\
न मे पार्थास्ति कर्तव्यं त्रिषु लोकेषु किञ्चन ।
नानवाप्तमवाप्तव्यं वर्त एव च कर्मणि ॥ २२ ॥
Oh Parththa! I have no duty, nothing that I have not gained
and nothing that I have to gain in all the three worlds. Yet, I continue in action.
(III - 22)
Shri Krishna, the lord
of all the three worlds has no obligatory duty.
He has nothing he does not have and has to gain. (In fact, all of us are in the same state. We too have nothing to get. The worldly things we seek to get, are this
world’s and can never become ours. We
must seek and attain divinity, which we normally don’t. But, it is already within us. It can only be realized and not attained.) No duty to perform and no object to get. Yet, he was fully immersed in actions. His life was one of brisk, continuous and
enthusiastic activity. Right from his
early childhood days till his final moment, he was engaged in activities. There might not be an activity in this world,
which is not included in the wide range of His activities. Let us have a short account of His life and
activity.
As a child, He stole
butter; swallowed mud; organized children for play; was regarded as a leader by
them; invlolved self and others in so many mischiefs; grazed cows; played
lilting music on the flute; danced and sang with the Gopis; drove away Kaleeya,
a tyrant snake from Yamuna, water source for the village; killed many
terrorists sent on Him by Kamsa; organized a grand worship of Govardhana, the
nearby hill, which was a source of livelihood for the village folks; earned the
rage of Indra; saved the village with all its people and cattle from the
devastating rains caused by an enraged Indra; took forms of all village
children, cows and calves taken away and hidden by Brahma and lived
simultaneously in so many houses in so many forms; prevented village wealth of
milk, butter and curd from reaching Kamsa, the tyrant ruler, by breaking the
pots; all these before He was even twelve years of age.
He killed Kamsa and
released thousands imprisoned in his jails; released and anointed as king,
Ugrasena, Kamsa’s father; relieved the empire from a despotic rule; set free His own parents from the same
prison; all these he did in thirteenth year of His age.
Joined as a student in
Sandeepani Gurukul; served the master; earned the friendship of Kuchela; Ran
away to far off Dwarika, to save Mathura from being attacked by Jaraasandha
with a personal vengeance on Him for killing Kamsa; established a state in
Dwarika and ruled it jointly with elder brother Balarama; accepted Love of
Rukmini and deceitfully took away and married her; fought and defeated her
brother Rukmi and Shishupal, the proposed groom for her.
Cemented an exemplary
friendship with Kuchela; rushed to help the loved ones; helped the Pandavas in
establishing Indraprastha, a city with architectural marvel; motivated
Yudhishtthira to conduct Rajasuya Yagnya; took up the menial task of cleaning
up the dining hall after feeding guests; accepted the honour of first worship
on the occassion; killed abusive Shishupal; helped Draupadi with save her
honour with heaps of Sarees; stood by the Pandavas during their exile period in
forest; saved them from the rage and curse of Durvasa, by swallowing a grain of
leftover food in the Akshayapatra; went as an emissary of peace on behalf of
Pandavas to the court of Duryodhana; bore the insult and an assault with an
intention to kill; became a chauffer for the chariot of Arjuna; during the
wardays, fed, patted and nursed the bruises of horses everyday in the evenings;
solved the numerous problems and feuds arising in Pandava camp through his
witty ways.
He was the cause of
death of every one of commanders in Kaurava army. He conspired to get Bheeshma bless Draupadi
and reveal the way to kill him, resulting in Bheeshma being killed. He instructed Yudhishtthira to speak a lie,
thereby causing Drona to be killed. He
hid the Sun behind his divine weapon, the wheel, thereby causing confusion in
the camp of Kauravas and thereby leading to the killing of Jayadratha. He clarified a confused Arjuna and made him
attack and kill Karna. Karna’s chariot
got struck in mud and he got down to release the same. He appealed to Arjuna to stop the fight while
he is engaged in releasing the chariot from mud. “Is it a virtue to attack, when the opponent
is disarmed and not focussed?” asked Karna in defence of his appeal. Arjuna agreed and put down his bow. Shri Krishna, in a classic piece of oratory, extolled
Arjuna to behead Karna, without waiting even a moment. “You do not deserve a virtuous
treatment. Where was your sense of
virtue, when you ganged with ten others to surround and kill Abhimanyu,
fighting alone? Now, standing at the
doorsteps of death, you lecture on virtue.”
He quoted all the incidents of attrocities on Pandavas, when Karna was a
co-conspirer. He patted on His thigh to
remind Bheema of his pledge, thereby causing Bheema to attack the thighs of
Duryodhana and kill him. He took out the
Pandavas for walk in the midnight of the last day of the battle, thereby saving
them from being killed by Ashvatthaama.
He protected the womb of Uttara from the fury of Brahmastra, sent by
Ashvatthaama.
He devised strategy and
supported Bheema to kill Jarasandha and set free thousands of kings imprisoned
by Jarasandha. This added to the
strength of Pandava army. He vanquished
Narakasura, set free thousands of imprisoned fighters. He married and accorded social status to
sixteen thousand women imprisoned and dishonoured by Jarasandha. He caused the celebration of the most
colourful festival, Deepavali. Oh! We
are exhausted merely by listing His feats.
What an active and energetic life He has led!
