्म that is to be done.
Because that is your धर्मक्षेत्र i.e. your battlefield. That’s where you need to grow. You need to deal with your रागद्वेष, you need to be applying your कौशलम् and your समत्वम् and so on.
If you say- no, I just can’t do this anymore. Really, if you have reached that stage where you feel that you have completed your कर्म journey, then maybe you take time off and immerse yourself in वेदान्त, or anything else for that matter. But until you feel that sense of relative completion, you are not ready.
So, it’s very important to be honest with oneself that I’m not ready, and that’s okay.
कालेन आत्मनि विन्दति –
In time you are preparing yourself, you are maturing, you are ripening and the more you work on your maturity, then the vision is a cakewalk. But otherwise you’re exposed to the vision but the preparedness and maturity is not there. And, so you feel that neither can you enjoy all the things with your earlier friends, nor can you really enjoy this वेदान्त because you’re sort of in between.
So, you can have it all.
And so, we can bless ourselves with the right kind of attitude and apply the knowledge that we have appropriately.
ॐ
So these are the last few verses of chapter four~ ज्ञान-कर्मसंन्यास-योग: | The topic of this chapter has been संन्यास i.e. giving up completely.
Of what? Not ज्ञानम्; but giving up of कर्म through ज्ञानम् |
Otherwise in giving up, I may give up वेदान्त, but stick on to my कर्म because I’m obsessed with doing and deriving my identity from doing.
So anyway, संन्यास is completely giving up of कर्म through ज्ञानम् |
How is this possible? By recognizing the nature of the आत्मा~ as ever the non-doer, ever the non-experiencer.
So, the nature of the आत्मा that we have looked at is oneself, so one shouldn’t imagine something floating around that is आत्मा |
भगवान् has spoken of the different ways in which we can transform कर्म into कर्म योग with the attitude of surrender, with the attitude of offering which is born of understanding the reality- the reality is that whatever is around me, including this body-mind, is not really mine. All that I have, all that I see, all that I experience is given to me. Even the effort that I am able to put in i.e. the capacity to make the effort to make things possible, all that is given to me. So, कर्म योग is the disposition towards my कर्म, कर्मफल (the results of my कर्म) which is born from objectivity- that all that is here is given to me, and I make the most of it.
So, we looked at different ways in which कर्म can be transformed into कर्म योग | And why कर्म योग? Because we want to be awake to the reality. What is the reality? That I-आत्मा was never the कर्ता nor the भोक्ता |
So, to see this vision of the wise person/तत्त्वदर्शि spoken of in 4.18, we go through a certain process of preparing ourselves such that we gain the शुद्धि i.e. the freedom from my रागद्वेष, freedom from wanting to experience certain things, freedom from the addiction of wanting to feel good. Wanting to feel good is a big addiction, which all of us have- the भोक्ता/experiencer identity is very strong, so I want to feel good all the time, and cannot deal with discomfort of any kind, as one has become a slave of comfort. Comfort creatures/सुख-जीवी-s means that one needs some great infrastructure wherever one is going, because otherwise one may not be in a good mood, because a lot of things are required to make one’s mood okay.
So, we can imagine how much we are enslaved. And what is the altar? The great altar of our worship is our रागद्वेष- whatever I can do in service of my रागद्वेष(cravings & aversions) and then I am fine.
The greatest purifier is ज्ञानम्/knowledge.
भगवान् concluded 4.38 by saying that through this disposition of कर्म योग, in time you gain this ज्ञानम्/knowledge.
Now, भगवान् also mentions a very important qualification for ज्ञानम्/knowledge, which is श्रद्धा | This is an often-quoted verse similar to a मंत्र in छान्दोग्योपनिषद् – आचार्यवान् पुरुषो वेद |
The one who has an आचार्य, knows the truth. This is the declaration of the श्रुति |
So, you have an आचार्य/Teacher, then you know the truth.
If you are floundering around seeking, reading books, trying to understand, then you won’t know. Not that it’s a curse, but the method is such that you need to have a Teacher. So, what shall we do? This is how it is.
* श्लोक ३९ *
श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानं तत्पर: संयतेन्द्रिय: ।
ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा परां शान्तिमचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥ ३९॥
वान् or मान् ~ whenever it is attached to a word, means ‘the one who has’.
श्रद्धावान् – the one who has श्रद्धा |
What happens to this person?
That person, ज्ञानं लभते (gains the knowledge).
When?
तत्पर: संयतेन्द्रिय: अचिरेणाधिगच्छति |
अचिरेण- Immediately, quickly, no waiting.
What else does this person gain?
With that ज्ञानम् comes an absolute शान्ति: |
What else?
Along with श्रद्धा, तत्परत्वम् is important | तत्पर: is commitment.
And also, the person needs to be संयतेन्द्रिय: i.e. a master of his or her senses- how you are using your senses organs in terms of your eyes, nose etc.? Are you overwhelmed by what is being bombarded at you, or are you the master where you decide how you want to use, for what, how much and so on.
So ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा – gaining that knowledge,
परां शान्तिम् – absolute peace is gained.
So now this word श्रद्धा – people translate it as faith, but there is no accurate translation for श्रद्धा, so we stick to the word श्रद्धा | The closest English word for श्रद्धा is ‘trust’.
What do you trust? You trust the one who shares the knowledge/ज्ञानम् |
In तत्त्वबोधः which is a book of definitions of terms used in वेदान्त, श्रद्धा is defined as- गुरुवेदान्तवाक्यादिषु विश्वासः इति श्रद्धा । So, विश्वासः in the गुरु and वेदान्त |
गुरु is the one who is able to remove your ignorance. This is the true definition of a गुरु |
Then, trusting that that person will reveal the truth to me and I will understand, this is श्रद्धा |
But why should you have trust in a person? Nowadays we trust our dogs more, because trusting a person is very difficult.
All of us have to develop some trust in life. Because we start off very beautifully with complete trust. You completely trust your parents.
And we see the pictures of how we have been thrown up in the air and then held- You fully trust that whoever is throwing you up in the air, will hold you. So, imagine if at that time you started to think- I don’t know if this person is going to hold me, then from that time onwards you get a heart attack. It’s a blessing we have been given, which is also called the unconscious, which has its own method and madness within the context of modern psychology.
So, this ability to trust is there because of our sense of helplessness. Because as a child, for everything one is depending on adults (parents or caregivers). So, if one looks at this ईश्वर लीला- because there is helplessness, there is complete trust.
Imagine if there was helplessness, but you could not trust anyone, then you’ll just be crying all day and night, and be dead by now you know.
Then, slowly we realize that the people we trust, who we thought were perfect, they have some faults- sometimes minor, sometimes major. And, you can’t help it- that’s the process of growing up. You realize that your mother, who was always available to you, now has to run errands and cannot pay attention to you, or has to go to the toilet- and how dare she, how dare she leave me alone? But that is how it is. Or, I thought that my mother could take care of everything, but then when she saw a lizard on the wall, she started shouting, and so she also acted helpless. So, she cannot protect me from lizards. And my father is a very brave and courageous man, but the moment his boss calls, his voice changes, and he behaves very meek. So, I don’t know if I can trust. Generally, I can trust but I see a few limitations in the people around me.
Then, there are some small betrayals that all of us go through in childhood- your secret was revealed, your best friend did or did not do something, then boyfriend/girlfriend, partner, children, work…You thought that somebody had your back at work, but then that person betrayed you.
So, in the process of living, even if you’re 20 years old, you would have had enough heartbreak, not necessarily romantically, but someone who has let you down.
Now it’s another story- were you right in putting your trust in that person? We’re not going there. Whether you are right or not, your trust has been broken.
Some of us will still say- no, no, I can still trust a few others. But some of us withdraw into a shell and we become bitter and think that the world cannot be trusted, and so we are angry and sad, and so on.
And so now, it is this person in कलियुग who now wants to learn वेदान्त, and has read lots of books, and has done a lot of exploration, and then is told that वेद says- you need a Teacher. So, this person thinks- what rubbish, everything I figure out on my own. I can read books, I can figure it out.
But, the वेद that reveals the reality, also reveals the method. The method is that you have to be exposed to the one who is wielding the प्रमाण |
What does that mean? And why should I have श्रद्धा?
So here is where some of the talk about प्रमाण is important.
Now, whatever the Teacher says, the Teacher is not giving you information. This is unlike any other knowledge. Why? Because the Teacher is only scraping away ignorance. One already stands revealed. It’s really like the job of a sculptor. So, the sculptor is not creating, though on the face of it, the sculptor is creating. There is a big granite stone. And then with whatever tools the sculptor has, the sculptor will bang/chip away. For example, David by Michelangelo, was sculpted out of the softer stone of white marble, which would be easier to sculpt that granite. And so, suppose somebody is sculpting and banging away- you are already the आत्मा, so what does the Teacher have to do? The Teacher has to do some banging. What kind of banging? In order to take away the ignorance that is there.
Because of अविद्या/ignorance, there are a lot of mistakes we have made regarding our identity, and the कर्म and काम – So, I feel incomplete-> therefore I have to do. Then, no matter how much I do it is not enough. And then I’m on this hedonic treadmill- running & running, but still not okay.
So, to shift attention and say that all this incompleteness that you are feeling is not because you have not tried methods, techniques and processes. All of that is okay to manage life.
– But, what is your true identity?
~ Well of course, I am a human being.
– No, you are not a human being. You are the limitless having a human experience.
~ Oh, come on, don’t talk rubbish. Are you on some substance or something?
– No, that’s the truth. That’s what वेद says. Because it’s true the वेद says it.
So, this श्रद्धा ~ गुरुवेदान्तवाक्यादिषु विश्वासः इति श्रद्धा – how will you have trust in the Teacher?
You have to try, that’s the only way. And you see that what the Teacher is saying sounds
True, so maybe it’s true. So, you start entertaining the possibility.
Even my partner never says that I am the limitless. The Teacher is saying this and does not seem to have an agenda, so maybe it’s true.
So, then your working trust is good enough.
It’s like you sign up for any course. Let’s say you sign up for a course on ‘cryptocurrency decoded’. How do you know whether to sign up or not? You look at the credentials of the person giving the course. Then, you say- okay maybe I’ll give it a shot.
So, similarly, you look at the credentials of the गुरु | Does the person belong to a संप्रदाय? Is the person claiming to teach something that was revealed to him/her in one big dream? Is there a cult? Then all these things one has to watch out for. Does the गुरु have an agenda? Does the गुरु want to gain something from me, and so on and so forth. These are all alarm bells that will start ringing.
So, if this is no, and the Teacher is doing His/Her job, and you are welcome to join- then good.
So now it takes me some time to have working trust, because you remember, I’ve been betrayed in life. I don’t know if I can trust, and all the horrible stories that I have heard about गुरु-s – it’s like rotten apples in any place. So, any group of people who are doing similar things, it would be so very difficult to trust.
But what is the गुरु doing? Just sculpting away what you are not. And that’s only from the point of view of understanding.
How come the गुरु is able to do this? Because He/She had another गुरु | And what was being wielded? What was being wielded is the शास्त्र | Why do we need the शास्त्र? Because it is the sixth means of knowledge.
What do you mean ‘means of knowledge’?
Amazing! how did you transcribe this?
What an awesome job of transcribing! How do you do this?
Earlier Priya would painstakingly transcribe. Now she uses otter.ai which is a great transcription software and manages to get 95-98% accuracy.
The Sanskrit words may need to be entered in.
One can easily play the video on the laptop and switch on Otter while going about one’s errands and
return to the video the second time to fill up the Sanskrit words.
What do you mean ‘means of knowledge’?
That ‘means’ which helps you to know something.
What do you mean by that?
* Six means of knowledge *
1. प्रत्यक्षम्/perception
Like your eyes.
So, you want to see what is in front of you, whether it is some scenery, or a loved one, or you are just seeing what you are putting while cooking. So, how do you know what you are seeing? Because of your eyes.
Suppose your eyes are closed, and then we ask- Can you see? No, no, but I trust that if I open my eyes I’ll be able to see.
If you go to the salon, and then they put cucumber pieces on our eyes. Then you say- Oh no wait, I cannot see, I’ll open my eyes and then I will see okay.
So, you have श्रद्धा in your eyes as a means of knowledge.
Of course, we don’t use this language when we are talking about it. Instead we say- I saw it, that means it’s true, it’s my experience. We thump our chest. It’s my experience, therefore it is true.
Anyway, that is perception- whatever you experience. We call them ज्ञानेन्द्रिय- the eyes, the ears, the nose, the tongue, the skin. They receive knowledge, and then we do a lot of things based on that knowledge.
So प्रत्यक्षम्/perception is one means of knowledge, which is required for us to function in this world.
Can perception reveal the reality of the fact that you are the आत्मा? No. Why? Because the आत्मा that is you, is not an object of perception.
So, the limitless, how can you understand with the eyes? The eyes have a very limited range- 20/20 is considered perfect vision. Other animals have better vision than us. The abilities of human beings, besides our mind, are very limited compared to animals.
So, with perception there are certain things that you figure out. Just because you cannot see Pluto nor Neptune, it doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. No- you need special equipment to be able to see it. So, perception/प्रत्यक्षम् is one means of knowledge by which we figure out this world. It has its limitations, like everything else.
2. Inference
There are some things that we cannot directly perceive- see, hear, taste, etc. Then what shall we do? Oh, there is another piece of knowledge that we depend on, which is called inference.
So, inference means that there is a proposition, e.g. your house faces some mountains, and every morning you like to sit with a cup of tea and you are gazing at the mountains and then suddenly you see smoke from one of the mountains. So, you guess and you’re almost sure- I think there is a fire on that mountain. Let me just call emergency services so that somebody can do something about this forest fire or whatever. Did you see the fire? No. How do you know there is a fire? You are sure that there is a fire because wherever there is fire, there is smoke.
You are not seeing the fire, but by the presence of the smoke, you infer that there has to be fire. Why? Because you have seen many cases- whether it is a campfire, or a fire in the kitchen if you’re cooking conventionally, that where there is fire there is smoke.
So, a lot of our inferences we reach on the basis of this second means of knowledge.
3. Comparison
The third means of knowledge is comparison.
Suppose you are going on a safari to Africa and you are told that if you’re going on safari, you must see the wildebeest. Huh? The wildebeest, I have never heard of such a term. Is it an animal? Yes. What does it look like? Oh, it looks a little bit like deer. I have seen deer, but I have not seen wildebeest.
Then, when I am on safari, and as we are driving in the jeep, I see some animals which look like deer and I think okay- that’s what I was told, this must be wildebeest.
So, there was no प्रत्यक्षम्- I have not seen wildebeest, not even seen pictures of it.
But I am able to understand that there is something similar to this and so comparison becomes our means of knowledge.
So, if we say that आत्मा is like space, you can appreciate it, but it is not a means of knowledge. Because space also seems to be limitless in the sense that it doesn’t have boundaries, but we cannot say it is limitless. And there are a lot of other things. So, space is not touched by the air that blows through it, or fire, or water. आत्मा, the limitless that I am, is like that.
But one feels enclosed because of the skin-boundary, but actually one is not bound ever, I was never bound.
So, through comparison, one can appreciate, and get a sense of the आत्मा, but you will not know the truth. But it can be used, as supportive reasons can be given.
4. Double inference or presumption
For example, you see this person who is fasting all day, yet still putting on weight. So, you ask about hormonal issues like hypothyroidism, or PCOD which can make a person put on weight even if the person is eating very less. So hormonally the person says that everything is okay. Then how come you’re putting on weight? Oh, then you realize this person is nocturnal. So, this person raids the refrigerator in the night and therefore that explains why the person is gaining weight though not eating throughout the day.
So, though you’re not spying on the person to see if the person is really raiding the fridge, you figure that this data doesn’t match, and for the person to put on weight, definitely what is being ingested is more than what is being expended energy wise.
So, then this is another way for us to understand our world.
5. अनुपलब्धि/Cognition of absence.
What does that mean? For example- Is Eric here in the class today? You look around. No.
How do you know that he is not there? Is there some reflection from his absence? No.
It’s a direct means of knowledge. You don’t see him. You have not inferred- it’s not that there is no one looking like Eric, maybe he’s not there. No.
You just look around and know that he’s not here. That’s it.
And it’s not perception either, because for perception light has to reflect from the object, and that forms an image on your retina, and so on and so forth.
So here, there is no perception involved. Also, there is no inference- one does not say, nobody is looking like him, so that means that he is not there.
So, it’s another 5th means of knowledge.
6. शब्द/शास्त्र
Then, how do we know that there is a place called स्वर्ग? How do we know that if you do a ritual, there will be some results? How do you know that if you chant a मंत्र that there will be some results? How do you know the rituals to be done to honor your ancestors? How do you know that these are the rituals to be done for देवता-s? How do you know that the performance of कर्म leads to invisible results called पुण्य and पाप | Visible results of course that we all know and that’s fine. Why do good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people? How do you explain it? There’s no way. If you’re going by perception, there is no way you can explain it. I’ve been such a good person, then why did I have to suffer? That is perception. The only way you can explain it is through शास्त्र- the law of कर्म |
So how do we figure out things that we cannot figure out through all these 5 means of knowledge? It is by the 6th means called as शब्द/शास्त्र. Here particularly वेद is being referred to i.e. the revealed knowledge. So, whatever is there in the वेद is not something you can figure out on your own. It is other than you and somebody has to be there to wield it.
No, no, I will learn enough Sanskrit and I will be able to read it. But, you are the one that is suffering from ignorance. And when you are reading something, because the knowledge is talking about you the subject, so you cannot wield the प्रमाण (the means of knowledge). The प्रमाण has to be wielded by someone other than you. Therefore, the गुरु enters the picture.
If you try to do it, then we make big mistakes.
Even if you try to read, you can’t understand. Why? Because to understand the vision of the entire श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, you have to finish the 700 verses/18 chapters. And in order to understand a verse, you need to have the vision of the whole. To have the vision of the whole, you need to go through all the verses. It’s a bit of a catch-22 situation.
And then we all have our blind spots. There’s no way that you will figure out the truth of the identity that you thought is real i.e. कर्ता-भोक्ता ~ I am the doer and the experiencer, therefore I am the sufferer of whatever are my great sorrows, because my great expectations were not fulfilled.
So, to all that, the शास्त्र raises a question mark. Really, you really think it’s true? Come on, actually, you are not touched by any of this.
So, this vision of the reality that is you, that is limitless, is wielded by a person who happens to be the गुरु | Therefore, you need to have working trust. We are not saying that you please trust the person with your life. No, and therefore we will remember that a few verses before, भगवान् has already spoken about three things that are important-
(i) प्रणिपात: – Some level of surrender, meaning you are willing to see the truth, you are willing to align yourself to reality.
(ii) सेव to the गुरु – whatever help is required; there are different kinds of help required depending on what the गुरु is involved with.
(iii) परिप्रश्न: – asking the right kind of questions, so that you are free from the sense of bondage that you experience.
So, all this is important. श्रद्धा is not blind surrender, and it is not obedience either. This is not expected at all.
And in a few years’ time, it is expected that the student will rebel. And some students rebel early. It is the typical rebellion of a child with a parent. It is invariable, it has to happen. It happens in therapy. It happens as a child, between child and parent. And it definitely happens between शिष्य and गुरु | So, initially there is a honeymoon phase- you think that all that the गुरु says and does is fantastic. Then, slowly you will start finding some faults. There are times that you’re able to dismiss it. Then, if you have a good rapport with the गुरु, and you better have a good rapport for your own sake, not for the गुरु’s sake, then, you can experience a freedom to ask the गुरु- but you know, I’m not able to reconcile this discrepancy. It’s important you do that because you may not understand the गुरु’s behavior and so on. But sometimes we don’t- we don’t feel safe enough, we don’t feel free enough, we are the ones who withdraw, and then what happens is that I start projecting a lot, and then only my ideas are there- How the गुरु should be, and how my गुरु really is. And there’s such a big difference, so I have problems with that. Then, I start to analyze the personality. Now any personality has its limitations. So, then you say- Oh, forget it. You know, this person is a woman, this person doesn’t have a clean-shaven head. This person should have been 75 years. And so, some weird things one entertains. So, these ideas will pass through everybody’s head. But if you entertain them too much, then you are not available for the knowledge. All your time is spent in some other kinds of analysis, you are actually dodging reality.
So, there are different ways in which resistance comes up. And you have to work through that resistance just like a child also works through the resistance with a parent. Why? Because the child after some time doesn’t want to feel dependent on the parent.
The शिष्य/student is never dependent on the गुरु | A little bit of dependence is there until the vision is clear.
So, at times you’re not comfortable with the fact that I cannot figure this out on my own- I should be able to figure it out. There’s a lot of resistance there. Everybody goes through some of this resistance. So, that श्रद्धा is such that despite my resistance, I have working trust.
Of course, if I have been exposed and I have read enough of Ramayana, Mahabharata, and I’m very familiar with the culture of this land, in terms of the living culture, and also I’m able to look up to role models who were able to exemplify a certain श्रद्धा for elders, for द्विज:(twice-born), for Brahmins, for elderly people, etc. then it’s something that might come naturally to me.
So here a bold declaration is made by भगवान् श्री कृष्ण that if you have श्रद्धा i.e. if you trust, then you will gain this knowledge. And trust is seeing the words that are being revealed. Sometimes the गुरु says a word, then the mind gets carried away, gets hijacked. For instance, the word ‘trauma’ is said. Now, all of us have had some form of trauma, but because I said it in a particular context, it’s possible that my mind will go somewhere else. Then, whatever has been said for the next few minutes is gone, because my mind has gone on a world tour. Then, when I come back, I don’t know what is happening.
So, trusting the गुरु, trusting that the गुरु will deliver the goods, trusting that this reality that the गुरु is pointing out is possibly true, so I have to try it out.
So, suppose I say- You know what? I am very insecure. I can’t handle uncertainty. You give me a guarantee that I will be able to see.
Suppose I have had cataract surgery and my eyes are bandaged, and then I tell the doctor- doctor, you have to give the guarantee that I will see. So, what will the doctor say? Hey, you know your operation was very successful, you please open your eyes then you’ll be able to see. But I say- No, no, no doctor, you are the world class doctor, until you give me a guarantee, I will not open my eyes. Now this is a little ridiculous on my part. I have to trust, so what will the doctor say? Well given all the facts, and given that the operation was successful, I believe that if you open your eyes that you will be able to see. Okay, so little by little I open- first it’s a little blurry, but then I realize that what the doctor said was right.
So, I have to open my eyes to the शास्त्र | How? By listening to the शास्त्र | That’s the only way, that’s the traditional way. And then I say maybe it’s true. Yeah, I think so. Oh, definitely it’s true. It’s true and therefore the शास्त्र is saying it. So, you will reach such a stage, if you haven’t already.
So, the value of श्रद्धा has been emphasized very much in this verse. And, because there is a commitment to knowing the truth, you are done with exploring.
You know we have a fear of commitment, all of us have it, more so nowadays. We like the idea of options, and we’re not talking stocks. So, optionality options- I want to keep exploring, as something new, something better will come along.
A lot of people are now regretting- why didn’t they marry such a person before? Because they thought someone better will come along. So anyway, this fear to commit that is there, is there because we delude ourselves that the grass might be greener on the other side.
Now, but if you have commitment, with your विवेक you have looked at your life. You have seen what things and relationships do for you, and what they do not. Both are important.
And then you say that it’s not that I’m unhappy, but that sense of incompleteness that I experience, nothing can complete it. It’s an existential sorrow that is wept or unwept in every human heart. Why? Because one is identified with the human condition, which is a limited human condition ultimately ending in a funeral/cremation.
So, you feel the futility of some of the things, you feel the meaningless-ness as after all this is done, ultimately, I die and not take anything with me including this body, which I have to leave behind. So, what is this? It is so totally unfair.
So, if there is a commitment that I think I have found something, and I want to see it through, some sort of completion, then both श्रद्धा and commitment can go hand in hand.
Because I have श्रद्धा in the Teaching and therefore the गुरु, then my commitment will increase. If my commitment is there to this exploration- I will see the limitations, I will try different methods, I will see what’s working, and what’s not working, as I’m committed to discovering the truth, whatever that is~ I don’t know some people call it non-duality etc.
Then because of that commitment I will explore thoroughly. So that commitment can also help me to increase my श्रद्धा, because, there are certain things that I feel very uncomfortable about.
The गुरु’s job is a destructive job. Why? Because all the notions that you are holding on to very dearly- So, you think that’s real? Then, the saw is out, so that is also hacked.
For instance, I’ve been a vegan for 20 years. And then let’s say- in the context of some teaching, that’s just an identity. What? You dismissed my identity, you don’t know what it means to be a vegan. It is the greatest thing in this world, etc. Then gone- this गुरु is out of my list, because my identity was attacked. One thinks- Does the गुरु know about veganism? Wow, it’s so insensitive. And all this talk about अहिंसा is all rubbish.
So, you can see how destructive the job of a गुरु is. This is not because the person has anything personal against you, but what you are holding on to, we are doing an inquiry into the reality of it.
So, if there is commitment, then you will continue with the inquiry. A lot of people are आरम्भशूर: – they are very valiant when it comes to आरम्भ/beginnings. With great enthusiasm people sign up. For all courses, with respect to the number of people who sign up in great enthusiasm, the number of people who turn up, and the number of people who continue, there is a great difference in it. It’s the case for a lot of courses, especially online courses, even offline also.
So now, if you’re committed to the inquiry, then you will gain knowledge. You don’t have to remove your special identity. We are just asking you to inquire into it. You only do the enquiry, the गुरु does not do it. The गुरु just shares what the शास्त्र is saying. And we are not dismissing the identity- this is very important to understand. The गुरु is just saying that this could be a functional identity, but it’s not your reality. And, with your functional identity, whatever you need to do, please do- align it with धर्म and go ahead and have as many identities as you want. No problem with it.
श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानं तत्पर: –
So, the one who has श्रद्धा,
naturally that person is committed,
and is a master of one’s senses because of the bringing of कर्म योग into your life,
and so शान्ति is gained.
I-आत्मा am also referred to as शान्ति: | Now, शान्ति generally we refer to in the context of peace of mind. When you ask a Zen teacher- My mind is very disturbed. What should I do? The Zen master says- show me your mind. So, what will you do? I don’t know, I’m very disturbed, but I don’t have the mind. So, how can it disturb you? Well, it is in my head. Okay, if it’s in your head, it is an object, it’s something you are aware of. That means that you are different from what you are aware of. So, if you are aware of disturbance, are you really disturbed? No, but I’m really disturbed. Why? Because the state of mind is my identity. This is what we call as मनोमय कोश i.e. I define myself by whatever is happening in my mind.
Now, in the context of language of course we will say- I’m excited, I’m happy, I’m thinking, I’m confused. All that is okay because ‘I am …(can put any quality/activity in this space)…’, but is it true?
For instance, some people are referred to as blonde. The person is blonde- what does that mean? The person is the color of the hair? But, we all agree to this madness. You define a person by one thing. And hair is also not even a live part of you. It’s inert, you can color it, you can cut it and so on. It’s not alive. It’s not really an integral part of you. But, still you will say- Oh, but that person is a blonde So, this is the collective madness that we use in our language.
So, if I am the state of my mind, then if there is conflict, that means that I am disturbed.
But the शान्ति that भगवान् is talking about here is not an absence of conflict.
Generally, when we say that I want peace of mind, this means that all the conflicts in my life should be resolved. Now, there will never be a time when all the conflicts in your life will be resolved. There will always be something or the other. The only place where all conflicts are resolved is the cemetery- there are no problems for that person whatsoever, but until then, there will be problems.
So, we can have शान्ति/peace, despite our many problems, just like the deep part of the ocean is very quiet and peaceful.
So, with all the conflict that is there, you can still have some शान्ति/peace of mind.
Here, we are talking about recognizing the आत्मा as untouched, as being absolute peace, which is not touched by any conflict. Conflict will happen to the body, it can happen to the mind and so on and so forth.
But the आत्मा that illumines and is aware of the body and whatever is happening in the body and the mind is untouched, always untouched.
So, शान्तिम् अचिरेणाधिगच्छति ~ so one gains that.
