Bhagavadgita

Based on Volume 2, Chapter 12

Bhagavadgita

Om Sri Gurubhyo namaha!!!

Of all the Vedanta treatises, Bhagavadgita is the most important. It is translated not only in Indian languages but several other international 

languages too. The instruction given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna on the battle field holds good even in these days and is a great source of inspiration for the readers.

Arjuna played the lead role in Bhagavadgita while Lord Krishna played his charioteer. Initially,Arjuna asks Krishna to take him to center of the battlefield, sees the armies and decides not to fight but later seeks his guidance and pleads with Him to show the right path.

The battle field was not at all suitable for either for preaching or listening to the teacher’s lessons. One doesn’t know whether his head will remain or axed in the next minute. For instance, let us assume that there is an assembly of people at a music program in an open ground. The moment it starts to rain, people will run helter-skelter. However great the music may be, self-protection is more important for people. 

In the battle field of Kurukshetra, the one seeking guidance is in the face of war and possible death. Lord Krishna was prepared to preach the Reality to Arjuna as he proved himself to be eligible to receive the Supreme Knowledge. Though he was capable of killing all enemies, he was prepared to die but not kill anyone for the worldly benefits. He displayed complete vairagya(renunciation) which made him eligible to get the divine preaching from Krishna. This is backdrop of Bhagavadgita.

Lord Krishna asked Arjuna to give up the frailty of his mind.( klaibyam mas ma gamah partha). He reminded Arjuna that he was a Kshatriya and was not supposed to run away from his dharma(duty) with the fear of killing near and dear ones. As long as he had the feeling of ‘mine’, he was not going to fulfill his duties as a warrior.

Unless we correct our shortcomings, we have no right to strive for the well-being of the world. How can one who is prone to anger and misery remove the miseries of others? How can one who is fallible erase the fallibilities of others? On the other hand when one follows his dharma, the world will benefit by following the good path set by him. Gaining the Supreme Knowledge alone is the remedy for our miseries. Clear conscience is important for gaining knowledge and that happens only when one performs his duties and follows his ordained dharma. One who redeems himself can alone redeem others. The same was told to Arjuna by Krishna in Bhagavadgita.

Om tat sat!!!

Om Santhi ! Santhi ! Santhi hi !!!

Devotion and Dedication

The Essence of Chapter 11 Volume 2

Om Sri Gurubhyo namaha!!!

How much ever effort we put to remove the wicked things from our lives, the same efforts will bounce back and make us to succumb to those ills. Holy people keep on doing good deeds so that they do not have a minute to think of anything foul. A sanyasi was asked how he was able to overcome desires, he answered that “whenever a Desire came knocking my door, I was busy in some devotional service and the Desire got fed up and left from the entrance itself”.

An idle mind is prone to wasteful conversations and casting aspersions on others. Desires raise their ugly heads and when good deeds are not performed, bad thoughts spring up in the mind. Satsang( union with truth or company of good) is the only remedy for the disease of dussang( bad company).

Constant performance of good deeds is important for the wickedness to be erased along with the roots from one’s heart. Scope should not be given for bad thoughts to enter the mind. It would not suffice if we just do japam(reciting holy name) and dhyana(meditation or contemplation). After sometime even japa and dhyana become mechanical and do to help in evolving. Reading biographies of great souls and writing about them is one good way of spending time.

Performing good deeds is an important limb of spiritual practice. In addition to this, we should completely dedicate ourselves to God. We are not afflicted by any business when we are in the sleep mode (sushupti). The moment we are awake, all our anxieties and relationships surround us completely. Moksha( deliverance) is a state in which we are not disturbed by any issues just as we are not disturbed in the sleep state about body, mind, society, government and the problems of the world. The sufferings undergone long ago do not affect us so much in the present.

Whatever are the sorrows and difficulties, the Upanishads say that we must perform our duties without fail with devotion and dedication.

If we are having suffering from any bodily diseases we should not dislike it, rather we should bear it with grit. The doctors prescribe certain restrictions when we are ill so that we are relieved of the disease. To relieve ourselves from the worldly sufferings, every act of ours should be done with complete devotion and must be dedicated to God.

The three most important basics for leading a conscientious life and attaining spiritual growth are – single minded devotion, constant performance of good deeds and dedication of the self. 

We should lead our lives by dedicating all our acts to God. 

Om tat sat!!!

Om Santhi Santhi Santhi hi!!!

How and Why We Should Pray

The Essence of Volume 2 Chapter 6

Om Sri Gurubhyo namaha!!!

How should we pray to God? Why should we pray? What should we ask him? If there is anyone who can answer these questions, it is only the self-realized and great spiritual masters.