-\-
यदि ह्यहं न वर्तेयं जातु कर्मण्यतन्द्रितः ।
मम वर्त्मानुवर्तन्ते मनुष्याः पार्थ सर्वशः ॥ २३ ॥
उत्सीदेयुरिमे लोका न कुर्यां कर्म चेदहम् ।
सङ्करस्य च कर्ता स्यामुपहन्यामिमाः प्रजाः ॥ २४ ॥
If ever, I did not continue in work, without relaxation, Oh
Parththa! men would, in every way, follow me.
If I did not work, these worlds will follow me and perish. I would be a cause for admixture of races and
ruin of beings.
(III – 23, 24)
Here, Shri Krishna is
seen repeating the same words Arjuna had talked in first chapter, but the
reason assigned is direct opposite of that given by Arjuna. Arjuna refused to perform his duty, citing
the consequences of war as reason. Here,
Shri Krishna lists the same consequences, but due to non performance of duty.
The child has to play
with toys. It is learning process for
the child. The father has neither the
age nor temperament to play with toys.
Yet, he plays, only to encourage the child to play. If he does not, the child will not. The child will grow into a lazy dullard. His faculties of imagination and interaction
may be hampered and his life may be ruined.
And the father will be responsible for this. Shri Krishna means this when he says these
words.
He is quoting own
example, only to convince Arjuna of the damaging effect of his non performance
and the inevitability of performance by him.
Arjuna was a role model in his times.
He had played major role in organizing this army for Pandavas. If he quits at this juncture, if he chooses
to abstain from his role at this moment, he will cause a massive and damaging
ripple all around. Shri Krishna’s unique
way is not of issuing commandments, but is more persuasive. He places reasons and kindles rational
thinking in Arjuna and leaves the final decision to his descretion.
-\-
सक्ताः कर्मण्यविद्वांसो यथा कुर्वन्ति भारत ।
कुर्याद्विद्वांस्तथासक्तश्चिकीर्षुर्लोकसङ्ग्रहम् ॥ २५ ॥
न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम् ।
जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान्युक्तः समाचरन् ॥ २६ ॥
As the unwise act, attached to work, so should the wise act
without attachment, Oh Bharatha!, in the interest of the world.
One should not unsettle the understanding of the ignorant,
attached to action. The wise should
steadily work and should engage the ignorant in all work.
(III – 25, 26)
Parents complain of disinterest
in their children for studies. An
in-depth interrogation will reveal that the child had keen interest in one of
the many art fields like drawing, painting, music, drama or in one of the many
sport fields. The parents consider these
useless fields for a successful career (or money-production) and hence
discourage and everything within their means to wean away the child from his
field of interest. He becomes
disinterested in everything and involves and kills time in unworthy
activities. Interest if alive, can be
transferred to other fields and if it dries up, then there is no interest in
any. Shraddha or Faith is also
similar. Object of faith is less
important. Faith if alive, can be
shifted to higher and nobler objects. In
the seventeenth chapter, Shri Krishna talks about Shraddha and says men of
Satvik shraddha worship Gods, while rajasik shraddha makes one worship asuras
or politicians or sports ‘heroes’. The
men with tamasik shraddha worship intoxicating and nauseating personalities
like the film ‘heroes’. Shri Krishna,
shraddha alive, even if it is on low objects can be refined and reached to
nobler objects.
One, who was intoxicated
by and lay immersed in bodily beauty of his young wife, became an ardent
devotee of Shri Rama, did an intense penance on Him and transformed into Sant
TulasiDas. He was blessed with Darshan
of Shri Rama and wrote ‘Rama Charitha Manasa’, Ramayana in common man’s
language, which is adored till date by masses.
The one who was so full of sexual desires, blossomed in Arunagirinathar,
the great poet composer of Thiruppugazh.
Pattinatthaar, the perfect renouncer, was involved in amassing more and
more wealth through trade. He shirked off
every pence of his wealth in an instant and became a realized soul. Kannadasan, a hardcore atheist became the creator
of some of the best literatures on devotion.
The greatest challange for most of us is that we are not able to plunge
deeply in any field. Nothing captivates
us strong enough to make us lose ourselves.
The field should fill up every inch of our being. It should find its echo in every cell, so to
say. It should dominate us in wakeful
state and sleep. The ‘me’ should vanish
to such an extent that the thought, ‘I am involved in this’ is absent. ‘I’
merges with and verily becomes that. If
we could reach such a state in any field, Godhood is attained. “You can understand Gita and realize the
Truth, through the game of football”, said Swami Vivekananda. The one with no faith in anything, no
interest in anything, is tossed around by any impulse that arises time to
time. His life is squandered away in
unworthy activities.
“Do not condemn and
cause confusion in the minds of one involved in worldly activities” says Shri
Krishna. The wise, by mocking at his
ignorance is trampling any chance of his progress to higher realm. Instead, he should be helped to take just one
step up in the ladder of progress. Once,
Kabir was thirsty while passing through a village. He walked towards a well. There were two women drawing water and
chatting. One was saying to the other,
“Look at this attractive diamond stud, pierced into my nose. How nice it looks! It is very precious. My husband purchased this for me, without
even my demanding. He loves me so
much...” Kabirdas interrupted and said,
“You praise your husband for getting you a beautiful nose stud. Think of the God, who has given you a
beautiful nose to adorn the stud with.”
The common folk should be made to start his journey upwards, from the level
he is already in.