Then, to contrast what not having श्रद्धा can do for you-
* श्लोक ४० *
अज्ञश्चाश्रद्दधानश्च संशयात्मा विनश्यति ।
नायं लोकोऽस्ति न परो न सुखं संशयात्मन: ॥ ४०॥
The one who does not have श्रद्धा, and also who is अज्ञ i.e. does not even have the discerning ability of what is true, what is not true, विवेक is not there.
And further, संशयात्मा- what is referred to as doubting Thomas. There are some of us who will doubt everything in the name of knowing the right information, or whatever that is.
So, what happens to this संशयात्मा (the one who doubts)?
विनश्यति- this person is destroyed.
So, this is a very big thing, what do you mean? Because for such a person, anything that is said, they question- really, is it true?
So, typically when it comes up- if somebody says I really love you. Really? No. I don’t believe you. Why would you love someone like me? Or, you don’t believe it, so you need to hear it like 10x per day- you have not told me you love me, it has been a while, you really love me?
Because there is a little insecurity, संशय is there.
But anything, you have to always double check. You locked the door- again you check repeatedly. Anybody says anything to you- you don’t trust. I don’t know if what the person is saying is true. And this ‘what if’ game, is a game we love to play. (there is a podcast on this ‘what if’). What if I die? What if the loved ones around me die? What if I lose a limb? etc. So, we are very good at it.
The power of imagination, which is a great blessing which has been given to us, we use it in this way. It is helpful to some extent because it helps us to prepare for the worst possible consequence. It’s a helpful habit, but it stops being helpful after some time. Why? Because we are always thinking of the worst possible consequence. Therefore, we cannot take a decision. Should I take this job- should I, should I not? Should I marry, or should I not? Should I commit? Should I buy this? All the time there is doubt.
And here what भगवान् is saying is- अयं लोक: नास्ति | So this world, where you can enjoy काम, अर्थ, धर्म, that is also not there for the person.
Because you know in all your relationships you doubt about whether they really care for you, whatever they do is not enough for you, and so on.
Then, you doubt your own abilities.
And as a result of which you can’t stick with any job because again you’re doubting them. So, they’re all out to cheat me, exploit me, manipulate me, and so on.
Then, what can you trust? Nothing because everything is doubted.
So, this world of धर्म, अर्थ, काम is not available for me. So, even that relative happiness is not available for me.
Then, what about being exposed to वेदान्त, and having this commitment? Well that is also not. Why? Because I doubt everything- Really? How is it possible that the शास्त्र was an oral tradition once upon a time? I can barely remember 10 phone numbers. How is it possible that people remember 20,000 verses i.e. one वेद? It is not possible.
So, you can’t actually evaluate a particular era on the basis of your current situation, but we do that all the time – No, no, I don’t think that’s possible, that’s not possible. गुरु and all these people, they are just crazy for money, and power, and fame, that’s why they’re insisting that you need a गुरु | But, I don’t think so.
So, anything anyone tells you- doubt. Whether you are pursuing the शास्त्र- you cannot gain the joy of the ज्ञानफलम् because you are doubting all the time. Nor can you gain धर्म, अर्थ, काम |
So, मोक्ष pursuit is not available for you- संशयात्मा, and neither is this धर्म, अर्थ, काम |
So, we have to recognize that the problem does not lie with the world outside.
It is not that all the problems lie with us. It is possible that we have come across situations where our trust was betrayed, and if we are being a bit alert and cautious, that’s fine. It may be required in this phase.
But, if you are so alert and so cautious that you don’t move you, and you withdraw completely into a shell, you’re not available to transact with anyone, and nor can a possibility be available to you that you can change your mind.
So that’s what भगवान् is saying- सुखं अयं लोक: नास्ति ~ this world is not available for this person. Nor the world पर: – So because I don’t have श्रद्धा in the वेद, I don’t believe that there is स्वर्ग ~ That I’ll do good things, contribute/give, I will do some rituals and gain स्वर्ग | But I don’t trust, I don’t think it’s true. So, स्वर्ग- no chance.
So, there is no सुख for such a person.
So, basically, भगवान् is contrasting the one who has श्रद्धा and the one who does not have श्रद्धा, and what happens to such a person.
* श्लोक ४१ *
योगसंन्यस्तकर्माणं ज्ञानसञ्छिन्नसंशयम् ।
आत्मवन्तं न कर्माणि निबध्नन्ति धनञ्जय ॥ ४१॥
So, referring to Arjuna as धनञ्जय,
कर्माणि न निबध्नन्ति ~ कर्म does not bind.
Whom?
The one who has done संन्यास i.e. the one who has given up कर्म through योग.
But, what आसन did I do of giving up?
Here, we are talking of both ज्ञान योग and कर्म योग |
So, with the attitude of कर्म योग, recognizing that all is given to me, and I make the most of it. I have a recognition of भगवान्, and I am preparing myself so that I can see the truth that भगवान् and me are one. This is ज्ञान योग i.e. the reality of all the forms.
So, the one who has renounced कर्म, but who remains busier than the busiest bee with lots of projects, but is very clear that आत्मा was never the कर्ता |
कर्म is what you do with your body-mind. I am more than this body-mind. I am the one that illumines this body-mind. And कर्म does not define me.
When we meet people, one of the first questions asked is- what do you do?
Then, we don’t say- I do this…It is very interesting. What do you do? I am a finance professional, or I am an architect. Very interesting. Of course, we want to shorten it, we don’t want to go on and on.
So, suppose the person continues and says- you know nowadays it’s so difficult to find the right architect. Now you’re getting angry, though the person is talking about generally, and the person has a right to make a comment on architects. Well, I don’t think you found the right architect, you didn’t find me, that’s why.
So, with respect to one’s identity, immediately I get provoked, and then I will react. That happens all the time.
So, for the one who has recognized that आत्मा is अकर्ता- never the doer, never the experiencer, and from that standpoint the person has given up कर्म, then also the संशयम् i.e. all the doubts that were there are destroyed.
It’s very natural to have a doubt, but resolve the doubt. Don’t hold on to it, and put it in the museum of doubts as an heirloom or antique piece – I had a doubt 20 years ago and also now, I still have the doubt. And this happens very often. People ask a question in class, and it is answered and then they are satisfied with the answer, and it is clear to them. Then, again it will come up for five years, seven years. Why? Because you have nurtured the doubt so much, now it has become a part of your identity~ संशयात्मा |
So, for this person, all the doubts- I am the doer and I’m affected, I have sorrow etc. So, all these doubts about identities, all that has been destroyed. How, by what? By ज्ञानम्/knowledge.
And the one who is together i.e. आत्मवन्तं – the one who is very integrated, not much fragmentation.
So, you work to be integrated- in the sense that what you’re thinking, what you’re feeling, what you’re saying, they are not three personalities. You may not have personality disorder, but we are like this. We might be thinking that we want to strangle someone, but all the sweetest words are coming out of the mouth, and then you’re feeling something quite different.
So, we’re not talking about appropriateness in behavior- that is there, in line with धर्म, but one is together, together as a person. So, for that particular person, कर्म does not bind because the person has recognized the truth about oneself.
* श्लोक ४२ *
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मन: ।
छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ॥ ४२॥
तस्मात् ~ Therefore,
What should you do Arjuna?
The doubts that have emerged, that had been borne from अज्ञानम्/अविद्या | अविद्या is ignorance of who you are. So, because of अज्ञानम्, I think that whatever I’m associated with, that must be me. So, the one who was knocked on the stage in the garb of a beggar, and has temporary amnesia, and wakes up in the hospital, and asks the fundamental questions- where am I? who am I? Then looks around and recognizes that I’m dressed in tatters, so I must be a beggar.
So, I look around and see that I have this costume of a human being, and so think that I must be a human being. So therefore, then a human being is incomplete, so I have to strive, and do a lot so that I am complete.
So, जीवत्वम् (the sense of being a जीव only) is because of अविद्या |
जीव is defined as- ब्रह्मसन् (although being ब्रह्मन्), जीवम् इति उच्यते/मन्यते- says/thinks that I am this limited body-mind.
So, संशयं छित्त्व ~ destroying all possible doubt that is born of अविद्या |
So, all kinds of doubts, e.g. related to the nature of desire- I must not have desire, desire creates suffering. And I must not get involved with life, etc. So, all these weird ideas we have which is all stemming from अविद्या i.e. the ignorance of oneself.
So, what should you do Arjuna?
योगम् आतिष्ठ उत्तिष्ठ ~ you please take to कर्म योग, take to ज्ञान योग, and get up.
Of course, He’s referring to get up and fight.
But here, get up in the sense of- wake up to the reality of who you are.
And if that’s not very clear, then spiritualize your life by making कर्म into कर्म योग | Learn to see that all that is here is ईश्वर | Then, of course, you will be blessed.
So, don’t take away this thing- that I shouldn’t have doubts. Please have doubts, but resolve the doubts. And that’s what भगवान् is saying- that you slay this संशय/doubt.
Doubt can also be in the form of vagueness, or an error that you repeatedly make.
So, you slay this संशय/doubt, with knowledge again and again.
And then, you just get up.
ॐ तत्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु
ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुनसंवादे
ज्ञानकर्मसंन्यासयोगो नाम चतुर्थोऽध्यायः ॥ ४॥
So, the fourth chapter, the name of which was ज्ञान-कर्म-संन्यास-योग: | The topic of संन्यास (completely giving up) कर्म through ज्ञानम् of the आत्मा i.e. the one who is अकर्ता- never the doer. How did we know this? Through the संवाद/dialogue between भगवान् श्री कृष्ण and Arjuna.
And what was the dialogue about? Where do you get the best pizza? No. It was about ब्रह्मविद्या and योगशास्त्र – so the knowledge of the reality, and how should I live my life?
But is this a figment of somebody’s imagination? No, no- श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता, so this dialogue is happening in the भगवद्-गीता | And what the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता is talking about is really the essence of the उपनिषद् which is revealed knowledge by भगवान् |
So, with that- ॐ तत् सत् ~ ॐ is the only reality.
And, so we close the fourth chapter.
ॐ
CLASS NOTES
ॐ
सदाशिव समारम्भाम् शंकराचार्य मध्यमाम् ।
अस्मद् आचार्य पर्यन्ताम् वंदे गुरु परम्पराम् ॥
ॐ पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं पूर्णात्पूर्णमुदच्यते ।
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय पूर्णमेवावशिष्यते ॥
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
This is similar to how a child may jokingly tell a story~ once upon a time, the end.
So, we start with the prayer~ सदाशिव समारम्भाम्,
and then the prayer that we generally say at the end~ पूर्णमदः, we say at the beginning.
Because the शान्तिपाठ of this उपनिषद् is पूर्णमदः |
So, we see how we can get conditioned- if people were coming for an offline class, they would put their books back in the bag, because when they hear पूर्णमदः, they think that class is over. No, actually the class is just beginning.
So, पूर्णमदः is the शान्तिपाठ- we will say it at the beginning, and we will say it at the end also.
It is also similar to the conditioning that people get whenever ब्रह्मार्पणम् is chanted. One thinks that ब्रह्मार्पणम् means now food, as it is often said as the prayer before meals.
Now ईशा उपनिषद्, like many उपनिषद्-s, the first word is ईशा-वास्यम् | And therefore the उपनिषद् is called as ईशावास्य उपनिषद्, also referred to as ईशा उपनिषद् |
The उपनिषद् is positionally the last part of the वेद | It is not like the bibliography at the end which you can ignore. You have to qualify for the last part.
And we have looked at the definition of the word उपनिषद् | We translate it very simply as Self- knowledge. The whole word उपनिषद् comprises of 3 smaller words-
(i) उप – Close, nearby.
What is near to you? Near to you~ One just came back from the शाङ्कर मठम् for the रामनवमी पूजा | For a person who lives in Bengaluru, शाङ्कर मठम् is near~ उप | But, for somebody who lives in Matunga, like a lot of students, it is relatively nearer for them- it’s just really a hop, skip and jump.
So, उप/near is a relative word.
Then, what are we talking about? We’re talking about That which is the nearest to you.
In fact, it is so near it is you. So, what about it?
(ii) नि is another प्रत्यय meaning निश्चयात्मिक ज्ञानम् |
So, well-ascertained knowledge of That which is the nearest, That which is you.
(iii) षद् –
So, what will this knowledge do for me? What’s in it for me? What will I get?
I get that which ‘wears out’. Wears out my shoes? No. It wears out all that is अनर्थ in my life- all that causes me sorrow and puts me on the cycle of becoming and becoming, the endless cycle that is अनर्थ | So, it just wears out, and विशरणे also i.e. it disintegrates.
So that knowledge, निश्चयात्मिक ज्ञानम्, which is about you, which removes all that is not you, that is उपनिषद् |
There are many उपनिषद्-s, 10 of them were commented upon by भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य |
And each of these उपनिषद्-s is all revealed knowledge by different ऋषि-s.
And out of these 10 उपनिषद्-s that भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य commented on, ईशा is one of them.
So, generally when the sequence is asked- which were the उपनिषद्-s that भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य commented on? So, people will rattle off the 10- ईशा, केन, कठ, प्रश्न, मुण्ड, माण्डूक्य, तैत्तिरीय, ऐतरेय, छान्दोग्य, बृहदारण्यक तथा |
In this class we have already done- कठ उपनिषद्, केन उपनिषद् |
मुण्डक उपनिषद् some have done.
And तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद् was just concluded.
छान्दोग्य उपनिषद् (6th & 7th chapters) some have done in camps.
So, in some places ईशावास्य उपनिषद् is taught as the first उपनिषद्, and it’s not necessarily because of the order. Some people do it, but we generally won’t do it. Why? Because it has some मंत्र-s which can be a bit confusing.
The first मंत्र is the famous one- ईशा वास्यम् इदं सर्वं |
But, there are some other मंत्र-s which you cannot take the literal meaning of. So, a lot of Sanskrit words, especially in the वेद-s, they have a वैदिक् meaning.
So, this thinking that if I know Sanskrit I will figure out the वेद- No, you can’t. You can enjoy कालिदास, रामायण, महाभारत as these don’t need to be taught by a Teacher unless there are doubts or contradictions, then yes, you can always consult.
So, all those texts i.e. काव्य you can delight in and enjoy on your own also.
But उपनिषद् has to be learnt from a Teacher.
Now, ईशा उपनिषद् belongs to the यजुर्वेद and we refer to it as शुक्लयजुर्वेद |
So, we spend some time on the शान्ति मंत्र |
It’s a very beautiful शान्ति मंत्र, and a very unusual one because in this मंत्र, you are not praying for something. It is similar to अहं वृक्षस्य रेरिवा, which is a declaration of the Truth by Trishanku. This is also- you are just expressing a reality.
It is not like- आप्यायन्तु ममाङ्गानि, where one prays that my वाक् & चक्षु should be okay, that for all my pursuits, the body-mind should be okay.
So, you’re not really praying for that in this शान्तिपाठ | So this is a very, very beautiful opening prayer.
And to understand it better, we are going to be using three pronouns and you have to be well versed with these Sanskrit pronouns.
(i) अहम् which means I. But there is no अहम् in this मंत्र |
There is only अदः and इदं |
(ii) अदः means That. Similar to how we have ‘तत्’ शब्द |
(iii) इदं means This.
पूर्णम् is a word that is there a lot in the मंत्र |
What is this पूर्णम्? पूर्णम् is a word for completeness, fullness, wholeness (not like hole in the bucket).
ॐ is a word for ईश्वर | ॐ is a word for both सगुण & निर्गुण ब्रह्मन् | And most मंत्र-s begin with ॐ |
पूर्णम् अदः – अदः (That) is पूर्णम् |
पूर्णम् इदं – इदं (This) is पूर्णम् |
Now what is That? What is this अदः?
Generally, we use ‘that’/अदः for something that is far away.
That something which is remote in time & space.
So, ‘that tree’, ‘that gate’ refer to those things that are far away from you. Or in ‘that time’ is used when you’re talking about the past. For instance- in ‘that time’, I was like this.
So ‘that’/अदः refers to something far away from you, something remote.
So, अदः is पूर्णम् |
What is अदः referring to? Generally, whenever we use a pronoun, we have to qualify it earlier by a noun.
Suppose you say- ‘Rama’ went to the forest. Then you can continue by saying- ‘He’ ate fruits & roots. You can’t begin saying- ‘He’ ate fruits & roots. Then, one will ask- Who is this he? We don’t know, as you have not spelt it out.
But this पूर्णम् (fullness), actually it has been spelt out.
अदः पूर्णम् – That is पूर्णम् |
So, our focus is now on That/अदः |
But, उपनिषद्’s focus is on पूर्णम् is That |
So, what you think is remote from you i.e. ईश्वर, Oneself, That is fullness.
Fullness means that there is no lack. There is nothing that can be added, nothing that can be taken away.
This will be further explained later.
So okay, fine. You spoke about- पूर्णम् is That/अदः, and पूर्णम् is this/इदं.
But, where am I/अहम् in this whole equation? You forgot me? How could you do this? How could you ignore me?
Well, इदं is This. What is ‘This’?
‘This’ means something that is close to me in time and space.
For instance- I am attending ‘this’ class.
So, body & mind are इदं |
E.g. इदं शरीरं कौन्तेय ~ १३.२, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता
So, इदं you will see everywhere. इदं refers to the जगत् |
जगत् or in other words, That which is an object of your awareness.
And it is also not so remote- It’s here, it’s now, it’s इदम् |
So, all that is दृश्यम् i.e. all that is known, including the sights and sounds in front of me, different experiences, body, mind is इदं/this. Some things that are not yet known, i.e. all that we can see is इदं/this.
Then, it’s also possible that what was अदः became इदं |
For instance, you fancied a particular job, you never thought you were going to get it, it was very remote, or a particular opportunity that seemed very far away. And then now you’ve got a very senior position in the company. So, it became इदं for you. What was अदः became इदं for you because of time and space, again object of your awareness, of your experience.
So then when अदः becomes इदं; That becomes This,
then the remoteness, the quality of it being far away from you, is now destroyed. So, it is no longer so far away.
Earlier, ईश्वर was very far away, and now- not far away at all. Why? Because you have spent some time in inquiry, and now ईश्वर is a very intimate experience/understanding for you.
Now, let’s look at पूर्णम् | पूर्णम् as fullness, as limitlessness, can it have boundaries?
Because what पूर्णम् is referring to is consciousness, is ब्रह्मन् |
Then where am I in the picture?
I’m coming back to me, I’ve not forgotten myself, I. Where is I? Where do I fit in?
Do I fit in अदः? Do I fit in इदं?
What are you referring to as ‘I’ by the way?
If you are referring to body-mind, that is इदम् |
My thoughts, my desires, my wishes, my memory, my feelings – What is all that? It is an object of your awareness, it is इदम् |
Hmm…then I don’t know, then that means there’s nothing?
No. The शास्त्र reveals that you are the limitless.
So actually, you have considered yourself to be far away, to be remote.
Because अदः i.e. consciousness is remote from you in your understanding.
But, अदः includes अहम् | That includes I.
Oh, thank God I got included, otherwise I was feeling very left out.
Okay, so therefore the understanding of अहम्/ ब्रह्मन्/ consciousness, if I was trying to objectify it, it won’t work- make it third person, external to me- No.
अदः includes अहम्/I.
अदः/That includes I is to be understood, because it seems remote.
Then, पूर्णम् इदं, am I included? इदं- body/mind, दृश्यम्, object of my awareness?
So, when I’m talking about I, then, am I an object? The body is an object. It can be perceived, it has some dimensions, it is changing.
What about I-the subject, is it changing?
If you say that I is the mind, then of course it is changing, mind is still the object, mind is not the subject.
The one who is aware of all this/इदं, i.e. all that is changing, is the subject.
Subject of course is a referential word.
I~ is it then subject or object?
एकं वद निश्चित्य (३.२, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता) – tell me one thing definitely,
don’t sit on the fence, don’t say neither subject nor object, or both subject and object. No, take a stand.
How I can take a stand? अहम्/I is the only thing that is Self-evident, Self-revealing, illumining everything including my ignorance. I exist, I am Self-evident.
Yes, I use a mouth to express myself.
And we also say- I know I exist.
But you ask any amoeba also, if they were able to talk, they have a sense of themselves. If you ask the amoeba- do you exist? Of course, I exist, for generations I have existed in your stomach, and I will keep proliferating also. There is a sense- I am what I am, whatever shapeless organism, and then I can engulf some other bacteria.
So, this rudimentary understanding of ‘I am’ is there for a cockroach, a lizard, and definitely for a human being. And it is not a product of your thinking.
The baby also has this understanding- just observe a baby how in great wonder just trying to discover what my boundaries are. So then, the baby will be sucking the thumb, which is a part of the reflexes, and is so very pleasurable to the child as it reminds of the mother. So, then I am this- that’s what the baby is figuring out.
So, this इदं is different from अहम् | That which illumines, that which is awareness, which is aware of everything is अहम्, using different instruments- अंतःकरण, बाह्यकरण etc.
This अहम्, is it ever remote/faraway? Even if you go to far off lands, even by chance, let’s say 10 years down the line, you do space travel, you go अदः |
Still, I will be the one traveling, I am Self-evident. So, I am never remote.
Then, am I not available in time sometimes? I may be lost- my memory may carry me away somewhere and so on. But am I away in terms of time, or in terms of place? Never. Always here.
अहम्- Here and now.
अदः/that includes अहम् |
Because अहम्, the limitlessness that is me, is not known and seems remote, therefore included.
So, पूर्णम् अदः, पूर्णम् इदं |
So, That is पूर्णम्/consciousness/fullness. That referring to ईश्वर, that referring to I.
And इदं पूर्णम् | इदं is this जगत्, all that is changing, all the effects, all the way that is also पूर्णम् |
Now, I think this statement might be a little defective. Why?
Because अदः does not include इदम् | That does not include This. This does not include That.
But the word पूर्णम् is there flashing. So, we have to shift our attention to पूर्णम् |
If you are looking at पूर्णम्, from the standpoint of That, or from the standpoint of This, then it seems like one excludes the other.
But if you look at these statements from the standpoint of पूर्णम्,
then पूर्णम् can swallow That and This, and everything else.
So, this पूर्णम्- that is completeness, that is limitlessness, that doesn’t have any boundaries, that is always present, that is never changing, that is you, that is also the nature of ईश्वर |
So, for it to be पूर्णम्, if you’re just looking grammatically, it cannot have a boundary, it cannot have an internal-external, it cannot have near and far away.
शास्त्र reveals what is पूर्णम् is ब्रह्मन्/ आनन्द/ fullness.
So पूर्णम् is ब्रह्मन् |
All that is here is पूर्णम् |
Then what?
CLASS NOTES
And then what?
Because, this is not like this. It sounds all nice, but my experience is that I feel incomplete, and that has been the experience for most of my life. So, in trying to compete with my peers in school because the teacher generally praises the one who is doing well academically, to competing in sports, then college, work-life, etc. I tried to find ways that will make me feel complete.
Even as a वेदान्त student, I will struggle with this- I have not learnt other उपनिषद्-s, I don’t know enough Sanskrit, I don’t know enough chanting etc.
So, we find ways to feel incomplete. Mark my words- we find ways to feel incomplete. Actually, we can’t help it. Why? Because of अविद्या, the standing theme is that I am incomplete. How? Because I erroneously think that this body-mind is really what I am. There is this strong identity.
Now we’re slowly going to start having offline events, not everything online.
Let’s say that somebody is asked to come to the stage. Most of us will adjust ourselves~ self- conscious, you feel like that. And suppose we ask in a class also- any volunteers? It is not easy to volunteer. Why should I? Let me give others a chance, I’m very generous. Or, I don’t know what people will say. I don’t want anyone to laugh. I don’t want anyone to think less of me.
And, we’re talking of in a वेदान्त class, where we’re talking of पूर्णम्-consciousness etc.
So, there are different ways in which the entrenched notion that I am body-mind comes up.
Or some identity is challenged. So, the experience of limitation, all beings have, and actually that’s fine. But we take experience as reality. That’s where the problem is. You can have 10,000 experiences, what’s wrong with it? And have some more~ 20,000 experiences. Because it does not change the reality. But for us, experience is the reality. It is अविचार सिद्ध: |
This is my प्रतिज्ञा/proposition/hypothesis, which is concluded without great experimentation,
but just by the process of living, and looking at how society, i.e. different people, interact with each other, and I think that what I experience is real. And in those experiences, in most experiences, I feel incomplete. There are a few experiences, here and there where I feel complete- I had आम्रस् today, so mango season- fantastic. Or I heard very nice मृदङ्ग- super. So, these are moments of completeness.
So how to make sense of this शान्तिपाठ? Because it seems like what उपनिषद् is saying is one thing, and my experience is quite another.
Because, when we look at the form itself~ the body, mind and so on, there is limitation. For instance, if you are here, you can’t be there. And there are lots of things that we don’t know, that we want to know. So, परिच्छेद/limitation is experienced by us often.
But, पूर्णम् does not have any limitation- neither in terms of time, or place, or knowledge. So, पूर्णम् is only referring to that which is free from duality i.e. अद्वैत | द्वैत is duality ~ two. अद्वैत(non-dual) is पूर्णम् |
Then, one clever Math student will say that if it’s one, it can be divided. So, that’s why we have to add one other line stating- one without a second. Because we have studied fractions in school, and we can divide that one into many- one by two, one by three. For instance, you split the serving when you go to a restaurant- one by two. E.g. you can split Chai one by two. So, everything can be divided, we experience it.
But here पूर्णम् is one without a second, cannot be divided.
All परिच्छेद/limitation is really- me and the other.
One may say that this is not duality, it is plurality- me and then the laptop, and then the book, and then the phone, and the glass of water- so many things.
So, the शास्त्र very intelligently puts it into one category- the other, whatever it is. All of it can be put in one category- the other.
Now the more I experience difference, the more isolated I feel, the more lonely I feel, so I want to bridge the difference. And we do have moments when we do bridge the difference, moments that are happy moments.
शान्तिपाठ recognizes this difference we experience.
So, while पूर्णम् appears to be अदः/that, इदम्/this is also पूर्णम् |
So, what the शास्त्र is saying is that- you have divided this world into I, and XYZ whatever that is, but that division does not make sense. Why? Because that division is only on the basis of name and form~ नामरूप |
Really, if you look at it, like in the vast ocean, there are all kinds of waves- the waves near the shore, and then deeper waves, tsunami waves. If you talk to surfers, they have many words for the different kinds of waves & winds. So different names are there for these forms, but all of it, at all times, is only water. The surfer may say- Oh today I don’t think it is a good idea, I cannot surf the waves. The weather doesn’t seem nice, so I don’t think we can. Or, today the waves look really good, so today I will surf. So, however you choose to interact with the form, the form does it have a reality of its own? Can the surfer say- I will surf the surf which doesn’t have water? Then the surfer will go straight to the hospital.
So, the (wave)form for the surfer, does it exist on its own? No, it cannot. In fact, what is there is only water. It just appears as a form, worthy enough for me to be able to surf.
So, we look at all the forms in this world including body-mind etc. Then, does it have a reality of its own? This is the question, because I have decided by अविचार सिद्ध: that I am different from the other.
On what basis did you decide? On the basis of my experience. What is the meaning of experience? Sense data- what you feel, what you touch, what you hear, what you smell, what you taste. That’s all. Of course, it will have an emotional component to it- I love sunsets. Or, I hate sunsets, because my life is going down like the sunset, so I don’t like sunsets. So, there is a special, unique emotional take~ it’s a take on your sense data.
But any experience, if you evaluate it and you break it down- what are the building blocks of any experience? It is sense data plus your emotional response.
No, my Kundalini is rising- very good, so for that also some sensation is there. And then you will have an emotional take on it- Oh, very nice.
Or, somebody writes saying- Oh my God, my back hurts, it’s very painful because I did something once upon a time.
So, all these experiences that we have, what is the reality of it? Why this question/inquiry? Because, I cannot reconcile to feeling limited. I cannot say it’s okay~ I feel happy- that’s fine, I feel limited- that’s also okay. I cannot reconcile to it.
You can say water flows. Well, it is the nature of water to flow.
So then suppose it is my nature to feel limited. Can I reconcile with this? No chance. It is a struggle from childhood onwards.