We go to a hospital for treatment, to a rich man for monetary help, to a court for settlement of legal disputes. In the same way, we should take the shelter of great and realized men for spiritual enlightenment. There is no assurance that all we seek from other humans will be fully attained or resolved. So we should firstly present our trammels and disputes to God and seek his help. There are some who say that “why should we ask God to resolve our worldly problems, we should seek his help only for spiritual gains”. But there are plenty of responsibilities and dependents for a householder, he cannot leave those dependent on him and look for self-interests like salvation until the responsibilities are fulfilled.

There are three limbs for deeds to yield desired results and they are 1) Divine grace 2) Human effort and 3) Luck. In the absence of these three our efforts will not give results as expected.

Lord Krishna in Bhagavadgita said:

catur-vidha bhajante mam  janah sukrtino 'rjuna 
arto jijnasur artharthi  jnani ca bharatarsabha                Chapter 7 Verse 16

(O Arjuna! four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me - the distressed, one who desires wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute)

The distressed (arto) is the one who is burdened by worldly life and family responsibilities. The inquisitive (Jijnasu) is keen on knowing the Truth and seeks knowledge at all times wanting to understand this world. One who desires wealth ( artharthi) seeks it for undertaking charitable activities and also for his own well-being. The one searching for knowledge of the Absolute is a Jnani( a rational). He realizes and sees brahman in everything and are a rarity. All his activities of seeking knowledge are aimed at God alone.  

One should pray with devotion to God.

The second part is why we should pray to God. We may in our lifetime accumulate all the best articles in the world but they may not necessarily give us peace of mind and satisfaction. So we should pray for attaining them. If there is no satisfaction, adversities will be our constant companions.

Sri Adi Sankaraacharya has mentioned in Shatpadi stotram what must be sought from God. The first sloka of Shatpadi says that we must seek God to give us humility. The second sloka advises us to fall at Lord’s feet so that our ego is subdued and we learn to be humble. The third sloka shows how we are dependent on God. Wave is dependent on ocean but the ocean is not dependent on wave. The ocean and wave may not be different but the truth is wave is born from the ocean.

The fourth sloka suggests that once God’s mercy is showered on us, it is not difficult to cross this ocean of samsara (cycle of birth and death).

In the fifth and sixth slokas, he asks the Lord to remove evil from our heart and in the seventh sloka prays that this shatpadi should always reside in us.

We should realize our ultimate goal of Moksha( deliverance) by facing all the pleasures and sorrows of this birth. Devotion to God is the most important requirement in this process.

Inside - Outside

The Essence of Volume 1 Chapter 16

Inside – Outside

Om Sri Gurubhyo namaha!!!

Most humans have a feeling of deficiency or lack. All feelings of happiness or beauty or desires are all generated from within. Whatever is inside is what reflects outside. There is nothing outside. Everything is inside. All that is there outside has to merge with what is inside. Lord Krishna said in Bhagavadgita:

apuryamanam acala-pratistham 
samudram apah pravisanti yadvat 
tadvat kama yam pravisanti sarve 
sa santim apnoti na kama-kami                                 Chapter 2 Verse 70

(A person who is not disturbed by the incessant flow of desires--that enter like rivers into the ocean which is ever being filled but is always still--can alone achieve peace and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires)

A desire (Kama) is nothing but a longing or attraction for outside objects. We try to derive happiness from such desires.  How can a person always deriving happiness from outside be at peace? There are innumerable objects in this world. It is futile to chase the never ending desires. Peace will be with the one who understands that everything is within him. The one who thinks that he would be happy only if he gets a big position or a beautiful woman or plenty of riches is an absolute fool.

 “yatsoukhaymbudhi lesalesata ime sakradayonirvrita”

The self-realized have the feeling of happiness and delight due to Paramatma’s iota of blessedness that is residing in their heart. For the self-realized, there is nothing to feel happy or sorrowful with the objects of the outer world.

If one is always searching for happiness from outside objects, he would be joyous when he gets them and sorrowful when he loses them. He would feel incomplete in the absence of those objects and will always be attached to them. In case, he doesn’t fulfill them, it leads to frustration, anger and violence aimed at others.

The outside objects arrive and leave but if someone makes these transient objects as the basis for his happiness, he is bound to suffer and will never be at peace.

Lord Krishna in the above verse says that one should be like an ocean which is unmoved irrespective of whether something comes and joins it or not. The moment one says that “I need this or that”, it symbolizes that he is short of it which leads to disquietude.

Only a person who is unmoved by the desires caused by outside objects will achieve tranquility of mind and find quietude.

Om tat sat!!!

Om Santhi Santhi Santhihi !!!

Aparigraham (Non-possessiveness) Part 3 of 3

The Essence of Chapter 20, Volume 1

Om Sri Gurubhyo namaha!!!

The governments are expected to provide facilities for people to live peacefully but it looks like deprivation is progressing day by day. People are jubilant that there is great economic development but where is that growth? One who was having coffee twice earlier has it four times now, one who was living in hut is now living in concrete building, one who had two pairs of clothes has 20 pairs today. It is not proper to think that these are the symbols of economic growth. If we keep increasing our wants in this manner, we will always be laboring harder. Whatever is required for the basic living should always be in the reach of all. There should be proper laws for that. Everybody should try and lead lives in the same way as much as possible. That is the true meaning of aparigraham.