-\-
प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः ।
अहङ्कारविमूढात्मा कर्ताहमिति मन्यते ॥ २७ ॥
The Gunas of Prakriti, perform all actions. With the understanding deluded by ego, man
thinks, ‘I am the doer.”
(III - 27)
The Natural energy in
cosmos, which forms, sustains and ends life in humans, animals, birds, plants
and trees, that which causes rivers to flow and dry up, the fury of which turns
huge buildings, large cities into dust in seconds, is also the energy
responsible for our activities like walking, looking, hearing, eating, sleeping
etc. But, egoist that man is, he thinks
there are two types of activities in Nature.
1. The activities occuring on their own, the first variety. 2. The activities happening consciously, the
later variety. He considers, out of
ignorance, himself as the doer of the later type of activities. Every activity is result of satva, rajas and
tamas, the attributes of Nature. The
five basic elements, Buddhi, manas, ahankara, the ten indriyas (sense organs),
the objects for the senses, etc. are all products of Nature and hence any
activity, whether at cosciuous and personal level or at the cosmic level, is of
Nature and not of ‘Me’ the divine.
Ego or ahankara, like
any other organ, is part of human make-up.
It is one of the four aspects of manas.
The ‘me’ can see and know ahankara.
One who ignorantly considers ahankara to be self is ‘Ahankara
Vimooddhaatma’. There are two types of
‘self’; one the real self and the other, the considered self. The real self is eternal. The considered self is temporary, has an
end. The real ‘self’ can be forgotten,
but can never be destroyed. The greatest
blunder of man is to forget the real self and take the considered one as
real. As a consequence of considering
ahankara to be self, man thinks he is the doer.
The considered, false ‘me’ is deeply rooted in man. Man is not born with a name. Name is tagged on to him later. Yet, he considers himself to be the
name. He is so strongly fixed to the
name that, he remembers it even in deep slumber. Loud noises were made to awaken
Kumbhakarna. Horns and conches were
blown and drums were beaten. Elephants
were made to trumpet. He was even poked
with spears. No. He did not wake up. Finally, Ravana came and called him by his
name and he instantly woke up.
Name is for others to
call me. Ahankara is for me to call
self. Both are illusionary and unreal,
but are deeply embedded in me. Introspection
and meditation to deny the considered self is the only way to correct this
blunder.
-\-
तत्त्ववित्तु महाबाहो गुणकर्म विभागयोः ।
गुणा गुणेषु वर्तन्त इति मत्वा न सज्जते ॥ २८ ॥
But, the one with true insight into the damains of Guna and
Karma, knowing that Gunas as senses merely rest on Gunas as objects, does not
become attached.
(III - 28)
In a way, this shlokam
is an extension of the previous one.
Tatvavit is one who understands the truth of divisions of gunas and
actions. Satva, rajas and tamas, the
three gunas evolve as bodies, senses, manas, buddhi, so many other lives, and
all the objects in this world. Actions
are of these. Gunas and karmas or
objects and actions in other words, are subject to change. Objects form and are destroyed. Actions start and conclude. Atma stands beyond the gunas and
actions. He is Tatva vit, who knows the
transient nature of objects and actions and that these are unrelated to
‘self’. Man is tied down in bondage when
he accepts a non-existant relationship.
The moment he knows this, he detaches from actions and is liberated.
-\-
प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढाः सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु ।
तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान् कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ॥ २९ ॥
Men of perfect knowledge should not confuse the people of
dull wit and imperfect knowledge, who deluded by the Gunas of Prakriti attach
themselves to the functions of Gunas.
(III - 29)
Hundreds of thousands of
men have assembled here, blinded by the lure of battle. No other thought resonates in them. War is definite. They, ignorant and under the influence of
Nature, gunas, are sure to fight. Even
if you were a realized soul and withdraw from the battlefield out of
realizement of truth, you’ll cause nothing but, confusion and
bewilderment. Do not become a cause for
frittering away lives of so many. The
only thing you could do is to realize that, ‘pain and pleaure, victory and
defeat are all same and everything is divine will’ and to fight without a sense
of ‘you being the doer’.
-\-
मयि सर्वाणि कर्माणि सन्यस्याध्यात्मचेतसा ।
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः ॥ ३० ॥
Fight, renouncing all actions to Me, with mind centered on
Self, getting rid of hope and selfishness and free from mental fever.
(III - 30)
“Rid of hopes and possessive
thoughts, surrender to Me and fight without any ‘fevers’ or passions”, says
Shri Krishna. This is tough to
attain. The one chief requisite for
surrender is absence of fever. Jvara is
fever and vigatajvara is absence of fever.
Fever appears when the body is diseased.
That is fever of the body and is occassional. The fevers of mind, like fever of desire,
fever of rage, fever of avarice etc. are ever present. The body is heated up whenever excessive
desire or rage erupts. Heart beat is
speeded up and glands pump in chemicals, to be taken around the whole body. These are killers, not instant but slow
killers. It is said, our life span is
reduced by a few hours with every fit of rage.
We can not surrender
without first eradicating these fevers.
These passions are food for ego.
Ego is nourished and blown larger by these fevers and Ego is the
obstacle to surrender. We bow down in
front of God’s image form. The bowing is
merely of the body. The ego does not
bow. It stands erect. It looks around for appreciators of the
visible humility. Ego is very subtle and
intelligent. It does not bare itself and
spoil the self image. “Oh! I am a small
fry. What have I done to deserve so much
praise?” it will prompt one to say. If
you take the words seriously and stop praising, it will cause disturbance and
grief and even a subtle anger. The humble
words are only to draw your attention and appreciation to his inevitability. “No.