For instance, sometimes with children you’re helping them, but the three-year-old fellow says- no, I will do it myself. Then, when the child is trying to walk, and then after some time, being the great supportive adult that you are, you are still holding the child. So, the child will leave your hand and run, enjoying that sense of independence.
So, always trying to break free. If you look at all our pursuits, what are we trying
to do? We’re trying to break free from whatever limitations we perceive. Whether I have put a limitation on myself- I don’t think I can wake up before seven o’clock. No, I have to wake up for whatever reason. So, I try to break free from that.
Or, I can only walk 10 steps because I had a fall. No, I will push myself a little more.
Or, I can only focus in a class for a certain time, then my mind goes all over. So, I make a little effort.
So, we tend to make effort, we like to keep pushing the limits of the body and mind, because this form is a limited form and we feel kind of trapped in it.
If we were truly limited, there is no way you can feel trapped. There would be no reason.
Why do you want to fly from one place to another? Stay put. No, I want to go there, I want to travel, I want to meet people etc.
So, I am not okay. In a lot of our pursuits, we are trying to break free. So, this Queen song, ‘I want to break free’ is iconic as it taps into the universal theme, as everyone wants to break free. And it’s not just about a teenager, because people thought that only teenagers of that time loved that song. But the teenagers now are in their 40s and 50s. They will also go to a rock concert and sing loudly- I want to break free. And you can ask an 85-year-old also~ I want to break free.
Some people will say- Oh, I want to break free from this life.
So, this limitation is not acceptable to us, because it doesn’t feel like our nature. It is not our स्वरुप, and so we struggle against it.
पूर्णात् पूर्णम् उदच्यते ।
Now, a relationship is being described-
पूर्णात् ~ from पूर्णम्,
पूर्णम् उदच्यते ।
What is this?
Logically it does not make any sense. From पूर्णम्, पूर्णम् has only come.
So, a little modification must have happened? No, no modification whatsoever.
There has been no intrinsic change in पूर्णम् |
पूर्णम् – that is consciousness, that is you, that is ईश्वर, appears in different ways. These are names & forms, they don’t have their own reality.
पूर्णम् उदच्यते – उदच्यते means ‘comes forth’.
So certain things that are known or knowable i.e. effect/कार्यम् |
So far, we have seen-
पूर्णम् is That, पूर्णम् is This, and from that पूर्णम् comes पूर्णम् |
So, completeness all the way.
So then if you’re saying that पूर्णम् came from पूर्णम्,
then that means that one is the cause, and the other is the effect.
Suppose you say- the lovely gold necklace came from this lump of gold.
Did gold intrinsically undergo change? No, some nice designing has been done and it appears very beautiful. You can now wear it, you cannot wear a lump of gold. The lump of gold does not have व्यवहारिक सत्यम् |
But this effect/कार्यम् i.e. the necklace- of course you can wear it.
So, that is also पूर्णम् |
But it underwent a modification?
So, the body-mind is a modification. So, the पञ्चमहाभूत-s, we have seen in तैत्तिरीय – it seems to have undergone modification.
What has undergone modification? Only that which can be perceived with your senses.
Can ‘is’-ness/consciousness ever undergo modification?
Consciousness sometimes seems remote. So, let’s use the word ‘is’-ness.
So, this is a pencil, video battery, phone. So, your focus will be on the form.
When one is asked- what do you see? One can see pencil, and whatever other object you can observe in the room. But also, there is light. It’s very rare for one to say- oh you know there is light. But in that light, all of this is seen.
So, that light could be a good metaphor for ‘is’-ness ~ that which always is.
So, whether it is a pencil, or a video battery, or spectacles, or this human-form, ‘is’-ness is never displaced. Always is. Never displaced. Forms get displaced. And the truth of this form, if you really do a reduction in terms of what it is made up of~ molecules, atoms etc. What is the defining particle of any object? We will call it formless existence.
So, this is-ness, can it be modified? No. It cannot be displaced, it cannot be modified. Then, maybe we can add something to it ~ पूर्णम् आदाय |
You can add to it, maybe you can take away – you can attempt.
Even if you attempt- पूर्णम् एव अवशिष्यते | All that is left behind as you is पूर्णम्- it is you, it is चैतन्यम् |
So then are there 2 पूर्णम्-s? One is formless पूर्णम्, and the other is different forms? No.
Because- पूर्णस्य पूर्णम् आदाय पूर्णम् एव अवशिष्यते |
There is only one पूर्णम्, and whatever change it might have undergone is really an appearance.
So, it’s very much like saying- स्वर्णात्, स्वर्णम् | स्वर्ण is gold. So, from स्वर्ण came स्वर्ण i.e. from formless gold came some form. Really speaking gold never underwent any change.
So, पूर्णम्- that is completeness, that is fullness, that is you, never really underwent any change. It as though has a form, as though you can interact with the world, as though you can do a lot of things.
Let’s say we will try to enhance and embellish पूर्णम् |
Is that possible? पूर्णम् आदाय | No, you can’t. Because to embellish, add, or enhance, you need something other than पूर्णम्, but all that is here is पूर्णम्/’is’-ness.
Then, what will you add, and what will you take away from it? Not possible.
So, when we say that all these names and forms i.e. इदम् is पूर्णम्, what we are being encouraged to do is what we thought was अपूर्णम्, to actually look upon it as पूर्णम्-ब्रह्मन् |
Transactionally, we are not asking you to make everything a melting pot. Everything is पूर्णम्, so let all of us jump into a ball of fire, so that all of us will be one. No.
So, we don’t need to have this experiential, and it is never possible also. We don’t have to reduce all forms experientially into one. All that is required is for us to see that what we are referring to as experience depends on something else- which is you, which is consciousness. The experience is some sort of name, some sort of form you have given it, and you are projecting onto the experience your own स्वरूप |
So, if there are moments of आनन्द, don’t dismiss it. We tend to do that sometimes in the name of वैरग्य | Oh, I want real आनन्द, I want absolute आनन्द, this आनन्द from eating mango is very short-lived, how many mangoes I will eat? So, it is very limited.
Singing a song- very limited आनन्द | No, whatever आनन्द manifests, it is only your स्वरूप only. Sometimes manifest, sometimes it doesn’t. It’s okay.
पूर्णम् एव अवशिष्यते –
‘Is’-ness is all that is. ‘Is’-ness means fullness.
So, what is your true nature, is the only thing that is. Everything else will go into इदं or अदः |
What I originally thought to be अहम्, actually turned out to be इदम् |
Yes- So I am so and so, I have this profession, I have all these achievements, or I don’t have any achievements, I feel lousy about myself, I am proud about myself, whatever it is whichever extreme you’re swinging to. All that got attached with ‘I’/अहम् actually is इदम् |
But इदम् is also पूर्णम् |
The inquiry was required for me to see what अहम् truly is, step by step.
So, श्रुति as प्रमाण does not require you to stop having experiences, because sometimes people can misunderstand.
So, you say- okay, I have an unpleasant thought, पूर्णम् आदाय, पूर्णम् एव अवशिष्यते | So, even if I have an unpleasant thought, I am still पूर्णम् |
Or, I have a very elevated thought~ रामनवमी and Rama appears in blessing. Still I am पूर्णम्, I continue to be पूर्णम् |
So, the reconciling of our experience to reality is what is required by us and the inquiry has to be persistent, firm, and gentle. It should be done with love. One should not dismiss, as then you are just cutting yourself, and this is not helpful at all.
One should be consistent with the inquiry.
So, this experience that I’m having, what is the reality of this experience? Me. Because, I-the experiencer is very much there. Experiences come and go.
What is the स्वरूप of the experiencer? पूर्णम्, all the way.
So, through this शान्तिपाठ, what we are seeing is that the divisions that we make i.e. subject & object, they are not valid. Experientially they are valid, but from the standpoint of reality, they are not valid at all.
The difference we make between जीव and परमात्मा-
Suppose you say अदः is ईश्वर, and इदं is जीव | This is not valid. Why? Because both are पूर्णम् |
Then, what seems to be the कार्य,
पूर्णात् पूर्णम् उदच्यते (पूर्णम् comes about from पूर्णम्),
it seems like they have a cause-effect relationship.
So, पूर्णम् is ब्रह्मन्, and from that ब्रह्मन् came this जगत् |
This जगत् also is पूर्णम् |
Oh…but so much global warming, everywhere the temperature is increasing…How are we going to handle it? Whatever we are handling, at the moment fretting and fuming- all that is पूर्णम् |
No, it cannot be पूर्णम्, we have to switch on the AC. Please, you can continue doing that, or you can wear your woolens depending on where you are in the world.
What is पूर्णम्? Not the form. There can be no form that is पूर्णम्, from the standpoint of the form. But every form has ‘is’-ness which cannot be taken away, which cannot be displaced.
But because of the पञ्चमहाभूत, it appears as something. But, every form is पूर्णम् |
So, you can remember the open eye meditation that we have done. You look around- it is very easy to do when you are going for a walk~ birds are chirping, how beautiful, so nice.
Then, daughter-in-law is chirping – No, I wish she would just shut up, you know. She’s chirping a little bit too much. But she is also पूर्णम् | The bird is पूर्णम्, chirping daughter/mother-in-law etc. is also पूर्णम् | Transactionally, one may find it a little difficult to get along, but we have some working arrangement, but all the way पूर्णम् |
So, the form is not in opposition to me. I have to see that again and again.
For that, कर्म योग is very important. Because, then we can minimize our reactions- रागद्वेष, buildup, reaction after reaction to what is.
So, one becomes more in line with व्यवहारिक सत्यम् i.e. transactional reality. Then there’s not so much reaction. We are more open, we are available. We are receptive to what reality is, which is you- पूर्णम् |
पूर्णस्य पूर्णम् आदाय पूर्णम् एव अवशिष्यते | So nothing can take away from the truth of who you are, from the standpoint of your possessions, personality, qualities, age.
Age- so my youth has been robbed, now I am in middle-age. So that will apply, but the truth of who you are, the reality of who you are, that nobody can take away from you. And nobody can enhance you either.
Because all that is here is you, is पूर्णम् |
ॐ
CLASS NOTES
Last class we had looked at the पूर्णमदः मंत्र which is the शान्तिपाठ of this उपनिषद् | It is a very beautiful and profound मंत्र | If this मंत्र is understood, we don’t need to proceed
with the rest of the उपनिषद् | But, of course we will proceed slowly, slowly.
So, the first मंत्र of ईशावास्य उपनिषद् is an often quoted मंत्र | Many people know only this मंत्र and it’s very popular-
* मंत्र १ *
ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किं च जगत्यां जगत् ।
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् ॥ १ ॥
The first मंत्र is really the teaching of the उपनिषद्, and the rest of the 17 मंत्र-s (because there are a total of 18 मंत्र-s), they are an elaboration of this first मंत्र |
So, a part of मंत्र १ and a part of मंत्र २ refer to the lifestyle that one can adopt if you are seeking this knowledge.
Then what is the knowledge?
The उपनिषद् is asking us to change our दृष्टि i.e. to change how we look at the world, and there’s enough reasoning given for that.
ईशा वास्यम् इदं सर्वम् |
One should note this ‘इदं सर्वम्’, as it is a phrase repeated everywhere, for instance we will see it in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |
इदं ~ refers almost always to the world, or ‘This’ i.e. what you are experiencing around you, everything you are experiencing around you.
So, the question is before we really look at the उपनिषद्- what is our दृष्टि of ‘इदं सर्वम्?
Because although we may not have come up with a philosophy of life and we may not have come up with a framework, but each of us have some thoughts about what life is about, what our day is about. So, if life seems a little too big, then what is one’s day about? What is my ‘इदं सर्वम्’ about i.e. what is this ‘all this’?
For a lot of us, all this i.e. ‘इदं सर्वम्’ may be a list of our to-do tasks. So, I have to move from one task to another, then another. And then there is great joy in ticking off your task.
So, ‘इदं सर्वम्’ may be a sense of accomplishment by fulfilling my to-do tasks.
Or, ‘इदं सर्वम्’ may be my world divided according to रागद्वेष – the things I like, the people I like, the things I like to do, the things I don’t like to do, the kind of people I don’t like, etcetera.
And then, with my own रागद्वेष-s, life is okay. But, what might be my द्वेष, might be someone else’s राग | For instance, now a lot of people are going on vacation because a lot of restrictions have eased up. So now there are the big decisions about where to go, and what to do on the holiday. So, supposed you’re going with another person, then your राग may be that I just want to go to a resort and relax. Whereas, this is the other person’s द्वेष and this person thinks- What do you mean, you don’t have a house? You can’t be spending all this money going flying from one location to another and just crashing out in some other bed. What kind of a holiday is that? We have to have a full detailed itinerary from 6am in the morning to 10pm in the night. We have to make the maximum use of our time. So, one’s द्वेष can be someone else’s राग |
Then, ‘इदं सर्वम्’ becomes all about managing our relationships. That’s what often preoccupies most of us. So, then there is the struggle of having harmony in relationships. So, some days it’s okay, some days it’s not, and then there are misunderstandings. So, if you’re too quiet- people think that something is wrong, then if you’re too talkative then people want you to shut up. So, then what shall we do?
So, this ‘इदं सर्वम्’, for a lot of people it will be about experiences.
Or, ‘इदं सर्वम्’ may be about कर्म | So, my कर्म, पुण्य, पाप etc.- situations & experiences I have to deal with.
So, depending on our personalities, we have all these different views of what the day is about, what life is about. So, this idea of what the day is about is इदं सर्वम् |
Then, what is the उपनिषद् saying?
ईशा वास्यम् –
ईशा is परमात्मा | सर्वस्य परमात्मा according to भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य | He also beautifully adds- प्रत्यग्-आत्मा | So, one should not think that प्रत्यग्-आत्मा means अदः i.e. remote. No.
प्रत्यक् means innermost, indweller.
So, सर्वस्य परमात्मा / सर्वस्य प्रत्यग्-आत्मा – the indweller of all beings.
ईशा वास्यम् –
सर्वस्य परमात्मा – ईशा/परमात्मा/पारमेश्वर,
वास्यम् means cover.
So, one has to cover whatever दृष्टि one has of इदं सर्वम् with ईशा |
This is the teaching.
This इदं सर्वम् ~ is it just my little home, managing groceries, vendors etc.?
No.
जगत्, जगत् याम् – all that is this जगत्/world, and all that moves on this earth. So, this includes animate and inanimate things.
इदं सर्वम् जगत् जगत् याम् ईशा वास्यम् |
So, in and through all my experiences, all the forms that are there, e.g. at work one is banging off some emails to some people, meeting some people, you are avoiding some people, and then relatives have to be met suddenly Also so many people are calling now because it’s almost coming back to pre-pandemic times. So now there is so much interaction, and we are not used to so much interaction after 2 years. So, so much suddenly.
So, this जगत् जगत् याम्, one should see it as ईशा/ईश्वर, or the स्वरूप of ईश्वर i.e. प्रत्यग्-आत्मा, so ईशा वास्यम् |
But, the different names and forms, one has to deal with differently.
So, if one has to figure out what to make for food at home- whether one has to instruct a cook, or one is making oneself, nowadays everyone is on some diet, so there are so many dietary restrictions/preferences that people have. So different names and forms in the household are being managed differently according to dietary preference.
And then even at work, someone wants an early morning meeting, whereas another wants a late evening meeting. So, you are trying to manage all expectations i.e. सर्वम् इदं |
So, this जगत् that is there and the people that are there on this जगत्, they invariably cause stress- either they cause stress, or I take on stress, or both.
सर्वम् इदं is the कर्ता/doer and भोक्ता |
So, in this interaction of the कर्ता- trying to manage everybody’s expectations and keeping everyone happy. Who has given you this great responsibility?
So, fear is there. What will happen? What I want should happen. What I don’t want should definitely not happen.
And then, when things are good, it is all great, then when things are not so good e.g. loss of income or some diagnosis of a health issue, so then, a lot of reactions are there.
Then, when we look at the world, i.e. our experiences, what do I feel? When we think about all our roles, our responsibilities, things that have to be managed, etc. The general feeling is what? Feeling overwhelmed is often the general feeling.
And this same orientation, we can bring to वेदान्त also. The same orientation that we hold in response to the world we bring to वेदान्त also. E.g. so many texts, Sanskrit, chanting. Then, with some Teachers, there will be homework also. So, so much stress.
So, we feel that we are being rewarded, or being punished and this is our सर्वम् इदं |
But, उपनिषद् is saying- No. This सर्वम् इदं जगत् that causes so much reaction in you as soon as you wake up. This जगत् is ईशा |
But, how to see this जगत् as ईशा?
All the नामरूप (names & forms) – things around me, people in my life etc., they are always changing.
And our definition of reality is that which is never changing. This is प्रत्यग्-आत्मा, it is me.
So, ईशा is नित्य | Everything else is अनित्य | The जगत् is अनित्य i.e. changing.
There is नित्य that pervades the अनित्य |
So, form is changing but what is not changing? We always lose sight of what is any substance made up of- which is actually existence, it is formless existence.
E.g. A pencil is made of wood, which would have come from part of a tree. So, what is a pencil? Suppose you attempt to define it. We generally will define it with some function- that which helps you to write. Really, it’s the lead and not the wood that helps you to write.
But, this is just the function. How do you really define the pencil?
Then you’ll say- okay, wooden particle. Is that what makes up the pencil? Or, you may say an assemblage of wood & lead in a particular shape and form. But, what is the defining particle? If you keep breaking it down, in our understanding we will say molecules, atoms. Then what shape does the atom have? You will be forced to say formless.
So, the defining reality of this pencil is formless. We cannot say formless wood. Because if we are using a term like wood, it has to have some form. Then, what is it? The defining reality of each and every object is formless existence. Existence- that which always is.
If you ask the quantum physics people, they will say- what are you talking about, there is nothing that is solid in this world. We are all swimming in energy. You are energy, and everything is energy. And actually what you think is solid, is actually not. So, everything (atoms, molecules etc.) is moving, and there’s only space.
So, then all these objects that are moving, and even the ones that seem stationary, they are changing all the time, they are अनित्य | Our relationships, although we wish for a happily ever after, we project our own nature i.e. नित्य unto it. Even the refrigerator, we project our nature of नित्य unto it, thinking that it should have longevity- long ago the refrigerators used to last 30-40 years, nowadays there is no point in discussing warranty/guarantee of any product you buy, as after a few years it is gone. So, shelf-life is disappointing.
Everything is changing, relationships are ever changing. Somedays are good, sometimes drifting apart. But, in all of this ईशा is, and ईशा is नित्य |
So, ईशा is one without a second, cannot be divided into fractions.
But, जगत् is many forms, and many names. Even our देवता-s also are so many, but they are really one being only i.e. ईशा | But, people who are external to this understanding may think that there are so many देवता-s, I don’t know who to pray to.
The names and forms, did they come about on their own?
No. They are कार्य(effect).
तस्माद्वा एतस्मादात्मन आकाशः सम्भूतः।
आकाशाद्वायुः। वायोरग्निः। अग्नेरापः।
अद्भ्यः पृथिवी। पृथिव्या ओषधयः।
ओषधीभ्योऽन्नम्। अन्नात्पुरुषः॥३॥ ~तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद्
So, all the पञ्चमहाभूत have come from सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं ब्रह्म, that is ईशा |
So, even this pencil- hydrocarbons, atoms, molecules etc., all that you see, and then look at it as just formless existence; it is a कार्य(effect). But what is the cause? We will say wood related to पृथिवी related to पञ्चमहाभूत |
But, what is the कारणम् of पञ्चमहाभूत? Oh, that is सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं ब्रह्म i.e. ईशा |
So then, are we really dealing with 2 separate distinct objects- कार्यम् & कारणम्? They feel like it, but actually not.
Because wherever the कार्यम्/effect is, e.g. where the pencil is, there ब्रह्म is. Any object you take, let’s say a wastepaper basket, it is पञ्चमहाभूत from सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं ब्रह्म | So there is no blasphemy in saying that the object, whatever it is, is ब्रह्मन् |
So then where the pencil is, there कारणम् is.
You cannot say that कारणम् is sitting in one corner, and कार्यम् is doing its own thing. They are not determined by different laws of nature.
E.g. because of gravity, we are able to hold a pencil and write, otherwise everything will be floating around. There are laws that help us to function. So, what about those laws? The intelligence of those laws is सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं ब्रह्म | And the material पञ्चमहाभूत that is the pencil is also सत्यं ज्ञानं अनन्तं ब्रह्म |
So, this जगत् याम्, and all that is on this जगत् that is कार्यम् /effect, cannot exist without the कारणम्/cause. As where कार्यम् /effect is, there कारणम्/cause is.
So, only कारणम् is. There is no independent कार्यम् |
E.g. You try to sell some gold and see what happens. You may have some sentimental value for your gold jewelry, but the goldsmith will not have any sentimental value. Every 2 years you can have the gold melted and change the design of your jewelry to have a new, different piece to be worn.
And, though you say that you paid so much to get the intricate design, the goldsmith pays attention only to the value of the gold itself. So, what I am seeing in the sentimental value of that beautiful temple jewelry that I bought from Tamil Nadu~ very beautiful, very intricate, that which is my सर्वम् इदं दृष्टि, because I have sentimental value for this jewelry. But the jeweler only has कारणम् दृष्टि | He only sees the gold, he has nothing to do with my sentimental value or with the intricate design.
So, like that we resist our different experiences because we lose sight of the कारणम् in the experience. So, some unpleasant experience- I made such a feast for our New Year celebration and nobody appreciated it. Or, I work so hard, and nobody cares. Ultimately, everybody is very selfish. So, like that we say different things, depending on the experience.
Each and every experience, can we look at it as नामरूप? Because the tendency is that when we say नामरूप(name & form), we think of objects. So, we say yes of course, I totally understand- clay & pot, gold & ornaments, water & wave – yes, सत्यम्-मिथ्या is very clear.
Okay, then what about your experiences of life? Well, actually, life has been tough, I have had a very tough life. But is that not नामरूप? No but I was there, and I went through all these very difficult situations and I’ve managed to deal with it; and it’s okay, I have now प्रसाद बुद्धि:, and I am trying to approach things with कर्म योग attitude. So, it’s okay, I realize that I have to use प्रसाद बुद्धि:, then I’m okay.
So, I have converted the teaching into ‘I have to’ but you don’t have to do anything. But still…
So, what is this body-mind? Because it’s a part of the जगत्, नामरूप means this body-mind. So, this body-mind is also कार्यम् | That’s why we are able to return to the elements- whether you are being immersed in the Ganga, or भू समाधि – they will bury you somewhere, or they will burn you. It is all biodegradable, composed of the पञ्चमहाभूत |
So, my experience is it नामरूप? And then if it is नामरूप, that means that it is changing, that means that it is कार्यम् | That means that कारणम् is very much there which is ईशा |
So, my experience means this body, this mind, my reaction to whatever it is- I like, I don’t like, whatever it is. That reaction which is in the form of a subtle thought- it may be a feeling, it may be a cognition, some response is there. Is that thought a form, or not? Because it’s moving. You know your thoughts- sometimes memory is there, sometimes imagination is there.
So, nowadays children make excuses to watch YouTube, e.g. watching this YouTube video, we will draw. No, you please use your imagination- look around and get inspired.
So, imagination means that your thoughts are moving, and you are getting new ideas. So, the form is so subtle, but it is a form nevertheless ~ it’s moving.
So, that’s how we learn anything, that’s the glory of the mind.
So, thoughts keep moving, and I am the one who objectifies all thoughts.
So, when we come to you the experiencer/भोक्ता, even your thought, whatever it is- great, elevating, exalted thought or, even the horrible thought.
Even in that thought/form, you called it horrible or exalting i.e. नाम |
Who is there? ईशा | That is the vision.
So, ईशा has always been present. प्रत्यग्-आत्मा ~ I am ईशा ~ सर्वस्य आत्मा ~ सर्व-भूतानाम् ~ the आत्मा of all beings.
So ईशा is in and through every experience. BUT, you know इदम् सर्वम् – but my life etc. Yes, whatever is your life, whatever age you are in life, whatever stage you are in life.
That जगत्, जगत् याम्, इदम् सर्वम्, ईशा वास्यम् |
Again and again, you see around, and you look at your own life and see the presence of ईशा |
But, why I’m not able to see? Because of अविद्या | Because this नामरूप, I have taken to be ईशा |
So, I think that this is real, so anything that happens to it- my God, I cannot tolerate. And then how I feel significant because I take this body-mind i.e. नामरूप to be absolute सत्यम् | Then, I have to prove myself to the world. I am कर्ता, and a very accomplished कर्ता at that. So, I am always improving and trying to work harder, and I look for feedback.
One of the students that took the course on स्वधर्म was a very accomplished physician. And he has a wonderful story of how he is managing his workplace and serving patients. And the धार्मिक् base that he has managed to establish in his setup is really wonderful. And always trying to do better, to see what is better for the patients etc.
So, this कर्तृत्वम् that is there, whom does it belong to? Does it belong to नामरूप? Does it belong to आत्मा?
कर्तृत्वम् is based on what? Suppose you were like amoeba, and of course in the larger scheme of things we are like this only, though we like to think that we have a great sense of importance.
So, let’s just say- without the body and mind, can you have कर्तृत्वम् i.e. a sense of doership? No. You need to have some medium, and it happens to be body-mind in human form.
And then even the experiences, is it happening to आत्मा, or is it happening to body-mind?
So, one experience of body-mind/नामरूप interacting with another body-mind/ नामरूप ~ they are changing, so I think that I am changing.
I means what? नामरूप is changing – this is जगत् |
This कर्ता identity that is there, and of course with कर्ता identity comes भोक्ता identity. And for all of us, भोक्ता identity is really strong i.e. the experiencer.
So, can I see that my identity as कर्ता is all the way ईशा?
CLASS NOTES
So, the capacities that I have been given, what I do with my body-mind are नामरूप | So, the नामरूप that creates another नामरूप – whether you make a mess of your room, or you create a wonderful project, so there is one more नामरूप- all the time नामरूप, कार्यम्, अनित्य, but all the way is ईशा |
So, is this सत्यम्?
But, the कर्ता-भोक्ता identity is very strong. So, all day we are switching between कर्ता and भोक्ता |
E.g. You were going to take a flight last weekend, but you could not take the flight because the queues were so long. So, then you said- Oh, I don’t think I will make it, and so you call to postpone the flight. So, initially with great enthusiasm, bags were packed. But what did the भोक्ता experience? Disappointment.
So, all the time this happens. E.g. I was very elated since I went to गङ्गा-जी. With great enthusiasm, I wanted to have a dip. But then, when I look around, there’s one big gang nearby for पूर्णिमा. So, I still go, but I have conditioned my mind that when I am there, I want the place to be quiet and I will do some chanting. But instead there are people gossiping. And this listening to gossip cannot be helped because it’s not like you can close the ears. So, भोक्ता was hoping for a nice experience, but this is gone.
So, in this कर्ता-भोक्ता, what is it that is not changing ever? It is ईशा | But, कर्ता-भोक्ता/ अहंकार/ notional identity is very strong.
So, then a lot of things belong to me. And even the outcome of my actions belongs to me. So, when the outcome doesn’t go well, then of course there is suffering.
I want to control everything. We are all control freaks, right? It is either overtly expressed or we have learnt to be diplomatic about it. You want things to be in a particular way, you want people around you to be in a particular way, etc.
So, this प्रत्यग्-आत्मा that I am that is ईशा, but I cannot have this दृष्टि of सर्वम् इदं ईशा | Why? Because, कर्ता-भोक्ता is there standing almost as though in opposition. So then, what shall we do? So, कर्ता-भोक्ता we have to review.
And for that, you have two options. What are your options? Either you take संन्यास ~
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् | – 2nd line, मंत्र १
Or the second verse that is coming- that you do कर्म, and assuming that you have a good optimum lifespan of 100 years, all you do is कर्म, basically bringing in कर्म योग, which is the other lifestyle.
So now,
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा
So, त्यक्तेन – you do त्याग |
So, this is referring to the संन्यास lifestyle. So, you have to do त्याग | Of what?
Keeping aside the संन्यास lifestyle for a moment, the लक्षण of संन्यास is ज्ञानम् irrespective of your lifestyle. Why ज्ञानम्? Because, all the things that I was holding on to, particularly the notion of being कर्ता and भोक्ता, that त्याग is to be done.