One who wants to attain spiritual heights in life should never accumulate more than required. If some people who are rich live in pomposity, others who are not so rich will try to emulate them and as a result get into debts and ruin their lives. There are some who trade in diamonds and some who buy them which is of no use.

In the yesteryear, there was not much difference between the rich and the poor but the gap is widening. Nobody knew about coffee and people were happy having porridge. We must make a pledge that we shall not consume coffee or use silk clothes and instead use that money to help some families. There is no peace or blessedness as we keep accumulating more and more. Lavishness will only lead to sorrow again.

No living creature should be harmed by us. Ahimsa and Aparigraham are the most important in Ashtangayoga. We should not waste money just because we have it in abundance. We should use it for the benefit of others. Only if we do that will we realize brahman. Without following aparigraha it is impossible to go to the next level.

                                                                                            (concluded)

Om tat sat !!!

Om Santhi ! Santhi! Santhihi !!!

Aparigraham (Non-possessiveness) Part 2 of 3

The Essence of Volume 1 Chapter 20

Aparigraham( Non – possessiveness) Part 2 of 3

Om Sri Gurubhyo namaha!!!

Our government can facilitate to develop good qualities like devotion in people. In a scenario filled with devotion, there would be no need for society to say that morality is dead no necessity to use brutal force on public and to waste money on unnecessary law enforcement activities. We seem to have got freedom even before we realized the real meaning of what freedom is all about. It is the same as holding the tail first, the last part, leaving all other parts.

As long as we think that an elected government should not involve in propagation of devotion and delink Constitution from devotion, the governments will continue to face difficulties and also make wasteful expenditure on governance.

Why do we say devotion to God is important? So that every person strives to realize the Reality and become free from rebirth. Yama is the first principle in such an effort and Aparigraha is the most important aspect which says that humans should not use or possess more than what is required as a bare necessity.

“Chayaa toyam vasanam asanam” is what our elders said. Our body requires food, drinking water, a hut for living and clothing. These are the four most important necessities for survival of humans and all of them come from Mother Earth. Drinking water comes from Earth; material required for house construction comes from Earth; food, cotton, etc., all come from Earth and last but not the least we too come from Earth.

The natural resources have to be used sparingly. Clothing is needed for protection of individual dignity or respect and cotton clothes will serve that purpose. What is the use of wearing costly silk clothes for the sake of pomposity? Is there any reason other than assuming that we are respected only if we wear such clothes? Can anybody say that our honor is protected only if such costly clothes are worn?

With the amount spent by one rich family on such costly clothing, at least 10 poor families will get enough ordinary clothing. Silk clothes worn for pageantry earns us sin as thousands of worms are killed for making them. As far as possible we should use clothing made from non-violent forms and should be as normal as worn by any other individual.

                                                                         (to be concluded)

Om tat sat !!!                                                      

Om Santhi ! Santhi! Santhihi !!!

Aparigraham (Non-possessiveness) Part 1 of 3

The Essence of Volume 1, Chapter 20 

Om Sri Gurubhyo namaha!!!

The greatest realizable fruit of human birth is to know the ultimate Reality or Truth. If we observe closely, we can understand that the Truth is nothing but God. The moment realization dawns, usage of words like I and Me will no longer linger in our minds. The rivers lose their identity after they merge with the sea. In the same way, once Jivatma merges with Paramatma, it loses its identity. So,as long as the Jivatma is dwelling in this body, we should aim to realize Paramatma and that is the real meaning of human life.

To achieve realization and to understand that philosophy there are certain activities to be compulsorily followed as prescribed in Ashtangayoga which consists of eight limbs namely Yama(moral codes), Niyama(self-purification and study), Asana( posture), Pranayama( breath control), Pratyahara (withdrawing of the mind from the senses), Dharana (concentration), Dhayna ( deep meditation) and Samadhi (union with the object of meditation). The first of these Ashtangayogas, Yama has five steps as detailed below. One who doesn’t take the first step itself will never be able to understand Vedanta or realize Paramatma.

A sadhaka( one who strives) longing to see the Reality should take these steps with great effort to reach his goal. Ahimsa (non-violence), Satyam (truth), Asteyam (non-stealing), Brahmacharya (celibacy) and Aparigraham (non-possessiveness) are the five principle elements of the Yama.

Graham means possessiveness and Aparigraham means non-possessiveness. Possessing more than what is actually required for getting on with life is equal to stealing. When one follows the principle of aparigraham, he gets the opportunity to see Reality and earn the grace of God. Some religions talk about ethics, character and morality as the last steps of realization but Hindu shastras treat these characteristics as tools for realizing sat.

                                                                       ( to be concluded)

Om tat sat!!!

Om!! Santhi ! Santhi ! Santhi hi!!