No. Your role was important. None can possibly replace you. If you were not there, Oh, I can not imagine
the consequence.” These are the words he
wants to hear. We can observe this in
many public platforms. Each speaker is
found showering ‘praises’ on others and expects the same from others.
Life potency is drained and
music of life is lost, by these passions.
We become weak. In fact, ego is a
cover up for weakness, low esteem. Hence,
a weak person is unable to surrender.
The Sun does not announce and advertize it coming. It comes and the world knows its arrival,
through its radiation of light. A
duplicate Sun will require posters, drum beats and every other mode of
advertizement. If an excessive ego is manifested,
know that there is deep rooted lack of confidence and weakness hidden
behind. Only the one who has tremendous
grit within, the strength of spirit, can surrender. Only the one who is full, can give up. He is full even after giving up
everything. How and what can a pauper
give?
People place their heads
at his feet and bow down to Gautam Buddha.
A man was upset seeing this. “You
talk so high, but do not stop people from falling at your feet.” protested
he. “They do not bow me nor do they fall
at my feet. I am a doorway through which
they are sending their obligations to Him.
I am not the reciever of their worship.
So, why should I stop them?” replied Buddha. He is neither amused by your worship nor
disturbed by your abuse. He is not there
to even to register either.
-\-
ये मे मतमिदं नित्यमनुतिष्ठन्ति मानवाः ।
श्रद्धावन्तोsनसूयन्तो मुच्यन्ते तेsपि कर्मभिः ॥ ३१ ॥
ये त्वेतदभ्यसूयन्तो नानुतिष्ठन्ति मे मतम् ।
सर्वज्ञानविमूढांस्तान्विद्धि नष्टानचेतसः ॥ ३२ ॥
Those men, who constantly practise this teaching of Mine, full
of Shraddha and without cavilling, they too are freed from work.
But those who decrying this teaching of Mine, do not
practise it, deluded in all knowledge and devoid of any descrimination, know
them to be ruined.
(III – 31, 32)
Matham in Samskrit is
opinion. ‘This is my opinion’, says Shri
Krishna. Matham is also a word used for
religion. There are primarily six
mathams, Shaiva, Vaishnava, Shaktha, Soura, Ganapatya and Koumaara. These are ideas on form of God to be worshipped,
the ways of worship. To try and follow
idea prescribed, is the best way to join a matham (religion) and not merely
swallowing a piece of bread soaked in wine or cutting off a part of your
body. Even joining a political party
should only be after going through its ideology, understanding and agreeing to
it, rather than by mere payment of a rupee and getting a card. Unfortunately, joining a religion has been
degraded to the level of joining a political party, by these proselytizing religions.
“The ones who agree to
my matham, without any prejudice, and follow with total faith, ...” says Shri
Krishna. He says, ‘with faith’. What is faith? In fact, shraddha is a unique word in
Samskrit, with no equivalence in other languages. It is not belief or blind faith; Belief rises
along with disbelief. Belief is a loud
effort to coverup disbelief, hidden deep inside.
That was the time, when Narendra
as a student, was chasing his query, ‘Is there a God?’ Once, his friend informed him that saintly
Devendranath Maharshi, was on a boat on the Ganga and was carrying on his
meditative penance. It was past
midnight, but Narendra decide to meet him at once. He ran to the bank of the river, took a
plunge and swam towards the boat, climbed into the boat and was standing before
the Maharshi. The Maharshi was woken
from his meditative spell. Narendra held
his hands and asked, “Is there a God?” “Sit
and relax, O friend. It is past
midnight, my young friend. This is not
the way”, said Maharshi. “I have got the
answer. You do not know. I am asking about God, but you are taking
note of my wet clothes. Midnight time
and flood in Ganga were never in my mind”, said Narendra and returned. After a few months, he met Shri Ramakrishna
Paramahamsa and accosted him with the same question. “Is there a God?” “Whether he is or not is not the matter. What matters is if you want to know. Do you want to see Him? If yes, I am ready”, was Shri Ramakrishna’s
reply. He was speaking on the strength
of shraddha, whereas the Maharshi was speaking with belief, tinged with a
disbelief. Shraddha is the point at
which every bit of disbelief is dismantled.
The one who believes the
sand stones in his possession to be diamonds and holds those tight, will never
go in search of real diamonds. Disbelief
may lead one to shraddha, but belief or total belief will never reach to
shraddha. Shraddha springs from within
whereas belief has its roots outside.
Belief relies on logic and arguements.
Shraddha is beyond logic and arguements.
It stands on its own. He believes
that Aatman is eternal, but is scared of death.
In fact, the loud declaration on eternity of Aatman is to subside the
fear of death. Shraddha means total
absence of disbelief. Belief raises
questions. Shraddha blossoms after all
questions and doubts have faded. Life is
beyond logic and is secretive. Shraddha
is the essence in knowing and realizing this.
-\-
सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्याः प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि ।
प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रहः किं करिष्यति ॥ ३३ ॥
Even a wise man acts according to his own nature. Beings follow nature. What can restraint do?