A lot of people consider त्याग in terms of physical objects. That is also important. So, a lot of त्याग we do with giving up as we grow out of our shoes, our jeans, or whatever we used to use a few years ago. You don’t care for it much, you’ve grown out of it. Or sometimes it may happen with some relationships also- your best friend in school without whom you will not do anything, now you don’t know where that best friend is. So, this kind of change keeps happening.
Then, the अहंकार is holding on to a lot of notions, which also translates to acquiring possessions- this is mine, I feel significant because all of this is mine~ सर्वम् इदं ममकार अहंकार | This is my जगत् okay.
So now naturally there is anxiety because I cannot trust what भगवान् श्री कृष्ण says- ‘योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम्’ | Though Lord Krshna said it that time, I don’t know given how difficult situations are, if I can trust. So, I will take care Lord Krshna, don’t worry. So योगक्षेम is acquiring and maintaining what I have acquired. And everybody’s अहंकार is like this.
Even for the साधु holding on to the कमण्डलु and to whatever small personal possessions, this is important. E.g. How will I manage otherwise? My bicycle got stolen away, so how will I go to Kailash Ashram now? Ten kilometers? I have to start walking at four o’clock to reach there by six o’clock etc.
So, for this अहंकार, ultimately त्याग in the form of ज्ञानम् is to see that this अहंकार i.e. this idea of who I am was just a notion- that is त्याग, that is real त्याग |
That’s why दानम् is encouraged. There is a podcast on this- ‘giving before giving up’.
It’s very important to give दानम् | Our culture talks about it- यज्ञ, दान, तप: | Because in giving, you are extending your अहंकार- it’s not just about me and my family, I am reaching out to X Y Z and I’m extending my care to that person in whatever way, then my sense of अहम् is expanding.
This अहंकार can expand to include the whole world, then of course it is ईशा only.
But, this me and the other which creates division and separation and so on, I mitigate that by giving. And then I realize that without this, I am fine. Or I give X amount, and life is good, and I’m happy that the other is happy etc.
So, giving is a prerequisite to giving up, because giving up/त्याग may be with some objects here and there. But in the context of the संन्यास lifestyle, that all the things that I was dependent on emotionally, I now say that I don’t need this, or I can manage without this.
Why is the word emotional dependence used? Because, as long as you live, you will be physically dependent. There is no life form, which doesn’t have some dependence. Why? Because you are made of पञ्चमहाभूत, so you need food, water, air to survive.
So, when we are talking about independence, it’s only emotional independence, as physical dependence is there for all forms.
So, then the एषणा that is there, i.e. the deep desires that are there for most people, the second part of the मंत्र is saying मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् ~ do not seek the other’s wealth.
So, either-
(i) Do not seek wealth for the sake of enhancing oneself, or
(ii) Whose wealth is it anyway? This is a rhetorical question.
So, you do त्याग all the way- the least minimum for शरीरयात्रा as part of the संन्यास lifestyle, and the त्याग is really recognizing the reality and not holding to notions of कर्तृत्वम् & भोक्तृत्वम् which seem to define one.
That’s why we get offended so easily. Why do we get offended? Whatever be the compliments or brickbats, because it is attacking अहंकार, and अहंकार is सत्यम् to me.
Or if I can see that अहंकार is all the way नामरूप, and my experiences are नामरूप, my relationships are नामरूप |
Oh my god, you reduced my great love story to नामरूप- How could you be so insensitive? This is not being insensitive; only talking about the reality of the relationship. We are not denying your great relationship and this great beautiful नामरूप that is there, but what is presently in and through is ईशा all the way.
So, when you see अहंकार pervaded by ईशा, then what happens is that there is a natural surrender. So, what I thought was I, and what I thought was my, is now shaken.
So, then I see- whatever is there is given to me, it is not mine. So, this is in terms of the त्याग |
Of course, in a संन्यास lifestyle, people will say- oh, I gave up the world, I gave up my career- and those are ways of describing. But, it’s a choice, depending on where the person is. And
the giving up of a lot of these different things- career relationship etc., is all for the sake of ज्ञानम्, for ज्ञान निष्ठा |
But the good news is that, in the second मंत्र, which we will see next time, which is referring to-
कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि – you have to keep doing कर्म, and it brings in कर्म योग बुद्धि: |
So, then ज्ञानम् is not negotiable. Whatever be the lifestyle, depending on your प्रारब्ध of this lifetime, the lifestyle could be anything. So, we have seen that भगवान् श्री कृष्ण had a unique lifestyle, and so did Arjuna. They were both गृहस्थ-s. भगवान् वेदव्यास, other great ऋषि-s, King Janaka were all गृहस्थ-s, and they were never denied knowledge.
ज्ञानम् is the first line of the मंत्र- ईशा वास्यम् इदं सर्वम् | This understanding is not negotiable. The lifestyle can be different. And here भगवान् शङ्कराचार्य gives an example- we rub the chandan stick so that we make a paste. The wet paste stays on the chandan stick, and after some time it starts to smell. But then again you rub it, and then again the fragrance of sandalwood chandan will come about. In the same way, whatever you might find unpleasant, or whatever moves around which you think is worth rejecting/ abandoning, the moment you just look at it, do something with it, then you see that all the way it is ईशा |
So, the way to go about त्याग which is non-negotiable, is ज्ञानम् |
त्याग of subtler things is more difficult. त्याग of big objects one can do, it’s not such a big deal. But त्याग of my opinions, of who I think I really am, and how dare you offend me like this, etc., that is very difficult. So many arguments, so many fights, so many relationships break up because of one thought. Somebody thought something of you which is not okay with you. It really boils down to this only.
So, all the time अहंकार is getting affected, and अहंकार is जगत्, and जगत् is ईशा |
बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् beautifully clubs the एषणा that is there into three-
(i) पुत्रेषणा – Deep desire to have a child.
(ii) वित्तेषणा –
You cannot stop at just having a child, then वित्तेषणा will come along. वित्तम् is money/ wealth.
You can’t say that I’m learning वेदान्त, so you please cut down all your needs. The child will say but I am not learning वेदान्त, so what is all this back to basics? If we live a very simple lifestyle, then the child will feel very deprived. And like most parents, you will say no it’s okay, I will suffer but I want to give the best to my child. So वित्तेषणा will be there.
So, there is some objectivity that वित्तम् is a means to an end.
But, we seek to enhance ourselves through the money we have and the display of money through the things we use, the things we buy and so on.
For instance, this can happen in corporate boot camps, or it can happen in आश्रम-s also. We are told to experiment- today, you are not given any money, and you are dropped in one particular place, maybe 10 kilometers away from the आश्रम | And you are told to come back only in the night. You have no money nor phone, and obviously you don’t have an ATM card. There, as you start thinking about this, anxiety will start that there is no money. How will I manage without money? So, then you have to depend on the goodwill of people. So, then some people will cheat and put money in their socks or something.
So how will I manage without money? And here we’re just talking about basics. Then, what shall we say about वित्तेषणा?
So, to have a good lifestyle, because also it matters what my peers say. So, everyone went and got married in Italy and other destination weddings, but you are getting married in your balcony, what will people say? Of course, it did not matter to a certain Bollywood couple. But it can matter. These people are having a destination wedding, we must also have a destination wedding. For the sake of the world, we think- what will they say? We say- I’m not running away from this समाज, I have to take care of all these things only. So, we may hide behind different kinds of excuses.
(iii) लोकेषणा – the deep desire for a better लोक | So, it may be a desire for a better लोक here- E.g. I think that the US is the place for me as I will have a better quality of life with better roads, better electricity. So, nothing is wrong with this. Or maybe Europe or Canada is better. Or even here in Mumbai, one may say that Navi Mumbai is better as everything is so organized in terms of sectors etc.
So, with that desire for a better quality of life, people move continents. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But if that is the desire, then there are a whole host of desires that come along with it.
Then, for the संन्यासी, these desires have to be given up. That, for the sake of ज्ञानम्, I have grown out of all this. I don’t have a great desire for a better quality of life i.e. लोकेषणा is not there.
लोक can also refer to स्वर्ग | संन्यास is a formal वैदिक ritual that liberates you from all other rituals, such that you are free from doing वैदिक कर्म | So वैदिक कर्म is what helps you to get to स्वर्ग, and there there are different comforts, and you will never get old.
So whether इह/here, or अमुत्र/somewhere else, लोकेषणा is not there for the person who takes संन्यास |
So, पुत्रेषणा, वित्तेषणा and लोकेषणा are not there. Just enough for शरीरयात्रा |
So that is the lifestyle.
But even through the भिक्षा, and गङ्गा-जी, some people will treat you like a beggar. So even if you wear साधु clothes, don’t think people give you much respect, they may look at you with great suspicion especially in cities. So, that can be generally unpleasant.
So, through all of that, whether one is a संन्यासी, or one is a गृहस्थ, or ब्रह्मचारी, the lifestyle does not matter, ज्ञानम् is what is most important.
So, the त्याग for a संन्यासी is of all these three एषणा-s, which are very deep desires for most people.
And then, for those who have these desires, don’t worry about it, you can take to कर्म, and do lots of कर्म | At the same time, one should not lose sight of ज्ञानम् | That is the vision of ईशा |
So, we can reflect that all that I have is given to me, it is not mine, it was never mine ~ objects/possessions, relationships, status, intelligence, thoughts/emotions, being this person with this set of life events.
ॐ
CLASS NOTES
भगवान् श्री कृष्ण concluded Chapter 4 asking Arjuna to ज्ञानासिनात्मन: (Verse 42) ~ slay with the sword of knowledge, whatever doubts you have about yourself which is borne of अविद्या/ignorance, and take to कर्म योग |
तस्मादज्ञानसम्भूतं हृत्स्थं ज्ञानासिनात्मन: ।
छित्त्वैनं संशयं योगमातिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ भारत ॥ ४२॥
And now Arjuna will have a similar question as he had in Chapter 2, and so this is how Chapter 5, संन्यास-योग: begins. संन्यास-योग: is the topic of सम्यक् न्यास | न्यास is giving up. न्यास also has other meanings, but for now this is what should be understood. And सम्यक् न्यास is completely giving up i.e. संन्यास | So we will understand what संन्यास is all about.
*श्लोक १*
अर्जुन उवाच ।
संन्यासं कर्मणां कृष्ण पुनर्योगं च शंससि ।
यच्छ्रेय एतयोरेकं तन्मे ब्रूहि सुनिश्चितम् ॥ १॥
Since भगवान् श्री कृष्ण has said- that you please destroy अविद्या/ignorance and take to कर्म, Arjuna is confused again. And so that is what Arjuna is saying –
शंससि ~ You are praising,
संन्यास AND कर्म योग |
So, what is this? You say be rooted in knowledge, slay with the sword of knowledge the ignorance, but then You say to take to कर्म, so what is this?
So,
तन्मे ~ please tell me,
सुनिश्चितम् ~ definitely, well-ascertained,
between the two i.e. कर्म योग and संन्यास,
एतयो: एकं यत् श्रेय: ~ which one is better?
भगवान् replies-
* श्लोक २ *
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
संन्यास: कर्मयोगश्च नि:श्रेयसकरावुभौ ।
तयोस्तु कर्मसंन्यासात्कर्मयोगो विशिष्यते ॥ २॥
This is a very important teaching throughout the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता – both कर्म योग and संन्यास lead to नि:श्रेयस् / श्रेयस् | श्रेयस् we have previously seen (Chapter 2, verse 7). श्रेयस् is that which is good for everyone, that which is मोक्ष | This is seen in कठोपनिषद् where the 2 words प्रेयस् and श्रेयस् are used. प्रेयस् is short term, instant gratification i.e. आनन्द सुख which is अनित्य ~ coming & going. श्रेयस् on the other hand is my very nature, not coming and going, आत्मा the limitless. And to discover this, there is the pursuit of मोक्ष |
So here भगवान् is very clearly saying that both कर्म योग and संन्यास lead to मोक्ष | And He is going to elaborate on this.
There is a need for repetition because our patterns are entrenched. Our रागद्वेष-s i.e. what you like, what you crave for, what you long for, and what you dislike, what you want to avoid, what you want to keep away. Our whole day is full of रागद्वेष | One sees this if you look at the kinds of choices that we make. And sometimes we are not even conscious that we’re making this choice, just mechanically रागद्वेष are playing out. And one of our द्वेष-s is that we want to avoid कर्म that seems unpleasant in the short term.
And of course, a lot of us want to avoid कर्म | Left to ourselves, we would have retired a long time ago, perhaps. But then for whatever reason one has to go through the motions, and make a living, and so on.
So, there is something that we are not comfortable with, perhaps, about working professionally. Or, we’re happy working professionally, but we’re not happy with where we are working. Or we are okay with where we are working, but we don’t like the team, and we wish this team resigns. Or we are not comfortable with the fact that new people have joined, and I’m still here. My peers and colleagues came and went- they’ve gone on to more senior positions and I’m still here- So things around one’s professional कर्म | Then, there are things within the job that we really like doing, and there are some things that we just don’t like.
So, we are swinging between रागद्वेष very often. And that’s why भगवान् has to repeat this again and again- That ज्ञानम्/knowledge of the reality has nothing to do with कर्म | In fact, it has to do with understanding the erroneous notion that you are the कर्ता and that you are the भोक्ता i.e. that you are affected by all that is happening around you. It is that conclusion where we consider ‘feeling’ as reality, which is being shaken up in the inquiry.
There are some historical figures in India, like Lokmanya Tilak and a few others, who said that the भगवद्-गीता is all about कर्म योग – that this is the तात्पर्य/ main theme. And we can consider that they had a larger role to play in society as one of the freedom fighters. They wanted to mobilize people on the basis of something that is close to their heart, and they would have said something like this. There are some संन्यासी-s who might say- भगवद्-गीता is all about संन्यास |
So, there is a bit of confirmation bias which we all have; we see what we want to see.
But here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण very clearly says that both these lifestyles- कर्म योग and संन्यास lead to नि:श्रेयस् / मोक्ष |
Then, in response to Arjuna’s original question~ which of them is better-
Between कर्म संन्यास (giving up कर्म) and transforming कर्म into कर्म योग, definitely कर्म योग is better. So, कर्म योग is better than संन्यास |
But why does भगवान् say this? Especially since the chapter is called संन्यास-योग: | So if He wants to praise कर्म योग then the chapter should also be called कर्म योग again. So why संन्यास?
But, both the lifestyles- whether it is कर्म योग or संन्यास, ज्ञानम् is non-negotiable. Because, why do you want to transform कर्म into कर्म योग? Ordinarily it is not necessary, but we do it because these other priorities are very important in my life- I want धर्म, I want अर्थ, I want काम, I want wealth, I want security, I want pleasure, and I also want मोक्ष | The value of all of this is very important to me.
And if I’m just doing कर्म, I cannot help but be stressed out. Because-
How much is enough? Can we ever draw that line? Never. Am I enough on the basis of the कर्म that I do? How will I draw that line? Because no matter what I do, the constant refrain is that I’m not enough. Even if I feel enough for a moment, I just have to look at my neighbour and see- oh my neighbour is driving a better car, or looks quite happy, and I despite attending भगवद्-गीता class, I feel sad from time to time. So, there is the feeling- I am not enough, I don’t have enough.
If you expect कर्म to give it to you, it doesn’t work. So then recognizing that through all the कर्म that I’m engaged in, what I am seeking is नित्य आनन्द, That which does not have any diminishing, there is no lack and That actually happens to be myself. So that आनन्द which I seek, which is also called मोक्ष, That is what the कर्म योगी wants. And for that, I have to align myself with reality.
Reality includes aligning yourself with functional reality- recognizing धर्म as the framework of all our interactions and aligning oneself again and again. It’s like a compass- again and again you have to keep looking at the compass, because you don’t know where you’re headed. So you align yourself with धर्म again and again, ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि:~ offering your कर्म unto ईश्वर, and receiving the results as प्रसाद | This helps us to align with reality, we no longer resist and fight reality. Otherwise, reality stands like this big monster that I have to deal with all the time. But, with ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: and प्रसाद बुद्धि:, then there is nothing that is opposing me, I’m in harmony, then I can see what the वेद tells. If I bypass this functional reality, then I am not able to see what the वेद says. I can try, but it doesn’t work.
The संन्यास lifestyle is really taking of the robes and minimizing धर्म, अर्थ, काम | Minimizing in the sense that the time and the attention and the energy that gets invested in all these other pursuits, they are kept to a least minimum. So that all your time, effort, attention is focused on knowledge, teaching, learning, etc.
For the one who takes संन्यास, if the person doesn’t yet know the truth, this is called as विविदिषा संन्यास | संन्यास which is taken by a wise person to validate the tradition is called as विद्वत् संन्यास |
So here if we’re talking about विविदिषा संन्यास i.e. the lifestyle that has been taken so that I free myself from the obligatory कर्म and duties, so that I can focus on this pursuit of मोक्ष | And of course this person has to still deal with functional reality. Wise or otherwise, one has to deal with functional reality. But the संन्यास has ritually given up roles and duties. So, anything that the person does is a bonus, as the वेद has ritually sanctioned that you don’t owe anyone any duty anymore.
Of course you still have to eat and drink, so functional reality you have to engage in, but that is kept to a least minimum.
So now, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is saying that कर्म योग is much better. Here, we have to add one clause- कर्म योग is better than giving up कर्म (संन्यास कर्म) for the one who doesn’t have the required preparation.
So, the lifestyle can be different, but ज्ञानम् cannot be compromised upon.
Then, He explains what He is saying about this संन्यासी –
* श्लोक ३ *
ज्ञेय: स नित्यसंन्यासी यो न द्वेष्टि न काङ् क्षति ।
निर्द्वन्द्वो हि महाबाहो सुखं बन्धात्प्रमुच्यते ॥ ३॥
May you know that ~ ज्ञेय: स: ,
य: न द्वेष्टि न काङ् क्षति ~ this person who is a संन्यासी, neither has द्वेष/hatred/aversion for anything, nor आकाङ्क्ष i.e. does not long for something, doesn’t have any craving for anything.
Does this द्वेष and राग come and go? No. It is नित्य, not कदाचित्(sometimes it comes, sometimes it goes). Is it occasional? No, no, no, this is नित्य | So the person has grown so much in his or her maturity that an object or a situation does not define you, and neither are you dependent on it- that’s what happens when you have a राग or a द्वेष |
Each person would give different examples of राग / द्वेष – cheese, coffee, hikes, family, wanting things to go my way. So, our सुख gets disturbed like this. We are all very moody people. Why? Because of राग, not because of our moods. E.g. I ordered for ice-cream but because of this hot summer weather, it came as a milkshake. So, then what happens? The anticipation of the ice cream in this sweltering heat, the looking forward to it is now replaced by disappointment.
Or, everybody should be as organized as I am. This is a perennial source of stress. And one thinks-it’s so simple, why don’t people just get it? If they were just organized, and if they would declutter, life would be so simple. Why don’t people get it? So, you offer to do it for them, then they will dump all the responsibilities on you etc.
So now your mood is affected because people around you are not organized. And you are absolutely right in wanting to be organized, because you say this is धर्म | If we are not organized, how will we find things, so you make sense.
But, it becomes a binding like and therefore keeps me stressed all the time. Because I define myself or I depend on that particular condition to be fulfilled. Of course it’s a good principle- let all of us be more organized than we already are. But when we place it as a condition that must be fulfilled, then our happiness depends on it. Then, we find we are unhappy very often. We can’t help it. Because all of us have our unique रागद्वेष-s.
And so this नित्य संन्यासी is not just the one who wears the ochre robes. The disposition of a संन्यासी is that you are not defining yourself by a situation, or a condition, or a person. Because suppose I have a राग towards my family, and actually everyone has a certain dependence on the family. Now, the range of emotional dependence is quite wide. When there is extreme emotional dependence, everything revolves around the family, you can’t think without them, what would you do without them etc. i.e. extreme dependence. Then, naturally something threatens the family- financially, health-wise, or there are disagreements, then we get very deeply affected- some of us can go into depression because of that.
So, there are lots of difficulties. And भगवद्-गीता very simply presents it as actually all a problem of रागद्वेष | The intensity of your desire for that particular thing, or for that particular person, and the extreme dependence on that person or object creates राग, because you have put on that object or person an extra value that it doesn’t have. It has an objective value, we’re not denying this. But the thinking that- this is it for me, and without this my life is destroyed- that is the extra.
Following धर्म, can it be a राग? This is a good question. Following धर्म is something very natural to us. We fight when there is no धर्म, or whatever we perceive is not धर्म | So in that sense, it cannot be a राग | But when you insist that everyone must follow in the way that you envision, then it becomes a राग | Or having a sense of superiority because I am the one who follows धर्म and you don’t, then there are problems.
So, the नित्य संन्यासी is the one who has brought the disposition of कर्म योग in his or her life- not once, not twice, but 365×24/7 which means on a regular basis, and has grown out of situations and the dependence on different objects. There is वैरग्य, where you have a dispassion towards things, you don’t have a sense of dependence on things and situations. This is something that is natural to us. We are all संन्यासी-s in some way, in the sense that there are a lot of things that we have given up through the course of our life. Because we have outgrown playing with the doll or the Lego blocks. So you don’t have द्वेष- Oh, just look at those people, they are playing with Lego, how low society- No. Nor do you crave for it- Oh, there was a time I used to play with Lego blocks, and those were the days, those were the best days of my life. No- you played with those blocks, you had a good time, and you outgrew them. You don’t have द्वेष for the ones who play with Lego. Nor do you have राग that- oh, now I’m living a very disciplined life, I’m not going to play any more with LEGO blocks – this is not required.
So – oh that person was married, relationships are to be detested. So there is no reason for द्वेष | So just because you have chosen to not be in a romantic relationship, you don’t look down on people who are romantically relating. Nor do you have a secret राग- actually I really want to be involved, but nobody wants to be with me, what shall I do. So longing, longing longing, then do something about it- go meet people, etc. Oh, but you don’t know how things are these days in the time of dating apps. You never know who is a fraud and who is genuine. Then play with other options- get friends to introduce you and so on. I don’t know if that will work. You have a राग, you want to have a partner, then do something about it. Don’t just sit there. So, that राग that is there, neither are you trying to fulfill it- No if somebody is there for me, that person will come along. So, we play with all these things.
What is being emphasized is that the one who has grown to be a संन्यासी is the one who no longer emotionally depends on, nor defines oneself by an object or a situation, which means that you have grown so big that none of these things define you. That’s important just as a sign of maturity. Because whatever we choose to define us is limited. Why would you want to limit the limitless that is you?
Then we find that we outgrow it- okay, that’s great.
And then as a result of that the person is also निर्द्वन्द्व: | So doesn’t swing between the opposites, the polarities.
So no, what polarity are you talking about? I am only focused on success. Oh, well really- then you are afraid of failure. It comes along with the territory.
I am obsessed about धर्म | Everyone must follow धर्म | Oh, then I’m intolerant of people who are given to अधर्म | So, you cannot avoid.
The so-called good things of life i.e. principles, high values, you will have the opposite, it just comes along with the territory, what is also referred to as black and white thinking.
So, this नित्य संन्यासी is free from this रागद्वेष that has been referred to and,
सुखं बन्धात् प्रमुच्यते ~ effortlessly released from बन्ध |
So, बन्ध/bondage is not real. This is very important to note. We only have a sense of bondage. The sense of bondage is referring to our sense of feeling stuck, of feeling that I can’t move ahead without certain conditions going my way. So, bondage is when one depends on something or a particular situation. That means that I am not free. So, if it is asked- are you happy now? One has to think…Then one will respond- I will be happy when _______ . So whatever one fills the blank in with, that is what binds me. Because until that situation is fulfilled, I am not.
Who is preventing me from being happy? Just relax, be happy with life. But no, what do you mean, don’t you see what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine? So, it is not that this conflict is something to ignore. But, one should just introspect on what you will fill that blank space up with. I will be happy when _______ . Something will be there, that’s what’s binding you.
But one may say that all that I have said is very reasonable, that I will be happy when my son gets into a good college, what’s wrong with that? Yes, that is to happen in the course of things. But, your happiness is held hostage by a condition. And if it was not your son getting into university, it would be you going on vacation, or something else.
All the time there are conditions that we place on ourselves, and definitely on others. Simply put, that is बन्ध |
Because often when we think bondage, we think well I’m free, I live in a democratic country, I’m free to do what I want, when I want, how I want. Then, how about being happy? I don’t know…maybe someday? There is a Hindi song that says~ I will be happy एक दिन (ek din). And when the एक दिन (Ek din) part of the song comes along, the words are elongated, as we don’t know when that one fine day will come along. But the lyrics are upbeat, so one feels hopeful that maybe not now, but one fine day I will be successful. So, this very बन्ध, the नित्य संन्यासी is free from. How? Because the person brought in कर्म योग into one’s life.
* श्लोक ४ *
साङ्ख्ययोगौ पृथग्बाला: प्रवदन्ति न पण्डिता: ।
एकमप्यास्थित: सम्यगुभयोर्विन्दते फलम् ॥ ४॥
पृथक् बाला: – Different children i.e. the polite way of saying people who don’t know.
People who don’t know, what do they say?
साङ्ख्य/ज्ञानम् and कर्म योग, they are different.
The ones who say – प्रवदन्ति,
i.e. these पृथक् बाला: , they are न पण्डिता: i.e. they are not the wise people.
They have learnt the words, they have learnt certain things, but they don’t know that both साङ्ख्य and कर्म योग are not different.
एकम् अपि, उभयो: विन्दते फलम् – the person who follows even one of these i.e. either the person takes to संन्यास as a lifestyle, or the person takes to कर्म योग as a lifestyle.
If the person does it properly (सम्यक्) then,
विन्दते फलम् – gains the result of both.
What is the result of both? मोक्ष, which is my true nature, आत्मा as अकर्ता-अभोक्ता |
There were some parrots who were being trained by this family in the village. The family was very proud that they had these parrots in the house.
So the parrots would stay caged, and they would also roam around free. So, they had trained the parrots to speak so the parrots were able to say a few words. Then the head of the family also said that the parrots sometimes when they fly and they go into the forest, they should be taught that hunters are around and so they have to be careful. So, they made the parrots repeat- ‘The Hunter is coming. Be careful. The Hunter is coming. Be careful. The Hunter is coming. Be careful.’ The parrots learnt this very well. Then, the head of the family was quite satisfied, quite relieved. Okay if the parrots go out into the forest, they will be able to protect themselves. And as it so happened, they went out in the morning. Then in the evening there was no sign of the parrots returning home. So, the head of the family and a few others, they ventured into the forest. What do they see? There is a net that has covered and snared the parrots, and in fact the parrots are going on repeating this- ‘The Hunter is coming. Be careful. The Hunter is coming. Be careful.’
So, we may learn the words, but the meaning doesn’t sink in. So, the words were meant to free the person. In this particular case- to free the parrots. But just memorizing and repeating it to yourself without actually applying it into one’s life, this did not help the parrots.
So, पृथक् बाला: प्रवदन्ति – people will say,
Oh संन्यास is a lot more superior, कर्म योग is inferior. They make differences between the two. But they are not wise – न पण्डिता: | They argue that they are different.
But here भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is saying that the person who follows even one of these lifestyles properly gains the result- फलम् विन्दते |
And therefore, there is no need to feel less about oneself because I am following this lifestyle of कर्म योग, because you can be a संन्यासी i.e. you can be rooted in ज्ञानम्/knowledge, and who can take that away from you? No one. There’s nothing to prove to anyone.
Even wanting to prove something to someone shows signs of dependence. So it’s okay, maybe we feel we have a need to prove ourselves, so we can continue doing that with कर्म योग बुद्धि: | That’s fine, it will be taken care of.
So, as we grow in our emotional maturity, we find that we are a भक्त and situations don’t affect us too much. You are relating to ईश्वर through your कर्म, through all the situations which are seen as प्रसाद | And so the intensity of the रागद्वेष, that definitely reduces. It will not happen automatically, you have to keep at it.
