PHRASES IN THE GITA - 61

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PHRASES IN THE GITA - 61

दुःख संयोग वियोगम योग  ....  (अध्याय ६ - श्लोक २३)
Du:kha Samyog Viyogam Yoga  ...  (Chapter 6 - Shloka 23)
து:க ஸம்யோக வியோகம் யோக  ...  (அத்யாயம் 6 - ஶ்லோகம் 23)

Meaning :  That which snaps bondage with grief is Yoga ..

It is a simple suggestion by Shri Krishna .  Snap the bindings of Grief .  Does grief binds us ?  No .  We bind ourselves with grief .  We hold grief firmly and never let it off .  As more and more grief add on to it , we collect all and make a big bundle of grief .  Our state is like the mad person roaming on roadside , carrying bundles of rag and all types of crap .  There is not much difference between him and us .  His bundles are visible and our bundles of grief are invisible .  But , our bundles are heavier than his .

Even to say 'invisible' is wrong .  We open our bundles and start describing our experiences of grief at every possible opportunity , in front of anyone willing to listen .  "You know ?  My childhood has been so painful" ;  "My step-mother was very harsh on me" ;  "When I came to Mumbai twenty years back , single meal was a problem" ;  The difficulties I have faced in life , Oh ! My God !  I don't think anyone else would have faced" ;  "I lost two lakh rupees a couple of years back .  It pains me a lot" ;  "Once I travelled in third class compartment in a train .  Oh !  What a bad experience !  Crowd , suffocation , no food .  Ohoh !" ;  "Yesterday , the electric supply was gone the whole night .  It was a horrible experience" and so on .  We listen to so many such wails .  Grief before an experience .  Grief due to fear , anxiety or doubt about mis-hap .  Grief during an experience .  Grief after an experience as we carry the load of the experience the whole life .  Anticipation of grief , experience of grief , load of past griefs , the whole life turns sorrow-ful .

A Religious person asked me , "Is Life without Grief possible ?"  I said , "Yes .  It is possible , if one does not tag an adjective 'bad or sad' to an experience" .  There are many who justify their misbehaviour , wrong doings on the 'bad' experiences on self .  Karna in Mahabharata is a glaring experience .  If asked , "Why did you side with Adharma ?"  "Why did you instigate adharma ?" , Karna would reply , "My mother discarded me as soon as I was born .  Parashuraman taught me but nullified his whole education through a curse .  My arrow killed a cow of a farmer and a curse by him added to my woes .  My mother Kunti met me towards the end of my life and revealed the secret of my birth .  But , it was only to protect her other sons from my arrows .  Life has been vengeful on me .  I have nothing but woes and hurts" .

There is none who has no woes .  There is none who has not experienced pain .  Woes , pain , are not selective experiences on us .  Everyone has these .  It happened yesterday .  Yesterday is gone .  This is a new day .  This is a newer moment .  Do not hold on to yesterday .  Let it off .  Why does Shri Krishna ask us to snap the bindings of only Grief ?  That is because generally we do not bind with Joyous moments .  We bind only with sad moments .

Yog was described by Shri Krishna as "Samatvam or Equilibrium" and Sakushal Karma or Efficient action" .  Here Shri Krishna describes Yog as Unbinding Grief or getting rid of Bonds of Grief .  This is probably an easier route to Yog .