(III - 33)
God descended on the
earth and lived here as Shri Rama and Shri Krishna in human forms. He had taken forms of a fish, a tortoise and
a pig. The God exhibited the nature of
the form He took. Shri Rama has revealed
his emotions in typical human ways, but was never subordinate to or enslaved by
nature. There is abeautiful incident in
the Ramayan. Shri Rama was running from
pillar to post in the jungle in search of Sita, abducted by Ravana. He was wailing and expressed his intense
grief. “Where is my dear Sita? Have you seen my beloved Sita?”, he asked
every plant, tree and animal. Devi
Parvathi was amused at this. “You said
He is an avatara of Mahavishnu, God personified. But, He appears, an ignorant commoner,
grieving for His lost wife. I doubt his
Divine origin”, said she to Shiva. Shiva
did not respond. Devi Parvathi wanted to
test Shri Rama’s Divinity. She went to
the forest in the garb of Sita and walked towards Him. He bowed before Her and said, “I worship you,
Mother” and went on His way and continued sobbing. Parvathi thought, perhaps He must not seen
Her properly and again went before Him.
He once again stooped down to touch Her feet and said, “I bow before
you, Oh worshipful mother” and continued grieving as before. She realized the real divine nature of Shri
Rama and returned to Kailash and shared Her experience with Shiva. “It was only a disguise. Neverthe less, you took the form of Mother
Sita. Hence, I separate from you”, said Shiva. Devi had to relinquish Her body, took to
severe penance and reunited with Shiva.
Like Gods, realized
souls, too act according to their nature, but are not subordinated by Prakruthi
or nature. Nature is in their
control. Their intention is pure, and
there is an absence of ‘I am the doer’ spirit, hence their actions are pure and
are inspiration for the student.
The imprints of the
present and past births, the influence of parents, friends and surroundings,
education, religeous ways, thoughts, actions, and other such factors combine to
form swabhava. The Nature is full of
diversities. Swabhava is born out of
Prakruthi or Nature and hence varies from man to man. Two coconut trees of the same variety
exhibit so many differences. One, who gets attached to Nature is bound and
enslaved by swabhava. Man is free to
refine swabhava and getting detached from Nature and its attributes is the way.
“Hey Arjuna, do not be
obstinate. Nature will not be cowed down
by your obstinacy. On the other hand,
you’ll be pushed into war by Nature” says Shri Krishna.
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इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ ।
तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ ॥ ३४ ॥
Attachment and aversion of the senses for their respective
objects are natural. Let alone come
under their sway, they are one’s foes.
(III - 34)
Duality is Nature’s
essential trait. If there is darkness,
light is not far. Shadow accompanies hot
sunlight is inevitable. Both come
together. Pain comes with pleasure, loss
with gain. Death will be there so long
as birth is there. We have three
options. We may reject both, take one
and try to avoid the other or accept both.
Rejecting both is impossible so long as life is alive. Of the other two options, one is of the wise
and the other of the ignorant. The wise
welcomes and accepts both and the ignorant struggles and loses his whole life
trying to take one and reject the other.
The wise also goes through youth.
He knows that to be, but a phase in life. He accepts fully aware that it will fade
away. The ignorant, on the other hand,
is mesmerized by youth and does not want to lose it. He does not know, rather does not want to
know that it has come only to go.
The wise also
experiences pleasure and pain. He knows
that anything which comes has to go and is not awed. He does not engage in vain struggle to keep
one avoid the other. He is neither
enamoured of pleasure nor is he alarmed by pain. The ignorant gets trapped in this whirl and
loses himself. There is an anecdote in
the life of Adhi Shankara. He had a
disciple who felt that, “He is having nice time, with nice welcome and feast
everywhere”. Shankara read the thoughts
in his disciple’s mind. There was a
furnace on way. Shankara entered the
furnace and drank the red hot molten steel.
The disciple was horrified. For
Shankara, it is all the same, garlands and warm welcome, feast and festivities,
abuse and insult, porridge or molten steel.
This is the vision of a wise. “I
want this, and do not want that which comes hand in hand with this” is the
vision of the ignorant.
-\-
श्रेयान् स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् ।
स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ॥ ३५ ॥
Better is one’s own Dharma, however imperfect, than the
Dharma of another well performed. Better
is death in one’s own Dharma. The Dharma
of another is fraught with fear.
(III - 35)
There were two prisoners
in a jail and the jail was moon lit on a full-moon night. The two prisoners stood holding the bars on
the prison gates and gazing outward. The
face of one was brightened up on delight as if he had found the treasure of the
heavens. The other’s face turned scornful
with enough anger to burn down the whole world.
“You seem to be in joy. Have you
forgotten that you are in a prison. What
is so delightful in this wretched prison?
Suffocating darkness, irritating mosquitoes, nauseating smell?” He seemed unable to stand the smile of the
prison mate. “Oh! Are we not in prison? I forgot.
If you had not reminded, I would have reached the moon by now. Look at that moon. How beautiful and serene! I was lost in that. When you are immersed in and drinking the
beauty of moon, where is the space in mind and time for the eyes to observe
these petty things”, replied the first.
Both were in the same situation, but had different perspectives. Both had the same eyes, but different visions. Both had minds, but with unique
character. This is swadharma and is
unique to every man. There are as many
swadhrma as are men.