And the way to do it is- yes, I have a राग, and yes I align it with धर्म, and I offer it to ईश्वर | So you stop defining yourself by conditions- by conditions of your body-mind, by conditions that are around you, by the condition of your wealth or health, or whatever it is. Yes, these are important things to be taken care of. It is all given to you- ईश्वर विभूति, and so you take care of it, but you are free. Relative freedom is very important before we can appreciate absolute freedom.
ॐ
CLASS NOTES
ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किं च जगत्यां जगत् ।
तेन त्यक्तेन भुञ्जीथा मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् ॥ १ ॥
So, in this ईशावास्य उपनिषद्, ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं यत्किं च जगत्यां जगत् ।
इदं सर्वम् is our दृष्टि i.e. everything other than ईश्वर, may that be seen; may all of this including body-mind (इदं सर्वम्), may all of this be seen as ईश्वर |
Then, the second line of the first मंत्र is referring to the संन्यास lifestyle. So, all of you who think that why is this being said, because anyway everything is ईश्वर, you’re absolutely right.
So, कस्य स्विद्धनम् ~ whose is this wealth? It’s almost a rhetorical question because all that is here is ईश्वर | Whatever is there I just happen to be a trustee- of what is there in the bank account. So the bank account’s name it will be different, it will not be ईश्वर, you are the trustee of that money, whatever that wealth is. But all that wealth has been possible because of the abundance of blessings that are available to all of us.
But still what is it that prevents us from seeing इदं सर्वम् ईशा? What is that? It is the sense of I, me, mine. अहम् where अहम् is considered as distinct and separate from ईश्वर | And therefore, everything associated with अहम्- so what is mine is also considered distinct. Then there are almost two parallel tracks- What is ‘I’ and what is ईश्वर | Really there is no two, but the sense of the experience and our conclusion based on that experience is that these are mine, this is me. And therefore, if we are the kind of people who get hurt easily, it’s not because we are oversensitive. And, some of us will carry it as a badge of honor- You know, I’m so sensitive, that’s why I get hurt, maybe I’m touchy, I don’t know. But if I get offended easily, this means this अहंकार is very fragile. This does not mean to invite criticism, insult and humiliation. No. But at the drop of a hat if I’m getting upset, then what a fragile अहंकार, so distinct from ईश्वर | And also, that one little word, one little frown, one something- gone, mood is gone- upset, upset, upset, etc, etc.
So, the wealth that we hold on to which is ours, as a result of ईश्वर दृष्टि, मा गृधः कस्य स्विद्धनम् | So do not grab, do not long for the wealth which anyway belongs to ईश्वर | Here of course, संन्यास lifestyle is being referred to.
Then in the second मंत्र, the lifestyle of कर्म योग will be discussed.
The त्याग or न्यास i.e. the giving up,
सम्यक् न्यास – completely giving up.
What is the giving up of?
If we are referring to the lifestyle then it is talking about the duties, the responsibilities that the वेद officially sanctions you – that you will not get any पापा, if you do not fulfill your responsibilities any more. Otherwise, if you’re not fulfilling your responsibilities, if you’re not doing your धर्म, then there is पापा involved. But the वेद sanctions you, the very वेद that offers the different rituals that can be done for धर्म, अर्थ, काम also tells you that you are free now, need not do.
So that is in terms of the external, but संन्यास in the meaning of the term, is something that is non-negotiable for all of us. It is not that someone is going to drag you to take संन्यास |
संन्यास is non-negotiable means ज्ञानेन एव संन्यास i.e. complete giving up of the sense of कर्तृत्वम् and भोक्तृत्वम्, giving up of the fact that I thought I was a human being, I was subject to limitation. On आत्मा विचार I see that this is not real. But for the sense of significance, I held on to this notion for dear life. So, I give that up in the light of knowledge. So that is completely giving up.
The other meaning of संन्यास is the lifestyle. So in the lifestyle, there is no acquisition of wealth and not too much effort in that direction. Because acquisition of wealth requires time, effort, attention. And therefore in the context of the संन्यास lifestyle, in the name of building things, don’t have that अध्यास on wealth. When you say- I don’t have enough, I want more, there is a practical angle to it. But when I say I want more because I will feel good about it, I will feel more elevated, I will be more enhanced. Then, very clearly there is अध्यास on that thing, or that situation, which will give me a certain value that I don’t already have. So no अध्यास on wealth, because that is a weak spot for most people. We all know how many family disputes land up in the court- the child is fighting the parents, or the brothers and sisters, very ugly disputes all over wealth.
So that is in terms of everyday living, but even in the संन्यास lifestyle, who’s going to offer the checks and balances? You are a free person, so who will do it? So maximum only a गुरु, if the गुरु is alive. Who else can tell you anything? So therefore, this is a word of caution also, that don’t have अध्यास on wealth; recognize ईश्वर दृष्टि – may it pervade your entire दृष्टि, and therefore all that you see, all that you experience, इदं सर्वम्- that indeed is ईश्वर |
Then, after talking about this निवृत्ति मार्ग,
निवृत्ति मार्ग is you are focused only on one pursuit of मोक्ष with an exclusion of other pursuits. Exclusion does not mean we do not eat and drink, of course you will, but it is the least minimum. So, least minimum effort, time and energy for धर्म, अर्थ, काम |
Imagine that the वेद frees you even from धर्म | And it is not that you have become अधार्मिक्, but धर्म has become spontaneous for you. But you are not considered useless if you are not involved in any धार्मिक् activities. Because this is one big criticism by people who claim to have a strong Hindu identity. So they say- oh, what is it that the मठ-s and the संप्रदाय-s are doing – nothing. We are suffering, because they have not done anything, etcetera, etcetera. So, obviously there’s not enough understanding, and somehow Hindu identity has got associated with historicity. So yes, the historical perspective is important. We’re not denying it. Yet, unlike Christians, for whom historical events are very important, e.g. the birth of Jesus Christ and so on, being a Hindu is not tied up with historical events. But people get confused about it. And then they say- Oh, see, what a waste, what a dropout, संन्यासी dropped out of life, doing nothing, not helping the world etc, etc., what a waste. So, there’s not enough understanding.
So, the vision has been pointed out. Now the two lifestyles.
The second lifestyle, which is प्रवृत्तिमार्ग, we have seen in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता-
श्रीभगवानुवाच ।
लोकेऽस्मिन्द्विविधा निष्ठा पुरा प्रोक्ता मयानघ ।
ज्ञानयोगेन साङ्ख्यानां कर्मयोगेन योगिनाम् ॥ ३॥ ~ Chapter 3.
निष्ठा is a singular word, it is not निष्ठौ | This is a very important grammatical point.
The purpose of the lifestyle is really for ज्ञानम् | On the face of it, the lifestyle looks different.
With respect to the कर्म योगी lifestyle, one is all into प्रवृत्ति- going towards achieving, means and ends, deeply involved with धर्म, अर्थ, काम, and of course bringing in कर्म योग disposition into your whole life. So you’re really steeped in and involved in society, doing a lot and so on.
Then, with the संन्यास lifestyle, it seems like there is a withdrawal from society, not too involved in धर्म, अर्थ, काम, and all time, effort, attention is spent in either learning or teaching, all in the service of मोक्ष pursuit.
So indeed, if one is not going to adopt a संन्यास lifestyle, then what shall we do? Am I going to be denied by this ईशा वास्यमिदं सर्वं, this दृष्टि?
No, no, don’t worry. You have recourse to कर्म |
So, the second मंत्र-
*मंत्र २*
कुर्वन्नेवेह कर्माणि जिजीविषेच्छतं समाः ।
एवं त्वयि नान्यथेतोऽस्ति न कर्म लिप्यते नरे ॥ २ ॥
कुर्वन् एव इह – here only, because we are not talking about going to स्वर्ग yet.
So here itself,
जिजीविषेत् ~ should you wish to live,
शतम् समाः ~ 100 years.
So, you want to have a long life well, you can enjoy your life by doing,
कर्माणि ~ lots and lots of कर्म – वैदिक कर्म, लौकिक कर्म, all of that.
Can I drop out of कर्म, can I retire from कर्म? No, no, retirement is not possible.
एवं त्वयि न अन्यथ अस्ति – There is no other way to be free from कर्म |
The only way to be free from कर्म is by doing कर्म | What a contradiction, but that’s the only way it is. You do so much that you don’t define yourself by your कर्म | It’s no more about what do you do?
One of our typical questions when you meet a person- what do you do? I do this_____, and so we exchange some notes. Then we have judgments also, depending on what the other person says, doesn’t say and so on.
न कर्म न लिप्यते नरे- the कर्म does not touch this person,
Even if the person chooses to perform कर्म, and live all the way for 100 years i.e. a full life.
So, this conflict, that even Arjuna had, it seemed like a conflict between कर्म and ज्ञानम् |
But that has never been the conflict.
We don’t even realize that अविद्या is our problem. Only when you come to the शास्त्र you realize- oh, the reason why I am so inclined for this kind of कर्म, or I want to avoid, and therefore काम with deep binding desires~ रागद्वेष | Then you get it- Oh, it’s all because I don’t know who I am. That’s the diagnosis of the problem.
So, we don’t experience अविद्या, we experience the effect of अविद्या | So our problem is not that I don’t know; but I don’t want to do this कर्म | On a daily basis, certain कर्म is all very desirable, certain कर्म if I could avoid, I would avoid, I would want to get out of it.
So now with the restrictions easing up, a lot of people are meeting each other. And then let’s say you had invited one family. Now they feel obligated to invite you also home for dinner. So like that, we are a part of so many groups. So your own family group, maybe your in-laws group, maybe a friends group, and then the building complex or wherever you live kind of group. So people inviting each other, you going across etc, etc. And then invariably it so happens that some people will get upset. Either you needed to do something, you did not do properly. Or they were expecting you to invite them, it didn’t happen.
So during the pandemic, when people got married or had some heavy duty celebrations, because of restrictions on the guest list, a lot of people got offended. So that’s the thing with कर्म, that despite what you do, despite your best efforts, there will be a situation where you will feel wanting in your कर्म |
Or, you did your best. It’s a situation that is faced by a lot of parents, especially when the children are rebelling. Children can rebel either in teenage years or much later. And, after all that you have done, some will turn around, especially in a fit of anger and say- what did you do? Or that decision that you took, it was totally not appropriate. Or because you forced me into this Engineering, then I missed out on something else that I really wanted to do. Of course your intentions were fine and all that was okay. But I will never forgive you. Oh my God, your heart broke down in 1000 pieces. So much कर्म was done. You made so many sacrifices, but this is what you get to hear. So that’s the thing with कर्म- कर्म is limited and we try to seek fulfillment through कर्म, but we all know that that fulfillment is अनित्य आनन्द | It comes and goes, it’s temporary, it’s limited, it changes.
So now given that धर्म, अर्थ, काम are very important to me as a part of my life priorities, I will do कर्म, that’s what the उपनिषद् is saying. You want to be free from कर्म, but you’re not yet ready for a संन्यास lifestyle. No worries. You please keep doing lots of कर्म | And as you are doing this कर्म, recognize ईश्वर दृष्टि all the way.
So that you are able to do कर्म, this is even before ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: | So for any कर्म, the eye-hand coordination- minimum required, is all given. And then of course, whatever be the कर्म, whether you are raising a child, or doing a पूजा, or typing away on an email, or working on any project, all the way everything has been given to you.
If you’re doing a यज्ञ, all the द्रव्य-s that are offered, the मंत्र-s that have to be chanted, the order in which the ritual has to be performed, when the ghee has to be poured into अग्नि, all those details are also given by ईश्वर only through the वेद | The results are all the way shaped by ईश्वर |
So, offering all your कर्म –
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि संन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वर: ॥ ~ ३.३०, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता
So, you offer all your कर्म unto me(भगवान्) with अध्यात्म चेतसा | So with a mind that is beginning to discover what is real, not real.
And, निराशी: निर्मम: भूत्वा – that this is not mine.
इदम् न मम we are asked to say.
Even if one says- No, no, I just poured one kg of ghee into the fire. Oh so much ghee, we could have made gulab jamun with it. But anyway, it’s okay, it’s a passing thought- so much ghee did we put. So the pundit will tell you to say- इदम् न मम~ this is no more mine, it is not mine.
So निराशी: is not dropping expectations, of course we have some or the other expectation, but that all the results are being shaped by ईश्वर |
And before I am even doing the कर्म, I have प्रसाद बुद्धि: – this is important.
Okay, well we will wait. प्रसाद is not coming. I have done the project, but प्रसाद is in the form of delays, some difficulty, five more steps got added to the process. So all these things keep happening.
When the प्रसाद will come, then I will have प्रसाद बुद्धि: – No.
प्रसाद बुद्धि: is the attitude of even before the प्रसाद comes. And it’s not selective that- oh, this is nice and sweet, and therefore I like, so it’s okay. Then, this is very bitter, with all the fights that we had, I wish I could forget. But that’s a part of your life, related to your कर्म, related to your choices. So this bitter fruit is available for you in the form of प्रसाद- but that I cannot have प्रसाद बुद्धि: for. It’s difficult, it’s not easy. Still, whatever be the situation, the result of your वैदिक or लौकिक कर्म- delays, disappointments, no results, or at least it seems like there is no result, or a lot of abundant blessings, all the way ईश्वर, ईशा दृष्टि |
So with that the शुद्धि that we require, the freedom from रागद्वेष is available to us, otherwise everything is offered only to the altar of रागद्वेष |
So suppose I am अर्थ: भक्त or अर्थार्थी भक्त – I want certain things and that’s why I pray and that’s it. So, it’s transactional. Then, how is my day? My day is all about whatever I like should happen, whatever I dislike, I should be able to avoid, or whoever it is I dislike I should be able to avoid.
Suppose you work in a situation where there are some new people who have joined, and maybe you are a little efficient, and you’re good at your work, so you get impatient with the others. Now they are on a really steep learning curve, but I don’t have the patience for them. So now you want to avoid them. Let the others take care of them. Let the HR take care of them. I don’t want to deal with them.
Anyway, whatever is unfolding during the day, all the way, you may not be doing पूजा, but actually you do पूजा to रागद्वेष |
So रागद्वेष पूजा is going on- I hope I’m able to avoid someone, I hope I’m able to get what I want. So this is generally what we do.
But if you’re really doing पूजा, then रागद्वेष whatever it is, we will deal with it, and because I have रागद्वेष, I offer it to ईश्वर, aligned with धर्म I offer it to ईश्वर |
So a lot of us also struggle with overthinking. I can’t stop myself from overthinking, so this overthinking problem is because we are control freaks. We want to control the outcome, but we know we cannot control the outcome, so we want to be prepared for all possible consequences, or we want to be prepared at all costs. And therefore there is furious thinking about the same thing- you don’t get bored. Same thing again and again. So that I am ever-ready, ever prepared for everything. Really, we will never be ready for everything, but still we can handle it.
So this furious involvement in कर्म brings stress along. You can’t avoid it. Why? Because you want certain results, or you are frustrated at the capacities of the different people involved. Suppose you’re working on a project, then there are different capacities so everybody’s pitching in. Maybe it’s not progressing at the pace you would like etc, etc.
So वैदिक कर्म, लौकिक कर्म, whatever it is, it will fine tune रागद्वेष | This रागद्वेष is something that really filters our world view. And it’s really insidious. Even as a वेदान्त student, we will have रागद्वेष – I will interact with such kind of people, people who chant are a little…, people who know Sanskrit are…, people who know उपनिषद्… so there also there will be some categorization and some रागद्वेष |
Or रागद्वेष related to oneself. So, I don’t like the fact that I am not able to wake up at 4am in the morning. I’m very angry about it. I’m upset about this. Why I can’t do it? The whole world is able to do, but I’m not able to do it. So, whatever be the reason there is द्वेष | Or that some people are able to express themselves better than me. So, these are passing observations, they are okay. But the build-up of reactions on these observations, resulting in some राग or द्वेष, then how best to deal with it? The only way is to focus on कर्म and not allow yourself to be defined by रागद्वेष | This is a very important learning.
In scrapbooks in college we would have written that these are a list of my favorite things. That’s okay. But when you live life like this- very distinct रागद्वेष, then we have a lot of resistance. So we do enough कर्म that we are free from कर्म | Basically free from कर्म means free from the sense of कर्तृत्वम्- I did, or I didn’t do, I should have done, why I didn’t do. If we are looking at most of our ruminations, it’s got to do with कर्म done during the day- Oh, why/how did I miss saying this in the meeting? This was so important, but how did I miss saying it. Or I somehow got so carried away I only went on and on talking then the other people they said- Oh, you didn’t allow me to make the points during the presentation etc.
So often, in the name of I will introspect at the end of the day, what is the criteria for it? In many families, people are encouraged to think about what you did during the day, so is that framework- what you did during the day? Or what you learnt during the day? What you did well, what you did not do well? So, again कर्म & कर्ता orientation.
Of course introspection is helpful. But we have to be alert as to how we reinforce the कर्ता orientation. And naturally with कर्ता orientation, भोक्ता is not very far away- Today, I had a great day. Great day is भोक्ता speaking. Or today my day was lousy- of course भोक्ता speaking. I wish I had done more- कर्ता | I wish I had not done so much- कर्ता |
So कर्ता-भोक्ता-कर्ता-भोक्ता orientation. So, given that this is the orientation, offer the sense of कर्तृत्वम्-भोक्तृत्वम् unto ईश्वर, ईश्वर दृष्ट्या |
CLASS NOTES
*मंत्र ३*
असुर्या नाम ते लोका अन्धेन तमसावृताः ।तांस्ते प्रेत्याभिगच्छन्ति ये के चात्महनो जनाः ॥ ३ ॥
So there are about five verses- verses three to eight which are talking about the nature of the आत्मा and also to a great extent, the निवृत्ति lifestyle or संन्यास lifestyle.
असुर्या: लोका: – असु is इन्द्रियाणि/sense organs. So असुर्या: are the ones who revel in sense pleasures. Enjoying is one thing, but revel is where one only wants to listen to good music, and smell sweet fragrances, and eat very fine food, all the time obsessed with that~ असुर |So it’s very funny as we realize that we are असुर-s in many ways, or maybe we used to be.In popular culture what is emphasized? Pleasure. Wealth is highlighted. So now that Akshaya Tritiya is coming, ads in the newspaper and magazine are flooded with ‘buy’- buy something, buy gold, etc, etc. And there’s always a nice hook~ Akshaya Tritiya, you buy something auspicious, something auspicious will happen. Or some pleasure is highlighted. On popular media, where is धर्म highlighted? What will anyone gain by saying- oh please donate to this cause etc. In fact you will have to pay for that ad or newspaper space to say please contribute, please donate, etc, etc. So काम & अर्थ seem to be the driving force in popular culture. And असुर is also like this.
So in this obsession with कर्म- given that you want to live a really long life, then what? What shall you do? Well, please recognize that by doing all this, so much कर्म, you will go to स्वर्ग but still,असुर्या लोका: – that even if you go to these different लोक-s because of the पुण्य you have gained, still,अन्धेन तमसावृताः – you are blinded by तमस् or rather अविद्या/ignorance. That covers your vision.
But what’s wrong with doing good things? Well, even if you are, you are just going from मृत्यु to मृत्यु ~ from one lifetime to another to another to another. And this is what is apparently shocking about this मंत्र- that ते i.e. all these people who do this, go from one लोक to another, even if they’re going to स्वर्ग, what are they going to स्वर्ग for? It’s like you go abroad, either for a vacation, or you are going to work, because where you are, you find that there are not enough opportunities. So you move for more अर्थ, more काम, better lifestyle. Same thing applies to स्वर्ग also. You go there, you’re not going to age, so you can eat and drink and definitely make merry, and you’re not going to put on weight. Wow, what a place. And nobody’s going to stop you, no late night problems. You can just have a very, very good time. Enjoy all kinds of music and dance. So it’s all the way party-time. Who would not like such a place? Very clean, no mosquitoes, no bugs, no Corona, no masking etc etc. So wow, what a lovely place.
So even if the rest of the वेद talks about going to स्वर्ग, actually these people they are आत्म-हन:, ये जनाः – these people, they are as though slayers of the आत्मा |How can anyone slay the आत्मा? आत्मा is eternal. No, no. They slay the आत्मा in the sense that they refuse to do any आत्मा विचार | They don’t care for this. What kind of a pursuit is that? You know, you just have a good time. Well, what is this? What’s wrong with you? On a weekend you attend some class? What do you do, you listen? Then you see some vision or whatever. And otherwise you could be doing some very interesting things over the weekend. What are you escaping from? What’s wrong with you? So maybe there are people in our lives who still say this, or maybe they have been silenced, or they used to say this. They can’t figure out what are you doing all this आत्मा विचार and वेदान्त | This is for when you are 80+, not now. You are giving up precious hours of your life every weekend, whatever one or two hours for this? It’s okay, I will help you, what big secret sorrow you have? This आत्मा विचार don’t bother about it. This is not the time for it. You just have fun.
In the name of पुण्य people will go to स्वर्ग | Anxiety- I will secure my place in स्वर्ग by doing all these rituals/कर्म, or I do lots of दानम् etc. Nothing wrong with it. But that very वेद which has taught us rituals, also talks about आत्मा विचार, that is the greatest पुण्य actually. So, ज्ञानम् is the way ahead. What is the meaning of life? Who is the one that is going from one lifetime to another? Some thinking. The prompt could be anything. It could be the loss of a person, or some angst or curiosity. It could be any prompt that we all get in life.
But these people who go to स्वर्ग and are having a good lifestyle, they are आत्महन-s, as they have ignored..In other words the fact that I am that आत्मा, but is that going to give me more money, more pleasure? Even if I know I’m the आत्मा, it has no transactional value and so it is useless. So, आत्मा विचार is very easy to dismiss when one is pleasure-centered, or wealth-centered. So with all the effort that they have made for कर्म, they are not interested in आत्मा विचार |
When Swami Visharadananda was asked- What would be the kind of साधन-s that you would suggest to your students, earlier? So He said that I used to suggest some things, but later on I found that the only साधन is आत्मा विचार, that is the greatest पुण्य | This is very true. Initially, because it’s good for the mind to settle down, some साधन-s and all are okay~ मंत्र साधन and all that, but again and again you do विचार on the nature of the आत्मा, that itself is purifying. That itself gives you शुद्धि, it gives you नैश्चल्यम्(steadiness). We are not denying the importance of other साधन-s, and everybody in terms of their personality is different. So for some people martial arts works, for some people पूजा, जप, दानम् | All these are important, they work. But ultimately, with all the पुण्य that one has, with the wealth that one has, because wealth really buys us time, and time is the only resource that we cannot gain. You can only free up time with the money that you have, so you outsource- you get people to do X Y Zed for you. But no matter how intelligent, or even whatever prayers you do, you’re not going to get the lost time right. Once gone, gone, that’s it over.
So to be able to use the limited time that one has on this earth, even if you go to स्वर्ग लोक,
ते तं भुक्त्वा स्वर्गलोकं विशालं
क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति ।
एवं त्रयीधर्ममनुप्रपन्ना
गतागतं कामकामा लभन्ते ॥ ९.२१, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता
So, once theपुण्य is over, then back, and hopefully back to the earth where you can pick up the thread. So this श्लोक recalls an incident in the ashram- People would really compete initially to sit in the first or the second row, so that Pujya Swamiji is looking directly at them and teaching. And then the person who was sitting in the first row had to go away for a few days for some work. So he went and then he gave that responsibility of doing the video recording to one of the batchmates. And the batchmate was very happy that Pujya Swamiji was sitting right there in front of him and teaching, so this is स्वर्ग | Then a few days later, that person who actually sits on that first row arrived and so this batchmate says- क्षीणे पुण्ये मर्त्यलोकं विशन्ति । So my पुण्य is over of sitting here in this first row.
So your पुण्य is over of being in स्वर्ग- now back. There also is the pursuit of धर्म, अर्थ, काम | Actually more of अर्थ and काम | Because if one is inclined to धर्म, or is very involved in धार्मिक् activities, then sooner or later one will question- Why do good things happen to bad people, and bad things happen to good people, sooner or later you will question- What is this law of कर्म etc. So, it will take you to ईश्वर विचार | But if all the attention is focused on अर्थ & काम, and the same thing applies with wanting to go to स्वर्ग, then all the way it is आत्महन: |
आत्म-हन:~ you just ignore anything to do with the आत्मा, you just shut your ears. And why? Because- तमसावृताः अन्धेन ~ this darkness that is there in the form of अविद्या, it covers your vision. So of course, अविद्या is अनादि – we are born with अविद्या | But to stay with अविद्या, to stay ignorant is a greater mistake- We can’t do anything, this is our working capital, we are born with अविद्या, okay fine. But then what about it? People have so many opportunities to learn, to be exposed to the Vedic vision, to recognize what the whole purpose of life is all about. But really they are killers of the आत्मा in the sense that they just totally ignore anything to do with the आत्मा |So these are common जनाः and so प्रेत्य- they go from birth to birth or death to death. And they are happy with कर्म |
Maybe some of us now also, not recognizing that more कर्म will not solve the problem of संसार- the sense of becoming, or the struggle of I am not enough. You can do as much कर्म as you want. Bonus got declared, you got $20,000, you’re very happy, unexpected in pandemic time, and you’re just about to call home to share this great news. Then you hear your colleague saying- oh, I got $25,000. What? No, no, definitely not deserving. I did all the work, you got more. My $20,000 is like zero for me now. So, it just takes a few moments to disturb our peace of mind, because our focus is on अनित्य results. And then we say- oh, I have to deal with my stress. I have so much stress at work. But what for, so that I can work more. Right? No, no, I’m so stressed out with family, so many things to take care of. So this one is not well, then that one is in the hospital and then so many invitations I have to respond to, and the house is leaking, so that’s another thing to look at, and then who’s going to come in this hot summer so I’m chasing all the plumbers, electricians, they’re taking their own time etc. etc. So much to be done. Then, where is the leisure for आत्मा विचार? Because moving from one कर्म to another either in the realm of काम or अर्थ, trying to manage/juggle all the balls in the air, and then say- oh I am अकर्ता, I am अभोक्ता | It requires some time, some leisure. So that’s not available.Unless we make the time for it.
And that little नैश्चल्यम् that might be there, a certain steadiness that comes from कर्म योग बुद्धि:, that comes from some साधना; so with this शुद्धि and नैश्चल्यम्, then a little space is there, like the window opens up a little allowing one stream of light in this darkness, so some विचार is possible. But what is the विचार about? It is the nature of the आत्मा |
In our normal interactions there have been instances in the past where we have been ignored in interactions. E.g. you walk into a party and maybe somebody ignores you. Now, for many people this is very upsetting. Why? Because when you are ignored it means you don’t exist. You know, your presence is not considered, it is diminished. In fact, it is obliterated. For a lot of us, before we began to recognize ईश्वर in our lives, we have ignored ईश्वर | Everything is possible because of ईश्वर only, but it’s like the elephant in the room. What elephant? No, no, I only did everything. And I am the one who is struggling. You know I am the one who is affected~ भोक्ता, and I’m also the one who is struggling. But for the sake of significance, how I hold on to कर्ता-भोक्ता and ignore ईश्वर | Ignore means- you don’t exist for me, whether I made the active effort to ignore, or you don’t feature in my grand scheme of things. So for these people, even though on the face of it, they are very noble, they are performing lots of rituals, they have contributed a lot of gold to theगोपुरम् in the temple- my god for that person to contribute so much then the person would have made huge money. Or the person has said that for world peace we will perform different होम-s. Or anything that is grand that is done. Our role models are those people.
If you look at popular culture, who are the role models? So the influencers who are famous for the sake of being famous, they have something to contribute for sure. Not denying that. But whoever gets called a celebrity, or whoever we look up to for different things, it’s all धर्म-अर्थ based. Even the newspapers will highlight the one who has more धर्म, more अर्थ | In fact there are lists for it- Forbes list and so on. Is there a list for the one who does maximum दानम्? So some social pressure is there- so you please contribute, Warren Buffett initiated, so we must contribute etc, etc.
So it’s no wonder that the obsession with काम & अर्थ is so much that it continues to स्वर्ग, and also one ignores That which illumines everything. Because if only one knew, then all the wealth is yours anyway. The world is in you, you are not in the world. But that is how it is. And so the उपनिषद् is almost striking a word of caution, that in all your कर्म, don’t get carried away with धर्म, अर्थ and ignore आत्मा विचार |
When it comes to spending time on वेदान्त, or suppose one is told you please do one माला of this मंत्र, then
some negotiation begins- Can I do twenty-four times? Can I do three times? I don’t have the time. Would you say this to your boss? Would you say- today I can’t do 12 hours, can I work for 11 hours instead? You will die but those words will not come out of the mouth. Because how can I negotiate on this अर्थ pursuit? How can I negotiate on काम? So all those excuses we have- I am busy, everyone is busy, of course. But the way we negotiate for things to do with साधना or for the विचार related to वेदान्त, it is good to juxtapose that with how we negotiate our time and attention for अर्थ and काम |
So you have to stand in the queue to deposit in the bank, 2 hours it will take. You will grumble but will stand. Then there is some time needed for वेदान्त, but our standards are not the same, which is just to show how important it is even for the ones who are in the वेदान्त pursuit. How easily it gets compromised- the time and attention because you know, every time I can’t fight with my family. The family says- what is this, you’re always busy in the weekend, and what is this, it is not fair to us. Yes. So, you have to think of creative ways to make up for it or rather, have some decent understanding. Please don’t fight with your family because you are pursuing वेदान्त | But the time and attention that I give वेदान्त, आत्मा विचार, do I hide behind~ Oh, I’m so busy. I don’t have the time etc etc. I will not say the same thing in relation to work. Then is it because it is an issue of accountability to an external person? Or what will they think of me, and therefore I have to toe the line, or is it my sense of prioritization?
So it’s not only about the ones who are स्वर्ग काम, wanting to go there. But even here for the ones who are pursuing आत्मा विचार, are we killing the आत्मा ?But whatever attention, time this pursuit requires depending on the age and stage of life that I am in, do I do that and if not, there’s nothing to feel bad about. Just align, maybe make a little more time for it. Or if I’m escaping into वेदान्त from life, then please, I have to stop that. Then I have to engage more with people. So, all of us are at different levels. So we have to be honest with ourselves and decide.
All the way आत्मा विचार can definitely liberate you, but if the mind is preoccupied with काम & अर्थ, then the time and leisure that we need, we are denying ourselves that. So that’s the whole purpose. Now, we will see the nature of आत्मा, from मंत्र ४ onwards.
Q&A- Whilst the rest of the वेद will talk of the glory of going to स्वर्ग, this मंत्र particularly talks of the limitations of that aspiration, in the absence of आत्मा विचार |
ॐ
CLASS NOTES
If we ask people, even amongst वेदान्त students, what is your spiritual goal? In Gita Amrtam class we recently had the exercise of articulating one’s life priorities. And one of the dimensions is- what is your goal in spirituality? Because we’re looking at other dimensions also- intellectual, emotional, social, financial, physical etc. And what people say about their spiritual goal is actually not मोक्ष |
E.g.- A student asked- What साधना do you think I need to do? She was not very clear about why she attends the वेदान्त class, though she gets a benefit for sure. So Swaminiji replied- tell me what is your goal spiritually? And she said- Oh, I want harmony amongst all my family members.
So, that’s a goal that everyone wants, but that will come under धर्म-काम | Having harmony amongst everybody at work and family and so on, if you are doing it by hook or by crook, then it is काम | But, you say no, I align with धर्म, so then~ धर्म-काम |
I want peace of mind- a lot of people say this. Is that मोक्ष? In some ways, it is धर्म | One wants to align yourself with the ways of the mind such that it does not disturb you.
Then what else? I want to go within etc.
So, it’s a very interesting exercise and a question to ask- that what we are really aspiring for on a daily basis, or on a regular basis, if it is not मोक्ष, then there will be less motivation and even commitment to वेदान्त |
The human condition has to be very clearly discerned.
And the third मंत्र that we saw which talks about going to असुर्या लोका: – all opportunities for pleasure, for काम, for relating, for intimacy, for great music, for dance, for great experiences, that is a part of spirituality from the entire वेद standpoint~ धर्म, अर्थ, काम | But in the name of seeking pleasure i.e. काम, am I ignoring the आत्मा?
So, if my spiritual goal is relationship management, then any talk about आत्मा/ब्रह्मन् is like, can we skip this part, can we go to the more juicy part? Let’s talk about how we can communicate better, understand each other better. Suddenly, the ears perk up when there is talk about relationships. We’re not denying it- it’s very, very important and only when one is in harmony in terms of पञ्चमहायज्ञा, only then some insight happens. Insight can also happen otherwise, but you see the need for relating, staying connected, acknowledging one’s own connections and so on.
So the आत्महन:~ that as if आत्मा does not exist. Even if anything is spoken about the आत्मा- one is like okay, okay, we’ll see some time or the other, we’ll get to it. Because one is so consumed by being obsessed, either with family or with work, that’s generally our obsession. And it’s nice to hide behind duty, we do this.
At one level, it’s very good that there is a duty orientation, but in the name of duty, we tend to postpone things, we tend to deny certain aspects of our own lives. Ask a lot of the mothers, right? It’s not that things can’t be worked out, whatever it is that one wants to do. And this is not necessarily about professional work, professional or non-professional work. Ultimately, besides the mother role, one wants to have a sense of productivity. Everyone wants that, everyone wants to make a difference, whatever you decide whatever is your sphere. But we can hide behind duty, behind responsibility. And say- Oh, all this आत्मा stuff, this is not my cup of tea.
So, they are आत्महन: ~ slayers of the आत्मा |
So, then what is the आत्मा?
*मंत्र ४*
अनेजदेकं मनसो जवीयो नैनद्देवा आप्नुवन्पूर्वमर्षत् ।
तद्धावतोऽन्यानत्येति तिष्ठ—त्तस्मिन्नपो मातरिश्वा दधाति ॥ ४ ॥
In this मंत्र ४, you will find that there are some words which do not have a direct translation, especially the word अप: ~ अपो, it comes a little later, is not referring to the waters. So, there are a lot of Sanskrit enthusiasts, who say that once you know Sanskrit, you can approach the scriptures by yourself.
But, Do NOT inquire into the scriptures independently.
Even if you are a शास्त्र-ज्ञ:, even if you are a व्याकरणम्-ज्ञ: i.e. even if you know grammar very well, you please do not independently inquire, then you will make a mess of things. Why? Because a lot of the words in the वेद, also have a छन्दस्-प्रयोजनम् ~ they have a specific use, and a specific meaning as used in the वेद, though colloquially, literally, they may have a different meaning.
You know this आत्महन:, the one who was referred to in the prior मंत्र? Oh, what is the आत्मा then?
अनेजत् एकम् –
आत्मा is-
एक: ~ One.
अनेजत् ~ not moving.
It’s unmoving, yet-
मनस: जवीय: – faster than the mind.
And what else?
देवा ~ the इन्द्रियाणि/sense organs,
न आप्नुवन् पूर्वम् अर्षत् ~ they (the देवा:/sense organs) cannot overtake,
एनत् ~ This i.e. The Reality of the आत्मा |
Why? Because before the senses go to some object, आत्मा is already there.
पूर्वम् अर्षत्~ has already reached.
The उपनिषद् uses the language of paradox often, because we have a tendency to categorize everything, and so it will stun us. Because whatever is said about the आत्मा, you will fit it into some category. Much of learning takes place in that way, and that’s fine.
For all other conceptual learning, we may need to put things into categories because all learning takes place and is built upon what is known. So, to know of a coyote, i.e. the animal in the US, this animal is very new to us in India. So, coyote- is that bird, animal, insect? But I have some idea of the animal. Then, you say coyote, then you describe, then you say- Oh, it’s one of those animals. Okay, fine. So the word is unknown to me. And then you say something, and then it gets added to what is my known understanding of animals.
So, the आत्मा is faster than the mind, and it precedes the movement of the senses.
But, it is अनेजत् i.e. it is not moving.
How to understand?
In Zen, they use koans, which are very short sentences which stun you. They stun you to see the truth. They have their own methodology.
Here, are we using the language of paradox to confuse you? No, no, no, not at all. We’re using the language of paradox to show that you cannot categorize the आत्मा into any kind of object that you might be aware of, or even an object that you are not aware of. You cannot categorize it. Because the mind will push to categorize.
We can categorize objects, but to feel safe, we also categorize people as a self-protective mechanism. So this one is like this, that one is like this. Then, suppose the person behaves a little differently, you know readily you thought this person is a very nice person, then suddenly the person was very rude to you. When you give the person the benefit of doubt, saying the person was angry or hangry(hungry & angry). Maybe not. You will think of the worst possible consequence. Or say that actually this person is like this only, everything else was just an act. So, we want to fit the person into some category because if you don’t put the person in a category, then you don’t know how to deal with the person. This is how we relate. Should I be equally nice to the person, should I be withdrawn? How do I behave? I don’t know. Of course, if you rely on धर्म then you will know, but we think that our बुद्धि: is even greater than धर्म, then we try to imagine things.
So, people are put nicely into categories. Then what should we do about आत्मा? It is not moving, and at the same time, it’s faster than the mind, because of course the mind is the fastest. So, if your child asks- which is the fastest vehicle? One child asked his father- which is the best vehicle? Because he saw that all the other kids were coming in all very fancy cars. And this child was being dropped in an auto-rickshaw. But, very innocently the child asks the father- which is the best way of transport? He replies- your legs are the best way. So suddenly the child is stunned- yeah, that’s true. I can go anywhere. Some places even the car doesn’t go, but I can go.
Which is faster than your feet? Your mind. Which is faster than the mind? आत्मा |
So faster, but anyway आत्मा is not in any race. There has to be two to determine any comparative degree of faster or not.
So, when we are talking about the nature of any object, or rather the nature of the mind, we have to see the distinction between आत्मा and the mind. So here, the mind as we call it, it seems very solid, tangible- it’s not. It is दृश्यम् |
All the time we are aware of what is happening- if we pay attention, or we may be lost in something, whatever it is. So all our ideas, our excitement, our feelings, some memory of the mango milkshake. All that is दृश्यम् i.e. seen. Whatever is happening in the mind, you see.
So, I the साक्षी-दृग्, ever दृग्, I see what’s happening in the mind.
So, whatever is happening in the mind is दृश्यम्, therefore the mind is दृश्यम् | I am the दृग्, the subject.
Then, in छान्दोग्योपनिषद् Chapter 6, there is a mention of how the subtlest part of matter/food forms the mind. So the mind is still the subtlest form of matter. Because even if we say ‘a thought’, it is a subtlest form. You cannot see it with your naked eyes, but it is a form nevertheless. Different forms are there, and the form is a product of the पञ्चमहाभूत | So you may eat veg-biryani, but the subtlest part of that veg-biryani forms your mind, and it keeps nourishing it and so on and so forth.
So some carbs are important for the growth of the brain, but of course the mind is not the brain, but it serves as a medium for some of the functions.
So what is दृश्यम्, what is an object? It is भौतिकम् | It is made up of a bunch of पञ्चमहाभूत |
So the mind is-
(i) दृश्यम्
(ii) भौतिकम् – made up of पञ्चमहाभूत |
(iii) It is ever changing – विकारी all the time, and even if it’s not changing, we make it change.
Suppose you’re quiet, or suppose you are reflecting on your growth in the light of वेदान्त.
So, you feel you have some amount of समत्वम् with respect to a particular person. Then, you are now thinking more about it. But still, you know some things really disturb me about this person. And I hope and wish that when this person is around, I don’t get agitated. But thinking thinking thinking, building on it- Now I’m getting agitated. So, I cannot accept that I accept. I cannot accept that I cannot accept.
So, a part of reducing your agitation is that I accept that I’m agitated, and that it is the psychological order that is ईश्वर |
But, self-mastery calls- I have to master my mind.
Relax. That’s all that is required, don’t give extra fuel. But, no, why it is like this, it should not be like this, but they are like this… So, विकार- a lot of change.
So आत्मा is अविकारी – no change whatsoever. Mind is विकारी – changing all the time.
Then the mind has, not independently of course, the गुण-s of सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस् | So depending on the nature of one’s mind, it reflects in your behavior, your personality, etc, etc. Whereas आत्मा is निर्गुण | निर्गुण does not mean the absence of गुण | आत्मा is the basis of all गुण-s, free from गुण-s.
Because गुण is विकारी, गुण is subject to change- little more सत्त्व, little more रजस्, little more तमस् etc.
So, this mind that really moves so fast, with which we have a really deep identification, because we want to control the world. We don’t say it in so many words, but really we want to control what is happening around us.
That’s why there is this furious chatter- This is not okay. That is okay. Oh, that’s okay, fine- Oh, now I can relax. Or, now I’m in a safe place- nice. Or now I’m not in a safe place, I better be careful, I better watch what I say because this person is going to pounce on me, and then point out some faults.
So we have developed this relationship with the mind that- of course, it’s an instrument, but so identified with it, and trying to deal with the world by having a constant chatter. I cannot control the external environment, so I try to calm myself down. No, it’s okay, it’s okay, you can handle it. Or, oh my God, how could you have made such a fool of yourself? So, some chatter is going on non- stop.
So, let things be, you be.
What do you mean? How to be? What does that mean? What do I have to do? What साधना do I have to do to be?
So this is the mind. Because the mind is like- Okay, I will fix things, I will fix people, I will fix my life. You have to know when you have to stop fixing also.
Suppose you are tottering around, it’s like something or the other you are doing. But how much- What will you do? What more can you do?
So this आत्मा and the mind, seeing the clear distinction-
1. While the mind has गुण-s of सत्त्व, रजस्, तमस्; आत्मा is निर्गुण | आत्मा that is I is निर्गुण |
2. The mind has विकार/changes, आत्मा-I is अविकारी/unchanging.
3. The mind is made of पञ्चमहाभूत, I-आत्मा am the very basis of all the पञ्चमहाभूत |
4. The mind comes and goes.
So, you wake up and the alarm is ringing. You hit the snooze button, again the mind is gone. Then, the mind kicks in, you here it ringing.
आगम – अपायि ~ comes and goes in deep sleep.
Dream- comes, is there. Then, deep sleep- goes. Goes meaning that it becomes dormant.
Whereas I-आत्मा am not coming and going. There is no race between आत्मा and the mind.
5. Anyway the mind is really कार्यम् i.e. it is a product.
So, by saying that, first of all that आत्मा is एक:, it is not moving, and at the same time it is faster than the mind. It has reached even when the senses haven’t reached.
So we have a very unique model of perception. Modern science will tell us that the light has to hit the retina and then we are able to see something.
Our(वेदान्त) model of perception is that the mind goes outward, encloses the object, and that’s how you perceive something. Perception/प्रत्यक्षम् includes sight, sound/hearing, smelling, tasting, touching.
The exception to the modern theory of perception are those moments when your eyes are open, you are looking out in front, but your mind is elsewhere. And then somebody is waving out to you furiously, but you can’t perceive, you’re lost in thought. Then the person comes in front of you, shakes you up, and says- hello, what is this? Then you say- oh, sorry, I didn’t see you. But your eyes were open. Yes, your eyes are open. Your eyes are fine. But the mind was not behind the eyes. That’s why I didn’t see you, because the mind was elsewhere.
So I-आत्मा am unmoving, yet faster than everything, in the sense that all that is here is आत्मा – all pervasive आत्मा |
6. And mind is जडम्, senses are जडम्/inert, by themselves they cannot function, whether it is कर्मेन्द्रिय or ज्ञानेन्द्रिय (organs of action, organs of knowledge).
Once the Arsha Vidya Teachers were in Rishikesh, so a couple of them said – let’s go to Iskcon’s Govinda restaurant to eat. So, some said- Oh, you all please go ahead, when you reach there, we would already have reached there. So this is an आत्मा joke- wherever you think the senses are going somewhere, or you want to know something, foreground is that knowledge, but actually आत्मा has already reached there. Why? Because आत्मा is all-pervasive.
So आत्मा is not subject to any modification, ever the witness of all. And witness we use in a referential, specific context only; that non-changing witness that is always there.
So the mind, the senses, they don’t have an existence of their own.
The आत्मा is all pervading, it is you; wherever the mind wants to go, आत्मा is there. If the mind doesn’t want to go, आत्मा is still there.
So where can the mind go, where आत्मा is not there? Where can your senses go?
Elon Musk is working on Neuralink- so these will be some chips, maybe five years down the line or earlier, where we can put some chips in our brain, and we may get some additional powers. It might be good for people who are suffering from dementia, or some neurological disorders, so certain functions that they were not able to perform, maybe this can help.
So, whatever it be, wherever your senses go, आत्मा blesses- आत्मा that is you, who is always present.
न एनत् देवा:, आप्नुवन् पूर्वम् अर्षत् |
So, first of all our इन्द्रिय-s/sense organs are presided over by देवता-s.
That which illumines- that’s the beauty of the sense organs, especially ज्ञानेन्द्रिय | ज्ञानेन्द्रिय itself is such a revealing word, that the sense organs/इन्द्रिय-s, they are for ज्ञानम् | So, different sights, different sounds, different tastes. A lot of women do non-stop watching of cookery shows. This is good & creative, but how can you watch for hours and hours cookery shows? The mother says- you all enjoy good food because of me watching cookery shows. So, this is ज्ञानम् in terms of the different types of cuisines. So, then you see, and then you imagine how it will taste, then you try it out- all ज्ञानम्, ज्ञानेन्द्रिय |
So पूर्वम् अर्षत् – the इन्द्रियाणि, they cannot overtake the आत्मा | That which illumines the इन्द्रियाणि/sense organs, That is the आत्मा |
So in तत्त्वबोध, we see that the ज्ञानेन्द्रिय-s are made from सत्त्व, whereas all the कर्मेन्द्रिय/organs of action are all based on रजस्-predominant, of course the other गुण-s are also there.
It’s just fascinating how everything has come about in terms of पञ्चीकरणम् |
So, what this first line is really telling us is that आत्मा is all pervasive. There is not a place nor a time that it is not; That it is you.
And It is अप्रमेय | अप्रमेय word is used in the second chapter of the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता |
अन्तवन्त इमे देहा नित्यस्योक्ता: शरीरिण: ।
अनाशिनोऽप्रमेयस्य तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत ॥ १८॥
आत्मा is not an object of any प्रमाण |
Oh, but you say that वेदान्त is a प्रमाण? Yes, because you the आत्मा are अप्रमेय, therefore you can wield a प्रमाण |
You are not the आत्मा because the वेद tells you. You are the आत्मा, mistaken, not quite understood.
And the वेद will just remove the error, that’s all. The वेद is actually not telling you anything new, just removing layers of ignorance.
So आत्मा is अप्रमेय, cannot be known. Cannot be known means that it is me, it is not an object. Because object means all those things will come in- विकारी, गुणत्वम्, भौतिकत्वम् etc.
तत् धावत: अन्यान् अत्येति तिष्ठ –
While remaining stationary/not moving i.e. not changing,
तत् धावत: अन्यान् अत्येति – it outruns all the ones who are running i.e. basically mind, speech, senses, which are distinct from the आत्मा |
So, this emphasizes that आत्मा is ‘faster’ than all of this, while it remains unchanging, निर्गुण and free from the पञ्चमहाभूत-s.
तस्मिन् अपो मातरिश्वा दधाति –
So, while being there,
मातरिश्वा referring to वायु | मातरि- that which sustains all life, which is वायु | So that which moves freely in space/आकाश |
So just like वायु sustains all life forms; which really brings in the different laws of nature.
That which sustains समष्टि, or we can refer to it as सूत्रात्मा, हिरण्यगर्भ |
हिरण्यगर्भ, simply we can say is the cosmic mind, but obviously not limited in that sense. So all aspects which include प्राण |
Our definition of सूक्ष्मशरीर includes प्राण | Sometimes we say- oh सूक्ष्मशरीर = mind, just if we’re progressing in the explanation.
But सूत्रात्मा/सूक्ष्मशरीर/subtle body is not only just your thoughts and emotions, etc., that’s one tiny part of it. The पञ्चप्राणा is very much there.
How else will the mind go, wherever it has to go.
So दधाति,
these different अप: ~ अप: is not referring to the waters, but it is referring to all different कर्म-s.
So yes मातरिश्वा/वायु दधाति supports everything, sustains all life, activities and so on.
And the further implied meaning is that कर्मणि ~ so all कर्म-s which start with the ritualistic use of water, etc. During पूजा, everything we are using water all the time. And it’s a very important aspect of वैदिक कर्म, sustaining life too. So, these laws of nature that support all life, That basis of all of these activities is indeed the आत्मा, That is me.
So in some ways, this is a little लक्षण वाक्य, not exactly महावाक्य, but sort of tending in that direction.
Why? Because व्यष्टि and समष्टि, both are spoken of.
In the first part of the मंत्र, there is a reference to दृग्-दृश्यम् in the context of the mind and the senses, that is at a व्यष्टि level.
Then, all the various activities, or what we refer to as laws of nature. So the आत्मा is the very basis of मातरिश्वा that supports all activities at a समष्टि level.
So when we look at animals, insects, reptiles, everybody has different capacities- in terms of hearing, sensing. For instance, the snake doesn’t have legs. No. But it’s so fast. The entire organ of the skin is alive, so the snake moves with the help of the skin.
So like that if you see all beings are being sustained by that आत्मा, which is the basis of the mind and the senses, and that आत्मा which is the basis of all activities, all कर्मणि of all beings.
So that is a sort of indication that the basis of both the व्यष्टि (individual) and समष्टि (all of this, the total) is indeed the आत्मा |
CLASS NOTES
Then, in some sort of repetition but not exactly, is the next मंत्र-
*मंत्र ५*
तदेजति तन्नैजति तद्दूरे तद्वन्तिके ।
तदन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तदु सर्वस्यास्य बाह्यतः ॥ ५ ॥
तत् एजति- आत्मा moves.
How do you say आत्मा, and आत्मा word is not there?
तत् शब्द is there and the topic under discussion is the आत्मा |
How you know it is the आत्मा? ~ आत्महन: (मंत्र ३).
So, on your own it will be difficult, one would say suddenly the उपनिषद् is talking about the आत्मा | Previously उपनिषद् was talking about कर्म & लोक, now suddenly आत्मा |
So, never try to understand any मंत्र or श्लोक in isolation. That is why the षट्-लिङ्ग विचार is so important. Of course, the Teacher does it for you initially, and then once you are more proficient and you’ve been exposed for a while, then you can also use षट्-लिङ्ग विचार | So that means after the भगवद्-गीता, and at least 7 or 8 उपनिषद्-s, and the ब्रह्मसूत्र-s, when you are studying on your own- then yes, you can apply षट्-लिङ्ग विचार |
So, उपक्रम-उपसंहार ~ what has gone before, what is coming towards the end, you have to pay attention to it. You cannot just look at a मंत्र in isolation. And that is why we are so grateful to भगवान् शङ्कराचार्य, because that’s what He did for us. How do we know what is there in बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्? But, He will show one reference. Or what is there in तैत्तिरीय-उपनिषद्?
So here I can barely spell उपनिषद्, how do I make sense of the whole thing? Thanks to Him.
तत् एजति- आत्मा moves.
Then, तत् न एजति- आत्मा doesn’t move at all.
So this is saying that आत्मा is all-pervasive.
Then, it is far away. Yet it is near. Again, the language of paradox is being used.
When all that is here is I-the-आत्मा, then where will it move?
This example is a little politically incorrect. But still, suppose if there’s a really obese person sitting in the chair on a flight next to you, and half of that person is just falling on you. And you say- Please move, please adjust. But where? There’s no place to adjust, because fully one chair is not enough, then what shall we say?
So, there has to be some place to move. So, you’re saying आत्मा is obese? No. All that is here is the आत्मा, so where will it move? It doesn’t move. Because it is all-pervading, it is me.
But उपनिषद् is saying that आत्मा moves. What does that mean?
Well, from the नामरूप standpoint, you went from India to the US. So, you are the आत्मा; reflected-आत्मा-consciousness is not any less. But as though आत्मा-अनात्म is mixed up.
So yes, आत्मा is all-pervasive and therefore cannot move, does not move, yet it moves.
Oh, I will go on यात्रा | आत्मा is going from Mumbai to Kedarnath. There also the person is still आत्मा only. So no, no, I want to come back to India after 10 years abroad- still आत्मा only. This movement of नामरूप, all the way it is still आत्मा | So therefore we can account for the fact that आत्मा moves, but it is still unmoving.
Then,
दूरम् ~ आत्मा is very far away.
So for the ones who don’t understand, आत्मा is very far away.
It’s like when people fight with each other. You are probably at three feet distance from the person, but some argument is there so you start shouting. Why? Because for you that person has become very far away, you’re not able to get through to that person. Despite three feet distance, so the person can hear you whisper also, you start shouting.
Or sometimes we say that although we live in the same family, I feel distant, far away. Why? Because not understood, or harmony is not there, or whatever it is.
So how आत्मा can be दूरम् if you have already said that आत्मा is all-pervasive. How it is far away? Oh, it is far away because you have considered आत्मा as an object.
Or, when will I be happy? And we postpone our happiness, we actually deny our own happiness. I will be happy when I get मोक्ष | But you’re already मुक्त, you’re already free. Oh, but I don’t know it, you know? Why don’t you know it? No, I’m very identified. Why are you identified so much, that what is मिथ्या is taken as सत्यम्? Well, what to do, I’m so attached. Why are you so attached? It’s so nice, I don’t want to give up attachment. Nobody asked you to give up attachment, you please relate in all your roles, do it with as much love and whatever you want to bring to the table, please go ahead and do that. आत्मा is not opposed to you relating to anyone. Well, I have to think more about it. So, this is how we procrastinate.
So, दूरम् (far away), because some ideas we have that- oh if I have a lot of समत्वम्, or if I do X Y Zed only then, or if I do full time course, only then it will all become very clear to me. All that will happen is whatever is obstructing your thinking, in terms of अंतःकरण शुद्धि: that will be sorted, to a great extent.
But we often condition ourselves. We limit ourselves by our own ideas- once this happens, if and when, when and then, if this happens then that will happen.
Once I have time, I will be able to devote to वेदान्त | That will never happen. Once I retire- nope. Everything will happen simultaneously. Once I get X amount of money, it will be fine; there will be more demands, don’t think it will be any less.
So आत्मा is far away because I want it to be far away. We have some fears- they may be articulated, they may not be articulated. Suppose I know the truth, will things change for me? How will I live my life? What if I want to walk away from everything? What if- the what if game continues here also. Then what will happen, what will happen? There is no substance to your ‘what if’, but of course the mind has to be given something to do…Because I have figured out my life, I have self-mastery.
So, once I know the truth, then this will happen, that will not happen, etc. How will people treat me? People will think you’re foolish. Is that okay with you?
So, you will only think that you were foolish- What, that’s all? How I took everything to be so real? How did I consider all this? How come I was suffering so much? So, forget about what others think, you will only think how foolish you were.
So, आत्मा दूरम् ~ आत्मा seems remote, just like भगवान् seems remote for those who have not discovered भगवान् | So therefore remote for the one who doesn’t understand.
And at the same time, अन्तिके |
So, it is very far away, yet it is अन्तिके i.e. it is within.
Within means- People will say~ oh आत्मा is there in everyone.
In everyone- for a start, this understanding is okay. But for instance, the heart is in everyone. So, you have again located the all-pervasive आत्मा |
अव्यक्तं व्यक्तिमापन्नं मन्यन्ते मामबुद्धय: ।
परं भावमजानन्तो ममाव्ययमनुत्तमम् ॥ ७.२४, श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता
So what is not a व्यक्ति, you have reduced भगवान् to a व्यक्ति | So, reduced आत्मा also- as localized in time and place.
So अन्तिके- that which is within, that which is closest to you, in fact it can’t be any closer; it is you.
So our level of closeness generally we consider in the form of distance or closeness/near.
But here आत्मा is neither too far away, nor is it very close. Why? Because it is me.
So what is the difference between I and I?
If I am so identified with अहंकार, then there is a distance, as though, between अहंकार and आत्मा | Because I’m not quite understanding that आत्मा is the one that pervades the अहंकार |
So~ आत्मा दूरे |
अहम् आत्मा – I am the आत्मा |
So, is it like how Ganapati-Baba has his पाश, so basically for the devotees he brings/attracts. So like that you have done something to the आत्मा, you have drawn the आत्मा close? No, no, it is you. आत्मा is me. So the question of near and close does not really arise.