You must be yourself and
I, myself. You can not become me, nor
can I become you and hence should not venture to. You may be the most famous and admirable
personality in the world. It need not pep
me to try to become you. I should evolve
into my real self. We are used to the
suggestions in our childhood days to become, say a Nethaji or Swami Vivekanand. The intention might be good but it is not a
worthy idea. There is no worth for a
copy. A photocopy of thousand rupee note
is not worthier than that of a five rupee note.
A copy is a copy and is worth a rupee.
The God creates a Nethaji or a Swamiji only once and there is no
repeatation in His scheme. When we
desire a duplicate, we are probably undermining His creative ability. Now, ‘who your child should grow to be, is
decided by market considerations’.
Shri Krishna says, “It
does not matter even if the life is lost in being self, even if the efforts to
evolve into a fuller self, fail. The
effort to ‘fit into some one else’s shoes’ is dangerous”.
-\-
अर्जुन उवाच -
अथ केन प्रयुक्तोsयं पापं चरति पूरुषः ।
अनिच्छान्नपि वार्ष्णेय बलादिव नियोजितः ॥ ३६ ॥
Arjuna said: But, by
what impelled, does man commit sin, against his wishes, Oh Varshneya! as though
he were constrained by force?
(III - 36)
The mindset of Arjuna,
at the start of the second chapter, was different from the same at this
juncture. He was transformed into a
student, desirous to know, to seek clarification from the knowledgeable Shri
Krishna. Anyone with a clear thinking
will not want to commit a sin as he knows that sin fathers sufferings and
distress, unwelcome to him. “Why does
man commit sin, even when not wanting to?” asks Arjuna. “Who or what is the compelling factor?”
“Jaanaami dharmam, na
cha mae pravrutthih. Jaanaami adharmam,
na cha mae nivrutthih”, Duryodhana is once quoted as saying in
Mahabharatha. “I know what is right, but
can not act right. I know what is wrong,
yet can not avoid.”. “Some one seated in
my heart, instigates me to avoid the right and do the wrong”, he continues
further. That is ‘Lord Desire’, explains
Shri Krishna in the next few verses.
Almost all of us know
what is right and what is wrong, at least, at the conscious, intellectual
level. The problem arises when we begin
to execute. We are stopped from doing
the right and drawn to do wrong. This is
against our wish. Who hijacks us from
the right path and snatches the goodness in us?
Shri Krishna names ‘Desire’ as the thief responsible.
-\-
श्री भगवानुवाच -
काम एष क्रोध एष रजोगुणसमुद्भवः ।
महाशनो महापाप्मा विद्ध्येनमिह वैरिणम् ॥ ३७ ॥
The Bhagawan said: It is desire and anger, born of the Rajo
Guna. Born of great craving, of great
sin, know this to the foe here, in this world.
(III - 37)
In
the fourteenth chapter, Shri Krishna declares that ‘Trishna and attachment
produce Rajoguna.’ Here, He says that
‘Rajoguna gives rise to desire.’ Both
mean the same. Desire and attachment are
complementory. Desire feeds attachment
and viceversa. Rajoguna is attribute
exhibited by work, more work, passion, more passion. Passion instigates action and viceversa.
Wrong
doings are caused mostly by desire and anger or rage in some cases. As anger is another form of desire, passion
in the opposite direction, we can say that desire is the basis for all wrong
doings. (Only, desire to have or avoid
worldly objects could be termed desire.
Urge, if any, for Godhood is not ‘desire’.)
It
is impossible to satiate desire.
Elimination of desire, though difficult, is attainable. Is it not practical wisdom to chase the
difficult than the impossible? Desire is
of four types.
1.
Physical need and the desire to satiate it.
The desire should be present, not posterior or past, (hunger for
instance). The means for satiation
should be available. The satiation
should be essential and inevitable.
There should be no harm to self or others while satiation. There should be no ‘experience of pleasure’
while satiation. In such a state, the
physical desire must be satisfied and eliminated. 2. Satisfy the just desire, if it is within
our means. If not, leave it to His wish
and thus eliminate the desire. 3. To try
and satisfy the desires of others, of course, if it is within our ability and
means and elimination of own desire. 4.
Any other desire is to be eliminate through discretionary thinking.
Service
to others, efforts to make others comfortable, work towards welfare of others,
etc. are easier ways, but nobler ways to eliminate own desires. I was in a bus top waiting for bus. Having remained awake the previous night, I
was eager to catch a comfortable window seat and enjoy a good sleep in the
three hours of travel. The bus arrived
and I was fortunate to get a seat as desired.
The cool breeze teasing my face induced ‘heavenly’ sleep. Within moments, I was awakened by the impact
of a load on my shoulder. It was the
head of the next passenger. He was as
if, in the grip of an uncontrollable sleep and his head was swaying and
dropping in all directions. I was afraid
of his head hitting the steel bar infront.
I placed my palm on the bar to cushion his head’s possible hit on the
bar. I was now engaged in moving my palm
here and there on the bar, along with the movement of his head. I do not know how many minutes ticked by in
this. Long after, I realized that my
sleep and the strong desire to take one had vanished. If you engage in welfare of others, your own
desire evaporates.
-\-
धूमेनाव्रियते वन्हिर्यथादर्शो मलेन च ।
यथोल्बेनवृतो गर्भस्तथा तेनेदमावृतम् ॥ ३८ ॥
As the fire is enveloped by smoke, as a mirror by dust, as
the embryo by the secundine, so is it covered by that. (‘It’ is knowledge and ‘that’ is desire or
anger).