तत् अन्तरस्य सर्वस्य तत् सर्वस्य बाह्यतः च आत्मा ।
So, this inside and outside is again a referential point.
Initially some people say that आत्मा is inside everyone. But this localizes आत्मा in terms of time and place.
Then what do you mean, suppose you say yes, आत्मा is indeed in everyone, then is it inside like the lungs and the heart and the kidney? आत्मा is a part of the body? No, no, it’s not. Then is it? Because if you’re saying it is in you and when we say ‘you’, ‘you’ referring to the body mind, then you have to progress in that inquiry…inside what?
So, like some sort of structure is there- then it’s not a body part, otherwise it can be amputated, and you are अनात्मा now, no आत्मा for you. Or it can develop tumor also, any part of the body can get cancer also, but this does not apply.
Then how you can say आत्मा is inside you? Oh no, no, no, it is like a property of the body. But property also- it can come, it can go, always subject to विकार, आत्मा is not like that.
No, no, like how we eat and then food gets converted into energy, then more you meditate, then you become the आत्मा – No. आत्मा is not a process, it is not a product of any process you undertake.
No, no, I will do lot of मंत्र जप and I will become the आत्मा- No, no such thing. आत्मा is not a product of any process you undertake. Because I am very much there, आत्मा is very much there.
Then is it limited by the boundary of the body? No, because as I-the आत्मा, I see what is happening to this human being called whatever name has been given by the parents or the गुरु | I see what’s happening.
Sometimes we may experience that we are almost physically a little above the person, and you’re watching and you’re saying- Who is this, it feels a little familiar. As you look at your activities, your experiences, your life situations and so on, never touched आत्मा, never touched. Of course, the mind can be touched, the body etc. can go through lots of changes etc., but never, ever touch आत्मा |
So we can mistake the understanding of I am the साक्षी of my body-mind-senses, and then say- yes, okay fine, I get it. You’re saying आत्मा is not within, okay I see all of this. Then I am आत्मा, you are आत्मा, we are all आत्मा, so many आत्मा-s ~ millions, billions, zillions of आत्मा-s.
Then what? Earlier I was struggling, अज्ञ/ignorant person. Now you gave me one new name called आत्मा | Okay, you gave me new name? What do I do with it? My struggle in life of insignificance, or the fact that I don’t want to die, I don’t want to experience limitation, I don’t want people around me to die, etc. How will that go if I’m called the आत्मा ?
No no, because body-mind is in me.
So it is बाह्यतः |
It is within, and at the same time it is also outside.
सर्वस्य अस्य बाह्यतः | This means that I am the आत्मा, the body-mind is in me. This is important. I am the witness- okay, all of us can get to that. You can get to it with some absorption, लय, music, dance, arts. You can see- okay, I am the witness.
The body and mind- my body and mind, other bodies etc., all of it is in me-the-आत्मा | So, you totally shift. That is आत्मा-बाह्य |
This doesn’t mean that आत्मा is outside me so I am अनात्मा – No.
So आत्मा is अन्तिके and बाह्य – how it can be both?
You can either say I am sitting in this room, you cannot say the room is in me. If you say like this, people will think you’re crazy. ‘Room is in me’ means what? No, no, it’s possible to say both with respect to the आत्मा |
If you’re talking about pot space- The space is in the pot. But where is the pot? The pot is in space. So, both are possible.
Then, with respect to the आत्मा, what?
When we say आत्मा अन्तिके, you see everyone as sacred, everyone as divine.
बाह्य ~ this body-mind is in me. So this नामरूप(name and form), I am the one that illumines this. So this is really, truly out of body experience- That body-mind is in me, All body-minds are in me.
Can I see that? I-the-आत्मा-consciousness-चैतन्यम्, always present-सत्यम्, never any lack, never any boundary. I-आत्मा am the limitless, everything is in me. All that is here is me. Everything means नामरूप |
So how can you say everything, you said आत्मा is one. But no, everything is with reference to नामरूप(name and form). So all नामरूप is in me. All my lifetimes.
So you see how quickly standpoints are shifted.
So I say ‘my’. The moment I said ‘my’, then I shifted to body-mind. There cannot be any ‘my’ for I-आत्मा |
Why? Because if saying- you are mine, there has to be two~ you are my dog, or you are the love of my life. Whatever it is, there have to be two people.
Then, who is whose? This is also one बृहदारण्यक उपनिषद् मंत्र |
So, the point is that- stay with this. The body-mind is in me.
Because what is it that gives us a sense of boundary? It is the sensation of the skin. The skin is not saying you are this much only. Luckily, we have this blessing of the skin all over the body- It protects all, otherwise your blood & everything will be spilling out. So just imagine what a protective function it plays besides many other things- besides sweating, keeping the body temperature optimal, and all of that. And besides that, the joy of touch. So, so many beautiful functions the skin plays.
But the skin is not declaring to you every day – You are this much only, you are this much only. Don’t think you are all expansive आत्मा, you are this only – No.
This is the mind. On the basis of the sensations I am experiencing, the mind has concluded that- oh you are separate from me.
Oh, then we will burn away the skin. No, no, we don’t need to do all that. We don’t have to break the wood, to say touch wood, we don’t have to do that. We can only see that it is protective, but it does not declare I am separate from you. So I-the-आत्मा can accommodate all नामरूप, all names and forms, including this body-mind, whatever has been given to me, in trust.
So as a trustee of this body and mind, whatever needs to be done I do with it, and that’s it. So whatever it is, it is all okay.
So then where is birth and where is death? Because as आत्मा, then all names-forms are in me.
Whose birth are you talking about, whose death? So something happens- some date of birth happens, some manifestation happens depending on कर्म | Then, that much प्रारब्ध over. Then, lots of कर्म still left. So, one more manifestation. So, all names and forms, all our lifetimes, I am the आत्मा in whom all these lifetimes have come and gone. And hopefully, it may not come again. But even if it comes it’s okay. It’s all just नामरूप | I am not touched by नामरूप | I illumine all नामरूप |
ॐ
What have people written as their spiritual goal?
– I want to have a clear understanding of my true nature. So at this point in time in order to achieve that, I work on अंतःकरणशुद्धि | So I approach all the different activities in my life with कर्म योग बुद्धि:, while also pursuing the study of वेदान्त |
– I need more time to inquire about myself and learn about वेदान्त/ भगवद्-गीता | And moreover Swaminiji’s podcast has been very helpful, as one thing has become very clear i.e. until I can do my studies on वेदान्त, I need to perform धर्म- my duty towards family, my parents and everyone. So that is my spiritual goal for now.
– To have more emotional maturity and grow in that aspect. As well as not get too carried away with my senses. And make new boundaries for me, as well as people around me~ outwards & inwards. And also bring in a little more balance in all my roles; not being in one role too much, so being able to balance that out. As well as taking out more time for self reflection and self contemplation. And also giving more thought towards what I’m reading, to be able to revisit these again, and in so doing hopefully grow more.
– To have reduced wants, and to have a mindset of an acceptance of all the events as ईश्वर प्रसादम् | And to have समत्वम् and कौशलम् as a lifestyle, and not just on hindsight or else I still end up being very reactive, and then in hindsight I feel like this is how I could have handled it better. So I really want to reach a state where there is equilibrium in acceptance of all the circumstances. How I intend on achieving it is by being a more ardent student of वेदान्त and by ensuring that I dive into this more deeply than what I am doing currently.
So, it is important to have clarity about the nature of the spiritual goal and also where I am at. There should be honesty, one is not deluding oneself, and that is most important.
There are the two lifestyles of कर्मयोग and साङ्ख्ययोग (lifestyle of a संन्यासी). And because of popular media and conditioning, we may think and believe wrongly that I am less because I am following the कर्मयोग lifestyle i.e. I am not able to have the maturity that is required. Then, from time to time I have this romantic fantasy called संन्यास | Or, sometimes I may think- Oh, I’m so glad I never went in that direction, because it’s possible that I may have been disillusioned by some of the संन्यासी-s that I have met. And so this कर्मयोग lifestyle works for me. So either way, we may have a view/certain position.
What is भगवान् श्री कृष्ण saying? And this is an important verse for anyone to refute the belief that कर्मयोग is less-
* श्लोक ५ *
यत्साङ्ख्यै: प्राप्यते स्थानं तद्योगैरपि गम्यते ।
एकं साङ्ख्यं च योगं च य: पश्यति स पश्यति ॥ ५॥
य: पश्यति – the one who sees,
साङ्ख्यम् & योगम् – साङ्ख्य referring to संन्यास and योग referring to कर्मयोग |
साङ्ख्यं च योगं च एकं – they are one.
With respect to what? With respect to स्थानं प्राप्यते |
So, the goal for a कर्मयोगी, and the goal for a संन्यासी is एकं/one |
Earlier you will remember that भगवान् said(श्लोक ४) that people who think that they are different, they are बाला:, they are childlike i.e. the prattling of an infantile mind. So, they don’t know, but they say that it’s different.
So that which is attained by साङ्ख्य/संन्यासी is that which is प्राप्तस्य प्राप्ति: i.e. it is a प्राप्ति (gain) of what is प्राप्तस्य (already gained). You are accomplishing what is already accomplished. But it is ‘gained’ little faster only because time, effort, energy spent in this pursuit exclusively is greater, perhaps, than for a कर्मयोगी |
But the same goal, तत् योगै: अपि गम्यते ~ so by कर्मयोग also, the same goal is attained.
What is the goal?
स्थानम् – generally, literally translated means place, but स्थानं can also refer to the goal/परमम्/पदम्, so different words are used.
So this same thing is reached by कर्मयोगी-s also. So when we use the word कर्मयोग, we mean it as-
(i) a lifestyle where we are pursuing धर्म, अर्थ, काम along with मोक्ष |
(ii) The second usage of कर्मयोग is in the context of the disposition i.e. what we bring to every कर्म that we do. So we transform our कर्म into कर्मयोग by the attitude of ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: and प्रसाद बुद्धि: i.e. offering all our actions to ईश्वर, and being cheerful and graceful and gracious about receiving our कर्म |
(iii) The third usage of कर्मयोग is in the context of the purpose being अंतःकरणशुद्धि | अंतःकरणशुद्धि is not a goal in and of itself~ that I have emotional maturity, that I am free of रागद्वेष | And so what about it? Fine, you’re emotionally mature, so what? I am still a कर्ता, I am still a doer. I’ve learnt to manage my life well- I have कौशलम् & समत्वम्, so what about it?
समत्वम् is in terms of being a better भोका | So, earlier I had भोक्तृत्वम्~ I am the experiencer. Now, that भोक्तृत्वम् has been transformed into प्रसाद बुद्धि: i.e. I am being gracious, learning to accept. But who is the one who is doing this? You will say it is a भक्त/devotee- fine. Does a devotee experience प्रसाद? Yes. What does that make the devotee? भोका/experiencer. So still limited.
Therefore the goal of अंतःकरणशुद्धि is only preparation for मोक्ष |
अंतःकरणशुद्धि is not an end in itself. If it is an end in itself, there are two struggles that will happen-
1) If I am not a sufficient भक्त, I will whip myself black and blue, thinking- I don’t have freedom from रागद्वेष | I am still buffeted by the winds of what I must have, and what I should not have in my life, and the struggle/battle in my mind is just too much.
But when you see that all that is here is given, even the psychological order that is there, the influencing factors that have played a role in my life, it is all ईश्वर | Then the resistance reduces. Still, I am a भोका/experiencer.
So the शुद्धि is such that I am so free from रागद्वेष that when the गुरु is teaching the शास्त्र, my mind goes along with the words and I am able to say- yes, अहम् ब्रह्म अस्मि, yes that’s true.
Because understand that- when we listen, we are reacting often. Very rarely we are able to just listen without any sense of threat. Because sometimes you’re like- okay, I have to defend myself, or if I perceive some attack, then again we close up. So the heart is opening-closing, opening-closing. And often it’s closed only. And then I’m saying- no, no, this is not right, or it should not be said, or I want to hear more of this. So reaction, lots of reaction.
So in other parts of life, as I reduce the reactivity, by ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: and प्रसाद बुद्धि:, then that same mind is available to me and वेदान्त | So, don’t think something radical is going to happen in वेदान्त class but it is not going to happen in the rest of your life. But of course, in वेदान्त class, you have the advantage that you don’t have to really do much. You just have to listen. Oh, but this just listen, is not just listen, it’s very difficult to listen without reactivity, to listen with surrender; That what is being wielded is the शास्त्र, I go along with it.
So you can see the kind of maturity that is required to listen to the शास्त्र | Because at a very subtle level we are reacting, and at a gross level definitely.
2)Then the कर्तृत्वम्- earlier I was a कर्ता ~ struggle struggle struggle. Because I’m always evaluating myself- did I do enough? Did I not do enough etc., all the time. Now that कर्तृत्वम्, that sense of doership is replaced by ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: – that whatever is given to me, I make the most of it. A lot changes when you make this shift. Because you see~ body is given to me, mind is given to me, senses are given to me, so I make the most of what is possible. Then the anxiety, the stress, the constant hindsight thinking- should I have done, should I not have done; the furious mental activity reduces. But still ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि: means that still little कर्तृत्वम् is there. So that कर्तृत्वम् I am able to see that- that also is sustained by me the आत्मा |
So the lifestyle of a कर्मयोगी is to be able to have अंतःकरणशुद्धि, but the goal is very clear- it is मोक्ष | मोक्ष is the ultimate goal, it may not be my immediate goal, and that’s fine. But ultimate goal it is, so when there is little time, leisure etc. I pursue. So I am pursuing मोक्ष alongside other things.
And for such a person, anyway it is प्राप्तस्य प्राप्ति:, the goal is already reached- you are already the आत्मा, अकर्ता-अभोक्ता |
So, both the संन्यासी and the कर्मयोगी will definitely attain मोक्ष | This must be clear for everyone. And this is the verse you want to go back to. Because you will come across readings and translations, because remember we have FOMO (fear of missing out), so we will read this, we will read that, then somebody will say something, and then you say- oh, maybe I don’t have the maturity, etcetera, etcetera. No.
So right now, bringing up my child is very, very important. Yes, it is काम, but काम is a valid pursuit. And I do it as धार्मिक-ly as possible. And that is what will give me the maturity, because in being a भक्ता, you are worshipping at the altar of धर्म. That’s your worship- that every कर्म is offered to धर्म which is a manifestation of ईश्वर |
So you may not be doing a पूजा every moment, but through your कर्म, symbolically you are doing as in a typical puja- offering your flowers, waving the incense, and lighting the lamp.
So look at it- your life is blessed.
And the goal of मोक्ष is really recognizing that you were never away from yourself, you were always the आत्मा, just not recognized.
Then य: पश्यति स पश्यति – the one who sees that both कर्म योग and संन्यास are एकम् |
The lifestyles are geared towards one goal only, which is मोक्ष |
य: पश्यति स पश्यति – that is the person who really sees.
Otherwise you are just indicating your राग for one lifestyle.
Then-
* श्लोक ६ *
संन्यासस्तु महाबाहो दु:खमाप्तुमयोगत: ।
योगयुक्तो मुनिर्ब्रह्म नचिरेणाधिगच्छति ॥ ६॥
Still, it feels like कर्म is a burden for most of us, or some types of कर्म feel like a burden~ I don’t feel like doing, I don’t want to do, I wish I didn’t have to do etc., etc. So whether it is taking tough decisions on medical aspects for aging parents- I wish I didn’t have to do it, I wish someone would do it for me. Or decisions about which college/school the child needs to go to, how to bring up the child. And of course decisions at work, etcetera, etcetera. They feel like a burden, not all the time, sometimes. But surely संन्यास is easier…
But, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण sounds a word of caution. What is that? संन्यास is very difficult.
संन्यास: तु दु:खम् आप्तुम् अयोगत: – संन्यास will give you दु:ख/sorrow. If you ever choose this lifestyle, अयोगत: i.e. without having a life that is immersed in कर्म योग, it will only cause you दु:ख/sorrow.
Because ritually you have been absolved of all duties and responsibilities. The वेद that tells you how to live your life in the context of धर्म, अर्थ, काम, also says now you are free. You are not going to incur पापा if you don’t perform your responsibility. So one thinks- Wow, so this is great, I can choose whether I want to do certain things, or if I don’t, पापा doesn’t affect me. Therefore no suffering for me. No problem. Sounds wonderful.
But, do I have the maturity for संन्यास? In many ways, these two years of the pandemic have given us a glimpse of one aspect of what a संन्यास lifestyle might be like, because one’s activities were restricted. Of course, it was an external imposition because of the pandemic, but activities were restricted, engagement was restricted. Of course, at home depending on the numbers of people in your family, the activity may have just shot up, so that’s possible also. Still, you know the great dream we have- I will do nothing, I will be by myself, solitude here I come. Not everyone takes to it nicely. We all know how distracted we are. Because we can’t be with ourselves.
Now things have changed in terms of the customer care people calling us, but there used to be a time, maybe 10 years ago, and maybe even now it applies, that the wait is long, so they will say- you have to wait for one minute, somebody’s going to attend to you shortly etc. And they will play music, because they know that we can’t be with ourselves.
Or once upon a time when there used to be telephone booths, you would see all the doodles in the telephone booth. People enter the telephone booth and obviously nobody goes into it to draw, but distraction and fidgetiness is so much, there is so much buildup of energy and you have to do something so you draw.
Or like even now in this mistaken notion of multitasking, to just stay with something, even when just watching a movie- we are eating, we are drinking, we are talking – so maybe we are multitasking. That’s okay. But that बुद्धि: that I have to make the most of my time, and I have limited time on earth, so I have to do do do etc. What can I do? Maybe I can have two or three windows open when I’m even listening to वेदान्त class, maybe I can get notifications. So for certain things I do multitasking because it’s all routine, mechanical and I can manage two tasks, perhaps. But I’m talking about the orientation that then filters into all areas of life. That unless I’m multitasking, I’m wasting time. Look at what our modern living has done to us, we have become slaves.
So संन्यास, what do you have to do? Morning, afternoon, evening with the शास्त्र and that’s it.
So same thing? There is no innovation? ब्रह्मन् is the same, I am ब्रह्म that’s it. So you are reading, you are talking, you are discussing, you are teaching, all the way same.
So when we have retreats, after the third day, people start to get a little restless. This is an observation. Then we will introduce a different activity. Or if it’s in a place like Rishikesh, then we will say- okay, why don’t you go to this place, and of course there are some beautiful places to see also. So one is advised to do this different activity, for a change. Because the intensity is actually just an exclusive pursuit. But it may get too intense- my God, it’s too much to handle.
So this is संन्यास life- there is no scope for achievement. So if today I just did जप, okay great. But what did you achieve? So, if you are the kind of person who asks that question- what did you achieve, are you closer to your goal? Always evaluating, evaluating, then you can imagine you will go crazy in this lifestyle. Everything is relaxed.
Maybe one is not teaching either. There are a lot of संन्यासी-s who don’t teach. On the banks of Ganga they do some जप, some तपस and that’s it. Nothing more. What more is there to achieve in this life? Nothing. So we can see that just hearing all this makes us feel a little awkward.
What do you mean there is nothing to achieve? Look at world poverty, look at what is happening in Ukraine, etcetera, etcetera.
So a complete harmony that is born of कर्म योग | If I am immersed in that, only then I am suitable for a संन्यास lifestyle. Because ritually I have given up responsibilities. And therefore you’re not even earning for a living. So you have to be dependent on society for whatever they provide, if they provide that is.
So I have always lived a strong independent life. But now? In some ways, I am at the mercy of whatever society wants to provide for me. Not easy.
We define ourselves by how productive we are, right? What do you do? I do this ________. That same orientation comes as a वेदान्त student also. What are the texts that you have done? How many years you’ve been studying? It’s still about the pursuit- what you have done. And so to have a lifestyle where there is not even scope for increasing your maturity.
Some tasks can be given, but generally a संन्यासी is an independent person. So unless there is a setup like in Ramakrishna Mission or even Sivananda ashram, where a lot of संन्यासी-s have different designations, they have different positions in these well organized setups. So there you will be given something to do, whatever सेव is there in the ashram. So that much scope is there that you can work through your रागद्वेष-s. But scope is very limited. Your opportunities for learning, and for growing in the context of अंतःकरणशुद्धि are limited because there is decreased interaction with society.
You can’t go partying, and you can learn a lot when you go dancing. You’re not going to work as such. You’re not earning for a living. You’re not struggling with what’s my relationship with my parents, my relationship with money, my relationship with my body-mind, my relationship with children, my relationship with the fact that I didn’t make the most of certain opportunities. So all that is a part of अंतःकरणशुद्धि that comes with the कर्म योग lifestyle.
So if at all people have any romantic ideas of संन्यास, then भगवान् श्री कृष्ण is saying- please, it’s very difficult to accomplish without कर्म योग | So a lot of immersion in a कर्म योग lifestyle is required.
Whereas, the one who is योगयुक्त: i.e. the one who is immersed in this कर्म योग, that person is a मुनि |
So, मुनि ~ मनन शील: | मननम्- being able to think through different perspectives, raising doubts, answering them, holding a particular topic in your mind. That is a कर्म योगी |
Because with all that’s going on in one’s life, and there’s a lot that’s going on, there is enough time and leisure to think about the big questions of life, to do the inquiry that is required, to not be satisfied with false ends.
So that’s the problem with logic. We think we’re very logical- so the ‘what if’ game we play~ what if I make a presentation and everybody laughs at my face? I have not answered this question. The question itself is a false end. Okay, people laughed. So, do people have the freedom to laugh? Yes, but they should not laugh at me. So, what if they laugh at you? Are you still going to have your coffee and tea? Are you still going to live? Are you still going to go about doing your routine, whatever is a part of your lifestyle? Yes. Are you still going to go to work? Yes. Are you still going to interact with those colleagues? Yes. Are you still going to have happy moments in life? Definitely, yes. So, it’s a false end that we make a conclusion about. Actually, there is no need for this overwhelm.
Immersion in कर्म योग means that there is no disenchantment with life. That you see life as a blessing. Earlier you saw life as a burden- Oh my God, new day, same old, when is this going to end? When am I going to get some relief etc., etc.
So, you have converted the burden into a blessing. Not by positive thinking, but by being a भक्त | Why you are a भक्त? Because you recognize the connection that was always there. Earlier you just ignored it, that’s all.
So you are living a busy life, मोक्ष is an important goal, along with other things, and you are capable of doing विचार/ inquiry. It’s not like you start thinking about something, then there is a notification on your phone, then you go with the phone. So if you are not committed to one thing, you will be distracted by everything, mark my words. If you are not committed to one thing, whatever that one thing is at that time, you will be distracted by everything. And we complain of distraction, but we don’t question whether we are really committed to what we are doing. Because it’s so easy to get distracted if you’re not committed. It applies in a committed relationship also as you can be distracted by whoever else is passing by. Or you fantasize- oh, it might be a little nicer to be with that person, compared to this nagging person next to me, etcetera.
So the capacity to reason, we are not talking about some rocket science logic, just the time and the leisure to think about one’s life, to think about what I really am in the light of the शास्त्र |
And so continuing on from verse #5, भगवान् श्री कृष्ण in verse #6 says-
न चिरेण अधिगच्छति ~ so this person who is immersed in a कर्म योग lifestyle, gains ब्रह्म quickly. So there’s a double negative- it does not take the person too long to gain ब्रह्मन् i.e. to see the Truth.
* श्लोक ७ *
योगयुक्तो विशुद्धात्मा विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रिय: ।
सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते ॥ ७॥
This word योगयुक्त: is used very often in the श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता | So the one who is together, the one who is committed to this life of कर्मयोग |
What about such a person? The person is विशुद्धात्मा | The word आत्मा is used differently here. आत्मा is anyway शुद्ध:, so what is the meaning of विशुद्धात्मा? So here आत्मा is referring to the mind. So the one who has a mind that is relatively free from रागद्वेष |
So our goal need not be that I should not have रागद्वेष | Our goal can be that I will not come under the spell of रागद्वेष | Because रागद्वेष, or what we like or dislike, they’re very unique to our personalities. Therefore, I make धर्म my altar instead of रागद्वेष | So रागद्वेष, I could have many, it doesn’t matter, but I align myself to धर्म |
So I have a राग for my child, and I am very dependent on my child. Then what shall we do? No मोक्ष for me? No, definitely मोक्ष for you. Why? Because you are aligning your कर्म to धर्म | And from the time the umbilical cord is cut, you are learning to let go of so much, e.g. your own ideas of parenting. Even if you were a parenting specialist, everything you have to throw out of the window because some things work with some children and some things don’t work. Maybe it’s a combination of different things.
So, so much maturity happened as a parent, as a partner. It makes you योगयुक्त: | So, there is purification of the mind. Relatively one is free from रागद्वेष and therefore विशुद्धात्मा |
Since रागद्वेष don’t have a hold over me, विजितात्मा जितेन्द्रिय: | So there is a certain mastery over the sense organs. How much mastery is good enough? Are you able to pursue all your pursuits? Like when you’re at work, can you focus and get the job done? This may mean collaborating with people, making some improvisations etc., more or less are you able to focus? Great, you have so much mastery. If you have mastery in one area of your life, what does that say about you? You are a master of that area. You can use the available resources, you can be creative, you can collaborate, you can seek support, and you can further your goals professionally. How are you able to do that? Because you are using your willpower and won’t power. What you have to do, you are using certain will. And also using will with respect to what you have to avoid, e.g. a lot of scrolling on social media. Unless you’re a digital social media expert, then that’s your job and that’s really what you need to do.
Or maybe you are spending so much time on the phone, calling your parents in India, 7-10 times a day. Are you okay? What is happening? Are you wearing a mask? So some children who live abroad, they drive their parents crazy, and the parents come and complain about this perfect role reversal. So what to do? Obviously 40-50 year old children are concerned about their 75-80 year old parents. But still, she can’t focus on work because all this furious thinking is going on. Of course when some medical emergency is there, then that’s important.
So if you are a master in one area of your life, then what are the supportive factors that are contributing to you being a master? You have to recognize that, yes, the external framework is very helpful. Yes, the money you get or gets credited to the bank is super helpful. Okay, so I can recognize that- that yes, for me the external framework of accountability is a big driving factor. It’s good to be honest with oneself. So then, since I don’t have so much motivation in another area of my life, maybe that principle of accountability, I could shift. I could have what is called an accountability buddy, etc., who doesn’t nag me. But, you tell the person- you have to remind me. Or I will tell you how I’m working on this particular habit, etc, etc.
So what is being highlighted is that- if I have mastery in one area, then I am furthering goals in a particular area of my life- it could be financial, it could be physical, in terms of my discipline regarding health and exercise, or whatever it is. So, I can translate/cross-pollinate i.e. apply the same attitude, the same determination, the same skill set that I have there, to another area of my life. It’s doable. We do it all the time. But there will be one area of my life where I struggle. And it’s possibly because I am not committed to that goal ~ spiritual goal, financial goal etc.
Financial goal is not articulated in terms of having peace of mind. Financial goal means you please put numbers to your goal. That this is what I need to have, or investing, or saving. Those are all activities related to my financial goal. That accounting for inflation, and cost of living, this is what I need to have, if and when I retire or whatever plans, at that particular age.
So the कर्मयोगी has worked on one’s self mastery and has also recognized that the relationship of cause and effect between how I apply certain skills to one area, to the other area, all of it is pervaded by भगवान्, I always have support. If you try to do this on your own, you will struggle. But recognizing that yes, I’m struggling with this area of my life. Yes, I’m reactive. Yes, I just fly off the handle, etc, etc. But I always have help. This is जितेन्द्रिय: | Self Mastery involves a recognition of ईश्वर in your life.
Because of the word ‘self’, one may think that only the individual is involved. No, what you call as an individual is pervaded by भगवान् anyway.
So this person who is a जितेन्द्रिय:, the vision is clear.
In Hindi, भूत means ghost. So one would wonder- this सर्वभूत:, what is this? In Sanskrit, भूत means living beings.
सर्वभूत: – all living beings, from all देवता-s to a blade of grass.
So, we are considering not only the ones who are living on this earth, but all beings across dimensions, galaxies.
सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा – For those people who are learning Sanskrit this is a बहुव्रीहि समास i.e. a compound.
This compound सर्वभूतात्मभूतात्मा refers to a person who knows that the आत्मा that pervades सर्वभूत: is one; that I am that आत्मा that pervades everyone.
So, the vision is clear for this कर्मयोगी |
And given this vision,
कुर्वन्नपि न लिप्यते – despite doing a lot of कर्म, is not affected by the कर्म |
Why? Because भोक्तृत्वम् and कर्तृत्वम् has been seen as मिथ्या, has been seen as not a defining aspect of you as a person. If you have any doubt, then think about what happens in deep sleep; neither are you the कर्ता, nor the भोक्ता, you are neither the doer nor the experiencer. But still there is no drop in self esteem. So for a few hours I am living every day, and I’m not doing anything, I’m not experiencing anything. In fact, I long to go into deep sleep. So, I am not defined by my sense of doer-ship or experiencer-ship. So deep sleep gives us a window of exploration- oh there is such a period in my day, every day, that I am not the कर्ता, I am not the भोक्ता and it’s great.
Then verse 8 & 9 further elaborates that कर्म is not opposed to ज्ञानम् | You can do lots of कर्म, less कर्म, but you can be unaffected by it-
* श्लोक ८ & ९ *
नैव किञ्चित्करोमीति युक्तो मन्येत तत्त्ववित् ।
पश्यञ्शृण्वन्स्पृशञ्जिघ्रन्नश्नन्गच्छन्स्वपञ्श्वसन् ॥ ८॥
प्रलपन्विसृजन्गृह्ण्न्नुन्मिषन्निमिषन्नपि ।
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त इति धारयन् ॥ ९॥
So this is a difficult श्लोक to pronounce.
This युक्त: i.e. the one who is together, the one who is integrated, the one who is not too fragmented.
You’re thinking something, you’re feeling something, you know something else. We take some time to be integrated. What is meant by this is- the things that we know, often we don’t act upon it. So I may know of ways to focus, I may know of all the habits that are good for me, that I have tried, but I don’t want to do that. And I look for the grass that is greener on the other side.
E.g. can you give me some साधना for _____? But the साधना that you got, did you do that? Ahh, I did little bit.
So, what we already know, are we acting on it? Because then what happens is, if we are not acting on a lot of what we know, in terms of what works for us in our life, then we are creating a split. What I know is different, what I feel is different, what I do is totally different.
So, it’s very simple, but it takes a lot of determination to be consistent. All of us struggle with consistency, in some area of life. But again and again, you bring yourself back on track and make the effort, without complaining, without looking down on yourself, without looking for an escape from monotony.
Oh no, let’s come up with something better. You know that better shiny new object is always waiting, calling out to you. So without giving into all that, the simple things that we know, how can I bring that into my life? That is being युक्त: | Otherwise I am creating too many splits.
Because we are addicted to information, I want more information. So, the same orientation comes to वेदान्त also, e.g. I want to learn उपनिषद् also. But hey, भगवद्-गीता, is it fully assimilated? People have to go through 2,3,4 rounds to fully assimilate the भगवद्-गीता, it’s not a joke. But, oh no I want something. First, assimilate what you have already.
And so here we struggle with ourselves. First of all I have to recognize the struggle that I have. I am looking for a way to dodge. I don’t want to take responsibility for doing this, for integration, युक्त:, योग |
So this is a continuation of the कर्मयोगी | The one who is together, who knows the truth of what has been pointed out about आत्मा pervading all beings. And what we call all beings, is only from the standpoint of नामरूप i.e. name and form only.
So it’s like space that pervades everything, e.g. galaxies etc. Space is in and through the galaxies, and the galaxies are accommodated in space. So I the आत्मा, am in and through all the beings, and I-आत्मा accommodate this name and form, and all other names and forms.
So ‘आत्मा is in me’ is not being said. आत्मा is not being localized- आत्मा is in my heart. So, what about your kidneys? No, that is अनात्मा | What about your knees? No, no, that is further down, so आत्मा is very far away.
So no, आत्मा accommodates space, limitless, so all names and forms are in me, I am the आत्मा |
With respect to the पञ्चमहाभूत, if I am referring to this mind-body,
– there is space outside, there is space inside,
– there is moisture/humidity outside, there is water in this body,
– पृथिवी/food we consume from outside, and this body is dense पृथिवी/matter,
– वायु is there outside, and प्राण inside,
– अग्नि ~ then when you go to a really cold place, your body is working furiously to keep your body temperature warm; and if you go to a really hot place, furiously there is so much sweating just to maintain your body temperature.
So outside is all पञ्चमहाभूत, and inside or whatever we call this mind-body is पञ्चमहाभूत, so where is the difference? There is no difference between समष्टि(total) and व्यष्टि(individual).
No, but I feel different. So there we started again. I feel different… but the skin did not declare you are separate, skin only protected you. But conditioning is there- I am separate from the other, therefore I need to connect etc…
So the one who recognizes that I am that आत्मा that pervades all beings, that pervades the पञ्चमहाभूत, inside-outside, in fact there is no inside or outside. Inside and outside, are only referential standpoints.
For such a person, न एव किञ्चित् करोमि – I don’t do anything.
To do something, you need limbs, and you need to get from place A to place B. Now when all that is here is you, what will you do? How can you do?
So whether you are doing the simplest of actions, not some great exalted साधना | And the simple actions that everyone does-
– पश्यन् ~ seeing,
– शृण्वन् ~ hearing,
– स्पृशन् ~ touching,
– जिघ्रन् ~ smelling,
– अश्नन् ~ eating,
– गच्छन् ~ walking,
– स्वपन् ~ sleeping,
– श्वसन् ~ breathing,
– प्रलपन् ~ talking.
So, whatever you are doing, you may be doing all these activities, but you are really not doing anything.
Then,
विसृजन् ~ releasing,
गृह्ण्न् ~ grasping
उन्मिषन् (open eyes), निमिषन् (close eyes)~ blinking
So, whether you are a कर्मयोगी or a संन्यासी, all these कर्म-s we are doing on a regular basis.
And with these kinds of कर्म, what is happening?
The various इन्द्रियाणि i.e. the various sense organs~ कर्मेन्द्रिय (organs of action) and ज्ञानेन्द्रिय (organs of knowledge). What do they do? They interact with different sense objects. That’s प्रकृति, that’s the material cause pervaded by the intelligent cause, so when something is interacting with something. Because of प्रकृति, you are interacting with your partner and people at work and so on, so lots of कर्म happening, very busy time of the year.
So whether it is a busy time of the year, or not so busy, you are not affected by कर्म |
Oh but the venture you started did not work. Oh, okay. The venture may not work, but I work. The venture does not define me. So we really have to dwell on this- that कर्मफल, the outcome of an action, what we might consider as success or failure, is an event in time, it does not define me. We have to dwell on this. Because we do define ourselves by some key events that have happened in our lives, and however that event worked out. So it could be the job, it could be the relationship, it could be the academic accolade, so whatever, something will be there. And that’s good to describe oneself. Not define. There is a difference. What you are defined by is something that is intrinsic to you. No matter what happens, this is how you are. Description can change- now you are with Company A, then you are with Company B. Or you too have joined the great resignation. So, whatever it is, it’s just an event.
So,
इन्द्रियाणीन्द्रियार्थेषु वर्तन्त – sense organs are interacting with the world.
But the person knows very clearly,
इति धारयन् – fully understood, grasped, assimilated,
What does the person understand? That, I don’t do anything.
So though व्यवहारिक-ly/functionally one does, I know that I am the आत्मा, which was never the कर्ता, never the भोक्ता | The nature of the आत्मा is clear.
Then what did the कर्म, who did the कर्म?
So this name & form that is interacting with other names and forms, some play/drama is going on. And I make a drama of the existing drama, and I enjoy it.
So sometimes more activity, sometimes less activity, either way I am free.
We want to be free from कर्म because कर्म affects us.
So by replacing our कर्तृत्वम् with ईश्वर अर्पण बुद्धि:, I take the sting off of कर्म |
By replacing my भोक्तृत्वम्, my sense of experiencing~ good bad ugly, with प्रसाद बुद्धि:, a greater sense of acceptance, or an acceptance of the resistance that I have etc. is there. Then what? Then the sting of- ‘it affects me’, and ‘why me’ etc., that also eases.
Then reality becomes more clear to me. A lot of the work in वेदान्त is really the lifestyle of कर्मयोग | Otherwise, the Truth is very, very simple.
The work is not something that you signed up for- I wanted सच्चिदानन्द, so what is all this अंतःकरणशुद्धि ?
So I didn’t know that I had to work so hard on this. Well, that’s what it is. It’s easy, it may be difficult also. But anyway the good news is that I am the आत्मा | So, कर्म I may struggle a little bit with, and then in time, it’s a breeze.
ॐ
Situations and people that we feel closely connected to-
– Swaminiji, गुरुपरम्परा, शास्त्र-study, वेदान्त, spiritual growth, Self
– देवता-s, ऋषि-s
– people who have a similar pursuit
– family~ husband/wife, children, parents, siblings
– money, income
– career
– learning
– friends
– ईश्वर
– environment; living in a sustainable way
– music
– places
– house
– duties
– health~ working towards improving one’s health, and taking care of one’s body
– values~ धर्म
What is connection?
– That which is important to me.
– There is involvement/attachment in that particular area.
– I spend time & effort to sustain the involvement.
– There is a sense of seamlessness/effortlessness.
– I am emotionally involved i.e. it preoccupies my mind & energy.
So also, it can bring disturbance if I experience disconnection.
– Similarity/oneness, e.g. I feel connected to nature (plants/trees) as I understand that they are also made of the same पञ्चमहाभूत-s as me, so I see similarity; though I express चैतन्य more than they do.
– Cause & effect ~ the effect of being impelled to do something; a cause that brings the inclination to do something, e.g. to take care of my parents. It may not be the natural order, but there is some cause causing the inclination/effect.
– When you are connected with your heart to something.
You are devoted so there is no limit, one will do everything.
You don’t see any difference between oneself and the object of connection, because one’s heart is so much in it. In that devotion, there is no difference.
– It is fulfillment. It is to fulfill that part~ person, situation, event, which I feel is not complete.
Time & effort is a by-product of connection.
One thinks that that person, object, situation completes one. Through that connection, one is seeking oneness.
– Connection is a means/ साधना for fulfillment.
– Recognition of the oneness of all names & forms as a manifestation of चैतन्य | The interconnectedness/interdependence of all beings. The underlying reality is that oneness which is all-pervading, नित्यम्, शुद्धम् |
– The sense of gratitude makes you connected to everybody- parents, friends, गुरु | Because they have given you something that gives you inner pleasure, there is connection/gratitude.
E.g. At work, one’s sense of gratitude of being paid keeps one connected, even if one dislikes the boss,
or parents have given birth to you and taken care of you, so there is connection/gratitude.
Also, e.g. when one is connected with nature, at that moment neither am I giving to nature, nor is nature giving. There is only the pleasure of seeing and recognizing that God has created everything- blowing winds, showering clouds, flowering & fruit-giving trees. So at that time gratitude is expressed, and that is how one is connected.
Also through this exercise, one insight was on the changing nature and impermanence of our connections.
One can recognize that one cannot depend on any connection upon seeing the changing nature of the connection, as the connection will change according to whatever is happening.
What one feels most connected to changes with time, e.g. in the exercise, the thickness of the line drawn to a given connection changes with time.
In the last two मंत्र-s (४ & ५), we have looked at the nature of the आत्मा that is I, and the words that were used were as though contradictory.
Now in मंत्र ६ & ७, the सर्वात्मा भाव, or rather the ज्ञानफल is being mentioned.
It’s very similar to a familiar श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता verse.
* मंत्र ६ *
यस्तु सर्वाणि भूतान्यात्मन्येवानुपश्यति ।
सर्वभूतेषु चात्मानं ततो न विजुगुप्सते ॥ ६॥
अनुपश्यति – the wise person sees.
Here, ‘sees’ is not just पश्यति | भगवान् आदि शङ्कराचार्य explains अनु-पश्यति~ शास्त्र आचार्य उपदेशात् |
So because of the शास्त्र and the teachings within the शास्त्र that are rendered by the गुरु,
आत्मनि एव सर्वाणि भूतानि |
So, the आत्मा that was defined in the last two मंत्र-s,
all beings- सर्वाणि भूतानि |
This ‘सर्वाणि भूतानि’ is always explained as ब्रह्म-स्तम्ब-पर्यन्तम् |
So ‘ब्रह्म’ means from ब्रह्म-जी onwards. So ब्रह्म-जी is still a function and a manifestation.
‘स्तम्ब-पर्यन्तम्’ ~ to a blade of grass.
So, the wise person sees that all the way, all beings are in the आत्मा |
Then further, सर्वभूतेषु आत्मानम् – आत्मा is present in all the beings.
So, again, just in case we tried to localize the आत्मा, and say that- oh, in all the beings आत्मा is present, then how about outside of the beings?
Oh, well- सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मनि एव |
So I-the आत्मा include all names and forms.
And what is the result of that?
न विजुगुप्सते – there is no hatred for anyone. The person does not hate.
One will not hate a stranger. If we look back into our own lives, if at all we have hated anyone or had an intense dislike towards someone, it is because at some point in time we really liked that person. Or we expected some validation, some approval, some respect from that person, but it didn’t come. And then that person became an object of me not being pleased with the situation, and then I projected dislike onto that person.
So here all beings, referring to all names and forms, they are present in the आत्मा |
It’s similar to this verse from श्रीमद् भगवद्-गीता-
सर्वभूतस्थमात्मानं सर्वभूतानि चात्मनि ।
ईक्षते योगयुक्तात्मा सर्वत्र समदर्शन: ॥ – ६.२९
So this language of apparent contradiction is being used.
कारणम्-कार्यम् is being referred to here.
See, is there a need to really talk about आत्मा and सर्वभूता: ?
There is.
Because our connection- strong connection, mild connection, or disconnection, is to all the beings. And our experience very often is our reality.
So what is inherent in this connection? That सर्वभूतानि (all beings), they are नामरूप |
Oh, you have reduced my connection to नामरूप ? It has not been reduced, that’s what it is.
And that नामरूप is a कार्यम्, it is an effect.
So all the beings have come from आत्मा |
In this context, आत्मा becomes the कारणम् | Everything else is कार्यम् |
Then what is this great connection between सर्वभूतानि and आत्मा ?
We will say- oh, it is cause-effect. Cause-effect means cause and effect.
So, gold and ornaments have an equal status of reality. There are two things and they are connected.
Then if we look at only the ornaments~ only the जगत्, only all the भूत-s,
where the कार्यम्(effect) is, there the cause is.
Is the cause sitting independently of the effect? Never.
सर्वभूतानि-आत्मा – where the नामरूप/कार्यम्/effect is, the cause is.
In fact the कार्यम्/the ornaments/all the भूतानि-s, they cannot exist without कारणम् i.e. the आत्मा |
So really, are we talking about a cause and effect relationship? Because when you inquire into the cause-effect relationship, the effect falls apart. The effect falls apart means it resolves in the cause.
Ornaments resolve in gold. In fact, there is nothing really called ornament from the standpoint of gold.
There is nothing really substantial about all these moving bodies of matter/energy/modification, or whatever you may call them.
What are all these bodies of matter? – is the आत्मा i.e. कारणम् |
So from the standpoint of the आत्मा, there are no भूतानि-s whatsoever.
The भूत-s(beings) can manifest, they need not manifest, some continue to remain unmanifest.
Gold continues to be gold, whether it is made into a necklace, or a bangle, or it is a biscuit.
And if it gets made/manifested into many, many, many forms, still it’s fine. Gold remains as gold.
आत्मा continues to be what it is, what I am.
So all the beings, सर्वाणि भूतानि आत्मनि,
without the आत्मा, all the beings have no substantiality.
Then, where are they? Where are all the beings?
We say in the आत्मा, or आत्मा is the आधार of everything.
So the entire जगत् is कार्यम्/product/effect, आत्मा is कारणम् – I.
Even for स्वप्न, even for my dream, I am the कारणम् for it, whatever the intelligence and material that is there.
And we have to look at it both ways.
आत्मा that pervades all the beings, and आत्मा that accommodates all the beings, that is me.
So the disconnection that I experience, as well as the connection that I experience with people, what is that related to? I have to inquire into this.
So the exercise we did before also highlights for me the contributing factors to the connections that I have.
It’s all laws of कर्म | And of course it’s the play of प्रकृति | The गुण-s are there, so we feel more connected to certain activities, to certain people, to certain objects.
Again, at different phases of life, we have been differently connected, differently involved with all of these things.
So my connections with things, situations, people, does it exclude the rest of the जगत् ? Hypothetically, suppose I had more connections i.e. I felt more connected with a few more things, would the peace and happiness I experience, would that be more?
Because as mentioned previously, with connection/involvement, there is also certain upset that comes along. If there are moments of disconnection, despite my best effort, time, energy, there is not enough harmony.
So, for अनुपश्यति i.e. the one who sees,
that I am present as आत्मा in all beings and all beings are in me,
the question of hatred does not arise.
There is no one to hate actually.
ॐ
This fifth chapter of संन्यास-योग: is a further elaboration on Chapter Four where the nature of the आत्मा is unfolded and we understand that ज्ञानेन कर्म संन्यास |
So, कर्म is really not a problem, although it feels like a problem for a lot of us- to do, or not to do, or to do differently continues to be a perennial question. But that’s going to be the struggle as long as I identify myself as the कर्ता/doer.
So this identity as a doer, is what the विचार is into. Actually, it is आत्मा विचार |
But this doer who seeks to be significant, who seeks to have the need for approval met, who wants to achieve X-Y-Zed in life, this doer believes that by doing कर्म, different kinds of कर्म~ वैदिक कर्म (enjoined by the वेदस्), लौकिक कर्म, any kind of other exalted karma, that I will be okay, that my sense of inadequacy will go away. And that’s why we are furiously thinking about how to refine our कर्म | And then if you have a self-critic who is very much there for most people particularly वेदान्त students, so you will convert all knowledge into criticism of oneself. So that’s not helpful at all.
So recognizing the nature of the आत्मा, while doing कर्म also, one is free from कर्तृत्वम् | Free from कर्तृत्वम् means that one was always free from कर्तृत्वम् | It is not that you evolve with your साधना, that after doing a lot, then you finally retire. Then somebody will say only fools retire, what retirement? There is no retirement for me, I’m always involved in something or the other.
So generally how we look at कर्म~ Oh, at the end of the day, now relax, it’s been so hectic, so hectic. End of career, retirement, a reduction in कर्म | So our orientation is that a reduction in कर्म may be a reduction in कर्तृत्वम् (sense of doer-ship). But here again and again भगवान् emphasizes that कर्म is not opposed to ज्ञानम् | What is opposed to ज्ञानम् is the sense of कर्तृत्वम् that is born of अविद्या | If the sense of कर्तृत्वम् was real, then let us not struggle against it, let us reconcile with it. Okay, I have to do, it’s okay, I will struggle with my inadequacy, I will work on my self-esteem, all those things we can do, for lifetime to lifetime to lifetime, we can do. But कर्तृत्वम् is a temporary, temporal identity that is based on taking oneself as the body-mind-sense-complex only.
And so we get a glimpse of the fact that I am not the कर्ता because of the experience of deep sleep. I’m absolutely fine. No problem. A lot of us think we are indispensable. You really want to know how indispensable you are? You put your finger in a bucket of water and take it out. That’s how indispensable we are.
But without me nothing will happen etcetera, etcetera. Really, things may suffer a little bit here and there, but nothing much.
So, continuing with the theme of आत्मा being अकर्ता (never the doer), He speaks about what comes with कर्तृत्वम्-भोक्तृत्वम्, which is पुण्य & पाप, and that one is not affected by it. So he’s giving an example also, so that we are able to assimilate it better.
* श्लोक १० *
ब्रह्मण्याधाय कर्माणि सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा करोति य: ।
लिप्यते न स पापेन पद्मपत्रमिवाम्भसा ॥ १०॥
ब्रह्मणि आधाय कर्माणि – all कर्म-s that are offered unto ब्रह्मन्,
How?
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा – giving up your सङ्ग i.e. रागद्वेष |
य: करोति – the one who,
gives up सङ्गं, and offers कर्म unto ब्रह्मन्,
न लिप्यते – is not affected.
But, first of all, I have very limited things and now you are asking me to offer, what shall I offer?
Also, I will offer something to someone who doesn’t have it.
So let’s say I have extra clothes, and maybe I want to dispose of it, because new ones have to come in. Or, I say- Oh, somebody will benefit, so I will give it away. So then that person doesn’t have the clothes that the person needs, and I offer it, I give it away. So, because of somebody else’s lack I make an offering.
Now what is the offering to be made unto ब्रह्मन्? Has ब्रह्मन्/ईश्वर asked me- Give me your wealth, surrender unto me, all that you have you please give me. No. Then what is the surrender we are talking about? What is this offering that we are talking about? Why to offer? What to offer?
When we do कर्म, we generally will offer it unto the altar of रागद्वेष | I want this outcome, whatever be the outcome. Therefore I am doing the कर्म | Fine. Thankfully at least you are clear about what you want, and that itself is quite something. Very good. Go for it.
Then, I rub against the order. Because suppose the result is not according to what I want.
Then I am frustrated. Then I go into a spiral of why this happened to me, why it did not happen to me. Why am I being denied despite all my effort, despite me being such a good person? Etcetera, etcetera.
So, the कर्मफल that I got in the form of a situation, a person’s reaction to me, or my own reaction to myself, I am not okay with it. I am resisting the order.
Suppose I’m looking for a partner. And then I did not get the kind of response I was hoping for. कर्मफल not up to expectation. What shall we do now? So there might be many reasons why the response did not come. One way is saying- oh what is deficient in me, what more I could have done etcetera, etcetera. Or you say, dump this person. Forget it. I am not worth this person. Something, however you deal with it. If my reaction to this situation persists for a very, very, very long time and I am repeating and regurgitating what could have happened, why it happened, why it should not have happened, etcetera, etcetera, then, on the face of it, I’m not happy with the result.
But the laws of कर्म that shape the result, that is what I am really resisting. Why? Because everything should be according to what I want. And there are 7 billion of us at least on this earth, and therefore, our matrix of कर्म interconnects and very often it might be in opposition.
For example- the child wants to play, but the mother wants the child to do homework. Look at the wonderful clash that happens on a day to day basis in some households. I want my daughter to keep the room clean, that’s the least I can expect after all that we do for you, and when I walk into the setup, it is stinking, etc, etc. So everything I’ve tried- I’ve persuaded, I’ve cajoled, I’ve threatened and complained, everything I’ve tried but nothing works. What shall we do? Reaction, build up.
So whatever be the कर्म, सर्वाणि कर्माणि in all your roles, you focus on what you need to do and offer it to भगवान्/ब्रह्मणि/ईश्वर/ब्रह्मन् with प्रासाद बुद्धि: | Because one way of talking about giving up results is that you’re fine with whatever results come your way. Fine means that you will not be absolutely fine. More or less okay. You are not defining yourself by the outcome of a situation. You see different situations, different results, they come and go and that’s okay. That’s all laws of कर्म and laws of कर्म are really भगवान् | Or, laws of कर्म are धर्म, and for us धर्म is not a mandate that is to be imposed upon us externally. Although there could be do’s and don’ts, the voice of धर्म is in your heart. That’s why the satisfaction of doing the right thing is there for all of us, irrespective of cultures, irrespective of age and stage in life. That we naturally want to do what is right. We feel we are integrated, we are okay, when we have done what is right. Although it may not be very popular sometimes, but it’s okay.
So, the offering is a recognition that all कर्म is possible because of धर्म, and धर्म includes the ability to do the कर्म, because you’re talking about laws. E.g. in the simple action of raising your arm, in that itself there is the धर्म of the hand, with so many muscles and organs of the body involved to make this action possible. And then there is the result- I wanted to raise it only so much, so only that much it has raised. But you ask people who are undergoing physiotherapy for a frozen shoulder. The person is saying- Lift, lift, lift. But the person can’t lift. What do you mean lift? No, I just cannot.
So the offering is unto धर्म, and धर्म is ईश्वर | So every कर्म is your worship. Naturally, you’re not going to offer anything rotten. You are going to offer something which involves your कौशलम् | You try your best, no half hearted attempts.
So because you don’t have सङ्ग to your रागद्वेष, you’re not nurturing your रागद्वेष | रागद्वेष is there, and भगवान् श्री कृष्ण never says do not have रागद्वेष | He doesn’t say that you are doomed if you have रागद्वेष | There is a recognition that everyone has some or the other रागद्वेष, no problem. And so we need not judge ourselves on the basis of our रागद्वेष | We tend to do that. This is why this is being emphasized.
E.g. I still want to have a successful career, or I want to have a child, or I want to marry, or I want to remarry, or I want the promotion, or whatever it is. You have the राग | Great. Fantastic. It’s all धर्म, अर्थ, काम | Then you work for it with सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा |
सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा is not giving up attachment.
Because I wanted it, therefore I’m working for it. E.g. so much effort to get a job and despite the effort, jobs are not coming by easily these days.
So the सङ्गं त्यक्त्वा is giving up this attachment to the रागद्वेष |
Yes, the राग is there, and I work for it, I align it to धर्म and I trust that this offering of mine will be accepted. So then, so much of the resistance has dropped. Because a lot of our conflicts are because of resistance. We don’t want things to be how they are, situations to be how they are, people to be how they are. And closer home, I don’t want myself to be the way I am, I wish I was different etc. etc.
So this is the सङ्ग to रागद्वेष – This is how it should be. Why is it different? I don’t want it to be different etc., etc.
Because all the way you start with रागद्वेष; the biggest राग is that I am a कर्ता – see what all I achieved etc. etc.
So, in giving up कर्तृत्वम्, so you offer your कर्म, in other words you surrender, and therefore you are not affected by any पाप or पुण्य |
पुण्य is not specifically mentioned here, but you are not affected by पाप i.e. any kind of suffering.
Now another very beautiful metaphor is given. So the leaf of a lotus, when you try sprinkling water on it, these very beautiful translucent drops are perfectly formed. And then you can see the reflection of the surroundings in those drops if you look really closely~ very beautiful.
So the lotus continues to be in the water, in the pond, in the muck. At the same time it is untouched. The leaves are untouched.
And this is a very popular metaphor to indicate that one can be in the world but be untouched by the world. One need not go away, or one need not be so steeped in it that you drown, but you can be untouched. Untouched means not affected by whatever situations one faces because that is really पुण्य-पाप that is unfolding.
Some aches and pains- suddenly one fall, some fracture, some sprain. Or some attempt at hacking your account. Some little दु:ख/पाप, the person is not affected.
Basically the person is not affected by कर्मफल is what is being highlighted here.
So, do not convert this into saying that from now onwards, success or failure will not affect me. No. Don’t do that.
That you, however you interact and receive whatever you think is success and failure, learn to be compassionate to yourself. This is a very important lesson we all have to learn.
And actually, the good news is that we are supremely compassionate to our tongue. If accidentally, you sipped a very hot cup of coffee, or accidentally while biting into a chakli you bit your tongue. So chomp, chomp, chomp, and then you bit your tongue. What do you do?
How dare my tongue come in between, it should not have come in between. It has been moving around in my mouth for so many years, has it not learned the lessons of how it has to behave? Etc. Do you do such drama? No. You just say- oh, I better be more careful next time. That’s all. Are you going to dwell on it? Oh, you know, five years ago, my tongue came in between my teeth, and my teeth thankfully are sharp. And I was hurt. My tongue was hurt and I should not be hurt, and so much hurt was caused.
So, the mind is also part of you. Sometimes it will move in certain directions, you may not be happy with it. Maybe some course correction is required. It’s okay, relax. If you can be compassionate to your tongue, which is so brilliant in the way it works- just look at it, when you’re singing, when you’re eating, when you’re talking, when you’re breathing, or doing प्राणायाम and all that, it moves very differently at different times. It just obeys the master, and it’s not like you’re consciously thinking of how you want to move the tongue when you are sipping coffee vis-à-vis eat