(III - 38)
Passion
shrouds knowledge, discretion. Later, in
the eighteenth chapter, Shri Krishna descibes three types of Buddhi. Satvika Buddhi is that which clearly knows
what is real and what is a myth; what is desirable and what is
undesirable. The rajasik Buddhi is
confused about these and the tamasik buddhi knows these in reverse; it takes the real for unreal and so on. Here, Shri Krishna takes help of three
similies to explain the fogging of three types of Buddhi. Passionate desire hides like smoke hiding fire,
dust hiding a mirror and like secundine hiding an embryo. Smoke hides fire, but also indicates
fire. Similarly, presence of dust
indicates the presence of a mirror and secundine covers embryo but also
indicates the presence of one. Though
shrouded, discretion is nevertheless present in every human. Desire numbs it into inaction.
Fire
is not fully hidden by smoke. It is
easier to rekindle fire shrouded by smoke.
Blow some air and the fire reveals itself destroying the cover of smoke. Similarly, the cover of sublime satvika
desires shrouding a satvika buddhi is easily removed. Dust layer on a mirror hides it almost
fully. Scrubbing and removing the dust
cover is not easily done. At the same
time, it is not impossible. Likewise,
the cover of passionate desires on rajasik buddhi is stronger, removed through
tougher efforts. The embryo is covered
and hidden completely and for a longer time.
Likewise, sensual and animalistic desires build a strong wall around the
tamasik buddhi which is very strong to break.
Moham
or delusion is to be shirked off and spiritual efforts persued to eliminate
these desires and awaken discretionary intelligence.
-\-
आवृतं ज्ञानमेतेन ज्ञानिनो नित्यवैरिणा ।
कामरूपेण कौन्तेय दुष्पूरेणानलेन च ॥ ३९ ॥
Oh Son of Kunti! Knowledge is covered by this, the constant
foe of the wise, the unappeasable fire called desire.
(III - 39)
If
fire is to be silenced or put out, water is to be poured on it. The fire wants to be fed on oil or ghee. If you pour it, trying to satisfy its desire,
the fire dances with joy. It tries to
touch the roof in excitement. The fire
does not want water and expresses rage when water is poured on it. It tries with full vigour to fight and finish
the ‘enemy’. Similarly, desire rises and
grows to full size, if fed with the objects.
If the objects of desire are denied, fury, rage is aroused. Desire is never satiated by objects. If fed with object desired is fed, it blooms
and if denied, it is enraged. If hundred
rupees are desired and got, a desire for a thousand rupees is born. If only ten rupees are got, then it is
presumed as a loss of ninty rupees giving birth to anger. The presumed loss and resultant ‘krodha’
grows with rise in income. Even if the
income is a lakh rupees, desire grows to a ‘million size’ and hence loss also
is huge to the tune of nine lakhs and hence ‘krodha’ increases. (Money or wealth is not a vice, desire for it
is vicious.)
Travel
in the unreserved bogie of a train exposes this trait of desire. Usually, the unreserved bogie is full and one
wishes and prays to somehow enter and get a space only footsize. Once inside, having fulfilled the desire, one
can spend time standing by the door and enjoying the passing scenes
outside. But, no. Now, he wants a space to sit. The eyes wander inside in search of one. He finds one, on way to lavotary. His desire has been fulfilled once
again. Ye, the mind is not at peace. It aspires for a comfortable seat on the
bench, then some more space to spread legs and then to lie down. Even if he finds one on the upper wooden
birth, meant for luggage, and lies down, he is unsatisfied and curses the government
for not providing cushion on the upper births.
This does not end here. He lives
through rest of life, elaborating and moaning on this ‘horrible’ grievous
experience. He will thus be spreading
grief, mistrust and depression in others too.
Desire is an enemy to and shrouds knowledge and discretion.
-\-
इन्द्रियाणि मनो बुद्धिरस्याधिष्ठानमुच्यते ।
एतैर्विमोहयत्येष ज्ञानमावृत्य देहिनम् ॥ ४० ॥
The senses, the mind and the intellect are said to be its
abode. Through these it deludes the
embodied by veiling his wisdom.
(III - 40)
A
leader of a gang of decoits will have his camp at various centers. Similarly, desire operates with abodes at the
senses, mind and the buddhi and continuously disturbing health, peace of mind
and thinking. As the chief of a state
would order detection and destruction of all the camps of decoit gang, so would
the wise should know the various abodes of desire and the ways to demolish it.
The
senses are the dazzling platforms for survival and nourishment of desires. The stimulations for desire, recieved from
the external world by the senses, reach the mind and convert the mind also into
a den for desires. Finally, when the
intellect tends to get immersed in and enjoy these experiences, it also becomes
a camping ground for desires.
When
the ‘ahankara’ identifies itself with the body, it wants to enjoy the sensual
pleasures. When the identification is
with the mind, it indulges in imagination and emotions of the sensual
experiences. When the identification is
with the intellect, it engages in and thrives on recapitulation of memories. Knowing the real nature and identification
with the Divine is prevented by these camping stations of desire.
-\-
तस्मात्त्वमिन्द्रियाण्यादौ नियम्य भरतर्षभ ।
पाप्मानं प्रजहि ह्येनं ज्ञानविज्ञान नाशनम् ॥ ४१ ॥
Therefore, Oh Bull of Bharatha clan! controlling thy senses at the outset, kill
it, the sinful destroyer of wisdom and realization.
(III - 41)
Gnyana
and Vignyana are defined by Adhi Shankara thus: “Gnyana is the knowledge
accrued through the teachings of texts by the Guru. Vignyana is self experience on truth.” Desire abolishes both gnyana and vignyana.
Desire
is vicious, says Shri Krishna. It is so,
because desire keeps us hooked on to lower instincts. Rising upwards is the ideal of life and
anything that causes a fall or hampers rise is sin. Even noble desires, like smoke engulfing
fire, covers up our real nature and deters our growth. Desires of all kinds are vicious.
Knowing
the structure of senses, mind and buddhi is essential for complete elimination
of desire. Shri Krishna explains this in
the next two verses.
-\-
इन्द्रियाणि पराण्याहुरिन्द्रियेभ्यः परं मनः ।
मनसस्तु परा बुद्धिर्यो बुद्धेः परतस्तु सः ॥ ४२ ॥
एवं बुद्धेः परं बुद्ध्वा संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना ।
जहि शत्रुं महाबाहो कामरूपं दुरासदम् ॥ ४३ ॥
The senses are said to be superior to the body; the mind superior to the senses; the intellect is suoerior to the mind; and thatwhich is superior to the intellect is
He (the Aatman).
Thus, knowing Himwho is superior to the intellect, and
restraining the self by Self, destroy, Oh Mighty armed, that enemy, the
unseizable foe, desire.
(III – 42, 43)
Imagine
a body without the senses and you will realize the importance and power of the
senses. By senses is meant, not the
sense organs like eyes, ears, nose, arms, legs, etc. but the functional power
of these. The body can remain alive
without one or many of these senses.
That is all and no more.
Functioning, effective functioning is impossible without the
senses. The body can be known through
the senses and not vice versa. Thus,
senses are more powerful, subtler and more important than the gross body.
The
mind is higher, more powerful than the senses.
Senses lose their power to function in the absence of mind. Now a days, more accidents are caused by
mobile-talk than alchohol. The eyes
might be on the road, without the mind behind.
It is behind the ears and is involved in listening. Hence the eyes lose their power causing
accident. If the mind of a student in a
classroom is absent and wanders off to the play ground or somewhere else, his
ears turn deaf for teacher’s speech.
Grief filling the mind due to death of a loved one, demolishes the
tasting power of the tongue. Most of the
theatres switch off AC, once the film starts and it is never noticed by the
viewers as their minds are now on the screen and not behind the skin. The senses accrue their power, if and only
if, the mind stands behind these.
Mindless senses are as good as dead.
The mind can know the senses and not viceversa. Hence mind is higher than senses.
Buddhi is higher than the
mind. The mind is involved in
meaningless and petty thoughts. You just
call the Buddhi and instantly the mind will be subdued. Just as a noisy class room quietens with the
entry of the teacher, so also, buddhi is the master and quietens wanderings of
mind. A student involved in chit-chat,
unmindful of time and his priorities, should just raise an enquiry within,
“What am I involved in? Why am I in
this?”. All his interest in chatting
will evaporate instantly and he will be on his toes. Buddhi wakes up and the mind is gone. Buddhi goes off into slumber and the mind
starts its helter skelter hoppings. Buddhi
can watch and know the mind and not vice versa.
Buddhi is higher, subtler, more powerful than mind.
Aham or ‘self’ is
higher, subtler than buddhi. The self
can know all the lower entities, viz. the body, senses, mind and buddhi. The ‘self’ is awake all time, even when
buddhi is asleep, even in deep dreamless sleep.
It is the aham that experiences a deep sleep and exclaims, “Oh! I had
such a wonderful sleep”. It is that
which claims ownership of the body, mind, buddhi etc. It is the real abode of desire. ‘I desire’, ‘I want’ etc. are the blabbers of
the aham. Aham can know the buddhi and
all its thoughts and resolutions, but buddhi can not know ‘Aham’ or self. Kama or passion is more powerful than buddhi,
in the sense that it can paralyse it. It
is described as a powerful or tough enemy, by Shri Krishna. It is true that the Aatman, the quintessence
of the Divine, is the highest and buddhi, mind and all the senses derive their
respective powers from it. But, the self
gets identified with the lower entities, the body, senses, mind or the buddhi
and hence is bound and feels weak. “I am
weak”, “I can not control my senses”, “my mind does not listen to me” etc. are grouses
of a weak, enslaved ‘self’. Breaking
away from the worldly, remaining immersed and contented in self will ensure
unshackling of self from the clutches of ‘desire’.
The self has free will
and potential to get rid of desire and to unite with the divine, whereas, there
is neither liberty nor capacity, to feed and satisfy the desire. Desire enslaves us to gross and subtle
matter.
-\-
ॐ तद्सदिति श्रीमद्भगवद्गीतासूपनिषत्सु ब्रह्मविद्यायां योगशास्त्रे श्रीकृष्णार्जुन संवादे कर्मयोगो
नाम तृतीयोsध्यायः ॥
Thus concludes ‘Karma
Yog’, the third chapter in the grand dialogue between Shree Krishna and Arjuna,
called the Shreemad Bhagawad Geetha, which is verily an Upanishad, elaborating
on ‘The Divine Knowledge’ and also describing the ‘Way to Godhood’.
\\\\\ HARIH OM TAT SAT \\\\\
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